Chapter Text
Hachiōji Narumi Family Home
1957H
“—Kaiju No. 8. The whereabouts of this kaiju, the eighth documented numbered kaiju in history, remains unknown. The Defence Force is currently working to track its location.”
Soushirou quietly sighs when he overhears the news as he enters the door to their Hachiōji family home. For the past three months, they have been working on getting a lead on locating Kaiju No. 8, but it seems like it vanished out of thin air. It is the first time a numbered daikaiju has not been neutralized for that long due to being missing for some time.
He closes the door and starts removing his shoes. He is currently in his civilian wear, wearing a black flowy polo, black pants, and rubber shoes. It is a hard-earned three days off from work for him, and he feels that he needs to adjust to not wearing the standard-issued Defence Force uniforms all the time, having to be ready at a moment’s notice to neutralize kaijus.
Soushirou prides himself on his ability to quietly handle things much like how he stalks his prey, as he usually apprehends small and mid-sized kaiju. Still, it seems that all of that goes to shit when he hears quick and small-footed thumps going his direction. He only has enough time to scent the air and identify the fast-approaching steps, which puts a large smile on his face as he turns around and catches Katsurou just in time as his baby jumps into his arms.
”Dada! I mish youuuu!” Katsurou’s loud giggles fill the entryway as Soushirou’s loud, booming laughter joins in. He turns in circles while hugging Katsurou, missing his child as much, for not seeing him for some time now.
He then blows raspberry kisses to Katsurou’s neck, further heightening the volume of Katsurou’s giggles. “I miss you too, Kacchan!”
Katsurou is Soushirou’s only child, and he considers him his greatest blessing in life. If you look at Katsurou, you would think that Soushirou copied and pasted himself into a smaller human being. The baby got the same dark purple hair and facial features.
Not much time passes before Soushirou hears another set of heavier thumps on the wooden floor, and he smells his favorite mix of black tea and smoked cedarwood with cardamom hints. His husband appears at the other end of the entryway, who seems to melt into a more gentle stature when he sees his mate and child near the door.
Gen thinks he is the luckiest man in the world.
When he feels his dad stop spinning them, Katsurou opens his eyes to show the exact pink shade that he inherited from his Papa Gen. He looks at his Papa and giggles, “Famiwy hug, pwease!”
”Since you asked so nicely,” Gen chuckles teasingly, but it has no heat. He walked the distance apart and wrapped his arms around his mate and their Kacchan. A sigh of relief got out of both of them, thankful that they lived yet another day together. Gen pressed a deep kiss to Soushirou’s temple, and Katsurou, seeing his Papa do it countless times before, planted a pouty kiss to Soushirou’s lips.
This earned a laugh out of Soushirou, feeling very much loved at the moment.
”Ya, Kacchan. Only I can kiss Dada like that.”
”No papa, I kith dada too!”
Gen was supposed to respond accordingly to his child when Soushirou pressed up his free hand to Gen’s cheek and pulled him down for a kiss. Gen tilted his face to kiss Soushirou better. He cannot put into words how much he missed Soushirou.
Katsurou then drops a kiss on each of his parents’ cheeks. Both Gen and Soushirou giggled at their baby’s antics and proceeded to their dining area.
“So, how is my baby today?” Soushirou asked. Gen has been cooking for a while now, as some dishes are already laid out on the table.
”I had to go home early today to pick up Kacchan. Your old man did not want to believe me when I told him that you’re coming home today.” Gen answered while going back to the pot he was stirring earlier. “This one will be cooked soon enough, then we can start eating already.”
”I was asking about Kacchan, but thank you for updating me about my big baby.” Soushirou chuckled, sitting crisscrossed at his seat in their low dining table. Gen responded with a soft chuckle as well. Soushirou plopped Katsurou down in the middle of his legs, where the child leaned back and looked up to his dad. Katsurou smiled widely up at Soushirou, and even with his small face upside down in Soushirou’s perspective, he could not help but think that his little Kacchan is just perfect.
”I loveee you, dada. I mith you and Papa.” Kacchan puckered his lips, and Soushirou indulged him, letting Kacchan kiss him again on his cheek. It makes Soushirou’s heart ache that both he and Gen cannot directly oversee his growth every day, but he does not regret having Kacchan one bit—even though he was initially not a part of their plan.
”I love you very much, Kacchan. I’m sorry that Papa and I cannot be with you every day. But how was your week with Jiji?”
“Love Jiji! We play swords!” Kacchan enthusiastically replied, going shing shing shing , mimicking the sounds of swords clashing together. Katsurou doesn't have a specific scent yet, but Soushirou loves it and starts scenting his baby. However, he can smell the black tea and smoked cedarwood in Katsurou, courtesy of his lovely alpha mate. Hence, he proceeded to scent Katsurou as well—white musk, Japanese plum blossom, and soft vanilla fill the air around them both.
In no time, Katsurou smells like tea with wagashi. He smells like home on a warm winter evening. Soushirou thinks that his Kacchan is the perfect combination of him and Gen, even though Kacchan is a Hoshina Soushirou photocopy.
”Alright, dinner is ready. Let’s eat now,” Gen interrupted the scenting session of his pretty omega mate and his photocopy. Gen sits crisscrossed at the other end of the table, opposite his omega mate. After being thanked for the food, he proceeds with the conversation, “Are you okay? I heard you sighing earlier when you entered.”
Soushirou feels his back slouch slightly at the topic. He does not tell Gen about it in specifics, but both he and Mina had been struggling to look for clues. Gen always had good hearing even from afar, and it’s no surprise that he heard that. “Kaiju No. 8 is tough to look for. It seems like he vanished into thin air.”
“I read the report. It honestly does not make any sense, and it’s not believable what the kid was saying.” Gen mentions the general thoughts that Soushirou and Mina had been sharing as well. Gen picks up a side dish using his chopsticks and raises it towards Katsurou. The child willingly obliges, even though some of the dish fell on his pants. Soushirou quickly got a tissue and wiped both his pants and the side of Kacchan’s mouth.
Even at the family dining table, they still talk about work. But it’s normal for them, at this point.
“Just–You can always ask me if you need help, okay? I don’t mind helping you at all.” Gen started eating as well, not looking at Soushirou while extending his offer. Soushirou smiles at the thought, picking up his chopsticks and bringing a piece of the soft-boiled egg to Katsurou, his baby, eating it enthusiastically. There was a time when he would think it was nuts as fuck to hear what he just heard from First Division Captain, Narumi Gen.
“Thanks for the offer, Gen-chan. But I know you have a lot on your plate, even though Hasegawa-san did mention that you still order a ton of games from Yamazon.” Soushirou narrowed his eyes towards his husband. Gen thinks Soushirou looks scary when he wants to, with the dragon-like ruby red eyes that his omega has. “I know that Hasegawa-san can do your captain's administrative duties, but it would do you good to help him. Set a good example for Kacchan.”
Upon hearing his name, his Kacchan starts chanting egg! Egg! Egg! And poor, old dada Soushirou complied with his baby’s request, scooping an egg and bringing it to his Kacchan.
Meanwhile, Gen cursed under his breath. “Mind your own division, Soushi-kun.”
Soushirou raises an eyebrow at that while smirking. “Is that how you address your husband?”
Soushirou is lucky that I am head fucking heels over him and I love him so much, and that his photocopy is sitting on his lap right now, Gen thinks. When he and Soushirou first started dating, he told him that Soushirou should be the more responsible officer between the two of them. His Sou-chan was not exactly a meddler on his First Division duties back then, other than when they teased each other in front of their colleagues. However, Soushirou encouraged him to be more proactive in non-combat tasks when they mated and married each other in secret.
“Why do you suddenly care about whether or not I take part in administrative tasks?”
“You gave me a bite on my shoulder and a ring on my finger that gives me the right to pry, Gen.”
Well, Gen thinks his husband is not wrong. His Sou-chan is never wrong. Happy husband, happy family, happy life, and all that.
Gen sighs affectionately, “I’m sorry, Sou-chan. I just don’t want to see you stressed out when I could help. And I do know that you could do it, but I want to help you, regardless.”
Soushirou melts. He loves Gen so much.
“Sou-tan! Sou-tan!” Their Kacchan suddenly giggles, smiling widely at his Papa Gen.
“Ya, Kacchan. Don’t call your mother that. He is your dada .” Gen remarks, emphasizing the syllables, and repeating it until his Kacchan replies.
“Dadaaa. Dada Sou-tan! Dada Sou-tan!”
Gen slapped a palm to his forehead, then shook his head, but a huge smile was on his face. Soushirou laughed at his baby. “It’s Dada Soushi, baby.” He repeats his syllables, similar to what Gen did.
“Dada Sushi.” Katsurou smiled widely. They could not resist that face, and they just let him be.
“Yeah, your dada can be sushi for now.”
Laughter fills their family home. The Narumi family hadn't been together in a while, so they needed this dinner to recharge and enjoy each other's company.
Nishi-Tokyo Testing Site
Ten days later
0559H
“Here are the applicants this year,” Soushirou hands over the application forms of their new candidates. “There are some interesting people. You probably only care about beating kaiju, though.”
It’s true. Soushirou is usually the one handling the administrative tasks, although he would say that Mina still helps him out with them, not unlike his dear alpha of the First Division. Bless Hasegawa for keeping up with his husband. Nonetheless, Soushirou still showed the forms to Mina for formality, where she shuffled them and surprised him when she suddenly said, “Continue updating me, I’ll listen as I work.”
”Oh wow, that’s new.” Soushirou remarked, a smile taking over his face, “Let’s see. I guess our star player would be…”
Soushirou proceeded to list down the candidates that stood out to him. Alpha Izumo Haruichi, Beta Furuhashi Iharu, Alpha Kaguragi Aoi, and, of course, Shinomiya Kikoru. “It’s remarkable and incredibly respectful that Director General Shinomiya did not even ask us to give special treatment for his omega daughter. She is our top candidate, considering her credentials and strengths together. Best talent in all of history, numbers-wise. Based on stats alone, she’s already better in her preliminaries than Gen ever did, and that’s saying something.”
Soushirou often hears from Gen that when he starts talking about what he is passionate about, he just keeps going. Gen often mentions how much he loves that about Soushirou.
Soushirou blushes at the memory. Then, he shuffled the forms in front of Mina, “Ah,” Soushirou placed the paper on top, “Now, this alpha is interesting. He applied for the Defence Force twelve times. He’s already 32 years old, and it’s his last eligible year to join. He’s a tough nut that doesn’t give up, I would give him that.”
Oh , Soushirou suddenly noticed Mina had stopped what she was doing. Anyone else would not have seen it, but Soushirou and Mina had known each other for long enough. Mina was there throughout Soushirou’s dating, mating, and pregnancy. They know each other well enough. Interesting, Soushirou thinks.
Mina seems to start reading the application, so Soushirou brings out his phone to text his mate. Anyone else would have been punished for what he is doing right now, but Soushirou and Mina are more lenient with the rules when they are on their own.
Third Division Vice Captain Hoshina Soushirou
baby
babyyyy >⩊<
gen-tan~
06:05
First Division Captain Narumi Gen
yes, my love?
06:05
Third Division Vice Captain Hoshina Soushirou
there’s an interesting candidate we have, and when i brought it up to mina, she suddenly stopped what she’s doing ( ˶°ㅁ°) !! she probably thinks i did not notice (ᵕ—ᴗ—)
06:06
First Division Captain Narumi Gen
she probably just tired as hell, love
have you given her some coffee
06:07
Third Division Vice Captain Hoshina Soushirou
great idea, gen-tan ꉂ(˵˃ ᗜ ˂˵) i knew i could trust u
06:07
First Division Captain Narumi Gen
of course, my love
brb we r training soon
06:08
Third Division Vice Captain Hoshina Soushirou
have a great training session, gen-tan~ ٩(⸝⸝ᵕᴗᵕ⸝⸝)و*̣̩⋆̩*
i love you very much~ ( ๑ ˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و ♡
06:09
First Division Captain Narumi Gen
i love you so much and don’t stress out mina-san so much~
06:09
“I don’t even wanna know what Gen says to make you smile that big at six in the morning. Stop talking to that idiot if you don’t wanna get caught.” Mina rolls her eyes. It is weird to see the alpha captain get irritated when she is usually calm and nonchalant.
“I talk to my husband whenever I please, Mina-san. What’s got you so twisted this early?” Soushirou pokes. “Gen just told me not to stress you out.”
“Sorry, I think I’m just tired.”
“Great. At least it’s something that coffee can fix.”
Training Area Two
Same day
1330H
“I’m the Head of the Screening Exam’s Selection Committee, Third Division Vice Captain Hoshina.” Hoshina introduces himself to the new candidates. White musk, plum blossom, and vanilla waft through their noses. Contrary to this, there are tons of alpha and beta scents lurking throughout the arena. Hoshina has half a mind to cringe in the face of young alphas and betas’ posturing. He thinks he could only count on his two hands the number of omega applicants this year.
Most of the candidates gasp in awe. It is almost unheard of to hear of a Japan Anti-Kaiju Defence Force leader being an omega. Most omegas, if they like this industry, pursue the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force, primarily to help with evacuating civilians and managing fire support on the ground. While they have heard of Vice Captain Hoshina before, it felt unreal to see the pretty, gorgeous, and strong omega in the flesh.
They wonder internally if Vice Captain Hoshina is spoken for. He does not smell like he is mated, nor is there any ring on his finger. The alpha and beta candidates feel reinvigorated. Having a pretty and single omega to look at surely helps with morale.
Hoshina feels nauseous that he is conscious of this fact. It is not the first time that alphas and betas drooled over him. He knows that he is gorgeous. He also knows that there are motherfuckers out there who already do not want him in the JAKDF, as he is, skills-wise. The fact that he is an omega in a leadership rank is just another nail in the coffin. People like lusting over omegas who are unclaimed, or just omegas in general. Fuck them all, honestly.
He sighs internally. You got this, Soushirou. Think of Gen and Kacchan.
Hoshina starts discussing the mechanics of the exam’s second phase. Since it would be kaiju neutralization, all candidates get fitted for a Defence Force suit made of kaiju muscle fibers. Everything was going smoothly until—
“An omega, really? Shouldn’t he be nursing a kid or not serve in the military at all?”
Hoshina rolls his eyes. He was able to nurse Katsurou just fine while serving as the Third Division Vice Captain, alright.
Clearly, the statement was not meant to be whispered, and whichever fuckass candidate said it wants Soushirou to hear it firsthand. Hoshina Soushirou would have let this slide and ignored them totally when he was not married to Narumi Gen yet. That time, being ganged up on for being a sword specialist and an omega was a recurring experience. He simply does not have the energy to deal with them all the time. But when he started dating Gen, he emphasized the importance of standing up for himself.
“Do we have a problem here?” Hoshina turns around, addressing the alpha fuckwad that commented.
The candidate did not seem to think he should be more respectful, considering the differences in their rank, the seniority, and also the fact that he’s still just a candidate. “Yes, actually. Omegas like you should not be serving in the Defence Force.”
This brings a shocked silence to the room.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the Director General’s omega daughter approach the dumbass, hoping to give him a piece of her mind. Sounding bored, Hoshina asked, “And why should the Defence Force refuse to accept an omega into their ranks?”
”Because all omegas are only good for breedi—“
The fuckwad was not able to finish his sentence. Hoshina Soushirou kicked him on his knees, abruptly making him kneel, and then punched him square in the face.
Coldly, Vice Captain Hoshina responded, “What? You think omegas cannot throw a punch? You are officially dismissed from this exam, and you are no longer allowed to proceed. According to Article 10 of the Defence Force Regulations, acts of discrimination based on second gender are strictly prohibited and are grounds for immediate dismissal.”
This seems to kick everyone back into motion. The Third Division officers quickly get the guy up from the floor, having fallen from being punched by Hoshina. “I’ll make sure this reaches your higher-ups! An omega punching an alpha, really!”
The fucking audacity of alphas, goddamn. “For protecting myself and all other omegas who are currently here today? I think I am doing the Defence Force a favor by kicking you out right now. But please, be my guest.”
The nobody candidate was thrown out of the room before he could say any more bullshit.
Vice Captain Hoshina turns back to the rest of the candidates, who all seem to be angered by the outburst of the fuckwad. “Let this be a lesson that your secondary gender does not, in any way, define who you could be in the Defence Force. All of that does not matter once you are deployed on the field. Return to your fitting again at once, we have a schedule to follow.”
If being an omega still elicits such a reaction, he could only imagine what people would say when they find out that he is mated and has a child . The chance of him being asked to step down by the Neutralization Bureau may be slim, but never zero.
Don’t get him wrong, Soushirou is not embarrassed by his family. He does not regret marrying and mating Gen. More so, he does not regret his pregnancy and raising Katsurou. But he also does not want to fumble his position as the Third Division Vice Captain. All his life, this is what he honed and stood for. He cannot imagine a life without the responsibility of serving in the Defence Force while wielding his swords. As soon as he could understand, he understood the duty that comes with being born into the Hoshina clan. He embodies and values it as much as his life and as much as his family with Gen.
At this point, only Director General Shinomiya, Vice Captain Hasegawa, Captain Ashiro, his brother Hoshina Soichirou, and his father Hoshina Soutarou know that he is mated and married to Narumi Gen. Moreover, it is these same people who know about the existence of Narumi Katsurou.
It is why he is thankful that they are required to wear scent blockers. It helps with managing the hormones among various secondary genders in the Defence Force. Since mating with Gen, their natural scents have already mixed, and they now naturally smell like tea with wagashi.
Nonetheless, the military-grade issued scent blockers were also strong enough to reduce their scents to their base scents, which is why he still smells like his original scent, even though the blocker should have been strong enough to neutralize their scents completely. Oddly enough, it did not raise many questions that the scent blockers used to block his scent off completely, and now his scent wafts through anyone within his immediate vicinity.
Soushirou walks out of the fitting section, as he could smell his own upset in his scent. It would not send the right signals to their new recruits. He’d better calm down elsewhere.
Even back then, Gen personally did not mind being known that he was dating Soushirou. Nonetheless, Soushirou requested secrecy early on in their relationship, due to his valid worries that his position might be taken away from him if the Neutralization Bureau found out about it.
Soushirou sighs, knowing that Gen may not directly tell him, but he knows that his alpha wants to show and tell the world that he is mated and married to Soushirou. And that their love already gave them Katsurou.
Joint Training at Tachikawa Base
Four years ago
1434H
Captain Narumi Gen was rejected.
Narumi is about to turn 23 years old this year. He boredly thinks of what he should do to celebrate while walking down the training area in his standard Defence Force uniform, when his sight catches on to the rank-and-file Hoshina—he already heard about this omega, about having a low as hell gun compatibility and unleashed combat power, but a cut-above-the-rest sword combat power. Curious about the omega who is currently training, he turns on Retina 0001. Narumi finds that Hoshina has a refined signal stream, which is not at the rank-and-file level at all. Consider hard-to-impress Narumi intrigued.
Besides, the omega is also very pretty, lean, and gorgeous. Narumi felt his heart beat quicker, and he cleared his throat and moved on.
Like what any sane person would do, Narumi cornered Hoshina later that day with the rest of the First Division members, who are all alphas. Hoshina was walking along with his colleagues from the Third Division when the First Division alphas spotted him.
”Hey, you.” Narumi pointed at Hoshina, “Come to the First Division.” Hoshina felt shocked at being called out, but as he stared at the Captain more, he was drawn to the pink kaiju eyes that he sported. Hoshina couldn’t help but think that it suits Narumi well, and he looks absolutely handsome.
Narumi thought that Hoshina was probably shocked at seeing the entire First Division team. Confidently, Narumi added, “The Third Division doesn’t deserve you. I give you permission to use your talents in the strongest division as the arms and legs of yours truly.”
Here’s the thing. Hoshina already took a liking to the new and enigmatic First Division Captain when they were both training for the Defence Force. Both of them, along with Captain Ashiro Mina, all got into the Defence Force around the same time. He had heard about the troublesome alpha from the Eastern Divisions–scouted from a First Division mission at the age of 18 years old–who scored top marks for the written, physical, and kaiju neutralization tests. Since then, Captain Narumi and Captain Ashiro were promoted to their current ranks at the same time.
”M—Me? In the First Division?” Hoshina even pointed at himself.
Narumi Gen caught Hoshina’s attention when they were testing for the officer program because it was spread among aspirants that the First Division rookie started off with an unleashed combat power of 24%, even though he had never worn a combat suit yet.
Narumi smirked at him.
Ah, so he’s that type of self-assured alpha, Hoshina thinks while he composes himself from the shock. We should tone that pride down a notch or two.
“I’ll pass!” Hoshina gives Narumi a huge smile, his eyes creasing into moons. “I’ve already decided who I’m going to be following.”
It was Narumi’s turn to be shocked. Acting cool and not wanting to be embarrassed in front of the (pretty) omega even further, he replied, “M’kay, then.”
Hoshina was internally shocked to be let go. Alphas usually posture more when they do not get what they want from him. He took his chance and started walking away, “See you around!”
Captain Ashiro asked Hoshina to transfer to the Third Division from Kansai a few months ago, and she shared with him her recent plans to promote him as her Vice Captain, and he already accepted the alpha’s offer. Ashiro was one of the first people to see his potential and trusted in his capabilities; he would not forget any of that for the rest of his life.
Besides the fact that Ashiro asked him to be her Vice Captain first, Hoshina thinks he would not be able to focus as much if he works directly under Narumi, considering his silly crush on him.
Would I have accepted Narumi-san’s offer if Ashiro-san had not offered first?
No point in thinking about that now.
On the other hand, Narumi’s pride was hurt that day.
“Huh? He turned him down? Seriously?”
“Captain?”
“Yikes… Well, this is embarrassing. And after gathering us all together.”
Then, the icing on top of the cake for Narumi had to be the news that on the same day, Hoshina Soushirou, an omega, was promoted to become the Third Division Vice Captain. He would serve as second to the Third Division Captain, Ashiro Mina, who is also an alpha.
Why did he pick Ashiroooo?!
Narumi thought that maybe he should not have brought his team of alphas to ask the pretty omega. The posturing probably did not help.
That night, Narumi was set on a mission as the day neared its end. The joint training just concluded, and the First Division is bound to get back to Ariake Maritime Base the following morning. With that, Narumi struts around the Tachikawa Base as if he had it memorized. It’s like his second time here, and he does not know where he is going.
He knows deep down that he wants to reach out to Hoshina again. Internally, he feels embarrassed with his approach earlier that day, and he wants to apologize. It feels weird because he usually doesn't give a fuck about what anyone thinks. Nonetheless, he continues walking around the base anyway.
And it’s like luck was on his side that night as he saw a training room with lights still on. Curious, he went to the training room. Lo and behold, the person he is looking for is inside.
Hoshina Soushirou is as graceful as his lean and strong body can tell. Hoshina is currently wearing a body-tight black shirt, highlighting muscles across his torso and arms. He seems to be practicing his sword techniques alone, and Narumi takes note of the undeniable speed. Narumi was entranced by the fluid and graceful movements, which, even with Retina 0001 at his disposal, he did not notice that Hoshina had already stopped.
“Enjoying the show, sir?” Hoshina smiles at Narumi.
Narumi blinked twice before standing straighter, obviously caught staring. “I bet I could beat you in hand-to-hand combat.” Narumi internally slaps his forehead. Why does that have to be the first thing he says?!
Hoshina’s eyebrows went up, and then he laughed. “Well, I don’t have any sparring partner right now, so we could test your theory.” He went back to his racks to return his swords, clearly preparing for the hand-to-hand combat practice.
Narumi was internally still stuck with hearing Hoshina’s laughter. It seems so carefree and happy. He had to clear his throat before replying, “Be prepared to lose!” He smirked at Hoshina when he turned around.
Captain Narumi Gen lost.
“Again.”
“One more round.”
“No!”
He lost again and again.
By the end of it, Hoshina was laughing again. He likes proving alphas wrong, even if the alpha in question is the guy he has a crush on. Narumi claimed, “You’re probably cheating.”
“Don’t you think it’s a skill issue?” Hoshina smiles. If he doesn’t stop smiling, I might just kiss him–
What the fuck, Gen?
“I will beat you some other time.” Narumi huffed, standing up from being pinned on the floor and brushing dirt away from his clothes.
“Oh, you’re inviting me for another session already? You didn’t even ask for my name yet.”
“The guy you just had the honor of sparring with is named Narumi Gen. I am the Captain of the Defence Force’s strongest division.” Narumi smiled down at Hoshina. He thought of going towards a nicer route since he had fun with the spar anyway. “May I ask what your name is?”
Hoshina took his sweet time to answer, deliberating whether he should grace Captain Narumi with his name. He bowed down in respect, then snapped into a salute position, “Third Division Vice Captain, Hoshina Soushirou. It was nice to meet you and spar with you, Captain Narumi.”
Narumi does not even show respect for Hasegawa Eiji or Shinomiya Isao. But he saluted Hoshina back because it just felt right to do so.
“I think you can find my number somewhere with Operations to schedule a better time for a sparring session, Captain Narumi. I look forward to your text.” Hoshina provides permission to contact him again for another sparring session. Still, he hopes that the alpha is bright enough to contact him for other things he’s also interested in, as well. On top of that, Hoshina also wants to test Narumi to see if he is actually interested in talking to the omega again. In Hoshina’s experience, proud alphas like Narumi usually do not exert effort in the chase if they are not genuinely interested.
“Gen,” Gen felt the need to correct, “Just call me Gen. I think we’re the same age, anyway.” Gen would not even think to tell any of his colleagues to call him Gen. He is Captain Narumi, always. He worked hard and earned that title. But here he is, making exemptions for the pretty omega standing a few inches below him. What the hell is he on, seriously?
If Soushirou felt surprised, he did not show it to Gen. “Yes, we’re the same age. Feel free to call me Soushirou as well.”
Soushirou knows how particular Narumi–no, Gen–is with being addressed as the captain. It’s one of what he is known for, along with his pride, troublemaker tendencies, and spectacular kaiju neutralization skills. He honestly feels surprised that it seems like the alpha is warming up to him as well.
“Honestly, I also want to apologize for what happened earlier. It must have looked bad that I cornered you with a bunch of alphas with me. I’m sorry for that.” Gen was looking down at the floor, scratching his head, and clearly not used to apologizing.
“Good night, Soushirou-san. I have to go back to Ariake early tomorrow.” Gen walked quickly out of the training room without waiting for Soushirou’s response. His heart was beating fast from the sparring session and from talking to the pretty omega. First thing to do when he gets back to Ariake tomorrow, Gen plans to look for Soushirou’s phone number.
Captain Narumi Gen felt like he had won that night.
Unfortunately, Gen also missed out on seeing the prominent red blush that was currently painting Soushirou’s face, who felt pleasantly surprised at the unexpected apology.
Hoshina’s Office at Tachikawa Base
Present day
2237H
Hoshina thought he would have a relaxed day after the second exam, only filling in paperwork and meeting with the Defence Force Selection Exam’s Screening Committee. But life decides to throw them off balance once again. He should stop thinking about having easy days, as he seems to jinx them.
Hoshina starts preparing his coffee while reading the texts from his mate. He still has a long night ahead of him.
First Division Captain Narumi Gen
love, training finished early today. told hasegawa i’d be retiring at hachiōji tonight
u think u can also follow? u only have applicants screening today right
i’d tell mina off sometime soon that she should let you go home more bc kacchan misses u
16:57
hey love, u seem busy. i’m off to tachikawa to get kacchan. texted ur old man already too
pls update if u’d also come
i love you
17:36
love, kacchan and i are home now
please text if you’re okay
we love you ❤️
20:01
Soushirou sighs and looks at the time. It’s been almost three hours since Gen’s last texts. He leaves his coffee for a moment and retrieves his personal laptop. He looks for the video call platform and starts calling his husband.
Gen picks up the call immediately, “Hey, Sou-chan. You just missed Kacchan. He fell asleep a while ago. He’s sleeping beside me,” Gen whispered. He shuffled around, obviously in bed already. Gen is wearing his sincerity tee.
“I’m sorry I can’t come tonight,” Soushirou starts and walks back to the coffee he was making, before sighing, “A lot of things happened.”
“Hey, hey, I don’t blame you. We don’t even see each other or our child most of the time.” Gen replies softly as he’s lying beside Katsurou. “Tell me what happened today.”
Soushirou recounts the morning’s events until the point where he kicked a candidate out. It is then that he sees Gen stand up from bed and exit their master bedroom at the family house. Upon closing the door, “He can fucking damn well try to report you to the higher-ups. I’d make sure to vouch for you, and I’m sure Mina-san would as well.”
Soushirou gives his mate a small smile through the laptop camera. He can see Gen’s face better now that he’s settled into their playroom on the second floor, where it has better lighting. Gen looks angry at hearing that his omega was disrespected.
“Don’t worry, baby. I punched him in the face and kicked him.”
“You should . I would do it over again.” Gen seems annoyed now.
“Going back, remember what I told you earlier about the alpha guy that Mina seemed interested in?” Soushirou plops himself down on his office chair with his coffee in hand, the laptop showing Gen in front of him.
“Yeah, what about him?”
“We had a kaiju neutralization test, right? So we had the recruits fitted for a Defence Force suit. He got 0%.” This got a guffaw out of Soushirou again, and he heard his mate join in virtually.
“What the fuck? Someone actually got a 0%?” Gen laughs while thinking that he’s thankful that he went out of their bedroom before this part. He totally would have woken up Katsurou with how loud he is right now.
“Yeah, but get this. He was actually performing well in terms of camaraderie and teamwork with other recruits, until a yoju injured him. I told him that he should give up, but he insisted on going on. And who am I to say no?”
“The Head of the Screening Committee, but yes, go ahead.”
“By the way, Shinomiya Kikoru saved him from the yoju. The omega killed the yoju and then saved him from needing to use his remote shield.” Soushirou said something that piqued Gen’s interest. Isao-san’s omega daughter finally joins the fray, I see.
“I could see your face, you know? Even Mina was interested in Isao-san’s daughter. She’s really amazing. In fact, she’s even better than you ever were when you were a rookie.” Soushirou could see his mate rolling his eyes at this, “She killed off the rest of the yoju and then the honju, leaving no casualties. We were expecting about 30 people to retire, but it’s zero.” Soushirou sighs after.
Gen looks genuinely concerned now, “Okay, so why do you suddenly look like you aged 10 more years, Narumi Soushirou? What’s going on?” Gen rarely uses his full name, except when he is deeply concerned or mad at his omega. Both he and Gen submitted their marriage contract and mating registry to the Defence Force, but he continued to use his maiden name to maintain secrecy. Soushirou honestly does not know how the news has not spread yet to this day, but he thinks it’s due to the various colorful life threats his alpha husband made to the HR Department about maintaining the privacy and secrecy of their relationship. He recalls that his husband mentioned in passing that he had requested Director General Shinomiya’s endorsement to HR, with the understanding that it would be kept a secret at all costs.
“Sorry about that, baby.” Soushirou sighed before composing himself and continuing with the story. “All the kaiju that the recruits killed off were resurrected, and their strength went up. It’s the kind of kaiju that should not have the ability to do that. We couldn’t see what was happening immediately because the drones had already been pulled out. We just found out because Shinomiya was suddenly screaming, and her vitals had gone awry.”
Soushirou continued, sounding resigned from the exhausting day, “The resurrected honju was about Fortitude 6.4. The rest of the yojus’ fortitude increased as well. It would require a whole company to kill it off, and the only ones available to kill the kaiju by themselves were Mina and me. That's why we had to run off to the training area as soon as possible.”
Soushirou gravely added, “Oddly enough, a mysterious high-energy daikaiju also appeared near the honju while we were approaching the area. Possibly a new one. But we couldn’t see shit due to bad visibility and obstructed views. What’s alarming is that it's a Fortitude 9.8.”
Gen’s eyes were as wide as saucers. “A Fortitude 9.8, huh?” It’s the same fortitude as that of Kaiju No. 8’s , Narumi thinks.
Soushirou continued, “Yes. When we arrived on the scene, it was so fucking weird. The kaijus were killed so brutally that their organs were splattered out, bones and all. It’s not an outcome you would expect from a normal Defence Force officer, let alone a rookie like Shinomiya, no matter how excellent and proficient she is. It’s not a common post-neutralization scene at all. It’s like the kaijus exploded from the inside out.”
“So, was the Fortitude 9.8 killed off as well?” Gen asked, genuinely concerned for his omega. It seems that the more interesting events have been happening lately at Tachikawa.
“We could not say for sure, but it was gone along with the honju.” Soushirou replied. He sincerely appreciates that he could discuss this with his husband. He thinks he would have gone crazy going over his theories if he did it alone.
“How was Isao-san’s daughter? Was she okay?” Gen prods.
“She’s recovering. Kikoru’s actually part of the reason why I couldn’t come home today, because I had to make sure she stabilized first and then inform the Director General about her health and well-being.” Soushirou clinically replied. He wants to be sad about it, but it’s part of their line of work, being hurt and injured. “She had fractured bones and bullet marks, but no bullet casings or anything were found. Again, it is really fucking weird. She was unconscious when she was brought in by a beta rookie and the alpha guy that Mina seemed interested in.”
Gen’s eyebrow raised at that, “Interesting. Were you able to talk to the rookies about how they found Isao-san’s kid?”
“Yes. Hibino Kafka and Ichikawa Reno said that they tried to look for Kikoru prior to returning to evac.” Soushirou has his eyebrows furled together now. “I just realized that Okonogi-chan reported that Hibino Kafka walked back to evac. That’s weird, because he had a broken leg from the yoju earlier, but he was able to walk?”
“Maybe he’s not as injured as you thought?” Gen offers.
“Possible, but still strange.” Soushirou’s mind draws back to the scene they found. “Gen-chan, what we saw was similar to that scene three months ago, when Kaiju No. 8 was last spotted. Could they be related?”
“It could be. It could also just be a coincidence that the Fortitude 9.8 daikaiju detected was also the same fortitude as that of Kaiju No. 8’s.” Gen replied, looking curious and concerned as well.
“ Fuck . I did not even realize that. What got to me was that Hibino’s vitals were gone for a while, and it was at the same time that the Fortitude 9.8 daikaiju was detected at the Training Area.” Soushirou looks surprised and peeved at the same time.
“Who is this Hibino guy again? Was it the alpha you kept talking about, the one Mina-san seemed interested in?” Gen asks.
“Yes,” Soushirou responded, “I’m so tired, Gen. I wish I could sleep with you and Kacchan. But I need to finish this paperwork tonight.”
“Hey, hey, you did a great job today. Please rest when you can, though.” Narumi sighs, missing his omega husband, but unable to do anything about it. Being committed to their duty is part of them as much as it is of this family. “I might also go to sleep already. I still need to return Kacchan and get back to Ariake.”
Soushirou nods, “Thanks for hearing me out, baby. I might be able to take two days off this week. How about you?”
“I can’t, love. I’m sorry. I’ve been getting off the base a lot in the past weeks to take care of Kacchan, so I’m covering up for Eiji-san in the coming weeks.” Gen pouted at the thought of their schedules not matching.
“Alright, thank you for taking care of our Kacchan. I miss you both a lot, really. We’ll find a snug schedule soon enough.” Soushirou smiles at his husband through the screen.
“Of course. I can’t wait for that day. Until then, take care of yourself and beat kaijus good, okay? I really love you so much.” Gen smiled back at his husband.
Soushirou chuckles, “Aw, that’s a lot of I love you’s coming from you. You should take care of yourself, too, you big baby. Acting like you’re the First Division’s saving grace.”
“Hey! I am the First Division’s saving grace. Best numbers weapon user that they have in their arsenal, too.” Gen smirked, then pouted. Soushirou laughed. “You haven’t said I love you back.”
Soushirou giggles, “Hmm. Yeah, please tell Kacchan how much I love him when he wakes up. He’s my entire world and motivation to live every day.”
“Okay. What about me?” Gen’s still pouting.
Soushirou laughs again. He feels much better and lighter than he did earlier today already. “You make me feel so much lighter, Gen-chan. Every day that goes by, I am grateful for being your husband, your omega, and your mate. I love you very much, okay?”
Gen looks like he’s melting into a puddle of goo on their playroom couch on the screen. “I truly fucking love you, Soushirou. You and Kacchan are my best decisions in life.”
“I’m serious, take care of yourself, okay?” Soushirou smiles at the camera. They never told each other not to put themselves on the frontlines, because that’s what they do, and that’s what they signed up for.
“Yes, my love.” Gen suddenly yawned, “Alright, that’s my cue. I’ll head back to bed. I’ll make sure to tell Kacchan you called. I’ll return him to your old man before I go back to Ariake.”
“I wish you could drop by after dropping Kacchan off…” Soushirou pouts now.
Now, it’s Gen’s turn to laugh, “You keep calling me a big baby, but you’re no better. As much as I want to, I have no official reasons to visit the base.”
Soushirou rolled his eyes at that, “As if that ever stopped you from sneaking in here before.”
Gen raised an eyebrow, “Is that what you want me to do? Sneak into Tachikawa Base and what? Fuck you in your office until the entire Third Division base knows that you’re mated?”
Soushirou feels like a whiplash hit him, “Wow, that’s a 360 coming from you. While I do miss it, maybe not now. Got a lot of shit to finish, baby.” Soushirou smiles tiredly.
Gen smiles also, “I know, I know. But the offer’s always up. I’d leave my duties for you.” Gen winks.
“Quit acting like we’re fuck buddies, Narumi Gen.”
“You sure love that scene, don’t you?”
“Heh,” Soushirou laughs, “I’m going to drop the call now. I really need to start working. I love you so much, Gen-chan. Please tell Kacchan I love him too.”
“Yes, my love. Don’t stay up all night and rest when you can. I love you very much, Sou-chan.” Gen’s pink eyes and smile are evident through the screen, having brushed back his two-toned hair with his hand.
Soushirou ends the call before he gets tempted to say more. He looks at his coffee and the mountain of paperwork, renewed with energy to work after talking to his mate.
New Recruits’ Induction Ceremony
Two weeks later
0900H
“Captain Ashiro Mina is entering!” Okonogi announces, as silence fills the room. The new class of recruits all fell in line and snapped into attention positions. Captain Ashiro walks up to the stage, garnering everyone’s focus. No amount of posturing from the exams will be effective now that they are all required to wear scent blockers.
“We will now present the induction certificates.” Okonogi adds and continues, “Passing with the highest marks, Shinomiya Kikoru shall represent the latest cohort of inductees!”
“Yes!” The younger Shinomiya acknowledges before proceeding to the stage. She walks up with the confidence of a topnotcher, which is well-deserved considering the exceptional skills she exhibited during the exams.
“As of today, all 27 of you are hereby members of the Defence Force.” Captain Ashiro starts.
“On behalf of all 27 of us, I solemnly swear to lay my life down and fight!” Shinomiya takes the oath on behalf of the representatives.
Vice Captain Hoshina is currently seated a few ways to the right, along with the Third Division platoon leaders. He reviews the inductees’ faces and finds that the guy he is looking for is currently absent. Where could the alpha be?
“You performed a great service in that post-exam incident,” Captain Ashiro begins, and Hoshina’s attention snaps back to the stage, “As a result of your efforts, there were no fatalities. I extend my thanks once more.”
Hoshina suddenly notices the falter in the younger Shinomiya’s snappy position. Internally, he raises an eyebrow at this reaction. The young omega then seems to be contemplating what to reply to the Captain, looking to the side towards the inductees.
Not to sound conspiratorial, but Hoshina had been keeping a close eye on the younger. Kikoru was the only person within close distance of the revived honju during the exam, and then she was evacuated unconscious. It took the younger Shinomiya about two days to recover from unconsciousness post-exam. As such, Hoshina wanted to investigate firsthand and know how the gruesome scene they found turned out as it was, so he was the first one to visit her when they were notified that she woke up.
“Dad?” Kikoru deliriously said.
“It’s fine, stay put,” Hoshina assures her, but Kikoru still sits up from the incubator-like bed that the Defence Force uses for critical medical cases like hers.
“Vice Captain Hoshina.” Kikoru tiredly acknowledges him. Far from the snappy, proud, and confident omega he saw during the exams.
“We took care of all the resurrected kaiju. And luckily, there were no victims. It’s thanks to you for cleaning up the honju.” Hoshina tests the waters. Unexpectedly, Kikoru’s eyes went wide before she looked down. Hoshina mentally takes note of her reaction, and he could not wait to share it with his Gen later.
“Am I wrong?” Hoshina prods, seemingly innocent. Nonetheless, he had a rough idea which seems impossible, and he doesn’t want to admit—not even to Gen—that he thought of something so outrageous. Furthermore, he also wants to prove his atrocious idea wrong.
The kid looks shocked at being called out, she looks down before replying, “No. I was the one who defeated that kaiju.”
Hoshina decides to let it go. He also mentally notes that she couldn't look at him while saying that. More importantly, even though she just admitted to defeating the kaiju, Hoshina still could not shake off the possibility of his atrocious idea deep inside him.
Someone suddenly entered the room.
“Excuse me. Pardon me for hopping in!”
Ah, there he is. Hoshina has a slight smile on as the alpha he had been looking for finally decides to grace them with his presence.
The recruits looked like they had all brightened up at the sight of Hibino Kafka.
“No. 2032, Hibino Kafka—Failed.” Okonogi declares during the meeting with the Selection Exam’s Screening Committee. “Coming in dead last in the physical exam and his zero percent in suit aptitude make for an open-and-shut case.”
“Yeah, that’s what I figured.” Platoon Leader Nakanoshima remarked.
Hoshina glances sideways at his Captain Ashiro, who, to strangers, probably looks like she is nonchalant and could not give less of a fuck about the entire meeting. Instead, he finds the alpha’s eyes having the same sad glint that she had the early morning of the second exam.
It was quick, her composure coming together right in front of Hoshina’s eyes, “So, no objectio—“
“I’ll object.” Hoshina flashes a charming smile to the entire committee before continuing, “It’s true that his grades are subpar and he failed to meet the bar as an officer. As such, he should be rejected as an officer. But he was able to find the enemy’s weak points during the final test, prioritized supporting others rather than his own score, and contributed greatly. That’s not something anyone can do. He really shone during the field-combat exam.”
“And finally,” Hoshina’s smile grows even further, his eyes curved into crescent moons, “He made a great contribution as the team’s comedian.”
Okonogi angrily chimes in, “I knew you’d say that!!”
Hoshina adds, “I don’t know if he could get promoted as an officer yet, but I’ll train him as a cadet in my platoon.”
Hoshina’s eyes go around the room, and they land on his Captain and best friend. Once again, he finds her having a small smile and a happy glint to her eyes, which are likely unidentifiable to strangers. He traces where she’s looking, and it lands on Hibino Kafka, their new cadet, who snaps into the attention position.
Captain Ashiro’s face turns serious once again, “This man’s being enrolled as a cadet, so I had him sit out the officer induction ceremony.”
Everyone seems pleased to see the old guy, Hoshina notices. Even his Captain. He cannot wait to text his mate about this development.
But it’s his turn to speak, so Hoshina starts to go up the stage and says, “Now that everyone’s here, Captain Ashiro will say a few words.”
“All right, everyone. First of all, I’m delighted that you applied to the Defence Force, stuck through the difficult application process, and passed. I thank you all,” Captain Ashiro begins, “Kaiju Emergence Numbers and Fortitude Levels continue to climb well above average. Not to mention, there was an abnormal case where several kaiju came back from the dead.”
“Neutralizing kaiju is fraught with mortal peril, but we must persist. Some of you may not make it back from your first mission alive. In fact, none of our lives is guaranteed. But even then, or perhaps because of those reasons, we want you to entrust your life to us. I swear that I will be at the forefront, acting as your shield and your spear against our threats.” Captain Ashiro concludes.
And then, “You’ll see soon enough, I’m coming to stand by your side, Mina!”
It’s like the room’s temperature dropped. Everyone cringed and felt secondhand embarrassment as they located the source.
“What’s wrong with this alpha?!”
“He’s insane!”
“What’s with this guy?! Has he lost it?!”
“H-he just addressed Captain Ashiro by her first name!”
“Oops.”
“Kaf—“ Hoshina notices Captain Ashiro composing herself before proceeding, “Hibino Kafka. A hundred push-ups for your unauthorized outburst and addressing a superior without a title.”
Everyone’s looking at Kafka now. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud!!”
“That is all.” Captain Ashiro starts to walk away.
Vice Captain Hoshina, the pinnacle example of the Third Division, is guffawing onstage. His white musk, plum blossom, and vanilla scent strongly permeates the air, indicating the fun that he’s having with this situation. “On his first day, too! Boy, you nailed it right off the bat! Captain Ashiro, aren’t you going a little easy on h—“
Mina is smiling widely. What the actual fuck.
“Oop.” Hoshina could not help it. Did she just crack a huge smile?
“Looks like Vice Captain’s hired comedian is already at work,” Okonogi notes, looking stressed at the prospect of the Vice Captain being correct.
“Right?! I knew he had potential from the start!” Hoshina smiles at the operations analyst. “This job can get pretty fucking grim, you know? He’s the exact guy we need around here.”
That’s precisely the idea that Soushirou wants to project to everyone in the Third Division. He thought about it long into the night while working after his call with Gen. As he watched Hibino Kafka render his punishment, he scaled back to the discussion he had with his alpha mate.
A Fortitude 9.8 daikaiju reading that appeared while the other kaijus were regenerating. Soushirou still thinks that it could be a malfunction, but Gen pointed out that it is the same Fortitude as that of Kaiju No. 8. Moreover, operations reported that they lost Hibino Kafka’s vitals at the same time that the odd daikaiju reading was detected.
Not to mention, there were also the odd reactions from Shinomiya Kikoru, and the fact that Hibino Kafka was able to walk back to the evacuation center on his own. Even though Soushirou was pretty sure that the guy had his legs broken earlier during the exams.
Other than being a zero percenter and seeming to be the apple of Mina’s eye, there are surely some strange things about the old alpha cadet.
Like what his alpha mate claimed multiple times, Soushirou is nothing but determined and relentless when he puts his mind to something.
And Hoshina Soushirou is going to find out what is so strange about Hibino Kafka.
Chapter Text
Tachikawa Base
Two days later
0715H
A knock comes to Hoshina’s office. Hoshina groans internally since he is not exactly expecting anyone at this time. “Come in.”
Captain Ashiro enters his office. “Hey, Soushirou. Good morning.”
“Good morning, Mina. To what do I owe this pleasure of seeing you?”
“Do you have any urgent deliverables today?” Mina took a seat in front of his table.
Soushirou thinks to himself. The recruits were enlisted two days ago, and he is usually the one spearheading and overseeing their training. “Just training the newbies. What is it?”
“I got a summons from Director General Shinomiya earlier this morning. He wants me to visit the Ariake Maritime Base to report on updates about Kaiju No. 8 and what transpired in the recent exams,” Mina explained. She caught the surprise in Soushirou’s face, “I was the only one he asked to come, but I figured I should also ask if you want to come.”
“...Thank you, Mina. If you don’t mind the training being left to the Platoon Leaders for today, it would really mean a lot to me if I get to visit Gen.” Soushirou stood up and bowed to his captain.
Mina laughed softly, “We’re thankfully not super busy recently, and I want to see your reaction to the offer. Did you know that your buffoon of an alpha texted me last night that I should let you off more, then proceeded to use my godchild against me?”
Soushirou laughed at that. That’s what his husband said the last time they were able to properly talk to each other, which was about two weeks ago. They have just been updating each other on quick calls or texts since then. The First Division seemed busy neutralizing kaiju for the past few days.
“Yeah, he did say he would do that. I did not know that he would pull through, though.” Soushirou replied, “Kacchan had been wanting us both to come home, but we could not find a good day off schedule together, so we have been alternating in taking care of him when he could. The last time I saw Kacchan was two weeks ago, and I’d see him later today.”
“Kacchan is still staying with your father, right?” Mina asks.
“Yes, but I’m not sure yet if we will go home to Hachiōji or stay at my family's house. I think Papa wants to have dinner with me tonight, also.” Soushirou contemplates his plans for his coming days off.
“I want to see your kid; you should bring him here soon.” Mina smiles at her Vice Captain. Mina has a special fondness for Katsurou because he looks exactly like his omega mother. It is like seeing Soushirou when he was three years old again. Besides, she was also one of the people who helped in shielding Soushirou away from the public eye and the military when he was still pregnant with Katsurou. She fully understood Gen’s frustrations to keep Soushirou from the front lines during his pregnancy.
“Let’s see if I could, Gen and I agreed not to bring Kacchan to our military bases if we could help it.”
“Of course, I understand. I’ll wait for you to endorse your duties to our platoon leaders in front of the gates of the base. We must leave soon to meet Director General Shinomiya on time.” Mina stood up and started walking towards the office door.
“Hey, Mina. Did you inform Gen you’re coming?” Soushirou asked.
“Yes, I did. For formality purposes. I did not tell him that I am bringing you, though.” Mina smirks his way.
Soushirou smirks back, “Great. You know exactly what I want to happen.”
“I could only imagine how excited this visit makes you, considering the urgency in turning over the report personally to Director General Shinomiya. It’s a good surprise as well.” Mina shrugs before leaving the office for good.
Hoshina dons his Vice Captain persona as he endorses his duties for the day to the Platoon Leaders. The recruits are currently practicing their shooting skills in one of their training areas, and Hoshina was able to catch the tail-end of Hibino Kafka’s turn.
The old alpha was panting very hard at the end of it, and Okonogi announced that it took him 10 minutes and 50 seconds to finish the round, where he was able to use an unleashed combat power of 0.5%. As expected, this got a laugh out of everyone on the team.
“Vice Captain Hoshina!” One of the recruits greeted, and like clockwork, all of them turned to him, greeted him, and snapped into a salute position.
“Captain Ashiro and I will be leaving today to go to Ariake Maritime Base. All of you should take your orders from Platoon Leader Nakanoshima until Captain Ashiro comes back. I will go back here in two days, and all of you should show better results by then.” The omega enthusiastically announced.
“Yes, Vice Captain!” A chorus of agreement replied to him.
When all of them dispersed, a few of the rookies went to him. Iharu announced proudly, “Have a great day off, Vice Captain Hoshina! We will work hard until you get back!”
Hoshina laughed at the enthusiasm to be better that their rookies exhibit, “That’s great to hear. I will enjoy my day off, I’ve been wanting to see him for quite a while.” Thinking about his son, Hoshina was not able to filter his thoughts, and he realized late that he had slipped.
A chorus of interest rang through the rookies as what their Vice Captain said sank in, “Oh, Vice Captain! Are you seeing someone already?” Hibino Kafka bravely asked.
It’s the first time that someone has ever asked him this question directly, and it has been four years since he and Gen got together. He never really had to deny his family since then, even though they have been secretive about it.
“I don’t think that is relevant to your training,” Hoshina answers like how a celebrity would, a charming smile gracing his face. The rookies echoed a disappointed grunt, clearly wanting to know if their pretty omega Vice Captain is taken.
“For that grunt, I am ordering 10 laps around the base perimeter. Okonogi-chan, please be a dear and pass it on to the platoon leaders.” Hoshina starts walking towards the gates, hearing the complaints from the rookies, while he cackles.
Soushirou thinks they would be so shocked to find out about Gen and Katsurou.
Ariake Maritime Base
0840H
Mina and Soushirou are on their way to Ariake Maritime Base. They are currently in one of their deployment vehicles, which they typically use to transport Defence Force officers to neutralization areas. Both leaders have been discussing a wide range of topics, including those they don't usually address during duty hours.
“Hey, Mina. What’s with you and Hibino Kafka?” Soushirou suddenly steers the conversation away. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed your eye glints every time he is mentioned.”
Soushirou actually expected his captain to clam up like she usually does when confronted, but Mina looked down and looked sad. “How’d you know?” She asks in a small voice, very unbecoming of her usual commanding tone.
“I’m sorry… I did not think that bringing him up would make you this sad. I was just curious about him.” Soushirou frowns at his friend, “I was just observing your reactions before the second exam, when you suddenly wanted to hear about the applicants. You also looked sad when he was about to be rejected from the screening right before I objected. Then, there’s the whole thing during the induction ceremony as well. It was surprising to see your reactions.”
Mina sighs, thinking deeply. She looks like she’s contemplating whether or not she should divulge this information to her best friend and trusted Vice Captain, “Kafka-kun was actually a childhood friend of mine.”
Whatever it was that Soushirou was expecting, it was not this.
“We’ve been friends for as long as I can remember, and we even promised that we would work together at the Defence Force. But I guess, life happened to us both.” Mina sighed, looking lost. “I never told anyone about this, but he was the first guy I liked when I was young, and I had not presented yet. But the thing is, even when I presented as an alpha in my teenage years, I don’t think my feelings changed for him. In fact, I guess it just progressed. At least until I successfully enlisted in the Defence Force at 18 years old, and I left him behind.”
“We lost contact after that. It was difficult navigating the Defence Force alone when all my life, I had been expecting him to be right beside me.” Mina shrugs, trying to be nonchalant about it. But she now seemed uncomfortable about letting the truth out.
“Thank you for trusting me with that. I don’t think I ever knew about your life before the Defence Force.” Soushirou replied, thinking about it as well. Mina knew that he came from a family line of kaiju slayers from the Muromachi period, and that he was bound to join the Defence Force since he was born.
“I did not have any friends in the Defence Force when I joined. I was focused on honing my skills until I got promoted to my current position, and I was looking for a Vice Captain to serve alongside me.” Mina smiled softly, “I heard there was a hardheaded sword specialist from Kansai who was visiting Tachikawa, and I figured that I must extend an invitation.”
Both Mina and Soushirou laughed at the memory.
“I know I had to train you first that time, see if our leadership styles are compatible and all that, but I had a hunch that you are the perfect Vice Captain for me. And my best friend as well. So, thank you, Soushirou.” Mina smiles up at him.
Soushirou is on the verge of tears, but he wipes them away, “Why are you making me cry, Mina-chan?! I’d report you to Gen.” He threatens with no weight.
“Are you okay with knowing that? I’m sorry I spilled it so suddenly,” Mina asked, looking serious all of a sudden.
“Knowing what?” Soushirou asked, confused.
“That I like an alpha… and that I am an alpha as well.” Mina clarified, biting her lower lip.
Soushirou suddenly rolled his eyes upon realizing what Mina meant. “Mina-chan, I am literally mated and married to Narumi Gen. That’s more embarrassing, don’t you think? Sometimes, I’m still thinking if the loser used an Amortentia on me.” Soushirou loves Gen with his entire heart, but he also admits that his alpha is an absolute loser. More importantly, Narumi Gen is Soushirou’s embarrassing loser.
“But more importantly, of course, I do not mind. Love is love, either way, whatever our second genders may be.” Soushirou smiled softly at his best friend, “Thank you for letting me know. You don’t have to worry about being real to yourself when you’re with me. I got you as a friend also, not just on the field.”
“Thank you, Soushi-kun. I appreciate it a lot.” Mina smiles back at her best friend, looking much happier than earlier. Suddenly, their vehicle stopped. “It seems like we have arrived at our destination.”
It’s Soushirou’s turn to light up like a light bulb. He is excited to see his mate, okay?
Their doors were opened, and they got out, walking towards the front of the Ariake Maritime Base, where their welcoming party awaits. Their welcoming party is composed of First Division Vice Captain Hasegawa Eiji and Platoon Leader Shinonome Rin. The Third Division members’ military personas are suddenly pulled up. Captain Ashiro and Vice Captain Hoshina saluted the two Defence Force members who were welcoming them.
The First Division members saluted them back, Hasegawa greeting them first, “Captain Ashiro, Vice Captain Hoshina, welcome to Ariake Maritime Base. The Director General is currently in his office. My sincerest apologies on behalf of our Captain, who is not here to receive you two today.”
Worry starts to creep into him, but he forces himself to ask nonchalantly, “What happened to him?”
“We weren’t expecting you also to arrive, Hoshina-san. Director General Shinomiya also informed us that the summons was for Captain Ashiro only.” The alpha Vice Captain bowed his head a bit in apology.
Hoshina was about to assure Vice Captain Hasegawa that it was all right when Platoon Leader Shinonome chimed in, “What difference does it make if Captain Narumi knows that Hoshina-san is coming?”
The difference is he would be here welcoming his mate with open arms, Hoshina thinks, also taking note that the omega did not use his title. He thinks back and realizes that this is the second close encounter of the day.
Vice Captain Hasegawa turns sharply to the woman and reprimands her, “For failing to address a higher authority properly in line of duty, you are ordered to do 30 laps at the training grounds later.” He turns back to the two of them and apologizes, “My sincerest apologies for that, Hoshina-san.”
“I extend my apologies as well for not informing the First Division beforehand that I would be bringing my Vice Captain alongside me. However, I believe that he has relevant information and contributions that would be valuable for the Director General to hear directly from him.” Captain Ashiro attempts to de-escalate the situation by directly addressing Vice Captain Hasegawa, aware that Platoon Leader Shinonome’s reaction stems from a few of the Platoon Leaders of the First Division, if not all, being prejudiced against the Third Division due to the rivalry.
Vice Captain Hasegawa nods at this, “I am sure it would be no problem for Director General Shinomiya as well. May I ask if Captain Narumi is informed that Vice Captain Hoshina will also be here?” The First Division Vice Captain tilts his head a bit, and between the three of them, he is obviously asking if Gen knows that his omega mate would be here, or if it is a surprise.
“No, he does not know.” Hoshina curtly replies, “Where is he, anyway?”
“Our Captain was working out earlier today, and he should be training right now.” Platoon Leader Shinonome smiles, seeming happy to share that information.
Beside him, Ashiro was smirking, glancing sideways at Hoshina, who was smiling as he usually would before he remarked, “You seem to know an awful lot about the whereabouts of your lazy Captain.”
Before Platoon Leader Shinonome could reply, Captain Ashiro decided to interrupt her, “Vice Captain Hasegawa, would you be directing us to the Director General’s office? Or are we waiting for anyone else?”
The Vice Captain shakes his head, “No, we just waited for your arrival. The Director General is waiting for you in his office.” With that, the officers bowed to each other in dismissal. The Third Division Captain and Vice Captain begin walking towards the meeting place.
“Am I needed for the meeting?” Hoshina asks his Captain, unaware that he was supposed to partake in the meeting. “I don’t mind helping you first—“
“No, not really. Take this as an opportunity to meet him . I’m just going to turn over the report personally to the Director General.” Ashiro turns to him while they are walking, before she lowers her voice. “The meeting might just be quick, but just in case, I’ll call you if I need you to go to the office. Is there anything you want to add before I go?”
Hoshina thinks about it deeply. He’s had his theories, but it is currently baseless, so he thinks it’s not worth bringing up to the Director General. “Nothing, really. But you can also inform the Director General that Kikoru had done well during the exams, as she’s the one who neutralized the resurrected honju.” Even though Hoshina himself does not believe this claim yet. “Furthermore, it is essential to note that Kikoru reported a sighting of a humanoid kaiju, who was apparently responsible for the resurrection of the killed kaijus.”
“Yes, of course.” Ashiro nods as they enter the elevator, then whispers, “How do you plan to look for your husband?”
Hoshina smiles at her, seeming to have no problems in the world, “I have my ways. That is, if Hasegawa-san hasn't informed him yet.”
They reached the top floor immediately, where the sleeping quarters for the higher-ups are located. Moreover, it’s where the Director General’s office is located. While walking a while down the hallway, Hoshina broke out from their walk, and he saluted his Captain, who continued to walk towards her destination. He then turns towards a familiar door, which is unlocked.
He opens the door and finds the messy bedroom that Gen uses. The familiar scent of black tea, smoked cedarwood, and cardamom hints welcome him, but the person he is looking for is not here. True to Hasegawa’s claims, during the last time they talked properly, there were several Yamazon boxes sprawled across the room. The lingering scent of his mate tells him that he has just been here, but left recently.
Soushirou rolls his eyes at how messy his mate is. He never learns. With that, he closes the door and starts walking around the base. He decides that he should pay a visit to their training grounds, since Platoon Leader Shinonome did say that his mate should be there right now.
Walking along the First Division, several officers looked shocked to see him, but they remembered their manners and greeted him as one would a Vice Captain. He greets them back with his signature charming smile and crescent moon eyes.
It took him about 15 minutes to locate the training area that they seemed to be using. Ariake Maritime Base is much larger than Tachikawa Base, so it was already quite a cardio workout for Hoshina to walk around. The training area was loud with ruckus, and it seemed like the First Division team was having a great time. Hoshina peeked inside and saw that the First Division was also training and practicing their shooting skills.
Hoshina does not have trouble identifying the person he is looking for. Narumi is tall at 175cm, his two-toned hair is unmistakable, and he is currently wearing his standard Defence Force uniform. The First Division is currently practicing firing pistols, and he is at the side of the firing range, his hair brushed up, while his eyes are glowing magenta pink. The familiar glow of Retina 0001 is visible even from a distance, where Hoshina is. Hoshina thinks that his mate looks devastatingly beautiful.
Hoshina did not want to disturb the training, so he took a seat at one of the chairs near the entrance and continued to watch. With that, he spent a good while watching the First Division train. He could see Narumi sighing boredly at the side, barking orders whenever he saw some First Division members slack off. There were also instances where he approached his members and corrected their form.
“Aren’t you supposed to be a great gunner?” Narumi suddenly shouted, halting the rest of the First Division, as he approached Platoon Leader Shinonome. Even from Hoshina’s perspective, he could see her purposely mistaking her shooting form so Narumi could correct them.
It didn’t hit Hoshina at first, and then he realized that the other omega wanted Narumi to touch her so he could correct her form. Upon the realization, he rolled his eyes.
Hoshina continues watching them, Narumi correcting her form to shoot a gun properly. Narumi even wrapped his arms around her arms and body to adjust her, and Shinonome looked engulfed in his arms. Hoshina cringes at the scene.
His alpha seems none the wiser about everything that is unfolding, until the First Division is hooting and shouting excitedly towards the two of them.
“Shinonome, don’t melt in there!”
“Maybe you should falter more!”
“Captain Narumi, you ain’t sleek!”
Narumi immediately breaks away from Shinonome and shouts angrily at the naughty First Division officers. “You’re all dumb fucks if you think I find it great that someone can’t shoot a gun properly!”
Ouch, Hoshina thinks he would not want to be at the receiving end of his mate’s wrath right now.
“I did not expect to see you here, Hoshina-san.” Vice Captain Hasegawa suddenly appeared beside him, upon entering the training area as well.
Hoshina’s face brightened at the sight of the giant Vice Captain, “Hasegawa-san.” he bowed before the other. “I was wondering where my mate was, and I found him here, but I did not want to disturb the training session.”
“Was the meeting with Director General Shinomiya done already?” Hasegawa asked, confused.
“No, my Captain did not have me join. She sent me to look for my husband. I wanted to surprise him by coming here, but it seems he is busy.” Hoshina smiled up at Hasegawa.
“The training is going to conclude soon.” Hasegawa took a seat beside him, “Not to pry, but I saw you scowling when I entered.”
Ah, Hoshina thinks, I wasn’t able to remain emotionless.
“Platoon Leader Shinonome seems to be interested in my alpha. It’s giving me secondhand embarrassment.” Hoshina decides to be honest; his signature smile remains on his face.
Hasegawa chuckled at Hoshina’s response, “She is. Nonetheless, Captain Narumi may be our primary troublemaker and could be irritatingly irresponsible, but he really loves you and Katsurou. He is only devoted to you both and this profession.”
Hoshina smiles wider at that, both Vice Captains watching the First Division train, “I am not exactly the jealous type, Hasegawa-san. It’s not like it is public knowledge that we are mated. Moreover, I understand that my mate is handsome and charming in his own right. Even though he is questionable most of the time.” That earned a chuckle from the two of them.
Or, not really training, as their Captain is currently whacking the heads of the soldiers who were hooting earlier. One of the soldiers spotted the two of them, shock overcoming his face.
“V-Vice Captain Hasegawa and Vice Captain Hoshina!” All heads suddenly turned towards the two of them, including their Captain, whose eyes widened at hearing his mate’s maiden name and widening further at seeing him. With that, all of the First Division except the Captain snapped into a salute position to the two of them.
The two Vice Captains reciprocated the salute, and Narumi seemed to find his bearings, although his eyes never left his mate.
“Since when were you here?” Narumi asked no one, but he was only looking at Hoshina, while the rest of the First Division listened in.
“I have been watching you shout at your officers for 10 minutes now. You’re not even being constructive most of the time, until you decide to correct Platoon Leader Shinonome’s body form.” Hoshina smirks, his hands intertwined behind his back, while his mate seems shocked at hearing all that.
“Have you at least picked up some lessons for shooting guns, Vice Captain Hoshina?” Shinonome suddenly chimes in, the mock in her voice is poorly hidden.
Where did this omega suddenly get her audacity? Hoshina does not want to rise to the bait, but he also does not want to be mocked for using twin swords in his line of duty. He steps forward towards her, and the entire First Division seems frozen in their place. Hoshina smiles coldly at her, ruby eyes verging on anger, but he calmly says, “Shinonome-san, I would have you know that guns are not the end-all, be-all in the Defence Force, and I am the living proof of that.”
“In fact, if I just want a kaiju to be gunned down, I could carve a path for my Captain who would do that for me.” He adds. To the others, it might seem like he was just pertaining to Captain Ashiro. But deep inside, he is also pertaining to the alpha Captain standing a few feet away from him.
Narumi is irritated and angry now, “30 laps around the training grounds for speaking when not being spoken to, Shinonome. Hasegawa, make sure that she does that. All of you are dismissed.”
The black tea and smoked cedarwood scent rots further, indicating that Narumi is truly angry right now, and it would not do anyone any good to not follow him. The others think that Narumi’s scent is so angry, it got past his scent blockers. With that, the First Division immediately dispersed, wanting to get away as much as possible from their Captain. Platoon Leader Shinonome’s shoulders slumped, possibly at the thought of the additional laps and the punishments she also got from Hasegawa earlier. Vice Captain Hasegawa curtly nodded as well before turning away and exiting the training grounds.
If anyone is wondering why Third Division Vice Captain Hoshina was not leaving, it was not in their best interest to ask why right now, as their First Division Captain Narumi seemed to be fuming and would likely give him a piece of his mind.
When the training grounds are devoid of any other humans, Soushirou turns to Gen, and he is surprised to see his mate bow to him, “Sou-chan, I’m sorry you had to see that. I promise I was just correcting her form, and it did not mean anything else. I’m so sorry for her behavior as well.” His scent stabilizes from rotting to sweet, wanting to convey comfort to his omega. Gen is about to kneel and bare his neck to Soushirou, submitting himself fully.
Submission, through baring their necks, means that they fully trust and give themselves to whoever it is they are submitting to. It’s conventionally omegas who submit to their alphas. So when alphas do it, it is commonly frowned upon in societal standards, as they are usually placed in a higher regard. Nonetheless, it also shows that alphas who submit to their omegas are willing to be at their omegas’ beck and will.
Soushirou suddenly feels like he wants to melt. “Hey, Gen. Stand up straight and fucking hug me already.”
Gen does not need to be told twice. He stood and wrapped his arms around his omega’s waist, while Soushirou’s arms wrapped around Gen’s neck. Right then and there, they started scenting each other.
Both of them exhaled sighs of relief at the fact that they are both in each other’s arms once again. It has been a month since they last saw each other in person, with only video calls in between. They take turns seeing Kacchan at least once a week, with their availability barely aligning, so seeing each other in between is truly rare.
Their hug was so tight that Soushirou wanted to wrap his legs around Gen’s waist as well and have him carry him to his room. But they are currently in public.
Soushirou settled with unfurling one of his arms and placing his right hand on Gen’s left cheek. His thumb brushes Gen’s under eye, where Retina 0001 is still glowing a gorgeous magenta pink. Soushirou whispers, “It’s been so long, baby. I’m glad you’re okay.”
Gen rested his forehead on Soushirou, and they started rubbing their noses together. Gen soaks in the fact that Soushirou is in front of him, “I did not think I would see you for at least three more weeks, my love.”
Whoever went first does not matter. The two mates are passionately kissing each other now, true to the fact that they have not seen each other for a month. Anyone could walk into the training grounds at the moment and see them in such a compromising position, but the two do not care . They have their own bubble where only the two of them exist.
“What brings you here?” Gen whispers, then starts kissing the side of Soushirou’s mouth, trailing his kisses as he goes down Soushirou’s neck, over the uniform that he is wearing, until Gen reaches the junction of his neck and shoulder, where he knows his mating mark is lovingly placed.
“Mina-chan invited me to join so I could see you. Director General Shinomiya summoned her for a meeting.” Soushirou places his arms around Gen’s neck again before clasping his hands on each of his elbows. “How are you?”
“I’m alright. There have been some neutralization operations over the past weeks, but I guess they are not as interesting as what I am hearing is happening at your base.” Gen frowns at his mate.
Soushirou sighs. “There hasn't been any progress since the time you visited Kacchan and I called you, except for the fact that Kikoru reported that the resurrected kaiju is attributed to a humanoid kaiju who also appeared at the training area. That’s the update that Mina-san would be sharing with Director General Shinomiya.” Soushirou perks up after that, “I am actually having two days off starting tomorrow, so I can pick up Kacchan from Papa. Would you be free to join?”
“Sorry, love, I can’t. It’s Hasegawa’s turn to have some time off this week. My turn is in three weeks or so.” Gen replies as he starts fixing Soushirou’s bowl-cut hair for the stray ones.
“Oh, that’s great! My next off is in three weeks as well. I won’t be getting any in the next two weeks, so I should have three days off by then. However, I might be on standby duty just in case anything happens.” Soushirou ruffles Gen’s unruly hair, then starts massaging his head. “Have you not been overworking Retina 0001? You’re using it until now.”
“I’m training its endurance, actually. I want to be able to use it for longer periods of time without my eyes and nose bleeding.” Gen closes his eyes, feeling relaxed at being massaged in his head. “In our line of work, we are bound to be on duty when it calls.”
The two of them moved away from each other, but still stood close together. Soushirou asks him, “Have you been sleeping well? You have dark eye bags.”
Gen sheepishly scratches the back of his head.
Soushirou looks unimpressed. “Have you been playing games again?!”
Gen looks away as if he did not hear his omega, and starts to walk towards the entryway of the training grounds.
“Ya, Narumi Gen! Don’t pretend as if you do not hear me!” Soushirou stomps his feet while following his mate.
“I’m sorry, love! Race to my sleeping quarters?” Gen, not even waiting for his mate, starts running away.
Soushirou ran after him. Gen starts to realize, as they run across the base, that he failed to consider that his mate is naturally faster than him, one of his natural talents, and also because he is an omega. Omegas are biologically built for faster speed so that they can always break away from harm brought on by others. As such, his speed is part of the reason why Soushirou is their greatest close-quarters combatant, in the first place.
On the outside, the First Division soldiers are startled to see their Captain and his rival run across the base. But they also conclude that their Captain is stupid for even daring the Third Division Vice Captain, who is an omega, for a race in the first place. If any of the soldiers they ran past got a whiff of tea with wagashi, they do not have the time to think why, considering how fast the two are.
In the end, Soushirou won the race.
The two of them are in Gen’s bedroom now, and Soushirou turns to his alpha, “What’s my prize for—“
Gen kissed Soushirou abruptly and slowly walked back together to the bed. Gen prods his tongue on Soushirou’s lips, and he is immediately granted entry. He explores his mate’s mouth as if he had never done so before. “I miss you, Sou-chan.” Gen is now on top of Soushirou, who’s lying down on the bed, while Gen’s forearms are each on the side of Soushirou’s head, carrying his weight. Soushirou looks positively red, both from exhaustion and from blushing at being kissed so passionately.
“I miss you, Gen.” Soushirou replies, placing both his hands on Gen’s face, before squishing his face together, “Don’t think I forgot about you admitting to playing games while on duty!”
Gen whines, but he does not make an effort to get out of the omega’s grip. “Seriously, Narumi Gen. How many times have we talked about this?” Soushirou sighs tiredly.
“I use it to cope, you know?” Gen explains softly, “Being treated as a kaiju killing machine, I try to find something else that I can do where I can be the best. And I really enjoy playing games.”
Soushirou starts gently rubbing his thumbs beneath Gen’s eyes. Retina 0001 is turned off at the moment, so Gen’s pink eyes are shining through. It reminds him of his Kacchan. “Baby, I understand. Sufficient time for playing games is fine. But you shouldn’t play games as if there is no tomorrow. Your health would deteriorate if you don’t rest enough. I’m worried enough as it is for you in our line of duty, so please , don’t add more reasons to it.”
“Think of Kacchan, alright?” Soushirou adds softly, “Our child is just three years old. I want the two of us to see him grow up, and I want Kacchan to see us grow old. Besides, outside of the Defence Force, you are thriving as a father to our son, so don’t think that you are not the best anywhere else outside of kaiju neutralization.”
“I’m sorry, love.” Gen pulls Soushirou’s hands away from his face, and he sits back, kissing each of Soushirou’s knuckles. “I promise to be more mindful next time.” Gen presses a kiss to Soushirou’s lips.
“You better be.”
It reminds Soushirou of a time they had in the past.
Hachiōji Narumi Family Home
Two and a half years ago
1816H
Soushirou arrives at his new family home, the one he bought with Gen about a year ago, when he was two months into his pregnancy with Katsurou. Their Hachiōji home is peaceful and quiet, surrounded by old cherry trees, and away from prying eyes. It is what they want and need, considering their line of work, where the media often wants a piece of personal information from the Defence Force members.
It is a suburban, two-story wooden home. It has a south-facing living room directly connected to their backyard, which Soushirou absolutely loved about the place, as he could practice using his swords here. Meanwhile, what Gen loved about it is the big veranda upstairs where they often stargaze together. When he was pregnant with Kacchan, he and Gen would usually lounge there when they had aligned days off.
Soushirou opens the door, and suddenly, alarm and dread fill his body when he hears the cries and wails of his six-month-old child. Heart beating fast, he left his groceries by the door and climbed up the stairs to look for his baby.
Only to find his baby crying in his cradle, while his mate looks completely distracted from a game that he is playing. Gen doesn’t seem fazed at all that their child was crying in his cradle.
Irritated and angry, Soushirou stomps his feet and pulls the power of the BS5 game console from the socket. Only then did Gen come to his senses that Katsurou is crying nearby and that his very angry omega is glaring at him, looking disappointed.
”What kind of a father are you, Narumi Gen? You can’t even hear Katsurou wailing over the sound of your game! How distracted are you?!” Soushirou shouts, absolute anger radiating from him, and his white musk, plum blossom, and vanilla scent smells rotten. “I left you with him, trusting that you are capable of taking care of him while I buy our groceries! But you can’t even do that!”
Gen was angry as well, but as Soushirou continues to shout at him, he realizes that no point would get across to Soushirou at the moment.
Soushirou lets out a growl in anger and kicks the sofa that Gen is seated on. He takes a deep breath and tries to control the angry hormones that are coming out of him in waves. Katsurou is still crying and wailing in his cradle.
Soushirou approaches his baby and lets out calming and soothing pheromones, which seem to quiet him for a moment, before he starts crying again. Soushirou shushes his baby, getting him out of the cradle and placing Baby Katsurou near his scent gland. Unfortunately, his scent still smells a bit rotten from the anger that is not yet fully coming down, so he tries his best to squash the anger so he can put out more calming pheromones. Soushirou lets his omega instincts take over.
Gen, seeing his omega having trouble calming their baby, approaches them and lets out his own calming and soothing pheromones. It seemed to help both his omega and their baby calm down even further. Eventually, Baby Katsurou starts to reach out to his Papa Gen. Soushirou hands him over, but his eyebrows are still furrowed, still angered by the situation.
Gen still has a frown on his face as well. He was not able to save the game he was playing before Soushirou pulled the game console socket out of power. He was playing that game for the past 3 hours.
Soushirou suddenly walks out of the room, with nothing more to say.
When Baby Katsurou was eventually lulled into another sleep, his parents’ pheromones and scent surrounding him, Gen placed him back in his cradle and began looking for his mate. Tomorrow’s their last day off together, and god knows when they will see each other again. He finds his omega in their kitchen pantry, stocking it up from his recent groceries.
”Why did you suddenly pull out the power?” Gen asked, his anger from earlier mounting up again.
”Is that seriously what you are concerned about? Not even the fact that your child was wailing alone and asking for you? While you are busy playing with your stupid games?!” Soushirou’s anger, on the other hand, seems like it never went away.
”You could have just told me about it instead of pulling out the power cord!” Gen screamed.
”If Kacchan’s screaming wasn’t doing it for you, why would I expect you to listen to me? Don’t be naïve on purpose to me, of all people, Gen.” Soushirou rolled his eyes, his hand heavy on the items that he was stockpiling in the pantry, the sounds echoing across the kitchen. “You’ve been a father for six months already, Gen. You should have known to prioritize our kid without me spoonfeeding that to you.”
“For goodness’ sake, Soushirou! Stop treating me like a kid! I would have stopped playing if you told me to!” Gen approaches the omega, who suddenly turns around and faces him, his ruby eyes angered.
“Then stop fucking acting like a kid! You shouldn’t have to depend on me to tell you to stop playing when you can audibly hear your child wailing for you! What is so hard to digest about that? You can’t treat everything like a game to play, or revolve your life around your games, because we have a child now!” Soushirou points at Gen, his voice lowering but obviously furious still, “I had to adjust my life, turn it upside down, when I became pregnant, gave birth to Kacchan, and became a mother. For nine months, I could not engage in active duty when that was all I ever lived for! But did you hear me complain about it? No! I adjusted without having to hear it from you, because that’s what being a good parent means.”
“Now that this topic is brought to the table, you should also consider being more serious about your Captain duties. You can’t expect the Defence Force to always be understanding of you just because you’re a great kaiju killer. That’s not how the world works, Gen.” Soushirou adds, looking away.
Gen, wanting to get back at his husband, childishly replied, “Not my fault that you had to work twice as hard to reach your position. That was your choice.”
Soushirou looks more fiery right now, thinking, Where does he get the audacity to even turn this around on me? Soushirou’s face turned from anger, shock, and hurt to cold. Gen realizes he should not have said that.
“If that is all you surmised from everything that I said, then you should think and reflect long and fucking hard tonight before talking to me again. I won’t tolerate this fucking disrespect coming from you, of all people. I expected better from you, Narumi Gen.”
Soushirou walks out of their kitchen, never mind the other grocery items that he has yet to place. He feels cold and disappointed by what he heard from his mate. He wants to see his child to see if he is okay.
Soushirou proceeds to their house’s playroom, where Kacchan is sleeping peacefully in his cradle. He carried his baby out of the cradle and entered their master bedroom, where there was another baby cradle. He put the sleeping Kacchan in it. He locks the door and his exhaustion gets the best of him, pulling him and laying him on top of their shared bed.
Soushirou could not help it. The tears flowed out of his eyes continuously, and he felt lost. All the anger he felt earlier evaporated, and he just feels sad, disappointed, and left alone.
His pregnancy had been difficult for him. Besides the fact that male omega pregnancies are often highly sensitive and high-risk, he was unable to participate in active duty for nine months. In fact, he had to stick to office work. Soushirou was able to train the others in his first 4 months or so, before he had a visible bump he could not hide. From there, he and Mina made up a lie, approved by Director General Shinomiya, that he was transferred to another Division in the meantime. In reality, he was just doing administrative work and assisting in operations when he could remotely.
It was a difficult decision for him. He did not initially agree to the setup because he could not understand how he could live if he was not fighting on the frontlines. Mina and Gen had to convince him that it’s dangerous to remain at the frontlines while heavily pregnant. It was a hard pill to swallow, but he did.
Loud sobs fill the bedroom. Soushirou is hysterically crying while lying down on his left side, facing the entryway to their veranda. He feels the exhaustion from balancing work and taking care of Kacchan finally gets its release with his sobs. He could not understand why his alpha could not grasp to help take care of their child. He feels miserable, fatigued, and disappointed.
Soushirou does not know how long it has been since he locked himself up along with Kacchan. But the doorknob is being unlocked, and soon enough, the door opens. Soushirou quietens, but he feels like he lost his voice from the hysterical crying he just did.
“Sou-chan?” Gen appears in front of him, Soushirou could see Gen’s legs until he kneels, and there he sees his alpha burst into tears at the sight of him.
“Oh god, I’m so fucking sorry, Soushirou. I really am.” Tears started pouring down his face, “I’m sorry I did not attend to Kacchan immediately. I wanted to finish the game’s round before I went to him. I know that’s not a good excuse, I know, but that’s the reason you found him crying while I’m playing. I was nearing the end of the round when he started crying. I’m so sorry.”
Gen sniffs, his voice a pitch higher from his sobs, “I’m really sorry, my love. I know I wasn’t being a good father to him. I’m sorry I got mad at you first rather than acknowledging my mistake. That’s really a fault on my end, and I don’t have an explanation for it, other than I was being childish. I’m so sorry.”
Soushirou’s just staring at Gen, and Gen is not sure if his omega is even listening to him. His eyes look red from crying, and his rubies look empty. His entire face is puffy and pale. “Oh, Sou-chan.” A fresh wave of tears hit him. He slowly reaches out to his omega’s face, waiting to see if his omega would slap his hands away, and when he doesn't, he reaches out to wipe away the fresh tears that are also falling from Soushirou’s eyes.
Both of them had their arguments for the past year and a half since they dated, but it’s the first time that the two of them have blown up at each other.
Gen feels angry at himself that he let it come to this point. Since he’s kneeling already, he tilts his neck to the side, showing his mating mark to his omega and submitting fully. Commonly, it is alphas who claim their omegas, and that’s acceptable already. For both Gen and Soushirou, however, Gen asked Soushirou to claim him as well when they mated with each other.
“My love, I’m so fucking sorry that I tried to turn the problem on you. I knew you went through so much to give us Kacchan, and I’m sorry I reduced the problem to that. I’m sorry that I failed to become a better father and a good alpha. I’m sorry that I belittled you and what you have gone through to be where you are. I hope you forgive me.” Gen sobs after, feeling absolutely remorseful about the whole encounter. He would completely understand if Soushirou refuses to forgive him, and he would do everything he could to get his favor back. He realized it is not something that you say to your beloved.
Soushirou sits up from where he’s lain down at the bed, tearing up upon seeing his alpha cry in front of him while in submission. Stupid fucking alpha. “I’m not going to console you for the stupid shit you said and did earlier. You should have known better. You’ll get your forgiveness once you strive to be a better father, mate, and Captain.”
Even with that being said, Soushirou places his wrist on his mate’s scent gland and rubs it. Gen takes it as an opportunity to hold his wrist, and he cries again. Both mates are just sitting there and sobbing together. Gen continuously apologizes, saying I’m sorry, and I’ll be better repeatedly.
After that night, Gen has grown to be more affectionate, attentive, and protective towards his mate and child. Soushirou is happy that their conflict was resolved without needing drastic measures and that they were able to talk it out. He believes that Gen has been better, and he has forgiven his mate over and over since then. He does not regret choosing his mate, who may be troublesome at times, but listens to him and follows him when needed.
Hachiōji Narumi Family Backyard
Present day, three weeks later
0840H
The morning sun filtered through the trees that lined the backyard of their Hachiōji home, casting dancing shadows across the freshly swept training ground. It was a rare and precious coincidence that both Soushirou and Gen had three days off together from their duties with the Defence Force.
Three weeks ago, Soushirou surprised Gen at Ariake Maritime Base with a visit, since it had been a month since they last saw each other. That day, they planned and fantasized about these three days off. They would train Katsurou on using swords.
Well, wooden swords, since Kacchan is still young enough not to be trusted with a real one.
If anyone looks over their fence right now, they would see an unexpected sight: First Division Alpha Captain Narumi Gen and Third Division Omega Vice Captain Hoshina Soushirou, renowned for their close-quarters combat skills, both crouched on the grass, attempting to get the attention of their three-year-old son.
“Kacchan, remember what Papa Gen and Jiji taught you about your stance,” Soushirou gently called, his ruby eyes filled with pride at the sight of his Kacchan gripping a child-sized wooden katana with both of his tiny hands. The weapon was barely the length of his son’s arm, crafted by Gen when Katsurou was still an infant, sanded smooth to prevent splinters on his baby skin.
It looks like he saw himself when he was younger. Determined and excited about shing shing shing . Katsurou shifted his feet apart, tongue poking out slightly in concentration. His dark purple hair caught the morning light as he moved through the basic position his Papa Gen had recalled earlier, and his Jiji had been teaching him for the past few months.
It’s the first time that Gen and Soushirou see it in the flesh. Soutarou, Soushirou’s father, usually only narrates Katsurou’s progress with pride through text or call. Both parents are exhilarated at seeing their child practice.
“Like thish, Dada?” Kacchan asked, his voice eager to impress his parents. Kacchan looks up to his Dada Soush.
Gen approached from behind, his larger hands gently adjusting his son’s grip on the wooden katana. “Almost perfect, Kacchan. Feel how the sword becomes part of your arm?” The alpha’s touch was infinitely gentle, a stark contrast to the deadly accuracy and precision that those same hands display when wielding his GS-3305 bayonet. He also lets out soothing and encouraging pheromones for Kacchan.
“The sword isn’t just a tool, baby,” Soushirou added, demonstrating his own pair of wooden twin swords, a replica of his SW-2033 twin swords that he uses in kaiju neutralization operations. “It’s an extension of your will, your heart, your desire to protect what matters the most.”
It’s the same thing that his father told him when he was Katsurou’s age, and learning as he is to wield the swords. It has stuck with him ever since.
His Kacchan nodded with childlike curiosity, and then his face brightened up as an idea struck him. Katsurou replied in a small, curious voice, “Like how you and Papa kill big kaiju to protect the country?”
“Exactly like that,” Gen confirmed, settling into a crouch beside his son. Gen fixes the stray hair from the bowl-cut hairstyle that Katsurou also sports, looking exactly like his Dada, if not for the pink eyes that stared back at Gen lovingly.
It’s funny, Soushirou thinks. Just a few weeks ago, he saw firsthand how Gen is barely constructive when it comes to training the First Division—immediately expecting exceptional skills and results from them. But here he is, possessing infinite reserves of patience for small fingers that couldn’t quite master the grip yet, for attention spans that wandered to shapeless clouds and tweeting birds.
“Papa, Dada, I wanna shee the cool moves again!” Katsurou asked, abandoning his stance to bounce excitedly on his toes.
Soushirou and Gen exchanged a look. The omega smiles slightly and raises an eyebrow at his alpha, Why not?
“Alright, but just a demonstration,” Gen agrees, unable to resist his son’s charms that he inherited from his mother. “Then, we go back to basics.”
“Your Papa has never beaten me in close combat yet, baby.” Soushirou cheekily smiles at his son, and his son giggles and claps at what his Dada said.
“I wanna shee! I wanna shee!”
“Ya, Soushirou. Don’t embarrass me in front of my kid.” Gen raises his wooden katana towards his mate, as if he is taunting him for a fight.
Soushirou simply shrugs, “I ain’t gonna lie to my kid, Gen. I’m just simply better than you.”
“Then I’ll prove you wrong to Kacchan right now!”
The two adults took positions across from each other in the center of their small training area. Even with wooden weapons and casual clothes—Gen in a black tank top and jogger pants, Soushirou in his black compression shirt and training shorts—they moved with the deadly precision that cemented them as part of the top-performing legends within the Defence Force. The First and Third Divisions would have a field day if they could just see them both.
Gen drew his wooden katana in one fluid motion, the practice blade singing softly through the air. Soushirou responded by unsheathing his twin wooden swords, falling into the deceptively relaxed stance that had fooled countless opponents into underestimating him.
“Watch carefully, Kacchan,” Soushirou said, his voice taking on the focused tone he used when teaching rookies, “See how Papa Gen plants his feet and how his whole body moves as one?”
They began slowly, more dance than combat, each movement deliberately choreographed for their tiny audience. Gen’s overhead strike was met by Soushirou’s crossed blades, the wooden weapons clicking together with a satisfying sound that made their Kacchan clap in delight. The omega flowed around his alpha’s next attack like water, his twin swords weaving patterns in the air that seemed almost too fast to follow.
“Wowwww!!” Katsurou breathed, his wooden katana forgotten in the grass as he watched his parents move. “You’re like… superheroes!”
This one broke the mates’ concentration, and the two of them laughed at their son’s comment. Gen ruffled the little bowl-cut, his hand larger than his son’s head, while Soushirou bent to retrieve the abandoned practice weapon.
“We’re not superheroes, Kacchan,” Gen said softly, “We’re just… humans who practice very hard to protect the ones we love the most.” Gen looks up to Soushirou, who’s smiling at him, filled with affection.
“Like me, Papa?” Katsurou hopefully asked, smiling up at his Papa. Gen feels like his heart has grown in size, having the identical loves of his life smiling at him like this. The only family he has ever known and will cherish for the rest of his life.
“Especially like you, baby,” Soushirou confirms, dropping a kiss on his son’s forehead. “Now, shall we continue with your training?”
They spent the next hour working on the most basic fundamentals: proper grip, basic stance, simple vertical cuts that would form the foundation of any sword technique. Katsurou’s attention frequently wandered, distracted by a bird landing nearby or a particularly interesting cloud formation, but his parents remained endlessly patient.
“The blade goes down straight, Kacchan,” Gen instructed for the nth time, guiding small hands through the motion. “Don’t let it drift to the side.”
Gen is currently using Retina 0001 while training his son. Along with proper form and fundamentals, he is checking his son’s body signal stream. As expected, his signal stream still needs more work. In his entire life, only Soushirou was able to impress him with his refined signal stream.
“It’s heavy, Papa,” Katsurou complained, though he didn’t stop trying.
“All worthwhile things are heavy at first, Kacchan,” Soushirou said, settling into the grass beside his family. “When Dada first started training with his swords, his arms would hurt so much after practice that he could barely lift his chopsticks at dinner.”
“Really?” Katsurou’s pink eyes widened with the wonder of a child discovering that his parents had once been beginners too.
“Really,” Soushirou confirmed with his signature grin, “And then Dada would still pick up the swords day after day. It’s why your Papa never stood a chance against me.”
Gen shot his mate with a mock-glare. “Quit ganging up on me.”
“It’s true. The first time we met, your Papa said he could beat me in close-quarters combat. He never did,” Soushirou laughs at the memory. Kacchan joined in as well, giggling at his Papa who’s fixing his form.
Their playful bickering was interrupted by a rumble from overhead. A Defence Force transport flying its patrol route. All three of them instinctively looked up, watching the aircraft disappear beyond the treeline.
“Papa, Dada,” Katsurou said suddenly, his young voice taking on an uncharacteristic seriousness. Both parents’ heads snapped towards their child. “When I grow up, I want to join the Defence Force too.”
Gen and Soushirou looked at each other again. Pride, worry, love, and a dozen other emotions flickered between them in the space of a heartbeat.
“Why’s that, Kacchan?” Soushirou gently asked, pulling Kacchan out of his form and sitting him on his lap.
Katsurou leaned back against his mother’s chest, small fingers playing with the wooden sword handle. “Because then, I could work with you and Papa every day. We could fight big kaiju together, and I’d never have to mish you when you go away for work.”
The simple, innocent honesty of it hit both parents like a physical blow. How many times had they needed to take turns to see him at least once a week? Watching their son’s face crumple with disappointment every time they had to leave him with his Jiji? How many days off had been interrupted by duty calls? How many promised outings were postponed because humanity needed defending?
Gen knelt in front of his omega and his child, his hands covering his son’s much smaller ones. “Kacchan, being in the Defence Force means spending a lot of time away from the people you love. Even if we all worked together, there would be times when we’d have to be apart.”
Gen and Soushirou knew this. They had both agreed that even when they were about to mate with each other, their work and duty came first. They barely even see each other, and monthly would be frequent already.
“But we’d be together more than now, right?” Katsurou pouted while asking, with the relentless logic of a three-year-old. “And I could help protect people. I could be good like Dada with his swords, and strong like Papa.”
Soushirou felt tears prick at his eyes. Hormones and emotions are more evident to him in recent years, amplified tenfold by the intense love he felt for his precious child that he had with Gen. He would never regret what he had gone through to birth Katsurou into this world.
“You’re already strong, baby,” Soushirou murmurs into his son’s hair, “And brave. But being in the Defence Force isn’t the only way to be a hero.” Soushirou thinks he’s a bit hypocritical for saying that, considering the lengths he had gone to reach his position and endangering his life more often than not.
“What do you mean, Dada?” Pink eyes look up at him, expressive like his Papa’s.
Gen settled beside them on the grass, their small family forming a close circle. “There are doctors who save lives, teachers who shape minds, engineers who build the shelters that keep people safe, artists who give people hope, and shopkeepers who make sure everyone has what they need.”
They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, watching clouds drift across the morning sky. Lunch time is fast approaching. Suddenly, a butterfly landed on Katsurou’s wooden sword, its orange wings opening and closing slowly.
“I shtill want to learn to fight,” Katsurou declared eventually, “I want to learn to protect you and Dada when you get old.”
Both parents burst into laughter at the matter-of-fact way their three-year-old had planned for their eventual decline, and the butterfly startled away from its perch.
“We’re still very far from old, Kacchan. But I’m glad you see it in your future,” Gen pinches his baby’s cheeks.
”Dada callsh you ancient when you complain about your back after shleeping funny,” Katsurou replied innocently, earning him a gentle poke to the ribs from his alpha father.
”Traitor,” Gen muttered, but his eyes were filled with warmth and love.
As the morning wore on, they continued the gentle training session, but Katsurou’s attention span lasted for shorter and shorter intervals. Nonetheless, his determination never wavered. When he managed to complete a full set of ten vertical cuts without dropping the sword or losing his stance, both parents cheered as if he’d slain his first kaiju.
“I did it!” Katsurou jumped happily, grinning up at his Papa and Dada.
“You absolutely did!” Soushirou confirmed, scooping his baby up and spinning him in a hug, drawing delighted laughter from the child.
As the sun reaches the highest peak in the sky, winds blow the family, bringing light warmth to everyone. Gen starts gathering the wooden weapons. “That’s enough for today, Kacchan. What do you say we go inside and start lunch?”
“Can we have katsu curry and egg, pwease?” Katsurou asked hopefully, adding a pout to make it more convincing.
“Of course, my love,” Gen replied, as if there had never been any doubt.
Walking back towards their house, with Gen carrying the practice weapons and Soushirou carrying their tired baby, Katsurou lifted his head from his Dada’s shoulder.
“Will you teach me more tomorrow?” Katsurou asked through a yawn.
“Yes, my love. We have two more days together.” Soushirou replied.
“What about next time? After two days?” Katsurou prodded, pouting.
”We’re going back to work by then, Kacchan,” Soushirou gently pats his baby’s head, “But next time that Papa and I are home, we’ll surely practice again.”
“Promishe?”
“Promise,” both parents replied, Soushirou kissing Katsurou’s forehead while Gen kissed the back of his head. Katsurou smiled sleepily before nestling back against Soushirou’s neck, burying his face near his mother’s scent gland.
Later that evening, the Narumi family settles down on the lounge sofa that they have on their large veranda. They cover this when they do not use it so that it does not get exposed to the harsh and changing weather. Soushirou initially did not think it would be practical. Contrary to this, it is one of the furniture that Gen ensured would be there, so that they could stargaze or lounge around whenever they want. True to its purpose, that is exactly what they are doing right now.
The skies are clear of the clouds, so from their house at Hachiōji, the stars are both visible and bright. Gen had his feet propped up on one of the footrests they have, while he was lying down on the sofa. One of his arms is resting behind the sofa, wrapped around Soushirou’s shoulders. Soushirou is currently resting in the same position as his mate, his head lying on Gen’s shoulder. Meanwhile, Katsurou sits in the midst of them.
All three of them are cradling their own cups. Gen and Soushirou contain their favorite piping hot black tea, while Katsurou is drinking warm fresh milk.
“It feels nice to not wear scent blockers and finally smell like tea and wagashi,” Soushirou smiles up at his husband. Gen nods.
“I agree. It also reminds me that we’re together,” Gen takes a sip of his tea.
Soushirou chuckles at his husband’s response. “That’s so cliché of you, Gen-chan.” Suddenly, a text message notification came in. Soushirou felt his heartbeat spike because it was the one he set for JAKDF personnel. Moreover, his scent also spiked, causing Katsurou to whine from the sudden change in his mother’s scent from comforting to alarmed.
Soushirou scrambles to stand up, reaching out for his phone that he left alongside Gen’s at their veranda table. Both of them have their phones with them always, just in case there is a sudden kaiju emergence.
“Who is it? What do they want?” Gen asked, tense at the seat he’s left at.
Third Division Cadet Hibino Kafka
Good evening, Vice Captain Hoshina! My sincerest apologies for reaching out during your break. May I ask when you would be back at the base?
20:32
“Oh,” Soushirou said upon reading the message, “It’s just Kafka-kun.”
Gen raises an eyebrow at that. “ Kafka-kun, huh? What does he want from you during your day off?”
Soushirou looked at his mate, detecting the jealousy from his tone and facial expression immediately, and gave a clinical response, “I permitted all the rookies to contact me even on my days off if they have a question regarding their training. Kafka’s just asking when I’ll be back.”
“They can damn well handle themselves while you’re gone, Sou-chan. You shouldn’t have allowed that,” Gen rolls his eyes.
Soushirou clicks his tongue, “Gen, don’t cuss in front of Kacchan, please. And it’s not that serious. This is how I help train the rookies, and you should respect it.” Soushirou takes his seat on the sofa again and gets back to the text message.
Third Division Vice Captain Hoshina Soushirou
I’ll be back in two days, Kafka. What’s the matter?
20:33
Third Division Cadet Hibino Kafka
Sorry for interrupting your vacation again, Vice Captain Hoshina. We want to ask if you could train us when you get back づ ~T ⤙T ა 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
20:35
Third Division Vice Captain Hoshina Soushirou
Of course. Don’t stay up too late, Kafka! Make sure to turn the lights off at the library.
20:36
“I don’t think it’s part of your job to remind them to sleep, Soushirou.” Gen chimes in, obviously reading their text exchange from where he’s sitting. Katsurou is quiet, listening to his parents, who are currently tense.
Soushirou rolls his eyes, “Gen, you have nothing to worry about. Kafka’s just used to staying up late to train and study, so I had to tell him off multiple times.”
“You’re not helping your case, y’know? Why do you know all that?” Gen prods. He’s obviously just being petty at this point. At times, Gen could be unnecessarily dense and easily jealous. Mina was right when she said my mate is only good at killing kaiju, Soushirou mentally remembers.
“Because he’s a cadet in my platoon and I am directly responsible for him,” Soushirou replies, his voice turning cold. I also suspected him of being Kaiju No. 8, which I think is unlikely, because how could he even? Being half-kaiju is impossible.
Soushirou sighs and tries a different approach, because clearly, toeing and matching with Gen’s pride would not de-escalate the situation. “It hurts me that you do not trust me enough that you’re still easily jealous of my colleagues, Gen. Did you see me acting out like this when I found out that Platoon Leader Shinonome is romantically interested in you?”
Soushirou hates that his child has to hear them argue. He places his hand on Katsurou’s head and brings it to his chest. He lets out soothing pheromones to calm his child down. He also starts scenting Katsurou using his wrist.
“Stop having your rookies contact you during your days off. They shouldn’t be calling you unless it’s a life or death situation.” Gen instructs, not seeming to back down. Soushirou thinks it’s strange that Gen is suddenly strict on stuff like this. Both of them used to not mind because it’s part of their work.
“Alright, Gen.” Soushirou agreed to end the conversation. But he doesn’t think he would pull through.
“Papa, please don’t fight Dada.” A small and sad voice interrupted them both. “He’s just working!”
Gen finally sighs, “I’m not fighting with Dada, baby. I don’t want him working if he’s resting with us.”
“But you said before that you both go whenever work calls.” Katsurou pouts.
“Yes, that’s right, baby. But Papa just wants me to focus on you both.” Soushirou drops a kiss on his child’s head. He then reaches out to Gen’s hand, pulling his arm to wrap it around his shoulders like he did earlier. Soushirou kisses Gen’s shoulder to ask for a truce.
“Do you trust me, Gen?”
“I do, Soushirou. I really do.” Gen sighs, seeming to be in internal conflict with what he just said.
“Then trust me when I say that you’re the only one I’ll ever love.” Soushirou smiles at his husband and mate.
“What about meee?” Kacchan looks up at both of his parents. This earns a laugh and a giggle out of Gen and Soushirou.
“I love you the most , Kacchan. Don’t ever question that.” Soushirou taps Katsurou’s nose and then kisses his forehead.
“That’s right. You’re our ball of sunshine, Kacchan. I love you the most.”
That night, the Narumi family found comfort and love amongst each other. They traced constellations in the stars, patterns that look like the kaiju both Gen and Soushirou have slain over the years. Eventually, Katsurou fell asleep between his two parents, tired from the exhausting day. The cups they were drinking from earlier were stashed away in the veranda table.
Gen’s hand taps his mate’s head, and Soushirou turned his head towards his husband. Gen took the opportunity to kiss his husband gently and softly. He tilts his head to kiss him more fervently. Gen pulls away and pouts, “Sorry for my outburst earlier, my love.”
Soushirou sighs, “Gen, you’re the only person I’ve ever loved this much. Genuinely. Don’t act on your jealousy so much.”
Gen smirks at him, “My fault for mating with such a pretty, gorgeous, and strong omega.” He then steals one more kiss from his mate.
Soushirou giggles quietly. He loves it when Gen calls him his mate or his omega.
Gen looks down towards their baby, still small, but growing up quickly. He whispers to his omega, “Thank you for giving us such a pretty baby.” He pulls Soushirou closer to him, which makes Soushirou pull their sleeping Kacchan towards his lap so he can scoot closer to his alpha.
For some time, the two parents just stare at their sleeping child, listening to his slow breathing. Both of them barely get quiet moments with their line of work, so this one is incredibly special to them. Gen wraps his other arm around Kacchan, and as such, both of his arms are wrapped around his family. Never in his life did he think that he would get a family of his own, but he is forever grateful that the universe decided to grant him one with Soushirou.
“Think he’ll really want to join when he’s older?” the Alpha asked quietly.
Soushirou leaned into his husband’s warmth, considering. “Maybe. But I think what he really wants is just to be close to us, to be part of something meaningful. There are lots of ways to achieve that.”
“As long as he’s happy,” Gen murmured, and Soushirou nodded in agreement, then he added while smirking, “Don’t pretend I did not see you smiling proudly earlier when he said he wants to join.”
Gen smiles widely at his beloved mate, “If he does join, he would surpass us both. We’re both going to make sure of it.”
Notes:
Scream at me on Twitter, I guess: @hoshinarumii