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Had it not been for Katsuya joining him in the shower this morning, Kaiba may have forgotten that it was his birthday today.
May being a strong word, because Kaiba prided himself on his immaculate memory, but one could forget such a thing when getting their dick sucked before the sun rose.
Awareness of dates was trivial; it was something that made itself apparent every time he checked his schedule. If he had any control over it, he would have banished the practice of celebrating birthdays in the workspace altogether, as such frivolous gestures from employees meant nothing. Isono and Fuguta’s good wishes were brief, and Kaiba often waved off their compliments with a sigh.
While the gesture was fine, it was unnecessary. They could remember dates. They could recall that Kaiba was 35-years-old. Good for them. Why would he be grateful for something like that?
Yet, hearing birthday wishes from Mokuba had always been a bit nicer than when others bothered to say something to him. His little brother gave him something meaningful each year, always trying to out-do himself the older they grew. Besides, Mokuba was likely the only person in this universe who could actually surprise him.
Nowadays, Katsuya’s birthday wishes were quite nice as well. The omega would give him a little present before he went off to work, usually a blowjob, and saved some lingerie or kinky toys for the evening when the kids were in bed, and only when they were both fast asleep. He’d never forget the look on Katsuya’s face when Fubuki found his collar and leash, eyes wide and sparkling, as he asked Katsuya to ‘play pretend dogs’ with him.
Katsuya’s face had never gone that white that fast before. He put a lock on his nightstand ever since.
Though he appreciated the celebratory acknowledgments and presents from Mokuba and Katsuya well enough, gifts from the kids were most definitely Kaiba’s favorite. He still had last year’s birthday gift that he received from Fubuki framed on his desk. It was a crude drawing that depicted caricatures of their family together at Kaibaland. Katsuya and Asuka had what appeared to be yellow straw for hair, an uneven number of fingers, and extra-wide smiles, while Kaiba was comedically taller than everyone else.
Katsuya pouted upon seeing that their five-year-old only drew Kaiba with muscles, represented by oblong masses of flesh on his arms.
In the top corner, next to the Blue Eyes roller coaster, was a sketchy little message that read: tanjoubi omedetou, otou-san, except it was mispelled, the me replaced with a mu and the kanji for chichi looking more like the particle for culture.
Katsuya preferred to think that it was the particle for crotch, and the blond had to stifle his laughter to not offend his son. It didn’t stop Katsuya from saying ‘happy birthday, crotch’ secretly to Kaiba for days. It didn’t matter how many times Kaiba corrected him of the number of strokes—Katsuya refused to believe otherwise, purposely denying it for the sake of making more jokes.
Asuka’s birthday gift for Kaiba last year came with Katsuya’s assistance. A card was adorned by multi-colored scribbles of crayon, one stroke even terrorizing the paper with a pressure so hard it had ripped in the middle. At the bottom of the card was Katsuya’s handwriting pretending to be Asuka, saying: happy birthday, tou-tan!
The two-year-old had been struggling to pronounce syllables, so she went several months using that name for him. The sight filled Kaiba’s heart with so much warmth that he decided that he would rather fly commercial than ever let that torn piece of paper leave his possession.
Watching his children grow was an enlightening, fulfilling experience Kaiba had never considered before. Being orphaned by a family that left him and Mokuba in the cold, he had very few fond memories of childhood. He returned the gesture when his blood relatives reached out to him after his ascension to the owner of Kaiba Corp. They recognized the siblings and clearly thought Kaiba was a complete moron, because they tried to arrange get-togethers to “catch up” and “rekindle.”
Those were the same scum that stole their inheritance and then put them in an orphanage, so of course Kaiba rejected their underhanded kindness with the utmost glee. He even let them see the maniacal smirk on his face when he threatened their lives if they ever tried to approach him or Mokuba ever again.
The only blood relatives in the kids’ lives were Mokuba, Shizuka, and Katsuya’s mother; all people who were trustworthy and safe. Katsuya used to harbour some resentment for his mother, but his bleeding heart didn’t let it fester, and the omega expressed occasionally that he wanted more of her presence, especially after he got pregnant. She was the only grandparent the kids had. She cried when she held both Fubuki and Asuka shortly after they were born.
Katsuya’s father was as good as dead to the family. Fierce, protective anger would flash in Katsuya’s eyes even hearing his name, and he expressed that the dangerous man would have to lay a finger on the kids over his cold, dead body. Kaiba couldn’t agree more, which was why he gave explicit instructions to every branch of his security to memorize the man’s features and ban him from the family’s proximity.
Fubuki expressed the desire to come to the office today, and while Kaiba humoured the boy once in a while, he simply didn’t have the capacity to watch him today. The last time he took his eyes off the boy, he defiled some blueprints with a big sketch of a dragon, and simply grinned up at his father, proud of his achievement. Kaiba reeled back the explosive frustration that wanted to explode from him, and had to remind himself that he still had the digital file he could render again.
He then had to call Mokuba to come collect him after Fubuki flooded the office toilets by trying to flush one of his toys into the sewer system.
Fubuki was the spitting image of Kaiba, yet he had the chaotic and passionate personality of Katsuya. The boy was going to be dreadful to manage as a teenager; the writing was on the wall.
Kaiba dispersed thoughts of his son for the time being. He would try to get as much done as he could today, as a dinner in his honour was being made that evening. A cake was being baked too, but that was mostly for the kids, as Kaiba didn’t really care for sweets. He’d have a couple of bites to humour his spouse, then hand the rest of the slice to Mokuba, who was much more inclined to consume such a decadent treat.
A text from Katsuya pinged on his phone as he made his way out of the research facility. He noticed that attached to the text was a video, and Kaiba opened the video as he made his way to the boardroom for his next meeting.
The video started with Fubuki in the frame and Katsuya’s voice saying: “Okay, show him.”
“Happy birthday, Otou-san!!” Fubuki said and gave a big grin. Kaiba noticed an anomaly within his son’s mouth. He narrowed his eyes, and before he could second-guess himself on what he was seeing, Fubuki announced: “I lost my tooth, look!!”
The boy hooked his index finger on his lower lip to expose the new gap in his smile from the lack of one of his incisors.
“See, look!” Fubuki then held up the tooth to the phone camera. “I lost it for you! This is my present to you!”
Kaiba’s lips curved into a fond smile as he scoffed at the ridiculousness of it. His son gifted him with his very own rotting tooth; what a blessing, indeed. He could hear Katsuya’s chuckling in the background.
“What about Asuka? What did she get for him?” Katsuya asked from behind the camera.
Katsuya then followed Fubuki as the boy went to join his sister, explaining that she wanted her daddy to have one of her toys, one that Kaiba could put on his desk.
Kaiba smiled to himself as he thought about having one of Asuka’s little duel monster plushies perched next to his monitor. Anyone who had the audacity to walk into his office and make fun of it would be publicly humiliated—Kaiba would see to it.
“Asuka, show Otou-san your present!” Fubuki announced as he got down to his knees and reached for one of her toys. The scrunch in her expression was telling, and then she immediately pulled away from her brother. She was clearly not in the mood to play with him right now, and Kaiba knew it was only a matter of time before—
Yup, surely enough, the little girl started squirming and gave a noise of fussy protest, not liking the invasive attention. When Fubuki insisted some more, trying to take one of the plushies, Kaiba’s eyebrows shot up.
“Fubuki, don’t force her—” Katsuya tried to warn him, but the little blond girl was quicker, taking her little clenched fist and clobbering her brother over the head, comedically so.
Kaiba snorted, raising his hand to hide the smile that took over his expression.
“Oww! Papa!!” Fubuki complained, turning to Katsuya for reassurance.
“Oh boy—” Katsuya jostled the phone before flipping the camera back to his face, showcasing that he too, was trying to suppress a laugh. “I’ll call you in a bit. Love you!”
The video ended. Kaiba hadn’t even realized he had stopped walking, so enamored by the children’s antics that he stopped at the boardroom door.
He had to pitch his newest model to their British correspondents, yet all intellect seemed to filter from his brain, leaving a fluttery sensation from hearing the sound of his son’s giddy voice and Katsuya’s airy laugh in its wake.
Once in a while, he had to acknowledge how fortunate he was to have a family. He always knew he’d eventually have one, if only because the norms of society demanded it, but…
…but he was glad to have had one with Katsuya. He once channeled everything into protecting his little brother, but now that he had children, that protectiveness was tenfold. This was all-encompassing—the knowledge that he’d burn the world for his children if he had to. It felt like a law of nature, like his entire being demanded it. Innocent eyes and smiles from his own flesh and blood, naive, vulnerable, and yet to experience the hardships of this world, especially since Kaiba knew how this world could wield its heavy hand against children, reassured Kaiba of that fact.
“Are those your kids?” A rather savvy correspondent stopped near him on his way into the meeting, his British accent evident through his above-average grasp of the Japanese language.
“My son and daughter,” Kaiba responded.
“I have a daughter, too,” the man shared. “She’s six years old. She just started tennis lessons last week.”
He looked to be about the same age as Kaiba, and he was clearly trying to butter him up by being relatable. On an average day, Kaiba wouldn’t humour it, but since he was looking to make this transaction a success and be a good host to establish a foundation for future deals, Kaiba actually made small talk.
“My son is six as well,” Kaiba said. “He’s developing a keen interest in music.”
“Maybe next time I’ll bring my daughter along to Japan with me. They could get to know each other.”
Over my dead body, Kaiba thought while keeping a cool, collected smile on his face.
Gozaburo used to use Kaiba (and Mokuba) as a tool to secure business deals all the time. Kaiba could do that without manipulating his children. If he had his way, Fubuki and Asuka would be sent to the academy with aliases so that no one knew of their ties to Kaiba Corp. He was aware of how many wanted to use them to get to Kaiba, and he witnessed Mokuba being kidnapped far too often to allow more scumbags the chance to blackmail him.
Asuka was going to be microchipped the second she showed an interest in other human beings.
Fubuki already had one. Katsuya had one, too. Neither of them knew about it.
———
Later that day, a call from Katsuya interrupted his train of thought, making his phone light up with a photo of Asuka smearing chocolate on the blond’s smiling face. Yuugi sent him the photo last month.
“Hello,” Kaiba answered neutrally.
“Hey! Just wanna let you know that the chef said the steaks will be ready by 6… and Mokuba said he’ll be over by 5,” Katsuya informed. “So if you could—oh, sorry, yes! No, that’s fine, thank you.”
Kaiba heard the sounds of someone speaking to his spouse in the background, and what sounded like Asuka calling out papa!
“Where are you?” Kaiba asked.
“At a bakery picking up your cake,” Katsuya answered.
“Harpie! Papa!!” Asuka’s shrill voice was transmitted through the receiver.
“Oh, wow! A harpie lady on the cupcake!” Katsuya acknowledged Asuka’s excitement. Kaiba could envision her stubby little finger touching the glass as she tried to get Katsuya’s attention.
“Why isn’t the kitchen staff making it?” Kaiba asked.
“... it got destroyed,” Katsuya answered reluctantly.
“Destroyed…” That sounded suspicious. Not that Kaiba really cared about having cake, but he knew the kids were looking forward to having it.
“Yeah, so, this morning, there was a malfunction in one of the ovens and it was accidentally set to like 500 degrees, so the cake was burnt to a crisp,” Katsuya explained. “Like it was black! It looked like Ra had blasted the shit out of it!”
That imagery invoked the memory of how the sturdy blond was left standing for about 30 seconds after the god card attacked him directly, thinking it interesting how that experience was so deeply implanted in his omega’s brain that Katsuya was making metaphors from it.
“I see,” Kaiba replied.
“No worries though, I placed a last-minute order on a cake at a great place nearby! I’m just waiting for them to box it up.”
“You know I don’t need a cake,” Kaiba reminded.
“You don’t need a bunch of things, but I’m gonna give it to you anyway, whether you like it or not!” Katsuya said, happy and cocky. “I’m a master at providing for my husband!”
Kaiba felt a small ember of desire when thinking about the sentence’s potential double-meaning. “I’m fairly certain you got pregnant the last time you told me that.”
A curse and a few muffled noises over the mic were heard before Katsuya responded with a hushed: “I was on speaker!”
Kaiba smirked and swiveled in his chair to look out his window. “Whose fault is that?”
“You’re such an ass. I’m gonna go now and bring home your stupid cake. Be home in time or I’m gonna eat your steak!” Katsuya instructed before ending the call.
Kaiba lowered the phone with a fond smile. Really, his family looked forward to his birthday more than he did.
———
After accomplishing the major tasks he needed to get done at the office, Kaiba left to head home and arrived at the manor ten minutes before five. His driver informed him that Mokuba and a couple of others were at the manor.
“Who else?” Kaiba asked. “It was supposed to be a private gathering.”
The driver stuttered a small amount. “W-Well, Katsuya-sama invited some of your, um, friends.”
Kaiba rolled his eyes. Since they got married, Katsuya insisted that his friends were Kaiba’s friends now, and the crew has been making plenty of appearances at family gatherings to solidify their new self-proclaimed role. As much as Kaiba stubbornly hated to admit it, they were closer now, if only because they had been fawning over the children.
They were all good with kids, so Kaiba trusted them. Plus, it was immensely gratifying to hear the dorks stumble over themselves not knowing what to call Katsuya anymore. Since the blond omega had been bonded to Kaiba in marriage, he also took Kaiba’s family name. Kaiba Katsuya was his name until death do them part.
And he took it willingly, as much as some of Katsuya’s friends refused to believe it. They just couldn’t fathom, with their insignificant brains, not calling the blond Jounouchi. Eventually, they too started referring to him by first name, while Fubuki and Asuka referred to him as ‘mom’ or ‘Papa.’
Katsuya never corrected them. The children just intuitively started experimenting with Papa when they could comprehend that their omega mother’s other gender was male.
Speaking of the kids, Kaiba barely had a moment to loosen his tie when he heard barrelling footsteps in the corridors fast approaching. He smiled, put down his briefcase, and dropped to his knee as his son bolted around the corner.
“Happy birthday, Otou-san!!” Fubuki, wearing an adorably dapper shirt for the occasion, grinned from ear to ear, with that new gap in his teeth, and collapsed into Kaiba’s outstretched arms. Asuka soon followed, parroting the exact same greeting as her brother, sneakily finding a spot within the hug to wedge herself into. She was fitted in a blue sundress with white tights.
This was what Kaiba would burn the world for. Moments like these were what made everything he’d ever done in life worth it. The innocent smiles and happy laughter of his children, welcoming him home after a long day, were something he’d protect with his dying breath.
“Did you see the video? I wanted to say I love you as well but I forgot!” Fubuki chattered, burying his face into the man’s chest.
Kaiba patted his head with a nod. “I did. It was very thoughtful the way it already was, thank you.”
As he absorbed the love being squeezed into him, with all the strength two little children could muster, Kaiba noticed that the entrance hall was rather quiet despite the number of guests that should have been there.
“Where’s your mother?” Kaiba asked.
“Fixing the broken lights,” Fubuki dutifully answered.
Weary curiosity came over the man. “What broken lights?”
“Blue Eyes lights!” Asuka answered. “But lightbulb went blap.”
Asuka dramatically expanded her hands out to describe a bursting bulb.
“Yeah, they weren’t working, so Papa tried to plug it into a different spot, and then—and then when everyone tried to find the one bad bulb, the rest of them like—exploded!” Fubuki explained with seriously furrowing brows.
The story, while told enthusiastically, didn’t paint a clear picture as to what Katsuya was actually up to. Blue Eyes White Dragon lights? They didn’t have any of those.
“Ethploded!” Asuka emphasized, trying her best to pronounce words. Charmed by the effort, Kaiba patted her little blond head.
He didn’t know whether he should be concerned that something resembling Blue Eyes was exploding under Katsuya’s care, but he supposed he wasn’t that surprised. Things had a tendency to break or shatter when the clumsy omega touched them.
“Hmm. Where is he?” Kaiba asked.
Fubuki informed him that everyone was in the dining hall. As Kaiba rose to his feet, he scooped Asuka up in one arm. Fubuki, keen on not being left behind, crawled up onto Kaiba’s back so that his legs were draped over the alpha’s shoulders. With Fubuki’s hands on his head and Asuka’s fingers gripping the lapels of his suit, Kaiba made his way into the manor.
———
Kaiba noticed something rather peculiar about birthdays—birthdays in affiliation with having children.
Birthdays were on par with Christmas. Birthdays were suddenly days in the year when the entire family galvanized enthusiasm to celebrate.
It was a curious happenstance that somehow became a regular occurrence in Kaiba’s life now that he had children. Fubuki and Asuka were always thrilled to give him gifts on his birthday, putting their tiny little minds to the test to create something they thought he might like. They grew up receiving validation when they made things. Whether it was crayon scribbles or some amalgamated Frankenstein-esque animal that they constructed from art supplies—supported by popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, and pompoms—Fubuki and Asuka were always keen to make things to give to their parents.
Ironically, Kaiba was more surprised that he was surprised at all. He could remember when he was a boy and he wanted to make sure Mokuba felt loved on his birthday. Mokuba reciprocated the same feeling to Kaiba every year as well. So, the fact that he was surprised that his family wanted to shower him with gifts shouldn’t be a surprise. In fact, it should be predictable.
Kaiba supposed the surprise was born from not being used to celebrating his birthday in such an elaborate way. Mokuba used to be the main instigator, but since marrying Katsuya, the blond had taken the helm on the “make Kaiba enjoy normal people stuff” ship. Mokuba seemed to be happy to take second-in-command.
“Married life is great for you, nii-sama. Your skin looks brighter,” his little brother had told him after about a year into his marriage. Kaiba definitely noticed a difference in his demeanor too; while Katsuya was a handful at the best of times, he added color and excitement to Kaiba’s life. He added flair to the mundane and contentment in the simple things, and Kaiba often found himself looking forward to seeing him at the end of his workday.
However, whatever ‘progress’ Kaiba had made with marital bliss was completely obliterated at the unforgiving shores of parenthood, pelted by a new storm of responsibilities and hit by constant waves of miscommunication, anxiety, and sudden illnesses. Katsuya was at the front with most of it, as he was the stay-at-home parent, but even the omega’s dutiful resilience wore thin during the worst of times.
Kaiba could remember with a heavy heart a time Katsuya called him in tears, worrying about whether Fubuki was going to die because he coughed so much that he threw up. Soon after, Kaiba tried to shoulder some of that burden, opting to work from home on the days that were feasible. Katsuya was a natural nurturer, but Kaiba found that just being nearby helped Katsuya feel more at ease. It worked out wonderfully, as it was easier for the omega to ask for help if Kaiba was already right there, and Kaiba felt better being near his wife and children. When he could see them, he wasn’t pelted with constant fits of anxiety about what-ifs.
In hindsight, that was what made seeing the kids give him things on his birthday that more worthwhile. Trust was never guaranteed with children, even with their own parents. So, to see Fubuki and Asuka with their sparkling eyes run into his arms, insist he eat birthday cake, and offer him their drawings and colorful creations made all that hardship worthwhile.
Besides, the horrid happy birthday song and its ritualistic singing might have actually grown on him. Hints of endearment seeped through his hard shell, even as the off-beat, erratic notes of his family singing to him still grated on his ears.
The kids were understandable. Katsuya and Mokuba had no excuse to be that obnoxious, especially not when one of their closest friends sang on Broadway.
Asuka climbed up into Kaiba’s lap during the song, eager to be the one closest to the cake. He blocked one of her wandering hands reaching for one the bright blue fondant ribbons and smiled fondly at the little pout she made when he circled his fingers around her tiny hand. Fubuki practically barrelled against Kaiba’s side, placing his hands on his thigh as he sang directly into Kaiba’s ear.
As much as the frivolous pleasantries weren’t needed, it was a means for his family to show him love, and that was what meant the most to him.
It was why Kaiba refrained from expressing that the cake wasn’t as good as the one his chef could make. Given the circumstances, Katsuya chose a decent baker to compensate. The kids loved it, and that was all that really mattered.
They were each given a sizable piece of cake that filled them up. Asuka was still in a phase where she ate more icing than cake, and about half of her piece was left behind, stripped of its elegant frosting and butchered by her fork. While Katsuya scarfed up her remains, Kaiba offered the rest of his portion to Mokuba. Naturally, Fubuki left nothing but crumbs on his plate.
Kaiba felt a little more sluggish than usual after eating cake, but he actually felt relaxed; he was far away from anything work-related. It was a safe little bubble. The maids weaved in between them to clean up the plates, Katsuya tended to the sticky hands of their kids, and Mokuba filled him in on the updates of the construction of his Bali villa. A recent earthquake put a damper on construction plans, so Kaiba gave him advice on how to proceed with the island's bylaws.
As the night grew closer to an end, Kaiba’s intense eyes wandered over to his omega, who had started conversing fondly with Yuugi and Honda. Secretly, Kaiba was already daydreaming about when they’d get some alone time. The kiss he received when he got home was too brief for his liking, but they were surrounded by people, so it couldn't be helped.
The alpha licked his lips, wondering what sort of marvelous gift awaited him in their bedroom. His eyes wandered to the cute little butt confined in Katsuya’s pants, and he wondered if his omega was wearing something pretty under those jeans right now. Perhaps he even wore one of his plugs. Special occasions like these were often times when Katsuya took the initiative with sex, for he was a little more devious than usual, ripening himself properly for a knot.
Kaiba bided his time and waited patiently for his real dessert.
That was why, when everyone left—after presents were opened and the sun was long gone from the world—as Katsuya wormed his way against his side and flashed him a suggestive smile, Kaiba knew.
Katsuya told him to put the kids to bed tonight and take his time in reading them a bedtime story. Hearing this, Kaiba knew the blond’s real intentions. It meant that Katsuya needed time to get ready.
Kaiba’s eyes melted with a simmering intensity. The moments they were able to snag between soiled clothes, tantrums, and fits of exhaustion were precious, especially when they both wanted the same thing; when they both missed each other. Seeing that familiar fire in Katsuya’s eyes was invigorating, and they displayed one intent: I want you.
Oh, and the alpha would.
For now, Kaiba ascended the grand staircase into the wing where his children played before bed. They both gathered in Asuka’s room, where they were playing with some of their stuffed animals. Kaiba lingered out of sight for a moment to eavesdrop, listening to the dialogue of their fantasy. He was charmed by Fubuki’s gentle instruction and Asuka’s joyful portrayal of animal sounds.
The alpha rested his head against the wall and loosely crossed his arms. Eyes fluttered shut as he tranquily listened to the sounds of innocent childhood.
But, of course, nothing lasted forever. Eventually, the sounds of surprised yelps preceded the thumping of someone falling off the bed. Thankfully, no wails of terror or pain rang through the hallway (this time, at least), but merely the curious little voice of Asuka asking if Fubuki was okay. The boy whined a little, but from his voice, it sounded like he was putting on a brave face.
The alpha decided that was the right time to reveal himself. He turned to walk into the large, elegantly styled room and the kids immediately looked like they had just gotten caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Naturally, they were curious whether or not they were in trouble.
Fubuki was already in his favourite Red Eyes pajamas, while Asuka was half out of her clothes. In the dim glow of the soft purple light of Asuka’s cat-shaped nightlight, Kaiba noticed that her socks and tights had been discarded on the floor. It was very sweet that Katsuya dressed her in a blue dress with white tights for the occasion, but it was obvious that the little girl had enough of the restrictive material.
“Time to brush your teeth and get your pajamas on,” Kaiba gently instructed while going to her little dresser to fish out a set of neatly folded pajamas.
“Can we still play more after?” Fubuki asked, eyes brimming with hope.
Kaiba knelt down in front of his daughter to tug off her dress and help her put on her pajama pants. She dutifully stepped in one foot at a time, clutching his shirt to help her balance.
“No,” Kaiba answered promptly. “It’s bedtime.”
“Aww!” Fubuki whined. “But we were gonna play Sailor Moon! An episode was just on and we watched it and I wanted to pretend that we were—”
“Fubuki,” the alpha interrupted with deceivingly gentle, razor-sharp precision. “Enough. You can play that tomorrow.”
The stern tone was enough for his son to surrender and let out a melodramatic sigh. Asuka blinked up at him with curiously big and adorable golden eyes. The girl was extremely perceptive, always absorbing body language, social cues, and behaviors of her parents like a sponge. Fubuki was often her test subject for what to do and not do, mentally observing what got him in trouble and what earned him praise, and then copying only the good behaviors.
After buttoning up her pajama shirt, Kaiba lifted her up and held her against his hip with one arm.
“Go brush your teeth. Then we can read a bedtime story.”
Fubuki’s brown eyes lit up with excitement. “Okay!!”
Fubuki bolted ahead of Kaiba, straight down the hallway to his bathroom. With so much energy still, the little boy’s feet pelted against the polished floors like a stampeding animal.
By the time he had Asuka situated on her little stool, holding back her wild bangs so that she could clumsily scrub at her teeth (she was still learning the proper technique, so she had to be supervised), he heard the trampling footsteps of Fubuki bolting back, and he noisily grabbed the doorframe to swing around the corner.
“Done!!” He excitedly proclaimed with a toothy smile.
“That was fast,” Kaiba noted skeptically.
“I did the top and bottom and in behind!” Fubuki insisted.
“Come here,” Kaiba instructed. When his son strutted up to him with a sassy swing of his legs, Kaiba hooked his thumb onto Fubuki’s bottom teeth and gently held his mouth open. Greeted by the minty-fresh breath and no sign of food bits in those baby teeth, Kaiba hummed with approval.
“I’m the best teeth brusher ever,” Fubuki proclaimed.
“Is that so,” Kaiba absently acknowledged while telling Asuka to spit.
“Uh huh! Papa said so!” Fubuki preened.
Kaiba gave a soft exhale, more like a laugh, in response. Katsuya was much more keen on giving the kids praise over peculiar things, but it was harmless, if not adorable, so Kaiba never said anything to deter that sort of behavior. When they were older and less fragile, Kaiba would teach them skills they could truly be proud of.
It was obvious that the kids were excited for their bedtime story, as Kaiba wasn’t usually the one to put them to bed. When he did though, Fubuki and Asuka both brimmed with glee. Kaiba took pride in that, knowing that his children missed his attention, and soaked up the peaceful downtime they got to spend with him—knowing that they craved his love, too.
Once they were both situated in Asuka’s spacious bed, Kaiba wandered to her bookshelf, dragging one of his fingers across the worn spines as he contemplated on the right story to read to them.
“Pick Cinderella!” Fubuki suggested. “Asuka really likes that one!”
To his mild surprise, the little girl shook her head. “The duckies! Duckies!”
Kaiba turned his gaze to his children the moment he saw realization spark in Fubuki’s big brown eyes, figuring out what she meant before Kaiba could. “Oh, the Twelve Wild Ducks! Yeah, she likes that one a lot, too!”
It wasn’t uncommon for Fubuki to sleep in Asuka’s bed, or vice versa. The beds had plenty of space for both of them, and it actually helped Asuka sleep soundly when she was being weaned from her parents’ constant hovering. Fubuki was tough to wean away from Katsuya’s nurturing arms, and it took a long time for him to stop crying at night. Asuka had the luxury of having an older sibling to lean on, so it was far less stressful getting her to sleep at night.
Interventions to separate them into their own beds would come with time, when they were older and needed privacy, but for now, the two were inseparable. Kaiba remembered nights when Mokuba and he were the same. There were many nights of Mokuba sneaking into Kaiba’s bed when Hobson or Gozaburo weren’t looking.
The alpha hooked his finger against the hardcover storybook titled The Twelve Wild Ducks, written elegantly in tendril-like font. Playful illustrations in a fantasy setting decorated the cover.
Kaiba seated himself on the edge of the bed as the kids migrated over to his side. With his back straight, the picture book situated in his lap, and his kids curled up against him, Kaiba began the story. The typically ice-cold, ruthless voice that could make the knees of world leaders shake was dampened to a soft and deep murmur, like a snarling predator nestling into the den with his cubs.
The story was about a princess’ journey to break the spell cast upon her twelve brothers. At the hand of a jealous, crooked witch, the twelve princes had been turned into ducks and flew far away from home. To break the spell, the princess needed to weave shirts from thistle, one for each brother, and nearly lost her life at the hands of the witch before she could finish.
Asuka liked the pictures of goofy ducks. Fubuki mimicked duck noises to make her laugh.
“Asuka, you’d save me if I were a duck, right?” the boy asked.
“Yeah!” she grinned.
“Would you make me a shirt out of dragon scales?” Fubuki asked. The little girl gave some ums and ahs as she thought about her answer.
“Outta candy!”
“Candy?!” Fubuki laughed, which made Asuka erupt into a fit of giggles.
Imagining such a scenario made Kaiba smile. There may, indeed, come a time when Asuka is the hero of her own story.
With a large hand against Asuka’s tiny back, warm body heat under his touch, healthy and thriving and bursting with laughter, Kaiba looked at her fondly as his heart swelled with love and pride.
Kaiba continued reading the story, conscious about lowering his voice to naturally lower the kids’ energy, encouraging them to slowly drift off. Sure enough, as he slowed down his pace, lulling the words out with a remedying voice, the two little balls of energy were naturally pulled closer to sleep, to the point where Fubuki was laying his head against his thigh and Asuka was snuggled against his side.
A serene moment enveloped the man as he witnessed their peaceful state. It reminded him of the first time he held both of them in his arms when they were just born; how small they were and how easily they trusted him. Their instincts simply knew they could trust him.
He carefully placed the book down on her ivory-white nightstand, then, with the grace and patience of a saint, Kaiba maneuvered Asuka to lie down, and then he slipped off the bed. The little blond girl curled up underneath her comforter and Fubuki rolled over to occupy the other side of her bed, hugging one of the plush fuchsia pillows to his chest.
The alpha’s gaze lingered on his precious children for a moment longer, taking in the sweet sight of their peaceful slumber before turning off the light and silently closing the door.
He then remembered that Katsuya was waiting in their bedroom, patiently waiting as Kaiba’s real present.
Really, the greatest gift Katsuya has ever given him was those two children, and he could never ask for anything more, minus the blond omega’s love and devotion. Those were the most priceless things that Katsuya gave him every single day.
Still, whatever delicious gift the omega had for him, Kaiba was going to devour it. The alpha was going to eat him up to his heart’s content.