Chapter Text
Miyagi, Japan – Early November 2012
Oikawa has felt off for a while now. A plethora of symptoms plague his daily life: foods tasting strange, aversions to certain scents, nausea that occurs mostly in the mornings, and the overwhelming desire to just sleep.
Which is why he’s standing in front of a pharmacy, four train stops away from his town, with the hood of his hoodie pulled up and his sister's old sunglasses on. He adjusts his mask, pushing it against the sides of his nose before finally walking in. The chiming sound of the entrance causes his stomach to sink, suddenly feeling like all eyes are on him, like they all just know .
Slowly, he makes his way further into the store before finding the aisle labeled ‘family planning’.
What a joke. The Omega internally scoffs at the choice of wording. Planning , as if this had been planned in any way. As if four months after his 18th birthday he actually wanted to be standing here instead of packing to go overseas for volleyball.
He hadn’t realized he’s been giving off dulled pheromones or how long he’s been standing there motionless with a box in each hand until a soft and gentle voice cuts through his rushing thoughts. He glances over to see a bright blue-eyed male Omega smiling at him, something about that smile starts to calm him.
“Those are a decent brand, but this one,” he says excuse me as he reaches in front of him, plucking an orange colored box off the shelf, “is better for male Omegas.”
“T-thank you.” Shaky hands place the other two boxes back on the shelf, tightly gripping the orange box he’s handed. The box is light, he knows that, but suddenly it feels like he’s holding lead, like the weight of the situation is literally in his hands and he cracks.
Oikawa starts to tremble, distress signals fill the aisle as he tries to swallow all the emotions threatening to surface as tears continuously stream down his face. He finally looks up, feeling the soothing peppermint pheromones from the older Omega who is giving Oikawa a reassuring smile before passing him a tissue. He wipes his tears away before blowing his nose, shoving the tissue into his pocket, thanking the man again.
He tries to even his breathing as he walks towards the register, wishing he had grabbed something else to ring up than just the box, even more anxious than before. The nasty and judgemental look from the woman behind the counter does nothing to relieve that anxiety and if he didn’t feel paralyzed, he’d have run out.
“Your total is 800 yen.”
**
Iwaizumi isn’t sure what to expect as he gets closer and closer to Oikawa’s bedroom. All he had to go on was a cryptic “we need to talk” text and the sound of muffled sobs coming from the room at the end of the hall. He’s greeted with the sight of his childhood best friend’s face red and blotchy with teary eyes looking up at him from his seated position on the floor.
In an instant, he’s by Oikawa’s side, flaring out comforting pheromones, officially worried by everything happening. Gently, he tries to get Oikawa to tell him what’s going on, to fill in the blanks he can’t on his own, but instead is handed a white plastic stick with a pink plus sign on it.
Time ticks by slowly, could’ve been ten minutes, could’ve been three minutes, neither really know, both sets of eyes on the cheap plastic Iwa’s holding as if it was a ticking time bomb and maybe in some way it was.
“So you’re…”
“Yeah.”
“You and me…”
“Mhm.”
“Then that night…”
“Yep.”
The Alpha’s mouth dries, a million thoughts and questions race through his mind, trying to process everything he’s just learned. That night had been several weeks ago, back at the beginning of October, when Iwa was left home alone while his parents, Kana and Hiroshi, went away for an overnight trip to an onsen. That night had been when Oikawa offered to stay over at the Iwaizumi’s and neither set of parents batted an eye that an Alpha would be alone with an Omega, they had grown up together, they were best friends. That night started with sipping on the lukewarm beers Oikawa snuck over, Iwa on the couch while Oikawa was on the floor in front of him, watching some Godzilla movie.
It was during the movie credits that Oikawa suggested truth or dare to Iwa who agreed, leading to someone saying dare followed by I dare you to kiss me . Noses collided, the first attempt landed on the corner of Oikawa’s lips, quickly followed by too much tongue. Clumsy hands moved through hair before fumbling with buttons and shirts. That night things ended a lot quicker than either had thought it would, ending with Oikawa curled up against the Alpha’s chest.
* *
Miyagi, Japan – Late February 2013
“Are we waiting for anyone to join us today or is it just you?” The nurse smiles at him, already sure of what his answer will be. It had been the same for the last several appointments, but she was still holding out since this was a pretty big appointment.
“Just me.” Oikawa tries to hide how embarrassed he feels, wondering if things wouldn’t be as awkward if Iwaizumi was there.
He follows the Beat down the same bright familiar hallway, heading towards the same exam rooms he’s been to several times – all without Iwa.
The Omega is taken to the ultrasound room where a female Omega sweetly greets him with a reassuring smile, the same one she had given at his 8 weeks confirmation ultrasound 12 weeks ago. He pulls up his shirt, awkwardly sliding down the panel of his maternity leggings.
The gel is cold, sending a shiver up his spine, but his mind goes blank when his baby’s heartbeat fills the room. The obstetric sonographer tells him the baby’s heartbeat is strong at 137bpm. She then walks him through the various measurements she takes, the ultrasound more thorough than the first as she takes pictures of the fetus’s face, brain, kidneys, feet, hands and other areas.
“Would you like to know the gender?” She smiles, telling him she’s surprised he hasn’t noticed yet.
Oikawa takes a deep breath, quickly glancing at the empty chair to his left. The chair reserved for one’s mate or spouse, the chair where Iwaizumi should be. “Yes, please.”
“See right here?” She makes a circular motion with the cursor on the screen, “you’re having a boy.”
A boy. A little boy. Oikawa couldn’t help the tears that prick his eyes or the sudden burst of his pheromones that filled the room. The sonographer hands him several sonograms: some the standard 2D images while there were a couple of the 3D ones. His heart flutters a bit when he notices what looks like Iwa’s stern expression on the baby’s face and how the tiny nose in the images resembles his own.
**
Oikawa’s escorted by the nurse from earlier around the corner to check his weight before taking him into one of the small exam rooms. She takes his blood pressure, asking if he had any concerns he wanted to discuss with his doctor and if he was still feeling movement daily before leaving the room.
He fidgets with his phone, opening and closing the same few apps before double checking that his reminder text about the appointment to Iwa had gone through. It had. He’s used to this, to sitting here alone, but sometimes his hormones make him wish he wasn’t.
Though he did enjoy the quiet he got in the exam rooms. At home he spends most of his time either in his room or out back on the bench swing, waiting for Iwaizumi to get home. The atmosphere since the news came out left the Omega feeling suffocated, the polar opposite behaviors of his parents didn’t help either.
His mother hovers around him, stressing out everytime he so much as adjusts on the couch or tries to fix his own drink, but in some ways he prefers that to how his father acts. Daisuke hasn’t looked at or said a word to his son since the news came out, only muttering a ‘pass that dish’ or a brief hum when Oikawa tells his parents he’s going to an appointment or next door.
Two soft knocks pull Oikawa from his thoughts just before the doctor walks in. Upon his first visit, he learned the kind Omega that helped him get the best pregnancy test was also an OB-GYN at his clinic and was assigned to Oikawa.
Kobayashi Ryo smiles at the brunette before sitting on the small stool, sliding it a bit closer to Oikawa. The sweet and friendly peppermint scent that fills the room soothes Oikawa’s nerves as the doctor tells him that his little one is practically perfect, all the measurements were where they should be. He even hinted at the possibility the baby could end up presenting as an Alpha due to him weighing a bit more than average.
* *
Early November 2012
Oikawa hadn’t really left his room since he took the test three days ago, finding it uncomfortable to be around his parents while keeping such a heavy secret. Part of him wanted Iwaizumi to be there with him, to comfort him, and help him figure out what to do, but the other part of him didn’t want to see the Alpha at all, didn't want him anywhere near him, and just wanted to hate him.
It was either a blessing or some sick twisted cosmic joke that Iwaizumi and his parents were coming over for dinner tonight, something that the families did a few times a month, swapping between the house it was hosted at. The evening started out like all the other dinners they’ve shared: talking about work and life before it transitioned to what was happening with the two of them. Technically, Oikawa was supposed to be in South America this month, but postponed due to not feeling well, not that going was really a possibility now. As for Iwaizumi, he was in his first semester at Tohoku University, the same university his father and grandfather had attended. But the suffocating atmosphere started to become too much for the Omega, who started to tremble, destress signals rippled off his shoulders, causing everyone to look over at the two of them.
Miyeko reached over, placing her hand on his son, trying to calm Oikawa down before he watched her face fall. Maybe it was a maternal thing, maybe it was just plainly written on his face, but the next thing he knew was his mother pulled her hand away and his father, Daisuke, tightly grabbed his glass of whiskey while Iwa’s parents shared a look. The two of them were sent to Oikawa’s room and he noted that for an Alpha, Iwaizumi looked really small. Iwa sat on the edge of Oikawa’s bed while the Omega sat next to the door he left cracked, trying to hear what was being said in the dining room.
Kana was crying while Miyeko tried to comfort her while Hiroshi was just angry, rambling on about how his son would continue to attend Tohoku University and this issue shouldn’t stop him from being successful. Voices began to quickly overlap, making it hard to not only hear what was being said, but also who was saying what.
“Maybe it’s just a stomach bug.”
“I just don’t understand how this could happen.”
“Why should Hajime be punished because of that Om-”
It was at that point Daisuke finally spoke up, quickly telling Hiroshi to be very careful with how he chose his words when talking about his son. Saying that an equal mistake was made between their sons, but it would do no good fighting amongst each other. That they didn’t have to approve of what they did, but they needed to come up with a plan to handle it and trying to blame one over the other wouldn’t help do that.
* *
April 2013
Iwaizumi practically throws his backpack in his room on his way to rush out of the house, his project meeting ran long causing him to be late for meeting Oikawa for an appointment. He’s halfway out the backdoor when Kana calls out for him, asking him to join them in the living room and Iwa sits down in the armchair closest to him, suddenly feeling nervous. If he had to pick a word to describe the atmosphere in their home since the news broke, it would be heavy.
“How are classes? Still getting high marks?” Hiroshi doesn’t bother to look at his son, eyes remaining on whatever work documents he’s reviewing.
“Classes are fine, Dad. I’m running late for –”
“Have you given any thought to what I said?”
“Hiroshi.” Kana says, knowing where her husband is going with this. She understands it’s not an easy situation, it’s definitely not one she ever saw themselves being in, but they are here and they need to be supportive.
“There’s no reason you need to be tied down by an Omega or a baby. If he wants to ruin his life, fine, but that doesn’t mean you need to as well.” His father’s distaste for the situation at hand drips from every word he says to Iwaizumi, making sure to reiterate once again how irresponsible Miyeko and Daisuke were for allowing their son to tell them what he was going to do. Not to mention the ever present expectations he was given not just as their only son, but also as an Alpha.
“Tooru isn’t just some Omega, Dad. I’m going to school, I’m doing well and that won’t change.” Iwaizumi excuses himself, telling them he has an appointment to get to.
**
“Things still going well?”
Oikawa gives the doctor a soft smile, “we just talked about the baby.”
“I meant with you, Oikawa-kun. Your health is just as important as your son’s.”
The smile falters, “just exhausted is all.”
“And yo– uh, the Alpha? How are things going with him?”
“Fine.” Oikawa shrugs, trying to not look so upset at the mention of Iwaizumi, “he’s just really busy with school, ya know.”
The blue-eyed Omega hums, but Oikawa isn’t sure if it’s in understanding or judgment. He places a comforting hand on the brunette’s shoulder, “having an Alpha around does help with pregnancy, but they aren’t entirely necessary. Just remember to call if you need anything or things get too much alone. Promise?”
“I promise.”
**
By the time he gets to the hospital, talks to the receptionist, and gets to the right floor, he catches the all too familiar fluffy brown hair standing outside of an exam room. He starts to raise his arm up to get the Omega’s attention, but drops it when he watches the doctor comfort Oikawa. He starts to panic, was something wrong with Oikawa? Or the baby? It should be him comforting Oikawa, not some random doctor and he hates that he couldn’t be there for him.
“Iwa-chan!” Oikawa says goodbye to the doctor before shifting his focus to the Alpha, the two walking towards the elevators.
“Sorry I was late…again.” Iwaizumi rubs the back on his neck, embarrassed, feeling guilty over looking like such a bad partner. Even with a baby on the way, neither has mentioned what their relationship is or will be once the baby’s here.
“You had classes, can’t be helped.” Oikawa turns away, hoping to hide the disappointment on his face. When they talked things out, talked about keeping the baby, it sounded to him like they would be a team. Lately, however, it feels like he’s doing it all by himself, that he’s the only one who has put everything on hold.
“How did it go? Everything okay?”
Oikawa wraps his arms around himself, partially to shield himself from the looks he knows he’s getting and from the cool breeze that hits them when they walk out of the hospital. “Everything’s fine, still a healthy boy.”
“What about you?”
Oikawa laughs, an amused smile on his face as he nudges Iwa’s shoulder, “aw, you worried about me?”
“Yeah. We’re partners, aren’t we?”
“Yeah,” Oikawa smiles, pink dusting his cheeks. “Partners.”
* *
Miyagi, Japan – June 30, 2013
There’s a soft and gentle smile on Oikawa’s face as he holds the little bundle with dark hair. A warmth spreads throughout him as he watches the little one sleep, small chest rising and falling with each little breath. He had a similar feeling to this when he felt the baby’s first kick and when he saw the first ultrasound, but it was somehow different this time. He starts to feel a little overwhelmed, tears prick the corners of his eyes, already knowing there’s nothing in this world he wouldn’t do to protect his son.
The sound of the hospital door sliding open jolts the Omega, the baby’s face scrunches up as he starts to stir. Oikawa quickly shushes whoever walks in, soothing the baby back to sleep, emitting calm pheromones.
“I got here as soon as I co–” Iwaizumi starts apologizing before his words get stuck on his tongue. He’s always thought Oikawa was beautiful, even before they presented, there’s just always been something captivating about him. But right now, the Omega looks breathtaking to the Alpha and he’s sure part of it has to be from him holding his son, their son.
“You’re here now. That’s what matters, right?”
The Alpha is still in awe that he doesn’t notice the hint of discontent in the Omega’s tone or how his eyes never leave the little bundle. He walks closer to the right side of the bed, carefully looking at the little boy all swaddled in Oikawa’s arms. Iwaizumi is close enough to inhale the added sweetness to Oikawa’s honey scent that Omegas have after giving birth along with the fresh linen scent the baby has; though it will change by his fifth birthday when he presents.
Iwaizumi blinks slowly, suddenly feeling the urge to try to rub the wrinkles from his shirt. His rich earthy scent starts to get laced with worry and stress, everything starts to feel real and it makes the room spin. Oikawa pumps out soothing pheromones, snapping the Alpha out of his panic.
A Beta nurse comes in the room, helping Iwaizumi take the baby from Oikawa before checking the Omega’s vitals and making sure he’s still doing okay. It’s after she excuses herself that Oikawa looks at Iwa, seeing the soft and adoring expression on his face as he looks down at their son.
“His name is Iwaizumi Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi meaning pure.”
“Kiyoshi. It’s perfect.” The Alpha leans over, pressing a chaste kiss on Oikawa’s forehead, “thank you.”
It’s truly a picture perfect moment in their less than perfect arrangement. He wants to ask Iwaizumi what’s next for them, not wanting to leave things up in the air now that Kiyo’s born, but he can’t get over the expression on the Alpha’s face. The way Iwa’s eyes are misty the longer he stares at their son, gently rubbing a finger against his chubby cheek and how his heart is still racing from the forehead kiss.
* *
July 2013
Oikawa barely opens his eyes as he pushes himself out of bed, dragging his feet as scooped Kiyo out of his bassinet.
“Shhhh shhhh shhhh.” He shushes in the infant's ear, trying to calm him down as he walks and bounces towards the kitchen. “What has you this upset at 3am?”
The Omega grows frustrated as he tries to safely hold the baby as he makes a bottle. He doesn’t blame Kiyoshi for crying, he wants to himself, mostly from the sheer exhaustion he feels. Oikawa had told Iwaizumi, back in November, he didn’t have to stick around, but the Alpha swore to him that they’d do this together. It’s been several weeks since Iwaizumi’s come over for longer than just feeding Kiyo a bottle after dinner; Hiroshi refuses to let his son stay over after he almost overslept for an exam. Ever since then, the Alpha rarely comes over, leaving the burden completely on Oikawa.
The hallway light clicks on and before he can apologize, his mom shakes her head, extending her arms to take her grandson.
“I didn’t mean to wake you up.”
“That’s what babies do, sweetie.” She coos at the infant, “plus it takes a village to raise a baby. Neither your father nor I expect you to do this on your own.”
He leans his head on his mother’s shoulder, letting out a yawn, tears pricking his eyes from sheer exhaustion. “I don’t know how you did it, Mama.”
“Lots of trial and error plus help from your grandmothers.” She presses a kiss on the top of his head, her own heart hurting from her son’s distress.
**
Iwaizumi runs his fingers through his hair, tension tightening in his shoulders at just the thought of the impending lecture from his father. A big red C is circled on the front of his exam booklet. The only saving grace to the Alpha is it’s an elective course - just one of those freshman classes to get the students to bond with others from their graduating class and to help them adjust to college life. However he knows that his father won’t see it that way and will somehow spin it to blame Oikawa and Kiyoshi instead of the fact that he blew off studying assuming it’d be easy.
This isn’t how he thought things would go. Back when he swore to stand by Oikawa, to help raise their son together, he really thought he would easily balance the two. He can see now how completely foolish that was because there’s no way he can give 100% to school and his promise, but giving each only 50% felt irresponsible.
* *
August 2013
Oikawa looks at a sleeping Kiyoshi, smiling at just how peaceful he looks. It’s a rare afternoon where the pup is actually taking a midday nap, he’s caught up on all the laundry and is able to breathe. It’s the first time in a long time where life almost feels the way it did before that pink plus sign changed the trajectory of his life. He lets out a small yawn, wiggling himself further into the comfort of his nest as his eyes grow heavier with each breath. The Omega is getting ready to nap when his door is slammed open, jolting both him and the baby awake.
“Hajime – what the fuck!” Oikawa screeches at the Alpha, pure irritation rippling off his shoulders. He takes a deep breath, quickly pulling back the overwhelming pheromones to pick up Kiyo.
The Alpha awkwardly rubs the back of his neck, feeling embarrassed by his actions. “I thought since I was free I’d come by and spend time with you two.”
“You should’ve texted me first. Chances are he won’t go back down.” The Omega bounces the crying babe, soothingly shushing in his ear.
“I can watch him and he can just go down early tonight.”
Oikawa whips around, glaring. “No Iwaizumi, he can’t . He has a routine, a schedule and you can’t just disrupt it like this.”
The Alpha isn’t sure what you say, but he does know that he hates being on the receiving end of the Omega’s wrath. He watches Oikawa’s anger deflate, a soft smile on his lips as he looks down at their son before finally looking back up at him.
“I’m sorry. It’s just…” He sighs, placing the calmed baby back in his bassinet, “it’s hard doing this by myself Iwa-chan.”
Iwaizumi’s heart squeezes, hating the broken expression on Oikawa’s face and the way tears freely fall down his cheeks. It pains an Alpha to see an upset Omega, even more so when it’s an Omega they care deeply for. Without hesitation he pulls the brunette into his arms, burying his face into one of the scent glands in his neck, slowly releasing calming pheromones.
Oikawa shutters in his chest, the familiar earthy scent allows him to crumble, the stress finally breaking him. Warm, strong arms pull him closer into a broad chest, whispering reassuring affirmations in his ear, reminding him of just how strong of an Omega he is. Iwaizumi apologizes for not being there for either of them, wishing that he could’ve prevented this but deep down knowing he could’ve.
“Iwa-chan…I can’t keep doing this alone.”
“I know.” He presses his lips on the top of fluffy brown hair, “I know.”
* *
December 2015
Iwaizumi watches as Oikawa tucks Kiyo in, gently running his fingers through the pup’s own fluffy brunette hair. The bigger their son grows, the more it amazes the Alpha just how much he resembles the Omega. Hiroshi had always told Iwaizumi that he took pride not only in the fact that his son was an Alpha but also that he favored him heavily – yet Iwa’s chest filled each time he saw Oikawa in the young boy.
Over the last several months, the two young parents have finally been able to settle into some semblance of a normal couple situation, despite lacking the couple title. The Omega’s parents helped the two settle into an apartment, one closer to Iwaizumi’s university but still close enough that Oikawa didn’t feel alone. Eventually, Hiroshi relented in his protests and offered to cover their expenses until Iwaizumi finished his bachelor’s degree which is a huge burden lifted from the two 21 year-olds.
“Oh hey,” Oikawa smiles when he turns to see the Alpha leaning against the door frame, cheeks heating up at the knowledge he was being watched. He knows that their situation is purely based on the existence of Kiyoshi. That if it wasn’t for the pup then he’d be in South America and Iwaizumi somewhere in Tokyo, their friendship consisting of scattered texts and overly planned video calls when schedules and time zones allowed. Though Oikawa can’t help the butterflies that swarm his stomach when he catches Iwa watching him with their son or when he watches how carefully the Alpha handles Kiyoshi.
“C’mere.” Iwa tilts his head to the side, motioning for Oikawa to follow him out of the baby’s room. He leads them both to the living room, letting out a shaky breath.
“Everything okay, Hajime?” Oikawa picks up on the nervousness slipping through the Alpha’s usual neutral pheromones.
“I,” Iwaizumi clears his throat, “I have something for you.”
Oikawa eyes widen as he’s handed a square-shaped black velvet box, his fingers gently touching the fabric as he slowly opens it. Two white gold bands, a pair of couple rings, stare back up at him as his heart begins racing in his chest, banging against his ribcage.
A burst of enticing pheromones fill the room, something Omegas do mostly subconsciously, in this case because Iwa’s gift and gesture comes off as potential courting. The possibility of the two courting has been on Oikawa’s mind since he found out about Kiyo, wondering if the Alpha would ever initiate the interaction. For the last several months, those thoughts were pushed to the back of his mind, with Iwa’s schooling and raising Kiyoshi, their relationship or lack thereof didn’t really hold precedence.
“I know we never really talked about it, but it seems like something we should have.”
Something we should have? Oikawa tries his best to keep his expression neutral.
The Alpha continues, unbothered by the pheromones Oikawa’s letting off much to the Omega’s dismay, “that way you don’t have to worry about being bothered if you’re out with Kiyoshi…being unmarked and all.”
Oikawa swallows hard, his honey scent starting to sour at the rejection but not really a rejection he’s just received. The rings were just a technicality, a way to show he was Iwaizumi’s without anything definitive tying them together. Of course there’s their pup, but pups don’t bind two together like a bonding mark does. If pups kept couples together, there’d be no divorced parents or those with severed bonds. Tears fill his eyes, feeling silly for ever believing the Alpha would want to court him, the Omega he’s only with because of a slip-up two years ago.
Iwaizumi ruffles Oikawa’s hair, releasing soothing pheromones, assuming his tears are of happiness and being overwhelmed, “I’m glad you like them.”
Oikawa puts on his best smile, internally thanking Kiyo for starting to stir so he has a reason to flee. “Of course.”