Work Text:
It was only meant as a joke (please, don’t cry…)
“Omegas were considered to be pretty tidy. After all they had had to take care of the pack members, pups and of course their mate. An omega was never involved in a fight and they should always listen to their mates, not causing any additional stress and be a pretty sight in general. Stereotypically, they had an organized nest, were always dressed appropriately and loved doing chores to please their alphas or betas. Omegas were gifted with the task of bearing pups and in order to raise them correctly, they should to give up everything else – after all, what is more life fulfilling that having children?” – a quote from an English Newspaper around the 1950s
The traditional omega, the perfect omega society would accept.
Luckily, nowadays these stereotypes belonged to the past and omegas - or alphas and betas alike - could live their life how they wanted it to be. No rules they had to follow or submit to.
Every group had equal rights and were no longer were considered “more or less”.
Still, some omegas instinctively represented those tendencies more than others.
Especially, some German omegas who not only combined these but also very typical German stereotypes together … in a good way of course!
***
For instance, Sebastian and Nico had always been very self-independent.
For them, an entrance into the sport racing career hadn’t been simple due to the non-funded assistance from Germany. But it was especially worse for omegas like them because there actually hadn´t been many omega racing drivers before them. So, the sports industry rather wanted to support the alpha or beta drivers.
Fortunately, this also changed over time. Nowadays, the percentage of omega drivers joining the scene was actually higher than the alpha or beta joining rate. And this helped the sports to develop and made it even more approachable for its fans in general.
Acceptance, diversity, inclusion and the such were nowadays catchphrases used in every advertisement.
As a matter of fact, the high omega density also had its advantages: more hot-headed drivers for example tended to be calmer and more collected with a beta or omega colleague as a partner.
Anyways, both Nico and Seb were one of the first German omegas to race in Formula 1 and played an important factor in the now existing F1 Pack with Kimi and Sebastian as the leading pair, quickly followed by Mark and Fernando but also Lewis and Toto, an alpha and alpha couple (which also caused a lot of uproar in society, not that the pack cared about this).
The pack was very well balanced. A perfect mix of secondary genders, of mates or singles and younger and older drivers. That’s the reason why it was so easy to spot if someone represented certain urges or stereotypes more than other members.
For example, Checo was the ideal representation of a beta: silent, always there if you needed him (but you didn’t know it yourself yet), supportive and like a true mother hen. An alpha was unusually quiet? He’d be the first one to check this out. An omega was running around, looking lost? Sergio made sure to drag them away and towards his nest. Sure, the other pack members always looked after one another too but Checo usually was the first one to notice if someone was having troubles or wasn´t feeling well.
On the other hand, Pierre was a true modern alpha: calm but fierce, depending on the situation. Protective but a bit more relaxed than other alphas (the complete opposite of Max who only turned into a little kitten with his mate around).
And Sebastian or Nico were typical omegas although they never would admit that out loud.
And these tendencies were absolutely nothing bad! But especially the younger drivers, like Lando or Yuki for example, loved to annoy and tease certain people – mainly Sebastian and Nico - for it because out of the whole pack, those two were by far the cleanest or most punctual members. So, the two Germans not only represented some old traditional tendencies but also German stereotypes. And the two younger omegas, having been raised completely different, they rarely reflected these tendencies and therefore considered these quirks pretty funny.
Everyone around the paddock knew that Sebastian loved to have everything in an order and he liked it when everything worked as planned. Nico, the more outgoing and spontaneous type, wasn’t as strict as his friend in this matter but he was the worst when it came to appointments, interviews and the like. He’d literally force the other members to be on time.
Kimi, Daniel or Mark always laughed their asses off as soon as they saw the two blond haired Germans guide their little group of rascals (Charles, Lando, Yuki, …) around the pack room and to their respective appointments. But at seeing the glares or in Nico´s case, the scary smirk, they shut up quickly and scattered around, making themselves scarce.
And although, both Nico and Sebastian never wanted to admit it, they truly lived up to the German saying of “To be punctual is to be late”.
To be honest, everyone was grateful for their help and appreciated it very much… and a bit of teasing never hurt nobody, right?
***
Nico was nearly finished.
The German wiped away the sweat from his forehead and rolled his shoulders a bit, easing the tension in them. The tall omega then took the dirty dishes and put them into the dishwasher, a few small whimpers and whines leaving him occasionally. He must hurry up now, otherwise he´ll never be finished in time.
Nico had tidied the whole pack room and was now decorating the couches a bit, placing or rearranging the pillows or some blankets on them. He wanted the other pack members to feel home and relaxed after all, that was why he even returned earlier from his short trip to Germany and the visit to his parents. And Zeus of course.
How much he had missed his little partner in crime. The small dog was so happy to be returned with his favorite number one person in the world (and the special treats he got in return). Yesterday, Nico nearly broke down at the sight of Zeus, wagging his tail in excitement but then stopping abruptly because he had realized that his human will leave him again.
Still, Nico was on a mission. He had to make sure the place was 100 percent perfect!
Taking a deep breath, the omega continued and hoped that with his doing he´d be able to convince the others. But who was he actually kidding?
The way he structured the mess, cleaned everything spotless, rebuild nests … in reality it was a silent cry for help. It literally screamed for help. But who will help him?
***
~One day ago ~
“Dead. Zeus, dead!”, Nico spoke while wiggling bis fingers over Zeus’ head, trying his best to teach the little furball a new trick. But his little man just crooked his head to one side and gave paw. Again.
Nico sighed and shook his head softly. But he had a different idea now.
“Zeus. Sit… very good!”, he praised his dog after he did this trick without hesitating for one second. Pleased with himself that he could leave the little training exercise with a success, he let out a few unintentional purrs and pet Zeus gently, carding his fingers through the soft long fur. The dog panted happily and jumped on his lap, demanding even more pets – not that Nico was able to resist him.
As much as he loved his pack, sometimes he truly missed the familiarity of his hometown or Germany in general.
His family and Zeus, the language, the smells or the food were always things he looked forward too.
That’s why he had been so surprised when Kimi took him aside a few weeks ago and had asked him, whether he’d like to go to Germany for a couple of days, alone as the other drivers had an important upcoming race and Aston Martin didn´t need him as a reserve rider.
The Finnish driver and pack alpha was a great leader. But he was also quite protective of his pack mates and rarely let them go without supervision, always fearing the worst. He understood that omegas or betas were able to protect themselves but it soothed his worries if their mate or some friends came along with them.
Hell, he even wanted that Max, a strong and more often than not temperamental alpha, got accompanied on his home trip to the Netherlands. And the older alpha hadn’t backed down with his order. It would have nearly escalated with Max and Kimi getting into a fist fight, if it hadn’t been for their respective omegas Daniel and Sebastian to interrupt them.
In the end, both Daniel and Max went on holidays and Kimi had been very smug about it.
So, after the offer, Nico basically had no other option than to accept on the spot. The omega even making sure to show his gratitude by baring his neck and cooing a bit in gratitude.
Kimi had just smiled at the sight but didn’t scent him immediately. He knew that the omega rarely let others see his “weak” side because he himself considered it to be as something “bad”. This mindset caused him a lot of trouble in the pack because they couldn´t understand it.
Only Sebastian, who somehow knew everything about his countryman, softly explained them one day, that Nico hadn´t had an easy life before F1, that he was doing better now but still needed the time to fully accept who he was. Since then, the others made sure to include the German and show him that, no matter which secondary gender they had, they were all equal.
Therefore, this reaction had showed Kimi how truly grateful the German was and how much he had trusted him. And he appreciated this a lot, after all he never wanted to make the younger man uncomfortable. In order not to frighten the younger male, the Finn had asked him if he really wanted this and after the affirmation, he gladly dragged his head against the offered neck, breathing in the lemon like smell of Nico. The seal to their deal.
To say that the tall blond had been ecstatic, would be an understatement. He couldn’t wait to rub this little piece of information into Max´s face because he was allowed to go to Germany alone. The alpha would be fuming and Daniel would probably be crackling like crazy, ecstatic for his best omega friend.
Back then, the omega even toyed with the idea to invite Kevin to this trip, only to remember that the alpha got visited by his best friend Romain. The Frenchman wanted to visit his old pack again and especially wanted to spend his time with the Danish alpha.
So, he quickly dismissed this idea, after all it wasn´t like he and the Dane were mates or something like that…
Nico’s thoughts and reflections were suddenly interrupted by the ringtone of his phone and Zeus wandering off to get his favorite chewing toy. Heaving himself up from his crouching position, he shortly stretched his legs before accepting the call.
And as if the call wasn’t enough… the short message he got after that wasn’t an improvement either.
***
“So basically, nothing really changed while I was gone? Just some more people finding their mates and others joining this motley pile”, Romain spoke while elbowing his best friend´s side, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
Kevin laughed at this but didn’t deny it, after all it was the truth. The French beta and the Danish alpha enjoyed the time at the little restaurant near the race track, missing the time they had spent together at Haas.
They joked a bit back and forth, spilling embarrassing stories about their respective packs and devouring the served food.
Kevin truly missed this familiarity with Romain, the French beta being one of the first people he trusted totally. Romain was also the first in the pack to see behind the Dane´s façade and come to accept the harsh remarks as gentle banter. Romain leaving F1 stung but in the end, it was for the best because the other found true love in his new pack and Kevin couldn’t be happier for him. Seeing the mating bite on the Frenchman´s neck made him feel a bit torn inside: on the one hand he loved watching Ro being happy and wearing that mark proudly but on the other hand it made something inside him clench.
Just as they wanted to dig into dessert, Kevin felt an uncomfortable itch. Thinking nothing about it, he ignored it and listened to the vacations story of Romain and is alpha. But the itch slowly got worse and from the one moment to the other, a sadness he couldn´t place, swept over him.
He rumbled in annoyance and rubbed at his neck. Kevin waved off Romain´s concerned glance and dug into his ice cream, only to find out that his appetite left him.
“Kev, what is wrong? Do you feel unwell?”, the beta asked him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, the beta man letting out a soft purr. The Dane just waved him off and let out a rumble of his own to ease the other´s mind.
“I don´t know Ro. Something is …off? Like I feel someone else´s sadness, you know? And right now, I only smell this lemon like smell… But don´t worry. It´ll pass”, the Dane replied, rubbing his neck again. The burning sensation was still bothering him a bit.
Romain furrowed his eyebrows but knew better than to ask his best friend more. But he couldn´t help but be a bit worried.
For the next few minutes, the Frenchman observed how Kevin played with the remains of his slowly melting ice cream, not even eating one bite and at the same time how he continued rubbed at his neck… where a possible mark would be!
Just as he wanted to question bis best friend if he forgot to mention something quite important, Kevin´s head shot up and he sniffed the air.
A low rumble was emitted and Kevins´ blue eyes met his own, pupils fully dilated.
“Romain, do you smell that? Isn´t that Nico? Shouldn´t he be back home in Germany? I thought he´d stay there until next Thursday…”, the Dane mumbled, looking a bit concerned while still sniffing the air in interest.
Romains´ thoughts stopped. Since when did these two even talk to one another? Risking a short glance at Kevin´s neck and not finding a mark, he curiously sniffed the air, too. But he wasn’t able to detect anything. Could it be…?
“Are you sure? I can´t smell him… But if you can, why don´t you check it out? I mean I wanted to meet up with Sebastian and Kimi anyways”, Romain replied, a small smile adorning his face.
But his friend didn’t notice it, too caught up with the fact that something might be wrong with the German omega.
Quickly, the two of them parted ways, promising one another to meet up again tomorrow before the alpha more or less ran away.
Romain smiled at the sight, glad that his friend finally might find his true mate eventually and takin it seriously. After all, he would never just leave a restaurant without paying
***
Kevin ran past the interviewers taking place and the overfilled motorhomes, the usually calming and fresh citrus smell of Nico getting stronger but also quite more spoiled, if possible. Although the German sure was quite a handful, an annoying bastard and too cheeky to be good, he was also very caring and actually an adorable omega.
Nico always knew what he wanted and he ever backed off anything. He´d fight for it and if something knocked him down, he´d always get back up. And Kevin respected this and his inner alpha liked that a lot, too.
He remembered that time, when some reporters poked fun at him or used him as an example for a "bad omega" only because he would joke with the alphas or he´d insult them (see 2017 as an example) if he deemed something unfair or unrespectful. Nico would laugh at the reporters and snarl right back, only for his media assistant to drag him away.
Or there was also that time where the whole pack went to a club in order to celebrate together. Kevin couldn´t remember if it was Charles or Antonio, but some drunk dickhead got too handsy with them and Nico swiftly interfered before any of the alphas even knew what had happened: He punched the alpha right into his face and would have done even more if Seb and Dan hadn´t grabbed him. These antics being headlines for many newspaper articles but secretly the reason so many people loved the blue-eyed omega.
Anyways, Kevin rushed past the garages, making a mental note to say ´hello´ to the teams later on, before slowly heading to the pack room. He was already seeing inarguably Nico´s shadow: the tall omega moving around the couches, all lean and very good looking.
Nico was, by the looks of it, rearranging or decorating the room new and adding his own charm to it. Kevin rumbled a bit, very pleased by this because he liked the way the German made his nests.
Just as he wanted to call out for the other, the sad scent penetrated his sensitive senses again and then he also realized how stiffly the other was moving around. The normal finesse or grace Nico possessed, which caused other alphas to fall right into his spell, wasn´t apparent. He moved around as if he was in panic, stopping his tasks before picking it up again or moving away.
This made Kevin question again: Why was Nico even doing here in the first place? The rest of the pack was also away, enjoying a peaceful and quiet day which didn´t involve racing.
Knowing the German better than some others, Kevin decided to joke a bit with Nico first. Asking him directly would only make him shut up even more and that would be counterproductive.
The Dane took of his shoes and sneaked into the pack room, tip toeing over to the unknowing Nico. Standing two meters away from him, he picked up some pillows from the nearest sofa.
But the omega paid him no attention, still folding some blankets and placing them on the counter.
The alpha pouted a bit but then he had another idea: if he wasn´t able to indulge the other into a playful pillow fight, maybe teasing might be the right way to get his attention.
Weaponed with a pillow, the alpha rumbled quietly. This caused the omega to turn around with a frightened whine and look him dead in the eyes.
“Oh, so he really didn´t hear me”, Kevin thought to himself but now he couldn´t stop his plan now, right?
He cleared his throat shortly before holding said pillow up. Wiggling it a bit around he said: “I think you might have dropped something”, before smirking lightly and letting it fall down on the floor with a small and dull sound.
At first nothing happened.
No angry words or an omega ready to strangle him in mock anger. No, the reaction was way worse and it caused Kevin´s smile to instantly fade and his eyes to widen in shock.
In front of him, Nico was looking at the pillow on the floor before his head slowly got up again. Shoulders tense and his whole posture hunched in, trying to appear smaller than he really was. Tears streamed down his handsome face before huge sobs wracked his body. His lips were wobbling and his fingers were burying themselves into his palms, leaving angry red streaks behind.
“Oh no”, the alpha mumbled…
***
He was very happy with himself. This time, he surely outdid himself. The pack room never – in his opinion – looked better. Nico just had to do some last finishing touches and then Kimi had to be impressed, right?
The omega moved around the room and tried to detect where he had left Carlos´ favorite blanket, the beta being very protective about it. Letting out a small “aha” at having found the missing he item, he quickly folded it and put the blanket on a counter, next to some other nesting items like Lando´s teddy or Nando´s cap.
Nico was so busy with himself that the sudden rumble behind him scared him and he lost his guard by letting out a small whine. He turned around only to come face to face with Kevin.
“What was the Dane doing here? Shouldn´t he be with Romain?”, he asked himself but the shock of not having heard the alpha, still made him tense up.
Before he was able to mutter a single word, Kevin cleared his throat and continued.
Only to let that dammed pillow fall down.
Somehow this was the last straw for him. A dam burst open. He worked so hard to make this room perfect and now it was ruined again.
Deep down, Nico knew that he was crying over a pillow but somehow for him it felt like he had failed completely. He wasn´t able to control his emotions no longer, the stress and fear of the past day rushing to the surface and he began to cry uncontrollably.
He gripped his own hands and fell down on his knees before hiding his face in his palms, desperately wishing for the world to swallow him whole. Everything was too much for him right now.
Suddenly, Kevin kneeled next to him, the poor alpha looking very anxious at his sudden outburst.
The Dane tried to console the other, softly speaking to him but Nico couldn´t hear anything. He was too caught up in his own head.
Now Kimi surely wanted him gone by the end of the season. He was so sure about it.
***
“What the hell…?”, Kevin thought but then the omega in front of him crumbled into himself, sinking down on his knees, sobbing inconsolably. His usually amazing scent vanishing, leaving no trace of it behind.
Kevin stood there in shock and couldn´t quite comprehend what happened. Why was Nico crying? He didn´t destroy anything or said something bad.
Quickly, the alpha got down on his knees, touching the other´s shoulder and tried to rumble soothingly – what did he do wrong?
But Nico wouldn´t stop or listen to him. Instead, the omega continued to stay on his knees, crying and now he was even gripping his own hair, ripping at it…
Letting out a worried growl, Kevin took action. He would not watch how the German hurt himself!
So, the alpha got up and looked around the pack room, instantly finding what he was searching for.
Still growling lightly, he picked up the lean omega and despite the protesting and trashing around of the older man, he managed to carry him to the corner of the pack room and to a beautiful nest which literally screamed: made by Nico.
With gentle hands, he positioned the omega in the middle of it, before picking out some pillows and clothing pieces to place around him, in order to ground him and to make him feel a bit safer.
At first, it didn´t seem to work so the Danish took it one step further. He knew that his next step was considered to be very rude but he had no other chance or way to soothe the sad German.
Carefully, he stepped into the nest and curled himself around the front of the omega, taking shacking hand into his own and placing a small kiss upon the fingertips before gently gripping the other´s head ad guiding him to his chest. That way, Nico should be able to feel and listen to his constant stream of rumbles and soothing growls. With his hands, he drew gentle patterns on the other´s back and massaged the tense muscles.
Burying his head into the fluffy mess of blond hair, he soaked in the smell of apple shampoo before softly shushing Nico.
And it worked out, the blond in his arms snuggling closer and placing his head firmly on his broad chest, directly above his tattoo.
“I am so sorry, darling. It was only meant to be joke. I didn´t mean to disturb you. Please… don´t cry”, Kevin spoke and curled himself even more around Nico.
He continued muttering sweet nothings and apologized at the same time and after some time he noticed how the taller of them slowly relaxed.
With a shuddering breath, Nico cuddled even closer -if it was even possible- and soaked in the grounding smell of forest and wood. Nico´s hand slowly curled around his forearm before resting over his chest and kneading the material of his red hoddie. And the two of them stayed like this. Only Kevin´s constant stream of rumbles was heard until Nico quietly returned them with a small mix of whines and purrs of his own.
But everything good had to end sometime. That´s why the German untangled himself from the embrace before looking into worried blue orbs which were fully concentrated on him. The older blushed a bit before gently nuzzling the other´s cheek and neck. He dragged his whole cheek against stubble before repeating the action on the other side, too. After that he went to continue by putting his nose against the Dane´s neck and purring gently. The he alpha rumbled appreciatingly and returned the gesture.
Both of them enjoying the sensation but the affectionate moment didn´t last for too long because Nico suddenly pulled away and looked directly at Kevin. Something was clearly bothering but before Kevin was able to ask him directly, Nico stared at his lap before mumbling.
“Kevin, you don´t have to apologize. You didn´t do anything wrong. I am sorry, but- but I really have to continue now” he spoke, nervous looking eyes looking down and fingers shyly tangling themselves into the Danish driver´s hoddie. Nico tried to get up but Kevin wasn´t fully convinced that the German was feeling better and just growled shortly in warning and dragged the omega back down.
Nico just hissed in return but didn´t try to get back up again. Instead, he cuddled himself again into the warm embrace and glanced at the younger alpha in question.
Pleased at the way Nico seemed to want the closeness, too, Kevin nuzzled the other´s cheek again.
“You are not leaving this nest without telling what happened. I mean, I shouldn´t have tried to make a mess or scare you but I really just wanted to tease you a bit, you know? What is wrong, please tell me? I was able to smell you nearly a kilometer away…”, Kevin trailed off at the end, blushing by that statement.
“Why did I even say that out loud?”, he asked himself, quietly panicking on the inside.
But the omega cooed at that, only to be interrupted by some hiccups. He raised a hand and rubbed away the tear tracks on his face, eyes shining with some unshed tears.
Nico looked uncomfortable and uneasy. Kevin had guessed that the German rather wanted to keep quiet about the situation but the alpha in him was worried sick about the omega´s unusual behavior.
The clock in the kitchen could be heard in the pack room, laughter in the distance and the occasional roaring of a motor. Kevin kept silent, he didn´t want to pressure the shaken omega and knowing that asking him again would do him no favor. That is the reason Kevin continued drawing circles on the other´s back, sometimes rumbling when Nico began to sniffle again but otherwise not saying anything.
And it worked. With a shuddering breath, Nico sat up, crossed his legs and fumbled with the edge of a random pillow.
“It´s really nothing, Kev. It´s just that… I had a bad day”, Nico chocked on the words and looked up, blinking away annoying tears. Kevin just blinked at that statement but otherwise kept quiet. He wanted nothing more than to hug Nico but knew that he needed the space to think this through.
“Why don´t you start by telling me why you are even here. Shouldn´t you be in Germany with your family and little Zeus? Didn´t Kimi allow you to go alone even…”, Kevin asked gently instead.
Nico nodded along and opened his mouth. A chocked-out whine left his lips and he swallowed hard before he began to share his story.
“You know that I am a reserve driver for both Mercedes and Aston Martin, right? And I am truly happy with it. But yesterday I got a call from Mercedes that they have to cancel my contract for the next year. To be honest, I kind of calculated with it, after all, why would they need me if they could have George or… I don´t know. Anyways, that´s how my day started. And I didn´t think anything of it because hey, I only went to their seat fitting and stuff but I have never their car or looked at their data. So, I didn´t miss out a lot of things. I the played with Zeus and just spent a lazy day in my apartment, going over some stuff but nothing special. But then only a few hours later, I also got a message from my AM boss. He wanted to speak with me. And… hey, they also fired me. They won´t extend my contract. I am not only seat less but also jobless next year”, at the end of the sentence, new tears clouded Nico´s vision and his high-pitched voice told Kevin how much devastation Nico went through.
Just as the Dane wanted to ask something, the omega in front of him shook his head in disbelieve as if he just realized by saying this out loud, which consequences this may led to. A distant look crossed the German´s face and for a quick moment, Kevin thought the other would burst out in anger but instead it all seemed to deflate.
“Scheiße, I am no longer important for F1. I have nothing left Kevin! Maybe Formula 1 is done with me but I am not. I… I… I am nothing without it” and just like that, the poor omega began to ramble. His fingers clenched harshly, the skin around his knuckles turning white and his breath got ragged. He even seemed to sink into himself again and before Kevin was able to interfere, to take the distraught omega in his arms Nico continued again.
“So, I panicked yesterday. That´s the reason why I packed my things, booked the next flight here and went to drive to the airport. Well, in my haste, I didn´t even say goodbye to my mother. Arriving at the airport, the staff prohibited me to get on plane because “apparently” I released too many pheromones and they didn´t want to trigger anybody else. After that fiasco, I took my car and drove all the way. And then I stood here and thought: what do I do now? I am practically worthless for the pack now; Kimi will probably kick me out next season. And I cannot blame him but I don´t want to leave you guys. You all are family!”, Nico begged at the end, looking directly at Kevin and the alpha jumped at the chance to finally engulf the other in a hug. Nico even scrambled closer, pushing his nose against his scent mark, desperately seeking out the close contact.
Not that Kevin would have denied it. His heart broke at how insecure Nico was, how little he thought about himself.
Heavy sobs shook the lean body and the alpha started whispering sweet nothings. Maybe the omega compared this situation with Romain´s? The beta, after leaving Haas, also left the F1 pack and joined another. Maybe Nico didn´t know that this was purely Romain´s choice? That he wanted to leave F1 not because he needed to but because he found true love somewhere else?
Kevin only hugged him tighter and his rumbling increased yet again.
This somehow grounded the tall man and he spoke again, breath tickling his sensitive neck.
“But this isn´t everything, this isn´t the reason why I am so … worked up, you know? Well, at least not everything. I wanted to impress Kimi, Seb, ´Nando, … hell the whole pack basically. That´s why I returned early without informing any of you. I thought that I have to get on Kimi´s good side by cleaning the whole pack room. By doing this, maybe I have got a slim chance to stay here. After all, maybe that is all I am good for.
Shit, Kevin. I am so scared to lose this last chance to be with you all, with the pack and … you.
But - But seeing that stupid pillow on the floor, it was just too much for me at that moment and I lost it.”
Kevin carded his fingers through the soft blond curls of Nico´s hair, feeling quite touched and proud about the fact that the omega opened up to him and trusted him with his worries. And of course, about the fact that the omega apparently liked him, too.
“Focus Kevin, now is not the time”, he criticized himself in his head but storing that information for later.
The Dane gently took hold of the omegas´ shoulders and forced him to look into his own blue eyes. A soft sniffle was everything he got in return but Nico didn´t pull away, focusing totally on the alpha.
Kevin breathed in deeply and closed his eyes for a second. He had to control his emotions a bit because he wasn´t aware the omega had so many problems concerning his status in the pack and how much balance and peace he offered for the pack. He hated the thought that the omega never realized how important his existence in this pack was. But he now has got the opportunity to correct this.
“Listen Nico. Sweetheart, first of all: I am so sorry about those bad news. I feel with you and I can understand your concerns. But you are … stupid.”
At the offended look he got in return, Kevin was fast enough to continue before his words could be taken as mean.
“Nico, do you really think that we, that Kimi would have thrown you out of the pack just because you are no longer in F1? Don´t you know, don´t you see how important you are? You bring a certain kind of balance with you and this is something everyone appreciates and needs. You get along with the youngsters but also with the head of the pack. You play with the alphas and you show them who´s the true boss while also offering advice or your nest to the omegas and you are also every beta´s best friend. Nico, you are definitely NOT worthless”, he finished the sentence by softly taking Nicos´ cheeks into his hands and slowly placing a shy kiss upon them.
Hesitant eyes followed his movements but the German didn´t interrupt him and Kevin took this as an invitation to continue.
“I do understand that you need Kimi´s reassurance or Lewis’ words of understatement but please, you should never think so little about yourself. You are such an amazing and desirable omega and you shouldn’t “buy” Kimi´s go to stay here. We can both talk to him and Seb later on, if you´d like? I would understand if you´d rather do it alone but if – that´s just to gather all possibilities even if they are unlikely – Kimi doesn´t approve of you, then I see no reason to be in this pack, too. You are worth so much more, Nico, don´t you understand that?”
Wide opened eyes searched the alpha´s face for any trace of a lie but Nico wasn´t able to find anything but the truth in those beautiful eyes. An unintentional purr left him and he felt his cheeks heat up, blushing at the compliments.
“But I will no longer race with you guys… what should I do then? I don’t want to bother you …”, Nico mumbled shakingly, still not completely convinced.
A growl had him look up into angry eyes. Afraid of the alpha for a second, he scrambled away and whined, baring his neck to show submission. But before he felt any sort of pain, he was engulfed in another hug with the Dane mumbling into his neck that he could never be a bother to any of them and that he will personally make sure, Nico will come to accept this.
A fresh wave of tears rolled down his cheeks but it wasn´t in sadness. He purred gently and carded his fingers through Kevin´s short hair, untangling some strands before burying his face again against the neck of the alpha and breathing in the comforting scent of him.
The two of them stayed like this for a while, relaxing in the arms of the other and grounding themselves, no further words were spoken.
Both omega and alpha realized that something in their relationship had changed but neither were ready to speak about it yet – after all they still had enough time to do so.
The sun went down and a gentle breeze drifted through the pack room. Nico´s worries and fears were still present but neither of them wanted to move, too comfortable cuddling into one another and enjoying the closeness and safety. Nico arranged Kevin in his nest, dragging blankets around them before settling down himself, purring in content and cuddling close to the broad chest and the strong arms that would protect him in the future. A small kiss was placed on his forehead before the alpha dragged him even closer.
Kevin will make sure that Nico and him will talk with Kimi in the morning, desperate to erase the worries he himself couldn´t understand.
And Nico will make sure to spend some more time with the alpha …
~ Bonus ~
Nico was drawing figures on Kevin´s chest, mind still racing and leaving him wide awake. One question was still bothering him immensely. Mustering up his courage, he spoke: “What did you mean by you were able to smell me from kilometers away, Kev?”
The German felt how the Dane tensed up next to him before an embarrassed cough left him. In a small voice, the Dane told him about his restaurant visit with Romain, this weird itch and the lemon like smell to him linking this to Nico and him running all the way to the pack room.
A short silence settled between them, both of them realizing what this meant before the incredible lemon like smell of Nico sparked up and soothed the frizzled nerves of Kevin.
Nuzzling Kevin´s chin, Nico just replied quietly that he wished he would have had the courage to ask the alpha to accompany him on his trip to Germany one week ago before both of them fell asleep, tucked close together.