Chapter Text
Ramsay rolled over, looked at the clock, and scowled. He'd overslept.
In the month since he'd bought Reek, without fail, his newest pet woke him with his whimpered pleas to piss around 6:30. An annoyance initially, eventually those little pained sounds had become the more charming of Ramsay’s alarms. Now he'd come to depend on them.
Curious about this lapse in his normally prompt pet, Ramsay rose and padded over to Reek's covered kennel box at the back of his bedroom.
Maybe he had an accident and is cowering?
Ramsay grinned: starting the morning with a punishment was always fun.
However, no nervous noises emanated from Reek's crate. Not even a single soft shuffle. He pulled back the tarp. His nostrils flared at the smell that escaped from beneath the canvas and drifted into the room. While he rather relished Reek’s useless omega pungency it was definitely heavier this morning. But then, it had been a “few” days since he’d last bathed him.
Inside his crate Reek laid curled up, still sleeping on his side, the movement of dreams visible beneath his eyelids. Frowning, Ramsay knelt and opened the cage door. His most recent fuckpet’s thin sides fluttered more rapidly than usual and there was a flush on Reek's normally pale cheeks.
The defective omega had already been frail from hard use when purchased and Ramsay knew he hadn't been easy on him since he'd brought him home. Unable to pass up a bargain, however, he’d hoped Reek was stronger than he appeared. Unfortunately, it looked this morning like he might not even last as long as the others had.
"Of course you'd pick now to get sick,," He growled. "You just passed the seller's warranty last week and the final cutoff to return you expired four days ago. Worthless thing...
"Reek."
When Reek first registered the hail of his newest master he was lost in another nightmare where he was still Theon, dreaming of the day the family maester classified him "unfit" and his alpha father ordered him brothel-bound. At the distant call of his name, for a moment his drowsy mind wondered if it was real. These days it was often hard to tell where his bad dreams ended and his waking life began.
"Reek!"
Blinking his eyes open Reek shot wide awake at the sight of Ramsay kneeling at his kennel door.
Hurrying to be of whatever use was needed, he rolled over and pushed himself up. No easy thing to do, stiff as his broken body was after a night in his box. Up on calloused knees, suddenly dizzy, he swayed a bit. His forehead creased against the ache in his temples and he met his master with a questioning whine.
"It's almost eight. You didn't wake me up, Reek."
Was he supposed to? Usually Ramsay got after him for being unable to stay quiet.
Shame gripped Reek that he’d managed to fail to be good somehow, even though he’d been unconscious. He knew too if he didn't keep his new alpha pleased he’d be sent back to another omega house or, worse, Ramsay might simply choose to end him. And while death as a destination no longer frightened, the particular route to get there still did.
Especially where this master was concerned.
Shuffling forward, Reek timidly stroked the back of Ramsay's hand in apology with his own stub-fingered one. When it wasn't pulled away, he lifted Ramsay's hand to his lips and kissed it with the little tongue presses the alpha seemed to like.
"Bad, Reek." Reek agreed in berween licks despite his confusion. "Sorry. Sorry, Sir." His voice was hoarse and his throat ached even at this broken whisper.
Reek braced for the inevitable slap. But Ramsay didn’t hit him. He didn’t scold or taunt either. Instead, he slowly pulled his hand away, pressed the back of deliciously cool fingers to his hurting forehead, and hummed.
“How are you, Reek?”
The query stunned. It wasn’t a question for a fuckpet at all. Not like, “potty?” or “treat?”
Worried it was a trick, Reek started to shake.
“Reek? Answer me."
Ah, now he’d done it. Made his master repeat himself. Reek whimpered and fear seized him. Suddenly, he felt like he really needed to pee even worse than he had on waking. He tried to find the words to answer to Ramsay’s question but his thoughts were even more tumbled than usual.
“How?..." Reek wept in terrified frustration. "Reek’s sorry? Sleep Reek. Weak Reek. Sorry."
His tears came exceedingly easy to him this morning which only made things worse. Because even though Ramsay went to great lengths to make him cry, he always said he despised it when his fuckpets were weepy.
“Please? Wanna be good, Sir.
“Sweet Reek?”
Reek prayed the Alpha could decipher his pitiful ramblings. It was important Ramsay knew he would do better. And it was a promise he would be a good pet for the rest of the day. The very best. Especially since he’d learned so well what happened to bad ones.
Waiting for Ramsay to respond it was hard to draw a breath. Had he answered the question right?
Beneath his hand, Ramsay felt Reek tremor and wondered if it was caused by fear or what was clearly some sort of fever. Either way, he was obviously overwhelmed. Not that it took much to do so.
He hummed and slid his hand down to cup Reek’s flushed face. He brushed a thumb over an overly warm, tear-wet cheekbone and watched his pet wince at the tender touch. This apprehension should have delighted him, but there was something in Reek’s fear-bright eyes this morning that called Ramsay into uncomfortable mercy.
“Alright, Reek. This once, I’ll give you a pass.”
Reek was so grateful, he nipped carefully at his master’s thumb and pulled it into his mouth to suckle. The scent of gratitude that wafted off of him normally agitated but right now it just made Ramsay feel like he might sneeze.
“Okay now. Let’s not go overboard,” Ramsay scolded though nowhere near as fiercely as he'd intended. Brow creasing he pulled away and stood.
"Come on, let's get you cleaned up. You're living up to your name a little too well this morning."
Mean teases were one of his specialties, something he loved deploying to make his pets never forget what they were. However, Ramsay’s chest tightened uneasily when Reek dropped his head in apology and uttered, "Sorry, reeky Reek", shame blushing already hectic cheeks. After all, it wasn't Reek's fault, really. He was the one who'd denied his pet baths lately.
With a soft growl of annoyance, more at himself than at his pet, Ramsay turned and strode to the bathroom. Reek crawled out of his box and followed unsteadily after him.
Fresh from his morning scrubbing Reek knelt shivering on his grooming mat while Ramsay dried him.
Reek knew something was wrong with him, well, more than usual, and it scared him. He was woozy, body shaky, his head pounding. And all his tender places ached far more fiercely then they had for quite a while. Which was saying something.
Fresh tears welled in his eyes. How was he going to be the good pet he promised? Do all his fuckpet chores like he was supposed to when everything felt so off? To make matters worse, Ramsay had been unusually gentle with him this morning.
And now he was going to show his appreciation by being an even more decrepit creature than he normally was?
Reek dropped his head, sniffling.
While drying Reek, Ramsay had been quietly examining him. Noting every bruise and cut, tracing new wounds and old scars on the lookout for infection. He’d even used a speculum to hold Reek open after his morning clean out to make sure he hadn’t torn from one of his most recent fuckings. Unusually glossy and a healthy purple-pink on his insides, modified and marked to meet his master's fancies on the outside… Given Reek’s overall condition, everything looked as good as it could.
Unfortunately, Reek’s glassy eyes and the heat radiating off his skin through the towel right now told a different story. Ramsay's frown deepened when Reek shivered and began to softly cry harder.
Not inclined to spoil his pets, still, he left Reek sitting on his mat with the damp towel around his shoulders while he procured some acetaminophen and a glass of water. Ramsay assured himself it was only because he was to be the author of Reek’s fate, and his tears, not some invisible bug.
“Open, Reek.” Ramsay ordered squatting down in front of his pet.
So well trained, Reek compiled without question. Pills placed on his tongue, he swallowed them down with water from the cup held for him. Ramsay watched him drink. Reek slurped awkwardly, his collared throat bobbing. Unused to a cup, water ran down his chin. It was “cute” in a pathetic sort of way Ramsay found strangely stirring.
He pulled the near-empty cup away.
“Messy thing.”
Large feverish eyes stared up at him worriedly. Reek wiped at his wet chin with the back of a mangled hand.
“Sorry. Sorry.”
Ramsay silently acknowledged the apology with a rough tousle of his head before standing.
Reek followed Ramsay out of the bathroom in a daze. His Master was acting so oddly this morning and it scared him even more than how awful he felt.
“Come here, Reek.”
Seeing Ramsay standing beside his big bed, the tight tangle in Reek’s belly loosened a bit.
He was going to get fucked. At least this was normal. Hopefully the rough use of his mouth or ass would put everything right again.
Swaying a little drunkenly, he crawled over. The throb at his temples increased and a fresh wave of dizziness rolled over him. It made his tummy uneasy. Strong hands grabbed him, shockingly, not too hard, and pulled him up onto the mattress.
Reek flopped over without hesitation, grateful for the solidity of the soft cushion beneath him. The sheets were cool and smelled heavily of Ramsay: dark, spicy, and with a hint of copper. Normally the scent made his anxiety spike, but today it soothed. Not questioning this shift, he buried his nose into the crisp linens, rolled over onto his stomach, and reflexively assumed the “presenting” position.
He was glad for this part of his day. All he had to do to be good was be still and relatively quiet. Weary and weak as he felt right now, that wouldn’t be too difficult - depending on how much his master wanted to hurt him. He closed his eyes and waited for what was to come.
Ramsay stared down on his pet's flushed skin against white sheets. Lit by the morning’s glow bruises in a variety of tints dappled Reek’s flesh in sickly pastels. His back was corseted by the pink laces of lash scars. Even without considering Reek's puffy, rouged hole, this sight alone made him hard and ready to plunder.
Usually.
Wearing a confused expression, Ramsay gripped his big alpha cock through his pajama bottoms and squeezed.
Nothing.
Pulling his bottoms down, Ramsay stared at his dick. Normally rabid, it lay in the thatch of his pubes taunting him with its softness. A fear he’d never experienced before filled him. Ramsay pushed this away.
“Should be a quick fix...” he assured himself.
His first impulse was to have Reek get busy with his mouth but a sudden thought made him pause. His pet was skilled, but how would it impact their dynamic if that somehow suddenly failed to work? No, he decided, he would not risk being diminished in front of something as low an infertile omega.
“Stay, Reek.”
The order wasn’t necessary, Reek knew far better than to break position.
Ramsay grabbed a bottle of lube from the nightstand. Since Reek rarely made enough slick for either of their comfort, he squirted a bit into his palm and went to work. As he jerked himself, Ramsay studied Reek, so still in his submission. Ass up, skinny legs splayed. His soft, docked cock rendered so little it was completely hidden behind his petite omega sac.
Still nothing.
Even the pinked prints of his hand still left from last night’s spanking didn’t elicit a twitch in his dick. Worse than this, Ramsay realized it disturbed him. And this was a completely foreign feeling.
He dropped his cock and set his slick hand on Reek’s bruised ass. Reek squeaked and startled but quickly settled down again. The skin under Ramsay’s palm was burning to the touch.
Though he’d never hesitated before, he suddenly wondered if ravishing Reek while he was unwell was the best course of action. Not that, in his current flaccid state, any ravishing was immediately imminent. He glanced over at the nightstand again, this time his eyes not drawn to the lube but liniment.
Tucking himself away and wiping his hands on a pantleg, Ramsay picked up the tube and studied it curiously.
Tense, Reek wasn’t sure what was going on. Usually Ramsay was in him mere seconds after he presented. It was another of the morning’s oddities. Truth be told, the way he felt, so hot and so tired, he had almost fallen asleep waiting for his master’s cock, so the hand on his bottom startled him.
It left a moment later. Ashamed of his reaction and sure of the violence to follow, Reek shut his eyes tight and buried his face in the bedclothes, readying for the blows. Then his master’s touch returned and…
OH.
What was this?
Reek’s eyes popped blearily open. Something cool was rubbed onto the tender, bruised flesh of his ass. It soothed as it warmed. Then the hand moved, massaging, leaving only to return with more of the wonderful substance. It felt amazing, until…
Reek stiffened and tried not to yelp when probing fingertips grazed a particularly sore spot on his left hip.
“Too hard?”
It was all Reek could do not to turn around and stare at Ramsay in wonder. It was a question no alpha had ever asked and one he’d certainly never expected from this one. Fear gripped him and made him shiver. It had to be a trick.
“Weak Reek? Sorry,” he apologized, hoping this would placate although such sorry's rarely did.
Ramsay was beginning to think he might actually be ill himself. Reek’s fear scent, always so previously intoxicating, had just made his stomach lurch unhappily. And his hands, so used to rough gripping and fierce slaps were, like his cock, more content this morning to be soft.
As if to underscore this, hearing Reek’s fragile petition, he unconsciously lightened the pressure on pale skin marred by purpled impressions previously left by his fingertips.
Caught in his own sort of fugue, Ramsay then gripped Reek’s ankles and pulled his pet’s legs backward, out of presenting position, and flat onto his belly before climbing onto the mattress alongside him. Kneeling next to Reek, he resumed his salved rubbings, mapping out every sore spot, slowly solving every tissue-tied knot.
His nostrils flared as a light omega pleasure scent entwined with Reek's fear. It took several minutes for Ramsay to recognize it for what it was. A few more for him to understand that he liked it.
Under his fingers Reek was having a similar experience.
This was… This was…
Reek realized he didn’t hold any words for it. It felt so good. Like nothing he’d ever experienced. He wanted to hold onto his apprehension knowing Ramsay could shift back into his usual meanness at any moment, but every new touch somehow melted him more.
He gave a little sad hiccup, wishing he could die right here, now. To go out on such gentle tending would be…
“Reek?”
A firm but not unkind grip settled on his shoulder and rolled him over onto his back. Reek closed his eyes and tipped his head back submissively baring his collared neck.
There were strange new notes in Reek’s suddenly potent fear scent and they made Ramsay growl. But not in the pleased way he normally would. He stretched out alongside Reek, surveying his pet’s surrender. The way Reek’s eyes were so tightly shut, the hummingbird flutters of his breaths. These didn’t thrill him like they should either.
Reek’s pounding pulse was visible in his neck above his collar. Ramsay’s stroked it, making soft shushing sounds at Reek’s whimpers. Fingers pressed along the base of Reek’s jaw. His tonsils were swollen.
Drifting lower, he saw Reek’s fever had plumped his normally anemic bonding gland too. Enough, in fact, his collar pressed into it. It looked chafed and uncomfortable.
Before Ramsay fully realized what he was doing, his fingers were on the buckle.