Chapter Text
“Since you are an esteemed guest this matter will be overlooked just this once. However, please keep in mind that this is not a Heat Hotel, Gojo-san.”
The call ends on that note.
Returning the phone to the receiver, Satoru looks over at Suguru who has his face covered with both hands.
He’s embarrassed unlike Satoru who’s concerned about something else entirely. Being scolded by the hotel’s manager is not what either of them were expecting shortly after waking up to find themselves, and the suite in disarray. Before they could come to terms with what happened the phone call came in.
Heat Hotels are designed to accommodate alphas and omegas during their mating cycles. They’re convenient when people are traveling or when they can’t spend their cycles in their own homes.
Regular hotels, especially suites like this one, are not equipped for that sort of activity. When Satoru booked the place he only had one thing on his mind, and it sure as hell had nothing to do with ensuring this place was the right hotel or not. The aftermath of their shared mating cycle will cost thousands of yen to rectify.
He promised the manager that he’d pay for all damages. There are a lot of them too. Looks like their activities expanded beyond the bed as well.
But Satoru doesn’t care about that. Money isn’t an issue for him. What worries him is Suguru.
“I’m not sure what happened,” Satoru says, moving Suguru’s hands so that he can see his face. “I’ve been extra careful with my rut suppressants. I’m so sorry, Suguru.”
Lowering his hands, Suguru blinks in surprise. “I’m not upset with you, Satoru.” He has to make that clear. “From what I remember…it was a lot of fun…”
That’s a relief. Satoru was worried about traumatizing Suguru again by making him relive that night in the cove. He could care less about having a hefty bill with the hotel or being banned for the rest of his life. As long as Suguru is happy, he’s happy.
Satoru pulls Suguru into a side hug and kisses the top of his head. From that contact he can feel the marked glands on the back of his neck throb. Their bond is stronger now that it’s been reciprocated. He’s always belonged to Suguru in his heart and soul but it’s official now.
“Do you know why that happened?” Suguru asks, wrapping his arms around Satoru. “I haven’t had my heat in a while and I take my suppressants…though I do get careless when I’m stressed but usually nothing happens.”
Suguru has been stressed about the upcoming therapist appointment lately. The unexpected heat could be tied to a missed dose. Not wanting to point fingers or make Suguru feel like he’s to blame, Satoru decides to let it go. No harm was done. Suguru enjoyed himself, and they’re a bonded pair now.
There’s nothing to worry about.
They haven’t actually talked about their plans for expanding their pack, and there is a lot for them to smooth over before they’re ready to do so, however, if this event results in a pregnancy, they’ll be fine financially and emotionally because they’re in this together this time.
Satoru tells Suguru this because he wants to put an end to his worrying long before it begins.
“You won’t be alone ever again, Suguru,” he says.
Suguru’s eyes water, and Satoru is prepared to wipe any tears that fall. But then Suguru is kissing him and pushing him down on the bed to straddle him.
Well, this reaction is unexpected but very much appreciated.
Not missing a beat, Satoru grabs Suguru’s ass, nudging him a little so that he’s closer to his cock that’s already hardening. Both of their bodies are covered in scratches, bruises, and bite marks, but there’s more skin for them to mark.
Satoru starts sucking on Suguru’s ear. “I spent a full three days knotting you and now I want to do it all over again,” he whispers hotly.
“Three days…” Suguru stiffens. Then it hits him. “Oh, no! The girls!!” He quickly rolls off Satoru. “They’re probably worried sick!”
Before he can roll off the bed entirely, Satoru catches him. “They’re with their Godfather. They’re fine!” His dick is fully hard now. No way he’s letting Suguru leave this bed. “We can go home later. But now..”
Swatting his hand away, Suguru gets out of the bed. “I need to make sure the girls are okay!” he says.
Satoru stares at Suguru’s naked body, at all the marks he left on him. He knows without a doubt that Suguru will be pregnant from this. Not only did he knot him repeatedly, he’s virile and Suguru is fertile.
Already, he’s glowing. It could be the post-heat glow, of course, but Satoru is confident that it also means he’ll be carrying his pups soon. Knowing that he’ll get to experience every moment of Suguru’s pregnancy is exciting, and a little stressful. He wants to be the best, supportive mate there is.
And he’ll have to start working on that long before Suguru’s pregnancy is confirmed.
“Okay, we can head home,” he says, deciding this is a good place to start. “But we’ll continue this some other time, Suguru.”
Suguru is looking around the room for his phone so he misses that last sentence. That’s fine, though. Satoru won’t forget his promise.
As expected both of their phones are dead and neither of them brought a charger with them. Suguru, who has most important numbers memorized, starts to scold himself for not memorizing Sukuna’s number as soon as he learned he would be babysitting the girls.
“There’s no need for you to have another alpha’s number memorized,” Satoru says, only half-joking. “Suguru, it’ll be fine..”
Yet again, Suguru doesn’t hear him.
He’s too busy panicking. This isn’t surprising. It’s well known that Suguru gets like this the longer he’s away from the girls. That time he helped give Satoru the push he needed to go to rehab, he called to check in on their daughters frequently, and he had to see them so he did a lot of video calling. Omegan mothers are protective in general.
Satoru gets out of bed. He walks over to Suguru who is pacing the floor and muttering to himself about how he can call Megumi and have Megumi call the building manager at the condo to do a welfare check.
“…we could use the hotel phone but we don’t have that number…I’m happy I gave Megumi that number—”
“Suguru,” Satoru says, hugging Suguru from behind. He kisses his cheek. “Go shower. I’ll handle it.”
Satoru doesn’t raise nor deepen his voice. He speaks casually, in the way he often speaks to Suguru when they’re alone. But now that they’re a mated pair it hits differently.
“Okay,” is all Suguru says as he heads to the bathroom. No back talk, second-guessing, or need for reassurance. Just okay.
The door closes behind him softly and soon Satoru hears the water running. Feeling accomplished, he sits on the side of the bed and gives his agent a call on the hotel phone. Before the man can bombard him with fake pleasantries, Satoru asks for Sukuna’s personal number since he doesn’t know it by heart. Once he has it, he hangs up and calls Sukuna.
As soon as Sukuna answers, Satoru’s ears are flooded with the excited voices of his daughters. It sounds like they’re telling Sukuna an animated retelling of the time they went to the aquarium.
“I assume all is well then,” Satoru says, smiling. He missed his daughters more than he thought.
Sukuna chuckles. “Well, look who it is.” He calmly excuses himself and promises the girls he’ll be back. Stepping away to a quieter place, he speaks again. “You’ve been gone so long I decided to be the twin’s father. No need for you to come back.”
“Funny. I won’t even bother threatening you. Suguru is enough to scare you.”
“Hm, you’re right about that. Geto-san looks like he punches hard.” He laughs. “Everything has been fine. I called in reinforcements.”
“Reinforcements?”
Satoru hears another voice in the background. “Oh?” He grins. “I see you’re trying to work on a pack of your own.”
“If only. Anyway, my daughters want pancakes and I’m on food duty. See you both later.” He ends the call.
The twins are fine as expected, and despite Sukuna’s teasing Satoru is glad he picked a good Godfather for them just as Suguru should be proud of the Godmother he picked.
With that taken care of, Satoru joins Suguru in the shower.
“Mommy! Papa! How was your vacation?”
Sighing in relief, Suguru kneels down and opens his arms for the twins as they run up to him, enveloping them in a bear hug. Even though Satoru swore to him that the girls were fine and he believed his word, being able to hold them in his arms like this makes a world of difference.
“Our vacation was nice,” Suguru says, cupping the back of their heads. “Did you two have fun with Ryoumen-san?”
“Yes!” they say in unison.
The girls wiggle free and run over to Satoru, hugging his long legs as he pats their heads. It’s nice that they’re happy to see them both instead of Suguru only.
Feels like only yesterday when the girls were wary of Satoru. They accepted him as their papa relatively easily without asking any questions as to how that came to be nor have they wondered, at least vocally, about Satoru’s absence during the earlier years of their lives.
One day that time may come. When, and if, it does, Suguru will explain everything to the best of his ability without exposing too much.
“Thank you so much, Ryoumen-san,” Suguru says, hugging Sukuna to express his gratitude. “I’m sorry. I’m sure you probably had plans and now three days have gone by.”
Sukuna looks startled by the hug initially, appearing as if he isn’t accustomed to platonic affection. But he relaxes into the hug and reciprocates it, winking at Satoru who is frowning at them.
“Okay, that’s enough of that,” Satoru says, tugging on Suguru’s arm to split them up. “I told you, Suguru, he's their Godfather. It’s what he’s supposed to do.”
While that is one of the roles of a godparent, Suguru feels bad about taking up too much of Sukuna’s time. He wants to compensate him somehow. As he tries to think of something thoughtful, someone walks from the back of the condo with a laundry basket.
“Megumi?” Suguru steps around Satoru to see his best friend. “What are you doing here?” He glances at Sukuna discreetly, his real question left unspoken.
Rolling his eyes, Megumi places the laundry basket on the sofa so that he can start folding clothes. “I’m the first number on your emergency contact list,” he patiently explains. “Ryoumen-san made a correct assumption about your date extending past the expected time and he called me.”
Well, that is a plausible explanation without any other motives behind it. Three days is a long time. The girls needed baths, for starters, and Sukuna seems to have the same opinion as Satoru on that topic. Also, the girls can be a handful. It was smart of Sukuna to call in reinforcements, especially someone who has helped Suguru with the girls too many times to count.
“Were you two playing house?” Satoru asks, laughing at the way Megumi scowls at him.
Sukuna doesn’t look amused either.
Suguru knows Megumi well enough to know that he doesn’t want to be pestered about this particular subject. He’s very aware of why Megumi is hesitant to date anyone, especially any alphas, so he nudges Satoru in his side to make him drop it.
“Mommy, Papa, come look at the drawings me and Mimi did,” Nana says.
They follow the girls to the living room where the coffee table is covered in their drawings. Sitting on the floor, he and Satoru look through the art together. Megumi quietly folds clothes, and Sukuna sits on the loveseat scrolling through his phone.
“These are great!” Suguru says. He picks up one drawing that has the twins riding on Godzilla’s back. “We should frame them all and hang them up in your room.”
Satoru slides his arm around Suguru’s waist. “Let’s save them for when we get another place,” he says, admiring one drawing of a purple sun. “How do you girls feel about moving into a big house?”
Excitedly, Nanako and Mimiko express how happy that would make them with vigorous head nods and bright smiles. Satoru asks them about how they would like to decorate their room. Hearing Mimiko join in on conversations after so long without hearing her voice never fails to make Suguru emotional. He’ll never forget the first time he noticed her selective mutism.
It was when they were living at a shelter for abused omegas after he fled from Kenjaku.
One night, he woke up to only Nanako in bed with him. He panicked, afraid that Kenjaku had found them and taken his pup as punishment. His instinct helped him locate Mimiko before he could completely lose it. She was hiding under the bed, finding comfort in the dark and small space the way omegas do when they’re nesting.
Suguru laid on the floor beside the bed, trying to coax her out for what felt like hours until eventually she crawled from under it. He got back into bed with her and tried to talk to her about what had caused her to leave the safety of his nest. Back then, the girls were very young. They couldn’t talk nearly as well as they can now but they were saying some words early on.
Both Suguru and Satoru were like that as pups. Talking, walking, and potty trained faster than the norm. It made sense for their pups to be the same.
Mimiko wouldn’t say anything to him that night, nor the next day or the day after. He convinced himself that she hated him for having them around Kenjaku, and even after she started to speak again for a short period, and even after she was diagnosed, he continued to believe that.
Suguru touches the top of Mimiko’s head. She turns around, smiles at him with unconditional love in her eyes.
He doesn’t think he deserves that.
Sukuna has to leave for a meeting.
They thank him again for watching the girls, and Suguru offers to bake anything he likes, thinking it’s a simple yet kind gift of appreciation.
Megumi will stay one more night, but he has to return to Osaka tomorrow. To give them time to catch up, Satoru offers to have a tea party with the girls. The offer honestly surprises Suguru but he accepts the suggestion.
He changes into comfy lounge clothes and puts his hair up in a claw clip. He and Megumi sit out on the balcony since the weather is mild.
“Are you missing work to be here?” Suguru asks, worried. “I’m really sorry about all of this. I think I skipped some doses on my suppressants.”
Megumi laughs. “About that…” He debates on saying anything further, acting as if it’s killing him inside. “First, promise me you won’t say anything to the girls. I’m breaking a pinky promise to tell you this.”
Suguru doesn’t know if he likes where this is going. “I won’t say anything to the girls.”
“Your heat suppressants were accidentally flushed down the toilet. I’m guessing you noticed they were missing but were too distracted by your pessimistic thoughts to look for them.”
“I don’t have pessimistic thoughts!”
“Yeah, sure you don’t. Anyway, the girls hid the bottle behind their dollhouse. Please don’t get on to them. They’ll know I snitched.”
What are the odds of that?
The two times that he experiences a mating cycle with Satoru have similar origin stories. This time it was his own daughters who inadvertently caused an unplanned pregnancy.
Technically, it’s Suguru’s fault for allowing his thoughts to distract him to that degree, and he may not end up pregnant though it’s likely that he will. It hasn’t quite set in yet. He has enough on his plate so he won’t open that flood gate for now.
“I won’t get on to them,” Suguru says, laughing. “At least not blatantly. I’ll have to find a way to lecture them about meddling.”
“Was the experience at least good this time?”
Suguru blushes at the memory of the past three days with Satoru. The word “good” is insufficient. He doesn’t think there are any words to describe it.
Megumi pulls a face. “Forget I asked.” He pretends to gag. “Your scent immediately changed when I asked. Gross.”
Public displays of affection as well as intimacy genuinely makes Megumi squeamish. Pups who aren’t nurtured by their parents usually turn out this way. In fact, Megumi could have turned out worse had it not been for his step-sister.
“Our bond is complete now,” Suguru says, touching the back of his neck, tracing over the teeth indents and the scars he left there. “I tried to remove this mark because I thought it was mistakenly given. But when I marked Satoru, everything became clear.” His face warms, butterflies fluttering in his stomach. “He has always loved me, Megumi.”
Even Megumi is moved to hear that. As the only person who truly saw Suguru at his worst, he knows what it means for Suguru to have this confirmation. Suguru takes Megumi’s hand, smiling at the way Megumi fidgets before settling down. He’s fine when he initiates contact but only a few can initiate it with him. Suguru is one of them.
“I’m very grateful for you, Megumi. I don’t think I would have recovered from Kenjaku without meeting you when I did.”
“You’re strong, Suguru. You would have made it out regardless. I did nothing.”
“You were my first close friend actually.”
Megumi snorts at that, timidly pulling his hand away. “Some of the most hostile omegas at the shelter adored you. Every time I looked up, you had a new friend.”
It was about the same when he was growing up in Gomari. Making friends was never an issue for him. What was difficult was bonding with others on a deeper level. Satoru was the first, and it consumed his entire life. Then he learned how beautiful a true platonic friendship could be through Megumi and then with Shoko.
“I was never close to any of them and you know it.”
Sighing, Megumi allows himself to accept Suguru’s words. “You always thank me for saving you but you, the girls— you three saved me.” He looks at his folded hands because he gets shy when he’s being vulnerable. “Tsumiki used to volunteer at the shelter first and would drag me along. Then I just kept going out of habit. I didn’t get attached to anyone until Nanako ran up to me and called me pretty.” He laughs.
“To this day, her Megumi is the prettiest next to her mommy,” he says in the cute voice Nanako always says it in. “Both of them adore you.”
“And I adore them, and you. Thank you for being my friend. I know I was rude to you at first.”
He was more awkward than rude but Suguru won’t wound his pride.
“You were like an injured kitten. I wasn’t offended.”
“I’ll kill that guy if he ever hurts you again. You know that, right.”
“Please be kind to my future husband.”
Megumi stares at him in shock. Instinctively, he looks at Suguru’s finger, searching for an addition to his courting ring. “He proposed without giving you a rock?” He snorts. “Do better, Mr. Basketball Star!”
“You know I don’t need anything flashing. I’m content with my courting ring.”
Satoru probably wants to buy him an expensive diamond that is bigger than his hand, but he knows Suguru well enough to know that he doesn’t need nor want all of that.
“I know Shiori is ecstatic,” Megumi says. “She’s had her maid of honor dress picked out since you two went on that date.”
“Probably. Too bad, though. I want you to be my maid of honor.”
Megumi frowns. “Me? Over your sister?” He shakes his head. “No, I appreciate the offer, but I can’t accept it.”
“I already told Shiori that I wanted you as my maid of honor. She knows how important you are to me, and what you helped me get through. She was very happy to hear about my decision. Trust me, she would let me know if she wasn’t.”
His sister enjoys doing that, actually.
“Suguru, I would be honored. That’s…no one has ever asked me to be that…well, no one likes me really. I can be a bitch and—”
Suguru hugs Megumi, cupping the back of his head, pressing his face against his.
Expressing one’s emotions is never easy.
For someone who went from foster home to foster home, never having the chance to develop genuine bonds and experience nurturing, it’s even harder. His hug lets Megumi know that he knows what he really wants to say. It takes a while, but eventually Megumi wraps his arms around him.
A two way mirror separates Satoru and Suguru from their daughters during the initial assessment.
The girls are allowed to play with building blocks and color on floor parchment while Dr. Haibara sits with them. The hidden microphone inside the doctor’s front pocket lets Satoru and Suguru hear the questions the girls are being asked as well as their answers.
The questions are casual, ranging from their favorite foods and playground toys. Nanako answers all the questions for herself and her sister. Prior to coming here, Mimiko has been talking all morning but once they got here she hasn’t said a word.
Satoru can’t help but notice how Nanako has positioned herself between Mimiko and Dr. Haibara, shielding her sister from him. Neither of the girls are behaving hostile, though. That’s just how Nanako usually is around new faces.
It’s good for pups to be wary of strangers, in his opinion. What worries him is how Nanako has adopted the role of protector when she should enjoy her childhood without worrying over everyone.
“Mimiko-chan, what color is that?” Dr. Haibara asks, pointing at the purple crayon Mimiko is using.
Nanako opens her mouth to speak but Dr. Haibara calmly puts his index finger over his mouth, quietly asking her to let her sister speak for herself.
Mimiko raises the crayon for him to read the label. She doesn’t say anything.
Dr. Haibara smiles and thanks her. Then he excuses himself. He steps outside the room, closing the door behind him. “I’d like to split the girls up for the rest of the hour,” he says. “Mommy can join Mimiko-chan and I in the observation room while Papa and Nanako-chan can wait in my office.”
“What’s the reason behind this?” Satoru asks because he knows Suguru would like to know the same thing. “Do you think the girls are too codependent or what?”
It may not seem like the girls are codependent since Nanako is outwardly protective of her sister, but Nanako depends on Mimiko a lot.
Honestly, the three of them — Suguru and the twins — are like that. They’re a close knit pack that Satoru has been gradually wiggling his way into. He wishes they would all depend on him and not worry about anything.
“I believe that’s quite obvious,” Dr. Haibara says. “However, they’re twins. Their codependency is expected.”
“I would like both of my daughters to be seen by you,” Suguru says. “Even if you believe Nanako is fine, I would like to be on the safe side. Their development is very important to me.” He looks at Satoru. “To both of us.”
“Of course I intend to see them both. First, I would like to get to the root of the problem. Please, trust me.”
Together they painstakingly read reviews for child psychiatrists in Tokyo, searching every corner of the city for someone they deemed trustworthy. Out of hundreds of doctors, Dr. Haibara was the one they both agreed on.
Satoru rubs Suguru’s back, reassuring him. “We’ll put our trust in you,” he says. Leaning closer, he whispers. “Don’t make me regret it.”
Dr Haibara nods, understanding the silent threat loud and clear.
. . .
The sofa in Dr. Haibara’s office is soft and free of any scents so as not to irritate the noses of his mostly alpha and omega clientele. One wall is covered in a large bookcase that holds thick, academic textbooks and self help books, a few photos of the doctor and some blond guy who is allergic to smiling. It’s a clean, well decorated space that has a homey air to it.
The office has an engineered calming effect that actually works. Nanako was hesitant to leave her sister and her mommy alone with Dr. Haibara as if they needed her to keep them safe, but once she stepped into the office, she stopped anxiously touching the ribbon in her. She sits next to Satoru on the sofa, looking around the office in wonderment.
“Do you think he read all of those books?” Satoru asks her.
Nanako shakes her dead. “That would take a bajillion years! No way!”
Satoru laughs. “That’s what I was thinking. The guy’s not even thirty yet.”
“How long do we have to stay here?”
“Not too long.”
“Why are we here? Mimi doesn't like this place.”
“And what about you? How do you like it here?”
Nanako scrunches up her face. She starts swinging her legs and staring at her feet. “I don’t like it.” She glances up at Satoru and then glances away.
Smiling, Satoru pokes her cheek. “What is it, Nana?”
Usually when he does that to her, she’ll try to poke him back. Her disinterest in doing so says enough.
It would be easy to let this moment pass by in silence and simply wait for Suguru and Mimiko. Part of being a father as well as a pack leader is engaging in those tough conversations. This is deeper than Nanako being unhappy that they’re at this new and strange place. She doesn’t like that she’s not around her sister and her mommy because she believes they’re unprotected without her.
Satoru doesn’t have Suguru’s parental experience by a longshot. What he does have is the wisdom his father passed down to him.
“Nana, do you know what a pack is?”
“We’re a pack. Me, you, mommy, and Mimi.”
“Yes, but do you know what that means?”
Nanako frowns, giving it some thought. Like him she gets irritated when she doesn't instantly know the answer to something. She eventually admits she doesn’t know the answer.
“Every pack has a leader. They’re the protectors and the providers. Our pack is unique because your mommy and I are both pack leaders.”
There’s no denying the obvious fact that for a time Suguru was the leader of the pack, and even though Satoru is present now he has no intention of asserting dominance over Suguru and placing himself as the sole pack leader. That’s the usual order of pack dynamics, but it doesn’t have to apply to them.
“What do me and Mimi do for the pack?” Nana asks.
She wants to know what roles they play within the pack. He’s happy that she’s already picking up what he’s putting down.
“Pups are meant to be protected, provided for, and loved. All you and your sister have to do is enjoy your youths, Nanako.”
Nanako sits with that, allowing his words to resonate within.
He understands that words can be meaningless and that his actions matter most.
Every time he interacts with his daughters or with Suguru he’s ever mindful of how his actions can either make or break their bond as a family. Never does he want to break their trust or their hearts. He wouldn’t dream of failing any of them anymore than he already has with his past struggles with alcohol. Suguru likes to assure him that his addiction didn’t harm him nor the girls, but Satoru disagrees. He did harm Suguru, and even if it was a mistake he’ll never forgive himself for it.
“Will Mimi be okay?” Nanako asks after some time has passed. She scoots closer to Satoru, seeking him for comfort. “I’m…scared…”
This is the first time she’s admitted that openly. From what Suguru tells him, and from what he has seen himself, Nanako loves to put on a brave face. She never needs the night light on during bedtime but asks anyway because Mimiko is afraid of the dark, and she doesn’t need anyone to hold her hand because she’s a big girl. Truth is, she is afraid of the dark and she does feel safer when her hand is held. Of course they all know this. Even Mimiko.
Hearing Nanako admit that she’s scared is a step in the right direction. It means she trusts Satoru enough to reveal that, and she trusts him to rid her of her fears.
Satoru picks Nanako up, placing her on his lap. “Your sister will be fine. Your mommy and I will make sure of it and she’ll have you as well,” he says, petting her hair. “There’s nothing wrong with being scared. Everyone gets scared sometimes.”
“Even you?”
“Especially me. The thought of losing you, Mimi, or your mommy scares me a lot.”
Nanako sits up on her knees and hugs Satoru’s neck, startling him with the sudden affection. “Don’t worry Papa we’re a pack,” she says, squeezing her arms. “We’ll always be together.”
His goal was to heal her and to ensure she enjoys the remainder of her youth yet she has healed him with her words of reassurance. It’s easy to understand why Suguru was able to keep his head above water during those earlier years with the girls. They were his comfort as much as he was theirs.
“That’s right, Nana. We’ll always be together.”
. . .
Dr. Haibara encourages Mimiko to draw a depiction of her mother. He wants to see how Mimiko truly views Suguru.
While she works on that, Suguru and Dr. Haibara sit on the other side of the room, observing her. For obvious reasons Suguru is anxious to see how the drawing will turn out. He has never doubted his daughters’ love for him, however, he does believe that the girls blame him for everything that occurred with Kenjaku, rightfully so.
No matter how much Satoru tries to ease his worries or reassure him, the fact remains the same. Mimiko would have never turned out this way had Suguru not had her in that harmful environment. He did his best to ensure his daughters never saw what truly went on behind closed doors, but he should have tried harder.
“Pups are known to be perfectly in tune with the parent who nurtured them the most,” Dr. Haibara says, interrupting Suguru’s thoughts with his soothing voice. “In some cases, the parent will unintentionally pass their mood off to their pups. Feelings such as anger, fear, and sadness…”
Looking away from Mimiko, Suguru looks at Dr. Haibara. “If you’re trying to tell me that I’m the reason why Mimiko developed Selective Mutism you can go ahead and say it. I know this is my fault.”
“That isn’t what I am saying at all.”
“Please elaborate then.”
Dr. Haibara doesn’t take offense to Suguru’s curt tone. He must be accustomed to dealing with a multitude of emotions in his line of work. “When it comes to packs, healing begins with the nurturer and it spreads throughout. Once you sort through whatever is hindering you from forgiving yourself, it will reflect on your girls.”
That leaves Suguru at a loss for words. He has always known that his daughters are tuned in to his emotions the same way he is in tune with theirs. But he never thought that in order to help Mimiko overcome these periods of voluntary silence he had to put himself first. Since he learned he was pregnant, he hasn’t put himself first.
All of his focus and attention has been on the girls, and only the girls. Not until recently has he opened a small part of himself for Satoru, but nothing for himself.
Beating the crap out of Kenjaku was cathartic. It was freeing to finally let that rage out of him. Knowing that Kenjaku will never harm them again is added reassurance. Now Suguru has to accept the past for what it is and move forward. If he doesn’t, he’ll continue to hinder the healthy development of his daughters.
“Let’s have a look,” Dr. Haibara says after several long minutes of silence. He kneels down to look at Mimiko’s completed drawing.
Suguru kneels down on the opposite side of her, carefully peeking over her shoulder. He’s holding his breath, knots are beginning to form in his stomach. Once he sees the drawing, his eyes immediately sting and he has to bite his lower lip to keep from crying. In the drawing there’s a stick figure with Suguru’s go-to hairstyle, flying through the air with a blue cape on their back. That is how Mimiko sees her mommy. She sees him as her hero.
“Children are the most honest in their drawings,” Dr. Haibara quietly says.
All of the negativity has been a figment of Suguru’s imagination. A major part of him knew that.
Deep down he knew that his daughters didn’t think ill of him and that he was projecting. The other night, he and Satoru pretty much came to that conclusion together. But having Mimiko reaffirm him makes a world of difference.
As soon as he believed they were in danger around Kenjaku, that the abuse wouldn’t end with him or only impact him, he took his daughters and he left. He used to think they would grow to hate him for taking them away from a mansion where they ate three meals a day to a rundown shelter where food was scarce, but in their eyes Suguru saved them.
Dr. Haibara touches Suguru’s shoulder to quietly announce his departure. He leaves to give them both space. When he’s gone, Mimiko turns around to give Suguru the drawing. She takes note of his watery eyes and she frowns.
“Do you not like the drawing, Mommy?”
Suguru takes the drawing in one hand and puts an arm around her. He smiles. “I love it. I love it so much. Remember I told you that tears can be happy too?”
Smiling, Mimiko nods. “Can we take it home?”
“Of course we can.” Suguru puts the drawing aside and helps her onto his lap facing him. “I know you’re wondering why we’re here. Your papa and I wanted to be sure that you girls are happy. It’s very important to us.”
Mimiko takes a moment to absorb his words before blessing him with another one of her precious smiles. She rarely shows her teeth when she smiles but the gleam in her eyes speaks volumes. “Nana and Mimi are happy,” she says. “Are you and Papa happy?”
“Knowing that our pups are happy makes us very happy.”
“Will we live with Papa from now on?”
“Do you want that?” he asks, needing to be sure.
She replies without hesitation. “Yes!” She hugs his neck, pressing her warm face against his.
Closing his eyes, Suguru soaks in the embrace, happy to know that his worrying has been unwarranted.
They spend the entirety of one Saturday morning viewing houses in prominent residential areas. Mimiko and Nanako fall in love with every house they see which lets them know that at the very least their daughters aren’t picky about where they’ll live.
As long as the neighborhood is peaceful and their neighbors are polite, Suguru isn’t picky either.
If anything he’s just happy that they’ll be living together in a bigger space that’ll allow the girls to be as energetic as they desire. It’s good for pups to be active at this stage in their life. They naturally run on high energy, and allowing it to build up for years can have negative developmental effects. Suguru tried to counter that with trips to the park but with a bigger nest it’ll be easier.
The entire process of selecting a house is being drawn out despite this. That’s because Satoru is very particular about where his pack will lay their heads. Alphas tend to be that way about certain things. After the initial home tours, Satoru spends hours meeting with realtors to find his idea of the perfect home. His dedication to this is very attractive, honestly.
Suguru enjoys it when Satoru takes business calls around him because he likes how assertive and intelligent he is when he’s discussing numbers.
There’s something really hot about Satoru falling so seamlessly into the role of pack leader.
To keep himself busy and from trying to hump Satoru every other hour, he chats with Shiori about wedding preparations. Of course, no one in either of their families were surprised to learn they were getting married. In fact, the general consensus was that everyone felt as if it was about damn time.
Apparently, it was painfully obvious, ever since they were pups, that they were meant to be. It took a long time for Suguru to believe that, and even longer for him to accept it, but now that he has, nothing will get in the way of their relationship ever again. Not even his own insecurities or pessimism.
Living together still has minor challenges.
Satoru has yet to break his old habits of leaving messes behind, and Suguru often enables him by cleaning up after him without a fuss.
Honestly, it isn’t that much of a big deal. Suguru enjoys cleaning and he knows Satoru doesn’t do it to spite him. Satoru has been privileged all of his life.
The Gojo compound was once crawling with dutiful servants, and they were dismissed after Satoru’s father died so Satoru had them most of his life. He’s never been without money, never missed a meal or wondered when the next one would come.
On top of that, Satoru was raised as a traditionalist. Alphas protect and provide by any means necessary while omegas nurture and nest. Nesting can mean a variety of things. In this sense, it means being a homemaker.
Suguru isn’t against that. Not entirely. He has known how to cook and clean since he was in junior high because his father abandoned their pack and he had to share the tasks with his mother who had to take on two roles from that point on. When he doesn’t feel like cooking, Satoru makes sure they’re all fed so it’s fine.
However, Suguru isn’t sure if he wants to spend his entire life as only a housewife.
“Absolutely not.”
Flinching, Satoru quickly closes his laptop. He peeks over his shoulder, a sheepish grin in place. “There goes my beautiful omega,” he says.
Rolling his eyes, Suguru walks over to where Satoru is seated and crosses his arms. He’s wearing one of Satoru’s old university t-shirts and a pair of shorts that are dwarfed by the shirt, making it appear as if he doesn’t have anything underneath. His hair is fully down and his face is flushed from a recent shower.
Satoru wonders if Suguru is trying to get jumped or if he’s effortlessly sexy.
“Why are you shopping for engagement rings, Satoru? I already have my courting ring.”
“You have pretty hands. A diamond will be a nice addition, I think.”
“Don’t waste money.”
That sentence is very foreign to Satoru. How does one waste money? He is particular about every purchase he makes because despite his wealth he was taught to be wise with his money. And to him, nothing he buys for Suguru or their daughters can ever be a waste.
Satoru rolls his desk chair back enough for Suguru to sit comfortably on his lap. He wanted him to straddle his lap but instead Suguru has both legs on one side. At least his ass is nestled nicely against Satoru’s groin. Putting his arms around Suguru’s waist, he opens his laptop and resumes his scroll on the jeweler’s website.
“Buying my future wife a diamond isn’t a waste. I’m honoring tradition.”
“I like my courting ring just fine.”
Despite saying that, Suguru looks at the rings with him and points out the ones he doesn’t like. He hasn’t yet realized that he does, in fact, enjoy material things. But that’s because he isn’t accustomed to receiving expensive gifts that aren’t backed by an ulterior motive.
Satoru will change that. He’ll have to be discreet about it though.
“The girls knocked out as soon as their heads touched the pillow,” Suguru says.
“I knew they would.”
Satoru took them all to a private gym with him after dinner and the girls “ran” laps with him. In reality, he playfully chased them until their giggles made them winded. While they were doing that Suguru was relaxing in the sauna.
“They’re excited about returning to Gomari,” Suguru continues. He leans closer to admire a sapphire ring. “We need to figure out temporary living arrangements. The Gojo estate is big enough for wedding preparations but per the tradition you and I can’t sleep under the same roof leading up to the wedding…”’
“I’ll stay at a hotel or something.” He isn’t looking forward to the separation period at all. Not after he’s grown accustomed to sleeping next to Suguru every night. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll figure it out.”
Surprisingly, Suguru only nods. He doesn’t follow up with a rebuttal or anymore worrying.
Satoru smooths Suguru’s hair away from his scent glands on the back of his neck and kisses them. “I’ve been meaning to ask you about your degree.”
“What would you like to know about my non-existent degree?”
“Do you want to complete your studies? I’m curious because you never talk about it.” He chuckles. “You won’t even tell me what you’re studying.”
It’s been like that since they were applying to universities during their senior year of high school. Everyone knew what Satoru was going to study in college. But no one could say the same for Suguru who kept it a secret.
“Before all of that happened, I hoped to surprise you,” Suguru says, his tone somber and nostalgic. When he speaks again, that somberness is gone. “I guess I never got around to telling you since we’ve been busy lately.”
“Will you tell me now?”
Suguru turns around, smiling at Satoru. “Sports Medicine,” he says, laughing at himself. “I chose it so that I could be your personal physician. It crossed my mind to change it after everything that happened but I spent our junior and senior year researching it and I developed a genuine interest. It’s embarrassing so I kept it to myself.”
“Suguru, nothing is embarrassing about that…” Satoru’s heart thuds in his throat and his eyes burn as the admission settles in his bones. “You…you chose that for me?” he asks in astonishment.
Laughing, Suguru playfully rolls his eyes. “No, I chose it for the other basketball player I know.”
Even though it’s obvious sarcasm, Satoru gets jealous anyway. The mere thought of this beautiful and loving person belonging to another sets him off. He lets out a dissatisfied grunt before he kisses Suguru, adjusting his legs so that he’s now straddling him chest to chest. Words can’t express how much he loves Suguru. He’s loved him since he was a pup yet every day he finds new reasons to fall even deeper.
“I can’t wait to marry you,” Satoru whispers against Suguru’s lips. “And spend the rest of my life with you…”
Suguru grinds against his growing erection, moaning. “I can’t wait to have more pups with you,” he sighs.
“We should get started on that then.”
“We already have,” he says, referring to the past mating cycle they shared.
Satoru cups Suguru’s ass, standing up with him secured in his arms. He starts heading toward their bedroom. “It never hurts to be extra sure!”
And Suguru can’t agree more.
At this rate, they’re going to need to shop for a mansion rather than a typical family home.