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When Katsuki was five years old, he held another baby in his arms for the very first time.
She was a tiny thing, barely even 8 pounds heavy, but Katsuki held her like she was the most precious thing in the universe. He didn’t let go of her the entire time his aunt was visiting. In fact, it was the quietest Mitsuki has ever seen her son be. Every time the little one would squirm a bit, he’d shift to make her more comfortable. When she opened her eyes and stared at Katsuki, he’d stare right back until she giggled. When it was almost time to go, he held onto her until Mitsuki had to gently remove her from his arms and back into her mama’s.
He ended up babysitting her as she grew older. He treated his cousin like his own sister and the little girl grew up to adore Katsuki tremendously. She’d sit on his shoulders when they visited the amusement park and Katsuki wouldn’t complain at all. He held her hand every time they crossed the street and bought her ice cream behind her mother’s back. Mitsuki saw how enamored Katsuki was with the child and she soon noticed that this wasn’t a one time thing.
All the neighborhood kids would flock to Katsuki like little ducklings in a line. He was older than most of the kids there, so he always took up a big brother role. Mitsuki wishes she gave Katsuki an actual little sibling to look after but he got by with every young one who shyly asked if he could play with Katsuki. The playground was always filled with laughter and delighted screams – Katsuki at the helm of it all with at least one kid nestled in his arms.
This didn’t change when Katsuki grew up. Even as he presented as an alpha, his natural paternal instincts just heightened. Mitsuki likes to pretend that she instilled that in him but Masaru’s kind and compassionate nature brought out the best in Katsuki. While Mitsuki taught Katsuki to respect anyone and everyone just as long as he is respected back, Masaru told him that kindness is something you do without asking for anything in return.
Maybe that was why he fell in love so fast.
Shouto was kind. Probably one of the kindest people Mitsuki has had the pleasure of meeting. He reminded her so much of Masaru and whenever they got together, she’d see how smitten Katsuki was for his mate. It was only a matter of time before she got the news that they were mated for life. Her neighbors said Katsuki wouldn’t find one so early on in life but she always knew her baby boy was capable of many things.
Now, just days away from Katsuki’s 22nd birthday, she got a call from her son. Immediately, she thought it was about birthday plans or some tips about laundry. She made sure to sternly tell him to call her instead of just texting so she didn’t think much of it when she picked up the phone.
“Did you forget to separate the lights from the darks again, Katsuki?” She said in lieu of a hello. She gets a scoff in response.
“When the hell have I ever forgotten to do that?” She chuckles as she hears Katsuki mumble something the phone receiver couldn’t pick up. Reaching into the cupboards for some bowls, she props up the phone on the counter and puts it on speaker.
“You did once in seventh grade.”
“That was one time!”
“One time too many!”
“It wasn’t that bad…” Another incoherent mumble followed that statement and Mitsuki tried very hard not to laugh. Irritating her son casually was one of her favorite pastimes. Just among other things like completely obliterating her neighbor at mahjong and taste testing the food her husband cooks without his permission. Eventually, Katsuki is pulled out of his irritated stupor and he asks her if she and Masaru have any plans for the weekend.
“Nothing is set on the calendar, as far as I know.” She closes the cupboard and takes out an instant ramen packet. “Why?”
“We want you to meet someone.”
Mitsuki furrows her brows, reading the instructions on the ramen packet without her glasses to no avail. “Yeah? Is it a friend of yours?”
“No. It’s someone much more important.”
Katsuki being cryptic about who this mystery person is has her looking suspiciously at her phone. Is it another mate of some sort? That would be impossible. He’s been mated with Shouto since they were literally in high school. Maybe it’s a mentor? She still hasn’t actually met Katsuki’s teachers before so it could be that she’s meeting someone like Toshinori, who she only knows by name because he’s Katsuki’s favorite teacher.
Yeah. She’s drawing a blank here.
“Yeah, sure honey. We’d love to meet them.” She gives up on reading the ramen instructions and sets the packet down. “Your father should be done with work by 3pm this friday.”
“That sounds perfect. I’ll pick you guys up then.”
Then she hears another voice on the line, most probably Shouto’s, and Katsuki’s voice muffles a bit as he talks to his mate. He comes back a few seconds later, stating ‘duty calls’ before he hangs up and leaves Mitsuki to her own thoughts.
Someone much more important.
Mitsuki can’t think of anyone more important to Katsuki than Shouto. She’s been racking her brain for literally anyone Katsuki hasn’t properly introduced to her before the entire week. Masaru told her not to stress too much about it but that’s what she does. She stresses . She needs to know how to act around this very important person. One wrong move and she might just be alienated from her son for years.
“Katsuki wouldn’t shut you out. He already tried and it didn’t work.” Masaru assured her as they waited on their front porch for their son to pick them up. He places a reassuring hand on her shoulder and squeezes. “And whoever this important person is, I’m sure they’ll love you.”
“You’re only saying that because you love me.”
“That I do,” Masaru chuckles and takes her hand in his to kiss it. “Your son does too. He wouldn’t want us to meet this person if he didn’t.”
Mitsuki visibly relaxes at Masaru’s touch and she sighs, leaning against his shoulder. “You always know what to say. How the hell do you do that?”
Masaru laughs, kissing the top of her head. “Years of practice, my dear. Years of practice.”
A few minutes later, Katsuki’s car arrives and they’re driving the two hours it takes to get to his house. The car ride consists of Mitsuki demanding for several updates on Katsuki’s life – his work, Shouto’s work, special events, and all that jazz. Katsuki has gotten infinitely more patient with his mother’s constant nagging as he grew older and updates her with as much as he could. Mitsuki likes to think it’s because Shouto has rubbed off on him.
Eventually, they arrive at Katsuki’s home and they’re greeted at the door by Shouto. Mitsuki hugs him immediately and he stiffens a bit before relaxing. Shouto still isn’t used to her brand of physical affection but that’s completely fine. She pulls away and pinches his cheeks with a bright smile.
“It’s so wonderful to see you again, Shouto.” She says as he leads him into their home. A few glasses with ice were already set on the coffee table, along with a few snacks and a liter of diet coke. It’s a lot like how Masaru greets guests and she passes a knowing look at her husband as they go to sit down.
“I’m sure Katsuki told you why you’re here.” Shouto got straight to the point, pouring out the coke into their glasses. “I’m actually kind of nervous.”
“Well, whoever it is we’re gonna meet, I'm sure they’re lovely.” Masaru reassures the couple, quietly thanking Shouto for the glass. Shouto still looks tense with nerves, in which Katsuki immediately went to massage his shoulders to calm him down. It’s wordless and natural, something Mitsuki has seen countless times before when she watched them first fall in love.
When they were in high school, Katsuki never brought home any of his other friends. Shouto was only introduced about a year into high school. Katsuki was a little more brash as a teenager and Shouto was the only one who matched his rapidfire quips. It was amusing to watch Katsuki be in denial about his attraction towards the other boy. She had to stop herself from saying “I knew it all along” when Katsuki said he might actually like Shouto.
Here they are now, 6 years later, mated for life, and Katsuki has never looked happier.
The only thing Mitsuki has ever wanted for Katsuki was to find someone who made him happy. She knew Shouto was gonna be that someone the second he entered their home and nearly knocked over the shoe rack at the genkan. Even now as she watches them discuss something quietly, she could see the way Katsuki’s eyes soften as he looks at his mate and how Shouto practically glows every time they’re together.
But then Mitsuki sniffs the air and her thoughts halt in their tracks. It’s a sweet scent — like baby’s breath flowers and cinnamon sugar. It’s also much more potent than either Shouto or Katsuki’s scent. Besides, Katsuki never smells like flowers. He smells like burnt sugar and sandalwood, ever since he was a kid and when he first presented. Shouto, however, always had a much lighter scent, but nothing ever akin to flowers.
“Mom?” Came Katsuki’s voice piercing through her thoughts. She looks up and she sees in Katsuki’s hands a little envelope. He hands it to her and she takes it with a curious head tilt. Katsuki moves back in his seat to hold Shouto’s hand. “This is the someone we want you to meet.”
She looks between the couple then eventually at Masaru, who just nods his head encouragingly. The important person… is in an envelope. Her heart is pounding now and she doesn’t know why. Between the cryptic messages, Shouto’s unusual scent, and the way the nervous couple in front of them is looking at them expectantly, a million and one things are running through her mind.
Then, she opens the envelope, and the world stops spinning.
There in her hands is a little black and white picture — a sonogram. It’s so tiny still but she could see it. There the little head was, the button nose, and its little hand raised up a little as if it was saying hello.
“A baby.” She managed to say after her brain had started to finish processing the sonogram. “Is this–?”
“Ours.” Shouto says with tears in his eyes. “You’re gonna be grandparents.”
Mitsuki breaks down into sobs. After so many years, she’s going to see her own son hold a baby of his own.
“You think they took that well?”
Katsuki wraps his arms around Shouto’s middle, grinning like a fool as his hands settle on the bump now starting to peek through his shirt. It’s still so surreal that they’re about to have their first pup. It took them a while to actually try for one and even longer to come to the conclusion that they have to tell their parents. Shouto just sent an email to his parents, something impersonal and distant. But he insisted that Masaru and Mitsuki find out in person.
“I think they did.” Katsuki shows Shouto the myriad of selfies his mother took with the sonogram now posted on Facebook for all her friends and neighbors to see. Katsuki’s favorite is the candid one that his dad took when she started bawling. She blamed it on all the pheromones Shouto was emitting, making her remember all the moments of motherhood she had with Katsuki. But they all knew that was a fucking lie. Either way, she was ecstatic and she took Shouto away to the kitchen to discuss everything he needed to know to still be comfortable during pregnancy.
“By the way, your dad sent me this picture before they left.” Shouto reached into his pocket to pull out his phone. Katsuki watches him scroll through his gallery, which is mostly candid pictures of Katsuki and a few of the different kinds of dinners Katsuki cooks for him. Katsuki makes a mental note to stock up on foods that Shouto might start craving soon.
Eventually, Shouto finds the picture and shows it to Katsuki, who immediately softens as he looks at it.
It’s a picture of when he was five years old, holding his baby cousin in his arms for the first time. His tooth was missing as he smiled down at her but at the time, he didn't care. Shouto leaned into Katsuki's embrace, nuzzling his nose against cheek with a fond smile.
“I think we’re gonna be okay.” Shouto says softly, his eyes never leaving the photo. Katsuki still had some baby fat on his cheeks and the way he held his cousin was still a little awkward. But that was one of the greatest moments of Katsuki’s life. He can’t wait for the day when he’ll hold his own pup in his arms and he’s sure Shouto is thinking the same thing.
Katsuki smiles and kisses his mate’s cheek.
“I think so too.”