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The gift comes a few days after their pup has joined them earth side and is resting with Rain in their nest. A non suspicious looking box with a bow and note attached to it sits in front of the front gate, waiting to be picked up.
Phayu stares at the box, frowning suspiciously.
Is it a joke? Is it safe? Is it dangerous?
Phayu can’t have anything dangerous right now, not when Rain and their little girl are safely tucked away in the nest, hidden from the world for just a little while longer.
Sky had been around to see her earlier, with Pai attached to his hip, cooing softly and already looking head over heels in love. He’d whined a little at the fact that he wasn’t the first one to meet her – which had been Saifah – but settled down when he heard what had happened.
Rain had been waiting for Phayu to come pick him up at the garage when he’d gone into labor. The only one around at the time had been Saifah, who’d freaked out at first, calling Phayu in a panic. Meanwhile Rain had been at peace himself. He’d been ready for it for weeks and was just happy their pup was about to be here.
Saifah had driven Rain home, a little panicked still, but calming down because of Rain’s soothing scent, or so Saifah had told Phayu later, praising Rain to the heavens above. He’d helped Rain up to the nest and stayed with him until Phayu had arrived, joining Rain in his nest.
Saifah had offered to stay after the pup was born to care for both men and let them be with her without having to think about any chores. He’d cook for them, clean the house and cater to their – especially Rain’s – every need.
Eventually, Phayu had grumbled a little bit, muttering about how ‘it should be him who takes care of them’, but Rain had hushed him immediately saying, “Let him, he needs this too. This way you can be with our pup and me the whole time, yeah? I want you close to me, Alpha.”
Rain’s tired but loving gaze had convinced Phayu to settle down and cuddle up to them again, nuzzling his nose into the pitch black hair sitting on top of their little girl’s head.
She’s precious. The most precious little pup to ever exist and she’s all theirs.
But now, five days later, this mysterious box has suddenly shown up just after Pai and Sky left.
“Saifah,” Phayu calls over his shoulder to the other Alpha, not taking his eyes off the box. “Come here for a second.”
“What’s going on, brother?” Saifah asks, walking up to him.
“Look,” Phayu says, pointing to the box.
Saifah hums. “It’s a gift box,” he says, turning to face Phayu. “Aren’t you going to get it?”
“No,” Phayu nearly gasps, exasperated. “You don’t know what’s inside.”
The look on Saifah’s face bothers Phayu greatly. Why isn’t he worried? The box could contain anything. Maybe somebody overheard them at the garage, knows Rain has had the pup and has decided to mess with them. Maybe it’s toxic, especially for newborn pups. If that’s so, Phayu should already be in the shower scrubbing himself clean and staying away from them, he’s been too close to the box already. Maybe it’s–
“It’s just a gift box, brother,” Saifah pulls him out of his thoughts. “Look, it even has a little bow.” He bends down and picks up the box, turning it around to face Phayu.
“Saifah,” Phayu growls, baring his teeth. “Put it down.”
Saifah tilts the box from side to side curiously, clearly looking for something that says what the box carries, but doesn’t find it. He grabs the note and opens it, his face softening when he reads it. When he looks up at Phayu again, his face is filled with surprise.
“Phayu,” he starts, walking over to Phayu, but Phayu takes a step back.
“Do not come near me with that,” Phayu growls again.
“It’s just a gift box, Yu,” Saifah says soothingly and shows him the note attached to the little bow.
His curiosity unfortunately wins, making Phayu eye the note.
"To Phayu and Rain, and their newest addition to the family."
Phayu furrows his brows. See! Someone knows about their little girl! Knows that she was born and has now decided to mess with them. Phayu needs to get them away from here, needs to get them safe, hide them from whoever is trying to mess with them. He needs to keep them safe, he needs–
Without noticing it, his breathing has picked up severely and he’s growling as if he’s in danger. He certainly feels like he’s in danger.
“Look.” Saifah’s voice cuts through the whirlwind storming through his head. “Look closely,” he says and shows Phayu the note.
Placed on the bottom right corner is a signature Phayu knows all too well.
Pakin.
“Do you want me to open it?” Saifah asks cautiously. His tone suggests he’s trying to placate Phayu, which the Alpha is very grateful for.
Phayu nods curtly.
He doesn’t know if he should be happy it’s a package from Pakin, or if he should be terrified that it’s a package from Pakin.
How Pakin knows about the pup being born, Phayu doesn’t know. It’s concerning, really. Someone must have told him. How else would the Mafia boss know? They never explicitly told anyone Rain’s due date outside of their inner circle, so how would Pakin know?
With the utmost care, Saifah unfurls the bow, slipping the threads free from each other and lifts the lid from the box slowly, too slowly for Phayu’s liking.
It’s nerve wracking. He wants to know what’s inside, needs to know what’s inside. His heart is pounding in his chest, threatening to jump out. Logically, Phayu knows Pakin likes him too much to do them harm but– he’s still… nervous. This has never happened before, he’s never gotten a gift from the man before.
Opening the lid, Saifah tilts the box sideways so Phayu can see inside and–
Inside is an adorable looking teddy bear. A cute, brown, fluffy teddy bear. On its chest is another note and on it in neat, italic handwritten script it says:
"She's protected."
Shivers creep up Phayu's spine one by one until the hairs on the back of his neck stand at attention.
“It’s…” Saifah begins, but doesn’t finish his sentence. They both stare at it for a long while in silence, not comprehending what’s going on.
Phayu doesn’t like this. Not one bit.
She’s protected? What does that mean?
“This–” Saifah starts but falls silent again, looking at Phayu with an expression Phayu can’t quite decipher. “This is good, Yu,” he eventually says.
Phayu huffs. It’s not good. It’s horrible. The worst. His precious pup, not even a week old and already involved with the Mafia. He never wanted that for her, never. Phayu wanted to keep her out of it, keep her protected, keep her safe. The underworld is a scary, dark place, one that Rain nearly upset that one night all those years ago and-
Saifah places his hand on Phayu’s shoulder to ground him. “Hey,” he says. “Calm down. This is good.”
Phayu shakes his head.
“It is, I promise.”
“How,” Phayu nearly growls, tearing his gaze away from the teddy bear and looking up at Saifah. “How is it good?”
“Look at it this way, Yu,” Saifah says, keeping his expression soft. His scent has shifted a little. Phayu recognizes it as his scent from when they were still teenagers. The comforting scent surrounds him and brings back good memories. Saifah’s doing this on purpose, Phayu knows that. He’s trying to calm him down, but Phayu can’t. Not yet.
“See it as a welcome to the family gift,” Saifah says and he grabs the teddy bear from the box, holding it out to Phayu. “No one will be able to hurt her because…” He prompts Phayu to take hold of the teddy bear, willing him to understand. The teddy bear is soft to the touch. It’s much like the one they already have for her, fluffy, comfortable and baby proof, no sharp eyes sewed into it, but rather embroidered onto it.
“... because P'Pakin has blessed her with his protection. No one will ever dare touch her, Phayu. That’s good.” Saifah’s voice sounds sure and confident. How can he not see the dangers of this situation?
“I-...” Phayu stutters, unsure what to say. “But what if-”
“There’s no what if, Yu,” Saifah says, tone getting firm now. Phayu wants to glare at him. “You know how much P'Pakin’s promises mean. If he says she’s protected, then she is.”
Phayu grumbles quietly. He knows Saifah’s right. Pakin doesn’t make empty promises. His word means something, either good or bad.
And the teddy bear looks adorable and in a way it’s as big as the pup is right now. She can grow into it, wrap her tiny arms around it when she’s a little older, drag it with her everywhere she goes…
Phayu’s shoulders relax and he lets out a big sigh.
“There we go,” Saifah smiles. “Now why don’t you go back up to your nest, go back to your family.” Phayu’s heart surges at the mention of Rain and his pup. Oh how much he wants to go back to them, cuddle up to them, hold them in his arms. Rain has blessed him with the most precious little pup to ever exist and he’ll forever be grateful. This is all he’s ever wanted.
Phayu nods, holding the teddy bear tightly in his hands.
His legs take him back to the nest in big strides, determined to not spend another minute separated from them.
The second he sets foot in their bedroom, an incredibly sweet and soft scent fills Phayu’s nose. All worries instantly fall from his shoulders as the scent settles over him, soothing his mind and body.
Bundled up with multiple blankets and pillows propped around him, Rain lies with his eyes closed curled around their little pup, his nose pressed softly to her raven black hair. The image is adorable, filling Phayu’s heart with so much love as soft purrs resonate from his chest.
His body aches to be near them, pulls him forward, and he crawls into the nest.
“Baby,” Phayu coos, tucking Rain’s bangs behind his ears.
The Omega opens his eyes, blinking slowly and gazing up to Phayu. His sleepy eyes settle on the Alpha, slowly coming into focus, smiling when he looks at him.
“Alpha,” Rain murmurs, shifting his head a little on the pillow to get more comfortable and curling more around their pup who’s still sleeping soundly.
Phayu smiles softly. The sight before him nearly makes his heart explode with love. He can’t resist leaning in and capturing Rain’s lips in a gentle kiss, closing his eyes and basking in the feeling that is Rain. He hasn’t been able to stop touching the Omega since their little girl was born. He’s constantly nuzzling him, kissing him, caressing him. It’s like something inside him craves his mate’s touch and is only satisfied when he has his hands on his Omega.
It’s almost a shame to disconnect his lips from Rain’s, the soft, comforting feeling that is kissing his mate. They part with a soft sound. Phayu keeps his eyes closed for a few seconds longer, enjoying the little bubble they’re currently in, before he opens them again to look at Rain.
“Hey baby,” he murmurs quietly. Rain hums in response. “I’ve got something to show you.”
Careful not to disturb their sleeping pup, Phayu settles behind Rain, spooning up to him. His arm crawls around the Omega, placing the teddy bear in front of him before settling on Rain’s waist.
“What’s that?” Rain asks, voice still filled with sleepiness.
“It’s a gift,” Phayu says, keeping his voice down. “From P’Pakin.”
Rain looks back so quickly, his head nearly spins off its hinges, looking at Phayu. “From P’Pakin?” he asks, his voice a little raised.
Phayu nods. “It came with a note saying Chaisee is protected.” God it feels good to say her name. To be able to look at her and actually call her by her name. A name that fits her so well, their little pup, innocence herself.
“Good,” Rain says steadfastly. The determination in his voice surprises Phayu when it shouldn’t. He knows Rain’s fierce personality like the back of his hand, knows how strong minded he can be. “No one will ever be able to touch her,” Rain continues, looking back at their little girl and caressing her round cheek softly. “Ever.”
Warmth fills Phayu’s heart with Rain's confidence. His perfect Omega, his partner, the love of his life.
“She looks so much like you, Phi,” Rain says, turning his head to gaze at Phayu again. “She has your soft, midnight black hair and your cute little nose.”
Phayu purrs in contentment. She does look like him, a lot. But she also looks like Rain. She’s not even a week old, but he can already sense she’ll form the perfect pout with her cute, bushy eyebrows and already full looking lips. If she’s anything like her Papa, she’ll learn how to weaponize that in no time.
“She’s perfect,” Phayu says. “Our precious little pup.” Rain hums in agreement.
As if she knows they’re talking about her, the pup stirs a little, yawning cutely and opening her big brown eyes. Both men coo in unison at her, crawling in closer and wrapping themselves around her.
This is all Phayu has ever wanted and all he’ll ever need. Him, his mate and their daughter.
Safe in their nest and now protected from potential dangers. He couldn’t have asked for anything more.