Warnings: OmegaVerse, Slash (Dean Ambrose/CM Punk), Pre-Slash (Brock Lesnar/CM Punk), Smut, Profanity.
It should be more of a surprise, and it should make Phil more annoyed, but really he can't help but laugh at the scene in front of him. Brock looks like he's going to have a heart attack, and Dean's groaning miserably, clutching his head, slumped against Brock.
"Do I want to know what happened, or will I attribute it to how much he drank and leave it at that?" Phil laughs, shaking his head dismissively when Brock tries to fob Dean off onto him. "I don't want him. Send him back to the hotel in a taxi." Phil shrugs, and slips into the little omega's room. When he comes back out, Brock and Dean are still there.
"I didn't hit him." Brock somehow looks more uncomfortable, and Dean has quietened down.
"No? Pity." Phil mutters, scowling at Dean. He's passed through amusement and is now comfortably annoyed. Brock looks briefly scandalised, and Phil shakes his head with a soft laugh. "He's been…he's not made a good showing of himself in front of Seth this weekend." Brock raises an eyebrow in response to Phil's statement, and shifts his hold on Dean. "He's not made a good showing of himself in general, but alls I wanted from him this weekend was to prove he wasn't a piece of shit to Seth."
"He's failed?" Brock adjusts Dean once more. "You want me to run him back to your hotel?"
"No…I'll take him back. Can you take him outside for me?" Phil can feel a scowl forming on his lips, a deeply deserved scowl. All he had wanted from this weekend was for Dean to be the alpha Phil wants him to be, and all Dean's been is the exact opposite. He might have to accept that Dean isn't ever going to be the alpha Phil wants him to be, and all he can be is a vague memory of Jeff. Brock looks at him thoughtfully for a second, a slow smile spreading over his lips.
"I'll drive you both over, and you can grab yours and Seth's stuff." Brock's smile has taken on a strange, awkwardly hopeful edge.
"Why?" Phil's already started walking to the restaurant's doors though. He's not sure what Brock's planning, but he can tell that he's going to go along with it, because it will be better than spending more time at the conference not with Dean. Not that this weekend has been bad, but it's not been what Phil had hoped for, and spending time with Brock will be exactly what he wants it to be. Spending time with Brock will be nice.
"Well…My dog sanctuary is within driving distance. I was gonna spend a few days there." Brock grins over at Phil, and any doubts he'd had about following Brock's idea melt into nothing. "And you really look like you could use a rest, Boss. Have I over stepped the mark? I'd extend the offer of a visit to Dean as well, I'm not trying to ta-kee-...I…you know what I mean?" Phil looks at him thoughtfully, and laughs softly. All of those aborted words aren't really things Brock would be doing when it comes to Phil. For all there's a part of Phil that thinks he should date Brock, it's not like Brock's ever offered. Brock's stated on several occasions now that he's not ready to settle down, and Phil's going to take Brock at his word.
"I do." He winks slightly, and Brock flushes crimson. "I'm gonna tell Seth that we're dropping Dean off at the hotel, but I think the puppy sanctuary should be a surprise, right?"
"You're sure?" Brock looks torn between happy, worried, and concerned. Phil can feel a bright smile spreading over his lips, and he feels oddly elated at the idea of spending time with his friend. It'll be so nice to just hang out with a friend instead of having to deal with Dean.
"Very sure. I'll be back in a minute, get him to the car, okay?" Brock nods at Phil, and starts carrying Dean out, pausing to talk to a member of the restaurant's staff on his way.
"Seth, I'm gonna take Dean back to the hotel, he's not feeling too great. Do you mind?" Phil looks hopefully at Paul. The rotund alpha chuckles and shakes his head.
"Don't be long, or we'll order dessert without you." Paul laughs, and lightly nudges Seth.
"Don't worry, Papa. I know what you'd want from the menu. Brook too." Seth tacks that little comment about Brock on with a laugh, and Phil is once more struck by how much Seth likes the huge alpha. He ruffles Seth's hair, and scampers out of the restaurant.
It takes very little time to get back to the hotel Dean's conference is being held in. Inside Phil recognises a few of the podcasters, some of them offer him kindly smiles and sympathetic nods towards Dean, along with bewildered stares at Brock.
"Phil?" Tom rushes over to them as they're standing waiting for an elevator. "What happened here?" A slender alpha with slicked-back hair trails along behind Tom, and gently takes his hand, standing close to him.
"He drank too much." Phil mutters, stabbing the elevator call button again. An idea forms in his mind, an idea to ease Dean's concern come tomorrow morning when he wakes up to find that Phil's gone, because he will be gone. If Brock hadn't offered he and Seth place to stay, Phil would have crashed the night in Seth's room. "Will you do me a favour?" Tom nods slightly, a worried look crossing his face. "Will you stay with him?"
"He's been -"
"Don't." Phil knows that Tom was about to try to mitigate Dean's behaviour this weekend, and Phil's not in the right frame of mind to hear it. "Let him make his excuses next week, okay?" The elevator dings, and they pile in. Phil stares resolutely into the mirrored doors as the elevator travels. Dean's face slack with drunken stupor, a bruise blossoming over one eye. He's handsome, but he's not right for Phil. He'll listen to Dean's excuses, if Dean makes them, and he'll accept Dean's excuses, because that's what he does, but he shouldn't. Brock meets Phil's eyes and offers him a little smile. It's a completely motive free smile, nothing more than the slight quirking of Brock's lips, a little happy acknowledgment of Phil's attention. Tom clears his throat, snapping Phil's attention to him, and filling him with a panic that it might look like he's flirting with Brock. He's not. The single last thing he wants to do is flirt with the only alpha he knows isn't going to screw him over. Tom looks at him, are you fucking him clearly in his gaze. Phil shakes his head, and glances over at the alpha holding Tom's hand. Tom blushes lightly. Phil gives Tom a slight smile, and a tiny nod of approval. Tom's not going to be Phil's friend so he probably doesn't care if Phil approves, but it's still nice to appreciate another omega's good choice in mate.
Once they're in the room, Brock deposits Dean on the bed, and Phil packs quickly. Brock takes the case from him once it's packed, and Phil heads to Seth's room, Tom trailing behind him.
"What'll I say to him?" Tom perches on the bed in Seth's hotel room, his eyes boring a hole into Phil's back.
"Honestly, you shouldn't need to say anything." Phil sighs, staring straight back at Tom. "He's been…I just wanted him to try, you know? I knew that my kid would be a hurdle, you even told me that, but he could at least fucking try! And if he doesn't want to, then leave me alone."
"You don't mean that." Tom mutters, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "You went into this knowing, and wanting him to be a piece of shit." Phil knows he looks scandalised, but Tom forges on. "The garbage ex, the one Dean's told me about, he reminds you of him, doesn't he?" Phil glances away, and Tom gets to his feet. He comes closer to Phil, and takes a firm hold of his shoulders. "You can't make him what he isn't."
"What isn't he?" Even to his own ears, Phil sounds lost. Tom squeezes his shoulders lightly, and smiles sadly.
"Everyone here knows." Tom steps away, a kind but sad smile on his face. "I'll stay with him tonight, try to talk some sense into him, but you know that you need to listen to your gut on this. You know what you need to do."
"You ready?" Brock pokes his head around the door, that little smile on his lips again. Phil zips up Seth's suitcase, looks around the room again, and nods.
All the way back to the restaurant and through the rest of dinner, Phil's mind is churning over what Tom said to him. Does he know what he needs to do? He doesn't think so. He thinks he's no idea what he needs to do. His gut is a mess of contradictions over Dean, over Brock, over his own desires. He wants Dean. He wants the thrill and the danger of dating him, but he knows that Seth needs an alpha in his life. His son's needs are much more important than his own, and Dean isn't meeting any of Seth's needs. Brock, on the other hand, is but Phil doesn't want Brock, probably at least, because Phil wouldn't mind the Brock that stalks into the cage for a fight. That Brock isn't his friend, that Brock is nothing but strength, determination, and solid planes of muscle, that Brock would devour Phil whole, and Phil would love every minute of it. However, that Brock only seems to exist for moments in the cage, outside of the cage, Brock is Phil's dear friend, and there isn't an ounce of the exciting danger that gets Phil wet in him. So, unlike what Tom thinks, Phil has no idea what he needs to do.
"You're giving us a ride back to the hotel, Brock?" Seth asks as he settles into the back seat of Brock's car after they'd finished up dinner. Phil turns to Seth, and shakes his head. "No? Where we going then, Papa?"
"A surprise!" Phil grins at his son, and hides a smile as Seth smothers a yawn with his hand.
"There's a blanket beside you back there if you're sleepy, Seth." Brock starts driving, and Seth levels Phil with a look he's not seen since Seth still believed in Santa. He looks delighted, even sounds delighted when he snuggles up in the blanket. "Sorry, I don't have a blanket for you, Boss." Brock glances over at Phil, seemingly reluctant to take his eyes off the road.
"S'okay." Phil yawns, squirming in his seat. He glances back at Seth, noting that he must have been more tired than he was letting on, because he's fast asleep already. "Watching fights really tuckers him out, huh?" Brock laughs softly at Phil's comment, a smile on his lips.
"Watching, and then analysing them afterwards. It's tiring work, all that discussion." Brock glances Phil's way again.
"I'm sorry he's so…chatty." Phil starts unwinding his hair from the complicated up-do it was in, collecting the bobby-pins between his teeth.
"Sorry? Why? He's an amazing kid." Brock looks and sounds appalled. "If he can bring half of his analyse ability to the cage, he'll be as good as Charlie in her prime, and he's got his papa's sense of humour. He's a credit to you, Boss. I…this is gonna sound weird, but I'm glad you let me be a part of his life too. I'm proud of how well he's coming along, and so proud to have him training out of my gym. He's gonna be a hell of a fighter one day." Phil takes the pins from his mouth, and slips them into a pocket before he reaches over, and lightly rests his hand on Brock's shoulder, drawing the huge alpha's attention to him.
"I'm glad he doesn't annoy you. So many alphas I've known…" Phil sighs, and rests his head back against the seat. "He's not their kid, and so many just hold that against, I dunno, me or him or both of us. I've…making friends with alphas is hard, you know?"
"Yup. It's why I generally don't. Alphas are kind of asses. It's why I like omegas." Brock's hand briefly rests on top of Phil's then he quickly returns it to the steering wheel. "It's a fairly long drive, if you wanna take a nap, Boss." Brock smiles over at him for a second, and Phil yawns once more.
"I dunno, some alphas are pretty good." Phil move to rub his eyes, but remembers the amount of make-up he's wearing, and settles for blinking instead. "You don't want me to keep you awake?" Phil yawns again, and Brock chuckles softly.
"You don't look like you'll be able to keep yourself awake, nevermind me too. What've you been up this weekend? Did you go see anything interesting at that conference?" Brock genuinely sounds interested, and once more Phil's mind decides to point out that his friend would make a fine mate, perhaps he could fake desire for the huge alpha so he could have a partner that actually gave a damn about him and his life.
"We went to a few live podcast recordings… A couple of talks… I don't think you'd be interested in any of them to be honest. It was all atheists or sceptics bitching, not the sort of thing I can see you being into at all." Phil turns to regard Brock thoughtfully. His attention is on the road, but he does react to what Phil said, a slight twist of his lips, and a vague nod in agreement. "We went to go see one of our favourite podcasts being recorded…The hosts are the alphas in that picture I sent the group chat."
"The good-looking bald alpha and the grey-haired one?" There's no change in Brock's tone, no hint of anything but the question. If Phil had let Dean see that picture, he doesn't doubt there'd be jealousy in his tone or his actions. It seems to ooze from Dean the way bad smells ooze from garbage in summer.
"Yeah. They did God's Not Dead… There are times that I wish I drank so I could play drinking bingo with the films…This one would have gotten me blitzed…Maybe I should see if that's something that'd get Dean to spend time with me and Seth." Phil laughs and shakes his head. "I swear he's terrified that Seth exists. I understand he's stressing over his own childhood, but Seth's not him and he's not whatever stepdads he's had over the years. Would it kill him to acknowledge that Seth is there? That Seth is my son, and so we come as a pair?" Phil's waiting for Brock to say something, but instead a hard look crosses Brock's face.
"I wish I had punched him, instead of just moving to the side." Brock mutters darkly, and Phil can't quite smother a laugh.
"What is it with you and wanting to punch alphas who've upset me?" Phil can feel his lips stretch into a fond smile as Brock's ears turn crimson.
"Sometimes alphas need a punch in the face." Brock's tone is low and soft. "Do we need to be back for Monday?" Brock changes the subject abruptly, but Phil can't blame him there. The line of conversation could have taken some uncomfortable turns from the avenue they were on.
"Nah, don't need to be back till Tuesday. Two days off, I figured Seth'd be tired from a flight on Monday, so I asked for Tuesday off as well. My bag's in the trunk isn't it?" Phil sighs, and decides that his itchy eye is more important than not smearing his make-up.
"I need to get some gas at the next place, so you can fish out whatever it is you need then, okay?" Brock's wearing an oddly content little smile, like there's literally no where he'd rather be than in a car with Phil and Seth.
After taking his make-up off, Phil must have drifted off to sleep, because the next thing he's really aware of is Brock very carefully waking him up. Phil blinks at him vaguely, a silly little smile on his face.
"Hey, we're here, Boss." Brock very gently tucks a few strands of Phil's hair behind his ear, almost caressing it. "I'm gonna need you to get the doors, so I can get Seth to bed, okay?"
"Hmm? Sure." Phil yawns, and scrubs at one of his eyes with his knuckles. "Gimme a key." Brock hands him a key, and Phil rubs both his eyes to try and clear the sleep from them. Brock's left the lights for his car on, shining at the impressive house in front of them. It's big, but not gratuitously so, and all around there's the soft rustle of wind through trees. Phil half-stumbles up to the front door, and opens it, letting Brock, carrying Seth, past him.
"C'mon. I think he'll like this room." Brock gestures to a closed door down a corridor, and Phil opens it letting Brock set Seth down on the bed. "He sleeps like the dead."
"Always has." Phil chuckles, and ushers Brock from the room. "What makes you think he'll like that room?"
"It looks right out onto the puppy run, and a whole litter of pitbull crosses were dropped off about three weeks ago." Brock grins at Phil. "Here, you take the room beside him." Brock ushers Phil into the next room with a gentle nudge.
"So, he's gonna wake up and promptly die of cuteness overload. Sounds reasonable." Phil rubs his eyes, and yawns again. "At least Dean'll be pleased." Brock snarling I should have fucking knocked his ass out is the last thing Phil hears before he falls back asleep.
Many thanks to moiself, abroserollinsgirl, Loverguyl, and takers dark lover.
If you'd like to see your handle in bold italics please do review, and you can!
Next update 2017/05/13