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Asahi’s eyes widen; the usually aloof pup’s lips part slightly, and for the second time today, he stares at Jaehyuk as if he has grown another head.
Jaehyuk blinks innocently back, tilting his head to the side much like a confused puppy would do. Then, when it seems that Asahi isn’t going to say anything, he reaches forward to tug gently on Asahi’s arm, his face growing more and more anxious as the seconds tick by.
“D-do you n-not like it?” He asks quietly, his lower lip jutting out and turning downward just a fraction, “Is, is it the color? ...I knew I should’ve bought the white one-”
But Jaehyuk doesn’t get to finish his sentence because Asahi has already thrown himself across the couch, pulling Jaehyuk into a tight hug. A squeak of surprise escapes him, but after a moment of shock, Jaehyuk hugs back, burying his face in Asahi’s shoulder, giggles rippling through the both of them.
When they break apart, an expression of pure joy stretches Asahi’s face, his doe eyes sparkling with happiness. He looks at Jaehyuk with such awe – such adoration – that the little pup feels his heart skip several beats inside his chest.
“It’s perfect,” Asahi says earnestly, reaching out to grab Jaehyuk’s hand in his, squeezing it once before releasing it again, “I love it. Thank you for getting it for me.”
He pauses for a moment, looking down at the ground, as if gathering courage, then raises his gaze again, a shy smile curling at the edges of his mouth.
“Do...do you wanna be my first model?” Asahi asks in a whisper, his cheeks dusted with pink.
Jaehyuk’s smile grows wider and even brighter than the sun, his whole face lighting up and eyes shining with happiness.
“Of course!”
(“Woah, really? You still have the camera Appa gave you a billion gazillion years ago?” And Asahi stifles a laugh as he scoops up his baby girl, the little pup letting out a happy squeal when the alpha presses a kiss to her nose. She giggles in response and reaches up to pat at her tou-chan’s cheeks, her own cheeks whiskering as she does so.
“Uh-huh!” Asahi beams as he adjusts her so she can wrap her tiny little arms around his neck, holding her close as he walks over to the large bookshelf against the far wall of their living room, where a certain scuffed-up, mint green polaroid camera sits nestled amongst other old things. “You wanna see it?”
“Yeah!”)
“Oi, Jjaejjae-ya, hold still!” Asahi tsks, the now fourteen-year-old pup’s nose all scrunched up as he sets his camera down, quickly moving to fix the red camellia tucked behind Jaehyuk’s ear with a sigh, his hands gliding over Jaehyuk’s cheeks gently.
The older boy was blushing, not quite sure what had made him get so flustered about such an ordinary thing, but it didn’t take him very long before he felt himself leaning into Asahi’s touch, trying hard to suppress the urge to close his eyes and enjoy the moment.
When Asahi’s fingers stopped moving against his skin, however, he slowly backed away, his face burning even hotter; Jaehyuk almost falling off the stool when he realized that he’d been caught red-handed, ears tipped bright red.
Asahi just quirks a brow, amused. “There we go, all better, right?” He asks, stepping back and reaching for the camera on the table next to them.
“I...I guess, yeah.” Jaehyuk mutters, his gaze focused somewhere past Asahi’s shoulder, feeling more than a little bit embarrassed by how obviously he’d wanted him to lean in and kiss him. “S-sorry for acting weird about it,” he adds, his heart doing a funny sort of flip in his chest as he tries his best not to fidget, not wanting Asahi to fuss at him again.
“Hm? Why are you sorry?” Asahi’s lips twist downwards into a pout as he studies Jaehyuk’s flushed features, his expression softening slightly when he notices how cute Jaehyuk looks like this, all pretty and pink and adorable.
Jaehyuk glances away, clearing his throat awkwardly. “I, um, it’s n-nothing-”
The feeling of Asahi’s soft lips on his cheek startles Jaehyuk enough that he jerks back, staring wide-eyed at Asahi, who looks entirely too pleased with himself, raising his camera up to snap a photo before Jaehyuk has the chance to react.
Click! Flash! Click!
“W-what?” Jaehyuk stammers, blinking rapidly in surprise as Asahi takes another picture. “What was t-that f—I mean, w-why would you do that?!”
Asahi simply offers him one of his infamous coy, cat-like smiles, his camera lowering from where he’d been holding it up to take the photo.
“You’re cute when you blush,” he tells him, looking rather smug when Jaehyuk blushes even harder, sputtering out nonsense words in protest. “Now, c’mon, let’s do your other cheek-”
“A-Asahi!”
(“Ehh?! Really?? Tou-chan kissed you first!? But Uncle Hoonie said that Tou-chan was too much of a fraidy-cat to make any first moves!” Jaehyuk damn near choking on his beloved banana milk as his pup gapes wide-eyed at her appa, dropping her chopsticks as she tries to wrap her mind around the news that her 88% introverted tou-chan had made the first move.
“Yeah, w-well, Uncle Hoonie doesn’t know what he’s talking about!” Jaehyuk stammers, glancing over at Asahi, who was clearly suppressing his own laughter with great effort before looking back to their pup. His hand reaches out and lightly pinches at her cheek, making her whine and scrunch up her face, smacking away his hand.
“He does too!” She insists, crossing her arms across her chest and puffing out her cheeks in protest. “Uncle Hoonie was the one who told me that it was sex that put my baby sister in your tummy, not by eating magic watermelon seeds like you said it was-”
“Alright! That’s enough of that! Let’s just focus on finishing up our dinner, hm?” Asahi is quick to intervene, the alpha chuckling under his breath when she pouts in disappointment but turns back towards her food anyway.
“Fine, fine,” she grumbles, picking at her rice with her chopsticks again and letting out a deep sigh before glancing back over at Jaehyuk with a mischievous glint in her eye, “but I’m still gonna tease you later, though, Appa!”)
“Does it bother you?” Jaehyuk whispers, the newly presented, eighteen-year-old omega watching as Asahi continues snapping pictures of the neighborhood’s local street cat. The two of them were walking home from an afternoon spent at the seashore, beach bag slung over his shoulder and a plastic bag containing their spoils in his hand.
Asahi glances up, eyes soft and curious. “Does what bother me?” He asks, camera hanging around his neck as his fingers rub at the tabby’s ears. He smiles at Jaehyuk, something that is both shy yet gentle, something the omega has grown quite fond of. It makes him feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but he forces himself to swallow the lump in his throat before he speaks again.
“That I’m an omega,” Jaehyuk murmurs, shifting on his feet and biting at his lip, fingernails digging into the strap of his bag, his cheeks feeling too hot.
He watches as Asahi tilts his head to the side, brows furrowed, and the omega feels like he’s being scrutinized for a few seconds more before Asahi finally speaks.
“Why would that bother me?” The blonde asks in return, rising from his crouch and dusting off his shorts, stepping closer until they are toe to toe, hands on hips as he stares Jaehyuk down (up).
There’s no heat behind those eyes, Jaehyuk notices, just concern, confusion, and maybe a hint of curiosity. He shrugs, shoulders hunching as he avoids eye contact with Asahi, suddenly very self-conscious of the fact that they’re standing so close together.
“I...I don’t know,” he whispers, his voice breaking slightly at the end. He doesn’t dare look up; the tips of his ears burn pink as he stares hard down at the pavement beneath his sandals—
“Does it bother you, Jjaejjae-ya?” Asahi’s voice cuts through his thoughts, this time louder, firmer, almost as if daring him to try and lie.
Jaehyuk finally looks up, meeting Asahi’s gaze and forcing himself not to flinch.
“A little bit,” he admits, glancing away again, unable to bear seeing Asahi’s crestfallen expression. “B-but it’s fine-”
“You’re still you, Jaehyuk-ah,” Asahi says, his voice firm and unwavering, interrupting him before he can finish that sentence. He reaches out and grasps one of Jaehyuk’s hands within his own, holding onto it tight, warm palms pressing against his skin, grounding Jaehyuk back to reality. “You’re still the same best friend that I,” and he pauses then, sucking in a shaky breath, “that I f-fell in love with back when we were just pups.”
Jaehyuk’s mouth falls open for a moment, gaping stupidly, before he manages to close it, cheeks rosy and lips trembling. “O-oh,” he breathes shakily, looking back up at Asahi, who is still holding onto his hand, his thumbs brushing over the backs of his knuckles, his touch feather soft.
His heart skips several beats as Asahi leans in just a fraction more, and then suddenly they’re kissing, soft lips pressing together awkwardly, but somehow still so familiar, so right.
Asahi pulls back after a few seconds, and when Jaehyuk opens his eyes, he’s staring into Asahi’s, warm and so full of fondness, his smile gentle and beautiful. He’s even blushing, Jaehyuk notices, as he ducks his head, sheepish, his hair falling across his face so Jaehyuk can only see his eyes.
The other boy laughs, and his laughter warms Jaehyuk’s chest. When he smiles like that, there’s no room for anything else. His eyes crinkle at the corners, bright and twinkling, and his cheeks dimple as he does so, making Jaehyuk feel like an absolute fool because he’s been hopelessly besotted by this boy since they were but in grade school.
And when he moves back closer, resting his forehead gently against Jaehyuk’s own, he whispers, “So what do you say, Jjaejjae-ya? You wanna be my omega?”
Jaehyuk closes his eyes and lets his head fall forward, leaning into Asahi’s warmth and breathing in the scent of sun and salt water that clings to his skin.
“Y-yeah,” he murmurs, letting their lips press together once more, something far too large to put a name on bubbling up inside of him as he feels Asahi smile against them. “I do.”
(“Tou-chan? Whose kitty is this?” Asahi looks up from his book to see his baby girl holding up a picture of a certain tabby cat he hasn’t seen in nearly fifteen years, a small smile tugging at his lips as he thinks back to the events that transpired after he took that photo.
“That,” he replies, sitting his book down and patting the spot next to him on the couch, the alpha letting out a slight grunt when she clambers up into his lap, the photograph still clutched in her tiny hands, “is the kitty-cat that gave me their blessings to be your Appa’s alpha.”
To which she simply snorts, rolling her eyes as she flops herself against him dramatically, “Pfft, don’t be silly, Tou-chan! A kitty-cat can’t give you any bwe...blessing!”
“Actually,” and both she and Asahi turn their heads to see Jaehyuk leaning against the doorframe, one hand resting on his swollen middle as he walks – well, it’s really more like he waddles – over to them, cheeks whiskered, “I think you’ll come to find that they can~”)
“きれいだ,” Asahi murmurs, the now twenty-five-year-old alpha watching the steady rise and fall of his mate’s chest, the bruising claiming mark adorning Jaehyuk’s neck stirring something deep within him, and he has to force himself not to pull his omega close and take him there.
The omega shifts in his arms, groaning a bit as the pain from their first night spent together settles in his body, though Jaehyuk doesn’t open his eyes. He just burrows further into the warmth of Asahi’s embrace, nuzzling into his scent gland with a contented sigh, and Asahi feels his heart swell at the sound.
He presses a gentle kiss to the top of Jaehyuk’s head and then ever so gingerly slips out from underneath him, padding over to where his camera rests on their dresser and picking it up before settling down on the edge of their bed, angling the lens to focus on Jaehyuk’s sleeping face, the omega’s plush lips parted just slightly and his hair fanning across the pillow.
Asahi’s thumb hovers over the shutter button for half a second before he forces his hand to relax and brings the camera up to his eye, clicking twice.
The resulting flash makes Jaehyuk let out a soft whine, his eyes slowly fluttering open, and he stares at Asahi for a long moment before smiling shyly up at him, cheeks dusted with pink.
“Hi,” he says, voice a little rough with sleep.
“Hello,” Asahi replies, smiling back at the omega before setting his camera aside and crawling back onto their shared bed. He reaches out and tugs Jaehyuk closer, who is more than happy to snuggle up against his chest.
“What was that for?” The omega asks, blearily peering up at him through his lashes, fingers trailing across the pectoral muscles of Asahi’s bare chest. Asahi only hums, carding his slender fingers through Jaehyuk’s hair.
“You looked beautiful,” he answers, like the answer should be obvious, before leaning in to press a gentle kiss against the corner of Jaehyuk’s mouth. Who lets out an affectionate huff before curling into Asahi’s chest, pressing a sleepy but lingering kiss against his skin.
“I love you,” Jaehyuk mumbles after a few seconds, and Asahi smiles, leaning down to brush their noses together when Jaehyuk tilts his head up to meet him, closing his eyes as their foreheads touch.
“I love you too,” he replies before leaning down for a longer, softer kiss, letting Jaehyuk melt into his arms.
(“All of these pictures were taken at you and Tou-chan’s wedding?” And Jaehyuk chuckles when he sees the look of awe on his pup’s face, her doe eyes wide as she stares down at her parents’ thick wedding album, her finger tracing the edges with an almost reverent air.
“Uh-huh!” Jaehyuk grins, affectionately ruffling her hair, an action that earns him a particularly Asahi-esque glare in return. “There’s even pictures taken during your Tou-chan and I’s honeymoon in there too-” His face pales as he realizes that those pictures were also in the album, albeit tucked away at the very, very back. “Wait, don’t-”
“Eww! Tou-chan’s a pervert!”)
“Stop taking pictures of me! I’m literally as big as a whale!” A twenty-eight-year-old Jaehyuk pouts as he swats at Asahi, the alpha merely rolling his eyes as he snaps another picture, his omega’s cheeks flushing as he crosses his arms across his chest, exaggerating his steadily growing baby bump.
Asahi sighs, setting the camera down before he moves and wraps his arms around Jaehyuk’s waist from behind, chin resting on top of Jaehyuk’s shoulder. The omega shivering as he noses at his neck, peppering kisses all over the soft skin.
“You’re pregnant, Jjaejjae-ya, not fat. But even if you were ‘as big as a whale,’ that wouldn’t make you any less beautiful,” the alpha murmurs against Jaehyuk’s ear, and the omega rolls his eyes, but can’t help but smile as he leans back against Asahi’s chest. A pleased purr escapes him when he feels how Asahi’s hands move to rest on his belly, where the pup, no, their pup, is kicking and moving about within.
Jaehyuk tilts his head slightly, giving his alpha enough access to press a light kiss against his cheekbone before he turns so that he’s facing the alpha, the swell of his baby bump pressing between their bodies as he leans forward and kisses him firmly on the lips. Asahi lets out a breathy laugh against his mouth, returning the kiss with enthusiasm, the omega giggling when Asahi nips at his bottom lip playfully, making him pull away just long enough to breathe before diving right back in.
When they finally break apart for air, both panting heavily, Jaehyuk rests his forehead against Asahi’s, the alpha hands coming to rest on either side of Jaehyuk’s belly, thumbs rubbing little circles there.
“I mean it, though,” the alpha whispers, looking up at Jaehyuk through hooded eyes, his voice filled with emotion. “You’re gorgeous; you know that, right? So, so beautiful. Just like our pup is going to be.”
Jaehyuk chuckles at Asahi’s declaration, shaking his head as he cups Asahi’s face in his hands, leaning forward to press his lips against the alpha’s, tangerine intermingling with eucalyptus.
“Okay, okay, I believe you,” he says once they part, his thumb brushing gently over Asahi’s lower lip, “...thank you.”
“Always, Jjaejjae-ya, always.”
(“That’s really me when I was a pup?” Asahi’s lips twitch as he watches his baby girl (she’s actually almost five, but she’s his forever baby) squint at the picture in her tou-chan’s hands. A picture that, of course, he himself had taken.
“Mhm-hm, it is-”
“Oh! This is a pic of when I was in Appa’s tummy, right?” She asks, her eyes wide and eager as she picks up another photo from the pile. Jaehyuk looks mildly annoyed in the shot, plush lips adorably pouty.
“Mhm-hm, it-”
“Appa is so pretty! Don’t you think so, too, Tou-chan?” She turns to look up at him, and Asahi can see just how much she already resembles her appa, whisker dimples dappling her rosy cheeks.
Asahi smiles down at his daughter, nodding fondly before pressing a kiss to the crown of her head.
.
“Mhm-hm, I do.”)
“I...she’s perfect,” Asahi breathes out, the twenty-nine-year-old alpha trying (and failing) to blink back tears as he sets his camera down on the hospital bed, taking his and Jaehyuk’s pup into his arms and cradling her protectively against his chest.
Jaehyuk hums, a tired yet happy smile on his face as he reaches up to caress Asahi’s cheek, wiping away stray tears with his thumb.
“She really is. ...she looks just like you, you know?” He says with a small laugh, causing Asahi to flush, a soft giggle escaping the omega’s lips as his alpha presses his cheek into the palm of his hand. “She has your eyes, and your nose, too.”
“Maybe so, but her lips? Those are all yours,” Asahi whispers, leaning into the warmth from Jaehyuk’s skin, closing his eyes for a moment before looking at their baby girl, his vision blurring slightly again.
As Asahi watches her, Jaehyuk picks up the camera and snaps a picture, smiling softly as he stares down at the beautiful image in front of him, at the love of his life staring at their little love—
“I love you,” Asahi blurts out, though that’s not to say that his words are without reason, no, because there is no question anymore about what kind of feelings he feels for Jaehyuk. Of how much he means to him and how hard it is to believe that the product of their love is now held within his arms.
Jaehyuk smiles, putting the camera down as he feels Asahi scoot his chair closer, the alpha’s lips pressed against his temple. His own eyes fill with tears again as he looks down at their daughter, at the beautiful, perfect life whom they had created together. “I love you, too.”
(“One,” Jaehyuk rushes to quickly fix the hospital-provided cap on his and Asahi’s newborn pup’s head, her big sister holding up her newly gifted, pastel pink polaroid camera to her tiny face, her button nose scrunched up in concentration.
“Two,” Asahi’s heart swells with love for his little family as he wraps an arm around Jaehyuk’s shoulder, pulling his mate and pup close to him as he watches their eldest pup ready her shot, pride blossoming in his chest at the sight.
“Three,” and both Asahi and Jaehyuk share a tender kiss before turning to look towards their daughter, their smiles already tugging at their lips at the utmost seriousness she’s approaching her task with, keeping her hands steady just like her tou-chan had taught her to.
“はい, チーズ!”)