Chapter Text
Jason wakes up to a feather in his nose, unpleasant but something one lived with when one had wings… especially during shedding season. It’s a terrible time for all involved although he does notice critters like squirrels like to use the feathers, particularly the fluffier under ones in their nests. Still, it’s a pain and he’s glad to be done with it.
In fact the entire flock all just finished molting for the year so everyone’s feathers are nice and extra shiny.
The perfect time to find a mate.
The perfect time to stretch the wings and fly to the courting grounds where one hopes to catch an Alpha’s eye.
He’s considered not going this year.
The last few have not reaped any results and now he’s one of the older ones, almost too old to go given the age of the Alphas that come. There’s not much to blame for it… well beyond his large build and comparatively dull coloring. He doesn’t blame the Alphas for passing over his cinnamon brown wings. The red in the middle doesn’t liven it up enough… not compared to the other Omegas anyway. He doesn’t blame anybody for it… It’s just unfortunate genes.
Realistically it’d be easier to not go and not come home empty handed again… but… he knows himself.
He reads too many romance novels to not go and watch everyone else find their someone.
So he gets up, stretches… stretches his wings as far as the little house allows. One particular muscle feels deliciously pulled and a spot where the wing connects to his shoulder blade cracks nicely. His knee creaks and that’s a little less nice, but he ignores it.
Grabs the bag he’d packed the night before.
He steps outside onto the tiny porch of his tree house, spots the various youngsters around. Some are saying goodbye to parents while others are already flying away. Chicks flit around, exercising their baby wings. He stretches his wide, feels those last few tight spots loosen, and tips over the edge of his platform.
Free falling.
Down… down…
Until his wings open feet from the forest floor and the river.
He glides, hand trailing in the water. His fingers touch scales and he instinctively grabs it, pulling it up. The fish wriggles which makes his face split into an unexpected grin.
“Hey! Breakfast!”
He tears into it as he makes his way back up to join the others.
It’s an average group this year, alot of young ones who’d be doing this for the first time. There’s alot of pretty wings so he’s sure there'll be plenty of matches. He watches as some of them play around, drift this way and that, flipping around each other or around somebody who’s lower energy. Sometimes one of the standoffish ones will flit or swoop a little. Most give him a wider berth than they do the rest but he’s one of if not the biggest one… again… more Alpha-esque in build than the majority of them. He doesn’t mind it… Being more of a loner has its benefits.
They approach the cliffs where the Alphas stay most of the year. There's flashes of color, though they stay pretty hidden away, watching from the shadows. The young ones fly closer, tilting sideways to show off their wings in hopes of catching some Alpha’s eye. Jason snorts a little, amused. He hasn’t done that since his third trip out here… figured it wasn’t worth it and then he glances up at the clear blue sky… and-
Eh. what the hell.
He pumps his wings, taking him up, up… higher until he just
Stops.
Lets himself freefall.
His wings extend, catching him as he soars sideways along the last portion of the cliffs. Once he’s passed it, he evens out and follows the rest. It’s another hour before he spots the trees they'll be staying in for the next week and another hour by the time he gets in, all the best spots are taken… which is fine. He wasn’t getting picked so it didn’t matter. If he was a better person he’d just tuck himself into a corner… but he’s not. He grabs a half decent spot in a good view of other nests so he’ll get to watch the courtship dances and the romance.
He drifts to the forest floor and gathers materials, hauling up armful after armful and spends hours in a trance as he weaves it all together into a sturdy space big enough for him to stretch out in. After that comes the copious amounts of moss and spongy leaves that he layers until it’s a good thickness, nice and comfy to spend a week in.
Once he’s satisfied, he glances around with the lowering sunlight. Most of the others are done or close to. There are a few though that seem to be having some trouble. One in particular, a young one with black and green feathers, red tips, has half a nest and is visibly irritated. Jason debates for a moment, but the light’s fading and it’ll be miserable to try and sleep in the tree with no nest.
So he hops off of his, gliding over the youngling, “You good?”
“Stellar,” comes the frosty reply.
“Sure,” he glances around, “I, personally, find the 3-4 ratio on vines to sticks the best. What’s this? 1-2?”
“I know what I’m doing!” the youngling’s wings flap irritably, flashing the yellow undersides.
He shrugs, “Of course you do… just like you know the Alphas like it pretty and a little greenery goes a long way.” he hops off to go eat. The others who’ve finished have gathered some various fruits and a few are hunting for fish. Jason heads out that way to cover another section of lake. He contributes three fish, trading one for a few apples and finds a warm rock to sit on.
The youngling is one of the last ones to show up well after dark. He looks tired and hungry. There’s not much food left, but Jason passes him one of the fish and an apple on his way back up to his nest where he stretches out on his stomach and covers himself with his wings. The moss and leaves are very nice, thick enough to keep him from feeling the sticks under him.
The allotted two days pass in a flurry of primping nests and gathering food. Jason notes that the youngling's nest has been built very well and looks very nice with a mossy inside and a large fistful of ivy draped over the outside. The afternoon is spent bathing in the lake and then letting their wings sundry. It’s late before they all get back to their nests, though not late enough for most of them to sleep. Some of the younger ones hang out on branches, talking for awhile. Jason… well they’re too far away to eavesdrop on, not that he would anyway, but he hangs out anyway in the general peacefulness of the woods. The night critters down below are out and about. An owl lands on the edge of his nest, pecking at the handful of flowers he’s woven into it because he was bored yesterday.
The Alphas show up the following mid-morning.
They fly through the trees, looking around for the first day. Most would say it’s so they can locate any wings they might have spotted those few days ago. Jason’s not sure how accurate that is, not that it matters much anyway since he’s not getting picked.
The Alphas all settle down around dusk and the treetops come alive with the Omegas leaving for where they stashed the food. Jason guards the back in the off chance some jerk who’s not been informed of the rules tries anything. He doesn’t expect so since the other Alphas wouldn’t want an incident and risk the Omegas leaving early… which has happened. It’s been awhile but it has happened and nobody wants a repeat of the year there were no new pairs and a dip in hatchlings.
He sleeps soundly and wakes up to the warm sun. He peeks over the edge of his nest and see some of the Alphas below loitering on the lower limbs, all staring up, likely waiting for enough signs of life. One brave soul decides he’s waited long enough and flashy wings flap up into the trees soaring around until he pauses by one of the nests and starts his dance. A few moments later and a couple more Alphas appear. Soon the trees are full of colorful feathers twirling around. One set ends up by the irritable Omega.
He’s a youngling, one Jason’s never seen him before.
He’s big though, covered in vibrant reds and blues fading to black at the tips.
He flits around, twirling a little, caught somewhere between thinking he’s hot shit and being nervous as hell.
It’s adorable to watch.
Especially since the Omega seems so thoroughly unimpressed with him for the longest time, only reacting when the Alpha about gives up and goes to fly away.
They talk for a moment and then the Alpha dives away down to the forest floor. The Omega leans over his nest, watching as his courtee hunts for something. Jason’s not sure what he brings back with him, but it’s alive and little and seems to scurry around the Omega’s arms for awhile. Jason glances at another pair who’ve started dancing together in a more traditional acceptance ritual. She’s very pretty with varying shades of purple wings and his crimson and black. When he glances back at the younglings, the Alpha’s been allowed to sit on the edge of the nest.
There’s a blur that shoots up right next to his nest.
Jason follows it, the Alpha, with his eyes all the way up, up…
Until it stops and the figure slowly gets bigger and bigger again, all six limbs boneless in the air
He almost thinks it just straight up uncontrolled falling from the sky-
Almost shoots out of his nest to go catch him-
And then wings open up…
And the Alpha glides around, flipping through the trees, soaring up and then pirouetting down, twirling and spinning in all directions.
It’s an over-the-top, gorgeous display.
Jason’s jealous of whoever it’s meant for. His wings, black on the edges, bleeding into a captivating blue. He's never seen blue that shade before. It's dazzling, especially when the Alpha's twirling around trying to get that someone's attention. He's got all the Omegas staring, each one seeming to hold their breath to see where he'd land. The wings expand again, each feather shimmering-
And then he’s in front of Jason, hand extended.