Chapter 2

Dean entered the kitchen as quietly as he could wanting to get a view of the alpha when he thought he was alone. It was something he'd learned hunting, getting a view of someone when they didn't know you were there could be highly educational. Hovering in the doorway silently Dean observed the alpha. Dean had been right before in thinking he was strong, here "alone" he was more relaxed and that strength was allowed to show through in every movement. Dean hadn't even realized before that he'd been tense, seeing the man more relaxed now it was obvious that he'd been tense when they spoke in the bedroom, Dean had been more focused on how that tension had added stiffness making him more intimidating, especially when added to the seeming lack of emotion.

The man turned now and caught sight of Dean standing in the doorway, in an instant his shoulders tensed and his face closed off, blank and guarded. Ok, that certainly made it seem like Dean was the cause of the emotional blankness, which seemed a rather odd response to get from the alpha who'd abducted and mated you. The stranger broke his – again, creepy – stare to move back to the stove, filling two bowls with soup and placing them at a small table in the open part of the kitchen, before getting spoons and setting those down as well.

Dean assumed that meant at least one of those bowls of soup was for him. Omega etiquette probably required that Dean ask for one of those bowls – his inner omega was certainly fighting him to at least wait for some form of permission before he just took – but Dean figured snarkily that if the guy had wanted a nice submissive omega he shouldn't have kidnapped one that had grown up pretending to be an alpha to everyone. If the guy didn't agree with how he acted, well, that was his own damn fault. Dean had been raised alpha, taught that he had rights, that he had duties, that he should question and expect those questions should be answered, that he was due respect. So yeah, whatever shit happened to omegas to make them think that the way they were treated was right, Dean had missed that courtesy of an inattentive father and the urge to prove that he was useful and needed. He didn't see any need to change now, and screw his alpha if he expected it.

Dean crossed to one of the chairs under the dispassionate gaze of his alpha, drawing no comment, and in fact as far as Dean could tell no shift in emotion at all. That was gonna get creepy fast, no, scratch that, it was already creepy. A little unnerved Dean attempted to get some response from his alpha.

"So, don't suppose you have a name? I could make one up otherwise. He-of-no-emotion, creepy, Sasquatch, ..."

"Samuel. Sam. Never Sammy."

Right. Not exactly a response that invited more talking. Dean figured he'd give it a rest for the moment and focus on filling his stomach. The alpha – Sam, he'd vetoed Samuel on the principle that the alpha was already formal enough, there was no need to add a full name to his complete lack of expression – had seemed ok enough so far but Dean was still waiting for that to be only a facade, and for the alpha – Sam, he really needed to remember to call him that now that he'd decided which name to use – to show his true, and abusive, colors. To that end he was going to get in as much sustenance as he could before Sam turned cruel.

God, if this Dean tried calling him Sammy... Sam wasn't sure how he'd survive, or what exactly his reaction would be. He figured it would be best never to have to find out and warned Dean off accordingly. His abrupt – and rather unfriendly – response apparently ended the conversation for they spent the remainder of dinner silently finishing their soup.

After the soup was gone, Dean even having served himself another bowl when he had finished his first long before Sam – being part archangel had reduced his appetite leaving him needing some sustenance but not truly hungry. Dean had seemed almost startled for a moment then, before he had closed off again, doing his own impression of an emotionless being. Sam was rather happy. It seemed this world's version of his brother did not fit the omega stereotypes, a fact for which Sam was glad. Not only would this make their interactions and mating easier it was frankly fairly creepy to think of any version of Dean acting as Sam had seen omegas acting in his travels of this world.

And hadn't that been a surprise. Sam hadn't understood it at first, the way everyone in this world seemed divided into two groups, alphas and omegas. He hadn't actually been aware, had just started researching to verify the existence of supernatural creatures and that the apocalypse hadn't yet started. It was only after he'd verified those that he'd wondered about the rather strange terms he'd kept coming across. It seemed that here each person had a second set of instincts. Having neither, Sam was very much an outsider in this world, though with his inability to bear children and never going into heat everyone would simply assume he was an alpha.

He supposed Dean thought so as well, the claiming would certainly suggest it as omegas were unable to do so, leaving Sam as – obviously – an alpha. Sam supposed it would just stay that way. He certainly wasn't explaining his past. And without that there was no real way to explain that no, he didn't fall under either of the groups of people that made up this world. Sam just counted himself lucky that this Dean was a hunter, there would be no need to explain the supernatural. And perhaps if he were extremely lucky the angels would leave the two of them alone and he wouldn't need to explain anything completely out of Dean's current belief system at all.

Even if Sam wasn't going to do any of that explanation there was still a need for them to have a discussion about their bonding and their future. The bond would be obvious to all and would clearly mark Dean as an omega which was sure to cause problems for him if he tried to go it alone. Now Sam just needed to figure out if he was going to tell Dean he was another hunter or if he would reveal that he was a supernatural creature. Perhaps he could take a page from Gabriel's book and pretend to be a trickster? With his strange combination of angelic and demonic power – thanks to absorbing Lucifer and staying so long in hell respectively – he could probably pull it off. The question was how he would explain forcing Dean to bond with him in either case. Perhaps he could put it off and discuss it in the morning? Yes, that sounded like the best plan. Rising Sam put their bowls in the sink and addressed Dean.

"You can sleep in the room where you woke up and we can talk in the morning. Goodnight."

Well, just great. He supposed he should be grateful for a night of sleep before he had to face what had happened but all he really felt was stressed to be waiting for the morning and the no doubt horrible changes that where to happen in his life.

Published: March 18, 2013