It had been a few days since Jak had spent that evening with Torn. Since then, they've definitely been more civil with each other. Last night, Torn even started up a conversation with him during dinner.

Now, three days after they decided to bury the hatchet, here he was...standing outside Torn's room, holding a small box with different flavors of fudge in it.

The fuck am I doing?

Three days ago he was ready to skin this guy alive...now he's bringing him sweets like a lovesick Romeo trying to court his belligerent Juliet

And the more he thought about it, the more that comparison made him uneasy.

True, he wanted to be on speaking terms with the man he was about to be bonded to, but that didn't mean he wanted to fall in love or even be slightly attracted to the guy.

So why couldn't he stop thinking about that sparring match and the following picnic on the beach?

Why was he remembering how he watched Torn's face turn from disinterested to euphoric when he tried new things previously denied to him.

Why was he focusing on how breathy and low his laughs were...

How deep and bone-chilling his growls were...

The feeling of his hot, hard body pressed firmly against him...

The warmth he felt radiating from him even when they weren't touching.

Most of all, his scent...

Torn had a scent unlike anyone Jak's ever met. When Torn had him pinned to the sparring mat, the scent surrounded him, and he had gotten a good whiff. He had that underlying sweetness found only in Omegas...but there were layers to it that were unique to him.

He smelled like how an ocean looks...cold...dangerous...dark...deep...and strangely comforting all at the same time.

It really was starting to bother him how much he liked it and wanted to smell it again.

It was almost like he was an addict...

"Are you the one getting lost now?"

Jak jolted and whipped around, nearly knocking into Torn, who was standing behind him.

He didn't even hear the other man walk up to him...was he that deep in thought?

Torn looked down at him with a smirk, "That better not be for me. I've already gained a pound because of you."

Jak smirked back and was about to snarkily reply when it hit him...

The smell...

He looked over Torn's form...the older man must've been exercising as he was covered in sweat...

...and his scent was coming out in droves.

That sweet and dark scent flowing out from the other man hung in the air, and Jak couldn't get away from it.

Before he knew it, he was scenting the air and a light growl started growing in his throat. His body was reacting once more to the other man's scent...

...and it scared him.

"Jak? You ok?" Torn's face showed a look of concern, and Jak forced himself to shake himself free of the trance he was put in. He shoved the box against Torn, "Just stop bitching and enjoy it, BYE!" Without even letting Torn take a breath, Jak ran down the hall, desperately trying to escape that hypnotic and overwhelming scent.

He didn't stop until he was back in his own room.

Once inside, he slammed the door and leaned up against it, trying to catch his breath.

The scent still lingered around him...clinging to his clothes and hovering around his mouth and nose.

He bared his teeth and let out a feral growl that surprised him. He slapped a hand over his mouth in shock.

Did that really come from him?

This was all new to him...he'd never growled before outside of a fight...he'd never been so intoxicated by someone's smell that he literally lost himself in it.

Even now, his loins were throbbing with want.

But he didn't even know what he wanted.

He couldn't go into rut yet, so it's not like he would even be able to knot Torn if that's what his body was trying to get him to do.

His instincts were telling him to mark and claim...to bite down hard on Torn's stupid throat or his muscled shoulder. His body was begging him to rub that delicious scent all over himself...and to do the same to Torn.

He wanted to push Torn down...

He wanted to be pushed down...

Before he knew it, he was fisting his cock and jerking hard, thrusting his hips forward as he groaned and growled against his hand.

Flashes appeared before his eyes...

Thick brown dreadlocks, soft and shiny, tied back or falling free around a sharp jawline.

Light blue eyes...icy and cold...yet burning like fire...

The feeling from that time in the gym...

...the firmness of the body pressing down into him...

...that firm, primal growl telling him to stay put!

He came with what almost sounded like a yelp, his seed spurting out in thick white strands and covering his hand, dripping down to the floor.

He was still panting hard 5 minutes later...

His face red from exertion...and from shame.

He just jerked off to the man he punched in the face nearly a week ago.

What the actual fuck is wrong with me?

Torn had resisted devouring the entire box of fudge...for a whole 10 minutes.

He had JUST worked out.

He already ate a bunch of junk food three days ago on the beach.

He did not need the empty calories.

Now, as he stuffed the last bite of the piece of peanut butter fudge in his mouth, he was able to finally ponder why the hell Jak brought him more shit to eat.

Delicious shit...but still...

He understood buying them the first time. Jak was shocked by his lack of confectionary knowledge and went overboard being nice. Why he continued to feel the need to treat him was puzzling.

Maybe this was part of an elaborate revenge plan?

Maybe the fudge was laced with something?

Or...

Maybe the young prince really was just trying to be nice?

No...

Jak probably just felt sorry for him. After he'd accidently revealed more about his upbringing than he meant to, Jak went a bit overboard on the niceness.

Torn realized that the blonde was probably being genuine...but he hated being pitied. His whole life, people treated him differently just because of what he is. He wanted to believe that maybe Jak was different...maybe he really did treat everyone the same.

If what he saw that day was Jak's true nature...maybe...just maybe they could...

...

He heard a hard knocking on his door.

For once, Torn was thankful for the interruption, though he had a good idea of who might be on the other side. As he opened the door he teased, "Did you forget to give me a kiss, brat?"

"Um..." Keira blushed slightly, "I don't think our relationship is quite there yet.

Torn sighed and bumped his head against the door frame, "Sorry, thought you were...never mind."

Keira suddenly had a coy smile on her face, "You thought I was who now? Hehe, I had no idea you guys were already so friendly!"

"We're not!" Torn frowned, feeling sick at the very notion that they were...just NO! "I was joking. Like I would put any part of me within three feet of that bastard's mouth."

"Uh huh..." Keira didn't seem convinced, "Well, I hope you're able to bend your 3 feet rule just for today. I need you and Jak to escort me to my collection spot. I'm running low on herbs, and unlike you, I'm not a super strong badass soldier." She smiled playfully, "So? You in?"

"Jak isn't enough?" He crossed his arms suspiciously.

"Can't be too careful!"

He knew what she was trying to do...

It was an obvious excuse to have him and Jak spend time with each other.

He let out a sigh. He did promise to give Jak a chance and he didn't exactly hate the other's company...plus the blonde had once again given him a gift that turned out to be in his top 3 favorite things.

"Alright, I'll join you. Gimme a minute to get changed."

Keira's face split in a way too happy grin, "Thank you! Meet us at the Garage!" She then turned on her heel and happily strode back down the hall.

Torn stared after for a moment before rolling his eyes and closing his bedroom door.

What had he gotten himself into?

Torn arrived at the garage about 20 minutes later, having changed into a light, red tank top, his standard thick pants with light armor plating, and his steel-toed boots. He wasn't able to strap his pistols on, having left them in Haven, but he did have his crescent knife belted around his waist.

Can't be too careful with the constant threat of metal heads and marauders.

It seems Jak thought so as well, since the prince had orange precursor armor strapped on his arms and legs, and a large blaster strapped to his back.

Suddenly he felt underprepared.

Keira waved him over, "Hey! Thanks for joining us! If you want to borrow a blaster, there's a rack over there." She pointed to a large metal rack against the side of the garage.

"Don't mind if I do." He walked over and picked up dual hand pistols, his most familiar weapon, and highly similar to the ones he had back in Haven.

Once he holstered his new weapons, he walked over to the other two, "Alright, lets do this." he turned to look at Jak and felt a twinge of confusion and slight anger when the blonde quickly avoided his gaze.

Keira nodded, "Yep! We've got about a 10-minute drive ahead of us, so Jak, go ahead and get comfy in the back seat." She picked up a large bag and walked over to a small, armored vehicle, throwing the bag in the back seat before getting in the driver's seat.

Torn runed to Jak and opened his mouth to say something, but the Alpha just turned and got into the vehicle.

Torn frowned, but decided to drop it for now, taking his seat in the passenger seat next to Keira.

The green-haired Omega started up the car, pulled out her com to order the gate open, and sped off into the desert as soon as they were able.

It was a very calm afternoon.

The sun was bright, it was hot as balls, and Torn would occasionally get sand in his eyes, but it was quite a nice view all around.

After he'd rubbed his eyes the fifth time, Keira offered him a pair of goggles to wear. Once on, the ride became much more enjoyable.

Torn looked back at Jak through the rear-view mirror a few times. The other man just stared out the side of the car at the horizon...unmoving.

Torn didn't know why...but it pissed him off how Jak was ignoring him.

Sure, he didn't really want the young Alpha up his ass 24/7, but hadn't he been trying to become friends? Why the hell was he suddenly back to avoiding him?

Torn would never admit it...but it hurt a little.

Keira finally stopped the car right next to a large Oasis with what looked like a lot of small desert crops growing around. They all exited, and Keira grabbed her bag, immediately getting to work collecting the herbs.

As she did, Jak walked down to the water and sat beside it, absently fiddling with the sand.

Torn kept his eyes trained on the surrounding area, eyes vigilant for any sign of threats. After what seemed like an hour, he glanced back at Jak...who hadn't moved.

He had no idea how to approach him right now. Or even if he should approach him.

But he did want to know why Jak was suddenly ignoring him after he had just begun treating him differently.

He padded over to the blonde and stood behind him.

If Jak had known Torn was tagging along, he would've told Keira no.

After what he had just done this morning, he couldn't look Torn in the eye. Not to mention, his feelings were still all messed up. His hormones were out of wack and he was starting to feel attraction to Torn seeming from out of nowhere.

It must've been the stress he'd been feeling combined with the exposure to an Omega's unique pheromones. His poor little virgin body couldn't handle it.

And there was the key word...virgin.

Sure, he's done things with other kids his age, so he wasn't unfamiliar with sexual excitement. He'd experimented with omegas, betas, and even other alphas before, only never going as far as actual penetration so he was still a technical virgin. Once, at a secret party, he'd traded blowjobs with another male alpha. He found that he really liked performing oral sex for his partners after that.

...but Torn was a lot different from his other experiences.

He was a mature male omega who'd probably done things Jak's never even heard of. He'd probably had a dozen partners in the past. Who knows...maybe normal sex wouldn't do anything for him.

Jak lingered on that thought for a moment...

Would Torn like doing those things with me?

Jak had wondered what it would be like...

Would Torn be surprised to have Jak kneeling between his legs? Jak would try his best to make him feel good. They had the same basic equipment, and Jak knew how to work a dick. And if Torn didn't care for being sucked off...

How would he react to being eaten out? He was told in the past by a female Omega that he had a magical tongue.

He smelled so great already, did he taste even better? He imagined feeling the older Omega coming down his throat, tasting his seed as it filled his mouth, lapping up the honey-like slick as it dripped down from his-

"Hey, got a minute?"

Jak flinched at the voice behind him. Damn it...this was the last thing he needed right now. He was about to tell Torn to leave him alone, but the older man plopped down beside him, inches away.

Jak froze...fearing the worst. The second that scent reached his nose he knew it would be over. Torn would find out...would he hate him after?

"Thanks for the...I'm not sure what it's called, fudge, I think? It was good." Torn turned to him, eyes searching his face, and Jak knew he was blushing.

Jak shifted awkwardly, trying to will away a boner. Thankfully, it seemed Torn's scent was weaker now due to having recently showered the sweat away.

"Are you gonna say anything, or do you plan to ignore me well into our marriage?"

Fuck, this wasn't what he wanted either...

"You were the one who wanted to make nice." Torn sighed in irritation, "So why the fuck won't you look at me?"

He wanted to...damn it he really wanted to so badly.

"Fucking prick, I knew it wouldn't work..." He moved to get up, and Jak just couldn't stop himself.

"Wait!" He grabbed Torn's tank top, pulling it firmly to stop the other from leaving. Torn glared at him and bared his teeth slightly.

"Let go!" There was a very slight growl to his voice.

"Please, I'm sorry I just..." He looked into Torn's eyes again and immediately looked away.

"SEE! You're doing it again! Why won't you look at me?"

"I just can't..."

"Why not?!"

"I DON'T KNOW!" He yelled that a bit louder than he meant to, but when he glanced towards Keira, he was relieved to see that she wasn't paying attention to them. He let go of Torn's shirt.

This was it...

All his efforts to become friends were ruined.

Torn would hate him forever.

And it was his fault...

"Fucks sake you stupid pup." Torn sighed and ran a hand over his face, "Will you just tell me what's bothering you? I thought we were really getting somewhere."

Jak sat there, motionless for a moment...

"I don't know what's wrong with me..." He sighed and brought his knees up to his chest, laying his forehead on them, "I do want to become friends with you...but...your smell..."

Torn raised a brow, "My...smell? What, you don't like the way I smell?"

"...The opposite..."

Torn paused...then it clicked, "You...like the way I smell?"

Jak nodded.

"And? What's the problem?"

"The problem is I like it too much!" He growled slightly in frustration, "Every time I get near you, your smell makes me feel weird! It's embarrassing..."

"...oh..." Torn was quiet for a bit.

They stayed like that for a bit, neither talking. And just when Jak thought he'd actually passed the point of no return, Torn broke the silence.

"Well, at least we know you're receptive to my pheromones." It had been said so clinically...like they were discussing treatments for a cold.

"Aren't you...doesn't it bother you?!" Jak turned to look at Torn worried.

"Why would it?" Torn shrugged, "You're an Alpha...I'm an Omega. And we're about to be bonded...it's only natural you'd have some kind of physical reaction to me."

Jak looked at Torn incredulously, "So you don't care that I might be sexually attracted to you?!"

Torn smirked, "Well, I am pretty hot. Can't blame you for swooning."

"Why does your personality suck so much?" Jak sighed teasingly, a small smile beginning to form on his face.

"Guess we really are a match, because your personality sucks too."

"Does not!"

"Does too."

"Maybe for an old man like you!" Jak shoved Torn playfully.

"Big talk coming from a shitty alpha who can't even manage to pin his Omega for 20 seconds!" Torn shoved back.

Said shitty brat grabbed ahold of his shirt and Torn laughed as he was pushed down against the sand, Jak straddling him with a cheeky grin. He quickly flipped their positions and shoved the blonde under him, smirking down at him as he struggled to get out from under him.

After a few minutes of struggling, Jak glared up at Torn, "How the fuck are you so strong?!"

"Genetics and hard work, kid." He let Jak squirm a little more before releasing his arms and sitting back, resting his backside against Jak's stomach, "Want me to teach you how to get out of this situation?"

Jak cocked his head in curiosity, "You mean that thing you did when I had you pinned during our sparring match? Yes please! That was fucking cool!"

"Get on top then." He flipped over on his back next to Jak, and Jak obliged, straddling Torn's hips eagerly.

"Grab my wrists and press them into the sand hard." Torn raised his arms, laying them back against the sand and Jak did just that. Torn tested the strength of his grip, "Don't be afraid to hurt me. Act like you plan to keep me here."

Jak felt a little awkward being once again close to Torn, but the promise of being able to learn a cool fighting move outweighed his teenage hormones. He tightened his grip a bit and pushed all his weight down on Torn.

The Omega grunted slightly before starting his lesson, "Ok, so if you're ever in a situation like this, you need to do two things quickly. First, get your knees bent and brace your feet on the ground like this." Torn positioned his legs and Jak paused to take a peek before resuming his position. "Next, you want to get your arms down to your shoulders and elbows bent. Get your attacker's arms as close to a 90-degree angle as you can. Do that either by brute strength or..." Torn began squirming his body up and pulling his arms down, forcing Jak's arms farther down as well, "...wiggle your way up."

"Next, thrust your hips up as high as you can and pull your arms down to your side as fast as you can." Torn suddenly raised his hips and Jak quickly found himself falling forward, having to release one of Torn's wrists as he caught himself. Torn then wrenched his other wrist free, grabbed Jak around the middle and once again flipped their roles, now being on top, "One of two things will happen, they'll fall forward and be forced to catch themself as you did, or they'll smash their head on the ground. Now you try."

Torn grabbed Jak's wrists and forced his arms up above his head, "Go."

Jak copied Torn's movements, first planting his feet and bending his knees, then wiggling his body up since Torn was taller than him and getting his elbows out and arms near his shoulders. Next, he thrust his hips up, successfully forcing Torn's body forward, grabbed him around the waist and flipped them, once again pinning Torn beneath him.

"Yes!" Torn smiled up at him, "Exactly like that. Nice job!"

Jak beamed down at him, "Thanks! I'll use that next time we spar."

"Hah, that's just one trick kid, I've got a whole arsenal to kick your ass with." His face twisted slightly in a teasing grin, "Hopefully, we won't come across another one that'll make you pop a boner."

Jak's face turned from proud to mortified in a second, "OH MY GOD YOU KNEW?!"

"How could I NOT know? We were literally mashed together."

Jak groaned, covering his face with both hands and Torn laughed softly, sitting up a bit, "Hey come on, it's not a big deal. You're young, I'm hot...I won't hold it against you."

Jak peeked out at him from behind his fingers, pouting a bit.

Once more...Torn began to think that this stupid young Alpha was kinda cute.

A sharp piercing scream made them both suddenly stand to attention.

The load roars of engines cut through the silence of the desert as three marauder vehicles suddenly appeared.

"GET DOWN!" Torn tackled Jak just as a car began shooting at them.

As soon as Jak was out of danger, Torn got back to his feet and unholstered his pistols, "Keep these assholes off me while I get Keira to the car!" Jak nodded and retrieved his gun as well. Torn immediately started sprinting towards Keira, who was taking cover with her bag behind a tree.

He crouched beside her and grabbed her arm, "Come on!" She was wide-eyed with terror but nodded and allowed Torn to pull her to her feet and lead her quickly to their vehicle.

Just as they approached it, a marauder car came out of nowhere and slammed into it, knocking it on its back. Torn grabbed Keira and shielded her from the following explosion. He let out a growl as the car turned and prepared to fire on the both of them.

A blast was heard and the driver slumped over dead. Torn turned and saw Jak aiming at the vehicle, rage in his eyes. Jak turned and fired at the remaining two vehicles, managing to land continuous hits on one of them until it caught fire and exploded.

Torn felt his heart skip a beat at the sight.

In his temporary distracted state, he didn't realize when the other vehicle sped up next to them. Before he could turn, a large, armored arm grabbed him by the throat and pulled him inside the car.

Keira grabbed at his attacker, but he swiftly kicked her in the face, knocking her to the ground.

"KEIRA! TORN!" Jak screamed as he tried desperately to run to help, but it was too late. The vehicle now containing Torn sped away.

Jak kneeled next to Keira...her nose was bleeding all over her face, "Stay here! I'm going after them!" He ran to the remaining unexploded marauder vehicle and pulled the corpse of its driver out before hopping inside and screaming away towards the kidnappers.

Meanwhile, Torn was not having a good time.

As the Marauder held Torn in a choke hold, the omega struggled slightly. The brute brought up his fist to knock him out, but Torn quickly used one of his many defense techniques and turned his head towards the armored body, scratching his forehead and slipping out of the grip.

Quickly he unsheathed his knife and plunged it into the Marauder's exposed neck over and over until he fell limp.

The driver suddenly stopped the vehicle and punched Torn in the face before he could do the same to him. As Torn was stunned, the Marauder tried to grab him, but Torn kicked his foot against the helmet over and over. The marauder grabbed his foot and twisted it around harshly. Torn let out a pained scream as he felt something pop in his ankle.

Taking this as an opportunity, the Marauder once more grabbed him around his neck and tried to choke him unconscious.

Still holding his knife, Torn jammed it into his attacker's arm, forcing him to loosen his grip before he ducked out once more and withdrew his pistol, shooting the brute twice in the eyeholes of his helmet.

Now with both of his attacker's subdued, Torn slumped back against the vehicle and panted.

Blood flowed freely from the deep gash in his forehead and the split lip he received from the punch. The adrenaline was still running in his system as he heard another vehicle pull up beside him. He grabbed his pistols and prepared for another fight when-

"TORN!" Jak jumped out of the vehicle and ran to passenger side of the vehicle. When he saw Torn's state, he growled low in his throat.

"Don't...I'm fine." Torn sighed, seeing Jak was starting to get worked up.

"FINE?! Look what those fuckers did to you!"

"Stop panicking and help me out. My ankles busted..." Torn reached out a hand, expecting Jak to just help him walk.

The young Alpha surprised him by gently grabbing him around the waist and under his knees. He hoisted Torn into his arms bridal style and started carrying him towards the other vehicle. Torn wrapped his arms around Jak's shoulder more out of shock than acceptance.

"What the fuck are you-put me down!" Torn felt a slight blush form on his face. He was literally being carried like a princess after brutalizing two men.

"Your ankle's probably broken. You can't walk like this."

"Yes, but you don't have to fucking carry me!" Torn gave him a glare, "I could just lean on your shoulder-"

"I just had to watch you get carried off while I could do nothing but follow behind and pray that you would handle it...please." Jak looked at him sadly, "Just...let me do this for you. You don't have to be tough all the time."

Torn fell silent.

As they approached the vehicle, he began to focus on the strong arms wrapped around him...far different from the ones wrapping around his neck earlier.

He tiredly laid his head on Jak's shoulder...unintentionally breathing in his earthy scent.

It was...nice...

They reached the other vehicle and Jak moved to set Torn down in the passenger seat, but Torn suddenly tightened his grip, causing Jak to pause. Jak turned to Torn, confused, "Torn? You ok?"

"Just..." Torn stopped himself, breathing slowly against Jak's shoulder, "Give me a minute..."

"I would but you're kinda heavy..." Jak smirked playfully.

Torn gave him stern look, "Are you calling me fat?"

Jak laughed softly as he finally put Torn down in the vehicle, "No, I'm calling you buff." As soon as Torn was settled, Jak ran around the other side and hopped into the driver's seat. He started up the vehicle and sped back towards the Oasis.

Once they picked up Keira, Torn used her comm to alert the guards of their status, "Come in! Marauders attacked our vehicle at the Oasis. They've been subdued but our vehicle has been destroyed. We've commandeered one of theirs, do NOT engage!"

"Roger that! We'll intercept at the gate."

Torn nodded, "Confirmed. ETA 10 minutes. We'll need medical assistance."

When he finished, Torn handed the comm back to Keira and laid back, resting his head.

Jak drove them back to the city gates where a few guards, Sig, Samos, and Damas were waiting outside. Jak pulled up the car beside them and jumped out, immediately running over to Torn's side to help him out. Keira exited the vehicle as well, but before Jak could force Torn into a bridal carry again, she kneeled down and gently held Torn's ankle in her hands, "Here, let me at least make it so you can walk."

Her hands began to glow green and Torn felt eco being pushed into his body. It was a strange feeling...tingly and warm...but after a few minutes the pain in his ankle was gone and all that was left behind was the purple and red bruising from the sprain.

"You're lucky it's not broken...that would be harder to heal." Keira smiled up at him, "Thanks for saving me back there. I knew it was a good idea to bring you."

Torn shook his head, "Don't thank me. I'm a soldier...that's what I do." He then looked up at Jak. The two stared at each other awkwardly before Torn coughed and sheepishly mumbled, "And Thanks, pup, for...um...helping me back there."

Jak blushed slightly, "Uh...no problem."

Their conversation was ended when Damas walked up and slapped a hand on Jak's shoulder, "Thank the Precursors you all made it back safely! I'm guessing I have you to thank for their safe return, Commander?" Damas gave Torn a warm smile.

Torn straightened up a bit, "Er...it wasn't just me, your highn-"

"Damas." Damas narrowed his eyes pointedly

"...Damas..." Torn shifted awkwardly, "Jak fought them off too." He turned and locked eyes with Jak, "He saved my life out there."

Jak gaped at him a bit before Damas laughed and clapped his son on the back a bit harder, "No doubt he was showing off for you! Gotta impress the battle-hardened warrior after all!" Jak frowned, "Dad please stop."

Torn wanted so desperately to tease the little Prince, but he decided being outed by your dad was punishment enough.

"Well then, in all seriousness," Damas moved forward and placed a hand on Torn's shoulder, "Thank you for your service. You truly are a wonderful addition to our city." He smiled warmly and this time Torn did not feel awful. In fact,...he felt good.

He returned the smile with a small one of his own, "Thank you. That's...kind of you to say."

Damas chuckled and gave Torn's shoulder a light squeeze before turning to Sig, "Get them to the medical bay and patch them up. I don't want him limping down the aisle on their wedding day."

Sig allowed Torn to wrap an arm around his shoulders and helped the man limp into the city. Keira walked with Samos as he lightly scolded her for doing something dangerous when she could've ordered the guards to do it.

Jak was left outside, next to the car, staring after them.

As he watched Torn entering the city with his family...truly looking like he belonged there...

...his heart skipped a beat.