Chapter Text
It had all started with Takemichi's scent.
Takemichi had always smelled delicate, distinctly sweet, like freshly made pancakes in the early morning. It was Mikey's favourite scent, and something about it awakened the predatory instincts inside him, making his canines ache with a latent appetite.
But then one day, the scent took on a newer note. Creamy, milky, soft. There was a word for it—lactonic. It was a little funny that Mikey was becoming a connoisseur of sorts when it came to the smell of Takemichi's skin.
"You smell different," Mikey said this with his head on Takemichi's lap, the two of them lazily draped across the couch.
"What?" Takemichi looked up from his phone to sniff his armpit. "I don't though."
But then Mikey buried his face into the omega's soft stomach, breathing in the smell of him, albeit a tad self-indulgently.
"You do too," Mikey said after careful investigation. "What? You think I don't know the scent of my own mate?" he said accusingly. Playing hurt was always the easiest way to get Takemichi's attention.
"No, no of course not, Mikey! You know I didn’t mean it like that." Bingo. "I just - okay, um, is it the good kind or the bad kind of different?"
Smiling triumphantly, Mikey sat up to press his nose onto Takemichi's scent gland, taking a long, hearty whiff from the dip of his mate's neck. Takemichi whined a little, but he allowed it.
"Good," Mikey said a little dazedly. "Reallyyy good."
Takemichi had to physically extricate Mikey from the sensitive spot before their skinship escalated as it always did. "Then what's the problem?" he asked.
The question caused Mikey to stop dead in his tracks, an unnatural wave of anxiety dousing his skin. What was the problem anyway? Why was he so hung up over this? But when he took an even deeper inhale of Takemichi’s scent, his instincts seemed to howl with a sudden surge of protectiveness.
"I don't know," Mikey paused to look Takemichi in the eye, beginning to panic now. "But something's wrong."
"Shit, what is it?" Takemichi could sense Mikey’s agitation. He lifted the front of his shirt to smell himself once more. "What do you think it is? I'm not like, I'm not sick, am I?"
“Fuck, I don’t know. How do you feel?” Mikey pressed their foreheads together to check Takemichi’s temperature. It was normal. Nothing out of the ordinary.
“I feel fine,” Takemichi said sharply, pushing him away. “Maybe I picked up a scent from outside? There’s a waffle stall nearby. It’s new.”
Mikey shook his head and pulled Takemichi closer until he was practically on Mikey’s lap. “No, that’s not it. There’s something else - I can feel it. And we were home all day, remember?”
“Then what the hell is wrong?!” Takemichi raised his voice, panicking. “Actually Mikey, I didn’t want to tell you this, but I’ve been feeling kinda weird the past few da – mmph!”
Takemichi couldn’t finish his sentence because Mikey was swooping in and sealing their lips together, his tongue darting out to lick into Takemichi’s hot mouth. Takemichi tried to shy away with a whimper, but Mikey only pushed even closer and lapped at Takemichi’s lips, teeth, and tongue, as if trying to taste a flavour he already knew all too well. By the time Mikey pulled away, Takemichi was flushed red and panting, his fingers bunched into the fabric of Mikey’s shirt.
“W-what the hell, Mikey! Now’s not the time for this–”
“You taste different.”
“I…what?”
Mikey cradled Takemichi’s cheeks and brought their faces an inch apart. He licked over the seam of Takemichi’s lips, with the omega trying to wrench out of his grip in futile defiance. “I’m saying – you taste – different,” he said between licks.
Finally, Takemichi was able to push Mikey off, whining and heaving as he did so. He shot an accusatory glare at his mate, his patience already worn thin.
“Can’t you be serious here? You’re the one who brought it up in the first place.”
“You taste different. And you smell different too,” Mikey continued, seemingly lost in thought.
Takemichi’s eye twitched in irritation. “Mikey, I swear to god, if you accuse me of cheating on you with another alpha again, I will personally–”
"Your heat!" Mikey cut him off, sounding strangely breathless. "Where's your heat?"
“Uh, I don’t know. Same as it always is,” Takemichi snapped. “Second week of every month – you should know this already!”
“No. Where is it.” Mikey felt impending realisation dawn onto him. His heart began to pound rapidly in his chest.
“What do you mean? Like I said, it isn’t until the second – oh…oh shit.”
And then Mikey was tugging Takemichi forward so that they were chest to chest, both their eyes wide and breaths puffing against each other’s faces.
“No way, you don’t think…” Takemichi’s sentence died in his throat as the enormity of the situation crashed down upon them just then.
Mikey gulped and nodded his head mutely. They had to check.
After a hasty trip to the drug store and one pregnancy test later, they found out that Takemichi was pregnant, the two pink lines couldn’t lie. Mikey nearly fainted at the result, having to pinch himself multiple times to convince himself that everything was real. Takemichi, on the other hand, wouldn’t stop crying like a malfunctioning water fountain. He kept blubbering something along the lines of ‘I knew it’ and ‘I told you so’ as he clutched Mikey’s arm with all the dramatics of a 15th century renaissance painting.
Mikey wasn’t sure whether Takemichi’s tears were brought on either by happiness or by dread, but he hoped that it was happiness.
Because Mikey couldn’t remember the last time he’d ever been this happy.
***
It was only a few weeks after their discovery that Takemichi began showing the first actual signs of his pregnancy. As soon as he did, Mikey rushed him straight to the nearest hospital, much to Takemichi’s dismay.
The nurses hadn’t let Mikey in the examination room once they arrived. Something about privacy and abusive alphas or some shit. Mikey couldn’t be bothered to even think about it.
Instead, he was strictly told to wait outside the hospital room, where he anxiously paced around like a lost puppy, unable to keep up a calm facade like he normally did. How could he be calm when his omega was in there without him? Probably needing his alpha all the more by his side? It was torture. Mikey needed to see Takemichi with his own eyes, needed to hold his hand and to tell him everything was gonna be okay.
And it seemed that Takemichi needed that too because not long after, the physician came clamouring out the door to call Mikey inside.
“Your mate seems to be in significant distress. May I ask that you–”
The doctor never quite finished their sentence before Mikey was already barrelling into the room and searching for Takemichi with frantic eyes. His heart clenched painfully at the sight of his sniffling omega, with obvious tears running down his pale cheeks.
“What’s wrong?” Mikey asked as he brisked across the room, promptly pulling Takemichi into his arms. “Hmm? What is it?”
It didn’t take much for Takemichi to whimper out and cling onto him, sobbing quietly as he trembled all over. A contradictory mix of worry and sweet satisfaction stirred inside Mikey while he protectively tucked Takemichi into his chest.
“C’mon, Mitchy. Shh, I’m here now. Let me help you,” Mikey soothed his troubled mate.
“What if – what if it all goes wrong?” Takemichi hiccuped into Mikey’s shirt. “O-or what if my baby doesn’t even like me? I don’t want that, Mikey. I want my baby to like me the most!” And he continued to wail into Mikey’s chest, pulling at Mikey’s shirt so tightly that the fabric was taut around his neck.
“Oh – uh, what?” Mikey stared dumbly at the doctor for clarification.
The said doctor cleared his throat and stepped forward. “I simply explained to the patient that there exists a small possibility for the child to imprint onto the nearest doctor upon delivery. Note that this only occurs at incredibly minor rates, but the warning was necessary nonetheless.”
“See, Mikey! I could lose my child to some rando all because they were the first to pull the baby out my ass!” Takemichi was borderline hysterical at that point, close to screaming without care.
Mikey had to hide his treacherous smile into Takemichi’s hair. He kinda liked Takemichi like this—needy, weepy, and overly clingy half the time. It made Mikey feel stronger and stranglely invincible, like nothing could get within a ten foot pole near his mate or he’d bite their fucking head off with zero hesitation.
“Aww, you heard him, Mitchy. It rarely even happens.” He pulled Takemichi closer, placing gentle kisses along the top of Takemichi’s head. “You got nothing to worry about."
"B-but still! You know what it's like! What if we're just unlucky?"
"Then I'll kill him," Mikey said with all seriousness.
Takemichi looked up at Mikey with watery eyes. "Kill who?"
"I'll kill the bastard who would dare try to take away our baby."
"Oh god, Mikey," Takemichi moaned, but he met Mikey's eyes as if considering his insane suggestion. "Y-you really mean it?"
That made Mikey crack a smile. "Of course I do,” he smoothened down Takemichi’s wild curls. “Look, our baby will love you, okay? I mean, how couldn't he?”
"Or she," Takemichi sniffled.
"Hmm?"
"Or she," Takemichi repeated. "She could be a girl too, y'know." And finally, a small smile returned to Takemichi's tear-stricken face, making Mikey's heart fill with pride at having brought it there.
"Yes, yes of course," Mikey said, no longer hiding his full-blown smile as he kissed Takemichi's cheeks. "She'd love you, of course she would. It'd be impossible not to."
By the 13th week, Takemichi had his first ultrasound, this time, with Mikey holding his hand the entire time. They were twins—two miracle pups, was what Mikey liked to call them. Because even through the blurry screen, Mikey knew they’d grow stronger than any other pup that ever existed.
Upon hearing the news, Takemichi quickly burst into tears again, which was becoming an increasingly frequent occurrence for every day that passed. The doctor said it was due to a combination of both stress & hormones and his natural tendency to tears, but Mikey wasn't complaining. He'd be lying if he said the alpha in him didn't preen every time his omega latched onto him all needy and whining.
“Shh, don’t cry. You’re gonna make yourself sick,” Mikey cooed as he rubbed Takemichi’s mostly flat stomach. “You might upset the pups.”
"Oh, you're right,” Takemichi whimpered and allowed Mikey to wipe away his tears. He looked down at his stomach, placing a hand over Mikey’s larger one. “I'm sorry, babies. I didn’t mean to upset you, my baby boy and girl.”
“Boy and girl?” Mikey nearly choked, feeling like he’d missed something. “Isn’t it too early to tell?”
“I just know.” Takemichi was smiling down at their joined hands. “It’s like, I can feel them telling me, like they want me to know them.” He took Mikey’s hand and kissed it. “These little angels are a lot like their papa, hmm?”
“Please,” Mikey dropped to his knees, kissing Takemichi’s stomach. “Please, please.”
Mikey didn’t know what he was asking for, but it seemed like Takemichi knew. They were both close to tears right there in the middle of the examination room, and it frightened Mikey just how happy he could get.
Mikey never knew that he could smile so much that he thought he just might cry.
***
Takemichi was well into the second trimester when his hormones decided to work at full force against him.
Sure, happiness made Takemichi glow, shining more radiant than ever. And sure, satisfaction made him blissful, as if he could melt right into his cozy nest. But when Takemichi was sad, then he was miserable. And when he was miserable, then Mikey got protective.
In fact, Mikey began to reach whole new levels of protectiveness, some might even call it, codependency. If Takemichi had to get up to pee in the middle of the night—which happened three, maybe four times each night—then Mikey would get up with him, afraid that Takemichi might stumble in the dark and hurt himself and the babies. It definitely didn’t help that Takemichi descended to a sobbing mess at even the tiniest thing that upset him, with Mikey having to leak alpha pheromones to placate the distressed omega.
Today, Mikey was hurrying home from a meeting. He couldn’t avoid it this time. Let’s just say, he’d missed so many that some Toman members began to forget his face, not that he gave a damn. The one thing on his mind was his beautiful wife back at home, who probably needed him more than anything.
“Takemitchy!” Mikey shouted as soon as he stepped through the door.
The omega in question squeaked and dropped his empty mug. Luckily, it didn’t shatter because Mikey had the floor carpeted for that exact reason.
“Welcome home, Mikey,” Takemichi said dryly as his mate shucked out of his shoes and raced to his side, already fussing over him like a frantic mother would.
“You shouldn’t be up by yourself! What if you got hurt while I was away? We can’t risk you falling over–”
“Stop treating me like I’m fragile!” Takemichi snapped, but he accepted Mikey scenting him regardless. “My ankles were killing me, okay? They’re so sore lately. I had to stretch for a while.”
“Is it that bad?” Mikey asked, voice small, as he guided Takemichi to the couch. He always felt a little guilty when Takemichi complained about anything pregnancy related, like he was failing as an alpha or something—which Takemichi was always quick to dismiss.
“I’m fine. It’s not like it'll kill me,” Takemichi said, and Mikey did his best not to remind him that those were the exact words he used.
“How was your day?” Mikey asked once he carefully fluffed the pillows and laid Takemichi onto the soft cushions. Despite his efforts, Takemichi only climbed onto Mikey’s lap as soon as he sat down, purring and nipping at the alpha’s jawline.
“Oh you know, nothing much,” Takemichi yawned. “Not like I can do much of anything while I’m cooped up in here.”
Mikey sighed, they were having this conversation again. “You know I only do this because I care about you, right?”
“I know,” Takemichi sniffed. “I wasn’t saying anything. Did I say anything?”
Mikey groaned inwardly. “Whatever, just forget it.”
The two of them stewed in tense silence for a little while, neither one saying a word though they were both wrapped into each other. Until finally, like always, Mikey was the first one to break.
“Are you mad at me?” he asked, feeling wounded and low.
“Ugh – I hate that question,” Takemichi scoffed, and he shifted in Mikey’s lap to accommodate his stomach. “Like, why would I be mad? Did you do something to make me mad?”
“I don’t know. But I feel like you’re mad.”
“Well I’m not, so that’s that,” Takemichi let out a deep sigh, cringing. “And can you stop with your goddamn alpha pheromones? You're stinking up the place.”
“Jesus, okay,” Mikey said defensively, though it came out a little harsher than he meant it to.
Suddenly, the sharp scent of omegan distress pierced through Mikey’s nose. And at that moment, Mikey knew he fucked up.
“It’s like – what do you want me to do? Just sit here on my ass all day?” Takemichi asked, clambering off of Mikey’s lap. “I’m my own person too, Mikey. But you make me feel like I’m a mother before I’m your partner!”
“What? No! C’mon Mitchy, don’t get upset. It’s bad for the pups.”
“Oh wow, ‘bad for the pups,’ huh?” Takemichi repeated Mikey’s words with exaggerated air quotes. “Well, what about me? I’m upset, and it seems like you don’t even care at all!”
“Of course I care!” Mikey stood now too, but more to make sure Takemichi didn’t accidentally fall. “That’s why I’m fucking telling you not to leave the house!”
Takemichi gasped, clutching his stomach. “Don’t you dare curse in front of the children, Sano Manjiro!”
Mikey, at least, had the decency to feel ashamed. He bowed his head slightly, taking on such an omega-like posture that anyone who saw them would know who truly held the power between the two.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it,” Mikey whined. “I hate seeing you get all worked up. You know that.”
He tried to pull Takemichi into a hug, but Takemichi batted his hands away, making Mikey’s heart sink with dread.
“And you know that I hate being confined in the apartment all day, but you do it anyway, don’t you?”
“Well yeah, because I’m looking out for you!” Mikey felt on the verge of pulling out his hair. “And the babies!” he added.
“Then I think you’re doing a pretty shit job if that’s what you’re doing!” Takemichi shouted, and finally, he brought his hands up to his face to sob into them pitifully.
A stab of remorse shot through Mikey, his heart beating erratically in his chest. He always hated seeing Takemichi cry. It caused something primal and protective to take over him, feeling physically sick at the distress of his mate.
“I’m sorry for shouting,” Mikey cringed at the shakiness of his voice. “Please don’t cry.”
Takemichi only continued to choke on wet, little sobs, slowly breaking Mikey's heart.
“I'm sorry - fuck, I'm so sorry.” Mikey moved forward cautiously, resting his hands on Takemichi’s trembling shoulders. Thankfully, the omega allowed it.
“Can I hold you, Takemitchy?”
Takemichi shook his head stubbornly, bottom lip wobbling, tears pouring from his eyes, but then his arms opened up as if asking to be held.
“Fuck, Mikey,” Takemichi sobbed wetly as Mikey stepped forward to wound his arms around him, holding him tight. Mikey’s own eyes burned with the pressure of his unshed tears, and he kissed the side of Takemichi’s head while the omega continued to cry into his shoulder.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get mad,” Takemichi’s voice wibbled next to Mikey’s ear.
“Shh, don’t apologise. It’s my fault, I should’ve listened to you.”
“Yeah, you should’ve,” Takemichi laughed weakly. “But that doesn’t mean I get to shout at you, y’know? We’re a team, you and me.”
“Okay,” Mikey croaked, feeling like he was about to cry.
Sensing this, Takemichi pulled back and cupped Mikey’s jaw. “Oh, poor Mikey, my poor alpha,” Takemichi cooed, kissing Mikey all over. “You treat me so good, oh, c’mere honey.”
That night, Mikey cried like a baby in Takemichi’s arms. His mate held him close and whispered gently into his hair. It was the safest he’d ever felt in his life.
“Promise me you w-won’t tell the others about this,” Mikey sobbed into Takemichi’s lap.
Takemichi never did.
***
The third trimester was fast approaching without so much as a kick from the twin pups in Takemichi's belly.
Mikey was beginning to worry, while Takemichi did his best to appease him like always.
“You don’t think something’s wrong, do you?” Mikey asked as he massaged Takemichi’s swollen ankles on the couch. “I read on the Internet that babies usually start kicking at twenty weeks.”
“Oh hush, Mikey,” Takemichi turned away from the TV. “The doctor already told us it was normal.” Then he looked down and touched his stomach lovingly. “You kiddos are just a little shy, aren’t you?”
Mikey’s eyes almost watered at the sight. He always loved when Takemichi spoke to the twins like they could hear him. It made the alpha in him swell with pride.
“Honey,” Takemichi moaned, instantly catching Mikey’s attention. “Do we still have those waffle things in the fridge? I’m starving.”
Unlike a month ago, Takemichi finally gave in to Mikey’s coddling and allowed himself to be fully pampered, asking for massages and demanding that his cravings be provided for. Mikey was more than happy to indulge his demanding omega. He’d willingly cut off a limb of his own if Takemichi so asked for it.
“Uhh, I think we’re all out,” Mikey said from the kitchen, rustling through the fridge shelves. “We still have strawberry ice cream.”
“I want waffles though,” Takemichi pouted, grumbling. How could Mikey possibly say no to that?
“Alright, how many do you want?” Mikey grabbed the nearest jacket. It’d be cold outside.
Takemichi turned to frown at him. “Where are you going?” he asked while Mikey threw on his slippers.
“I’ll get some at the store.”
Mikey walked to the couch and kissed Takemichi’s temple, but Takemichi grabbed his wrist before he could leave.
“No, no I don’t want you to go alone,” Takemichi struggled to stand from his seat, his belly getting in the way. “I’ll go with you.”
Mikey’s vision nearly went red at the thought of his heavily pregnant mate joining him outside. The fact that Takemichi could barely get off the couch without his help was already answer enough.
“Absolutely not.” Mikey attempted to set Takemichi back on the couch, but he resisted. “C’mon Mitchy, don’t fight me on this. What’s the point of having a husband if I can’t even buy you waffles when you need them?”
“Ah yes, because that’s exactly what I married you for,” Takemichi mumbled under his breath. Mikey would’ve laughed if he wasn’t so worried.
Fortunately, Takemichi didn’t resist any more than that and allowed himself to be manoeuvred back to his spot on the couch. But just when Mikey thought he was free, Takemichi wrapped his arms around Mikey’s middle, keeping him in place.
“Actually, I don’t want waffles anymore,” Takemichi blinked up at him adorably. “Don’t go.”
If it was possible for a person’s heart to both stop and go a mile a minute at the same time, then Mikey finally knew that feeling. He leaned down, smiling fondly, and kissed the clingy omega to his heart’s content, making exaggerated kissy noises as he did so.
“God, you’re so cute,” Mikey sighed, a ridiculous smile plastered on his face. “How is it possible to be this cute?”
Takemichi giggled softly under Mikey’s touch, returning the kisses that landed on his lips. “You don’t have to woo me anymore, Mikey. I’m already your wife.”
“And I still can’t believe it,” Mikey said seriously.
Takemichi pawed at Mikey’s shirt, laughing uncontrollably now, while Mikey tried his hardest to hold in his tears. Weirdly enough, he seemed to cry more than Takemichi these days.
“I’ll go get you your waffles now, okay?” Mikey smiled down at his mate adoringly. “So just sit tight, and let me feed you and the pups.” He always liked wording it that way, like he was providing not just for Takemichi, but for the entire family.
“Okaaayy,” Takemichi huffed, but he released Mikey from his hold, breathing in Mikey’s scent before letting go. “Get the family-sized box - the biggest one. It’s the best deal.”
“Yes, my love,” Mikey said, and Takemichi snorted.
“Still trying to woo me?” he raised a brow. “While you’re at it, why don’t you wash your dirty spoon instead of leaving it on the – ah!”
In an instant, Mikey raced from the door to Takemichi’s side, kneeling on the floor with shaky legs.
“What’s wrong?” Mikey gripped Takemichi’s elbow, icy terror seeped through his bones. “What is it?”
“Oh my god, Mikey,” Takemichi grabbed Mikey’s hand and yanked it to his belly. “Oh my god, oh my god – do you feel it?”
“What? Feel wha–” And then there it was, the tiniest little kick that felt like a flutter beneath his palm. Relief flooded Mikey’s veins, and then gratitude, until there was nothing but pure, unadulterated love. And he couldn’t help but lean down and pepper kisses on Takemichi’s stomach, hoping that his pups could feel it too.
“Do you feel that, babies?” Takemichi brimmed with happiness. “That’s your Papa. He loves you very very much.”
Mikey choked on his tears. “I do.”
“Wait - why are you crying?!” Takemichi laughed, petting Mikey’s hair.
“I just - I love them so much.” Mikey took Takemichi’s hands and kissed his fingers, kissed his ring. “Takemichi, I love you. I-I love you.”
“Aww, come here.”
They embraced as joyfully as their wedding day. Although this time, two little pups were right there with them, finally kicking like they wanted their presence known. Mikey kissed Takemichi fully, kissed his belly three times, and went back up to kiss Takemichi some more. It was hard to do when both of them were smiling so widely, laughing and half-sobbing between kisses.
Just like that, Mikey was no longer afraid. He always had been, even after being with Takemichi for so long. Because now, Mikey trusted himself to protect this happiness for the rest of his life, and maybe even after that, for the years and years to come.
“I’m gonna love you forever,” Mikey whispered, his heart in his throat.
Then Takemichi smiled, never looking happier.
“Mikey, I already do.”