How would Nick react in clockwork au if puppy was blearily saying James’ name in her sleep?
𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔
✧˚ · . Nick wants all of you. And he will do whatever it takes to claim your soul.
pairing — mob boss!prime alpha!nick fowler x omega!reader
w/c — 1.9k
this is a dark fic. 18+ only. AU masterlist.
listening to — ♫sleepless
warnings —general dark elements (dark AU), a/b/o dynamics, manipulation.
a/n — thank you for the ask and interest in the AU! i hope you enjoy. jessica chastain is not a representative of the readers looks i just wanted a gif of nick kissing a forehead lol. not beta read, we die like men.
The first time Nick heard it, he thought it was ghosts whispering that damned name in his ear.
The second time Nick heard it, he realised it was a scarier reality than phantoms.
You were calling for James in your sleep again, an occurrence that happened regularly.
Even after all the work Nick had put into making you his, there was still that subconscious part of you that held onto the past. Even though you smiled at him in your waking hours, someone else had a space in your heart.
It wasn’t like it was unexpected. Nick knew he would be crazy to assume you would have no residual feelings for your lost life. But it still hurt. His omega, calling for someone else.
He wondered what you dreamt. Did you dream of James in a world where he survived? Or were they memories of the past? Did he treat you well? Were you happy?
There was a quirk in your lips, a slight sway of your hips. Were you dancing with him?
Nick considered calling Steve. Doctor Kemp always seemed to have a way of making omegas comply, plus he was one of his greatest allies. But Nick knew that the heavy-handed approach wouldn’t be appropriate here. While Steve’s suggestion of having other alphas use you worked to break you down beautifully, accessing a soul was a task that required a delicate touch.
Slipping from the bed, Nick left you in your peaceful slumber, dreaming of the man you would never have. In nothing more than black sweatpants and a navy sweater, he sat in his chilly office.
For a while, he just kept the lights off and pondered.
If his younger self could see him now, he wondered what he’d think. This was certainly not the life Nick had intended to lead.
But the world was cruel, and so he became crueller. To escape hardship, he became the creator of it. A devil walking the earth.
Around you, though, he wanted to be good to you. He would never forget when he heard you laugh for the first time. Nick had accidentally tickled your sides while brushing past you, and the sound that came from you was glorious.
Nick sighed, pouring himself a scotch from the decanter. He’d burn the world, but keep you safe always.
After he’d finished his glass, the familiar burn of liquor pooling in his belly, Nick turned to the only other person he trusted the opinion of.
Hal Carter. The alpha worked on Ari’s ranch. While Ari bred omegas using alpha studs, Hal trained them and kept them calm. He was gentle. Those girls were taken well cared of, which was to be expected when they needed to produce pups.
It was an art how Hal could smile and exude calming energy to those around him. His words were always smooth like silk, rolling off his tongue so naturally you can’t help but listen. It helped the omegas stay calm, and they all trusted him. He was still one of the bad guys; all the alphas in his circle were. But he was the best of the bad. Scott Huffman, the one who would take Ari’s bred pups in and raise them on his ranch, he was a close second.
Within thirty minutes of texting him, Hal turned up on the mansion’s doorstep. The sun was barely rising, only subtle hues of gold beginning to grow.
“Thanks for coming so early,” Nick ushered Hal inside, bringing him to the office while the rest of the home remained in a dream state.
“I normally get up by dawn to go hunting anyway, s’no trouble.” Nonchalant as ever, Hal sat himself down in one of the office armchairs in his green plaid shirt and blue jeans.
Nick poured himself another scotch, plopping two ice cubes into the crystal glass. “Want a drink?”
Hal raised a brow, scoffing. “Unless it’s orange juice, no. I ‘ain’t drinking.”
“I can do that,” Nick said, disappearing from the room and returning with a tall glass of juice, a slight shudder of nervousness in his hand when he gave it to Hal.
There was a rawness in the air, as if Nick wasn’t playing a game. He was putting his whole deck of cards on the table for Hal to see. It was hard to trust, but Nick didn’t have anywhere else to turn.
Nick sat in the armchair opposite Hal, swirling the liquid in his glass, and Hal quirked his head. “Look, as much as I love catching up with you, why did you ask me here so urgently? Is something wrong?”
Nick went through the long explanation of your past, how you came into his care, and how you were acting now. Hal listened attentively, face staying blank as the horrors were laid bare. After explaining, Nick sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I want her to dream of me. Dream of her alpha.”
“So, what you’re telling me is you’ve killed her alpha, kidnapped her, had her gang fucked, chased her, and choked her until she passed out, yet you expect her to dream of you?”
There was a beat of silence before Hal spoke again. “Do you really act like her alpha? She’s not a toy, Nick. And she’s not just a pet. You have to be gentle.”
“I don’t know how to be gentle,” Nick sneered, crossing his arms defensively.
“Bullshit. Every alpha has a gentle instinct deep down. Be the alpha your sister and mother would have wanted you to become.”
Nick growled and stood, throwing the glass at the wall behind Hal’s head, the crystal shattering into a million shards across the dark hardwoods. It was ballsy bringing up his family. The other alpha flinched slightly, but he wasn’t afraid.
Nick puffed his chest, gritting his teeth so hard they were ready to shatter. “That’s a cruel thing to say. You’re pushing it, Hal.”
“It is cruel. But it’s what ‘ya needed to hear. The world is fucked, but her world doesn’t have to be. You’re the one bringing that upon her. You want her to dream of you? Give her memories good enough to dream about. You’ve broken her down, and done the harsh things you needed to. Now you need to build her back up. Without that affection, she will just continue to crumble time and time again. Don't you want to see her smile?”
“More than anything,” Nick grumbled, sitting back in his chair with a hardened expression. He wanted to feel your happiness through the bond. It was like a drug.
Hal drank the last of his juice, setting the glass down gently on the side table. “Then, there you go. Just work to make her smile for you more. Life is good with a happy omega, Nick.”
“She hates what I do, though. And I can’t - and won’t - change that.”
“Then make her existence with you good enough to outweigh that.” Hal proposed the idea like it was easy. Just treat you right, and it would all fall into place.
But was it really that easy?
The chase had changed you. You were more receptive to Nick and seemed more content overall. But he could still see the flickers of fear that lay dormant, ready to wake at any time. And James— Well. Your subconscious hadn’t let him go yet.
Perhaps Hal was right. Maybe you were broken enough that you’d adapt to this life with some positive reinforcement.
After Hal had left, Nick ordered the staff to make you breakfast before he wandered back up to the bedroom, the morning sun beginning to peek past the blinds. Nick took his jumper off, wanting to feel your skin on his.
You shifted a little in your sleep when the bed dipped from Nick’s weight, his arms looping around you and pulling your naked form close. “...Alpha…?” You asked blearily. It wasn’t often you got morning cuddles like this. Normally, Nick was already working by the time you rose.
“Morning, omega,” Nick kissed your forehead, spooning you so his warm, firm chest was flush with your back. “Nice dreams?”
You stiffened for a moment before nodding, curling into his hold comfortably. “Yeah.”
“Good. I need you full of energy today,” Nick said as he kissed your neck gingerly, a soft contrast to his tight hold on you.
Nick ran his hand up and down your side, fingers running over the bruises he’d left on your skin the day prior when he fucked you rough over his desk.
“Are we playing hunt the whelp?” Your voice wavered nervously. So meek, so small. Nick nearly growled at the thought of hunting you, but he held it back.
Nick cleared his throat, shifting a little, so his hard-on wasn’t too obvious against your ass. He was trying to focus, all his energy going into being nice. But Nick could tell you knew he was turned on, your own arousal signalling through the bond. “No, no. We’re going shopping.”
You perked up at that, turning to look at Nick. Your curious shining eyes had his heart skipping a beat. “Shopping? Like, going outside?”
“Yes. We’re going into town. I’ll buy you whatever you want.”
The excitement that flooded the bond was overwhelming. Nick had never felt anything like it. You were happy. But there was some anxiety there too. “Won’t people recognise you? What if something goes wrong?” You asked with a growing frown.
Nick shhed you, gently running his finger over your frown and pushing your lips up at the edge so you were smiling. “You’re the safest omega in the world. Plus, Beck and Mace will be there too.”
Your expression turned into a genuine smile. And Nick smiled back.
“Sit up. I need to check your head.” Nick turned to the bedside, getting together his dabbing alcohol and bandages. You always seemed to end up with some injury after Nick had a bad day. It wasn’t overly intentional, but his anger often turned into dark arousal that left you sore and battered but pleasured too.
You’d banged your head on the desk yesterday when Nick shoved you down and caught your forehead on one of his fountain pens. It left a cut, but Beck dismissed it as minor, needing to be covered with a plaster.
Nick pulled away the bandage with you sitting cross-legged in front of him. He hummed, content at the sight of the healing cut. “Looks good, pup. My good girl, healing so well.”
Nick could feel the heat radiating from your skin as he gently cleaned the cut before placing a fresh bandage on the wound.
“Ah, just in time.” Nick put his things away as your breakfast was brought in. Pancakes with maple syrup and strawberries.
You seemed like a fish out of water, and Nick understood that. He was flipping his demeanour for you. This was new for him, but not entirely unwelcome, especially when he felt your ease through the bond.
Nick sat with you, cutting up the pancakes and feeding you small bites. Every so often, you would meet his gaze, a little twinkle in your eye that wasn’t there before.
It wouldn’t always be like this, and Nick knew he had a long way to go in putting your pieces back together.
But it was a task he knew he would never fail.
He would have all of you.
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* 𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐘𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐄𝐃 : mw fcs & personality types maybe ? this looks so good !
first of all : love you sweat ! i will point you towards 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 meaty mw fc list, bc many good points were made. but ! i'll also take this moment to self advocate and some will b repeats ... i would go absolutely feral for ella purnell ( duh ), laura harrier, jessica chastain, avan jogia, ben barnes, zion moreno, cillian murphy, blanca padilla, oscar isaac, margot robbie, tom hardy, alexa demie, riz ahmed, samara weaving, zendaya, tom holland, mimi keene, logan lerman, adelaide kane, victoria pedretti, andrew garfield, penelope cruz, emma mackey, charles melton, bill skarsgard, adam dimarco, medalion rahimi, natasha liu bordizzo, dua lipa, archie renaux, robert pattinson, freida pinto, florence pugh, dev patel, jessica alexander, oliver jackson cohen, halston sage, kiowa gordon, lily james, madelaine petsch, jordan connor, hande ercel, phoebe tonkin, nick robinson, savannah lee smith, emily alyn lynd, henry golding, rachel zegler, josh heuston, paul mescal ( i actually can't talk about it... ), daisy edgar jones, rami malek, lily rose depp, aron piper, adria arjona, olivia cooke, and that's just off the dome... now as for personality or character types ? why don't you go ahead & read more for some that have come to me ;)
any and all of the bunnies of mona awad's bunny - pretentious and beautiful budding literary icons , diehard devotees of "the aesthetic" ( or part of a cult most likely )
local carmy ? brilliant , celebrated , seemingly stuck in devo due to some unfortunate emotional ( or physical ) ties - maybe managing the diner or cheffin' it up at the whaler
ex - sea captain who is now devoted to hunting for treasure - both geocache and pirate style . some townspeople think they've lost the plot but others have noticed they really have a knack for this . obviously , quite the casanova
a well liked ghost therapist . came to town years ago as a ' spiritualist ' / more of a lowkey con artist medium but really came into their own in this environment
the seraphic matchmaker , wholesome , in love w love , just wants everyone to be happy , strikes gold every time to the point it is giving witchcraft , world's best and most in demand bridesmaid as a result !
charming and charismatic town official , great at drawing in a crowd and overseeing all the best local events . old money ( as much as you can be in this town , bc their family has always been here ) so obviously corrupt w very questionable morals
THE barber who does put everything you say in their chair on blast via their town meme page / finsta but customers stay loyal bc the only competition has a much darker reputation ( plot twist : and they were roommates ! )
ofc , new in towns / tourists with shady motives , to keep the locals on their toes
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