Chapter Text
l: I'm Home Wherever I'm With You.
Hyuntak remembers that day as vividly as ever, sitting on the toilet, staring in silence with wide, teary eyes at two lines on a pregnancy test that were staring back at him.
He remembers breathlessly walking over to the bedroom before pulling out his phone and dialing Seongje's number. The phone rings, one, two times before Seongje picks up. "Hi sweetheart, missed me that badly? I've only been out for—" Seongje begins with his usual teasing tone, but Hyuntak cuts him off.
"Alpha, come home now," Hyuntak demands, but his voice shakes, a mixture of fear and excitement swirling within him. He can tell his voice sounds choked up, and he hears Seongje take in a breath.
"Tak, baby, is everything alright?" Seongje questions, and Hyuntak can hear his footsteps picking up over the line. His heart flutters at the thought of his alpha running all the way home for him, just to make sure Hyuntak is okay.
To make sure the one he cares for the most isn't upset for even a moment. Hyuntak wonders how Seongje would be with their baby, and he can't hold back the smile that takes over his face.
He can't help but think — no, to know — that with Seongje by his side, their child will always be protected.
"I'm okay, just need to tell you something, I promise it's nothing bad. I'm just surprised, that's all," Hyuntak mumbles, sniffling as he uses his free hand to rub over his stomach, unable to grasp a pup being in there. He feels himself tearing up once again.
Will the pup have Seongje's eyes? Will the pup have Hyuntak's nose? What type of personality will the pup have?
Hyuntak finds he wants nothing more than to find out, to take on every step of the journey with Seongje, to raise their baby with all the love in the world and then some.
"Tell me over the phone then, you say it's nothing bad but you're scaring me, puppy." Hyuntak can still hear the sound of Seongje running over the phone, and the taller sounds a little breath. One part of him almost feels bad for rushing Seongje, but the other part knows it'll all be more than worth it when Seongje gets home.
"How long 'til you get home?" He asks instead of answering Seongje's question.
"Probably five minutes," Seongje responds. "Fuck, I need to stop smoking, I feel like I'm gonna die just from running for a few minutes," he mutters, sounding upset with himself and Hyuntak snorts.
"When you get home you'll have a really good reason to stop smoking," Hyuntak says, smiling to himself at the confused little sound that Seongje makes.
"Baby, is this your way of saying you're no longer friends with Baku? I did say I'd stop smoking the day that happens, this is amazing, princess—"
"That is never happening," Hyuntak interrupts, voice flat. Seongje huffs in disappointment.
"Well I'm around the corner now so you better have an even better reason prepared," Seongje responds. Hyuntak laughs lightly.
"I think you'll like this reason much more," he says before disconnecting the call. Not even a minute later, he hears the front door open and grins to himself.
Seongje's footsteps echo through their apartment, before the bedroom door is yanked open, the taller standing there out of breath. Hyuntak heart swells at the sight of his alpha's disheveled hair and tense gaze. As much as the asshole pretends to be nonchalant, Hyuntak knows his alpha would do anything for him.
Hyuntak is seated on the bed and Seongje takes his spot next to the shorter. He reaches over to tilt Hyuntak's chin, making the omega look at him. He lightly dabs at Hyuntak's teary eyes, letting out a little sound, as if it hurts him. "Baby, I swear, you almost gave me a fucking heart attack, what's the matter?" Seongje questions, caressing Hyuntak's cheek lightly. Hyuntak takes the alpha's hand in his own, and gently places the pregnancy test in the palm of Seongje's hand.
The last time Hyuntak had truly ever seen Seongje in shock was when Hyuntak admitted that he likes Seongje back. That was in their third year of high school.
Seeing the same expression on Seongje's face six years later was nothing short of a true treat.
Hyuntak blatantly cackles in his face as the alpha sits there, wide-eyed and jaw hanging open, sputtering to speak before just reaching out and pulling Hyuntak into a kiss instead. Hyuntak giggles into Seongje's mouth as his reciprocates, playing with Seongje's soft hair as the alpha kisses him with a softness that's always been reserved solely for Hyuntak. When Seongje finally pulls away the omega watches as that gummy smile takes over the alpha's face and Hyuntak can't help but beam right back, letting out a small, excited little laugh.
"We're gonna be parents, Hyunie. We're gonna have a pup," Seongje says, his voice laced with disbelief. Hyuntak nods eagerly, taking Seongje's face into his hands.
"We are," Hyuntak agrees, chuckling when Seongje takes in a breath.
"God, baby. We're gonna have a family, we're gonna raise a pup together — we-we're gonna choose a name, gonna know the gender, gonna find out if they're an alpha or—"
"Slow down," Hyuntak laughs, pulling Seongje close and giving Seongje a kiss on his mole. "We'll do everything — all of it — together. For now, just hold me," Hyuntak demands, and Seongje obliges readily. He sits back on the bed and gently pulls the omega into his embrace, cuddling him and scenting him.
"Anything for you," Seongje responds easily, and Hyuntak knows that Seongje means it with every fibre of his being.
As it turns out, pregnancy is no walk in the park.
Of course, Hyuntak already knew this — hell, anyone with a functioning brain knows this — however, simply knowing is nowhere near actually experiencing all the symptoms of pregnancy.
The omega is two months in and finds himself hunched over the toilet, throwing up his guts at least twice is a week. Even when he doesn't vomit, the nausea in the morning is ever persistent, leaving the omega groaning miserably into the sheets as Seongje rubs his back and brings him water.
Once the terrible nausea finally releases it's hold on him, the urge to get some food in his system inevitably takes over, and his cravings are rather unique. A pickle dipped in nutella, brownies with cheese cream, and chocolate ice cream are his go-to's — it's rather ironic considering Hyuntak has never been a big fan of chocolate, but the pup seems to have a huge sweet tooth.
Hyuntak always offers Seongje some of his food, but the alpha almost always declines. Seongje had tried his cravings the first few times out of curiousity, but the alpha would never ask for seconds, not seeming to be a big fan of any of the combinations. The omega can only shrug, more for me, he thinks as he chews his food with a satisfied little hum that Seongje always smiles tenderly at.
Hyuntak also finds that he's not the only one who has changed — Seongje has also decided to change many of his habits. The first to go being his terrible habit of smoking, the alpha deciding to get nicotine gum and patches instead. Some days he has a lollipop between his lips as he browses through baby clothes online.
"You smell good now, none of that shitty tobacco scent," the omega murmurs as he cuddles against the alpha in the morning, burying his face against Seongje's scent gland. He hears Seongje snicker.
"Are you sure the good smell you're talking about isn't just from your face being right against my gland?" Seongje retorts, and Hyuntak responds by lifting his head up to glare at the alpha. Seongje just chuckles at the cute expression before leaning down to give the omega a quick peck against his pouty lips.
"Don't get smart now," Hyuntak chides when they break apart. "Your scent smells even better without the smell of tobacco in the way, makes me wanna stay here with you all day, is that what you want to hear?" Hyuntak asks with an eyebrow raised, watching as the alpha's ears turn red. Cute.
"If I could stay here with you all day like this, trust me I would," Seongje mutters, sounding devastated before he gets up to change and Hyuntak chuckles.
"Too bad my husband has to get ready for work. You always look handsome in the tie though," Hyuntak teases. That's the second thing Seongje had changed, after all.
Seongje hadn't left the Union after graduation, instead he had stayed as it grew into something more cruel, more calculated — something beyond a bunch of teenagers stealing phones to make money. Hyuntak had never agreed with it, but he knew there was no changing Seongje's mind, so the omega had admittedly turned a blind eye more often than he'd ever like to admit. Though, it's not like Hyuntak just let everything pass, as the two argued more often than not whenever Seongje would come home with his knuckles painted in blood.
Now Seongje and Hyuntak had firmly agreed that they want their pup nowhere near such cruelty. Seongje had left the Union rather easily, telling anyone who has a problem with his resignation to come kill him if it bothers them so much. Evidently, no one was willing to put their lives on the line just to challenge Seongje.
Through connections — or more accurately, nepotism — Seongje took over at his father's company as the chief finanical officer, as the asshole somehow was smart enough to complete a dual degree in accounting and business while torturing people in the Union.
All in all, Seongje had done his best to get himself on track for Hyuntak and their pup, which is really all Hyuntak could ever want. Their new little routine was nice, and admittedly a lot easier on Hyuntak's nervous system as Seongje would come home at a regular time each day without being covered in blood.
"I'm off now, baby. I'll grab you some of those chocolate crêpes you like on my way back," Seongje promise once he's ready, fixing his tie one last time before leaning down to give Hyuntak another kiss.
When Seongje pulls away Hyuntak yanks him back by the tie, "you'll get it with extra chocolate drizzle, strawberries, and whipped cream, right?" His expression is stern and Seongje's lip twitches in attempt to hold back a laugh at his omega's cuteness.
"Yes, sweetheart. I'll ask for extra of the powdered sugar too, you seemed to like that last time," Seongje adds, humming in consideration.
Hyuntak beams, "you're the best." he mumbles, giving Seongje another quick peck before finally releasing the taller. "Go on, alpha." He says, mainly just to tease.
Seongje groans as if it pains him, "how am I supposed to go to work and focus when you're calling me so sweetly in the morning?" The alpha questions in agony, and Hyuntak doesn't bother to hold back his cackle.
"Go make us money!" Hyuntak shoos, and the alpha grumbles something about how he wishes his work building would explode as he scents Hyuntak one last time before leaving for the day.
Usually when Seongje would return the omega would be taking a nap, his body in a near constant state of fatigue from the pregnancy. Hyuntak would more often than not wake up to Seongje already in the bed with whatever food Hyuntak had asked for.
This was also one of those days, as Seongje had the cute takeout bag with crêpes from Hyuntak's favourite shop in his hand and the omega didn't bother to hesitate before yanking it out of Seongje's hands to indulge in his craving.
The smell alone practically had Hyuntak drooling, and the omega purrs happily when he takes the first bite, closing his eyes in satisfaction. God, suddenly he understood Baku and Suho's love for food — this really is what makes life worth living.
"Thank you, Je hyung," Hyuntak mumbles while taking another bite. When he finally tears his eyes away from his tray, he finds Seongje looking at him with a fondness that makes his heart turn in his chest and the omega can feel the heat rushing to his cheeks.
"Of course, anything for you baby," Seongje says, the words that always spill out so easily whenever Hyuntak asks him for food, for cuddles, for just about anything. The alpha truly means it when he says anything.
Before he knows it Hyuntak finds himself tearing up, sniffling as he thinks of his sweet alpha while Seongje's eyebrows scrunch in concern. "Baby, what's the matter? What happened, I thought—"
"Love you, hyung. Thank you, always take such good care of me," Hyuntak whispers, more than aware of how ridiculous he must look with whipped cream all over his lips and a plate of crêpes on his lap as he cries over his husband's affection for him.
Seongje smiles, leaning down and cupping Hyuntak's face so that the omega is looking into his eyes. "Sweetheart, that's what I'm here for. Love you more than anything, hyung's always gonna be here for you, so don't stress about anything and let yourself rest and eat good food, okay? Hyung will take care of everything else." Seongje assures while wiping the tears away from the omega's face, chuckling when Hyuntak nods with that practically permanent pout on his face.
Once Hyuntak's feeling calm he shoos Seongje away to go change into comfier clothes as the alpha had still been in his suit after work. He continues to shovel down the crêpes, wondering how their pup came up with such an wonderful combination for dinner. Their pup would be a genius, he had no doubt about it, only a true mastermind could have this flavour palette.
The alpha crawls into bed next to Hyuntak and smiles when he notices the empty tray, "was dinner good, sweetheart?"
Hyuntak nods happily, snuggling closer to Seongje. "It was perfect, thank you. For dessert I think I'll have some of that fudge ice cream in the freezer," he licks his lips at the thought and Seongje grins.
"I'll grab it for you, but first let me wipe your face," Seongje reaches out and swipes the remaining whipped cream off of Hyuntak's lips with his thumb before licking his own thumb clean, smirking in satisfaction when the omega's face turns red.
"Pervert," Hyuntak mumbles before turning the other way in their nest. Seongje tuts, scooting closer to Hyuntak so he's spooning the omega in his embrace.
"But you like it," Seongje mutters, giving Hyuntak a kiss on his mating mark. The omega huffs before turning around to face Seongje once again while glaring at the alpha for his sheer lack of shame. "You've been looking so pretty lately, always glowing," Seongje adds casually as he brushes the omega's soft hair.
"Go get me my fudge ice cream before I divorce you for being a pervert."
Seongje snorts, "if that bothered you we never would've gotten married. My princess likes how obsessed I am with him," Seongje remarks, giving Hyuntak a kiss on the mole decorating the omega's jaw. "I'll go get your ice cream now, sweetheart, don't miss me too much," the alpha teases before getting up, much to Hyuntak's secret dismay.
"You're just gonna talk to me like that and then walk away?" Hyuntak mutters, bitterness seeping into his tone. The alpha stands there looking a little baffled.
"You said you wanted ice cream."
"Well I want you and I want ice cream," Hyuntak complains, knowing that he must sound absurd.
"You can have me after I get you your ice cream," Seongje promises, and Hyuntak looks up so fast that it almost gives him whiplash.
"Well go get it!" Hyuntak demands, and Seongje snickers before running off towards the kitchen.
Hyuntak hums in satisfaction, cheeks turning pink once again at the thoughts of the night ahead, knowing his alpha would always take care of him in every way possible.
The second trimester of pregnancy is unfortunately, not much easier.
He finds himself more tired than anything, constantly needing naps and barely being able to move from his nest. His entire body feels sore, and he's is constantly having to ask Seongje for massages — not that the alpha ever minds, always taking his time to sooth the knots formed in Hyuntak's shoulders, legs, and feet.
On top of the physical discomfort is the fact that he can barely go out with Seongje or his friends as all he feels compelled to eat is his particular cravings, and unfortunately most restaurants don't tend to carry the complex combinations that the pup insists on having. His friends don't mind coming over, all of them sitting and eating in the apartment, but Hyuntak does miss being able to go out and have a nice time out.
When he expresses this to Seongje, the alpha hums in consideration before telling Hyuntak that he'll "take care of it." Whatever that means.
Seongje's words finally gain some meaning a few days later, when he insists on taking the omega out, promising that Hyuntak would enjoy the surprise. Hyuntaks hums in suspicion before obliging, deciding that Seongje wouldn't pull anything dumb with the shorter's current state. The alpha plays all of Hyuntak's favourite songs on the car ride there while the omega happily sings along, even making Seongje sing with him for certain songs, as the alpha can sing pretty decently; the asshole seemed to just be good at everything, it was unfair.
Once they finally arrive the omega recognizes the destination as a high-end afternoon tea and pastry room, one that specialized in a large variety of chocolate desserts. It was one of those fancy places where rooms were difficult to come by, requiring either booking a while in advance or having lots of money to spend. Hyuntak feels his heart doing a delighted little cheer in his chest at Seongje preparing this all for him, and he turns around to face his alpha with a grin.
"Je! You booked this for me?" He doesn't bother to contain the excitement in his tone, watching as Seongje gives him a pleased smile in return.
"I know you've been wanting to get out of the house more, I thought you might like it here," Seongje mumbles, trying to act nonchalant and Hyuntak nearly snorts. Maybe he would've fallen for that back in high school, but now he knows damn well that Seongje probably spent a good twenty minutes just reading over the menu to make sure everything is to Hyuntak's liking before booking a room.
"Thank you," Hyuntak says sincerely, lightly gripping his husband's face and leaning in to give the alpha a soft kiss on the lips. When he pulls back Seongje's ears are all red, cute. All these years later and the alpha still gets flustered over every little thing that Hyuntak does.
"Come on baby, let's go eat some pastries and drink some tea with it, this place has me feeling British," Seongje mutters the last part and Hyuntak lets out a laugh as the alpha gets out the car. Seongje comes around to the passenger door and helps Hyuntak out, as the omega struggles to stand up and sit down without feeling like he just ran a marathon.
He holds Hyuntak very close as they walk into the tea house and Hyuntak nearly rolls his eyes. Anybody with a functioning eyes or a functioning nose can tell they're mated and that Seongje is clearly the father of the pup, but he supposes his alpha's instincts must be heightened with Hyuntak being pregnant.
And visibly so, as the omega's bump has begun to show a lot more now. Hyuntak recalls looking in the mirror with joy while Seongje took pictures of Hyuntak before giving the omega two gentle kisses on the stomach. One for you and one for the pup, he had said. Hyuntak had rolled his eyes, calling Seongje cheesy, but his cheeks turned pink nonetheless.
They're lead to a room and Seongje helps the omega take a seat. The server informs them that the pastry tower comes with multiple different types of pastries and desserts, all of varying flavours. Hyuntak nods in understanding, knowing he's only going to really want the chocolate ones — maybe even a strawberry one if the changes in his tastebuds allow for it — while Seongje can eat whatever else is on there. Hyuntak orders some ginger tea while Seongje orders some black tea as they wait for the pastry tower.
"I wonder how we're going to be able to get the pup to eat their vegetables, I feel like I eat nothing but sweets these days," Hyuntak huffs as he takes a sip of the tea. Thankfully, his body doesn't reject the flavour, as the omega finds these days it's difficult to tell what's going to be nauseating or not.
"I saw online that some people just give creative names to healthy foods. They were calling broccoli "mini-trees" and the kids seem happy with that," Seongje responds casually, taking a sip of his own tea. The alpha frowns before dumping in two packets of sugar, he takes another sip and hums in contentment.
"Gee, I wonder where the pup gets the sweet tooth from," Hyuntak says, voice deadpan. "But you spend your time watching parenting videos now?" The omega asks with an eyebrow-raised and a playful look on his face, watching as the alpha averts his eyes in his own form of shyness. It's so out of place on Seongje's face that Hyuntak almost laughs.
"Sometimes when I have time at work I watch those videos, it's good to be prepared," Seongje defends. Hyuntak narrows his eyes in suspicion.
"Give me your phone," he demands and watches as the alpha looks at him in confusion but hands it over. He opens up Seongje's Youtube app, and as he predicted, the alpha's history and recently searched videos are nothing but videos on child-rearing. Hyuntak can't hold back the way the corners of his lips twitch upwards. His alpha is so cute.
"Fourty videos in your history all on supporting a pup's growth is "sometimes"?" Hyuntak questions, watching as the alpha sputters in disbelief at being caught.
"Like I said, being prepared is important — can't beat the shit out of some other parents because their kid is bullying our pup or some shit, need to be able to handle it like an adult," Seongje justifies and Hyuntak really can't hold back his laugh this time.
"Can't believe that's the example that comes to your mind, you're unbelievable," Hyuntak says with a roll of his eyes, but his tone is nothing but adoring. Seongje just gives him a soft chuckle in return, the same fondness in Hyuntak's tone is reflected in Seongje's eyes and the omega finds his face turning red with how Seongje looks at him with unabashed affection.
Hyuntak snaps out of his trance (read: Seongje's eyes) when the server brings in the pastry tower. He feels his mouth water as he takes in all the different types of pastries on the tower — scones, macarons, cakes, croissants, and more little treats like chocolate-dipped strawberries.
He can't hold back the excited little sound that leaves his mouth when he looks over the different desserts and pastries, and the omega doesn't hesistate to immediately grab one of the strawberries, smiling in satisfaction as the flavours just hit right.
When he looks back at Seongje, the alpha is just smiling back at him, that gummy smile showing as he watches Hyuntak. Hyuntak grins back as he picks up a lemon macaron and feeds it to Seongje as it's the alpha's favourite flavour. He always says it reminds him of Hyuntak's citrus scent. The alpha eats it one bite and licks the remaining crumbs off of Hyuntak's finger, smirking when the omega's face turns pink.
"We're in public, you imbecile," Hyuntak mutters as his face heats up. He ignores his husband's antics and picks up the chocolate macaron, taking a bite and immediately nodding in approval. Seongje chuckles.
"That got your stamp of approval?" Seongje asks, voice laced with pride as the alpha clearly knows the answer. Hyuntak entertains him anyways.
"Yes it does. Thank you to my handsome husband for bringing me here," Hyuntak says, watching as that familiar shy smile returns to Seongje's face, an expression that high school Hyuntak had no idea the other was even capable of.
"Eat up then, sweetheart. It's all for you," Seongje encourages, his tone lighthearted but the omega stops right in his tracks, looking up and glaring daggers at Seongje. The alpha sputters at the sudden switch, "Baby, what—"
"You're saying that I'm greedy and hungry? That I'm just gonna eat this entire thing on my own? That-that I have no manners and I'm just a vacuum?" Hyuntak questions, his tone rising and growing more irritated with each question as his scent turns bitter. Ridiculously, he finds himself fighting back tears, wondering if Seongje views him as a lazy omega who does nothing but eat and whine all day.
"Sweetheart, I didn't mean it like that at all. All I'm saying is that I know you like sweets right now so I brought you here to have some. You and the pup are both eating, it's only natural that you'll eat more than me, there's nothing wrong with that," Seongje soothes, releasing some of his own pheromones to calm the omega.
Hyuntak huffs, absolutely not pouting as he responds. "I bet you think I'm lazy."
At this, Seongje really does look like he's lost a piece of his soul or seen a ghost or something along those lines. "What are you even talking about? Have I said anything to make you feel that way? Because I don't think that at all," Seongje responds, he sounds just as confused as he looks but Hyuntak merely sniffles, shoving another chocolate croissant in his mouth. It's pretty delicious but he won't tell Seongje that right now.
"So you don't care that I eat and whine all day?" Hyuntak questions, reaching for another macaron. He wonders how it'll taste if he combines it with the croissant and his mouth waters.
"Baby, you don't whine — well sometimes, but it's cute and I like it — and you're pregnant. I don't care about anything other than making sure you're resting and taking care" Seongje responds and Hyuntak hums in satisfaction, finally feeling content with Seongje's answers.
"Okay, so if I were to eat every chocolate flavoured thing on this right now, hypothetically obviously, that would be completely fine with you?" Hyuntak questions, eyeing the tower up and down. Seongje's lip quirks up as the alpha stares at Hyuntak with an adoring look.
"More than fine, hypothetically of course," Seongje retorts with a playful grin and Hyuntak beams before diving in, deciding that if his husband wants to indulge in his cravings like this then who is Hyuntak to deny him?
Hyuntak happily eats all the chocolate pastries, even a few pistachio and strawberry ones here and there, combining different flavours together and humming happily. He offers some combinations to Seongje who takes a single bite before letting Hyuntak eat the rest. Hyuntak can really only shrug, it's not his fault that his husband doesn't understand true cuisine.
When the tower is cleared, with Seongje eating the orange and lemon flavoured treats, Hyuntak pouts. He needs at least a box of those macarons before he leaves this place, the ones on the tower disappeared far too fast. Seongje watches the omega fondly as Hyuntak's eyes keep drifting over to the menu where the macaron prices are listed.
The server returns to bring the bill and Seongje reads over the menu before speaking, "can we get a box of the chocolate macarons to-go please?" He asks, and Hyuntak looks at him with wide eyes, unable to control the bashful smile that takes over. He daydreams about the food as his husband pays and grabs the macaron box with one hand and assists Hyuntak with the other, guiding the omega to the passenger seat and helping Hyuntak sit down.
The drive home is calm, with Hyuntak snacking on a few of the macarons on the way while Seongje talks about funny situations taking place at his job. Primarily about how one of the alphas that works there — Wooyoung, he said his name was — is trying to win back an omega who moved to an entirely different country and the omega only responds to his texts when Wooyoung sends him money. Hyuntak laughs along to the story, kinda feeling bad for the alpha but moreso finding the desperation just a little funny.
"Don't know why you're laughing though," Hyuntak comments, "you're even worse when it comes to being desperate."
Seongje hums, not even bothering to deny it. "Well when my omega looks like this, how could I ever act normal?" The alpha questions casually and Hyuntak feels his cheeks heating up.
"Shut up," he murmurs as he looks out the window, pointedly ignoring Seongje's cocky laugh.
When the two are finally back home, Hyuntak already feels fatigued just from the day out and crawls into the nest. His alpha joins him and the smaller makes a pleased little sound, cuddling up next to Seongje. The taller runs his hand through Hyuntak's wavy hair, watching the television as Hyuntak slowly feels his eyes closing, drowsiness overtaking him.
He's about to fall asleep, but a poking sensation in his stomach has his eyes fluttering open in confusion and it takes a moment before Hyuntak processes what just occured.
The pup. The pup just kicked.
Hyuntak sits up immediately, it's so sudden that Seongje lets out a startled noise, damn near jumping out of his skin. In any other situation Hyuntak definitely would've laughed, but right now he has other priorities.
"Baby, what's the matter—" The alpha begins but cuts himself off once he notices how the omega has his own hand on his stomach and is looking down lovingly at his belly. The alpha immediately leans closer, placing his large hand on Hyuntak's stomach but frowns when he feels nothing. Hyuntak lets out a small, weak laugh.
"Je, you won't be able to feel it for a few weeks, the pup's not strong enough yet," Hyuntak says, trying to playful but it doesn't quite land with the way he's tearing up. Hyuntak rubs over his belly again and sniffles, unable to fully comprehend the fact that the pup is now moving within him.
The sensation is a little weird, but more than anything it has his heart feeling full, feeling like the pup is interacting with him too. The thought makes him smile as his vision blurs from the tears.
"Hi baby," Hyuntak whispers, rubbing his stomach. "Guess you really liked the food today, huh? Even decided to say hi after eating it," the omega giggles and Seongje grins that gummy smile, placing his hand on Hyuntak's stomach despite knowing he won't be able to feel anything quite yet.
"Appa will buy you all the chocolate you want, just lift some weights in there or whatever you need to do to get stronger so I can feel you kick," Seongje says and Hyuntak lets out a watery laugh, amused by his husband's antics.
"Patience, Je," Hyuntak reprimands, but his warm tone betrays him.
A few weeks later when Seongje feels the pup kick, the alpha jumps up and cheers like he just won the lottery.
By the third trimester, Hyuntak 's belly is highly prominent, his feet are beyond sore, and he's ready to have the pup out.
The pup is active as ever, kicking and having a huge appetite — at least Hyuntak can say that their baby will likely take after him in that regard. He voices this to Seongje who seems to get lost in thought at the idea, smiling like an idiot to himself.
"We could put the pup in taekwondo, wouldn't it be cute if they took after you? Or if they prefer basketball that would be fine too, as long as Baku isn't the coach, he—" Seongje rambles and Hyuntak cuts him off with a a soft laugh.
"The pup isn't even here yet, who knows what the pup will want to do. What if they end up like you, huh? What if they prefer sitting at a computer all day?" Hyuntak questions and Seongje resolutely shakes his head, as if the idea itself is ridiculous.
"That'll never happen, we won't raise an ipad baby. The only screen time will be ten minutes per day to watch educational videos," Seongje comments, his tone serious as ever and Hyuntak snickers.
"No Pororo? No cute cartoons?" Hyuntak questions and Seongje hums as if in deep contemplation.
"I guess that's fine," Seongje yields, still not sounding completely sure and Hyuntak shakes his head in disbelief.
"What issue could you possibly have with Pororo?"
"He's too mischevious sometimes, makes me wonder if our baby will learn to be mannerless," Seongje mutters and Hyuntak gives him a deadpan look.
"If our pup wants to be mischevious and mannerless there's a different person they could easily learn from," Hyuntak responds, his gaze focused on Seongje who just looks around before shrugging.
"Doesn't ring a bell," Seongje claims, his voice far too innocent sounding to the point where Hyuntak wonders when his husband got the time to pick up acting lessons. "Anyways, I'm gonna start preparing for the baby shower, you just get your rest in, okay sweetheart?" Seongje changes the topic and Hyuntak nods, giving his husband a quick kiss before Seongje opens up a box full of decorations.
A baby shower. Originally Hyuntak wasn't too sure if that was something he even wanted, but he decided it would be fun to get their friends together as all of them were beyond excited about the pup. Besides, his friends and Seongje had assured him that they'll decorate and arrange everything, so Hyuntak really didn't have to lift a finger.
As he's lost in thought, a ring at the doorbell snaps him out of his thoughts. He begins to get up but his husband gives him a reassuring motion to sit back down before Seongje opens the door, rolling his eyes when Baku is on the other side with the rest of Hyuntak's friends.
"Welcome," Seongje says, voice as dry as ever. No one pays him mind as they walk past him and right over to Hyuntak, all of them letting out various delighted sounds at how much Hyuntak is now showing.
"Tak-ah, can I feel your stomach?" Juntae asks and Hyuntak nods happily, guiding his friend's hand to his stomach. He watches as Seongje huffs in jealousy and the omega can barely bite back a giggle. Seongje was so ridiculous, here Hyuntak was mated to him, living with him, and carrying their pup, yet Seongje was still getting envious over a little touch.
His alpha really never changes, and Hyuntak wouldn't have it any other way. Of course, the omega being pregnant only triples Seongje's protectiveness, which was already at an unbelievably high baseline to begin with.
Juntae's hand lightly rests on top of Hyuntak's belly, and the shorter omega audibly gasps when he feels a light kick against his palm. "Your pup is kicking!" Juntae remarks eagerly, a small laugh leaving his lips. At that, Suho and Baku's heads whip around fast enough for Juntae and Sieun to jump back in surprise.
"Uncle Baku first!" Humin shouts, pushing past Suho to put his palm on Hyuntak's belly and this time Seongje really seems to be doing his best to hold back from throwing a punch. Hyuntak lets out some of his own calming pheromones while doing his best be nice stare towards his alpha. Seongje gives a grumpy little nod and Hyuntak smiles to himself, Seongje is adorable even when he's really not trying to be.
"Why isn't the pup kicking now?" Humin questions with a pout, and that has Seongje smirking proudly, clearly elated with their pup for ignoring Baku.
"Our pup is allergic to stupid people," Seongje remarks and Humin turns to glare at Seongje. Juntae gulps, Suho looks entertained, and Sieun looks bored. Hyuntak can only sigh.
"Then how will the pup be able to be around you?" Humin asks Seongje, and Hyuntak watches as Seongje truly uses all his power to hold back from doing something that would turn this baby shower into a boxing ring. Hyuntak sighs, deciding to intervene before Seongje truly loses his mind from anger.
"Humin, don't," Hyuntak mutters, and the alpha looks at him incredulously.
"He started it!" Humin proclaims and Hyuntak rolls his eyes.
"Are you five? Anyways, you shouldn't insult the father of the pup especially when Seongje's already far too overprotective," Hyuntak explains and Humins sulks but makes an affirmative little sound. Seongje sends the omega small smile but still looks tense. "Come here and scent me," Hyuntak demands his alpha, watching as the small smile turns into a full beam.
Seongje walks over to scent Hyuntak, finally looking capable of shame for once. "I'm sorry, didn't mean to upset you," he mumbles into Hyuntak's wrist. The omega hums.
"I know you're also feeling overly protective right now, but try not to argue today, for me?" Hyuntak responds and the alpha nods, looking at the shorter apologetically while scenting Hyuntak some more. Their friends awkwardly stand and pretend to be interested in their decorations around the apartment.
When the alpha steps aside, Sieun doesn't even pretend to hesitate before walking over to feel Hyuntak's stomach. Suho quickly meets the omega and the two feel his stomach, Suho sulking when the pup isn't kicking.
"Great job you two, now the pup is too scared to say hi," Suho says, and Sieun gives a small smile at the alpha's words. Hyuntak can only grin, these two were cute as ever.
"It's okay, Suho-yah. The pup will meet us when they're ready," Sieun says softly, and Suho beams at the omega, excitedly proclaiming that the smaller is so smart and always knows what to say.
They ask questions about pregnancy, mainly curious about what it feels like and what the process has been like for Hyuntak. The omega has a little suspicion that Sieun and Suho are asking these questions from a place of more than just curiosity, and he feels the corner of his lip twitch, obliging the two in all their questions and concerns.
Eventually everyone begins placing the decorations up, following the cute pastel yellow and blue theme with little duckies that him and Seongje had decided on. Hyuntak remembers scrolling through different themes while his alpha sat there with him getting cuteness aggression at the baby sized items.
Once the decorations are all in place and the different food items are all placed on the table, his friends, in their true fashion, begin goofing around once again.
"I'm your peepaw and I think you're a girl and a beta," Baku says to Juntae's phone camera, the omega letting out a laugh as he records the alpha. Hyuntak snorts at the ridiculous title.
"This isn't a gender reveal," Hyuntak reminds him and Humin's jaw drops in disbelief.
"What?! Suho and I argued on the gender the whole way here and you're telling me we won't even know?" Humin looks heartbroken and Hyuntak really can't hold back a snicker.
"Baku, Seongje and I don't even know," Hyuntak says and Humin sulks a bit more but eventually gets over it.
"I'm your moomoo and I think you're a boy and an alpha," Suho says just to be funny, and Sieun gives a slight giggle to that.
"I'm your meemee and I think you'll be a boy and a beta," Sieun responds, and everyone loses their mind to the smaller omega playing along while Sieun smiles proudly at his own joke. Baku urges Juntae on and the short omega chuckles nervously.
"I'm your godmeemaw and I think you're gonna be a girl and an omega!" Juntae says joyfully, and at that Hyuntak really can't hold back a cackle.
"Godmeemaw," Baku wheezes and Sieun lets out a chuckle at the title too.
"What the fuck are these names?" Seongje mutters, as despite the alpha's high screentime, he was somehow also simultaneously not chronically online. Hyuntak finds Seongje's quip to be more amusing than any of the jokes, but he won't tell his friends that. He's also slightly biased anyways, as everything the alpha does is hilarious to him.
Eventually, everyone calms down and they all decide to show the gifts they brought for the pup, his friends all practically bouncing out of their seats with excitement while waiting for their turn.
First up is Baku, who's hauling in a gift damn near the size of his body. The box is wrapped clumsily in cute bear wrapping paper with a gigantic bow on the top. Hyuntak and Seongje stare at it with their jaws hanging open.
Baku laughs proudly, "take a look!"
As Hyuntak really doesn't have the energy to tear that gigantic box apart, Seongje is the one to open it up and the couple gasp at the gift. It's a stroller, a cute one with sage green detailing and space for all of the necessities required to have on hand when raising a pup. Hyuntak turns to his friend and beams happily.
"Thank you, Baku!" The omega exclaims, and Baku just gives him a content smile, clearly pleased with the reaction.
"Thank you," Seongje mutters, even though it sounds like a part of his soul is being torn out of him as he says it. Hyuntak snorts while everyone looks stunned at Seongje being capable of gratitude.
Next up is Suho and Sieun, who have a smaller but still sizeable box. This one is wrapped more neatly, with a reasonably sized bow on the top. Once again, Seongje is the one to open up the present to reveal a small blue play gym with little toys hanging from the beams and a soft cushion for the pup to lay on. The thought of their pup laying there and cooing happily has Hyuntak's heart swelling, and he thanks the couple. Seongje thanks them too, sounding less pained this time.
Finally, is Juntae who's box is quite literally larger than his own body. Seongje hurriedly takes it from the omega as everyone there is concerned for the smaller's wellbeing but Juntae assures them he's fine. Seongje lifts the box up and down and quirks up an eyebrow, informing Hyuntak that the box isn't as heavy as it seems, offering the omega an opportunity to open a present.
"Let me try," Hyuntak agrees and the alpha brings it over. Hyuntak unwraps it carefully, giggling at the cute bunny wrapping, before opening up the box to reveal a gigantic brown teddy bear with a pink tie on it's neck. The plushie is adorable and Hyuntak has no doubt it'll be a good friend of their pup.
Seongje smiles softly at the plushie, clearly also on the same train of thought as Hyuntak, picturing their little pup laying with the massive plushie. Hyuntak almost lets out a little excited squeak just from the cute thought.
The final "gifts" are Hyuntak and Seongje showing off all the cute baby items they had purchased — the white crib with little animals printed on it, cute little baby onesies, blankets, the high chair, and all the other necessities that come with having a pup. Their friends all coo over the cute baby-sized items, while Sieun's eyes seem to linger just a tiny bit longer than everyone else. Hyuntak smirks at the omega who goes pink at getting caught.
"Are you feeling influenced, Sieun-ah?" Hyuntak teases and Sieun goes quiet for a moment before nodding.
"Yes," he admits softly and Hyuntak giggles. Sieun was always so shy when it came to being open about his thoughts on matters like pregnancy and pups, but Hyuntak has no doubt his friend would be an amazing parent, and he tells Sieun such. He watches as Sieun's face breaks out into a beautiful grin.
"Thank you," Sieun says, his voice laced with sincerity. Sieun helps Hyuntak walk over as the two omegas make their way to where everyone else is and join their friends for the dinner. The menu for the night was takeout that Seongje had ordered for Hyuntak's friends and chocolate crêpes that Seongje had spent the evening making for Hyuntak because the omega's favourite bakery closed in the afternoon.
His alpha was always doing the most for him, and Hyuntak can't help but purr in contement at the thought. Seongje was the perfect alpha in every way.
"Perfect," Hyuntak whispers, looking at Seongje while he takes a bite into his food. Seongje tilts his head in confusion.
"The food? The baby shower?" The alpha questions and Hyuntak giggles.
"You. But the food and baby shower are pretty nice too," Hyuntak responds, watching as his alpha's face turns red while he simultaneously struggles to hold back a pleased little smile.
Once everyone is finished eating, his friends bid their goodbyes and leave the apartment, much to Seongje's relief.
"Thought they'd be here until the next damn morning," the alpha huffs once they've changed in their pyjamas and are laying together in their nest. Seongje's head is against the omega's neck as he murmurs against the omega's scent gland. Hyuntak can't hold back a small chuckle at the alpha's frustration and cute behaviour.
"You still can't stand them that badly?" Hyuntak questions and surprisingly Seongje shakes his head, letting out a small sigh as if he's embarassed about what he's about to say.
"It's not that — well except for Baku — it's just- I like having time with just the two of us, especially now that you're due date is so close. So many different scents mixing in here and others being so close to you has my instincts all fucked up," Seongje admits and Hyuntak smiles, leaning down to give the alpha a kiss on the top of the head. Seongje looks up at him in confusion and Hyuntak merely leans down once more, kissing Seongje on his mole.
"It's cute how much more honest and protective you've gotten, clinging to me like this just because people were over today," Hyuntak giggles and Seongje huffs, but doesn't sound all that upset.
"Having a good time, sweetheart? Seeing your alpha all pathetic like this?" Seongje questions and Hyuntak nods, not even bothering to deny it.
"I'm having a wonderful time, makes me feel pretty happy in the midst of all this soreness and back pain," Hyuntak chuckles and at that Seongje makes a sound in consideration.
"Well then guess I'll just have to keep clinging to you, if that's what my omega wants," Seongje declares. Hyuntak rolls his eyes but the tender smile doesn't leave his lips.
"Totally. It has nothing to do with your own instincts and protectiveness at all, huh?" Hyuntak asks sarcastically and Seongje shakes his head innocently.
"Nope, not sure where you got that idea from," the alpha responds and Hyuntak sputters out a laugh in disbelief, wondering how the deranged alpha from high school was now pathetic putty on his chest. If only Hyuntak from back then could see this.
"Go to sleep, dummy. Need you to get up early in the morning to buy me some chocolate croissants," Hyuntak says, and Seongje does a lazy mock salute.
"Anything for you, princess," Seongje mumbles, his tone as fond as ever. He eventually shifts to help the omega get comfortable before the two fall asleep, tangled in each other's scents with the excitement of the approaching days thrumming through their bodies.
The day that their pup decides to meet their parents is not unexpected, as the doctor had informed them that the pup would be due soon, and Hyuntak feels the cramping in his stomach a mere week later.
"Alpha, I think our pup wants to meet us now," Hyuntak says after shaking Seongje awake that morning and the taller springs out of bed at a speed that the omega has truly never seen him move at before.
The alpha collects their necessary items and places them in a bag before he helps Hyuntak get in the car. Throughout it all, Hyuntak finds himself oddly calm. He had expected to panic, to feel scared, but more than anything he finds himself fluttering with delight at finally being able to meet their pup.
Seongje on the other hand, seems to be trying his best to stay calm and collected as he drives, but the omega can smell the taller's anxiety in the way Seongje's scent which usually resembles a gentle fireplace now smells like it's almost burning. Hyuntak releases his own calming scent and watches as Seongje's shoulders loosen a bit, the alpha chuckling in embarassment.
"You're the one who's pregnant, but I feel like I'm losing my damn mind," the alpha admits and Hyuntak laughs at that, before wincing when a particularly harsh contraction hits. At that Seongje's scent turns harsh once again, and Hyuntak decides to let his alpha fuss over him for a bit as Seongje would clearly not be fully calm until both Hyuntak and the pup were okay.
Seongje helps Hyuntak walk into the hospital and gets his omega a private room, to which the staff wheel the omega to as the smaller struggles to stay upright with how harshly the contractions hit his insides. Seongje hurriedly walks beside him, now having reigned himself and his scent in to release calming pheromones, assuring Hyuntak that everything will be okay.
And as always, Hyuntak believes him.
-
Geum Intak. A boy, a beta, weighing 9 pounds and being 20 inches tall.
Hyuntak smiles, his vision all blurry from the tears as he looks down at the crying pup in his arms. Seongje is behind Hyuntak, hugging the omega from behind as the couple take in the sight of their pup, both of them sniffling and tearing up.
"Hi Intak," Hyuntak whispers. "Your Je Appa and I have been waiting so long to meet you, we're going to make sure you have the brightest days ahead of you."
And he truly means every word with every bit of his soul as he envelops Intak with his scent, Seongje doing the same, the couple sharing smiles when it gets Intak to slowly calm down, his cries ceasing into gentle breaths instead.
Hyuntak cradles his pup for a little longer before turning to Seongje and raising an eyebrow, and the alpha instantly perks up, getting the message. The omega hands the pup over to Seongje who holds their baby tenderly, staring down at Intak with an adoration that has Hyuntak tearing up all over again.
"Hi Intakie," Seongje whispers, his voice coming out thick due to the tears. "Your Hyunie Appa and I are going to do everything we can to make sure you're always happy, to make sure you always know how much we love you," he brushes the little hair on the pup's head and laughs before turning to Hyuntak and giving his omega a kiss.
"I'm gross right now," Hyuntak murmurs when they break apart and Seongje immediately shakes his head.
"You could never be gross, you're perfect, so strong. Thank you for being mine, for being my family," Seongje responds, his tone laced with that softness that always shines through only for Hyuntak and the omega smiles up at his alpha.
"I wouldn't want anything more," Hyuntak replies softly, and he means it more than anything.