Page 28 of Billy and Cord (Omega Hearts #1)

Billy’s stomach heaved again, and he gripped the toilet bowl with trembling hands.

The cool tile beneath his knees did little to ease the nausea rolling through him in waves.

He’d barely made it to the bathroom this time - the fourth morning in a row he’d woken up feeling like his insides were trying to escape.

“Babe?” Cord’s worried voice came from the doorway, followed by the soft pad of bare feet on tile. “Billy, sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

“I’m fine,” Billy managed between dry heaves, though they both knew that was a lie. His glasses sat crooked on his nose, and his dark, wavy hair stuck up at odd angles from sleep. “Just something I ate, maybe.”

Cord knelt beside him, one large hand rubbing soothing circles on Billy’s back while the other gently pushed his hair away from his clammy forehead. “Four days of food poisoning? I don’t think so.”

The concern radiating through their bond made Billy’s chest tight.

He hated worrying his alpha, especially after everything they’d been through.

Their honeymoon had been perfect - two weeks on the coast, just the two of them, no missions or work deadlines.

Billy had gone into heat again while they were away, but that just added to the happiness and their closeness, locked together by Cord’s knot, listening to the waves smashing on the shoreline outside of the seaside cabin.

They’d only been home three days when Billy started getting sick.

“Maybe it’s a bug,” Billy suggested weakly, leaning back against Cord’s solid chest when the worst of the nausea passed. His mate’s arms wrapped around him instantly, protective and warm.

“Hmm.” Cord pressed a kiss to Billy’s temple, his nose brushing against Billy’s hair. “Or maybe...”

Billy stiffened slightly. The thought had crossed his mind - of course it had. They’d talked about children, planned for them even. And with the recent heat… But so soon? They’d only been mated for three months, and had barely gotten over the wedding.

“I should probably take a test,” Billy whispered, as he reached up to adjust his glasses. “Just to rule it out.”

Cord’s arms tightened around him, and Billy could feel his alpha’s heart rate pick up through their bond - excitement mixed with worry and something that felt suspiciously like hope. “I’ll go get one. Several, actually. Different brands, just to be sure.”

“Cord…”

“No arguments. I’m going to get you settled on the couch with some ginger tea and crackers.” Cord helped him to his feet, steadying him when the room spun slightly. “I’ll be back in twenty minutes.”

Billy found himself bundled onto their living room couch with a soft blanket, a glass of water, and the TV remote before he could protest further. Cord was already pulling on jeans and searching for his car keys with single-minded determination.

“I love you,” Billy called out, emotion making his voice thick. Even after everything, the wedding, the house, the way Cord looked at him like he hung the moon… Sometimes, Billy still couldn’t believe this was his life.

Cord paused at the door, his expression softening as he looked back. “Love you, too, baby. So much.” His voice dropped, gentle but firm. “Whatever those tests say, we’ll handle it together. Yeah?”

Billy nodded, pulling the blanket up to his chin as Cord disappeared out the door. His hand drifted to his flat stomach almost unconsciously. Could there really be...?

His phone buzzed on the coffee table. A text from Cece: Brunch tomorrow? Tristan found this new place that serves bottomless mimosas!

Billy stared at the message, a slightly hysterical laugh bubbling up. Mimosas. Right. If his suspicions were correct, he wouldn’t be drinking those for a while.

Twenty-three minutes later (not that Billy was counting), Cord burst through the door with a pharmacy bag that looked suspiciously full.

“Did you buy out the entire pregnancy test aisle?” Billy asked, eyeing the bag with a mixture of amusement and nerves.

“Maybe.” Cord looked slightly sheepish as he unpacked box after box onto the coffee table. “I wanted to be thorough. Plus, the pharmacist recommended these vitamins, just in case, and I grabbed some more ginger tea, and those crackers you like, and…”

“Cord.” Billy caught his mate’s hand, stilling the nervous unpacking. “Breathe.”

They looked at each other for a long moment, years of loneliness and pain balanced against months of love and belonging. Love would always win. Whatever those tests showed, they’d built something together that could weather any storm.

“Okay,” Billy said finally, gathering up several of the boxes. “Let’s do this.”

His hands shook only slightly as he headed back to the bathroom, Cord right behind him - a steady, supportive presence that Billy knew would be there no matter what the next few minutes revealed.

/~/~/~/~/

Cord’s hands trembled as he helped Billy back to their bed, the pregnancy test still clutched in his mate’s hand like a precious treasure. Three little plus signs. Three separate tests, all positive. His omega was carrying their pup.

“You okay, big guy?” Billy asked softly, adjusting his glasses as he settled against the pillows. Even pale from morning sickness, he looked beautiful to Cord. “You’ve got that thousand-yard stare thing going on.”

“I’m...” Cord swallowed hard, sinking down beside Billy on the bed. “Fuck, baby, I’m more than okay. I’m just…” He scrubbed a hand over his face, feeling the grin that wouldn’t quit stretching his cheeks. “We’re having a pup.”

“Yeah, we are.” Billy’s smile turned shy, one hand drifting to his still-flat stomach. “You’re not freaking out?”

“Oh, I’m definitely freaking out,” Cord admitted with a laugh that came out slightly hysterical. “But in the best way. My gods, Billy, do you know what this means?”

Billy tilted his head as he reached for Cord’s hand. “That I’m gonna get fat and cranky and you’ll have to deal with my weird cravings?”

“No… well, yes, and I’ll love every minute of it.

” Cord laced their fingers together, marveling at how perfectly Billy’s smaller hand fit in his.

“But I mean... this is what we fought for, me and my team. All those missions, all that dangerous shit. It was so omegas like you could have this. Could have families and homes and futures that weren’t dictated by anyone else. ”

His throat tightened with emotions he rarely let himself feel. “And now I get to have those things with you.”

“Sap,” Billy accused, but his eyes were suspiciously bright behind his glasses. “You know Cece and Tristan are gonna lose their minds, right? They’ll probably have the nursery planned before I’m even showing.”

“Bullet’s gonna give me so much shit,” Cord groaned, though he was still grinning like an idiot. “He’ll probably start a betting pool on whether it’s an alpha or omega.”

“What do you want?” Billy asked quietly.

Cord pulled his mate closer, breathing in that sweet scent that had led him across a crowded room to his future. “Healthy. Happy. Someone with your eyes and brain and my size... You know, just because.”

“Hey.” Billy smacked his arm playfully. “There’s nothing wrong with being fun-sized.”

“Absolutely nothing,” Cord agreed, nuzzling into Billy’s neck.

His wolf was practically vibrating with protective satisfaction.

Their mate was with pup. Their den was secure.

Life was fucking perfect. “You sure you’re feeling okay?

Should I call the doctor? Do you need anything?

Water? Food? Those crackers that are supposed to help with morning sickness? ”

“Cord, please breathe and calm down, or it’s going to be a long pregnancy.

” Billy’s voice held fond exasperation. “Carrying a pup, or pups, does not equate to dying. It’s a perfectly natural and normal thing to go through.

Although, if you wanted to do something right now…

” He licked his lips. “Maybe some of that hot chocolate from the kitchen? The good stuff you got me?”

Cord was on his feet instantly. “On it. Don’t move. Actually, maybe you should lie down more? Are you comfortable? Do you need more pillows?”

“Cord!”

“Right. Shutting up. Getting chocolate.” He paused at the doorway, unable to resist looking back at his mate. Billy had both hands on his stomach now, a soft smile on his face as he stared down in wonder.

This was what victory looked like, Cord realized. Not successful missions or commendations. Just Billy, safe and loved and carrying their future.

“Hey,” he called softly, making Billy look up. “I love you.”

“Love you too, alpha. Now go get me that chocolate before I have to waddle down there myself.”

Cord practically flew down the stairs, his wolf howling with joy. They were having a pup. He was going to be a dad. Billy was giving him everything he’d never dared dream of having.

As he heated the milk and stirred in the chocolate powder, he found himself planning. They’d need to convert the spare room to a nursery. Install better security. Maybe get one of those baby monitor systems, Billy could probably hack it to make it even better.

His phone buzzed. A text from Bullet: Razor said he saw you at the pharmacy. What’s up?

Cord grinned, typing back: Tell you tomorrow. Bring cigars.

The responding string of question marks made him laugh. Let Bullet wonder. Today was going to be a slow day just for him and Billy, and their tiny miracle.

He carefully carried the mug back upstairs, finding Billy exactly where he’d left him, now typing on his laptop.

“Already researching baby stuff?” Cord guessed, handing over the chocolate.

“Maybe.” Billy’s cheeks flushed pink. “Did you know there are about a million different types of cribs? How are we supposed to choose?”

“Together,” Cord said simply, settling back beside his mate. “We’ll figure it out together. Just like everything else.”

Billy leaned into him, sipping his chocolate contentedly. “Yeah. Together sounds perfect.”

And it was. Cord’s wolf settled, deeply satisfied. Their future stretched ahead, bright with possibility. All because one stubborn omega had gone home early from a party, leading Cord on the best hunt of his life.

“No regrets?” Billy asked quietly.

Cord pressed a kiss to his mate’s temple. “Not a single one, baby. Not one.”

The End

I hope you enjoyed this short story, my lovely friends.