Previously:
Gulf gestured at the baby.
"Somebody left him on our doormat. Just a letter from a teen mom and no family to speak of. Somebody literally gave me a baby. So uh... say hello, Mew. "
The shopping bag and the diaper packs the alpha was holding dropped to the floor with a thud. The baby made a tiny noise.
"What in the hell, Gulf."
What Are We Going To Do?
2
"Ey, you finally knock up Gulf huh? A bit too early for a maternity leave application, don't you think?"
Mew huffed and gave his smirking colleague, one Earth Pirapat, an unamused look. "That's not even funny."
He looked back at the screen and continued typing. Purposely clicking on the keys louder to ignore the other man.
The unapologetic alpha swiped the stress ball off Mew's desk and threw it up in the air, parking his butt at the edge of Mew's slightly cluttered space and caught the squishy thing. Earth smiled, being slightly nosy as he tried to peek at the digital form. Mew turned his laptop away, glaring at the other.
"How do you even know I'm filing for a maternity leave?"
Earth scoffed. "Please, I fill it in way too many times. You know Mix will kill me if I didn't finish this paperwork in time. I've seen it way too many times I can just tell from a glance."
The ball landed in his palm and the other alpha froze, rethinking his joke as he did a mental calculation. Earth stared the other engineer down. "The question is, why are you filling in this form? Something you wanna tell me?"
Mew kept mum. Earth squinted at the screen, watching what Mew wrote while Mew pretended he was air.
"Shit. Starting next week? That can't be right. I can still smell your fresh stank. You shared Gulf's heat. I know 'cause I pick up after you for the project. He wouldn't have one if he were pregnant. You came back to work just two days ago-"
Mew smirked when Earth fell silent with a large frown on his face. Trying his best to figure out what was going on. He let the other man suffer to overwork his brain. No forthcoming questions were asked as the tanned alpha puzzled over Mew's situation.
"Unless you knocked somebody else up. Is this like a surprise paternity claim? I'd think I'd know if you ever slept with someone other than Gulf. Shit, did you? You didn't use protection? Come on, answer me man!"
Mew's lips stayed zipped shut. And Earth frowned ever more as he watched the fair-skinned alpha. He watched the screen as Mew typed in his details.
"Meung, you spelled your street wrong."
"Damn. Thanks." He might have pressed the delete button a bit too hard.
"Okay I give. There's something wrong. I can't figure it out. So you're just gonna tell me. Come on. What happened?"
Mew grunted but his fingers were still busy typing away.
Earth waited until Mew sighed and closed his laptop. With one big inhale, he looked up, worked his jaw in contemplation and exhaled harshly. He clasped his hands together, fingers jittery but Earth was slowly spreading his pheromones, not in a threat but in solidarity to calm Mew down. Mew didn't even realise he was getting himself worked up until the scent registered and he relaxed.
"Gulf and I fought. I mean really fight, not like our, our squabbles or like cursing at each other over things the other person left on the floor and one of us trip over it. We... fought. Big time."
Earth widened his eyes in surprise. "Wow. That never happened."
"Yeah."
"Okay. What did you guys fight about?"
In all the years he knew Mew, since before they became colleagues, and by extension his omega roommate slash cycle partner, Gulf, he had never seen or heard of them even arguing. Or Mew ever complaining about the younger oncologist. They squabbled or nagged each other or remind things when the other forget, in that weird co-dependent thing they had going on. They acted more like a married couple than he and Mix who were the actual married couple.
"I- I called him crazy...."
"That's not-"
"And stupid-"
"Whoa- hey, rude!" The sarcasm in Earth's voice.
"After he rejected my proposal. Af-after I asked him to marry me."
"You did what now?"
"It's just for the baby's insurance!"
Earth's phone rang as he gaped at his colleague. He glanced at it and held up a finger.
"Stop! I need to take this, it's my brother. When I come back - start from the beginning!"
What Are We Going To Do?
The door to the nursing station was opened and a nurse came in. When her eyes landed on Gulf, she gave him a look.
"Five more minutes," Gulf pleaded, "please?"
"Doctor, you really can't stay here all day. You have some rounds you need to do. And Doctor Win is waiting for you, he needs to discuss a patient with you and he came here instead of you going to the ED. Which was what you were supposed to do ten minutes ago."
"But-"
"He's in your office. So you gotta go, now. Put on your clothes and give that lovely little boy to me. Right now, please."
"Okay," Gulf acquiesced, a slight whine in his voice, and made sure that his scrub was in place. His chest felt a bit tender, in a process of changing.
He neared the sleeping babe, its tiny mouth forming a small 'o', warmly bundled in one of the hospital's many blankets, and caressed the boy's downy head and placed a gentle kiss. The newborn still carried that distinct stinging clean yet perplexedly soft sweet scent of a newborn, a lingering trace of vernix caseosa that soothed Gulf. It brought forth, or rather strengthened that maternal instincts in the omega. A part of Gulf's mind knew that this was just his biology amplified, his heat hormones acclimating to normal got slightly diverted due to the newborn's arrival.
"I'll be back for him soon."
"Oh, please take your time, Doctor. He's safely cared for here, you know."
Gulf chuckled and finally made his way back to his office. His nose flared as he registered the familiar scent as he stepped in.
"What is this?" The doctor almost snarled.
The figure in his room was not who he expected as he stood up before Gulf.
"Gulf."
The oncologist closed his door, ignoring his roommate as he stood behind his chair. He was more hurt than angry actually. If his eyes could shoot fire, the older engineer in front of him would burn to crisp. Oh, he'd make sure of it. Mew's words rang in his ear.
'What can you even do alone? Do you think you can raise a baby alone? Don't be stupid. Think for a second. You know you're thinking crazy.'
'An omega caring for a kid not even his own? Please, the baby won't last a few month with no birth certificate. What exactly are you going to do? What can you even do? Nothing!'
"Look-" the alpha began.
"If the next word that comes out of your mouth isn't an apology..." Gulf cut him off.
Mew sighed and he almost messed up his coifed hair. He looked at Gulf pleadingly.
"I know, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking straight last night-"
"Not an apology. That's an excuse."
The both of them went silent, in a standstill Gulf watched the alpha.
"I'm sorry, Gulf. I really am. What I said to you was inexcusable. I was concerned, I am concerned. You should know that at least. I didn't mean it in a...degrading way. Far be it... 'cause you're one of the strongest people I know. I guess I was looking at the bigger picture and too far ahead that I stupidly say all those things to you. Please."
"..."
"Please talk to me. I'm sorry. Tell me how to make things better, I want to help you." Seeing as the doctor didn't react, Mew drew closer and stood in front of his roommate, pleading with his eyes.
With Mew so near, Gulf couldn't help but look up just to see his eyes. Nothing was spoken as they looked at each other.
Gulf sighed. And covered his face. His lips trembled slightly, darn hormones.
Without words, Mew pulled the younger man into a hug meant as a comforting gesture. Gulf returned it, desperate arms going around the older man's waist, grabbing at the fabric. Gulf's shoulders shook and he couldn't help the tidal sobs that came, despite his attempt at muffling the noises on Mew's shoulder. Let his tears and snot stain the alpha's uniform. He deserved it.
It took a while as Gulf calmed down and his sobs petered off. In all that time, Mew said nothing and only patted the omega's back, occasionally brushing his nose against Gulf's nape, his pheromones signalling calm.
"You're right," Gulf whispered, breaking the sombre atmosphere. He pushed the other man slightly and they locked eyes, a pair puffy while the other gazed in sympathy.
"What you said was right, even if you worded them wrongly, I get what you meant. I do. If I wanted to adopt the baby, I can't unless I'm married. I can't name him with my name just because I'm not an alpha and I won't have any legal authority in anything. You're right, without an alpha, I can't even legally register him for anything."
Mew patted his back as the two of them frowned at their situation. Both understanding that even if the world was a little bit kinder to omega kind than it was some twenty years ago, omegas were still restricted under the so-called 'alpha protection', diminishing their own identity as an individual - just because of their secondary gender. Even Gulf had listed Mew as his alpha in official documents that required said information. Before his roommate, it was his alpha sister.
"Our law sucks. I wish it's more progressive now." Gulf moaned and rested his eyes on Mew's collar. He pulled the alpha closer, trapping him with his gangly arms like a mole wrench.
Mew ran his fingers through Gulf's soft locks.
"Yeah I know. You know I didn't mean to shit on your sex, you know I'll never do that." In which, Gulf nodded in understanding. "But I was saying all those in your best interest. You're right, I could've worded them better but in the heat of the moment..."
"Yeah."
"Yeah."
"So... are we okay now?" Mew implored hesitantly.
"We're good." Gulf smiled. "By the way, fighting with you sucks balls."
Mew scrunched up his face in disgust but nodded, "yeah, let's not do it again."
"And can you do the dishes when you get home? I forgot to do them last night." Gulf said, biting his lip in guilt and turning up those teary eyes at Mew.
Mew chuckled, "alright." And bumped their heads slightly, in truce.
They both sighed, that mutual heavy feeling in their chest vanishing.
"So what now? What do you want to do?"
What Are We Going To Do?
Mew smiled at the omega who was cooing at the drowsy babe in his arms. They had came up with an agreement. One step at a time. Of course they needed to go to the district office to register for Moon's birth certificate. Yes, Gulf wanted to call their baby duangjaan.
And wasn't that an awkward thought - to think of a living, breathing small person as theirs. Technically, Mew was a father now. He didn't know if that prospect scared or excited him. The more he thought of it, the future became a bit daunting.
But yes, one step at a time. They had a month to get Moon's birth certificate submitted. In the mean time, their focus would be how to fit a baby into their life - with how demanding their jobs were. First, they agreed to take the baby home from the hospital a day before Gulf's day-off. Gulf would bring Moon to work when he's on call. He already signed him up in the hospital's nursery. It was a good thing that his hospital had one that catered to the staff with young children. Gulf knew how difficult it was to find good sitters much less to hire an au pair or a live-in nanny. Mew's eyes bulged when Gulf showed him the cost of the hiring process and the weekly stipend. Both of them were by no means poor, with their jobs making life more than comfortable but in a long run, having either a nanny or an au pair would put a dent in their current financial situation. Especially when they had only been working for a few years. They did not have enough room to put one in anyway in their current 3-bedroom apartment. The guest room they had was already in the process of being converted into a nursery.
"I think we need to get a car seat." Gulf's quiet voice broke through his contemplation.
Glancing at the younger man, the alpha could see the babe had fallen asleep, tiny pouty mouth making a slight O while the omega was staring at baby Moon with stars in his eyes. His fingers lightly hovered over a chubby cheek. The omega was already gone for the newborn.
"What for?" Mew asked blankly. And promptly made a face as he realised how stupid that question was. He tagged on quickly, "mall?"
The alpha kept half his attention to them as he carefully changed lane, driving as carefully as he could. Suddenly, the thought that there was a fragile pup in the car made him wary, his pheromones slightly leaking. Thankfully, he managed to reign in his more primal instincts before Gulf could comment on it.
"Sure. Let's just go to the one in our neighbourhood. I'm sure there are a lot of things we have to carry," Gulf replied.
"You mean, what I have to carry. Are you going to carry bags and Moon at the same time?"
Gulf slapped his forehead and chuckled at his mistake. "We need a baby pram too."
"A baby what now?"
The younger doctor sighed, taking his phone out carefully - Mew knew he was going to make a list.
"There's no point in me explaining it to you now. You'll see when we get there." There was a hint of teasing in the omega's voice.
Mew huffed in mock annoyance but a smile was in place - returning the jest.