Does Anton like to socialize with other babies? Maybe you should take him to a baby group so he can meet a pretty Omega or something ;>
“But what if the other babies are mean to him?” Yao asks, holding Anton protectively. The baby’s more interested in playing with his mama’s hair.
“They’re babies. They’re all there to play and pass out surrounded by toys.”
“Is it sanitary? What if someone tries to set up their baby with him? He’s too young for that! There are some real sharks out there, and if they find out we have money, they’ll try to get to us through our baby.”
“Yao…” Ivan cups his face. “Antosha loves meeting new people. He’ll have a great time.”
“Well… We can leave any time, right?”
“Yes, you can. You can leave whenever your mama bear instincts sense danger.”
Yao sighs and rests his head against Ivan’s chest. Anton coos, thinking it’s hug time again. “You should go to work now,” Yao says.
“I’ll meet you during lunch break.”
Ivan heads off and Yao prepares Anton to leave the house. He drives them over to the baby group and parks the car. “We can still go back.”
Anton mumbles while playing with his hands.
“Alright, five minutes then.” He takes Anton out of the car and takes him inside.
Play hour is already in full swing with parents and babies everywhere. There are Omegas and Betas and even a few Alphas. Yao steps closer and sits down on one of the chairs, nodding to other parents who are busy with their own babies. Anton looks around and squeals so loudly that most heads turn to him.
“What a cutie,” one of the mothers says. “Is he your first?”
Anton babbles loudly and tries to escape. Yao sits down with him next to a calm-looking baby who’s playing with blocks. “Go ahead, make a new friend.”
Anton picks up one of the blocks and holds it up for the other baby.
But the baby crawls away. Anton looks up at Yao, confused.
“It’s okay. We can’t be friends with everyone.”
Anton folds himself over and grabs another baby’s foot. The baby looks shocked and then turns to his father for help. “And here I was thinking he couldn’t take after his father even more…” Yao mutters before freeing the other baby. “Sweetie, you can’t grab people and proclaim they’re your friends.”
Anton babbles and picks up a ball.
“What are you going to do with that?”
“Oh, don’t do that, you don’t know where it’s been…!”
Yao sighs. He tries to block out the curious looks he’s starting to get. Some parents have figured out that Yao’s an Omega, and they’re wondering where his other children are. That, or they’re wondering whether Yao’s sick or has a drug history, leading to him having only one baby. Yao knows the stereotype: addict, living on the streets, getting pregnant by accident with only one child surviving. Others have the same stereotype in mind and move a little further away. “I’m sorry,” Yao whispers to Anton. “Because of me, you have no friends to play with.”
Heads turn again, but Yao doesn’t bother finding out what they’re looking at. Some Omegas whisper excitedly to each other. Some Alphas shift in their seats. One of the two Omegas nudges the other. Yao suspects they are sisters, one with children, the other not. The one without children gets up and separates herself from the crowd.
Anton sputters as he can’t reach a baby he wants to play with. Yao picks him up and hugs him. “Maybe it’s time to go…”
Behind him, the Omega is chatting away. A hot Alpha must have walked in. That would explain all the commotion.
“I am here with my sister. I love spending time with my nieces and nephew. Are you here for your family too?”
“My mate is here with my son.”
Anton recognizes Ivan before Yao even has the chance to turn around.
Anton squeals and reaches for him. Ivan approaches them and kisses Yao’s cheek before sitting down next to him. “How is it going? Has he made any friends?”
“Not yet…” Yao tries to find joy in the surprised and confused looks they’re getting. How did a broken Omega like Yao manage to catch a star Alpha like Ivan, they wonder.
Anton babbles rapidly as if sharing all his frustrations over his lack of friends.
“Maybe they’ll come closer now that you’re here,” Yao says.
“They’d better. I’m not letting my Omega get excluded.”
The first one to come closer is an Alpha with two babies. He flexes his muscles, but can’t match Ivan’s. What he can brag with, however, is having two babies. Ivan smiles friendly, not in the mood for competition. Anton nearly throws himself onto the two babies in his excitement to have someone to play with. He grabs all the building blocks, piling them onto the other babies.
“Antosha, slow down,” Yao says.
“He must be overjoyed to be around other babies,” the Alpha says, fully intending on making his words sting. “They need that, you know. That’s why siblings are so important.” He looks down at his own two babies.
“Children from Beta parents are in the same situation,” Ivan points out. “They’re no less happy either.”
The Alpha curls his lip and considers moving away. But Anton has just started playing ball with the babies. A slightly older baby crawls over and grabs one of the blocks. Anton sees him and crashes against him in a baby hug.
“We taught him that,” Ivan says proudly. “He’s from a family of cuddle bears.”
More parents and babies come closer, especially Omegas. Their instincts tell them that their children will be safe playing with a strong Alpha like Ivan nearby. They act like they weren’t avoiding Yao before. Some of them are whispering to each other.
“How do you think he bagged that Alpha?”
“Probably tricked him. Got himself pregnant and then threatened to destroy his career if they didn’t bond. I know a gold digger when I see one.”
“Poor man. He could’ve done so much better.”
Ivan kisses Yao’s cheek and pulls him closer as if shielding him from the gossip. He knows what Yao has to endure. But he also can’t help but wonder. Yao never cared much about what other people thought. Why is this so different?
“I should probably go home,” Yao says. “Anton’s tired.”
Anton has fallen asleep, still hugging the other baby.
