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"Mm...Atsumu...push it to the left. More."
Atsumu lost count of the number of times he had moved that bookshelf. Three? Five? Twenty?
"Wait...actually, move it to the corner over there."
Twenty-one.
He knew his mate was particular, though that was putting it mildly. As Atsumu huffed out his cheeks and scowled towards the wall, all the while pushing the offending bookshelf, he reminded himself why he was even doing all of this.
Kiyoomi sat fretting in the rocker Atsumu had just set up, his hands anxiously rubbing circles over his swollen tummy.
"Well?" Atsumu stood up with his chest out, praying to every God in existence that that was the end. "How's this?"
"....okay. I think that's good."
"GOOD!" He clapped his hands. "That's the end of that! No take-backs, baby."
Kiyoomi's dark scowl came off more as a pout. "Well, I'm sorry for wanting our babies to have a nice room."
"Yeah, yeah. Just another way to nest, I get it." Atsumu sauntered over to where Kiyoomi sat. "Now are ya gonna let me build the damn cribs already?"
Kiyoomi took a little too long to answer. At seven months pregnant with their twins, their son and daughter, there was little else he could do but direct. Atsumu could see the frustration in his brow.
"Fine. But let me help—"
"NOPE!" Atsumu pressed a firm kiss to his husband's lips. "You ain't allowed to do a damn thing, and ya know it!"
Kiyoomi was so big, Atsumu liked to tease that he was smuggling two volleyballs under his shirts. Their twins were sure growing strong! Atsumu knew from his own baby pictures that Miya pups were notoriously chunky little hams. He smiled wide with pride, but Kiyoomi's glare was cutting.
"I'm not dying, Atsumu."
"Nah, but ya sure are carryin' some precious cargo in there!" He sat on the ground and began reading through the instructions for their cribs. "And don't say it's all my fault, Mr. 'YES Alpha, pour it all in, fill me full—'"
Atsumu was cackling when he felt Kiyoomi kick him in his shoulder. He could practically feel heat radiating off his face.
"You're so nasty."
"But ya love me anyway, yeah? Here, Omi. You can read the instructions." Something Atsumu absolutely would not regret in 10 minutes. For a moment, Atsumu sat there, scanning the half-done nursery with an easy smile on his face. Kiyoomi may have felt useless for not being allowed to carry, push, or build anything, but everything in that room was chosen by him.
The color of the walls, the decor, the theme—jungle safari—was all Omi. He was particular, but especially when it came to their pups. It never ceased to amaze Atsumu how the prickly, blunt, weird jerk he knew since high school and clashed with as a teammate could be so soft and loving toward another living creature. Their children.
Their children. He grew warm at the thought. The first two of many, he hoped.
It took 60 seconds for Atsumu to regret his decision to put Kiyoomi in charge of the instructions.
Maybe it was the way Atsumu sliced right through the cardboard box without any regard for falling dusty debris; Perhaps Omi hated how the crumpled duct tape stuck to their immaculately clean scissors. Either way, Atsumu's omega let out a sharp, high-pitched whine that stopped the second Atsumu turned to look at him.
"What?"
"Nothing." Kiyoomi turned his head away. "Keep going."
"Kay."
Atsumu slowly turned back around. With one swift pull, he opened the box of disassembled crib parts, scattering pieces of chestnut wood around the nursery floor.
Another whine.
Atsumu turned. "What?!"
"It's. Nothing. Keep going."
He narrowed his eyes. "Omi-kun, you ain't subtle. What's wrong?"
"Figure it out, if I'm so predictable." Kiyoomi bit back, his mood visibly darkening. He looked about ready to throw the instructions away, and Atsumu hadn't even picked up a single screw.
The alpha sighed, and snatched the instructions back. "Fine! I'll do it my damn self!"
Atsumu sat himself on the ground with a huff, pointedly turning his back toward his moody omega. Damn hormones, he thought. As if Omi ain't a pain in the ass on any normal day.
The instructions were clear enough— put pieces A together with piece B, put in a screw, put it to the side...oh. Where did the screw bag even go? He cursed and began rummaging through the pile of miscellaneous parts, ignoring the wilting scent emanating from his mate.
Oh, how Kiyoomi made his rancid aura known. He was never much good at hiding his displeasure. It took a lot strength and nose blindness for Atsumu to push through and focus on finding the bag.
Oh, this was going to be a long afternoon.
It took approximately two hours for one crib to come together, with the missing bag taking 10 minutes to find. The whole time, Atsumu pointedly ignored his stubborn omegas sour scent and hummed loudly to himself. These instructions are easy, he thought. Who needs Omi?
He stood up with pride as he presented the finished crib. "Tah-dah! One down! Whatcha think, baby?"
Kiyoomi scowled. "It looks good," he answered, though his face and scent said otherwise. Atsumu felt his eye twitching.
"Omi-kun, if ya dont tell me what's botherin' you, I swear, I'm gonna take the other crib and finish it in the bathroom—"
"The colors are off."
"Huh?" Atsumu blinked. "What colors? The wood—"
Kiyoomi's voice developed a frantic edge. "The wood was supposed to be dark-washed, but this is light chestnut. They sent the wrong one. You didn't check?"
"Why would I? What difference does it make, baby?! Cribs are cribs!"
Kiyoomi scoffed, shocked as if Atsumu had just said the most moronic sentence he had ever heard. "It's a HUGE difference, Atsumu! This is going to be easier to stain, and it clashes with the rest of the furniture— but you already built one, so now we're screwed! The entire nursery is ruined!"
It was rare for Kiyoomi to raise his voice, and Atsumu found himself taken completely aback. "Wha— Hey, calm down! It ain't THAT big of a deal, Omi-Kun! It don't even clash that much! I'll reorder the other one so at least one can—"
"No!" Tears pricked at his omegas eyes, and Atsumu's heart dropped. "Everything clashes and it's going to stain! The babies won't even have a clean, organized room to come home to and its all your— no, MY fault. I should have double checked to make sure you didn't click the wrong color options, I should have just done it myself, now it's all ruined. Ruined!"
"Whoa, whoa, baby--"
Kiyoomi's face was tear stained and runny with snot as he continued, "Akiko and Haruki are going to look back and be disgusted by our lack of care, don't you see?! Even as newborns, I know they'll look around and see the mismatched, staining furniture and wish they had never been born...eugh...ugh, my nose feels so disgusting, Atsumu please get me a tissue..."
"Babyyyyy...!" Atsumu scrambled to take off his t-shirt, handing it to Kiyoomi in lieu of any tissues. "Deep breath! You're gonna cause an early labor!"
Kiyoomi snatched the t-shirt, ignoring his usual disgust with such practices. "And now you put that idea in my head..."
"Omi-kun..." Atsumu reached forward, placing his hands gently on his mates stomach as he knelt in front of him. All those complaints and petty grievances from before seemed to wash away, replaced instead by a deep sense of shame for being so impatient and childish to his pregnant omega. "Omi-kun, deep breaths. That's good. Again."
Kiyoomi took about five.
"There! Nice and calm, baby. Now. Listen to me, okay? It ain't your fault. We'll say this one's on me, okay?" He gave his husband a teasing grin. "I don't mess up often, so enjoy the moment." Kiyoomi chuffed through his tears, and Atsumu continued. "Are ya really gonna look around at this beautiful room you've been putting together and say it's ruined? I watched ya look at paint swatches for hours because ya couldn't decide which shade of blue would be more calmin' for our pups. You did hours of research on safe furniture and bedding. I didnt even think it was possible for you to be even more meticulous and crazy than ya usually are, but nope! You went above and beyond for our babies! And they'll love it! It's like you made their first nest, ya know?"
Kiyoomi swallowed back his sob, lips quivering. "Mm...I guess.."
"You 'guess'? Oh, stop bein' so proud, Omi, you're already a sobbing mess! And you're the best damn mama these kids could ever ask for— just like I'm already the best pa!"
That got him to smile— and roll his eyes. Atsumu pushed forward and stole a kiss from his salty lips.
"Here's what I'll do, okay? I'm gonna finish building that other crib, and then I'm gonna hop on over to the hardware store to buy some dark stain. I'll paint the damn things myself. How does that sound?"
Kiyoomi sniffed again, and wiped his tears on the sleeve of Atsumu's t-shirt. "Wouldn't it just be easier for us to buy new cribs and ask for a refund?"
"Omi-kun, I'm trying to be sweet."
"Oh." Kiyoomi blinked. "Okay. Well…Sure."
"'Sure', he says..." Another kiss stolen. "How's about a 'thank ya, Atsumu, my big strong alpha with a huge cock, for all ya do for me.'"
His omega smiled through his red, tear stained cheeks, as smarmy as Atsumu's own, and shoved his mates face away. "Thank you, Atsumu, you annoying jerk. I love you...but you better apologize for yelling at me before."
"Ha!" Atsumu laughed his fox-like cackle. "Fine! I'm sorry you were so annoying that I had to be mean earlier, baby— OW!"
Kiyoomi pinched his cheek— only to kiss it better right after. "Close enough."