Labor of Love

Liam

I don’t care if it’s mine.

Don’t text me again.

I should have deleted the stupid text.

All it did was sit there on my phone, mocking me and pissing me off.

That simple text, those ten words, felt heavy in my pocket, and yet I hadn’t bothered to delete it.

They were a reminder of the biggest mistake of my life, which led to something wonderful.

I stared out the window overlooking the cracked sidewalk in front of my new store with a heavy sigh.

A few cars were parked on the side of the street.

They belonged primarily to store owners who lived upstairs or to employees completing their shifts for the night.

Oakland was a small town, like smaller than small, though it appeared to be growing in size since the last time I’d visited.

I’d been a pup at that time, though.

The town center was lined with small shops.

A little less than half sat empty, looking for new owners.

Like the building I was in, which had been vacant until a week ago.

It was a one-time thing.

Yeah, it had been a one-time thing with an alpha who I didn’t even consider a friend.

He’d been a friend of a friend, or something stupid like that.

We’d met a few times at a party.

Sure, he’d been hot, but he was also a huge asshole.

So really, this shouldn’t have been a surprise at all.

I’d been desperate, and he had made the offer.

I felt stupid the moment my heat was over and I’d turned to find he was already gone.

Not that I’d wanted him to be there when I woke up.

It had been a stupid, one-time thing with someone I had no attachment to.

But fuck me, I guess, for assuming he might want to know he knocked me up.

I was wrong to assume that he might want to be involved in the child he helped to create.

I didn’t want him to be in our lives anyway.

I knew I could go after him for child support or something like that.

I didn’t need it.

Hell, I didn’t want it.

Before those two blue lines appeared on the tests I took in the bathroom of my lonely apartment, I’d planned on ghosting him anyway.

It felt like the right thing to do, though, to tell him about the baby, in case he’d want to be around.

I should've known better.

I wasn’t mourning the loss of Jacob. Only for the fact that my pup wouldn’t know their father.

I placed a hand on my lower stomach, where I couldn’t yet feel the bump that would form as my pup grew inside me. My feelings about the pregnancy had been all over the place when I first found out. I’d broken down crying in the waiting room at the clinic I’d gone to, needing to confirm what four store-bought tests had already told me. The tired nurse patted my shoulder and said, “There, there.” Then she sent me on my way, as if my life hadn’t changed forever.

The nurse who had cared for me had given me pamphlets, letting me know what my options were. Adoption, termination, keeping the baby… It was so much to take in. I still had the pamphlets shoved in a box somewhere upstairs. At least I thought I did.

If I hadn’t felt so hungry and tired a few weeks after my heat, I might not have gone to the corner store for a test.

When I returned home from the clinic, I had spent two days in bed sobbing on and off. I remembered driving through Oakland as a kid during one of my 'off' moments. So, I grabbed my sticker-covered laptop and started browsing ads for commercial buildings. It had been my dream since I was a child to open a floral shop. I loved flowers and had taken as many classes in floral arrangements as I could. I had even worked at a flower shop until the moment I moved to Oakland. With my entire life changing, I decided that nothing was going to stop me. I did not have the support I knew I needed out there, but I had the money and the ability to make the change, so why not? Besides, it wasn't like I had the support at home either.

The bell above the door startled me from my thoughts.

His scent hit me before I could even look up from my papers.

He came in three days earlier for the first time.

Since then, he’s often been on my mind, except when I thought about how I got here.

Officer Henry Daniels.

His woodsy scent stirred something in me.

He was tall, measuring a good six inches or so above my height, with dark hair turning gray at the temples and brown eyes.

He dressed casually today, in a white t-shirt and jeans.

He still looked just as yummy.

My mate.

So far, those words have never failed to surprise me every time they popped into my head.

“Officer Daniels.” I couldn’t stop the smile that appeared on my face.

Seeing Henry was exactly what I needed.

He always managed to pull me out of my own head.

“Hey, Liam.” He’d been coming up with an excuse to come to the shop every day since we first met.

I wanted to have a real conversation with him, not struggle to search for the right words.

There was one thing that stopped me.

Rejection was a rare occurrence among fated mates.

If there’s a reason to turn away from your fated mate, it’s that he’s carrying another alpha’s pup.

"I want to take you to dinner tonight.”

“Oh.” It took me a moment to realize that that wasn’t an answer. “Y-yes. I’d like that. I haven’t eaten anything since lunch.”

He frowned. “Do you make a habit of going this long without eating?”

I shrugged in response. No, I didn’t, but somehow that seemed to be happening more and more lately. I wasn’t going to tell him that, though.

“Are you all done in here for the night?”

I blinked, looking past him out the window. I hadn’t even realized that the sun had gone down, and it was dark out. The streetlights were on, casting a warm glow on the cars I’d been watching earlier. “Oh.” Wow, I was doing great with words. “I didn’t realize it was so late. Yeah, I’m done for tonight. I’m pretty much ready for opening next week.”

When he smiled, his whole face lit up, but I was starting to wonder if that was just how he looked whenever he saw me. He always looked excited to see me, and that made it difficult to worry about his reaction to my secret. A secret I wouldn’t be able to hide for long. One way or another, I was going to find out his reaction.

I made quick work of closing everything up and grabbing my jacket. It was starting to warm up during the days around this time of year, but once the sun fell, it got way too cold for my liking. Though I had grown up in the Midwest, I still managed to not get used to the cold.

Henry waited while I locked up the building, leaving a light on in the store since I would be back later. My small apartment was above the shop. This was convenient, but it might get annoying when I opened the store.

“Do you mind if we walk? It’s only about a block away.” I nodded, happy with whatever time I would get to spend with him. Every fiber of my being craved his presence, his touch, and the sound of his voice. I needed him in a way that was unexpected, given that we barely knew each other. But I knew he felt the same way. I now understand all the stories I heard as a child. I always loved them, but I thought they were dramatic. “I noticed you got your sign up.”

I nodded again before realizing that I was going to have to actually talk to him. “Yes, they came and installed it today," I said. I was proud of the work I’d been putting into the shop. It had come a long way in the small amount of time I’d been in Oakland. I wanted everything done and ready well before the pup was here, though. Next on my agenda was going to be hiring staff. There was no way I could work by myself.

The walk to the restaurant was quick. The cold made me stay close to him, hoping to soak up his warmth.

Henry opened the door for me. His simple gesture made me swoon, and that reaction showed how bad my dating life had been. In my twenty-eight years of life, I’d never managed to make it past a third date with anyone. It was for the best, of course.

A host led us to a booth, and the red vinyl seat felt more comfortable than it looked. I shifted in my seat until I was comfortable. I looked up and realized that Henry was watching me. He never seemed embarrassed when I caught him staring. He smiled at me.

“Have you eaten here before?” he asked.

“No, I haven’t gotten a chance to go out anywhere since moving here,” I said. “I’m lucky I even remember to eat most days.”

This earned me a frown from the alpha.

“You mentioned something about that earlier, too. Do you forget to eat a lot?”

“I don’t know if I’d say a lot . But I tend to forget more than I should.” He was shaking his head at me before I even finished the sentence. I wasn’t used to having anyone care enough to remind me to eat. I knew I should make sure to eat more. I found my hand drifting again towards my stomach. I sat on my hand to keep from touching my stomach without thought. That would give me away if I wasn't careful.

We ordered our food, and thankfully, Henry asked me questions to keep me talking. I wasn’t always the best at conversation. I told him a bit about my family, though I kept some things to myself for now. He didn’t need to know about the constant arguments with my mom and dad since I had come out as gay. Most people didn’t even care. I didn’t know why my parents cared. He told me about his own mother, who lived in a nearby town, and about his father, who had passed away a few years back from cancer. I found him easy to talk to. I felt at ease with him. By the time we left the diner, I was laughing and chatting freely. My purple cardigan was almost too thin to keep me warm, but I was more than happy to stay close to him.

We took our time walking back to the shop. I didn’t want the date to end, and I don’t think he did either.

We paused outside the shop. We kept chatting until Henry saw me shivering. It was much colder out now, almost cold enough to see my breath. He rubbed my arms, though it did little to warm me up. “You should get inside and warm up.” I found myself pouting again. “Can I bring you dinner tomorrow? I know you said you have to be here late for a delivery.” My face lit up again at that. He’d remembered.

“I’d like that.”

Henry

I hated to have to walk away from him. He was pretty, with wavy brown hair and blue eyes. There was a small scar at the edge of his right eyebrow, and I wanted to know where it had come from. I brushed a strand of his hair off his forehead. I wanted to stand there and stare at him for hours. But the cloud of his breath in the air reminded me that he needed to get inside. It was way too cold to stand out here. “Six tomorrow?”

“Works for me.” His eyes darted down to my mouth.

So, I kissed him.

His mouth was soft and he tasted sweet, like the apple pie he’d had for dessert. I placed one hand on his waist, pulling him tighter against me. His hands gripped the front of my jacket and he pressed against me. I knew I needed to pull away. I deepened the kiss. He gasped as I tangled my hand in his hair and let my tongue slip inside his mouth.

Another shiver wracked through Liam’s body, pulling me out of the lust that had started to blur my thoughts. I forced myself to pull back.

“I’ll see you tomorrow night, Liam.”

He smiled at the sound of his name, nodding. I couldn’t help but kiss him one more time before releasing him to go inside. I waited in front of the store until I heard the click of the lock and the light in the store turned off. I walked down the street to my own house, a smile on my face. My small house felt too empty now, I realized as I took off my shoes in the entryway.

I glanced around the cozy living room. A large brown leather sectional filled the space in front of the brick fireplace. I had a TV mounted above the fireplace and bookshelves lining one wall. Past the living room was the kitchen and dining room, as well as the stairs leading up to the bedrooms. All but one of those rooms had been empty since I moved in. I found myself wondering if he would be comfortable here.

I wanted him here.

It made me anxious, the thought of him sitting in that little apartment above the shop, all by himself. I wanted him here where I could protect him.

I knew I had to wait until he was ready for that. He still seemed so hesitant. I knew why, and I wasn’t going to push. He would tell me when he was ready. Eventually, he wouldn’t have a choice. I locked up the house, humming to myself. Most people who lived in Oakland didn’t bother locking their doors. The thought made me cringe. Crime rates in the town were very low. But with the population growing as fast as it was, I wondered how long that would last.

I went about my bedtime routine, thinking about Liam. Like most people, I had grown up with the tales of fated mates. My mom had told me that everyone has one. You will meet that one person whose soul calls to yours. But, at almost forty, I had started losing hope in those stories. I thought I was getting too old to find someone. If my mate had been out there, I would have found them.

When I walked through the doors to the shop for the first time, a strange feeling struck me. I somehow knew exactly what it was I was feeling. Instincts, I suppose.

I tossed and turned all night. I felt uneasy thinking about Liam not being in the same house as me. It was strange to feel so protective of someone I’d met less than a week before.

By the time my alarm rang the next morning, I had only six hours of sleep. I struggled to get out of bed and into the shower. I fought the urge to stop by the shop on my way to work to check on my omega. Liam was likely still sleeping. It was pretty early.

As the day dragged on, I regretted not getting his phone number so I could check in on him. It was a slow day at the station, which was good. I found myself checking my phone several times to see how he was doing. I couldn’t do that without his phone number, so I would set the phone back down with a frustrated sigh.

It seemed to take weeks for five to roll around, and I got out of the station as fast as I could to grab dinner for us.

“Right on the dot," Liam teased as I opened the door to the shop right at six o’clock. The front glass windows and doors remained covered with paper. This kept people walking by from seeing inside.

I took a moment to admire his outfit, a loose-fitting white t-shirt with a light pink cardigan. I had yet to see him in something I didn’t find him pretty in. The soft colors he seemed to wear suited him. He often raked his fingers through his curls when he talked to me. That's probably why they always looked a bit messy.

“I would have been early if Joe didn’t insist on telling me everything about his grandchildren every time I went in.” I usually didn’t mind it. The man running the deli was kind, and I knew that he was lonely since his mate had passed. There were times I spent hours sitting with him, letting him talk about his grandkids. He was so proud of them, and I liked seeing him light up and look a little less sad.

“I need to start learning everyone’s names around here, don’t I?”

I loved seeing Liam smile. “Not necessarily. Kai hardly knows anyone’s names, and he grew up in town. He runs the lodge you probably passed to get into town.” He nodded. “Where do you want to sit and eat?”

“I set up a little table and chairs back here.” He beamed with pride, clutching the sleeve of my jacket since he couldn't take my hand. He tugged me back behind the counter. There was a white tablecloth on the little table and a candle in the middle. I smiled at the sweet gesture. “I know it’s not much. This was the only candle I could find.”

“It’s perfect.” I leaned down to kiss him, needing to close the space between us somehow. The crinkling of the bag I was holding reminded me that we still had dinner to eat. Then perhaps we could do more kissing. “Let’s get some food in you.” He nodded, though he looked as hesitant as I was to pull away. We worked together to get everything set up and sat down to eat.

We kept the conversation light while we ate. Liam told me more about his plans for the shop. His face lit up when he talked about his plans and about his previous work at a floral shop where he grew up. He was beautiful. I knew there was still one thing he had to tell me. I could tell it was holding him back. He would tell me whenever he was ready. I needed to be patient.

Liam

I was grateful the delivery service brought my new sofa earlier. I led Henry up to the apartment. It began to feel more like home. Still, I doubted any place without Henry could truly feel like home. I needed to be around him. I never imagined I could be so addicted to a person this fast. He insisted I lock the apartment door behind us, even though the door downstairs was already locked. I didn’t argue, wanting to get my hands on him as soon as possible. When I turned back toward him, he had already closed the distance between us.

He leaned down to kiss me, and I melted against him the way I did every time we kissed. My arms went around his neck, my hands tangling in his short hair.

He lifted me up with little effort, pressing me into the wall as I wrapped my legs around his waist. The kiss turned heated fast, his tongue slipping into my mouth. He tasted like coffee and chocolate, like the cake we had eaten for dessert. I could feel the hardness of his cock pressing against mine through our jeans, and I moaned into his mouth. His mouth left mine, trailing kisses down the side of my neck and sucking a hickey right over my scent gland. I rocked against him, desperate for some kind of friction.

“We should get you into bed,” Henry said against my skin, his voice deep and husky. His voice alone was almost enough to make me come. He pulled us away from the wall, not putting me down. I held on tighter, though I knew he wouldn’t drop me. There was only one bedroom in the apartment, so he found it with ease, kicking the door shut behind us. He was careful as he set me on the edge of my nest, running his hands over my thighs. “Is it okay if I get in your nest?” he asked, leaning over me to continue pressing kisses against the side of my neck.

“If you don’t, I might die.”

He chuckled, climbing over me and sliding his hands into my shirt.

I froze.

I wanted this so badly. Wanted him so badly. But…though I hadn’t gained a lot of weight yet because of my pregnancy, I’d gained enough that he might be able to tell?—

“What’s on your mind?” His voice was gentle, his thumbs tracing patterns against my skin as he pulled back enough to look me over. He must have noticed my hesitation. “We don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with.”

I let out a sigh. “It’s not that.” I propped myself up on my elbows to look at him better. I supposed now was the best time to mention it. Well, earlier would have been better. That wasn’t the point. Now was better than later. Then he could either leave if he wanted to, or we could get on with this without my damn anxiety in the way. He kept his hands on me, which I appreciated, but pulled back enough that he could watch me better while I spoke. “There’s something I should tell you.” My voice was soft, and I hated how weak it made me sound.

“You can tell me anything.” He assured me, and gods, I wanted to believe him.

"I'm... I'm pregnant.”

My heart stopped as the sentence left my mouth, my hands trembling where they were resting on the bed. I couldn’t watch his face, terrified of the disappointment and even anger that I was sure I would see.

“I know.”

My eyes went to his face then, brows furrowed in confusion. “What?” There was no way in hell I’d heard him right. He didn’t look upset or angry, or even confused. His expression was still soft as he watched me.

“I know you’re pregnant, Liam.” His thumbs moved gently on my skin, easing some of my anxiety. “I knew the moment I picked up on your scent the first time. I’ve had plenty of time to think about it. It doesn’t bother me. At all.”

“I’m keeping it.” My voice came out firmer this time.

Honestly, the idea of termination had crossed my mind for a moment when I first left the clinic. But the idea made me sick.

“I figured you were keeping it. How far along are you?”

“Almost three months.” So many thoughts were running through my head now. He knew. He’d known since we met. And he wasn’t angry or even disappointed. The way he smiled at me was soft and understanding.

I needed him inside me now.

I sat up enough to wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him in for a harsh kiss. Luckily, he gave up on the silly idea of continuing the conversation. We could talk later.

Henry

Before I could start thinking too hard about whether I should have told him sooner, Liam’s mouth was on mine again. He tasted too good. I could worry more later. He felt right under me, his arms wrapped around my neck in a secure grip. I slid my hands under his shirt, feeling his smooth skin under my palms. I pulled away from the kiss long enough to pull his shirt over his head, tossing it aside. Mine came off next, joining Liam’s wherever it had ended up on the floor.

We quickly shed the rest of our clothes. My mouth moved down his chest and stomach until I finally removed his underwear. Without his pants in the way, the smell of his slick was strong. One hand slipped between his legs. His nails pressed into my shoulders as I gently probed his entrance. I wanted to take my time, to explore him more thoroughly. But there would be plenty of time for that later. For now, I needed to be inside him, and he seemed to have the same mindset. I slid one finger inside, watching his face to make sure I wouldn’t hurt him.

He seemed a lot more relaxed now that he knew his pregnancy wasn’t a problem. The sounds from his mouth as I added a second and then a third finger almost made me come before I even got inside him.

As soon as he was opened up enough that I wouldn’t hurt him, I pulled my fingers back, earning a desperate whine from the omega. I lay over him, kissing down his throat. “Don’t worry,” I assured him, lining my cock up with his entrance. “I’ll take care of you.” My movements were slow at first, a mixture of my being careful and wanting to relish the wet warmth around my cock. His fingers tangled in my short hair, pressing my mouth to his neck. There, my lips and teeth explored the soft skin over his scent gland. His strawberry scent was strong here, with an underlying hint of something I couldn’t quite place.

“F-fuck. Faster.” His demand came out as a whine, making me throb inside him.

I couldn’t say no to that.

The first hard thrust earned me a loud moan, almost a scream, out of the omega. My omega. A surge of possessiveness hit me, not for the first time, and I let go. The pace I set might have been brutal, but my omega seemed pleased, begging for more in sentences that didn’t make much sense. I knew what he wanted anyway. I held his hips tightly, my fingers digging in as I felt my knot begin to form. Each thrust caught on his rim, sending waves of pleasure through me.

“Gonna come, baby.”

He nodded eagerly in response, and I knew he was right there with me. I pushed deep inside him, my knot forming fully and locking me inside. Between us, Liam’s cock twitched before his orgasm hit, come hitting both of our stomachs as well as his chest. I couldn’t help but watch his face as his eyes fell shut, his body relaxing around me.

I held myself over him, careful not to put too much weight on him. I peppered his neck with light kisses while I waited for my knot to go down. Liam hummed, a smile on his face, while he ran his hands through my hair with a light touch. He seemed in no rush for me to move.

We stayed in comfortable silence until I was able to pull out. He whimpered at the loss of fullness, and I found myself wanting to stay just to make him happy. But he needed to get cleaned up before he fell asleep, and if I wasn’t quick, he was absolutely going to fall asleep. With Liam's vague instructions, I found some washcloths in the bathroom. I wet one with warm water and returned to the bedroom to clean him up.

Liam stretched out comfortably in bed, one arm over his eyes and the other over his chest. He looked comfortable, and I hated having to ruin it. I knelt on the bed beside him.

“I’m getting you cleaned up.”

“Mmhmm.” I cleaned him up, listening to the soft purr coming from his chest. It made me happy seeing him so content. It felt like something had finally settled in me, like I could finally relax. I tossed the washcloth in the laundry basket once I’d cleaned us both up and crawled into the nest next to Liam.

The moment I settled, Liam scooted up against me, curling into my side, already half-asleep. Everything was perfect.

Liam

I probably should have felt more annoyed about moving again. It was less than a month since I settled into the little apartment above the shop. I couldn’t feel annoyed, though. I had spent barely a week living in the apartment after that first night we spent together before deciding I couldn’t handle living apart from Henry. I had called him on that last night at almost two in the morning, unable to sleep more than half an hour without waking up. Some deep, instinctual part of me was likely wondering why the fuck my mate wasn’t in bed with me. I was too needy to feel embarrassed about calling him so late.

He was awake, too. He drove over right away, used the key I gave him, and crawled into the nest with me.

I slept soundly after that.

“Do you want this in the room across the hall or next door to our room?” Henry asked me, holding a small box containing the few baby things I had already purchased. I hadn’t done any of the lifting while moving my things. He’d even been hesitant to let me pack up the few things I had unpacked during my stay in the apartment. He was definitely an overprotective alpha, but I wasn’t going to complain.

“Across the hall would be best," I told him. I was sitting at the edge of his king-sized bed, where I was folding my clothes to put in the closet. I needed to get the nest set up, too. That would probably wait until I’d slept a few nights here. It was still an unfamiliar place.

Henry’s house—our house now—was nice, a small three-bedroom in a nice neighborhood near the school. The outside was painted a shade of blue that almost matched the flower shop. This realization had made me burst out laughing the first time I saw his house. It had taken me a while to catch my breath enough to explain to him why I was laughing. It wasn’t that funny.

My store was finally open. I almost cried when I turned the sign over to "Open" for the first time. I blamed pregnancy hormones, though I was sure that wasn’t all it was. I was so happy. Things were going much better than I thought they would when I first moved out here.

Henry pulled me from my thoughts. He wrapped an arm around me from behind. His hand rested on the small swell of my lower abdomen. Soon, we would feel the baby kicking. I found myself even more excited for those little moments, now that I had someone to share them with.

A part of me still found it hard to believe that Henry was so… relaxed about me already being pregnant. He had even known already and had chosen to give me the space to tell him whenever I was ready. It felt silly now that I’d been so worried.

Henry kissed the back of my neck. “Where’s your head at?” he asked.

“Just thinking.”

“You need a nap?” His hands finding their way inside my shirt told me that a nap wasn’t exactly what he had in mind. I hummed in response, leaning my head back against his shoulder and looking up at him. He hadn’t shaved since the morning before, and I reached up to run my hands over the scruff on his cheeks.

“A nap sounds great if your definition of a nap is the same as mine.”

His answering smile told me that it was.

“Let me lock up the house and we can take a nap before we decide on dinner.” He kissed me then, one hand tangling in my hair. I melted against him, feeling for the first time that I was home.

Henry

I’d been continuously getting kicked out of our nest and told to sleep on the couch, only to be dragged right back to the bedroom an hour later. That was the least of my concerns, though. Liam had barely eaten anything in two days. He would eat if I made him food and watched him, but even then, he wasn’t eating a lot. I peeked into our room with my phone to my ear, where Liam was on the bed, wearing nothing but one of my shirts. Piles of pillows and blankets were lining the sides of the bed. The large space in the center where we slept, and well, didn’t sleep, was once large, now barely big enough for us both to lay. Liam had gone out to purchase a ridiculous amount of blankets and pillows last week. I couldn’t argue, despite the fact that I didn’t think we really had the room for everything.

It looked like he was trying to build the walls to the nest high enough to touch the ceiling. I was going to have to do something about that. I made a mental note to buy a canopy or something later on. But first…

The hold music stopped, and I was greeted by a friendly, soothing voice. “Is this Mr. Daniels?” Doctor McMillian greeted me. She was the only OBGYN in Oakland.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Is there something wrong with Liam?”

“Uhm, I don’t really know.” I was embarrassed about how little I knew about omega pregnancies, despite my hours spent online trying to find information. “Liam’s been acting differently the last few days. He’s having trouble eating, and he’s been setting up nests everywhere in the house.” And I mean everywhere. I found a small pile of bedding in our pantry. I wasn’t sure when he planned to use a pantry nest, but again, I said nothing about it.

The doctors easy laugh made me relax some. “That’s all normal as he gets closer to his due date. I’ll take a look at everything when he comes in a couple of days. There’s nothing to worry about at the moment.”

I let out a sigh of relief. Of course I was just being silly.

I couldn’t help it, though. Liam and the baby he was carrying were the most important people in my life. I didn’t care if the pup wasn’t biologically mine. That didn’t matter to me. I was a little surprised at how little that mattered to me. But the pup was still mine.

It was still dark outside when Liam woke me up with a not so gentle shake. “Henry.” I wasn’t sure why he was whispering if he was trying to wake me up. We had no neighbors close enough to wake up. “We need to go, now.”

“Sleeping.” I didn’t even register why he would be waking me up.

“No.” Another shove. “No more sleeping. The baby’s coming and the hospital is thirty minutes away . I sat straight up. Shit. The pup was coming. Suddenly I had energy. I was up and dressed, getting the keys to the car when I realized that I hadn’t even helped Liam get dressed to go. When I got back upstairs, he was glaring at me from where he sat on the bed, trying to pull on pants.

“Sorry, baby. I guess I’m not as awake as I thought.” I knelt down to help him put on his pants and shoes. He rubbed his stomach as we walked out to the car, flinching at whatever pain he was feeling. “You gotta wait til we get to the hospital.”

“I’ll fucking try, but it’s not up to me.”

I wanted to laugh at his snappish tone, which was very much not like him. I knew that would only annoy him more, though.

The air outside was hot, despite the fact that it was the middle of the night. The sky was clear, showing off the stars and the occasional airplane and satellite. We didn’t have time to stop and look at those, though. I got him buckled up, despite his protest, before starting the car. He immediately turned the AC on full blast, leaning his head on the dashboard.

I hated to see him in pain, especially when there was nothing I could do but drive as fast as I legally could.

Okay, so maybe I broke a few laws on the way to the hospital. But no one noticed, so that didn’t count, right? I was a cop, and I decided that it didn’t count. I didn’t bother parking properly. Liam’s contractions seemed almost non-stop now. During the small breaks between the pain, he complained about the fact that he should have thought to build a nest in the car. Again I held back laughter.

Dr. McMillan was already inside his assigned room by the time we got checked in. I hated how white all the walls were, how empty it seemed. I wished he could have stayed home to have the baby. It was a requirement, though, for male omegas to give birth in hospitals since there tended to be more complications.

“You ready to meet your baby?” She asked Liam, helping him into the bed.

He nodded in response, not bothering with words.

The next three hours were a flurry of movement and chattering and my poor omega groaning in pain. I hated to see him like this, but I knew it would be worth it. Finally, the baby was born, immediately letting out a cry. I stiffened. One of the nurses seemed to notice my worry, immediately assuring me that the crying was a normal, good thing.

I thought the flurry would end there. The baby, a little girl, was rested on Liams chest. I wiped at his forehead, trying to keep the sweat out of his eyes. Squinty eyes looked up at us, though I knew from reading that she see us very well. Liam’s face broke into a smile. His eyes filled with tears, and he didn’t even notice the doctor and nurses getting cleaned up. One of the nurses came to get the baby weighed, and whatever else they did. Liam watched them from his bed, reaching out to squeeze my hand.

“You did good, Liam.” I assured him. His eyes met mine finally and he smiled.

“You did alright, too. Except for the whole almost leaving me behind thing.” I didn’t hold back the laughter this time.

“Did you pick out a name for her?”

“Willow.”

We were both anxious until the baby was returned to us, clean and wrapped up in a pink blanket. Willow was sleeping peacefully now, and we watched her, fascinated. Liam leaned against my shoulder. I could tell he was worn out.

“I’m so tired.”

“I know, baby.” I kissed the top of his head. Leaning down just a bit, Liam rubbed his cheek against the top of Willow’s head, scenting her. Her own scent was still way too faint to be picked up on just yet, but that would change as she got older, as would the signs of her secondary gender. Not that I cared whether she was an alpha or an omega. No matter what, she was absolutely perfect.

It wasn’t long before Liam fell asleep against me, his soft snoring the only sound in the room. I was somehow not even tired.

But there was no where else I would rather be.