#1
The first time they meet, Rafael can't help but notice that he doesn't smell like anything.
He watches him hug Olivia and Munch and Fin. He shakes Amaro's hand and then his.
Or maybe that's inaccurate. He smells like too much. Alphas, Betas, Omegas, coffee, ink, cinnamon, but there's no scent of his very own. Nothing that gave him away. He has all the confidence of an Alpha, all the gentleness of an Omega and Rafael can't place him. And he doesn't really question why he wants to.
#2
It irks him to no end. Finally, one day he snaps.
"Why do you always smell like that?" He demands as they're walking up the courtroom steps. Anyone else might have been offended by his lack of tact but the doctor only smiles wryly.
"Like what?" he says simply, and Rafael stops them just before the entrance.
"Like nothing, like everything." He hides his frustration under a sip of coffee. But Huang just smirks like he understands.
"My job requires a close connection with my patients. A lot of them need physical contact. It just got too cumbersome to try and wash off between sessions. No one seems to mind." He takes a sip of his drink, "except you."
"I don't mind. Just wondering."
And they walk into the courthouse without another word.
#3
Rafael invites him to dinner. George invites him to an art opening for a friend. They text. They talk. They're friends.
Except sometimes, sometimes, when they're alone in an elevator, or bantering in his office over takeout, or walking through central park on Saturdays, or babysitting Noah together, Rafael can't help but wonder.
#4
The case was won. They'd won it. And that's why the entire squad was in some cop bar. A bar Rafael wouldn't even glance at but he's trying to be part of the team or whatever so he lets Olivia buy him a beer.
George is there as well, dressed to kill because he'd testified. He's bunched between Munch and Fin and they're all playfully arguing about something and Amanda and Nick are making bets on the Giants and Olivia is showing him her latest picture of Noah in the bathtub. `
Then someone's phone rings.
Everyone lets out a collective groan. But the doctor soothes them by saying it's his. He excuses himself and Olivia gives Rafael a look. The same look she gives him every time Huang does anything and Rafael notices.
"What?" he says and swallows more beer.
"If you don't go out there after him I will," Munch quips and suddenly everyone's looking at him and he can't hide his blush.
"I don't know what he is," he hisses to Olivia and she quirks an eyebrow as if it were the most irrelevant thing in the world.
"But you know who he is." And despite being the best arguer, Rafael Barba has no retort.
#5
Rafael finds him in the alley beside the bar.
"Yes Alex that's amazing I'm very proud of you," he's saying, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a slightly crumpled cigarette. "No I'm not smoking…well you wouldn't be my best friend or an amazing attorney if you couldn't spot a lie." He lights it, resting his back against the wall. He laughs. "I'd love to see you too. Maybe sometime next week?"
He shifts, spots Rafael and smiles. "Yes Wednesday is perfect. Yes. Okay. And Alex? Congratulations you really deserve this…I love you too. See you soon. Goodbye."
"Good news?" Rafael asks, his hands in his suit pants pockets.
"Great news, my friend Alex, she used to have your job, she got a promotion. She's very excited about it and naturally as her friend so am I."
"Naturally," Rafael says, stealing his cigarette, taking a drag, and passing it back. "We're friends right?"
He watches as the doctor turns slightly to look at him, a perplexed smile on his face. "Of course we are Rafael. And I'm really glad that we are."
The attorney nods. He could leave it here. They were friends and he didn't want to risk that. But he pushes himself off the wall until he stands in front of the doctor. George's eyes are confused but calm. His breath audible as Rafael leans his head in closer.
"Just friends?" he says quietly and he can feel his own heartbeat in his ears and feel his face heat and for a split second of complete terror and embarrassment George says nothing.
But then George is kissing him. Getting Raphael's alpha scent all over him, and Rafael still can't smell him, the real him under layers of other people and smoke and soap but he doesn't care. Because he has George Huang against a wall outside a bar and he's kissing him like he's never been kissed before.
They break to the sound of catcalls and wolf whistles. George blushes and Rafael grins at the detectives waiting for them at the end of the alley.
"Did that answer your question?" George asks. And Rafael chuckles.
"Come to think of it. I may need some clarification."
And they kiss again and again and again.
#6
He's gone for a day, then two, then three. On the fourth day Rafael is nervous.
"He said he's sick," Olivia tells him, after coming into his office without knocking to find him suffering from worry and too much caffeine.
"Yes but who is sick for four days?" he demands, "What does he have, the plague?"
"Could be," Olivia shrugs earning a murderous glare. "Well why don't you just call him?"
"I did," Barba groans, rubbing his temples. "He didn't answer."
"You can't just stop by? You are his boyfriend after all." She shakes her head at the sudden realization on his face, silently praying Noah doesn't grow up to be this inept at dating.
#7
The second he opens the door Barba can finally smell him. But he doesn't even notice. Because George is looking at him with wide eyes and swollen lips and flushed cheeks in nothing but a T-shirt and panties reeking of pure sex.
"George," he murmurs in awe, crossing the threshold and shutting the door.
George clings to him, whimpering and mewling and grinding against him, begging, "Please please please Rafael make it stop."
"You're in heat?" The attorney groans in shock and arousal, low in the throat, fighting for the willpower to not fuck him right then on the floor.
Instead he takes off his suit jacket and sits on the sofa. George straddles him all hips and ass, his lips on his neck and his hands already desperately trying to unbutton his lover's shirt.
"Wait," Rafael says though he doesn't want it to stop, though his cock is already hard and if the Omega didn't stop grinding down he'd just –
"Wait," he says again taking a settling breath and George stops with a displeased whine. "Talk to me."
George hides his face in the crook of his neck. Rafael rubs his back, can feel how much he's trembling, how hard he's trying to control himself.
"I didn't know I was going into heat," he murmurs in a wanton whiny voice that Rafael could get very used to hearing, "They've never been very regular unfortunately. I could barely talk to Liv when she called."
"Pobrecito," Rafael coos, his hands rubbing his thighs. "My poor boy."
George shudders. "I didn't call you because I know this case is important. I didn't want to distract you –"
"Do you really think I'm not already distracted?" Rafael asks, his hands sliding further up his thighs, stroking his slit through his panties. "Do you really think I don't sit in my office all day and wonder about how tight you are and how wet you get?"
And George whines irritably in response, kissing the attorney til they both can't breathe and then he looks him in the eye and says, "Rafael Barba fuck me until I forget everything else but your name, and how good you feel inside me."
"I can do that," Rafael says and then he flips them over and does just that.
#8
"Why didn't you tell me you were an Omega?"
He's just finished fucking the doctor six ways to Sunday on every available surface in his apartment. It's nearing two AM but it's Friday or rather Saturday now and they both have the weekend off.
It's been a good two weeks since George's heat and they never really talked about it. Which is odd considering the doctor is an advocate for talking things through, particularly because it was the first time they'd really had sex. As in no over the clothes teenage rutting, rather peeling off everything that separated them, George letting Rafael really see him and boy did he like what he saw.
They're in Rafael's bed. George is already half-asleep and the small hum he lets out is almost enough to make Rafael save it for morning. But George raises himself up from Rafael's chest, looking up at him critically and its clear he's debating something with himself.
"I didn't want you to alter how you treated me. So many people do, even if unconsciously. Especially in the field of law enforcement." He yawns, fisting his eyes. "It's not that I didn't trust you. I just…I don't know I was afraid. I didn't know you enough yet. But I wouldn't have kissed you if I didn't think you'd treat me as your equal. Trust me I've made that mistake before."
Rafael wants to ask about the other Alphas that have hurt him but George is nodding off again, curling into his chest and murmuring something about healthy sleep cycles and not being able to walk tomorrow and he decides to just savor the moment.
#9
"Shouldn't you be on a leash?" Carisi spits out because he's angry and the case isn't easy and the doctor surely isn't making it easier.
So what if the psycho was having some kind of mental break. He's still guilty as far as he's concerned. But it's still a low blow. Bringing up the doctor's status. A real dick move. He knows and he's sorry the second he's finished hissing it out.
Sonny's trying to work out an apology in his head when he notices that the doctor doesn't look hurt, hell he isn't even looking at him. He's looking at Barba who looks fucking pissed. The attorney's eyes are the darkest Carisi has ever seen them, his fists balled where they sit on the desk.
"Rafael," Huang says, quietly, soothingly, and oh shit Carisi gets everything. Insulting an Omega is one thing. Insulting Barba's own Omega in front of him?
Rafael stands slowly. It's a tense few seconds and its clear he's debating saying and doing precisely what he wants to do and keeping his job.
"Detective I'm sure you have somewhere to be," he says coldly.
And oh fuck, Sonny just got Barba to not glare every time he asks to assist him in court just yesterday.
"Barba I –"
"Get the fuck out of my office," he snarls and there's so much heat and disgust and rage that Carisi leaves immediately.
"Rafael."
"Don't George," he says, still thoroughly irritated. He runs a hand over his face and exhales roughly. "A leash? A fucking leash?" And he lets out a litany of Spanish curses that, despite only rough translations here and there, make the doctor wince.
"He's just stressed," George says, walking to the other side of the desk and smoothing his hands over the attorney's lapels. "He's new. He's having trouble acclimating. And besides, I've heard much worse."
Rafael sighs, trying to fight his murderous thoughts. He brings George to him, stroking his hair. It's touchier than they allow themselves to be at work but George allows it with a small knowing sigh.
"I love you. You know that right?" Rafael asks him still stroking his hair and George freezes because it's the first time Rafael has ever even said the word love in any context. But he's holding him and they've been together long enough for it to feel right and good and safe, almost like they could do this forever and maybe they can.
"I know," George says, nuzzling into him. "I love you too."
#10.
"No."
"Counselor – "
"No."
"Barba."
"Do you have any idea what time it is?"
"Come on."
"He's on vacation."
"Rafael."
"Liv," the attorney retorts, fixing her with a pointed look that says that there's no way in hell he's letting her past the doorway. "You want to drag my husband, my tired overworked vacationing husband –"
"I wouldn't be doing this if we didn't need him," she points out.
Barba sighs, looking into the apartment before closing the door and stepping further into the hall. He looks her in the eye for a long moment, barely able to keep a smile from his face.
"He's pregnant Liv," he announces quietly as if he's still in awe, his smile radiant and proud and Olivia can't help but smile back.
"Wow," she says, hugging him. "Congratulations. How's he doing?"
"Well he's excited. He's also freaking out," he says when they part, a wry smile on his face. "I think I might be too. But right now I'm trying to keep him calm. And stress free."
"Just let him look at the files," she says holding them out to him. "He won't even have to come to the precinct."
"Fine," he relents. "But if my baby comes out spouting murder statistics I'm blaming you."
"Fair enough," Olivia shrugs, "and Rafael?"
He stops, one foot already halfway in the apartment door. "Yeah?"
"Congratulations. You'll be great parents."
…
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