Unconventional Omegas

Omega # 1 – Russell Agnew

Part 1 – The Russ Agnew Way

Taking down a perp with faulty equipment was Russ's most favorite thing in the world. No SERIOUSLY, getting punched in the face, an absolute perfect ending to a perfect night… The black-eye, super sexy…

Russ sighed in aggravation. Being underfunded and understaffed was starting to take its toll; not just on the department as a whole, but on him personally. He'd pulled so much overtime in the last few weeks he was starting to consider the perks of just moving in and taking up residency in the bullpen. He'd slept at his desk before, had the sore muscles and stiff back now as proof. The thing is, he's not as young as he used to be, and he just didn't know if his back could handle sleeping in his rickety little desk chair for much longer.

Omegas weren't built for this, he could admit in the privacy of his own mind. And even though he was considered hardy for his gender, not Omega in the least where it seemed to count in the eyes of society, the long days and short nights were putting a strain on him mentally and physically. He felt worn thin, fatigue settling over him as he rubbed harshly at the bridge between his eyes as he let them slip closed.

He couldn't complain. No one knew. He was an unregistered Omega working for the Police… They all saw him as the gruff Beta with an Alpha complex, which he so didn't have, thanks. His suppressants did their job well enough, keeping his heats at bay and dulled the scent of Omega that he could easily cover with Beta spray. Sometimes it was easy to forget that he was lying to everyone, pretending to be something he wasn't. Those times didn't last long. Headaches and nausea from the suppressants generally happened on a weekly basis, reminding him that he'd been on them for too long at a time, staving off a heat that his body needed.

He'd been on the suppressants for three months straight… They were black-market, unsafe at best; there was no telling what the drugs were doing to his system. He worried, but there wasn't much he could do. His week of leave was cancelled for the fourth time in a row already. Whining about it wouldn't get him anywhere. A part of him, as tiny as it may be, started wondering if it was worth the pain to hide his gender from them all… The Commander and he went way back, and even she wasn't aware. Sometimes he wondered if it would be better if she did. But the larger part, the part that loved this work, loved being a detective, won out. There's no way the city would let an unmated Omega run around with a badge, even if Guziewicz was fine with it.

"I'm startin' to think I'm getting to old for this…" he murmured aloud instead of the 'hey guys, you know how I'm always so cranky and shit, well, it's cause I'm an Omega' that rested right on the tip of his tongue. He took a shaky breathe, trying to will the pounding in his head away.

"You're not old Russ, just tired!" Holly chirped as she walked by giving him an affectionate pat on the shoulder. She was far too chipper for 7:00 am than she should be, Russ thought; he cracked his eyes open to glower after her as she smiled at him over her shoulder. "A little beauty sleep and you'd be all set!"

Hah. A little… At this point he didn't even think a week would be enough.

Holly Dale was by far the most cheerful Omega he'd ever met. Yeah, most Omega had a preset disposition to be empathetic, nurturing, and all-around-nice to the point they often creeped Russ out, but she took the cake on being tooth-rottingly sweet. He'd swear up and down he'd never exhibited any of those traits, even if his mother called it bullshit.

Sometimes he wondered what it was like…to be like her… Open about her status and smiling so sweetly at everyone because her nature was so easily accepted and not looked down upon. People were pretty open-minded about Omegas in the workplace these days; a hell of a lot better than when he had first became an officer. In those days it was hard for an Alpha female, like Guzie, let alone a male Omega. Even now, most Omegas couldn't make it in law enforcement, only getting as close and involved as Holly was now as their office manager.

Speaking of Holly and the office romance that everyone seemed to have imagined overnight... Everyone in the office seemed to think he was pining and really what could he say about it. He and Holly seemed to work, if viewed from the outside, but could never work for so many reasons… Many of which he couldn't divulge aloud… so Russ stuck to the one that made the most sense to anyone who thought they knew him to a T and went with 'we work together'. It was the easiest excuse. Honestly, her perkiness, although endearing, sometimes got to him. And sometimes he'd find himself wondering what it would be like to be that kind of Omega…to be the right kind of Omega.

"Beauty sleep is for Omegas…" Russ grumbled, turning back to face his desk, a slight slump to his shoulders. Beauty sleep…just the sound of it filled him with sleepy yearning…

Man… he sucked at being a Beta… almost as much as being an Omega…

~ MILT X RUSS ~

Milton… Milt… Whatever… Agent Chamberlain was a real bonus for the start of what could have been a pretty normal day, and by bonus Russ meant unnecessary pain in the ass. Russ knew from the moment Chamberlain walked in, before the introductions had even started, that this guy was shady, hiding something behind a too big smile. Because, honestly, who in their right mind would be that happy after being transferred to Battle Creek? He lived here all his life and he couldn't muster that kind of enthusiasm when he thought about the place.

Agent Chamberlain was not to be trusted. He made Russ' skin crawl in the way only a true Alpha could. "Milt" was an Alpha, most definitely. You could tell from the way he carried himself, all cocky, self-assured, and charming.

They were always charming…

The Agent seemed especially so as he talked about how being transferred to Battle Creek, Michigan was like coming home (yeah right), all the while smiling through big, white, shiny, perfect teeth. But something was off as the Agent charmed the room with kind words and a bright smile. His eyes, Russ could see them, how the smile didn't quite reach. They were dark and a bit cold as the light hit them making them shine. He seemed almost resigned, yet kept a detachment from the beginning. It set Russ on edge, distracting him from the conversation at hand to the point where he almost missed his name being spoken.

"Detectives Russ Agnew," Commander Guziewicz, an imposing Alpha in her own right, began introducing them, Russ only focusing in on the conversation due to hearing his name being said to the strange new Alpha, who now turned to him hand outstretched, which he accepted on auto pilot. The Agent gave a firm handshake, his eyes really fixing on Russ as their palms slid together smoothly, and a bit embarrassing that Russ's on hand was held firmly by long fingers and a palm broader than his on. The Agent's eyes widened a fraction, nothing nearly noticeable, and grew lighter with something that Russ would call curiosity. The handshake itself lasted longer than Russ was comfortable to admit, but not too long to look suspicious for a handshake between an Alpha and Beta.

He didn't like that look…

~ MILT X RUSS ~

Milt's smile didn't falter or dim as he met the detectives of Battle Creek who would become his neighbors from now until something changed. He really didn't plan on anything changing really, but to think on things in a permanent sense led one to letting down their guard and getting used to things that were always prone to change. After all, if he knew anything at all by this stage in his life, anything could happen, and nothing, no matter how good or bad, lasted forever.

He wouldn't really catalog being shipped off to Battle Creek, Michigan as one of the best things to ever happen to him, but it could have been so much worse. And that thought made the smile a little easier to keep in place; it made this change a little easier to bear.

And he was bearing this; making a good first impression was a necessity. It would help keep them from seeing anything except for what he wanted them to see when it came to Milton Chamberlain. Being honest with himself, he hadn't really expected much from this encounter; he'd gone in oozing charm with a firm hold on his Alpha nature. He didn't want to appear too domineering to the bullpen full of Betas, their Alpha commander, and single Omega. He was going to be Milt, the friendly and approachable Alpha, poster boy for the ever helpful FBI.

At first glance they all seemed easily caught up in his happy dialogue and the smooth introductions; that was until the Commander introduced her first detective. Milt had noticed the rough looking Beta when he first came in, but didn't think anything of the man other than how something about him seemed a little out of place or off. He wasn't really one to make jump judgments on people, so he'd pushed the feeling away instead and continued on with his big charade. After all, big smile… big laugh… he loved it here…

Now shaking the detective's hand, Russ Agnew Commander Guziewicz had said, Milt felt that feeling again. As their palms slid together into a firm handshake, Milt watched the Beta's face closely. The man seemed immune to the charm that had the others smiling along with his seemingly open smile. If anything he seemed bothered by Milt's smile, the handshake, and probably the Alpha's presence entirely. The handshake itself lasted just long enough that was appropriate at first meetings and by the look on the detectives face, too long for his liking.

~ MILT X RUSS ~

"Why me?" Russ groaned palm pressed to his forehead as his eyes slipped closed.

Milt glanced over at his new 'partner' sitting in the passenger seat of his FBI issued SUV, trying to ignore the way his heart slightly jumped at the sound of the groan. He'd been in town for less than a day, and already he'd found a problem. He was already stupidly fond of a male Beta who couldn't stand him. This had never happened to Milt, and the fact that it was happening now left him a little unsettled, even if it didn't show.

Asking to partner with the Beta had been a spur of the moment thing for Milt. He wanted to understand why the Beta didn't seem to like him like the others, why he alone seemed to distrust Milt so much. That and there was that feeling that made itself known whenever he thought of the detective or looked at him. Oh, and his stupid fondness for said grump.

"They told me you were good," Milt found himself answering, and Russ, true to the nature Milt was slowly realizing he had, didn't believe him.

"No, they didn't. They told you I was a pain in the ass," Russ denied, knowing the other Betas far too well, the bluntness of his words making Milt laugh a little. "Why me?" he asked again.

Milt took a moment before answering. Taking a deep breath he prepared to go with the logic of things, about how Russ was the obvious choice since he was a senior detective, and had been so longer than any of the others. A scent, the bare hint of one, stopped him for just a second, gave him pause, and made him think. It was light and inviting and almost not there at all; it was the smell of Omega, clean and subtle. The scent of Beta easily overpowered it, however, and Milt was left wondering if it had even been there at all.

Then he found himself with a new lie, kind of; one about gut feelings and all that crap. To be honest him picking Russ as his temporary partner had been half out of curiosity and possibly half out of bad decision making on his part. His reasoning drew a laugh from Russ, who looked over at him in disbelief, and Milt counted that as a tiny win of sorts.

~ MILT X RUSS ~

Russ couldn't believe this guy…

He hadn't taken Chamberlin for the type to go with his gut. Nothing up to this point would have supported that fact.

His dark mood from earlier slowly became replaced with disbelief. Yeah, he was still a little peeved with the way the Agent had treated him at the crime scene. But they had a case to solve, and he'd be damned if he didn't give his all and let the FBI show him up. Turning his attention to the list Chamberlain had sitting in the backseat, Russ pretty much did what he was prone to do and told things how he saw them. Agent Chamberlain was being too naïve if he thought that this was going to be easy. He almost seemed put-out by Russ's blatant dismissal of the list and anyone's willingness to talk to them. But then he had to go and say something about damned feelings… which Russ would soon come to find he did A LOT.

"I don't know. In my experience when you trust people they trust you."

"Have you actually met people?" Russ asked in utter disbelief. This guy couldn't be for real. Never in his life had he met an Alpha who could say such warm gooey feelings mumbo jumbo crap with a straight face. After all, everyone knew that being super in tune with your emotions was an Omega thing... But he probably shouldn't judge the guy on being super emotional when by definition of his gender he should be and clearly wasn't...

"Hmm, so Detective Agnew, what do you suggest?" Milt asks, seemingly unfazed.

"I don't believe in trusting people… I believe in paying people," Russ answered, because after all his years with the police and as an Omega, this is his truth.

~ MILT X RUSS ~

Finding Omar was easy enough with the help of Teddy the Snitch.

The fact that Chamberlain recognized an Armani shirt from that distance was far less surprising than it probably should have been.

Admitting aloud that he thought Chamberlain was attractive… even if to try and figure the guy out… not one of his finest moments… He kind of half-blamed his biology for that one. Chamberlain was a good looking guy, if you were into stuck up douches who dressed in well fitted suits and fancy Italian leather shoes. Which Russ wasn't... Not at all...

Chasing after Omar when he made a run for it filled Russ's exercise quota for the week… Once again, he felt he might be getting too old for this...

The fact that Special Agent Alpha-pain-in-his-ass Chamberlain had a cobbler for those ridiculously expensive looking shoes, also not super surprising. The fact that Chamberlain thought he didn't know what a cobbler was, however, kind of pissed him off.

Then came the garbage about feelings, and Russ thought he'd get violently ill just listening to the agent. The man was supposed to be an Alpha for Christ's sakes, and suddenly Russ was feeling like the roles were reversed again. The nicer Chamberlain got, the nastier Russ's mood turned, and the harsher his words became. He knew this but couldn't find it in himself to try and call on some of that good natured Omega instinct that lurked deep inside. If anything, he was starting to enjoy the way his words made Chamberlain look at him.

Russ tried awfully hard not to be impressed with the Agent when he managed to get the name of their newest suspect, Travis Taylor, by threatening Omar with the NSA. Which, come to find out, wasn't just a bluff…

And their brief talk outside of Taylor's house… the look Chamberlain had given Russ after listening to his new theory… he could still feel it even now… Dark and Alpha… It took everything in Russ not to cringe away at those two little words that came along with the hard stare the Agent had fixed on him.

Then came convincing Ricky to lie about the lineup… Not Russ' finest moment… but he was so sure that Taylor had been their guy. So he wouldn't be losing sleep over it. But then Chamberlain had to open his big mouth and bring the reality of the situation into the light. Russ could lose his job for this if it all went sideways… Not something he'd thought about… If he was going to get fired, he'd rather it be for the truth than one of his lies...

Then the shooting happened. His endangered job forgotten… Everything except for the sound of gunfire and the tangy iron scent of blood was forgotten... Russ thought he'd be sick every time he remembered the feeling of hot blood hitting his face. He swore he could still smell the gunpowder, blood, pain, and fear.

~ MILT X RUSS ~

Lying awake in the hospital bed they'd placed him in after removing the bullet from his shoulder, Milt had time to think back on the previous night.

He'd protected Russ as if it were the natural thing to do. Being hit in the process, not a part of Milts plan, but he couldn't find it in himself to care, as long as Russ was okay. His stupid fondness for the other man was starting to get a little out of control, but he started to wonder why he even cared so much. Russ was by far the best thing to happen to him since even before being sent to Battle Creek, probably in years. Yeah, it had been a day, but he could remember his parents talking about when they'd met for the first time and just knew. For Alphas and Omegas it was like that sometimes. The fact that Russ was supposedly a Beta didn't even matter at this point.

If what Milt suspected were true, then things may be easier than an Alpha trying to woo over an aggressive Beta, even though none of Russ's files supported his theory. If Milt's suspicions were true, then things were likely to get more difficult in a number of ways.

It all came back to that moment outside of Travis Taylor's house, when Russ was telling him about himself…really… Everything just seemed to click in that breath between heartbeats.

As they had stood outside Taylor's five-thousand dollar front door, Milt caught that same clean Omega scent again. It was still so light and transient that he could almost pass it off to his imagination. But it had lingered this time just a fraction longer. It was a soft purely Omega smell, and it had been coming from Russ. The scent appealed to the Alpha side of him that he kept a close eye on, drawing it to the surface, confirmed easily by the look on Russ' face.

No one else had seemed close enough to catch it on the breeze, but Milt had easily caught the scent and drew it in with a lungful of air. There was still the smell of Beta, but laced with it was Omega, fresh and pure, with just a hint of the spiciness brought out by an impending heat.

The sound of his hospital room door being pushed open drew his attention to the doorway where the Beta in question stood on the threshold, almost as if he were unsure if he should enter. Russ looked tired, dark bags under his eyes making the black eye he was sporting seem even darker. He was still wearing the same suit from last night, rumpled and dirty, but Milt was looking through the eyes of a besotted Alpha on painkillers and the Beta couldn't look more perfect. Seeing the other man safe and sound was all he needed. Milt could feel the urge to touch to confirm that Russ was alright, that he hadn't been hit, start as an itch under his skin as he waved the older man into the room.

Russ didn't say a word; he didn't even really look at Milt as he stepped into the room. That's when Milt noticed the vase of white roses in Russ' left hand, and the sling on his right arm.

"Brought you flowers... doesn't really make up for the whole saving my life thing... but I couldn't find a card so..." Russ spoke to him, eyes trained on the roses as he sat them on the table next to Milt's hospital bed.

"You're hurt!?" was all Milt could think to say, as he strained to sit up straighter and turn to face the man. This pulled at his bullet wound, making him hiss under his breath, but he refused to turn away from Russ.

"Yeah, but it could have been worse... Now lay back, you big dummy. You're going to pull your stitches loose," Russ reprimanded, finally turning to look at Milt with worried brown eyes.

"How!?"

Milt would have none of it, however. He found himself reaching for Russ before his brain could process what he was doing and tell him how much of a horribly bad idea it was. He caught the front of Russ' wrinkled shirt, catching the detective off-guard, and tugged him closer to the bed so his working hand could start a flurried pat-down on the poor confused man, carefully avoiding the arm in the sling. Either Russ was a good sport about it or just too stunned to pull away, but he let Milt finish his inspection before responding.

"It's just sprained. Must have happened when you shoved me into the brick wall. It doesn't hurt much, nothing like a bullet wound to the head would have, so I can't really complain," Russ answered with a measured shrug so not to jostle the arm in the sling.

Milt couldn't fight the fatigue Russ' answer seemed to bring out of him as he not so gently flopped back, gritting his teeth, and pulled Russ forward by the hand still gripping his shirt. He half expected Russ to say something biting and pry his fingers loose, but the other man surprised him by huffing not so quietly and sitting down on the bed by Milt's hip. This close Milt could smell it, the scent of him, so close and so much stronger than both times before. And they sat like that just breathing, for what Milt wished could be forever, but reality gave him just a few silent minutes.

"They need to lay off the strong stuff. I barely know you, but these painkillers are turning you into even more of a marshmallow than usual-" Russ started to say; breaking the silence, before Milt rudely cut him off. Because it was there, and it was proof enough. Russ was an Omega. Russ was perfect...

"You're an Omega-" Milt blurted, watching Russ' face closely as his eyes widened with shock, too caught off-guard to try to pretend to be anything else.

Russ didn't even try to deny it, not really. His face slipped back into something more neutral, more blank, more distant before he got up slipping away from Milt's fingers and dark gaze and out the door without even a glance backwards. And yeah, that stung...

Milt watched the door click shut before his eyes drifted over to the forgotten flowers. White roses. He wondered if Russ knew their meaning. Now that they had his full attention, he noticed the white card stuck snugly between two snowy buds.

'Milt,

Thanks for being a lifesaver... Thinking of you...

Agnew'

Russ didn't call Milt by his first name... This was the first time after spending pretty much a whole day together... He wished it were spoken aloud instead of written, but the curvy deceptively neat scrawl would have to do. There was a likely chance Russ may never speak to him again, and if he did, Milt expected it to be in a harsher tone than he already took with him.

Milt placed the card back with the flowers before heaving a sigh and letting his eyes slip closed. It's quite possible that he might have just mucked everything up...

~ MILT X RUSS ~

Russ should have denied it... should have said something, but all he could think was 'How the hell did Milt know? How could he have found out? Who has he told?! He still didn't trust Milt as far as he could throw him!'. And that was another thing. When the hell did he start thinking of him as Milt!? He was supposed to be Mr. Softy Special Agent Douche Chamberlain, not Milt...

Hell, the Alpha hadn't even said it as a question. No... he'd stated it clear and sure. He hadn't sounded drug addled or confused, just certain that it was true. Russ could have denied it, like he said, should have, but the words got stuck in his throat. He couldn't make his mouth form the denial; that tiny part of him that was tired of hiding managed to hold it all in. And maybe that tiny part of him was happy that Milt knew. The larger part of him that loved his job, even if lying about his true gender made it hard to do said job, couldn't handle that, so he'd ran. Well, more like walked briskly, but still. He hadn't said a word, just left.

The Omega that he kept locked away deep inside had relished Milt's protectiveness and the contact. Sitting there, Milt's fingers tangled in the front of his shirt... the scent of Alpha next to him almost overwhelming, making him dizzy and just a bit more docile than he was prone to be. It had felt... It doesn't matter what it felt like! He was angry at himself for going Omega and getting called out on it and for caring enough about the guy to wait to see him. Even angrier that he had gone down to the gift shop and got those stupid thank you flowers with their stupid thank you note! His world was over, and he'd given the guy flowers!

And now what? So Milt knew, so what? It didn't seem like a matter of would he tell, only if he already had and when he would if he already hadn't. Russ would lose his job, of that he was fairly certain... He'd almost lost it tonight over the case. Guzie had given him a stern look and his week of leave instead of a suspension. It had started today... He'd spent the first day of his leave waiting for a guy he didn't even like to wake up and shatter his world to pieces...

He left the hospital frustrated and functioning on less than three hours of sleep he'd caught in an uncomfortable waiting room chair while waiting to be let in to see Milt. He had headed straight home. He needed a hot shower and fresh clothes. He needed to pretend that his world was still in one piece, that his secret was still safe.

After his shower he struggled into some non-work clothes, like a pair of boxers and a black T-shirt—something comfortable, something familiar—before flopping down on the coach. His natural scent, not overwhelmingly strong, surrounded him, since he forwent the scent blocking shampoos and body washes he normally used when masquerading as a Beta. He wanted to smell normal, feel normal for just a little while. Flipping idly through the channels, nothing really catching his interest for long, he tried to keep his mind from wandering to his job, Milt, or what one could do to the other if he didn't keep his big well-formed trap shut! Damn it! Milt wasn't attractive! No, that's a blatant lie... He was attractive but not really what Russ was into, so he wasn't attracted to Russ... Attractive to Russ, he meant! He didn't care what the Agent thought of him! Nope, not at all!

He must have dozed off, because the next thing he knew he was suddenly awake with a slight pain in his sprained arm where he must have jostled it when he jumped. Trying to forget the dream he'd been having, which wasn't about Milt... he reached for his phone sitting on the coffee table with a muffled curse. It must have been what had startled him from sleep, he thought as he flipped it open to see three missed calls and a voicemail. One missed call was from Font, one from Holly, and the third from a number he didn't recognize as well as the voicemail. They had to have known about the leave and his almost suspension, so why would they be calling?

Listening to the voicemail... Well, now he had Milt's number... just in case he wanted to not call him, because why else would he need Milt's number... He wasn't even mildly surprised to realize that Milt had his number without him giving it. Obtaining Russ' cell number was probably a cake walk for the Agent who liked using all of the FBI's latest toys for inane things...

Milt didn't mention the hospital, or anything about Russ being an Omega, just that he'd moved Ricky to a safe house, and he was there with him now. Said he'd appreciate it if Russ could run by so they could talk over the case and try and figure out who had shot at them and why. You'd think Milt would know that he was off the clock, but he supposed the prissy Agent didn't care. Milt probably ate, breathed, and slept the case, not much unlike himself. Now was where he would deny that he felt any niggling over the Agent's wellbeing, damn Omegan caring curling it's toes at the thought of Milt not sleeping enough or eating enough.

Russ claimed it was for the case, as he puttered around his apartment getting ready to meet up with Milt at the safe house, which the Agent left directions to. The case, not the man who could crush his career like a bug caught under one of those special cobbled Italian shoes. Russ was about to leave his apartment when he realized something very important. Though it was dulled by the suppressants that he'd gone off that morning since being allowed leave, his scent was still very much Omega. Making his way back to his bathroom, he pretty much bathed in the Beta spray, masking his scent easily enough. Looking at himself in the mirror he tried to calculate how much time he'd have before his heat kicked in. He'd made a quick appointment with an Omega clinic in St. Joseph. It would be about an hour and a half drive, so hopefully Milt didn't need him for too awful long, maybe no more than a couple hours.

The things he did for the case...

~ MILT X RUSS ~

Milt met Russ as the wall door slid open, pride at having surprised and impressed the other man masked with his usual good humor and easy smile. He may have been a bit disappointed when he caught the scent of Beta wafting off the man but hid that too. Russ looked clean; the dark circles under his eyes a lot lighter than this morning. Milt couldn't even imagine what it would be like surrounded in Russ's unmasked scent. Intoxicating…

He'd spent the last few hours since they'd released him from the hospital thinking about how to work through the problem his own indelicate statement had caused. He was surprised to see Russ at all, actually. Russ was technically still a part of the case, even if his leave went active that morning, so Milt knew he could use that as a lure to get Russ to see him again. They couldn't really talk about it, but Milt wanted the closeness, the image that nothing had conspired that could tear their one-day partnership into pieces.

He'd also been entertaining (and deflecting the advances of) the young Omega, Ricky, trying to reassure the boy that he was in fact safe, and though this was Milt's temporary living quarters, the place was a safe house. It didn't take long for the Omega to settle in on his couch with the remote, far more comfortable than he'd expected. Then came the shy little smiles and doe eyes.

He'd gotten tired of it after hour one. Yes, the boy was charming in his own way, soft spoken and polite, like most Omega. That had never really done it for Milt. But no matter how many times he tried to dissuade him, Ricky kept on playing coy and batting long lashes in his direction.

As Milt walked back into the sitting area, two Diet Colas in hand (ever the good host, even when his patience with his guest was wearing thin), he couldn't help but notice the subtle look of displeasure on Ricky's face when he realized that Russ was with him. He ignored the irritation at the Omega's blatant disdain for Russ and instead focused on the man following along behind him talking animatedly about the safe house. His words stoked Milt's pride; even if this wasn't permanent, it was nice to know that Russ saw how well he could provide for them... not that there was a 'them'... not a thing... Russ wasn't his to provide for, yet. Eyes crinkling at the edges, smiling as Russ, who was none the wiser of what Milt had planned (which there were plans; there were always plans), as he made exclamations over the TV.

Then suddenly it was all business with Russ, almost as if a switch had been flipped.

The ride to where the murder weapon was found was quiet for the most part. Milt was still trying to think of how to approach the man about a very difficult to approach subject. You can imagine his surprise, however, when Russ did it for him.

"About what you said... back at the hospital..." Russ refused to look at him as he spoke, leaving his eyes trained on the passing by sidewalk out the passenger side window as he spoke slowly not sure what to say. "I'm not going to try and deny it now... should have done that when you first said it, but the time's well past that point... Have you told anyone...?"

"No," was Milt's honest reply, as he caught glimpses of the distraught Omega out of the corner of his eye.

"Good... I mean thanks... You have the right as an Agent of the FBI to report me as an unregistered Omega to my superiors as soon as you found out... I figured you hadn't told Guzie yet, because she hasn't fired me yet... so yeah, thanks for that." Now was when Russ turned to regard him with light brown eyes and an expression that Milt read as distrustful, yet hopeful. "Can you wait until we close this case? Just... I want to be there, still me, Detective Russell Agnew when we bring the bastard down. I want people to still look at me the same for even just a little longer..."

"Okay... But Russ-" Milt began, slowing to a stop at a red light and looking over at Russ who's gaze skittered away like a frightened animal staring into the mouths of hounds. Russ never looked more Omega than he did right then. He had so much to say, but Russ cut him off.

"Look, I don't want no pity or any crap like that. I just want to finish the case, and then you can do whatever the fuck you want. I'm a good detective, and if that doesn't stand own it's on in front of the City Council and they remove me from the force for being what I am, then they don't deserve me anyways!" Russ blurted angrily, all fire, no longer cowering.

"I agree," Milt said, passing through the now green light.

"What?" Russ questioned, clearly not understanding or just too confused to try and process what all those two words could mean.

"I agree with you. I've barely known you for more than a day, and even I know you're a wonderful detective. If the City Council wants to fire you for being an unregistered Omega, then they won't get any help from me." Milt spoke firmly; just the idea of Russ losing his job over this raised his hackles. "I don't plan on telling anyone. Everyone has secrets, and this one is yours to bear." He continued as he pulled the car near the alley where other uniforms had gathered canvasing the place. "I just want you to know that you can trust me with this. You don't have to go through it alone. I'll help-"

"Okay, I got the picture! You can stop pulling the nice-guy Milt stuff with me. I didn't buy it then, and I don't buy it now. You'll tell them or you won't, simple, but thanks anyways, I guess." Russ sighed overdramatically, making Milt smile, placing his hand on the door handle about to get out of the SUV, but he paused, turning to look back at Milt. "Oh yeah, since you're all into helping me lie to everyone who knows me, I got about three more hours to wrap this thing up."

"Three hours?" Milt questioned, ignoring the part about lying to everyone, and inwardly beaming at the trust Russ had placed in him.

"Yeah, went off the suppressants this morning since my leave got approved. I'm guessing I got roughly around four hours until my heat hits for the first time in over three months," Russ supplied, a small condescending smile curling the edge of his lips bitterly.

"Well, I'd be more than happy to he-" Milt began, more than eager to once again offer his aid.

"Not a chance," Russ said with a laugh, a real laugh, smiling at Milt's exaggerated hurt expression. "I may be an Omega, not much of an excuse for one, but I can take care of this myself without an Alpha. In fact, I have a five day stay at the wonderful Omega Center in St. Joseph. They know me there, are discreet, and take short notice overnights."

Milt didn't get a chance to respond as Russ proceeded to exit the SUV, a little pep in his step. Learning that his job wasn't in danger must have put him in a better mood. Milt knew of other ways he could put the detective in a good mood, but as Russ had so inelegantly stated 'not a chance'. And once again, all Milt could think was 'yet'.

~ MILT X RUSS ~

Russ wasn't really one for dumpster diving, but letting Milt do it seemed too cruel. The man got shot for him! Hell, he was willing to keep his lie for him! Russ didn't want to think of the other things Milt seemed all too ready and willing to do for him... But yeah, dumpster diving, not the best part of the job. If Milt got his way, however, there would be no dumpster diving for Russ. After five minutes of bickering in front of the Unis and Russ exclaiming "You Got Shot!" several times, Milt won and found himself knees to elbows in a dumpster full of some of the nastiest trash Russ had seen in a while.

As Milt held up the gun and said something about possible DNA on the trigger, it all kind of clicked for Russ. If this was what he thought it was then Milt was going to be sorely disappointed. Ignoring Milt's protests he took the gun by the barrel with an ungloved hand and proceeded to lick the 'potential DNA', pretending that he couldn't feel Milt's searing gaze on him. Yup, just as he'd thought.

Looking up he caught the look of disgust mixed with something darker, hungry even, on Milt's face. One word wiped it away.

"Anchovies..."

~ MILT X RUSS ~

So the Ricky thing got solved. Russ still was a bit aggravated that it really was the kid, or more over, having to watch Milt's flamboyant display of warm and cozy feelings of the soul... He still couldn't understand how people bought that crap, seemed to eat it up. He'd like to say that it was his threat that made the kid stand down, but he knew the little Omega had a shine for the upstanding Alpha Agent. That was more than likely why he'd handed Milt the gun...

Walking away from Travis Taylor's house for hopefully the last time, he couldn't help but to prod at Milt a little. After all, that was some pretty personal sounding philosophies there. Russ said it seemed a little close to home; Milt called it a bluff. Russ, as per usual, did not believe him. Then somehow it turned a bit teasing. As if this is what their relationship was supposed to be, so easily slipping into the smooth playful banter.

"You don't believe your own BS," Russ chuckled; going around the FBI issued SUV.

"Nor do you. You're a good person Detective Agnew, and more Omega than you'd like to think," Milt replied.

"And you, Agent Chamberlain," Russ said, looking over the hood of the vehicle at his 'partner', a wicked little smile curving his lips. "You're the devil." His words drug a strained little chuckle from the Agent, only making him smile wider.

~ MILT X RUSS ~

Russ missed the whole media frenzy over Milt's first solved case in Battle Creek. Can't say he was sorry for that. He wouldn't get mentioned… Never got mentioned… Nope, instead he had four and a half days of him time and nothing else in the world for him to do then be himself.

~ Fin ~