Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Willy was ashamed. No, not really ashamed, just awkward to bring a little puppy to a "stranger's" house.

Omega found the puppy outside in the rain, near the race track where he and the team were training. The training ended early due to an approaching thunderstorm, and the coach sent everyone home to avoid any accidents caused by the downpour.

Willy was the last one to leave the race track when he heard a long, mournful howl. The sound made his heart ache.

As luck would have it, the promised rain began to fall and the omega tried to find the puppy in the pouring rain. And here in one of the bushes, curled up in a ball, lay a black and white corgi puppy. The baby was thin and shivering, either from the cold or from fear.

"Hey, baby? You're really cold, aren't you?" Willy crouched in front of the puppy and slowly extended his hand for the puppy to sniff. "I know how scary it is without a home and love. Can I take you away? I'll take care of you and love you, I promise."

The tired puppy just yawned and slowly approached the boy, looking into his soul with its beady eyes. Willy carefully picked it up and covered it with his jacket to keep it dry.

"Let's go to the vet and get you checked out, okay? And then I'll buy you lots of treats and toys!"

And Willy really didn't know anything about dogs.

"Khun Willy, your dog is severely malnourished, but I don't see any serious problems. I've written down the names of the vitamins and food that are suitable for this breed. I've also written down the date and time for your next visit." The kind-hearted veterinarian handed the puppy over to the new owner, along with a detailed instruction sheet on nutrition and vitamin intake. "Oh, and we need to complete the paperwork. It's just a matter of filling out basic information like gender, age, and name, as well as recording the dates of vaccinations. We've already established that she's a girl and about six months old. So, what's this beautiful creature's name?"

The woman stroked the puppy's head, but the girl hid her face in the omega elbow.

"I didn't even think..." Willy looked at the little girl in his arms and smiled weakly. "Let's call her Hope."

Willy responsibly visited all the pet stores in the city, picking up the necessary items according to the sellers. Many adult ladies were amused by how the young man blushed when asking for help in choosing toys and bowls, and offered advice on raising the puppy.

Willy really liked the small dinosaur-print blanket and bought it for Hope. The puppy immediately appreciated the purchase and rode home wrapped up in it.

And that's when Willy realized his first mistake.

Bringing a puppy to Alan's house without informing anyone was very, very wrong.

Willy parked outside the house and looked at Hope, who was sleeping next to him.

"How am I supposed to sneak you in without anyone noticing?" Willy asked himself, more than the puppy. "Okay, first you, then your stuff."

Willy got out of the car and walked around to get the puppy out of the passenger seat.

The guy quickly ran through the rain and opened the front door. It was late, but the guy was late, and probably everyone was already asleep. The guy had just reached the stairs when he heard a heavy sigh from behind.

Willy froze in place, his heart pounding so loudly that it seemed like it could wake up the whole house. His fingers lightly squeezed the soft dinosaur blanket in which the puppy was snuggled up. Baby Hope's warm breath tickled his skin through the fabric, but he didn't have time for that right now. Kenta voice, like a bolt from the blue, came from behind, making Willy jump.

"And why are you so late?" Kenta asked, his deep voice cutting through the silence of the hallway.

Willy slowly turned around, feeling like a child caught stealing cookies. Kenta eyes, usually so calm and confident, were now filled with surprise, and his eyebrows were slightly raised. Willy felt a chill run down his spine. He held Hope close to his chest, as if the puppy could protect him from this gaze.

"Phi'Kenta, I..." he began, but the words caught in his throat. His voice was shaking like a leaf in the wind.

Kenta stepped closer, his silhouette looming over Willy like a storm cloud.

"What have you got there?" he asked, tilting his head slightly to try to see what was hidden in the blanket.

Willy hesitantly opened the edge of the fabric, and Hope tiny face peeked out, her eyes shining in the dim light. Kenta paused for a moment, his gaze softening, but then he looked back at Willy.

"Where did she come from?" his voice deepened, but it was no longer a thunderous tone, rather a hint of concern.

"I found her near the track... She was alone, Phi'Kenta, I couldn't leave her," Willy whispered, his eyes pleading for understanding. Hope gave a weak bark, as if trying to add weight to his words.

Kenta listened attentively, his face impassive as he tried to make sense of what he was hearing. He crouched down to be at the puppy's level, reaching out to gently stroke its fur. Hope licked his finger in trust. This small gesture seemed to melt the ice in Kenta heart.

"Kid, you know the rules," he said softly, still staring at the puppy. "We can't keep animals in the house. We have enough to deal with." Willy knew this. The rules were clear, but he couldn't just walk past this little creature, abandoned to its fate.

"I'll take care of her. I'll walk her, feed her, and clean up after her. She won't be any trouble, I promise," Willy said fervently, his voice filled with hope. He knew he was asking for a lot, but he couldn't let Hope end up on the streets again.

Kenta stood up and looked at Willy. Two pairs of sad eyes stared back at him, melting his heart and making him want to protect them at all costs. Two silly puppies.

Kenta knew how kind Willy's heart was, and he understood that Willy couldn't have done otherwise. With a sigh, he said,

"Okay, kid. But it's your responsibility. And if Alan doesn't approve, there's nothing we can do. Do you understand?"

Willy smiled brightly and hugged Kenta tightly.

"Thank you, Phi! Thank you!" Hope licked Willy's cheek, as if thanking him for saving her. "But I have a request..."

"No."

"But, Phi! I need to hide Hope, at least for a week, to prepare the others for this news." The guy looked at the alpha pleadingly and sighed. "We have soundproofing in every room, so they won't hear her barking. But I often go to training sessions, and someone needs to feed her in my absence..."

"No."

"Oh, please! I don't want her to starve!"

"I told you, she's your responsibility. Why are you getting me involved?"

"Can I help you with the proposal to Phi'Kim?"

"You're good at negotiating, kid."

Chapter Text

Willy and Kenta decided to start with a simple one.
Dean still couldn't fully work, so he was at home more often than the others and his room was rarely visited. So the troubled duo brought Dean to Willy's room and immediately introduced him to Hope.

"I thought only North was acting recklessly. You definitely beat him, Nong," Dean waved at Hope, who was lying on the bed of the youngest and happily wagging her tail.

"Is everyone going to talk to me about this? I get it!" Omega groaned in resignation and picked Hope up from the bed, holding her close. The dog licked her owner's face and tucked her ears back. It seemed to understand Willy's mood and tried to support him as much as possible. "Just... Can you keep her with you while I'm at training? Just in case someone decides to enter my room while I'm away."

Kenta remained silent throughout, but in his head he was making a plan of what could be done if Dean refused. He could always get Kim to help their beloved Nong, and he would agree without hesitation.

But it wasn't necessary.

"I think so. If she doesn't pee on my bed." Dean chuckled and stroked Hope's head first, then Willy.

"Hey! I'm not a puppy!" Willy turned his head away, but his cheeks were flushed with embarrassment.

"You're definitely a puppy." Kenta chuckled, observing the scene.

"And she's potty-trained and... and yes!" Willy pulled Hope closer, looking hurt at the two elders. "But in any case, thank you, Phi'Dean! Let's take her to your room so she can get used to it."

Yes, Willy's luck was not on his side.

As soon as they left the room, they were met by North and Sonic, who were chatting about something.
North froze in surprise, staring at Willy with Hope in his arms.

"Is that a dog?!!" It's likely that everyone in the house heard North's exclamation.

The plan to conceal the puppy had failed, congratulations!

Willy sat at the table, tightly embracing Hope, who seemed to sense his tension and nuzzled her face against his chest. His fingers nervously stroked her soft fur, and his eyes avoided meeting Alan's, who loomed over the table like a storm cloud.

"If you need me to, I can leave," he managed, his voice trembling like a reed in the wind. "I don't want to be a bother."

Babe smiled a reserved smile, his eyes as warm as ever.

"Willy, we were more worried about you. You were gone yesterday, and we thought something had happened to you. The puppy is a small thing."

Charlie, sitting beside him, nodded, his hand on Willy's shoulder, a silent promise of support.

"You're not going anywhere. This is your home."

Kenta, sitting across from him, snorted as Kim remarked,

"You and Willy are pretty bad spies. You were exposed in five minutes."

As always, North and Sonic were on Willy's side.

"You need Hope," North said, his voice firm. "After everything you've been through, she's your new beacon."

Without saying a word, Jeff looked at Alan, his eyes saying, "Give in." Alan sighed, his sternness beginning to melt like ice in the spring sun.

"Fine, let her stay."

Willy felt a warmth fill his chest, and he held Hope even closer, as if he was afraid she might be taken away at any moment.

"Thank you," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I'll take care of her, I promise."

Alan nodded, the sternness in his eyes giving way to something that looked like tired acceptance.

“Just make sure she doesn’t tear up my carpets.”

Jeff snorted, and Kenta winked at Willy, as if to say, “The contract is in force.”
Hope, feeling the tension ease, licked Willy’s cheek, making him smile for the first time all day.

Babe walked over to Willy and wrapped his arms around him.

"We're glad you're with us, kid. And we're glad Hope's found a home here. But next time, please give us a heads up, okay? We're really worried about you."

Charlie ruffled Willy's hair and smiled.

"It's okay, kid. As long as you're okay."

Willy looked around at everyone, and his heart filled with gratitude. He was home. And so was Hope.

"Oh, shit, are we grandparents?" Charlie put his hands to his cheeks in mock horror. "My baby has a baby!"

"Charlie!" Babe slapped the alpha on the back, glaring at him. The rest of the team laughed at Charlie's statement.

Hope was fidgeting, looking pleadingly at Willy.

"Oh, I think I should take her for a walk... Phi'Dean, will you come with me?" Willy looked at Dean with a slight smile. "It's been a while since you've gone out, and Hope likes you already!"

Babe and Charlie looked at each other. There was a silent conversation between them, which ended with Babe's frowning eyebrows and Charlie's smirk.

"Dean, keep an eye on my child. God forbid he brings something else home." Babe said sternly, looking at the young alpha.

"Like another puppy." Willy looked at Charlie in confusion, and Dean blushed all the way to his neck.

"Charlie, shut the fuck up!"

In the evening, after dinner, Willy was sitting on the couch, and Hope was peacefully snoring on his lap. Willy gently stroked Hope and whispered,

"We're home, baby. We're home."

And in that moment, he felt the happiest he had ever felt.

Chapter Text

Willy promised to help Kenta with the proposal, but the younger one knew absolutely nothing about relationships and some kind of romance.

That's where Mom's help was needed.

"I promised to help Phi'kenta with an offer for Phi'Kim for helping with Hope! But I don't know anything about romance!" Willy snuggled closer to Babe's side, who was watching something on his phone, and Hope, just as sadly, clung to Babe's legs.

Hope accepted Babe as her second favorite host, probably because Willy smelled more like an elder than anyone else. At first, Babe was playfully annoyed with the puppy, but he did not hide his love for the little lump and spoiled Hope with walks or treats. The elder also made sure that Willy did not forget about the days of visiting the vet or took Hope there himself.

"Bad luck, kid." Babe looked at Willy with a grin. "I think you should ask Charlie about that. He was the one who proposed to me, not the other way around."

"No, Phi'Charlie suggested that we order a huge inflatable bear with the words 'Kim, will you marry me?' It's a complete disaster." Willy frowned unknowingly, and Babe burst into laughter. Hope, sensing the merriment of her second owner, jumped into Babe's lap, wagging her tail merrily. "Please, Mom, help me!"

Babe was faced with two pairs of puppy-like eyes, and the word "Mom" only further broke his unwavering spirit.

Babe had become too weak.

"God, you're going to kill me! Okay!" Alpha almost choked when he was hugged tightly by Willy, and Hope started licking his face.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! Mom, you're the best!"

Perhaps Babe would soon break down and agree to Charlie's request for another puppy. Their baby.

Willy was delighted with his parent plan and set about preparing it.

The most difficult part was getting the entire team (especially the gossipy North and Sonic) to keep it a secret.

The entire X-hunter team went to the country house, but Babe did everything he could to make Kim and Kenta arrive later than the rest of the team (read: he hid Kim's keys under the couch in the garage, making it impossible for the couple to leave).

Upon arrival, Babe distributed the responsibilities among the team and went with Willy to look for the best place for a beautiful vacation. Omega followed his parent like a puppy, Hope behaved the same way, which made the team laugh.

"Willy definitely sees Babe as a mother! He is ready to follow him even into the mountains without equipment or arrange a team war." North giggled as he watched Willy listen intently to Babe. If he had a tail, he would definitely be wagging it like Hope next to them.

"Phi'Babe also definitely has a maternal instinct that even North and I don't have," Jeff said thoughtfully as he helped Charlie set the table. "Phi treats all the younger members of the team with such warmth and love that sometimes I want to come to him and hide from the world. Most importantly, I'll know that I'm safe."

"And I think if you do that, Babe won't mind at all." Charlie cast occasional warm glances at his husband and their puppy, which he hadn't known about a year ago. Charlie definitely wants Babe to give birth to another puppy.

While the team was talking, Willy and Babe returned with their eyes shining.

"We found a great spot near the river! The flowers are blooming, and it smells incredible!" Willy discreetly stole a peach from the table and shared half of it with Babe.

"Mmm, it will be beautiful at sunset. I think we should do this: Willy will take Kim there under the pretext of taking Hope for a walk, then Charlie will call the child, and Kenta will arrive at that moment. After that, it's up to Kenta." Babe took a bite of the peach, earning a disapproving look from North, who noticed that his fruit had been stolen.

"That's a great plan, Mom!" Willy was smiling contentedly, and Babe gave a "shut up" look to North, who was about to say something.

Kenta and Kim arrived just as everything was ready. The team sat around the table, discussing the plan, drinking various types of alcohol, and laughing loudly.

As the sun began to set, Willy began their plan.

"Phi'Kim, let's take Hope for a walk. The poor girl definitely wants to go to the bathroom, and you're the only one more sober here." Willy used his puppy eyes and Kim surrendered without a fight.

Willy led the older man to the river, chatting about various little things along the way.

And now Charlie's calling Willy.

And now Kenta's on one knee in front of Kim.

"You were the first person to see me. Even though I was a terrible person and I was on Tony's side, you kept saying that there was good in me and you believed that I could become a better person. After the incident with Tony, you wanted to go back to Korea, but then you begged me tearfully not to let you go. That's when I realized for the first time in my life that I wanted to fight. I wanted to fight for us, for our love, and most importantly, for you. Kim, I love you so much, and I am so lucky to have met you." Kenta said all this while looking into Kim's eyes, which were starting to water. "And I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you be my husband?"

Somewhere in the background, Willy was hugging Babe, both of them holding back tears as they held each other tight. Charlie placed his hands on their shoulders, looking at the couple with warmth in his eyes. North was openly crying as Sonic wiped his tears away. Alan, like a proud father, looked at the two men, gently embracing Jeff around the waist.

Kim, crying with happiness, responded with a loud "Yes!" as he fell into his fiancé's arms.

The pack joined in the hug, shouting congratulations and crying with happiness.

Willy realized that family doesn't end with blood. And here, among people who were once strangers, he feels at peace and secure. He is happy for all the members of his extended family and breathes freely.

There are no constraints, only love and safety.