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A mild sting of pain stirred him awake –
Warm sunlight caressed the wooden floor merely a couple centimeters away from him; a perfectly blue sky on the other side of the window. A gentle breeze entered through the half-open window along with the candid sounds of noon – children playing, distant music. The white curtains swayed gently-
…when exactly had he fallen asleep? He didn’t remember. Lately, he kept having trouble sleeping through the night, instead dozing on and off thorough the day. So much for health-consciousness and all that…
Inside the house, he could hear something boiling – clatter of utensils and pots, the sound of a meal being prepared. An inviting scent of miso wafting through the air…
Eyelashes fluttering slowly, he sunk his face into the closest pillow – it smelled like summer rain and wet earth. Comforting.
It eased his mind, but did little to relief the pain on his hips and lower back. The uneven weight must be to blame - he should probably turn to the other side, as daunting as it feels nowadays.
Annoyance bubbled somewhere in the back of his mind at the thought…
Kick.
Not missing the characteristic feeling, he threw a small glance downwards – to the sizeable cause of his annoyances.
“Mikaaaa” he finally called, patience reaching its limit barely a few minutes after waking up, voice sounding a few notes needier than he wanted to even to his own ears
“Comin’~ Wait a min!” the familiar voice answered from the kitchen almost immediately, more sounds of cooking filling in the empty space.
He let his eyes close again, attempting to will both the pain and the annoyance away…
Kick.
“Tch. Hurry up!” he insisted not even a full 30 seconds later.
“What ya’ need?” Mika asked again from the kitchen, probably still busy with something. Maybe not wanting the miso soup to boil.
“Just come already, stupid alpha!” he snapped, feeling too groggy to be reasonable; something that happened more and more often out of late.
There was no verbal response, just more sounds in the kitchen – the silence felt a bit torturous. Had he been too snappy in his response? Was Mika annoyed with him? Maybe he was getting tired of having to deal with his every whim-?
He clung a bit harder to the pillow next to him, guilt and worry making a tight knot around his heart-
“…Mika” he called again, his voice sounding a lot weaker this time around.
There was a bit more of rustling in the kitchen, and then a small click. Steps muffled by fluffy sleepers approaching at full speed from behind, stopping right by the spot he’d fallen asleep on, surrounded by soft pillows and covered in a brand-new baby blanket.
“Sorry, sorry~ The miso was ‘bout to boil over.” Mika’s voice was warm and understanding as he kneeled behind him, a warm hand reaching down to pat the side of his hips “Whatcha need, love?”
Face warming up at the petname, Izumi turned his head enough to get a sight of his mate. Gold and blue eyes looked just as earnest and sweet as ever, a comprehensive smile painting his lips.
“My hips hurt” he started, in a discouraged tone “And your puppy keeps kicking me.”
Mika’s smile widened a bit, eyes narrowing in a clear display of glee-
“Again? A whole rascal they are, eh?” he offered, his hand reaching over to Izumi’s round belly to caress it “Hey, don’t be troublin’ yer mama, okay?”
His admonishment was playful, and honestly kind of pointless. But Izumi had asked something pointless to begin with, and the sight was silly enough to make him smile, annoyance purified by pure sweetness…
“Wanna shift ‘round? Another pillow?” Mika asked, his hand returning to make reassuring circles on Izumi’s hip, his scent comforting “A massage?”
“The food is almost ready right? I’ll get up” he responded, lifting a hand in the air.
Understanding the meaning instantly, Mika reached to hold his hand. His other hand reaching down to support Izumi’s back as he prompted himself up.
The movement was a bit awkward – he had yet to get used to the weird distribution of weight that came with being in his third trimester (and honestly, he wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to it). Not to mention, the change in position only seemed to increase the throbs of pain in his lower body
Tightening his grasp around the reassuring warmth of Mika’s strong hand, he gazed into his mate’s eyes, getting an inquiring gaze in return.
“…I would like that massage after all…”
Mika smiled again, his expression so full of wonder and delight Izumi felt himself fluster slightly – he was aware of how demanding and annoying he was being. How much of a heavy weight in Mika’s life, not working yet unable to go through most chores around the house, eating away at Mika’s free time whenever he was at home like right now…
And yet Mika was always smiling. Looking like he’d been giving the greatest honor of a lifetime whenever he could do something for him. Make him warm tea in the morning, running to the store in the middle of a night for something he wanted to it, massaging his feet when they returned from the doctor or massaging his back like right now…
…it made him feel unworthy-
Kneeling on a pillow Mika had placed on the floor, Izumi bended forward – elbows resting on the soft cushions of the sofa.
“Ready?”
“Mnhm”
Mika’s warm hands were soon on him – starting from the neck, he ran his knuckles against Izumi’s back, slow, gentle. Izumi let his head drop submissively at the sensation- a tender peck falling right on his bonding mark a second later.
He purred.
Mika’s hands kept moving down, the gentle massage eventually reaching Izumi’s pelvis. He felt the alpha’s thumbs pressing gently onto his sacrum – a small sight of relief leaving him. Mika purred, holding the pressure for a few more moments before moving ahead, now tilting Izumi’s pelvis to loosen his hips.
He sighed again, this time a bit deeper. The pain easing out a bit on him-
…ah, he remembered now. Mika was massaging him on the floor when he fell asleep earlier; the relief he felt from the massage increased by the feelings of security, tenderness and reassurance Mika’s presence and scent gave him.
Beep beep
“Ah, the rice is done” Mika’s voice was purely informative, his hands continuing their massage to Izumi’s hips with no sign of wanting to stop “was the last thin’ left to cook.”
“…Shouldn’t we eat?” Izumi asked
“Mn? We can eat once yer feelin’ better” He hummed, thumbs returning to Izumi’s sacrum with their comforting pressure. It really felt nice. “That’s what the reheatin’ option in the cooker is for!”
His voice sounded cheerful – he wondered if he was still smiling like that. Earnest and sweet and full of endless, oh so endless, understanding for Izumi’s every fault. He wanted to turn his head back to check – but it also felt a bit scary.
“…doesn’t it annoy you?”
“Uwe?” Mika made the same stupid sound he always made when he was taken by surprise, creating an easy picture of wide eyes and a slack jaw in Izumi’s mind “Annoy me? What?”
“…me…” he mumbled out, so tiny his voice – so restrained his breath, Mika might not have even heard it.
Maybe it was better if he didn’t-
“…why?” Mika asked, voice completely earnest. His hands massaging Izumi’s hips still terribly warm and sweet-
He swallowed down.
“Because I’m being annoying” he admitted, fingers clawing onto the couch hard enough he could see his knuckles turn white “…more than usual anyway. I get grumpy all the time, and monopolize all your time… I keep waking you up in the middle of the night just because I can’t sleep and ask you unreasonable shit and… even though I said I’d make up for not being able to work by doing chores and cooking, I can’t even manage that much…”
There was a silence – a pause, as if Mika was making sure Izumi had said everything he had to. Once it seemed like no more words would come, he answered-
“Ain’t that normal? Bein’ eight months pregnant and all…” he sounded calm, unbothered. His hands continued to be kind on Izumi’s pelvis-
“…do you feel like… you have to put up with it?”
“Mnah? Why would I? I enjoy lookin’ after ya~” he didn’t miss a beat, his voice ending in a cheerful tone. Was he maybe smiling? “Yer always so… perfect. Yeah, that’s the word. Ya give this aura of ‘I can do everythin’ alone’. And ya can! That’s real amazin’ yanno? But, it’s also a bit lonely. Like, I’m yer mate, ain’t I?”
“…that’s-”
“I know, I know. Ya’ll say its just the alpha instincts or sumthin’, but still. I wantcha to rely on me too. To let me care for ya.” Mika’s hands felt so reassuring on his back, still massaging him tenderly “I wantcha to be glad ya chose me to be yer alpha”
Izumi felt his face heating up again at the words.
“Carryin’ a pup ain’t easy, and there ain’t much I can do to help ya with it, so anythin’ I can do to make ya feel better makes me happy.” Mika continued when Izumi failed to say anything “If takin’ a few minutes to massage yer back or cooking dinner or running errands in the middle of the night will make ya feel a bit better, then that’s all I want.”
“You’re so… stupid… and sappy. Stupidly sappy.” Izumi mumbled, hiding his flushed face against the couch.
“Haha, ya knew that already~” Mika laughed with mirth behind him, another tiny kiss pressed against the binding mark in Izumi’s nape. His voice a loving whisper against the skin as he added a “Thank ya for wantin’ to make a family with me. Yer workin’ so hard. Doin’ so much. Now let me do my part too, yeah?”
Heart tight and warm, Izumi pressed his face harder against the couch cushion, hoping Mika wouldn’t notice the prickle of tears appearing in his eyes.
He just felt so relieved…
“…I… e… you”
“Mn?” Mika questioned behind him, clearly unable to hear Izumi’s mumbles
Furiously embarrassed and with his voice still trembling a little he shifted gears-
“…I’m fine now, we should eat.”
“Ya sure?”
“Yes I’m sure” he insisted, swatting Mika’s hands away from his hips.
Mika stayed put for a few moments, as if hesitating on his next course of action, but eventually he seemed to stand up. The rustle of clothes and the small crack of his knees giving it away-
Turning just in time to see Mika walk to the kitchen Izumi opened his mouth again. Face red, corners of his eyes slightly puffy from holding in tears-
“…I love you”
Mika turned around, all blushes and goofy smiles. He looked the exact same as that kid in high-school Izumi had fell in love with so many years ago – hunching in clothes too big for him, eyes hidden under long bangs. Now he stood tall and proud, a bit more handsome every passing year-
“I love ya too! The two of ya! A lot!” he chirped with such ease Izumi couldn’t help but blush again.
“…j-just go warm up the food already”
Mika laughed again, giving him a small (pointless) wave of the hand before disappearing in the kitchen.
Now sitting in the couch, Izumi let out a small sigh.
Kick.
He looked down, putting a gentle hand on top of his stomach. Right where he’d felt the kick. A sweet smile tugging at his own lips.
The breeze was warm. It smelled like summer-
"Fuuka*" he mumbled and a small kick responded to his voice, giving him an inexplicable certainty that his pup would be a little girl.
Just one more month...