A/N - This fic has trans themes which may or may not trigger someone depending on if they have body dysphoria or not. Please be aware.

Tw - Lemons ahead! Read at your own risk

It had been an anxiety-provoking, lonely six weeks in space, on a mission far longer than his normal one or two week jaunts across the galaxy.

Hal couldn't wait to get back to the Watchtower. He'd hated every second of his mission, and not only because of how wrong it had all gone until he'd managed to make it right again. His body ached with phantom longing for hugs, for sex, for a certain someone's gloved hand on his shoulder. But more than his body aches, his heart ached for Barry.

He'd been planning to rush to see him as soon as he'd depressurized the space lock, but he was barely inside the station corridor before Batman was there, most decidedly not squeezing his shoulder but instead desperately gripping both of his upper arms in what Hal was shocked to describe as relief.

"Hal -" "Spooky?" They stared at each other.

"You're back," Batman breathed out. To Hal's astonishment, the taller man slumped foreword and pressed his fully masked face to Hal's forehead while he continued to hold him, breathing far more raggedly than his normally unflappable rhythms.

"What happened?" Hal asked with quiet horror. Please don't say Barry, he silently begged the Universe.

"We need to speak in private," Batman said, lifting his head. He began practically dragging Hal down the hall.

"Spooky," Hal pleaded as his voice cracked, digging his heels into the metal floor of the corridor to stop the Bat in his tracks. The haunted terror in his eyes woke something up in the detective's brain, and he paused.

"Barry's fine," he swiftly reassured him. Hal's breath flew out in a whoosh, and he almost choked on his sob of relief. "I'm sorry," Spooky said awkwardly. "That was thoughtless of me to alarm you."

There was nothing awkward about the hug, though, despite how absurdly unexpected and out of character it was for Batman to initiate. He stepped right in and wrapped the sniffling Hal up tight in his arms without hesitation, squeezing him with so much comfort that Hal couldn't help fiercely returning the embrace.

A quiet noise flew out of Batman's throat as Hal clung to him, reveling in the physical contact. A gloved hand began gently carding through his hair.

"You've been gone a long time," the Bat quietly hummed.

"Yeah," Hal muttered, still not letting go, but expecting Batman to at any second. The seconds dragged on, though, and Spooky didn't move. He just kept stroking Hal's head and gripping him with the arm around his waist as tightly as Hal was clinging to him. It was finally Hal who stepped back, clearing his throat.

"You needed to talk," he reminded his friend.

"In the BatCave," he said.

"Can it wait until I see Barry?" Hal asked. Batman started.

"Of course. I'm sorry," he said guiltily, sounding downright discombobulated.

"It's ok," Hal said softly as he reluctantly let him go, but to his surprise, Batman slung an arm over his shoulders as they made their way together along the station corridors. Hal didn't even bother arguing with himself; he wrapped his arm around Spooky's waist without hesitation and cuddled up.

"Thank you," he mumbled into his Kevlar chest, his cheeks only faintly pink.

"Anytime," Batman said softly. Well, anytime would be awesome, but it probably wasn't a literal offer. This time was awesome enough, though, even if Hal wished it was happening for a better reason than being temporarily touch starved and gut-wrenchingly relieved that he hadn't lost Barry, too, to the Beta and Omega pandemic.

"There's a vaccine now," Batman told him as they walked. "Extremely effective, thank God. The global rollout is well under way."

"But no cure?" Hal dared to ask. Batman sighed and shook his head no.

"Doctor Mid-Nite is working around the clock on Barry, and I'm supporting him any way I can, but so far …"

"How is he?" Hal asked in a voice that definitely wobbled.

"He's still here," Batman said, squeezing his shoulders tighter. "He's fighting."

"He always does," Hal mumbled.

"Full stasis is still an option, if it gets to that point," Batman reassured him. "We already have the chamber from Mr. Freeze set up in the medbay in case we need to rapidly transfer him."

Hal was grateful for that, he truly was, but somehow the idea of freezing Barry in a cryochamber felt infinitely worse than being able to see his friend's chest rise and fall, and feel his heartbeat, and hold his hand while he was in a medically induced coma.

His healing factor was barely keeping him alive even with essential body functions reduced, and Hal had dreaded leaving on his Lantern Corps mission, knowing his remaining best friend might be dead by the time he got back. He'd fumed with impatience as his mission dragged on and on, until finally he'd been able to race home, wishing for Barry's speed.

Hal breathed a sigh of relief when he and Batman entered the medbay and saw the speedster lying as unnaturally still as he'd left him, hooked up to IVs and oxygen and feeding tubes.

"Hal," Doctor Mid-Nite greeted him, looking up from his computer and test tubes. "Welcome home."

"Hey, Doc," Hal wearily replied. "How's my boy?"

"Alive and fighting," he said, echoing Batman. Hal grunted, also not unlike Batman, as he moved to sit down beside his best friend, grasping his hand in both of his.

"Hey, Bar," he said. "Just got back. Sorry I was gone so long this time, buddy. The mission went sideways, but you know me. I always pull through." He paused and swallowed hard. "I really need you to pull through, too, BarBar." He was startled by the clasping hand on his shoulder that he'd expected to get upon first returning.

"The Flash always finds a way," Batman rumbled in a comforting bass.

"Well, if Spooky believes in you, I know it's only a matter of time until you're running circles around us again," Hal said with depressingly false cheer. "Listen, buddy, I gotta go help ol' Bats out with something, but I'll be back later, ok? Love you."

"He loves you, too," Batman surprised him by saying. "He's fighting for you. For all of us."

"And we're fighting for him," Doctor Mid-Nite added. Hal nodded and wiped silent tears from his eyes as he and Batman turned and left the medbay. He wasn't expecting it, but Spooky wrapped his arm around his shoulders again as they walked, and Hal gratefully cozied up to him.

"How's your kids? Everyone still ok?" Hal asked as they made their way towards the zeta tube.

"Thankfully, yes," Batman said. "Tim and Cass and Steph are quite relieved to be vaccinated and able to patrol again. They've been miserable cooped up at home for so long."

"Miserable but alive," Hal pointed out. Batman immediately nodded.

"They know how lucky they are. We all do. And at least we have extensive grounds at home. We've been extraordinarily fortunate that we all escaped unscathed," he said somberly.

"I'm so glad you did," Hal said softly. "You've already been through enough for ten lifetimes." Spooky's eyes caught his, warm and grateful and sympathetic all at once.

"You've been through too much, yourself," he said gently. Hal's eyes misted up and he couldn't answer, but he knew Spooky understood. He always did.

"Let's talk upstairs in private," Batman surprised him by saying once they'd beamed down to the BatCave. "I'm assuming you're wearing clothes under there?" he teased, motioning to Hal's ring-powered Lantern suit.

"Do I look like Guy Gardner to you?" Hal chuckled as he depowered his suit to reveal his jeans and old t-shirt under his dad's bomber jacket. He putzed around playing with Bat-equipment while Batman changed into Bruce, and then followed him upstairs to the Manor.

He was surprised when Bruce led him into what was apparently his own bedroom, though, locking the door behind them.

"Are we on a date?" Hal teased.

"Maybe," Bruce shocked him by grunting, sitting down on a small sofa (because of course his billionaire room was big enough for a sofa) and holding his head in his hands.

"Maybe?" Hal replied, pretty shocked himself. He seated himself next to Spooky and bumped their shoulders together. "Spill."

"Hal, the United Nations passed Mating Laws as soon as the vaccine rolled out," Bruce said heavily.

"Mating Laws," Hal replied in confusion.

"Unmated Omegas have thirty days after being vaccinated to choose their own Alpha mate, and then they'll be entered into a government pool and assigned one," Bruce said flatly. Hal stared at him.

"What the fuck," he whispered.

"The expectation is that all living Omegas will be bred to sustain the population," Bruce practically spat. "Forced mating for Betas is next on the docket, but they want Omegas to have the prime pick of mates," he practically snarled.

"Oh, my God," Hal breathed out. "That's insane. What about your kids?" he asked in mild panic.

"Steph mated with Jason last week," Bruce said, a fond smile tugging at his lips despite the dire circumstances. "Barbara, Tim, and Cass are all Betas, and they're making plans. Talking to friends. Barbara will most likely mate with Dinah," he said gently. Hal bit his lip and willed his tears away.

"She's been grieving Ollie so much, and she and Barbara have been friends for a long time," Bruce explained. Hal sniffed.

"Babs'll be good for D. She's been broken without Ollie," he managed to say without crying. Spooky didn't say, 'you have, too,' but he didn't need to. They understood each other that way. Hal cleared his throat.

"Tim and Cass?"

"Tim will mate with Conner, they've planned a small ceremony at the manor for next week. Cass is considering mating with Kara." Hal barked out a chuckle at that one.

"Talk about opposites attracting," he smiled. Bruce shook his head in bemused agreement.

"Kara will definitely benefit from Cass's sweet nature, but I'm not sure what Cass sees in her."

"Well, as long as Cass knows," Hal comforted him. "So what, you need a fake Alpha mate for Brucie?" he asked. "That's why you dragged me here?" he grinned at him, torn between being indescribably elated or hopelessly dismayed.

Brucie Wayne was well known as a flamboyant Omega, a disguise that he'd enacted as soon as he'd first presented, already planning in his teenage years to one day become a vigilante.

It was brilliant, Hal had to admit. Even if anyone had wanted to suspect that Brucie was Batman based on his riches, not a single person so much as even entertained a whisper of the notion when their Gotham prince was a society Omega darling. Brucie and the fierce Alpha Bat couldn't be more incompatible.

"That's not exactly why I've asked you here," Bruce was hedging. Hal's hope flared. Maybe he wanted more than a fake relationship?

"The thing is, Hal," Bruce said slowly, "I'm an Omega."

"A fake Omega," Hal nodded easily. The silence went on for too long.

"… Spooky?" Hal said hesitantly. A faint blush suddenly painted Bruce's cheeks, before blooming into deep crimson petals.

"You're actually an Omega…?" Hal whispered in shock.

"Unfortunately," he - she? - muttered, picking at some nonexistent lint on their sweatpants and refusing to meet Hal's eyes.

"How -" Hal gasped. Bruce shrugged.

"Being an Omega doesn't limit one's ability to fight," they said offhandedly. "As Steph would tell you," they added with a little crinkle of a smile.

"Yeah, but - I'm BATMAN," Hal growled, deep and low. "I am the Night!" he went on.

"Voice modulator in the cowl and a lot of practice," Bruce replied.

"You make villains piss their pants!" Hal protested.

"Theatrics," they scoffed back.

"Bullshit," Hal said firmly. "You're certifiably terrifying."

"Thank you," Bruce finally smiled up at him, rubbing a tired hand over their jaw. Hal smiled back. The realization hit him the next second like a shot of Captain Marvel's lightning.

"Wait, so you want me to be your real mate?" he exclaimed as joy and excitement and relief fizzled in his belly like one of his glorious fountain soda concoctions of childhood.

"I know it's a lot to ask," Bruce started to say. "And you're free to say no, of course -"

"Spooky," Hal interrupted him, because all the wheels in his head suddenly clicked into place. "When did you get your vaccine?" he demanded. Bruce picked at their pants again and didn't answer.

"Baby," Hal purred, suddenly confident as he leaned in and grasped Bruce's jaw to force them to meet his eyes. "Did you put off asking anyone else, hoping I'd make it back in time?" Bruce sighed, but their eyes answered for them. "How many days left?" Hal repeated, adding some Alpha bass for fun.

"Tomorrow," Bruce croaked out.

"God, I love you," Hal breathed out, closing the distance between their lips and passionately kissing them.

"You do?" Spooky gasped when they had their tongue back, while Hal boldly crawled forward to straddle their lap.

"I mean, I've been crushing on you for so long," Hal mumbled into more kisses as Bruce slowly wrapped their arms around his waist, "and you were there for me more than anyone after Ollie - and then Barry - and then I was gone on my stupid mission and I missed you so much," he added, kissing them some more, "and then you hugged me," he proclaimed, "and you waited for me to be your mate 'cause you didn't want anyone else - yeah, I'm in love with you, Spooky," Hal smiled down at them as he looped his arms around their neck. "I'd love to be your mate."

"Thank God," Bruce groaned, hugging him good and tight for the second time that day, and burying their face in his scent gland to boot. "I love you, too," they mumbled. "But I didn't know how to tell you."

"That you loved me, or that you were an Omega?" Hal asked as he cradled his Spooky's head in his arms.

"Both," Bruce sighed. "I didn't want you to look at me differently when you learned I was an Omega, and I didn't know how I could tell you I loved you without telling you the truth."

"Well, you told me now," Hal murmured soothingly, rumbling out some low purrs. To his utter delight, Bruce began purring back, lighter, delightful Omegan purrs. Would they have sounded out of place coming out of Batman?

Sure. But coming out of his Spooky? Hal had to admit, it wasn't maybe so farfetched.

"All the pups make a lot more sense now," he chuckled into Bruce's hair.

"I love having pups," Bruce mumbled with a little smile into his shoulder.

"Do you want our own, someday?" Hal asked him. "Like, not adopted, but ones I give you?" A loud purr vibrated against his chest, and Hal laughed in delight. Bruce laughed, too.

"Oops," they said. "I guess I like that idea, Alpha," they teased. They got serious a second later, though. "I guarantee a birth control ban is coming down the pipeline," they growled. "I wouldn't be surprised if forced procreation follows, for those who try to get around it."

"What about Batman, if you're pregnant?" Hal asked softly. Bruce sighed.

"I suppose I could take a year off from the Justice League," they said, "to maintain my Alpha cover. Jason could suit up to patrol Gotham as the Bat."

"That would work," Hal said. "We could tell Barry, though? And Clark and Diana?" Assuming Barry was alive and well, but he would be, Hal swore to himself. His future pups needed their Uncle BarBar.

"Of course," Bruce swiftly reassured him. "And whoever the kids end up mated to will know the truth as well. Hopefully I'll still be intimidating enough to ensure their discretion," they growled, really sounding damn similar to an Alpha even without the voice modulator.

"Honey, I don't think there's anything more intimidating on the planet than a pregnant Omega," Hal teased. "And when they're Batman, on top of it?" he laughed. "I have a feeling your secret will be safe."

"We can tell the Justice League we're faking the pregnancy for optics and adopting an infant around my due date, I suppose," Bruce said slowly as they thought. "Maybe they'll buy it, although the timing of my League absence will certainly raise some eyebrows."

"We'll figure it out," Hal soothed. "You might be inundated with grandpups by that point and say you're needed more at home. Or if some of the kids are pregnant at the same time, you'd hypothetically be picking up their patrols. We can spin it."

"Thank you," Bruce mumbled into his neck. "For everything, but especially for getting back in time," they groaned. "The kids think I've been waiting to mate out of stubborness. They've been hounding me to ask Diana, but I didn't want Diana," they said with heartbreaking honesty. "I wanted you. If you would have me."

"Yes, yes, yes, and yes," Hal grinned. "God, it would've hurt to see you mated to Diana if I got back too late," he said with a shiver.

"You wouldn't have," Bruce said flatly. "I would've hid out on the Watchtower until you got back, and asked you first."

"Baby," Hal purred out in adoration. "But the government? And the assigned mates?"

"I can't get bit if they can't find me," Bruce smirked, "and if I came back to town with a mate, what could they do?"

"Challenge me to a duel over their claim," Hal said dryly.

"First of all, I have a lot of money and even more lawyers," Bruce said. "I doubt it would ever get that far."

"You doubt," Hal said sarcastically.

"Second of all," Bruce continued blithely, "I was willing to become publicly known as the Green Lantern's mate if needed," they serenely announced. "You would've won."

"For you? Hell yeah, I would've won, Spooky," Hal smiled down at them, softening in an instant. "I would never let my baby get mated to someone else."

"Your baby, huh?" Bruce softly purred, nuzzling their forehead into Hal's mating gland.

"Is that ok?" Hal asked hesitantly. "You're gonna have to let me know how Omega you want to be with me."

"It's better than ok," Bruce smiled. "I'm good with my loved ones treating me like an Omega in small ways, actually," they admitted a little shyly.

"Alfred's always cooking for me and buying me clothes and tiny gifts. And the kids are so affectionate; they'll cuddle in the family nest with me, and they always compliment me on my fancy outfits," they said with a faint blush painting their cheeks. Hal's eyes got warm.

"I can do all that," he said in a lower, Alpha timbre. He didn't miss Bruce's slight shudder of delight. "What about during sex, sweetheart?" Hal purred, sliding his hands a little lower down Bruce's waist.

"If you could figure out how to combine dealing with me being an Omega with treating me like me, that would be ideal," Bruce sighed. "I can't say I've ever gotten to experience sex like that," they said with a trace of melancholy. "Everyone I've ever fucked has, by necessity, only known me as Brucie."

"Spooky, I couldn't forget you were Batman if I tried," Hal smiled at them. "And I don't want to fuck you all Alpha-drunk on an Omega. I want to make love with the person I'm in love with, exactly as they are."

"I want that, too," Bruce whispered.

"Wanna test it out?" Hal murmured over their lips.

"What do you think I locked the door for?" Bruce sassed him, and Hal laughed in delight.

"God, I missed you," he repeated, collapsing into his Omega's arms with a ragged, needy sigh. Bruce snuggled him close and began purring soothing vibrations. Hal sniffed and tucked himself as close as he could, soaking up the touch he'd been craving from the person he'd most hoped (but also doubted) would provide it.

"I missed you, too," Bruce said softly as they cuddled. "Having you in my corner has made these past few years bearable."

"Same," Hal groaned. "I never thought things would get so bad one day that you and me would have nothing left to fight about, but here we are. Holding each other up at the end of the world."

"Not the end," Bruce said softly. "Never the end."

"Not as long as we keep filling you up with pups, I guess," Hal winked at them. His Omega chuffed out a laugh mixed with a saucy purr.

"Maybe we should get on that," Bruce teased. "Kidding!" they quickly laughed, though, at Hal's raised eyebrow. "For the pups part, anyway. I'm still on birth control."

"Good," Hal sighed in relief. "I want pups, but -"

"You want Barry better first," they said. "We both do. And I want to see all my current pups safely mated and settled before we give any thought to creating new ones."

"Me, too," Hal said. "You need as little stress as possible while you're pregnant."

"Is that right, Alpha?" Bruce fluttered up at him with long eyelashes and a smirking glint in their eyes.

"That is absolutely right, Omega," Hal purred over them. "As the Lantern assigned to this sector -" "Oh, here we go," Bruce mumbled in delight - "and as your Alpha, it's my sworn duty to minimize any and all mitigating factors that could cause you and our unborn pups to suffer harm during your pregnancy. Or pregnancies," he smirked with a wicked gleam of his own.

"Mm, tell me more, Alpha," Bruce teased.

"A properly passionate mating is foundational to a happy and healthy bred Omega," Hal gravely lectured as he began running seductive fingers through the locks of Spooky's hair.

"Properly passionate, huh," Bruce mused. "Big words, Alpha."

"I'm a big Alpha," Hal smirked.

"Well, now you're going to have to show me more, Alpha," Bruce impishly grinned.

"With pleasure, Omega," Hal said grandly. He activated his ring and floated them over to the delightfully messy nest atop the king-size canopy bed, still straddling his Omega as they went.

"Can I undress you, sweetheart?" Hal asked them when they landed.

"Please, Alpha," Bruce smiled up at him. Hal purred over them and pressed kisses into their neck while his hands slid down his Omega's sides, to the hem of their t-shirt. He lifted it up and over Bruce's head, before he noticed.

"I guess this is partly why I've never seen you in the communal showers," he said softly, as he reached out to finger the edges of Bruce's binder. Bruce grinned.

"Only partly. Want to see the other reason?" Hal laughed.

"I love you, Spooky. Take this off for me, first, though? I don't wanna do it wrong."

"This one's just stretchy. No clasps," they showed him as they pulled it off over their head.

"Does it hurt?" Hal asked curiously, although his question got choked off by his low groan as his Omega's breasts popped free, swinging low and heavy.

"No, not particularly, but it can get uncomfortable after several hours. I don't need to wear one under the BatSuit, actually," Bruce smiled. "I can use a regular sports bra and the armor does the rest."

"Smart," Hal nodded approvingly. "Do you usually wear it around the house?" he asked. Bruce shook their head no.

"Not unless Clark is planning to stop by," they said, with a little mild embarrassment. "I suppose I should have already told him the truth, but -"

"Hey, no. It's your business, babe. Nobody needed to know," Hal swiftly reassured them.

"He's such a close friend, though," Bruce muttered.

"Which is why he'll completely understand why you didn't feel comfortable sharing it," Hal soothed. "You're a private person to begin with -" "Ya think?" Bruce laughed - "and this is about as private a personal detail as it gets," Hal finished, albeit with a little smile at the interruption.

"He'll understand, baby. It'll be ok," Hal promised. Bruce sighed, but some of the worry lines on their face smoothed out.

"I knew you'd be a good Alpha," they said quietly. Hal melted.

"I thought you'd be a good Alpha, too," he admitted with a shaky smile, in a feeble attempt to distract his Omega from the massive blush spreading across his cheeks. "If you were one, I mean. I wanted you, even believing that's what you were," he added.

"But some Alphas are so uncomfortable with Alpha-Alpha relationships, and so much was going on with Barry and - and the pandemic," he gulped, quickly skipping over the mineshaft of Ollie's name. "It never seemed like the right time to act on it."

"I'm glad it's the right time now, if not for the circumstances surrounding it," Bruce said softly. "And I hope I'll be as good an Omega as you thought I'd be as an Alpha."

"Spooky, are you kidding me? You'll be an amazing Omega," Hal swore, but Bruce fidgeted.

"You know I'm not a very traditional one."

"Hey," Hal said seriously, cuffing the back of their neck and pressing their foreheads together. "I want you, and we both quantitatively know that you're amazing," he said. A small smile began to tickle the edge of Bruce's lips.

"Your designation is whatever you make of it," Hal decreed with Alpha authority. "All I want from my Omega is their authenticity, ok? Be you. I'll only be disappointed if you try to act like the Omega you think you should be instead of the Omega you are, Spooky."

Hal was startled, but not the slightest bit upset, to see his Omega blinking away some tears.

"This is why I waited for you," Bruce hoarsely choked out.

"Aw, baby," Hal purred, his chest swelling with tender pride and protectiveness, as he wiped the tears from his Omega's wet cheeks. He leaned in and pressed a warm kiss to his Spooky's mouth. "Alpha's got you, sweetheart." Bruce hummed contentedly, but then -

"Omega's got you, too, Alpha," they firmly asserted, deftly flipping them so Hal was underneath them, back to the headboard. "Let me take care of you this time, baby," Bruce rumbled as their massive body cradled Hal from above. "I know you need it."

An incoherent sigh left Hal's mouth as his Omega began to groom him with deft, gentle fingers running through his hair and scritching his scalp.

"You're so beautiful," Hal murmured over his own needy sighs of relief, as he arched into their hands. Bruce's sexy purr sounded a little rusty from disuse, but it grew stronger as Hal reached his hands up to skim their plump, unbound, dangling breasts.

"I'm glad you think so," Bruce raggedly answered. "I was worried you'd be put off by the disconnect between Alpha Batman and - this," he gestured down with his eyes.

"Never," Hal swore. "Besides, I've seen plenty of pictures of you all dolled up as Brucie, looking fabulous," he added, as he gently stroked his thumbs over Bruce's nipples.

"Fabulous, huh?" Bruce preened, even as a little gasp left their mouth and they pressed more firmly into Hal's hands.

"So fabulous," Hal murmured, tightening his grip the slightest bit. "You gonna dress up like that for me, baby? Let me be the one on your arm making the whole room jealous at all those fancy parties?"

"God, yes," Bruce gritted out around a low moan. "Wanna show everyone who I belong to - and why he's the luckiest man on the planet," they finished with a sassy wink. But -

"In the universe," Hal immediately corrected, leaning in to drag a kiss out of his almost-mate while he rolled their taut nipples between his thumb and forefinger. Bruce groaned and the heady scent of Omega slick filled the air.

"Alpha," they mumbled against Hal's lips.

"Omega," Hal murmured in between kisses. "Will you take your pants off for me?"

"Hell, yes," Bruce breathily laughed. "And yours."

"Thanks, baby," Hal smiled. Bruce tugged Hal's pants off first, and then Hal was groaning in delight when they eased their own pants down their long, muscular, and (maybe not so surprisingly) shaven legs.

"Fuck, Spooky," Hal mumbled, as his Omega wantonly leaned back on their haunches to show off their already wet pussy. "If that isn't the best sight in twenty-seven galaxies," Hal swore. And the best smell, he mentally added, as he inhaled the musky scent of slick.

"Only twenty-seven?" Bruce pouted. Hal grinned.

"I've only been to twenty-seven," he teased, as he reached his hand forward, between their legs. "My Spooky likes scientific answers based on hard facts and observed data." Bruce chuckled softly into a small gasp as their waiting clit met Hal's fingers.

"That I do," they groaned. "I appreciate your precision, Alpha." Their tease turned into a whine as Hal stroked a broad stripe up their slit, scooping up their sticky slick with his fingers and rubbing it around their nub. "Oh, fuck," Bruce groaned.

They reached down and grasped for any bits of Hal's hair on the top of his head that might be long enough to hold onto. Hal continued to stroke while they struggled to get a good grip, until they gave up and awkwardly cradled his scalp in their palms, instead.

"I'll grow my hair out," Hal said, lifting his eyes to address his fumbling Omega.

"You don't have to -" Bruce began to protest. Hal growled possessively, low and deep in his chest, and reached his free hand up to tug Bruce's face down to his by the back of their neck.

"If my Omega wants to twist their hands up in my hair, I'd be a damn fool to keep it short," he swore. "Can't wait to feel you tugging on my scalp, baby, showing me how hot I make you." Bruce moaned into their hungry kiss, and ground a little more firmly into Hal's hand as their slick gushed out in rivers.

"More than one way to show you," Bruce teased, as Hal groaned at the abundance.

"And here I thought I was the show-off," Hal smirked, making Bruce laugh in delight.

"Oh, you're showing off, all right," Bruce seductively purred, reaching down to grasp his undeniably impressive cock. Hal let out a raspy sigh of utter contentment as Bruce slicked their hand up and began to stroke.

"Fuck, baby," Hal muttered, letting his head thump back against the padded headboard while Bruce twisted and turned. "Can't believe I get to have this with you."

"Same," Bruce quietly admitted, with an intense look of pure adoration and utter gratitude. Hal moaned and reached forward.

"C'mere," he pleaded, pulling his Spooky to him so they could make out like teenagers while he got the sweetest, slowest hand job of his life. He sighed into their kisses while his hands stroked his Omega's cheeks, hair, and neck, until at last he writhed under the Bat's firm hand and pushed them away.

"Enough, enough," he gasped. "I'm gonna cry if I come before knotting you our first time, and not good tears," he promised, making Bruce softly chuckle.

"Ok, baby," they gently answered. They carefully took Hal's cock in hand and lifted their hips, lining it up as they slid down its length.

"Fuuuuuck," Hal groaned out when his Omega was fully seated on his lap. "Spooky. Baby. God," he panted, feeling almost more overwhelmed by the emotion than the physical sensation, although that was heavenly.

"I got you, sweetheart," Bruce murmured, cradling him into their shoulder while Hal practically squeezed the life out of them, burrowing into their embrace. Hal choked on a slightly embarrassed laugh, but that didn't stop him from cuddling even closer.

"Thank you," he mumbled into his Bat's ear.

"You never need to thank me," they protested, as they rubbed soothing hands up and down Hal's back.

"Well, I want to," Hal playfully grumbled, as he nosed over their mating gland. Bruce drew their breath in on a sharp inhale, and tightened their grip. "Yeah?" Hal asked, flicking his eyes up to their face. "Now?" Bruce nodded, a slightly eager grin painting their aroused features. Hal smiled back and pressed a quick kiss to their lips, before licking over the gland.

"'M so happy to be your mate," Hal murmured, right before he bit down. Bruce jerked and groaned under him, and then Hal was moaning too. He barely realized that Bruce had started frantically riding him until his jaws were jostled free. "Bite me back," Hal begged.

Bruce gave him a wolfish smile, and leaned in and bit without hesitation. Hal couldn't tell anymore who was moaning louder, as the full mating bond clicked into place between them.

"Mate," Bruce growled in his ear as they fucked him even harder.

"Fuck, yeah I am," Hal panted out, as their bodies slapped together. His knot was already swelling, flooded with mating hormones and sex and Spooky, who whined as it began to catch on their outer edges.

"Let me have it, Alpha," his Omega saucily ordered him instead of begging, and Hal wouldn't have had it any other way.

"As you wish, Omega," Hal grinned into a deep groan as he came hard, his knot blowing and plugging his Omega full. Bruce keened and writhed on top of him as they came, too, getting pumped full of their Alpha's cum while they shivered and moaned and clung to him in a very un-Batman like, but incredibly satisfying, way.

"Hal," Bruce gasped in his ear.

"I got you, baby," Hal soothed, cradling his Omega as they rode the waves, like they'd cradled him. Bruce was falling into softer Omega rhythms now, sniffling and melting against their Alpha, as the bouts of hormones swept them into a suddenly submissive, needy mess.

"I'm here. You're ok," Hal murmured as his mate (mate!) wept in the post-sex haze of knotted bliss. No wonder Bruce had been embarrassed to share his designation even with Clark, Hal thought with empathy.

It was one thing to see Brucie Wayne decked out to the nines, flirting up a storm at parties with their (supposedly fake) décolletage on grand display, and reconcile that with Batman. Disguises were something they all wore, after all. But the reality of Batman as a shaky, clingy, knotted Omega, who despite their large, muscular stature suddenly seemed tiny and frail as they trembled in Hal's arms -

Hal nuzzled his mate, filled with awe that they trusted him enough to share their whole self with him.

"I'll always have your back, baby," Hal promised as they cried. "Just like I know you've got mine."

"Forever," Spooky sniffed.

The pounding on the bedroom door the next morning woke them up far too early.

"Bruce! It's Dick. Let me in, it's important," their oldest son yelled through the locked door.

"Clothes?" Bruce murmured up to Hal, who sleepily hummed and materialized constructed boxers and tees on them without breaking their under-the-covers snuggle.

"Want me to get the lock?" Hal mumbled.

"Please," Bruce groaned, glancing at the clock. "For fuck's sake, it's not even noon," they groused as Hal's green construct arched to the door and flicked the lock back.

"Bruce, this is an intervention," a harried Dick began as he immediately bustled into the room, before halting abruptly at the alarming lack of Bruce by the suddenly opened door. "Ow!" he said as the passel of Bats behind him slammed into his back.

"Oh - oh!" he added a second later as he caught the whiff of mating hormones that the entire room must have been positively reeking of.

"What's oh - EW!" Jason interrupted himself as he pushed past Dick, quickly waving a hand in front of his nose. "Are you naked? Please tell me you're not naked."

"Who's not naked - oh, thank God," Tim groaned in relief as he popped his head in between Jason and Dick.

"Who is it? It better not be a villain in bed with my father!" a screaming dervish declared, barreling through the blockade of Bat-bodies.

"Better a villain than a government-assigned mate," Alfred could be heard tutting in the background, although he declined to shove his way into the room.

"It's Hal," Dick said with relief, as Cass clambered onto his back to peer over his shoulder.

"Thank heavens," the butler sighed. "I'll go start on breakfast."

"You couldn't have just told us you were waiting for Hal?" Steph snarked, hands on hips. "Me and Cass were about to take the Batwing to Themyscira to hunt you down an Amazon."

"Hal might've said no," Bruce sulked.

"God forbid you be slightly embarrassed instead of worrying your children half to death!" Dick sarcastically sniped as he waved his hands dramatically through the air.

"Rude," Cass added, shaking a finger at Bruce.

"Don't sass my Omega," Hal boomed in deep Alpha bass.

"Why not? He sasses us all the time," a thoroughly uncowed Tim said.

"We're a sassy family," Steph added. "Better get used to it, Papa Hal," she smirked, but she did turn and start herding the Batkids out of the room.

"At least it's not Lex," Bruce lazily called after them. "Count your blessings."

"If you'd mated with Lex, we would've hired Aunt Diana to kill him and claim you instead," Jason said severely. "Count your blessings."

"I am," Bruce said quietly to Hal once the room was blissfully empty and the door shut.

"Me, too," said Hal. He might not have many at the moment, but he had Spooky - and whatever the future held, they'd get through it together, holding each other up.

The End

A/N - Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Tumblr at River9Noble