Deion stared at Shiro. He heard what Shiro said, but he couldn't process it.
"Please say something."
The desperation in Shiro's voice made Deion snap out of the shock.
"How? Aren't you on the pill?"
"I am! I don't understand how I got pregnant. It shouldn't have happened."
Deion also thought it was strange. The birth control pills Shiro took were almost a hundred percent safe, and Shiro had been on them for years without getting pregnant. It had to be the bond or perhaps the fact that Dorian and Shiro both were dominant. Then medication would probably never work. They had to figure something out because Shiro couldn't be pregnant all-time for the rest of his life.
"What should I do? I can't have a baby," Shiro said in a weak voice, and Deion took a deep breath before he spoke.
"Do you want an abortion?"
"Yes... No... I don't know."
Shiro had tears in his eyes, and Deion could see that he was on the verge of breaking apart. Deion hunched in front of him and looked into Shiro's eyes with his kind gaze.
"You have time to think about it. It can't be that long ago you got pregnant. When did you do the test?"
"Before dinner, but I got scared and didn't look at it, and then everything with Finian happened. I found the test when I was in my room when we got home. Deion, what should I do? I can't talk to Dorian about it!"
"Why? I don't know Dorian that well, but I think he would probably be happy about having a child with you."
Shiro knew that what Deion said was true. Dorian had embraced Ikumi, and it was obvious that Dorian loved his kids. But it was too soon. They had only known each other for a few months, and now Finian was sick and also pregnant on top of that. And what would Finian say? Shiro knew that Finian would act like he was happy, but how could he be? His beloved husband, the person Finian loved more than anything, would have a child with another man. Shiro could only imagine the pain Finian would feel. Even he had trouble handling seeing Dorian with Finian, and he hadn't even known Dorian for that long. Dorian and Finian had been together since before they even were teenagers. They were practically the same person by now. And here he came and invaded their space, and soon with one more child on top of that. Shiro knew Finian was a saint, but no person could be that understanding and kind. It just wasn't humanly possible.
"But I can't do this to Finian," Shiro's voice broke when he talked, and Deion sighed and caressed Shiro's cheek with his big hand.
"You are just scared, and I get it. It is scary. After all, your situation isn't normal, with Dorian being already married to someone else. But you know that Finian would never mistreat you. He would probably love to have one more child in the family. I don't get it, but that's Finian. It's just the way he is. But you don't have to say anything yet. Just wait until Finian feels better and then talk with him first. Just hear what he has to say. Then make your decision."
Shiro thought over what Deion said, and he was quiet for a long time. He didn't say anything, but he leaned into Deion's big hand and looked at his friend with a warm gaze.
"Thank you. I love you, Aniki."
Deion smiled and gently ruffled Shiro's hair.
"I love you too, kiddo. Now let's go and get some ice cream before the younglings eat everything."
Shiro nodded and followed Deion towards the kitchen. While they walked, Shiro glanced at Deion, and suddenly, he smirked.
"Something big has happened, right? You're beaming."
Deion stopped and looked surprised at Shiro.
"I am?"
"Yeah, you're practically radiating happiness."
Deion chuckled, and Shiro could see that the tall man's cheeks got a little red.
"I can't hide anything from you, can I? Well, I have a girlfriend now."
Shiro's whole face lit up, and it was like all his troubles were gone for the moment.
"Omedetou gozaimasu. I'm happy for you!"
"Thanks, but it feels unreal. Like it's too good to be true."
"I understand. Joy's a great person, but so are you. I wish you both happiness."
Deion didn't say anything more, but Shiro could see that the taller man was extremely happy. Shiro couldn't even remember ever seeing him like that before. Since his last relation ended, Deion had only focused on work, and Shiro always felt bad about all the things Deion had to go through thanks to him. He had to deal with Shiro's mother and brother, Kei's death, stalkers, and unreasonable record label executives. And not to mention this fated pair business and moving to London on top of that. But despite it all, Deion never complained, and he had always been Shiro's greatest support. Shiro was determined he would be there for Deion and help him in any way possible. And that thought was what helped Shiro pull himself together. Shiro was still terrified that he was pregnant, but he had no other choice but to stop thinking about it for now. He still had time, so he just had to wait. Whatever he decided to do.
*****
Shiro was on his way to Ikumi's room. Deion and Joy would spend the night in Shiro's room, so he had to share a bed with Ikumi. Eamon had suggested that Shiro should sleep in the master bedroom, but it didn't feel right for Shiro. It wasn't his bed. He didn't have any right to be in that room. So Shiro and Ikumi were going to share a bed because Shiro really didn't want to be alone.
The ten-year-old girl looked at her cell when Shiro walked in and quickly turned it off when she saw her father. Shiro immediately noticed that the girl was upset, and he remembered the sad expression she had during dinner. Shiro didn't say anything, he just sat down on the bed, and when he did, Ikumi clung to him, and she cried. Shiro put his arms around her and held her tight.
"Whatever it is, darling, you can always talk to me," he said in a tender voice.
"I'm sorry, dad, but I miss Father. I miss him so much."
Ikumi's weak little voice cut deep into Shiro, and he held her tighter, fighting against the tears threatening to burst out.
"I know, sweetie, I miss him too."
Ikumi stopped crying and glanced up at her father.
"You do?"
Her words made Shiro stare at her with surprise.
"Of course I do. I still love your father very much."
"But I thought you didn't love him anymore."
Shiro couldn't believe what he was hearing, and the worst of it all was that it filled him with incredible guilt. He had made Ikumi think that he didn't care about Kei any longer. Shiro vigorously shook his head and caressed the girl's cheeks.
"I could never forget Kei. He will always be my first love, and I think about him every day. Every time I look at you, I see him because you look so much like your father, and it makes me so happy. You have your father's beautiful eyes and his nose, and you're just as smart as him."
"So you're not angry that I miss him?"
"What? No, Ikumi, why would I be? He was your father. Of course, you miss him."
"But it feels like I'm doing something bad because I like Dorian too. And what if Father thinks that I have forgotten him and is mad at me?"
"Your father would never ever get angry at you. And he would be relieved that you like Dorian because he wants you to be happy and feel safe. Because you feel happy and safe, right, Ikumi?" Shiro couldn't help but feel anxious when he waited for the girl's answer.
He remembered her sad face during dinner, and it worried him. But Ikumi nodded.
"Yes, I like living here, and I really like Dorian, Finian, Caoimhe, and Eamon," the girl answered, and when she said the older boy's name, she blushed.
Ikumi noticed it right away.
"Ikumi, do you like Eamon?"
Ikumi froze up, and she stared terrified at her father. She seemed at lost for words, and she struggled.
"I saw that you looked sad during dinner when Eamon's girlfriend was mentioned. But you don't need to talk about it if you don't want to."
Ikumi still didn't say anything at first, but after some minutes, she looked down and nodded.
"I like him."
Shiro smiled and stroked the girl's hair.
"He's very kind."
Ikumi nodded again.
"He is. He's so kind," Ikumi quickly agreed, and Shiro could hear the affection in the girl's voice.
"But he likes his girlfriend."
Shiro took a deep breath and kissed the top of the girl's head. Yeah, Eamon was head over heels in love with his girlfriend, and Ikumi was still a child. But he understood her. He hadn't been so much older when he realized how much he loved Kei and the same with Dorian and Finian. They had been very young, as well. But Ikumi wasn't mature like Caoihme was, who acted more like a fifteen-year-old than a twelve-year-old. Ikumi was much more innocent than Caoimhe, and Shiro hoped she would remain like that for a few years more. He also hoped that her crush on Eamon wouldn't last long because he didn't want to see his precious girl heartbroken.
That night Ikumi fell asleep clinging to her father, and it made Shiro feel so relaxed that he had no trouble falling asleep too. And none of them noticed that on Ikumi's cellphone, she received a text from the person she had sent a text to when Shiro walked into the room.
******
Midori was smiling happily when he put down the phone after making sure that Lucas couldn't see him. Lucas had fallen asleep, and Midori could finally stop faking concern. It had been a tough day for him. When Lucas got the call from his fathers that Finian was brought to the hospital, Midori had to really fight the urge to laugh. It annoyed the hell out of him to see Lucas get so upset. One could think that it was his partner that was ill, not his brother-in-law. He had never seen Lucas like that. He wanted to rush to the hospital as soon as he heard, but his dad told him it was better if he stayed at home. They would probably not get to see Finian anyways. And Lucas had listened to them, but he sat with his phone clutched in his hands and anxiously waited for some news. And it wasn't until Dorian called him late in the evening and told him that Finian was in the clear that Lucas gave Midori any attention. Not that Midori really cared about that. No, he was just glad that Lucas stopped being so irritatingly pathetic.
And not only that, Ikumi had texted him and told him that Shiro was completely heartbroken, which pissed him off. Why the hell did Shiro even care? It didn't make any sense to him why everyone seemed so obsessed by Finian and cared so much. He was just an ugly simpleton.
All Midori wanted to do was to laugh and celebrate. Hopefully, Finian would die. Then Shiro would see that in the end, Dorian didn't care about him at all, and all that mattered to him was Finian. Then Shiro would leave Dorian out of his free will, and Midori would overwrite that mark. Make Shiro only his.
And that last text from Ikumi made him so incredibly happy. She wrote that Shiro wasn't crying anymore, and he seemed like himself again. It only confirmed that Shiro didn't care about that family after all!
Midori was all giddy, but he couldn't show it until Lucas fell asleep, and when he did, he got up, got to the living room, and started writing a letter. He hadn't sent Shiro a letter for a long time now, not since he went to London and he felt really awful about it. He knew Shiro missed them, that he must have felt sad and wondered why the letters stopped. And the guilt was eating Midori up inside. So he poured all his love into the letter, and when it was done, and he read it to himself, he was pleased. It was the most heartfelt letter he had written, and he knew that Shiro would be happy when he read it. It would hopefully give Shiro the strength to keep going for a little while longer. Midori hadn't yet decided when he would make his move on Shiro, but soon. He didn't want Shiro in that house with those people longer than necessary.
Midori put his letter inside an envelope and hid it amongst his clothes in his drawer. Then he went to bed and got comfortable under the covers. And when Lucas, in his sleep, snuggled close and put his arms around him, Midori felt himself calm down and relaxed. He fell asleep. Unconsciously thinking that the warmth Lucas gave him wasn't that bad.
********
Finian had to stay at the hospital for three days. But Dorian came home the day after the incident. It was Finian that decided for Dorian that he should sleep at home, and it was with mixed feelings he went home. Dorian felt awful for leaving Finian, but at the same time, he wanted to see Shiro and the kids. He missed them like crazy. And Dorian knew that Finian would be safe because Finian's mother would spend the night at the hospital.
When Dorian walked out of the car, he was immediately greeted by Caoimhe and Duke, who had been waiting for him outside. Caoimhe ran up to him and hugged him hard. Dorian kissed the girl's forehead and stroked the black dog's silky fur. Together they walked inside the house, and Caoimhe had shouted from the top of her lungs that dad was home. Out from the kitchen, Shiro came running, and he threw himself at Dorian. The blonde alpha caught him in his arms and held him tight. Perhaps it was the bond or just the love he felt for Shiro, but just being close to Shiro made it all feel better. Dorian had whispered that he loved him, and a faint blush had spread on Shiro's cheeks all the way to his ears. Eamon and Ikumi had hugged him afterwards, and he could see that they all were relieved he was home. A feeling he shared.
The family spent the evening eating tacos and watched Caoimhe and Ikumi's favourite anime. Dorian was sitting on the couch with Shiro beside him, and Caoimhe leaned against him on his other side, with Duke close to her. The girls did cute squeals every time the wizard did something, and Dorian smiled at it. For a moment, all his worry just faded away, and he could finally breathe with ease.
When the movie finished, the kids went to bed, and Dorian called Finian. Finian was still tired, but he felt a lot better, and the doctor told him that he would be able to go home the next day. Dorian was so relieved that he was close to tears. They said their goodbyes after saying that they loved each other, and Dorian made his way to Shiro's room. He wanted to tell Shiro the great news. Dorian opened the door to Shiro's room but stopped in the doorway. His heart began to hammer in his chest, and he started to feel hot all over. Shiro didn't wear anything except his boxers. His petite body, that porcelain skin, and the jet black hair that went down over his shoulders. It all made Dorian's mouth water, and when Shiro smiled at him with so much love in his eyes, Dorian thought his heart would burst. He was filled with so much love for this gorgeous person, and he was beyond happy that Shiro was there for him.
Shiro got on the bed and held out his arms towards Dorian.
"Come here," he said.
Dorian grinned and chuckled while he shook his head in amusement.
"Damn, do you realize what you're doing to me?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Shiro tried to look innocent, but in Dorian's eyes, Shiro looked very seductive instead.
"Yeah, sure you don't."
Dorian quickly undressed and got down under the covers and into Shiro's waiting arms. They lay there for a while. None of them talked. Dorian snuggled into Shiro's chest and let the younger, smaller man embrace him. It was usually the other way around with them, but Dorian liked this. He liked being spoiled by Shiro.
"I know you rather be at the hospital right now, but I'm happy you came home."
Dorian glanced at Shiro. The omega wasn't looking at him, and his voice sounded strained. Dorian could see the anxious expression on his mate's face.
"Of course, I'm anxious about not being with Finian now when he's ill, but I'm glad I went home. I missed you so much that even my body hurt."
"I missed you too," Shiro replied and kept stroking Dorian's hair.
But Dorian could hear the sadness in Shiro's voice, and it pained him. Dorian knew he said too much at the hospital when he had his breakdown, and the regret was eating him up. What Dorian said about not being able to live without Finian had probably been true before he met Shiro, but not anymore. He could never leave Shiro, just like he couldn't leave Finian. They were both a part of him now, and so long he had either of them, he would keep fighting to his last breathe.
Dorian sat up and gazed down at the beautiful man that looked at him with big curious eyes.
"I will never leave you of my own free will. You are mine, and I am yours, and nobody can change that. Do you understand?"
Shiro just stared at Dorian as if he couldn't comprehend what the man was saying. But when it sunk in, tears started to fall down his cheeks, and he cried.
"I love you, Shiro. Never doubt that."
With tears falling, Shiro nodded and put out his arms again. Dorian got down, embraced Shiro and kissed his tearstained face. Softly on his cheeks, then on his eyelids, and so very, very gently on Shiro's lips. But Shiro wouldn't have any of that, and he pulled Dorian against him and kissed him hard, clinging to Dorian. Dorian didn't object. He answered the kiss, and they lay there for a very long time, just kissing. But nothing more. After a while, they broke apart and smiled at each other, their lips stinging sweetly after the long, intense kiss. Without a word, Dorian turned off the light, and it didn't take long until the blond alpha was sleeping. Shiro couldn't sleep, so he just laid there, his body pressed against Dorian's.
He thought about the baby inside him. Perhaps it would be alright to have this child because he believed Dorian would be there for him. But was he ready? Did he even want to have another child? That was the thing he had to figure out, and with dull aching in the pit of his stomach, Shiro managed to fall asleep. While he desperately clung to Dorian, who was completely unaware of his mate's dilemma.