There were few things that could distract Tiza in such an important moment like this, but his phone ringing was one of them.
He only had three contacts on his phone after all and one of them was laying behind him. Ever since his accident Sean has kept a respectful distance from Tiza, in fact the Omega hasn't even received one message from him. His brother went from overbearing to non-existent in a heartbeat. Because of this when his name lit up the phone screen, Tiza reached over and answered the call, and not because of the intense aura in their bedroom.
"The baby is coming," comes Sean's voice, raspy and shaky, barely recognizable over the phone. That phrase is enough of an excuse to forget about what was happening for the time being and scramble out of bed.
"Aosh, the baby is coming!" Tiza exclaims, calling Benji over.
It takes the Alpha a moment to register what Tiza was talking about before his somber expression lightened up into something brighter.
"Right now?"
"Right now! Get some clothes on!"
.......................................................
They walk to the waiting room, every step from Tiza tense. Exchanging a few words over the phone was one thing, but seeing Sean in person was another. Tiza didn't know if he was completely ready for this, but he did know he wanted to see Momo and his niece or nephew. As they walk Aosh is on the phone, trying to find someone to cover his shift today so he can stay with Tiza.
Sean comes into view as they enter the waiting area. He sits hunched over, with his head in his hands. The anxiety was practically dripping off of him. The Beta sighs and his gaze runs around the room until it lands on the couple. Sean stares at them for a moment before looking back down at his lap.
The fear, the anxiety, all of the negative emotions Tiza was expecting to come when he lay eyes on his brother fell flat. It could be because of the time they spent apart, or that Tiza has done some work with himself, but all Tiza sees when he looks at Sean is a man just as scared of the world as he is.
The Omega nudges Aosh's shoulder, "Hey, actually you don't have to stay."
Aosh's eyebrows furrow and he hangs up his phone. He looks between the two Jeannots.
"Are you sure? Are you ready?"
Tiza's hand trails down Aosh's arm to his hand to give it a reassuring squeeze.
"I think...I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Tiza leans up to press a chaste kiss to Aosh's cheek, "I'll let you know if I need you, so don't worry."
Aosh's lips turn upward, a truly authentic smile that the Omega hasn't seen that much lately. Asking why that was is on the list of things he needed to talk to Aosh about, amongst other things. The Alpha runs his hand through Tiza's hair before saying,
"I'm proud of you."
Aosh leaves, and Tiza is left with a tingling warmth spreading through his entire body. Tiza was prideful, but had never truly felt proud of himself and what he had accomplished. This was the first time anyone had said that to him, and he hoped it wouldn't be the last.
............................................................
Sean can hear his brother's footsteps come closer, but still he decides to keep his eyes downcast. He...he didn't think he deserved to even look Tiza in the face right now, the passing glance from earlier alone was gut wrenching. That on top of not knowing how Momo was doing in the delivery room was bringing his anxiety to new heights. The chair next to him creaks as the Omega sits in it followed by a 'thump' on the floor. A dog with icy blue eyes looks at Sean and Sean at it.
Tiza clears his throat, "How is she?"
"I don't know yet I've been waiting out here for you. I assume everything is fine, she went into labor a few hours before I called you. Last I heard she was dilated only four centimeters," Sean says, eyes tracing the outline of Tiza's shoe.
Sean was afraid to look at Tiza. He was afraid of seeing him still just as sickly as he was the last time he saw him. Or maybe that he would be regarded with that face again; the face of pure terror. Starting with the Omega's shoes he would make his way up until he met the others gaze.
Going up Tiza's boots to his legs, Sean might have expected a sign that everything wasn't what it used to be, but they looked fine from what he could tell. No longer twisted irregularly, that's for sure. His brother's frame doesn't look as frail as before, but the blonde was also wearing a heavy jacket to keep out the winter cold which was covering most of his torso. The glint of gold catches his eye, the lock of a new collar, Sean can't help but scowl at that despite himself. But when his gaze finally comes to Tiza's face it melts away.
Freckled cheeks were rosy, eyes were bright, platinum locks cut shorter than he's ever seen them before framed his expression; warm, full of life. A Tiza he's never seen before.
There was a benchmark for which Sean determined Tiza's happiness, and he never thought he would see his brother smile, like he did when his mother was alive, again. But the way that Tiza's lips curve up, even when he was regarding scum like him, was enough to blow the previous benchmark away. This is what happiness looked like on Tiza, and it was beautiful. So beautiful in fact Sean has to swallow down his pride and hurt that he wasn't the one to give that to him. He is so taken back by it he doesn't know what to say.
"I see you two have matching collars. What's that all about?" Is what Sean settles on, since it was what irked him the least.
Tiza's fingers wring themselves together in his lap, his face turning a darker color. He takes a deep breath before he answers.
"Promise you won't get mad?"
Sean forces himself to nod his head.
"He's my fated mate, Sean. I think we're together...or at least I hope we are. "
"That doesn't mean you're obligated to be with him."
"I'm not."
Sean bites the inside of his cheek, "You don't even believe in that 'fated mate' bullshit."
"I didn't, and maybe I still don't, but I know what I feel. And...I feel like I want to be with Aosh...for the rest of my life."
"The rest of your life is a long time to spend with one person," Sean crosses his arms.
"I don't even think I could picture my future before I met him," Tiza sighs wistfully, "My life before was living day to day, chasing a dream that wasn't mine to begin with. I wasn't living for myself because I didn't know what that meant; and I didn't care. But then I met Aosh and it seemed like everything started to finally make sense."
"You're giving him a lot of credit," Sean grumbles.
"Stop being a pessimistic bastard and listen to me for once!" Tiza bites out.
The Beta pouts but keeps his lips shut while the Omega continues.
"The bottom line is, I'm not happy just because I'm with him. Aosh has this thing about him, it's really irritating, how he can turn a cloudy day into sunshine and rain into a cool breeze. He does that with people too, he takes the ways they see themselves and helps them see it differently. I didn't know I needed that until I met him."
Sean couldn't argue with Tiza on that, he had witnessed how Aosh did that with his own eyes. But did that justify stealing his little brother away from him?
"Is that why you left?" Sean can feel tears collecting on the corners of his eyes. He didn't know if he could handle hearing Tiza's response, but he tries to seem unaffected.
Tiza sighs again, and timidly puts a hand on Sean's shoulder.
"The reason that I left wasn't because of Aosh. I just...everytime I'm around you I see 'him'. Uncle. I don't want to see him in you, because you aren't like him. But there are things that you have done that have put you in that point of view in my eyes. Things that I hope...never happen again. I appreciate all that you've done for me, because it wasn't expected of you and I know you've done what you can. But as much as I wasnt allowed to be myself, you were deprived of that as well."
Sean grits his teeth, but it does nothing to stop the tears from spilling over onto his cheeks.
"And now you're jumping into parenthood and you really won't be able to find yourself. You need that just as much as I did. And you deserve it too. What I'm saying is don't worry about me. You don't have to take care of me anymore."
"Then who's going to?" Sean is barely able to say, his voice thick with the heaviness inside his heart.
"I am," Tiza's thumb swipes the tears that flowed from Sean's eyes, "It's as simple as that."
Abruptly, Sean wraps his arms around Tiza, hugging him tightly.
"I..I can't even say sorry...I don't deserve your forgiveness…" Sean cries into Tiza's coat.
Tiza can't remember the last time he's seen Sean cry let alone hug him like this. When one has to be strong enough for two people, they deprive themselves of the most essential things, such as the need to cry. He had to learn that the hard way.
"I'll only forgive you if you show me that you're better than 'him'. I want you to raise your son or daughter with all the kindness and love we never had. I want a Jeannot in this world that lives their life to the fullest, and never has to go through what we had to," Tiza sniffles to hold back his own tears that want to be shed, "Can you promise me that?"
As much as Sean wanted fatherhood, his own past was haunted with his father. He had already decided that he would be nothing like that bastard. But then he hurt Tiza. He hurt his own blood again and again and was too ignorant to accept it until reality smacked him in the face with it. How could he be a good parent when he didn't even know what that was? How could he run away from the image of fatherhood that was burned into his brain?
"I'm so scared, Tiza…" his grip tightens as the fear rolls over him again and again.
"I know. We all are, and that's okay."
...............................................................
Far too many hours later, Momo was finally in the last stage of labor. Sean had left to be with her after composing himself. Tiza decided to wait until the baby was born to make his visit. He didn't think it was appropriate to bring a dog into the delivery room, and he didn't want to witness the miracle of childbirth either.
Now he stands by the nursery, peering into the window. It was almost midnight now, Aosh was on his way, and Tiza was exhausted just waiting around all day. But seeing the newborn being placed in the clear bassinet was worth it.
Aosh comes down the hallway, out of breath, "I'm sorry work ran later than I thought it would."
"You know you shouldn't run in a hospital."
"Yeah a nurse yelled that at me on the second floor," Aosh comes closer to peer into the window, "Which one is it?"
"Second row, third from the left," Tiza points his finger.
The baby wasn't hard to miss. All of the other newborns had blue or pink blankets swaddling their tiny forms, but this one had a purple one.
"An...Alomega…" Aosh says quietly. His gaze flits over to Tiza, whose own expression is difficult to read.
"Yeah…" he replies, running his hand over the top of Benji's head where he sits next to him.
Tiza can only imagine how Sean must've reacted to that. It was a bitter irony, like Fate was playing some cruel joke on his brother; or maybe giving him a second chance. It would be better to think of the latter, Tiza had enough trust that his brother won't make the same mistakes twice. Still, god only knows how freaked out Sean is right now.
He has every right to be, having an Alomega was...a lot. Growing up as one evemoreso. That's why, as Tiza looks at his new family member, he feels his chest tighten up. At least they'll have something he never had growing up; somebody who understands what it's like.
"What did they name them?"
"Sky, after Momo's mother."
A beat of silence passes.
"Are you ok?"
Tiza manages to tear his eyes away from where he's been staring at the baby, "That's a loaded question. It's been...a day. I could really use a hug right now."
His fated mates arms do more than comfort him, they help him come down from the emotional rollercoaster today has been. Aosh's heartbeat is gentle, grounding, and safe. Passingly Tiza remembers early this morning, when they embraced each other, and when Aosh's feelings for the Omega came into question. He didn't think he could handle that conversation right now, so he puts a pin in it. If his emotions ran any higher today he feels like he was going to explode.
"Don't you want to see Momo?" Aosh says, running his hand over Tiza's back.
"In a bit," Tiza mumbles, hugging Aosh tighter.
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It was always awkward interacting with Momo's family. Tiza didn't know where he stood in their eyes, therefore he tried to limit interactions with them as much as possible. She had a big family, many brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles; they were very close knit. Tiza tried to wait until the bulk of them had come and visited, but still somehow got caught in an awkward interaction with them.
They offered their congratulations on being an uncle, several of her brothers patted him on the back wanting to set up dates to have an outing together, and all of her nieces and nephews wouldn't leave Benji alone. It was overwhelming to say the least. The one thing he did like though was that they treated him just like Momo did; like a regular person.
It was very late, soon enough they all said their goodbyes and filed out of the hospital room finally leaving the four of them alone.
"You're glowing, Momo," Tiza says approaching her bedside.
"Really?" she groans, " 'Cuz I feel like shit."
"Well you don't look like it," Tiza's hand covers hers, giving it a squeeze.
She pulls his hand to her lips, and gives it a kiss, "I missed you so much...thank you for being here." It looks like Momo could cry if she hadn't already balled her eyes out during her delivery.
"I wouldn't miss it."
She looks between Tiza and Sean who sits next to her. The fact that her two boys were together again...and that things were doing better; it really feels like she could cry again if her well wasn't already dry. A nurse comes in, with the baby nestled in his arms.
"Are you ready to try breastfeeding Mrs. Jeannot?"
Momo nods her head, arms outstretched ready to hold her baby. As the nurse guides her through what to do, Sean gets up to pull Tiza and Aosh to the other side of the room.
"I need to talk to you."
Tiza knew this was coming, having to talk Sean down from whatever fears or anxieties he was having concerning his newborn. Sean looked thoroughly freaked out. But what Sean says isn't anything that he was expecting.
"He...that bastard is dying Tiza. My father."