by Tammy Knight
“You have to think like the adult you’re supposed to be, Jamie. Do you honestly think this idea is any better than the ones you’ve had before? Are we any less likely to get caught? It’s nighttime, but the cops still patrol at night. It’s not like we know the most direct escape routes; it’s not like we have a map of the city,” Craig said as gently as he could manage, struggling not to roll his eyes when Jamie harrumphed loudly.
“Oh, ye of little faith,” Jamie said coolly, reaching under his bed to grab God knows what. Craig watched with a rather bemused expression, knowing that the situation could only escalate from there. His eyes widened marginally when Jamie whipped out a map of the city, spreading it on the floor in front of them with a smarmy little grin. “I told you I’ve been doing my homework. I’ve been tracking the most likely police routes for every hour between eight p.m. until four a.m. The post office seems to be the last thing on their agenda, as they don’t really patrol that area until four or so. It would give us plenty of time to set the place ablaze around one a.m., make our escape, and we’d be gone before the fire department even gets the call that the place is up in flames,” the alpha eagerly explained, tracing his finger along a short little side alley on the map. “Here. Right here. We’ll slip through here, and then through--,” he paused, pointing to another alley a little way away. “Through here. It’ll bring us out right at my apartment. We’ll do the deed then smoke a j to celebrate a perfectly executed plan,” he grinned. Craig slowly raised a brow, tapping his fingertips together. He had to admit that, at the very least, it was the most research Jamie had ever completed for one of his little plans. It was still a ridiculous plot, but it was refreshing to see Jamie hadn’t planned to go in blind at the very least.
“What if we leave prints or a scent trail? They’d be able to track us down easily; it would only be a matter of time. God knows how long we’d be locked up for, and… what if someone gets hurt? What if you get hurt?” Craig said gently, trying to meet the alpha’s gaze. Jamie stared pensively at him for a moment, as if considering something very deep and troubling. However, with a quick shake of his head, he was as bullheaded as ever.
“No one’s gonna get hurt. We’ll do it after hours. No one will be there besides the two of us, and I’m not going to be an idiot and get myself hurt. Are you too dumb to follow directions, C? I was giving you the benefit of the doubt there,” Jamie said snidely. Craig smirked in spite of the jab, stepping towards Jamie and pulling him in for a hug. The alpha male stiffened in his arms, and he looked entirely ready to fight his way out of the hold.
“I can follow instructions just fine, Jim Jam. I just choose not to follow idiotic ones,” Craig hummed, tightening his grip on the alpha as he tried to break free from his grip. “Listen, Jamie. We’re not setting the post office on fire. We’re not setting any building on fire, government funded or otherwise. Arson isn’t something I want on my record, and if you had any sense, you’d feel the same,” Craig said, his voice getting stern.
“I have plenty of sense! I just don’t want to end up old, boring, and irrelevant! I’m doing this whether you agree with me or not, and I’m doing it whether or not you come along. I’ve made up my mind, and if you can’t respect that…,” Jamie trailed off a bit, averting his eyes.
“Oh, cut the melodramatics,” Craig hissed, thumping Jamie on the nose. Jamie squawked indignantly, smacking at the omega’s hand with a scowl.
“I’m not being melodramatic,” the alpha grumbled. The omega could only roll his eyes in response, drawing Jamie towards their designated place on the floor of his apartment. Craig lit up, inhaling deeply, and holding the smoke in his mouth before shot-gunning it between Jamie’s lips. Jamie’s eyes widened considerably, and Craig took another draw. “What, am I that irresistible? You gonna make a habit of that, buddy?” The alpha snickered.
“Only when you’re being extra obnoxious to shut you up,” Craig said agreeably, leaning back to rest on his forearms. Jamie watched him with a scrutinizing expression, sliding across the floor to grab the bottle of tequila he always kept ready for such occasions.
“Well, remind me to be obnoxious more often,” Jamie mumbled, and Craig smiled as the two steadily ignored their faint blushes.
“I don’t really have to remind you,” Craig pointed about, his insides churning with a shiver of delight. It was true; he never had to remind Jamie to go off on some strange tangent. He often had to remind the alpha of just how important Jamie was to him, though he’d never been as forward as the moment just prior. Jamie was always the one to make moves, and it was nothing new for Craig to be casual about the whole thing. The omega just never bought into the whole act, never pushed for Jamie’s usual pull. To feel his lips pressed against those of the alpha, even for the briefest of moments, was a feeling he couldn’t begin to explain. It made his heart pound; it made his mind race. It made him think of all the other things he’d like to do with the alpha. It wasn’t a thought he often allowed himself to entertain, but he had been smitten with Jamie from day one. Every time the alpha got a bit of alcohol in him, he tended to be flirtatious beyond belief.
Craig knew that Jamie wanted to have sex with him. At least, he was rather sure. The problem lay with the fact that Jamie didn’t ever want anything serious. Not a relationship, never a commitment. Being friends as long as they had was the longest standing relationship the alpha had ever maintained. Craig knew he had some issues, borne of years spent in the foster system and never finding a place that stuck. Jamie didn’t form attachments, because every time he did, he seemed to think whatever he loved would be ripped away. As much as Craig wanted to assure his friend that he would never leave or abandon him, it would mean bringing up the fact that he knew how deeply insecure the alpha was. That would turn out terribly, no two ways about it. He had wondered, in his idle moments, if allowing Jamie to take him would solidify their friendship or ruin it. It seemed to allow too much room for complications, and he couldn’t imagine his life without Jamie. At least for the time being, the alpha seemed to have forgotten the whole arson idea.
If the omega was truly honest with himself, he would be able to admit that he wanted Jamie as well. However, what he wanted was deeper than something purely sexual. Could he handle only being friends with benefits? Could he handle losing the flighty alpha if the slightest thing when awry? As he watched Jamie take shots from his bottle of tequila, a feeling of warmth settled in his gut. He knew he could always assure Jamie that their friendship was forever. He was the only person who could ever talk the slender alpha down from his wild frenzies. It was something that he was honored by but simultaneously shook him to the core. What would happen to Jamie if Craig permanently ruined their friendship? Who would he turn to? Would he turn to anyone at all? Jamie was already a little unhinged, not that anyone could blame him too terribly. Craig didn’t want to be the final nail in the coffin.
“You just gonna stare at me all night, or are you gonna come shotgun me again? I’m feeling obnoxious,” Jamie teased, his voice syrupy sweet. Only a bit of tequila was gone from his personal stash, but the omega could recognize the look in the alpha male’s eyes. He had that desire turned on him numerous times in the past. In spite of the churning in his gut, the pure arousal rushing through his own body, he forced himself to bide his time. He simply shuffled closer to Jamie, curling his lips in a smile as he took another deep inhalation off the blunt. Jamie’s eyes were hooded, and his lips parted much more willingly when the omega slipped closer this time. Craig was acutely aware of the scent of arousal permeating the room, both his and the alpha’s alike. It was a sensuous medley of aromas that he found impossibly enticing, but he drew away as Jamie made to snake a hand in his hair. Jamie pouted a bit as they parted, and Craig was sure his cheeks were aflame. It was a bit less embarrassing, considering that Jamie was rather prettily flushed as well, but it would do no good to get caught with his pants down--figuratively, but perhaps literally as well.
“Pour a shot up for me, Jim Jam
,” Craig said in an attempt to regain control of the situation, and the alpha considered him with a smile before offering the bottle.
“You think I got some kind of cooties? Drink from the bottle. You’re so weird. You’re willing to nearly shove your tongue down my throat, but you don’t want to drink after me?” The alpha teased. Craig hesitated, wanting to argue but realizing that Jamie had a point. He took the bottle, knocking back a swallow before placing the bottle back on the ground between them. “Now, how about we finish what we started? I want it; I know you want it too. What are we waiting for?” Jamie purred, reaching out to rest a hand on Craig’s thigh. The omega could feel his face growing even hotter as his arousal became visibly evident, but he quickly shot to his feet and shuffled over to the entertainment center to sort through the alpha’s video game selection.
“I was just… I was thinking we could play this old button masher we used to love so much! You always knew how to do the combinations, but it’s all I can do to press the kick button repeatedly,” Craig chuckled. Jamie watched him with a derisive expression, rising to his feet and trailing after Craig.
“You could just say no, you know,” Jamie said quietly, taking the game case from the omega’s hand and popping the disc out. He slid it into the console, grabbing a red controller while tossing the blue one to Craig. “You act like I would rape you or something. You know I’d never do anything like that,” the alpha continued a bit morosely, and as much as Craig wanted to accuse him of melodramatics again, he couldn’t blame the younger man for feeling hurt. It wasn’t as if he thought Jamie would take advantage of him, or push him into anything he didn’t want. It was simply the fact that he had no idea what he wanted.
“I know you would never hurt me, Jamie,” he said quietly, reaching out to squeeze the alpha male’s shoulder. Jamie met his gaze, still seeming a bit wounded but settling in his usual gaming spot. “I’m going to have to buy some bean bag chairs or something to throw in this place, maybe we can go furniture shopping next time you get paid,” Craig smiled, nestling in beside the alpha. Jamie chuckled, pressing the button to boot up the console. They sat in silence for a moment, and Craig wondered if he had hurt the alpha so deeply that he didn’t even want to speak to him.
“All I need is a bed to sleep in and, well, do other things you’ll never know about,” Jamie teased gently, a sparkle in his eye. Craig smirked, glancing towards the TV screen and choosing his character.
“As if you could keep your exploits to yourself, even if you really wanted to,” the omega pointed out, jabbing at the controller when the first round started. Jamie hummed, but said nothing, proceeding to execute one of those combos Craig had been talking about.
CHAPTER THREE
Watching Craig from the corner of his eye as he completed yet another combo, Jamie couldn’t help but smirk a little at the obvious irritation the omega was feeling. Not that he could blame Craig, considering the fact that he had been defeated so many times. He nudged the bottle of tequila towards his friend, snickering as Craig grabbed it up and took a long drink. His expression was tense, and the scent of their mingling arousal still lingered in the room. Truth be told, the alpha was a bit confused by how receptive the omega had initially seemed. He’d never gotten to the point of actually giving Craig a stiffy before, and while part of him was entertained by the fact, another part was almost afraid. The omega smelled so sinfully delicious that it was all he could do to keep his attention on the game. Granted, it didn’t take much attention on his part to slam Craig at the game they were playing. He just didn’t want to be caught drooling over his best friend. It was no exaggeration; he was literally drooling at the intoxicating scent of the omega male. Perhaps that had something to do with the fact that everyone was always saying alphas and omegas couldn’t just be friends. Everyone seemed intent upon implying that there was something deeper to his relationship with his favorite omega. As much as he’d like to get a taste of the older male, he knew there was too much at stake.
“How about we make things interesting?” Craig prompted abruptly, wagging the bottle of tequila in his hand. Jamie raised a brow, considering his friend with an amused expression. Oh, he could think of dozens of ways to make things interesting, but Craig had made it quite clear that he held no such interest in the alpha. It was for the best, he told himself. It made it easier for him to be a decent guy, which was a concept that he seemed to struggle with for an almost ridiculous amount of time.
“What are you suggesting, C?” Jamie murmured, glancing back towards the television screen. He hadn’t even noticed the game had been paused; he’d still been jabbing away at the buttons on his controller. He tried to remind himself to keep his mind on the task at hand--properly wiping the floor with Craig’s ass. The omega grumbled to himself for a moment, tossing back the last of the bottle and grabbing two smaller bottles from Jamie’s stash. The alpha watched with a faint sense of trepidation, tapping his fingers on his legs as Craig slid one of the second bottles towards him.
“Alright. Alright. So, every time someone gets killed, they have to take a shot. Whoever finishes their bottle first loses,” Craig mumbled, his voice already a bit slurred. Jamie chuckled for a moment before erupting into outright guffaws. Craig leered at him, baring his teeth in an uncharacteristic manner. “What, is Jamie Briggs scared? The big wolf on campus is afraid?” the omega taunted. Jamie rolled his eyes, not used to seeing Craig in such an unhinged mood. Crazy was his thing after all. But the temptation of making the omega eat his words was particularly hard to ignore.
“I’m scared you’ll die of alcohol poisoning in my living room. Then, you’ll be the only one to make the news,” Jamie said coolly, enjoying the look of concentration on Craig’s face. It was only when his controller vibrated, and he heard a kill sequence on screen did he realize that the omega had unpaused the game and killed Jamie’s character. The alpha male stared at Craig with disbelief, laughing when he realized how serious Craig was. “Alright, alright. Game on, then? Let me take my first shot before you--,” he paused as there was another kill sequence. “Dammit! Come on man, there have to be some rules here. You can’t just keep killing me while I’m trying to drink up,” Jamie said in faux angry tones.
“Okay then. Since you just enacted that rule, any prior kills are still valid. Drink up,” Craig grinned. Jamie laughed before twisting the cap on his bottle and taking one shot, pausing, then taking another. Craig seemed far too entertained by the idea of getting his friend plastered, but Jamie was determined that he wasn’t going down without a fight.
“One… two… three… Fight!” Jamie called out, quickly executing a series of combinations on Craig’s character. The on-screen avatar of the omega was knocked out for a brief moment, and Craig screeched angrily as he mashed any button he could to wake his character. Before he could figure it out, however, Jamie’s avatar smashed his boot through the omega’s skull. Craig stared at the screen, a rather sullen expression on his face. “You know, we don’t have to do this. You’re the one who suggested the whole thing. I don’t really--,” the alpha began, only to cut himself off as Craig yanked the top off his own bottle and tossed back his own drink. It was much more than a shot, but the alpha supposed they weren’t really keeping count. Another round passed with similar results, and Craig grew more and more intoxicated as the following hours passed. Jamie was certain he’d never seen the omega so messed up before, and he had certainly never seen the desirous look Craig was fixing on him in that moment.
“You’re really good at this. Dex...duh...dexterous hands, I guess,” the omega hummed, his eyes seeming too intently focused on Jamie’s lips. The alpha cleared his throat awkwardly, feeling his own arousal beginning to swell again. He was going to be a good guy, dammit! He wasn’t going to take advantage of his best friend. Grabbing away Craig’s bottle of tequila, he held it high over his head where the omega couldn’t quite reach it. “Come on,” Craig muttered, crawling all over Jamie to grab at the bottle.
“T
he perks of being an alpha. You’re not going to get this bottle away from me,” Jamie said a bit snidely, holding the bottle over the omega’s head. “I’m too tall for you to reach anyway,” Jamie muttered, somewhat perturbed by the intense expression in Craig’s eyes.
“I could have you on your back any time I wanted, James,” the omega purred, fluttering his eyelashes a bit. Jamie felt a surge of desire shoot through him, and he frantically reminded himself that he was going to be a good guy. He wasn’t going to take advantage.
“Yeah, I guess. You definitely could if you were sober. As it stands, I don’t think you quite know what you want,” Jamie said in a huff. Craig hesitated, blinking his slightly hazy eyes. He drew away from Jamie, seeming suddenly embarrassed by how he’d been acting. Jamie couldn’t help but smile as Craig shuffled back towards the shelf the map was rolled up on.
“You’re right, you’re right. I’m not thinking straight,” the omega said quietly, almost to himself. Jamie chuckled, stepping up beside the other man and patting him on the shoulder.
