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Taeyang never once thought of having a child, though he has always believed that if he had one, he wants them to have his face so they’d be pretty. He only said it as a joke to his old packmates before, which earned him condescending laughs and this was before things went downhill with them.
But when he tells his now mate of his dream jokingly, he just snorts and rolls his eyes hearing Taeyang utter those words before mumbling his agreement against his skin, his lips caressing along the edge of his neck before nudging his nose against the mating mark he left behind, scenting Taeyang and making the whole room smells of their lingering cherry and moss pheromones, thick under Taeyang’s nose.
“More reasons to love them then, since they would look like the love of my life,” Keeho says before caressing the small bump on Taeyang. Taeyang sighs, comfortable being in his mate’s arms before that thought creeps again inside his brain. Keeho grabs Taeyang's waist and rests his face on Taeyang’s nape then blows on it, causing the both of them to giggle before Taeyang whines for him to get away and not make him lose focus on spreading jam onto his bread.
“I can tell you’re thinking about it again, Aeyangie. You know it’s not true,” Keeho reassures Taeyang. Taeyang drops the butter knife he is holding and turns around, hugging Keeho’s neck in the meantime before resting his forehead against Keeho’s, closing his eyes and lets his mind wander to when he was still a newly presented omega, getting berated by his old pack that all those trainings for him to be an alpha and a pack heir was for nothing. He’d be an awful pack heir because he is not an alpha and he'd be an awful omega since he hadn’t been getting any exposure on how to be a proper omega.
His poor mate, getting someone with an identity crisis.
His poor child too, imagine getting the supposed omega parent who knows how to hunt but not cook.
That is if he even could find a mate, who would want him?
It was obviously in the past, as Keeho is now with him, mated and their unborn child is growing safely inside of him but it still gets to him sometimes, when he feels particularly low of himself. His self esteem has improved a lot, but he guesses it is the hormones playing against his rationality as he sometimes still hears his old packmates’ voices making fun of him, when he stares at how tall he actually is, even compared to the alphas in his new pack (they are frankly a bit short, his mate not excluded), with broad shoulders and sharp but not unkind attitude.
Keeho said it’s what makes him hotter because if he wanted an omega with the opposite features he’d date one but here he is, isn’t he? And here he is indeed, as he still can’t stop licking and nipping against his mating mark like an obsessed big pup.
His new pack is accepting, and definitely not as traditional as his old one, considering their pack leader is an omega who also comes to him once in a while to ask him for advice regarding pack management based on what he learned his whole life to be a pack heir and all that before he ran away. He lived alone, struggling as a lone omega as no one wanted to take him in for being a useless loner omega who must have gotten kicked out of his pack for a reason before bumping into Keeho who was hunting with the other alphas and betas of their pack for food, graciously extending his warm welcome to Taeyang once he realized that Taeyang was indeed not lost and just alone.
He, of course, tried to act fierce, hoping that this group of people wouldn’t bother him anymore but he was hungry as hunting alone isn’t really ideal so he hadn’t eat in many days except for some berries, and the deer they were taking home looked appetizing enough, so he reluctantly followed them. Keeho tried to talk to him but he was still a bitter supposed-alpha turned omega so he brushed the alpha off, prefering to strike a conversation with the lanky beta beside him who turned to be his close companion now. Jongseob really is as sweet as the first impression Taeyang got of him.
“Remember when you were courting me? That was terrible,” Taeyang whispers, swaying his hips to Keeho’s humming, his palm warm against Taeyang’s bulging stomach. “Ah, don’t bring that up. You still fell for me, so what?” Keeho whines which brings a smile to Taeyang’s face. He loves bringing it up, and will continue to do so to their pups, and their pups, until his death bed.
“Idiot, I was obviously not interested in you,” which Keeho pouts at because it was true, and he hates admitting it. The first bouquet he gave to Taeyang which was filled with wildflowers that he picked because he was a broke, newly turned alpha, was met with a questioning gaze from Taeyang, who at the time was babysitting Shota, his neighbour’s kid. Taeyang asked him if he knew that this was a courting gesture which of course he said yes, and earned a laugh out of Taeyang.
Taeyang just told him that they didn’t know each other that well yet for him to court so Keeho did the next best thing; extending his hand and asking to be friends with Taeyang, throwing away that bouquet of wildflowers.
And so, they were friends.
Keeho’s omega mom taught Taeyang everything she knew to Taeyang in a short amount of time so that he didn’t have to feel left out any longer and took him under her wings while Keeho not-so-subtly held back onto his feelings and acted like he was homies with Taeyang, even brought him around to meet his friends—who are now also Taeyang’s friends—and during their activities because he wanted—still wants—to be beside Taeyang all the time.
Many moons later, Intak, the omega pack heir that became another one of his close friends, did pull him aside during Taeyang’s preheat, which only omegas were allowed to be near him as he was unmated and asked, how much longer are you planning to make Keeho hyung wait? He is on the verge of giving up, you know? He thinks you don’t like him at all.
That got him thinking, because he still didn’t feel ready to get into a relationship. He resented alphas in general but he loves Keeho and he would definitely sulk if Keeho got together with another person that is not him and so, with much shame in his demeanor and a pair of red cheeks, he went to Keeho’s mother and asked her the best ways omegas can show interest in someone which brought a glint to her eyes because she knew exactly who was this for, and even down to his personal taste.
That is how Keeho got his beloved knitted scarf that he still uses (he wept when Taeyang gave it to him, pulled him in a hug and ruined Taeyang’s favorite top in the process) and started courting Taeyang again, with roses instead of wildflowers, and an outer clothing made of hide to keep Taeyang warm during cold seasons because Taeyang deserves appropriate courting, in Keeho’s words, and he no longer can only afford picking up wildflowers.
Keeho didn’t have to know that he also cried while hugging the garment after Keeho left, never imagining that he could be someone’s mate.
“When they are here, I want to be called Papa,” Keeho says, which gets Taeyang to break off from his memory dive and starts thinking. Again, he never imagined he’d get to this point in his life so he doesn’t have any idea. Traditionally, omegas are called Mom, or any variation of it, no matter the primary gender, which could be fun to Taeyang, but it reminds him of his old pack that told him that he didn’t deserve to be an omega, moreover being called Mom so he just doesn’t say anything and shrugs.
“You can be Mama,” Keeho jokes which Taeyang rolls his eyes at, still feeling undeserving of it so he just replies with, “I will be Dad, I don’t know, whatever the kid is willing to call me.”
“You have to choose! I can’t keep calling you Aeyangie in front of the pups!” which makes Taeyang furrow his eyebrows before smirking, “Pups? You want more?”
“Wait, no! I mean, yea, but like—”
“It’s better if you just shut your mouth, honestly.”
୨ৎ
“She looks more like you each day, she is so cute,” Keeho singsongs, rocking the baby before lifting his head to look at Taeyang. Taeyang shrugs, eyes still focused on his daughter to make sure she is slowly falling asleep after drinking milk, “I don’t know, I think she has your eyes,” Taeyang says but Keeho shakes his head, clearly disagreeing. “She’s a carbon copy of you. I was an ugly baby and I have proofs.”
“Ma-ma! My princess looks so much like her Mama,” Keeho gleefully says to the baby in his arms, pointing at the figure beside him, which earned him a punch to his biceps before Taeyang steals the baby from Keeho’s arms and starts rocking her to sleep. “Stop trying to get her to call me Mama. She can decide on it later.”
“Yangie, I don’t think letting a toddler decide what to call you is good,” Keeho has a point but Taeyang still can’t decide. Dad doesn’t really resonate with him, to be honest, and he told this truthfully to Keeho and so he is back to being titleless. Keeho has been calling himself Papa to their daughter, intending for it to be her first word, which is cute to watch but he feels a tug in his heart every time because he still doesn’t know what to call himself and Keeho takes that as a sign to start calling him Mama too. He doesn’t hate it, no, but it stirs a bad feeling into his guts, like he was back to being 17 who just went through his first heat and not rut. He feels a slight disconnect from his own daughter that he birthed compared to Keeho who is taking it in a stride.
Like a bad omega.
Maybe they were right about him—
“Mam-ma!” Taeyang freezes, and immediately turns towards Keeho who is also frozen before he quickly turns to face his mate and reacts fast to come closer to them. Their pup, who is clearly not asleep moves and starts tapping on Taeyang’s face, “Mam-ma!”
Taeyang doesn’t remember much afterwards, he only feels Keeho’s arm around him before he takes their Haeun in his arms, and he starts crying so hard that everything is a blur.
Him? Mama? That’s crazy. Absolutely crazy. He doesn’t deserve to be called that. His ability to be a proper omega only extends to what he learned from his mother-in-law. Even his mom hated that he is not what she thought he was. He is not a mom, despite birthing his precious pup and taking care of it like a proper parent. He is still not a mom. Mama? Crazy, insane, unhinged, but he can’t say that to his daughter. Fuck, did he just call his daughter crazy? He is a bad parent, he doesn’t deserve—
“‘kay? Aeyangie, hey, look at me. Baby,” Taeyang gets out of his trance and sees Keeho’s figure in between his unfallen tears. “Kyo, she said Mama,” he whispers, still in awe and feeling shaken up because that pulled so many emotions out of him that he doesn’t know he had over that title.
“Yes, baby. She called you Mama,” Keeho wipes away the tears clinging on his eyeslashes and smiles softly, probably, no, scratch that, definitely understands the termoil inside of him despite him stubbornly holding onto his stance that he does not give a fuck, and doesn’t need to tell his mate that he has complicated feelings over this.
Of course Keeho knows, he is his mate afterall.
Taeyang sniffles before taking the back of his sleeve to wipe away his tears, only now realizing that he quite literally fell to his knees as both of them are now on the floor with Keeho kneeling in front of him, his newborn baby still looking at him curiously.
“Mama,” Keeho says softly, his eyes curl up as he smile and points at Taeyang using Haeun’s small arms. Haeun looks at Keeho before facing forward, almost stumbling down to go to Taeyang, arms reaching out while exclaiming Mam-ma! again, and again, and again.
Taeyang laughs as he reaches out, resting her weight on his arms before snuggling against her soft skin, “Yes, Mama,” which she giggles at before joyfully exclaiming Mam-ma again while quite literally slapping Taeyang but he doesn’t mind, he is a bit all over the moon by being acknowledged by his own pup that he deserves to be called Mama.
“Soooo, Mama?” Keeho asks for confirmation, he kisses Taeyang’s hair before pulling away, “She chose it for you.” Taeyang snorts before nodding, still sniffling through his nose before he kisses Keeho’s right cheek, “and you’re Papa,” he grins before he continues, “and I beat you to it, she said Mama first.”
Keeho laughs, clearly doesn’t mind that he is losing the competition that he started before opening up his arms to drag both his mate and his pup into a big hug, “Should have been me, I trained her for this,” he fake sulks before kissing Taeyang all over his face.
In typical Taeyang’s fashion, he would push Keeho away and slap him (affectionately) because his spit is getting all over his face but you know what, he can let it slide this time, and let his mate enjoy all the skinship in the world because he just lost the world’s least important competition.
It still feels weird because it is a new thing that he is still trying to accept but his daughter can’t stop repeating Mama, clearly excited to make a sound, clapping her hands in delight as Keeho starts making silly faces and spins her around.
Oddly enough, with each time she calls him Mama, the more he believes that he really does deserve to be called that.
୨ৎ
“Mama!” Haeun shrieks as she runs towards Taeyang and starts hugging his legs, hiding behind him while a group of girls who were chasing her stop and pout, glaring to his daughter before changing their expression to ones that are like kicked puppies when looking at Taeyang.
“That’s not fair! Stop hiding behind your mom every time we play tag!” The girl with a high bun starts complaining, which Taeyang laughs at before he slightly squats down to get their level despite barely being able to and pushes Haeun forward softly. Byul is just like her father, small but very opinionated, Jiung should be proud. “Come on, that’s not fun. Go and play with them without using me.”
“I don’t wanna play anymore, I wanna play with Baby!” Haeun pouts, her small hand caresses Taeyang’s belly which makes him blush. Sure, he told Haeun to feel her baby sibling kicking last night but he doesn’t expect for her to do it in front of these curious little girls who are watching everything so he slowly takes her hands off him and smiles awkwardly.
“Haeun-ah, Baby will be here very soon so you will have a lot of times to play with Baby later. Go with your friends, okay? Play safe, baby,” Haeun pouts but she still waves to Taeyang before running away excitedly like she has already forgotten her initial want to not play with her friends any longer. He lets her run around in their front yard with her friends before going in, exhausted from just trimming his small garden.
“Aeyangie, Mama,” he hears a voice calling him but he just closes his eyes and rests his head on their couch, knowing that the owner of the voice will just come right to him.
“There you are,” he murmurs before sitting down and lets Taeyang put his weight on him. “I told you to not move so much,” he scolds Taeyang as it is obvious that Taeyang just came back from their garden but still brings him in a tight hug which Taeyang just smiles sheepishly at before kissing the corner of his jaw. “Sorry, Kyo,” knowing very well that it would melt Keeho from further nagging at him.
Aging looks good on Keeho, his chiselled jawline becomes more prominent than when he was in his 20s, his face becomes a bit more angular, though his build is a bit less buff than before but he still looks so fucking good that Taeyang wants to be all over him. He knows that just staring at his mate this long could trigger him into heat if he wasn’t already pregnant in the first place, frankly.
“I was so worried, like where did my sweet pregnant omega go?” he giggles before caressing Taeyang’s belly, humming a song before snuggling his face against Taeyang’s neck, scenting him to wash away his own cherry smell with Keeho’s moss pheromone.
They stay like that for some time, enjoying the silence save for Haeun’s shriek (that she inherited from her Mama) while playing outside before Keeho opens his mouth again. “You won’t cry again if our baby calls you Mama for the first time?” Keeho asks which earns him a pinch on the cheek before the omega in his arms huffs, “You can’t stop bringing that up.”
“The way you can’t stop bringing up my failed courting? Eye for an eye, baby.”
Taeyang doesn’t have it in him to retaliate so he just huffs before laughing together with Keeho while resting his head on his chest, hearing his heartbeats drumming against his skin, still as fast as when he first hugged Taeyang, as if like his adoration stayed the same even if it has been many moons since they mated, moreover since they first courted.
This is comfortable.
Taeyang loves this life. He loves being Keeho’s mate and he loves being a mom to his pups, even if he is still so much better at hunting than cooking.
He loves it and wouldn’t change it for anything, even if his old pack doesn’t believe so. He has people that do.