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Hoseok tries not to laugh when Namjoon trips over nothing while shuffling forward, but his giggles escape anyway. Hoseok’s arms shake due to his giggling—as do his hands—and the extra movement threatens to ruin the surprise. Stifling his laughter, Hoseok avoids accidentally uncovering his mate’s eyes as he carefully steers them both to where they need to be.
“It’s not much farther, Joonie,” says Hoseok through a giant grin. “Just a few more steps, and you can have your coordination back!”
Namjoon huffs out a laugh of his own, his cheeks bunching up under Hoseok’s petite hands. “I… don’t think I was coordinated to begin with, Hob-ah,” his alpha states, advancing slowly in his slides. “But thank you for the thought,” he offers as Hoseok giggles again.
In the aftermath of his laughter, Hoseok brings them to a stop in front of the area that took him only two hours to set up. There wasn’t much to do, just lay out some blankets (subtly including the one Namjoon’s father had gifted them for fertility) on top of the chilled wooden slats of the raised platform, organize their gifts and the food he’d prepped earlier in the morning, and hang some colored fairy lights to give the open-air gathering place a soft, warm glow. And although he planned on having to fight the wind as he strung up the fairy lights on the trellis dividing the outdoor space, there wasn’t much wind this morning when he was decorating for their mating anniversary. So, Hoseok roused Namjoon earlier than planned and led him to the sunshine-spotted rooftop of their apartment building, where he innocently asked his mate to close his eyes and not peek. (Hoseok added the extra coverage of his fingers after Namjoon playfully cracked an eye open on the way there. As it happens, though, nothing was spoiled.)
There’s a pleasant breeze now that carries the tantalizing combination of their scents—hot, fresh scones, topped with gooey honey butter—and the purity of clean, sun-warmed air. Few clouds speckle the sky, and it’s neither too cool nor too warm; which is great for Hoseok, who’s in yellow shorts and a light, white zip-up hoodie, and Namjoon, who’s in gray sweatpants and a plain, white t-shirt. Hoseok thanks the weather forecaster for being accurate up until this point and hopes the remainder of their time on this celebratory picnic is uninterrupted by weather.
A sudden waft of creamy milk tickles Hoseok’s nose, and the omega is overwhelmingly grateful Namjoon isn’t very perceptive of scents. Otherwise, the anniversary gift for his mate might not be much of a surprise.
Hoseok softly asks if Namjoon is ready for the reveal (not the only one of the night, Hoseok muses internally), and the jerky nod his alpha gives in response—pale rose-silver hair bouncing from the movement—is permission enough for Hoseok to begin the countdown.
He counts down from three before retracting his hands. Then, he’s stepping from behind his mate to beside him as Namjoon gapes in awe.
“Hob-ah, when’d you… set all this up?” His alpha gesticulates to the originally bare, raised platform opposite the rooftop greenhouse, where several blankets, a small cooler, and two small gifts rest. The gift boxes are tied up with identical light blue ribbon, which means they both enlisted the gift-wrapping expertise of Jimin. “Last night? This morning?”
“This morning. That’s why my alarm went off so early,” divulges Hoseok with another giggle. He proffers his hand to Namjoon, waits for him to take it, and then guides his clumsy mate to the picnic-ready platform. “It took less time than I thought because there was hardly any wind.”
“I thought you were called in, or something,” reasons Namjoon, who nearly stumbles into Hoseok when the omega halts in front of the blanket-covered platform to step out of his yeezy slides.
While Hoseok shakes his head in response to Namjoon’s statement, red-orange strands dancing, he releases his alpha’s hand and climbs onto the platform. He then verbally circles back to why today’s early morning alarm wasn’t for the purpose of helping out pediatric patients:
“Making sure I had everything for today took a bit of time. But not as much as I thought. Sorry for waking you so early, Joonie.”
Namjoon dismisses Hoseok’s apology with a dimpled grin after he too sheds his slides and climbs atop the prepped platform. “I’d rather be with you, anyway. The mate in my dreams just doesn’t live up to the real thing.”
Hoseok scoffs and rolls his eyes, although his cheeks embarrassingly heat and attempt to match color with his hair, probably. He focuses on opening the cooler and removing what he’d packed for them for breakfast while his cheeks return to their non-flaming state. He pulls out several tiny Mason jars filled with different fruit juices and flavored milks, a few plastic food-safe containers with an assortment of baked goods in them, and two glass containers storing skewered pineapple, mango, and apple, as well as some green grapes.
“This spread is beautiful, Hob-ah,” comments his alpha, once Hoseok has laid out everything. Namjoon glances over the food appreciatively and rumbles in satisfaction, even though he hasn’t had a single bite.
Hoseok finds his cheeks heating again, despite his pleased inner wolf, and hides in the bunched up fabric of his hoodie. (He never was very good at taking compliments, including, unfortunately, the ones from his mate.)
“Would you mind if I fed you, Omega?”
Hoseok’s whole face and ears heat at the request, and he grabs a mini, glazed blueberry scone and fits it into Namjoon’s (infuriatingly) grinning mouth.
“Please try this,” murmurs Hoseok, in an attempt to recover from his overwhelming embarrassment. He avoids his alpha’s stare by intently gazing at the hand he keeps in place over Namjoon’s thick lips as his alpha chews.
His mate hums thoughtfully at the taste after he swallows, and his big hand comes up to gently encircle Hoseok’s slim wrist and pry Hoseok’s hand away from his mouth. But not before Namjoon unexpectedly, and bunglingly, licks off any crumbs from Hoseok’s palm and the creases of his fingers.
Hoseok squeals and withdraws his hand from Namjoon’s grip, face burning once more as he complains, “Eugh! What’d you do that for?”
While Hoseok wipes his dirtied hand on Namjoon’s white tee in retaliation, Namjoon sends him a soft look, accompanied by a dimpled, disarming smile. Hoseok’s breath stutters, knowing he’s about to be complimented again; heart beating a rapid rhythm in his chest, despite how disgusted he is at having been licked.
“Your sweet scone scent,” answers his mate sincerely before smacking his lips. Namjoon then reaches for some grapes and pops them into his mouth, talking around them as he chews. “I’ll always prefer it, I think, over any baked good you could give me. You’re my favorite for a reason.”
As Hoseok’s face inflames once again, he grabs a skewer full of mango and concentrates on eating the fruit off it, all the while wondering what Namjoon will think of his scent in the coming months as it changes. Hopefully, his alpha’s preference will remain the same, regardless of the change, and he’ll be excited for what that change in scent means. What it means for their future, their… family.
They eat and drink what Hoseok prepared in comfortable silence, Namjoon apparently aware that Hoseok will combust if he receives any more compliments. The sun rises higher, and the breeze intermittently greets them and rustles their hair. Meanwhile, Hoseok grows more and more excited the closer they get to unwrapping their gifts.
He’s vibrating, practically, by the time he distributes them; noting his gift weighs significantly more than what he shakily hands Namjoon. Hoseok tilts his hefty, slim gift box to find the taped start of the pretty, light blue ribbon Jimin used in decoration, and it’s surprising when whatever’s inside thunks against the box’s edge. Hoseok cheeps in shock, eyebrows raising, and shifts so he can prop the box on his yellow-short-clad legs as he opens it.
“What is this— A gold bar?” he inquires, at last prying up the tape that secures the ribbon to the box. He glances up at Namjoon incredulously, beginning to wrestle with the ribbon. “You know Jiminie and I were joking about investing in them, don’t you?”
Namjoon laughs softly before murmuring, “I do, but you’re not far off with that guess, Hob-ah.” He smiles then, cheeks dimpling. “Go on. Open it!”
That’s all Hoseok needs to hear. He makes sound effects as he finally extricates the box from its ribbon and lifts the lid enough to find—
Hoseok gasps, recognizing the colorful, flower graphics and the two names on the embossed front of another box. “Is this… what I think it is?” he queries tearfully, staring down at what’s likely to be a limited edition collection piece from a collaboration between one of his favorite artists and a jewelry company. “I-Is this— I-Is this really—”
“Why don’t you open it and find out,” encourages Namjoon, resting a warm, comforting hand on Hoseok’s leg.
Hoseok quakily removes the lid at his alpha’s insistence and promptly bursts into tears.
What’s inside is exactly what Hoseok thought would be in the box. It’s a large, golden pendant necklace of the Murakami flower, one of Hoseok’s favorite characters. But what makes it even more special (burst-into-tears-worthy), is what’s depicted on the pendant.
It’s a family, a parent and child, and Hoseok cautiously moves the (very expensive) necklace off his lap before settling onto Namjoon’s and embracing his mate.
“Oh— Joonie— This is— This is wonderful!” he cries, pressing his lips to Namjoon’s repeatedly, resulting in several chaste, salty kisses. “I love it a lot, Alpha! Thank you so much!”
Namjoon gingerly pecks each of Hoseok’s cheeks and attempts to dry his tears, but Hoseok is emotional and continues to cry (out of joy, enthusiasm, and hope for what’s to come).
“I didn’t think you’d like it enough to cry,” reveals Namjoon as he wipes away more of Hoseok’s tears, using the sleeve of Hoseok’s white hoodie.
Hoseok barks out an ugly, watery laugh in response, because he didn’t think he would either, and offhandedly mumbles an apology.
“No, don’t apologize!” exclaims his mate loudly.
Hoseok shies away from his alpha’s volume and finds refuge in his rumbling chest.
“I’m just happy you’re happy, Hob-ah. And that you liked my gift,” explains Namjoon, voice now soft.
As Namjoon pets down his clothed back and rumbles soothingly in his ear, Hoseok does his best to stop the waterworks. It takes a bit, but he’s eventually tear- and itchy-tear-track-free; enough to straighten his back and snifflingly urge Namjoon to open his gift.
“You have to open yours now, so you’ll understand why I cried.”
When confusion drips from Namjoon’s shaking pupils and spreads across his entire expression, Hoseok tries to keep his face neutrally happy, to not give anything else but the clue away. Namjoon’s eyes search Hoseok’s, and Hoseok assumes he finds respect, love, and trust there because his alpha takes a deep breath and undoes the ribbon on his gift box without asking any questions.
Hoseok braces himself, for Namjoon to finally have his world rocked much like he himself did when he both discovered and confirmed what is on the slip of paper inside his mate’s gift box.
Namjoon’s breath hitches, and his eyes flit up to meet Hoseok’s. “This is a blood test.”
Hoseok bites back his grin and nods, while his alpha looks back at the paper. “It is.”
“A blood test for H-C-G, a hormone found in people who are pregnant.”
“Yep,” affirms Hoseok, with a light giggle. It’s almost entertaining to see his alpha struggle to put this together, but Hoseok compassionately prompts Namjoon with a question to lead him closer to the proper conclusion.
“What’s the test say?”
Namjoon swallows audibly. “That there were small amounts of H-C-G detected,” he reports, looking down at the paper again, this time with a furrowed brow.
It’s a long moment before what Namjoon says sinks in, and Hoseok enjoys watching his mate’s contemplation morph into bafflement as he realizes what he’s just said.
“Hoseok-ah, is this… yours? Are you telling me… there was H-C-G in your blood? That you’re… pregnant?”
When Hoseok answers with a close-lipped grin and a series of nods, Namjoon scoops him up in a fierce hug, briefly pecks Hoseok’s lips, then shouts, “You’re pregnant! That means we’re gonna be parents!”
Hoseok laughs as he attests that, yes, he’s pregnant, and, yes, they’ll be parents.
“You’ll be a great dad, Namjoon-ah. I’m sure of it,” states Hoseok assuredly, followed by a soft smile and more laughter at his mate’s elated expression.
“A dad! I can’t believe this! You’re actually pregnant, I’m gonna be a dad, and you’re gonna be a mother!”
“Yes,” titters Hoseok before leaning in to softly kiss Namjoon’s plush lips and gaze into his starry eyes. “We’re going to be parents.”
“We grew up to be pretty great parents, didn’t we?” posits Namjoon. He’s beside Hoseok in the elementary school’s lobby, with his hand in Hoseok’s back pocket and his dimpled smile trained on their twin pups.
Hoseok grins widely and waves at Yoongi and Seokjin one more time before the two disappear inside their classroom, holding hands. “Yeah, I guess so,” he replies, arm flagging as it drops down to his side.
“And the boys have grown up to be great too, haven’t they?”
Emotion wells up in Hoseok’s heart (and seems to overflow at his lash line) at his alpha’s words. “I’d like to think so,” says Hoseok weepily. He places his hand over his quivering heart and whispers, “They grew up so fast…”
“They did. And we grew with them, Hob-ah. Together. We became a beautiful family.”
Hoseok turns into his mate’s chest and wetly calls out one of his most precious titles. “Yoon and Jin’s appa! St-Stop saying such sweet things, o-or I’ll cry!” he threatens, sniffling.
“Jin and Yoon’s eomma,” counters Namjoon, while his arms come up and encircle the omega, making Hoseok feel safe. Namjoon noses at the back of Hoseok’s neck—where his alpha laid his claim over ten years ago—and licks at the pulsing mating bite lazily. “I’ll be right here to dry your tears, Hob-ah. Love you.”
Hoseok melts against his mate before returning the sentiment. “Love you too, Alpha.”