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It was late. Much later than Pär had expected to be at the studio this evening. He’d come in this morning expecting to spend all day with Joakim in the studio and go home at semi-normal time to a dinner of whatever leftovers he could rustle up in his fridge. Instead, one thing had led to another issue and he’d spent all day putting out various logistics fires related to their upcoming festival tour. And the next thing he knew it was 7pm and he’d spent all of thirty minutes actually working on a song. So here he was at 2 in the morning, half empty beer and completely empty takeout containers in front of him. His only comfort was that Joakim was with him. The broad alpha was sitting across from Pär, papers covered with lyrics in various states of completion and abandonment were spread between them. Their heady combined scent filled the room, Joakim’s smoky campfire mingling his own rich, dark beer. Familiar. Bandmates, packmates, have come and gone, but this, the two of them working in a small room at all hours of the night, is intimately familiar to Pär. Comforting in a way to know that some things will never change. So long as Pär was beside Joakim, he knew he was where he’s supposed to be. He scanned the papers in front of him, looking for inspiration but he’s apparently feeling sappy tonight. As he pulled a page closer towards him, the words pack united stood out to him. Technically the five of them do make up a loose pack, articles online and fans refer to them as The Sabaton Pack but they’re not a bonded or even a committed pack. Just five people who spend so much time together they naturally fall into the patterns that define a pack. It had happened with every iteration of Sabaton since the very beginning. It happened to most bands. Hard to avoid falling into a pack of convenience when you spend a large majority of your waking hours together making art. Not to mention sharing the emotional highs and lows of touring. But Pär can feel deep in his soul, the instinct driven part of himself, that there’s something different, special, about this iteration. And that feeling only really showed up when Tommy joined them. He’d already been slightly more protective and watchful over their two betas, Hannes and Chris but Tommy joining them had flipped some sort of switch in him. With the addition of the sweet, joyful omega, Pär found himself going the extra mile to ensure everything would run smoothly for their pack. Every minor inconvenience that befell one of his members felt like a personal failing. Like he wasn’t a good enough alpha. It was something he’d never truly dealt with before. He was a perfectionist, yes, but usually only when it came to music and never had the urge for perfection been driven by another person’s happiness. It was foreign for something as small a venue not having Chris or Tommy’s favorite snack on hand to be upsetting to him. And yet, just three weeks ago, he had to stop himself from running to the store personally with an hour to show time because they’d run out of Tommy’s favorite chips. It was ridiculous that he’d noticed before the omega had even said anything, let alone his gut instinct was apparently to abandon his job to rectify the situation. Something was truly different about Hannes, Chris, and Tommy. Particularly when he pictured Joakim laughing with the three of them. It tugged at parts of him he’d long since forgotten about, buried in the pursuit of his dream. Soft, sappy, vulnerable things. Things like-“Have you ever thought about courting?” Pär asked Joakim, breaking their hours-long silence. Joakim whipped his head up, eyes wide with confusion. “Like the concept in general or courting someone specific?”“Both?” Pär hadn’t intended it to come out as a question but it did. “More the second but I guess in general as well.”Joakim held his gaze for a long moment, his dark eyes searching for answers. “Why are you asking?”Pär really should have expected that and yet he didn’t have a ready answer. He shrugged awakardly, dropping his eyes to the table, fingers playing absently with the edge of the paper in front of him. “Did you meet someone?” Joakim asked, the lightest tinge of hurt coloring his voice. Pär huffed a laugh. “When would I have time to meet someone? I spend all my free time here.”“Well something must have changed. I’ve known you for nearly twenty years and never heard you mention courting.” Joakim shot back. “Why now? What changed?”That gave Pär pause. What had changed? Courting had never been high up on his to do list, damn near the bottom at certain points in his life. And yet now, it felt important. The idea had been brewing in him for weeks now. The first time it had come to him, he’d come upon Chris, Hannes, and Tommy taking a clearly impromptu nap together between recording takes. Tommy snuggled between the two of them, his head resting on Chris’s shoulder and fingers intertwined with Hannes’s. It was so domestic, his wolf was singing in his chest at the sight. His first thought had been that he’d wanted to see the three of them content and provided for, for the rest of their lives. His second thought had been that he wanted to be the one to do it. Followed immediately by the thought that it would only be complete if Joakim was helping him. The idea of courting them, mating them possibly, hadn’t left him since. “It’s different now,” Pär said, finally. Joakim cocked his head to one side. “What is?”“The band, the pack,” Pär answered, looking up at Joakim again. “You have to feel it too, right? It’s been different since Tommy joined us. Since he became part of the pack. Chris and Hannes have always been special but with Tommy now, it feels right. Like this is how we’re meant to be.”“Ah,” Joakim looked caught slightly off guard by Pär’s honesty. “I can’t deny that things do feel different now.”“Good different or…?” Pär trailed off. “I guess it never felt right.” Joakim said and then shook his head. “That’s not quite right. Every pack member we’ve had was right for the time but these…” Joakim trailed off, expression very similar to when he was working on perfecting a lyric. “These three feel like everything is slotted perfectly in place. Like I was meant to find them or them us.”Pär nodded he understood. It was too new for either of them to put the concept of loving their bandmates out in the open but they’d known each other long enough to follow this roundabout way of speaking. Even if it wasn’t love yet, whatever feeling was rattling around in Pär’s chest when he thought about them was rapidly becoming so. “Like home,” Pär said with finality. “Yeah,” Joakim agreed with a nod. “Which brings me back to my original question.” Pär fixed Joakim with a pointed look. “Courting?”Joakim sighed, “It had occurred to me once or twice recently. But I can’t say I put any real thought into it.”“How about now?” Pär questioned. Joakim furrowed his brow. Silence enveloped them, swirling between the eddies and currents of their scents. Pär was content to allow Joakim a moment to think. It wasn’t like he was asking about what to have for lunch. He pulled the sheet he’d been working on closer to him, twiddling his pen between his fingers as he re-read what he’d written. He was on his third pass when Joakim spoke again, “Are you serious about courting them?”Pär looked up at him through his hair, “I wouldn’t have said anything if I wasn’t. But I also won’t do it if you don’t want to. It has to be both of us or it won’t be right.”“I agree. I wouldn’t want to be in a pack without you,” Joakim told him honestly. Pär smiled gently at him. “Spent nearly twenty years at your side, wasn’t planning on leaving anytime soon.”“So it’s official then? We’re doing this?” The scent of excited hope flooded Joakim’s scent, like someone throwing a fresh cedar log in a fire. Pär nodded, bright ginger notes in his scent giving away his own excitement. “I’m committing myself to your pack.”The words were slightly stiff and formal but Pär had always found there to be something beautiful about the traditional courting phrases. They were clear and concise. No room for doubt. It felt good to say after so long just assuming Joakim knew he wasn’t going anywhere. This was the pack he wanted, this was the pack he wanted to be a part of, this was the pack he wanted to help build. “I’m committing myself to our pack,” Joakim echoed back. Something warm and full bloomed in Pär’s chest as he registered the single word change Joakim had made. He would have happily submitted to Joakim had he wanted it. It was so easy to see Joakim as his head alpha and yet the gentle alpha wanted them on equal footing. Just as they shared creative control of the band’s music, they would share control of their little pack. “Our pack,” Pär’s smile widened as he accepted Joakim’s offer. Fuck, he was getting sappy in his old age. He glanced down at their scattered pages, the chances of getting any more work done were slim. The song his wolf was singing in his chest was decidedly too happy to be conducive for lyrics that lent themselves to their usual sound. When he looked back up he was slightly surprised to find Joakim moving around the table towards him. Mildly puzzled, Pär watched him. Smile dancing on his lips, Joakim came to a stop next to Pär and held a hand, palm up, out to him. Without a second thought, Pär placed his smaller hand in Joakim’s and let himself be pulled to his feet. Joakim closed the scant distance between them, dipping his head towards Pär’s neck. Instinctively, Pär titled his neck to give him more room, hand coming up to pull his hair out of the way, baring his neck completely to his newly accepted alpha. There was no doubt or hesitation. He and his wolf were aligned. Joakim was their alpha and they were his. “Going to scent you now,” Joakim told him softly, waiting just long for Pär to give his ascent with a nod. Gently, Joakim rubbed his cheek against Pär’s scent gland, releasing a fresh wave of deep, rich ginger lager. His facial hair tickled slightly as it dragged along the sensitive skin of his neck. Pär’s head felt cloudy and floaty in the best way as Joakim’s smokey, cedar scent enveloped him completely, soaking into his very pores. Knees threatening to buckle underneath him, Pär reached out and grabbed a fist full of Joakim’s shirt to steady himself. Powerful, almost unknowable ancient, instinctive emotions filled him from head to toe. Joakim didn’t spend longer than a couple minutes scenting him but Pär felt like he was drowning in his scent when he pulled back slightly. Heavy breaths filled the small space between them for a moment. “Your turn,” Joakim prompted, remaining bent towards Pär but tilting his head to bear his own neck. Slowly, as though his thoughts were moving through molasses, Pär managed to grasp what Joakim wanted from him. He placed a hand on Joakim’s shoulder, the other released his shirt to lay flat against his hip. Even with Joakim bent towards him, Pär had to stretch a little to drag his scent gland against Joakim’s. But it didn’t matter to him as he worked to scent Joakim as thoroughly as he had scented him. Under his ministrations, Joakim melted. It was a heady sort of knowledge, knowing he could affect him in such a way. As he settled back down, feet flat against the floor, Joakim reached between them and caught two fingers under his chin, gently tilting his head up. Slowly, with enough time for Pär to have rejected his advance had the thought even crossed his mind, Joakim leaned towards him and pressed his lips against Pär’s. It was a gentle kiss. A promise more than anything else. A confirmation of their new commitment to each other and their hopefully soon to be pack. Joakim pulled back and smiled softly down at him. “Why’d we wait so long?”Pär returned his smile and shrugged. “Timing wasn’t right I suppose.”“You’re probably right,” Joakim responded easily. “What next?”“I think jewelry is the traditional first courting gift,” Pär told him. “We’d better get shopping,” Joakim reluctantly stepped back from Pär to pull his laptop across the table. Pär chuckled at his eagerness. “No time like the present, I suppose.”“Waited this long to find the right people to court, why should we wait any longer to get started.” Joakim paused and then glanced at Pär with sight worry. “They’ll accept right?”Pär stepped closer and laid a hand on his shoulder, “Only one way to find out.”
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By a small miracle of scheduling, Pär and Joakim didn’t cross paths with any of their bandmates in the week it took for their courting gifts to be ready. Which was convenient because Pär didn’t know how he would have been able to explain why he reeked of Joakim without giving them away too early. As it was, the two of them got strange looks from the staff and crew they came in contact with all week. Happily though everyone practiced discretion and Pär didn’t have to answer any awkward questions.He did, however, have to turn down a request from Hannes to get drinks on Tuesday night and a jam session request from Tommy on Thursday. Both of which he felt bad about, giving each of them a semi-real excuse of needing to focus on songwriting with Joakim. Which is technically how both nights started, they just rapidly dissolved into planning for courting as well. The first step they were supposed to put into action this afternoon. Joakim was currently on his way to the jewelers to pick up their gifts. Which left the difficult job to Pär. Figuring out how to get the other three to join them at a local cafe without raising their suspicions too much. Perks of being their manager meant that he knew they were all most likely free, the real trick was crafting the text message. Something he’d been trying and failing to do for the last twenty minutes. Everything he’d written had either felt way too obvious or so vague that it was likely to put them on edge. He stared down at the blinking cursor trying to come up with something acceptable. With a sigh he tapped out yet another message. To: Chris, Hannes, TommyFrom: PärAre you three free around 2?This time he forced himself to hit send. It was as good a place as any to start. No point in possibly giving the plan away if one of them had plans he didn’t know about. He forced himself to put his phone down and at least check his emails. Wasn’t like he’d be able to focus on anything that required more mental energy than that. It wasn’t more than two minutes when his phone buzzed. He definitely didn’t scramble to check the notification. That would have been undignified. To: Pär, Chris, TommyFrom: HannesI am. What’s up?To: Hannes, Chris, TommyFrom: PärJoakim and I wanted to grab a coffee with you guys. Feels like it’s been a while since all 5 of us were in one place. To: Pär, Chris, TommyFrom: HannesCoffee sounds great. And if it’s any one’s fault that we haven’t seen each other all together in a while, it’s not ours. A winking emoji was tacked on to the end of Hannes’ message. Before Pär could come up with a response, a second message appeared. To: Pär, Chris, TommyFrom: HannesLast I saw our two guitarists they were heading for a practice room. Something about a solo for that track you sent yesterday. Let me go check on them. You know how they get. Pär huffed a good natured laugh. That he did. Chris and Tommy could go hours without acknowledging the outside world when they were in the zone perfecting a solo. Not that he had a leg to stand on in that regard. He couldn’t count the number of times Joakim had to drag him out of the studio or Hannes had to bring him food because he hadn’t thought to eat in over twelve hours. To: Pär, Chris, TommyFrom: HannesWe’re all good for coffee at 2. The usual spot?To: Hannes, Chris, TommyFrom: PärYeahWith a giddy smile he pulled up his personal chat with Joakim. To: JoakimFrom: PärWe’re a go for 2!To: PärFrom: JoakimFuck yeah!I’ve got the necklaces. On my way back to the studio now. To: JoakimFrom: PärPerfect. I was planning on heading to the cafe around 1:30. To: PärFrom: JoakimWorks for me. I’ll see you then. Pär glanced at the time as he put his phone down. Four hours. He was going to have to at least try and get some work done, couldn’t just sit around and watch the clock. The anticipation swirling in his chest was not going to make it easy to focus. It took some doing but he managed to force it down to mere background noise. Ever present and flowing behind everything he was trying to do, but not a constant distraction. He was mildly surprised at how much he’d completed by the time Joakim was knocking on his door frame, leaning into Pär’s office. Excitement and worry mixed on his face in a way Pär completely understood. They were taking a leap here, not a completely unfounded one but still a leap nonetheless. “Ready?” Joakim asked as Pär locked his laptop. Pär fished his wallet out of his desk drawer and shoved his phone in a pocket. “Yeah. Back door?”Joakim watched as Pär strode across his office. He stole a quick glance down either side of the hallway. Obviously deeming it clear, he leaned forward and placed a quick peck on Pär’s lips. “Yeah, back door’s the smart move,” Joakim agreed as he stepped back. Pär grinned as he caught sight of the simple black shopping bag in Joakim’s hand. They’d spent hours pouring over listings, designs, and articles about courting gifts before they’d made their selection. All that was left was to hope they would be accepted. They made short work of exiting the building without being stopped by staff with ‘extremely important’ questions or seen by the rest of their bandmates. Fifteen minutes later they were pushing open the door to their favorite hole in the wall cafe. Warm lights illuminated the dark woods and white accents, green plants and kitschy decor dotted the walls in a pleasingly sporadic way. “Grab a table in the back,” Pär indicated the back corner with his chin. “I’ll get our drinks.”Joakim nodded, hand skimming across Pär’s lower back as he walked away. A shiver ran down Pär’s spine at the sensation. He was still getting used to just how physical Joakim was in a relationship. It delighted Pär to no end that if he was within reach, chances were good that Joakim would find an excuse to touch him. Not bothering to suppress the smile tugging at his lips, Pär stepped up to the counter. Behind the register a friendly barista smiled at him. “What can I get you today, sir?” With ease, Pär rattled off their usual order, a caramel macchiato for Tommy, a vanilla latte for Chris, an ice American lightly sweetened for Hannes, a medium roast coffee with a splash of cream for Joakim and a dark roast black coffee for himself. For good measure he tacked on a couple orders of the little vanilla scones staring at him from the display case next to the register. They seemed like something Chris and Tommy would love and the others would appreciate. He paid quickly and made his way down to the pickup window. As he waited he couldn’t help but nervously check the time on his phone. It’d be at least another ten minutes before they showed up and that’s if they were a little early. Which Hannes tended to be but the other two were a little bit of a wild card. He tried not to tap his toes or fingers as he watched the cashier, apparently the only employee at this time, bustle around making their drinks. As he was watching the espresso shots be pulled for one of the lattes, his phone buzzed. Hoping it wasn’t a work emergency, Pär pulled his phone out of his pocket. He had blocked off his calendar but that didn’t guarantee someone wouldn’t come hunting him down. He was relieved to find a text from Chris. To: PärFrom: ChrisBe there shortly. Tommy says order him a caramel macchiato if you’re already there. Self-satisfaction swept through him. His wolf was intimately pleased with being able to provide for the omega before he’d even asked. With a grin, Pär tapped out a reply. To: ChrisFrom: PärAlready done. Got you a vanilla latte and an iced americano for Hannes too. We’re at a table in the back. He put his phone back in his pocket just as the barista slid the cardboard tray of drinks in his direction. By the time he was done collecting a handful of stirrers and a wad of napkins, the barista was sliding two paper bags of pastries at him. With a nod and a mumbled thank you, Pär managed to balance everything for a single trip across the cafe to the table Joakim had picked out. It was a good pick, secluded and out of the way of foot traffic. Joakim had rearranged the chairs slightly, fitting three on one side and two on the other. Pär carefully slid his burden onto the table before taking the chair next to Joakim. The two of them could just about see the front door past the three empty seats in front of them. “I could have helped,” Joakim said as he pulled the tray further onto the table. “I had it under control,” Pär smiled at him. “Chris texted. They’re on their way.”Joakim reached for the coffee marked medium roast. He popped the lid and inhaled the steam wafting in his face before reaching for the sugar packets. “You ready?”Pär shook his head as he inspected his own coffee, confirming it was unadulterated. “No, but I’m not sure this is something you’re ever ready for. More it’s something you just do.”Joakim looked up at him, pausing his crusade to dump more sugar than was advisable into his cup to blink at Pär. “When did you get so wise?”Pär shrugged, schooling is features into something sagely. “I’ve always been. You just haven’t been paying attention.”Joakim chuckled at that, deep and rumbling. “Okay sure but you know I was there that time you-“Pär cut him off with an elbow to the ribs. “They’re here.”Joakim shot him a disgruntled look, obviously put out that he didn’t get to finish teasing Pär, but Pär chose to ignore him in favor of raising his hand to flag down their bandmates. Tommy’s face lit up as he caught sight of them, easy grin stretching from ear to ear. With the two betas in tow, he led the way across the dining area. He paused at the table though to allow Chris to take the inside seat before taking the middle seat for himself. Hannes easily placed himself in the remaining chair, one arm coming to lay across the back of Tommy’s. Even over the heavy scent of coffee, Pär could smell each of them easily. Tommy’s sweet pine and hot chocolate always hit his nose first. Underneath though, the subtle scents of Chris and Hannes could be found. Like most betas their scents were harder to put a finger on than an alpha or an omega’s. Chris’s always reminded Pär of warmth, like being snuggled in a fuzzy blanket. Hannes’s was the opposite, it drew images of crisp winter air and snow in Pär’s mind. Mixed together, the three of them always smelt like Christmas time to Pär. “You smell different,” Tommy announced, nostrils flaring as he inhaled deeply. Joakim shrugged. “We smell like ourselves.”“How’s your day been?” Pär asked, brushing past Joakim’s half lie, as he passed out drinks to the proper recipients. “Not too bad,” Hannes answered, accepting his drink with an easy smile. “Not over yet though.”“I’m sure nothing too terrible will come up,” Joakim said. Hannes only shrugged. “We got some great work done on the solo for that new track,” Tommy told them excitedly. “It’s not done yet,” Chris added. “But we’ve got a pretty solid start.”“Can’t wait to hear it.” Pär gestured at the pastry bags. “Scone?”The way Tommy’s eyes lit up had Pär’s wolf howling in his chest. He pushed the bag closer to the omega and watched him happily fish a small vanilla iced scone from the bag. No sooner had he pulled one free was Chris reaching to get one for himself. It was almost too cute for Pär to handle the way Tommy’s eyes fell closed with his first bite. Joakim picked a scone out for himself as he asked Chris, “Do we need to adjust the track at all?”Chris held a hand up in front of his mouth as he spoke around a bite of scone. “Not sure yet. We’ll know for sure by the end of tomorrow.”From there they fell into an easy conversation about the rest of the tracks for the upcoming album. The natural give and take flowed between the five of them as they chatted. Nothing too serious or in depth but even just the surface level was enough to show Pär that he was making the right call. They were all invested in what each other had to say, what they added to the conversation. It was so comfortable to be around them. It was obvious to Pär that the others felt it too. Tommy’s habit of leaning into someone when he laughed only showed itself when one of them was at his side. The way Joakim asked for their opinions on even the little things, always seeking to take their perspectives into consideration. The way Chris allowed himself to just be, no front like Pär watched him put on with others. The way Hannes would drum his fingers along their arm or leg if one of them was in reach, tapping out the rhythm to a beat only he knew. There was no denying just how comfortable they were with each other. It hadn’t been like this with other members before them. There had been underlying tensions. Pär could never recall Hannes reaching out to drum on Thobbe. And Chris hadn’t quite completely put his mask away around him, though they had gotten along amicably. But it was different now. Somehow Tommy completed their little group. Let all their gears turn without friction. When the scones were all gone and their coffees’ half empty, a natural lull in the conversation came. Pär glanced at Joakim with a questioning look. Joakim nodded firmly and that was all Pär needed. He turned back to find the three of them watching him curiously. Anticipation and a small amount of anxiety twisted in his gut. This was the moment, they were going to put their hearts on the line.“I suppose it’s time to come clean. We didn’t ask you here just to catch up.” He cleared his throat, wiping his sweaty palms along his thighs. “Before I start, I need the three of you to know that your answers to what Joakim and I suggest will have no bearing on your status in the band. This is strictly a personal matter.”“Pär-,” Chris started but Pär cut him off by raising his hand. “I’ll explain fully in a moment, I promise,” Pär told him. “But first do you understand what I’m saying? We’re all professionals and I trust that we can separate work from personal or we wouldn’t be bringing this matter to the table.”He looked at each of them in turn and waited for them to nod. There was no distress in their postures or scents, which Pär took as a good sign.“Good.” Pär glanced at Joakim again before continuing. “Joakim and I have been in this band for nearly twenty years now. We’ve had a lot of bandmates. Some we’ve been closer to than others. But we’ve never been as close to any band member as we are to the three of you.”The three of them were watching them carefully. Clearly unsure of where this was going. “Never been this close to anyone. Period,” Joakim added. He glanced at Pär. “Well except Pär of course. But no one, other than the four of you, have ever fit into my life so well.” Pär nodded his agreement. “Keeping the three of you safe and happy has been at the forefront of my mind more and more lately. But beyond than that, I find myself wanting to be around each of you at all hours of the day and night.”Tommy glanced at the betas on either side of him. Looking for reassurance, perhaps, that this was really unfolding before him. Hannes wrapped his arm around Tommy’s shoulder, while Chris reached forward and held his hand. “I’ve also found myself in a similar train of thought. Wondering if there’s more I should be doing for each of you. Or finding myself more and more often wanting to share stupid little things from my day with you all.”“Which is why we’ve been talking,” Pär said, gesturing between himself and Joakim. “About what the future holds for us. Not as Sabaton but as Pär and Joakim. About a pack.”Tommy made a squeaky little noise, squeezing down on Chris’s hand in a way that looked almost painful. Hannes rubbed small circles on Tommy’s back. “Are you-“ Hannes only got half way through his question before Joakim produced three identical black velvet boxes from the bag beside his chair. With careful, deliberate movements, he placed one box in front of each of them. A heavy silence hung over them as they all looked at the boxes sitting on the table for a long moment. Pär reached forward and opened each box revealing three identical platinum chain necklaces. They were simple but well crafted with tightly interlocking flat links. No charms, inscriptions, or gems, something that they could wear with everything and anything. Something Pär hoped to see around their necks everyday.Finally, Joakim spoke, drawing all eyes to him. “Will you commit to our pack?”“Our?” Chris questioned before anything else could be said. Joakim nodded, reaching for Pär’s hand on the table. “We’ve been equal partners in everything we’ve ever done together. I see no reason to change that now.”Chris nodded, accepting this easily. The other two seemed unquestioning as well. A movement from Tommy grabbed Pär’s attention. With trembling fingers, Tommy reached for the necklace in front of him. As though afraid it might disappear, he brushed a single finger along the chain. It was only then that Pär noticed the tears gathering in the corners of his eyes.“Don’t cry, Tommy,” Pär pleaded. Just the thought of Tommy shedding those tears hurt him. “It’s okay. There’s no wrong answer.”Tommy shook his head, still delicately dragging his finger along the links. “It’s not that. It’s-“ he gulped a breath before continuing. “It’s just that I never imagined anyone trying to court me, let alone two alphas as wonderful as you both are.”“Why wouldn’t anyone want to court you?” Pär asked gently, grip tightening on Joakim’s hand. He couldn’t imagine why someone wouldn’t want a chance to court Tommy. The omega was kind, talented and a joy to be around with his generally bubbly disposition. Pär had been drawn to him immediately. Tommy huffed a harsh sound, swiping at his eyes with the back of his hand. “I’m not a very omega omega, ya know? Too big. Too loud. Not delicate enough.”“Stop that,” Hannes chastised him lightly, calming undertones seeping into his scent. “We’ve been over this. You’re a wonderful omega, because you’re you. There’s no perfect mold to be fit into. No prescribed list of external qualities you need to align with to be deemed worthy to be courted. You just need to be yourself.”“Hannes is right Tommy,” Chris said, his own pheromones joining Hannes’s. “And see, these two buffoons fell for you.”Tommy sniffed. “Fell for you too, so what’s that say?”“That they have good taste.” Chris gave him a cheeky grin. That got a giggle out of Tommy. With a soft smile, Chris said much more seriously. “Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. Only worry about what you want. And if that’s to accept their courtship, then do it.”With a slightly wobbly but determined smile, Tommy nodded. He grabbed a napkin and quickly dabbed his eyes dry. This time when he reached for the necklace his hands were steady. Carefully he lifted it from its velvet cushion and held it up in front of his face. Even though he knew courting gifts were more symbolic these days than something to prove his worth as an alpha, Pär’s heart was in his throat. He watched on baited breath as Tommy undid the clasp and then refastened it behind his neck. He took a moment to pull his hair free and ensure the chain lay flat against his collar bones before he looked back across the table. He looked at Joakim and then at Pär before he spoke. “Your gift is acceptable. I commit myself to your pack.”As though they had been waiting for Tommy’s decision, Chris and Hannes moved as one. They each inspected the chain briefly and then placed the necklace around their neck. Chris glanced around Tommy at Hannes who nodded for him to speak. “Your gift is acceptable. I commit myself to your pack.” Chris told them seriously before breaking out into a wide grin. Before Pär could let himself smile back though, he needed to hear Hannes say it as well. His gaze swung to the drummer only to find him already beaming at them. He inclined his head slightly. “Your gift is acceptable. I commit myself to your pack.”At Hannes’s words, a huge smile broke out of Pär’s face. Relief and excitement swept through him all at once. They had all accepted. It was official. They were a committed pack. His wolf was truly singing in his chest now. The people we wanted most in his life wanted him in return. He could think of nothing that had ever made him happier in his life. The only thing that worried him was what Tommy had said about not feeling like a good enough omega. That was unacceptable. He felt compelled to reassure Tommy that physical appearance had no bearing on his secondary gender. But he held his tongue for now, Hannes and Chris had diffused the situation for the time being. There would be time for difficult talks later, this was a moment for joy. Pär leaned back in his chair, dragging the hand linked with Joakim’s into his lap, content for the moment to listen to his newly established pack chatter away. Bright notes of excitement and true happiness were woven through each of their scents, blending together in a delightful way. It settled something Pär he hadn’t even known was out of place, soothed ragged ends of his soul that had been jagged for so long he had become accustomed to their sharp edges. “Don’t think I’m going to forget the buffoon comment anytime soon,” Joakim joked with a smile, wagging a finger at Chris. Chris gave a hearty laugh. “You may be courting me now, but I’m still allowed to speak the truth as I see it.”Joakim’s response with a deep chuckle, fondness playing on his face. “I’d expect nothing less.”Pär’s cheeks ached with the force of his uncontainable smile. It all felt so right. So natural. Maybe their courtship would be a lengthy one or maybe it would be short. Only time would tell. But barring something terrible Pär could only see it ending with a bond and maybe one day even pups. He could only hope the others felt the same. But those were conversations for another day. Right now, this moment was for basking in the happiness of his new pack.