Archive of Our Own ^beta

The thought occurs to him when George wraps his hand around his cock, long and dainty fingers giving the beginnings of his knot a squeeze.

“Have you seen Sapnap lately?” Dream gasps. George pauses briefly and Dream sees the thought processing in the tension along his arm; he sees the beta carefully consider the question, the lines of his face twitching. His eyes beat in aimless thought across the expanse of Dream’s printed shirt. His ears strain forward, pointed and sharp. His tail whips.

“No.” George says finally; he says it slowly. Like admitting it feels like the wrong thing to say - perhaps the guilty thing to say. 

The thing is: it’s not unusual. 

Sapnap has a bad habit of disappearing. Schoolwork would pile up, and he would put it off until the looming deadlines got to be too much. Then he would hole himself away from people and responsibility. The stress gets to him, would make him sick in more ways than just his gut roiling and his headspace. Distance doesn’t help him as much as he likes to think it does, but despite Dream and George’s constant insistence - Sapnap takes those steps away until he’s unreachable by hand, call, or text.

“I haven’t heard from him.” Dream licks his lips and George leans forward to take the moisture against his own, a soft touch that draws a hum. “We should call him.” They kiss again but the mood has shifted. They’re distracted in their exchange, enough that George pulls away with a short noise of frustration.

“He won’t answer.” George lets go of his dick and pushes away. He stands slowly to give his blood a chance to circulate before crossing the room to find his phone, forgotten on Dream’s computer desk. It’s a nice view; the globe of his ass is trim with no trace of weight, angled prettily and complemented by his tail. Boney , Dream’s brain supplies. “He never does.”

Dream nods absently. It’s hard to drag his eyes away from the pretty slenderness that makes up the beta but he makes himself stave off the hardness between his legs. If he pops his knot it won’t go down for close to an hour. It’s not worth it - despite the fact Dream begins to feel that steady frustration in his stomach that comes with not getting off.

“So do you want to just bust down his door?” Dream responds, adding a noise of effort as he decides to get up too. It’s a necessary evil. Where are his pants? Oh. “Because other than that, I really don’t know how to go about getting in contact with him.”

“Have you tried Karl?” When Dream looks up from a fight with his pants, George is still naked and staring at his phone. He’s biting his thumbnail in that nervous way he does, brow pinched as his other thumb runs and runs along his phone screen.

“I didn’t think of it.” Dream says honestly.

It would be the best strategy. If Sapnap is sequestering himself away then the next course of action would be getting in contact with his roommate. Another omega—who’s perhaps a little louder than Dream can handle—with warm eyes and a kind heart. They usually drink with him and his alpha, and Dream likes him well enough. Especially since he’s a parachute. When they’re falling through the air with no eyes or ears on Sapnap, Karl usually fires off an update text, albeit infrequently.

It’s almost timely the way George’s phone pings. Dream’s curiosity piques as George’s brows lift with surprise. The feeling flattens out when his expression pinches.

“What?”

“Karl actually just texted me.” George says and they stare at each other in a silent but urgent conversation: get up, get dressed, go .

***

“Hi.” Karl greets timidly as he opens the door. Dream’s senses go into a rage, trying to peer around the lithe shape of the other omega in search of his own. Karl recognizes the urgency easily and steps back to let him. Almost immediately he’s hit with the overwhelming odor of omega . 

“He’s been like this for a few days.” Karl wrings his hand as he explains, an uncertainty to his voice that shakes. George touches his elbow kindly and with the intent to comfort. “I’ve gotten him to eat a bit but he’s been sick, too.”

“And you just thought to call us?” Dream tries not to be terse or mean but Karl still flinches. George shows his teeth in a fit to which Dream returns, neither of them backing down until Karl subtly lifts his chin to let the gentle waft of softness seep into the air. 

“This has happened before,” Karl states calmly, placatingly, and ever so gently. “But today was the first time I realized it was different.” 

The defense makes sense because Dream knows in his logical brain that Karl is right. That Sapnap is a flight risk when it comes to taking care of himself. But there’s still the unbridled annoyance in his hindbrain that his alpha was called after the fact. 

After Sapnap has evidently spent several days shifted and now he’s hiding under his bed.

Dream doesn’t offer anything else in terms of answer, backing off his aggression and letting George relax too. He dampens himself in a calmer-tempered scent to get closer to Sapnap’s bed, crouching so slowly to give away his presence. He lifts the edge of the overhanging blanket from the omega’s bed and looks under the shadowy space.

Lovely eyes stare back at him. He watches as floppy square ears begin to perk but…there isn’t much activity beyond that. Usually, when Sapnap got stuck in a shift he was expressive: energy to the wrinkle of his furry brow and a wide, happy doggy smile that reached cheek to cheek. A whipping tail. A happy snort.

Sapnap was devoid of it all. Even the glint in his eye was dull; attentive, maybe - there, but not responsive.

“Hey, buddy.” Dream croons. Sapnap blinks at him. “You wanna come out?”

A sigh greets the space between them. The answer is clear: no. Dream pats the floor in front of Sapnap a few times and is rewarded with the low beginnings of a growl.

It takes him aback and he can tell that it only makes George even more worried. The air changes, stretching thin like a rubber band at its limit. The growling picks up until it's a heavy sound in the air broken only by Karl’s nervous laughter.

“He’s been doing that too.” The admittance is quiet - a little guilt-ridden. “I’m sorry I didn’t reach out sooner. I didn’t—I didn’t know it was this bad. He just gets so overwhelmed sometimes, and this is nothing different than normal, but he wouldn’t let me near him this time and he’s been so sick—I didn’t know what to do.” Karl’s guilt shrinks down from a sputter to a whisper.

Whatever anger Dream felt stewing inside of him is replaced with worry. 

Sapnap is not Karl’s responsibility. Nor even George’s despite the relationship they share. As Sapnap’s alpha, Dream should’ve noticed. Should’ve done something. He could’ve been more attentive to Sapnap’s absence and made more of an effort to reach him. Not just this time either, but any other time that his omega had experienced these episodes. He could’ve been a better alpha.

“Sap,” Dream murmurs urgently. “Not feeling so hot, pup?” He rubs his fingers together, hoping the whisper of skin will draw him near with curiosity. 

It doesn’t.

Sapnap bares his teeth instead. 

Sapnap has never shown his teeth to anybody. Not even when they’ve played in the park and been approached by people who wanted to pet him. He’s always been a wiggling ball of energy, pleased to give kisses to his partners and happy to cuddle with any pack member willing. He may be capable of silly behavior but never this . Baffled and wounded, Dream sits back on his heels.

There’s been a lot of times since becoming an alpha that he didn’t know what to do; He felt like he wasn’t always making the wisest decisions. He would get so tangled in thoughts of maybe I’m not good enough to do this, and they’ll never trust me, they’ll hate me . But they were always superficial thoughts, the first negatives that came to mind before he put his nose to the grind and thought things through. He was confident in his leadership. That confidence shone in his relationship, a testament to his strength that he could care for not just an omega but a beta in his bed.

For the first time, Dream genuinely feels like he doesn't know what to do.

“When was the last time he ate?” George asks Karl quietly. It all sounds muffled through Dream’s pity party.

“Only yesterday night but he threw up this morning.” 

He can hear George’s tail lash, the heavy sound of the appendage hitting his jeans. His hand reaches out to settle on Dream’s shoulder. His thumb shifts to press against his gland and while there’s comfort in it, it isn’t enough to put Dream at ease.

“Well, he’ll have to come out,” George says. He wastes no time in letting Dream go to yank the blanket up onto the bed so he has better access. The growling increases, beginning to deepen and grate. George tuts. “None of that, you demon.” And though the tone of his voice is severe, Dream knows the underlying softness is there—the worry. It spurs him from his slump to stop George by the elbow.

“Wait,” He stutters and George stills. “He might bite you.” 

The reality is: George is not Sapnap’s alpha. His scent can be comforting but it can’t hold any authority to Dream’s. While their omega actively registers George's place in their hierarchy, he sees them as even ground. The breed difference doesn’t help. 

The cat hybrid’s face says it all; he agrees with Dream’s unspoken thoughts. 

They switch places. Dream stretches himself out on his stomach, making sure not to keep himself too flat so he can still give himself leverage. His arm span is enough that he could catch Sapnap’s ankles if he tried to make a break for it. He watches understanding cross Sapnap’s face, follows the panicked flit of his gleaming eyes as he looks for weaknesses in Dream’s defense. He’ll try. Dream knows he will.

And he’s not disappointed.

At the same time that Dream reaches for him, Sapnap darts in the opposite direction. It all happens too fast, but before Sapnap can cause mayhem and distress everyone further, Dream tries to get a hold of his paw. A jerk of the leg makes it so Dream catches his tail instead. His heart jumps as Sapnap yelps, twisting into the bottom of the bed frame with a heavy sound as he tries to turn and gnaw his hand. He wants to let go but that would mean letting Sapnap succeed in getting away. It wouldn’t mean much because he’d still be in the same room, but it would put the other occupants at risk. 

So he holds tight, attempting to shorten the discomfort by yanking Sapnap in one quick motion of his shoulder as he finds momentum in sitting up. The dog hybrid comes flailing from beneath the wooden frame, hitting his head, snarling, claws ripping at the shitty dorm-room carpeting. It’s all about acting fast, Dream thinks. Sapnap’s irritated and exposed which would make him so much more nervous. Possibly violent if he was already snarling. So, Dream has no other choice but to grab him by the back of his neck and pin him.

Sapnap howls in rage.

A burst of strength catches Dream off guard and he scrambles to pull the dog hybrid closer. He gets a leg on either side of him and keeps his hand pushing Sapnap’s head into the carpet, wary of snapping jaws. The straddle isn’t enough to calm him. The omega continues to try and twist away, making Dream’s nerves flare as he has to tighten his grip. 

“Dream—” George starts but cuts himself off as Sapnap manages to get his paws beneath him to try and buck his chest up.

Dream decides he’s had enough.

“Okay.” He says shortly and drops his chest with his full weight to pin Sapnap. “Okay, enough .” He tells him, but Sapnap’s not done either. He tries to whip his neck against Dream’s grip, disgruntled and being vocal about it. Dream really wishes he’d stop with the incessant growling and see that he’s lost. 

It doesn’t happen until Dream forces himself to relax a little and pump a little bit of his scent out. He thinks of Sapnap in a different state: morning-warm and sleepy, tucked into his side with George’s scent stuck all over him; he thinks of Sapnap’s laugh when he’s particularly charmed about something—it’s a delightful sound that rings around a room. He imagines Sapnap satiated and content.

With enough serotonin flowing through his brain, he feels himself mellow out and in turn his scent. Slowly but surely, he feels the tension melt out of Sapnap; every ounce of determination to fight Dream and need to get away peeling back into exhaustion. Just like that—there’s nothing left. 

He pets down Sapnap’s back as the hybrid takes long and careful breaths. He’s trembling slightly, but Dream knows what he looks like when he’s close to sleep. He tests it, unlocking the muscles in his thighs and giving Sapnap’s ribcage space. Sapnap doesn’t test him or even show signs of making an escape. He just exhales heavily and sinks more into the floor.

“Is he okay?” Karl asks quietly. He’s leaking nervous pheromones everywhere. George turns to him with a wrinkled nose, but he’s kind in his assuring that Sapnap probably tired himself out, that they’ll take him home and - whatever, Dream isn’t listening, he can’t bring himself to care. He feels now what Sapnap feels; exhaustion, deep and pulling. He watches his sides as he trails his fingers to pet over them, wondering when Sapnap’s fur got so thick.

***

Dream wakes up fairly unremarkably.

The room is quiet save for the persistent whirr of the fan, purring as it works away to keep them cool. George stirs with a shifting leg. He’s huffing slightly, seeking them out in his sleep, and Dream extends his wrist for him to latch onto. The whispering of sheets stops.

It’s the heaving that really draws him out of that warm and cozy headspace. Where sleep finally lets go, withdrawing claws with reluctance and allowing alertness to fill his bones. He remembers what Karl said about Sapnap throwing up and it’s the final thing that gets him to move.

There’s a glass of water resting on the side table that Sapnap never got to drink when they got him home, so deep into slumber that he was impossible to wake. He grabs it on his way by.

He slips into the bathroom. The temperature from the hall to the room is a violent change; the mirror is fogged up with the amount of steam. The heat is stifling from how hot Sapnap runs the water. Underneath it all, the faint smell of soursick behind the curtain makes Dream snort but the distraught pheromones are what have his nose wrinkling.

Sapnap gags suddenly and Dream is kicked into motion. 

He leaves the glass of water on the ledge of the sink before he steps carefully into the shower. Sapnap is bowed over on his knees, his body heaving, tail going stiff with the involuntary spasm of muscles. He’s a mess; physically, hair drenched and ratty, hanging unwashed from his nape and ears. His distress is through the roof and Dream feels almost immobilized by it, compelled to return his own scent full of comfort. He rumbles in a soothing offering, curling his fingers around Sapnap’s sad and damp tail to continuously pet it with alternating hands.

Sapnap eventually sits back on his calves. He’s trembling, no doubt from the effort of exertion. Dream doesn’t know how long he’d been throwing up for, alone and miserable, but he can see the dial of the shower is set to one of the hottest settings. The water doesn’t reflect it.

“You’re okay.” He coos. Sapnap tries to smile but Dream can see in his face that he’s too tired to commit. “Do you want me to wash your hair?” Sapnap shakes his head. Dream thinks he’d feel better if he was clean but he doesn’t push Sapnap to do it—not after the strain of earlier.

He’s never in his life had to corral Sapnap like that. It’s left him feeling like he might’ve done something—something that never occurred to him earlier. Sure, Sapnap doesn’t deal well with stress, but he doesn’t do well in confrontations; he's not confident he can win either. Maybe it’s something like that? Dream wants to crack the seal and start unloading—was it something he did? George? How can he make it better? Why does he always hide? Why can’t he come to them?

But it’s a lot. He can’t do that to him. So instead, he keeps it all inside, curling his fingers around the wet tendrils of Sapnap’s tail.

“Any more in the tank?” Dream asks softly. Sapnap sits and considers himself, before tentatively shaking his head. “Okay, let’s get out.”

With the shower off, it’s eerily quiet. He gets out first, leaving Sapnap in the pocket of warmth behind the curtains. He towels himself off half-heartedly and quickly before he grabs another towel, turning to offer his hand. Sapnap takes it and shakily steps out of the shower, cupping his hands around his penis and sac to keep them warm.

Dream says, “C’mere,” and Sapnap falls into him like he was hoping for it. Dream closes the towel around his head and begins to rub his hands against it, drying his hair and moving slowly to his shoulders. The skin over Sapnap’s nape twitches and Dream pinches it hard.

“Don’t shift.” Sapnap releases a series of sharp whines in response to the correction and Dream can see the moment where he debates fighting his alpha again. Dream curls his lip. The subtlety is enough for Sapnap to tilt his head and show his mark; ultimately acquiescing in silence. “Good boy.” Dream’s praise seems to mean a lot, because despite all the misery stewing inside of Sapnap his tail still wags at the soft words.

They finish in silence. Sapnap’s hair is still fairly damp by the time they leave the bathroom but his color has returned a little, pampered there by Dream’s attention. He lags in the hallway from what must be exhaustion, relying on Dream to drag him to their room. It’s cooler than the rest of the house and Sapnap shivers, getting his second wind to dodge into the bed where George lays waiting, half-awake in the wake of their absence. He receives his omega with open arms, curling his tail around Sap’s thighs as if to lock him in.

Dream frets about a bucket; in the end he decides to bring over the garbage they keep by the dresser. It’s better than nothing if the omega continues to feel unwell, and Dream was determined not to be caught unprepared. There’s still an uneasiness that permeates the warmly lit room so Dream cranes his neck to release comforting tones that get rid of it. As if they were one entity, they inhale and exhale, sharing that air. He climbs in behind Sapnap, looping his arms around his waist and running his nose from ear to mate mark.

They cuddle for a while before George quietly states: “You’re pregnant.”

Between them, Sapnap freezes.

Shame begins to color his scent. It sets Dream’s nerves on fire. He doesn’t expect that reaction and it takes everything in him to keep himself tied down, to not frenzy his permeation and make things worse. Part of him wants to yank George’s tail for his lack of tact. Bite his ears for his indignance. He’s not a hybrid like them, but he knows what a proper chastising is for their breeds. The kind mothers give. 

Mothers.

Dream latches onto the word and his ire melts away. Maybe he had kind of sensed it. As soon as George said it, his brain had clicked but nothing states it better than Sapnap’s reaction. 

“Sapnap,” George says earnestly when the dog hybrid hasn’t answered. Sapnap reacts like he snapped instead and nods curtly. Dream sucks in a breath at the same time George utters, “Oh,” like he knew but he hadn’t prepared.

He feels Sap’s tail shift against him, beginning to pull itself under the tuck of Sapnap’s legs as their boyfriend begins to tremble. George’s hand comes up to curl long fingers through hair and over fluffy, floppy ears, encouraging him to burrow closer into his chest. It makes the dog sob, and Dream feels his stomach jump in a panic.

Sapnap never cries. He’s so used to throwing up walls every time something happens: a fight, something at work, something at school. His outward emotions cycle through anger, but never through such explicit sadness. It’s hard to watch and hard to feel that energy. Dream feels—well, helpless. And useless. Like a terrible alpha, who doesn’t know how to care for a whelping omega. 

“Pandas,” Dream murmurs, tightening his arms around Sapnap. He’s mindful when he does it, thinking of life, and kisses the mark that proudly declares his love for Sapnap. “Baby, it’s okay.”

“It’s not,” Sapnap says, voice muffled and thick with tears. George shushes him.

“It is,” The cat says. “Just breathe. Come on, don’t do that.” He adds when he hears Sapnap’s stuttering breaths, trying to lead him away from panic. He even pushes out his scent which does not help Dream’s fraying anxiety over this. George never shows his scent. He’s only ever done it when Dream’s been overwhelmed to the point of breakdown.

Smelling it on Sapnap kills him. It reignites that feeling of no good . He’s always thought he was ok at being alpha, but maybe he’s only just been playing it. He’s missed signs and now they’re here, trying to keep Sapnap from the deep end of his misery. If he’d been better at reading him—knowing him—he could’ve helped him so much sooner. He sniffs, desperate to keep his own tears at bay, and centers himself by inhaling the warmth at Sapnap’s neck.

“Do you want to make a nest?” He whispers. That’s something he can offer. He’d gladly give up his bed. It might even help! But Sapnap doesn’t answer, instead sobbing loudly and trying his best to sit up. They let him, scrambling to sit up too and trying not to let themselves hover their hands over him too much. His omega hormones are probably at a higher level than normal, which definitely explains the shifting. Nothing makes a hybrid feel better than being in a more defensive form when they’re pregnant. 

Still, they try their best to comfort him. George moves himself so he’s laid down beside Sapnap, chirping quietly at him until the dog begins to pet him languidly. The motion helps him gain something back and Dream watches as his boyfriend seems to begin a pattern for himself: stroking George from the tip of his dark pointed ears all the way down to his shoulders, then liting to start all over again.

His chin wobbles as he composes himself, gunk and tears drying on his face. Dream tries not to grimace when Sapnap uses the covers to wipe it off. 

“Do you want to make a nest?” Dream asks again. Sapnap nods, and the three of them begin to move. Dream and George slip from the bed to sit and stand: George, cross-legged on the floor, and Dream with one foot out the door to get more blankets he knows Sapnap’ll need.

“Don’t shift,” He hears George warn.

Sapnap is glowering at the cat when he returns, presenting an armful of spares. With a careful breath through his nose, the omega takes them and begins his plans. Pillows get pushed up tight against the headboard as he moves, piling the main duvet into a ledge that lines the ends of the bed. He unfolds a shorter, softer one and lays it down as a second layer over the flat sheet. 

Dream joins George on the floor, knocking their knees together and watches as Sapnap leans forward to push blankets all around. He can’t help himself when he asks, sick of a spinning head, “I thought you were on birth control.”

Sapnap is quiet for a long moment. He’s concentrating, a pinched note to his face. Or maybe it’s the topic of conversation. He’s hidden it from them for a reason, Dream thinks, so he must be feeling embarrassed, or to his horror to wonder: scared. It makes him feel yucky. The possibility that he might have shown Sapnap something that made him want to keep this to himself.

“I haven’t been able to buy it.” Sapnap eventually confesses, and he does sound embarrassed. He doesn’t look at them as he unfurls another blanket and tosses it over the pillows. Another one he burns to wrap in a whirlpool around him. 

“Why didn’t you say anything?” George’s voice is clear of anything, but the question still makes Sapnap duck his head. “You know we would’ve helped you.” 

Their omega says nothing. He sullenly tugs a pillow out of formation to put it on the opposite side of the bed.

Dream clears his throat.

“How…” It hits him suddenly how real this is. Now that it’s out in the open, he can smell it on Sapnap and smell it strongly. It’s altered his natural odor in such a subtle way that Dream would’ve never caught on if someone hadn't said something. He wonders if George figured it out faster because he’s a hybrid too, and his sister has already done this song and dance. Maybe the signs were easier to read for him. Dream’s not upset by that but he is cross with himself for being so obtuse. The reality makes his voice shake. “How far along are you?”

Sapnap doesn’t skip a beat. “Eight weeks.” 

He stops and surveys his work. Dream does too. The omega has always preferred a ‘haphazard’ way of nesting. There’s nothing neat to his design and it simply looks more like an unmade bed. Something must not sit right with Sapnap because he’s standing up to look at it better.

“It’s the size of a raspberry.” Sapnap tells them. “It has eyes. A fast heartbeat. They can hear it on ultrasounds.” It’s a lot all at once. Dream feels his eyes prickle as he wonders: has Sapnap gone to a doctor? Did he do a test? Was he alone? Did Karl know and not tell them, loyal forever? The shame hasn’t left his shoulders and he smells scared, too. Dream wants to reach out and love him until the world ends.

“What do you want to do?” George asks. He’s looking down at his hands, plucking at his fingernails. They’re clawed up and Dream reaches out to take his hand in his, rubbing his thumb over the back of his knuckles to get him to stop. If he’s nailing then he’s really fighting his emotions, just one of the tells he’s allowed them to know over the years.

“Dunno.” Sapnap’s voice is dull, almost mono-tone. Like he’s trying not to show his hand too much. Dream aches. He can feel that ache in George, too, in the way his grip tightens as Sapnap talks. “Been trying to figure it out.” He leans back on his hands and pushes his legs out, slowly nudging another blanket to the end of the bed to line up against the ledge. 

Before Dream can ask, since it feels like they’re taking turns spewing their thoughts, Sapnap continues.

“I didn’t tell you because I was scared. I didn’t know how you were going to react. I don’t know whose it is, or if you’d care.” He turns his back to them as he fiddles with something. “I don’t know if you’d want this.” He pauses to let out a slow breath before softly adding, “I don’t know if I do.”

Dream’s mouth feels dry. He licks his lips and tries to keep his tongue moving to build up saliva, but the cotton feeling stays. He wishes he had water but he doesn’t want to get up. He feels George’s tail slam the floor behind him and it begins to beat like that. When they say nothing else, Sapnap goes back to finishing his nest.

He still has so many more questions. He wants to know every little thing of how Sapnap found out, if he did tell Karl, how he was feeling. But they all feel redundant, pointless to ask now that they’re not in the dark. While Sapnap ignores them to work, he turns to George and leans in to press his nose to his cheek, neck, shoulder, moving all over to make sure his scent is passing on. The comfort works because George hums to life again, back from his silence. His tail settles but his ears flatten. Dream takes it as half a victory.

“Okay.” Sapnap’s voice makes them jump, and they both snap their attention to him. He’s cozied up in a quilt, watching them with something indiscernible but undoubtedly warm. He’s calmed, too, and it shows in the way he holds himself. The room doesn’t stink like upset anymore. It’s a relief that has their shoulders slumping and lungs loosening. “You can come up.” 

They try not to scramble, try not to look too eager but it’s hard. All Dream wants to do is scoop up his omega and hug him, bite into his mark again. Now that he’s calm he smells so insanely good that it makes his head swim a little and he’s worried he’s going to white out on it. He knows George is holding back the urge to groom Sapnap, and that’s a difficult thing to keep at bay.

“Can we touch you?” George’s question is tight, and it’s obvious he’s having a difficult time not giving in to instincts. Sapnap’s face shifts with his thoughts, jaw rolling as he works on what he wants to say. Dream tries not to notice that he’s holding his arms over his stomach, folded forward in a cramped but secure position.

“No,” he finally admits in a whisper. He sounds sorry. “I don’t want you to.” 

Dream shakes his head. “Nope, that’s okay, don’t be sorry.” It hurts, he won’t lie, but it’s important Sapnap knows that just because he’s theirs doesn’t mean he owes his body to them. No matter what dwells within it. Sapnap bites his lip for a quick moment, clearly fighting off some sad urge, and then gets himself under control again.

“I just don’t know if I want to keep it.” He squeezes himself tighter and looks down at his lap, sniffing heavily. His hair still hasn’t dried and Dream wants to push it away from his forehead, wants to brush it, but he won’t touch. “If you touch it, it’s real for you, and I can’t let it be real for you if I want to make a decision about this.”

They climb onto the bed. Sapnap shifts so he’s sitting against the headboard, Dream and George settling with space between them. The cat hybrid’s tail searches for Sapnap’s legs, the tip flicking for attention. The omega traps it in the grip of his fingers gently. Dream watches as they play a game of grab-and-avoid, not sure what to say. He’s still stuck on his shortcomings, but with everything in the light it’s a lot easier to admit some of it was the inner workings of his insecurity. 

“I guess we took the breeding kink too far.” George sighs dramatically, balancing his elbow on his knee and resting his cheek on his fist.

Dream laughs in shock. “George!”

“We did!” George straightens up, beginning to giggle. His face flushes as it becomes clear he was expecting that to get a laugh, pleased he received one. Sapnap rewards him with a chuckle too, quiet as it is. He wipes his face and sniffs again, before meeting George’s gaze with a half-smile.

George smiles back, and Dream glances between them, coming to settle. There’s still a weight around them but the awkwardness is broken. Sapnap’s right; while they know about it now it still just feels like a discussion. A what-if instead of a what-is . 

“We won’t be disappointed if you don’t want it,” George adds. He reaches out his hand to Sapnap, who takes it after a pause, and then his other to Dream. He twines their fingers together and nods in agreement.

George looks between them for any disagreements, before lightly shaking his and the omega’s hand. “We’re so young. I… hm.” He stops. Sapnap frowns as George shakes his head. “I don’t want to say anything to influence you one way or another. I was going to say I personally think we’re too young,” he gestures between all of them, “But that doesn’t mean that if you decide you don’t want it that I’m going to go kick rocks.”

Sapnap huffs with amusement again. Dream finds himself nodding again but he’s not sure if he actually stopped the entire time. He’s struggling with his place here, with being volatile and emotional. He can agree with George but there’s a part of him that sings with the need for children. It’s a part of him that is buried deep and instinctual, but it’s part of him all the same. They’re in school and it’d be so hard but it wouldn’t be so bad, either. 

He doesn’t say any of this.

“No matter what,” He says instead, reaching for Sapnap’s hand. His omega reaches back. Dream tries to draw every ounce of warmth from their joined palms, wishing he could meld into him. He loves him so much. George too. They’d be wonderful parents. “We’re here for you.”

Sapnap’s face crumples. He sniffles a couple of times, all in a rush like he can’t catch a breath, and brings the hand holding George’s up to brush away his tears. 

“We’ll do this together.” Dream assures him. Sapnap nods and lets out a slow breath.

“I’m tired.” He croaks. 

“Go to sleep,” George urges. He tugs at their hands and Sapnap moves to comply. The alpha and beta move to make space so he has room to stretch, and Sapnap is diligent when he keeps his back to them. It makes Dream’s gut twinge but he doesn’t fault him for it. They lay down beside him and pull out their phones, opting for silence to give Sapnap a chance to fall asleep. As he’s someone who chronically can fall asleep anywhere during anything - he’s out like a light to the sound of some tiktok George pulls up.

Dream checks on him, lifting his head to look over George’s shoulder before resting back. He folds his hands over his chest, crossing his phone, and stares at the ceiling. 

It’s been a long day. It feels like a week. It’s hard to fathom the headspace he and George had been in before they found Sapnap the way he was. Dream feels like he’s living someone else’s life all of a sudden. He’s generally a lucky guy. Bad things don’t really happen to him, and while he doesn’t think conceiving a pup is a bad thing…bitching Sapnap hasn’t been a great thing for their mate. 

They’re too young. George said it himself. And while their relationship isn’t new, they’ve certainly never talked about family before outside of Sapnap mentioning his birth control. This may never be in the cards for them. He knows he shouldn’t think like that though. He just knows that if he does think like that, it might lead to resentment and he doesn’t resent Sapnap at all! No. He’s allowed to make any kind of decision regarding his body that he likes. 

Dream even feels a little bad that it kind of feels like they backed him into a corner about this. They all but forced him to tell them. George and his perception didn’t get the omega a chance.

“How do you feel?” George wonders. He puts his phone down to give Dream his full attention, coming up onto his elbow and resting his other arm over Dream’s chest. The alpha lifts his hands to cover George’s, letting him feel the pound of his heart against his breastbone. “You’re like, shellshocked or something.”

“I mean, yeah,” Dream frowns and angles his face to look at George. The light has dimmed enough that there’s very little light, but whatever there is catches on George’s pupils and makes them shine in that way that gives him a fright everytime he tries to make a trip to the kitchen at night. Dream stares at the reflection of light, uncertain if they’re actually making eye contact. “Our boyfriend just told us that he’s pregnant.” He trails off quietly. “Why, how are you feeling?” 

George shrugs his shoulder.

“I don’t think I really have a right to feel any way about it.” He drums his fingers. “I think all we’ve done is really just provided the ammunition. If Sapnap wants to pull the trigger, that’s up to him.”

Dream feels his mouth open but he’s not sure what to say. His brow still feels tight. His fingers curl around George’s and he squeezes. They have the least scariest job of it all. They’ll sit and they’ll support Sapnap through his thoughts and decisions on it all. Dream thinks he’d like to be a dad but he also thinks that he likes where they’re at, with their somewhat expendable money and no graduations under their belts quite yet. 

“I’m scared.” He clears his throat. 

“I think that’s natural.” George says instead of me too like Dream knows he is. “But we’ll get through it together.” He shifts so he can lay his head on Dream’s shoulder instead. 

Dream tips his head to kiss his unbothered forehead, leaving his mouth there. Together sounds nice. It sounds safe. 

It sounds like the right start of a family.