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It’s dark outside, the streets are empty.
Sumire wakes up with a groggy yawn, her body positioned awkwardly on the bed, with an arm and a leg on top of someone and her other half almost falling off the edge of the mattress. She stares at the ceiling with a blank expression, the dream she was having repeating itself over and over while slowly fading away from her memory, until all that is left is the conscious thought of having dreamt anything at all.
The alpha turns her head to the left, coming face to face with her husband’s sleeping form. Akira lays on his side, his cheek squished against the pillow as one of his hands grips her pyjama shirt in between dreams, seemingly not bothered in the slightest by the extra weight on top of him. It seems he’s moved from one corner of the bed to the other, because there’s an empty spot behind him, the sheets wrinkled and out of place, as if someone had gotten out of bed.
It takes her a few more seconds to realise that Goro is missing, her brain remembering having fallen asleep by his side and not Akira’s, yet the omega is nowhere to be seen. She sits on her elbows with a little huff, droopy eyes looking around the room in search for him, but finds no one, only the shadows of a tree from outside reflected onto the big closet they own. Her eyes fall on the open door, the corridor obscured by the darkness, no lights in sight.
Sumire properly sits up then, slumber leaving her body as it’s replaced by a small rush of concern once she slowly comes back to her senses. Is Goro alright? Did he wake up feeling sick again? She’s surprised he’s gotten out of bed without disturbing neither of them, although she would be lying if she said this was the first time the brunette disappeared in the middle of the night without muttering a single peep.
With the intention to go search for him, the alpha carefully manoeuvres herself to the side until her naked feet touch solid ground. It’s cold and uncomfortable, but it helps her stay awake and alert. The moment she’s out of reach, Akira barely mumbles something in his sleep before turning to lay on his other side, hand patting the void space until it finds the hem of a pillow and he hugs it against his torso.
Sumire stares fondly at the sight. Should she wake him up as well?
She knows Akira would’ve probably preferred she did, but they’ve all been sleeping so little lately because of the newborn twins. The fact that Goro managed to leave the comfort and safety of their bed without rousing them, even though he fell asleep while being sandwiched between both alphas, just further proves her point. She’ll just find Goro and bring him back to bed, it’ll be just a few minutes maximum, she’s sure.
It’s as she’s pondering what to do that her attention is brought elsewhere: the sound of an unknown voice coming from the baby monitor they keep on their nightstand. It’s hardly discernible, its volume so low even the monitor itself has a hard time registering it, but it's undoubtedly there, which means there’s someone in the cubs’ room. And maybe it’s the lack of rest or maybe it’s her paranoia that doesn’t allow her to think straight, but Sumire feels the hair on the back of her neck stand up at the sound, and before she can think twice, her body moves on its own, a sense of urgency washing over her.
She can feel the way her fangs ache and her body becomes rigid with adrenaline before she’s rushing down the corridor, loud fast footsteps echoing against the decorated walls as she runs past them, her eyes shaky and her breathing ragged, expecting to find an intruder inside their home. Except that, as she reaches the nursery and opens its door with a forceful pull, her throat burning with a deep growl, it’s not an unidentified individual that comes into view, but instead, it’s Goro, who turns to look at her like a deer caught in headlights.
The image gives her whiplash, her body coming to a full stop as the aggressive sound that was about to come out instantly dies in the tip of her tongue, eyes opening wide in muted surprise. The remnants of her scent linger around her, threatening and out of control.
“... Sumire?” The omega stands by the twins’ crib, one of the pups safely cradled against his chest. The little nightlight on the wall illuminates his profile, which gives the alpha a perfect view of how his shocked expression quickly morphs into a protective frown.
“Goro-” She’s cut off when the omega snarls, taking a stand in front of the crib as if protecting it while simultaneously hugging the pup in his arms closer, his tired eyes looking at the alpha as if she was a threat, his scent spiking as a warning. The baby moves a bit, Sumire can see the way one of her hands clutches her mate’s shirt, and she would coo at the scene if Goro didn’t look ready to rip her throat out at the wrong movement.
“I’m sorry, Goro. I didn’t mean to barge in like that, I thought-” She tries to take a step forward, but this only seems to aggravate the brunette, his teeth snapping shut as one of his hands showcases his nails, now long and sharp, almost as if they were claws. He looks ready to fight, and Sumire feels guilty when her heart skips a beat at the showcase of protection Goro is willing to reach while defending their children.
Still, she raises her hands in the air, trying her best to look as non-threatening as she can when the omega’s dangerous fragrance sobers up her judgement significantly. At the same time, she makes her scent sweeter to calm her husband’s sudden hostility. She knows they’re both just exhausted, and she wishes she had put two and two together sooner, then Goro wouldn’t be at the verge of hysteria thinking that an alpha was trying to harm their pups.
“It’s just me, Goro. I’m not here to hurt you, I promise.” She slowly goes down on her knees, carefully sitting on the floor under the omega’s watchful stare, his own scent overbearing. “I’m sorry I scared you, Gogo. I really am.” Finally, she bares her neck as a demonstration of surrender, and as much as it goes against her instincts, she endures the uncomfortable pain until Goro comes to, a bead of sweat sliding down her forehead.
A few minutes of ominous silence pass before the brunette suddenly shakes his head, as if snapping out of a trance. Goro looks down at his daughter Rumi, still fast asleep in his arms, a small tear of drool staining his clothes, before he checks the crib to find Ren’s cute sleeping form, pudgy cheek squished against the soft mattress beneath him. It’s only when he finds everything in order, the ringing in his ears steadily fading away, that he stares at the alpha by the door, her neck still bared and her stance still cautious, not wanting to set off any more alarms.
“Sumi?” The alpha lets out a relieved sigh at the nickname, yet doesn’t move, a small smile tugging the corners of her lips.
“Yes, it’s me. I’m sorry I barged in. I wouldn’t ever hurt you, Gogo, not you, not our children. I love you.” Her mouth moves without her even processing the words, the floor she kneels down on cold yet her body warm. If from exhaustion or pain, she doesn’t know.
The omega blinks a few times before he carefully puts Rumi back in her side of the crib, separated with her brother’s by a pillowy barrier, and hurries by the alpha’s side. He kneels down in front of her as he puts a cold hand against the naked skin of her neck, which almost burns to the touch. The alpha closes her eyes for a moment at the brush of their skins, exhaustion making her look paler than usual.
“Stop it, stop. You’re clearly hurting yourself, idiot.” Sumire doesn’t allow herself to break out of position, however, until she’s certain her husband’s feeling better, the worry in his eyes and in the softness of his voice an indicator of clarity. His scent has also subsided significantly, and all that remains is the mild smell of the morning sea.
“I’m sorry, Goro. I heard someone over the monitor and I thought the worst. I should’ve known it was you, I’m really sorry.” Breathing feels like a difficult chore once she finally lets her head drop, but she feels the need to explain herself regardless, to make her mate see that she wasn’t trying to hurt them. She would never do such a thing, she’d prefer death rather than hurting her family.
Goro looks at her, a little confused at the sudden rush of words. The bags under his eyes reflect just how little rest he’s had, and Sumire knows she doesn’t look any better.
Just as he’s about to say something, rapid footsteps break the silence around the house, until another figure stands by the doorway, his pupils dilated in wariness and his scent imperceptible. When Sumire looks up, she thinks the raven looks a bit scary from this angle, uncanny even.
“Akira…” It’s Sumire the one who whispers his name before they have the alpha by their side, eyes making quick work of searching for any potential signs of pain or discomfort.
When he finds none, his posture softens, sharp eyes becoming rounder as he hugs them. His stare shifts to the side to watch the pups’ crib, relieved to see both their babies from between the cream-colored bars, safe in their little world of dreams.
“What happened?” Calm, collected and direct. Goro huffs a bit at his attitude, holding back the desire to flicker both of the alphas’ forehead. Sumire looks up in guilt, her expression still remorseful.
“Rumi wouldn’t stop crying, so I got up to try and get her to sleep.” The brunette explains, pulling away from the hug. Akira looks ready to comment before he’s promptly stopped by the omega, who looks at him with his eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. “You know she calms down faster when she’s with me, sending either of you would’ve only taken longer.” The raven closes his mouth, a frown of disagreement on his face. “Besides, I was already awake when I heard her, I didn’t mind.”
“Already? Why?” Sumire raises her voice a tad before her husband shushes her with a look, tilting his head towards where the pups are still sleeping. “Sorry.”
“I just wasn’t feeling tired.”
It wasn’t new for the omega to have trouble sleeping. Insomnia is something he’s been experiencing even before the birth of the twins. If anything, it just made him the best choice to check on them if they ever cried in the middle of the night. Not something that his partners would necessarily agree with, given that they insisted he woke them up instead if they didn't on their own, but Goro was stubborn.
And perhaps a little bit selfish too, if he were honest. He liked the time he spent alone with the twins, talking to them even if they couldn’t understand him yet, watching their faces light up at the sight of him or having them hold his pinky with their little hand. He especially treasured times like when he could watch Rumi slowly close her eyes as she fell into slumber, or when Ren would start babbling nonsense before hiding his face against his chest.
“Gogo,” Sumire’s voice is whispery, and Goro catches the hint of reprimand hidden in it, even if she’s using the nickname she gave him years ago. “You still should’ve woken us up, you haven’t been sleeping properly in days.”
“And you haven’t either.” He retorts with a glare. “You barged into the room like a maniac just a few minutes ago thinking I was an intruder.” Sumire stares at the floor in shame before her eyes shift between him and Akira, nervously wringing her hands in the process.
“I’m sorry, I swear I didn’t mean to make you feel in any sort of danger!” She looks ready to bow down and ask for forgiveness and it has Goro feeling perhaps even worse, his spiralling feelings showing in the way he bites the inside of his cheek with a scowl.
“We’re all tired, Goro.” Akira interjects their conversation, catching their attention. “But you specifically. We can take care of the pups too, love. You look like you could really use a rest. Otherwise, you’ll run yourself into the ground at this rate.”
He hates how this conversation seems to be turning against him and his bad sleeping habits. The children were upset, what was he supposed to do? Ignore his own cubs and let them cry until they get sick? He was already awake when he heard them, it’s just more convenient to have him go than waking the others up. Shouldn’t they be glad they get to enjoy a good night’s sleep instead of complaining about what he does and doesn’t?
“Goro?” A hand cups his cheek, and it’s then when he realises that there’s tears sliding down his face. He evades the alpha’s touch, hiding his crying expression behind his hands, feeling mortified at his sudden outburst.
“Goro, love, what’s wrong?” Akira asks, soft and careful, worried, but the omega feels his vocal cords tied into a strong knot. Why is he even crying to begin with?
“Love?” When he keeps refusing to show his face or talk, both alphas look at each other in concern, watching as Goro’s body trembles with every sob he swallows instead of letting it out.
Sumire gnaws at her bottom lip while contemplating their options, although she doesn’t see many. Forcing the omega to talk, or do anything for that matter, would only worsen things, and the least thing they want is to make him feel any more uncomfortable, let alone unsafe in their presence. The fact that the physically painful drowsiness seems to be catching up to them is not helping either.
While the youngest ponders, Akira approaches Goro, careful for any sign of rejection that the omega may show in case he doesn’t want to be touched either, yet as he slowly manoeuvres his body to sit in between his legs, the brunette’s back against his chest, Goro remains impassive, his concentration centred around trying to keep his sniffles from escaping him. After the alpha lays his chest flat against the curve of the brunette’s back and hugs his waist with gentle hands, he starts to purr, the sudden vibration catching Goro off guard.
The omega’s eyes water at the sensation, the soothing motion making his walls crumble piece by piece. He tries not to let them fall too soon, but then Sumire coaxes his hands out of the way, her eyes shining with nothing but love and tenderness as she embraces him. She follows her alpha’s example and starts purring as well, the deep vibration shaking his very core, and Goro feels himself completely let go. He clings to her, letting both alphas squeeze him in between their bodies until his brain is filled with the comforting noise of their gentling.
It takes a while before he starts to calm down, his eyes puffy and his sobs quieting down. Goro doesn’t move, opting to relax in his mates’ embrace instead, not really wanting their gentling to end just yet. He feels mushy, as if his body was just a pile of goo shaped into himself.
“I like taking care of our pups…” He mutters in a hoarse voice, his mates cuddling him a bit tighter once he starts talking. “I like having them in my arms and- and hearing their voices…”
“We know, love.” Akira says, hooking his chin on his shoulder. Goro likes the way this position makes him feel smaller, perfect to fit in their arms and never leave.
“I like singing them lullabies, or letting them hold my hand…” Sumire rubs her cheeks against his neck, scenting him in the process. “So when they cry, I-I always want to go to them and I don’t understand why that’s such a b-bad thing.”
As soon as he finishes the sentence, the rumbling stops and Akira and Sumire look at him with their eyes wide open.
“No, Goro, that’s not what we meant.” The raven immediately says, trying to find the omega’s eyes, hidden in the fabric of Sumire’s pyjama shirt. “There’s nothing wrong with you wanting to spend more time with Rumi and Ren, love.”
“We’re not upset that you take care of them. We’re worried that you keep pushing yourself too far, Gogo.” Goro squishes his face against her chest, a whine escaping him. “Please, we can- we want to help as well.” Sumire adds. He sniffles, his tears wetting the cloth.
“You’ve barely taken a break these past few days. We’re their parents as well, you don’t have to take care of them all on your own, love.” Akira softly kisses his nape, just below where his mating bites are. “Let us help you. Please.”
Goro raises his head from his hiding spot, subconsciously searching with his stare for the place where his pups sleep peacefully. He sighs, exhausted, as the accumulated fatigue starts weighting in on him. His body feels lighter after having cried and now he just wishes he were in bed, surrounded by both alphas while he drifts into a deep slumber.
“Okay…” He whispers as he closes his eyelids. Both alphas seem to cheer up alongside his answer.
“Thank you, Goro. We love you so much.” Sumire kisses his cheek, and it's hard not to start crying all over again. He blames it on his sensitivity.
As his mates start moving, Goro barely mumbles something when he’s picked off the ground, resting his head on Akira’s chest as he carries him with a hand on his back and the other one under his legs. Sumire is quick to follow, making sure to give the crib a onceover before striding behind them, the cute image of the twins sleeping making her smile.
When they finally make their way into the main bedroom, the youngest is the first one to get in bed, making herself comfortable under the covers before making space for her partners, excitedly patting the mattress while she waits. Akira lays the omega down in the middle, Goro already half asleep much to his own embarrassment. He curls up against Sumire, a faint chuckle escaping him once he has the raven spoon him from behind, the both of them kissing both his face and his shoulder.
“Alphas,” He hears two hums before he continues. “I love you too.”
Goro drifts to sleep then, steadily, as he’s cocooned in a nest of warmth and tranquillity.
(...)
It’s dark outside, again tonight, and the streets are empty, as per usual.
Akira wakes up with a yawn, someone’s hand shaking his shoulder insistently until his eyes are fully open. Soft crying can be heard from somewhere in the house and he lets out a tired groan at the sound.
“Kira,” Goro’s words are slurred, clearly fighting off the need to go back to sleep. “The pups… It’s your turn.”
Akira watches the way his husband retreats once he’s aware the raven’s awake, hands going back under the sheets as he seeks refuge in Sumire’s arms, the alpha happily welcoming him back, even if she doesn’t seem too aware of her own actions. Akira wants to purr at the sight, but another wail interrupts their peace.
“I’m going, I’m going.” He gets out of bed and puts on a pair of slippers, dragging his feet along the floor towards the nursery.
From the monitor, a voice starts singing a little out of tune, and Goro feels himself relaxing all at once, his expression breaking into a smile. His worries disappear as the song goes on, and before he realises, he’s back into his own world of dreams.