"This is not a good idea".
"...".
"In fact, I can't think of a worse idea".
"...".
"We're going to die. They're not going to accept this".
"...".
"Shiro, are you even listening to me?"
"Yes".
"What did I just say?"
"That you don't think this is a good idea, you can't think of a worse one, and that my parents are not going to be able to accept us, so much so that they're probably going to kill both you and me".
"Not probably. Definitely. They're definitely going to kill us".
"C'mon Keith, they're not that bad.."
"We are bonded, but not married, and your parents are super old-fashioned. If they find out..." Keith trails off with a dark look, probably imagining some torturous demise that Shiro's parents definitely don't have prepared for them.
"They won't find out. You're panicking for no reason".
"I'm really not. They're going to know as soon as we walk in the door. We stink of each other. And what if they see my neck?"
Keith might have a point. They spend so much time with each other, managing to find each other in between their crammed schedules - breaking a few officer-cadet fraternization rules while doing so - sneaking into the other's dorm room to sleep at night, sneaking out of the Garrison at day for joyrides on Shiro's hoverbike. They smell so strongly of each other that it's become almost impossible to tell their scents apart.
Then there's Keith's neck. It's currently covered in a splotchy mass of hickeys and underneath all that, the deep, dark bruise of Shiro's bite, permanently scarring Keith's neck. It's a dark purple colour, almost black, like a tattoo. It marks Keith as his.
Shiro's parents are very traditional. They firmly believe in marriage before sex and bonding. Shiro hasn't even told them that he and Keith are dating. This will be the first time they meet Keith. They've heard about him, in Shiro's calls home, but they only know him as Shiro's friend.
He remembers the night he bonded with Keith, and he wonders suddenly if Keith regrets it, if maybe Keith would rather have waited to be married before being tied to Shiro.
He doesn't have time to wonder much more because Keith's calling out to him from where he's wandered ahead on the path. Looking up at his mate, Shiro's gaze slides past him to the traditional Japanese house behind him. His parents' home.
Keith has wandered back to him, and the Omega reaches out to grasp Shiro's hand. He's wearing his jacket collar zipped up around his neck. It's not out of place, what with the cold weather here, but they both know the real reason it's wrapped so tightly around the Omega's neck.
"Ready?".
"Not really".
"Hey, what's the worst that could happen?" Shiro jokes, trying to soothe his worried mate.
"They could disown you. They could throw you out. Or me. They could just not accept me and throw me out and..".
"They won't, I promise," Shiro interrupts, squeezing the hand he is already holding. "This might be hard for them to accept, but they love me. And they're gonna love you too. We'll just take it slowly".
Keith breathes in once and exhales, and then looks at the man he's chosen to spend the rest of his life with. They're connected. They're in this together. He takes another breathe and releases it, trying to expel all of his anxiousness with it. Squeezing Shiro's hand and sending his Alpha a small smile, Keith leads them up to the quaint house. He doesn't let himself hesitate before knocking on the door. It's only once the sound of his knocks has died away, that the nervousness returns.
Shiro's mother is a small, but elegant woman. She barely comes up to her son's shoulder, but she's still just taller than Keith. That's enough to make Keith feel slightly intimidated, as well as her perfectly pinned hair and beautifully manicured nails and soft, delicate face. She's everything an Omega should be, and he finds himself raising a hand to his head to subtly try to brush out any tangles in his hair.
She smiles delightedly at Shiro and hugs him, speaking in excited Japanese. The sound brings an Alpha to the entryway, and he must be Shiro's father, the resemblence damn near uncanny. It's easy to see where Shiro got his height and broad shoulders from.
What a perfect family. With their perfect, big, strong Alpha sire, their perfect, soft, delicate Omega dam, and their perfect just-as-big, just-as-strong Alpha son. Keith doesn't fit into this picture. He shouldn't be here. He's not good enough for Shiro. Shiro should find someone else. Another Omega. One who's beautiful, graceful, soft, and poised. All the things an Omega should be. Things Keith isn't.
Shiro's mother - Amako, Keith remembers belatedly - turns to him, noticing him finally. Keith sees her nostrils flare and knows she can smell him. Or more specifically, her son's scent on him. Her brows furrow just the slightest bit, but then her face relaxes and she smiles and speaks to him in Japanese. He doesn't know enough of the language yet to reply, but Shiro told him it was polite bow to people you just met. So he bows low, but he forgets what to do with his hands and one of them is still clenched in Shiro's grip, so it's definitely not as elegant as he was going for.
Shiro must explain to his parents Keith's lack of bilingual ability because they transition to near perfect English - despite their obvious accents - to invite them inside.
"Oh. Come, come. Let us talk inside. It's lovely to finally meet you, Keith," Shiro's mother gushes as she leads them inside.
The house is artfully decorated, obviously by Shiro's mother - and that's just another thing she's got Keith beat at. Keith has no artistic abilities to speak of, and he definitely couldn't provide Shiro a warm, welcoming home like this one.
They're led into what seems to be a living room, with a low table surround by cushions dominating the centre of the room. They sit at the cushions and Amako leaves to make tea for them all.
"So this is the infamous Keith? We've heard a lot about you," Shiro's father rumbles from across the table.
Keith knows he should respond, but he honestly doesn't know what to say. He's not good at social niceties. But he desperately wants to impress Shiro's family. He reaches up to scratch at his neck, fingers dipping underneath the turned-up collar.
He's saved from his own social awkwardness by a loud gasp behind him. He twists around to see Shiro's mother has re-entered the room, a delicate china tray balanced in her hands. She's staring at Keith. More specifically, his neck. Which, he realises with a dread so sudden it's like his entire body has been dunked into arctic waters, has been revealed when he pushed the collar aside to scratch at it. Amako storms forward, nearly slamming the tray down on the table - Keith winces at the harsh sound in the suddenly still room - and reaches hands out for him. He's shocked into stillness and the Omega woman's hands are surprisingly strong as they manhandle Keith so that his head is forced down to his chest and his jacket collar is pulled back, exposing his neck. Scared to hurt Shiro's mother and petrified of the reactions of the older mated pair, Keith stays still and waits with bated breath and tense body.
Silence reigns in the room for several moments; Keith can feel Amako shaking. Amako is the first to speak.
"What is this? Takashi, tell me this is not what I think it is," Keith hears her beg, and her voice is shaking too.
Keith can't see Shiro with the way his head is forced down, but his mate is still holding his hand under the table, grip strong. He squeeze once, and Keith returns the gesture, hoping to reassure Shiro that he's alright. He doesn't like the position he's been forced into; it makes him feel vulnerable, to have his neck so exposed.
"Okaasan, Otousan, Keith is my mate. This isn't how I wanted you to find out; I wanted to introduce you properly. That's my bonding mark on his neck".
Shiro says it so calmly, like he practiced it over and over. Keith waits as tense silence descends on the room again. After another few moments, Shiro's father is the one to break it this time.
"Takashi, this is not how we raised you. To engage in such frivolent behaviour before the sanctity of marriage is shameful".
"There's nothing frivolent about it," Shiro's retorts, voice raising slightly. "Keith and I are bonded for life, a connection I intend to honour for the rest of my life".
"Our family is shamed, Takashi," Amako growls, hands remaining strong where they're pinning Keith down. "You have brought dishonour on our name by your actions with this harlot".
"Don't speak about him like that," Shiro snaps back, rising to his feet.
Keith can't help the breathy whimper that escapes his throat in response to his mate's distress. Shiro responds immediately.
"Get your hands off my mate," the young Alpha growls, straightening those broad shoulders to tower over his mother. "I won't have you threatening him or degrading him".
"And I won't have you threatening my mate either". Shiro's father, his own protective Alpha instincts coming into play.
Amako, thankfully realising the potential for the altercation escalating physically, releases her grip on Keith, stepping back and retreating to her mate's side, where she places a gentle hand on his arm. Keith has no qualms cuddling into Shiro's side, slipping underneath an arm and huddling in its' protective embrace, bringing a hand up to carefully cup the back of his own neck, as if he can hide the mark that started all of this. He remains there as the Alphas stand off against each other, sizing the other up.
This isn't how things were supposed to go. He knows he had his doubts about Shiro's family accepting their bond, but he never actually thought they would fight over him. He butts his head into Shiro's side, nuzzling into his Alpha and releasing a crooning purr, hoping to calm Shiro down. It seems to work. Shiro's body relaxes at Keith's actions and he turns away from his father to look over his mate, as if checking for injuries. He gently pries Keith's hand away from the Omega's neck and inspects the bond mark himself. Only once he seems satisfied that Keith is unhurt, does he turn back to his parents.
"Otousan, what you feel for Okaasan, is what I feel for Keith," he speaks calmly, but Keith can feel his underlying frustration in the tightness of his chest when he presses Keith harder against him. "Whether or not we're married yet, we' re bonded and that's for life. Keith is mine, and I'm his. You can't change that. So I hope you can accept it, and him".
It's quite a lovely little speel. Neither of Shiro's parents seemed particularly convinced by it, but then, after several long, tense moments, Shiro's father exhales a deep breath and speaks. He addresses Shiro, and Keith would feel offended at seemingly being pushed aside, but he's just glad he's not being held down and left vulnerable anymore.
"You know that we do not agree with your actions. But you speak the truth. You and Keith are bonded for life, and even if you do not remain together, you will still be bonded".
Shiro opens his mouth to say something, but Shiro's father continues talking.
"This will not be easy. Our thoughts and feelings on Keith have already been affected, but we will try to accept him for you".
Amako doesn't look especially in agreement with that statement, but she remains silent where she is pressed against her Alpha's side. Shiro's father leans forward and opens his arms in invitation; Shiro hesitates for no more than two seconds before he steps forward into the embrace. Keith quickly extracts himself from Shiro and patiently stands to the side as the small family cuddle together and scent each other. When he's received nuzzles from both of his parents, Shiro raises his head to look at Keith and gesture him over. Keith shakes his head, not wanting to interrupt the family reunion.
Amako turns her head to look at Keith and she seems to be considering him. Keith watches her back, trying not to feel intimidated by her piercing gaze. He waits, and she must come to a decision, because she moves forward and before Keith can react, wraps her arms around his shoulders. She's just enough taller than him that her arms fit snugly around him. He freezes, muscles tensing automatically, remembering her none-too-gentle treatment of him earlier. She maintains the hug, even though he can feel that she is stiff too, and obviously forcing herself to do this. He appreciates the gesture all the same, so in a show of solidarity, he forces his body to relax enough that he can step further into the hug. Instinctively, his hands come to grip at the sides of her sweater. Feeling him accept her hug, she lowers her head to nuzzle her cheek against his. Keith recognises this as her attempt to scent him; it's not a real scenting - that would involve rubbing her neck against his, where the primary scents glands are - but it's a common enough gesture for two stranger Omegas meeting. At least she's trying. Keith quickly nuzzles his cheek into hers, and as soon as he's finished, Amako steps back, releasing Keith. Shiro is quick to step in and wrap his arms around Keith from behind, pulling the little Omega back into his chest. Keith lets himself slump into the embrace, leaning his weight on his Alpha. He feels strangely okay with all of this. Admittedly not the best start, but it seems to have all turned out okay. At least he didn't get thrown out.
After that, they sit at the table, catching Shiro's parents up on his life away at the Garrison. It's only a little awkward. After an hour or so, they excuse themselves and Amako shows them to a room made up for them. As soon as the door slides shut, Shiro flops onto the mattress, releasing an exasperated sigh. He spreads his arms out and looks plaintively up at his Omega mate, a clear invitation for Keith to join him. Keith doesn't hesitate to do so, crawling carefully onto the bed and settling into the crook of Shiro's arm, resting his head on the Alpha's solid chest. For a moment, they just lay there and breathe together.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Shiro huffs, voice hushed. "That wasn't how I planned to tell them".
"S'ok," Keith murmurs, suddenly feeling drained. "She didn't really hurt me".
"Still...".
"Hey, it's okay. I'm okay. Your parents are working on accepting us, which is honestly more than I expected, so we're good, okay?".
Shiro is silent in response. Keith wants to ask what he would have done if his parents hadn't accepted them.
"We're bonded. I'll always love you, Keith. It doesn't matter if others try to get in our way. You're mine, and I plan on keeping you".
Since when did Shiro become a mind reader? And such a big sap? But Keith can't deny that the words make his throat constrict with a sudden upheaval of emotion. He turns his head further into Shiro's body, trying to hide the flush he can feel heating up his cheeks.
"I love you too, you big sap," he mumbles into Shiro's side, feeling sleep hovering at the edges of his consciousness. "I'm yours forever, and you're mine".
He dimly hears Shiro chuckle in response, and feels his arms tighten around him, and then he's drifting off into oblivion, somehow wholly happy with today and its's events.