Author's Note: Because Sybrann NEEDS it.
Dr Steven Vincent was an Alpha man.
When the love of his life handed him their son, he knew immediately the boy would be an Omega man. His life would never be his own. And it broke his heart. So the new father made a promise to his son and himself.
"I will protect you."
Eddward Marion Vincent grew up in a town called Peach Creek. He had friends. He enjoyed school, more than most, though. But his parents would watch over him like a hawk. Cleanliness was next to Godliness to the medical professionals. His father was doctor who specialized in heat control. It was the medicine to be given to Omegas who's parents wanted them to be able to still get an education and maybe even a job before settling down with a mate. His mother, an Omega, was also a nurse. Her own issues with heats made his father strive hard to give Omegas a chance at a life that wasn't completely at the whim of an Alpha or Beta mate.
When Eddward reached middle school, his parents work took them away from home more often. They communicated with the boy by sticky notes. So much so that some days he'd come to school wearing one or two. He was teased relentlessly for it by the other Alphas and Betas in his classes, but his two best friends were always there to stick up for him, as best as Omegas could anyways.
His friends were like named. But they all had their own nicknames. There was Eddy, a short, explosive Omega, with a panache for scamming their cul-de-sac neighbor's out of their allowances whenever they could. Then there was Big Ed. He was an absolute sweetheart, but a bit dense. Taller than his two other Ed named friends by at least a foot, his being an Omega stunned most everyone. But was quickly accepted as this was the world they lived in. Eddward himself was called Double D by most because of the two D's in his name.
Of the three Eds, Double D was the smartest. He could bring Eddy's scams to life with flair. His wit, sarcasm and endearing gap toothed grin made him the most likable of the three, something that wasn't lost on his neighbor's and classmates or parents. While most couldn't figure out why he was friends with Eddy and Big Ed, it was just something that just was. And like most anything in their world, it was accepted.
Eddward's cul-de-sac was a hodgepodge of Alphas, Betas and Omegas of varying temperaments. There was Rolf, a Beta from an Old Country not many knew much about. His love for his farm and family's traditions and values made him as hard working as he was kind.
Jonny was another Beta boy, who's very best friend, was a 2X4 piece of wood named Plank. If anything, Plank was Jonny's Alpha. He followed his every whim.
Nazz was their resident Beta female. She accepted her lot in life early on and would reguarly help anyone with anything. She even babysat all the Omegas and a few of the other Betas in their neighborhood as they were growing up.
Jimmy was the only other Omega boy. His sweet disposition and kind nature made him the most easy going in the cul-de-sac. Sarah, Big Ed's baby sister, the only other Alpha female in their group was his best friend. From the beginning it was know that Jimmy would be claimed by Sarah. Everyone just hoped it would be an easy process for frail boy.
Then there was Kevin. As the only Alpha male child on the block, he had his pick of the litter as it were. But his explosive personality, possessive streak and overall commanding presence made the Eds wonder if whoever he claimed would surivive the life they would be forced to lead.
The Eds would eventually find that not only would that person survive, they would claim Kevin as their own.
Just a short walk away from the cul-de-sac was a trailer park. The Kanker sisters lived their with their father. He was an Alpha male who felt the need to claim his Omegas just so they would bear him children. There were three Kanker sisters: Lee, the Alpha, Marie, the Beta and May, another Beta. Led by Lee, the sisters were aggressive, near terrorizing females hell bent on getting their men.
According to their father, since they weren't Omegas, it was their right to claim whoever they so chose. The Eds had been in their sights from the first day of middle school. And the Eds knew that once their heats began in high school, they would truly be at the mercy of the rambunctious women. And it terrified everyone.
The summer between sixth and seventh grade was a crazy one. Eddy's scams kept getting wilder, thus failing on more epic levels than ever before. The last one occurred the first weekend of August. It failed so badly, the Eds truly thought they were going to die at the hands of their neighbor's. Eddy had the idea to run to the one person who he thought would help them. His Alpha brother, Terry.
His brother was more than willing to help, but at the expense of Eddy's dignity, sense of self and his own body. None of the kids had ever seen an Alpha mistreat an Omega so. They banned together to rescue the Eds from the biggest bully they had ever seen, the Kankers delivering the final blows.
The cul-de-sac kids and the Kanker sister were on more friendly terms after that, but Double D knew it wouldn't last long. And it didn't. Freshman year, it began.
The heats flowed through the neighborhood like a wave. Ed was the first to be claimed. He had spent so much of his time working on Rolf's farm it came as no surprise that the Beta farmer would sense his heat before anyone else did. They were found out by Rolf's Nana in the barn. Ed was on fire and Rolf was there with cooling cloths, soup and himself.
Ed's parents wanted their oldest child and only son to finish high school before spending the rest of his life in Rolf's care. Double D's father was there with the medication needed that would put Ed's heats on a schedule that would allow him to attend school, but spend each break in heat with his mate. Everyone was thrilled and happy for the lovable oaf and his farming mate and Double D breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Jimmy was the next to go down and he went down hard. His frail nature made it difficult to find a dosage of the medicine needed for him to just cope with his heats. Sarah was scared out of her wits. She had loved Jimmy all of her life. She couldn't bear to lose him. The stress of the whole thing weighed heavily on Double D, Sarah being the biggest stressor of all.
Her Alpha nature led her to attack anyone and anything who didn't help her mate. Double D bore the brunt of these attacks with as strong a will as he could muster, but he was the most relieved when his father found a dosage of medicine Jimmy could live with.
Eddy was next and Lee dug her claws into him hard. He threw himself at her just as hard. Dr Vincent had to come up with a dosage of medicine for both teens. One to control Eddy's heats and one to control Lee's out of control passion for Eddy.
As the teens went into their sophomore year of high school, Double D was very apprehensive. He had always been a late bloomer physically. So the fact that he hadn't gone into heat yet didn't scare him as much being claimed was. He was the only Omega left in his neighborhood, but one of many at school. And heats never come on schedule. A strong Alpha or Beta could sense it was happening before the Omega had a chance to deal with it in any way.
He saw many an Omega claimed by the biggest, strongest Alpha or Beta in the vincinty and the Omega never had a choice in the matter. Even if they wanted one, nature would take over and they would throw themselves in the arms of their claimer. But there was always a fear in their eyes that shook Double D to his core. He knew that fear. The fear of the unknown and the uncontrollable. To be at the complete, absolute mercy of another. And it was for eternity.
His parents had entertained the idea of choosing a mate for him. Someone they could trust to take care of him with the proper care and respect he deserved. Love would come in time. Keeping him safe and cared for was what was more important.
But biology didn't hold off for long. And all too soon, the day Double D's parents dreaded the most for their son was upon them.
Edd was in heat.
Edd's father was the first to know that his son was going through his life changing change. It was around 3AM, that he woke his feverish son and took him to the basement. Edd thought it was odd that his father would bring him to the coolest area of the house to calm his fever, but he felt too ill to speak of it to him.
When his father led him to the corner room, he quickly opened the door and pushed the boy inside. When he closed it, he hit a few numbers on the keypad next to the door. A window opened, and his heart broke at what he saw.
Edd was sitting on the plush cot in the middle of the room, knees pulled to his chest, his chin resting upon them, tears and fear in his eyes.
Steadying his voice, Steven opened a panel below the window and turned on the intercom.
"Eddward, you are in heat. This room will be your safe place for the next seven days. There is plenty of food, linens and a box of Helpful Instruments in the corner to help you get through this. There are books on the bookshelf for you to read for fun, as well as books and journals for you to study so you don't fall behind in school. I will see you in one week."
And with that he closed the window and the panel. Edd curled up into a ball and cried.
The best part of Edd's heat was the box of Helpful Instruments. As he had not been claimed, there was no one to relieve him of the oppressive hormones coursing through his body. The worst part was the lonliness.
No one to comfort him as fevers wracked his body. No one to hold him as his hormones sent him reeling. No one to help feed him when he was too weak to do it himself. No one to help change the linens soaked in sweat and semen. And despite wanting someone to truly love and care for him, he was very much wanting to be claimed. If only to have someone there as he went through the worst seven days of his life.
But he was glad for his parents backing off their helicopter parenting when he was in middle school. He was resilient enough to take care of himself, even if he didn't want to.
He hoped his father would find a dose of medicine for him so he could go back to school as soon as possible. His heat came on a Tuesday. Everyone knew that Double D would never miss school unless he was very sick, which he very rarely ever was. To suddenly not show up to school would put him on the radar of every Alpha and Beta in town. This was not a good thing.
One week later, his father opened the door to his Heat Sanctuary. And he looked the saddest Edd had ever seen him.
"Son, there's a bit of a problem with giving you any heat control medication," he said bitterly.
"Wha-What is it, Father?," Edd asked softly.
"Since you have not been claimed we can not know how much medication to give you. The medicine works to not only balance out the hormones of the Omega, but it also balances the pheromones the Omega secretes out. The Alpha or Beta responds to that. As such, if there is no Alpha or Beta to work with, we can't no how much medicine to give the Omega. Too much can kill you, too little would end up being a waste."
"Is there no one to claim me?," Edd all but sobbed.
Steven wrapped his son in a tight hug and whispered his answer into his son's ever present beanie.
"No, son. I'm sorry. The only thing we can do is keep you home. Claimed Omegas go into heat at regular intervals. Since you are not claimed, your mother and I cannot risk you falling into the hands of an Alpha or Beta who only cares for themselves."
Edd sighed. On the one hand, he'd be safe from Marie Kanker who had her eyes set on him since the first day of sixth grade. On the other hand, his life was over. He was at the mercy of his parents. He could only venture out under his Alpha father's wing. As his father was a bit of a workaholic and the only one in town who specialized in heat control, venturing out would be a very rare thing.
The school was contacted and Eddward withdrawn. Edd contacted his friends and soon word spread like wildfire.
Eddward Vincent was unclaimed.
His parents had been looking for a mate for him, but were very secretive about it. They only wanted the best for him and would not just hand him over to the first Alpha or Beta who came along.
But Alphas and Betas were all but storming down their door to get to the genius with a panache for gourmet meals. He would be the perfect homemaker and Omega parent to any future children he and his mate had.
But his parents knew there was more to their son then the fact that he was smart and could cook. He was witty and sarcastic. He loved to explore the world about him and take his friends and family along. He was good looking and charming. He deserved the world. And his parents had done their best to always give him the world so whoever would be his mate would have to do the same.
Some thought his parents were thinking too highly of themselves and their son. He was an Omega. Omegas were claimed and that was that. They should have been glad that anyone wanted the boy in the first place! But Dr Vincent's status in the Peach Creek community and the medical community as well was high. If he wanted to pick a mate for his son, he would. And THAT was that.
Soon word reached the coast and a certain Alpha was intrigued to find that the first to stand up to him as he used his Alpha status to rain terror on his brother's head in exchange for his "protection," was an unclaimed Omega.
Still bearing scars from the fury a dozen kids laid upon him only a few years before and bitterness at the gall of an Omega to dare step up to an Alpha, especially after that Omega asked for his special brand of help, Terry decided that Edd needed to be handled like the Omega he was.
Terry decided to come home for a visit that Thanksgiving. According to he and Eddy's mother, Eddy and Ed would be in heat and if the myth about close Omega friends going through their heat cycles together was true, unclaimed or not, Double D would be in heat, too.
Perfect timing.
Or so he thought.
Double D had a tradition that he started in seventh grade of bringing his friends and neighbor's a blueberry pie to celebrate all special occasions. It started at thanksgiving and he had hoped that this year would be no exception.
But his friends, who usually helped him hand out the pies, would be with their mates. As an unclaimed Omega, he was at the mercy of the society he lived in if he went alone. Still, he baked his pies and made plans to get them delivered.
His father took the day before Thanksgiving off of work to go with Edd to help him deliver the pies. He was very happy with the fact that the pies and his son were so well recieved. He was also scoping out potential mates for the boy.
The Kankers had been off the list from the beginning. Edd's mother didn't like the girls one bit. She just didn't trust that any of them would care for Edd like she felt he deserved. Especially Marie.
The Beta was too loud, over the top, aggressive and just all around unstable. Double D needed consistency and stability. Her wild and his sensitve natures clashed too much for the Omega mother. His father agreed.
But Bobby Kanker thought otherwise.
"Alpha to Alpha, Dr V," he told Edd's father when they stopped by with a pie, "I think it's high time that boy of yours and my Marie made it official."
"Alpha to Alpha, I think it's high time your daughter left my son alone."
And with that, they left, Eddward securely under his father's right arm.
Eddy's home was their second to last stop. And Eddward was terrified at who he saw answer the door.
Terry
"Good evening, son," Steven said. "I take it you're a guest here as I have never seen you here before. May I speak to Mr or Mrs Sampson, please?"
Terry nodded and gave a sly grin to Edd. Seeing his son shirk away as Terry went to find his parents, the doctor made a mental note to ask his son his feelings about the man who answered the door when they got home.
The a pie was given, kind words exchanged and Edd was very much in a hurry to get to the last house so he could go home and hide.
When they reached Kevin's home, Edd's nerves had settled themselves a bit. Kevin had grown into a kind Alpha. If anyone was in distress at school or in the cul-de-sac, he was always ready to help. At least physically. Words weren't his strong suit. He had also become more quiet and brooding the older he got. This made his actions more pronounced.
Many an Omega in Peach Creek wished to be claimed by the tall, tanned, toned redhead with the emerald eyes. Edd was no exception. Except, he was. He had known Kevin his entire life. Despite the present, it was hard to forget their past. Still, he trusted Kevin the most out of all the young Alphas he knew and that was something considering Edd's trust in people was starting to fray as he saw so many Omegas be claimed.
If there was anything Edd wanted in life, it was to trust his mate; mind, body and soul. He wanted what his parents had. A loving relationship built on trust and mutual respect and understanding. He also knew that such a thing was damn near impossible. But a boy can dream, can't he?
When Kevin answered the door, he was stunned to see Edd not only out but passing out his blueberry pies. This pleased him greatly. Edd's pies were fantastic. And seeing his new friend in person and not just on the other side of a computer screen or hearing his voice on the phone thrilled him more than he thought it should have.
The pie was readily accepted and future plans to hang out online were made. And when Kevin gave Edd as sly grin as he shut the door, Edd blushed as he gave the redhead a grin of his own. Steven made another mental note. The first being to have a chat with his wife when they got home. She promised him peach cobbler and he was going to hold her to it.
It was over dinner that his father brought up Terry.
"Who was the young man who answered the door at the Sampson's house today, son?," he asked over his wife's sweet stir fry.
Edd immediately started to shrink in on himself. His mother grasped his hand in her's and looked up at her husband with the same blue eyes their son had. While Edd's were filled with fear, her's were pleading.
The Alpha father placed a strong, but gentle hand on his son's shoulders as he repeated his promise he had made 16 years before.
"I will protect you."
Eddward knew he could trust his father, so he told the story of how he met Terry. His parents were astonished to say the least. They knew of the scams as Eddward had to be grounded at one point.
But the only thing they remembered about the day in question was when they came home from work, Kevin and Double D were playing catch as Big Ed and Nazz played hopscotch with Jimmy and Sarah. Rolf and Jonny were playing Jacks with Eddy.
It was the friendliest they had ever seen the kids get along. They had heard about a party or two going well, but it was nothing like seeing it with their own two eyes.
Seeing their son's biggest tormentor in town set them on edge. And Steven immediately brought his orders down. Edd wasn't to leave the house or answer the door. He would communicate with his friends online and via text only. No voice calls, no video conferencing.
It was slowly becoming apparent to many in their society that Alphas and Betas could manipulate Omegas by voice and in video as actions did drive the claiming process. For some, it worked. Especially in parts of the world were distance made getting claimed or maintaining a relationship with your mate difficult. Steven didn't want to take the risk.
But, Sybrann, Edd's mother, had one concession to make. That Edd be allowed to call Kevin if something happened while they were at work for as long as Terry was in town. Kevin lived right across the street and could get to Edd if he needed help a whole lot quicker than most anyone else, especially since Kevin didn't have a mate of his own yet to protect.
When Steven mused to his wife that Kevin should just claim Edd to make Terry go away, Edd went purple. Seeing her son blush so fiercely, put the Omega mother on notice. She recognized a few of the feelings reeling through his blue eyes. But what stood out to her the most, was the fact that he didn't balk at the mention of Kevin being his mate as he had with so many others his parents suggested.
Despite Steven and Sybrann being the ones who were choosing mates for their son, in the end, Edd's choice of a mate fell to Edd and Edd alone. And it was slowly dawning on them all that Edd had at least one person in mind. Whether or not those feelings would ever be returned remained to be seen.
Double D avoided Eddy online for the entire holiday. Eddy couldn't bring himself to be offended. His brother's surprise visit had set his entire family on edge. He spent the holiday with the Kankers, not only to get through his heat with his mate, but avoid his brother as well.
He didn't want Lee to have to face the sadistc Alpha. She and her sisters were tough, but there was something about Terry that set them all on edge.
Lee's concern would be Eddy, Eddy would be too weak to fight and that would be a distraction. And they could all see that Terry was on a mission. Alpha's on a mission are dangerous. Lee wouldn't be able to protect her mate, her sister or herself. It was just better to stay away.
But Terry did not leave. His job at the amusement park on the coast left him without employment during the winter months. He and Eddy's parents thought it would be a good idea for him to work at their used car lot for the time being. When Terry slyly mentioned Double D's unclaimed status, they were very enthusiastic about their feelings on the subject.
Since the Vincents had outright rejected the Kankers there really wasn't anyone they thought would fit. When Terry suggested himself, their mother was thrilled with the idea. Eddy and Double D had always been the best of friends. To make him family would be icing on the cake.
Eddy's father was a Beta, his mother an Omega. While the rest of his friends and even his mate had at least one Alpha parent, it still blew Eddy's mind that his parents would be so ignorant to the fact that their Alpha son was the worst sort of Alpha there was.
In their type of society and having been surrounded by Alphas their entire lives, he thought they would at least have some inkling as to how things best worked. Apparently ignorance truly is bliss.
Eddy didn't come home all winter.
When spring came, Terry had to go. But he took his sweet precious time doing it. When Memorial Day weekend came, he finally left town. And Double D stepped outside for the first time in months.
His father took him to lunch and a documentary on what life could be like outside of their type of universe. It came off as very egalitarian. Double D loved it! To live in a society where he could live and love and do as he pleased thrilled him greatly. But alas, it was not meant to be.
As they left the theater, they saw Kevin come in with his mother. The sweet Beta woman graciously thanked Edd for his holiday pies and Kevin couldn't help but be taken in by Edd's sweet smile and deep red blush at her words and hugs.
When asked about what movie they had seen, Double D grew not only excited, but very much in command of the subject at hand. He had enrolled in school online to continue his education, but he also used the Internet to explore all sorts of avenues of thought. And in the brief five minutes or so of listening to him educate himself and his mother on the documentary, Kevin grew more and more fond of the idea of having Edd discuss anything with him.
"We need to talk about this some more, Double D, but it'll have to be later. I promised mom a movie date and an Alpha..."
"Keeps their promises," Edd said, finishing one of the societal mottos for him.
Kevin grinned and booped Edd on the nose with his keys. Edd did his best to bite back his grin and his blush but failed. Miserably. Knowing looks between their parents were exchanged and the Vincents bid their goodbyes. Kevin tried his best not to be jealous of Edd's Alpha father being the Alpha escorting him away.
After that meeting at the movie theater, Kevin and Edd started to communicate more. Sometimes it was phone calls, other times via video conferencing. Kevin preferred those two methods. He had to see and hear Edd. Most of the time, just because of the nature of Edd's life, it was via text or email.
And every great once in a while, Kevin would come home to a PostIt note on his door. They were always from Edd and the messages were usually simple. Reminders to cut the grass, or take the family's trash and recycle bins inside. Sometimes they would be silly jokes or suggestions on what to watch on tv or Netflix whenever Kevin had the time.
Kevin saved each one.
By the following Thanksgiving, Edd was completely entrusted into Kevin's care whenever the ravenette had to venture out and his father couldn't take him. There was still some trepidation on Edd's part as his heats were still irregular as he hadn't found a mate to keep him in sync. But Kevin was a gentleman. Plus, many in town knew him as the one anyone could go to for help, so Edd's safety was guaranteed.
Then Terry came back to town. Eddy moved to the trailer park for the winter and Edd stayed inside. And Kevin was suddenly very lonely and very angry. Terry was just as angry. He had heard about Kevin and Edd's deepening friendship. Kevin was the one who led the cul-de-sac children in the charge against him. Kevin needed to be put away.
So he came up with a plan to kill two birds with one stone. Destruction was the end game, but a claim would be made.
Kevin accompanied Edd on his Thanksgiving Pie Delivery rounds. Eddy's parents house was the last house on the list to get a pie. Terry answered the door, punched Kevin in the face and yanked Edd inside.
Dragging the screaming ravenette to the basement, he threw him into Eddy's closet.
"When you come around, so will I," the menacing Alpha said before slamming and locking the door.
Edd was so terrifed he vomited in the corner, then curled up into a ball and cried himself to sleep.
Terry went back outside, loaded Kevin's unconscious body into the trunk of his car and drove three hours away to Blackberry City. He dumped him a dumpster downtown and came home. He ate the entire pie Edd had made, threw it all back up and made a plan to beat Edd for making him sick with the pie before crashing out on the couch.
When he woke up hours later, Double D vaguely remembered where he was and how he got there. But once he came around, he became angry. Very angry. Edd may have been an Omega, but he was no wall flower. Still, he was a bit at his wit's end trying to figure out how to safely get out of the closet he was in and away from Terry.
Then there was Kevin. Where was he? Was he ok? Did he care that Edd was in such a predicament?!
Edd pulled out his phone and wanted to cry. His battery power was at 15 precent. And he didn't have his messenger bag that held his power charger with him. They were to only deliver the pies and come straight home. Edd didn't think he'd need anything more than his house keys. Kevin had to convince him to bring his cellphone.
"You'll never know what'll happen out there, Dork. You're bringing your phone," he had said and that was that.
He saw 6 missed calls from his parents, and even more frantic text messages. Then the phone buzzed. Edd wasn't one for ringtones. He found most annoying and loud and thought they drew way to much attention to yourself. And in that dark closet, he was glad for setting his phone on vibrate all the time. He could answer the phone and Terry wouldn't be any wiser.
CallerID: Alpha-Kevin
"Kevin?! Where are you?!," Edd hissed into the phone.
"Apparently, Blackberry City," the redhead sighed.
"That's three hours from here!," Edd quietly sobbed. "What happened to you!?"
"I dunno! Terry hit me and then I woke up in a dumpster. I'm at the police station filing a report now and working on a way to get back to you. Just sit tight. Where are you?!"
He was coming back to him.
Edd sighed in relief despite his shaking nerves.
"Eddy's closet. I'm scared, Kev."
He called him, 'Kev.'
It was getting harder and harder for Kevin to ignore his growing feelings for his Omega neighbor. but he would have to deal with them later. First he had to get back to Edd and save him once again from the worst Alpha either had ever known.
"Just hang tight, Edd. I'm coming. I'll be back soon. Hang tight."
He called him, 'Edd.'
It was then that Edd decided that Kevin would be his mate. Come hell or high water, Kevin would be his Alpha.
When Edd hung up the phone, he saw that he was down to 5 precent battery power. And as much as he hated to do it, he turned off his phone. And then he waited. And while he waited, he made a plan. Kevin would be his Alpha, but only if Edd could get away from Terry first. But he had to make sure that Terry would leave him alone forever.
As Edd's eyes adjusted to the darkness, and with the faint light coming from under the door, he saw that Eddy still had his lava lamp. It wasn't much, but Edd knew it'd have to do.
After what seemed like an eternity later, Edd heard heavy footsteps come down the stairs. He was too tall to stand in the closet, but he did his best to squat in a position that put him on the offensive. The door opened and he came out swinging.
He broke the lamp over Terry's head, then grabbed the cord and with all his strength, wrapped it around the Alpha's neck and pulled. He had studied pressure points recently and knew where to apply the cord so that Terry would go down with out much of a fight. And Terry dropped like a rock.
Edd ran out of the house and...straight into Kevin's arms. Despite his frazzled nerves he did pull back a bit and wrinkle his nose up at the red head who gave him a sideways glance.
It was then that Edd noticed how Kevin had gotten back home. Kevin's long time friend, another Alpha named Angela, was standing at her car, her Beta, Mya, by her side.
Then Kevin stiffened, and threw Edd at Mya who held him tight. All Edd heard was a near deafening roar.
"Don't move," the girl said quietly as she held him close.
Terry had woken up and he was pissed. Seeing Kevin, he charged at him, but Kevin's athleticism was one of his greatest features. He ducked and rolled as Terry basically threw himself into the ground. At this point, Ang had gone to the trunk of her car, opened it, pulled out a Louisville Slugger and tossed it at Kevin, who caught it one handed, whistling Dixie the whole time.
Kevin let the bat hang loosely in his hand. When Terry got up and charged at him again, Kevin dropped into his batter's stance, and swung the bat at Terry's kneecaps. Terry went down screaming. Kevin dropped back on the defensive again because he knew that as an Alpha, Terry woudn't go down until he was unconscious or dead. Kevin had no problem with making either of those things happen.
Terry didn't disappoint. He made another charge at Kevin, who swung at his head like it was just another baseball. Terry dropped, twitched and then laid still.
At this point, the rest of the cul-de-sac and the Kankers showed up. Not to mention all of their parents. Edd was ripped from Mya and taken home. Terry was taken to the hospital. Ang and Mya gave statements to the police as best they could with what little information Kevin had given them.
Terry was DOA. But he had it coming. Eddy's parents were sad and angry, but mostly sad. Their chickens had come home to roost and they lost their son in the process. There was some empathy, but not much sympathy for them. Eddy felt next to nothing in regards to how his brother met his end. He was thankful that Kevin had been the one who ultimately saved them all.
No one saw Edd again til Memorial Day weekend.
Edd sat on the curb on Memorial Day and watched as Kevin and few of his friends from school play basketball in front of Kevin's house. After an hour or so, there was a sudden change in the atmosphere. Edd stiffened as he saw all the boys looking at him, feral desire in their eyes.
"Get in the house, Edd! NOW!," Kevin screamed at him as he ran in his direction.
Edd moved as quickly as he could, but somehow, Kevin, was thankfully quicker. He scooped Edd up when they got to Edd's yard and dropped him on the floor as soon as he got the door opened.
When Edd cried out in pain from hitting the floor so hard, Kevin instinctively turned to check on him, but not before slamming and locking the door. And suddenly, Double D felt a familiar heat start to build in his core.
Kevin gave an instinctive growl as he moved closer to Edd and instead of backing down in fear, Edd turned his own darkned gaze onto the bristling young man in front of him.
"You're not safe, Edd," Kevin growled.
"Yes, I am."
Edd's voice was steady and strong. But he also noticed that the same fear that was in so many of eyes of the Omegas he saw claimed over the years was in Kevin's eyes.
Edd eased himself as slowly as he dared to the Alpha in front of him.
"Edd...I...I d-don't want to hurt you."
Kevin was shaking.
"You won't."
At this point, Edd was leaning forward on his knees, directly in front of a squatting Kevin. Kevin gently placed a slightly calloused hand to Edd's cheek. When the ravenette leaned into his palm, Kevin stopped shaking. Edd placed a delicate hand to Kevin's neck and brought their foreheads together.
Bright blue met flaring green. And in the front hallway of the Vincent home, a claim was made.
"I choose you," they said at the same time.
But to seal the deal, Edd brought his lips to Kevin's. The Alpha wrapped his arms around the Omega and pulled him close. Kevin ultimately took control of the kiss, but to chosen set the Alpha on fire.
Edd had led a life so many didn't get to live, Alpha, Beta and Omega alike. Despite his place in society, he made his own decisions in the end. He took his lot in life by the horns and wrestled it to meet his whims and expectations.
He found his own mate and made his claim, but only when Kevin gave him permission to do so. Kevin belonged to Edd just much as Edd belonged to Kevin. But each gave respect to the other's feelings in the process, never once forcing himself onto the other.
In the ultimate relationship in the Omegaverse, an Alpha is to care for an Omega. But for the whole thing to work, the Omega should feel free to give of themselves. No one should take more than what is given to them.
Eddward Vincent was unclaimed, mostly by his own choosing. He wanted to give, but also be given to. Kevin gave as much as he took.
When Edd led Kevin to his Heat Sanctuary, Kevin knew he would be taking Edd as his own, but only because it was what Edd wanted, too.
Kevin cared for Edd as he and Edd were taught an Alpha should. And Edd created a home that was the envy of everyone they knew. Dr Vincent found a dosage of heat control that he could manage. And together they created a life that was better than the documentary Edd saw. It was better than what their society says life should be. It was a life so wonderful because they made it their own.