Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: As always, I own nothing but the original characters and the situations the characters find themselves in. Thanks so much for continuing to read and for giving me feedback on my work. It’s very much appreciated, and I do read every review you send me!

Life Finds A Way

If he didn’t get out of here in the next five minutes Hajime Iwaizumi knew he was either going to scream in frustration or pass out from the heat. Or possibly slug the guy standing behind him because the beta was ninety percent sure the guy had sniffed him two minutes ago. Sniffed him! And there was nothing Iwaizumi could do about it because currently he and Akaashi were goddamn packed into place like human fucking sardines. Attempting to turn around and get a look at the guy would require more athleticism and contortion than Iwaizumi was up to after the month he’d been having. Not to mention he’d probably end up rubbing his ass against the weirdo in the process, and he did NOT want to encourage the fucker.

Alphas.

Rolling his eyes and then wincing at the sweat that dropped into his left one, Iwaizumi cursed the too warm weather, the weak air conditioning, and again, how busy the store was. Why was it so busy? It was never this busy!

“You okay?”

“Yeah.” No.

But admitting that would have Akaashi giving him looks and making comments again, which was something Iwaizumi wanted to avoid at all costs. Especially since Bokuto would be at the house by the time they got back-if they ever got back-and he did not want Akaashi telling his loudmouth, can’t keep a secret to save his life husband that Iwaizumi thought he was maybe getting sick again. Or still hadn’t recovered from whatever bug he’d had for two weeks straight that had made him tired, achy, and nauseous as fuck for no apparent reason. The two weeks before that hadn’t been great either, though without the nausea, at least. Whatever he’d picked up was being persistent as hell.

This was his first full week back training with his team-one more work day after this to go-and Iwaizumi was determined to soldier through it.

Even if his body currently hated him, the beta thought darkly. Just like the universe for putting him in this goddamn oven of a store that was full of people who were all annoying the shit out of him by simply existing in his space.

Not to mention the fact that THANK GOD he did not work here. If one more customer started giving one of the employees crap about not being served fast enough or how hot it was in the store Iwaizumi was going to lose it on them. As it was, he’d added an extra five bucks to their usual tip in sympathy for the kids behind the counter. They did not get paid enough to deal with adults behaving like cranky toddlers. The staff was obviously doing their best, for Christ sakes. Not to mention the fact that they couldn’t escape the store until the end of their shift, poor bastards. So fucking hot in here!

“126 order!”

Thank fuck.

As per usual they were given two large cardboard box trays, which were needed to carry all the drinks between the two of them. A quick count to make sure that they were all there-they were-and with that they were finally free to carefully make their way to the skinny exit door that would release them back into the unusually warm weather they were currently experiencing.

But at least there was fresh air, even if it was dry as hell. And the house was only three and a half blocks away, so the walk back wouldn’t be bad either. In theory.

In theory was right.

They’d barely started walking side by side down the sidewalk when it happened, Akaashi moving to walk on grass so that a twenty something boy didn’t barrel right into him. The kid’s gaze was glued to his phone and Iwaizumi was mentally shaking his head when the kid passed between them-

And then the smell hit.

The kid must have fucking bathed in the worst cologne ever was a dim thought in the back of Iwaizumi’s mind. Only dimly though, because the majority of his thoughts had turned to frantically trying to control his gag reflex as nausea hit so hard and fast that it was all he could do stagger over towards Akaashi, who was calling his name. The omega sounded distant and echo-ey, not like he was all but beside him.

But Akaashi was definitely there, snatching Iwaizumi's tray out of his hands and putting it down on the grass beside his own discarded tray. A good thing, he thought dimly, since it meant Iwaizumi could brace his hands on his knees as he leaned forward and did his best not to puke his guts out in public.

Fuck. Fuck. FUCK!

“Nice, even breathing. You’re doing good. I’m a doctor, can I take your pulse?”

It took a minute for Iwaizumi's brain to use a few cells to process that, meanwhile Akaashi informed the guy currently hovering behind Iwaizumi that Iwaizumi had insisted on going back to work before he’d completely recovered from a cold and was still pretty weak physically.

He wanted to argue that, he really did, but Iwaizumi had the feeling that if he tried to speak, he might end up puking.

“Not letting yourself heal and recover properly seems to be a thing here in Japan, I’ve noticed.” Was the doctor’s dry response to that as he moved to stand on the other side of Iwaizumi, Akaashi on Iwaizumi’s left with a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Can I still take your pulse, Sir? I really didn’t like your color or breathing back at the store. You’re just over two months along, correct?”

Risking it in his confusion, Iwaizumi tilted his head to the side to squint up at the Caucasian looking alpha male in his mid to late thirties looking back at him. “What?”

“Your pregnancy. You’re about two months in? Have you had any bleeding recently? When was the last time you saw your doctor? Did you inform him you were sick? For how long?”

Thankfully, Akaashi was there to inform the obviously not good at his job doctor that Iwaizumi couldn’t be pregnant. He was a beta male.

“And I’m an unmated, currently in his prime alpha that also happens to be a pediatric surgeon. I know a pregnant omega when I smell one. And fuck-you didn’t-okay, I know this is Japan, where male omegas aren’t treated well and too many of you go on dangerous levels of suppressants to get by, but seriously, your health is more important!”

The doctor stared at Iwaizumi like he wanted to shake some sense into him, but that was fair seeing as Iwaizumi was probably looking at him the same way.

“Excuse me, Doctor, I don’t mean to cast aspersions on your abilities, but Iwaizumi is a beta. I am an omega, and I’ve known him for years. I would know. Not to mention the fact that he wouldn’t have been able to become an athletic trainer for Japan’s national volleyball team if he was an omega. They don’t allow omegas of either gender to apply.”

That was true, Iwaizumi’s brain helpfully supplied. In other countries they could apply, and maybe even succeed, but here in Japan they were deemed physically unfit and too much of a liability and distraction for the alpha players. Hell, it was only in the last couple decades that omegas had been allowed to play at a national level. It was complete and total bullshit of course-but a lot in life was. Especially in men’s sports.

“So, you’re telling me you aren’t pregnant as well? I assumed you two were part of an expecting mothers' group.”

Akaashi’s jaw dropped open a little in shock.

“Wait...seriously? Again?” Akaashi already had two-and-a-half-year-old twins.

“How could you-I haven't even told my husband yet. I just did an at home test three days ago! My obstetrician from my previous pregnancy won’t be back in the city for another week and I was waiting for her, since she specializes in male omega pregnancies.”

The doctor tapped his nose and gave Akaashi a look that said it should not be doubted.

“Okay, that’s weird. And congrats, Akaashi. Thank you for ensuring Bokuto is going to be a hormonal, stressed out disaster again.” Iwaizumi began, straightening up through sheer will. “But Akaashi is right about the beta thing. It’s not like I could suddenly change...”

“Iwaizumi?”

“Oh, fuck me.”

He’d been about to say that there was no way he could have suddenly changed his designation, only to remember that actually...he could.

The goddamn Beta-Omega Gene. Okay, it had a much longer, more scientific name made up by the heads of the team who had first published their work on studying the gene, but mostly doctors just said Beta-Omega. It was also sometimes known as ‘The Malcolm Gene’ in North America as a medical joke, Iwaizumi had been told, that referenced the first, amazing ‘Jurassic Park’ movie. The character Dr. Ian Malcolm had stated in the movie that ‘life finds a way’, and such was the case with those rare family lines that carried this particular gene. A gene that Iwaizumi happened to know was present on his maternal side.

According to his mom there’d been at least three cases of it in the last century and a half. At least three members of his maternal family tree who’d started out as one designation and then changed to another in adulthood. The gene only affected males, betas or omegas, and the switch wasn’t even necessarily permanent. It was a situational thing. Omegas turning into betas during times of war or hardship to increase their chances of survival. Betas...well usually they didn’t change designation unless they were in a long-term relationship with an alpha male and nature decided they should breed.

Breed. Pregnant. Two months.

He needed to sit down. Now.

“Life finds a fucking way.”

)

It was for the best that Iwaizumi managed to say the iconic line from the movie before he started hyperventilating and needed to put his head between his knees. It was apparently enough to tip off the doctor, who immediately asked if he had the gene, which meant Iwaizumi only had to give him a thumbs up. The doctor took it from there, explaining it all to Akaashi in medical jargon that normal people wouldn’t understand but Iwaizumi did. Or would have if he wasn’t too busy freaking out while also putting the pieces together.

Always being tired. His increase in body temperature. Sudden nausea, especially in response to strong smells. Why he’d been unable to stop himself from ordering the same body products that he knew Oikawa used because he’d suddenly become obsessed with a need to smell like the alpha. His non-stop craving for just peanut butter and banana toast for breakfast, and increased appetite the rest of the day.

The Olympics. Shit.

The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, to be specific. Both he and his childhood best friend had been there with Oikawa representing Argentina for volleyball while Iwaizumi had been there as trainer for Team Japan. On opposing sides, yes, but they’d been best friends since they were little so of course they’d hung out and tried to find time to catch up between matches after months of not seeing each other in person. They’d both been super keyed up and excited to be there together. To have made their professional dreams come true.

The second Monday after the opening ceremonies he’d been fine aside from not sleeping well that night. He’d put it down to nerves. Tuesday he’d been a touch irritable from lack of sleep, made worse by the continued insomnia, but they’d won their match, which was the important thing. Wednesday was when things had started to really go downhill.

The ‘hump’ day of the work week had literally become a hump day when Iwaizumi’s sex drive had suddenly gone from mostly dormant-he hadn’t gotten laid in a depressingly long time-to wanting sex ASAP. He’d felt like a god damn teenager who’d just discovered what his dick was for the entire day.

Getting through the day had NOT been fun, and once back to his assigned room his hand had taken the edge off, but not enough. Not for long, anyway. And what sleep he’d gotten had featured explicit as hell dreaming, all of them featuring Oikawa in a starring role. Thursday had been the same.

Friday...Friday his hormones had kicked it up several notches and neither his hands nor any of the toys he’d desperately gone out and bought had been enough to take even the edge off so he’d-fuck he’d called Oikawa at one in the fucking morning and told his best friend exactly, using the sort of explicit language that still made Iwaizumi blush just to think about, what he wanted and needed from him and to get his fine ass to his room NOW.

And Oikawa had come.

They’d both come. A lot. From that night until the end of their stay in Paris.

He was-or at least had been-a beta, and they both knew they were clean. They hadn’t used any protection.

Fuck.

“Right. I really don’t like your color and your pulse. We need to get you inside and hydrated at the very least. I have my doctor’s bag in my car.”

“I live close by. That’s where we were headed.”

“Would you let me give you two a ride? You can call my hospital for a character reference if you want it.”

Iwaizumi could hear the smile in Akaashi’s voice as he answered that.

“If you’re okay with me taking a picture of you, your car, and license plate to send to my husband, on top of the fact that my house is currently occupied by an entire male’s volleyball team’s worth of overprotective professional athletes...we’ll get in the car.”

“Deal.”

Deep in growing shock, Iwaizumi just gave another thumbs up and hoped that he’d wake up from this dream really, really soon. Because if it wasn’t...if it wasn’t he was going to have to call Oikawa and tell him they were going to have a baby.

Seriously? What the fuck?

)

Iwaizumi didn’t remember much of the obviously very short drive to the Bokuto family house other than the fact that the doctor’s car had amazing air conditioning and he loved it. He wanted to stay in the air-conditioned heaven and not think ever again about anything but the fact that he loved it. Sadly, the love affair was doomed to be short and soon Iwaizumi found himself looking out the car window towards the house, watching as the door slammed open and the human tsunami known as Koutarou Bokuto came running out towards the car like the force of nature he was.

Other members of the team followed in his wake.

Thankfully the car had just stopped and anticipating his mate’s reaction Akaashi had taken the seat directly behind Iwaizumi, now opening the car door so that Bokuto could see that he was okay and hadn’t been kidnapped or anything.

“Kaashiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!” The ace was so loud it was a wonder the glass didn’t shatter.

“That’s his husband?” The doctor asked as they watched Akaashi get out to immediately be pulled into a tight hug.

“Yup.”

“Interesting hair.”

“Yeah. I don’t know why, but a lot of volleyball players I know gel their hair weird. He’s actually hot with it un-styled, but don’t tell him I said that. His ego is almost as big as Oikawa’s.”

As if on cue Bokuto stuck his stupid head into car from the open backseat and demanded to know how Iwaizumi was feeling. He was an over exuberant man-child...but a caring one.

“I’ve been better.”

“Right. We’ll get you inside the house.” Bokuto then turned his very rarely but currently very serious yellow eyes on the doctor in the driver’s seat. “Thank you for giving them a ride home.”

“You’re welcome.”

Popping back out of the back Bokuto appeared again at Iwaizumi’s door, opening it once the doctor unlocked it and then informed Iwaizumi that they’d already worked it all out. They were going to get him inside using the wrist box technique thingie that they’d learned about in First Aid.

Not bothering to remind Bokuto of the official name-he'd just forget it anyway-Iwaizumi took a deep breath and reminded himself that he’d be a lot more mortified if he puked or passed out. Mentally pep talk given Iwaizumi carefully got out of the car and into position as Bokuto was joined behind him by Atsumu, who was only a little shorter than Bokuto. The technique worked best with equal heights.

The two men faced each other, grasping each other’s wrists to make a square box between them, then very much embarrassed as fuck Iwaizumi sat back on their hands/arms, looping his own arms around their necks for better support and balance.

And hopefully to decrease the chances of throwing up on them.

Nodding at each other the two alphas started to move in synch, making their way towards the open door where the twins were watching all this from the small porch.

Both looked like miniatures of Akaashi, Iwaizumi thought, though Sora, the oldest, had her father’s eyes. Her brother Ryo was currently sucking his thumb and watching everything with interest, while his sister looked ready to cry as she very loudly demanded to know what was wrong with ‘HER Unca Iwai’.

“He’ll be okay, My Baby.” Bokuto cooed over to her. “He’s just not feeling well.”

Absently Iwaizumi listened to Sora promise to kiss him all better while behind him he could hear Hinata offering to help Akaashi with the drinks still in the car. Yaku was talking to the doctor, thanking him for his help and introducing himself and everyone else.

Akaashi and the doctor had both promised not to tell anyone about his condition without his permission. Right now, they were just playing it off as he’d almost passed out and wasn’t yet recovered from being sick before.

But if the doctor was right, and Iwaizumi was starting to lose his grip on denial, then they’d all know soon enough.

Everything would change.

Chapter Text

Note: The possibility of a miscarriage is discussed here-no worries, would not do that to my boys.

Houston, We Have a Problem

Akaashi might not have told him, and Bokuto might not recognize what his instincts were telling him on a conscious level, but Iwaizumi was willing to bet a decent amount of money that on a subconscious level the volleyball ace knew that his beloved mate was pregnant again. Bokuto did NOT want to leave Akaashi’s side while the doctor he didn’t know was in the house. In fact, Iwaizumi was pretty sure that even if he’d been physically up to defending Akaashi were the doctor to suddenly go crazy Bokuto would have insisted on staying in the room with them. Which was very much a problem seeing as Iwaizumi really, really wanted Akaashi to stay with him right now. He was holding on to his sanity by his fingertips here and he needed Akaashi’s calm, logical brain to keep him that way.

Iwaizumi also did not want Bokuto in the room, learning his secrets before he was ready for other people to know about them. Bokuto was notoriously bad for keeping secrets, and while he would try...yeah, no.

Luckily for his mental state Atsumu came to the rescue, pointing out that Iwaizumi had the right to decide who he wanted around while the doctor was poking and prodding him and possibly seeing him naked. Ergo Bokuto should go downstairs to comfort Sora, who’d very obviously been upset about her Unca Iwai not being well, and Atsumu would stay behind and keep an eye on things.

As someone who’d seen Iwaizumi naked plenty of times.

Which was true, Iwaizumi ruefully acknowledged even as he mentally rolled his eyes over the smirking, smug way the setter said it. And while he couldn’t say he was thrilled about his ex-boyfriend-they were still friends-finding out this way, he did trust the other man to have his back on this. Atsumu would keep his mouth shut about things as long as Iwaizumi needed him to.

It took another few minutes, but finally Akaashi and Atsumu managed to get the whiny, pouty Alpha out the door while Iwaizumi and the doctor watched with amused expressions.

Bokuto stomped down the stairs too, just for emphasis.

“You’re totally preggers again, ain’t ya?” Atsumu drawled out as he looked over at Akaashi with another smirk.

“I have an appointment in a little over a week to confirm, but all signs point to yes. He doesn’t know.”

In almost perfect synch Atsumu and the doctor stated that they were pretty sure Bokuto just didn’t know that he knew yet.

Akaashi couldn’t argue with that.

“Figures. Congrats.” The smirk slid away as Atsumu’s face as he looked in Iwaizumi’s direction, arms crossing as concern replaced amusement. “He’s not the only one, is he?”

“How could you..?”

“Your scent’s changed. Most people probably wouldn’t notice just yet, but I know how you’re supposed ta smell intimately, Cutie. I started noticing it was off somehow at the Olympics, but I just shrugged it off as nothin, specially once you started rolling around naked with Kawa every chance ya got. Figured it was him, messin with it so much. Then it was still different-sweeter, like vanilla and sugar cookies-a couple weeks after the Games, but not nearly as strong as it was before so I shrugged it off. Then you was sick, so... But just now, when we was carrying ya up here, I got a much stronger whiff and yeah, it made me think Omega, not Beta. The way you’ve been sick for so long, the meds not doing shit, then add in the stories your Gran told me back when we was dating about how some of your ancestors' changed designations during the World Wars...I ain’t wrong, am I?”

Breathing out to steady himself, Iwaizumi forced himself to nod a little. “Doctor Robb is pretty sure I am. He’s got a super nose too.”

“Shit.” A moment to process that. “Well at least now ya know why ya went after your bestie like a heat seekin missile. No pun intended.”

“If I didn’t need this drink to hydrate, I’d throw it at you.” Just for emphasis Iwaizumi took a hard pull through the straw of his strawberry smoothie. While also being ridiculously grateful to the younger man for easing the tension a little.

But only for a minute. Then the doctor reminded them that he needed to run some tests and the sooner the better.

Reality crashing in once more Iwaizumi submitted to having his pulse checked, ultimately surprised that it wasn’t as high as he expected given his stress levels. The doctor produced a thermometer from his bag and that went in his mouth, under his tongue and properly positioned, thank you very much. That was good, at least, now that he was better hydrated and indoors. Or at least normal for a pregnant Omega, joy. His heartbeat was steady so long as he focused on keeping that consistent, same for his breathing.

No surprise when the doctor said it would be best for him to book an appointment to have his blood, hormone levels, etc etc checked out, on top of X-rays to see just how much his body had changed internally.

The way the doctor said that had a chill going down Iwaizumi’s spine.

He’d studied sports medicine, and had obviously had a personal interest in reading up a little on the Beta-Omega Gene in school. So he knew, without it being outright stated, what the other man was referring to. Why that was so important to know.

As far as he knew what had happened in Paris was his first heat. And even then, it had more resembled an Alpha’s rut than an Omega’s heat. The latter was much shorter, but way more intense. Omegas, on average, had a couple days of mild discomfort leading up to one really intense day of heat, possibly two depending on age and other factors. A rut usually lasted twice as long, but was more manageable. There was a day or two of serious horniness, but before and after than you could go about your daily life provided you got laid or at least off at some point during the day. If they didn’t, young alphas tended to get irritable as fuck, and their need for sex tended to get worse and worse.

Not important. What was important was that for the first thirty years of his life Iwaizumi had been a Beta. And beta males could not get pregnant. Did not have a womb to successful make or carry a child to term. Odds were that Iwaizumi’s body had not made all the internal changes from Beta to Omega before he’d gotten pregnant.

“The fact that you got pregnant in the first place, and have managed to carry the child this long is reassuring.” Doctor Robb reminded him kindly. “With hormone treatment your odds should go up significantly. Provided you get on them as soon as possible.”

“What’s he talking about?” Atsumu wanted to know, brows furrowed in worry over the unspoken undertones he was obviously picking up on.

“He’s worried that I might miscarry because internally my body isn’t Omega enough.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah.”

Doctor Robb cleared his throat. “Also...is the father going to be in the picture? You didn’t ask them to call him, and this will be a lot harder on you and your body if you have to do it alone.”

“He ain’t gonna do it alone.” Atsumu stated firmly, crossing his arms in front of him.

“Bokuto san and I will help too, as will the other members of the team. You’ll have all the support you need.” Akaashi added firmly, coming closer to the bed to take Iwaizumi’s free hand and give it a squeeze. Giving Iwaizumi a look that made it clear he meant it.

Iwaizumi squeezed Akaashi’s hand back in silent thanks before turning his head to meet the doctor’s waiting gaze.

“The father is in Argentina. He’s also under contract to be there until late spring, early summer, so no...he’s not going to be able to come here to help me through this. He would though, if he could.” Out of moral obligation and friendship, if nothing else. His best friend had a love/hate relationship with kids. He liked them fifty percent of the time, basically. “And his family will help too, as will mine. My mom is finally getting the grandchild she’s been nagging me for for years now.”

And noting the speculative look the doctor was aiming in Atsumu’s direction Iwaizumi explained that he and Atsumu had dated years ago, but were just friends now. The blond has his eyes on the hot, mask wearing omega who’d hung back during the team introduction earlier.

“He lives to make me chase him, my Omi Omi.” Atsumu agreed with a dramatic sigh. “But I’m there if Hajime needs me. I love kids.”

“Because you still are one, basically.”

“And what does that make you, then, for sleeping with me?”

“They both handle stressful situations by being mouthy and antagonistic.” Akaashi informed the doctor with a slight head shake. “But you don’t need to worry, Iwaizumi has many people who will be there for him through this. The one to really worry about is Oikawa. I can’t imagine how he’s going to cope, once he finds out.”

“And NO ONE is telling him.” Iwaizumi quickly stated, just in case it needed to be stated. “And I’m not telling him until I pass the three-month mark, at least. That’s when the odds of miscarriage drop significantly, right? I’m not telling him about this only to have to turn around and tell him I lost the baby because my body was too fucked up to handle being pregnant.”

The way Atsumu and Akaashi said his name made it clear they didn’t agree with that.

“You both know all the shit he’s dealing with right now with his team and the league. Or at least some idea-I would know more because I’ve had to listen to him whine and bitch about it for months now. The point is...he doesn’t need this on top of that. He’s never shown much of an interest in having kids-I honestly don’t know if he wants them because he changes his mind constantly when people ask-but knowing I’d lost his baby would hurt him deeply. I’m not doing that if I can avoid it.”

Atsumu glared. “So, you’ll hurt alone.”

“I’m the pregnant one. Pain and suffering goes with the package even in a normal pregnancy, right, Akaashi. You alphas just shake your heads over the legitimate whining and make the pregnant one want to kill you dead.”

“It’s not for the faint of heart.” Akaashi agreed with a small smile.

“Right. So, Akaashi, can you contact the obstetrician you mentioned and see who she can recommend for me to see about the tests and hormone treatments since I can’t wait for her to get back from holidays? My regular doctor is not going to be much-”

Iwaizumi stopped talking at the sound of stomping feet coming up the stairs at breakneck speed.

They were all thinking the same thing in the seconds it took before Bokuto opened and then came bursting through the doorway without any regard for Iwaizumi’s privacy.

The light had dawned.

Saying his mate’s last name in that way he had that made it sound like the most intimate of endearments, Bokuto was oblivious to the others in the room as he hurried across the carpeted floor and around the bed, Akaashi meeting him partway.

As soon as his omega was in reach Bokuto scooped him up and into his arms, pressing his face into the spot where Akaashi’s neck met shoulder as the alpha breathed in the other man’s scent, searching and finding the confirmation he needed there.

Iwaizumi watched as Bokuto shuddered once, murmuring something to Akaashi that was for the omega’s ears only, and then Bokuto pulled back to smile at his mate in a way that had Iwaizumi’s heart clenching painfully.

That was not the reaction he was going to get from Oikawa, even best-case scenario.

Fuck.

)

Argentina

Feeling completely drained and exhausted, Oikawa gave serious thought to taking the elevator up to his apartment rather than the stairs. Stairs were good exercise, plus he hadn’t put in his usual time in the gym the last couple of days, but practice had been rough as hell. Then add getting dragged to the club later because he’d let his stupid ego got the best of him... Damn, he just wanted to get to his place and shower, then collapse on his bed with this miserable day over and done with.

Self-discipline made the alpha ultimately drag his feet towards the door leading to the stairwell, but it was a close call. Fuck.

Scrubbing his hands over his face Oikawa hated the fact that he already knew the rest of his week was going to suck just as much. He’d given up hope it would be otherwise. The only bright spot at the moment was that at least his mental health was crap because of others and not his own issues for once.

He’d been a national champion, Olympic gold medalist in 2021. Now he played on a team where half the asseholes didn’t know their asses from a volleyball, on top of the fact that their Olympic team didn’t even get on the podium this year.

But hey, on the A side he and everyone else in the volleyball world knew it wasn’t in any way, shape, or form Oikawa’s fault.

No, that pleasure was Arias and Rodriguez’s.

After they’d won the 2021 Olympics the head of The Argentine Volleyball Federation had stepped down, feeling that their win was his magnum opus. Ricci had been beloved in the sport, and they’d all been sad to see him go. Sad, then shocked when the man they’d thought would take over didn’t, instead passing the torch on to Juan Rodriguez.

A relative unknown the man hadn’t been bad in the position, he’d just obviously lacked a lot of Ricci’s charm, business savvy, and just love of the sport itself. Frankly, they’d all been confused as to why he’d wanted or taken the job in the first place. A disappointment, but at least not one to make waves. At first. Then it had all gone to hell eight months ago.

Eight months ago when the man’s marriage had exploded, his wife finding out that he’d been sleeping with other women for pretty much the majority of their thirty some year marriage. A fact the media had splashed all over Argentina with childish, frankly disturbing glee. It had been a slow news month, apparently. The soon to be former Mrs. Rodriguez was not a forgiving woman, especially since it had been her family’s money largely supporting her husband’s women over the years.

She was taking the bastard for all he was worth, and good for her.

Bad for him and the rest of the country’s volleyball lovers though.

Very bad for them because Carlos Arias, millionaire ‘entrepreneur’, had a son who very much wanted to play national volleyball in his home country. With his friends. And Carlos Arias was more than willing to make it worth the while for FeVA, aka the Argentine Volleyball Federation, and Rodriguez specifically, to make that happen for Carlos Jr and his college volleyball friends.

Thus, six men who had no fucking business playing on national level teams had had their way bought in, four of them ending up on Oikawa’s team because of course Junior and his three closest buddies wanted to be on the best team in the League.

Former best team in the League.

Oh, and Arias had bought their way onto the Olympic team as well, which was why Oikawa had gone to the Games knowing that there was no way in hell they were going to reach the podium, much less get the chance of back-to-back wins. If it hadn’t been for the chance to see Iwa chan and Paris on someone else’s dime he’d have been tempted to fake an injury to get out of it.

Iwa chan. The other reason he was tired as fuck.

Thinking and dreaming about fucking Iwa chan was the problem, to be specific.

Fucking Paris.

He and his best friend had never, despite what some people had thought over the years ever been in a romantic relationship with each other. Or even an ordinary sexual one.

Basically, they’d experimented with each other as young teens, which had escalated somewhat as they got older and a certain wrestling match had led to them realizing the joys of frottage. They’d messed around with each other for stress relief or just because they were horny teenagers without a girl/boyfriend at that moment in time. They didn’t kiss or cuddle or any of that. No soft feelings behind any of it, save for the usual best friend ones.

Shit, he hadn’t gone near Iwa chan’s ass until they’d gotten seriously drunk in Mexico that one time six or seven years ago. And hadn’t done it again until Paris.

Paris. Fucking Paris. The City of Fucking Love.

That Iwa chan had NOT been his Iwa chan. He might have looked like his Iwa chan, and had all of Iwa chan’s memories, but damn...it had been like his Iwa chan had been replaced by a pod person out of a close encounter movie. A pod person who wanted Oikawa to get him pregnant so that they could make some weird hybrid baby that would take over the world somehow. Or just suck the life out of him, because holy hell did Iwa chan have some serious oral skills.

Which was ironic, since of the two of them he was the big talker.

Not the point. The point was that his best friend had temporarily turned into a nymphomaniac and totally destroyed the way Oikawa saw him in the process.

The point was that since Paris Oikawa had not been able to forget all the things Iwa chan had said and done to and with him in August. Had not been able to stop dreaming about Iwa chan, and not in a best friend sort of way.

He WANTED Iwa chan. He wanted him bad.

And what the hell was he supposed to do about that, huh?

Chapter Text

Note: Iwaizumi is going to be acting out of character in this chapter, and potentially a couple after this. This is deliberate-blame the hormones, not me portraying him wrong.

Your Eggo is Preggo

A Few Weeks Later

Stretched out on his couch with his tablet in hand Oikawa waited for his best friend to initiate their planned online chat. The very important chat that they'd been trying for over a week to set up because apparently Iwa chan had something to tell him. Something he couldn't just tell him in an email or text. Or quickly, since Iwa chan had made it clear that he had to be by himself and have nothing scheduled to do for at least a couple of hours afterwards. His Iwa chan was not a big talker, not by anyone but a mute's standards, so whatever this was, it had to be serious enough for Iwa chan to think Oikawa would need recovery time afterwards. Which, given that he'd heard rumors that Iwa chan had taken a leave of absence from his work and no one was saying why was extremely worrying. That persistent cold he'd had last month, the one the meds hadn't seemed to do a damn thing for, could there be something physically wrong with him? Could he be serious, need a hospital sick? Had something really bad happened?

Oikawa was a hundred percent sure that the last few weeks his best friend had been actively avoiding or keeping their texting/phone calls short and to a minimum. And while at first he'd been grateful for that because he was still freaking out over his sudden thoughts and feelings where Iwa chan was concerned, now he was one hundred percent sure Iwa chan was keeping something big from him, and he hated that.

There was also a chance that Iwa chan wanted to talk about what had happened between them in Paris, which Oikawa was one hundred percent not ready to talk to him about. He still didn't know what to think or do about his changed perception of his best friend, and if Iwa chan was just as weirded out, or maybe just wanted to make sure that Oikawa knew that what had happened had been a onetime thing, never to be repeated...

Fuck. What if Iwa chan had met someone and was moving, which was why he hadn't been spotted at any of his team's games recently? Or hell, had gotten back together with Miya, and the coaching staff had decided that this time around they weren't okay with the two dating and said that one of them had to leave. Aka Iwaizumi, since Miya was the somewhat talented player and Iwa chan was the trainer. Plus, Iwa chan was the self-sacrificing type, so he'd totally volunteer to move to another team, no question. Though why Iwa chan would think that Miya was worth that blow to his career was beyond him. The two had been absolutely right to break up the last time and-

Oh. No, that couldn't be it because Miya had legit been staying in the same building as Iwa chan in Paris, and rather than settle for him Iwa chan had called HIM when he'd turned sex crazy. He'd been willing to wait for Oikawa to get there rather than settle for less. And all of the Japan players had teased them about going at it like rabbits, including Miya, so that couldn't be it.

Unless Iwa chan's nymphomania hadn't ended with the games, and with Oikawa not around to keep him satisfied Iwa chan had turned to Miya instead...

Which would be way better than Iwa chan dying or contracting some debilitating disease, but Oikawa felt sick thinking that either could be a possibility.

His tablet signaled that Iwa chan was on and contacting him.

Accepting the request Oikawa said a silent pray and then turned his attention to saying hello to his Iwa chan, eyes taking in the fact that Iwa chan looked a little pale and drawn, which did not bode well. Were his eyes a little red and puffy, too?

"Hey."

"Hey." Oikawa said back automatically, hoping his mental spazzing wasn't showing on his face. "How are you doing?"

"Fine. You?"

"A little tired from the party last night but-"

"What the fuck?! The party last night?! You couldn't talk with me last night because you had a party to go to? I tell you I have something important I need to talk to you about and you blow me off so you can drink and fuck around with whatever bimbo you're currently banging?"

Shocked speechless, Oikawa opened his mouth to remind Iwa chan that he'd explained last week that the reason he couldn't chat last night was because he and the rest of his team had been obligated to show up for a party hosted by their team's owner. It wasn't something he could skip out on without one hell of a good reason. Iwa chan knew that.

He didn't get the chance to remind him though, Iwa chan cutting him off with more yelling. And were those tears forming in his eyes?

"For fuck sakes! I can't believe-no, I can totally believe this. Of course it took this long for you to find time for me in your oh so busy schedule. What else is fucking new! Hell, you probably won't even care about what I have to tell you because it doesn't affect you at all. I'm the one getting screwed over here and you get to just live your life of volleyball, girls, and more volleyball. Heaven forbid anything should get in the way of that! I should be honored you worked me in so soon. Hell, shame on me for wasting your valuable time with my problems. I shouldn't even be bothering you at all!"

"Iwa chan?"

"Yeah. Yeah, you know what? I'm just going to send you a fucking email. You can read it when it suits you. Just make sure to do it by Friday because on Saturday I'm seeing your parents. Have a nice fucking day, Shitty-kawa."

The call was ended.

"What. The. Actual. Fuck?"

Mouth slightly hanging open Oikawa stared at the now blank screen in baffled incomprehension for a couple of minutes and then on autopilot requested a chat, mind whirling as he waited and waited for Iwa chan to accept the call-which he didn't.

The second attempt failed too.

Changing tactics Oikawa tried calling him on his cellphone-to hell with the long distance fees-and again, Iwa chan just let it ring before his voice came on telling callers to leave a message.

Having no idea what else to do-or what the hell was going on-Oikawa spoke carefully as he asked his best friend to please come back online so that they could talk. He'd had a mandated event last night; he hadn't been blowing him off. He was really worried, and would stay online until he had to leave for practice.

Hanging up-and noting absently that his hand was legit shaking-Oikawa tried not to panic as he continued to freak the fuck out mentally.

That had not been his Iwa chan. That was not how his best friend was when he was pissed off. He didn't yell at him while sounding so, so wounded and hurt. Iwa chan would sooner cut off his own arm than let other people, even those closest to him, see him hurt. Not that it hadn't happened in the past, Iwa chan wasn't superhuman, but this...this was different.

This was something big. Something was very wrong.

And what was that, about him needing to know about whatever this all was before Iwa chan talked to his parents on Saturday. Why would he need to talk to them? Tell them, presumably, whatever it was that had him so upset. Their parents still lived near each other, maybe Iwa chan was going to break the bad news, whatever it was, to his parents, then tell Oikawa's parents since they'd pretty much been his honorary second parents since birth.

He couldn't call their friends to ask about it either. If their shared friends knew that something was wrong someone would have clued him in by now. Right? Fuck.

No. He and Iwa chan were best friends. You told your best friend the big stuff before you told your other friends. Especially when you knew the other friends could blab, potentially.

Call someone from Iwa chan's team? Everyone knew Bokuto couldn't keep a secret to save his life. Or Chibi chan. He should totally message Shoyo and get the info from him.

But if the kid knew there was something wrong with Iwa chan he would have told him already. He would know that Oikawa should be told about whatever was so bad that Iwa chan wasn't working and talked and looked like he'd burst into tears at any moment.

What the fuck was wrong with him?

Oikawa tried to get Iwa chan to accept two more message requests and then gave up and was about to try calling again when his tablet signaled that he had an email. From Iwa chan.

"Please God let him be overreacting."

Pulling up his email, Oikawa accessed the message and then began to read.

It didn't take long, given how short it was.

'To My Shitty Best Friend,

I'll keep this as short as I can so you can get back to what actually matters to you.

1) I lost my job because guess what, I made the switch from beta to omega.

2) Paris was my first heat.

3) I'm over three months pregnant.

Don't worry that I'll expect anything from you, I know you're far too busy for me, much less a kid.

Have a great rest of your day.

Iwaizumi'

Oikawa read the message through four times expecting it and the words to change meaning. They didn't.

And even though his brain was screaming that this couldn't be happening, that this couldn't be real and it was the weirdest joke his best friend had ever played on him-actually, had Iwa chan EVER played a joke on him? The man wasn't exactly known for-not important! What was important was that Iwa chan was saying that he'd done the designation switch, which Oikawa knew members of Iwa chan's family had done in the past, and was now an omega. A pregnant omega.

A pregnant with his baby omega.

A baby.

He was going to be a dad.

Wait. That was what Iwa chan meant by saying that he didn't expect anything from him and that he'd be too busy for a kid, right? Paris had been a little over three months ago. But he'd always thought that you couldn't get pregnant during your first heat. Or was that just a lie his fellow alphas told omegas to encourage them to put out in high school?

The being in heat thing at least explained Paris and why he'd been so hung up on-fuck. Not important.

Nothing was more important than the fact that he was going to have a baby. They were having a baby. A child together that-holy fuck, they were having a baby?! This was like match point in a championship game and you'd just spiked the ball over the net and could see an opponent diving for it, but you were sure they wouldn't get there in time, but maybe they would. You just felt everything, all at once, and then the euphoria of winning hit and swamped you with even more feelings your brain couldn't quite process.

He needed to call Iwa chan again NOW.

)

Five more requests for video chats later and two failed phone calls later Oikawa was about to give up and do something crazy like call Shoyo up and have him go to Iwa chan's apartment and force Iwa chan to talk to him when his third attempt at calling had the ring tone suddenly ending, indicating that Iwa chan had finally picked up and was ready to listen to him.

And Oikawa had absolutely no idea what to say to him.

"Iwa chan, I-"

"Yeah, not Iwa chan, sorry."

Oikawa jerked in surprise, his eyes narrowing in confusion as his brain somehow managed to quit freaking out long enough to supply him with a name to go with this voice. "Kuroo?"

"Yeah, sorry. He was flinching every time he heard his tablet signal or his phone go off. He threw the phone on the couch, which is why I have it now. I figured I should pick up and answer since you must be freaking out on your end. What did he say in that email, anyway? All I got out of him was something about sending you an email with, uh, his big news, and then something about him forgetting about a team party? He's doing a lot of crying into his ice cream right now. I didn't want to push for details."

"He's crying in his ice cream?" That wasn't the important thing here, but Oikawa's brain latched onto that for some reason. Possibly because it wasn't ready to think about the rest of it.

"It's the hormones. The ones because, uh, of his situation, and the ones the doctors are pumping him full of to help with things. He's pretty sure he's cried more in the past three weeks than the rest of his life once he was out of diapers. It's so bad we had to ban him from watching 'Bluey' with the kids."

"Bluey?"

"It's a kid show from Australia. My kids and Bokuto's are crazy for it."

Okay, that did sound sort of familiar, Oikawa brain absently acknowledged.

"So...what did he tell you in the email, exactly?"

Apparently, his brain had memorized the email at some point. Oikawa repeated it back to Kuroo word for word like a dictation device on your phone.

"Wow. Damn." Kuroo whistled softly in emphasis. "Man, all these hormone injections have really fucked him up. Don't hold that against him, okay? He feels like shit already."

"What hormone injections?"

The silence that greeted that statement was long enough that Oikawa was about to ask if he was still there when Kuroo spoke.

"He shouldn't have been able to get pregnant. The doctors, and there are a lot of them, can't figure how he managed it. They're estimating that his body was only between seventy to seventy five percent omega, at most, in Paris. They said that him getting pregnant was a minor miracle, that he didn't miscarry the baby in the first month was a major one. Since he found out they've been giving him regular hormone injections, like an insane amount, and he's taking meds and stuff. Extreme mood swings are one of the obvious side effects."

It was like a sucker punch out of nowhere, all the air leaving Oikawa's lungs in a harsh, strangled gasp as he understood. Understood that this huge, all consuming, life changing...miracle...could be taken before he had time to process what that miracle meant to him.

"Shit. Breathe. His odds-the way things are going the doctors are optimistic. They think he's got a good chance now. Almost as good as someone born an omega. He wouldn't have clued you in otherwise. We've all had a gag order, those of us who know, because he didn't want to hurt you by telling you, only to then have to tell you he'd lost it."

Fuck. Of course he'd done that. Of course Iwa chan had kept it from him, wanting to shield and protect him while-

"Neither of your families knows. Or friends from your old team. His team-now former team, really-only know because they were there when he found out, and campaigned for him to be put on medical leave, then maternity leave to help with the bills and such. They really had his back there."

Good. Good that they'd done that. Fuck. He'd been so focused on the last part of the email that he'd barely given much thought to the first. The fact that the baby, their baby, was costing Iwa chan his career.

"Don't be mad at Shoyo, by the way. It's been agony for him not to tell you. Bokuto too, though at least he's been too distracted to blab. You two got the same special souvenir from Paris."

Oikawa could hear the smirk in Kuroo's voice in that last sentence. Though it took him a minute to understand what souvenir the other man was talking about.

"Akaashi's pregnant, too?"

"Your due dates are two days apart."

"Shit. Is he going mental again?"

Bokuto's freak-outs the entire time Akaashi had been pregnant with their twins was now legendary in the volleyball world. Oikawa had sort of had a front row seat because Iwa chan had been saddled with trying to keep Bokuto marginally sane by doing a whole bunch of research for him about male omega pregnancies and development. Iwa chan had even, in the last two months of the pregnancy, worn an earbud during games with Akaashi on the other line, in case he went into labor ahead of schedule.

It was why Iwa chan and Akaashi were such close friends now.

"Worse. He feels like he's on double duty, even with Atsumu and I taking Hajime to his doctor visits too. We've made sure he's not going to any of his appointments alone."

Logically, Oikawa knew that he should be insanely grateful to hear that. But emotionally-he wanted to put his fist through a wall at the idea that the other three alphas, particularly Miya, had been standing in as Iwa chan's alpha for these appointments. Standing in as his baby's daddy. Had replaced the role he should have played.

To distract himself from saying or doing something he'd regret later, Oikawa asked how Kuroo had gotten roped into all of this.

"Hard for me not to be involved since he's living in my house. Well, technically he's living in my basement."

"WHAT?!"

"Ow. Watch the ears, okay? I said he's living at my house now. The doctors didn't want him by himself, plus this way he saves money since we're barely charging him rent. We wouldn't charge him anything, but he wouldn't move in otherwise. When my grandfather was terminally ill Kenma had our basement converted into an apartment for my grandmother because we knew she couldn't live by herself. Grandpa did everything for her. Anyway, she met someone on a cruise two years ago and they got married this July. It's outfitted with lots of railing and other stuff elderly people-or in this case pregnant people-find handy, so we were the obvious choice. Well, that and living with Bokuto would have driven him insane. Or to murder."

Chapter Text

Merry Belated Christmas, thanks so much for reading and here's hoping for a good New Year.

Well, Nobody's Perfect

Yeah, Oikawa was pretty sure that Hell would freeze over before Iwa chan could live in the same house as Bokuto, even with Akaashi around as a buffer. Especially a Bokuto who was currently amped up to a twenty because the love of his life was once again pregnant, and soon he'd have to be away from him for months while at away games. A normal level Bokuto Iwa chan could probably handle for a short period of time, Oikawa mused to himself, but his best friend needed quiet to recharge and keep his temper in check. And ask anyone, quiet was something that was often in short supply when you were around Bokuto.

"Crap. I think he's noticed I'm talking on his phone and not mine." Kuroo hissed, breaking into Oikawa's 'trying to keep it together by thinking of other things' mental spiral. "I'll have to make this quick before he takes it back. And I know what I'm saying is horrible, and you don't want to hear it-I can't imagine being in your shoes right now-but I have to say it."

Oh, fuck, was the sentiment going around and around Oikawa's brain as he sat up straight and braced for what was coming. While wishing stupidly that he had a volleyball in hand to cuddle with.

"You can't ask him to come to Argentina. Not while he's pregnant. We looked into it; the hospitals near you can't provide the same level of care he's getting here. He doesn't speak the language there, his entire support system is here, in Japan, and you'll be away half the time on away games. You CAN'T take care of him-them-the way they need right now. The doctors said that if he continues stablizing at his current rate Hajime could come visit you for a few weeks in a couple months. If that works for you. But not before then. I'm sorry."

And the hits just keep on coming.

He wasn't just living on the other side of the world; Oikawa was contractually obligated to stay there. And there was no way in hell they'd let him out of his contract willingly, especially with all the backlash the Federation was getting because of the Arias/Rodriguez bullshit. He wasn't the superstar he'd been in his early and mid-twenties, but he was still a big name in South American volleyball and a fan favorite. Even before this he'd had his agent look into his contract with his team and been told that if he tried to break it, the legal fees and fines would put a serious dent in his savings. Add in his age and the fact that he only had so many good years left before he had to retire...

"Fuck."

"Yeah. Here he is. Good luck."

Shit. He wasn't ready, Oikawa silently screamed in his head as he tried and failed to understand the distant murmurs he could hear through his phone, Kuroo no doubt explaining what he'd said to Iwa chan before handing the phone over so that Oikawa could try and fail to get this right. He hadn't known what he was going to say before, and he sure as hell didn't know now that Kuroo had just bitchslapped him with the reality of the situation for a second friggin time. What was he-

"Hey." Iwa chan's voice was gravelly and subdued, the sound quality suggesting that the other man had him on speaker. "Sorry. About before. I forgot about the team thing and-shit. Shit I-"

"It's okay." It wasn't, not remotely, but Oikawa could hear both the deep apology and the strain and stress in the other man's voice. He had to fix that. Iwa chan wasn't just his best friend now; he was his omega. The mother of his child. He needed to step the fuck up and make this okay somehow.

How did he make this okay?

As if Iwa chan could read his mind, Oikawa was treated to a dismissive sound that made it clear his friend knew that that was total bullshit and things were definitely not okay. That this wasn't like when they were kids and they could pick weeds they thought were flowers for their moms to apologize for breaking a window, or do an extra credit assignment to make up for a bad mark. There wasn't something that could be fixed with hugs or sorries. They'd made a baby together, and that meant life as they'd known it was over. Period.

And it was thinking about how much easier it had been when they were kids that had Oikawa's brain reminding him of something that made his smile in spite of it all.

"Hey, Iwa chan...remember that time we got the bright idea to raid our moms' jewelry boxes? What were we, seven or so? We put all of it in a box and then buried it, in that field near the park. We scratched an X in the dirt with a stick to mark the spot, then went home for lunch with the plan that we'd play pirates and dig it up afterwards. But then it rained, and we couldn't find the mark or remember where we'd buried the box. Our dads had to rent a metal detector to find it."

Iwa chan's chuckle was rusty, but loud and clear as he said that yeah, he remembered that. His ass still ached just thinking about the spanking he'd got.

"Yeah. Mine too, actually." Oikawa could also still recall vividly that moment, in the field, when he and Iwa chan had looked at each other and realized that yeah, they had no chance of finding the box and would have to go to their moms and confess what they'd done.

This felt a lot like that, actually. Complete with him thinking that aliens picking them up and saving them would be really appreciated right about now.

"Too bad the aliens didn't take us then, like you wished the whole way home."

Sometimes, it was like they shared the same brain. Which would serve them well, being parents together. Hopefully.

"So, Iwa chan. Do you think when we tell our parents about this, they'll say that this tops that as the craziest thing we've ever done?"

"You really mean the stupidest, not the craziest thing we've ever done." Was Iwa chan's dry response. "But points for not saying it that way. And in this case, they get a grandchild, so I think they'll like this 'surprise' more. If they don't die of shock."

"You did say your mom has been pushing for a grandchild for a while."

"Yours too. One just wasn't enough."

True. His mom had been quite disappointed when his sister Kana had made it clear that she just wanted the one kid, and wouldn't be providing their mom with more.

"Fuck, Kawa. Fucking hell, did I really fuck this up."

"We messed up." He quickly corrected. "And really, we didn't know this could happen, so I think we deserve a pass on this one. But we'll fix this. Figure this out, I mean. No quitter talk. That's an order from your captain. We got through high school and all its insanity; we can get through this. Figure this out."

"Says the guy who was the most popular boy in school."

"Hey, if you hadn't been so brutish and prone to violence you would have been way more popular too, Iwa chan!"

"Listen, Shitty-kawa, you...dammit. Got to stop doing that."

"The swearing? I don't think the baby can hear you yet." Could it? Damn. Why hadn't he paid more attention in school when they were talking about this shit? Oh, right. He grew up in Japan, the country of crappy sex education and treatment of omegas, particularly male ones.

And okay, if it didn't involve how to make sure he didn't get a girl pregnant he might have tuned the rest out. Yet here he was anyway...go figure.

"I meant my nicknames for you. And calling you by-are you cool with me calling you by your first name again? We're having a kid together, me calling you by your last name would be weird."

)

Sitting down on the couch he'd thrown his phone onto earlier in a panic, Iwaizumi silently cursed the fact that of course none of this had gone to plan. Nevermind that he'd also changed the plan a million times since he'd realized he was pregnant in the first place. But of course in all those millions of made and discarded plans not once had he anticipated the possibility that he would undeservedly lose it on his best friend and tell him about the pregnancy via email. In a horrible email he was going to cringe over until his dying day.

The only way he could have made that email worse was if he'd attached the sonogram pictures to it, and he'd almost done that out of spite. Thank fuck his crazy hormone brain had decided Oikawa didn't deserve to see them.

"So long as it's Tooru and not Too chan."

It took a moment for Iwaizumi to remember what they were talking about, then he had to grin as he remembered the stupid cutesy name he'd come up with as a kid for Oikawa in revenge for the Iwa chan moniker. A cutesy name he'd only managed to call him for about a week before getting sick of it and going back to just Oikawa or his other versions of that.

"Tooru was the plan."

"And am I calling you Hajime? Kuroo was calling you that earlier."

There was something In Oikawa's tone...yeah, probably just hearing things. Why would he care?

"The man was in the room when I got stuck answering a whole bunch of questions about my sex life. Specifically, my heat and exactly what you and I got up to and how often and in what positions. If I could have alcohol, I would have risked alcohol poisoning trying to drink away the memories of that appointment. And to his credit-or his sense of self-preservation-Kuroo hasn't teased me once about it. But after that and all the other stuff he's had to deal with I told him he could call me by my first name."

The truth was, after his time in the United States he'd actually started calling a lot more of his friends by their first names. With their permission, of course. A lot more than Oikawa realized, and Iwaizumi had told them they could do the same to him if they wanted. It was just ingrained habit that he hadn't changed his way of addressing his best friend before, especially since they only saw each other in person a couple of times a year at most.

But he'd practice in his head as long as it took. Explaining his relationship with their father to his baby was going to be hard enough without the kid thinking that mommy wasn't at least on a first name basis with daddy.

"They seriously asked you that stuff?"

"I'd think they wanted me to die of embarrassment if they didn't so obviously find me a fascinating oddity."

"But they're taking good care of you and the baby, right? They're the best?"

"Here in Japan they are, yes. In North America-oh shit! We're on the phone-this is going to cost you so much money. I'm hanging up and we can chat on Facebook. Then we can see each other, too."

Not even thinking about waiting for a reply Iwaizumi ended the call, feeling horrible all over again now that he was thinking about how much that call and the other aborted calls would cost Oik-Tooru. Did you get charged for calls that went unanswered? He couldn't remember. And yeah, Oikawa would have a phone plan but still-Shit! He needed to get on his tablet to continue the call before Oikawa-no, Tooru-thought he'd just hung him out to dry.

Crap. Where was his tablet?

"Looking for this, Hajime?" Smiling that shark smile of his Kuroo waved the tablet in his hand as he came over. "You know, he sounded a little irked about me calling you by your first name. Interesting, no?"

Come to think of it, Kuroo still called him by his last name ninety five percent of the time. Had he done it deliberately, used Iwaizumi's first name to see how Oikawa would react? Seriously?

Ignoring the fact that he'd thought that Oikawa's voice had sounded off too, Iwaizumi told the alpha currently smirking at him that he was reading too much into it and to hand the tablet over.

Once he did Iwaizumi thanked him and then turned his attention to signing back in, deliberately ignoring the looks he was getting from Kuroo before the other man gave up and wandered out of the room to hover out of sight. While no doubt eavesdropping. Because oh, joy, most pregnant omegas just had to deal with one overprotective, hovering alpha treating them like bone china. Him? He had four of them to deal with now. Well, three and a quarter since even though it sounded like O-Tooru intended, right now anyway, to be as much a part of this as he could be-he also couldn't be.

And Kuroo, Bokuto and Atsumu were determined to pick up the slack come hell or high water.

It was hard to tell sometimes if the tears were from frustration or gratitude where those three guys and their overprotectiveness was concerned. Often it felt like both.

Accepting the FaceTime request Oikawa made as it popped up immediately, Iwaizumi found himself seeing the other man's face for the first time since he'd sent the email. He was pretty sure it wasn't just the picture quality that made his friend look paler than he had before.

"Hi. Again. Sorry, Kuroo had to find my tablet for me."

"No worries. It's better this way."

Well, at least he'd have an easier time knowing if the alpha was bullshitting him, anyway. Though in all honesty Iwaizumi wouldn't mind being bullshitted a little if Oikawa was pretending not to be pissed at him over this. His fucking emotions were killing him currently, and he already had a dull headache from his earlier crying.

But the smile he was getting was genuine, if strained.

"So, you were saying before, that you could get better care in the US?"

"Or Canada. They're both a lot more progressive when it comes to treatment and care of male omegas. If my condition worsens, I'll go, but otherwise it's not worth it for the stress it would put on me, being there alone."

Which reminded him of what Kuroo had been saying when he'd come to get his phone back. About how even if Tooru wanted him to, Iwaizumi couldn't come see him in Argentina for at least a couple of months, possibly longer.

If Tooru wanted that.

Because right now his best friend was saying all the right things, but Iwaizumi had known the other man since basically birth and knew better than to get his hopes up now that he'd had weeks to think about it. Because volleyball always came first with Oikawa. Always had, always would until the man retired regardless of whether he wanted kids or not. And likely even after that.

No one was looking forward to seeing how badly Oikawa would take to retirement.

"Right. Japan it is. Send me the info for your doctors. I'll contact them too; in case they have questions for me and stuff."

"Oh, they have questions. They've been nagging me about telling you more than Bokuto and Hinata. And that's saying something."

Oikawa chuckled, Iwaizumi mentally laughing at his friend in his head. The alpha had no idea what he was in for when it came to the specialists involved in their baby's case. Even a seasoned lady's man like Oikawa was going to blush like an innocent virgin when it came to some of the questions that would be coming his way.

He smiled a little, thinking how he was sorry he'd miss it.

"That smile does not bode well for me."

Iwaizumi couldn't help it; he had to evil smirk. It was a best friend thing.

Giving him a less than impressed look Oikawa was silent for a minute or so, obviously thinking something over so Iwaizumi waited him out.

"The doctors...have they said why they think you made the switch from Beta to Omega? I mean you were one for basically thirty years, and the way you've put on so much muscle...your hormone levels were solidly beta, if not close to alpha level. You weren't in a serious relationship with another alpha before we hooked up, right? You'd have told me. And the betas only make the switch when they've been in a long-term relationship with an alpha. That's what your mom always said."

Shit. He did NOT want to have this conversation. He knew it was coming, but he wasn't ready yet.

"And that face is saying they do know, or think they know. Iwa channnnn?"

"There's no way to know for sure."

"But they have a theory, don't they. What is it?"

Iwaizumi tried a death glare on the off chance it would get him out of this.

"Seriously? How bad can it be? Tell me, Iwa chan. Or I can just ask the doctors, if you'd rather..."

No. No, he didn't rather. God only knows how they would frame it. Ugh.

Fuck it. "They think it's your fault."

Oikawa's look of shock and confusion did make him feel a little better.

"My fault? How is it my fault?"

"Because you left."

"I left?" Oikawa repeated, very much not getting it.

"They think that since my parents are both betas, my primal brain decided that you were my Alpha when we were younger. You're the long-term, together every friggin day of our lives relationship that ended after eighteen years...and it just took my body another decade or so to come to the conclusion that the only way to get you back was to make the switch. So...your fault."

Chapter Text

Note: Karoshi is mentioned in this chapter, and is a real thing. You can look it up on Wikipedia and other sites.

Yeah, Baby, Yeah

Watching his best friend try to process what he’d just said, Iwaizumi could all but hear the old school dial up tone from when he was a kid using his grandparents’ computer. Like that scene in ‘Captain Marvel’, when she was trying to get information from a computer and it took forever because she was in the nineties, when downloading anything took for friggin ever. For his own amusement Iwaizumi imagined a power bar above Oikawa’s head with a blue section slowly taking over the white, only for it to repeatedly stop and restart again as the alpha’s brain refused to continue on its current thought process, starting over in the hopes that this time what Iwaizumi had just said would compute.

Biting on his bottom lip to keep himself from laughing outloud, Iwaizumi let himself enjoy about four or five restarts before he came to Oikawa’s rescue. Sort of.

“Relax, Princess. I have not spent decades pining for you in secret. Please.” He deliberately rolled his eyes for emphasis. “And hell, even if I was a GIRL I would never, in a million years be your type. My hormones might be dumb as fuck sometimes, but I’m not. So, stop worrying, this isn’t some grand confession or ploy. I’m just saying that’s the best theory they could come up with.”

The way Oikawa opened and closed his mouth like a landed fish...did that mean he was getting it or not?

Less amusing was the sound of the other man’s phone going off multiple times, signaling a bunch of incoming text messages. Texts that might be calling Oikawa off to do something or distract him with volleyball related events before they’d even begun to cover all the stuff he’d planned for them to discuss before the call ended.

“Aren’t you popular.”

Eyebrows knitting in confusion, Oikawa just gave him a blank look before absently picking up his phone and swiping to get a look at the messages he’d just received.

“Team stuff?”

“No.” Oikawa finally said as his scrolled and then clicked on something, the weirdest look coming over his face in reaction to whatever he was reading. His eyes went a little anime wide, and he looked paler as he stared dumbly at something for a good minute without comment before he did some more swiping and reading, finally speaking again after he’d read through a couple more things.

“I’ve just been invited to join the ‘Protectors of Iwaizumi and Baby Squad’ on WhatsApp. Kuroo wants me to know that that was the best of the names Bokuto came up with and to just go with it.”

“Seriously?!”

“Yup.” The phone dinged multiple times. “And Bokuto is very happy I’m now in the know. Apparently keeping it from me has been literal torture.”

Amused all over again, Iwaizumi could only imagine what kind of messages Oikawa would be getting from Bokuto now and in the future. Also, who else was in this group? He was going to guess Kuroo, Bokuto and their mates, plus Atsumu and maybe Hinata?

Crap, once his old high school team found out they were going to want to join the group chat too.

He was going to have to convince them to add him to so that he could supervise.

“Bokuto...Bokuto says that they have a betting pool going on for the baby. He says if you’ve told me the sex already I can’t join because that would be cheating.”

Oikawa looked up from his phone screen, eyes now laser focused on Iwaizumi again.

“He couldn’t believe that I’d want to know.”

No surprise showed on Oikawa’s face though, proving once again that no one knew Iwaizumi better than his best friend. Because even as a kid Iwaizumi had hated surprises. He hated not being in control of things; not knowing what to expect or being without the information needed to plan his best course of action. So yeah, when the technician had asked if he wanted to know the baby’s sex he hadn’t hesitated.

Much to Bokuto’s very loud and verbal shock.

The alpha had literally covered his ears with his hands and sung so that it would still be a surprise for him, the crazy man. Kuroo and Kenma had apparently let all their kids be surprises too, so apparently he was the anomaly for wanting to know. As for whether or not the daddy to be would want to know...Iwaizumi honestly wasn’t sure. It could go either way.

“Do you want to know?”

Brows furrowed as he thought it over, Oikawa took a couple minutes before stating that for now, no. But he’d let him know if he changed his mind on that.

“Fair. Actually, you’re going to want to bring up your notes on your phone. There are a few things you need to think over and get back to me on.”

“One sec.”

Doing as asked Oikawa told him to go ahead when he was ready, eyes now on his phone screen and thumbs at the ready. He had the tablet propped up on something so that Iwaizumi could still see him sitting up on his couch.

A lot of the stuff was info that his doctors needed, Iwaizumi promising to send him links and email addresses as needed once they were done the call. They also needed to figure out how they were going to inform their Aoba Johsai teammates, as well as their old neighborhood in general about the baby. More personally, Iwaizumi told Oikawa to let him know whether or not he wanted the baby to have his last name or not, as typically it was the alpha parent’s last name same sex pairings used.

And not giving the other man time to voice an opinion on that-he wanted Oikawa-damn, this thinking of him as Tooru was way harder than it should be-he wanted Tooru to really think about that before giving him an answer- so Iwaizumi stated the next item on his mental list, which was the question of who they would designate as legal guardian of the baby in the event that something happened to him. He wanted to get his will adjusted as soon as possible, just in case something happened during the pregnancy or birth.

“Nothing is going to happen to you, Iwa chan.” Was Tooru’s fierce response, glaring at him for even suggesting the possibility.

“Better safe than sorry.” Iwaizumi calmly pointed out, very used to being the rational half of their duo. “And I think we can agree that while both sets of grandparents would step in, if necessary, they aren’t really up to raising a baby at this stage in the game. And your sister would do it, but I think we should consider alternatives, since she really did just want the one kid and she’s working full time now.”

“You mean someone other than me.”

And here comes the next minefield in this conversation, Iwaizumi thought with an inner wince.

“You’re a professional athlete, Oi-Tooru. You wouldn’t be home enough to be a single parent. Hell, it’s hard enough when there are two parents and one is away that much for practices and games. And we don’t want our baby raised by someone hired to look after it, so we-you-need to be realistic about this.”

Very deliberately Tooru set down his phone and then grabbed his tablet, bringing it up so that his very serious face filled the whole screen.

“Nothing is going to happen to you.” He repeated very slowly and deliberately. “But if something did happen, I would get full custody of our baby and I would retire from volleyball. Period.”

“You-”

“Period.”

Opening his mouth and then closing it, Iwaizumi figured he’d table this one for now. They still had months yet, and if need be Iwaizumi knew he could always state who he personally wanted the baby to go to in the event that Oikawa wasn’t available to step into the role. Or had realized just what he’d be taking on, becoming a single parent, Iwaizumi silently added. Fuck knows he didn’t feel remotely up to it himself half the time.

But opting to pick his battles Iwaizumi nodded in agreement and then stated that in case Oikawa was wondering, he was planning to do the stay at home thing for the first couple years, then look into daycare and working part time until the kid was in school, ideally.

“You’ll go crazy.”

“Your favorite crow actually came up with a plan to keep me occupied during my pregnancy, and if that works out I’ll have something to do for those two years too. And don’t ask me about it-I'm still working out the details and figuring out with Kenma if it’s doable.”

“Not even a hint?” Oikawa teased, features less tight as he let himself be distracted. For now.

“Just that you would never in a million years have pictured me doing it.”

“Now you’re just being mean, Iwa chan.”

)

Running on autopilot Oikawa tried to get more info about what insane plan Shoyo had apparently come up with while not really caring what the answer was. I mean yeah, he cared, but he also had more important things to think about. Like if he wanted to know if they were having a boy or a girl. And, even more importantly-since he didn’t care about gender so long as their baby was born healthy-the fact that apparently his best friend and the person who knew him better than anyone else in the world thought he would bail on being a father.

Iwa chan wasn’t coming right out and saying it, but he was definitely getting the vibe that the other man thought he was going to be a single parent in all this, with Oikawa doing the bare minimum.

Which frankly made him feel like crap, especially since as much as he wanted to defend himself Oikawa was well aware of the fact that Iwa chan hadn’t been wrong when he’d said that during the season a professional player missed out on a hell of a lot of family time even if they lived with said family. He lived on the other side of the world from Iwa chan and their baby currently.

One of the big reasons he’d always avoided or been vague about the ‘do you want kids’ question was because it was a complicated subject for him. Hypothetically, Oikawa did want kids, someday, but he also hadn’t wanted to be the stereotypical Japanese parent. As in, he didn’t want to be his own father who had spent the entirety of his children's life working, really only seeing them on weekends for snatches of times. Because in Japan...well it was literally a country that had a word, ‘karoshi’, that meant ‘death by overwork’. Because that was totally a thing that happened often enough to need its own title. You were expected to put your work before your family until you died.

That his parents hadn’t come to his games or really been a big part of his life had only mildly bothered him as a kid because that was pretty normal in their culture. Then he’d come to the other side of the globe and seen how adults parented their children there, and how invested-sometimes too invested-they were with their children’s lives and yeah...damn.

He and Iwa chan had even talked about it, since Iwa chan had had similar culture shock when he’d been living in the United States.

Both of them were workaholics who loved, to their cores, what they did-so they were lucky that way-but their social lives had definitely suffered for it. And they’d been okay with that because they considered their work worth that sacrifice. They’d also agreed that they’d put off having families, if they went that route, until they were able to give that family the same devotion they had to the job. They wanted to be good, involved spouses and parents.

Well, Iwa chan had made that pretty clear. Oikawa had a bad feeling he’d said something like he wasn’t even thinking about any of that until he was long retired. Crap.

“Hey. You still with me?”

Jolting back to awareness with some mumbled cursing, Oikawa apologized for zoning out on him.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s a lot to take in. I zoned out plenty, the day I found out.”

Oh. Huh. Right, he hadn’t even asked...

“How did you? Find out, I mean.”

Smirking a little, Iwa chan told him the story of how he’d gone out to pick up a drink order with Akaashi, only to be done in by some really nasty cologne. Thank God that that doctor had been in line with them at the store and had followed them out, unknowingly spilling the beans when he’d gone into doctor mode.

“Seriously, he could smell it?”

“Yup. And since he was right about both of us, I have to figure he wasn’t kidding.”

Giving props where it was due Oikawa stated that that was impressive.

“Yeah. Also, your phone went off at least eight times while you were zoned. You might want to check that.”

Picking up his phone Oikawa saw that Iwa chan wasn’t joking. So far he’d gotten welcome to the group and congratulation messages from Bokuto, Akaashi, Kuroo, Miya, and Chibi chan. Four of the new messages were apologies from Shoyo for not spilling the beans, while the other four were documents. Documents?

“One sec, Iwa chan.”

Clicking on the first one from Kuroo, Oikawa skimmed it and saw that the other alpha had apparently taken detailed notes at the appointments he’d been present at. He’d even included explanations as to what certain medical terms meant, just in case, so that he wouldn’t have to look them up himself.

“Fuck.”

“O-Tooru? What is it?”

“You have some really great friends.” Oikawa managed to get out through his tight throat as he exited out and on the main page wrote a message quickly stating that he was super grateful to them, and would read all the info they were sending him once he was done talking to Iwa chan on FaceTime.

“I do.” Iwa chan ruefully acknowledged. “All the messages were from my ‘Protection Squad’?”

“Yup.”

“Ridiculous.” But Iwa chan sounded a little choked up too, and when Oikawa looked up to check he could definitely see that yeah, it was hitting the other man in the feels too.

Crap, if they both got overly emotional this was going to devolve into some serious blubbering. Which he was probably going to do once more of the shock of all this wore off and reality set in, but right now he had to be strong for the both of them. Dammit.

“Right. So back to stuff we need to figure out ASAP. What time are you meeting up with your parents on Saturday? If I can, you could bring me up on FaceTime so that I’m there as backup.”

Iwa chan’s parents had always loved him like another son, but knocking up their biological son before marrying him might put him in the dog house.

Which was undeniably fair, since he’d totally want to end anyone who dared to think-oh shit. What if the baby was a girl? What if they had a girl and she was as good looking and charming as he was? What if every day his baby girl got swarmed by stupid, only thinking with their dicks asshole boys the way he’d once been swarmed by his female fans before and after matches?

Oikawa could feel all the blood drain from his face. In fact, he was suddenly feeling a little faint.

“Hey. HEY! Focus! Are you about to pass out?! My parents love you! It’s going to be fine! Oikawa? Tooru? Hey!”

On some level he was aware of what Iwa chan was saying, but most of Oikawa’s brain was completely focused on imagining his sister as a teenager, only with Iwa chan’s coloring. And bigger breasts because knowing his luck his possible baby girl would take after Iwa chan’s family in that regard too. Oh, hell. And if she also inherited their volleyball skills, and became the star of her team, that would only make her even more popular with the boys and that was just...no. NO!

Crap, even if they had a boy he would still have to worry, Oikawa realized. Especially if the boy ended up being born an omega, which was entirely possible. An omega version of himself...

He’d fucking kill anyone who so much as looked at his baby the wrong way. Which, if the baby looked like him, would be a hell of a lot of people.

Thank God he and Iwa chan were both in such good shape. They’d be more than up to disposing of the bodies.

“Why are you making that face, Kawa? Seriously, you’re freaking me out. Are you stroking out or something? Do I need to call someone for you?”

Absently shaking his head, Oikawa ignored Iwa chan for the time being as he mentally plotted what he would do to any little punk who thought to put a hand on his baby in the future. Starting with reading all of Iwa chan’s anatomy books from college so he knew exactly where to punch to cause maximum damage.

“That smile can’t bode well for someone.”

Chapter Text

Dedicated to DuaPuff, thanks for taking the time to review every chapter. Reading them brought a big smile to my face!

Go Ahead, Make My Day

Iwaizumi was grateful that Kuroo was such a nosy busybody, because otherwise he'd be really concerned about the faces his best friend was currently making on his tablet screen. When he'd started to freak out with worry over those faces Kuroo had heard him and come over to observe Oikawa over Iwaizumi's shoulder, calmly explaining to him that nope, the other alpha wasn't stroking out or brain broken at the idea that he was going to be a dad. Those expressions, Kuroo explained with that shark smirk of his, were the looks that came over alpha fathers' faces when they thought about any bastard in the future messing with their babies, and all the pain and suffering they'd visit on the bastard in question should that happened.

Phew. That made sense, while also making Iwaizumi wonder just what kind of faces he'd made when he'd thought about the same thing. Which he'd done a lot in the weeks since he'd found out he was pregnant.

Fuck knows the world they'd be bringing this kid into was far from perfect, not to mention the fact that Iwaizumi was getting to experience, now that his transition was further along, just how some alphas looked at an unclaimed omega. Especially one who was pregnant.

Thankfully his muscles and the fact that he usually had an alpha with him had kept most of them in line, but Iwaizumi had still seen the looks and gotten the bad vibes.

It might be the twenty-first century, but this was still Japan. He and his baby would be judged and found less because he didn't have a ring on his finger and wouldn't any time soon, if ever.

"Looks like he's starting to come up from the first wave. Hey, Oikawa, don't worry, Man. You'll have multiple people lining up to hide the bodies or provide an alibi."

"And now I'm an accessory before the fact." Iwaizumi muttered, though he couldn't help but smirk a little too. While also acknowledging the fact that yeah, he'd kill to protect his baby or Kuroo's babies too. Or provide an alibi, if needed.

"Oh ye of little faith." Still smirking Kuroo gave Iwaizumi's shoulder a squeeze, reminded him that he needed to take his next round of meds in twenty, and then wandered off again to be close by while still giving them some privacy.

Iwaizumi shook his head than focused back on his baby's daddy, asking Oikawa if he was up to talking again.

"Our baby is not dating until they're thirty."

Laughing, Iwaizumi shook his head. "If the kid takes after you, they'll be dating before they hit the double digits no matter what we say."

Oikawa groaned, obviously knowing that he was right.

"And going back, I told my parents I would be there for nine in the morning."

Mornings tended to be rough these days, so that was the earliest he could manage and still give Oikawa a chance to be there virtually. The time zone difference was really going to be a bitch going forward. Japan was twelve hours ahead of Argentina time wise, so his mornings were Oikawa's nights and vice versa.

"Got it. I've got an early game Friday, but I'll be home, online, and ready to face the music." A thoughtful pause. "Maybe we can distract slash bribe them with 'Best Grandpa' and 'Best Grandma' shirts."

"Praise and bribery, huh?"

"Hey, I'm in volleyball hell because of ego stroking and bribery, Iwa chan. It works."

Iwaizumi smiled for a moment, then got serious as he asked if things were getting any better. Or worse.

"About the same. This though-this makes things better. I know you don't believe I mean that, and I'll have to prove it to you, Iwa chan, but I can't wait to meet our baby...and I will find some way to make this work so that we can co parent together. Somehow. I know I have two more seasons on my contract, I'll-"

"You'll take things one step at a time. Just like I am." It was weak, but he was too emotional right now to hear promises Oikawa might not be able to keep. "For now, turn your brilliance to texting me suggestions on how to break the news to my parents and then yours. I'll look into the shirts."

Couldn't hurt, after all.

"I'll do both." Was Oikawa's pointed, serious face answer.

Not wanting to argue Iwaizumi didn't push the matter, instead turning their attention to the last couple of things they needed to cover before he had to take his meds and then go lie down because these ones tended to make him a little nauseous.

)

After saying good night to his best friend about fifteen minutes later Oikawa ended the chat and closed the program, setting the tablet on his coffee table on autopilot before getting to his feet. Wandering over to the screen door that led out onto his balcony Oikawa opened the door and didn't really even hear the way it screeched a little in protest as he stumbled out and into the bright morning sun. Decades of athletics kept Oikawa on his feet as he walked over the short distance to the balcony railing, his fingers wrapping around the almost too hot metal as he leaned forward and did his best to get his breathing under control. Make his thoughts align so that he could think. Plan. Re righten his world a little.

Staring out towards the ocean, taking comfort in the view and scents of it, Oikawa started to make a mental list of what he needed to do in the next twenty-four hours. One step at a time.

Firstly, he needed to eat his second breakfast, get that into his system to feed his brain. Second, he needed to message the head doctor in charge of taking care of Iwa chan and their baby and let them know he was in the know now and available for questioning tonight or whenever they could fit him in. Thirdly, he needed to figure out how to get off work to go and see Iwa chan since Iwa chan couldn't come to him. He had five days off around Christmas, but with flight times and the time zone differences...FUCK!

He'd get more time off. He'd figure it out.

Right. Time for food. Food and then reading over all the info Kuroo had sent him. He'd forgotten about that. That definitely went on the list stat, so he could make a list of questions he had for the doctors.

Thank fuck Kuroo was on his third kid and obviously knew what he was doing. Between him and Bokuto Oikawa told himself that he'd have plenty of help figuring out the dad thing and getting much needed advice. And they'd take care of Iwa chan and the baby and let him know if Iwa chan was trying to protect him from bad news or not being honest about how things were going.

And Iwa chan's ex-boyfriend, too, Oikawa's brain oh so helpfully added.

Scowling reflexively as he went back inside-noticing and being further annoyed by the screeching this time-a very small portion of Oikawa's brain made note that he really, really needed to do something about that before his thoughts turned to why Miya had popped into his head moments before. And his reaction to that.

About how he and Iwa chan had talked about their 'Paris Souvenir' but hadn't said anything about the sex that had created him or her. Hadn't talked about how maybe that had changed their relationship, at least from Oikawa's end. And fuck, if he tried to bring it up now Iwa chan would think it was because of the baby, not about him at all. Dammit.

And that thought had Oikawa thinking about the private message Kuroo had sent him just before he'd been invited to join the 'Protection Squad' group chat. The one that had said not to ask Iwa chan to marry him because of the baby if he valued his life.

He'd probably looked like a deer in headlights, when he'd read that.

Married. To Iwa chan.

Iwa chan not liking the idea.

Iwa chan saying that even if Iwan chan was a girl he would never, in a million years be–wait. Hold on a minute.

Stopping with his hands full of the fruits he intended to put into his smoothie Oikawa replayed that part of his conversation with Iwa chan in his head, brows knitting further as he remembered that Iwa chan had stressed that he wasn't Oikawa's type and never would be, and that his hormones were dumb if they thought Oikawa was their intended mate...but he hadn't said that Oikawa wasn't his type.

What was Iwa chan's type?

In middle and high school Iwa chan had been super shy when it came to his crushes or someone showing an interest in him. It had been super adorable. Iwa chan had gone out on casual, usually group dates with both girls and guys back then but hadn't gone steady with anyone or developed more than a crush until university. Iwa chan could crush on a girl, but had ultimately concluded that they, along with beta males, were not what he wanted sexually. After his first real boyfriend in university-an alpha male-Iwa chan had stuck with that designation and never looked back as far as Oikawa knew.

And since they hadn't lived in the same country since they were eighteen Oikawa had only met...three of Iwa chan's boyfriends in the past. One he couldn't even remember the name of. The other two were Miya, and that first serious boyfriend Oikawa had met when he'd travelled to visit Iwa chan and give him hell in person for that stupid picture of his best friend with Ushijima.

Picturing both men as he started assembling his smoothie Oikawa thought that neither was nearly as good looking as he was, but he would admit they were above average, looks wise. Both pretty boy types. Both over six feet tall, muscled builds, and the university guy had been an athlete too. Football though, not volleyball. Ash, who was American, had called it soccer.

Didn't even know the proper name for his own sport, Oikawa thought with distain. He hadn't liked the guy even before Iwa chan had found out he was cheating on him. Total narcissist, that guy. Flirting with everyone despite having Iwa chan, then being all jealous whenever anyone flirted with Iwa chan. Hell, the guy had been jealous and hostile to Oikawa when he'd visited, and they were just best friends who'd naturally wanted to spend as much time together as possible after so long apart.

Starting the blender and thinking he wouldn't have minded throwing Ash into a human sized one, Oikawa told himself to focus and mentally listed off the things he knew Iwa chan's two exes had in common.

Good, pretty boy looks. Tall. Built. Arrogant as fuck. Flirts. Popular. Decent enough brains. Athletes. Overly confident and often narcissistic. Miya was apparently a great cook.

Oikawa knew he was a pretty boy, tall, built, and very popular. He'd been called a flirt at times and was way smarter than the other two. He had plenty of self-confidence-deservedly-and while he wasn't that arrogant or narcissistic in his opinion, Oikawa had been accused of being both those things. By Iwa chan. More than once.

Going by the other two he was ABSOLUTELY Iwa chan's type.

So why had Iwa chan never-because Iwa chan wasn't his type? Had never been Oikawa's type. And Iwa chan knew that.

Part of it was probably because they'd been close from babyhood, had had their friendship just that strongly cemented in their brains before they were old enough to understand what even a crush was. And once they did...well who knew better than Oikawa did how stubborn and observant Iwa chan was. Little Iwa chan had see Oikawa flirt and have play girlfriends since kindergarten. Even as a little boy he might have told himself that noticing Oikawa romantically wouldn't end well for him, and so he'd decided he would never let himself think of his best friend that way.

Though you'd have thought once they started messing around Iwa chan would have-had he? Had he been crushing or even in love with him and he'd just failed to notice?

Fuck. He really, really hoped not.

)

Lying in bed, the worst of his nausea having subsided, Iwa chan glanced over in the direction of his phone, which had beeped beside him. He'd brought it and the tablet onto the bed with him just in case Iwa chan suddenly messaged him for some reason. Fuck knows that when he'd first found out he was pregnant he'd panicked and started doing a lot of internet searching and reading parenting books. Both of which traumatized you while educating, in theory. Sometimes it was hard for the information to sink in while you were busy trying to bleach your brain of some horrible labor story or a breakdown of just how much it cost to raise a kid these days.

Picking up the phone Iwaizumi saw that it was actually a text from Atsumu, checking to make sure the talk with Oikawa had gone well.

Knowing his brain wouldn't turn off any time soon, wired as it currently was, Iwaizumi hit the call button rather than text back.

His friend picked up on the second ring. "Hey. Ya doing okay?"

"Yeah. I fucked it up in the beginning, but he took the news really well."

Too well, maybe, Iwaizumi thought with a grimace.

"Ya don't sound so pleased about that."

Damn the man for knowing him so well. "He said all the right things. It's just I-"

"Ya don't want ta depend on him ta be there for ya like he wants ta be-like you want him ta be-when he can't. Hell, ya don't like depending on anyone, period."

Since that was true Iwaizumi just made a disgruntled sound.

"And ya don't want this ta fuck up your relationship, especially since he's your most important person."

"Second most important." Iwaizumi corrected, his free hand protectively splaying over his ever so slightly distended belly. Or at least he thought there was a hint of a bump. Maybe. "And saying relationship makes it sound like we're dating. We're best friends."

"The bestie you compare all your boyfriends to." Atsumu dryly pointed out, this being an argument they'd had before.

"For the millionth time I do not. We've never been like that and never will be."

A long, telling pause.

"Ya didn't see it, how ya were with im in Paris. How the two of ya were with each other even out of the sheets. I wasn't the only one thinking maybe you'd start dating instead of doin the friends with occasional bennies thing."

"I was in heat, Tsumu. That doesn't count. For either of us."

"Not the whole time, ya weren't. Not at the end of it." Atsumu softly but firmly reminded him. "But he stayed in your bed the whole time he was in Paris once ya started hooking up. He didn't go off with any of the pretty girls flashing looks his way, and ya both were touching and staying close every chance ya got. He was sending off 'he's mine' vibes, ya know, to any alpha who looked your way. Including me."

"He just doesn't like you because you're too much alike."

Again with silence on the other end that said a whole book's worth on this subject, especially since they'd had it before. And knew each other way too well.

"Not a word, Tsumu. I know where you sleep, and I'll use the hormone injections to justify temporary insanity. I'd get off."

"Maybe, but Samu would never make you another rice ball."

Dammit. Especially since the delicious rice balls produced in Atsumu's brother's shop topped the list of both his and Akaashi's pregnancy cravings at the moment. They needed the discount they got for being Atsumu's friends.

Double dammit. "Now I want a tuna and spring onion rice ball. Assehole."

Atsumu chuckled over the phone. "Well luckily for you and baby, I'm at the shop right now shooting the shit with my brother and Kita. Give me half an hour and I'll drop some by."

"You don't have-"

"See ya then."

The idiot hung up on him.

Rolling his eyes even as he smiled fondly, Iwaizumi shook his head, knowing better than to try and talk the other man out of it. He was getting rice balls as a late night snack, it seemed. Which he really didn't need, especially since he'd already had ice cream, but he'd also thrown up a lot that morning so he shouldn't be surprised that he was hungry again.

Patting his stomach Iwaizumi told his baby about the treat coming and then got up and taking his tablet and phone with him headed for the living room to wait for Atsumu to arrive. He'd watch some of Oikawa's last game, he decided, and see if he couldn't help his best friend figure out some strategies to improve the team's defense, which was currently horrible.

The offense wasn't great either, especially since the players that had been able to get traded off the team once it went to hell had done so. And the second best player left after Oikawa had retired when they wouldn't let him leave.

The whole situation was a fucking mess and Iwaizumi honestly didn't know how his best friend hadn't lost it yet. He didn't even want to think about how teenage Oikawa would have handled it, especially since the other man didn't like half his teammates currently.

'We'll send him some ultrasound pictures tomorrow." Iwaizumi decided, still stroking his stomach. "Hopefully that will cheer him up."

Chapter Text

I'm Gonna Make Him an Offer He Can't Refuse

The news that Miya was dropping by Iwa chan's to bring him some late-night rice balls brought a frown to Oikawa's face later that day. Apparently, according to the 'Protectors of Iwaizumi and Baby Squad' chat, there was betting going as to which omega would eat more rice balls during his pregnancy, Iwa chan or Akaashi. Iwa chan was currently in the lead by a slightly jaw dropping amount, though Akaashi's number was nothing to sneeze at, either. Miya had posted about his latest rice ball run to add to Iwa chan's tally, Bokuto messaging him a couple minutes later to ask if Blondie could drop off some rice balls for Akaashi, too. Kuroo's GIF of two rice balls squaring off in a boxing ring, one with Iwa chan's face and the other with Akaashi's got a lot of laughs and hearts from everyone, and Oikawa was doubly glad because a stop at the Bokuto house would cut back on how long Miya could stay with Iwa chan, as a quick look at the Jackal's schedule showed they had an early game the next day.

If Iwa chan and baby wanted rice balls, then they deserved all they could eat. But the less time spent with Miya the better.

And now he wanted rice balls too.

So rice balls were what Oikawa ended up having for lunch that day, squeezing the meal in between reading all the notes and messages sent to him regarding Iwa chan's pregnancy and the previous doctors' visits. He also ordered books about parenting online, looked up flights to and from Japan, and made lists of questions to ask various people about various topics ranging from parenting to more info on other guys Iwa chan had dated in the past.

He had a LOT to think about.

Eventually though Oikawa had to put that all aside and leave his apartment, his gym bag over his shoulder and his phone very much in use as he headed down to the main floor. Three other players on his team lived in the same building, and they carpooled whenever possible. Today was thankfully not one of his days to drive, and so after saying hi to his teammates Oikawa went back to researching on his phone and mostly ignoring the looks he was getting from said teammates since normally he was a lot more talkative.

Or at least that's what he assumed they found weird until he happened to hear Ramos say 'He's smiling AGAIN' with a level of disbelief that interested Oikawa enough to make him look up and ask who 'he' was, only to learn that he was the man in question.

"I smile."

"Not like that, my friend." Chase, their libero informed him from the front passenger seat. "I haven't seen you this smiley since you posted selfies from Paris." The American gave him a sly, knowing look over his shoulder. "Are you texting your Iwa chan, maybe?"

Ramos, a young, new player brought in to replace one of the lucky bastards who'd managed to get off the team asked who Iwa chan was.

"His boyfriend." Chase and Perez, the other teammate in the car, said in unison.

"His...I thought you were straight."

Opening his mouth to say that Iwa chan wasn't his boyfriend, he was straight, Oikawa immediately closed it again, suddenly not sure how accurate that was. At least the last part. Fuck.

If asked before Paris Oikawa would have said that he was ninety-five percent straight since yeah, you couldn't get off with a guy, even if it was only the one-and still say you were completely straight, but still...was it just Iwa chan? Did Iwa chan just mean that much to him that he didn't care anymore that he was a guy? Was it because he was an omega now?

The doctors seemed to think that on an instinctual level Iwa chan had needed Oikawa in his life so badly that he'd switched designations just to be more desirable to him.

Thankfully Oikawa's uncertainty and mental spiraling went unnoticed because his regular teammates were filling the new guy in about how Iwa chan was Oikawa's best friend since childhood. They also explained that Iwa chan was a trainer for a Division One volleyball team in Japan who had also served as an athletic trainer for Team Japan at the last two Olympics. The two jerks also made it clear that while Oikawa 'claimed' he and his Iwa chan were just besties, they were also friends with bennies. Serious bennies if even half the stories about what the two had gotten up to in Paris were true.

Not liking the sound of that Oikawa asked what stories, exactly.

"X rated ones." Chase informed him with a smirk. "Very X rated."

Oikawa did not like the sound of that even more. "And who is telling these stories, exactly?"

It wouldn't have been Iwa chan, after all, and he certainly hadn't bragged about all the sex they'd had to anyone. There was a lot he could brag about, Oikawa acknowledged with an inner smirk, but Iwa chan would have killed him. Plus, Iwa chan was...special. Not someone he'd ever brag to the guys about in that way. What they did together-it was theirs only.

Speaking together again to interrupt that line of thought Perez and Chase informed Oikawa that everyone had been talking about them-even athletes who hadn't been there for volleyball-and Oikawa's teammates at the Olympics had messaged those left behind in Argentina about it regularly.

Really annoyed now Oikawa told them that he didn't appreciate them gossiping about him and Iwa chan, and wanted names. Especially when it came to people he could get his hands on if they needed to personally be told to shut up.

Perez played dumb while Chase held up a quelling finger and then started searching through his phone for something, finding it when they were about ten minutes from the gym. Crowing in triumph the libero twisted in his seat and held out his phone to Oikawa.

Taking it with serious trepidation Oikawa turned his eyes to the screen, ignoring Ramos getting into his personal space to see too as they both looked at the picture someone had taken of Oikawa. A picture taken in Paris, to be exact, in the changeroom while Oikawa was half dressed. His back was to whoever had taken the photo, and the scratches down his back, the bruises/hickies, and the jarring line of bruising running horizontally across his skin told a story. A very specific story.

That stripe of discoloration in particular, Oikawa thought as his mind went back in time to remember every detail of that summer afternoon in his hotel room.

Like Iwa chan Oikawa had gotten an actual hotel room in Paris rather than risk the cardboard beds at the Olympic Village. His room was on the small size, no surprise, but at least it had featured a proper bed built for someone his height, which had been its main selling point before he'd arrived. It had also had large windows, which had let a lot of natural light in when the curtains were left wide open. As they'd been that day, bathing both their bodies in golden light while Iwa chan had ridden his cock.

For that particular hot and intimate round of sex Oikawa had wound up sitting with his back to the bed's headboard while Iwa chan had been on his lap. With one hand braced on the headboard and the other on Oikawa's shoulder for support Iwa chan had used all of his considerable strength and stamina to fuck himself on Oikawa's cock, Iwa chan's thick thighs trapping Oikawa's body beneath his. Not that he'd wanted to go anywhere as his best friend's tight and perfect ass clenched around his dick and made him fight not to come just from the heat of him. And fuck, they'd been so close like that, Iwa chan deliberately teasing him by stopping when Oikawa was close to coming, instead stealing kisses or leaning in to lick a bead of sweat off Oikawa's throat.

There's been a lot of sweat on both their bodies, the day hot and the air conditioning in the room absolute crap. Add in the heat they'd added to the occasion and it was no wonder that they both had been hot, sweaty messes by the time Iwa chan had broken and stopped teasing, Oikawa's fingers digging into Iwa chan's thighs so hard he'd left bruising fingerprints Iwa chan had been very smug about afterwards.

Getting hard thinking about those bruises and the way Iwa chan's body had arched and contorted to get the perfect angle to take him as deeply as he could, Oikawa bit back a moan as he dimly remembered that he wasn't alone in the car and therefore shouldn't be thinking about how he hadn't even had to touch Iwa chan's cock to get him off. How Iwa chan's gasp of 'Yes, Alpha' had sent Oikawa over the edge as much as the feeling of Iwa chan coming on top of him while moaning his name.

Yes, Alpha. Yeah, Iwa chan calling him that should have definitely raised some questions in his brain, Oikawa could realize now as he smugly smiled down at the picture he was sending to his own phone.

He wanted a copy, both for himself and to send to Iwa chan.

)

Ignoring the way the guys ragged him about Iwa chan on the rest of the car ride and on the walk into the gymnasium Oikawa parted ways from them once inside, having texted their head coach earlier to ask if they could talk for ten minutes before joining the rest of the team to review some game tapes. Walking fast wasn't easy since he was still half hard from thinking about sex with Iwa chan, but Oikawa knew that he was lucky to be getting ten minutes and that Coach Diaz would kick him out the second they hit the time limit. The older man was obsessed with punctuality.

Unfortunately for his concentration Oikawa's brain kept turning back to wondering what Iwa chan's reaction would be when he sent him a copy of that photo later. Would he think it was hot? Remember that afternoon as clearly and erotically as he did?

And he couldn't help it, Oikawa also found himself wishing he had a picture of Iwa chan's naked chest to look at too. Specifically the well-defined eight pack his best friend was so proud of that had been covered in hickies by the end of the games, Oikawa having learned that Iwa chan got really hot and bothered when those ridges of muscle were sucked on and bitten. Especially if you bit hard enough to leave marks.

He'd left a LOT of marks. And cum splattered all over them. They both had.

Crap. Iwa chan was totally going to lose his eight pack while pregnant.

He must be seriously pissed about that, Oikawa contemplated, wincing a little in sympathy since he knew how hard Iwa chan had worked to get that ripped in the first place. He would definitely be sad to see them go too, given how much fun he'd recently had with them.

Of course then his mind provided Oikawa with a mental image of what Iwa chan would maybe look like with a belly round with his baby and fuck...that was even better than the eight pack.

Oikawa was still grinning like an idiot over that when he entered his coach's office after knocking and being given entrance.

"FUCK NO!"

Visibly jolting in response to his coach's booming yell, a dumbstruck Oikawa stood just in the doorway and listened to the older man furiously curse in gutter Spanish while swiping a hand across his desk to send everything on top of it flying off the wood surface. Oikawa had lived in Argentina for over a decade, and considered himself fluent in his adopted country's language, but it still took him a while to understand enough of the man's furious ranting to get what was going on. Possibly.

Waiting for a pause in breath Oikawa yelled that he hadn't managed to get traded, then waited.

"What?"

"I said I haven't been traded. That's not why I'm here."

"Bullshit. You come in here smiling like an idiot, all but glowing with happiness. You found a way off this team from Hell, didn't you?!"

"No, Coach. Sadly, I'm as stuck as you are."

Eyes narrowing suspiciously, Coach Diaz demanded to know what he was so happy about then.

"I'll get to that. Your ranting ate away a lot of my ten minutes." Knowing he needed to talk fast and at least get his foot in the door, so to speak, Oikawa quickly took a seat in the chair in front of his coach's desk and began his pitch.

"So, I know that there's been a lot of push for you to bench me and let Dominic start as setter. From Junior, his father, and all the FeVA assholes in Arias's pocket. You, the rest of the team with brains, and the fans don't want that for obvious reasons."

"Don't forget how you would react." His coach pointed out with a knowing smirk. "I don't need your hissy fits either."

Biting back his justifiable outrage at having it suggested that he would ever have a hissy fit Oikawa gritted his teeth and acknowledged that he would have been upset, yes. Before.

"Before?"

Taking a deep breath Oikawa explained that he wanted time off in December, around the Christmas holidays, to go back to Japan for a bit. He proposed that they make the assholes think they were doing it to appease them, letting Dominic have a chance to 'shine' while heavily imply to the fans that it was all the assholes' faults and that they'd bribed Oikawa with time off for 'family reasons'.

Yes, it wasn't fair to the rest of the team who didn't suck to be denied his support and skills for those games, but at the end of the day they both knew that the team would lose the four games he would miss with or without him. Two of them were against his team's archrival, who were killing it so far this season. At least when they were slaughtered the fans could claim they would have stood a chance with Oikawa playing. And once Dominic got his chance and failed horribly Junior and his father were likely to back off in that regard, which was a win win for the team as a whole. It would be suffering in the short term to improve things a little in the long one. Hopefully.

Crap, he'd had a much better speech prepared but the other man had eaten up at least four of his minutes with his cursing!

Face revealing nothing, Diaz asked why he really wanted the time off. To scout for a place on a Japanese team?

"I'm not going to lie to you and say I won't, because I will, but that's not the primary reason, no. It really is for family reasons. Good family reasons, not bad."

Oikawa wanted to tell him, wanted to tell everyone, actually, but was smart enough to know that his friends and family would not be pleased already at how many people had known about Iwa chan's pregnancy before them, and so he wasn't about to add to that number until they'd at least told their parents and old teammates.

"And that's why you're so happy? Because you think I'm going to say yes?"

"I got some really, really good news today. I can't tell you more until next week, though. Not work-related news." Oikawa added, just to be clear.

His coach made a considering sound in the back of his throat, then said he'd think about it and get back to him by the end of the week.

Feeling confident that he'd get at least more time off than originally planned Oikawa smiled and then opened his gym bag and pulled out a bottle of his coach's favorite whiskey, setting it on the desk and pushing it forward with his most angelic expression on his face.

Lips twitching, the old man asked if he was being bribed now.

"More like we can both agree that our jobs are currently a lot easier to bear with liquid help. Only I can't, because I'm an athlete, so you're doing it for both of us."

Shaking his head Oikawa's coach took the bottle, shoved it in a desk drawer, and then stated that they needed to go for the team videos.

"Not that it will do us any fucking good." The coach added as he got up from his desk, frustration written all over his face.

Understanding perfectly Oikawa slugged an arm over his coach's shoulder as they exited and promised to drink a glass with him after the game.

Lord knows they'd probably need it.

)

Unsurprisingly few in the room paid proper attention when it came to watching the game tapes they were supposed to be studying and learning from. Ordinarily Oikawa would have been one of those few, but today he couldn't seem to concentrate on anything not Iwa chan or baby related for more than a few minutes. Since he was in company and his thoughts were prone to turn sexual when it came to Iwa chan at the moment Oikawa did his best to focus on what answers he was going to give when it came to the baby questions Bokuto had sent him earlier. To get in on the baby betting pool he had to guess sex, weight, length, whether the baby would have hair or not, and a few other expected ones.

Given that Iwa chan was still in the process of turning into an omega the doctors had already said that it would be best that Iwa chan have a C section as soon as the baby was up to it, and according to the info he'd been given Iwa chan's natural due date was May eighth. Odds were the doctors would insist the baby be born before that, so he needed to take that into account, too.

His fingers itched to look up things like the average weight and length of a newborn, but being caught on his phone would only piss off his coaches and he needed to be on their good sides right now.

That being the case Oikawa allowed himself to instead imagine a little girl, one with a lot of hair on her head because naturally she'd take after him. He'd buy her the cutest little outfits and...and Oh. My. God!

They totally made Godzilla outfits for babies in Japan. He HAD to get some for their baby. Iwa chan would lose his mind over them.

Did they make alien themed outfits? He'd have to find that out as well.

ASAP