Chapter Text
Jihoon feels a tiny touch and scratch on his nose; the tingling sensation moves to his cheeks, transforming into what seems like a small creature nibbling at them. He remembers that his husband changed their air purifier filters last week. The chance is low that a mosquito or other insect will get into their bedroom. He groaned when he felt something munching his ear.
With a lazy yawn, Jihoon rubs his eyes open. He screamed his lungs out when he opened his eyes and realized something the size of a small house mouse was hanging on his ear. He took his phone from the bedside drawer, attempting to swat the small creature that was persistently clinging to his ear.
“Jihoonie, no no no, it’s me.”
He hears his husband's voice—it’s tiny and almost feels like a whisper.
“It's me me me in your ears.”
The speaking mouse jumped from Jihoon’s shoulder to the bedside table beside them—shrugging Jihoon’s glasses to him.
Being someone with six and a half myopia always makes Jihoon feel blind whenever he opens his eyes for the first time in the morning. He blinked slowly, adjusting with the light in their dimly lit bedroom.
First. That's not a talking mouse. It’s his husband now in his super tiny hamster form.
Second. Their air purifier should be running just fine.
Third. Why did Kwon Soonyoung suddenly turn into his animal form?
Last. What’s with that protruding belly that his tiny husband has?
He looked down at his own belly.
He blinked again in confusion, rubbed his face, and then touched his now-flat stomach. His six-month pregnant belly is somewhat gone. Jihoon rose from the bed, ignoring his husband. He glared in horror when he saw his half-naked body in the mirror. His stomach is flat, and even his long-gone abdomen muscles are back.
Where the hell did their baby go?
His hamster husband is trying to jump from the nightstand to his left shoulder, but to no avail. Jihoon coos at that sight—cupped that small rodent and brought him near his face with his two hands. This is the only way he could see and hear what his husband was about to say clearly. The hamster rubbed his cheek in Jihoon’s scent glands over and over trying to blend their already wafting pheromones further. Jihoon’s white–furry–cat ears protrude from his head in that action. Fuck. His husband is far too cute, he wants to groom his fur so much. Before he changes to his form like his husband, he sweeps off the thoughts, focusing on questioning Soonyoung.
“What are you doing in this form, Youngie?”
“The baby, Jihoonie.”
Soonyoung stopped rubbing his cheeks—didn't even bother trying to answer Jihoon’s question but brought Jihoon’s index finger to his tiny protruding belly.
“I think our baby moved to my belly.”
“What the heck Kwon Soonyoung? You’re an alpha. How could that—”
Jihoon could feel something move in his husband’s belly. Tiny kicking from very tiny toes—like what he feels on his belly all this time.
“See? I’m a preggy hammy now.”
He could see the orange-striped hamster now making a long face. It’s a rare occurrence seeing him in this form let alone with that tummy being somewhat chubby. Kwon Soonyoung is a fit (tiger) hamster with toned muscles.
“Maybe I’m cursed. Because I’m not a good husband. The moon goddess hates me.”
The hamster dramatically rolls onto its side. Back and forth. Back and forth. Jihoon is hardly trying to hold his laughter. He knows his husband hates it every time he laughs out loud because of what he did in his hamster form. That’s why he is mostly in human form all the time.
“My stomach feels like it will burst anytime. My waist hurts. I almost don't feel my back.”
Jihoon let out a low chuckle, patting the hamster's forehead slowly.
“That’s exactly what I feel every day. And you always called me a drama queen when I complained.”
“I’m sorry, Jihoonie. I promise I’ll massage your back carefully every morning and night from now on, even when I’m too tired.”
“That’s very considerate of you, Youngie. But that could wait until you give back the baby to me. Get on here.”
Jihoon scooped up his husband again and placed him on his left shoulder.
The hamster jumps to his shoulder again and then rubs his face and scent glands on Jihoon’s cheek. He could feel Soonyoung’s jasmine tea pheromone—now sweeter and lactonic than ever, wafting from his cheeks. From what Jihoon knows, pregnant omega–hamster–shapeshifters love being in animal form rather than human form. But his husband is clearly an alpha.
How the hell is all of this baby transfer madness happening?
There is nothing he remembers that could possibly make them become like that. Yesterday was rather a normal day. They went to the university building together, then Soonyoung picks him up in the evening, eats delivery food for dinner, and then sleeps. They didn't have anything particularly noteworthy on their mind.
While Jihoon is preoccupied with his thoughts, he hears Soonyoung chirping near his ear. Although the sounds seem far, he can feel fear and frustration through the bond they shared.
It’s crazy. He should be turned into an alpha if Soonyoung turns into a pregnant omega. But he is still an omega, a domestic cat shapeshifter like he used to be. Minus his belly bulge, of course.
“Here, here. Youngie.”
Jihoon rubs their cheeks in a slow and calming motion, making the other’s pheromones more stable and serene.
In all honesty, this moment is probably just a prelude to the upcoming chaos. Jihoon feels dizzy just thinking about how they will manage their life moving forward. Until they regain their normal body, that is. Next week marks their final exam at their graduate school. While his faculty is more tolerant of pregnant omegas, Soonyoung’s is not.
His husband is majoring in dance, and his final graduate project requires him to perform his choreography. Moreover it's teamwork, which means if Soonyoung’s absent the whole team’s grade is much in shambles. Not to mention, from what he heard last week, Soonyoung had a beef with the professor he assigned for his last project.
Why should it be now, of all times?
Jihoon scrunched his nose.
“Soonyoungie, could you go back to your human form now? Let’s talk. I couldn't hear you properly if you stayed like this longer.”
The hamster hesitates before burying his body in Jihoon’s clothes.
“Don’t wanna.”
Jihoon sighed in despair.
“You don’t want to? Then how about classes you taught and your final exams? At least we should tell your professors.”
“I’m scared, Jihoonie. Like really reaaalllly scared.”
Soonyoung paused before his small hands gesturing a circle, as big as he could make.
“It’s terrifying.”
Jihoon lay his head on the edge of their bed—putting down his husband beside his cheeks. He sighed.
“Then how about me? Do you think I’m not scared? But we urgently need to straighten things as soon as possible. After that, we could go to the doctors.”
Soonyoung rolls to the side, cupping Jihoon’s cheeks with his small hands.
“Mhmmm. Lemme think. A minute, please?”
“Sure.”
Jihoon closed his eyes, his head full with thumping sounds. Everything is not normal. They must consult someone professional.
“Try to change back to your human form, Soonyoung. The faster you do it, the better. Our time is ticking.”
Soonyoung sighed, rolling his body to the side of Jihoon’s pillow. His eyes are now teary.
“I tried, but no matter how hard I tried I failed.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I’m sorry. Really really sorry.”
Jihoon glanced at the alarm clock in their nightstand.
07.30 AM in the morning. He has an appointment with his professor at nine thirty, they should get ready now if they don't want to be late.
“What do you want to eat for breakfast?”
“Pancakes with peanut jam.”
“For God’s sake, you couldn’t eat peanuts in that form. You could get sick.”
“But I want that, what if our pup—”
“Stop that.”
Jihoon brings them to the kitchen, grabs his towel on his way. He opens their fridge, scanning through veggies and fruits there.
“Cucumber and melon, that’s it. Eat these while I’m getting ready. Don’t hide somewhere I couldn’t see.”
The tiny rodents nod his head rapidly.
“Yes, honey.”
Jihoon grabbed his checkered shirt with a pocket in the left chest and put Soonyoung in the pocket. Their campus building is not far, just a few stops from the nearest bus stop. They arrived right when the bus was about to leave.
“Sorry, Sir. Pets are not allowed here.”
The bus driver—an owl hybrid from the way his big round yellow sclera in his eyes glared at Jihoon—gave him scrutinous look when he saw Soonyoung. His hamster’s head and half of his body could be seen from the edge of Jihoon’s pocket.
Jihoon raised his eyebrows.
“This is not a pet, this is my husband. He’s pregnant. Please allow us to ride, we’re in a hurry.”
The driver blinked his eyes then made sure Jihoon tapped his card two times before he entered. Everyone on the backside coos at the touching scene. It’s a rare occurrence seeing shapeshifters in full animal forms in public space these days.
Jihoon bowed his body before reaching to a seat behind the driver. It’s not a long ride to reach their university building, just three stops more for their current bus stop.
Soonyoung’s dance studio is quiet at this hour. Just a few students practicing before class. Wen Junhui—a hyena hybrid without any hyena body traits intact, Soonyoung’s partner and only best friend dumfounded when Jihoon told him what happened to his partner.
“What the hell happened to him? We should perform our final choreography next week. You should turn back to your human form now, Soonyoung, or else we’re doomed.”
The hamster grit his bottom lips with his teeth—feeling nervous and anxious.
“He said he couldn’t transform back, Jun. He already tried but to no avail.”
“Fuck. How about our final project?”
“I’ve speak with your professors. They say you two could do research paperwork in case Soonyoung won’t make it next week.”
“Are they crazy? In just a week? We chose to submit a choreography project for our finals just because I genuinely hated working with paperwork but look where I am now.”
Junhui sighed in despair.
“Can I left Soonyoung here for awhile? I have to go meet my professor in a few minutes. I’ll drop by to pick him up before lunch.”
"Sure, I think Chan still has that leftover aquarium in our storeroom."
Soonyoung squeaked.
“I’m not a REAL HAMSTER. Just put me on the couch.”
Jun and Jihoon have to hold their laughter at that. He put Soonyoung down there, above a small pillow.
“Don’t make a scene. Okay, husband?”
“Pinky promise.”
Soonyoung lifted his tiny hand to the air.
Searching for a doctor specialized in shapeshifters is really hard these days. Since shapeshifters only make below ten percent of the population and they mostly live in secluded areas. The only doctor in their university hospital is currently abroad attending a conference and won’t come back until next week. Jihoon surfed the internet—trying to look for another solution but met with a dead end.
It’s already dark when they come back after doing other errands that day.
“Soonyoungie. We’re home already.”
“Mhmm.”
Soonyoung shrugged his sleepy eyes open, still in a trance hugging Jihoon’s pocket.
“We should eat dinner. Junhui will come here later to help us with your paperworks.”
“I’m so sleepy, Jihoonie. Dun wanna eat. Lemme sleep. I dunno what happened, my eyelids are heavy.”
Jihoon looked at his phone. It is still 6 PM but his husband is already this sleepy.
“You could sleep later, you only ate snacks today. I don’t want you to get sick.”
Jihoon placed Soonyoung inside a large ceramic bowl filled with mixed seeds and grains he bought on their way back. He watches his husband munching those things diligently into his tiny mouth with eye still half closed, making his cheeks several times larger and puffier.
“Eat well, you’re eating for two.”
Jihoon takes out his heated lasagna from the microwave, joining Soonyoung to eat beside him in silence. It’s not long after the doorbell rings.
“Have you eaten dinner yet?”
Junhui nodded his head, setting his laptop and paperworks on the living room table. Soonyoung—with cheeks still pretty much puffy and full of food landed beside him and scanned the paper. He instructed Jihoon to search around his cloud storage and handed some of his late writing and materials to Junhui.
“I really don’t understand why the two of you could reach this point, if I may say.”
Jihoon smiled, his husband already fell asleep above the pillow he scented earlier. This whole mess today already drains his energy, to be honest Jihoon’s too but he doesn’t think it’s appropriate to let Junhui awake alone with Soonyoung’s paperworks. So here he is, trying to help him in his capacity, knowing their major is very much different.
“He’s the best alpha I’ve ever met in the world.”
Junhui gave him a judging look.
“Congratulations.”
“I mean look at him. Where will you find such an adorable tiger striped rodent who munches his finger in his sleep.”
They could see Soonyoung flinching in his sleep, trying to change his sleeping position but his belly prevented him from doing so. Jihoon took a small plushie, adjusting it so that it could make his husband’s back more comfortable.
“Lovebirds.”
Junhui’s phone blinked—Minghao’s caller ID can bee seen on the screen.
“Minghao knows someone he thinks could solve your problems, Ji.”
“His father is also a rodent shapeshifter, he says. We could meet him tomorrow at lunch.”
“Thanks, I owe you a lot.”
“We’re unofficially feline siblings afterall.”
“You aren’t, Junhui.”
“But we hyenas are phylogenetically closer to felines than canines.”
“Whatever.”
“I could smell you two combined pheromones, especially you.”
Junhui glares at Jihoon.
“You smell very much pregnant.”
Jihoon sniffs the air around them. It’s true that the room smells like him and Soonyoung combined, as for specific pregnancy things, he’s not so sure.
“Yesterday I’m pretty much pregnant like you told me, but as you know, the baby’s no longer in my belly.”
“Minghao told me about the bond or something like that. How a deep bond could affect relationships in a superstitious way.”
Jihoon furrowed his eyebrows.
“Is he a shaman or what?”
“His family is kind of—like that.”
“You sure you aren’t gonna stay the night here?”
“My apartment is just one block away. I’d better stay away from you guys' late night activity recalling what happened last summer.”
Jihoon's cheeks and ears turn scarlet. Their group of friends caught them red handed in a makeout session in an open ofuro when they were going on vacation in Japan. Soonyoung said it’s not a big deal since they are a married couple so much in love, but until this day Jihoon is still ashamed everytime this matter arises.
“Okay, be careful on your way home.”
Junhui raises his hand, signaling an OK with his finger before shooing Jihoon away.
Soonyoung is standing up and rubbing his drowsy eyes when Jihoon’s back after locking their door.
“You’re up? Thought you’re tired.”
“Wanna pee.”
“We don’t have a sand box or something hamster could use to pee.”
“For God’s sake, Jihoon-ah. I’m not truly a hamster, just help me go to the bathroom."
Jihoon giggles and scoops his husband into his palm.
“Lemme help.”
The two of them lay lazily in their bed, eyes half open, with light already changed to night light. Soonyoung scoot closer to Jihoon’s neck making his cheek as his pillow.
“Jihoon-ah, do you often wake up at night just because you want to use the toilet?”
“Hmm. Yes, since the fourth month it is getting more often. That’s normal.”
“Why don’t you wake me up?”
“You’re already tired from your rehearsal these days, Soonie. It’s not a big deal afterall.”
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I often come home late these days and leave you alone at home on weekends.”
“Nevermind. We’re all busy nowadays. I also kinda buried myself in my studio, too.”
Soonyoung reached to his belly, making tiny circles with his extra tiny fingers there.
“This pup will be born before our graduation. He should be our priority now, isn’t he? That means you too. I’m such an incompetent husband.”
“Sshhh. You’re a good hams—”
Soonyoung glared.
“Husband.”
Jihoon chuckled.
“There is no such thing as a perfect husband or parents. Just let us be us, as long as we are both happy and our baby is healthy.”
“Sure, then. How could I make it up to you? I still feel very much guilty.”
“Shower me with kisses. Like you always do to shoo those nightmares away.”
Soonyoung trails kisses along Jihoon’s jawbones, making the later giggles from the touch.
“Stop it. It tickles.”
“You’re the one who wants it first.”
Soonyoung ended that series of kisses with smooches, making his husband giggles louder.
“Ji, can you turn into your cat form? It’s kinda weird seeing I’m the only one like this. I want to hug you but you’re too big yet I’m this smol.”
“Mhmm, wait a minute, let me build our nest first. Wanna hug your fluffy fur comfortably.”
Soonyoung hums, helping Jihoon pat their bedding.
Jihoon’s cat form is a short haired domestic cat. Soonyoung always loved how his husband’s super fluffy white fur surrounded him this way. It always gives him peace of mind. Soonyoung slid his body forward, near the bone where the purring sounds came to vibrate. He stretched his neck, scent-marking Jihoon’s there, making the cat purring louder.
It’s always the other way around when they are in their human form. Jihoon loved to be spooned by him so much.
“I’m glad I found someone I could trust my life with.”
Soonyoung murmurs breaking the silence between them.
“Me too.”
Jihoon groomed Soonyoung fur carefully, from his backhead up and then moved to his neck. Hamster shapeshifters are mostly live solitary then find a partner to breed if they want, but not a lifetime mate. To be bonded to someone is weird for them, let alone bond with different species. Their first meeting was when they became dorm roommates back then in their undergraduate time.
Being almost the same introverted person, they both grew closer and spent their time together from time to time. It’s friendship built with trust and understanding. To the point where Jihoon allowed Soonyoung to spend their estrous cycle together. That’s when their relationship started to change its directions from somewhat platonic to romantic without erasing their friendship dynamics.
“Give me your tail, Jihoonie.”
“You know I hate that.”
“Pretty please.”
Jihoon sighed but still changed his sleeping position into a curl—paws surrounding his hamster husband while Soonyoung’s hugging his fluffy tails. He yawned.
“I hope Minghao can solve this problem. I’m glad you replaced me getting pregnant but I feel so uneasy about it.”
“Mhmm, I hope so.”
Soonyoung look at their nightstand.
11.11 PM
“Jihoonie, do you believe in angel numbers?”
“Not really, but at some point when I was younger, I glanced at my watch every time it was near eleven eleven, then I’ll pray for the day to be my luckiest day.”
“For me it’s 14.40. Especially since I met you that day.”
“Why?”
“You don’t know? It’s the total minutes from a day. Every time I see 14:40 I remember you. Remember how much I think of you and be grateful that you are always with me every day.”
“Such a sap. Just sleep now.”
“Good night, Jihoonie. I’m very much in love with you.”
Jihoon purr.
“Love you too.”
—
tbc.