Chapter Text
The sterile scent of the private hospital wing was almost completely drowned out by the thick, mingled pheromones of five anxious alphas and one very pregnant, very tired omega. Soft blue lights hummed overhead, casting gentle shadows across the spacious delivery suite. It had been designed with omegas in mind- wide windows overlooking the city skyline at night, adjustable bedding, and scent diffusers that could be tuned to calming notes- but nothing could fully mask the nervous tension crackling in the air tonight.
Jay lay propped up in the oversized hospital bed, one hand resting protectively over the large, rounded swell of his belly. He was thirty-nine weeks and three days along. Today was the day. The doctors had confirmed it earlier that morning: active labor could begin any hour now. His body had been preparing for weeks, but the final stretch felt both endless and terrifyingly close. A thin sheen of sweat clung to his forehead despite the cool room, and every small shift sent a dull ache through his lower back.
Across the room, Jake was a whirlwind of nervous energy.
The alpha had barely sat still for more than thirty seconds since they’d arrived. His dark hair was tousled from running his hands through it repeatedly, and his usual bright smile had been replaced by a tight, worried line. Jake’s rich alpha scent (warm sandalwood and fresh citrus) had sharpened with stress, spiking every few minutes and filling the room in restless waves. He paced from the window to Jay’s bedside, then back to the door, checking his watch, then the monitors, then Jay’s face again.
“Jay-ah, do you want more water? The nurse said hydration is important,” Jake said for what had to be the tenth time in twenty minutes. He was already reaching for the pitcher.
“Jake hyung,” Sunoo murmured from the couch near the window, voice gentle but amused. “He just drank a full glass.”
“I know, I know, but-” Jake turned back toward the bed, eyes wide and earnest. “Jay, are you comfortable? Is the pillow okay? I can fluff it again. Or maybe we should adjust the bed angle? The doctor said-”
“Jake,” Jay cut in, his voice calm but carrying that familiar fond exasperation. He shifted slightly, wincing as the baby gave a strong kick right under his ribs.
Jake froze mid-step, instantly alert. “Yes? Did you need anything? Did the baby kick? Should I call the nurse?”
Jay closed his eyes for a second, breathing through the discomfort. When he opened them again, his gaze was soft but firm. “No, I’m okay. Listen… I love you, but if you ask me if I need anything one more time, I think I might just suffocate you with this pillow. Seriously, babe. Go outside and take a breath. You are panicking so much. Go with a member, they might help you relax. Right now you’re kinda stressing the baby… and me.”
The room went quiet for a beat. Sunghoon, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, let out a low chuckle. Jungwon, seated closest to Jay’s bed with a supportive hand on the mattress, hid a smile behind his hand. Ni-ki, sprawled dramatically across one of the visitor chairs, grinned openly.
Jake’s shoulders slumped. He let out a long, shaky sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. It’s you doing all the work, not me, so I don’t know why I’m so scared. It’s just that… I’m nervous for you too, you know? But okay, I’ll go take a breather. But do call me if anything- and I mean anything- happens, okay? Love you…”
“I love you too,” Jay replied, softer now. He reached out, and Jake immediately crossed the room in two strides to take his hand. Their fingers laced together, their scents intertwining instinctively; Jake’s anxious citrus calming just a fraction as Jay’s warm, sweet vanilla-amber scent wrapped around him like a blanket.
Jake leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss to Jay’s forehead, then another to the top of his belly. “I’ll be right outside. I’m here. We’re all here.”
“I know,” Jay whispered, squeezing his hand once before letting go. “Now go. Breathe.”
Jake lingered for another second, eyes searching Jay’s face for any sign of hidden pain, before finally nodding and stepping back. Sunghoon clapped a hand on his shoulder as he passed.
“Come on, dude. Let’s get some air,” Sunghoon said, steering Jake toward the door.
The remaining three other members had been there since early evening, turning what could have been a clinical, lonely wait into something warmer. They’d brought snacks (mostly for themselves, since Jay’s appetite had been picky), blankets that smelled like the dorm, and quiet company. Jungwon had been the steady one, reading aloud from a novel book when Jay wanted distraction. Sunoo kept offering small comforts; cool cloths, shoulder rubs when Jake’s hands got too shaky. Ni-ki, despite his usual mischief, had been surprisingly gentle, lightening the mood only when the tension grew too thick.
As Jake and Sunghoon stepped out into the hallway, the door clicked softly shut behind them. Jay exhaled slowly, letting his head fall back against the pillows.
“He’s going to drive himself crazy before I even start pushing,” Jay muttered, half-laughing, half-groaning.
“He’s just scared of anything happening to you two,” Jungwon said quietly, his leader instincts kicking in even now. “You’re carrying your pup, hyung. That alpha instinct is in overdrive.”
Jay hummed in agreement, rubbing slow circles over his belly. The baby inside responded with another firm kick, as if sensing the conversation. “Yeah… I know. I can feel how much he loves us. His scent’s been all over the place since we got here. But if he keeps hovering like that during actual labor, I might actually bite him.”
Sunoo laughed brightly. “I’ll hold him down for you.”
Ni-ki leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Hyung, seriously though… how are you feeling? Not the polite ‘I’m okay’ version. Real talk.”
Jay was quiet for a moment, staring at the ceiling. The monitors beeped steadily, tracking the baby’s strong heartbeat. “Tired. Excited. Terrified. My back hurts like hell, and I swear this kid is using my bladder as a trampoline. But… I can’t wait to meet our baby. I keep imagining Jake holding our baby for the first time and…” His voice cracked slightly. He cleared his throat. “I just want it to be okay. All of it.”
“It will be,” Jungwon said firmly, squeezing Jay’s wrist. “You’re strong. And we’re not leaving.”
Out in the hallway, Jake was leaning against the cool wall, eyes closed as he tried to steady his breathing. Sunghoon stood beside him, silent for a while before speaking.
“You’re going to be a dad, Jake.”
Jake’s eyes snapped open. “Yeah. I know. God, I know. I’ve been dreaming about this for months. But now that it’s here… what if something goes wrong? What if Jay’s in too much pain and I can’t do anything? What if I’m not good enough for them?”
Sunghoon’s expression softened. He was never the most openly emotional, but Jake knew his words were from the heart always. “You’re already good enough. You’ve been taking care of him through every craving, every mood swing, every 3 a.m. panic. That pup is going to have the best two dads in the world. And the rest of us as chaotic uncles.”
Jake managed a weak laugh, some of the jittery energy draining from his limbs. “Thanks, Hoon. I just… I love him so much. Both of them. It feels too big for my chest sometimes.”
“I get it.” Sunghoon bumped their shoulders together. “Now breathe before you go back in there smelling like pure panic. Jay will actually smother you.”
Inside the room, Jay closed his eyes again, focusing on the steady thump of his baby’s heartbeat on the monitor. The wait stretched ahead of them; hours, maybe, before the real work began. But they weren’t alone. Not for a second.
A soft knock came at the door. Jake peeked in, looking calmer, though his eyes still held that intense, protective shine.
“Feeling better?” Jay asked, lips curving into a small smile.
Jake nodded, stepping inside fully. “A little. Can I…?”
“Come here, you idiot.”
Jake crossed the room quickly and climbed carefully onto the bed beside Jay, careful not to jostle him. He wrapped an arm around Jay’s shoulders, pulling him gently against his chest. The others quietly gave them space, chatting among themselves in low voices.
“I’m still nervous,” Jake admitted in a whisper against Jay’s hair.
“I know,” Jay murmured back, turning his face into Jake’s neck to breathe in that comforting scent. “Me too. But we’ve got this. Together.”
As the city lights twinkled outside the window and the members’ quiet voices filled the background, the two of them held each other; two lovers and the tiny life between them. waiting for the storm of labor to break.