Chapter Text
Jungwon was furious and ready to rage because someone had gained access to information about Riki's pregnancy. But that wasn't all. Someone had leaked photos of him and Riki at the clinic months ago. He had to take several deep breaths to contain the beast inside and not do anything dangerous. And when he heard that Riki—his Riki—had fainted at the news from his other hyungs, his rage erupted again like a dormant volcano. He immediately rushed to the practice room and, when he burst inside, startled Heeseung and Jake. His beloved was lying near his hyungs and calmly resting. They assured him that Riki was fine and doctor gave him some sedative to calm him down and the worst was over, but they needed to see a doctor to check on their baby.
"How's Riki? How's my baby?" Jungwon asks breathlessly, his eyes blazing with rage. He's ready to tear anyone apart.
"Jungwon," Heeseung addresses him. "Everything's fine. Riki's safe. Take a deep breath in and out, okay?” The alpha takes his hands, and they breathe together.
Gradually, Jungwon calms down and comes to his senses. He needs to be strong for Riki and not let his emotions control him and dictate his actions. The noise wakes the omega and at first, he's unsure where he is, but feeling the alpha's presence, he calms down and a small smile touches his lips at the sight of Jungwon.
"Darling..." Jungwon whispers.
"Hyung," Riki takes a deep breath. "They know everything, but I don't understand how..."
"Shh," Jungwon crouches next to him and hugs him, pressing him to his chest. "We'll find out who did it and how. The company is already aware of what's going on and will prepare an update after the meeting..."
"I ruined everything," the omega mumbles, but his voice is muffled by Jungwon's T-shirt.
"Not at all. Don't you dare say that, Riki," Jungwon pulls away and looks the omega in the eyes. "We're both to blame for what happened, but that doesn't mean anyone has the right to pry into our personal lives."
"Jungwon's right, Ki," Heeseung nods, clenching his fists. "I hope they find that person and they face the law for spreading information about your personal life..."
"I hope so too, hyung. But I'm scared to know what the fans will say. How will other people react to the news? I so badly wanted to keep it a secret for as long as I can," The omega's lower lip trembles as he continues to sob, and Jungwon comforts him, wiping tears from his rosy cheeks.
"I don't know, Ki..." the elder sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "But I wouldn't want you to read any news today. You and Jungwon should go to the clinic. The paramedic said you should check the baby's condition and that this kind of stress is bad for you and can be harmful for the baby.”
"Of course," Riki nods, agreeing and terribly worried about his child. He never wanted for something like this to happen and now he is stressing over the fact that he could have damage their unborn child. He was simply the worst.
"Everything will be fine, Riki," Jungwon says with a sad smile, kissing his forehead. But he has Jungwon by his side and his reassurance and warmth calms Riki down a bit.
They leave the company buildings, accompanied by a manager and a driver who takes them to the nearest hospital. The doctor checks on the omega, and a weight is lifted from their shoulders when they hear that the baby's health is in no danger. However, Riki shouldn't subject himself to such intense stress and avoid reading news that could shock him. The couple returns to the dorm in high spirits, but the tension is still palpable. No one knows how fans and the public will react to the secret they've kept from everyone for so long. Jungwon only hopes the fans won't slander them. Especially Riki because he is an omega.
"Wonie-hyung," Riki addresses him, stopping in front of the front door. Jungwon raises an eyebrow questioningly and looks at him. "I want some time alone… Today's events have left me shaken, and I need time to be alone with myself and my thoughts."
"Of course," though the alpha finds it painful to hear the omega's words, he understands and readily agrees, escorting Riki inside before heading back to his apartment with a heavy heart.
Noting his distant look as he enters the apartment, Jay sits down next to him on the couch and gently touches his shoulder.
"Wonie?" the alpha calls quietly.
"Mm?" is the only thing Jungwon says.
"You don't look well. Tell me what happened? What did the doctor say?" Jay doesn't insist, but rather gently asks him to open up and stop holding everything in, and Jungwon opens up like a river blocked by rocks.
He shares his own fears and worries. He explains that he has no idea how hard Riki is going through right now, that fans will surely blame him for everything and speculate. Jungwon doesn't want the omega to be bombarded with hateful comments and unflattering words. Jay consoles him, insisting that, unfortunately, they can't change anything and that the whole situation angers him terribly. He'd like to somehow help ease his maknaes' heavy burden, but he can only be there and serve as their support, a beacon amid dark clouds and threatening waves. The leader seems to feel a little better after their conversation, and he even smiles sadly at his hyung's jokes.
"Jungwonie, we're always here to support you and Riki," Jay puts an arm around him and pats his shoulder.
"Thank you, hyung," the leader thanks him. "I'll go to my room. I want some privacy." Jay nods, letting him go, but inside, he's still worried, just like the others. At least the baby is not in danger.
Jungwon doesn't know why he decided to check what fans were saying about Riki's latest pregnancy news. Perhaps it was boredom, or perhaps curiosity. But he's already regretted checking Twitter a hundred times over. The headlines were full of stories about the pregnancy of Enhypen’s maknae, and the comments were mostly speculating about who the baby's father was. But there were also those who condemned Riki and called him horrible names, the very sound of which made the leader's blood boil with the urge to punch them. No one really had any say or judgment against Riki. What happened was both their fault, not Riki's "seduction," as they say. Why did they even think the omega was to blame for his pregnancy? That the alpha never took an omega by force? Double standards at their finest. Jungwon snorts and stops reading the comments, which were irritating him to no end.
Instead, he wants to see what the engene are saying. And as soon as he logs into his fake account, almost every post is an investigation into who the father of the omega's child is. "This is interesting," flashes through Jungwon's mind, and he reads the thread with his usual curiosity. But the smile vanishes as soon as he starts reading, "Why do I think Heeseung is the father of Riki's baby?" Heeseung? Are they serious? His inner alpha snorts in displeasure, and Jungwon can't believe his eyes.
"Remember 'Eat Sleep EN Dive'? Ni-ki was always following Heeseung around! And they also slept in the same bed, so everything points to Heeseung being the baby's father!" The post also includes a ton of photos confirming the engene’s theory. The comments agree, adding fuel to the fire.
"Yeah! I think so too, an omega needs an alpha by his side!" or this one – "Did you see how Heeseung looked at Riki? Yeah, I was saying the same thing."
"Heeseung-hyung? Seriously?" Jungwon grumbles, rolling his eyes and getting annoyed at the fans' stupid theory.
The next potential father was Sunghoon. Why? Because during one of their performances, he kept an eye on Riki and helped him avoid falling on the slippery stage. Jungwon remembers that performance well, and the terrible weather conditions. In the freezing rain. Of course, everyone was worried about the maknae, who was only three months pregnant at the time. Sunghoon, his dance partner, tried his best to prevent the younger boy from slipping. The doctor strictly forbade Riki from overexerting himself, much less falling. Jay wasn't forgotten either, recalling how, in one episode of "En’oclock," he fed the maknae and cooked his favorite dishes as part of the project "Uncle Jay's Restaurant."
Someone even claimed that Jake, who carefully guarded the maknae's sleep in "Eat Sleep EN Dive," was the father. But they were quickly reminded that Jake is an omega. Jungwon heartily laughed at the fan's overlooked detail.
However, scrolling down a bit further in the feed reveals that people in the comments are debating Sunoo being the baby's father. "Guys, remember the last episode of "Enoclock"? Sunki was so sweet the whole episode, and Sunoo never left Riki's side, worried about him, and constantly helped him. Riki didn't even tease him! Look at how he looked at Riki!! I'm squealing at how cute they are. I'm sure Sunoo is his father! He looks at the maknae with such admiration and care!"
"What the?!!" The alpha's mouth drops open in shock, unsure how to react to the photos of Sunoo actually looking at Riki with love and adoration. Of course, not in a romantic way, but fans don't know such details.
But what really pisses Jungwon off is the post about his father being in another group. Shotaro from Riize. The alpha's eye twitches, and his lips purse in irritation. Okay, members of his own group, but this? This is beyond the pale. The article even included photos of Riki outside Shotaro's house, where they were chatting pleasantly about something, and the next one showed them hugging goodbye as a taxi pulled up to take the omega home. Once again how do they find these photos and why the fans invade his omega’s privacy. Alpha was incredibly angry because of that and the fact that he, and he alone, was the father of the child Riki was carrying.
Why wasn't there a single article about him—Jungwon—being the child's father? Everyone had collectively forgotten about him and assumed any other member was the father. Is it because he was the second youngest? Alpha became furious and threw his phone on the bed, crossing his arms over his chest and frowning. His chocolate scent took on a bitter note of irritation and frustration. He knew one thing only his omega could calm him down at this point. He needed his sweet strawberry with milk scent and drown in it so he can forget about all this nonsense.
Jungwon, angry and upset, headed from his room to Riki's. He left the dorm he shared with Sunoo and Jake, amidst their surprised glances, and took the elevator down to Riki's apartment. He slips inside unnoticed and finds himself at the maknae's room, where the sweet aroma of creamy strawberries wafts and music drifts. When he steps inside, the orange lights are dimmed, and Riki is lying on the bed, surrounded by the other members' clothes. One hand rest on his still-flat stomach, hidden under Jungwon's hoodie, and the other is tucked under his head. The omega doesn't open his eyes, but he senses his alpha's presence and the scent of dark chocolate.
"Riki," Jungwon calls, and the omega hums in response, still keeping his eyes closed. "Can I lie down next to you?" Riki nods, and Jungwon carefully settles down next to him on the bed.
The mixed scent of the other members' pheromones assaults his nose, but his inner alpha wants to smell Riki and their child, and mark him with his own scent. He presses his nose to Riki's scent gland and greedily inhales his strawberry scent. Slowly, the storm of emotions inside him calms, but not enough for him to completely relax and forget everything he's read.
"What happened, hyung?" Riki asks quietly, realizing the alpha is clearly upset about something, judging by his strange behavior and the way he sniffs him. But the alpha doesn't answer his question, only snorting in irritation and pressing closer to him.
Riki decides not to insist and moves his free hand to the elder's hair, gently stroking it and stroking his head. Jungwon purrs contentedly and relaxes with each touch and inhalation of the omega's scent. The omega doesn't find it surprising that the leader is upset or a little broken under the pressure of stress and responsibilities. Perhaps neither of them was ready to become parents so soon. Riki is only twenty, and Jungwon is twenty-one. They are young, and their careers are in full swing and at their peak. Of course, the omega feels sad at the thought of ruining everything for himself and Jungwon. They worked so hard for this, and at the most inopportune moment, their heat occurred, and one thing led to another. But nothing can be fixed, and time cannot be turned back. All that remains is to accept and come in terms with the situation.
The younger one continues to massage the alpha's head, stroking and combing through strands of dark hair with his long fingers. They slide like sand through his fingers, only much softer to the touch. Jungwon's scent dances in the air, taking on a sweet chocolate hue and mingling with Riki's strawberry scent, creating the aroma of the alpha's favorite dessert—chocolate-covered strawberries. The thought makes the younger boy smile and releases a bit of his scent, enveloping the alpha and lulling him next to him.
He feels Jungwon's shoulders relax and a contented sigh escape his lips. He snuggles closer to Riki, and his warm, large hand slips under his hoodie, stroking the omega's belly. It's still flat, but he feels a hardening beneath his fingers—their child, growing inside Riki. The thought sends shivers down his spine, and warmth spreads in his chest. He can feel the younger's abs under his fingertips, and he gently strokes the soft skin, greedily inhaling the scent of strawberries. Jungwon is happy to be near Riki, happy to be the father of his child.
The omega places his hand over his, and it rests on the younger's stomach, remaining motionless.
"Wonie, what happened?" Riki asks again, sensing Jungwon's relaxation.
"I'm your child's father," Jungwon mutters, the sound slightly muffled by Riki's hoodie.
"Yes, I know you're the father," Riki nods, but is perplexed by the leader's reaction.
"No, you don't understand!" the alpha grumbles, slightly irritated, not at Riki, but at the speculating fans. "They think Shotaro or one of the other members is your child's father!" The omega openly laughs at his words, tears streaming down his face from laughing so hard.
"How silly of them!" Riki laughs, rolling his eyes.
"Yeah, but they even have photos somewhere of you spending time together, and you getting into a taxi, and him walking you home!" Jealousy wells up inside Jungwon as he recalls the infamous photos again.
"When will the sasaengs leave us alone... haven't they done enough harm to us?" the younger asks rhetorically, and his smile fades.
"We'll definitely find whoever leaked your pregnancy information online," Jungwon says confidently and firmly, stroking the omega's belly. Riki chuckles in response, but doesn't share his alpha's confidence. "Manager Yuki told me there's a meeting tomorrow that you and I will be attending to discuss the pregnancy rumors circulating."
"I'm a little nervous... how will the fans react to the truth once its confirmed? What if they turn their backs on us?" the omega muses out loud.
"Then they're not real fans. Of course, I'm very upset and angry about what happened, because we were doing so well..."
"But is there something else that made you so upset?" the younger asks with a grin, and Jungwon snorts loudly.
"You're right. Can you imagine, our fans conducted an entire investigation to find out who the baby's father is, and my name didn't even come up! Not once!" The alpha growls, but Riki only smirks in response.
"Does it matter what theories fans come up with? I find their assumptions more amusing than annoying. But it makes me happy they reacted rather calmly and not as badly as I assumed," Riki turns and meets the alpha's gaze, whose lips are pouted and his brows are furrowed. "Hyung, you look like an adorable, irritated kitten," the omega smiles, and Jungwon pouts even more, but decides to tickle the younger boy as a revenge for teasing him like that.
"Really?" He smiles slyly and lightly tickles Riki's sides, knowing he's ticklish. The omega begs for mercy, but the alpha laughs loudly and teases him a little more before stopping. He gently kisses Riki's forehead, then his lips. The omega responds to the kiss, full of love and care, and then Jungwon pulls away, lying down next to him and covering them with the blanket. Riki turns off the music, but leaves the orange light dim and bids his alpha goodnight.
Jungwon falls asleep with a feeling of joy and peace. The omega cares for him, and he appreciates it.
The next day, they go to the company building and discuss the news. The company decides that hiding it is pointless and the right thing to do is announce the omega's pregnancy. Riki agrees, but the company decides not to reveal the father, despite Jungwon's insistence that hiding it is wrong. A few hours after the meeting, the official news comes out confirming Riki's pregnancy, and fans go wild. Some blame the omega, calling him unflattering names. Others speculate about the potential father and how the company failed to keep an eye on Riki and prevent the pregnancy. But among all of them, the majority support the maknae and express their love for him.
While Riki was resting after practice, Jungwon decided to do a live broadcast and talk to fans, who would naturally ask questions. As soon as people flocked to the broadcast, millions of questions rained down on the leader, but he professionally ignored them or answered only what was appropriate given their situation. Many fans expressed concern that the company had once again failed to protect its idols and that sasaeng fans had once again violated the members' personal boundaries. Although the alpha couldn't openly agree with them, he secretly supported the fans' outrage. After finishing the broadcast and saying goodbye to the fans, he returned to Riki, still peacefully snoring on the couch, one arm cradled around his stomach, the other resting under his head.
Jungwon sat down across from him, admiring his beloved. He's about to give birth, and the Alpha is genuinely worried and nervous, but one thing is for the better: their schedule is less busy now, and Riki has the opportunity to rest and prepare for the birth. They've finished setting up their room and bought everything they need (and even more, but Sunoo and Jake are to blame for that). Jungwon has been secretly watching educational videos and reading parenting books in his free time so he can help Riki once the baby is born. The Alpha gently strokes Riki's cheek, and Riki wakes up, looking at him lovingly.
"Hey, hyung. How was the broadcast?" he asks, sitting up and stretching.
"Everything's fine," Jungwon assures him, and Riki nods in response. "The fans reacted well to the news. Many supported you, so there's no reason to worry. If you want, we can read the comments together?"
"Okay," Riki perks up and settles in, resting his head on the shoulder of the alpha sitting next to him.
"Let's order food first, and then we can check the comments while we wait?" the alpha suggests, and Riki readily agrees, allowing his hyung to indulge in the delicious food.
As Jungwon said, the fans reacted more calmly than Riki expected. Of course, there were some comments filled with anger, disgust, and hatred, but they were in the minority. Most fans were eager to see photos of Riki with his baby bump, and then with the baby. They were curious about the sex of the unborn child, and the omega giggled at their speculations.
"Do you think I should post a selfie with my baby bump?" Riki asks Jungwon while they're eating lunch together.
"I think we should check with the company first," Jungwon says, keeping quiet about his inner alpha's objection to anyone seeing Riki in such a vulnerable state.
"I think you're holding something back, hyung," the omega giggles and teases. "The look on your face clearly indicates your disagreement with my wishes."
"Not at all!" Jungwon denies everything, and Riki merely smiles smugly, sticking to his guns.
Even unable to smell him due to the scent blocker, Riki can easily claim that Jungwon is jealous. Alphas are like that, and they're especially territorial when their omega is pregnant. Riki simply didn't tease his leader about his terrifying jealousy of his best friend, but that doesn't mean he didn't notice.
After hearing the company's opinion and receiving a positive response that same evening, Riki posted a sweet selfie showing off his small belly. Fans were delighted and showered him with compliments and sweet words. Many wrote that pregnancy suited him and how they couldn't have missed such a neat and small belly. Some wondered how many months Riki was pregnant, but he preferred not to divulge such information.
**
The company discovered the identity of the person who leaked information about Riki's pregnancy online, and a trial was scheduled for a few months later. Riki was happy that the person would get what they deserved, but he still couldn't understand why and how they had treated him like this. He continued working on the upcoming comeback with the others, whether filming a music video or recording songs. The latter was much easier than filming the music video. It was terribly cold, and Riki tried his best to stay warm. Jungwon even gave him his blanket so the omega wouldn't get sick and harm the baby. However, despite the pregnancy, Riki worked as hard as ever and gave it his all. The crew and director praised him, and he only sheepishly accepted the praise. The hyungs were proud of their maknae, who, despite his condition, was still stubborn and worked as hard as ever.
Soon, it was time to give birth, and Riki went to the hospital alone. The others would arrive later, after the baby was born. Jungwon wanted to be present at the birth, but Riki wanted to do everything himself. He was sure he could handle it alone. After agonizingly long hours, he finally heard the first cry of his daughter, whom he and Jungwon had decided to name Yukiko, or simply Yuki. As soon as the exhausted and weak, but happy Riki was transferred to the hospital room, the boys were already waiting for him inside. Some of them cried silently, but everyone smiled and rejoiced for Jungwon and Riki. And when the bundled-up baby was brought in, her uncles immediately surrounded Riki, admiring how adorable she was.
"I think she looks like Jungwon," Sunoo muses, wiping tears of joy from his eyes.
"That's because she has Jungwon's eyes, Sunoo-yah," Sunghoon teases. "That's why you think she looks like the leader. She's the spitting image of Riki.”
Sunoo rolls his eyes and tuts. Even in this situation, Sunghoon continues to tease him.
"Congratulations, Riki and Jungwonie," Heeseung and Jake chorus, and Riki smiles gratefully at them but asks them to be quiet. "She's so cute... What did you decide on her name?"
"Yukiko," Jungwon replies with the pride of a first-time father.
"A beautiful name for a beautiful baby," Jay smiles, placing flowers for Riki in a vase on the windowsill.
A few days later, Riki is discharged from the hospital, and his new life as a young parent and idol begins. For the first few months, he's on vacation, able to dedicate himself to caring for the baby while the others work hard. Heeseung and Jay adore caring for Yukiko—they often take her for walks or entertain her when Riki is especially tired and wants a nap. Jungwon helps him at night, giving the omega a chance to rest, though he's terribly ashamed of not letting his leader rest after work. The alpha assured him that he enjoys taking care of his daughter. Sunoo spoils Yukiko, buying her pretty outfits and cute hats. Riki scolded him for wasting money, but Sunoo wouldn't listen. He enjoyed dressing up the baby and taking photos, which he printed out and pasted into an album.
Sometimes, Riki would post photos of the baby for the engenes, but without the face. Fans, and others, were delighted, and the company, noticing the increased interest, decided to hold a photo shoot of the entire group with the baby when she turned six months old. Of course, it seemed like a long time, but in reality, before they could blink, six months had already passed, caring for the child and working nonstop. During this time, Heeseung had already released his first solo album, and Jake, along with everyone else, was so proud of it. Riki and he organized a mini-party to celebrate the successful release of his first album and several million sales. That day, they were happier than ever.
The day of the photo shoot finally arrived, and everyone woke up very early in the morning. Riki managed to feed Yuki, and Jungwon changed her clothes and diaper while the omega got dressed and cleaned up. A beaming Jake brazenly stole the baby from his arms, arguing that they needed to finish getting ready while he babysat her.
"Are you ready, baby?" Jungwon knocks on the bathroom door, and Riki emerges refreshed and fully prepared. His hair is now dark with a few strands of blonde highlights. His eyebrow is shaved slightly in one spot, and he looks drop-dead gorgeous. Jungwon wants to kiss him, so he does.
"Yes, hyung…" but he's cut off by lips covering his own, drawing him into a languid, tender kiss.
The leader's arms encircle his slender waist, and Riki presses closer, smelling the sweet scent of chocolate intertwining with his own.
"Hyung," Riki protests, breathing heavily, but Jungwon merely smirks smugly and licks his lips.
"Sweet..." he says, and the poor omega blushes as red as a tomato.
Jungwon has the nerve to tease him so early in the morning. Aren't you ashamed? Someone clears their throat, and the leader turns to see Sunghoon behind him, looking at the two of them disapprovingly. The alpha's gaze seems to say "what?" to the elder, but Sunghoon simply shakes his head.
"The car's already here," he says before turning and leaving, and Riki runs past Jungwon before he makes the others wait for them again.
The leader finds it endearing how the tips of his boyfriend's ears turn red with embarrassment. They arrived at the company building fairly quickly and immediately headed to the studio where the photo shoot would take place. Management had prepared a resting area for the baby, toys, and a soft mat for her to play on. Riki was sincerely grateful, and the makeup artists were delighted with the baby. Omega asked him to be the last one to have his makeup done, while he played with his daughter and simply made sure nothing happened to her. While his makeup was being done, the other hyungs discussed poses and the style of the photo shoot with the photographer. The first photos taken were of Riki and Jungwon with their daughter. Omega is sitting on a chair holding Yuki in his arms, while Jungwon stands behind him, placing his hand on his shoulder. The next photo is of them hugging their daughter together.
Then it's Riki with Yuki, Jungwon with Yuki, and then the rest of the group. During breaks, Riki fed his daughter, and when she became tired, he went with her to a separate room so she could rest while the others took photos. A few hours later, Jungwon came to pick him up, and together with the photographer, they selected the best photos, which the company would later release on the baby's birthday.
Looking back, Riki never imagined his life would change so dramatically. He had a child—a new life for which he is responsible. Just a year ago, he was only worried about his own image and his secondary gender, but ultimately, he was able to find love and a family, finding support in Jungwon and the other hyungs. He is immensely grateful to the company for allowing him to continue working after the birth of his child. Whatever life holds for him, he is certain of one thing: together, hand in hand, they will overcome everything.