Some Strings Attached

A Friendly Suggestion

When Neil first suggests it, you think he's joking. Out with him and some of your other friends, trying to pretend you aren't as cranky as you are after another dissatisfactory heat. But Neil is an alpha and can pretty much smell it on you.
"All right, Bee, what the hell is up your bonnet?" he finally asks, smirking a little at the play on the nickname you'd been dubbed with since your first week of training when you'd saved a bumblebee from being crushed in the gym.
"Nothing is the matter with me," you deny without thinking hard about it.
"Bullshit, you're upset, and I want to know why."
Your shoulders hunch defensively, and you catch the way that Allison's head turns away from her conversation with Maria and Bruce, bright green eyes narrowing as they flick between your face and Neils. With an eye roll, knowing the conversation won't continue until you tell them, you sigh and begin picking at the label on your beer bottle.
"Fine," you say with a scowl at the bottle. "I just don't understand why—considering how far we've come with technology and whatever, knot toys are wholly unable to fully satisfy a heat."
Neil makes a noise in the back of his throat, your head jerking up and eyes narrowing. "Did you just laugh at me?"
"Of course not," Neil lies smoothly, making you roll your eyes again. "But, why would you bother with the toys when there is a clinic less than a mile from your place?"
You don't answer him, waving the question away and forcibly changing the topic. To your surprise, Neil lets the matter drop. Or so you think. He's walking you home when he brings it back up.
"Seriously, why do you bother with the toys?"
"Awe," you whine, scuffing your sneaker against the sidewalk. "Can't you just pretend I didn't say that earlier?"
"Absolutely not. C'mon, Bee," he says, bumping his elbow against your arm. "You know you can trust me."
Grumpy, you plan to ignore the question all the way to your little apartment. But break before you have walked a block. "It's because I don't trust them."
"The clinics?"
"No," you say with a shake of your head. "The alphas."
What do you mean, you don't trust alphas?" His eyebrows contract and the faintest hint of acrid hurt filters into your nose and you wince.
Sometimes, Neil's easygoing nature makes you forget that he's an alpha. One you trust with your life and now you are worried you've insulted him, even though you know he would say you hadn't. "It's not that I don't trust any alpha," you explain. "I just don't want to be claimed unwillingly."
"Yeah, but that doesn't really happen much anymore, and when it does there is usually some serious repercussions."
"Which means it still happens," you point out. Neil doesn't say anything and you continue, "My mother was unwillingly claimed, and you know how that went."
"Yeah," Neil says quietly. "Your father is a real bastard, but the alphas at the clinics are professionals. The vetting process is insane, and there are a tone of protections put into place to prevent something like an unwilling or even unintentional claiming."
"How do you know so much about it?" you ask suspiciously while you give him some side-eye.
When he sees you squinting at him, he grins and winks. "I looked into it when I was younger, the alphas and omegas make good money and there was a time where it was pretty hard to make ends meets."
"Huh," is the only thing you can think to say. Neil shrugs and then asks, "So, you really suffer through your heats alone because you don't want to be claimed?"
"Yes."
"And you're just going to keep doing that until you find an alpha you want as a mate?"
"What other choice do I have?" you ask as you stop at the bottom step of your apartment's stoop and leaning against the railing to face Neil.
Neil shoves his hands into his pockets and shrugs. "FWB."
"What?"
"You know, one of those friends with benefits things? They help you with your heats and you help them with their ruts."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah."
"What alpha would even want something like that in the first place?"
"Well," he says slowly, his eyes on your face. "I would."
Your mouth drops open in shock and you're pretty sure your eyeballs are bugging out of your head. Neil sighs and reaches up to push hand through his hair. "Is it really that hard to imagine. You know I'm not interested in settling down with a mate anytime soon. I'm not even interested in looking right now."
"But don't you use the clinics?"
"Sure. But it's a different omega each time and sometimes I end up getting one that has a scent that just isn't right, but at that point I have no other choice but to spend the rut with them otherwise I waste the fee."
"Huh," you repeat. Neil smiles and his dimples flash as he taps a finger to his chest. "So, yeah, this alpha would love that kind of arrangement."
After another moment, you close the mouth that's still hanging open and shake your head. "Well, I guess if I ever decide to go that route, I know where to find you."
"Bet your pretty ass, buttercup," Neil says cheerfully.
He kisses your cheek goodnight and waits until you're inside before turning and heading in the direction of his own apartment. As you climb the three stories to your floor, you turn over the conversation in your head. Was Neil hinting that he wanted to have an 'arrangement' with you like that? The thought brings you up short at your door, the key in the lock and your hand on the knob.
Neil was your best friend. If he wanted something more, he would have asked you out back when you were first getting to know each other. Sure, he was protective of you; doing things like walking you home every time you were out together, giving you rides to and from work, checking up on you when you were sick—but that's just the kind of person Neil was. Having a childhood even rougher than yours, Neil was very big on taking care of his found family, and he'd made it clear that you were a part of that.
With a hard shake of your head, you finally unlock the door and work to push the thoughts out of your mind. Clearly, your hormones were still a little out of balance if you were even considering something as crazy as doing some kind of sex pact with your best friend. When your phone pings, you pull it out to see a message from Neil reminding you to lock up. The warmth that fills your chest is nothing more than the warmth you always feel whenever Neil makes sure you are okay.
That's all it was. Right?