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It was hot traveling across the country on horseback. Of course, Benny was used to it by now. Had to be, as a farm hand he spent a lot of time in the saddle. A new town was on the horizon and he would be able to rest soon and hopefully make himself a place he wouldn't have to leave any time soon. Fort Worth was a great place, until it all went to shit just like it always seemed to do. Ever since he left New Orleans with the dream of being his own man one day. All he had found was how hard this world could be. As an Alpha, he had figured he would have had it made. Rippling muscles and a want to do good honest work? How could things have gone so wrong? He wasn't exactly an "Alpha’s Alpha" as some of the other hot headed idiots he'd met, and that was probably part of the issue. His mama didnt raise no bully, and he could spot ‘em from a mile away. All cocky attitude and swagger, never sat right with him. And the way most of those knotheads treated Omegas? Shoot, he spent more than half his free time knocking heads together when he saw what most of them done to an omega. That there was his issue, he fought. Not only did he fight, but he fought hard and well. Most of the knotheads he dealt with were fellow hands and when he tossed 'em around like they were nothing, they got broke. Time after time, Benny was told he was “Bad for Business”. Sure he could work like a dog and he never complained, but his fighting made it hard to run a farm. Now, Donna was a sweet beta who ran the place in Fort Worth and had understood why Benny had done what he had done. Those jerks had it comin, but it hadn’t helped Benny none. That was until Donna had come to him with a letter, she had apparently mentioned him to some contacts and low and behold an old friend had popped up in that midst. A curmudgeon hidden in a Beta skin, one Bobby Singer. When he was a fresh faced boy he had worked on a farm with the man at the helm somewhere in Georgia, but it seems that he retired to Montana and has a farm of his own. Been looking for someone who can take over some of the duties and he wanted Benny there. It almost sounded too good to be true. “Bobby is a real sweetheart when you get to know him. His wife Karen was just something else, and it was her family’s plot they retired to. Poor thing, but Bobby is getting up there in years and it seems as if the locals are dropping animals off at his farm left right and center. Man barely has time to do his work.” Donna seemed so enthused it was almost infectious. “No other hands to contend with either, just Bobby and his son I think he said. Seems like a good fit for ya, if I do says so myself.” With her encouragement he had sent off his own letter to Bobby. When Bobby realized who exactly it was that was looking for a job he told Benny that he was hired and to ship his things up at his earliest convenience. Much less flowery words of course, but the thought was there all the same. Crating up his meager belongings was no real trial, not like he had a lot to begin with, and then he sent a letter with his crate letting Bobby know he planned to arrive on horseback within a week’s arrival of his things. Traveling could be a lonely thing, one man and his horse on the open expanse of the world. Once upon a time he had lofty ambitions of settling down with an omega somewhere on a plot of land and just being, but now he figured that weren’t the life for someone like him. Transient, is what most called him. Traveling from place to place with no roots, nowhere to settle. Once he thought he found it, there in the Carolina’s workin on a farm. A neighboring farm hosted guests from across the sea and there was a beautiful beta among them. Andrea. There was a whirlwind romance between them, but it wasn’t to be. Her father had gone back to Greece and taken her with him, never once allowing Benny to ask for her hand. On the day she was to leave, Benny pleaded with her but she laughed at him and told him no. What he thought they had was just a figment of his wants, she had other plans to marry a rich heir from her own country and Benny was just a dalliance. It was a crushing blow, but one Benny took in stride. It was the beginning of the decline in his beliefs that he was going to find a mate to settle down with. He wasn’t sure he could go through the heart break again. Travelers Rest was coming up on the horizon, set just below Hell’s Gate, and that was his new destination. Bobby’s letter told him that once he entered Travelers Rest, to take the left path a ways towards Hell’s Gate Village and he couldn’t miss the ranch. According to his calculations he was two days ahead of schedule which was good. Poor Roux was feeling the hard ride, but he was a good sport. Hopefully he would be able to take a good rest once Benny reached his destination. It was still fairly early in the morning if the sun’s position was anything to go by, so there wasn’t too many people on the road into town. Like most small towns way out here everyone was up at the crack of dawn to get started on their work, little to no time for visitors. Save for the sheriff’s office and perhaps the post, which is where he was headed first. Needed to make sure that his things actually arrived. Leading Roux over to the water trough and tying him off, Benny stepped out of the saddle and gave him a pat before walking on through to the post. An older man stood behind the counter, grouchy as all get out. “Can I help you stranger?” “I sure hope so sir, I sent a crate up this way for one Bobby Singer? I was just making sure it was delivered and I didn’t have to pick it up myself.” Pulling off his hat he pulled his shipping receipt to the clerk. “You must be that new hand Bobby hired, he told me you were commin’. Yeah, your crate came and Dean took it back to the house, only got here two days ago, some sort of issue down south with transport. Boggles the damn mind how they have such defective things down there.” The man handed back the paperwork, “Name’s Rufus, if you need anything you come let me know. Bobby’s the good sort even if he drinks swill, so you must be too if he vouches for ya.” Rufus laughed and smacked his hand on the desk. “That’s mighty kind of ya Rufus, I’ll do well to remember. If you don’t wanna drink swill either, where would you go?” Benny raised an eyebrow, good drink was sometimes hard to find. “You head over to Cain’s. He got the best drink this side of the Mississippi. Not sure how he gets it, mind you, but him and that little missus of his have the best alcohol and atmosphere in our little junction of the word.” Rufus pointed through the window to the Saloon. “Thank you kindly Rufus, you have a good day now.” Benny tipped his hat before replacing it and heading back out to his horse, weighing his options. Should he head straight for his new home or should he grab a drink? Bobby wouldn’t mind a nip after such a long ride, but he wasn’t sure how the old man would feel about him having a few. Truth be told after these last months a good drowning in a bottle might make him feel better. Best to head to the homestead and see what he was going to be working with first. Instead of jumping back into the saddle though, he took the reins in hand and walked through the town and out to where his new home should be. It was a little longer on foot than on horseback, but Roux deserved the break. Bobby was right of course, it was easy to see where the ranch was once he crested the slight incline. It was a sprawling bit of land that was fence lined with a sturdy looking gate out front. There were no animals out front nor people, but that just meant this wasn’t the grazing pasture at the moment. Set back a ways from the gate was a tidy looking house, large for a farmstead home but solid and welcoming. Off to the left of the home was a large garden in bloom, if the smell of the rich herbs was any indication. Off a little to the right was a barn that seemed to already house a few horses, so that is where Benny headed first. Roux moseyed behind him but when they got closer to the feed he gained a little speed in that strange playful way of his and went right for the food. “Go on, s’probably better than what we had on the road. I gotta find Bobby.” Scratching at the weeks worth of beard on his chin he groaned knowing that he was going to be looking a little disheveled. That was until he heard the sound of a shotgun behind him. “Ya know trespassin’ is a crime ‘round here.” That certainly wasn’t Bobby, well shit. Slowly he raised his hands and turned to see probably the most beautiful looking man he ever did see. “Sorry ‘bout that, Bobby did say just come on in when I got to town. Roux there had a hard ride, so I figure I let him get a little feed before I find the old man. I’m Benny?” Not that he was the most eloquent of men, but his tongue felt fat in his mouth and he felt himself almost tripping over his words. “You don’t sound so sure about that Mister.” Never lowering the shotgun, the man leaned forward just a hair and took a sniff of the air around him, “You are the one who sent the crate, so I suppose you are Benny. Bobby is out mendin’ a fence near the road a ways, you can use any of the other horses save the black one. She’s got a mean bite and don’t take kindly to strangers. “ The gun was finally lowered, and Benny finally looked somewhere other than the barrel. Whoever it was that was holding the shotgun was wearing an apron over a thin looking skirt. Omega? “Much obliged, thank ya for not shootin’ me. Would have made a terrible start to life on the farm.” Bobby never said anything about an Omega, but then again he wouldn’t have to, not really. Benny was here to do a job and set down some roots, not accost the old man’s help. Trying to give off an easy smile, he lowered his arms. “Yeah well can’t be too careful these days. I’m Dean, Bobby’s adopted son.” The man smiled back but kept a healthy distance, which was fair. Benny was a strange Alpha after all. “It’s alright chèr, pleasure to meet ya, I am Benny Lafayette. Hoping to stay on a while. I'm gonna leave my Roux here for a little while to cool down and then I'll find a home for him, if that's okay?" "If you're not back by sundown your horse will be housed in the barn with the others. Bobby said you will be boarding here for a while. Your things are in the guest room upstairs, whenever you are ready for them.” At that he smiles and nods to Dean, “supper will be right after sundown, so I expect you to bring your stomach.” “I can promise to do that.” Benny chuckles and gives a wave before heading off in the direction that Dean had pointed before. Wanting to ease the tension and have the omega feel safe was always a good motivator. Benny was a bit of a burly man, but there was no need for his size to be a factor in Dean’s uncomfort. Knowing that he was early also probably led to said discomfort. “You do know that it’s easier to mend a fence on your feet than on your ass old man?” Benny had come across a scene. Bobby was a bit tangled in the wire he was using and covered in dirt. “Shut yer trap and come help me then.” Even with a frown on his face there was a smile in the old Beta’s eyes as Benny came over and helped him untangle himself and work on the mess. “Bit early ain’tcha?” “I had no reason to stay down there, you know that. Your job was the motivation I needed.” Benny shrugged and slipped right into the farm work that he loved. “You never did tell me that you owned all this.” “Nah, what’s there to tell? When I came back up this way after Karen passed…. I had the house, it was part of her dowry. So I inquired in the land around it and found it was mine too. Apparently her father gave it to us in his will and we never knew. So I had all this land and had to do something with it. Seems the neighbors think I need all their unwanted animals so we have a few that are a bit lame,” Bobby shrugged as they went over the section of fence one more time and then on to the next one.
“I’m glad you accepted the offer to work, my knees aren’t what they used to be, and I need more help than I originally thought.” Bobby said after a time as they worked their way down the line. Most of the fencing was okay except for a few small spots here and there. “And why is that?” Benny hefted the wire spool over his shoulder as Bobby directed him to one of the barns. “I’m sure you’ve met Dean?” Bobby raised an eyebrow as Benny nodded. “Him and his little brother stumble in out of the blue one day with nothin but a note from their father that they need a place to stay for a few days. You remember John Winchester?” Benny blew out a breath, “the old drunkard who almost got himself killed for foolin’ around with Judge Milligan’s wife?” “That’s the one.” Bobby nodded and opened the barn door for Benny to set the spool down. “That was Dean’s sire, it seems the poor boys were dragged a little bit everywhere after their mother passed. John tried, in his own way I suppose, but livin that way wasn’t great for kids. So I took ‘em in. Wasn’t a problem, but then we had a few less than savory Alpha’s come poking their noses where it don’t belong… and it seems as if since Dean started turning them down things have been happening on the farm.” “You got some Alpha’s stirring up trouble?” “You betcha, and I know you aren’t one for fighting unless you need to Ben. That’s why I wanted you here. I know that you will do what is needed and what is right. You will do the job, and keep those snot nosed knot heads in line. I can’t keep breaking my back every few days to get things back into working order. I have a farm to run.” “I understand that Bobby. You know I will get the work done and I’ll keep an eye on things. Your son’s safety is a priority.” “You’re like my kid too you know, all pimply faced when we first met. It’s why I knew you were the Alpha to trust, you got a good heart and a good right hook.” “I got no roots left though Bobby, so you as close to family as I got. Momma passed away a handful of years ago now, sickness took ‘er… I didn’t find out til after the service. My uncle took damn near everything save what my momma sent me before she died… I think she knew, but my uncle says I can’t come back ‘round…” Benny shrugged and took his hat off his head to smack it off his knee and dust it. “Getting that letter of yours was the best thing to happen to me in a while Bobby.” “I’m sorry son. Your momma was a sweet woman, met her the once, when she stopped by to visit shortly after you were sent off. Made the best beignets I ever tasted, and her chowder? To die for. Karen practically begged her for the recipe… you know I think she sent something up this way a few years ago now… right after Karen passed, it was addressed to her so I never opened it, but… seems right you should have it.” “Nah, if it was for Karen, it was probably some omega right of passage thing, my momma was big on family recipes staying in the family and she knew that I thought of you as a cranky father figure.” “What the hell am I supposed to do with it then?” “Give it to your boy.” Benny offered as they checked the locks and things on the barn for the night. Sundown was approaching steadily. “Give your family’s secrets to an Omega you don’t know?” “He’s your boy Bobby. I trust your judgment, momma wanted it to go to you and your family, so it seems right it goes to your Omega son.” “Bit non traditional, don’t you think? Seeing as he is male.” “So? He’s an omega right? Dean already told me he was cooking dinner, so it seems as if he is the heart of the home anyways. Feels right that the things momma wanted to go to family go to the heart of someone’s. Lord knows I ain’t gonna settle any time soon, and then right after that I’ll be too old for someone to even consider, so it’s just as well.” “Thought you hit it off with that Greek woman?” “Nah, it wasn’t meant to be. Turns out she was lookin’ for a little something to make her daddy mad. Sure did too, I’m lucky I was a gentleman or I might not be here talkin’ to you.” Benny looked up at the house and saw Dean standing in the window watching them both. “Your momma raised you right, ‘course you were a gentleman. Come on before the boy lurches through the window. Way he was raised he likes knowing where people are, so he may keep tabs on you for a while, it’s his way of showin’ he cares.” “No problems there Bobby. Lead the way.” Bobby nods and leads them up onto the back porch, kicking off his boots and setting them neatly beside two other pairs. Benny does the same, and shakes off his coat as well, dust from travel can be a bitch to clean. Once inside Bobby shrugs off his hat and coat, nodding to a spot for Benny’s things as he heads into the kitchen. Taking a moment to collect himself, Benny hangs his jacket on the hooks by the door and removes his hat to knock some of that dust off too. It was easy to find the kitchen with the sounds coming from within. “Don’t gimme that crap boy, I’m fine.” Bobby’s voice filtered into the hall and Benny waited a beat before walking in that direction. “There ya are, I know you’ve met Dean so no long winded introductions. Sit, no you can’t help, he won’t let you, don’t ask.” Bobby rolled his eyes and hung his own hat off the back of his chair as he gestured to the seat opposite him at the table. “He is right here and can speak for himself.” Dean grumbled from the stove and stirred what was in the pot a little more forcefully than needed. Bobby huffed at the table and rolled his eyes. "Was thinkin’ about adding an enclosure on the other side for goats, we had three dropped off last week and they are holed up in the big barn but they need their own space." "Where abouts you wanting it?" Soon enough the men got lost in conversation about where to build a new pen for the goats. Didn't keep Bennys eyes from wandering over to the Omega at the stove as they spoke though. Dean was something else, completely in his element as he worked, turned just so he could keep an ear on the conversation but most of his focus on the food. The tension in the kitchen melted away the more the men talked and then suddenly there were plates set in front of them. "This looks real good cher, thank ya kindly." Bobby grunted and grabbed for his plate, "thanks boy, what didja make for us this time?" "Fried steak n gravy over skillet potatoes and green beans." Dean sat opposite Bobby after bringing over a pitcher of lemonade. "Nuthin special." Benny went to open his mouth but Bobby shook his head at him and tucked into the meal. Dinner was a quiet affair, which suited Benny just fine. Gave him plenty of time to observe his new housemates. Bobby was one stuck in his ways, so most of his schedule wasn't changed, just location. The only new element here was Dean. The omega ate slowly,, almost as if he was making sure everyone else was fed and taken care of first before he could enjoy his own meal, the thought made something twist in Bennys stomach What kind of life could this man have come from before Bobby to feel that way. A sort of bone tired weariness that was taking ahold of Benny now that he stopped moving and got to thinking. "I'm gonna go lock up the pens and make my rounds, you go on and get some rest Ben, I know it should have taken you a few more days to get here." Bobby stretched in his chair and put his plate in the sink before putting Dean on the shoulder and heading outside. Dean seemed to be busy looking at everything other than Benny as he stood and bustled about the kitchen. So, when Benny was finished he took his plate to the sink as Bobby had and turned to look at Dean, "Thank you, it was delicious." Course he didn't see Dean turn, but the Omega nodded. "Bobby had me set up the second room on the left for you, your things are in there." "Right, you have a good night now. See you in the morning." Quietly as he could he made his way through the house and up to the room he would be staying in while he was here. It was easy to find thanks to Dean’s clear directions and the smell of his own things that were coming from the room. It was clear that Dean had been in the room, and as he had already admitted to setting up the space, he could smell the lingering traces of the omega. A soft sweetness mixed with his own blunt set of spices. His new accommodations were not opulent, but more were they the utilitarian kind of sparse lodgings he was used to. The bed was a simple metal frame with a soft looking mattress and comforter, two pillows that were fluffier than he was used to sitting atop the dusky red blanket. A small table beside the bed held a large candle stick and a pitcher of water, and his nicer boots that he had sent along to Bobby’s were tucked neatly underneath. There was a closet where most of his things were already hung neatly, and the few things that he had that could not be hung were tucked away in the solid looking bureau beside the door. Also tucked into the space was a tidy little writing desk and chair, a few shelves on the walls, and a painting of a patch of wheat field. Overall the room felt comfortable and even though he was a stranger here on these lands this room felt like his. It was difficult to explain, but something settled a bit within himself. Shrugging off the feeling Benny closed the door and placed his hat on the empty hook above his bed before rooting around in his sparse amount of clothing to find his nightclothes. There was a soft knock on his door as he pulled the items out and shrugged off his vest. Dean stood outside the door, looking slightly nervously down at his feet. “Dean?” “I took the liberty of unpacking for you, so that it would be easier for you to relax once you were done helping Bobby. There are some of your toiletries in the bathroom as well, I wasn't sure where you wanted them but that is where we keep things. Each of us has a shelf, and the bathroom is the next door down. I supposed you would like to wash before bed.” “That was mighty kind of ya. I was expectin’ to put my own things away, but I ain’t mad about it. So thank you." The burly alpha gave Dean a soft sort of smile. Something that felt strongly smooth and easy all things considered. "And a wash would be lovely, feels like I haven’t been quite clean since I hit the road. I appreciate it.” Dean nodded but didn’t say much else as he walked down the hall, skipped a room which he had pointed out as a bathroom and into the next one. A quick wash would do wonders to help him relax, so he gathered his clean bed clothes and headed into the washroom to get himself ready afore bed. The wash was perfunctory, but quick so that he could get back to his own quarters. That bed looked mighty inviting. It was all he could do to ignore its beckoning as he tidied up and then blew out the candle. It was just as inviting as it looked. The first night in the Singer household set the tone for the whole first week. Dean did indeed hold court in the kitchen, making savory meals that could make a grown man cry. In fact once Dean had found out that Benny had a bit of a sweet tooth, he had made these decadent small cakes of chocolate sponge that did in fact make him tear up a little. Benny felt damn privileged just to watch Dean take command of the kitchen and be in his element, his eyes always seeming to stray the omegas way. During that first week Benny had I quite about Dean's family, Bobby had mentioned a brother and of course the sire once. Sam it seemed, the brother, had hired himself across country to get some sort of schooling and only sent a letter once or twice a year. According to Bobby the last one mentioned that the young alpha had plans on settling down where he was and wasn't coming back to Montana. It had caused quite a bit of upset at the time, and Dean had baked up a storm to deal with it. As to the alpha sire? John had disappeared off the map some time ago never really giving any word. Bobby confided that John was assumed dead at this point, that judges wife had pupped and it sure as hell wasn't the judges babe. "Best not to bring it up, its a sore subject." Course it was, as it should be. Family could be complicated but it seemed that Bobby and Dean made a nice little one that accepted Benny from the start. Each time Benny complimented Dean on his cooking the omega practically glowed, and he could see Bobby roll his eyes. Instead of commenting on it Benny just started to take over some duties, like the livestock, and pretended he didn't see the old man smile. The only thing he needn't worry about was the horses, it seemed Dean had a way with them and those tasks fell to the omega. Just fine for Benny, he still mucked the stalls and hauled all that away to lighten the load as much as he could, besides it would all make good fertilizer in the coming year. There was a point in time where he escorted Dean into town and met some of the locals. Dean had sat atop a beautiful black mare and they had come back with saddlebags full of spices, cloth, and other various trinkets from the market. The omega had insisted on showing him around and introducing him to people that were important. Never before had Benny been treated in such a way, Dean was tactile with a hand on his arm and pointing out things here and there, leaning in close, it was…. Confusing? The whole day felt like something out of a dream, beautiful omega on his arm as they strolled through town. A dream Benny didn't even realize he still wanted. While they had been there, Benny took the liberty purchasing a few things of his own, namely a few more garments seeing as how most of his were work worn and he noticed Dean blush. It was a curious thing, but he chalked it up to it jus being a strange day. The trip into town was a nice break from the work Bobby had been putting him through. He felt like he was a young buck again being put through the paces, but his body was used to it more than his head was. Building the new pen for the goats was a simple enough task that Bobby had left him to it as he had other things to worry about, and he was able to handle it in just a few days. Then came learning just how stubborn his new charges were. All three goats had their own personalities, and Bobby had refused to name them so Benny did. There was one male he named Stew and two females he named Souffle (sue for short) and Beignet (net for short). Both girls were sassier than he would have imagined they would be, but right away he could tell one of the ladies (Sue) was going to be a momma. Stew, was a giddy little thing, young from what Benny could tell, and liked to find himself in ridiculous situations. His head constantly stuck where it didn't belong. That being said, as much time as he spent with the goats and outside in general, he seemed to keep bumping into Dean. Now it’s not like he went out of his way to avoid the man, but he had tried to keep a respectful distance. His previous experiences with omegas were stilted and a bit different but Dean? The man was always watching him, he could feel the omegas eyes sometimes as he worked. For the first few days he just watched from the kitchen window, but after that jaunt into town the omega would come out to watch him, under the guise of gardening, but Benny could feel his gaze. Just after about two weeks, Bobby had come to him with the package his momma had sent sometime after dinner. Instead of unwrapping it, he waited until breakfast was done to hand the package to Dean. "Uh Cher? I - uh… I got somethin for ya. My uh- my momma sent this up here a while ago for Bobby's late mate Karen, it’s uh- knowing my momma, it’s a familial Omega thing and it should go to you." "Me?" Dean's eyes were wide as he took the package in his hands, the brown paper crackling in his grip. "O’ course, it should go ta ya. Bobby's the closest thing to a fatha figure I've ever had. Seems only right it goes to his omega son, and knowing my momma it’s some of our secret recipes. Kitchen is your domain cher, I know betta than ta think otherwise. It belongs to you." Rubbing the back of his neck he smiled softly as he watched Dean cradle the thing… like it was something precious. "Imma go feed the goats, if ya need me just hollar." Quickly he made his escape. Never mentioning the package again. Doesn't mean he didn't think about it, because it seemed that he was correct in his assumptions. Dean began making food only his momma had ever made him… and well, it was damn good food. Each time something from his childhood appeared on the table he got this strange warm feeling inside. It started simple with these delightful little spiced cupcakes, and then beignets… then there was even a gumbo. Course there was no sea food he was used to but it was a flavor he missed. Every time he complimented Dean, the omega seemed to preen and Bobby would roll his eyes. It took just over a month from when he gave Dean that package to realize exactly what was happening. Course Bobby may have had to explain it, because Benny would have just kept on going on thinkin that Dean just wanted to make him feel welcome, but Bobby had enough. "ya know that boy is wooin’ you right? You gonna do sumthin about it or am I gonna have to watch this until I go gray?" This made him drop a piece of lumber on his foot. "What?" "Dean? My boy? He's been wooing you." Bobby looked up from the repairs he was making on the chicken coop. “You didn’t know?” “No!” Benny licked his lips and picked the wood back up that he dropped, “Bobby you know I didn’t come up here ta-“ “You hold it right there, I know you didn’t come all the way up here to find yourself a mate. You came lookin’ for work, work I have for ya in spades. But you forget one thing, I know you, have done for a long time now. There’s a restlessness in you, I can see it, and maybe what you’ve been needing is more than just work.” Swallowing, Benny looked back at the house where he could see Dean in the windows of the kitchen. “He’s your son Bobby. He deserves better than some no name Alpha too far away from home.” “Home is where you make it son,” Bobby scoffed and nailed a stubborn board into place, “an that omega deserves someone who is gonna stick with him when things get rough. I am all that boy has got left, and he deserves someone who will be there when I can’t be. We both know I ain’t got much left in these ol’ bones, it’s just a matter of time until I am more of a hindrance than a help ‘round here. I trust you to take care of my farm and my boy even if he wasn’t doing his best to turn your head. I know you would treat him with the respect he deserves, not like some of the other Alpha’s we’ve both known.” Once more he looks over to he man who was more like a father to him, “you would be okay with me courting your son?” Another swallow as Bobby’s eyes locked on his, “If I do this it’s gon’be for real, I’m not lookin’- You know I don’t like using someone just because, if I do this its gonna be to mate ‘em.” “Good, you would be good together, and it would be nice to stop seeing the longing looks across the kitchen that you two don’t think I can see. I may be old, but I’m not blind.” With that the man went back about his business and gave Benny a few more tasks to accomplish before it was time for dinner. It took Benny a few days to come up with a plan, as he was not an Alpha of means, he had to go about his courting in a different way. Already havin’ the approval of Dean’s father, blood or no, was already a boon in his favor so it took some of the pressure off. Now that he was officially planning on wooing an omega, he realized that his idle brain had already started. Somewhere along the line he had started to make trinkets for Dean. A sturdy shelf he had just varnished for in the kitchen for some of Dean’s most used things, a holder for the recipe book the Omega never seemed to want to put down, and even a rack for the spices that he had Benny pick up from the market. Sure it wasn’t standard fare, but Dean was not a standard Omega. That was never more apparent than when he brought down the holder he crafted for Dean’s recipe book. The omega was in command of his kitchen and deftly frosting some cupcakes. Benny cleared his throat, the omega stopped what he was doing and looked up at him with wide eyes. “I uh- I made something for you cher, just a little-“ Of course he was nervous so he just pulled out his creation and held it out in front of him. Dean had come around, after setting down his piping bag, and took it into his hands gently. “Is this-?” Dean’s voice was quiet and soft as he looked over the gift and then back at Benny. “You made this… for me?” “Yeah, it’s um,” Benny swallowed and nodded, “it’s to hold that book you can’t put down. You can set this on the counter and put the book on it, and it will keep it open for you. Won’t have to worry about makin’ your book a mess.” Suddenly the smell that he had come to associate with the omega seemed to warm and grow almost bolder. “You made me a gift…” There was such reverence and awe in his tone that Benny had to look around to see if there was someone else that Dean was talking to. There was not. “I wasn’t sure that you would want….” Clearing his throat and rubbing the back of his neck, Benny flushed slightly. “I didn’t know you were- uh Bobby had to let me know. You didn’t need ta- Your cookin’ was already amazing, you didn’t need to be all fancy on my account.” That made Dean stop and bite his lip, the omega seemed to look anywhere but at Benny and take a step back to set his new gift on the counter and pick up two cups of coffee that he had sitting on the counter. One he set on his side of the table, and the other he placed where Benny normally sat. Taking the hint, Benny sat at his seat a little out of his element, but waited. “I also have some other little things for you- I’m not…. You know I’m not an alpha of many means, but I get by. Any of my gifts are gonna be homemade, because I- well that’s how I was raised.” “I know.” Dean nodded and finished icing the last cupcake before he began to arrange them on the plate in front of him. Benny blinked and sipped on his coffee, made just the way he liked it. “Your- the gift you gave me? The first one?” “The package from my momma?” Benny asked to clarify, and Dean nodded. He, himself, had not counted it as a courting gift, but perhaps the omega had. “She explained some things. Karen was meant to get the package, but only to hold onto until you- until you found an omega you wanted to settle down with.” That made Benny choke a little on his coffee. “There was a letter in there… it explained some things and how your mom was worried that you wouldn’t settle down before she passed because you didn’t feel worthy enough, so that any Omega that wanted you was- well they would have to make the first move. And the best way to your heart is through your stomach.” Watching the flush dance across Dean’s face was something beautiful to see, and Benny set down the cup. “Oh, well yes, I am- I can be a little oblivious I suppose, and the stomach is a good thing to feed. You- you had my attention from that first night, you know. That meal was great, even without trying to woo me…. You want me to- Dean if I- If we….” Benny fumbled, but it was okay Dean understood. “Would you like a cupcake Alpha?" Dean looked at him over the top of his cup and from under his lashes. The look was so warm, so…. sultry that Benny flushed clear to his toes and felt like he had been out in the sun too damn long. He needed to physically take his eyes off the man in front of him and naturally, because of the question he looked at the cupcakes and his breath caught. "Dean?" "I was hoping you'd come down… I've been wanting to ask you but didn't know how." The omega flushed himself but that warm almost heady scent was back in full force. "You…want…. me?" He said the words because he needed to be clear, he could read what the omega had written in icing, and he could feel the tension but he needed the words. Dean blinked up at him and bit his lip before answering. "Yes. I- before you came here I thought… I thought this was all it was, and then Bobby told me you were coming…. I was unconvinced at first we needed extra hands here. Then your things came in and…." Dean sucked in a breath. "I struggled when I was putting your things away…. I kept one of your shirts until you came. Your scent is…. Safe, it makes me feel…. whole. Sure Bobby feels like family but no one I've never met felt like home…. Until you." Swallowing a sip of coffee, Dean set down his cup and grabbed at one of Benny's large hands. The touch sent a jolt of something up Bennys arm. "No alpha would have let me get away with holding a gun on them, not like you did. I've met and shot plenty of self righteous dicks in my time here, but you were calm as anything and let me go without hurting me. You didn't even mention it to Bobby." Benny was quiet in contemplation as he listened to Dean speak. Home, that’s what he felt when he walked into his room, his own scent mingling with the house and… Dean's. Dean smelt like home to him too. That… that could only mean… they-? "Yes." The word left him in a rush and he may have interrupted the omega, but his mind was whirling. "Yes I want to be your Alpha, if you want to be my omeg-umph." Before Benny could finish his sentence Dean was in his lap and his lips were pressed tightly against his own. It was all Benny could do to keep them in the chair with the force of the other man colliding with him as he did. Quickly the kiss went from frantic yet soft press of lips to something bolder, something with a simmering heat. Dean's slightly unpracticed fumbling seemed to take on more…. promise, the longer Benny let him explore. Never one to push, Benny just held onto the omega for the ride, letting Dean dictate how this would go. Of course the Alphas hands weren't stationary, they did move gently across Dean's shirt, one cradling the back of the man’s head and the other sliding down to hold the man against him. Dean suddenly nipped at Bennys lips, ripping a groan from somewhere deep inside the Alpha. As soon as his lips were open, Dean's tongue was battling with his own. Benjamin Lafayette was no blushing virgin, he had a small selection of beta partners in years past, but none of them had prepared him for the likes of Dean. Hard plains of muscle under soft skin, innocence wrapped in sin, Dean was everything his inner alpha could have wanted and more. The soft chanting mantra of MINEMINEMINE rumbled in his head even as a low growl started to tease its way up and out of his chest. The answering purr that sped its way out of Dean melted any sort of reservation he may have had. Dean's omega was responding beautifully to Benny's alpha and there was very little he could do to stop the chain of events that was coming. Benny stood with Dean wrapped around him and leaned over the solid table right there in the kitchen. Hands were tangled in his short hair as Dean kept nipping and sucking on his lower lip. A deep growl left the Alpha as he pulled back to send off his own array of kisses all across Dean's face, and down his neck. When he brushed Dean's mating gland, the omega moaned sweetly and arched up against him. The gland was already swollen and sending out the soft signals that had Benny salivating and eager to bite. "Alpha, please…. Nest?" The request made him want to roar like some Neanderthal. This beautiful omega wanted him in his nest, Him! Scooping him up like he weighed nothing, Benny carried his mate upstairs. They both knew what they wanted, there was no reason to wait. Besides, he already had Bobby's blessing.
The next morning Bobby eyed the two with a mix of fondness and disgust over his coffee cup. Perhaps it was time to build himself a cabin a little further back in the property…. If he ever wanted a decent night's sleep again. Benny on the other hand was doting upon his mate, a fresh bite mark sat in stark contrast to the man’s skin, and he kept reaching out to touch Dean's own bite mark. The saccharine scene was almost too much for the old man, but he waited and ate his breakfast as he planned. Both of his boys now had each other and he was quite happy with that.