The news of Yukio's pregnancy set both families ablaze. Ayako immediately went to the Nakamura's house with Genzo who had just arrived from Germany yesterday. Rumi and Ichirou booked a flight back to Tokyo as soon as they heard the news from Ryuichi.

It was Yukio's first time to see the father of the body's original owner. He was exactly what we could call a wine finely aged with time. The patrician quietly and coolly sat on a chair beside Ayako who was holding Yukio's hands.

"Are you okay? Are you having a hard time?"

"I'm okay, mom. Just really picky with food."

"Have you already gone for a check-up?"

"Ryuichi already took me, mom."

"And how's the baby?" Ayako had slight suspicions about the baby's health because she knew of her son's past actions.

"The baby's fine, Aunt Ayako. Yukio's doing great." Ryuichi answered and assuredly smiled at the young man sitting beside him. "But... there's something that I might be troubling Aunt Ayako and Uncle Genzo with. I can only hope that you'll consider for the sake of Yukio and the baby."

"What is it?" A cold and stern voice was heard.

Yukio couldn't look straight at the man who was supposed to be his father so he looked down instead. It was Ryuichi who answered again.

"As of now, Yukio's health is holding up with the pregnancy but it might get more difficult for him in the next months. So, I would like to request a fifteen-month leave for him. I hope that Uncle Genzo will see it most suitable for the situation."

Genzo's indifferent eyes shifted from Ryuichi to Yukio knowing what these two men were trying to cover. After all, with the rebellious and depressive acts done before, no doubt that the body was now suffering the aftermath.

"The difficulties in the new branch in Germany have been settled but it's impossible to look for someone to be his temporary reliever. The complexities in the corporation cannot be easily learned."

Ayako looked at her husband with pleading eyes but she said nothing. Besides, her voice never took any weight in a discussion. She could just beg in her heart.

"It's okay. I can still manage. I'll... I'll just be careful." Disconcerted with his own faults, Yukio knew he didn't have the right to ask. He had to take full responsibility with the actions of the past owner of the body he was now inhabiting.

Ryuichi's brows furrowed and he held Yukio's hand in a tight grip. "Uncle Genzo, I have been trained to handle businessses since I was young. I'm a fast learner, faster than most, surely faster than Yukio. It won't take long to teach me. I can be of more use to you than Yukio."

"It's not just a matter of skills nor talent."

"It has already been decided that my mother's shares will be transferred to me."

Yukio understood the intention but now, it made him feel guiltier. Ryuichi was going to carry the burden because of him. The corporation held many internal battles. It was glorious and peaceful to the outsiders' eyes but it held so many dangers inside.

"It's okay. It's really okay. I can still do it. I'll take precautions but... but there's really nothing much to worry about." He forced a smile to convince the people around him while unconsciously touching his abdomen. "We need to be strong, baby. You have to be strong for me, too, okay? You have to hold on and grow well."

But transparent as he was, who could he deceive with such a smile? The people around were not stupid in the first place.

"No Yukio, it's dange--" Ayako blurted in distress but was cut short by Genzo.

"I'll take over the company again until you give birth and become more capable to work. Fifteen months." He threw a glance to the man who was clearly displeased with his stoicism but kept his calm.

"Thank you, dad." He was anxious when he noticed that his father was eyeing Ryuichi.

"Take care of your body and the baby. Don't do anything foolish again."

"He won't. I'm with him." Ryuichi's voice was cold but not rude.

Ayako was relieved with the outcome and hugged Yukio. "When Ryuichi's busy, call me anytime if you need help. I can also go with you to the hospital."

She wouldn't miss out on this. She was pregnant twice and she pulled through both all on her own. Check ups, hardships, everything. She was alone. She knew that it might be too late to make up for all her negligence towards Yukio as the latter was growing up and she was partly responsible for all the actions that her son took against his own body. The least she could do now was to be there for him in this stage of his life.

"Thank you, mom. That might be just the case." Yukio was so grateful that his mom wasn't disregarding his condition. To have a mother was really a blessing.

Unbeknown to the two, a pair of eyes was observing them, hardly believing the affectionate exchanges. Months ago, the two in front of him were worse than strangers, now they were actually a good picture of a mother and a son. He somehow felt a tinge of sadness inside. It seemed like he was being left out again. Such feeling and thought were quickly and strongly dismissed though.

Not long after, both Genzo and Ayako left refusing the invitation for dinner since the former had a flight to Okinawa in the evening.

Ryuichi and Yukio, on the other hand, were left in the living room. The former stood up and minutes after, came back with a glass of warm milk with honey. The latter seemed to not get enough of it in a day since this was already his fifth glass.

"Thank you." He took the glass and drank a quarter of its content.

"Are you okay? Do you want to go to bed now?"

He shook his head and drank the remaining milk.

"Do you want to go out and have dinner somewhere?"

Yukio's eyes lit up and he quickly nodded, it was truly stifling to keep staying inside the house. This, in turn, brought a smile to Ryuichi. His Omega was too easy to please.

To avoid any unnecessary cause of stress or discomfort for Yukio, Ryuichi took him to an exclusive restaurant. All throughout the time from when they left the house until they got seated for dinner, the latter was completely attentive of the pregnant Omega. Always holding his hand or putting his arm around Yukio's shoulders in a protective manner. He would also glance at him from time to time to check if he was being inconvenienced in any way.

"Ryuichi..." There was a grateful smile on his face as he called out to the Alpha in front of him. They have just finished their dessert and now enjoying their tea.

"Hmm? Do you need anything? Is there anything you want?" He leaned over to be able to fully catch the other's next words.

Yukio couldn't help but giggle. "Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"You're being weird."

"Weird? How? Am I making you feel uncomfortable?" There was an obvious concern in his voice.

How had this Alpha who was supposedly not a talker and always an embodiment of harshness and sarcasm become such a wordy, entirely expressive human being so terribly anxious to please him? Yukio couldn't fathom but just be amused with such sudden changes.

"No, I'm not uncomfortable. It's just that... it might be uncomfortable for you?" He hid his blissful smile by looking down at his cup.

"Not a chance. I'll be uncomfortable only if you are."

"Mm." Yukio raised his head and looked out of the restaurant through the window. "Do you...do you want to take a walk?" His face flushed with his invitation.

One of the great things that his pregnancy brought him was the opportunity to be with his Alpha, to get his attention, and to be in his good books. It also diminished the awkwardness between them, not knowing what to say, how to act or to keep on trying to read each other's minds. It certainly made Ryuichi a lot softer towards him. And opportunistic as it may seem, Yukio wanted to take advantage of the situation and make their relationship better.

"Maybe he will also learn to care for me not just for the sake of the baby? Maybe he will also love me? It's okay if not as much as I love him but even just a little, I won't ask for anything more." He subconsciously touched his abdomen when he heard Ryuichi's voice.

"That's a good idea. It will be good for you and the baby." He stood up and reached out a hand towards Yukio.

The latter took it and stood up as well. After paying the bill, they left the restaurant and walked towards the park nearby.

They quietly strolled around the park and Yukio occasionally glanced at his hand being held tightly by the other's hand. His shoulders were wrapped by a thick coat with the strong Alpha scent of its owner. It really made him feel so warm and content.

"I need to go to Israel tomorrow. There's a new medical equipment that I want to buy the copyrights with. I want all our hospitals to exclusively have one of it."

"Israel?"

"Yes, Israel has so many inventors and scientists but most of their inventions are bought by the US and the UK then considered as theirs. All legal rights are paid."

"Isn't that unfair for them?"

"No." Ryuichi smiled at the pureness of the other's thoughts. He was curious now how he was handling the corporation. "That's just how business is. And they actually intend to do that. They invent something that is not completely developed but the idea is there. Then the buyer further develops it infusing the original and the new concepts."

"Ah... And... When are you coming back?" He didn't want to be clingy but well, that was just how he was.

"I'll only be gone for two days. Three and a half at most if we include the flight hours. It's already the last stage of the deal."

"Okay." He jolted when Ryuichi suddenly stopped in front of him, making him almost bump on his chest. "W-what is it?" He looked down to avoid the serious but gentle stare of the other man.

"Will you behave when I'm gone?"

"Behave? What... what do you mean?"

"Take care of yourself. No strenuous movements. Avoid being stressed. Just stay at home, eat well, sleep a lot."

"Like a Wagyu cow?" He tried to suppress his laughter but it turned into soft giggles.

"Better than a Wagyu cow." Ryuichi laughed with him.

Early in the morning, just before Ryuichi left for Israel, Rumi and Ichirou arrived. As expected, the woman was on cloud nine. Yukio was in the bedroom when he could hear her excited voice getting nearer to the door.

"Sweetheart!! Yukio, love! Where are you, sweetie?"

Ryuichi was about to open the door when it was suddenly opened from the outside and just narrowly missed his face. "Mom!"

"Hi, son." She nonchalantly passed in front of her son giving only a wave then hurriedly marched towards Yukio who was reading a book on the bed. "My sweetie! Yukio, darling, how are you?"

"Aunt Rumi, welcome back." Yukio smiled as he reached out to hug the woman now sitting beside him.

"Mom, sweetie, it's mom." She gently patted the other's back and seeing that Yukio's face flushed with what she said, she smiled at him and motherly held his cheek. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, m-mom."

"Is Ryuichi giving you a hard time?"

He made a quick glance at Ryuichi who was picking up his coat from the chair. "No. He... he's been great."

"Good, good. Or else, I'm going to break all his bones."

Ryuichi resisted the urge the roll his eyes and smirked, "But then, you'll mend them all again."

Rumi flicked her hand gesturing 'whatever' then looked at Yukio again. "Tell us if you need or want anything. Anything at all."

Yukio just nodded and turned to Ryuichi who had picked up his luggage. "Are you going already?"

"Yes." He smiled then kissed his mom on the cheek then moved closer to Yukio. "Remember, behave, okay?"

"Yes, better than a Wagyu cow." Yukio smiled and held the hand that was ruffling his hair.

"Good." He bent down to kiss the other's head then made his way to the door. "Bye, mom. Please take care of my treasures."

Rumi was about to retort but the door was already closed. She diverted to the one intensely blushing in front of her and blurted with slightly widened eyes, "Since when did he become that cringey??"

"It...it was just a joke. H-he's not good at jokes."

Yukio literally wished for his bed to open up and swallow him at that moment. He was embarrassed, yes, but more than that, his heart felt like exploding. Ah, it might be hard to catch him now, he was so high up in the clouds!

The day passed by perfectly. Ichirou and Rumi just spent their day with him, chatting, eating and spoiling him in any way they could.

During dinner, he asked Ichirou, "Dad, Ryuichi had been with me for a couple of days and... I'm just wondering... the company's affairs..."

The old man immediately understood.

"Ah, it's not a problem. Ryuichi is a good leader. And a leader can only be considered as good if his members function efficiently, effectively and productively in his absence as they do in his presence."

"And besides, sweetheart, your dad invested so much in finding and honing the right people to be placed in the company. We are not as big as Quantum, of course, but the meticulousness in filtering people to trust cannot be less." Rumi added, assuring him.

"Mm." Yukio nodded and in his heart, he had cultivated a higher respect for this family in terms of business.

"If you are also worrying about the corporation, no need to think about it. Your dad can even turn mountains if he wants to." Ichirou laughed because along with his words, some memories came into mind.

"Certainly. So all you need to do is take care of yourself and our precious little one in there." Rumi joyously glanced at his abdomen that was still flat at this stage of his pregnancy.

"Yes, mom."

Around 9PM, Yukio was reading another book on the bed but couldn't focus on what he was reading at all. He stared at the big couch where Ryuichi used to sleep on when he was present.

They both agreed that it was the best way to avoid being tempted by each other and might just result to a forced estrus. At night, Ryuichi would only enter the room after he was sure that Yukio was already asleep. He stayed and worked in the study room until midnight. Some times in the night though, Yukio would wake up with slight discomfort. Watching Ryuichi sleep and smelling a faint trace of his scent in the air could make him feel better and sleepy again.

He placed the book on the bedside table, dimmed the lamp and covered himself with the quilt. Just as his mind was traveling somewhere nonexistent, his phone rang. He quickly reached for it and answered the call before seeing the caller's ID.

"Are you sleeping already?"

His heart skipped a beat upon hearing the voice that he missed a lot. "N-not yet."

"Hmm. I just arrived in the hotel."

"What time is it there?" He heard the other side shuffling some things.

"2PM. How was your day? Did mom bother you so much?"

Yukio let out a soft chuckle. "No. She was behaving well, too."

A smile tugged on Ryuichi's lips. "Good. Did you eat well?"

"Mm. You, have you had lunch?"

"Yes, had a lunch meeting before checking in the hotel." Ryuichi hesitated for a while then spoke again. "Uhm... Yukio..."

"Yes?" Maybe he was anticipating something or maybe the tone just excited him so much, his face turned red and his hand fidgeted on his pajama.

"Facetime?" Ryuichi's hand rubbed the back of his neck. It was quite embarrassing for him but he really, really missed the young man on the other side already.

"Oh. Wait." Yukio sat up and brightened the lamp then turned to Facetime.

"Hi." He felt like all the numbness he felt due to the long flight was washed away with just a view of his Omega's face.

"Hello." Yukio smiled but felt a bit awkward that he subconsciously bit his lower lip.

The other party stiffened. The innocent but seductive gesture, the soft voice, and the flushed face in front of him caused a reaction that his tired body wasn't expecting. Besides, he hadn't vented out his desire for so long already.

"D-did you drink your milk before going to bed?" His right hand felt the hard tent below and he knew then that he must end the call immediately. He was also starting to emit a lot of pheromones in the air filling the room with a heavy Alpha scent.

"Mm." He internally laughed at the words that were supposed to be said to a child, not to an adult, what more, a young man. And what's with the stuttering? "Are you tired?"

"No. but... uhm... listen, go to sleep now, okay?"

"Okay." He smiled and slightly nodded. "Good night."

"Yeah, g'night."

As soon as the other side hang up, Ryuichi plunged on the bed and unbuckled his belt. His hand moved to unzip his pants and hurriedly hold the hard thing inside. He closed his eyes as a groan escaped his lips. "Yukio..."

He tightened his grip and moved up and down. The image of the small frame under his body writhing at his every thrust, the moaning, the misty eyes... When he arched his body and desperately clung on his own hair gasping through parted lips, his flushed face and chest...

"Yukio, moan for me..."

His movement became faster and his breathing became heavier. He could clearly remember the feeling of Yukio's nails digging on his back, the grinding of his hips on his hot rod...

After a while, Ryuichi's hips buckled and his balls tauted before a hot white fluid was shot in the air and fell on his abdomen. He looked at the generous amount that was now making a mess and he sighed.

"How long has it already been... Yukio..."

He stood up, took a towel and went to the bathroom. While under the shower, he shook his head. It seemed that he needed to finish all matters here quickly so he could immediately go home. This hunger was already getting out of control.

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Author's notes:

Thank you for reading this story! This is raw and unedited but I already wanted to publish it. I don't mind any corrections so feel free to let me know if you have any. Have a blessed day! :*