Author's Note: This was a prompt that got hopelessly out of control. I always wanted an omegaverse story where Arthur wasn't struggling as an omega and was perfectly fine with following Alfred's lead because he effing loves him and is comfortable in his own skin, so I wrote my own, as I'm wont to do. Yup.

I think it's safe to say this is among the fluffiest things I've ever written. Most of my stories have an element of sadness or tragedy, and while there is a little bit of an issue to be addressed in this fic, I was determined to keep it mostly happy. Writing this, I did allude to little problems Arthur and Alfred might have with themselves or life in general, but I didn't get into it for the sake of giving you guys something not utterly depressing for a change.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia and I most likely never will.

As far as society had advanced, the continued practice of underestimating omegas amused Arthur to no end.

In the history books, the renowned leaders and gods among men were most often said to be alphas, strong and brave, or betas, determined and practical. The stories spoke of territories to secure, mates and children to protect, but had the world forgotten that omegas were very capable in their own right?

Even alpha posturing could not sway the passionate and instinctively suspicious omegas when something didn't smell quite right. Omegas had a tendency to be overly neurotic, and when it came to protecting their offspring, no measure was too great.

Sometimes that protective instinct stretched far beyond the realm of children and family. Joan of Arc was an omega that loved her country so deeply and paid the ultimate price while trying to serve it; and where would the world have been without the findings of Isaac Newton?

Heats and pregnancy did little to hinder an omega that had aspirations and the necessary motivation to realize them. If anything, it only gave omegas a ferocity that, if provoked, could challenge even an alpha's.

That being said, not everyone considered omegas the lesser nature. Arthur had the privilege of living in a time where complete equality was not far off, and his peers recognized the power he wielded as an omega and as a person.

When Arthur ran for All School President at the end of his junior year, he hadn't been all that concerned about what the outcome would be. He'd been on student council since his first year of high school, and his opponent was an alpha female who had the confidence for the campaign but not the same level of interest Arthur had.

He suspected her parents had made her run for the position in the first place, most likely for the scholarship benefits. Arthur didn't consider himself a terribly boastful person, but even back then, he'd known she didn't stand a chance against him.

In another time, she probably would have won simply because she was an alpha and Arthur was not; but Arthur had a few factors working in his favor, not limited to the fact that he was more experienced.

There was, of course, his ability to sound confident even when he was just talking out of his arse. Then one had to consider his mated mark, completed healed at that point, placed on him by an alpha that everyone at that school was aware of, whether they knew him personally or not; and lastly, the scent of a newborn on his skin.

Out in the real world, an omega with other priorities was usually the last to be considered for a position that would require copious amounts of time; but high school was different. Teenagers were easily swayed, and more often than not, it all boiled down to a popularity contest.

A mated omega with an infant was more appealing than an unmated alpha, especially since Arthur had proved himself as a capable omega, going through with the campaign even when his body still ached from giving birth. As shallow as the entire thing was, Arthur had considered it a victory.

His friend Francis had jokingly accused him of using his pregnancy to his advantage, to which Arthur had indignantly replied to the contrary. He'd decided to run even before he started high school, long before he was mated and otherwise preoccupied. Everything just happened to work out in his favor, nothing more.

And so the summer passed Arthur by. He didn't give much thought to the approaching school year and focused solely on his family. His days were spent caring for his daughter, keeping her safe and happy, and his nights were consumed by the heat and passion of his alpha.

Alfred spent three days a week at their school's – pitifully American – football field, and if he wasn't running drills with his teammates, he was working. When he returned home, always an hour or so before sundown, Alfred would watch with a smirk as his sweat managed to stir Arthur's disinterested, post-pregnancy hormones without fail.

It was definitely a whirlwind summer, the busiest of Arthur's life, but after spending three months mostly in the company of an infant whose vocabulary consisted of gurgles and cries, the green-eyed omega was looking forward to the socialization school was sure to bring.

On the first day of their senior year, Arthur woke up before Alfred, as per usual. He managed to bathe and dress himself before Whitney started squalling, and he nursed her while simultaneously dragging his reluctant mate from their nest.

They managed to make it into the car five minutes before the deadline Arthur had set the previous night, which was better than he'd been expecting. He was anxious to get to school despite the dull ache in his bones to return to his nest, and while Alfred undoubtedly sensed that, he wisely chose not to comment.

Once there, the two of them dropped Whitney off at the in-school daycare center. Alfred expressed a slight reluctance to leave her in the care of strangers, but Arthur trusted the omega volunteers to efficiently do their jobs and coaxed his mate from the room before first bell.

Arthur had spent most of that morning convincing Alfred – who wasn't above admitting that he needed his omega's reassurance sometimes – that everything would be fine, that Whitney wouldn't believe that they'd abandoned her and the three of them would adjust to a school-year schedule in no time.

In the end, Arthur was unable to believe in his words and was the one left struggling to adapt.

That first day back had been traumatizing, to say the least, and Arthur bolted when his final class let out, leaving Alfred behind to gather their things. Just knowing that his baby was in the opposite wing of the school was enough to keep him from concentrating in his classes. Whitney had barely left his side in the five months since her birth, and Arthur was unsettled by the absence of her warmth and scent, which still clung to his clothing but was barely enough to quell his instincts.

Granted, Whitney was born at the end of the last school year, and she'd stayed with Arthur's mum while he and Alfred were at school. The separation hadn't plagued him as badly back then, but only because he hadn't had as much time to bond with his daughter.

After spending the summer in a house all their own, separate from their families and most of the town, all Arthur wanted was to have his baby in his arms and his mate close by. School got in the way of that, and Arthur came to loathe it.

But Arthur told himself things would get better. Countless of men and women before him had given birth while still in school and adjusted just fine. He would be no different.

He tried to keep the fact that he was struggling from Alfred, but it was virtually impossible. They hadn't known one another for terribly long, all things considered, but Arthur supposed Alfred knew him better than anyone did or ever would. It had been that way since they met.

They'd been forced together in the alphabetized lineup at freshman orientation, but Arthur didn't doubt they would have found one another regardless. The omega truly couldn't find words to express how he'd felt when he caught Alfred's scent for the first time. He remembered that Alfred had been equally stunned, his sky-blue eyes wide with disbelief, and they'd stared at one another until their supervisors were forced to separate them and call their parents.

Children were told about pair bonds while still in primary school, about encountering another person whose scent and overall presence was intoxicating to a distracting, compulsive level. Arthur didn't quite believe in soul mates, but a pair bond was pretty close. So, Arthur had always known it was possible but never expected it to happen to him. His father had two omega mates, Arthur's mother being his second. Arthur had grown up in a blended pack setting, and while he had nothing against alphas taking multiple mates, he knew that lifestyle just wasn't for him.

He quite enjoyed having an alpha all to himself. Arthur had a multitude of siblings, so he was used to receiving only part of a person's attention, but Alfred was focused solely on him. They were exclusive to one another, the only bonded pair in their class, and they were both very smug about it.

It did have its disadvantages, however, not exclusive to the fact that they couldn't hide anything from one another. Alfred had most likely known right away that Arthur would have difficulty coping. He didn't push Arthur to talk about it, but he tried to comfort him all the same.

For the first few weeks after school began, Alfred was constantly surprising Arthur with gifts of some sort. They went off campus for lunch almost everyday, and Alfred offered to call Arthur in sick multiple times so he could just stay home with Whitney on the days when going to school was the last thing the omega wanted to do.

Still, Arthur tried to make the best of it. One more year and he and Alfred would both be free. They would truly be adults then – as if the sleepless nights and split priorities didn't make them adults already – and Arthur would hopefully have more time to devote to his family.

Arthur sighed for the perhaps the fifteenth time in five minutes, sparing a glance at the clock. The school day had ended a little over an hour ago, and his meeting with the other class officers didn't seem any closer to adjourning. Alfred had a game that night, so he was probably off with his teammates somewhere, leaving Arthur with pickup duty.

The daycare didn't close until the last child was picked up, of course, but Arthur didn't want Whitney to be that child.

"You're starting to smell a little sweet." Francis said, leaning over to speak quietly in Arthur's ear. "It's a bit distracting."

"Shut up." Arthur retorted. His chest felt heavy enough that he knew what was going on even without Francis and his bloody alpha senses pointing it out for him. Arthur didn't produce as much milk as female omegas and betas did, but he still felt uncomfortable if Whitney wasn't feeding regularly. His chest was relatively flat, but his scent gave away that he was still nursing. "It's not as if I can help it."

"I can take over." The alpha went on to say. As All School Vice-President, he certainly had the authority to do so. "I believe you're needed elsewhere."

"We're almost finished." Arthur said stubbornly, though he wasn't so sure. Raising his voice, he said, "Alright. Homecoming. We know where it will be held and how much tickets will be. Now we need a theme. After we figure that out, we can go home for the evening."

"I like time period themes." Emma Renard, the Junior Class President, spoke up almost immediately. She was the only other omega in office, and Arthur appreciated having her around, even if the unmated alphas were wont to try and scope her out at the most inopportune times. "When I was a freshman, we picked Victorian England. The dresses were hard to find but so gorgeous."

Christian Harris, the president of the sophomore class, drummed his fingers atop his desk. "Anything would be better than last year's homecoming."

"I have to agree." A soft voice said on Arthur's right. Kiku Honda was the president of their senior class and Alfred's childhood friend. He was a person Arthur had come to know quite well in the past four years, and sometimes he had a hard time believing that a beta like Kiku was willing to put up with Alfred's boisterous and somewhat cocky attitude for so long. There had been no pair bond in that friendship to help lessen the irritation. "The committee last year received a lot of complaints."

Arthur took their word for it, having not been there himself. Alfred had tried to coerce him into attending, and Arthur was tempted to agree until he went into heat a few days before homecoming. They'd decided by then that they wanted to go through with the mating process, so Alfred had been all too happy to hole up in Arthur's room with him for a week.

The memory alone was enough to distract Arthur from the matter at hand. He would much rather be properly rogered than attend a boring school function anyhow.

"Down boy." Francis muttered, and Arthur coughed.

"That puts a great deal of weight on us, then." Arthur said, glancing at each of his four companions. "If you want to go with a time period theme, Emma, that's fine with me. Any ideas?"

The girl frowned slightly, twirling a thick strand of her dark blonde hair around her finger as she thought his question over. "Hmm… we could do twenties America?"

"So long as we can have a speakeasy, I am all for it." Francis said.

Christian snorted and Arthur rolled his eyes. "Of course. You can have the pleasure of writing that in the form and turning it into the office. Without my signature."

"Pity. Motherhood has made you terribly bland."

"Oh, crap!" Christian exclaimed, bolting upright in his chair. His teachers probably would have wept with joy. "I totally forgot you have to pick up your kid."

"And Alfred's at practice." Kiku added, glancing at the clock just as Arthur had been doing almost the entire hour. "You can leave if you need to, Arthur."

The young omega shook his head, though his thoughts were telling him to take advantage of this opportunity. "We're almost finished. I can spare a few more minutes."

"All in favor of a twenties theme, raise your hand!" Christian said quickly, and Arthur almost started laughing. The young alpha was certainly enthusiastic, and his eagerness to help others and charming demeanor told Arthur that the boy would have no trouble finding a mate when the time came. Not to mention that his Australian drawl would work in his favor. Arthur could say from experience that accents did wonders when courting someone.

The others quickly raised their hands in affirmation, and Arthur shook his head, signing his name at the bottom of the paper in front of him before sliding it over to Francis. "Roaring Twenties it is, then. Write down everything we've discussed today and take it to the office, Francis."

"Oui, capitaine!" Francis exclaimed, saluting, and Arthur grabbed his bag and hurried from the room before Emma could start swooning.

The halls were completely vacant, for which Arthur was thankful. Omegas were a force to be reckoned with, even without the added factor of a child. As high-strung as he felt, Arthur didn't want to think about what would happen if someone were to get in his way.

Most of the children were separated into gender and nature groups depending on their age for safety purposes, so when Arthur entered the daycare facility, he instinctively looked toward the area normally sectioned off for omega females under the age of six months.

Every crib and bouncer was empty, but a familiar scent hit Arthur before panic had a chance to settle in, and he immediately relaxed. Turning to face the rest of the room, Arthur found Alfred settled in the middle of a sofa near the secondary exit, Whitney in his arms.

His mate was patting their daughter's back and watching the omega volunteers as they read stories to the remaining children with a disinterested look on his face. Arthur smiled slightly, absolutely certain that Alfred was paying more attention to whatever story was being read than perhaps the children themselves. Alfred would most likely deny it if Arthur suggested as much, but the fact that he hadn't noticed Arthur's presence by now was telling enough.

It took a few moments, but Alfred finally zoned back in and turned to look at Arthur as he approached. "Hey." He said quietly, flashing Arthur a brilliant smile as he continued to rub Whitney's back.

"Hi." Arthur replied, sparing a wave at one of the volunteers as she looked up at the sound of their voices. She smiled at him before returning her attention to the kids. "Is she asleep?"

"I don't know what she's doing." Alfred chuckled, peering down at Whitney, tucked quietly in his arms. "She just kinda squirms and makes noises every now and then."

"I thought you would be at pre-game warm-up with your teammates?"

"Well, Kiku said you guys had a meeting after school. I figured it would run late, so Coach let me leave to pick up Whitney."

Quirking an eyebrow, Arthur said, "Did he now?"

Arthur had nothing personal against Alfred's coach, but if it weren't for him, Arthur and Alfred would have been mated sooner than their junior year. Saying that they had experienced a whirlwind romance was an understatement, but that was to be said between two people whose desire to be together was nearly overwhelming.

They were both prepared to commit to one another almost from the get-go. It had only been a matter of convincing their parents that they were ready. Alfred's parents were easier to sway than Arthur's, mostly because Arthur's mum was an overly anxious omega that wanted to keep her only surviving child close at all times.

Once she was convinced, it was just a waiting game. The autumn after Arthur turned sixteen, he went into heat the same day Alfred was set to leave for an American football tournament in another city. If it hadn't been the first time in twenty years that their high school had made it to the playoffs, perhaps Alfred would have been allowed to stay behind; but his coach wasn't the most understanding of people.

Arthur wouldn't have been so upset by it if the team had actually needed Alfred. At that point, they were only sophomores, and while Alfred had been tall, he wasn't bulky like the juniors and seniors. He and the other sophomores and freshmen had really only gone to support the team.

It had been utterly ridiculous, but they both handled it fairly well, in Arthur's opinion. After all, there would be other heats, never mind that Arthur rather enjoyed his attempt to talk to Alfred on the phone at least once a day. Attempt being the key word, since Arthur had spent most of their conversations moaning obscenely, wanting to see how flustered he could make Alfred before the alpha was forced to say goodbye.

"Yup. I have to show up earlier than I normally would to go through plays on my own, but that's fine." Alfred replied, perhaps sharing Arthur's thoughts. "I'm the only outgoing senior with a kid. I think he understands that I have more important priorities now."

Arthur and Alfred were not shy people. Their repertoire of things to say to make one another hot under the collar was proof enough of that, but Alfred's words and adorable little grin were enough to make Arthur's heart flutter.

"I'm surprised they let you stay here to wait for me." Arthur said, suddenly the conversationalist. "At this time of day, the goal is to get everyone out."

"Nah, they like having me around."

"You're sure about that?"

"Well, not me exclusively." Alfred amended, leaning away from Whitney's flailing hand as she tried to make a grab for his glasses. She had an affinity for new things, and Alfred wore his glasses so irregularly that she probably wasn't used to them yet. "Artificial alpha scent just doesn't keep the youngins in line like a real one does. You shoulda seen those boys when I came in. I think they were having a play dominance fight or something."

Come to think of it, none of the other children had made so much as a peep since Arthur arrived. Alfred wasn't their sire, but his presence alone was probably enough to settle any rowdy behavior. Arthur didn't doubt that the omega volunteers had their hands full with children that hadn't imprinted on them. Alfred's extended stay had probably been a blessing in disguise.

"My baby, please." Arthur said, having beat around the bush long enough.

Alfred's lips twitched into a smirk, maneuvering Whitney in his hold until Arthur could see her baby-blue eyes peering dazedly around the room. She really was a carbon copy of Alfred, her blonde hair just a shade lighter than his, and Arthur knew his mate was tickled pink by it.

When they met, Alfred had explained in no uncertain terms that he'd always wanted children, a pack of his own to care for. Arthur had been slightly uncertain at first, a sheltered omega intimidated by the alpha that he was hopelessly in love with even after so little time, but now Arthur was glad he'd been able to give Alfred what he'd been dreaming of since he was a boy.

"Hello, darling." Arthur cooed when Whitney's eyes settled on him. She jerked in Alfred's arms, kicking her legs and grinning a toothless smile that eerily mirrored her father's. Oh, how Arthur adored her. He stooped over to pluck her from Alfred's arms, holding her close as he'd been yearning to do since dropping her off just that morning. "Yes, I know, I missed you, too."

She burrowed into Arthur, her warm cherub face nuzzling into the exposed skin of his neck, where his mark lay. A jolt shot down Arthur's spine, but the surge of affection he felt for his daughter overshadowed it.

All the tension that had built up in Arthur's body throughout the day began to melt away, and he took up where Alfred left off, rubbing her back to assure her that he was there. He turned back to his mate to tell him to grab Whitney's diaper bag so they could leave, only to find that Alfred was staring at him far too intently to be casual.

"May I help you?" Arthur asked, laughing despite himself.

"I can't wait until you're pregnant again." Alfred breathed, perhaps too loudly by the way the woman reading the story to the children faltered slightly before starting up again.

Arthur could feel the beginnings of an embarrassed blush creeping up his neck. "Is one drooling infant not enough for you?"

"Guess not." Alfred said with a slight shrug, bending over to pick up the diaper bag at his feet before standing up with a tired grunt. "I think I just like watching you be a mom, though. You're good at it."

Arthur blinked up at his mate. He knew that he enjoyed being a parent, but he'd never stopped to wonder if it suited him. His mum had disapproved of his decision to continue going to school after Whitney was born, and he'd wondered if she was right when Whitney struggled to imprint on him what with all the time he spent away from her.

That's why summer vacation had been so important, why Arthur insisted they find a place where it could be just the three of them for a time. Thankfully Alfred's parents owned a lake house that they barely used, and they gave them permission to use it for as long as they needed. It took a lot of work to make it habitable, and a lot more to meet Arthur's standards, but it was home.

He took to sitting out on the deck with Whitney while the sun set over the horizon, laughing as she ogled at fireflies. They would go down to the modestly sized beach while Alfred was gone and play in the sand, though Whitney couldn't do much on her own and just took sparse handfuls to throw into the wind or Arthur's face.

Usually summer was the bane of Arthur's existence. He'd never enjoyed having an excess amount of time on his hands; but with Alfred and Whitney, the time had flown by. Arthur still missed it, even three months into the school year.

His father's first omega mate once told Arthur that having children put the world into perspective. Arthur was now starting to see that he was right.

"The gears are a turnin'." Alfred cocked his head slightly, eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Is there something bothering you?"

"Yes and no. But – " Arthur jerked his head toward the small circle of children. "Can we not talk about it here?"

Alfred nodded curtly, standing just a bit taller, the expression on his face painting a picture as to what lengths he would go if something, someone, was aggravating his mate. He probably wasn't even aware he was doing it, and Arthur would have stopped to marvel at how endearing the alpha was if he weren't trying to decide how to put his thoughts into words.

They voiced a brief farewell to the women watching over the remaining children, and Arthur placed a kiss to the top of Whitney's downy head as they left the room. Once out in the hall, Arthur swung around to face Alfred. They stared at one another for some time, Arthur suddenly nervous and Alfred probably beside himself with his instincts to protect.

"I decided that I'm going to just stay home after we graduate."

Alfred blinked. "You mean stay home and be with Whit?"

Arthur inclined his head, groaning with slight frustration. "I think I hear her crying in all my classes, I'm always worried that someone's going to take her away or hurt her when we aren't there, and my nipples fucking hurt, Alfred!"

"I… don't really know what to say about that last one."

"I thought I could get used to not being able to keep an eye on her, but I can't. It's literally impossible."

"Literally, huh?" Alfred whistled, and Arthur threw him a warning glare. "Sorry, sorry. But I thought you didn't want having kids to force you to give up your dreams? You're not a homebody, Artie. I just don't want you to do anything you'll regret further down the road."

Alfred sounded genuinely worried about the possibility, though Whitney made a quiet grunting sound before Arthur could say anything, momentarily distracting him. She was starting to squirm in his hold, rooting at his chest, and the omega could only assume that she was getting hungry enough to be fussy about it.

"I'm not giving up on anything." Arthur assured. "I still plan on finishing high school, of course. After that, I'll think about taking online classes. I just want to be available to Whitney, to any children we have, really, while they're growing up. After they're grown, I'll think of something, but right now, I can't focus on anything else."

"Arthur." Alfred lamented, and Arthur realized how potent his own distress had become. Whitney whined, almost as if in sympathy. "You know you aren't a bad parent, right?" Arthur stayed silent. "Is that what this is about? Sweetheart, we're still in high school. We've got a lot to juggle right now, but I think you're doing a kick ass job."

"I'm your mate, of course you would think that." Arthur grumbled. "The same week we went back to school, I couldn't even get Whitney to latch onto me. She was more used to my mother and the baby bottles."

Alfred huffed, hefting the strap of the diaper bag higher up his shoulder. "Okay, sure, but when she cries at night, and I go to get her, she keeps screaming her head off until you come in. Whit totally loves you. Not as much as I do, of course, but still."

"And I suppose you have a copyright on loving me?" Arthur replied, more charmed than he'd like to admit. "I'm just… discouraged. I bit off more than I can chew this school year thinking that I'd be able to balance it all. Obviously, it's not as easy as I thought it would be."

"Nothing ever is." Alfred sympathized. "But, hey, I'm behind you, whatever you decide you wanna do." The alpha took a step forward, and Arthur breathed out a sigh as Alfred cradled his face with one of his hands. Alfred had a naturally high body temperature, though Arthur had difficulty attributing it to the fact that he was an alpha. Everything about Alfred's being and personality was just invitingly warm. "Tell ya what. After my game tonight, we'll go home and relax. And over the weekend, it'll just be the three of us. We'll do whatever you want."

"Who says I want to go to your game?" Arthur snorted even as Alfred swept his thumb over the skin just below Arthur's right eye. "I'd be busy taking care of Whitney anyhow."

"Aw, come on, you have to! I play better when I know you're watching me."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "I highly doubt my presence is imperative to the quality of your performance." Glancing down at Whitney, he went on to say, "Do you want to go to Daddy's game, love?" The tiny omega whined unhappily, head propped up on Arthur's shoulder. "See, she doesn't want to go either."

"Whatever. She's doing that because she's hungry." Alfred said blandly, sliding his hand down to the back of Arthur's neck and pulling him forward, bending over slightly to place a gentle kiss to his hairline before releasing him completely. "And stop being cute, it's distracting. Please, will you come?"

"I'll go, you big baby." Arthur laughed. "We have to go home and get Whitney's coat though. It's always colder than a witch's tit down by the field at night."

Alfred snorted out a laugh. "Sure thing. I have to get my contacts anyway."

"You forgot them again? Jesus, you'd starve if I didn't remind you to eat."

"Let's not go that far. But I think it's safe to say that I'd crash and burn without you." Alfred's face took on a contemplative look, and Arthur wondered what his mate was thinking. "Man. I can't imagine what my life would be like if we hadn't met."

"I'd assume it would be unimaginably dull." Arthur said flippantly, and Alfred smiled ruefully. "I for one would still be living at home just to give my mum peace of mind. I'd probably still be a virgin, too."

"What a damn shame that would be. Bedtime with you is the highlight of my day."

Ignoring the childish sentiment behind the word "bedtime" and instead choosing to focus on the not so innocent implications behind it, Arthur kept his expression completely neutral and pretended to fuss with Whitney as he said, "I have an idea."

Alfred sighed, transferring the diaper bag onto his left arm so he could use his right to usher Arthur down the hall and toward the parking lot. Arthur went along without opposition, amused by his mate's obvious lack of enthusiasm. That would certainly change. "This could either be really good or really bad."

"Oh, come on, have a little faith in me! If you win the game tonight, I'll do whatever you want in bed tonight as congratulations."

Alfred almost tripped over his feet as he walked, and Whitney watched with fascination as he righted himself. "What happened to not talking about sex in front of the baby?"

"Hey, my mum wanted me with her at all times while she was in heat because it made her feel safe. Imagine all that I've been exposed to. I think I turned out just fine." Arthur threw Alfred a smile that he hoped was borderline devious, and Alfred's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. "Don't deny that you're interested, I can smell it on you. Wouldn't you want me to act like a perfect omega for you?"

"You're already a perfect omega." Alfred said matter-of-factly, reaching up to scratch at his own neck. "That subservient bullshit is for the birds."

Arthur hummed, running a finger across one of Whitney's ruddy cheeks. "Okay. But unless I'm in heat, I won't mindlessly open up for you."

"Oh my God."

"You're always so careful. Don't you just want to give in to your instincts for a night?"

"I don't want to scare you." Alfred muttered. "You've seen what my mom is like, and she taught me everything I know about being an alpha. It's a little much."

Arthur's lips pulled into a slight frown. "Are you telling me that you haven't let yourself go completely since we've been together? Then what the hell was that during my last heat?"

"That, sweetheart, was me holding back."

"Bloody hell." Arthur breathed, eyeing his alpha as a child would an unwrapped Christmas present. How Alfred had managed to keep his head while in the presence of a fertile omega was beyond Arthur. Francis would never believe it. "Well, that's unacceptable. If you lose the game, we're still doing this. It'll be consolation in that case."

"Well, I'm decently excited now." Alfred laughed, and Arthur noted the slight bounce in his mate's step with some satisfaction. "Even if I fuck up, I'm still getting laid."

Arthur smiled to himself, shielding Whitney's eyes from the sun as they exited the school building. Parenting was difficult, yes, but his ability to make Alfred happy was something Arthur had never doubted; and it struck him how much he wanted that, to always make his mate smile and do whatever he could to ensure that Alfred had a happy life.

Lord knows the man deserved it. After all, Arthur did know what Alfred's mum was like, and the alpha Arthur had met almost four years ago was a far cry from the sappy, joke-cracking, self-aware buffoon Alfred was today. He'd come so far. They both had.

Arthur opened the door to the backseat once they reached the car, sliding in and placing Whitney in her car seat. Her eyes were starting to droop, telling the omega that his daughter wasn't as hungry as he and Alfred had thought. Arthur buckled Whitney in carefully as Alfred opened up the opposite door and placed the diaper bag on the floor.

"Of course she would choose sleep over food." The alpha chuckled. "She's just like you."

Arthur stared at Whitney, her pink onesie that he was just now realizing had a spot of dried throw-up on the front, and then glanced back at Alfred. His eyes were trained on Whitney, soft and adoring, and the way he was half leaning into the car did not look comfortable in any way, shape, or form; and yet he lingered.

"Hey." Arthur said, and Alfred glanced up at him. "Have I told you today that I love you?"

"Well, you didn't say it outright, but I heard it when you were nagging at me this morning to hurry up or we'd be late for school." Arthur had to bite his tongue to keep from smiling. "And again when I said I had a game tonight and you told me not to concuss myself. We didn't see each other much today, otherwise you probably would've said it more."

"Just say yes like a normal person." Arthur said, voice hushed, and he leaned over Whitney's car seat to pull Alfred forward and kiss him solidly on the mouth. "No one likes a showoff."

"You do." Hands gripped at either side of Arthur's face when he tried to pull away, guiding him back to his alpha's insistent lips and tongue. Arthur had half a mind to be concerned that they were making out in front of their infant daughter, but he reasoned that Whitney was half-asleep and wouldn't know what was happening anyway. The fact remained that their positions weren't comfortable, however, and Alfred pulled away much too soon. "I love you, too, by the way. In case you were wondering."

"I wasn't." Arthur replied, climbing out of the backseat and closing the door as gently as he could behind him. He knew exactly what Alfred had been talking about. They didn't express their affections through words so much as actions and scent. In a way, they never stopped saying that they loved one another.

And Arthur was looking forward to later that night so he could say it again and again, however many times it took for Alfred to break and let Arthur take care of him, allow him to embrace the entirety of his instincts as an alpha. It was likely they would be interrupted, Whitney wanting one thing or another, and Arthur would end up staying up late or waking early, but he didn't mind. His alpha was absolutely right. Parenting did suit him, and he was as good an omega as Alfred needed.

Shamefully, Arthur ended up underestimating his own desire as an omega to nurture. Alfred and Whitney had opened his eyes to that fact, given him perspective, and Arthur honestly couldn't wait to see what else his family would teach him in the years to come.

A.N. May or may not come back to this in the future. Just gonna leave it as is for now.