Santa's Deliveries (l.s)

v 2.2

Louis keeps his eyes on the ham that the butler is slicing ever so slowly as his father's eyes stare a hole into his face. Liam is awkwardly chewing on some buttered bread as he does his best to avoid the scrutinizing stare. Louis twirls his fork in his hand, and huffs.

"What're we here for?" The omega cuts to the chase. The triplets are in the corner of the dining room, by the exit, as they're on shift to be Louis' personal guards. The omega knows they are listening, despite their eyes being glued to the ground and hands clasped behind them as if they're statues.

His father uses his napkin to wipe nonexistent crumbs from his mouth, and he clears his throat. "The party is in three months."

"My birthday is in three months." Louis counters. "Yeah, I know."

"I would like to announce a pregnancy." The couple stop what they're doing, and looks at the old man with baffled expressions. The triplets nearly choke, and Harry leaves to get some water. "It's about time you give me some grandchildren. I won't get any younger."

"Yes, well, let's hope you don't get any older either." Louis whispers, and Liam steps on his foot. The omega winces, and clenches his fork and knife. "I've told you before, dad. I have trouble carrying."

"IVF is a great option." The man offers, and smiles. "If I don't have a pregnancy announcement around Christmas, New Years at the latest, then I will be holding off on giving the company to you."

"Mr. Tomlinson." Liam interjects. "All we can do is try."

"Your heat is coming up." He points his fork at Louis, and the omega stiffens. "I expect you two to spend it together. Pregnancy rate doubles during that time."

In all the years the two have been together, their mating cycles have never been spent together. Louis gives Liam an uneasy look, and watches Edward and Marcel leave. He tosses his napkin onto the table, and leaves without properly excusing himself.

"One minute, please. It's a... sensitive topic." Liam tries to rebound, and hurries after the omega. He grabs Louis' arm, and stops him from leaving the house. "Calm down!"

"Excuse you!?" The omega shoves him, but it does nothing. "You, and I both know spending my heat together isn't happening."

"No offense, but I'd rather cut my knot off than force my friend to get pregnant." At his statement, Louis crosses his arms and pouts. "Who do you plan to spend it with, anyway?"

Louis side-eyes him, and huffs. "By myself, of course."

Both knew it was a lie. Like Liam, Louis rents a penthouse for two weeks during his heat and he uses it to fuck three alphas. Liam knows it, but neither have ever confronted each other about their affairs. It keeps things simple, and makes it easier to fake their relationship.

"Well, what do we do?" The alpha crosses his arms now.

"Do what I should've done a long time ago." Louis stands straight. "Fake a doctor's note, and say I'm infertile."

"Lou, that's not funny."

"I'm not joking." Louis glares at him. "I am not having my uterus held hostage for a damn title of a company that doesn't even want me in it."

They leave early, and sit in silence in the back of the car as Marcel drives them home. The youngest triplet keeps eying Louis through the rear view mirror, but Louis ignores his stare in favor of ducking his head and looking out the window. When they get home, Louis is the first to go inside which leaves the alphas to themselves. As Liam counts and hands Marcel enough money to count as three individual tips, the youngest triplet gets the courage to break the ice.

"So," he mumbles, "children?"

Liam stares at him for a seconds. He opens his mouth, but nothing comes out as his mind tries to work out an answer. He looks at the closed front door where Louis entered, and cocks his head to the side.

"Yeah," he mumbles, still thinking he has to keep the lie up in front of the triplets, "I guess we'll be trying for pups."

Marcel's expression isn't readable, but Liam bids him good night not long after answering. As Marcel drives away, towards his home where his angry brothers wait for him, he thinks about what the current development meant for their affair with Louis.

The next week, Louis's spending his Monday morning mixed in the sheets with his lovers. He's squished between Harry, and Marcel with Edward underneath the covers snuggling his midsection. The birds outside wake him up, just at the crack of dawn, and the omega decides to sneak his way out of bed to make breakfast.

As he's stirring the pancake mix, he hears the heavy and slow steps of the middle alpha and smiles. "Morning!"

Harry scratches his stomach, and snuggles the omega's back as a greeting. Louis cooks the entire morning with a six-foot man attached to him, and thanks the heavens that he finishes making breakfast before the second two come down.

"Go get dressed." Edward tugs on one of Harry's curls. As soon as he lets Louis go, the oldest alpha gets his opportunity to greet the omega. He ruffles Louis' hair, and nips his ear softly and playfully. "Morning."

Louis looks him as he sets the plates, and hums at his outfit. "Where are you going, dressed in a suit?"

He looks at Marcel to find him also wearing something nice, and raises an eyebrow. The youngest alpha kisses his forehead, and sits down to eat. "We dress nice every time we work."

"Yeah, but you aren't working today." The omega squints his eyes, and puts a hand on his hip while pointing at plate at them. "Spill."

"Mom's set up another marriage meeting." Louis nearly drops the plate, but Edward catches it. "Relax."

"What do you mean, 'relax'?" I can't relax!" Louis sits, and crosses his arms. "You don't usually meet her picks. Why this one?"

Marcel shrugs. "I mean, we aren't technically meeting. Our families are with us. The official meeting would be just us."

"Are you going to do the official meeting?" Edward puts syrup on his pancakes, and looks at Louis to see the omega nervously watching them.

"Why? Does the wife not want his side pieces leaving him?" He mumbles. Marcel kicks his leg from underneath the table, and Louis clenches his mouth shut before standing.

"Do what you want." He goes to the bedroom to get his things.