Perfect Omega Chapter 9.4 - The Perfect Omega

Honestly, since it was for their first child, Nick had not even considered calculations about it being expensive or wasteful. However, if judged purely by price, this exorbitant stroller should at least come equipped with bulletproofing and submarine capabilities to justify itself. Yet, they sold this so-called stroller that could not even be used properly in rain or cold weather?

What in the world had been going on?

It seemed Nick had turned his back on civilization for too long. A sense of being deceived mixed with the self-loathing of feeling like a fool came rushing in simultaneously.

Anger flared up, thinking Hugh should have warned him if he had been through this himself, but they too were probably just naive parents, caught up in the joy of their first child and fleeced, just as Nick had been.

Acknowledging his own mistake for not researching properly, Nick lined up the disassembled pieces in the entrance hall. He pictured the intact stroller he had seen in photos.

They said to assemble it, so he would.

Even if he was called a barbarian, Nick was at least a barbarian who knew how to use tools. Advanced weaponry, no less.

Nick quickly sorted bolts and nuts. He fitted the wheels, moving his hands to match the stroller’s shape in his memory. From his days as a PMC contractor to founding his own company and running it profitably, through those rough and long years, there was not a machine he had not handled. He could disassemble a rifle down to the bolt and have it ready to fire in under ten seconds.

So why was this wheeled seat not taking shape? Something was wrong.

Not with Nick, but with this stroller. Reaching that conclusion quickly, Nick threw the toy-like tool from the box onto the floor and stood up.

It was definitely a defective product. He grabbed his phone to demand a pickup and a replacement with a proper item. As he navigated to the order site, an incoming call interrupted him.

—Boss, how is the assembly going? Not easy, huh?

Since Nick had stepped back from work lately, his staff must have gotten idle too.

“I have not finished. It is defective.”

—No way. That cannot be right.

“It should not be, but it happened. Hang up. I need to request a return.”

—Wait, hold on, boss. Frank has something to say. That is why we called. Honestly, Frank assembled ours too. He struggled for a while.

—Boss, it is not defective.

It sounded like Frank had snatched the phone, cutting Hugh off.

—It took me three hours, actually.

Three hours?

Nick’s brow furrowed sharply.

If assembling a daily-use item took three hours, it was poorly designed, no question.

—They say raising kids is hard.

Since they were on speakerphone, Hugh chimed in again.

When Hugh and Frank had said that, Nick thought they meant literally raising a human was tough. He had not realized then that it meant the frustration of being ripped off by unfair capitalism and failing to get a decent product.

The urge to crush the plastic pieces cluttering the spacious entrance hall surged and then subsided just as quickly. Someone was calming the barbarian within Nick.

“Owen.”

With a wry smile at his foolish feeling, Nick turned around.

Owen stood at the doorway, hesitating to step inside. The entrance hall floor was indeed a mess.

“Is something wrong?”

Careful not to disturb the scattered vinyl and parts, Owen cautiously stepped forward.

Nick had heard people call a D-line beautiful, but he had not known it felt like this.

How could his Owen be so elegant and dignified even when saying such a simple sentence?

“No. Nothing. The stroller arrived, and I was assembling it.”

Nick reached out to clear a path for Owen to step through. Owen came right to his side.

“Hmm.”

Releasing a rich scent, Owen responded only with that. He quietly accepted the cheek kiss Nick offered.

—Hello, Chairman Rose.

It seemed a group of idle staff was gathered, as even Cooper’s voice came through.

“Hello, Cooper.”

—We are here too.

“When are you all coming? I invited you, did I not? I am just waiting for you to make time.”

—Yes, we want to come, but the boss is blocking us.

“Come later.”

Owen had mentioned inviting the team formally several times, but Nick had intercepted it. They would probably pester to see the baby later anyway, so it was better to deal with it once.

—See? I told you.

Nick blocked out the complaints from the phone and turned to Owen.

“Rest for a bit, and dinner will be ready when you come down.”

Though he would need to clean up this mess first.

“It feels like we are just getting started, does it not?”

Looking at the floor, Owen seemed to have the same thought.

“No. I was about to return it since it seems like the wrong item.”

“Did you check the manual?”

—Alphas do not read manuals.

Hugh jumped in before Nick could answer.

—Exactly, you start with the car manual.

Simon joined in too.

—You read car manuals?

—Modern cars are complicated; you have to check once.

“….”

The team, whom Nick considered like brothers, had just betrayed him in front of his eyes. They were making all alphas sound like idiots. He wanted to fire back, but the team, seemingly forgetting they were on a call, started bantering among themselves. Nick lowered the speaker volume and turned to Owen.

“Just in case you misunderstand, I did read the manual.”

He had only skimmed the pictures and tossed it aside, but that was because he thought a stroller was simple, not because he saw reading manuals as weak. Whether Owen understood or not, he only raised an eyebrow elegantly instead of answering.

“Even if you do not believe me right now, those idiots are valuable assets to my company, each with their own expertise.”

“Of course, I know. No misunderstanding, Nick. They come to you.”

It felt like a polite response, but before Nick could press further, Owen pointed to the phone with his eyes.

—Hello? It did not disconnect. Boss, where did you go?

Amid noisy background chatter, Frank was looking for him.

“Speak.”

—Switch to video. I will pass on the know-how I gained from a brutal three-hour battle in fifteen minutes. To start, it does feel like something is poorly made. It was tough.

As Nick followed Frank’s instructions step-by-step, the rest of the team started chatting with Owen.

Soon, only Frank remained on Nick’s phone, while the others had moved to Owen’s for a multi-way video call.

—Who do you hope the baby takes after?

—Why even ask? Obviously Chairman Rose.

“Actually, I am hoping for the opposite.”

—What?

—Why would you want that, Chairman Rose?

—Well, the boss is not bad-looking either, so I think it is fine.

Only Simon agreed with Owen’s view.

“More than that, I hope our child inherits Nick’s personality.”

“….”

“….”

“….”

Even Simon fell silent. In the quiet, Nick’s hands, tightening a screw, stopped.

—The boss’s personality?

Cooper bravely broke the silence.

“Yes, Nick. Even facing the same situation, Nick takes it positively, in a constructive way. I tend to think seriously and gravely. In the end, Nick’s personality seems better. It feels like it will help more in navigating the world.”

“….”

Nick knew exactly the story hidden in those words.

Owen had said something similar before.

Both were different from others, arguably abnormal to an extent. Yet, in Owen’s eyes, Nick naturally accepted and acknowledged himself. In contrast, Owen, after one incident, had turned inward, denying himself.

Thanks to Nick, Owen had reflected on his past and now felt at ease, he had said. He was grateful for Nick saying they were not wrong, and he envied Nick’s personality. That night, lying side by side, it had felt like a confession.

—A simple personality?

A voice rudely shattered Nick’s reverie.

“Yes, that is part of it.”

Hearing Owen’s smiling response, Nick carefully lowered the stroller’s canopy.

—Ta-da! Done, right? Oh, and boss, do not even think about folding it.

Having just finished assembling, Nick had not considered other scenarios.

—You see those videos where a woman holding a baby folds and unfolds it effortlessly? The ads say it is lightweight, easy to fold and unfold. But no way. I put some force into it because the clasp felt stiff, and it snapped. I ended up buying this stroller twice. I am warning you so you do not make the same mistake.

“….”

—Boss? Why so quiet? Are you listening?

“I did not know becoming a parent was synonymous with becoming an idiot.”

—More precisely, a sucker. You know it and still fall for it, what can you do?

Frank chuckled in response.

—Anyway, your place is big. Do not bother folding it; just keep it open.

“I will do that. How is parenting?”

—It is killing me.

“Want another year of paid leave?”

—No!

Frank rejected it urgently.

“It is paid.”

Just in case it was about money.

—No. We have plenty of money. We made a lot, remember?

True, they had worked together since their contract mercenary days. They had saved enough to consider retiring before having a kid.

—If you want to help, just let me keep working steadily.

—What, did you guys take out a mortgage or something? Why so money-obsessed?

Amid their chatter, Cooper jumped into the conversation.

—Not money-obsessed. I would pay to go if I could.

—Where?

—Anywhere. Far from home.

—More like far from parenting.

Hugh joined in too.

—What is with you guys? Becoming parents and wanting to run from your own kid?

—Cooper, get married. Have a kid. Then you will get it. Kids are adorable. So, so adorable. But sometimes, you get this urge, this thing that just rises up.

—Too often.

Hugh and Frank continued, dropping shocking statements.

—In those moments, you need to shoot a gun or something. Do not give me those looks. It is like going shopping to relieve stress, relaxing at a spa, or hitting the gym for positive energy. Stop staring! To return to loving my kid, I need to go blow up a bomb somewhere. You guys have not walked the parenting path yet!

—Psychopath, much?

Cooper stubbornly voiced his opinion.

—Well, reserve judgment until you have raised a kid. I heard the “why” hellgate opens soon. You know I hate explaining things twice.

Frank loathed repeating himself, which always caused friction during rookie training.

—I cannot make my kid a mute idiot either. Thinking about answering every question is horrifying. They will make me repeat myself.

While Frank sighed repeatedly, Hugh stayed silent.

—Do you not love them?

Simon, who had been listening, asked.

—I do. I love them so much. Just sometimes, they are so lovable you want to kill them.

—Am I the only one not getting this?

—It is just a thing.

That was enough. Nick snatched the phone Owen was holding. Owen looked at him.

“It is just one couple’s opinion, Owen.”

Nick’s voice was stiff with tension.

“I know.”

“I will not scheme to run away from you and our child.”

Well, you will see when you get there, came a voice from the lowered-volume phone.

Frank, that lunatic, must have had a day drink. Watching Nick’s expression grow serious, Owen took the phone back from Nick’s hand and turned up the volume.

“Thanks, everyone. Really. Come over anytime. We have plenty of rooms.”

—We know. Chairman Rose has plenty of houses too.

“True.”

The lively farewells continued for a while, excluding Nick. The team did not call for him, and Nick’s attention had already shifted. These were people he would talk to the moment work came up anyway.

While Owen wrapped up the call, Nick stepped aside to inspect the completed stroller.

“What is wrong, Nick?”

“I was planning to pass it down to our kids for generations, but if it is that fragile, no way.”

Recalling Frank’s warning not to fold it, Nick examined the stroller for weak points. Owen, standing beside him, gave a puzzled smile.

“What is that about?”

“I doubt something that fragile would have easily gotten sales approval, even if it is weak by your standards. Bulletproofing aside.”

“Fair point.”

Nick let go of his focus on the stroller. If it broke, he would just buy another without Owen knowing.

“Are you not hungry?”

“Not hungry, but a cup of tea sounds nice.”

Ignoring the cluttered floor from the assembly, Owen headed to the kitchen first.

“Why not sit somewhere comfortable? I could bring it to you.”

The kitchen chairs were all upright. There were cushioned ones, but no reclining sofas. Yet Owen, leaning his weight into Nick’s supportive hand, only smiled quietly.

“If you sit for a bit, I will bring the tea soon.”

“…!”

Owen’s slow descent into the chair Nick had pulled out halted. He let out a short gasp. The smile on his face froze instantly.

Nick froze too.

“That little…!”

Whether unable to finish what was surely a curse, Owen’s chest heaved with excitement.

Owen was the first to regain composure and sit down.

“It is fine. Just a kick.”

It was strong enough to worry about cracked ribs, but Owen said he was fine.

“….”

Nick’s face was still pale, frozen.

Owen was sensitive to fetal movements. Honestly, the kicks had gotten stronger lately, beyond mere movements. Once, it even felt like a foot had caught his ribs, and it had hurt and scared him.

It was good Nick had been there then, but ever since, Nick completely froze whenever Owen was startled. Like now.

Pfft.

Owen’s laugh made frozen Nick shift only his eyes to look at him. His neck still seemed stiff, unable to turn. That was why Owen laughed. Stiffly frozen Nick did not seem to have Owen’s level of calm yet.

“Nick, you really are like King Kong.”

“A gorilla. Are you really okay?”

Nick had once explained that King Kong was a fictional creature inspired by gorillas.

“Yes, I am fine.”

“I told that kid to stay still, but they are not listening.”

“Well, not quite. They listen to you. Look, they have calmed down.”

Every morning in the car, with the partition up so the driver could not hear, Owen would hold his belly and plead. Be good at the office. Please. He would say it out loud despite his embarrassment, but it did not seem to work.

He could not prove it, but he felt increasingly that the baby responded more to Nick’s voice.

“They know it is in their best interest.”

Owen laughed again, as Nick’s narrowed eyes seemed to say, “Just you wait.”

“I read that gorillas have strong paternal instincts.”

“Yes, I have seen that too. But I will train them strictly.”

“Discipline, you mean?”

Carefully, Owen corrected the word. Nick pretended not to hear.

“While you are doing your work, I will take good care of our children. I wish they would fall into my hands even a day sooner.”

Suddenly, Nick showed enthusiasm.

“Even if a kid with such ferocious kicks comes along, there is no need to worry. Training wild ones is a field I am particularly good at. Do not worry at all, Owen.”

“That training and this training or parenting do not seem like the same thing. But alright, I will trust you. Oh!”

“Is it happening again?”

At the small sound, Nick tensed up again.

“No, it is because I am happy.”

“…?”

“Nick, what you just did, that thing.”

Nick’s brow furrowed slightly, drawing together. He seemed to be pondering what he had just done.

“That pheromone-like thing you just released. I have wanted to ask before, how do you do it?”

Owen had first felt it in the police station’s interrogation room. It was not sexually charged at all, but rather a cozy feeling, like being wrapped in a blanket.

“I do not know what you are talking about. I did not do anything.”

Nick even held out both palms, as if to prove his innocence.

“….”

“….”

For a while, the two just stared at each other with wide, unblinking eyes.

But Owen was not mistaken. It had happened too many times to be a mistake.

It was a feeling he only got when Nick was around.

“….”

“….”

Thinking it over again, the culprit was definitely Nick.

“Then, what were you thinking about just now?”

Owen organized his thoughts and asked as simply as possible. Nick, perhaps focused on thinking, moved more slowly than usual as he put the kettle on.

“I think I was thinking about my Owen.”

Placing down a teacup hand-painted with a floral pattern, Nick answered.

“….”

“Is that what you meant to ask?”

When Owen just looked up silently, Nick, unsure of himself, double-checked the intent of the question. Owen swallowed dryly, processing the meaning of what he had just heard.

“Then, on the first day we met at the police station? What were you thinking about me then?”

Even Nick could not have called him by his name like that back then. They were not acquainted. In fact, it seemed they had only properly introduced themselves after giving their statements as a witness and a victim, respectively.

Owen felt he needed to hear this answer to sort out his thoughts, but instead of replying immediately, Nick gave a peculiar smile. His expression seemed partly mischievous and partly awkward.

“My omega.”

“What?”

“I was stealing glances, thinking about my omega.”

Clink. The cheerful sound of the kettle signaling the water had boiled punctuated the moment like a period.

Nick turned around and poured the boiling water into his teapot. The steeped teapot moved through the air, filling the cups in front of them. Setting down the teapot, Nick took a seat across from Owen.

“Alright.”

Owen fumbled for the teacup in front of him. To avoid creating an awkward atmosphere by shedding tears, he fixed his gaze solely on the steaming teacup. Nick had only thought hard and answered honestly as asked, but somehow his straightforward manner always stirred a strange sense of emotion.

“Oh, by the way, did I mention that the fetal genetic test results all came back normal?”

His hand naturally rested on his belly.

The environment at the time of conception had not seemed entirely ideal, so Owen had been quietly anxious. The test, conducted once the timing was right, showed that the genetic sequence was all perfectly beautiful.

“No. I am hearing it now.”

“If I say I hope our child is ordinary, would that upset you?”

“….”

Worried by the silence, Owen lifted his gaze from the teacup. Nick met his eyes warmly, as if he had been waiting for Owen to look at him. Thankfully, there was no sign of displeasure.

“It is true that you and I have some special qualities. I acknowledge that. But Owen, think back to our test results. In all three billion base pairs, not a single letter was out of place. We are not monsters. We do not have genetic diseases that need treatment.”

“….”

“Why not reframe it as having a bit more potential than others? Then you would not need to worry about whether our child will be ordinary or special. Everyone’s potential is different to begin with, is it not?”

“What was my potential, then? The ability to attack alphas who threaten me?”

“This is something I have been thinking about recently, Owen.”

As if an amusing thought had struck him, Nick’s expression turned mischievous. Whatever else, he was definitely far more positive and energetic than Owen.

“What now?”

Nick’s playfulness instantly lifted Owen’s mood a notch. Curious about what Nick, who tirelessly worked to ease Owen’s long-held anxieties, would say this time, Owen felt a bit of anticipation.

“I think you are something like a fast-charging battery.”

“…?”

“Just having you near makes me feel like I have superpowers. I have actually used strength beyond my usual abilities.”

He was referring to how they dealt with Locke. They had tacitly agreed to keep that incident quiet.

“But the compatibility is poor. I am not saying you are picky. Rather, because your performance is so exceptional, if lesser alphas try to approach, they will not just fail to charge but explode.”

“Performance?”

Owen questioned, doubting his ears that this absurd statement was meant to describe himself, Nick’s omega of a lifetime, but Nick was engrossed in his own theory.

“The only alpha in the world who can handle your explosive energy is me. Is that not amazing, Owen? Saying it out loud makes me even more certain.”

Nick’s gaze now grew dreamy and distant.

“You are truly perfect for me. Absolutely perfect.”

“A battery?”

Nick’s dreamy eyes snapped back into focus. As always, Nick’s instincts were animalistically sharp.

“First late pregnancy, now a battery. With your romantic expressions deepening day by day, I am truly overwhelmed by how to receive them, Nick.”

Owen raised a hand, pretending to clutch his chest. Leaning back as far as the chair allowed, he observed Nick’s tense expression. He also lifted the teacup, now suitably cooled.

“Omega.”

The hand about to let a sip slide into his mouth stopped at that single word.

“I meant to say you are my perfect omega.”

Owen tilted the paused cup again, taking a sip of tea. It tasted exquisitely sweet and romantic.

“That is a bit romantic.”

Liking the tea’s flavor, Owen smiled brightly.

“….”

Perhaps feeling wronged that his sincerity had been twisted, Nick’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Nick, can you dwell on that thought a bit more?”

“Which thought?”

Sighing as if giving up, Nick lifted his teacup too.

“Call me my Owen again. It feels a bit chilly.”

“As many times as you like.”

Nick responded instantly. Warmth enveloped Owen’s back, warming it gently.