“Nouchi, I’m pregnant.”

Katsuya stopped just beyond his bedroom door. He was going to go to the kitchen, but now did not seem like the moment.

“What?” His father’s voice was low.

“I’m pregnant,” his mother repeated. “About three months.”

“Three months ago, I was in Milan. And I haven’t actually held you since we moved here.”

The room was silent. Katsuya wanted to go back to his room, but the floorboards creaked.

“It’s not your child,” his mother said finally.

“Kawai -”

“It’s Mikail's.”

“Of course it is! Well, congratulations. When’s the wedding?”

Mikail. Mikail Rostovich, the senior designer for Kawai Menswear. He was always trying to make Katsuya his friend. When he smiled, he looked like a shark. He was always standing too close to Mom. Now Katsuya understood why.

“We’re not having one. Mother would make it a circus. We’ll go to the registry, and have a small dinner party at my parents.”

“I see. So where do I fit into this? Where does Katsuya?”

“Nouchi….” she sighed heavily, and Kat felt his heart sink.

Omega. Everybody said he was an omega, just like his dad. No test needed, it was obvious. And that was bad. Omegas did H things. Every year, there were omegas at school that dropped out because they had babies. One time there was even one who went into heat at the mall. That had made Kat feel funny - all tingly and warm and weird - and his dad had said it was early heat. Because some omegas were made for H. For sex. Omegas were nasty, so no one wanted them around unless they wanted something nasty.

That’s why his mother didn’t want him. He was a nasty, made-only-for-H omega.

“What am I supposed to do, Kawai?” His father’s voice was getting louder and higher. When he was really mad, it sounded like the audio when you did fast forward an old video. “We’re bonded! That may mean jack shit to you, but -”

“I know it’s important to you! You never let me forget it!”

“I didn’t ask you to bite me!”

“Oh, so you stopped wearing a collar around me because you like being a cock-tease!”

“I stopped because I trust you, Kawai! I love you and I trust you!” His father gasped. “Fuck! Is it your parents? Are they doing this?”

“My parents adore you. My parents want you to move in so they have a new toy.”

“I’m serious here.”

“So am I, Ren!” She huffed. “I’m sorry. I love you. I really do. But I can’t live with two omegas going from your heat to my rut, with you having abortions every other year, and me being the bad guy all the time.”

Katsuya covered his mouth so he didn’t cry out. He hadn’t known about that.

“You’re not,” his father said softly. “I made those decisions. I made the choice, not you.”

“You made it for me. And I know it killed you to do it. I thought about it. This child - I thought, ‘I can’t ask Ren to raise Mikail’s baby’. But I don’t have your strength. I made the appointment, but I couldn’t make myself go.”

“Ayuka, if that’s what this is about - you know I love kids! We can do this together.”

“No -”

“What? Ayuka, it’s ok.”

“No. Ren…. I want to be with Mikail. Ren, you are so sweet and caring and gentle, and sometimes I think I’m living with my sister not my boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend? You used to say mate or even fiance! You used to tell people we were a fated pair. Now I’m just a boyfriend?”

“Ren -” she sighed. “Don’t -”

“I guess I’ve been confused about what we’ve been doing for ten years. I just tell people you’re my wife. I guess I am a complete idiot.”

“Stop crying! Ugh! You always do this! This! This is why I’m leaving. I want a man, Nouchi. You - you and Katsuya - you’re both so sweet and cute and girlish! I can’t take it, Nouchi. If that makes me the bitch, fine, I’m the bitch. I have to go.”

“What?”

“I’m meeting Mikail for lunch before we meet the decorator at the house.”

“Oh please, don’t let our life crumbling hold you up.”

“This is painful for me, too.”

“Yeah, I can see it’s tearing your heart out.”

“Finances. I’ll have an attorney draw up a child support agreement. I’m sure it will cover school expenses and medical and whatnot.”

“You do make more than me, so I guess that’s fair.”

“Oh stop! It’s not as if you’ll be alone forever! I doubt you’ll be alone past dinner.”

“Sure. Bonding only last a lifetime.”

“That’s a myth.”

“Spoken like a true Alpha.”

“Don’t do that. Don’t reduce our issues down to male/female, Alpha/omega, mars/venus psychobabble.”

“Don’t tell me that you and I are going to go through the same thing!”

“Here we go. Life is so hard for omegas. We Alphas just don’t understand.”

“Kawai, why the fuck do you have to be a bitch about this? A month from now, you won’t even remember my name. But me? I’m gonna be in withdrawal!”

“You really love to exaggerate, don’t you? Fine. Call me. Anytime. I’ll explain to Mikail that my omega mate simply can’t live without me, and once a month I have to make a house call.”

“You think I won’t?”

“Oh, I know you will. You would make that call just so you could make me look like a tool.”

“If the shoe fits…?”

“Wear it with pride!”

Katsuya heard someone stomping then the front door slammed shut.

“I guess you heard all of that.”

Kat looked up to see his father standing beside him. Dad’s face was blurry, as if he were at the bottom of a swimming pool.

“I know.” Dad pulled Katsuya into his arms. “It’s ok. Moms and dads sometimes fight, and say shitty things to each other. But we both still love you, ok? This has nothing to do with you.”

Katsuya tried to stop crying, to say something to comfort his father. How could she be so mean when Dad had tried to do everything for her? How could she hurt him like that?

One thing was clear to him. Dad was wrong about one thing. Dad was wrong, and Mom was right.

If someone hurts you, hurt them back.