Archive of Our Own

Their first, Hazel, was an accident. Understatement. Not unwanted, never unwanted, but most definitely a surprise, considering the circumstances in which she was conceived. A sudden heat, in the worst possible timing when they were supposed to be saving the world, and also when Mike was sort of in a relationship with Will's sister. And they were seventeen.

Their second, Harper, was also an accident. Mike's twenty-first birthday came with a big present nine months after the fact. They had been so careful up to that point, with the full knowledge that they could not handle more than the one child they already had while they were college students. They juggled through different forms of birth control until one drunken night of celebration blasted a hole in their perfect record. Will had woken up the morning of April 8th with a horrible hangover, a splitting headache, and dry cum on his thighs. His memory, as it turned out, was perfectly clear and he could recall in extreme detail all the moments they fucked up. He got an UTI and a few weeks after, a positive pregnancy test.

Their third, Holden, was not an accident. He was very much planned. They already had two, what was one more? Seeing Max holding baby Peter against her chest moved something in Will, who up to that point had sworn up and down he was never getting pregnant again after living through the terrible twos in double. That day at the hospital changed that perspective, and he came home with tears stinging his eyes and a sense of longing that he hadn't felt in eight years. And Mike, he must have felt something when he saw the scene with Peter, too, because when Will admitted on the spot to wanting another one, Mike said he wanted the same. It didn't take long before Will was pregnant with their third baby.

And their fourth, Harlow…yeah, also an accident. A broken condom had turned a very steamy night into something that would cause a divorce for most couples. They were very lucky that they weren't most couples. Mike had suggested Plan B right away, but Will rejected the idea. If he was pregnant, then so be it. The fight that followed wasn't pretty, Mike thought Will was risking his life, while Will refused to even contemplate taking something to expel what he and Mike could have created. And they had. He missed his heat, and the pregnancy test came positive. It ended up being Will's easiest pregnancy of the four.

Hazel
Born July 29th, 1988

When given the chance to leave the makeshift hospital Dr. Owens had set up for him in Hawkins lab, a day after the birth, Will jumped at the chance. There weren't enough words in the English language to encapsulate just how much he hated hospitals, after everything he'd been through. He didn't want to stay another second under those white abnormal lights, and he didn't want that for his baby either. Besides, the birth had been a quick and swift thing, he had zero complications and Hazel was in perfect condition. Strong lungs, ten fingers and ten toes, a little small but not concerning at all, considering she had been a male omega pregnancy.

He did take the time to thank Dr. Owens, though, since he'd always gone the extra mile for them. "She might be a little fussy tonight, but it's normal," Dr. Owens warned them and waved his goodbye with promises to come back for checkups for Will and the baby. He cradled his baby to his chest and had Mike whisk them out as fast as he could. The pack followed behind them like personal guards, who in turn were flanked by their parents and siblings. A caravan made its way to the Wheeler house. It was a slow ride to soothe Will's nerves, who didn't take his eyes off the baby seat next to him. He kept one hand hovering over Hazel's chest, feeling it rise and fall, and the other intertwined with Mike's.

Everything was just so smooth — the car ride, getting Hazel out of the car seat into the house, feeding her at the right time, getting her changed into a pink little outfit so Jonathan and Karen could get all their photos. All of that without a single minor complication.

So why the hell why she crying like she was getting murdered that same night? Will had no clue. All he could do was sit in their nest with her wailing in his arms, shushing her and humming and trying to feed her or burp her but nothing worked. Mike took her, and started walking around in circles hoping that would work, but she only got louder. Together they checked if she needed changing, but she was clean. She was crying so hard, she was completely red in the face and now that sent Will into a panic, which then sent Mike into a panic.

His mom and Hopper were upstairs in the Wheeler guest room, as they were staying for a couple of nights to be near Will. Karen, too, would be helpful considering she had had three babies. The thing was, Will had set clear boundaries during his pregnancy with every single person outside his pack and heaven knew he had been icy to Karen at best the entirety of it. He cringed when he remembered the inexplicable animosity he felt towards her while carrying Hazel. He had insisted he and Mike could and would do this without their fussing, without their opinions and if they didn't like that, then without their help. Going up and asking for help now seemed to contradict his resolution on that.

So he closed his eyes, focused on the cries of his pup and tapped into something deep within him that he only felt when he was fully embracing his designation, except this was the first time he was seeking it on purpose. It felt oddly reminiscent to the time he tapped into the hivemind to siphon Henry's abilities, but he pushed the thought aside. He had his baby to care for.

"Give her to me," he told Mike in a voice that almost didn't seem his own. Mike froze and stared as Will unbuttoned the top of his sleep shirt, baring his throat, collarbones and chest.

"Will?"

"I need Hazel with me, now."

Mike handed Hazel over carefully. They were still paranoid about not holding her or supporting her head right or dropping her. Will was acting on pure instinct now, the baby screaming in his ear making him even more in tune with his nature, and he shifted her so she could be tucked right on the juncture of his shoulder and neck, close to his scent gland. She didn't stop crying, but she did quiet a little. He still smelled a little like a thunderstorm, but the petrichor was coming back and growing more prevalent by the hour.

"Scent her blanket, the one in her cradle. And come back to the nest quick."

Mike tripped in his haste to get the blaket, cursing like a sailor all the way back. He clambered back into the nest, looking exhausted and confused but eager to help. He rubbed the blanket over his neck and pressed his wrists into it until it was drenched in cypress. Will instructed him to lay it down and he prepared himself to separate Hazel from his scent, knowing full well it would make her wail again.

She screamed louder than she had before, and Will wouldn't be surprised if the entire house was awake after this whole ordeal. He swaddled Hazel as quickly as he could without making mistakes, tucking all the corners, and she continued crying through it all. Once engulfed in Mike's scent and returned to the safe space of Will's shoulder, her cries became sniffles.

"I think she misses me," he told Mike in a hushed voice. But that wasn't quite right. "She misses the womb."

"Oh," Mike let out. He rested his open palm on her back and it almost covered all of her. "She's sad."

"More like inconsolable."

Mike leaned forward to kiss her head, dusted with small tufts of black hair. All those months Will carried her and she took completely after Mike. She had calmed down but tears still flowed from her eyes like a faucet. They had to feed her again soon, her bottles were ready and disinfected and they still had to survive the entire night, but if she kept crying every time he pulled her away, none of those things were happening.

By some miracle, Hazel fell asleep after another half hour of soft cries, which gave them the perfect window for Mike to jump into action and prepare her bottle and Will to feed her as she slept. She blinked awake in the middle of her bottle and for a terrifying moment Will thought she'd go back to her screams, but she must have been hungry. After, while burping her, she started crying again and it became a vicious cycle in which she was a terror. Will comforted her with his scent and hummed lullabies to her while Mike hovered over the two of them and provided his own comfort to Will, and then she fell asleep due to exhaustion. Then repeat.

When morning rolled around, Hazel had finally stopped crying every ten minutes and was actually out, but both Mike and Will hadn't slept a wink and on more than one occasion had given in to their own tears of frustration. The basement door creaked open, and Will clutched Hazel tighter to his chest.

"Not a good time," Mike snapped at the person descending the stairs, who turned out to Karen.

"Shush, Michael. I'm checking in."

"Mom, we talked about this!" He covered both Will and Hazel with another blanket he found thrown about in their nest, mostly to cover up Will, who was still a little exposed to keep Hazel pressed to his neck and chest, the only place she wanted to be. A few hours ago, Will would have loved Mike jumping to their defense and throwing out whoever came down here. At six in the morning, after a restless night and his ears ringing from having a baby crying into the night, he was feeling a lot kinder.

"It's okay, Mike." He nodded at Karen and she came closer. "It was a long night. She only now settled."

"Mhm. First night home is always rough."

"Owens said 'fussy'. This was not fussy," Mike grumbled next to him.

His mom then made her way into the basement, the absolute pity on her face making him want to wince at the thought of how bad he and Mike must have looked.

"Oh, baby," his mom said softly. "You should have let us help." Will fought against the immediate bristling reaction when anyone said he or Mike needed help with their daughter, because as annoying as it was, they were right. He and Mike definitely couldn't do this alone, he was realizing this now. Instead, he told himself that they actually did it. As hard as it was, they had made it through the night and Hazel was now sleeping, fed and clean. Without help. Just pure instinct and persistence.

"Let us take her for a couple of hours," Karen offered, tentative and meek, as if afraid she'd be rebuked immediately. When that didn't happen she continued. "You two should rest."

"You're doing great! Reading all those books sure prepared you," his mom encouraged him and she motioned at how Hazel was bundled right against his scent gland, resting over his bare chest. Will smiled to himself.

"Books didn't mention this. I figured it out all on my own."

"And that's great. But you need to rest, baby. For Hazel. Let us take her."

After a minute of contemplation, Will conceded. Passing Hazel off to Mike, who gave him a look to confirm this was fine and then Hazel was placed in the arms of Karen. Both grandmas cooed over the baby and reassured them that everything would be fine, they would be right upstairs and Hazel would be back with them in just a couple of hours.

Their daughter stayed mercifully quiet through it all and Will breathed a sigh of relief when that basement door closed. God, he needed to sleep for days on end, but he would never again have that luxury so he'd take the couple of hours they had. He cuddled up to Mike, and was asleep in seconds.

Harper
Born December 30th, 1992

Will woke up to the sounds of Mike retching in their hotel bathroom and put a pillow over his head to block out the noise and the light. It was a miracle, one he was very grateful for, that he wasn't in his own vomiting session. Mike had turned twenty-one yesterday, and Will had been twenty-one for two weeks already, but he decided to wait for Mike's birthday so they could both get wasted. They had dropped Hazel off in Montauk with Will's parents before heading to New York, where they had booked a fancy hotel for the occasion.

They went clubbing, something Max highly recommended and that should have been Will's first warning sign. He made a note to never again listen to Max and what she considered fun. It had been fun in the moment, dancing and doing shots and making out in a dark corner and then in the elevator on their way up to their room. What happened when they finally got the door to open had been even better.

The memory electrocuted Will into full awakeness. He launched the pillow off his head and sat up in a panic, which was not the best idea. Nausea said good morning and he had to hold his breath until it went away or he would puke all over the carpet. Once that was controlled, he yanked the covers off him and looked down and yep, there it was. Flaky remains of cum on his thighs and a stain right underneath confirmed what Will remembered happened. He remembered everything, actually. It had been crazy good sex. So good that, while pinned against the massive headboard, he had told Mike to come inside him. He had moved his hips in the way that drove Mike crazy, and he got his wish. His drunk, stupid wish.

Mike stumbled back into the bedroom looking like death and threw himself next to Will.

"Angel, I'll die," he said but it sounded muffled from how he had faceplanted into the pillows. Will was going to give him another reason to think death was close.

"Mike?"

"Are you dying too?"

Yes, he was. He was just as hungover and maybe even pregnant. He wanted to be eloquent, he wanted to think past the splitting headache, the taste of tequila mixing with vodka and God knew what else coating his tongue and throat and how gross he felt overall. But the shock of it had fried his brain and he could only manage a few words at a time.

"We had sex."

"It was great, baby."

"Without a condom."

Silence. For a good minute, he thought maybe Mike went back to sleep but then he shot up with wide eyes and said, "Shit."

"Shit," Will nodded. He should move, he should go have a shower and deal with this. The problem was, he didn't know how to deal with this. Last time, with Hazel, they had been too stressed, distracted and dumb to realize what the consequences would be. Now there was striking clarity of what could happen, it was something they actively avoided for years. They had been so careful after Hazel, experimenting with every form of birth control known to man and most of it was a cycle. Will got sick pretty quick on the pills and patches, so they used that for a limited time, then they switched to condoms and the old but trusty pull out.

This was the first time in almost three years that they had sex unprotected. Or well, unprotected like this.

"Okay, okay," Mike said to himself more than to Will. "Okay."

"Say something else!"

"Okay!"

"Mike!"

"I'm sorry."

That only made Will feel worse. He also was responsible for this, he asked for it. So he scooted closer to Mike and bared his throat to him, the mating mark on full display. Mike thumbed at it with a faraway look.

"I don't want you to be sorry. Say anything but sorry or okay."

"Well, you're not even in heat. Hazel, she was an obvious one. I bet nothing happened this time."

Will wasn't so sure, though. He could feel it in his bones that something had indeed happened, and he was right. Two weeks later, agonizing weeks of anxiety, Will bought a pregnancy test, no Robin needed this time. He was at least relieved the ones they had available now were a lot more convinient than the one he took in 1987. Ten minutes later, the test came back positive and not happy with that, he dragged Mike with him to the hospital so he could hold his hand while they drew blood for a quantitative pregnancy test, their final confirmation. Pregnant. Undeniably so.

The call to Dr. Owens came right after and they had to explain, red in the face like they were still teenagers, that it had been an accident. There was no need for a secret makeshift hospital anymore. While male omegas were still rare, and even more so pregnant ones, there was no reason Will should hide anymore since they no longer lived in Hawkins. He still insisted on Dr. Owens being the one to overtake the pregnancy, as he had an inherent mistrust of doctors so he liked to stick to what he knew, and Dr. Owens had a weak spot for him. The appointment was set for two months later and there was nothing they could do but wait.

And they talked, of course. This baby was coming into their lives, ready or not, so they had to flesh it all out.

They were both still in college and Will was only halfway through because he took a sabbatical to look after Hazel until they felt comfortable sending her off to daycare. They had mastered a perfect schedule between Hazel's daycare hours and an intercalation between Will's classes and Mike's. They had a good place, a three bedroom apartment that they rented (they didn't feel ready to buy) with the interest earnings from Mike's government hush money, along with their needed life necessities. Will's money was kept untouched, since it was a larger payout and the investment interest was slightly higher.

They didn't have to worry about money or space, as the third bedroom that served as Will's art studio could become a nursery, and Hazel would have a baby brother or sister. Their family would grow. But Will had no idea how they would manage the time, how they would survive college and a toddler with a newborn baby screaming into the night. He wasn't even sure how he'd manage with this pregnancy.

When the fourth week went by, he started getting violently sick and he was becoming way too accustomed with the bathroom floor. A lot earlier than with Hazel. He thought that knowing what to expect would make the symptoms easier but he didn't remember it being this bad before. Mike was by his side for almost all of it, despite Will's protests and attempts to get him an out.

When the day arrived for the checkup, they met up with Dr. Owens at the hospital he said he'd get clearance at and went through the usual steps. He got changed into that flimsy hospital gown, got on the table and put his feet in the stirrups and stared at the ceiling for almost the entirety of the procedure, only replying to direct questions. Pregnant or not, he hated these pelvic exams and that he'd have to subject himself to it for all his life. The only person he truly ever wanted between his legs was Mike, but here he was, speculum stuck all up in there.

"Everything looks right! It seems you're just very fertile, Will. It's a good thing," Dr. Owens told him kindly. He warned them to listen up because prenatal care had changed slightly, and they left with a check up schedule and prenatal vitamins.

He'd been wearing scent patches around the pack for the last weeks and limiting time around them, something that pained him deep in his soul. They had agreed to meet up today and they'd tell the pack then and he'd be free to go about without hiding his scent, which once again had shifted into a thunderstorm. The effect it had on Mike was noticeable, he was getting clingy and always found reasons to crowd Will and press his nose to his throat. Not clingier than when Will had his heats, or when he was going through a rut. It was just different. A lot more protective.

They always hosted, it wasn't even a question. The pack knew to show up at their place. It was just logical, with Hazel's strict meal and bedtime schedule, for everything to happen at Will and Mike's. And they always ordered takeout. Will hoped and prayed that the smell of Chinese food didn't set him off, as it would give it away so quick and they really, really wanted to say it out loud.

He was in luck and the food was fine, but he still ate little. The nerves had squashed down any sense of hunger he had.

"I need to tell you something," Dustin said suddenly, interrupting the current argument between Mike and Max. "Do you guys remember Suzie?"

"Yes," Mike and Will said in unison. How could they ever forget Suzie.

"Well, she wrote to me a few weeks ago. Turns out she's out of the Mormon church and she's moving out here for her master's — yes, master's already, I told you she's a genius, Lucas! — and we got to talking again and we're dating again! In the same city now. Surprise!"

The room exploded in cheers and congratulations. Max moved her chair right next to Dustin to grill him and while Lucas and Mike stayed in their places, they also went in on the questioning of how long it had been going on. None of them noticed Will hadn't said a thing, none of them noticed the tears that brimmed his eyes until a loud sob escaped him.

"Will?" Dustin stared at him with wide eyes. He was out of his chair and by Will's side in seconds, holding his shaking hands.

"I'm just," he blubbered, trying to get the words out through his sobs. "So happy for you. That you'll—" But he never finished the sentence. He dissolved into tears, bawling in Dustin's arms like some tragedy happened instead of this happy news.

"Holy shit," Dustin said in awe.

"So, uh, we have news of our own," Mike started.

"You're pregnant again?!"

"Max!"

"It's so obvious, look at him!"

Will was still crying, and Dustin pulled away so Mike could take over. He didn't trust himself to speak, so instead he plucked the patch from his scent gland, and the smell of thunder invaded the room.

"Wait, can I tell Suzie about this? She loves babies!"

Harper was born late at night on December 30th, 1992. Mike named her, saying that it had a nice ring to it, and it went great with Hazel. Will absolutely loved the name the minute it was out of his mate's lips.

Mike and Will rang the new year with a small peck on the lips in their hospital room, with their newborn baby in Will's arms, and Hazel fast asleep by his side.

Holden
Born October 31st, 1996

Time seemed to not be the same in a hospital waiting room as the outside world. Max had gone into labor ages ago, but every time they asked what was happening, why was it taking so long, the nurses would just tell them only a few minutes had gone by since the last time they asked. He was lucky he brought enough toys and distractions for Hazel and Harper, but he was sure they wouldn't keep this well behaved for much longer.

Hazel had Dustin trapped playing with her Barbies while Mike helped Harper color a picture for Max. Suzie, officially part of the pack now, was engrossed in one of the several books she brought with her for the wait. And Will was on the verge of losing his mind. Having experienced two births and now on the other side waiting until someone came to them with news, it was wrecking his nerves. He'll apologize to Max later for never considering how stressful it was out here.

The door banged open and out came Lucas with the biggest smile he'd ever seen on him.

"We have a baby boy!"

He was the closest to Lucas, so he was the first to reach him to envelop him in a crushing hug that soon became a group hug.

"It's a boy, it's a boy!" Dustin repeated over and over. Max and Lucas decided on letting it be a surprise, and Dustin made it a bet, of course he did, and one that he had just won.

"When can we go in?" Mike asked him, crouching to pick up Harper and sit her on his shoulder. Hazel remained uninterested, playing with her Barbies.

"It'll be a while, but she's asking for Will."

He pushed away from Lucas and walked in the direction of Max's room. A nurse tried to stop him, even with Lucas saying loudly that it was fine, and no omega would ever take that well. He snapped at her, teeth bared and made his way into the room. Lucas followed right behind and ran to Max's side.

Her hair was a mess of curls hastily thrown together in a bun, her face was still a little shiny with sweat and she was very pale. She looked exhausted, like she won a battle. It was her best and worst look altogether. As a female omega she was able to breastfeed, so the baby was suckling away.

She was crying when he came in, but when she saw him it was waterworks.

"I'm here, Max." He walked to her other side, opposite to Lucas, and stroked her hair. "You did it, he's here."

"I miss my mom."

Birth was extremely emotional for omegas. The pain heightened everything, sensations and feelings and memories. It could bring back the best and worst moments to the front of your mind and after it left you confused and achy. It made sense that Max had been sent to the place that was a sore spot — her mom. After Hawkins, after the entire pack decided to move on to Boston, Susan slowly faded away from Max's life. Calls went from once a week, to once a month, to none at all. She'd been checked out long before they even left the town, but distance had completely severed the connection. Max put up an unbothered front, saying she wasn't the greatest mother anyway so it was to be expected, but of course it hurt her.

Still, it was preferable that Max thought about her mom than the alternative. Than all the time Henry had her locked, running and hiding in the warped corners of his mind. But of course that was a thought that Will kept to himself.

"I know," he told her in a soothing voice. "Want to clean up before the rest of the pack comes in? You didn't let the nurses do their job, did you?" Max grumbled at him but motioned for him to go ahead. He started with her hair while the baby still fed, untangling the wild red curls and putting it up in a ponytail, like he did with Hazel every morning. (Harper's hair was a different story, that was Mike's responsibility.) His eyes kept going to the baby though, and her smile as she watched him fall asleep mid-feeding. Something tugged deep in his belly.

Lucas took the baby so that Will could help her clean the sweat off her face and body with a washcloth and change into fresh clothes. The whole time, she sniffled, fighting back tears that on an occasion or two did slip out. He had his mom for both births to help with this, and he did let the nurses do most of the job before his mom took over. Max only had him to fall back on with this. Lucas was charged with burping the baby and not letting him out of his sight.

"It's okay, Max, we're here," he whispered as he finished buttoning her silk pajama shirt. As soon as she was settled back down, Lucas returned the baby into her arms and went to call the pack in to meet Peter. That left Max and Will all by themselves in the room, looking on as Peter slept. The more time passed, the more intense the feeling inside of him grew. Something that was very dangerous.

Later, when he saw Mike take the baby into his arms with perfect ease, the feeling snapped into full power. It was a desire, it was a yearning, something dormant that awakened by the sight of Mike holding and cooing at a baby.

For everyone else, he did a perfect job at hiding it. For Mike, there was obviously something going on. That very same night, with Hazel and Harper tucked away and fast asleep after such an exciting day meeting their cousing, Mike decided to touch on the subject.

"You were tense today," Mike said while washing the last of the dirty dishes.

Will hummed. He was expecting it, to be completely honest. They were mates, they knew each other better the back of their hands, noticed things that to others looked nothing out of the ordinary.

"First time being on the other side," was all he said.

"And?"

"And nothing, Mike. It was just, I don't know, weird."

Now it was Mike who hummed. The silence stretched in the kitchen, like a balloon filled with air, ready to explode.

"I think I want another," Will confessed, eyes on the countertop he had been aggressively wiping for the last five minutes. He shouldn't want to, but he did. And it made sense. They were about to be twenty-five soon and both were out of college, as hard as that had been with their two girls. Mike's short stories were getting picked up and Will went to art fairs every now and then where his paintings were actually sold. Not that they ever had to worry about money, their trauma had paid them well enough and it was racking up interest monthly. They were even thinking about going full out and buying a house.

He was prepared to stand his ground, to justify his baby fever, and give Mike all his reasons why it would actually be a great idea.

He didn't need to.

"I think I also want that." He raised his eyes and saw Mike leaning on the counter and looking at him with a soft smile. "What was it for you?"

"Seeing Max with baby started it, but you holding it made it real. You?"

"A bit of everything." He walked around the counter to pull Will into his arms. "So what do you say? Should we start trying today?" Mike's hands slid down his back to squeeze his ass.

"I thought I'd have to convince you," Will admitted smiling up at his mate and looping his arms around his neck. "I thought we'd spend ages talking about it until it happened."

"Well, you want it, and I want it. What's stopping us?"

Since his first pregnancy, the oddity of his absent heat cycle went away and he had been getting steady heats every three months. By his estimation, he should get his next heat within the week but as Mike said, there was nothing stopping them. And maybe Dr. Owens was right and Will was just very fertile, because the heat never came. What did come though, were the most violent pregnancy symptoms he had yet experienced.

He had always found the term 'morning sickness' a bit iffy, since it wasn't restricted to that time of the day, but this time around it was taking a real toll. He just got so sick, around the clock, he could barely eat and what little he did manage just came back up. And it wasn't just the vomiting and nausea, and he could not recall having this bad his last two pregnancies. He was tired, exhausted really, and when he wasn't sleeping then the dizziness got him, the fatigue was beyond this world and his head constantly felt like it would crack open.

Mike was losing his mind over it. He called Owens on week five and demanded an early appointment, telling him in no uncertain terms that they would not wait until week ten like last time. Owens agreed hastily when Mike finished his rant and said he'd fly over the next day. No anomalies were found and according to Owens, some pregnancies just were different. He prescribed medicine and supplements to lower the impact and told them that there was hope for it to pass after the first trimester.

It did not pass. If anything, it got worse. He could barely get out of bed and unlike Hazel and Harper, pregnancies that did not show until the sixth month, his belly was huge and it looked odd on his slim frame. At least they finally had an answer on why this pregnancy was so difficult.

An ultrasound revealed that it was a big baby, bigger than the standard and definitely too big for a male omega body. It explained why this was Will's worst pregnancy, why he was bedbound in his nest since the five month mark, attempting absolute rest. Mike took over the girls, and they often migrated to Will's side to cuddle. They touched his belly and talked to their brother. They were having a baby boy, also confirmed by the ultrasound.

Aside from the physical strain on his body, mentally and emotionally the pregnancy wrecks him. Not being able to take care of his daughters or mate made him anxious. He also felt useless. They had indeed bought a house in the first weeks of his pregnancy, but he was unable to help at all during moving. It was Mike, Lucas and Dustin and Suzie doing the work, Jonathan and Hopper too made the trip to help. Even Max, with a two month baby was able to do stuff.

At least he was allowed to build his nest, which he did so around their bed like always.

On Halloween morning, Mike marched the girls to the nest to show off their costumes before heading to school and they were happy to show off. Hazel was the Pink Power Ranger and Harper was Belle. It certainly was a match to their personalities. Will acted like he was surprised and had no clue they would dress up.

"Alright," Mike said after they each had kissed Will's cheeks and belly goodbye. "I'll be right back, love. Need anything?"

"Kiss," Will said and puckered his lips so he got one from Mike too. He considered it to be breakfast, since he couldn't bear the thought of food today.

Mike came back with a mountain of rented movies, and the first to go in the VHS was The Addams Family. Will really enjoyed having a TV in their bedroom, it meant he didn't have to die of boredom during his imposed medical rest.

Everything was going so well until about halfway through the movie. He felt a sharp pain, low on his belly and strong enough that he let out a sound.

"Will?"

He opened his mouth to tell Mike it was fine, it probably was just Braxton Hicks but then he felt it again. He'd been pregnant twice before and he knew, he knew that was not Braxton Hicks. He tried to regulate his breathing but it happened a third time.

"Something's wrong," Will heaved out before he doubled down in pain and this time he let out a scream. Mike had him in his arms and out of the house on the way to the hospital, frantically calling Dr. Owens in the car. It was a blur for Will, time went by too soon and too fast. The pain got worse and worse and he sobbed through the pain, through the worry. It wasn't time, the baby wasn't due yet. Hazel and Harper had both been delivered to term.

Dr. Owens had thankfully made base in Boston for this pregnancy, a precaution due to the difficult pregnancy. He was waiting at the hospital entrance, high alert and a full team behind him. He took one look at him, writhing in pain and bleeding, and ordered to get ready for surgery. It was too risky for Will to try and go through labor.

While they were getting him ready, a delirious Will tried telling Mike that he loved him no matter what, he wanted him to tell their babies they were so loved, but Mike shut him up with a look of anger and nothing else. They let Mike stay next to him for the C-section, and without the pain, there was only fear that only partly went away when he heard his baby cry. They briefly showed him to Will before taking him to the side of the room for testing and clean up.

"Go to him," he pleaded to Mike, who visibly struggled before making his way to the nurses who had their baby. Dr. Owens had a permanent frown on his face that could be seen even through the surgical mask and he continued working on Will until all was good.

Holden was born the afternoon of October 31st, 1996. He was indeed a big baby, but completely healthy and beautiful. Mike named him, another literature name that also went nicely with Hazel and Harper.

Will was a little beat up, the C-section recovery was brutal and his hopes of being able to be up and running after the pregnancy were dashed. Mike had waited for the right time and place to tell him he'd scared him, that for a good minute he'd talked as if he wasn't sure he'd survive, and Will really thought it was a possibility if Mike hadn't reacted as swiftly as he had and broken a dozen transit laws to get him to the hospital in record time and if Owens hadn't acted so fast upon seeing the state he was in.

Will cried as he apologized, and told Mike that maybe they were good with three.

"We're good with three," Mike agreed.

Harlow
Born February 10th, 2002

Ever since they both turned thirty, their sex life was the best it had ever been. They experimented with new stuff, but they were creatures of habit and most of the time they ended up doing what they enjoyed most. Filthy sex, the kind that left Will sore all over but aching for more until they both all but passed out. They'd always been intense like that. Intense with their feelings, intense in their fights, intense in their parenting. It only made sense it translated to sex through their many years together.

Will was sure that they reason they were a lot more active and thriving was that he dropped the birth control pills that once again were messing with his body and his mood. Condoms worked just as well, and they'd been doing it with condoms for years when he took birth control breaks and it had been fine.

It was just what they needed actually. Will was never again going back on pills if it means he got to be this horny again out of his heat window. He loved it like this, when Mike took him from behind, pinching and slapping his ass and pulling his hair. He liked it when he was mean in bed, and Mike liked that Will was so into it. It made him cum hard. Grunting, he pinned Will's head to the pillow, already knowing Will was about to get loud, and fucked him through both of their orgasms.

When he pulled out, Will frowned. He had been really wet but he wasn't in heat for it to feel like this. He reached down to touch between his legs and his fingers came back white with cum. Beside him, Mike let out a curse. In his hand, he held a ruined condom. A ruined and clearly torn condom.

Instead of freaking out, Mike kissed his head and got up to throw it away and started to pull on clothes.

"What are you doing?" Will asked perplexed.

"I'm going to go buy a Plan B. I'll be back and give you a massage then, okay? You still get your aftercare." Mike winked at him but Will just raised his brow.

"No."

"No to the massage?" Mike frowned at him like something wasn't matching up.

"No to the morning after pill, Mike."

"You…saw that the condom broke, right?" He fiddled with the sweater he was going to put on before Will told him no.

"I'm still not taking the pill," Will told him and hoped he could tell from his tone that he was so damn serious. "It's new, Mike, it's only been in the market for two years. I don't trust it. We agreed, no chemicals. I'm not putting myself through it." He stood from the bed and walked to their ensuite bathroom to clean up. He winced, a trail of cum smeared his thighs as he walked. Mike followed him to the bathroom.

"But you prefer through another pregnancy? We agreed," Mike threw back at him. "We're good with three."

He ran a finger across his C-section scar. That along with the burn scar on his hip marred his otherwise perfect body, the body he worked so hard to get back and keep after his three pregnancies.

"Yes, we agreed on that. But between a baby and pumping my body full of chemicals, I'd choose ten more babies."

"Ten—are you even listening to yourself right now? You almost died!" Okay, so now Mike was freaking out.

"Oh, please," Will scoffed while he turned the shower on. "Actual monsters have tried to kill me, Michael. A baby was never going to kill me." He could see in Mike's face that he still held on to the idea, that Will's words did nothing to ease the situation, but actually made it worse. He took Mike's hands in his. "Listen, I'm old now. I've been on birth control without pause for like five years now and only just got off it. I really doubt I could get pregnant from this."

"We're thirty. That's not old. You know damn well how fertile you are, which is why," Will rolled his eyes and turned his back on Mike so he could walk to the shower. Mike did not stop talking, "You had to go on those pills, Will!"

"Well, I'm not taking one again. End of discussion."

"No. Not end of the discussion, start of discussion actually."

"No."

"Will, you're taking the pill. That's the end of it." The tone made Will stop in his tracks. He wouldn't…he didn't.

"Did you just try to give me a fucking alpha order, Michael Wheeler?"

"And I'll try it again until it works if it makes you take. The. Pill."

"That's too bad. You could force it down my throat and I'd vomit it back up."

Mike walked out and slammed the bathroom door shut. Will just hoped the children hadn't heard that and woken up. He took a long time showering, reflecting on everything that just happened. They hadn't fought like this in a while and as angry as he felt with Mike, the guilt started to rear its head. He put on one of Mike's old baggy T-shirts as a peace sign. He took a deep breath and walked out to the bedroom, where Mike waited for him in the bed, in their nest.

"I'm sorry," Mike was the first to speak. "I shouldn't have tried to alpha order you."

Will nodded his acceptance and sat next to Mike. "I'm sorry I let it get so heated that it pushed you there."

"Can you just see from my perspective? You almost died, Will. I don't care if you like to pretend you didn't also think you'd die on us. You were bleeding out, you were screaming in pain. Dr. Owens took some time operating to stop the bleeding, to get your insides back together."

"I understand why you're worried. But now you try and understand why I hate those pills. They go against my nature, they mess with me. More than just my body. I've been on medication since I'm twelve, Mike, ever since I came back from that place. I'm tired of putting myself through that. It's not Advil or Tylenol, babe. These are pills that alter the very essence of who and what I am."

They didn't say anything after that for a good while, they had already given their two reasonings and now the only thing left was for one of them to give way to the other.

"And if you're pregnant?" Mike asked and Will visibly relaxed. He'd given up on the idea of Plan B.

"I'm not in heat."

"Out of three, only one was a heat baby. Better argument, please." Mike knocked his shoulder to Will's to let him know he was trying to lighten the mood. Will leaned into Mike so he knew he wasn't mad anymore.

"If I did get pregnant just now, then I guess we'll know in a few weeks. And we can come up with a game plan then? Call Dr. Owens out of retirement, make him hella mad at us. Everyone, really."

"God, Hazel will be a nightmare," Mike groaned in annoyance. Her teenage years would not be easy, they were well aware of it. She wasn't easy as a pre-teen, so he feared what was in store for them.

He thumbed at Mike's cheekbone that all his children had inherited and smiled. "And if, and only if, I am pregnant then I need you to trust me, trust that I can handle it. I can do it. I'd do anything for a baby that we created Mike. Anything."

"You're gonna look so hot," Mike said and Will had to swallow the comment that he was already talking as if Will was pregnant.

Suprise, suprise. He really did get pregnant from that one night. And as predicted, Owens had a lot to say about it, and Hazel said twice as much and she only just calmed down when they told her it meant that they would need to move houses, and she'd get a bigger room. It was enough to make her stop talking and dooming, at least. The families were thrilled but shared the same concern as Mike's, but with much effort from Will's side they were talked out of the worry.

The pack made a laughing stock out of them. Beneath the running jokes about them having yet another accident baby, the happiness was palpable and so was the concern for Will's wellbeing, which they knew better not to voice out loud.

It turned out to be Will's easiest pregnancy. Almost no symptoms, he was only sick one month and then never again. His libido skyrocketed, something that Mike was very enthusiastic about and saw to it that Will was fully satisfied, whenever and however many times he wanted it. He had no food aversions, no dizzy spells, no major weight changes or sleep troubles. It was as if he wasn't pregnant at all, except his belly did start showing a little after his fifth month and he had that glow about him. The baby was in perfect condition from what Dr. Owens could tell in all his checkups.

Mike got a vasectomy, ensuring this would be their last baby. It was safe, minimally invasive, took less than thirty minutes and only local anesthesia. Most of all, it was effective and never again would they ever have to worry about birth control. Mike said that wasn't even the best part, it was that he got two days of rest with Will as his personal sexy nurse.

February 10th rolled around and Will's scheduled C-section went without a hitch. For the first time, the nurses didn't take his baby away but gave them to Mike so he could place him on his chest, still all slimy and bloody. Will cried and kissed his little forehead and looked up at Mike with tears running from his eyes. Mike held the baby steady, and helped the nurses clean right there on Will's chest, and he succumbed to the effects of general anesthesia feeling the weight of their youngest child right above his heart.

Harlow was born in the early morning of February 10th, 2002. Will named him, he'd seen the name in the paper and thought it was the prettiest. Since his very first minute on this earth, he demanded the attention of everyone in his surroundings. Feeding him meant Will and Mike could not look anywhere but at him, because he'd drop the bottle nipple and scream his lungs out if they dared.

Will received a hundred red roses on Valentine's Day that year.

On his birthday a month later, they took their first 'family of six' picture, which Harlow would one day post in one of his many, many videos.