Lunch was a quick sit-down in a sweet-smelling independent café for sandwiches stacked with thickly-sliced bread and wrapped in brown paper. It all felt very homely in its rustic aesthetic, and River cosied up in the corner while Elliott handled everything. It was a nice feeling. Warm. Easy.

They were out of time not long after the last bite, and River shimmied out, thanking Elliott for lunch and promising to see him soon, when… he followed him.

“It’s fine art,” River reminded him as they stepped out into the cold again.

“I know.” Elliott stole his hand.

“Are you walking back to your car?”

“I’m walking my mate to his lecture.” He returned a tepid smile to a passing dominant. “And then I’ll pick him up from it when he’s done.”

“You don’t need to do that.”

He didn’t answer, instead leaning forward to snatch one of the double doors back into the university and pulling it open ahead of them. River walked through first.

The other fine art students were waiting outside the lecture hall. Elliott halted River just as he reached them.

“I’ll be here when you’re done.” He spoke a little louder, subtly wanting to be heard. Then, he let go of River’s hand to take his face between his palms and kissed the crown of his head. River stared up at him, unable to school his face from wide eyes and pink cheeks. Elliott wasn’t looking back at him, he was looking over him, giving the crowd a hard look. Warning off the dominants, he realised.

“Okaythankyouseeyoulaterbyebye,” River babbled.

Elliott stepped back, keeping his eyes ahead at those behind River for an extra few seconds, and turned to leave. Thankfully, their professor arrived to open the door and welcome them all to class just as he did. River avoided eye contact with anyone as he filed inside.

Yet again, he had no means to take notes, and Rowan was sick so he couldn’t ask him for help. He knew others in the class, he was friendly with everyone, but after Elliott’s mortifying display of dominance outside he couldn’t bring himself to pester anyone. The heat needed to cool off first.

He listened a lot. He learned a bit. He left the moment the professor finished speaking.

Elliott was leant against the wall opposite the theatre entrance. He was frowning at his phone. Before River could get a step closer, he sniffed and looked up.

“I’m sorry I forgot to tell you earlier, but I have volunteering with the Hedgehog Housing Group now.”

“That’s fine. Let’s go.”

“Oh, thank you, but I don’t need a lift.”

“Well, you’re getting one.”

“Elliott!” he reasoned with a hiss.

“River!” he mimicked with a grin. All for show. Playing out the bickering loved-up couple for the audience emerging from the class. And god, did it suit him.

His phone was put away and replaced with River’s hand again. River could have dug his feet or flailed or shouted at him. He let his hand guide him outside.

“I really don’t need any help to get there. It’s not even dark yet!”

“Will it be dark when you need picking up?”

River sighed and dropped into the passenger seat. Elliott shut the door for him.

When he was settled in his own seat, River said, “I don’t need picking up.”

Elliott ignored him. “What’s the address?”

River gave the community centre’s name. There was no reasoning with this man. Alphas and their stubborn ways. He crossed his arms over his chest and sulked while Elliott pulled free of the parking space.

“You don’t want to be seen with me?” The words weren’t said with any particular emotion. No hurt or horror.

River dropped his arms. “That’s not it! I just don’t like that you don’t listen when I say no.”

“You don’t practice saying ‘no’ enough, petal.”

“What’s that supposed to be mean?”

“You should have said you didn’t want the ride, not that you didn’t need it.”

“It’s not that I don’t want it, it’s that I don’t want to put you out.”

Elliott squeezed the wheel with his hands and pinched his lips between his teeth for a moment. “River, it’s up to me if I put myself out.” He swung them into a tight space right outside the community centre. “So, stop worrying about other people and learn how to say ‘no’ for when you’re being put out.”

River popped the door open before his alpha could jump out and do it for him. “Sure. See you around.” He shut it on Elliott’s response and hurried up to the doors of the community centre. Fortunately, Elliott didn’t follow.

“The boys told us you turned up to your lecture with a fresh scent mark this morning.”

River had only made it through the first set of doors. He kept walking to the next. “Good afternoon to you too, Willow.”

“What happened to your grand plan of being rid of Alpha Elliott?”

River shrugged. He really didn’t want to defend his choices as he walked through a hall filled with cardboard boxes and loo rolls. People bustled about with tins of cat food and clipboards of petitions and River attempted to blend in as he found something to do with himself.

Willow kept to his back like a bad smell. “Do you like him?”

I’m an alpha mate. I want to get married to my alpha and have lots of babies. That was his line, but somehow he wanted so much more to gush about being kissed on the lips for the first time. Not here, though, too many eyes and ears.

“He’s my mate,” he said, as though that answered the question.

“For real?”

River nodded, shy. He fiddled with a pile of straw.

“Oh, River, that’s great!”

River couldn’t bring himself to say the rest of Elliott’s script, so he shrugged again with an awkward smile.

“Can I tell the girls?” She was already withdrawing her phone in a slow, over-dramatic pull from her pocket.

“Honestly, that might save me some stress, so go ahead.”

Willow skipped on the spot, tapping away at the screen. “And the boys?”

“Sure.”

Willow squealed.

“Okay, okay, there’s hedgehogs that need housing!” River plucked a box and some supplies to kit it out with and hurried away to find a space to build. Anything to be out from under the spotlight that was Willow’s desperation for details.

Ninety minutes - and plenty of hard hedgehog-helping work - later,  and the group was dismissed. River didn’t linger to help with pack-up, he had promised the running club he would help them paint signs.

Back out in the cold he bumped straight into a barrier of his own scent.

“Finished?” Elliott asked.

River lingered against his chest for a little longer than he should have - he was so warm. “Um, no. I need to get to the running club to help paint signs.”

“Athletics track?”

A nervous laugh escaped him. He couldn’t read Elliott’s tone at all. “That’s the one.”

“Come on, then.”

The Hedgehog Housing Group were spawning at his back.

“Thank you,” he said. This time, River took his hand.

It was dark now, even though it wasn’t even five yet, and River’s cardigan was really not pulling its fluffy weight in keeping him warm. His jeans were turning stiff too, even as he scurried along at his top speed.

When they reached the end of the path, Elliott redirected them.

“I had to move spaces.” Once they were walking in the right direction again, he pulled his hand free. “I’ve got a spare hoodie in the car but wear this for now.” He dropped his jacket from his shoulders and slipped it over River’s.

“Th-thank you.”

“You need a proper coat.”

“Spring is comi-”

“No.” Elliott opened the car door for him. “We’ll go shopping tomorrow. I’m not going to be known as the alpha that let his mate freeze to death.”

River swung his legs into the car and the door closed. When Elliott joined him, he said, “I haven’t got time for anything extra tomorrow.”

Elliott started the engine. “What’s the schedule for tomorrow?”

River listed off his lectures, society meetings and volunteer work for the next day and Elliott drove.

“I’ll pick you up at eight, then.”

River’s mouth opened to argue. Then, he wondered whether he even wanted to. No, he liked being looked after. Even if it was only temporary. Warm and easy, that was the feeling that followed him when he let Elliott chaperone him.

“Thank you,” he whispered, wriggling deeper into the heated seat and the sandalwood-smelling jacket. What he would give to take another nap here instead of spending hours painting signs…

“Here you are.”

River sighed.

“You don’t have to help everyone who asks, petal.”

“I like to.”

“That’s not what it sounds like.”

“I’m just… tired.”

“Then cancel.”

“I can’t.”

“River.”

“Elliott.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

He hopped out of the car. “I’m keeping this for a little longer,” he called behind him before shutting the door. He ran to the track before Elliott could call after him and demand his jacket back.

×

Once again, a sleek, black car awaited him when he had finished his support for the running club. One of the doms, Begonia, refused to let him walk from the building alone, even with all the flood lighting around the tracks. River pointed to Elliott’s car as they approached.

“That’s my mate.”

As if on cue, Elliott appeared, ready to welcome him back onto warm leather.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Begonia.”

“Elliott.” He shook her hand. “Thanks for walking him.”

“Can’t be too careful.” She didn’t bother to say ‘with omegas’ out loud, but they all heard it.

River climbed inside. “Thanks, Begonia, I’ll see you later.”

Begonia nodded and stepped back to let Elliott close the door. As they pulled away, she waved, walking backwards to offer her bodyguard services to some other helpless submissive.

“Finished?” Elliott asked. River knew he didn’t just mean the painting, he was asking if the day was done. If River had anywhere else he needed to be.

“Finished,” River sighed happily, slouching into the toasty seat. All he had left to do today was rest up ready to do it all again tomorrow. Oh, and respond to the dozens of messages from his friends having a mass meltdown over his new, official, mate.