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James had always been beautiful. Everyone said so, and Keonho, who had grown up in his orbit since boyhood, agreed with a certainty that felt written into his bones. Blond hair, lashes that curved like they’d been painted by hand, a jawline softened by warmth rather than sharpness — he was breathtaking in ways that never grew ordinary. Even swollen with pregnancy, in loose clothes and messy hair, James was still perfect in Keonho’s eyes.
James, however, was less convinced.
He had his hands braced on his lower back, glaring at the stack of prenatal vitamins on the kitchen counter like they had personally betrayed him. “I look ridiculous,” he muttered, half to himself.
Keonho leaned against the fridge, fighting a grin. “You look like the most gorgeous omega in the universe.”
James shot him a withering look. “Don’t tease me.”
“I’m not teasing.” Keonho pushed off the fridge and came closer, dark eyes glinting, smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “You’re glowing. It’s unfair, really. You were already too beautiful, and now you’re going to break people’s necks on the street.”
James groaned, covering his face with his hands. “Why did I let you move in again?”
“Because you can’t bend over to tie your shoes anymore,” Keonho said cheerfully, crouching to untie James’s slippers and swap them for softer ones before he could argue. “And because you secretly like having me around.”
James peeked at him through his fingers. “You’re insufferable.”
“And yet, you keep me,” Keonho shot back with a grin.
It was always like this — banter sharp enough to sting on the edges, yet softened with a tenderness neither of them tried too hard to hide. Keonho had been ecstatic when he found out about the pregnancy, more than James had expected, and more than once his younger alpha’s boundless enthusiasm had left James both flustered and secretly touched.
That night, the exhaustion caught up with James again. He curled up on the couch, shifting endlessly, trying to find a comfortable position around his growing belly. A frustrated sound escaped him, and Keonho immediately appeared with a blanket draped over his arm.
“Don’t hover,” James warned weakly.
“I’m not hovering,” Keonho said, already spreading the blanket over him and sitting down by his feet. “I’m providing. There’s a difference.”
James rolled his eyes, but the warmth of the blanket and Keonho’s presence eased him enough to let out a sigh. “My back hurts.”
Keonho’s brows knitted instantly. “Want me to rub it?”
“No,” James said quickly, then added after a pause, softer, “...yes.”
Keonho moved carefully, settling behind him. His hands were large, warm, steady as they pressed into tense muscles. James tried to stay rigid at first, but the longer Keonho worked, the more he melted, the tension unspooling from his shoulders.
“You’re so stubborn,” Keonho murmured near his ear, voice low. “You never ask for help until you’re about to break.”
James’s eyes fluttered shut. “I don’t like… needing things.”
“You’re allowed to need me.” Keonho’s thumbs pressed gently into a knot, coaxing it loose. “I want you to.”
The words landed heavier than James expected. He swallowed, a strange tightness climbing up his throat. He’d spent so much time convincing himself he could do this alone — that wanting someone beside him would make him weak. But Keonho said it so easily, like it wasn’t a burden, like it was natural.
When the baby kicked suddenly, James startled, hand flying to his belly. Keonho’s eyes lit up instantly. “Wait, did I feel it?” He pressed his palm reverently against James’s stomach. Another soft thump answered, and Keonho broke into a grin so bright it nearly broke James’s chest open.
“They’re saying hi,” Keonho whispered, almost in awe. He leaned down without thinking, pressing a kiss against the spot.
“They’re saying hi,” Keonho whispered, almost in awe. He leaned down without thinking, pressing a kiss against the spot where the baby had kicked. His lips lingered there, warm and reverent, as if he were greeting the child inside with all the love in the world.
James felt heat rise to his cheeks, embarrassed and moved all at once. “Don’t talk to them like they can hear you,” he muttered, though his voice lacked its usual bite.
“They can hear me,” Keonho insisted, lifting his head just enough to meet James’s eyes. His dark gaze was alight, soft and unguarded. “And I want them to know their papa is here. Always.”
The words hit James squarely in the chest. He tried to laugh them off, but his throat tightened, betraying him. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Ridiculously in love with you,” Keonho shot back, shameless. Then, as if realizing he’d said it out loud, his ears went pink, but he didn’t look away. He pressed another kiss, gentler this time, to James’s belly before sitting back up. “I mean it.”
James blinked at him, stunned. He’d imagined it a hundred times—what it would feel like to hear those words—but now that they’d been said, his heart hammered so hard he thought it might bruise his ribs. “Keonho…”
“I know you’re scared.” Keonho reached for his hand, lacing their fingers together with careful steadiness. “Scared of being too much, or needing too much. But you don’t scare me, James. Not your moods, not the pregnancy, not the future. I want all of it. With you.”
James bit his lip, his vision blurring. He tried to hold the tears back, but when Keonho squeezed his hand, gentle and sure, the dam broke. He laughed shakily, tears spilling down his cheeks. “I must look a mess.”
“You look perfect,” Keonho said simply, brushing a thumb across his cheek to wipe the tears away.
And then, without hesitation, he leaned forward and kissed him.
It wasn’t clumsy or tentative—it was warm, sure, and full of everything they’d been holding back for months. James melted into it, his hand cupping Keonho’s jaw, his body leaning forward despite the awkward angle. For a moment, the world fell away: no fear, no doubts, just the steady press of Keonho’s lips against his, the taste of him, the steady promise in every breath.
When they pulled apart, James was flushed and breathless, but he couldn’t stop the shy smile tugging at his mouth.
“That was… way too perfect.”
Keonho grinned, eyes crinkling. “So is me telling you I want a family with you. Not just this baby. A whole life. Marriage, pups, everything.”
James swatted his shoulder weakly, his face burning. “You can’t just say things like that—”
“Why not?” Keonho tilted his head, utterly unbothered. “It’s true. I want five pups running around.”
“Five?!” James nearly choked, glaring at him through his tears. “I’m not a factory!”
Keonho laughed, pulling him into his chest, arms circling carefully around him and the bump. “Fine, four. Or three. Or however many you’ll let me. As long as it’s with you.”
James buried his face in Keonho’s shoulder, his heart aching with joy he couldn’t contain. For so long, he had feared this—needing someone, letting himself lean, being seen in all his vulnerability. But here, with Keonho’s arms around him and their child kicking softly between them, he realized he didn’t have to be afraid.
“I want it too,” he whispered, voice muffled but sure. “A future. With you.”
Keonho stilled, then pressed a fierce kiss to the top of his head. “Good. Because I’m never letting go.”
James laughed through his tears, clinging tighter. For once, it didn’t feel like weakness—it felt like home.