Archive of Our Own

Gale hums softly as he follows the path that he knows John took towards their room; he knows the other man will be waiting halfway for him with a cigarette in his mouth. It’ll be one they share on their walk back even though Gale will say he doesn’t want any of it, but John will take smaller puffs than he usually does. He looks up for a moment to see the cherry red glow of a cigarette and a small smile forms on his face when he sees John leaning against the brick building. His shoulders are broad and he looks like a hulking figure until he looks up and a smile crinkles up his eyes, it makes his ears move even. 

Gale can’t stop the smile that forms on his face as they begin to walk towards the little motel that’s near enough to the base they won’t have to rush in the morning. They’ve used it enough times now, John knows the song and dance, the way he’s gotta hang off of Gale and be loud. An act of being drunker than he actually is, and Gale feigning the need for the room because John is just too heavy to drag back to base. 

It isn’t long before they’re both up in the room the little old omega behind the counter always gives them, the room with two full beds because she took one look at them and said twin beds wouldn’t be big enough. He’s almost positive she thinks they’re both alphas, most people who look at them assume they are, with broad shoulders and height that most omegas could never dream of reaching. Honestly, when Gale had first met Benny, he thought he was an omega, pretty face and slender body, just to find out he was a beta. Or he was at least, until John Brady had sunk his teeth into him and triggered him to present as an alpha. Now he’s just as tall as Gale, maybe even a little taller and broader than a house, reminding Gale of a bull sometimes. Except for the way that he handles himself, gentler than anyone Gale has ever met, with the biggest brown eyes that remind him of a puppy. 

“You wanna shower first? I know you don’t like the smell of the bar lingerin’,” John’s voice fills the space as he begins to undo his jacket buttons, followed by his tie before he sets them all onto the bed. A mindful move that he wouldn’t usually pay any attention to, but he knows he’s got an early flight tomorrow morning. 

Gale stares at him for a minute, would this be the last time he sees him? 

Would this be the last time Gale can touch John Egan? 

His body moves before he can stop himself or question what is happening as he curls his hand into the back of John’s head to tilt his face slightly so their lips can push together. The prickly feel of John’s mustache rubs up against Gale’s lip and makes him sigh softly, a smile tries to curl his lips up but he won’t let it. Not when both of John’s large hands have slipped onto his waist to hold him close, not when a soft purr has started to roll up the other man’s chest and throat. Gale loves when John purrs, almost like he can’t control it and it makes something in him feel warm and fuzzy. 

His sharp little omega canines bite down slightly to tug and the chest deep groan that John releases followed by the plume of brown sugar tinged with cinnamon floats into the air. Gale would never get over the way John smells like a bakery when slick is collecting between his legs, if he had it his way he’d lay there every day for the rest of his life. He’d sink his teeth into him and never let go, his fingers curl a little tighter into the back of John’s hair to tug at his scalp. It makes a shudder go down John’s spine as a moan falls from his pink lips, and they pull away from one another panting softly. Warm air flows over the other’s mouth, one tinged with ginger beer and the other with whiskey. Gale wants to swallow John whole, he wants to carve a spot out in his chest and tuck John away in there to keep him safe and sound. 

Gale needs John to understand that it feels like they’re treading in unknown waters right now; he needs John to understand that he’s scared. 

A set of warm hands slip up under the back of his dress coat to smooth up his side, placing a gentle squeeze onto the bottom of Gale’s ribcage. His fingers tighten again in John’s hair to tilt his head back until they can both stare at one another. An easy smile is on John’s face, one that quirks up one side of his mouth and makes his nose wrinkle just a little bit and it makes Gale’s insides feel like goo. John hums softly before he leans in and bumps his nose against Gale’s gently, a one, two count before he’s leaning in again and kissing him. Their lips move a little slower now, savoring one another more like words don’t need to be spoken between them at all. 

“You never answered me about a shower, Gale?” 

“I just want you, John.” 

He swears a blush forms across the apples of John’s cheeks in the moonlight filtering in through the window, it makes him smile a little. A personal win in his head when he can get John Egan to blush, the cocky and confident omega Major who has grown alphas cowering in front of him. It makes his blood thrum and his belly pool with arousal and need at the knowledge of how he’s got John wrapped around his fingers. 

The rough grab of strong hands under his thighs to hoist him up makes a shocked noise fall out of his mouth as John settles him up onto his waist. His hand tightens in onyx curls that are stiff with pomade but the soft musk of dried sweat, brown sugar cinnamon rolls, and tobacco clings to John. It makes him want to bury his face right against the hinge of his jaw before he looks down into ocean colored blue eyes with black pupils that are slightly blown. His length twitches in interest in his slacks, while slick begins to seep out of him slowly down to create a mess that he’ll have to scrub from his boxers. He can smell John getting just as slick, he swears he can feel the hard press of his cock underneath him. 

“You know, I can lift you up too, maybe that had been my plan until you became a brute.”

“Doll, I outweigh you by at least thirty pounds. You couldn’t lift my big ass up if you even tried,” John responds as he walks them both over towards the bed, it makes a little prickle of something brew in Gale’s belly. He knows he’s skinny, skinnier than John anyways, and he knows he looks more like an omega than John does. He doesn’t have the muscle mass that John has, how the other omega managed to pack on some muscle over the last year he isn’t sure. John isn’t as big as Brady or Benny, but he’s got plush to him that Gale can grab onto now. 

His back meets the mattress while he stares up at John, he tilts his head back while John starts to undo his tie knotted at his throat, he’ll never get over the feel of his calloused fingers against him in any capacity. It makes his belly feel like there is a hoard of butterflies twisting him up from the inside, and he knows his own caramel apple scent is starting to fill the air to mingle with brown sugar cinnamon rolls. It smells like a candy store and it makes Gale want to lay back and arch up slightly while John undresses him in the moonlight. 

The sound of paper crinkling makes his eyes open back up just to see John with a few condoms that are set onto the nightstand, a rule for Gale that never gets crossed. They use one every single time they do this because even if John is an omega, it isn’t something he wants to risk again. Not when they’re so close to being able to go and do their jobs. 

“I could throw you around John, you and I both know I can, doesn’t matter that you’re bigger than me,” Gale drawls out as his stomach sucks in when John’s fingers slip to undo his belt followed by his slacks. Before he’s suddenly kneeling on the ground and dragging his prickly lips down to kiss and lick across his skin. He can’t stop the shiver and goosebumps that erupt across his skin as he looks down to see John nuzzle against the freckle below his belly button before a flash of pink is there and the wet press of tongue. 

A groan rattles up his throat as he clenches around nothing in his boxers and his cock gives a jerk, while John hums softly and tugs his slacks along with his boxers down before he rises up to collect all of Gale’s clothes to lay them on the bed behind them both. Gale watches the muscles bulge in John’s body as he shucks his own slacks and boxers to lay them out. The smooth lines of tendon in his side that drag down into the strong arch of his hipbone, over to the little pad of fat on his pelvis and down to the root of his cock that is covered in black curls.

Gale lets his greedy eyes travel down the line of John’s length, where he’s hard and the foreskin is pulled back already. The moonlight shines in and Gale can see the vein that travels down the side is puffed out a little, he wants to get John in his mouth but he has a feeling that won’t happen just yet. Even if he knows between John’s thighs is where he’s wet and aching, in the same way that Gale is right now, in the same way that he’s dripping down to make a wet patch. If there was one place John Egan would choose to be, it would be between Gale’s thighs. He had told Gale once it made his mind shut down and go silent, he could have a singular focus and it was nice and peaceful. 

“You’d like that huh? Throwing me around and making me do what you want? That’s why you like being on top.”

“I like being on top because it makes you shut up.” 

“Oh Doll, you wound me,” John hums back as he steps over and Gale pulls himself up towards the pillows until his knees are bent up and his thighs are spread just a little. He knows John likes to see, for whatever reason that may be. He watches as the other man crawls his way up the bed until he’s kneeling by Gale’s feet, and his cock is bobbing slightly in the air, the tip an angry magenta color. 

Their eyes meet for a moment before John kneels up a little and his right hand slips down between his own thighs and Gale moans softly as he watches the muscles in John’s arm tense up before he brings slick coated fingers up to curl around himself to stroke in a slow motion. It makes Gale’s thighs tense up slightly and his cock throbs while his pussy clenches around nothing. He lets his thighs fall open so John can watch as he brings his own hand down to touch. 

This was something familiar. Something they would do in their barrack room, before either of them had taken the plunge into John actually fucking Gale. Now though, he knows John is going to get impatient and lean down to lap around where his fingers are currently touching. Around his wet entrance and gliding up to circle around his clit in a slow slide, with just enough pressure to make his toes curl a little bit. 

“Jesus Christ Gale…you’ve got no idea how pretty you look do you?” John sighs before he lets go of his flushed cock to sink his face down, his nose drags across the skin of Gale’s inner thigh where the hair there is pale and downy soft. 

Gale moans as John’s tongue flattens to lick across where he’s got his clit caught between the V of his fingers, it makes his toes curl at the sharp almost painful pleasure. It was too much right off the bat, but he also likes the sting of it hurting a little bit. He likes the way John will wrap an arm around his thigh to keep him spread open even after he’s orgasmed. He likes the way it makes his muscles lock up and clench tight, the way it makes his eyes roll into the back of his head, in the same way he knows John likes when he grabs at his hair in both of his fists. He knows John likes when his leg hooks behind his ass to keep him balls deep, and when Gale presses three fingers into him and curls them up while he grinds his tongue against his clit softer than what Gale would like. It makes his hole clench again when he feels that overwhelming feeling of love wash over him followed closely with liquid heat down his spine. 

He’s never wanted anyone as badly as he wants John, he’s never loved anyone as much as he loves John. Gale needs John to understand that there isn’t anyone else for him, so he needs John to make it, to stay alive and keep kicking until Gale is there to make sure of it too. 

A moan bursts from his mouth again as John slips slick coated fingers into him as his tongue flicks and rolls before pushing down at the same moment his fingers curl up. His leg kicks out slightly as he moans again and John’s shoulder pushes up against the back of his thigh to keep him spread out and open. He knows this won’t be his only orgasm of the night, he sometimes is taken aback by how quickly John can unravel him, how quickly he makes Gale’s internal organs puddle out of him. 

John hums against him as his fingers crook and his nose smushes up behind his balls so his tongue can truly grind against his clit in a harder push. His hand slides from between his legs to grab onto John’s messy curls to hold him close while he moans into their hotel room. He feels the sweat beading up at the small of his back and where his thigh presses against John’s warm skin, in the ditch behind his knee where it’s curled and pushed to the side. When his head tilts down to look he can see the broad expanse and freckles dusted down John’s shoulders and upper back. He watches the swell of John’s ass as it moves when he grinds his hips down into the blanket on the bed like he can’t help himself, like he needs to take some pressure off. 

“That’s it John…just like that Darlin’,” Gale sighs out before his toes curl when John whimpers against him and his fingers press a little harder into that spongy spot inside of him. It makes molten hot lava fall down his limbs as his muscles begin to lock up and his breath catches in his throat. 

His cock oozes a string of translucent liquid down onto his skin as he tries to rock his hips and his pussy begins to clench down as he moans high in his throat. His shoulders pull up from the mattress as the high starts to rush over him and his hands latch onto John desperately. He hears the slick squelch of John’s fingers grow louder while he streaks white up his belly and to his chest, his thighs squeeze around his head while he tries to stifle his groans. He grabs at John harder as the sweet plume of caramel coated apples fills their room, sweeter than normal with the omega pheromones of an orgasm. 

John licks over his clit one more time before he drags his nose up over the tight swell of his balls and through the sweaty crease of his thigh. Gale whimpers as he watches John flatten his tongue to lick over his damp pubic hair before he drags further up to lick across his belly again. Over the freckle that seems to be John’s favorite and up to the white ropes splattered on his skin, a throaty groan falls from his mouth before he leans up to kiss Gale. The sweet taste of caramely slick fills his mouth as he sucks at John’s tongue and his hands quiver a bit while John keeps his fingers pushing and prodding inside of him. One of Gale’s hands flings out to locate the paper wrapping of the rubber, while his lips slam against John’s again and again. 

He’s desperate right now, desperate for John to understand how scared he is, desperate for John to read his mind. 

Gale shoves at his shoulder as he pulls the condom over and John goes albeit a little unwillingly until Gale gets the condom unwrapped. He sits up slightly to grip John’s cock, giving it a soft squeeze and rubbing his thumb over  the wet tip while John releases a shuddering breath against his lips. He sits back on his knees while Gale tilts his head down to drop some spit over his tip before he rolls the condom down in a smooth glide.

He squeezes one more time before John slips his fingers out and brings them up to grab onto Gale’s thighs to lift him up into his lap. Gale’s hand stays between them to lead John’s tip inside of himself with their foreheads pressed together as his other arm wraps around the back of his neck. A set of long fingers grab onto the meat of John’s shoulder as his thighs squeeze and he moans at the stretch before he sinks down in a slow motion. 

It feels like two pieces clicking together, like everything is right at the moment, like he can forget everything because he has John in his arms. Their pelvises meet and Gale’s other arm curls up around to pull John close to the crook of his neck, he can’t control the pace at all but right now he doesn’t care if John moves at all. All he wants is the tangible evidence that John is alive and safe with him, he needs it right now. A shuddering exhale puffs out of John’s mouth to gust across his collarbone while both of them wait just a minute, like they’re trying to collect themselves and soak up this time. 

“I love you, Gale.”

He can feel the vibration of John’s voice against his bones, while both of his long hands grip onto Gale’s ass to begin slowly rocking him in an even roll. The sweat slick rub of skin on skin makes Gale’s belly clench up, while his half hard cock rubs up against John’s abdomen and upper chest with every roll. His lips press against the damp skin of John’s temple as he grips onto him and his pussy spasms around his cock buried to the hilt, he can hear the wet squelch of John’s center between his thighs. 

“I love you too John,” Gale whispers back, something he doesn’t say nearly as much as John does. It’s never seemed to bother John though, instead Gale tries to show his love in other ways, he’s never been one for words. 

John’s hips push up to make their skin clap together, and it sends John’s cock slamming into his g-spot making his eyes roll again. His blunt finger nails grab onto John’s shoulders to keep him close, while his own hips try to push down in a desperate grind. Neither of them can say anything as their lips connect again and they breathe the same air, one of Gale’s hands curls up into the back of John’s hair again as pleasure pools down into his pelvis. He can feel the press of John’s bicep muscles bulging with every lift and drop of his body, while he kneels up a little more to drive himself in deeper. It feels never ending, like John is dishing out pleasure as easy as he breathes. 

Gale’s head tips back towards the ceiling as he moans when John grinds him down dirty and deep so his clit catches on the curly hairs around his cock. It makes his toes curl and his cock aches with his impending release, he doesn’t want it to end so soon. He doesn’t want it to be over, he wants John attached to him forever. He needs it like he needs oxygen, his fingers tangle harder into John’s hair to guide him over to his mating gland. 

“Bite me.” 

The movement of John’s body against his stutters slightly before Gale opens his eyes and looks down to see John’s big eyes open to stare at him. The black of his pupils has almost entirely taken over his irises while his lips stay parted to pant quietly, there’s sweat collected in his mustache while his cheeks are tinged pink down to his throat. 

He knows John wants it, he’s whimpered about it a few times when he’s been balls deep and on the brink of an orgasm. Gale just didn’t know how to tell him before now that he was scared, he was scared of this war ripping John away. Not until now, when that possibility is very real and could happen tomorrow or the next day. He needs to be able to feel John right there with him, he needs to have that invisible string connecting them, even if it’s only one way. 

“Gale–”

“I didn’t stutter John, I want you to bite me.” 

“Then we do it at the same time, I ain’t laying a claim on you unless you lay one on me too.” 

Gale groans as his forehead slams down into John’s so hard it sends a shockwave of pain through his bones and into his eyes. He didn’t expect a statement to make liquid heat pool into his belly and down into his cock, he didn’t expect it to make him squelch around John’s cock when he squeezed down. John moans like it hurts and it probably does as Gale nods his head right against John’s, their lips coming back together to kiss frantically. It feels like the world is floating around them, or maybe they’re floating together in this world locked and interwoven together. 

John Egan and Gale Cleven.

The Buckies. Where one is the other isn’t far behind, and Gale doesn’t want it any other way. 

His face buries into John’s sweaty throat while he leads John down to his own, both of their right sides. His lips skim across while he moans and he feels John press an open mouthed kiss to his skin before he sinks his teeth into John’s skin. It is just ten seconds later that John is doing the same and the painful pleasure that bursts across both of their bodies and through their brand new bond feels like an other worldly experience. It makes Gale plummet down into an orgasm so hard he’s positive he blacks out for a moment, while he feels John’s stomach clenching and the sweet smell of sticky brown sugar cinnamon rolls floods the area to mix in with his own syrupy caramel apple hue. 

Gale comes back when he feels wetness hit his skin before the stifled sound of John choking down a quiet hiccuped cry fills the air, his fingers scratch through John’s curls gently. While the shuddering that courses down the other omega’s spine makes his own body shake, and the sound of broken hoarse purrs fills the minimal space between them. He wraps both arms around John to hold him close to himself, while the soft squelch of their bodies where they are connected makes his heart hammer a little harder. He wants John to stay inside of him, he wants him to stay as deep as he can, he doesn’t ever want him to leave. 

Almost like John can read his mind, they’re slowly tipping back towards the bed with John’s big body following him down. A nose smashes up against the side of his throat as both of them lay there panting and sweaty, the crush of John’s body down into his own feels like a weighted blanket. It feels like it presses all of the pieces that have shattered out back together, it feels like he can breathe again. His throat throbs a little with every harsh exhale from John’s nose, and his eyes slip closed at the hot sting of tears that he won’t let fall. He hasn’t cried since he was a thirteen year old boy, watching them put his Momma’s casket in the ground. Though laying here with the knowledge of John’s departure being less than eight hours away feels just as soul crushing. 

The only sounds in the room are their breathing and the quiet purrs that are racking through John’s chest with every exhale. He thinks for a moment that the other man has fallen asleep. He knows John purrs instead of snores in his sleep. While John’s big body and exuberant nature would lead people to believe he was a restless sleeper, Gale knows it isn’t true. 

The most noise John makes when he sleeps is the soft rattling of his chest, he even sleeps in one position usually. On his belly with his arm curled under his pillow, his legs spread a little bit and his cheek smushed into the pillow. Often though he will wake up to a drool line down his cheek and it never fails to make Gale smile, it means John has slept hard, a feat he knows is hard for him sometimes. He’s a light sleeper, even lighter than Gale most times, he gently scratches a hand through the back of John’s curls again. 

“I would you know.” 

Gale makes a soft noise of confusion, his eyes had slipped closed the longer they had laid naked together with John’s soft cock inside of him still. His head tilts a little to show the other man that he’s listening even as his eyes stay closed, he feels the deep inhale expand John’s big body. It presses his pecs down into Gale’s chest, it makes their dog tags jingle together, the double crosses on John’s necklace tinkling too. 

“I would let you fuck me, it’s been a long while since anyone has but…if you asked, I’d let you.” 

His eyes open in slight shock, before he bumps his chin against the side of John’s head and he feels his heart squeeze a little in his chest. He knows the last time John let anyone do that was when he was a teenager, with Buck from Manitowoc. A sore spot that had made Gale bristle a little, especially when he found out that the baby John had lost had also been Buck’s from Manitowoc. He had been older than John, he had known better than John did, and still John was the one that had paid the price in the end. In a bathtub with his big sisters there to help him, a nuzzle of John’s nose against his throat makes him blink a few times. 

“I never ask because I figure this is what you like…I’ve only ever seen you smooze up beta and omega women. I didn’t think you liked bein’ on the receivin’ end, it never seemed to appeal to you besides a coupla fingers.” 

John hums softly as he shrugs a bit, his body a little heavier now, like a weight has been lifted off of his chest at his admission. Gale kisses John’s forehead softly, he truly doesn’t mind taking. He only ever fucked Marge a handful of times, truly they didn’t even have sex too many times. There were a few times before he enlisted, the most notable being her rut before he left, but truly there wasn’t much opportunity for them. After that, he didn’t have the opportunity to be the one giving, he wasn’t going to ask Benny…an alpha. With John it just felt like it was something that went unspoken. He wasn’t going to push for something that John wasn’t willing to give, their sex was good, it felt good and both of them enjoyed it. Gale didn’t want to rock a boat that was smooth sailing. 

“It’s been a long time, but with you I think it’d be good. You’d be good, you always are, Doll. Only smoozed female betas and omegas because I couldn’t sweep you off your feet,” John rasps into his throat, heat curls over the tips of Gale’s ears while he smiles softly and turns his head to face the window for a moment. His fingers scratch over John’s curls again gently just to feel the burst of purrs that release from his chest. 

He can’t fight the smile that stays on his face as he feels John begin to doze off on top of him, he should move him. He should make him get up and take off the condom, but right now he can’t be bothered. The tenderness in his hips in the morning will be worth it, the ache that John leaves behind will be like a parting gift. It’ll be something Gale clings onto tightly when he watches John leave in just a few hours. 

~~~

John’s throat vibrates as he wakes up slowly to the feel of Gale’s skin pressed up against his own, dried sweat and spunk makes their skin tacky where they’re touching belly to belly. When he turns his head slowly to look out of the windows he can guess it’s maybe four a.m., he’s got some time still before he has to report back to base at eight. 

He wants to lay right here on top of Gale for as long as he can, even though he can feel their ribs digging together, the sharp jut of the other man’s hipbones pushes up against him. The dull throb in his neck makes him purr quietly, he hadn’t dreamt that. Gale bit him and he bit Gale, they were mates now. Even if the law didn’t see it that way, it feels ethereal, like a silver string has connected between their minds. It feels like his soul is finally complete, like he’s been sewn entirely together and not just half of a man walking around. 

His nose brushes across the fresh scabs that have formed on Gale’s golden skin, he wants to kiss and lick and preen. But first he needs to get this condom off and he needs to pee, maybe even shower so he’s entirely ready to go and he can stay in bed next to Gale for as long as possible. He can make it back to base in twenty minutes if he runs fast enough, he isn’t Gale Cleven fast but he played baseball for long enough growing up that he can sprint. 

He slowly peels his body off of Gale’s while he tugs the quilt from the upper corner of the bed to tuck around Gale so he doesn’t get cold. John always ran a little hotter than him, it was why Gale slept with his blankets tucked into the corners of his bed, so no drafts could sneak in and make him cold while he slept. If he times it right, he might be able to go down and grab Gale a coffee before he leaves, three sugar cubes and no cream. 

He carefully gets out of bed as Gale curls up a little under the blanket, John’s hand scratches across his chest before he rubs his eye and stretches himself out a little bit. A short walk to the bathroom to dispose of the condom, after he goes to turn the shower on before he uses the toilet. When he steps in front of the mirror to wash his hands he smiles when he sees the perfect indentation of Gale’s teeth in his skin. He brings a finger up to trace over the spot gently, a soft purr rolls up his throat while his heart patters like a hummingbird’s wings. 

John pads over to the shower stall to get in, a little sigh falls from his mouth as the hot water hits his face and he stands under the stream for a moment. A soft tune starts to fall from his lips as he stands there, it hums out from his lips as he lets the water wash down over him in even rivulets. He turns his head when he hears the bathroom door creak open, just to see a distorted lean figure in the glass. Gale walks around the bathroom silently, first to use the toilet himself and then to wash his hands before the glass door is suddenly being opened. 

He wants to chuckle at the disgruntled sleepy bunny look on Gale’s face, like John had committed the biggest sin by leaving the bed. A chilled hand shoves at his bicep before Gale climbs into the stall, truly it is not big enough for both of them, but neither of them care right now. Two long arms wind around his waist to pull his body into Gale’s front, his face tucks into John’s throat to nuzzle close. 

John will never admit to it, but a half asleep or freshly woken up Gale was one of his favorite versions, only because his guard wasn’t up and he was cuddly. It had taken John a long time to realize that Gale doesn’t seek comfort through touch the way he does, Gale looks for comfort by someone else just being there with him. Even if Gale will suffer in silence, he seems to like to do it with John right by his side, which is something John will do until the end of time. 

“Did I wake ya?”

“You got off of me and left the bed,” Gale gives as an answer, while his slender fingers begin to slowly curl up and trace over the soft curves of John’s skin. Where he’s gained pudge over the past year, he doesn’t work out as much as he used to honestly. He should start up again, they’ve just been so busy making sure everything is set to go off to combat. 

They are Majors now, the responsibility on their shoulders feels crushing sometimes, but he also knows he isn’t alone going through it. He’s got Gale right next to him working through the same muck he is, now though he’s got Air Exec before his name and that just rubs him wrong. He should be going up there with them for every mission, not sending his boys off into a war zone without him. 

A shudder goes down his spine when Gale touches the small of his back, tracing softly over the dimples in his spine and down to the dip that’s nestled in the side of his ass cheek. It’s always been a sore spot in his own mind that he’s bigger than Gale, and now to feel him touching spots that have always been bullied in John’s own mind makes goosebumps pop up. Gale’s fingertips glide over the stretch marks John has on his skin spanning from his hip joint over the side of his butt. A sneaky handful is squeezed in Gale’s palm to tug John closer to himself, it makes a soft chuckle leave his mouth as he smiles. 

“You tryna get fresh with me, Doll?” 

“I’m just touching what’s mine, you don’t like it? It feels like you do.”

John’s heart jack rabbits up in his chest as he looks down at Gale for a minute, just to see the side of his face instead. His nose is still tucked up close, but he can see the sharp jut of his cheek bone and the freckles spattered across his skin. He knows if he tilted his face down anymore he’d be able to see the little cluster of them, a constellation that John loves to trace when they lay nose to nose in a twin bed back on base. It’s something he doesn’t ever want to forget, how soft Gale looks when he’s resting and relaxed while pressed up close to him. It never fails to make John’s belly flutter that Gale trusts him so wholly, he knows his mate…his mate.

A soft purr rolls up John’s throat as he smiles a little and kisses the side of Gale’s wet head, he feels Gale dig his nose into his throat softly. While a plume of caramel floods the space around them to mix with his own brown sugar, it makes his mouth water just a little. It’s his favorite scent, when they first met Gale buried himself in suppressants and it had been weeks before John found out what he smelt like. It reminds him of summer fairs back in Manitowoc, the caramel apples he and Charlie used to share as they walked side by side with matching sticky faces. 

John isn’t sure how long they stand under the water, but he lets Gale get his fill of gentle touches and he can’t stop the spread of heat as it slinks down into his pelvis. He can feel the half hard line of Gale pressed against his thigh, they’ve got time if Gale wants to go again. He won’t pressure him into it though, he lets Gale have the reins when it comes to their sex, he lets him call the shots. He just gives a guiding hand even though out of the two of them, some could argue Gale has more experience when it comes to them both having the same things between their legs. John has only been with beta and omega women in his adult years, the only alpha he had ever slept with was in his teenage years. 

Now though, John couldn’t imagine ever being with another alpha, or another person honestly. Because he’s been enamored with Gale since the first time they met in basic training. Two boys who had left home to serve in a cause bigger than themselves, before it was even considered a war truly. 

It’s gentle hands and guiding movements that gets them both out of the shower, though Gale doesn’t fully seem to be there at the moment. John doesn’t mind leading Gale, one of the only times he lets himself be led in anything, that’s one thing he loves about the other man. He’s a leader, not a follower, and John Egan would be glad to follow behind Gale Cleven for the rest of his life. 

Gale reaches for the towel before John can start drying him off and they both stay relatively quiet as they work their towels over their hair and down to collect the racing water droplets. A hand grabs at his wrist before he’s turned and a pair of plush lips push against his own, their noses smush together while Gale holds onto him. It feels a little desperate, a little uncoordinated, like Gale is trying to convey a big emotion that he can’t put into words. John turns his body better while his hands slip down over Gale’s biceps and to the smooth lines of his shoulders to pull him close. Until he feels calloused hands glide down his own sides to grab under the spot where his thighs meet his ass. 

A startled noise climbs up his throat when Gale grunts quietly and lifts him up clear off of the ground, both of his legs wind around the other man to try and keep them balanced. He doesn’t want to be dead weight and hurt either of them, truly Gale shouldn’t be picking him up at all. John’s distracted by the sharp pinch of Gale’s canines piercing down into his lower lip, it makes a rush of heat pool down his spine. 

While a moan falls from his mouth and he’s grabbing onto Gale a little tighter, before he begins to walk them out of the room. It’s a little staggered, a little sloppy, but Gale doesn’t waiver, he wants to pull away from the addiction that is Gale’s lips. Just to simply see the way his bicep muscles bulge, the way the veins strain just a bit against his skin. It had almost gotten John in trouble on multiple occasions during training exercises, getting sidetracked watching Gale work, the way sweat beads up on his sun kissed skin and rolls down over tendons. 

John’s body meets the mattress a little harder than he’s anticipating, but he can’t fault Gale when he just walked a clear ten feet carrying his large body. Even if they are similar in height, he is still bigger than Gale in multiple ways, and he tilts his head up to watch Gale in the moonlight shining through their room. He looks like an angel, golden hair washed in silver on his head, and lean muscles underneath soft bronze skin. He looks like everything John has ever wanted, all he’s ever dreamed of having, Gale is all John wants in this life and the next. 

He leans up and almost moans when he sees Gale’s length, hard and leaning to the right, flushed the same shade of pink as his lips and already dripping a little. He would never tell Gale this, because he knows he’d only get argued with, but he’s sure Gale is a little longer than him. He wants to get his mouth on him, he wants to touch and be touched in return. 

“Did you mean it?”

“Mean what, Doll?” 

Gale brings one knee up between John’s own on the bed, both of his hands resting on John’s thighs to squeeze over the dark curly hair there. It makes his cock twitch and his pussy squeezes around nothing, he knows if he opens his mouth to breathe he’s going to be able to taste both of their slick in the air. Gale’s palms and slender fingers glide up to squeeze his thighs until he’s at the crux where they meet his pelvis, and he’s leaning closer to kiss him again. A moan slips from his mouth at the sweet taste that emits from every single one of Gale’s pores. 

“Did you mean it when you said you’d lay back and take it?” 

John can feel heat flare across his cheeks and over to his ears, it makes his heart skip a beat and his cock twitch where it’s resting against his pelvis. John leans up a little and he watches in almost slow motion as Gale lets a silvery glob of spit drop down on John’s cock before his hand curls around the length of him. A moan bubbles up from his throat as his thighs spread a little more, and Gale wiggles closer to tuck his knees up near his ass. 

The slick sound of Gale moving his hand doesn’t falter as John feels fingers sliding down from his thigh to rub over where he’s wet. He swears he can feel his heartbeat between his legs as Gale rubs in slow circles, John takes a little longer to relax enough to accept fingers inside of himself, he isn’t used to it the way Gale is. Right now though, it’s all he can think about, all he can think about is Gale inside of him in any capacity Gale is willing to give him. 

“Whatever you want, Doll.”

“No John, do you want it? I’ll give it if it’s what you want, and if not, I’ll eat you out and ride you right after.” 

John groans like he’s been punched just as Gale slips two fingers into him, he spasms around the intrusion while his cock kicks and his clit throbs. He knows he isn’t in heat, but the amount of need thrumming through his veins could rival that thought process right now. He knows though, it’s because he loves Gale so much, he also feels like all of the arousal pumping through him isn’t just his own. He’s reminded of the mating mark embedded in his throat and he realizes Gale is just as turned on as he is, he wants this. 

“I want it, c’mon Doll, I know you do too. You gonna treat me like a real dame? Lay me out on the pillows and make love to me all night?”

“And what if I do John?” 

Gale looks up just as his fingers crook right into the spot that makes John’s toes curl every time and his back arch up off the bed. His thighs tense up as his pussy squeezes down and the smell of brown sugar laced with cinnamon fills the air around them in a thick plume. He doesn’t know how Gale does that, how he manages to make John unravel so quickly when he’s never been able to before. John doesn’t see Gale wriggling down so he can lick between his fingers at the slick leaking out of him, which just drags another moan from John’s throat. 

His thighs want to close around Gale’s head but he knows he’s going to become a puddle when Gale noses his way up to tongue over his clit. A soft touch with the flat of his tongue that always has him shaking, one of his hands slips down to hold onto the wet strands of Gale’s hair. The hand around his cock slips away to instead wrap around his thigh to tug it up over Gale’s shoulder instead, his arm curls around the thick muscle to be able to knead his fingers in where he’s quivering. It feels like too much but also like it’s not enough as Gale groans quietly and slowly eases in a third finger while his tongue pushes down a little harder. 

“Fuck Gale, yes yeah I want it,” John’s voice dies in his throat for a moment as Gale rubs his fingers over that spot and keeps his tongue in the exact same spot. “Don’t stop, oh fuck.” 

A soft series of gasps start to fall from John’s throat as his thighs tense up and his stomach sucks in, while his hand grabs onto Gale’s thin wrist where it’s resting on his thigh to squeeze. It feels never ending and all consuming as his muscles spasm and lock up, their combined smells filter up into the air with John’s own taking on a syrupy like smell. He can feel the sob that wants to escape as he fights to bury it down, while Gale hums softly and curls his fingers one more time inside of him before he pulls away. 

John’s eyes flutter open to stare at Gale for a moment once he’s back to kneeling, before his boneless body is getting hoisted up towards the pillows. He tries to help but right now he doesn’t think he can move much, he feels a little useless if he’s being honest, Gale doesn’t seem to mind though. He always likes showing off the muscles that he has worked hard for, the long lines of them that run down and over his body. John likes to drag his tongue over them, and his mustache sometimes because he knows as much as Gale complains about it, he also likes it. 

Gale’s wiry body leans across to grab for the paper wrapped condoms on the nightstand, truly John wouldn’t care if he used one or not. He’s highly doubtful Gale could get him pregnant through the military grade suppressants and birth control he takes, he isn’t an alpha. But he isn’t going to argue at all, he’s going to lay back and take it, just like Gale asked him to. 

He’d do anything to make Gale realize how much he loves him. 

John’s eyes track the way Gale undoes the condom packaging before he drops a glob of spit down on his tip where his foreskin has pulled back and rolls the rubber down on himself, a soft hiss of pleasure escapes his teeth and John knows it well. The kind of pleasure that makes his toes curl and his hips hump forward needily, it isn’t enough but it’s almost too much sometimes too. He’s curious what Gale will do when he’s the one sinking into velvet heat, if his eyes will roll back a little bit, if his jaw will drop down, if he’ll groan a little. John isn’t quiet with his pleasure but Gale is, either from need or habit, he isn’t sure. He relishes in every noise he can drag from his mate. 

“If you don’t like it, you stop me, understood?"

“Gale…c’mon just get inside of me.” 

The press of Gale’s knees against the back of his ass makes his cock twitch, followed by the rasp of their leg hair rubbing together. Gale’s hand comes up to grab his jaw for a moment so their eyes connect, deep blues meet light ones and John’s chest shakes with a moan as he feels the blunt pressure of Gale sinking inside of him. The stretch makes his toes curl and his walls squeeze down in a vice grip blocking Gale from pushing in any further than halfway. One of his hands snaps up to grab onto Gale’s shoulder so tight he’s sure he’ll leave bruises behind. 

Gale shifts his hand up to cup the side of his face while his weight presses down into his pelvis more, and his cock sinks in deeper. A moan leaves both of their mouths before plush lips push down into his and Gale shudders out a breath right into his mouth. Almost like he is breathing air back into John, sharing the oxygen he stole from him initially. Both of them whimper when Gale is buried in as deep as he can get, the sweet smell of caramel apples swirling up into the air to mix in with brown sugar cinnamon rolls. He’s got no doubt that Gale is wet between his thighs, he wants to try and wrap his arm around to feel but he feels like he’s pinned down right now by the sheer force of everything. 

His nose bumps up against Gale’s as both of them inhale and exhale again, their ribs rub up against each other as John moans when weight gets shifted. The slow drag of Gale pulling his hips back makes him clench up tight like his body wants to keep him buried as deep as he can get. Gale groans like he’s been punched when he rocks his hips back unsteadily, it’s uncoordinated but John could care less. He doesn’t even care if Gale makes him orgasm like this, it doesn’t matter, the look of pleasure on Gale’s face is what makes John’s stomach clench up tight. 

“You’re so beautiful Doll,” John rasps before he tilts his chin and kisses Gale, his hand finally moving up from the bed to tangle into the back of damp blonde curls. His other sinks down to hold onto Gale’s hip to try and rock him a little harder, he knows Gale won’t cum from the pace he’s set. 

A low moan falls from Gale’s mouth as he shakes his head just a little bit, his knees spreading slightly under John’s body to spread him open further. John keeps his grip on Gale’s sweat slick skin as he rocks his body down into his own, the sound of their skin meeting begins to sound from in between them. It makes John’s cock weep, the way Gale’s lower lip has dropped and his eyebrows scrunch together like he’s trying to make sense of the pleasure. He turns his face a little more just as a droplet of sweat rolls down Gale’s nose onto his to slide down into his mustache. 

“If you do that, I’m not gonna last.”

“It’s alright Baby, we got time.” 

Gale releases a honey deep rumbling moan as his muscles flex and his body pushes harder into John’s, it sends him into the mattress a little harder. While he tries to relax his hips, something he’s always struggled to do, the muscles and tendons were always too tight. But he wants Gale’s body cradled against his own, he wants to feel his skin pressed against his own as much as possible. He doesn’t want a slip of paper to be able to get between them, he wants to make a home in his body for Gale to rest against. Where he’ll always be safe and loved, where he’ll never have to question it, where he’ll never have to wonder if he’s enough. 

“I love you John…oh fuck I love you, I’m gonna cum,” Gale whimpers as their lips brush together and his hips pick up speed while his forehead grinds down into John’s. 

“I love you too Gale, c’mon keep goin’ that’s it.” 

The drag of Gale sliding in and out of him makes his belly tighten, while his cock jerks against his pelvis where he’s leaking beads of precum down into the curly hair there. His clit is throbbing dully with each knock of Gale’s pelvis into his, while Gale moans against his cheek. The blunt press of the front of Gale’s teeth pushes down into his cheek bone as his body begins to lock up and the smell of caramel candy coated apples fills the air. A wounded noise comes from Gale’s throat as his body quivers and his hips snug up as tight as they can while John feels his cock jerk inside of him. 

John moans softly as the weight of Gale’s body pushes him down into the mattress more, into the wet spot his sweat has created. The squelch of Gale’s cock moving inside of him makes John tighten up which punches another noise out of the other omega. While his head falls onto John’s shoulder followed by the rest of his body, his flushed cheeks are hot and sticky where their skin presses together. His blonde hair is mussed from John’s fingers grabbing him, while both of them pant hot air into the room, and their hearts hammer so hard in their ears they can’t hear anything else right now. 

A shocked noise falls from John’s mouth at the wet suction of lips and teeth around his nipple before a calloused thumb is swiping across his clit. He looks down to see Gale’s eyes closed as he sucks and nips, his tongue flicks and pushes against the pink nub. While his thumb swipes down where they’re still connected before he swirls up to rub his clit in tight circles, making a moan fall from John’s mouth. His muscles lock up, squeezing around where Gale has gone half soft after his orgasm. He wishes suddenly the condom wasn’t there, that he could feel Gale’s release seeping out of him. 

“Fuck Gale.”

A humming noise falls from the other man as he licks across John’s sternum, before he latches sharp teeth next to his nipple to suck a harsh mark. It makes John twitch under him while his cock drools more clear fluid between them, and the drag of Gale’s thumb around his clit makes him moan long in his throat. The sharp prick of Gale’s omega canines pierce through his skin before it’s a full bite right over his heart that makes him orgasm in between them. His eyes roll into the back of his head while his body quivers and he feels like he can’t breathe while his heart pounds so hard he can feel it in his jugular. 

John gasps down air like he’s starving for it as Gale presses kisses up his chest to his throat where he licks over the mark he put there earlier. Before he goes up further to press their lips in a slow kiss, one that feels like syrup and makes John’s chest shake with purrs. A soft responding vibration comes up from Gale’s chest as he purrs quietly, something he almost never does. Their lips move slow and sleepy together, like there isn’t a deadline on their time, like there isn’t a war going on overseas. It feels like nothing else in this world exists besides them right now. 

“I don’t want you to go,” Gale’s voice is a hoarse whisper, spoken like it’s taking everything in him to get his vocal cords to work. 

His face nuzzles in and tucks under John’s chin to bury his nose against his scent gland, while he brings a quivering hand up to gently card through his hair. That gnawing feeling that has been in his chest all night grows in size, he didn’t want to go either. He knew though, as soon as the Colonel offered it, it wasn’t going to be negotiable. This wasn’t something that he could pass off to someone else, that someone else would be Gale, and he couldn’t do that to him. They were doing this on purpose, sending an omega out first to make a home for everyone in their crews, to make sure everyone would have someone familiar waiting for them. 

Him going and asking to go on a few missions had been dumb of him, but he couldn’t in good conscience send his men up there not knowing what was waiting for them. He could not send Gale up there if he didn’t know exactly what he was going into. He couldn’t watch Gale fly away without knowing. 

“I know doll, I don’t want to either.” 

His lips press down onto Gale’s temple as they both lay together, with the sun just beginning to rise in through their window. He’d never say anything, but he swears he feels wet drops hitting his skin while his own trail a thin line down his temples and to his ears.