Chapter Text
The bustling streets of Shibuya were always busy and crowded during the lunch hour. Overhead were talks of the upcoming elections as people went to and fro, content with their daily routines. Happy chatter filled the subways and trains, intercoms announced various destinations and stops along with announcements of possible delays.
As he approached his apartment door, the omega readjusted the grocery bags in his hands as he fumbled in his pocket to grab his keys. His bag was a comfortable weight on his back as he turned the lock to enter the small foyer he called home. He noted the silence as he set the bags aside to toe off his shoes, silence that was both comforting and concerning. Surely nothing had happened over the past four hours he'd been gone.
The omega stepped further into the apartment to see the cause of the silence. A smile grew across his face, his eyes softening with endearment. On the floor was his alpha, fast asleep next to their five month old son curled up on a small playmat. Usually, the omega would be panicked seeing the two of them on the floor, but with how peaceful and content they appeared to be, there was nothing for the omega to worry about.
He tip-toed past the two of them to set the bags on the kitchen counter, sorting out the items as quietly as possible in order to not wake them, but he made sure to peek his head into the living room to check for signs of any movement or noise.
"You took your time."
The omega perked up at the familiar voice, turning to his left to see their cat jump onto the counter next to him. He curled his tail around his paws as he took a seat. "By the way, Hikari just fell asleep. I'm surprised he didn't wake up when you opened the door."
"You underestimate how well he sleeps." The omega replied.
"He's still not sleeping through the night, though." The cat retorted.
"I'm aware," The omega dug into another bag and pulled out a small can. "I made sure to buy your favorite."
The cat meowed happily and greedily pawed at the can before it was handed to him. "I knew you were good for something, Detective Prince."
"Former Detective Prince," The omega corrected with a chuckle. "I've given up that title, remember?"
"Still, they allowed you back into the SIU, didn't they?" The cat waved his tail as he spoke.
"I was only allowed back because they needed me to help them tie up loose ends with Shido."
"If they just needed you for that, you'd be back in jail right now."
The omega narrowed his gaze as he opened the fridge, placing the last of the groceries inside before closing the door and cleaning off the counter. He lifted his head to glance at the schedule on the wall. He then turned on his heel and stepped back into the living room, making sure to avoid the few toys and blocks that littered the floor —they needed to do a better job of cleaning that up.
The omega bent down to pick up his son from the floor just as he began to squirm. He was quick to shush the baby as best he could as he sat on the couch. The cat followed suit and jumped onto the cushion next to him. "You know, you still have some milk stored in the fridge."
"I might as well nurse him myself because I'm here." Besides, he believed it better to relieve the pressure building in his chest than let it continue.
The light cry from the baby caused the alpha on the floor to stir awake. He rubbed one of his eyes with a groan and slowly sat up on his elbows. "Goro. . .?"
"Good afternoon, Akira." Goro unclasped the nursing bra with ease and brought the whining baby to his chest to feed.
"When did you get back?"
"Just now," The cat replied with a stretch. "I was just about to tell Akechi you dropped his favorite pacifier earlier."
"Oh really."
"Hey, I washed it the second I dropped it," Akira said in an attempt to defend himself. "He didn't cry about it."
"He almost did."
Akira rolled his eyes and got off of the floor to join Goro on the couch, plopping next to him and wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "Everything okay? The director didn't give you trouble?"
"Not at all," Goro shook his head. "They seemed to have warmed up to me over the last few years. Not that I blame them for being wary in the first place."
"I'd call that a good thing. That means they trust you now." Akira smiled at him warmly.
The SIU was currently under new management, and Goro's first year back on the force tested his patience immensely. None of the detectives or police were willing to cooperate with him even if his information was proven true and was helpful to the case. It took them longer than Goro wanted for them to cease bringing up his connections to Shido. The whispers eventually shifted to his marriage with the former leader of the Phantom Thieves, and even that took longer to settle.
"By the way, Maruki called while you were gone. He wanted to know if you wanted to grab lunch on Sunday."
Goro immediately shot him a glare. Akira raised his hands in defense. "I know. He's not my favorite person, either. I told him it's up to you."
Goro huffed his breath and leaned back in the couch, lazily stroking Hikari's cheek with his thumb. "I'll attempt to be civil for yours and Hikari's sake. Don't expect me to be overtly friendly."
"Wasn't thinking about it."
Akira helped him fasten the bra and pull down his shirt once the baby was fed and was resting comfortably in the crook of Goro's arm, cooing with a tiny fist clutched onto the front of his onesie and blinking with the deep red eyes he inherited from his mother. Goro never realized exactly how strong his mother's genes were until he saw how identical Hikari looked to him; his only resemblance to Akira were the shape of his eyes and the black curls that adorned his head.
"I can come with you if you want." Morgana meowed.
"I think we'll be good," Akira replied. "We'll let you have a Sunday to yourself for once."
Morgana held a smug look on his face and huffed his breath with pride. He hopped off of the couch and stepped towards one of the toy blocks on the floor. "I'll help you clean up before you make lunch."
"Look at you, being our little helper."
"And you're still sitting here." Goro pointed out.
"Cut me some slack. I haven't seen you in five hours," Akira pressed a soft kiss in the crook of his neck with a rumble, his hand sliding down to squeeze Goro's waist. "I've missed you."
"Needy alpha." Goro rolled his eyes, but he turned his head to the side so he could kiss Akira properly. Akira's other hand held his cheek to keep him in place, deepening the kiss with ease.
"Hey! Not in front of Hikari!" Morgana yowled from the floor with his shoulders hunched back.
Akira pouted at the cat and puffed out one of his cheeks, but Goro sighed and readjusted his arms while Hikari giggled and clapped his hands at Morgana.
Despite the words, Akira kept a tight hold on Goro's waist, a hold that brought comfort and reassurance to his omega. Goro leaned into the touch with ease.
Goro thought back to when he awoke in a hospital bed in early March, when he barely had time to process that he was very much alive along with the noticeable emptiness that nestled itself in his womb. He remembered laughing to himself, a feeling of vindication bubbling inside of his chest along with a sorrow that brought tears to his eyes. He remembered being taken to a cell shortly after he was discharged, a period that only lasted less than a year before the new SIU director made a deal with him.
Goro hadn't contacted Akira immediately once he was released, not until he was fully settled into his new position and especially not until he had fully dealt with anything regarding Shido and his connections. Akira, who had already moved back to Tokyo once he finished high school, was more than overjoyed and almost burst into tears in the middle of Shibuya. At the time, it had been two years since they defeated Maruki.
A year later, they were married. That next year, Goro felt he was ready despite his worries from that fateful day in the engine room. And then Hikari was born in the early hours one February morning.
Even after five years, he still hadn't gotten used to feeling at peace. There was always a catch, a drawback, a transaction that he always had to deal with to feel even a moment of rest. But there was nothing of the sort, not anymore. Happiness was a foreign concept to him. For the first time in his life, he was allowing himself to want something.