Arthur bit his lip, gazing up the small white steps to the front door of the house. The evening sunlight cast scary shadows on the place and the little omega shivered, eyes darting around nervously as he awkwardly shuffled his feet.

It was his first time at Alfred's place and of course, he was a bit worried. Half an hour ago, he'd gotten a slightly questionable text from the man...

(30 min ago) Netflix and Chill?

(28 min ago) I mean, in the PG way.

- and it was only days after their third date! He was raised to assume that all alphas were... well, alphas, and they had certain urges and whatnot. And although Arthur knew that Alfred knew better, he couldn't help the feeling of his heart beating in his throat and his nerves dashing about like frenzied rabbits.

Netflix and chill was a phrase famed for its use among cunning alphas and almost always resulted in something steamy, but Arthur didn't want that. He wasn't ready for something as intimate as that.

That wasn't wrong, was it?

With a deep breath and a count to some insignificant number, the omega mustered up his courage and took barely three steps forward before being startled nearly to death as the door swung open to reveal a grinning alpha.

Almost like he was waiting for him.

"It's not like I was standing behind the door and looking through the peephole the whole time, heh heh," Alfred said almost sheepishly. "Well... I kinda was. What took you so long?"

Arthur moistened his lips, fingers fumbling with the sleeve of his sweater. "I- uh."

"Doesn't matter." Alfred chirped, holding the door open wider. "Come on in, I ain't gonna bite."

Arthur nodded, climbing the steps languidly before stopping and staring into the house, "It's rather dim in there."

Alfred furrowed his eyebrows before throwing a look over his shoulder and emitting a low whistle, "Damn, you're right. Lemme go switch on my fancy lights."

A wink later, Alfred had disappeared into some room, leaving the door open for Arthur to step into. The omega crossed his arms and pursed his lips, standing there and waiting until the inside was lit up like a Christmas tree and Alfred came back, ushering Arthur in and shutting the door behind him.

"I did a little research, and I found a TV show that I think you'll be interested in!" The alpha beamed, and Arthur felt a little ashamed to think the other man was capable of such lecherous actions.

"A little research meaning that I stalked your social media."

Um... okay.

Arthur assumed it was only a joke by the wide stretch of Alfred's smile as he led the small omega to his living room. Everything in the house looked so pristine that Arthur couldn't even believe the alpha lived in it. Alfred was always so loud and boisterous, so the omega assumed his living space would somehow reflect that-

A small, soft smile tugged at his lips when he realized that Alfred probably spent hours cleaning everything up.

"Well... my bro, Mattie, told me that you probably liked British shows and stuff," Alfred mumbled as he beckoned for Arthur to go sit on the couch, "So I was wondering... Arthur? Would you give me the honor of having a Doctor Who marathon with you?"

The alpha dropped onto one knee as he delivered the request and the omega found himself grinning in response. Arthur nodded, "I'd love to, Alfred."

"Great!" The alpha said with a laugh as he pulled himself to his feet, collapsing down next to where Arthur was seated. The little omega glanced at the screen of the television to find that the show had already been pulled up, ready to play.

About ten episodes in, Arthur had long since settled alongside Alfred, leaning against him slightly as he tucked his legs up onto the cushion.

Completely, totally and utterly aware of the fact that Alfred was trying to discreetly put his arm around him, Arthur rolled his eyes, burrowing deeper into the alpha's side and gazing up at him with a small smile playing on his lips.

Alfred stared back, looking slightly dazed before grinning and throwing his arm around the omega, squeezing Arthur's shoulder leisurely before glancing back at the screen.

But Arthur could tell that he was far from interested. Every minute or so, he'd glance back down and the omega could almost feel himself being watched. The arm around his shoulder crept down lower and lower, inching toward its destination with an aching slowness that Arthur could feel every step of the way.

A dark blush seeped into the little omega's cheeks and he shifted around a bit, hoping his message would come across.

He came here so they could watch Doctor Who. Not because he was allowing Alfred to cop a feel.

But no. Alfred didn't stop. He kept going until that arm was now snaked around the omega's waist, and though the motion was somewhat admirable, Arthur was still uncomfortable with it.

But alas, all he could do was keep a stiff upper lip. He would ask to leave after one last episode...

Arthur's breath hitched in his throat when he felt fingertips brushing at his thigh. It seemed to be a simple, innocent brush- but it happened again, and the omega couldn't help the sudden wetness between his legs with the combination of Alfred's delicious scent and the feel of his fingers on Arthur's leg. Cheeks flushed a dark red, he bit his lip, gripping Alfred's hand before it could cause any more destruction.

Alfred must've smelled the arousal on Arthur's scent because he stared down at Arthur incredulously, "Arthur, are you aroused-?"

"I have to get going now, it's getting quite dark." Arthur interjected, his jaw set tightly as he rose to his feet, brushing off his trousers. The omega was mortified. Oh god, he wanted to run somewhere far away, where no one could find him for centuries. He-

Arthur gasped internally when his wrist was tugged, heart beating like a rabbit's, echoing throughout his entire body. Adrenaline pumping in his system- Arthur's entire body was on edge, ready to either fight or flee if it came to that point.

"Aw man, Artie, I'm sorry!" Alfred blurted, and Arthur furrowed his brows in response. He wasn't expecting that… "I was making you uncomfortable, wasn't I?"

"N- no, it was nothing like that, I-"

"No." Alfred declared, "I was. God, I'm sorry. Jus- just don't leave yet, alright?"

Arthur pursed his lips. Even with the bright lighting everywhere, he could still see that the natural sunlight had stopped streaming through the windows. It was getting dimmer outside and the omega didn't want to walk home in the dark.

"I'm quite sorry, it's getting dark, I-"

"Wait!" Alfred exclaimed desperately, "The- I didn't call you... "

The alpha sighed, releasing his grip on Arthur's wrist and massaging the bridge of his nose, "I didn't call you here for the Doctor Who, Arthur."

He knew it. Arthur's eyes widened, a thousand possibilities streaming through his mind. The omega was scared now. He was all alone in Alfred's house. The alpha was at least ten times stronger than him, and the neighboring houses were all jam-packed with alphas too. Arthur realized that if the situation went out of hand, there was nothing he could do about it. Whatever was going to happen would happen.

Alfred tilted his head as if analyzing Arthur's expression. His own eyes mirrored the omega's, widening in surprise- "Oh! Dude, no! I'm not gonna do anything weird, scout's honor, man!" Alfred assured, arms raised in defeat. "I just wanted to watch a- a movie with you. A horror movie."

Arthur raised a thick eyebrow, "Is that so?"

"Yeah, man." Alfred swallowed, lashes fluttering, "I knew you wouldn't show up if I asked you to come over at night, so I wanted to keep you here until it got dark so we could watch one together!"

Relief flooded Arthur's system when he detected honesty in Alfred's flustered scent. It was cute, really. The whole plan. Arthur was a little honored that someone would go to such lengths to watch a movie with him.

Alfred guided Arthur back down onto the loveseat, "I read online that if you watch a horror movie, your body releases adrenaline. If you watch it with someone else, it tricks your body into thinking you enjoy spending time with them- not that I don't already love spending time with you! Because I do, it's just-"

Arthur held Alfred's gaze, not even averting his eyes when he felt the alpha take one of Arthur's hands into his. "I just really want this to work, Arthur. I really like you."

Arthur's green eyes widened and he bit his lip, staring down at their hands, watching as Alfred's thumb began to stroke Arthur's knuckles reassuringly.

"I like you too." He let himself say. He glanced up to find Alfred grinning down at him warmly.

"So that's a yes?"

Gears whirred and clicked in Arthur's mind, working out every possible situation in which this could end up badly. He concluded that the good outweighed the bad.

"Ugh, fine." Arthur mumbled with a slight scowl as Alfred whooped with joy. "Quickly, before I change my mind."

And that's how he found himself watching a horror movie with Alfred F. Jones, the alpha that looked so very strong and confident, but was reduced to sobs at the sight of every three-second ghost sighting jumpscare.

The movie was getting unusually quiet now, and Arthur knew it was about time for yet another loud noise to scare the wits out of him. He'd expected that he'd be the one clinging to Alfred for safety, but the graphics weren't quite that terrifying, and Arthur found the story rather funny… for some strange reason.

Alfred had insisted that they turn off all the lights at the beginning and Arthur had his suspicions about it, but he assumed that was how most people watched horror movies. The temperature was also forty-degrees in fahrenheit, something a little too cold for Arthur's taste. They'd popped bags of buttery popcorn and Arthur had shoved his bag between his thighs for extra warmth.

Bam! The ghost had made its third appearance in the movie. She was a pale girl dressed in blood-stained white clothing, her jet-black hair wild and untamable. The girl was slowly moving towards the victim, who had his back to her, and the music was loud, sudden and pulsing.

Alfred shrieked, the noise scaring Arthur more than the ghost had. Popcorn flew everywhere as the alpha's bag tumbled off his lap. Alfred scrambled closer into Arthur's side, pulling his blanket over his shoulder. "Shit, shit, shit, shit."

The terrified alpha muttered the words like a mantra, his arms whipping around Arthur's shoulders, startling the little omega yet again.

"Alfred… are you alright?"

Alfred didn't respond. He stared at the screen, sighing in relief when the ghost disappeared. "Sorry man, I just get a little-"

The alpha flat out screamed when the girl came back into the frame and tackled the young protagonist with a screech similar to the one Alfred had emitted. Arthur watched the alpha with wide eyes as Alfred grabbed him desperately, pulling him impossibly close. The little blonde could even hear Alfred's frantic heartbeat hammering relentlessly against his ribcage, seeing as his face was squished forcibly against the alpha's firm chest.

On the screen, the protagonist's father came to the rescue, only to find the boy struggling against thin air. The father- like most clueless single fathers that appeared in horror films- deemed it a nightmare before promptly leaving the room.

Arthur was now being held by Alfred like a vice. The small omega was practically across Alfred's lap! Though it wasn't as uncomfortable as he thought it would be. There was nothing poking into his backside, no touches in his no-no-zone… just being squeezed to death by an overly-frightened alpha.

As the movie drew to a close, they were hit with another scare, somehow insinuating that the girl was in their own house as well. It gave Arthur the chills. When the credits rolled, he looked up at Alfred with a smile.

"That was a good movie, don't you thi- Alfred! Are you alright!?"

The alpha averted his gaze, "I'm fine."

Arthur shifted his position to straddle Alfred's thighs. Something that was usually sexual now lacking that luster. Small, cold hands gripped the sides of Alfred's face, tugging it down to meet Arthur's gaze.

"You're crying." the omega said incredulously. He had never assumed Alfred to be the type to cry. But there he was, blue eyes swimming with salty droplets of pure fear, cheeks flushed an embarrassed pink, an expression not often seen in alphas of his stature.

"Fuck." Alfred muttered, swiping at his leaking eyes. "I'm not crying, okay? I'm just shocked."

"You're crying." Arthur pressed, using the sleeve of his sweater to dab away at the liquid. "It's okay to cry, Alfred-"

"Shut up, Arthur." The alpha mumbled in response, prying away Arthur's hands. "I was supposed to be the one comforting you. Not the other way around, damnit."

"Hey now." Arthur said sternly, "Just because I'm not crying doesn't mean I'm not scared."

"You're not scared." Alfred said. "And the whole point was to show you that I was capable of protecting you when you're scared. But you're not… and now you know I fail at being an alpha."

Arthur's eyes widened at that. He wasn't expecting Alfred to say such things, but being the only omega in a family full of alphas, Arthur knew that alphas had the tendency to want to be the best at practically everything. They wanted to be strong, charming, dominant, romantic… and Arthur knew that no one could truly be all those things.

The society seemed to only be repressing omegas, but in reality, it was doing quite the number on alphas too.

Alfred slowly pushed Arthur back onto the couch, pressing his palms onto his face in a fruitless attempt to draw the heat away.

"Alfred, come here."

The omega peeled those large hands away from Alfred's face, pushing the alpha's damp hair out of the way with his cool hand. "Alfred?"

Blue eyes were misty behind the frames of his glasses and Alfred looked down at Arthur, saying nothing in response.

Usually, Arthur didn't do this sort of thing until the sixth date, but these times called for certain measures.

The little omega placed a hand on the side of Alfred's face, caressing the warm, tanned skin and crawling back onto the alpha's lap. That ruggedly handsome face that prompted Arthur to even consider going out with him in the first place was now so close. Closer than it ever had been before. Arthur could see every one of those damp, brown lashes framing those startlingly blue eyes. With a jawline that could make any omega shiver, Alfred had what many alphas didn't, and Arthur wasn't going to bring all that self-confidence tumbling down in a single day.

Arthur stroked Alfred's hair leisurely, but Alfred's gaze was far from the omega's eyes. Clear, azure eyes were looking intently at the omega's full, parted lips, and Arthur closed the gap. Lips pressed together giving both of them a sense of security. It felt so warm, so soft… and it was over as soon as it began. Alfred stared down at Arthur, eyes wide with surprise.

"We omegas have a secret, you know." Arthur said with a breathless grin. "We're quite fond of alphas that can cry."

"Because it reminds you of maternity?" Alfred asked with a snort.

"Because it tells us that you can feel." Arthur said, pursing his lips. "That you're not just some hardhead, and that you can take care of me, and keep me safe."

Alfred raised his eyebrows, "Yeah?"

Arthur rolled his eyes, and chuckled. "Yeah."

The alpha engulfed the small omega in a bone-crushing hug, to which Arthur responded with something between a laugh and a cry for help. The sheer warmth he felt with the embrace made Arthur see stars… and that protective alpha scent all around- Arthur never wanted to leave.

"So don't!" Alfred blurted out suddenly. Arthur peered up at him quizzically. "If you don't want to leave, then stay… I- uh, it's really cold and dark in here."

Oh. Alfred must've picked up the hint in Arthur's scent.

"I can't, Alfred. I'm sorry." Arthur replied, as quick as Alfred had proposed the idea.

"Please, come on! We, um, we could just sit on the couch together all night. I can't go to sleep anyway, we could just sit and talk!"

Arthur bit his lip, gazing down into his lap. "I-"

"Please?"

Arthur glanced back up to find Alfred staring down at him with a smile. "Please?"

"Ughh, fine." Arthur mumbled, and Alfred laughed aloud.

"Yay!"

And so, Arthur found himself huddled up with Alfred on the loveseat, picking at the popcorn that was still in the bag, finding new things to laugh about so they wouldn't die of fear, because if Arthur was being honest, the movie really had been terrifying. He could almost feel that cold ghost's fingers dancing up his neck…

"I might need a cuppa." Arthur said, "Have you got any tea?"

Alfred crinkled his nose, "Ew, no way man, coffee all the way."

Arthur rolled his eyes at that, deciding that something was better than nothing. And besides, his eyelids were practically drooping!

"Fine, anything will do." the little omega muttered, heaving himself to his feet. He moved toward the kitchen cautiously, trying not to let fear seep into him. "Where's the coffee then?"

No response. Arthur simply pouted, turning on the light switch as quickly as he could before stepping in, searching around in the cupboards, "Alfred? I think you're out of milk- oh God, this place is a mess!"

His omega nature kicked in and he was flooded with the urge to just clean everything up, make things tidy. A bachelor alpha's 'habitat' so to say, was a terrifyingly gross thing. Everything was so out of place and… sigh.

"Alfred, half your food is out of date."

Still no response.

"Alfred?"

The omega padded back down into the living room to find Alfred snoring away, a thin line of saliva already beginning to slide down the corner of his mouth. Arthur clamped a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing aloud. Oh God, for an alpha, Alfred was really cute. Cute in the… non-alpha way.

Oh God, Arthur realized that Alfred was a softy.

The omega pulled the blanket over Alfred's body, tucking it in the crook of the alpha's neck.

"Goodnight." He whispered, punctuating it with a small kiss to Alfred's cheek. He then bit his lip, smoothing down his sweater before making his way to the front door, cracking it open and peeking outside.

It was pitch black.

Arthur shivered, glancing around. The only things illuminating the street were three measly lamps, and the omega could smell fresh cigarette smoke and liquor from the group of (no doubt) laughing alphas in the far corner, dangerously close to the path Arthur would need to take to get home.

Well, that's that then.

The omega shut the door, walking back to the loveseat and kicking off his shoes, sinking in next to Alfred.

"Guess I'm staying then."

Alfred obviously didn't respond. He just snored on like the adorable thing he was, and Arthur found himself blushing for no apparent reason.

So he leaned his head on Alfred's shoulder and nodded off into a restful sleep, dreams that should've been riddled with demons and ghosts instead full of Alfred's warmth.

It was a good night indeed.