Archive of Our Own

The air in Kyoto that spring afternoon still held the freshness of the cherry blossoms that spiraled down on the lawn of the school grounds. 

Yuuta kept his hand firmly on Yuuji's hip, feeling through the fabric of the uniform the constant warmth of the omega's body, a warmth that had always seemed comforting and homey to him. 

In his other hand, the diploma still retained the rough texture of parchment, a tangible testament to the years of training, battles, and growth now behind him. Pink petals tangled in Yuuji's pink hair, and the alpha couldn't help but smile at the sight before him: his omega, eyes shining with barely contained emotion, biting his lower lip as he listened to his every word with almost reverential attention.

"Now that I've finished school, I'll dedicate myself to the Gojo clan while I wait for you to graduate next year," Yuuta said, his voice deep and serene like the murmur of a deep river, his fingers tracing gentle circles on the fabric of Yuuji's shirt. "I've spoken with the elders. While you finish your studies, I'll put the clan's affairs in order so that, when you're ready, we can begin a life together without any ties separating us." 

His dark eyes, always so intense, softened as he looked at Yuuji, and in his chest he felt the accelerated beating of his own heart, a rhythm that seemed to synchronize with the omega's. "I'll wait for you, Yuuji. No matter how long it takes."

Tears began to roll down Yuuji's rosy cheeks, falling in silver threads that disappeared into the corner of his lips and the collar of his school uniform. 

His fingers, trembling and timid, gripped the hem of Yuuta's white T-shirt, twisting the fabric with an urgency that betrayed his vulnerability. The omega nodded repeatedly, his head bobbing in an almost childlike motion as tears continued their unstoppable flow, blurring his vision and staining his cheeks a red that contrasted sharply with his honey-colored eyes. 

"Wait for me, senpai," Yuuji whispered, his voice breaking with tears and emotion, each word coming out in short bursts.

The alpha felt a lump in his throat seeing his omega so vulnerable, so exposed in his feelings, and his hand on Yuuji's hip tensed slightly, pulling him towards him in a protective gesture. 

"Don't cry, Yuuji," Yuuta murmured, his thumb wiping away one of the tears that slid down the omega's cheek, the touch of his warm, damp skin. "Next year will fly by." 

His hand slid from Yuuji's hip to the nape of his neck, gently caressing the sensitive skin where the omega gland throbbed strongly, and he felt the tremor that ran through his beloved's body.

Then, Yuuji stretched out on his tiptoes, his hands releasing Yuuta's shirt to tangle in his dark hair, and his lips found the alpha's in a sweet, slow kiss, laden with all the unspoken promises and all the fears that neither of them dared to utter. 

It was a kiss that tasted of cherry blossoms and tears, of farewell and future reunion, of the certainty of a love that had survived the most terrible war the jujutsu world had ever known.  

"Just one year, Yuuta. Wait for me." Yuuji pleaded against Yuuta's lips, his warm breath mingling with the alpha's.

Yuuta returned the kiss with the same sweetness, his lips moving over Yuuji's with a tenderness that contrasted with the strength of his arms surrounding him, pulling him against his chest as if he wanted to fuse their bodies into one. 

"I'll wait for you," he replied between kisses, his forehead resting against Yuuji's, his eyes closed as he breathed in the unique scent of his omega, a scent that had always reminded him of wet fields and home. 

The Tokyo sun in the middle of summer beat down relentlessly on the asphalt streets, and the air conditioning in Ijichi's vehicle barely managed to mitigate the sweltering heat that seeped through the cracks in the windows. 

Yuuji leaned back against the rear seat, feeling the sticky humidity of the environment cling to his skin under his school uniform, and a dull, persistent pain in his lower back reminded him of its presence with every movement he made. 

The dizziness, those sudden bouts of vertigo that assaulted him without warning, had begun approximately three weeks ago, and the omega had initially attributed them to the accumulated fatigue from missions and the scorching heat that seemed to give no respite to the city. 

But today, as the car traveled through the streets of Kyoto on its way to school, Yuuji felt that something wasn't quite right, a vague feeling that tangled in his chest like a skein of invisible threads.

Panda, sitting next to him in the back seat, stretched lazily as the vehicle glided down the main avenue, his robotic plush body emitting small metallic creaks with every movement. 

That morning's mission had been simple, just a routine check on the outskirts of the city, but the panda had noticed that Yuuji was moving with less agility than usual, his gestures slower and more measured, as if each movement required an extra effort. 

"You know, Yuuji," Panda said suddenly, his voice deep and measured, with that thoughtful tone he usually adopted when he was about to say something important, "you smell different today. You have a slight aroma of warm milk, it's strange because it's not a smell I associate with you."

Yuuji blinked, confused, his fingers pausing on the distracted movement they made along the edge of his jacket. "Warm milk?" he repeated, wrinkling his brow in bewilderment, his honey-colored eyes fixed on Panda's expressionless face. "How can you tell?" 

A slight anxiety settled in his stomach, mixing with the nausea he had felt since early on, and his fingers began to nervously play with the hem of his shirt, a habit he had acquired in recent months and which Yuuta always pointed out to him with a knowing smile.

Panda shrugged, or at least made the gesture that resembled a shrug in its mechanical structure. "Although I don't have a defined gender, my sensors are designed to perceive scents with high precision. It's part of my original programming, something Yaga considered important for my role as a mission assistant." 

He tilted his head slightly toward Yuuji, his button eyes twinkling with a sparkle that could be interpreted as curiosity. "And I assure you, it's a very distinctive scent. It's not the typical smell you usually give off."

Silence stretched between them for a few seconds, and in the front seat, Ijichi, the beta with dark hair and thick-framed glasses, turned his head slightly to look at Yuuji through the rearview mirror. 

His eyes, behind the glasses, reflected a mixture of concern and caution, and his voice, when he spoke, was soft but firm, with that quiet authority he had acquired after years of serving as driver and assistant to the most powerful wizards in the school. 

"Itadori-kun," Ijichi said, his tone carefully neutral, "have you been taking care of yourself lately when you're with Okkotsu-kun? I don't want to pry into personal matters, but it's important that you be aware of the responsibilities that come with your situation."

Yuuji felt the blood rush to his cheeks, a heat that had nothing to do with the outside temperature and that spread from his neck to the tips of his ears. His fingers gripped the hem of his shirt more tightly, and his voice, when he answered, came out higher than he would have liked. 

"Of course I did! Yuuta and I are always careful, and he... he's very aware of that, and so am I," he stammered, his words tumbling over each other as he tried to sound convincing, though deep down, a disturbing thought was beginning to sprout like a seed in fertile soil.

Panda let out a chuckle that echoed inside the vehicle, and his hand reached out to slap Yuuji on the shoulder, the impact light but strong enough to make him stumble. "Oh, wow, it seems the little omega gets nervous when we talk about these things. Imagine if Yuuta had hit the target! The prodigy," he joked.

"Panda!" Yuuji exclaimed, his face now completely red, and his hands moved in a desperate gesture to cover his burning cheeks. "Don't say things like that! It's not what you think, and it's none of your business anyway!" 

But his voice lacked conviction, and each refusal sounded more fake than the last, as memories of the past few weeks crowded into his mind: Yuuta's visits to his room at school, the stolen moments between missions, the warmth of their bodies intertwined under the sheets. 

And although they had always been careful, although Yuuta always made sure that everything was under control, the small seed of doubt continued to grow in Yuuji's chest.

Ijichi sighed, a weary sound that came from deep within him, and his left hand lifted from the steering wheel in a pacifying gesture toward Panda. "Panda, please don't joke about something so serious. Itadori-kun and Okkotsu-kun are still very young." 

His voice took on a tone of gentle but firm rebuke, the same he used when a novice sorcerer made a mistake on a mission. "You both have your whole lives ahead of you, and the decisions you make now will have long-term consequences."

Panda raised both hands in a gesture of surrender, his body language adopting a comical expression of submission that contrasted sharply with his size and robotic nature. "White flag, I was just kidding, no need to take things so seriously." 

He turned to Yuuji, and although his plush face couldn't display complex emotions, the twinkle in his button eyes suggested he still harbored a mischievous streak. "But seriously, Yuuji. You know what Yuuta's like! Imagine if we had to put up with a miniature version of him… it gives me the creeps." 

The vehicle stopped in front of an abandoned building that stood like a concrete skeleton against the cloudy sky, and Panda opened the door with a metallic squeak. 

Before getting out, he turned to Yuuji and winked, a gesture that could mean many things and which the omega interpreted as a mixture of genuine concern and his typical irreverent sense of humor. "Take good care of yourself, okay? And Yuuta should too!" 

Panda repeated before closing the door, and his footsteps faded in the direction of the abandoned hospital, leaving Yuuji and Ijichi alone in the silence of the vehicle.

The car's engine roared softly as Ijichi resumed driving, and the Kyoto landscape began to parade past the window: shops with unlit neon signs, traditional houses with tiled roofs, and cherry trees that had already lost their blossoms to make way for the intense green of summer. 

Silence stretched between them, a silence heavy with unspoken words and questions that neither of them dared to ask. 

Finally, it was Ijichi who broke the tension, his voice as soft as the touch of silk. "Itadori-kun, how is Okkotsu-kun? Is he adjusting well to his new responsibilities in the Gojo clan?"

Yuuji sat up slightly in his seat, grateful for the chance to change the subject even though his mind was still stuck on the previous conversation. "Well, Yuuta... he's fine, I guess. But he's really busy," he said, his voice taking on a whiny, almost childlike tone as his fingers began fiddling with the hem of his jacket again. 

"The clan elders are terribly strict with him, keeping him in meetings all day, reviewing documents and signing agreements and... boring stuff I don't understand at all. We hardly ever have time to see each other, and when we do, he's so tired he can barely keep his eyes open." He sighed, the sound a perfect reflection of his frustration. "Sometimes I feel like the clan is devouring him, and I'm just a spectator watching from afar as he fades away."

Ijichi glanced at him in the rearview mirror, and for a moment, his eyes seemed to hold a wisdom that transcended his appearance as a mere driver. "It's natural to feel this way, Itadori-kun. Long-distance relationships are always difficult, especially when responsibilities are involved." 

He paused, his fingers drumming gently on the steering wheel as he chose his next words. "But if you have any doubts about what Panda said, remember that I can't smell. However, I've known Panda for a long time, and I know he wouldn't joke about something as serious as a change in your scent." 

His voice became more serious, more purposeful. "If your discomfort continues to bother you, I recommend you visit Shoko. She'll be able to examine you properly and rule out any possible complications."

The car stopped in front of the entrance to the Jujutsu school in Kyoto, and Yuuji felt the weight of Ijichi's words settle on his shoulders like an invisible cloak. "I'll be fine," he said, though his voice lacked the conviction he intended to convey. 

"If the symptoms persist, I'll talk to Shoko-sensei. But I'm sure it's just the heat and fatigue." He opened the car door and the hot summer air hit his face, but before getting out, he turned to Ijichi and offered him a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Thank you for worrying, Ijichi-san. Really."

He closed the door and walked toward the school entrance, feeling the hot pavement under his feet and the dull ache in his back that seemed to intensify with every step. 

In his mind, Panda's and Ijichi's words echoed like distant bells, and as he crossed the threshold of the school, a question began to form within his, a question that refused to be ignored.

Night had settled over Kyoto with the heaviness of a damp blanket, and in Yuuji's room, the only light fighting the darkness was the bluish glow of his phone screen, which projected dancing shadows over the omega's face as he tossed and turned in the sheets without finding a position that would relieve the discomfort that had settled in his body.

His fingers moved with nervous urgency over the touch keyboard, typing combinations of words ranging from " lower back pain and dizziness " to " scent changes in omegas ," and the results that appeared before his eyes were a cascade of medical articles and discussion forums that, with disturbing uniformity, pointed to the same diagnosis: primary symptoms of pregnancy in omegas.

Yuuji felt the air thicken around him as he read the clinical descriptions, each word fitting together like a puzzle piece he hadn't asked to put together: morning sickness, heightened sense of smell, changes in body odor, lower back pain, extreme fatigue, and countless other signs his own body had been screaming at him for weeks without him wanting to listen. 

With a sudden movement, he turned off the screen and placed the phone on the nightstand, as if the device itself were the bearer of bad news, and stared at the ceiling with his eyes wide open, trying to convince himself that it was all an absurd coincidence, that the summer heat and the stress of the missions were the only culprits of that malaise that consumed him.

But his mind refused to let the thought rest, and his memories began to parade by like slides in an involuntary projection: the last times he had been with Yuuta, the furtive encounters in the alpha's room or in his own when missions allowed them to coincide for a few hours, the warmth of their intertwined bodies and the way Yuuta's fingers tangled in his hair while his lips traced a map of kisses on his skin. 

He clearly remembered how Yuuta always made sure everything was under control, how his hands sought protection before passion overwhelmed them, and how afterwards, when the alpha lay beside his with his chest still heaving, he would whisper in his ear that everything was fine, that he shouldn't worry about anything. 

But then, like a bolt of lightning in a clear sky, the memory of Nobara burst into his mind; a few weeks ago, during a joint mission, the alpha had wrinkled her nose as she approached him and had commented, in that direct and unfiltered tone that characterized her, that his scent had become sweeter and lighter, almost as if he were " covered in sugar and honey ," although at that time she had not mentioned the hint of warm milk that Panda had perceived that morning. 

Yuuji squeezed his eyelids shut, as if he wanted to erase those thoughts, but the puzzle pieces kept falling into place with an implacable logic.

It was then that he made a decision that, although hesitant, gave his back a bit of control over the situation: the next morning, he would buy an omega pregnancy test, one of those that could be obtained at any pharmacy without a prescription, and clear up the doubt once and for all. 

Because he could no longer live in that uncertainty that gnawed at his insides, he could no longer continue waking up every day with a queasy stomach and a sore back without knowing if it was all in his imagination or if, really, something had changed inside him

And if the test came back positive, then he would have to face the most terrifying question of all: what would he do next? His hand instinctively slid down to his stomach, still flat under the fabric of his t-shirt, and he felt a strange warmth, unlike that of summer, spreading from his fingers into his body. 

Putting the phone aside, Yuuji slowly sat up in bed and leaned his back against the headboard, his eyes fixed on the darkness of the room, and began to reflect on what his life would be like if he were actually pregnant, what it would be like to become a mother while still a fourth-year student who hadn't even finished his training as a sorcerer, what it would be like to carry in his womb the life of a little one who would be completely his and Yuuta's?

But then, like a cloud covering the sun, worry gripped him. Yuuta had only just begun leading the Gojo clan two years ago, a clan that had been decimated after the battle against Sukuna and needed a strong, present leader to rebuild its power and influence in the jujutsu world. 

A child, an heir, would come to change all of Yuuta's plans, and the omega didn't know if his alpha would be prepared for that responsibility, if he even wanted to have children, because in all the months they had been together, in all the conversations they had shared; they had never crossed the line that separated present love from future plans.

Yuuji brought his hands to his face and felt the moisture begin to cloud his palms as silent, inevitable tears began to slide down his cheeks. 

What if Yuuta didn't want to be a father? What if the news was too overwhelming for an alpha who was just settling into his new role, still dealing with the ghosts of his past and the pressure of a clan that watched him with critical eyes?

But now, Yuuji wondered if that promise he whispered to him was truly feasible, if the weight of a child wouldn't break the fragile threads that bound their plans, if it wouldn't end up becoming a burden that Yuuta would have to drag along instead of a dream they both shared. 

Worry consumed him like an oil spill, and his eyelids, heavy with tiredness and tears, began to slowly close as the night faded into a grayish dawn that filtered through the crack in the curtain.

The morning sun beat down with almost cruel intensity on the streets of Kyoto when Yuuji, wearing his white jacket buttoned up to the neck and a face mask that covered more than half of his face, walked with quick and determined steps towards the pharmacy he had seen in his nightly searches, a small shop with an inconspicuous facade located two blocks from the school. 

He could feel his heart pounding against his ribs, each beat a reminder of what he was about to do, and his fingers, hidden in the pockets of his jacket, nervously fiddled with the money he had gathered for the purchase. 

Upon entering the establishment, the doorbell announced his presence with a ringing that seemed deafening to him, and the cashier, a middle-aged beta woman with her hair tied up in a messy bun, looked up from her magazine with a curiosity that Yuuji felt like relentless scrutiny. 

The omega moved with an awkwardness that betrayed his nervousness, wandering through the aisles until he found the section for pregnancy tests for omegas, and picked up the first box his fingers touched, without even looking at the brand or the price, and carried it to the counter with trembling hands.

"Is that all?" the cashier asked, her voice neutral and disinterested, and Yuuji nodded abruptly, his eyes avoiding eye contact as his left hand held the bills out on the counter. 

The transaction was quick, almost mechanical, but for Yuuji every second stretched like an eternity, and when the cashier finally handed him the paper bag with the test inside, he took it with a barely audible murmur of thanks and left the store with the same speed with which he had entered, his heart galloping in his chest and his face burning under his mask. 

The walk back to school became a race against his own thoughts, and when he finally crossed the threshold of his room and slammed the door shut, he leaned back against the wood and closed his eyes, inhaling deeply to calm the trembling that ran through his entire body.

The bathroom in hos room was a small, functional space, with white tiles that reflected the fluorescent light from the ceiling and a porcelain sink on which rested the pregnancy test, still wrapped in its protective plastic. 

Yuuji unbuttoned his jacket with clumsy fingers and sat on the edge of the bathtub, the instructions on the box spread across his knees as he read the steps over and over, as if his brain refused to process the information for fear of what would come next. He followed each instruction to the letter. 

1. Urinate into the container, 2. Immerse the test strip, 3. Wait the indicated time, and 4. Then place the test over the sink to observe the result. 

His hands were shaking so much that he almost spilled the liquid on the floor, and when he finally placed the test on the smooth white surface, he stood up and began pacing in circles around the small space, his footsteps echoing in the silence as he counted the seconds in his mind.

The smell of disinfectant and dampness mingled with the scent of his own body, a scent that, now that he was paying attention, he perceived as denser and warmer than usual, and his fingers tangled in the hem of his shirt as the minutes stretched out until they felt like an eternity. 

When the timer in his mind finally told him that time had passed, Yuuji stopped in front of the sink and, with a slowness that bordered on torture, took the test between his fingers and turned it over to read the result. 

Two lines , clear and unmistakable, appeared on the small plastic window: the test was positive. The world seemed to stop in that instant, the air grew thick, and the buzzing of the fluorescent lights became a deafening roar as tears, uncontrollable and overflowing, began to flow from his eyes in an unstoppable torrent that blurred his vision and stained his cheeks with a salty heat.

Yuuji slumped onto the toilet lid, his legs unable to support him, the pregnancy test clutched tightly in his trembling hands as choked, ragged sobs escaped his throat and his free hand went to his mouth to stifle the moans that threatened to erupt. 

His body shook with each spasm of crying, and the weight of reality crashed down on his shoulders like a mountain: he was pregnant, he carried within him the life of a little one who was part of Yuuta and part of him, and there was no way to undo that fact, no way to go back and pretend that it was all a bad dream. 

Minutes passed as the crying intensified and then subsided in waves, and when finally the tears began to dwindle, leaving behind a trail of tiredness and a fragile peace, Yuuji stood up with slow movements and approached the mirror that hung above the sink.

His face was swollen and red, his eyes shone with the glow of recent tears, and his fingers, still trembling, slid under the edge of his t-shirt to lift the fabric and reveal his belly, which looked as flat and normal as ever, with no visible hint of the miracle it held within. 

The tears, though slower, continued to fall as his hand rested on the warm skin of his stomach, and his fingers traced soft circles, as if trying to communicate with the tiny life growing inside him.

"Hello, darling," Yuuji whispered, his voice hoarse and broken by crying, but with a hint of tenderness that hadn't been present before, "I'm your mom. I don't know yet if your dad will be happy about your arrival, but I... I already love you, even though we're just getting to know each other." 

His fingers paused over the center of his belly, and his gaze was lost in the reflection of his own eyes as the image of Yuuta formed in his mind.

With a careful movement, he wrapped the pregnancy test in a cloth handkerchief he found in his medicine cabinet and put it in the inside pocket of his jacket, as if it were a treasure he had to protect at all costs. 

Before leaving the bathroom, he looked at himself in the mirror once more and dried the remaining tears with the back of his hand, but his eyes still shone with the vestige of the emotion that overwhelmed him, and his scent, the sweet aroma of warm milk that Panda had detected, had intensified and now enveloped his body like an invisible cloak. 

He walked down the school corridor with quick steps, his hands hidden in his jacket pockets and his gaze fixed on the floor to avoid running into anyone he knew, while his mind repeated a silent prayer, that he wouldn't cross paths with anyone, that he could get to the infirmary without being stopped, that he could tell Shoko the news before anxiety completely devoured him.

The infirmary door was ajar, and Yuuji pushed it open with an almost furtive movement, finding Shoko sitting behind her desk with a cigarette between her fingers, the bluish smoke rising in lazy spirals as her eyes scanned a medical file in front of her. 

The doctor looked up as she sensed Yuuji's presence, and her eyes, always so perceptive and tired, met the omega's with an expression that combined surprise and a calmness that seemed to know more than it let on. 

Shoko stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray with a swift motion and stood up, her white coat brushing against the edge of the desk as she approached Yuuji, and before the omega could utter a word, she raised a hand and spoke in a voice that was firm yet gentle. 

"There's no need to say anything, Yuuji. Ijichi told me about your concern." His eyes rested on the omega's swollen, reddened eyelids, and his expression softened into a gesture of understanding. "I can smell the scent Panda mentioned, but first, please take a seat."

Yuuji felt the pressure in his chest ease slightly upon hearing Shoko's words, and a shy, trembling smile appeared on his lips as his hand slid to his jacket pocket to retrieve the handkerchief containing the pregnancy test. 

With a movement that tried to be serene but betrayed his nervousness, he extended the bundle towards Shoko and opened it, showing the positive test that still maintained its two unmistakable lines. 

The doctor took the test between her fingers, examining it with clinical attention that didn't quite mask a flicker of emotion in her eyes, and nodded slowly before handing it back to Yuuji, her voice carrying a calm authority. "Alright, then it's official. Sit on the examination table, Yuuji, and let me run a few tests before I congratulate you."

As Yuuji lay back on the white cot, feeling the crunch of the disposable paper under his body, Shoko went to the infirmary windows and opened them wide, letting the warm summer breeze slip into the room and carry away the smell of tobacco that permeated the air. 

The fresh air eased the tightness in Yuuji's chest a little, and when Shoko turned to him, her face took on a more serious and worried expression that made the omega's heart race again. 

"Yuuji, we need to be cautious," Shoko said, as she went to the cabinet to get a syringe and a test tube. "You still have Sukuna's cursed energy, which left traces in your body that we can't ignore. I don't know how that remnant might affect your pregnancy or the fetus, so I need to draw blood to do a full blood test and make sure everything is alright. Okay?"

Shoko's words hit Yuuji like a bucket of cold water, and his smile, which was just beginning to take hold on his lips, vanished, giving way to a grimace of concern that frowned his forehead and hardened his features. 

His free hand instinctively rested on his stomach, protecting it, while the other was taken by Shoko, who with professional and precise movements began to search for a vein in the crease of his elbow. "I hadn't thought about Sukuna," Yuuji whispered, his voice barely a thread, "I hadn't thought about him... about how that could affect the baby." 

His fingers gripped the fabric of his t-shirt over his stomach, as if he wanted to create a barrier between his body and any external threat, and his scent, which until a few moments ago was sweet and warm, turned sour and bitter, permeating the air with the smell of worry and fear.

Shoko, as she inserted the needle into the vein and extracted the blood with a dexterity that did not require her full attention, perceived the change in Yuuji's scent and decided that it was necessary to distract him, to divert his mind to other matters that could calm the storm brewing inside him. 

"Tell me about Yuuta," the doctor said, her tone deliberately casual, "I know he's very busy with the Gojo clan's affairs. How are things going on that front?" Yuuji blinked, shaken from his gloomy thoughts, and his hand relaxed slightly on his stomach as his gaze drifted to the white ceiling of the infirmary. 

"He's very busy," he replied, his voice carrying a whiny undertone reminiscent of a small child's. "We hardly ever have time to see each other, and when we do, he's so tired he can barely speak. And now, with this..." His hand tightened again on his stomach, "I don't know how he'll take it. We've never talked about having children, Ieiri-san. Never. I don't even know if he wants to be a father, let alone with me, an unmarked omega with such a complicated past."

Shoko carefully withdrew the needle and pressed a cotton ball to the puncture site, her gaze fixed on Yuuji's eyes with an intensity that made him feel naked in front of her. "And you, Yuuji? What do you plan to do?" 

Her voice was soft, almost a whisper, but each word carried a weight that resonated in the silence of the room. "If the tests confirm that the pregnancy is viable and safe, you'll have to make a decision. Do you want to continue the pregnancy, or would you prefer…?" 

The word was not spoken, but its presence hovered in the air like a ghost, and Yuuji felt his heart leap and his whole body tense in an instinctive, visceral defense.

"No!" The word burst from his lips with a force that surprised even himself, and both his hands were placed over his stomach, protecting it like a shield, while his eyes fixed on Shoko's with a mixture of fear and defiance. 

"I don't want to. I want to continue with the pregnancy." His voice broke on the last word, and the tears, which had been held back, began to well up in his eyes again, but this time they were not tears of fear, but of an iron determination that brooked no argument.

Shoko raised both hands in a gesture of surrender, her palms open towards Yuuji in a sign of peace, and her face softened into a reassuring smile that was meant to dispel the tension of the moment. 

"It's okay, Yuuji, it's okay. It's your decision, and I'm not going to interfere. I just wanted to make sure you knew you had options, that you weren't tied down to anything." She moved closer to him and placed her hands on the omega's shoulders, feeling the tremor that still ran through his body, and her voice took on a warmer, firmer tone. 

She paused, her fingers tightening lightly on Yuuji's shoulders. "But you have to tell Yuuta as soon as possible. I know Okkotsu, and I know he won't reject you. If there's one thing I know about him, it's that he loves you with an intensity few alphas are capable of feeling. He'll be happy, Yuuji. Trust me."

Yuuji looked down at his stomach, his fingers still resting on the fabric of his t-shirt, and felt a strange, warm and comforting heat spreading from his insides to his entire body. 

When he spoke, his voice was barely a whisper, mingling with the murmur of the breeze coming through the window, and his eyes shone with a mixture of hope and fear that only a first-time mother omega could understand. 

"I hope so, Ieiri-san. I hope Yuuta loves this baby as much as I do now." And as he spoke those words, his hand traced a gentle circle over his belly.

Yuuji's phone vibrated on the nightstand with an insistence that shook the silence of his room, and the omega, who had been staring at the ceiling with his eyes open since he woke up, reached out with slow movements to take the device between his fingers. 

The illuminated screen displayed the name "Yuuta♥︎", and Yuuji felt his chest tighten into a knot that alternated between excitement and fear.

His fingers moved across the touch keyboard with an awkwardness that betrayed his nervousness, and messages began to flow between them like a river that could not be stopped.

"Good morning, Yuuji. Did you sleep well?"

"More or less. And you?"

"I hardly slept at all. The elders kept me in meetings until after midnight."

"That sounds exhausting... Are you okay?"

"It would be better if I could see you. It's been three weeks since we last saw each other in person."

Yuuji bit his lower lip as he read those words, and his fingers paused on the screen, hesitant, as the echo of Shoko's words resonated in his mind.

But fear gripped his throat like an invisible hand, and instead of writing what he really thought, he typed an evasive answer.

 "I know. But you're busy, and I have missions too."

"The missions can wait, but I can't wait any longer to see you."

Yuuji felt the heat spreading from his chest to his cheeks, and his thumb moved across the screen to type a reply that was not fully formed when a new message appeared on the screen.

 "Come to the farm this afternoon. I want you to spend the day with me."

 "Yuuta, I don't think that's a good idea. You have a lot of work to do and I..."

"Please, Yuuji. I'm so stressed I feel like my head is going to explode. I beg you."

Yuuji's fingers trembled on the keyboard as he read the message; the alpha who had faced Sukuna without hesitation, who had carried the weight of the world on his shoulders without complaint, was now crumbling under the pressure of a clan that was devouring him alive.

 "Okay. I'll go."

 "Really? You're coming?"

 "Yes. But only for a little while."

 "Thank you, angel. You don't know how much this means to me. I'll wait for you."

Yuuji placed the phone on the bed and covered his face with both hands, feeling the heat in his cheeks spread to his ears. His decision was made: he would see Yuuta that afternoon, and perhaps, if he found the courage, he would tell him the truth about the baby growing inside him. Or perhaps not. 

Perhaps he would simply spend the afternoon by his side, enjoying his presence, and let the words remain stored somewhere deep in his chest until he found the right moment.

With a sigh that carried the weight of all his doubts, Yuuji got out of bed and walked to the closet to choose the clothes he would wear to see his alpha.

The afternoon sun filtered through the ancient trees that lined the driveway to the Gojo estate, and Yuuji, sitting in the back seat of the vehicle Ijichi had driven there, felt his heart pounding with a force that threatened to break his ribs. 

The estate stood before him like a monument to power, the wooden and rice paper structure that stretched across several acres, surrounded by meticulously manicured gardens and crystal-clear ponds that reflected the clear sky.

The vehicle stopped in front of the main entrance, and Yuuji took a deep breath before opening the door and putting one foot on the gravel floor that crunched under his shoes. 

The servants, dressed in immaculate dark-toned uniforms, bowed in synchronized reverence as he appeared, their voices rising in a welcoming chorus that made Yuuji feel strangely important and terribly uncomfortable at the same time.

"Welcome, Itadori-sama. The clan chief informed us of your arrival. Please follow us."

Yuuji blinked, surprised by the treatment, and his fingers tangled in the hem of his haori as he followed the servants through the polished wooden corridors that gleamed in the afternoon light. 

The scent of incense and cedar wood permeated the air, and the sound of his footsteps echoed in the silence of the house like an echo of his own uncertainty.

"This way, Itadori-sama. The clan chief will meet you in the tea room in a few minutes. In the meantime, would you like something to drink or a snack?"

"No, thank you," Yuuji replied, his voice barely a whisper, his eyes scanning the space with a mixture of amazement and nervousness. "I'm fine like this."

The servants led him to a spacious and bright room, with rice paper windows that opened onto an interior garden where a small pond reflected the sunlight in golden flashes. 

In the center of the room, a low, dark wooden tea table awaited with a ceramic teapot and two unused cups. Embroidered silk cushions were arranged on either side of the table, and the overall atmosphere invited calm and contemplation.

Yuuji sat down on one of the cushions, feeling the soft texture of the silk under his fingers, and his hand instinctively slid to the inner pocket of his haori, where the pregnancy test wrapped in a cloth handkerchief rested like a weighty secret.

Yuuta's presence was not felt in the room, and for a moment, Yuuji felt a relief that was almost an audible sigh; he still had time to decide what to do, he could still choose the moment and the words to share the news that would change their lives forever.

His eyes rested on the inner garden, and his mind began to wander as he imagined different scenarios: he could tell Yuuta at the end of the afternoon, when the sun set and the shadows lengthened in the room; he could wait until they were alone, with no servants or witnesses who could interrupt the moment; or he could keep the secret a little longer, just a few more weeks, until he himself felt more secure and prepared to face the consequences.

But then, the sound of footsteps in the hallway interrupted his thoughts, and Yuuji looked up at the sliding door as he felt his heart begin to beat with a force that almost hurt. 

The door slid to the side, and Yuuta's figure appeared in the frame, his dark hair slightly disheveled and his eyes shining with a mixture of tiredness and excitement that lit up his whole face.

"Yuuji."

The name came out of Yuuta's lips like a sentence, and the alpha crossed the room with long, determined strides, completely ignoring the presence of the servants who were still standing at the entrance, to kneel in front of Yuuji with an urgency that betrayed the intensity of his desire to see him. 

His hands rose to hold the omega's face between his palms, and his fingers, warm and firm, rested on Yuuji's cheeks with a tenderness that made the omega's chest twitch.

"Sorry for the delay," Yuuta whispered, his voice deep and husky, as his eyes locked onto Yuuji's as if they were the only light in the room. "The elders kept me longer than I expected, but now I'm here. With you."

And before Yuuji could articulate a response, Yuuta's lips met his in a slow, deep kiss, charged with all the absence that had separated them for weeks and all the promise of a future they both longed for. 

Yuuta's right hand slid down to the nape of Yuuji's neck, caressing the sensitive skin where the omega gland throbbed strongly, and his left hand remained on his cheek, holding him as if he were the most precious object in the world.

Yuuji felt the heat spreading from the point of contact of his lips to the tips of his fingers, and his cheeks turned a deep red that contrasted with the pink tone of his hair.

Through his closed eyelids, he could sense the presence of the servants in the room, their held breaths and their eyes fixed on the scene unfolding before them, and the thought that they were being watched made his modesty flutter like a caged bird.

"Yuuta," he whispered against the alpha's lips, his voice barely a trembling thread, "there are people watching."

But Yuuta, as if Yuuji's words were just the whisper of the wind, deepened the kiss for a moment longer before slowly pulling away, his lips still brushing against the omega's in a farewell gesture that promised more. 

His eyes opened, and in them shone a light that Yuuji knew well: that mixture of possessiveness and adoration that made his heart skip a beat every time he saw him.

"I've missed seeing you so much," Yuuta murmured, his voice low and husky, as his nose slid from Yuuji's cheek down the omega's neck, searching for the gland that throbbed beneath the warm skin. "I've missed you so much these past few weeks, Yuuji. You have no idea."

His lips rested on Yuuji's gland, and his warm breath caressed the sensitive skin as he inhaled deeply, searching for his omega's scent with an almost instinctive need. 

The sweet scent of peaches and almonds enveloped him like a familiar blanket, but then, between the layers of that familiar smell, Yuuta perceived a different nuance: a subtle aroma of warm milk that hadn't been there before, a scent that tangled with Yuuji's.

His inner alpha stirred with an emotion he couldn't identify, and his nose sank deeper into Yuuji's skin as his arms wrapped around the omega's waist with a protective instinct he couldn't control.

Yuuji felt the tremor that ran through Yuuta's body, and his hands rested on the alpha's shoulders, gently separating him from his neck as his face turned an even more intense red. 

Yuuta's gaze, clouded by emotion and need, found his, and Yuuji knew he had to stop him before the alpha became completely lost in the impulse to mark him.

"Yuuta, please," Yuuji said, his voice firm yet gentle, as his hands softly pressed against the alpha's shoulders. "There are still people here. We can't..."

Yuuta blinked, and for a moment, the fog in his eyes dissipated, giving way to a full awareness of his surroundings. He turned slowly toward the entrance, where the servants stood motionless with their heads bowed and their gazes fixed on the ground, and his face adopted an expression of calm authority that contrasted sharply with the tenderness he had shown toward Yuuji just seconds before.

"You may leave," Yuuta said, his voice regaining the calm and firm tone of a clan leader. "I will attend to the guest personally. I don't need anyone to interrupt us for the rest of the afternoon."

The servants nodded in unison and began to withdraw silently, their footsteps barely audible on the polished wood of the hallway. The sliding door slid to the side and then closed with a soft click that echoed in the quiet of the room, leaving Yuuta and Yuuji alone in the golden gloom that filtered through the rice-paper windows.

Yuuji felt the knot in his chest loosen slightly as he watched the servants disappear, but his heart still pounded as his fingers tangled in the hem of his haori, searching for the pregnancy test resting in the inner pocket as a constant reminder of the truth that had yet to be revealed.

"Yuuta," he began, his voice trembling but determined, "I should be the one attending to you. You're the clan chief, you hold the highest rank, and..."

A soft, warm laugh escaped Yuuta's lips, interrupting Yuuji's words like a breeze clearing the clouds. 

His eyes crinkled at the corners, and the light shining in them was so pure and genuine that Yuuji felt his heart melt.

"Yuuji," the alpha said, his voice filled with an affection that needed no words to be understood, "do you really think I care about rank when it comes to you?" 

His hand reached out to caress the omega's cheek, and his thumb traced a soft circle on the rosy skin. "All I want is to take care of you. I don't need you to wait on me, I just need you here, by my side."

Yuuta leaned his face towards Yuuji's, his lips seeking the omega's in a kiss that promised to be as sweet as the previous one, but Yuuji, with a quick and almost instinctive movement, turned his head to the side, and Yuuta's lips met his cheek instead of his mouth. 

The gesture was so subtle it could have gone unnoticed, but Yuuta felt the rejection like a small prick in his chest, and his brow furrowed slightly as his mind began to formulate questions he didn't dare to voice aloud.

But before he could delve deeper into that thought, the sound of the sliding door closing behind him distracted him, and Yuuta decided not to question Yuuji's gesture, attributing it to his omega's natural nervousness in such a formal and unfamiliar environment.

"Come," Yuuta said, taking Yuuji's hand in his own and leading him to the low tea table. "Sit with me. I'll prepare tea for us, as it should be."

Yuuji silently obeyed, sitting on the cushion opposite Yuuta, his fingers gripping the edge of the dark wooden table. The alpha moved with a grace Yuuji had never seen before, his hands skillful and confident as he poured hot water over the tea leaves in the ceramic teapot, and the scent of dried roses and Yuuta's black tea began to fill the room, mingling with the natural smells of wood and incense.

"Since when have you known how to do this?" Yuuji asked, his voice filled with genuine admiration that made his eyes light up as he watched Yuuta's precise movements.

Yuuta smiled, a flicker of pride in his dark eyes, as he poured the tea into Yuuji's cup with a movement that seemed choreographed. "I've been learning. The elders insist that the clan head must master the art of the tea ceremony. It's a way of demonstrating respect and control."

"And you're doing very well," Yuuji said, taking the cup in his hands and feeling the warmth radiating from the ceramic to his palms. "I've never seen you so focused on anything other than a fight."

Yuuta chuckled softly, the sound echoing in the room like a familiar melody, and raised his own cup towards Yuuji in a gesture of silent toasting before bringing the rim to his lips. 

The first sip of tea slid down his throat with a warmth that seemed to spread throughout his body, and for a moment, silence settled between them like a bird finding its nest.

It was then that they both opened their mouths at the same time, their names bursting from their lips in such perfect synchronicity that it seemed rehearsed.

"Yuuji..."

"Yuuta..."

They looked at each other in surprise, which soon turned into shared laughter, and the sound of their laughter mingled in the air like a song that only the two of them could perform. 

The tense moment that had been hanging in the room completely dissipated, and Yuuji felt his body relax as he watched Yuuta laugh with that same lightness that had always characterized him.

"You first," said Yuuta, his hand extended in a gesture inviting Yuuji to speak.

Yuuji felt his heart skip a beat, and his hand slid into the pocket of his haori as his fingers searched for the wrapped cloth containing the pregnancy test. 

His eyes rested on Yuuta's face, on the way the afternoon light reflected in his dark eyes, on the way his fingers held the teacup with an elegance that contrasted with the strength he had seen in combat.

"Yuuta," he began, his voice barely a whisper, "there's something I need to tell you. Something important." His fingers found the cloth handkerchief in his pocket and pulled it out with a slow, trembling movement, hiding it in his hands as his eyes searched Yuuta's, seeking the courage he needed to continue.

"I want you to know that... I understand if you decide not to continue this relationship with me," he said, his words flowing like a river that couldn't be stopped. "I understand the problems this could cause you within the clan, and I know that since I don't yet hold a strong position, the elders might reject the idea of ​​you continuing with me." 

His fingers trembled as his hands moved across the tea table, unfurling the cloth with a slowness that bordered on torture. "But I need you to know that this baby is yours, Yuuta. It's completely yours. And if you decide you can't... that you don't want to..."

His words trailed off as his fingers opened the handkerchief to reveal the pregnancy test, the two blue lines shimmering in the afternoon light as unmistakable evidence of the truth he had been hiding. 

His hands stopped on the table, the evidence spread between them like a sacred offering, and his gaze fixed on Yuuta's face, waiting for his reaction with a heart that beat so fast it threatened to jump out of his chest.

Yuuta felt the world stop at that precise moment, that time itself ceased to have meaning as his eyes fixed on the two blue lines that shone on the white fabric. 

Yuuji's words kept reaching his ears, but their meaning was lost somewhere in the fog that had taken over his mind, because his entire being, every fiber of his body and every thought in his mind, was concentrated on that small object that contained the promise of a life that had not yet begun.

His inner alpha, that part of him that had always lain dormant beneath layers of control and discipline, awoke with a force that left him breathless. A silent roar of joy and possessiveness coursed through his body like an electric current, and his eyes began to moisten with tears he hadn't asked for. 

The two blue lines meant only one thing: Yuuji was carrying his pups. The life growing inside Yuuji was his, belonged to both of them, and the certainty of that truth struck him with an intensity that left him speechless.

Yuuji's words were lost in the void, and Yuuta could do nothing but stand there, kneeling in front of the tea table, tears silently falling down his cheeks as his eyes remained fixed on the pregnancy test. 

Its aroma, that characteristic scent of snow, dried roses and black tea that had always accompanied it, began to intensify until it became almost cloying, filling the room with a sweetness that made the air itself seem denser.

Yuuji watched the scene with a growing sense of panic that coiled around his chest like a snake. Yuuta's shoulders began to tremble, and the tears streaming down his cheeks seemed endless, and the omega felt his own breath catch in his throat as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing.

"Yuuta?" he called, his voice barely a trembling thread that faded into the silence of the room. "Yuuta, are you okay? Tell me something, please."

But Yuuta didn't respond. His fingers slowly reached for the pregnancy test, touching the edge of the fabric with an almost sacred reverence, and his thumbs traced a soft circle over the plastic that contained the two blue lines. 

His lips moved, forming words that were never uttered, and the tears continued their unstoppable course while his inner alpha sang a song of joy that only he could hear.

Then, without warning, Yuuta stood up from his seat with such a sudden movement that he almost knocked over the tea table. 

His head remained bowed, hiding his face behind a veil of dark hair and tears, and his body trembled with an intensity that made every movement seem like a struggle against himself.

Yuuji felt his heart stop for a second, and a terrifying thought crept into his mind: Yuuta was going to leave. He was going to get up and leave the room, leaving him there with the pregnancy test and the truth that had been revealed, and he would never look at him the same way again. 

His hands gripped the edge of the table so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and tears began to well up in his own eyes as he braced himself for the worst.

But then, instead of heading for the door, Yuuta turned around and walked straight towards him, falling to his knees in front of his omega with an urgency that seemed to come from the very depths of his being. 

His arms encircled Yuuji's body with a force that surprised him, and his face sank against the omega's chest as sobs, now freed from all control, burst from his throat like an overflowing river.

"Yuuji," he whispered between sobs, his voice hoarse and broken, but filled with such pure emotion that the words themselves trembled. "Yuuji, Yuuji, Yuuji..."

Yuuji felt his own body begin to tremble as his arms slowly rose to encircle Yuuta's head, his fingers tangling in the alpha's dark hair as tears began to fall down his own cheeks.

"Yuuta, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice breaking with sobs. "Are you... are you okay? Aren't you angry? Aren't you upset?"

Yuuta lifted his face from its hiding place in Yuuji's chest, and his red, swollen eyes met those of his omega with an intensity that made Yuuji's heart leap. 

A trembling, bright smile appeared on his lips as his hands rose to hold Yuuji's face in his palms.

"Angry?" Yuuta repeated, his voice still cracking but with a hint of disbelief that made the question seem absurd. "Yuuji, how could I be angry? This is... the most beautiful thing that's ever happened to me." 

His thumbs traced gentle circles across Yuuji's wet cheeks, drying the tears with a tenderness that made the omega feel his heart melt. "I'm so happy, Yuuji. So incredibly happy."

His words, filled with such genuine emotion that it made the very air vibrate, were lost in the space between them as Yuuta buried his face again in Yuuji's neck, his lips pressing against the hot skin where the omega gland throbbed strongly. 

His warm breath caressed Yuuji's skin as he whispered words of gratitude that mingled with his sobs. "Thank you, Yuuji. Thank you for giving me this news."

Yuuji laughed through his tears, his fingers caressing Yuuta's hair as he felt the weight he had been carrying for weeks begin to dissipate like mist at dawn. 

"You're a fool, Yuuta," he said, his voice trembling but filled with an affection that needed no words to be understood. "You scared me for a moment. I thought you were going to leave."

"Leave?" Yuuta raised his head to look at him, his eyes still glistening with recent tears, but with a light of determination that made his gaze more intense than ever. "I'll never leave you, Yuuji."

And then, with a movement that combined the strength of the alpha with the tenderness of the lover, Yuuta enveloped Yuuji in a hug so tight that it seemed to want to fuse their bodies into one. 

His nose sank once more into Yuuji's neck, inhaling the warm milk scent that he now understood, that he now recognized as the promise of life growing inside his omega, and his lips pressed a soft kiss upon the throbbing gland beneath the skin.

"Yuuji," he whispered against his skin, his voice barely a warm breath that made the omega shudder, "I promise I'll be the best alpha I can be, that I'll take care of you and our pup with every fiber of my being."

Yuuji felt tears, now of relief and joy, begin to fall again as his hands clung to Yuuta's hair, caressing it with a tenderness that was a response to all the promises the alpha was making at that moment.

"I love you, Yuuta," he said, his voice barely a whisper that faded into the silence of the room. "I love you so much it sometimes hurts. And this baby... I already love this baby too, even though it's only just starting to grow."

Time seemed to stand still as they remained embraced, their bodies intertwined in the center of the room like a sculpture of love and hope. 

Yuuta's tears continued to fall, but now they were tears of joy, and his sobs had turned into gasping laughter that resonated in Yuuji's chest like music that only the two of them could hear.

Finally, after a long moment in which they both allowed themselves to feel the enormity of what had just happened, Yuuta separated from Yuuji's body with a slow and deliberate movement, and took his omega's face in his hands with a seriousness that made Yuuji's heart race again.

"Yuuji," he said, his voice deep and firm despite the tears that still glistened in his eyes, "I need you to tell me something." His thumb traced a soft circle on the omega's cheek, and his gaze locked onto his with an intensity that left no room for doubt. "Is this what you want? I'll support you in whatever decision you make, Yuuji. No matter what it is. I'll always be by your side."

Yuuji felt his heart expand in his chest upon hearing those words, and a trembling but radiant smile appeared on his lips as his hands rose to cover Yuuta's, intertwining his fingers with the alpha's on his cheeks.

"Yuuta," he said, his voice filled with an emotion that made each word a heartbeat, "for the last three nights I've only dreamed of being the mother of your pups. And now this is real." 

His eyes met Yuuta's, and in them shone a certainty that needed no words to be understood. "I want this, Yuuta. There's nothing in this world I want more."

Yuuji's words fell like a rain of light upon Yuuta's heart, and the alpha felt his chest overflow with such intense emotion that he could not contain it. 

His hands moved from Yuuji's face to the nape of his neck, drawing him closer, and his lips met the omega's in a kiss that was the culmination of all his hopes and dreams. The kiss was slow and deep, filled with tears and smiles, unspoken promises and futures that now had names and shapes.

The force of the kiss made them stagger, and both fell backward onto the tatami with a rustle of fabric and a soft thud that echoed in the silence of the room. 

Yuuji lay on his back, his pink hair spread out on the tatami like a halo, and Yuuta found himself on top of him, his arms around his body and his lips still searching for his omega's as tears continued to fall and mix with Yuuji's.

"You're so beautiful," Yuuta whispered between kisses, his lips leaving a trail of chaste kisses across Yuuji's face: on his cheeks, on his forehead, on the tip of his nose, on every inch of his skin he could reach. 

Yuuji laughed through his tears, the sound of his laughter mingling with Yuuta's sobs as the alpha's hair tickled his skin, making him squirm gently. "Yuuta, stop crying," he said, his voice laced with a joy that belied his words, "the servants will think I'm hurting you."

But Yuuta couldn't stop. His kisses continued their journey from Yuuji's face to his neck, his lips pressing against the hot skin where the omega gland throbbed strongly, and his hands slid down to hold his omega's waist with a tenderness that was almost reverent. 

Finally, his head rested on Yuuji's chest, his cheek pressed against the fabric of his haori as he listened to the heartbeat beneath his ears.

"You'll be the best mother to our pup," Yuuta whispered, his voice barely a whisper lost in the fabric of Yuuji's clothes. "I know. I know because you're the most wonderful person I've ever met."

Yuuji felt the warmth spread from his chest to his fingertips, and his hands rose to stroke Yuuta's dark hair as the alpha remained leaning against his chest, his arms around his waist as if he never wanted to let go.

"You'll be the best father," Yuuji replied, his voice soft and filled with a tenderness that made the words themselves seem like a caress. "Our puppy will be lucky to have you as his dad, Yuuta."

Silence settled between them, but it was a warm and comforting silence, like a blanket enveloping them both in its embrace. Yuuta's hand slid from Yuuji's waist down to his stomach, his fingers resting on the fabric of his haori, right where the unborn life was growing inside his omega.

Yuuta lifted his head from his hiding place on Yuuji's chest, and his eyes met the omega's in the golden gloom of the room. Tears still glistened on his cheeks, but his smile was as bright as the sunlight filtering through the rice paper windows.

"Yuuji," he said, his voice firm and full of determination, "I promise I'll work twice as hard for the clan. This news will have to wait until I'm sure everything will be alright with you and our baby. But I promise that by the time the baby is born, everything will be in order." 

His hand settled more firmly on Yuuji's stomach, and his fingers traced soft circles on the fabric. "We'll have the life we ​​always dreamed of, Yuuji. Together. You, me, and our puppy."

Yuuji felt his heart expand to fill his entire chest, and his fingers tangled in Yuuta's hair with a tenderness that was the answer to all the promises the alpha was making at that moment.

"I'll wait for you," he said, repeating the same words Yuuta had said to his under the cherry blossom tree at graduation. "I'll always wait for you, Yuuta."

And as they both lay there on the tatami mats of the Gojo estate, surrounded by the golden light of the afternoon and the sweet aroma of jasmine tea, they felt that the future they had always dreamed of was now more real than ever, a future that bore the name of their love and the shape of the life growing in Yuuji's womb.

The minutes passed like hours as they both remained on the tatami floor, their bodies intertwined in an embrace that seemed to have no end. 

Yuuta had slightly turned his position, allowing his head to rest completely on Yuuji's belly, and his fingers were tracing abstract patterns on the fabric of his haori, as if he were drawing a map of the future that awaited them.

"Yuuta," Yuuji said, his voice filled with a curiosity that had been held back the entire time they had been hugging, "how come you weren't surprised? I mean, when I told you, you didn't seem surprised. Just... happy."

Yuuta lifted his head slightly to look at Yuuji through his eyelashes, and a smile that combined mischief and tenderness appeared on his lips. "What makes you think I wasn't surprised?"

"Because you didn't ask any questions," Yuuji replied, his hand pausing in Yuuta's hair. "You didn't ask how, or when, or even if I was sure. You just started crying and hugging me like you already knew."

Yuuta let out a soft laugh that vibrated against Yuuji's belly, and his fingers continued their dance on the fabric of his haori. "I guess my inner alpha already knew," he said, his voice low and thoughtful. 

Yuuji felt his cheeks warm at those words, and his hand slid to cover Yuuta's on his stomach, intertwining his fingers with the alpha's. "And aren't you scared?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper that faded into the silence of the room. "Being a father, I mean. It's a huge responsibility."

Yuuta raised his head completely to look Yuuji in the eyes, and his gaze shone with a determination that made the words about to leave his lips carry the weight of an oath. "I'm scared," he admitted, his voice sincere and without reservation. 

"I'm terrified, Yuuji." His hand tightened around Yuuji's, and his thumb traced a soft circle on his skin. "But I'm going to work every day to do what's best for both of us."

The tears that had been held back in Yuuji's eyes began to overflow again, but this time they were tears of such pure happiness that they hurt almost as much as the fear that accompanied them. "I love you, Yuuta," 

Yuuta slowly sat up, his arms encircling Yuuji as he pulled him closer, and his lips met the omega's in a kiss that was the answer to all his words. "I love you," he whispered against his lips. 

The kiss lingered, sweet and slow, like a promise renewed with every touch of their lips, and when they finally separated, both had bright eyes and cheeks wet with tears that refused to stop.

The afternoon sun was beginning to decline, tinting the sky with orange and pink tones that were reflected in the pond of the inner garden. 

Yuuta slowly stood up, extending his hand to help Yuuji to his feet, and they both remained silent for a moment, watching as the light filtered through the rice paper windows and spilled onto the tatami in patterns of shadows and flashes.

"Would you like to see the back garden?" Yuuta asked, his voice soft and filled with a hope that made the question seem more like an invitation to share the future than a simple offer. "There's a carp pond that Satoru-sensei used to take care of. It's mine now, but I'd like it to be ours."

Yuuji smiled, and in his smile there was a light that illuminated his entire face. "I'd love to," he said, taking Yuuta's hand in his own and feeling the warmth of his skin spread through his fingers.

As they walked together toward the sliding door that opened onto the garden, their synchronized footsteps echoed in the silence of the room, and Yuuji felt the fear he had been carrying for weeks begin to dissipate, replaced by a certainty that was stronger than any doubt. 

It didn't matter what the clan elders thought, it didn't matter what the jujutsu world had in store for them. They had each other, they had the love that had bound them together from the beginning, and now they had the life growing inside Yuuji, a life that was the promise of everything that was yet to come.

The sliding door opened and the afternoon breeze, laden with the scent of flowers and pond water, enveloped them like a hug from the same sky that had seen them born. 

And as they crossed the threshold into the garden, Yuuta's hand rested firmly on Yuuji's waist, and Yuuji's rose to cover his alpha's, their fingers intertwined on the fabric of his haori, right where the unborn life was growing inside him.

" Welcome home, Yuuji," Yuuta whispered, his voice barely a whisper that faded into the wind.

And Yuuji, with shining eyes and a heart full of the promise of a future he had never imagined, squeezed Yuuta's hand in his own and whispered back:

" I'm home, Yuuta."

The restaurant was bathed in a warm twilight, its paper lanterns casting dancing shadows across the wooden walls and hand-painted screens that separated the private tables. The summer night filtered through the slats of the sliding windows, carrying the scent of night-blooming flowers and the distant murmur of the river winding through the city. Inside, the group of sorcerers had gathered around a low, dark wooden table.

Panda sat at one end of the table, his button eyes twinkling in the dim light as he held a cup of sake between his furry fingers. "Can you believe it's been three years since we graduated?" he asked. "And here we are, gathered together again, as if no time has passed at all."

Maki, sitting opposite him with short, messy hair, said, "How nostalgic, Panda! You've been saying the same thing ever since we graduated." Her voice trailed off over the words like a lazy cat.

Toge, sitting next to Maki, nodded silently as his fingers traced abstract patterns on the rim of his ceramic cup. "Salmon roe," he said, his voice barely a whisper lost in the murmur of conversation.

Megumi, at the opposite end of the table with a cup of green tea he hadn't yet tasted, calmly observed the scene. "Tradition is important," he said, his voice low and measured, "especially after what we've been through. Keeping these gatherings together reminds us why we keep fighting."

Nobara, sitting next to Megumi with her hair pulled back in a messy bun and her hands busy pouring more sake for everyone, let out a bubbly laugh that filled the space between the tables like a river of joy. "Oh, the Zenin clan chief, as philosophical as ever. You've matured, Megumi!" she joked. 

The warm and welcoming atmosphere that enveloped each of them was a testament to the bonds they had forged in the fires of war and which now remained strong under the dim light of the paper lamps.

It was then that the restaurant's sliding door slid to the side with a soft sound, and Yuuji's figure appeared in the frame, his pink hair slightly disheveled by the evening breeze and his cheeks tinged with a red that could be attributed either to the summer heat, or perhaps not.

"The protagonist has arrived!" Panda exclaimed, raising his cup in a gesture of greeting that caused a small amount of sake to spill onto his metallic fingers. "We thought you weren't coming, Yuuji. What happened? Did you get lost along the way?"

Yuuji smiled. "Sorry for the delay," he said, his voice warm and slightly halting, as his fingers nervously fiddled with the hem of his summer jacket, a gesture everyone knew well. "I had a mission that took longer than expected, and then..."

"And then?" Nobara asked, drawing out the last vowel as she tilted her head with a curiosity bordering on mischief, her deep brown eyes fixed on Yuuji's face as if she could read some hidden secret in him.

"And then, I ran into a little traffic problem," Yuuji finished, his nervous laughter betraying the lie he had just spun, but no one at the table seemed to notice as his friends greeted him with a wave of greetings and jokes.

Yuuji walked towards the table, his footsteps echoing softly on the tatami, and as he approached the empty space that had been left for him, the aroma that enveloped him spread through the room like an invisible caress.

But before he could sit down, a familiar presence materialized behind him, and Yuuji felt the warmth of a known body approaching his back, followed by Yuuta's distinctive scent: snow, black tea, and a hint of dried roses. 

"Sorry for the delay," Yuuta's voice whispered directly into his ear, his lips brushing against the sensitive skin of Yuuji's ear with an intimacy that made the omega shudder. 

Yuuta rested his face against Yuuji's shoulder, subtly rubbing their cheeks together and shamelessly inhaling the omega's scent deeply. "I'm sorry, everyone. The elders kept me at a last-minute meeting. But I'm here now."

Yuuji felt the warmth spread from the point of contact between Yuuta's lips to the tips of his fingers, and his already flushed cheeks turned an even deeper red that contrasted with the pink hue of his hair. "Don't worry," he whispered back, his voice barely a whisper that only Yuuta could hear. 

Yuuta's hand slid from Yuuji's shoulder to his waist, his fingers pressing under the fabric of the jacket in a gesture that was both possessive and protective, and the omega felt his alpha's warmth spread through the fabric like a promise of safety.

They walked together to the table, their steps synchronized as if they had rehearsed that movement for years, and as Yuuta sat down on the cushion next to the empty place they had left for him, his hand found Yuuji's under the table and squeezed it gently.

"And the clan chief has arrived too!" Panda exclaimed, raising his cup even higher than before, the sake now spilling over the edge of the table. "I thought you'd become too important to join us, Okkotsu."

Yuuta let out a soft laugh, the sound echoing muffled in the room, but his hand remained firmly entwined with Yuuji's under the table as he replied in a tone that combined authority and warmth. "I'll never be too important for this, Panda. These meetings are what keep me sane, in a way."

"Have you forgotten how to divide your space with other mortals?" Maki asked, her voice laced with an irony that made each word a playful barb. "You have an entire clan to manage, but every time you sit down at a table, you end up glued to Itadori like a magnet."

Yuuta responded with a smile that didn't hide the possessive glint in his eyes, and his hand under the table tightened around Yuuji's with a firmness that betrayed the truth of his words. "God forgive a man who hasn't seen his boyfriend in a long time, Maki-san."

Nobara let out a laugh so loud she nearly knocked over her cup, and her fingers pointed at the couple in a theatrical gesture that made everyone at the table turn. "Oh, look at these two lovebirds," she said, her voice trailing over the words like a river of mockery. "When are they going to get married properly, or are they going to keep playing house for the rest of their lives?"

"When the clan is stable, perhaps," Yuuji replied, his voice softer than he had expected, his gaze instinctively searching for the alpha beside him for confirmation. Yuuta nodded gently. "But there's no rush. The important thing is that we're together."

The conversation continued to flow as bottles of sake and beer circulated around the table, and the waiter arrived with more plates of food that were soon devoured amidst laughter and anecdotes from recent missions. Maki recounted how she had to deal with a cursed spirit that had hidden in the closet of an abandoned house for three days, and Panda mentioned how the new generation of sorcerers from the Kyoto school was more incompetent than ever.

Yuuji, however, remained aloof from the toasts being raised around the table. When Nobara extended her cup to clink against his, offering him one of the pitchers of cold beer resting in the center of the table, his fingers paused in mid-air, a moment of hesitation that almost went unnoticed, and instead he chose one of the bottles of fruit juice that had been ordered for those who didn't want alcohol.

"Okay," Yuuji said, his voice barely a whisper lost in the background noise of the conversation, his hand closing around the cool glass of fruit juice as a nervous smile touched his lips. "I'd like something lighter tonight. It's been really hot this week."

Nobara tilted his head, and for a moment his deep brown eyes fixed on the juice Yuuji held between his fingers, his fingers drumming on the table with a slowness that contrasted sharply with his usual energy. But when he looked up at his friend's face, a knowing smile played on his lips, and he decided to remain silent.

Nobara's gaze lingered on Yuuta for a moment, and for a second, the alpha looked back at her, a flicker of recognition in his dark eyes. But he said nothing, and Nobara couldn't decipher what lay behind that look. 

The evening continued with laughter and anecdotes, and the waiter reappeared to clear the empty plates and announce that dessert would be ready in a few minutes. It was then that Yuuji shifted in his seat, leaning forward as his fingers tangled in the hem of Yuuta's yukata, feeling his body respond to his presence.

The alpha, as if he had sensed the change, leaned towards him, his warm body pressing against Yuuji's as his hand slid from the omega's shoulder to his waist, his fingers pressing against the fabric of the yukata with a firmness that was both possessive and protective.

"Yuuji," Yuuta whispered, his voice barely a whisper lost in the murmur of the general conversation, as his lips brushed against the omega's ear in a gesture so intimate that the others present couldn't hear. "It's time for you to talk to them. You have everything stored in my jacket, remember?"

Yuuji felt his heart leap, and his fingers gripped the edge of the table with a force that made his knuckles turn white. In the inside pocket of Yuuta's jacket, wrapped in a neatly folded handkerchief, lay the pregnancy test and the ultrasound that Shoko had performed that very morning. The blurry image of a small form that was just beginning to take the shape of a human being, but which his heart already recognized as his daughter, as his little Yuuka.

"I know," Yuuji replied, his voice trembling but firm, as his hand reached for Yuuta's under the table and squeezed it with an urgency that betrayed the emotion that gripped him. "But I don't know how to start. What if…?"

Yuuta returned the handshake, and their fingers intertwined under the table like a silent promise. "Trust them," he whispered, his voice warm and comforting, like the rustling of snow on a winter night. "And trust me."

And then, with a movement that combined the confidence and tenderness of a lover, Yuuta's hand rose to hold Yuuji's face between his palms, and his fingers traced soft circles on the rosy skin of his cheeks as his eyes met those of his omega, and in that gaze, Yuuji found all the courage he needed.

"Now, let me speak first," Yuuta whispered, and before Yuuji could respond, he sat up straight in his seat and his voice, now clear and firm, rose above the murmur of the general conversation.

"Hey, everyone," Yuuta said, his tone polite but authoritative, and the table fell silent almost immediately, all eyes turning to him. "I wanted to thank you all for being here tonight. I know it's not always easy to coordinate schedules, especially with the responsibilities we all have these days."

Yuuta paused, and his eyes rested on Yuuji for a moment, a smile that combined excitement and nervousness forming on his lips as his hand searched for his omega's under the table.

"Things have changed a lot for me in the last few months," Yuuta continued, and this time, when his eyes fell on Yuuji, he felt the warmth spread from his chest to his fingertips. "The Gojo clan demands a lot from me, more than I expected, but it's also given me something I never thought I'd have."

Nobara raised an eyebrow, her sake cup paused halfway to her lips, her eyes scanning Yuuta's face with a mixture of curiosity and confusion. "Okkotsu, what are you saying?" she asked, her tone playful but with a hint of seriousness that betrayed her interest.

Yuuta chuckled softly, the sound echoing in the room like a familiar chime, and his hand beneath the table tightened around Yuuji's. "It's just that... there are new responsibilities on the horizon, responsibilities I didn't expect, but that I'm more than happy to take on." Their fingers intertwined, and his gaze returned to the omega before he continued. "I feel like, for the first time in a long time, I have reason to look forward to the future."

Megumi watched the scene, his dark eyes fixed on the couple, his fingers drumming softly on the table as his mind analyzed Yuuta's words with the precision of a seasoned sorcerer. "It seems these new responsibilities have you quite excited, Yuuta-san," he remarked, his tone neutral but with a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. "Is there anything you'd like to share with us?"

Nobara, who had been watching Yuuji since he chose the fruit juice, noticed the omega's cheeks turning an increasingly deep red, and a suspicion began to sprout in his mind. But he decided to remain silent, his eyes fixed on his friend's face as he waited for the pieces of the puzzle to finally fall into place.

It was then that Yuuji intervened, his voice trembling but determined, as his hand slid into the inside pocket of Yuuta's jacket and pulled out a neatly folded cloth handkerchief.

"What Yuuta is trying to say," Yuuji said, his voice barely a whisper rising above the silence of the room, "We're going to be parents."

His trembling fingers unfolded the handkerchief on the table, and the pregnancy test, with its two unmistakable blue lines, and the ultrasound, with the blurry image of a small shape just beginning to take on the appearance of a human being, were exposed under the dim light of the paper lamps.

The silence that followed was so profound you could hear the wood creaking under the weight of the tension. But then, like a wave crashing against the shore, the table erupted in a cacophony of voices, laughter, and tears mingling in a torrent of emotion.

"WHAT?!" Nobara exclaimed, his voice so loud it echoed throughout the restaurant, and his sake cup crashed down onto the table, spilling its contents onto the dark wood as he leapt from his seat with a movement so abrupt he nearly knocked the table over. "ITADORI IS PREGNANT?! AND YOU DIDN'T TELL US ANYTHING?!"

Panda was the first to break the silence after the announcement, his mechanical laughter echoing in the room like a metallic bell as his button eyes flashed with triumph. "I knew it!" he exclaimed, his plush chest swelling with pride as his arms spread wide in a theatrical gesture. "I was the first to know! The very first!"

Maki tilted her head, her fingers resting on her chin in a thoughtful gesture as her gaze swept over Yuuji's face. "Wait, then why didn't any of us notice?" she asked, her voice laced with a curiosity bordering on disbelief. "I'm a beta, but even I should have sensed something. How did you manage to keep it a secret for three months?"

Yuuji, whose face was now as red as the fabric of his yukata, looked down at his hands as his fingers tangled around the edge of the table with a shyness that contrasted sharply with the boldness he had shown when making the announcement. "I've been using scent suppressants," he said, his voice barely a whisper that faded into the expectant silence around the table. "I wanted to keep it a secret until we were sure everything was alright. Yuuta didn't want to share it either."

“Yuuuuuji.” Yuuta whined like a little kid being scolded for being too possessive of his favorite stuffed animal. Nobody had the right to make fun of him! But laughter explodes after the confession. He felt his cheeks burn. 

“Look at the puppy no one wants touching his favorite toy!” Panda was the first to tease, moving just enough to ruffle his best friend’s hair. “How jealous, Yuuta!” 

“How selfish! Hiding him from us for so many months.” Maki was the second to complain from her seat, glaring at her best friend but with a mocking smile on her lips. “Now I understand why Yuuji reduced his mission hours!” 

“I just wanted to be the only one who could smell Yuuji’s intense scent, is that a sin?” Yuuta raised his hands in surrender while glancing sideways at his boyfriend, who was amusedly shaking his head beside him. “Now it’s no longer my little secret, what a nuisance.”

“I always thought you were a bad liar anyway, Yuuji.” Nobara complained to his best friend as he stood up from his seat to pinch Yuuji’s cheeks with a grin. “You told me and Fushiguro that you were close to your heat and that’s why you had the patches! Liar!” 

Yuuji blushed at being caught and rubbed his cheeks, which were sore from Nobara's grip, but he smiled when everyone laughed together. "Sorry, it was dangerous for it to get out before three months, you know?" 

“Besides, we all know that your heat and Yuuta-san’s are coordinated, and you hardly saw each other these past few months, didn’t you think of that, you idiot?” Fushiguro finally buried his two friends in a bottomless pit of embarrassment, causing the pair to shyly look at each other for being caught.

The table erupted in laughter at the words, and everyone was still standing with the sake spilled on the table and their eyes shining, expectant.

Yuuta finally stood up from his seat, and everyone imitated him as they raised their glasses. Yuuji reached for his boyfriend's hand and intertwined their pinkies. "We should make a toast to this, I think." 

“Of course! It’s the biggest celebration we’ve had since Inumaki was promoted to Grade One months ago.” Panda raises his voice as he pours himself the last of the sake available and raises his fluffy paw as well. 

“I hope we never stop celebrating new things.” Nobara says, looking around and finally fixing his gaze on his best friend in front of him. Yuuji smiles patiently. “It will be a new chapter for everyone.” 

“It will be, and I hope you’ll all be here with us while it happens.” Yuuji finally spoke, his smile widening into crescent moons. The fruit juice was bright and vibrant compared to the plain porcelain bowls where everyone would be drinking sake. 

“Cheers!” they all shouted in unison, and took a long sip that burned almost all of their throats. Yuuji stifled a laugh as his boyfriend’s face contorted from the sake dripping down his throat. 

“Congratulations, Yuuji, you’ll be great at this.” Nobara was the first to close the distance between them and wrap her best friend in a hug that was a little too tight, but returned with the same brusque affection. They both slapped each other’s backs a little too hard. 

"I want to hug him too!" Panda shouted, jumping up from his seat with such a sudden movement that he almost knocked over the table, and his arms closed around both of them, his plush body emitting small creaks as he enveloped them in a group hug that made the others present laugh heartily.

Maki, who had remained seated with a smile on her lips, walked over to the couple, and when she reached them, her hand reached out to gently stroke Yuuji's hair. "It's all quite surprising, especially coming from someone like Yuuta." 

Yuuta and Maki exchanged glances for a moment, but there was nothing between them but pure affection. Maki quickly tugged on her best friend's ear before hiding her arm and speaking to Yuuji again. "But I'm glad you're the one who can make this idiot happy. He deserves it. You both deserve it."

Yuuji felt tears beginning to well up in his own eyes as his friends' words enveloped him like a warm blanket, and his hand, still holding the pregnancy test and ultrasound, trembled with the emotion he could barely contain.

"Thank you, Maki-san," he whispered, his voice breaking and trembling, his fingers gripping the fabric of his own  jacket with a force that betrayed the intensity of his emotions. "Thank you all. You don't know how much this means to me... to us."

And while the congratulations continued to rain down on him, the compliments and the jokes and the promises to be the best uncle or aunt that baby could ever have, Yuuji looked for a pair of eyes. 

Megumi was watching him too, silently as he continued with his half-full sake bowl. The marks on his face made him look more tired than he probably was. Yuuji met his blue eyes gazing at him with tenderness, a mixture of pride and the surprise that still flickered in his pupils. 

Words weren't necessary; Yuuji knew everything Megumi thought about this just by looking at his best friend's face. And a slight nod of his head—a tacit confirmation of his calm acceptance—was all that calmed the anxiety that had been building in the omega's throat. 

Yuuta's hand fully embraced Yuuji's, seeking his touch as the aroma of black tea enveloped him like a fine layer, drawing his attention. They gazed at each other, their faces close enough to count each other's eyelashes. 

“I told you everything would be alright.” Yuuta murmured as he focused on the dark gold that shone in Yuuji’s iris under the warm paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling. 

“I’m glad I did it.” Yuuji smiled, and that smile was contagious for his boyfriend as well. 

The atmosphere broke when Panda exclaimed. 

"Look at Okkotsu, all red-faced!" he said, pointing a jointed finger at the alpha as his metallic laughter echoed in the room. "He looks like a happy puppy wagging its tail because its owner gave it a treat."

The table erupted in laughter, and Yuuji joined in. He decided to play along without hesitation, holding his boyfriend's chin in the palm of his hand and patting his fluffy black hair. "He's well-trained, you know. The least I expect is for him to wag his tail for me." 

Yuuta stifled a smile, pressing his lips together, and tilted his head against his omega's hand to play along. Everyone laughed again.

The conversation drifted to other topics, and jokes about Yuuta's new fatherhood mingled with anecdotes from recent missions, creating a tapestry of laughter and memories that enveloped each of them like a promise of continuity and bonds that were not easily broken.

The waiter appeared with the dessert, and the table was immersed in the shared pleasure of sweets and fruits, while toasts followed one after another, each dedicated to the new life growing in Yuuji's womb.

The night stretched longer than planned, and when the group finally got up to pay the bill, goodbyes began to flow at the restaurant entrance, under the pale moonlight reflecting off the wet asphalt.

Maki was the first to approach Yuuji, her fingers reaching out to pinch his chubby cheeks for a moment, and her voice, when she spoke, had the rough, affectionate tone that everyone knew well.

"Take good care of yourself, Yuuji," Maki said, her hand lingering on the omega's shoulder for a moment longer than necessary. "And if that alpha of yours causes you any trouble, you know where to find me. I'll teach him a lesson he won't forget."

Yuuji laughed, a nervous, excited laugh that sparkled in his eyes as his fingers tangled in the hem of his clothes, and he tilted his head toward Maki's hand in a gesture of gratitude. "Thank you, Maki-san. But I'm sure everything will be alright."

Panda then approached, his plush arms closing around Yuuji in a hug that made the omega almost stagger, and his fingers found Yuuji's cheek and pinched it gently, with a tenderness that contrasted with the hardness of his structure.

"Our little omega," Panda said, his voice deep and husky, and in it there was an affection that needed no words to be understood. "I still think you're very young, Yuuji, that's a fact. But now you'll be the mother of the strongest guy of all, so I know you'll be fine with him." 

Yuuji smiled, and his fingers rose to cover Panda's hand on his cheek, intertwining his fingers with his friend's in a farewell gesture. 

"Thank you, Panda," he whispered, his voice barely a thread lost in the night wind. "Thank you for always being there."

Inumaki approached next, and his fingers found Yuuji's hand and squeezed it gently, "Salmon roe," Toge said, his voice barely a whisper.

Yuuji felt tears welling up in his eyes again as the goodbyes continued, and when Megumi and Nobara finally approached him, he was completely overcome with emotion.

Nobara was the first to speak, her voice low and husky, as if she too were fighting back tears that threatened to spill. "I'm not going to say I'll miss you, I know we'll see each other at school maybe," she said, her tone rough but with a glimmer of affection that everyone recognized, "But you really hid this well for a while and it makes me happy to see you happy after everything that happened. You deserve to be happy again, Yuuji."

Yuuji laughed, a broken laugh that mingled with the tears that were beginning to fall down his cheeks, and his arms reached out to hug Nobara, who let him with a resistance that was more theatrical than real.

"I love you, Nobara," Yuuji whispered, his voice barely a thread lost in his friend's hair. "Thank you for everything."

Nobara, her face buried in Yuuji's shoulder, tightened the embrace with a force that contrasted sharply with the lightness of her words. "I love you too, idiot," she whispered back.

And when they finally separated, it was Megumi's turn, who approached Yuuji with his arms outstretched in a gesture that was so rare for him that everyone in the group fell silent.

"Yuuji," Megumi said, his voice low and serious, carrying a weight that transcended words. "I want you to know that I'll always be here for you." He paused, his fingers resting on Yuuji's shoulder with a firmness that was both comforting and protective. "Like Nobara, I think you're too young to face what's coming; but you were also very young when you lost everything. We all have new responsibilities now, but I think it's a good time to start a family again, isn't it?"

Yuuji felt tears streaming down his cheeks uncontrollably, and his arms reached out to hug Megumi, who returned the hug with a solemnity that everyone recognized as his particular way of showing affection.

"Thank you, Megumi," Yuuji whispered, his voice cracking and broken. "I hope you can do the same someday."

Megumi didn't answer but tightened the hug for a moment longer before pulling away, and when his eyes met Yuuji's, a promise beyond words shone within them. "I'll try, the clan will be happy."

As Yuuji's friends said their goodbyes, Yuuta found himself surrounded by Maki, Inumaki, and Panda, who watched him with a mixture of seriousness and affection that made the alpha feel that the weight of their gazes was heavier than any clan responsibility.

Maki was the first to speak, her arms holding Yuuta's neck as her fingers reached out to ruffle Yuuta's dark hair with a gesture that was more authoritarian than affectionate.

"Alright, Okkotsu, listen carefully," Maki said, her voice firm and unwavering, as her fingers paused at the back of the alpha's neck, fixing him with a gaze that brooked no argument. "Now that you're going to be a father, you have to behave yourself. Understood? No neglecting Yuuji, no leaving him alone on sleepless nights, and no making him worry about clan nonsense."

Yuuta, with a smile that combined pride and a touch of nervousness, raised his hands in a gesture of surrender that everyone recognized as his way of accepting the warning. "Yeah, yeah. I know how to do the basics, you know? You should have more faith in me."

Panda then approached, and his fuzzy fingers found Yuuta's shoulder and squeezed it to release him from Maki's oppressive grip, allowing him to breathe for a moment. 

"She said it, buddy," Panda said, his voice lively and mocking, "She threatened to hit you if Yuuji says anything, I'd be careful about everything I do."

Yuuta chuckled softly, the sound echoing in the night like a familiar melody, and bowed his head in gratitude toward his friends. "I'll keep that in mind, Panda. Thank you."

Inumaki was the last to approach, and his fingers found Yuuta's hand and squeezed it with a force that contrasted with the gentleness of his gesture.

"Tuna mayo," Toge said, his voice barely a whisper, which everyone understood as "I wish you the best." And then, with a gesture that was typically his, his fingers traced a peace sign in the air, a silent blessing that Yuuta accepted with a smile.

Before parting ways with them, Maki turned to Yuuta once more, and her voice, when she spoke, rose above the murmur of the night with a promise that everyone heard.

"And when the baby is born," Maki said, her fingers pointing at Yuuta in a gesture that was more of a threat than a promise, "I want to see him regularly. So make sure Yuuji doesn't hide too much, or I'll come looking for you myself."

Yuuta laughed, a hearty laugh that mingled with the night breeze, and his head bowed in a gesture of acceptance that spoke louder than words. "I promise, Maki-san. Everyone will be invited to meet him."

The group slowly dispersed, and as each went their separate ways to their respective homes, Yuuta and Yuuji remained together at the entrance of the restaurant, their hands intertwined under the pale moonlight.

The Gojo clan's vehicle arrived moments later, a sleek black car that pulled up in front of them with a whisper of an engine, and the rear door opened to reveal the leather interior and the soft light illuminating the seats.

Yuuta slid into the seat first, and his outstretched hand helped Yuuji climb in, their fingers entangling with the omega's as they both settled into the back seat, the space between them nonexistent, as if the outside world had no place in the small universe they shared.

The car started moving, and the lights of Kyoto began to parade past the window like shooting stars disappearing into the night. Yuuta slowly leaned back, his head finding Yuuji's lap with a familiarity that spoke of years of trust, and his eyes closed as the omega's fingers began to stroke his hair with a gentleness that was both comforting and healing.

"Are you okay?" Yuuji asked, his voice barely a whisper lost in the hum of the engine, as his fingers traced abstract patterns on Yuuta's scalp. "You were very tense throughout dinner."

Yuuta sighed, a sound that was more a sigh of relief than of tiredness, and his head moved slightly in Yuuji's lap as his fingers sought the omega's belly and caressed it with a gentleness that was almost reverent.

"I was so nervous," Yuuta admitted, his voice low and husky, with a vulnerability only Yuuji could hear. "I didn't know how everyone would react. Especially Maki-san and Nobara." His hand rested on Yuuji's stomach, his fingers tracing a soft circle on the yukata fabric. "But everything turned out fine. Better than I expected."

Yuuji smiled, a smile that lit up his face and made his honey-colored eyes shine in the dimness of the vehicle, and his fingers continued to caress Yuuta's hair with a tenderness that was the answer to all his words.

"Your speech was beautiful," Yuuji said, his voice soft and filled with a tenderness that made each word a heartbeat. "You truly showed how happy you are. You couldn't have done it better."

Yuuta lifted his head slightly to look at Yuuji through his eyelashes, a smile that combined pride and shyness playing on his lips as his hand continued to caress the omega's belly. "Do you really believe that?" he asked, his voice tinged with a hope that made him seem younger than he was.

"I believe it," Yuuji replied, and then, with a voice that rose to a higher pitch, mimicking the voice of his unborn daughter, his fingers paused on Yuuta's hair as he said, "Daddy did a good job!"

Yuuta let out a laugh so pure and loud that it echoed inside the vehicle, and his fingers moved faster over Yuuji's belly, caressing it with an urgency that was both joyful and tender, while his head pressed against the omega's lap as if he wanted to merge with him.

"You're amazing," Yuuta said, his voice still tinged with laughter, as his eyes shone in the gloom with a light that was the answer to all of Yuuji's words. 

Yuuji felt tears welling up as his fingers continued to caress Yuuta's hair, and his voice, when he spoke, was barely a whisper that was lost in the noise of the engine and in the heat of their intertwined bodies.

"I love you, Yuuta," he said, his voice filled with an emotion that made each word a promise. "I love you, and this life we're building together."

Yuuta, with his hand still resting on Yuuji's belly and a smile that lit up his whole face, answered with a voice that was both a whisper and an oath at the same time.

"I love you, Yuuji," he said, his fingers tracing soft circles over his omega's warm skin, where the unborn life was growing inside him, like a promise of all that was to come. 

The vehicle glided through the streets of Tokyo, carrying with it the scent of jasmine and honey and warm milk mixed with that of snow and leather and gunpowder, as the night enveloped them in its embrace of stars and promises, and the future stretched before them like a path they had chosen to travel together.

The morning light filtered through the paper screens of Yuuta's private chambers in the Gojo estate, casting elongated shadows across the tatami floor that shifted and danced with each passing cloud. He had been awake for hours, long before the sun had breached the horizon, his body restless and his mind churning with thoughts that refused to be silenced. 

His fingers moved absently over the surface of the low desk before him, tracing the grain of the aged wood as if the patterns might reveal some hidden truth, some answer to the questions that had been plaguing him since dawn.

The room around him was sparse but elegant, decorated with the restrained luxury that befitted the head of the Gojo clan: a single scroll of calligraphy hung on the wall behind him, its characters bold and confident, reading "Resilience in Adversity"—a gift from Satoru's personal collection that Yuuta had found among the master's belongings after his death. 

A small altar in the corner held a photograph of the former clan head, his blindfolded face split into that characteristic grin that had always seemed to know more than it revealed. Incense burned before the photograph, the scent of sandalwood and cedar mixing with the morning air in a fragrance that Yuuta had come to associate with loss and memory in equal measure.

Today would be the day he would announce Yuuji's pregnancy to the council of elders—the "meeting of the old men," as Satoru had always called them with that irreverent dismissiveness that had driven them to apoplexy on more than one occasion. Yuuta could almost hear his master's voice now, that lazy drawl that masked a mind sharper than any blade: "Just tell them, Yuuta. What are they going to do? They're old and toothless.” 

The memory brought a bitter smile to Yuuta's lips, but it faded quickly as the weight of his current situation settled back onto his shoulders. Satoru had been the strongest sorcerer of his generation, a man whose power had been so absolute that the elders had been forced to tolerate his insolence because they had no other choice. 

But Yuuta was not Satoru. 

He was barely two years into his tenure as clan head, a position that had been thrust upon him by circumstance rather than ambition, and the elders had been watching him with hawk-like eyes since the day he had assumed the mantle, waiting for any sign of weakness that they could exploit.

His hand moved to his pocket, where his phone rested with the weight of a talisman against his thigh. He pulled it out, his thumb hovering over the screen for a moment before he unlocked it and navigated to the last message Yuuji had sent him the previous night. 

The image was simple, a mirror selfie that Yuuji had taken in his school bathroom, the hem of his shirt lifted just enough to reveal the faintest curve of his belly—a small, almost imperceptible swell that Yuuta knew would become more pronounced in the coming weeks. 

"Still growing! Yuuka says goodnight and good luck to her papa!  You've got this tomorrow. We believe in you."

The simplicity of the message had undone something inside Yuuta the previous night. He had lain awake for hours after reading it, his hand pressed against his chest where the photo had lodged itself in his heart like a splinter of pure joy. 

The thought of Yuuji carrying his child, taking photos of his growing belly to send as encouragement, working up the courage to feel a flicker of movement that the medical texts insisted was too early but that his heart knew was real, it was overwhelming in a way that no curse, no battle, no responsibility had ever been.

He looked at the photo again now, and the anxiety that had been coiling in his stomach since dawn lessened slightly, replaced by a surge of determination that felt like fire in his veins. This was why he was doing this. Not for the clan, not for tradition, not for the approval of old men who had long ago forgotten what it felt like to love or to hope. This was for Yuuji, for their child, for his family. 

His thumb moved to the message thread, and he typed quickly before he could second-guess himself.

"I'll be thinking of you and Yuuka the entire time. I love you both."

He hit send before he could reconsider, and the immediate "seen" notification that appeared moments later told him that Yuuji was awake, likely getting ready for his own day of classes and training at the Kyoto school. A moment later, a response appeared.

"Kick their asses, as sensei's last dying wish."

Yuuta laughed out loud, the sound startling in the silence of his chambers, and he felt some of the tension that had been knotting his shoulders begin to dissolve. He pocketed his phone and rose to his feet, his movements purposeful and steady as he began the process of preparing for the day ahead.

The sun had reached its zenith by the time Yuuta finally left his chambers, the morning having been consumed by an unexpected meeting with the estate's head steward regarding the logistics of an upcoming diplomatic visit from the Kamo clan. By the time he extricated himself from the discussion, the hour was already late, and he knew that the council would be waiting for him with varying degrees of impatience and disapproval.

His hand moved to his inner pocket as he walked, checking for the hundredth time that the medical reports Shoko had sent over were still there—the most recent examinations, the ultrasound images, the blood work that confirmed the pregnancy was progressing normally despite the lingering traces of Sukuna's cursed energy that still haunted Yuuji's system. 

He had read every page of every report multiple times, studying the medical jargon until it became as familiar as his own breathing, searching for any hint of danger, any warning sign that the elders might use as ammunition against him. But Shoko's assessments had been consistently reassuring: Yuuji was healthy, the baby was healthy, and with proper care and monitoring, there was no reason to expect complications.

The reports were his shield, his evidence that this pregnancy was not some unplanned mistake or opportunistic scheme but a genuine, viable, beautiful reality that deserved to be acknowledged and protected. 

They were also, he realized with a bitter twist of his lips, the reason he was late to the meeting—he had been reading them again, obsessively, while the minutes ticked by and the elders grew more restless by the moment. 

A small part of him, the part that had grown up under Satoru's influence, was almost amused by the thought; his master had been notorious for his tardiness, showing up to meetings hours late with a grin and an excuse that was always just plausible enough to be infuriating.

He could picture Satoru now, lounging in the council chambers with his long legs stretched out and his blindfold concealing the sardonic amusement in his eyes. "Sorry I'm late," the imaginary Satoru would say, "I was having a fascinating conversation with a cat."

The memory made Yuuta's lip twitch as he approached the doors to the council chamber. The large wooden panels were closed, their surfaces carved with intricate patterns of clouds and cranes that had been there for generations, a testament to the long history of the Gojo clan and the countless meetings that had taken place within these walls. 

Two guards flanked the entrance, their postures rigid and their eyes fixed straight ahead, and they bowed deeply as Yuuta approached before pulling the doors open with a low groan of ancient hinges.

The council chamber was a vast room, its high ceiling supported by massive wooden beams that had darkened with age to a deep, rich brown. Long windows lined one wall, their paper screens casting soft, filtered light across the room, the floor was covered in tatami mats that had been worn smooth by countless feet, their edges neatly aligned and their surfaces immaculate.

The council of elders sat in a semicircle at the far end of the room, their positions arranged according to hierarchy and seniority. There were seven of them in total, all men of advanced years with white hair and deeply lined faces that spoke of long lives spent navigating the treacherous waters of clan politics. Their robes were formal and elaborate, and their expressions, as they turned to regard Yuuta, were uniformly disapproving.

He had kept them waiting. He could see it in the set of their shoulders, in the tightness around their mouths, in the way they exchanged loaded glances that spoke of mounting irritation. The eldest among them; a man named Nishida, cleared his throat in a pointed manner that echoed through the chamber.

"Okkotsu-sama," Nishida said, his voice carrying the weight of a lifetime of authority, "you are late. We have been waiting for more than thirty minutes. This is unacceptable behavior for the head of the Gojo clan. The council's time is valuable, and our agenda is full."

He paused, his eyes narrowing as he studied Yuuta with an intensity that felt like a physical weight. "We are not schoolchildren to be kept waiting while you attend to... whatever distractions have occupied your morning. The Gojo clan has stood for centuries, and its leaders have always demonstrated punctuality and respect for the council's time. We expect the same from you."

When does Satoru do that? Yuuta wanna laugh at their faces, but he can't. So he maintains the silence.

The other elders murmured their agreement, their heads bobbing in a synchrony that felt like an accusation. Another voice, lower and raspier, spoke up from Nishida's left; Hattori, "It seems the young clan head has forgotten the importance of decorum. Perhaps he is too busy thinking about his omega to attend to the matters of the clan?"

Yuuta felt his jaw tighten at the comment, but he forced himself to take a slow, steadying breath. He was the head of the clan now, and a clan head did not rise to provocations from subordinates, no matter how much they rankled. Satoru's voice drifted through his mind again, a reminder of how the former clan head had always handled such moments: "They're like barking dogs, Yuuta. The more you react, the more they bark."

He was not Satoru, and he knew that ignoring the elders outright was not a viable strategy. But he had learned a great deal in the two years since assuming his position, and one of those lessons had been that the best way to disarm a critic was to deny them the reaction they sought. Instead of defending himself or offering excuses, Yuuta bowed his head slightly. 

"My apologies for the delay," he said, his voice level and calm, a measured cadence that betrayed none of the tension coiled in his spine. "A matter of urgency arose that required my immediate attention. It will not happen again."

He raised his head and met Nishida's gaze directly, holding it with a steadiness that he had cultivated through long practice. "I trust you will accept my explanation. The Gojo clan expects its leaders to address all issues, not only those that appear on the council's agenda. Sometimes, the most pressing matters are the ones that arise unexpectedly."

The words hung in the air between them, and for a moment, Yuuta could see the calculation flickering behind Nishida's flinty eyes. The elder was trying to decide whether to push further, to make this a battle of wills that would test the young clan head's mettle. But something in Yuuta's demeanor must have given him pause, because after a moment, Nishida gave a curt nod.

"Very well," the old man said, though his tone suggested that the matter was far from forgotten. "Then let us proceed. We have much to discuss, and the agenda is extensive."

He gestured to an empty cushion at the head of the semicircle—a position of honor that Yuuta had learned to occupy with a growing sense of authority. The walk to that cushion felt like a journey across a vast expanse, every step measured, every breath controlled, every glance from the elders a weight upon his shoulders. 

He reached the cushion and settled onto it with a grace that masked the trembling in his hands, his robes falling around him in neat folds as his body assumed the posture of leadership.

The council chamber fell into a familiar rhythm as the elders began to speak, their voices rising and falling in a chorus of reports and recommendations that had become as predictable as the seasons. 

The first item on the agenda was, as always, a discussion of the clan's finances and the various revenue streams that funded its operations. Yuuta listened with half an ear, his attention divided between the dry recitation of figures and the more pressing matter that had brought him to this meeting today.

The second item was a report on the latest developments in the jujutsu world: a new grade one curse that had emerged in the northern prefectures, a diplomatic dispute between the Kamo and Zenin clans that was threatening to escalate, a series of reforms proposed by the higher-ups that would have significant implications for the Gojo clan's operations. 

Yuuta listened to these discussions with a greater degree of attention, but his mind kept drifting back to the piece of paper in his pocket, to the weight of his secret, to the image of Yuuji's swelling belly and the life that was growing inside it.

He could feel the elders watching him, their eyes like hawks on a mouse, searching for any sign of distraction or weakness. He knew that they had noticed his unusual silence, the way his gaze sometimes drifted to the windows or to his hands, and he could sense their curiosity building as the meeting stretched on. 

He was here for a purpose, they could tell, and they were waiting to see what that purpose was.

One of the elders, Tanaka-san, leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as he regarded Yuuta with a knowing smile. "Okkotsu-sama, I see you have something on your mind. You have been distracted throughout the meeting. Perhaps you would like to share what is troubling you with the council? We are, after all, your advisors. We cannot help you if you do not speak."

The other elders nodded their agreement, and Yuuta could see the curiosity in their faces, the hunger for information that had been building throughout the meeting. He was the clan head, but he was still young, still untested in many ways, and they were always looking for leverage, for information that could be used to their advantage. 

Whatever he told them would be analyzed, dissected, and potentially weaponized against him in the future.

But Yuuta had expected this moment. He had been preparing for it since the night Yuuji had shown him the pregnancy test, since Shoko had confirmed the results, since every quiet moment of reflection in the weeks and months that followed. 

He had thought about what he would say, how he would say it, and what he would do if the elders reacted with hostility—which they would, because they always reacted to the unexpected with suspicion and disapproval.

He raised his head, and his gaze swept across the semicircle of elders, meeting each pair of eyes in turn. "You are right, Tanaka-san," he said, his voice carrying the full weight of his authority, the full depth of his conviction. "I do have something to share with you. Something of great importance to the future of the Gojo clan—and to my personal life."

The elders leaned forward as one, their expressions sharpening with interest. Yuuta allowed himself a moment of pause, a heartbeat of silence in which he thought of Satoru, his master, his mentor, the man who had taught him so much about what it meant to be a leader. 

He wishes Satoru was here now. What would he think about all this? He would accept it?

"Itadori Yuuji is pregnant, with my child. The child will be a legitimate member of the Gojo clan, and I will personally ensure that they are recognized as such." Yuuta finally says.

The silence that followed was absolute. It was as if the room itself had been struck dumb, the very air frozen in shock. Yuuta could see the reactions spreading across the faces of the elders like ripples in a pond, each expression shifting through a rapid succession of emotions: disbelief, confusion, doubt, and finally, a cold, calculating assessment that made his blood run hot.

Nishida was the first to recover, his flinty eyes narrowing to slits as he leaned forward with the predatory intent of a hawk sighting prey. "I must have misheard you," he said, his voice dangerously soft, dripping with a sarcasm that was as sharp as a blade. "You wish to announce that an unmarked omega of questionable origins—the vessel of Ryoumen Sukuna himself—is carrying your child? And you expect us to simply accept this? To welcome this child into the Gojo clan as a legitimate heir?"

The words struck Yuuta like a physical blow, but he held his ground, his jaw tight and his eyes steady. "You heard me correctly, Nishida-san. Four months  ago, Itadori Yuuji told me he would have my heir and i have made my decision, and I expect the council to support it."

Hattori's raspy voice cut through the tension like a blade through silk, his words dripping with barely concealed contempt as he leaned forward, his body coiled with the intensity of his displeasure. 

"Okkotsu-sama, you must understand the gravity of this situation. The omega in question is not merely some commoner with whom you have taken a liking. He is the vessel of the King of Curses, a man whose very existence is tied to the most dangerous entity the jujutsu world has ever known. The blood of Sukuna flows through his veins, and his body still carries the traces of that cursed energy. What kind of child do you think will be born from such a union? What kind of curse might we be welcoming into this family?"

Another elder, Suzuki-san, chimed in, his words aimed like poisoned darts at Yuuta's composure. "And what of the circumstances of this pregnancy? The vessel is known to have been... acquainted with others. Are you truly certain that this child is yours?"

The accusation hung in the air like a noxious cloud, and Yuuta felt something inside him snap. His hands, which had been resting in his lap in a posture of calm deliberation, curled into fists so tight that his knuckles went white. 

His breath came faster, his heart pounding against his ribs with a force that felt like it could crack bone. His inner alpha, that primal part of him that had been dormant beneath layers of control and discipline, roared to life like a caged beast finally freed from its restraints.

The scent of his anger filled the room. The elders, who had long ago forgotten the instinctual power of an alpha's fury, shifted uncomfortably in their seats, their eyes flickering with a wariness that they could not quite suppress.

Yuuta rose to his feet, his movements fluid and deliberate, his body suddenly seeming larger, more imposing than it had moments before. Each word was a blade that he wielded with precision and intent.

"Let me make something absolutely clear, and I will say this only once." He paused, his gaze sweeping across the semicircle of elders, meeting each pair of eyes with a challenge that brooked no opposition. " The bond between us is sacred and absolute. Anyone who suggests otherwise will face consequences."

His voice rose, the alpha authority bleeding through as he pressed his advantage, his presence expanding to fill the chamber until the air itself seemed to thicken around them. "I am the head of the Gojo clan for a petition of Satoru Gojo himself, and I hold the authority to make decisions for this family, and I have made my decision."

The elders recoiled as if he had struck them, their expressions shifting from shock to outrage to something that looked almost like fear. The alpha presence was overwhelming, a weight that pressed down on them like a physical force, and they shifted in their seats, their eyes avoiding his, their bodies curling inward as if to protect themselves from the blast of his fury.

Hattori tried to rally, his voice trembling slightly despite his obvious effort to appear unafraid. "Okkotsu-sama, this is highly irregular. We are the council, the advisors to the clan head. We have a responsibility to—"

"You have a responsibility to follow the commands of your leader when he made one." Yuuta interrupted, his voice cold. "And I am your leader, Hattori-san."

He took a step forward, and the elders flinched as one. His voice dropped to a whisper, but it carried more weight than any shout. "My heir will grow up in this clan, will be raised as a Gojo, and  anyone who stands in the way of that will find themselves removed from this council and from this clan."

He let the threat hang in the air, watching as the elders processed his words. He could see them calculating, weighing their options, deciding whether to push back or to yield. 

But he could also see the doubt in their eyes, the uncertainty that came from realizing that their young clan head was not the pliable figure they had thought him to be. He could see the fear, too, the primal recognition of an alpha who had found something worth fighting for.

Nishida was the first to break, his shoulders sagging as the fight drained out of him. "Very well, Okkotsu-sama," he said, his voice flat and weary. "The council will accept your announcement. We will not raise further objections to the recognition of the child as a legitimate member of the Gojo clan."

The other elders murmured their agreement, though their expressions remained disgruntled and sullen. Hattori made it as if to speak, but a sharp glance from Nishida silenced him, and he subsided into a grumbling mutter that was just loud enough to be heard but not so loud as to provoke further confrontation.

Yuuta stood for a long moment, letting the silence stretch and the elders squirm. He could feel the residual heat of his anger still pulsing through his veins, could feel the alpha's instinct to push further, to assert his dominance until there was no doubt left in anyone's mind. But he forced himself to take a deep breath, to let the tension slowly drain from his shoulders, to reclaim the control that had momentarily slipped through his fingers.

"Thank you," he said, his voice returning to something like normalcy. "I appreciate the council's understanding and cooperation in this matter."

He moved to retake his seat, his body settling onto the cushion with a grace that belied the trembling in his hands. The elders watched him in silence, their faces a tapestry of emotions that he could not quite parse. 

But he had made his point. He had asserted his authority and even if they continued to harbor doubts, they had learned that they could not cross him without facing consequences.

The rest of the meeting passed in a blur. The elders spoke about the finances again, about the new curse in the north, about the ongoing negotiations with the other clans. 

Yuuta listened with only half his attention, his mind already drifting to the message he would send Yuuji, to the way his omega's face would light up when he heard that their announcement had been accepted. 

Sometimes he wished to be a normal man, to have a normal life with his very lovely omega by his side and have never knew about curses, about Jujutsu clans, about anything.

When the meeting finally ended, Yuuta rose with a sense of purpose that had been absent when he entered. He walked out of the council chamber, his steps measured and sure, his head held high, and the moment the doors closed behind him, he reached for his phone with trembling fingers.

The message was simple, just a few words that carried the weight of everything he had done that day.

"I can't wait to see you tonight."

The late autumn air brought with it the first real cold through the halls of the Gojo estate, a coolness that heralded the coming winter and the change of season that had brought Yuuji to the final stretch of her pregnancy. 

Five months had passed since that night at the restaurant when he announced his pregnancy to his friends, months of careful supervision by Shoko, months of his body transforming in ways he still struggled to fully understand, and Yuuta's unwavering presence by his side at every date, every sleepless night, every moment of doubt that had crept into his mind.

The weight of his pregnancy had become an undeniable presence in his daily life, a constant companion that disrupted his balance and made even the simplest tasks seem like small victories. His belly had grown into a firm, rounded protuberance that he unconsciously found himself caressing, and his hands sought its curve whenever he remained still for a moment. 

The changes had been gradual: the softening of his features as his body accumulated the weight needed to support the life growing inside his, the subtle widening of his hips, and the swelling of his breasts as his body prepared for the breastfeeding that would follow birth.

Talks about moving permanently to the Gojo estate had begun weeks ago, and Yuuji's missions had been reduced to simple tasks after Shoko flatly declared that active combat was no longer safe, and the logistics of moving between Kyoto school and the estate had become increasingly complicated as his pregnancy progressed. 

Yuuta had been the one who brought up the subject, speaking in a careful and measured voice as he explained his reasons, but the urgency in his words was unmistakable.

At first, Yuuji resisted; he had grown up in his grandfather's small, unassuming house, and the idea of ​​reclining in rooms fit for royalty while servants bowed down and waited on him made him deeply uncomfortable. 

But Yuuta had been patient, with infinite patience. They had sat together in Yuuji's small room at the Kyoto school, with the omega's legs drawn up beneath him and his belly resting on his thighs, while Yuuta spoke with the sincere conviction that always characterized him.

“Yuu, I need you to understand something,” Yuuta said, gently stroking the omega’s face with a tenderness that broke the omega’s heart. “This isn’t about what the clan expects. It’s about what I need, which is to know that you’re in the safest place possible. The estate has been fortified with barrier techniques that Gojo-sensei once taught me.” 

Yuuji opened his mouth to protest, to argue that he didn't need such extravagant protection, that he was a healer and a fighter and had survived far worse than pregnancy, but Yuuta gently pressed his thumb against his lips, silencing him with a look of such sincere adoration that the words got stuck in his throat.

“Please, Yuuji,” Yuuta continued, lowering his voice to a barely audible whisper, his forehead resting against Yuuji’s in a gesture of intimate vulnerability. “I’m just as scared as you are, and I just want to know I’m close enough to protect you when you need me.”

The slight trembling of his hands against Yuuji's cheeks had finally broken down the omega's barriers of reluctance. He then thought that Yuuta had become a real man. 

“I’m just pregnant, you know I don’t need that much care.” Yuuji wants to argue a little longer, even though he enjoys his boyfriend’s latent concern. Something inside him throbs with shame at having to be cared for with such fragility. He doesn’t need it! 

“Stop being stubborn, and let me give you this. I know you can handle this, Yuu-chan .” Yuuta’s tired eyes and gentle voice as he used the nickname told Yuuji that his boyfriend knew he had won this conversation. “But I want to take care of you and my puppy.”

So, a couple of weeks later, after a long conversation with his best friends in the school common room, on a crisp autumn morning filled with the scent of fallen leaves and the distant smoke of woodsmoke, Yuuji arrived at the Gojo estate with only a bag of belongings and a heart full of mixed emotions. He would never stop feeling nervous standing there. 

The servants greeted him with deep and reverent bows that still made him uncomfortable; their voices, forming a welcoming chorus, made him blush. 

Now, Yuuji stood in the center of the room that would become his new home, his hands resting on the curve of his belly as he contemplated the vastness of tatami mats and paper screens that would be his domain for the next few weeks. 

The room was immense, much larger than any other I had ever occupied; the floor was covered with the highest quality tatami mats, a pale green that seemed to absorb the light and create an atmosphere of serene calm.

The view was breathtaking, a meticulously designed beauty that only generations of wealth could create, and Yuuji was drawn to it despite his discomfort. He rested his hand on the paper of the panel, feeling the coolness of the material beneath his fingers, and watched as a koi carp emerged from the surface of the pond in a flash of white and black shadows.

“The garden was Sensei’s favorite place,” a voice said behind him, and Yuuji turned to see Yuuta standing in the doorway, his expression sweet with nostalgia. “He used to sit there for hours, just watching the fish.” 

Yuuta crossed the room with the natural grace that had become his trademark; his movements were fluid and purposeful as he approached his omega. He reached out to guide Yuuji toward the low seating area in the center of the room.

The cushion was soft, almost unbelievably soft, and he felt the tension that had built up in his lower back begin to dissipate as he leaned back against it. Yuuta knelt beside him, his hand immediately finding the curve of Yuuji's belly, resting his palm on the bump with familiarity. 

“How are you feeling?” Yuuta asked in a soft, concerned voice, his thumb tracing slow circles on the taut fabric of Yuuji’s shirt. “The trip wasn’t too tiring, was it?”

Yuuji shook his head, a slight smile playing at the corners of his lips. "I'm fine. A little tired, maybe, but fine." 

Yuuta's expression didn't completely relax; his eyes continued to search Yuuji's face for any sign of hidden discomfort. Yuuji had grown accustomed to it, even found it endearing, but there were times when the intensity of Yuuta's attention made him feel as if he were being studied rather than loved.

“Yuuta, I’m fine,” he repeated, reaching out to touch his alpha’s cheek, feeling the slight roughness of his stubble against his fingers. “Really. I just need a few days to get used to all this. Is that too much?”

Yuuta's expression softened, and he moved closer, removing his hands from Yuuji's stomach to frame his face, lifting it so their eyes met. "This is your home now. Our home, because you're the mother of my child, and that makes you the most important person on this entire estate." 

The words were firm, Yuuji's hands found Yuuta's and placed them on his cheeks and kissed his alpha's palm in a gesture of gratitude that words could not fully express.

Yuuta smiled, that warm, radiant smile that had captivated Yuuji's heart years ago, and leaned down to place a soft kiss on his omega's forehead. "We have all the time in the world."

The kiss lasted for a moment, maybe two. 

Yuuji had brought with him his few belongings, a collection of clothes that suddenly seemed insufficient for the space they would occupy. 

“Yuuta,” he said hesitantly, subtly pulling away from the kiss to look into his boyfriend’s eyes. “I want to build a nest. Here.” 

Yuuta's eyes widened slightly, a flash of surprise crossing his face before being replaced by something deeper, almost reverent. "Of course," he said softly and excitedly. "Whatever you need. What do you want me to do?"

Yuuji pondered the question, frowning slightly as he mentally reviewed what he would need. Maternal instinct was a strange thing, a mixture of impulse and meticulous planning, and he wanted to do it right .

“I need your things,” he finally said, his voice low but firm. “Your clothes. Your blankets. Do you want to sleep on the same futon with me?”

Yuuta felt his heart clench at those words, at the deep trust and need they represented. "I'd love to," he replied immediately. "Wait here," he said, his tone now expressing a new urgency. "I'll be right back."

He left the room with a brisk step, his robes billowing around him as he walked down the corridor toward his chambers. The servants he encountered bowed deeply, their heads lowered in respect, but Yuuta barely noticed them. His mind was completely focused on the task at hand.

He no longer felt intimidated walking confidently through his residence . He was no longer the insecure young alpha that circumstances and tragedy had pushed into that role; now he was the leader of the Gojo clan, and he was about to build a nest for his omega, and nothing in this world seemed more right to him than that.

He moved efficiently around the room, gathering piles of clothes from his wardrobe: the thick coat, the linen shirts, the heavy blankets from his futon, and some of his sweat-soaked workout T-shirts that he'd stored away waiting for Yuuji. He gathered everything he could carry, piling it in his arms, and when he returned to the room, he could barely see over the top of his head. He stopped in the doorway, and the scene that greeted his took his breath away.

Yuuji had begun building the nest, his movements deliberate and careful as he arranged the cushions from the seating area in an irregular circle on his futon. The omega looked up as Yuuta entered, a question in his eyes, and the sight of his alpha bearing such an offering brought a blush to Yuuji's cheeks. 

This was what it meant to be claimed, truly and deeply claimed. 

“I brought everything,” Yuuta said, his voice slightly muffled by the pile of fabric he was carrying. “Where do you want it?”

Yuuji gestured to the edges of the circle, moving his hand in a wide arc that encompassed the space he had already marked out. "Around the edges," he said in a slightly dreamy tone. "Your scent should surround it all." 

Yuuta moved carefully, measuring his steps to avoid disturbing the arrangement, and began placing the clothes along the edges of the nest. His large hands were surprisingly skillful at arranging the items, smoothing out wrinkles and adjusting their position until the structure took shape around him.

The room itself began to transform as they worked; the floral notes intensified, becoming almost intoxicating, while the sweetness of peach and honey mingled with something new: the unmistakable scent of warm milk. The sharp chill of the snow and the metallic smell of gunpowder softened, enveloping Yuuji's fragrance like a warm embrace.

They both worked in comfortable silence, their movements coordinated and instinctive, as the nest grew around them. Yuuji appreciated Yuuta's presence, his calm patience, and the way he accurately anticipated what was needed without being asked, and he was glad he didn't have to do it alone.

When the structure was finally finished, Yuuji stepped back to admire his work. 

“It’s beautiful,” Yuuta said softly, holding Yuuji from behind and resting his chin on his shoulder. “You did a magnificent job, Yuu.”

Upon hearing those words, Yuuji felt a surge of pride, a satisfaction that went beyond the simple act of hanging fabric. This was his first nesting project, his first attempt at creating a safe space for his son, and seeing it materialize was deeply gratifying. “I want to lie down there,” he said, his voice slightly trembling. “Can we try it? Is that okay?”

Yuuta nodded and reached out to help Yuuji settle into the center of the nest. The omega settled onto the soft surface with a sigh of pure relief, his body sinking into the cushions with almost divine comfort as the tension he had accumulated in his back for days began to dissipate, the constant dull ache of carrying the extra weight giving way to a feeling of support he hadn't realized he was missing.

The scent of Yuuta's clothes enveloped him completely, immersing him in the familiar warmth of his alpha's presence, and the outside world seemed to fade away as the vastness of the room shrank until only that small, perfect space remained. 

Yuuta settled himself beside him, moving carefully so as not to undo the carefully placed fabric. He lay on his side, his body arching around Yuuji's back, his arm resting on his omega's side, supported by the curve of his belly. His large figure shielded Yuuji from the rest of the room, and his warmth spread to every corner of his omega's body.

They remained in comfortable silence for a while, as the afternoon light gradually transformed into the golden hues of sunset, the shadows lengthened on the tatami, and the room's temperature dropped slightly as the sun went down. Yuuji shivered slightly, and Yuuta hugged him tighter, pressing him against his chest.

“Yuuta.” Yuuji broke the silence with a calm and serious voice, “I want to talk about something.”

Yuuta's expression immediately changed to one of concern; he moved his hand away from Yuuji's stomach to stroke his face, tilting it slightly upward to look into his eyes. "What's wrong? Are you alright? Should I call the midwife?"

Yuuji shook his head quickly, placing his hand on Yuuta's to calm the sudden anxiety that had arisen in his alpha. "It's nothing. Everything's fine. I just want to talk about the birth."

“Of course, angel.” Yuuta replied firmly, adjusting himself almost instinctively so they could discuss the matter. “What do you want to know?”

Yuuji took a moment to gather his thoughts, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the lines of Yuuta's hand, which rested against his cheek. He'd been thinking about it for weeks, about the imminent moment when his daughter would arrive in the world, and one question lingered in his mind, a question that demanded an answer.

“Who do you want in the room?” he asked. “I mean during the birth. I know it’s tradition for omegas to have their alpha with them, but there are other traditions too. Some families have… different expectations, that’s what Grandpa taught me.”

Yuuta's expression became focused and intense, his full attention fixed on his omega. "Well, the elders said that they all must be present while you give birth; there's a whole ritual that's supposed to take place in the days leading up to and following the birth." 

The expression on Yuuji's face must have been one of such terror that it caused a small laugh in Yuuta, shattering the image of clan leader he had been projecting while speaking. "But Yuu...taa." It was a long, tedious groan from Yuuji as he pouted and clutched his boyfriend's shirt tightly. 

“ But .” The word Yuuji had been waiting for. Yuuta gently cupped his face, subtly stroking his omega’s plump cheeks. “None of that will happen if you don’t want it to, Yuuji. We can be alone together when the time is right, even the matron can wait if you only trust Ieiri-san with something like this.” 

Yuuji felt a surge of gratitude upon hearing those words, at the absolute certainty with which Yuuta dismissed the possibility of council interference. There had been murmurs, of course, whispers among the servants and even some of the younger clan members about the proper way to handle the birth of an heir. But Yuuta had made it perfectly clear that such comments were unwelcome, that decisions concerning Yuuji's health and well-being were his and his alone.

“I want you to be there,” Yuuji said softly. “I want you to be the first person I see when it’s all over.” 

The sincerity in his voice, the depth of emotion in his eyes, made Yuuta catch his breath. “I’ll be here, angel. I’ll always be here.” 

Yuuji's lips curved into a soft smile, and he leaned down to place a tender kiss on Yuuta's forehead.

The morning chill seeped through the panels, the Kyoto sky stretched out in a uniform layer of gray clouds that promised rain before noon, and the scent of damp earth and fallen leaves seeped through the cracks in the sliding windows. 

Inside the room, three maids moved with silent efficiency; one of them arranged Yuuji's futon with precise movements, another placed a tray of tea on the low table, and the third, the youngest, knelt by the door with her head bowed and her hands resting on her thighs, waiting for any indication the omega might give her.

Yuuji stood by the open window, his cotton yukata gently stretched over the bump that held his daughter. He'd lost track of time in the last few weeks, his days merging into a routine of rest, nourishing meals, and Shoko's regular visits.

Then he felt the first tug, subtle, barely a twinge in his lower back that spread to his belly like a shy wave, and Yuuji held his breath as his hand instinctively slid to rest on the curve of his stomach. 

His body had felt an unusual heaviness in his pelvis, a dull ache in his kidneys that came and went without warning, and that strange feeling that something was about to happen, a restlessness that kept him awake at night while Yuuta slept beside him, his protective arm around his waist. 

He had a bad feeling, of course.

"It can't be yet," he told himself, as his fingers gripped the window frame tighter, lowering his voice to scold his daughter. "There's still a week until the date, you know."

The second contraction came five minutes later, and this time it was more intense, a spasm that elicited a muffled groan that he barely managed to contain between clenched teeth. 

The youngest maid looked up just in time to see Yuuji staggering, one hand pressed against the wall and the other clutching his stomach. “Yuuji-sama!” 

The omega's face was pale, paler than it should be, and a fine sheen of sweat glistened on his temples and the curve of his neck. "Relax, I think I just... have a fever." 

The girl stood up with such a swift motion that she almost knocked over the tea tray that the second maid was placing, and her bare feet barely made a sound on the tatami as she approached Yuuji with her eyes wide open.

"He looks pale, and he's sweating. Should I call the matron? Or notify the clan chief?" she asked, her voice trembling and barely above a whisper, as her hands reached out towards the omega without daring to touch him, as if she feared that contact might break something. 

Yuuji shook his head, the movement abrupt and almost nervous, his jaw tensing to contain the third contraction that was already beginning to form inside him. "No," he said, his voice trembling more than he expected.

No, no, no. Yuuji has had so much difficulty adapting to the clan's rhythm; he understands Yuuta's exhaustion at the beginning after Satoru's death. 

They're all so strict, proper, and upright. And he feels like an unfortunate nuisance who's come to ruin the plans everyone there had for Yuuta. He'd never belong in a place like this, especially after hearing what they say about him in the estate's hallways. 

The omega who took advantage of the clan leader's kindness. That's the title of his catalog in the residential gossip he's overheard, much to his dismay. And he understands them, of course; he's barely of age and has had to drop out of school for the last two months because he couldn't continue his work as a sorcerer. 

How can Yuuta go on knowing all that? The last thing he wants is to cause his boyfriend even more trouble with something that probably doesn't need his attention. 

The trembling in his hands betrayed the fragility of his control. "It's not necessary. It's just... it's just a passing annoyance. The baby moved strangely this morning, that's all."

"Please, Yuuji-sama," she insisted, her voice now tinged with an urgency she could barely contain, her hands raised in a pleading gesture. "Allow me to call someone. I can't stand idly by if you're suffering. The clan head has given us strict orders: any sign of distress, any change in your condition, we must inform you immediately."

The other two maids had now approached, their faces reflecting a mixture of worry and fear. The eldest, who had served the clan for over forty years, observed Yuuji with eyes that had witnessed too many births not to recognize the signs of an impending delivery. 

"Yuuji-sama," she said, her voice firm but respectful, like that of a grandmother scolding a stubborn grandson, "Your body is giving clear signs, and if we don't act quickly, we could endanger both you and the baby. The clan head would be devastated if anything happened to you because he wasn't informed."

Yuuji felt the woman's words pierce his chest like needles, and for a moment, guilt mingled with pain in an amalgam that clouded his vision. 

"He's in an important meeting," Yuuji said, his voice barely a whisper as the fourth contraction gripped his body, more intense than the previous ones, and his fingers gripped the door so tightly his knuckles turned white. "I-it would be embarrassing to disturb him when I'm only having a few contractions..."

One of the girls' expressions tightened in disbelief, which soon turned to despair. "The clan chief would kill us if he found out we were letting him suffer in silence."

But Yuuji felt his legs give way, the world tilt around him, and a deep, guttural groan escaped his lips before he could stifle it. He had never felt so weak.

The sound echoed in the room like a warning, and the three maids moved in unison, their arms outstretched to catch the omega before he collapsed.

That's when it happened—a wet, muffled smack, followed by a sensation of release that left Yuuji breathless. He felt a warm liquid trickle down his thighs, soaking through his clothing and spreading across the tatami in a rapidly growing puddle. 

"The fountain has broken!" exclaimed the old woman, her voice cutting through the silence like a whip, her hands moving with efficiency. "You, run to the main wing and warn the clan chief. Right now!"

The girl was running towards the door, her bare feet pounding the tatami with an urgency that echoed in the hallway, while the scent of warm milk and anguish intensified around her, enveloping her like a fog that clung to her skin and clothes. 

Meanwhile, in the council chamber, the air was thick with tension that had been building for hours. The seven clan elders sat in their usual semicircle, their faces stern and their voices harsh, as they debated the terms of a trade agreement with one of the minor clans in the jujutsu world.

The aroma of Yuuta's coffee had cooled in the cup resting in front of him, and his fingers drummed on the wooden table in a restless rhythm that betrayed his growing unease.

The council chamber door burst open, and the young maid who had been sent from Yuuji's quarters stumbled in, his face contorted and his chest heaving with ragged breaths. The sound of the door slamming against the wall made everyone turn, and Yuuta's gaze fixed on the maid with an intensity that seemed to freeze the air itself.

"Okkotsu-sama," said the maid, her voice trembling and barely audible under the tension of the moment. "Yuuji-sama is..."

And that was all Yuuta needed to stand up without looking back, leaving the meeting mid-speech by one of its members. His legs moved without thinking, and in a few strides he was crossing the threshold of the door amidst the chaos left in his wake. 

The sliding doors opened and closed as she ran through the estate's corridors, his body moving with the grace and power of a predator. 

The hollow voices in his head could only pick up a few words, isolated sounds, and with a firm order given to one of the servants before reaching Yuuji's room, he began the genesis ritual. The coded word was clear to the servants. 

The scent of withered jasmine blossoms mingled with the intense aroma of warm milk wafting through the hallways, and Yuuta's anxiety grew with every step. He needed to get there so he could comfort Yuuji. 

But a commanding voice stopped him dead in his tracks, his body unconsciously freezing. The voice belonged to one of those damned old fogies on the council ; Yuuta mentally cursed himself for not marking Yuuji earlier. The mark would have allowed him to escape that unwelcome conversation. 

His instincts freeze as he turns to face the elderly couple who arrived faster than expected. They look exhausted and very annoyed. 

“Okkotsu-sama.” One of them begins, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. “As we have discussed before, the clan has certain traditions that we must all observe as expected.” There is an intonation in his voice that makes it sound like a scolding of an insolent child. 

Yuuta is the worthy heir of his insolent teacher. 

“We know he has given the order to begin the pilgrimage, and that is sign enough for us. We must wait for the rest of the council before entering the omega's chambers to verify the successful birth.” Another of them clears his throat before continuing. “As you well know…” 

“You are not fucking enter into this room.” Yuuta’s voice is strong and clear. He can feel Rika’s energy vibrating deep within his chest, desperately wanting to be used. Well, he knows he’ll get a reprimand afterward, but he can handle it: right now, he’s desperate to be with Yuuji. “I won’t let you be present at my daughter’s birth, just because of some outdated traditions.” 

“Okkotsu-sama.” Another scolding. The third elder almost growls his name. Yuuta has the urge to lower his head, but he keeps it held high before them. He won't lose. “You know that the alpha master cannot be in the room. You must learn to wait until the heiress is handed over to you clean and wrapped. It has always been this way, and it will be this way now.” 

“That’s right. Birth is a vulnerable and messy process for the omega; he needs to wait here, clan leader.” The last of them joins the conversation, his voluminous white eyebrows furrowed and his wrinkles mirrored them.

Yuuta's hands trembled at his sides, and he felt like the vein in his neck was about to burst. He had to calm down, or Rika would appear before he could react. He closed his eyes for a second before the tickle in his throat manifested as a commanding voice. 

“ No one will enter the room.” It’s his final word before Yuuta wrinkles his nose at the bitterness of Yuuji’s peach, a sign of his suffering; he can even detect the scent of blood there. It reminds him of the last time he smelled Yuuji’s blood, the day he murdered him.

Who would have thought, right? 

Yuuta turns around without waiting for another reaction from the older alphas; he knows his commanding voice has had an effect on them when they lower their heads slightly in a sign of submission. Now only a few steps and a door separate him from his little angel. 

The atmosphere inside the room was chaotic, the air thick with scents that mingled in a symphony of anguish and urgency. Yuuji, lying on the bed with his face bathed in sweat and his pink hair plastered to his forehead, looked up at his alpha, their eyes meeting amidst the chaos.

"You're here," he said, his voice barely a gasp, choked by the contraction that gripped him at that moment. "I told you... not to come... you shouldn't... Y-Yuuta..."

Before he could even answer, his body paralyzed by Yuuji's strong scent of anguish and seeing his golden eyes filled with unshed tears as he suffered on the blankets on the plush floor, Yuuta went blank. 

The matron, an omega woman with long, white hair tied in a braid, wore silk gloves and a surprised expression. She jumped up when she noticed the alpha's presence; Yuuta's bitter, worried scent reached her before he did. 

“O-okkotsu-sama…” The woman spoke, bowing as did the other maids present in the room. A silence fell for a few seconds, overshadowing Yuuji’s gasps of pain. “What a surprise to have you here. It’s not what one would expect to be present for the omega’s birth.”

“I’ll stay.” Yuuta replies immediately, but remains frozen in the doorway, his gaze fixed on his omega. Yuuji returns his gaze, his brow furrowed in pain, his lips parted in long, deep breaths, his body visibly spasming. 

“Are you sure, Okkotsu-sama?” The older omega asks again, a polite and subtle invitation for him to leave. Yuuta knows this because he can read it in the hardness of her icy eyes. “Your presence can disrupt the omega’s hormones and the birth; he’s just as agitated as he is, and that will be counterproductive.” 

Yuuji is still panting; his head now rests on the lap of one of the maids who tries to soothe his pain with damp cloths and slow caresses on his distressed face. Yuuta continues to watch him.

He hesitates. He hesitates to be there because the woman is right: he's agitated and can't focus his pheromones to calm Yuuji, and he feels useless. Is he really only there to hinder the whole process? Yuuji had asked him to be.

The internal conflict in Yuuta's chest was like an animal caught in a trap; his instincts clamored to enter and protect his omega, but his more reasonable side understood the old woman's words, reminding him that his presence could be more harmful than beneficial.

His fingers gripped the doorframe; he just wanted to run to the bed and wrap Yuuji up in his arms, promise him everything would be alright, even though he wasn't sure it was true. "I-I..."

It was then that a voice, drawn out and weary, rose above the chaos of the room, and Shoko Ieiri's figure emerged from behind him. The alpha lightly touched Yuuta's shoulder to encourage him to enter the room.

“Ieiri-san?” Yuuta was just as surprised as everyone else in the room. He watched the woman walk past him in her immaculate uniform, a surgical mask dangling from her gloved hands. “W-who…?”

“Yuuji ordered me to be contacted. I’m here for him.” Shoko smiled wearily as she approached the oldest omega in the room. “Come here too, Yuuta-kun. Yuuji needs only you, and we’ll help you.” 

“Excuse me? You can’t just interrupt the room like this, miss.” The midwife turned to confront the alpha, her unfriendly expression revealing her displeasure at this second unexpected intrusion. “Birth within the estate has protocols and traditions to follow, Okkotsu-sama. Order this woman to leave. It is the midwife’s job to assist omegas giving birth within the compound.” 

Yuuta bit the inside of his cheeks, taking short strides until he was kneeling in front of his omega. He reached out and cupped Yuuji's cheeks, who instinctively sought more of his touch. The maid who had been holding his head in her lap moved away when she received a pleading look from the alpha. 

“I’m sorry, Takada-san. But Ieiri-san will stay, and so will I. Those are my omega’s wishes.” Yuuta finally declared, and the mental fog of paralyzing fear that had been distorting his judgment cleared as Yuuji’s honey-colored eyes returned his gaze, a look both grateful and filled with pain. 

“Okkotsu-sama!” The matron raised her voice, and at the same time, a gasp of pain escaped Yuuji’s throat. “You cannot rely on the decisions of an omega who is not your spouse. The clan has traditions for a reason, and it is appropriate…” 

“It is appropriate for a subordinate not to question the words of the clan head, Takada-san.” Yuuta immediately glared at the woman, and that was enough to end the argument; the old omega meekly lowered her head. “You will assist with the birth, and Ieiri-san will take care of the clan heiress's aftercare. You will be the one to report to the council on the events.” 

The next thing happened in a few seconds. And the argument had given Yuuji enough time to dilate. 

The matron and the rest of the maids got to work; the only two women who were on the other side, between Yuuji's open legs, were Takada and Shoko. 

“Stand behind Yuuji, Yuuta.” Shoko ordered, as she spread out her work area once the baby was out, arranging the medical equipment on a sterile surface. “You’ll be the one to hold him so everything flows more smoothly. You’ll have to let him break a finger or two; you deserve it.” 

Yuuta obeyed the order without questioning Shoko's words; he held his boyfriend in his arms until he managed to place him against his chest, feeling the radiant heat caused by the fever and could perceive the trembling of Yuuji's body against his hands; desperate and self-conscious, he could only begin to massage Yuuji's hips trying to generate relief. 

“Yuuta…” Yuuji barely murmured, his dry lips barely moving; any movement caused a great pain that spread from the center of his body to the last fiber of his pink hair. 

His cheeks were flushed and his face was full of wrinkles from the effort his body made to avoid the pain of the contractions. Yuuji reached for Yuuta's hands and squeezed them tightly, unconsciously scratching his palms. 

“Shh. I’ve got you, I’m here.” Yuuta whispered slowly against Yuuji’s hot, flushed skin. The clatter of surgical instruments echoed the distant cacophony that enveloped them for several minutes. “I’ve got you, Yuuji. You’re handling this so well.” 

Yuuji's body contracted, trembling with pain and cold. Yuuta tried to regulate Yuuji's breathing by breathing against his ear to guide him without words; his scent became as sweet as possible: the deep aroma of snow mingled with Yuuji's wounded jasmine. 

The wooden floorboards, a massive block of oak that had withstood centuries of use, began to crack under the force of the omega, and a dull crunch echoed in the room as the first splinter broke off beneath his fingers. 

"Yuuta," Yuuji gasped, his voice barely a thread, broken by the effort, as tears mingled with the sweat on his cheeks and his body arched in a contraction that seemed endless, "d-don't let go of me. Please, t-stay."

As Yuuji's cries of exertion echoed through the room, the echo of his pain and determination seeped through the paper panels and spread through the estate's corridors like a rumor that could not be ignored. 

In the main wing, the remaining clan elders, along with some junior members and a group of maids who had been summoned for the occasion, had gathered in the largest ceremonial hall, a spacious and solemn room that had witnessed countless rituals throughout the centuries. 

Sandalwood incense burned in the bronze censers that hung from the ceiling, and its bluish smoke rose in lazy spirals toward the time-darkened beams, mingling with the scent of old wood and dried flowers that adorned the altars in the corners of the room. 

The elders, their faces stern and their hands clasped in prayerful gestures, knelt in a semicircle in front of the main altar, where an image of the clan's protective deity was flanked by flickering candles and offerings of fruit and rice.

The voice of the oldest among them, a man with skin wrinkled like parchment and eyes clouded by age, rose in a murmur that was both a prayer and a command, and the others present bowed their heads in obedience as the ancient words poured from his lips like a river of tradition. 

"May the light of the ancestors guide the new life," he whispered, his fingers tracing symbols in the air with the slowness of a ritual that had been repeated for generations, "may the blood of the clan flow strong and pure in the heir yet to be born. May the alpha find the strength to wait, and may the omega find peace in his sacrifice." 

The younger maids, their heads bowed and their hands joined, joined in prayer in a silent chorus that barely rose above the crackling of the candles.

Outside, the ponds, reflecting the gray sky on their silvery surfaces, rippled with the falling rain, and koi carp plunged into the depths, seeking refuge under the stones and the roots of the water lilies. Nature itself seemed to hold its breath.

Inside the room, the matron, with her serene face but skillful and precise hands, guided the process with a calm authority that inspired confidence. "Please breathe, Yuuji-kun." 

Yuuji obeyed without question, his body responding to the woman's instructions instinctively and by rote, and his fingers clung to Yuuta's hand so tightly that he had to use the RCT while doing so. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry… I-I don’t mean to hurt you.” Yuuji whimpered, pain evident in every word, his words almost unintelligible to everyone but his boyfriend. His eyes were filled with tears that soaked his pink eyelashes.

“Shh. Focus on this, you know I’ll be fine.” Yuuta rubs his cheek against Yuuji’s skin, not caring about getting wet from the mingled tears and sweat; every particle was a bomb of the omega’s own scent, and he needed it to keep himself in line. “Just a little more, Yuu, she’s almost here. Just one more push, angel.” 

Yuuji felt his strength slipping away, the world tilting around him in a whirlwind of pain and exhaustion, but then he felt Yuuta's hand squeeze. 

“You can do it, Yuu-chan.”

With a cry that was both a roar and a prayer, Yuuji gave one last push with all his might, and felt the life that had been growing inside him for nine long months finally emerge into the world.

The first cry of the tiny baby filled the room, a sharp, vibrant sound that seemed to cut through the air like a knife, and the scent of warm milk that had been present for months suddenly intensified, flooding the room with a sweetness that was both familiar and completely new. 

The matron received the baby's body with skillful, steady hands, her fingers moving with an efficiency that was the result of countless hours of practice, and amniotic fluid and blood trickled down her silk gloves as she wrapped the tiny infant in a clean cotton cloth she had prepared beforehand. "It's a beautiful girl, Okkotsu-sama! What a blessing we had! " 

The maids squealed with huge smiles on their faces; the older omega herself was also smiling as she quickly cleaned the baby and cut the umbilical cord. But the tiny body was handed with suspicion to the alpha waiting there.

Shoko held her in her hands like fragile porcelain, her eyes, accustomed to all manner of atrocities, shining after a long time. Something about the baby's glistening body and her constant, anguished cries compelled her to examine her more closely; without hesitation, she began the examination.

Yuuji, exhausted and drenched in sweat, stretched out his arms with an urgency that was pure instinct, his trembling fingers opening and closing in the air as his eyes, bright with tears and emotion, searched for his daughter's face. 

"Give it to me," Yuuji whispered, his voice barely a thread broken by exhaustion, but charged with a devotion that made each word a heartbeat, "please, Shoko, give it to me." 

But Shoko didn't hand it over immediately; she was turning her back on the parents. 

The silence in the room became absolute. Yuuta felt his heart stop in his chest, and his hand, still intertwined with Yuuji's, clenched with a force that was both an anchor and a plea. "Ieiri-san?"

His eyes fixed on Shoko's face, searching for any sign, any indication of what was happening, and the scent of her distress, a mixture of burnt gunpowder. "What's going on? Why are you taking so long?"

Yuuji, whose face was pale and tense, his fingers gripping Yuuta's hand with a force that made his knuckles turn white, felt the world crumbling around him as seconds stretched into hours. 

The tears, which had been held back during the exertion of childbirth, began to trickle down his cheeks in silvery threads, and his voice, when he spoke, was barely a gasp punctuated by fear. "Shoko-san," he said, her name bursting from his lips like a prayer, "please tell me it's okay. I can't... I couldn't bear it... not after all..." 

His words were lost in a sob he could barely contain, and his body began to tremble with the intensity of his anguish, while the aroma of warm milk that enveloped the room took on a bitter aftertaste that was the perfect reflection of his despair.

Shoko's hands moved over the newborn's skin as if searching for something she didn't want to find, and her fingers paused on the tiny chest, feeling the heartbeat beneath the transparent skin, and then moved to the center, where the cursed energy was miraculously cleansed.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, she's fine," she finally said, her voice heavy with a relief she could barely contain, as her hands wrapped the baby in a clean cotton blanket with movements that were both protective and reverent, "She's perfectly fine."

They both finally found their daughter's body when Shoko reached out and gently placed her on his chest. The cotton blanket was soft and warm, and the baby's weight against his body was both strange and familiar, as if she had always been meant to be there. 

Perhaps it always was, Yuuji couldn't help but think as he uncovered his baby's face. It was all meant to end like this.

His fingers, trembling and amazed, moved over hos daughter's tiny face, caressing the petal-soft skin and the dark, damp hair that clung to her forehead in small curls, and the tears.

"Hi darling, hello little baby," Yuuji whispered, his voice barely a thread broken by crying and exhaustion, but filled with devotion, "welcome to the world, little Yuuka." 

The name, which they had chosen together during long sleepless nights, came out of his lips with a naturalness that was sacred, and he felt his heart expand in his chest as he pronounced it. 

His daughter, his little Yuuka, had arrived and she was real, and she was his and nothing in the world could change that.

Yuuta leaned over them, his arms encircling his omega's exhausted body and the small figure resting on his chest, and felt the tears, which had been held back during the chaos of childbirth, finally finding their way to his cheeks in a silent torrent that he could not contain. 

He was always too much of a crybaby in the end.

His face sank into Yuuji's hair, and the omega's scent, mixed with the tender taste of warm milk that Yuuka emanated, caused a lump in his throat that choked him with salty tears; his own scent became the protagonist when the snow became intense like a layer that covered the other scents.

"I love you, you're amazing," Yuuta whispered against Yuuji's hair, his voice hoarse and broken by tears, but filled with an emotion that made each word a promise, "I love you, and her." 

His lips found Yuuji's sweaty forehead in a long, soft kiss, and his fingers, still trembling with the echo of emotion, moved to caress his daughter's cheek with a tenderness that was almost reverent. "Hello my love, hello daddy's little baby."

Yuuji, with his head resting on Yuuta's shoulder and his daughter's body pressed against his chest, felt the peace he had been seeking for months finally settle on his shoulders like a warm and comforting blanket. 

He looked down at his daughter's tiny face, which had stopped crying in the warmth and now lay peacefully, eyes closed and breathing soft, and Yuuji felt tears continue to trickle down his cheeks. "She's perfect."

Shoko was the last to leave, and she turned to gather her instruments and lab coat, but before going through the door, she turned back to the couple one last time. "I'll come tomorrow to check on you, Yuuji."

The door closed behind Shoko with a soft thud that echoed in the silence of the room, and the bubble of intimacy that enveloped them grew denser, as if the outside world had been suspended somewhere far away where it could not reach them. 

The winter wind filtered through the wooden paneling of the main room at Gojo Estate, an icy whisper that made the shadows of the bare branches dance across the rice paper. Night stretched beyond the sliding windows, and inside the chambers, the silence was so profound that the only perceptible sound was the soft crackling of the embers in the bronze brazier that sat in the corner of the room, its warmth barely enough to ward off the cold that seeped in through the cracks.

A week. A week had passed since Yuuka's first cry had filled that same room, and yet, time seemed to have stretched and contracted in a spiral of sleepless nights and days that melted into one another.

On the futon, Yuuji lay stretched out, his body sunk into the cushions and his head resting on a silk pillow that smelled of his own scent mingled with Yuuta's. His pink hair, which normally shone with vitality, spread across the fabric like a faded halo, and his eyes, those honey-colored eyes that used to sparkle with the inexhaustible energy of a puppy, were now half-closed, framed by purplish dark circles that betrayed the depth of his exhaustion.

The weight of his body, the strange lightness left by the emptiness of his womb, felt like an absence he still couldn't quite grasp. His skin was pale, almost translucent, and beneath the thin fabric of his cotton nightgown, the muscles that once tensed with the strength of a superhuman athlete now trembled with the effort of sitting up to feed his daughter. 

Breastfeeding had left him empty, sucked dry by the voracious need of little Yuuka, and his omega body was adapting to the drastic drop in hormones that followed childbirth, a chemical storm that left him vulnerable in a way he had never experienced before.

His right hand rested on hos belly, which now felt soft and strange, and his fingers moved without thinking, as if they still hoped to find there the life that had grown for nine months. 

But there was nothing, only the echo of childbirth and the exhaustion that spread to the bones.

The scent emanating from his body was unstable. A thick, warm milky aroma enveloped him, a warm cloud mingling with the jasmine that had always characterized him, but this jasmine was limp, withered, like a flower that had lost its freshness under the scorching sun. 

The sweetness of peaches and honey, that familiar aroma that used to announce his arrival from the corners of the school, had almost disappeared, drowned out by lack of sleep and the constant effort of keeping his daughter alive. 

And that absence, that disappearance of his most vibrant essence, was like a silent scream that echoed in the room, an alarm signal that kept Yuuta's instincts in a constant state of alert.

The sliding door slid to the side with a soft sound, and Yuuta's figure appeared in the doorway. He carried a dark wooden tray in his hands, upon which rested several steaming clay bowls and a small bowl of fish and vegetable soup, prepared according to the strict diet the clan had established for nursing omegas. 

The light from the oil lamp trembled as the alpha passed by, casting long shadows on the tatami as he entered with measured steps, as if he feared that any sudden movement could break the fragile peace that enveloped his family.

And Yuuta was exhausted. It showed in the dark circles under his eyes, in the way his shoulders, normally held high with the authority of a leader, now slumped slightly under the invisible weight of his responsibilities. 

His hair, always so immaculate, fell over the scar on his forehead in messy strands that had escaped from their usual binding, and the fabric of his yukata, although still immaculate, was slightly wrinkled, as if he had slept in it.

He was becoming divided. The clan's responsibilities had become more demanding than ever in recent weeks. There were endless meetings with the elders, who tried to use their parental role to challenge his authority, suggesting with venomous whispers that his attention was too divided. 

Treaty signings that had to be reviewed until late at night; security reports on the barriers protecting the estate, which required his direct supervision to ensure that no enemy or curse found a crack in the defenses. 

But despite all that, hos priority remained the same: his family. And that's why he rose before dawn to attend to the clan's affairs, and stayed up late changing diapers and cradling his daughter in his arms, refusing to delegate that care to the servants.

Yuuta crossed the room with smooth, silent movements, placing the tray on the low, dark wooden table that rested next to the futon. The aroma of the hot soup rose to the ceiling, mingling with the fragrance of milk and withered jasmine.

But he didn't stop to serve him; instead, he slumped to the edge of the mattress with a deep sigh that carried the weight of the entire day, and before Yuuji could even open his eyes to greet him, his hand was already in motion.

His long, firm fingers found Yuuji's cheek and caressed it with a gentleness that contrasted with the tiredness reflected in his own features. 

The omega's skin was hot and dry, and Yuuta felt a tightness in his chest as he noticed the lack of light in his eyes. His thumb traced a slow circle on Yuuji's cheekbone, consciously releasing his scent—a fragrance of soft leather and warm, almost spring-like snow—a blend designed exclusively to comfort his omega, to soothe his aches and pains, and calm the hormonal storm that tormented him.

“Yuu,” Yuuta whispered, his voice deep and hoarse with exhaustion, but filled with a tenderness as familiar as the beat of his own heart. “You must eat. The maids told me you haven’t eaten yet today.”

Yuuji slowly opened his eyes, and his honey-colored gaze met that of his alpha. For a moment, the omega seemed lost in the depths of that gaze, in the warmth emanating from Yuuta's hand, in the comforting scent that enveloped him like a blanket.

Then, his lips curved into a weak smile, and his hand rose to cover Yuuta's on his cheek, intertwining his fingers with those of his alpha.

“Mmm,” he murmured, his voice raspy from sleep and disuse. “You smell nice. I like it when you use your scent.”

Yuuta felt his heart leap at those words, and a tired but genuine smile touched his lips. He leaned forward, resting his forehead against Yuuji's, and for a moment, they remained like that, breathing the same air, sharing the same warmth, letting the day's exhaustion dissipate in the intimacy of their touch.

“Eat some,” Yuuta insisted, moving far enough away to reach the tray and bring it closer to the futon. He took the bowl of soup in his hands, tested the temperature with his fingertips, and offered it to Yuuji with a gesture that was both an offering and a plea. “The cook made it this morning; she said he made it especially for you because she’s worried about you, you know?” 

Yuuji took the bowl with trembling hands, and the warmth of the soup seeped through the ceramic to his palms. He took a small sip, and the taste of the soup, salty and comforting, awakened something in his stomach he hadn't known was dormant. Another sip. Then another. 

And while he ate, his eyes were fixed on Yuuta's face, on the dark circles that sank under his eyes, on the way his fingers drummed on the fabric of his kimono with a restless rhythm.

A pang of guilt shot through Yuuji's chest, and his fingers stopped around the bowl. The soup suddenly tasted like ash in his mouth.

“Yuuta…” he began, his voice barely a whisper. “I’m so sorry.”

Yuuta blinked, confused, and his hand stopped in mid-air. "Why are you apologizing?"

“That’s why.” Yuuji gestured vaguely toward the room, toward the bowl of soup, toward his own prostrate body. “Because I can’t help you. I see you’re exhausted, and I can’t do anything to ease it.”

The words tumbled from his lips in a torrent, and the scent of withered jasmine intensified, turning bitter, almost rancid. His fingers gripped the soup bowl tighter, and his eyes—those honey-colored eyes that used to shine with determination—were now clouded by a mixture of frustration and self-loathing.

“I feel useless,” Yuuji continued, his voice breaking. “I was always strong, I could always fight, I could always help. And now… I just spend all my time crying, and you’re there, carrying everything, and I can’t even…”

Yuuta didn't let him finish. Without warning, he leaned forward and his lips met Yuuji's in a kiss. It was a soft, tender kiss, barely a touch that sealed the omega's words. 

His fingers tangled in Yuuji's pink hair, and his scent intensified, the spring snow and soft leather enveloping his omega like a cocoon.

When they separated, their foreheads were still pressed against each other, and their breath mingled in the small space between them.

“Don’t say that,” Yuuta whispered, his voice barely a warm breath against Yuuji’s lips. “Never say that.”

His thumbs traced gentle circles on Yuuji's cheeks, drying the tears that had begun to well up at the corners of his eyes.

“Your only job now is to rest and recover,” Yuuta continued, his tone firm but tinged with tenderness in every word. “To take care of yourself and Yuuka. That’s what I need from you. Not for you to carry my burdens. Not for you to worry about the clan. Just for you to be here, to recover, to let me take care of you.”

His eyes met Yuuji's, and in them there was a sincerity that left no room for doubt.

Yuuji felt the tears he had been holding back finally being released, sliding down his cheeks in silvery threads that disappeared into the corner of his lips. 

“It’s okay, I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice breaking with sobs. “Thank you, Yuuta.”

Yuuta responded with another kiss, longer than the previous one, and the scent of his omega, the jasmine that had been withered and limp, began to regain some of its shine, a glimpse of the honey and peach that had always characterized it.

“I love you,” Yuuta whispered against his lips.

The night spread around them, their bodies intertwined on the futon, the scent of warm milk and spring snow mingling in a symphony of intimacy and renewed promises.

But the tranquility, like all things in the lives of sorcerers, was ephemeral.

Dawn arrived with the silent force of a predator. The sundial in the inner garden, covered in frost, showed just after three in the morning when the first cry broke the silence.

It was a sharp, piercing sound, a tiny but heart-wrenching cry that pierced the bubble of sleep enveloping the room. Yuuka, in her carved wooden crib resting at the foot of the futon, writhed among the cotton blankets, her tiny face red and wrinkled from crying. 

Her small fists twitched in the air, her fingers opened and closed as her mouth opened in a cry demanding attention, comfort, food.

The effect was immediate, and Yuuji's instincts kicked in, his body responding before his mind could even process the sound. He awkwardly sat up on the futon, a groan of pain escaping his lips as he moved. 

His lower belly, still recovering from childbirth, protested with a dull ache that spread down his lower back, and his tender, full chest tightened as he sensed his daughter's need. "I hear you, baby ... im coming..." he murmured sleepily, dragging himself to the edge of the futon with clumsy, uncoordinated movements.

“Yuuji, stay still.” Yuuta’s voice cut through the air like a sheet of paper, firm but not stern, and his hand rested on Yuuji’s chest, stopping him in his tracks. 

The omega blinked, confused, and looked up at his alpha, who was already getting up from the futon with an agility that belied the tiredness that still marked his features.

'Stay in bed,' Yuuta said, his voice hoarse with sleep but filled with an unwavering determination. 'I'll take care of it.'

Yuuji opened his mouth to protest, to say that he couldn't, that the baby needed his breast, that he was the mother, that he had to do it, but the words got stuck in his throat when he saw Yuuta's expression. 

There was something in his eyes, in the way his jaw clenched, in the way his fingers gently pulled away from his chest, almost imperceptibly, that silenced him. “But…”

“Go back to bed, okay?” Yuuta interrupted, his voice soft but firm, a mixture of command and plea that couldn’t be ignored. “I’ll take care of her.”

Without waiting for a reply, Yuuta got up from the futon and walked toward the carved wooden crib. His bare feet barely made a sound on the tatami, and the moonlight, filtering through the paper panels, cast his silhouette in long shadows on the floor. 

Yuuka's crying was now more intense, more heartbreaking, a scream of despair that set your nerves on edge.

Yuuta stopped in front of the crib, and for a moment, his hands trembled. The tiny creature writhing under the blankets was so small, so fragile, so perfect. 

The contact was immediate. Yuuka stirred against his chest, her dark, damp hair plastered to her forehead, and her eyes, still closed, squinted as her small mouth opened and closed in search of the nipple she couldn't find. 

Her scent, a faint and sweet jasmine blossom, turned sour, tinged with the weeping and stomach cramps. Her hands clutched the fabric of Yuuta's nightgown, and her gasps, broken and anguished, were like small daggers piercing the alpha's heart.

“Shh, shh,” Yuuta murmured, gently rocking the baby against his chest. His fingers traced slow circles on her tiny back, feeling the warmth of her body through the fabric of his pajamas. “You’re okay, little one. Daddy’s here.”

Its scent, the aroma of spring snow and leather, intensified, trying to envelop the baby in a sense of safety and protection. But Yuuka continued to cry, her sobs barely subsiding, and her small face wrinkled with each spasm of pain in her tummy.

Yuuta rocked her harder, gently swaying her from side to side, his mind desperately searching for a solution. Pheromones weren't enough, caresses weren't enough, and the baby needed something more, something that could soothe the anguish that clung to her like a fog.

And then, without knowing why, the words began to flow from his lips.

At first, it was just a humming, a soft, nostalgic melody that emerged from somewhere deep in his memory. 

It was a song he remembered hearing on the radio during his childhood, in those peaceful days before his life spiraled into a series of battles and losses. Before Rika, before Sukuna, before the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. 

His voice, normally calm and measured, rose to a low, soothing tone, barely a whisper that mingled with the winter wind.

"Close your eyes

Have no fear

The monster's gone

He's on the run.."

His deep, warm voice enveloped Yuuka's crying like an invisible blanket, cushioning the pain, softening the anguish.

"And your daddy's here

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful

Beautiful girl."

The words, spoken with a tenderness Yuuji had never heard from him before, filled the room with calm. Yuuta's fingers moved with a hypnotic softness across the baby's back, and his body swayed to the rhythm of the song, and then, the miracle happened.

Yuuka's crying stopped, her little hiccups became less frequent, and the spasms in her body subsided. Her face, still red and wet with tears, turned toward Yuuta's neck, and her fingers relaxed. 

The last hiccup escaped her lips, a small sob that was lost in the fabric of her father's nightgown. And then, silence. 

Absolute silence. Yuuka had fallen asleep, her face pressed against Yuuta's neck, her fingers hooked in the fabric of his clothes as if she never wanted to let go.

Yuuta remained motionless for several seconds, feeling his daughter's weight against his chest, listening to the soft murmur of her breathing. His heart pounded, and his eyes, which had been fixed on the tiny creature, welled with tears he hadn't asked to come. 

He felt a lump form in his throat, a lump of gratitude and such immense love that it barely fit in his chest. "Good night, Yuuka."

On the futon, Yuuji had witnessed the entire scene and his eyes were wide open, fixed on the figure of his alpha, who was holding his daughter with a fragility that seemed impossible in such a powerful man. 

Yuuta, the leader of the Gojo clan, the alpha who had faced Sukuna without hesitation, who had carried the weight of the world on his shoulders without complaint, now cradled his daughter with a devotion that transcended any words. 

“Yuuta…” he whispered, his voice trembling and filled with an emotion he could barely contain. “Come here.”

Yuuta looked up, his eyes met Yuuji's, and a bright, radiant smile spread across his lips. He walked slowly and deliberately toward the futon, holding Yuuka close to his chest, and gently knelt on the bed.

“Look,” Yuuta said, his voice barely a whisper, as he gently tilted the baby’s body toward Yuuji. “Good job, right?”

Yuuji reached out and stroked his daughter's tiny cheek, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath his fingers. The little girl whimpered softly, but didn't wake up; her face pressed even closer to her father's chest, seeking the warmth and security offered by his alpha's scent.

“Good job, daddy.” Yuuji replied sleepily, but a bright-eyed smile was directed at the alpha who had to stifle a laugh.

With precise movements and infinite tenderness, Yuuta settled the baby in the space that opened between them, creating a small nest of bodies and blankets that enveloped all three of them. 

Yuuji felt the certainty that everything would be alright finally settle in his heart. 

“Good night, Yuuta,” he whispered, almost asleep. “Good night, Yuuka.”