#the knee isn’t doing great I’m getting an ultrasound as we’re not quite sure

[questwithambition]

Weekly(ish) update - 18th June 2023

I’ve moved out of my uni accommodation, saying goodbye to the city that has taught me so much after the past five years. So many other goodbyes: friends, lecturers, dance partners and teachers, silent goodbyes to the library and the spot where I always worked. I am glad to be moving forward though, it felt like it was time to move on.

[sequinsmile-x]

Serendipity

This was originally a prompt on here that I promised a follow up to, but got carried away.

The original prompt is in italics, so you can refresh yourselves on what it was!

Words: 3.6k 

Rating: Mature

Read over on ao3, or below the cut. 

Let me know what you think! 

It should never have happened. Emily hadn’t intended for it to, and she knew Aaron hadn’t either. They hadn’t meant to fuck at JJ’s wedding, hidden in Dave’s guest bathroom as Aaron’s girlfriend danced with his son downstairs.

Things shifted between them that night. The dance they had shared, his hand in hers and his breath against her neck had ignited her skin, set something on fire that she had tried to ignore. Emily had tried to walk away, to put some distance between them. Aaron had followed her, knocking softly on the bathroom door when she had been in there a little too long.

Emily wasn’t entirely sure who kissed who first, but she remembered him pressing her up against the counter. How it felt when he pushed her dress over her hips, her own hands not idle as she undid his shirt, wanting to feel his skin against hers.

The aftermath had been awkward, but that hadn’t stopped it from happening again the following day. Him coming to hers for the coffee they had promised each other, ending up on the couch instead, clothes shed and desperate hands palming against each other's skin.

She stiffened when he said he had broken up with Beth, the gentle hope in his voice breaking her heart. Emily still remembered the look on his face when she said she was still going to London, his cheek against her hand.

She had been in London for two months before she called him, lied and said she was in town for a consult. Aaron obviously didn’t believe her, but he came to her hotel room anyway. Emily realises she should have known it would be inevitable, that they would have sex again. She wants him as much as he wants her and she has spent so much of her life denying herself the things she wanted. It isn’t lost on her that this is the first time they have done this in a bed, and she sits up as he gets dressed, the silence in the room deafening. She pulls on one of the robes hung up in the wardrobe, pulling the tie tight around her waist.

“Aaron, we still need to talk.”

He looks at her, his face stern. “Are you staying?”

Emily opens her mouth, unsure how to even begin to answer that question, to say what she needs to say. Aaron takes her hesitance as an answer, shrugging on his jacket as he shakes his head at her.

“I should go.”

“Aaron, please.”

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t leave.” He says, his voice full of defeat and she hates that she's the one that put it there. That she caused the man who she cares for more than she should to feel anything other than happiness. Aaron turns to leave, his hand on the door of her hotel room and a heavy sigh escapes him. “See you next time you’re in town, Emily.”

Emily closes her eyes and wraps her arms around herself, pulling the robe she had put on tighter, as if it could hold her together in the soft material whilst she tells him what she came here to say. What she couldn’t bring herself to tell him on the phone.

“I’m pregnant.”

Aaron turns to look at her. Her eyes are fixed on the floor, her arms crossed tightly across her chest.

“Emily.”

She looks up at him, a small smile on her face. “I think it goes without saying it's yours.” She clears her throat awkwardly when he just stares at her, clearly trying to figure out what to say next. “We should sit down.”

She moves over to one of the armchairs in the corner of the room. She curls up into the chair, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. Emily feels relief ease some of the tension in her chest when he joins her, sitting in the chair next to hers.

“Are you ok?” He asks, and it makes her smile. Any frustration he had aimed at her had melted away, replaced by confusion and something she couldn’t quite place.

“I’m ok.” She answers. “Although morning sickness is the most poorly named thing on the fucking planet.” He laughs at that, and it’s nervous, making her raise an eyebrow at him. “Are you ok?”

He nods. “I think we have a lot of things to discuss.”

“Yeah.” She replies, swallowing against the lump in her throat. “We do.” ____________

The flight back to London is rough. Her constant nausea makes the hours drag by, her desperation to just be on solid ground almost overwhelming her.

She’s never been more grateful to see her apartment, the place still not quite feeling like home yet. She sinks into her couch and groans when her cell phone immediately rings, rolling her eyes when she sees Clyde’s name on the screen before she answers.

“Do you track me or something? I’ve only just made it back.”

“That's for me to know and you to wonder about, darling.” Clyde says, smugness in his voice that made her smile despite herself. “How did our dear Agent Hotchner take the news that he’s going to be a father again.”

“Quite well given the circumstances.” Emily answers, unwilling to divulge anymore of her conversation with Aaron to her friend, knowing if there was one person on the planet he wouldn’t want her to talk to about this it would be Clyde Easter.

“You’re going to go back aren’t you?”

Emily laughs, frustrated that he could read her so well even over the phone. “I don’t really have a choice, do I?”

“You always have a choice.”

“Not now.” She replies. She looks down at her abdomen, still flat with no indication of the life growing underneath her skin showing yet. “I can’t keep the baby from him, or him from the baby. He’s a great dad.”

“You left DC for a reason.”

Emily places her hand on her belly and smiles to herself. “And now I guess I have a reason to go back.” ____________

Aaron visits her a month later. His insistence on coming to London for a long weekend made her laugh. She feels nervous when she picks him up at the airport, but it fades away when she sees him.

It’s strange, having him there in her apartment, like two very distinct worlds were colliding. She liked it though, couldn’t help but smile as he walked around and made himself familiar with where she lived.

“I had a scan this morning.” She says, smiling at him nervously when he turns to look at her, his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Would you like to see the picture?”

“Of course.”

She beams at him as she digs the scan photo out of her purse and hands it to him. “Everything looks good, even if I am a ‘geriatric mother.’’ She said, using air quotes as she spoke.

Aaron has the gall to laugh at her, which makes her raise her eyebrows at him. He steps towards her, ultrasound scan still in hand, and he hugs her. She hugs him back, breathes in the scent of his cologne. She pulls back enough to look at him, and before she can think better of it she leans forward and kisses him. It crosses the delicate line they hadn’t crossed since he had left her hotel room a month ago, still reeling from the life changing news he had told him. They’d been in contact every day since, exchanging texts and phone calls around both of their gruelling work schedules. They’d been acting like friends, nothing more, but her hands grasping the back of his head, pulling him closer to her, changed that.

“Wait.” He says against her lips, pulling away so he could look at her. “Is this a good idea?”

Emily heaves in a breath and licks her lips before looking at his. “Maybe not.” She presses another quick kiss to his lips. “But it’s not like you can knock me up again.”

He stares at her for a second before pulling her back into him, kissing her fiercely as she drags him to her bedroom. ____________

They don’t talk about anything important until the day he leaves, neither of them wanting to ruin the little bubble they had created in her apartment. It’s him that tentatively brings up her plans over the breakfast they had ordered in.

“When are you coming back?”

“In three months.” She says as she takes a sip of her tea. “That’s when my replacement can start here, and when the role at the DC Interpol office opens up.”

Aaron frowns at her. “The DC Interpol office?”

Emily nods. “It’s essentially what I’m doing now.” She senses his confusion and clears her throat as she sets her mug back down. “I was never going to be coming back to the bureau, Aaron.”

“It’s your choice, I just thought you would have mentioned it.”

Emily can feel her temper flaring, annoyance rising up in her before she can stop it. “We’re not in a relationship, Aaron. Just because we fucked a few times and accidentally made a baby doesn’t mean I have to run everything past you.”

He stares at her, a hard look on his face. It seems to take him a moment to speak, and the way he carefully chooses his words pisses her off even more. “Would you even be coming back if it wasn’t for the baby, Emily?”

She looks at him, her fury written all over her face. “No. I wouldn’t be.”

He leaves pretty quickly, claiming he needs to get to the airport even though his flight isn’t for another 12 hours.

____________

After that they speak less often. She updates him on the baby and he asks her how she is, how both of them are doing.

When she starts to show she takes a photo of her bump and sends it to him. The next day a package from Amazon arrives full of pregnancy skin care, a gift note from Aaron that tells her Haley had sworn by the bump cream. The tenderness of the gesture makes her cry, the affection she feels for him almost bursting out of her chest.

She calls him when she finds out they are having a boy, her enthusiasm seeping down the phone and filling his voice with wonder.

As she boards the plane to DC 3 months after she last saw him, all of her belongings shipped, she feels something a little bit like hope bloom in her chest. ____________

Aaron comes to visit her at her apartment almost as soon as she gets back, a smile on his face and a bag of takeout in his hand.

“Hi.” She says, almost shyly as she lets him in.

“Hi.” He kisses her cheek before he thinks about it, pulling her into a hug. He steps back and looks down at her abdomen. “Wow.”

Emily laughs, her hand landing on her belly. “Yeah, he’s getting big.” She takes the bag of food from him. “We should eat.”

They eat and make conversation, and it’s as if 3 months of awkward conversation between them hadn’t happened. He asks her about Sergio, and she says Penelope would be keeping him for now, but that she had full visitation rights.

Aaron clears up the plates, and she rolls her eyes at him as he tells her to put her feet up. She feels the awkwardness seep back in when he sits on the couch next to her, the unanswered questions hanging in the air.

“I’ll get you your own key.” Emily says, tearing her eyes from her lap to look at him. “It makes sense for you to just be able to come over, see the baby whenever.”

He nods, an awkward smile on his face. “I’ll get you one to my place too. Jack keeps asking when you’re coming over.”

“That’s sweet. I missed him.”

“He missed you. We both did.” It’s awkward again for a moment, and she can see the second he decides to simply say whatever he had been holding back for months. “What are we, Emily?”

She sighs. “I don’t know, Aaron.” She grabs his hand and squeezes it. “I care about you. So much. But if we hadn’t had sex at JJ’s wedding we wouldn’t even be here right now. How is that the foundation of a relationship?”

“By itself it might not be, but we have a lot more than that.” He cups her cheek. “We’ve known each other for years. I know I’m not the only one who has felt that there could be more between us.”

Emily closes her eyes and rests her forehead against his. “There is so much more at stake now.” She puts their joint hands on her bump. “We can’t mess anything up for him, or Jack.”

“Don’t we owe it to them, to us, to try?”

She pulls back enough for her nose to brush against his. Emily decides that she’s going to let herself have what she wants. She nods before she kisses him, sighing as they both lean further into it. She breaks off with a laugh when she feels the baby kick against their hands.

Aaron looks down at her stomach in wonder. “He’s kicking?”

She nods at him. “He’s kicking.”

For the first time since the test came back positive she genuinely feels like everything might work out. ____________

By the time she's 8 months pregnant she is spending the vast majority of her time at his apartment, even when he was away on a case, and she tries to ignore what that means. That she’s 2 months into a relationship with a man and practically living with him and his son. Whilst being pregnant with his second son.

Her mother had always told her that she didn’t do anything by half.

Emily is sitting on a park bench, watching Jack play on the swings, with her hand pressed into her belly when she feels it. The familiar feeling of being watched. She feels a shiver run down her spine, goosebumps raising over her body.

Her first instinct is that it’s Ian. All of her logical thoughts that he was dead, that she’d watched him die, being beaten by the anxiety coursing through her. Every reason she had left DC in the first place comes flooding back and she has to take several deep breaths. The feeling doesn’t go away, she looks around the park quickly. She can’t see him, can’t see anyone that looks like they’d be associated with him, but she feels like she needs to leave. Like she needs to get Jack, and her baby, back home as quickly as possible.

She’s about to walk over to Jack, make him leave his friends so she could take him home, when she hears a familiar voice.

“Emily?” She whips round to see Beth standing next to her, an awkward look on her face as she takes in Emily’s appearance. “I saw you from across the park, I thought it was you.”

“Beth. Hi.” She tries to smile. “How have you been?”

“Good.” She nods. She looks at her again, eyes landing on Emily’s bump. The unspoken understanding from the other woman that she was pregnant with Aaron’s child. “You look well.”

Emily’s smile falters. The last time she had seen Beth had been at JJ’s wedding, the night she’d had sex with Aaron when his girfriend was just downstairs. Beth would know that. Emily knew that Aaron was a good enough man to have told her everything when he broke up with her.

“I am really sorry, Beth. For how everything happened.”

Beth laughs and sits on the bench next to her. “That is almost exactly word for word what Aaron said when we got back to his place after JJ and Will’s wedding.” Beth looks over to where Jack is playing and smiles. “I knew something had happened, neither of you were very subtle.”

Emily feels her baby roll in her belly and she presses her hand to it, hoping the gentle circles soothe her son as well as herself.

“I...I guess saying we didn’t mean for it to happen won’t mean much.”

“It doesn’t.” Beth says, a wry smile on her face as she turns back to Emily. “But are you both happy?”

Emily doesn’t even have to think about it. “Yeah. We are.”

“Then maybe it was all worth it.” Beth says as she stands. “I should get going, tell Jack and Aaron I said hi.”

“You should say hi to Jack.”

“It’s ok. I don’t want to confuse him.” Beth smiles at Emily one last time. “Tell Aaron I’m glad he’s happy.” ____________

Aaron gets back to his apartment, the case he had been on two days too long for his liking, to find Emily fast asleep on the couch, wearing one of his shirts and a pair of leggings, with her hand pressed into her stomach. He smiles as he hangs up his keys and sets the alarm, setting his briefcase down on the side. He walks over to the couch and sits on the edge of it, gently waking her. She opens her eyes and looks at him.

“You’re home.” She murmurs, the roughness to her voice giving away that she’s been asleep for a while.

He hums in his throat as he strokes his hand over her head. “Why are you on the couch, you know it doesn’t do your back any good.”

“I was waiting up for you.” She sits up slowly, accepting his help to get her upright. Emily leans against his side as he sits next to her, smiling when he puts one of his palms on her belly and kisses the top of her head. “I missed you.”

“Missed you too.” He tilts her head and kisses her properly, feeling her smile against his lips as the baby rolls in her stomach. “How are you?”

“Good.” Emily answers. “My entire body is sore. But good.”

He hums his sympathy and rubs his hand over her stomach, the baby forever active in a way he knew had caused Emily to lose sleep.

“I’d like to take you on a date.” He says, smiling as Emily pulls back from him, a look of curiosity on her face. “I realised today that I've never taken you on one.”

“Aaron.” She replies, a smile on her face. “I’m 8 months pregnant with your son, I think we’re a little past dating.”

“True, but you have only just agreed to be my girlfriend.” He laughs when she scrunches her nose at him, leaning down to kiss the tip of it. “What?”

“The word ‘girlfriend’ makes it sound like I’m 14, not in my 40s.”

Aaron smiles at her again and kisses her, smiling against her lips. “Well, I’d propose to you so you could call me your fiancée, but I worry that would send you running back to London.”

Emily laughs, kissing him again quickly. “I wouldn’t run away, but I might check if you were feeling ok.” She rests her head against him again. “I saw Beth today.”

He stiffens, his arms tightening around her. “How was that?”

“Awkward.” She answers, turning her head to kiss his shoulder through his shirt. “But she was very nice. Nicer than I might have been in her shoes.”

“I’m glad.” He kisses the top of her head. “What else?”

“What do you mean?”

“What else happened?”

She scoffs. “Can’t keep anything from you.” She sighs. “I could tell someone was watching me, and before Beth came over I thought it was Ian.” He doesn’t say anything, and it spurs her on. “I know he’s dead, that I don’t have to be afraid anymore, but I was for so long.” She feels her emotions rise in her chest, tears flooding at her eyes as she was at the mercy of her hormones. “And I have so much more to lose now.” She wipes her face. “You, Jack. The baby.”

He kisses the top of her head again, then her temple, holding her impossibly tighter. “You aren’t going to lose any of us, sweetheart.” He tilts her chin so he can kiss her properly. “This is it now. Forever.”

She ignores the voice in her head that tells her he can’t promise her that, and she nods.

“If that’s a proposal I’m leaving.” She jokes and it makes him laugh, his forehead pressed against hers.

“Trust me, baby. You’ll know when I’m proposing.” ____________

He takes her on a date the following week. She lets him take her to a restaurant and spoil her, and he doesn’t make any comments when she orders enough food for at least 3 people for herself.

He takes her for ice cream after, going into the store and getting it himself so she doesn’t have to get back out the car, her ankles sore and swollen.

That night they lay in his bed, the one she really knows is theirs, and as he runs his fingers up and down her bare spine she drifts off to sleep.

“I love you.” She whispers into the room, the first time she has said it to him.

She stays awake long enough to hear him say it back. ____________

It should never have happened, but when their son, Benjamin, is born three weeks later Emily is so glad it did.

[kirishwima]

May I have a request a finding out that the MC finds out that they are pregnant with RFA +V, V's is with Lucy?

yes, i love this prompt! however for V, I’d rather have Lucy still be their adopted daughter-changing the way she came to be their child doesn’t sit right with me, I hope that’s okay :)

I’ll use she/her pronouns for MC, but if you’d like me to change them then feel free to let me know <3

YOOSUNG:

* Knowing how much of an over-excited mess he’d become at the news, MC waited patiently for him to be done with work for the day, come back home, take a shower and finally come to flop down on the couch besides her, leaning his head on her shoulder.

* This was their usual routine, finding some time before bed to talk about their day, plans for tomorrow and what not. MC gently ran a hand through Yoosung’s hair, toying with the blonde curls. “So...I’ve got some news” she started, biting at her lip.

* Yoosung hummed, already dozing off on MC’s shoulder, blinking back the sleepingess as MC nudged him off her shoulder. “Baby come on, I think you’ll want to be awake to hear this” she laughed, teasing him as he stifled a yawn.

* “You’re saying there’s something more important than a full 8 hours of sleep?” he asked, fully aware of the irony-how in college he’d go nights without sleeping a minute to game, to the present, where he can’t function properly without a minimum couple hours of sleep before work.

* MC hummed, pretending to think as she tapped a finger to her chin. “Let’s see...would knowing you’re about to become a dad be important enough?” 

* She smiled, raising a brow as she saw the range of emotions running themselves over Yoosung’s face. Shock, confusion, excitedness-his mouth agape, eyes wide and teary. 

* “You-what-we-who-we-baby?!” he jumped off the couch, pointing to MC’s stomach as she bit her cheek to contain her giggles at his over-exaggerated reaction.

* “Yes Yoosung”, she affirmed, nodding down to her own belly, “there’s a baby right there. How...how do you feel about that?” despite the shaky grin on his face MC was still hesitant, worried how Yoosung might feel once this excitement wears off. Sure, they ocassionally discussed future plans, but never to great lengths, and it’s normal to freak out in such a situation and-

* “Are you kidding me?! We-MC we’ll be parents! Omigosh I’m-” he fell to his knees, leaning forward to lean his head into MC’s lap, his hands on her thighs gripping tight. 

* Gingerly he looked up, gently bringing a palm to rest on her lower abdomen. 

* “Hi baby” he whispered, not caring if the baby was old enough to hear him through the womb or not. He’d be sure to study all that later. “I’m-I’m your dad. I can’t wait to meet you buddy...”

* Honestly....both he and MC teared up at that. Neither of them really expected it, but they both couldn’t wait to be parents. 

ZEN:

* MC had taken a pharmacy test that came back negative, but her period was still running late. Confused, she decided to book an appointment to her gynecologist as soon as possible, worried what the implications of this may be. If not pregnancy, then what...?

* Zen had come into the room the moment she’d been on the phone, booking an appointment for the following week. He raised a brow as he heard her, but she simply smiled, holding up a finger as a cue for him to wait a moment.

* “Babe, what’s up? Everything alright?” he asked as soon as she hung up, coming close to wrap his arms around her waist.

* “Mm, yeah just, my period’s late and uhm-” she hesitated, unsure of how to continue. Quite frankly, she wasn’t sure of what was going on either, so how was she to explain it to Zen?

* She felt his grip around her waist tighten, his breath hitching. 

* “Wait-does that mean-could you be...?”

* She turned around to face him, not surprised to find pure glee on his face-they’d discussed their plans for the future before, and they both had agreed they’d wanted to start a family together, just never decided on the when.

* MC smiled, running her fingertips across Zen’s knuckles. “I don’t know. I really don’t, but I guess we’ll find out once I go to the doctor” she shrugged.

* Zen hummed, leaning his head atop her shoulder. “Next week right? Tell me the time, I’ll make sure to make time to come with you.”

* “Wha-Babe you don’t have to-” MC started before Zen cut her off with a quick peck on the lips and a wink as he twisted her around to face him.

* “Shush. Whatever the doctor tells you, I’ll be there with you, and we’ll face it together. Always” he said, his smile softening. 

* And as a man of his word, Zen was there with her at MC’s appointment, holding her hand as her gynecologist took an ultrasound probe and looked knowingly at the screen, turning to face MC and Zen with a smile.

* “Congratulations you two”, they smiled, both Zen and MC turning to the doctor with wide eyes, “you’re about 5 weeks pregnant!”

* Now, if anyone asks, he won’t admit it, but did Zen jump up and down in that examination room, screaming and giggling like a kid? Did he cry and lean down to kiss MC, who was currently stuck with an ultrasound probe inside her and a little unable to cheer as excitedly with him? Did he have to clear his throat and apologise to the doctor who had to hide their laughter behind a cough? 

* Yes. Yes he did. 

* He’ll talk to MC’s belly non-stop, will be there for EVERY appointment and ultrasound, will cry when he first hears his baby’s heartbeat or sees the first 3D ultrasound. He’ll do every single bidding of MC, from weird cravings to holding her when the morning sickness hits, just 100/10 the best partner and father.

* Plus the first thing he teaches his kid is to never ever call Jumin ‘uncle’ :’)

JAEHEE:

* Okay listen, there’s a little backstory here that I can add thanks to my current weeks of working at an ObGyn and Fertility clinic;

* So Jaehee and MC, after establishing their coffee shop and having it run well for a few years, decided they were ready to take the next step and start a family together. However, there were many limitations when they tried to adopt a child, so they researched other options, and found that a single woman, can in fact, receive a sperm donor and an IUI (In Utero Insemination-just fancy terminology for ‘putting the sperm in the womb with a tube!), without too much of a hussle. 

* So they opted for this option. They sat through the paperwork together, mutually decided who it’d be who’d try and get pregnant-they both had no quailms about it so they kind of decided over rock-paper scissors lmao, and so the process began.

* However, even with modern day medicine, pregnancy in such means isn’t 100% guaranteed; in fact, the chances are about a little over 40%. So after the procedure the two worried, hoped luck would find them and they’d be able to start their own little family.

* A couple weeks after the procedure, Jaehee was manning the coffee shop whilst MC took a break back home to come take over the evening shift later on. It was a quiet day, not many people in the shop save for a few of their regulars and a couple friends, their cat Cocoa who’d now become the cafe’s mascot strolling around like she owned the place.

* Everything was peaceful...until MC came running, the bells over the front door jingling manically as she slammed it open and ran to the counter Jaehee had been standing at.

* MC panted, leaned on the counter to catch her breath as Jaehee fretted over her, a million worst-case-scenarios running through her brain.

* “MC? What-what’s wrong, what happene-”

* Before she could speak MC lifted her head, a huge grin on her face. “Jaehee. Baby we did it! We’re pregnant!”

* Jaehee was, for the first time in forever, at a loss for words, her lips slack, her hands dropping to her side as her brain short-wired. “We-we are? You took a test? You?”

* MC nodded along to Jaehee’s line of half-questioning half-realising, laughing as tears welled up in Jaehee’s eyes. She ran across the counter to MC, meeting her half-way into a crushing hug as they laughed and cried together. 

* “We’ll have a baby” Jaehee whispered into the crook of MC’s neck, the wetness of her tears pooling into the cusp of skin.

* “Yeah. Yeah we will Jae” MC nodded along, stroking soothing circles into Jaehee’s back.

* They were lost in their own little world...before the sound of clapping brought them back to the present.

* Of course the few customers in the shop had heard and seen everything, and both their regulars and their friends were eagerly cheering them on, some even whistling and yelling ‘congratulations’ at the two who were now a blushing mess.

* Even Cocoa the cat came by to meow at them, as if to say ‘eh, whatever, congrats I guess’ which was....probably the nicest thing this cat has ever done for them lmao

* And that’s the story of how their coffee shop had now become famous for the ‘super mom duo’ that runs it hehe

JUMIN:

* If you think this man wouldn’t get emotional over finding out he’ll be a father you’re a) WRONG b) REALLY WRONG and c) GOTTA PLAY HIS ROUTE ALL OVER AGAIN

* Will he be scared? YES! He’ll be stressed, but listen-it’s probably not for the reasons you’re thinking.

* When MC announces her pregnancy to him, it’s not over a candle-lit dinner or whilst lounging on the couch. Nah, this man is observant af, especially when it comes to the person he loves.

* He noticed her coming home with a pharmacy bag after work and frowned, instantly wondering what its contents were.

* “MC, you seemed in perfect health today, is something wrong? Should I call a doctor?”

* MC was quick to reassure him that no, she was fine, but was hesitant when explaining that her period was running late, worried how he’ll take the news-sure, they were married, but they never really explicitly discussed the potential of having kids and a family, she didn’t know how Jumin would react to it.

* “I see” he nodded, “You did seem worried, I was hoping you’d eventually talk to me about it. So you’re taking a pregnancy test? If it’s alright with you, can I wait outside for you to tell me the results?”

* If anyone else were to hear the conversation, it might seem like Jumin was cold, distant even. But MC could tell the little incantations in his voice, how his eyes gleamed, his mouth twitching at the corners-he was hesitant, yes, but also excited. And to be honest...so was she.

* So Jumin waited, his arms folded and foot tapping anxiously on the floor as he leaned on the wall right next to the bathroom door, holding his breath until he heard the door open, seeing the little stick MC held in her hands, how her shoulders shook as she looked down at it.

* “W-what does it say?” he asked, fearful of looking down at the test himself-he doubts he’d be able to understand it even if he did.

* “It’s-it’s positive. Jumin it’s-if this is right then I’m pregnant” she looked up to him, eyes welling up with tears. Jumin sighed, unable to contain a smile from forming on his own lips as he wiped away MC’s tears, holding her face in his palms.

* “We’ll book an appointment with a gynecologist first thing tomorrow, but if it’s true then...MC, I’m happy. I truly am.” He said, knocking his forehead with hers. 

* She let go of the test, put her hands around his back, feeling the soft shake of his body as he took in the new information. It was a shock to them both, but together, they’d be able to prepare for it. However...

* “Jumin...? Are you truly happy?”

* He leaned back, smiling down at her. “If I were the same person I was before I met you-before I fell in love with you...I wouldn’t be. Then again, I never would’ve been in this predicament if that were the case, but regardless, back then I would’ve worried that the woman coming to me with a child of mine would seek out only money and fame, not to give the child the love and nurturing it needs to grow up well and safe.”

* He let his eyes flutter shut, opened them again as he looked on, shakily bringing a hand down to MC’s abdomen. 

* “With you....with you I know it’s a child that’ll grow up loved, cared for. We’ll raise them together, and they’ll get to grow up as a child, not as a tool. That’s...that’s all I want for our child. To grow up loved, happy.”

* So...yeah. He’ll be scared, and boy oh boy the first time MC gives him his child to hold he’ll be so scared but also so happy I think it’ll be the first time Jumin Han will cry with joy, but overall? He’ll be one dang great father

SEVEN/LUCIEL/SAEYOUNG:

* Let’s assume that this all happens well after he finds his brother and leaves the agency-he’s still a hacker, but a ‘white hacker’ or whatever it is they’re called, often-times collaborating with C&R to strengthen their online security, doing hacking tests e.t.c. 

* He’s in a good place, his bond with Saeran is slowly improving, and his love for MC is constantly growing, so the two have had the time to talk about their plans for the future, about what they want and the relative timelines.

* Saeyoung always wanted a family-that much we’re all aware of. But...he never expected he’d be allowed to have one. Now that he’s given the opportunity to start anew he’s excited, but also terrified, waiting for something bad to come right round the corner and take it all away. So to now become a father...he’s not sure how well he’ll handle that responsibility.

* Well, he shares these fears one late night with MC, which...makes it all the harder for her to tell him when the tell-tale signs come up. When her period’s late, when it’s completely gone for one, then two months. When she feels sick in the mornings, nauseous and bloated, why she makes excuses for her odd behavior much to Saeyoung’s dismay.

* In fact, it’s actually Saeran that notices what’s up, quickly putting two and two together since he’s not the one MC is actively trying to avoid. 

* He confronted her about it, and she broke down, explained it all to him, how she’s done more than a few pharmacy tests to confirm her suspicion and they all came back positive, what Saeyoung had told her and why she feels terrified of telling him the truth.

* And Saeran...well, he’s dumbfounded.

* “You...are you really that stupid?” he asks, brows raised. MC can’t help it-even though she was crying whilst speaking to him, her tears stop at the sudden proclamation and she looks up at him wide-eyed. 

* “Listen, I know my brother’s an air-head and all, but do you really think that little of him? That he wouldn’t be over the fucking moon if you told him he’s gonna become a dad?”

* Well......talk about perfect timing, who happened to come back home and walk into the living room at the perfect moment to hear this very last bit of the conversation?

* Yup of course Saeyoung stood there, his keys dropped to the floor as he stared at his twin and his girlfriend, confusion and shock evident on his face.

* None of them spoke for a long moment whilst Saeyoung composed his thoughts.

* Then, with perfect calamity he simply took a deep breath, let his eyes fall shut. “Saeran, can you leave for a bit? I need to speak with MC.”

* Saeran merely nodded, throwing an apologetic look MC’s way before heading out the door, the loud thud alerting MC and Saeyoung to the fact that they were now the only two people in the house.

* The silence was deafening, constricting MC’s lungs like a monster’s tentacles around a shipwreck. 

* “Sae-listen, I’m sorry, I should’ve told you sooner, I didn’t know how to and I-”

* She didn’t get to finish her words. Saeyoung held a palm up, motioning for her to stop. “How far along are you?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, breaths raspy and shaky.

* “...about 8 weeks now” she admitted. 

* Saeyoung took a step closer to her, crumpled onto his knees as he wrapped his hands across her belly.

* “I’m-I’m going to be a dad” he whispered, mainly to himself, a declaration to make himself believe it, “and all I’ve done so far is make you worry-MC, I’m so sorry. I should’ve never, never made you feel like there was anything you couldn’t talk to me about. I’m-I’m worried. I’m terrified but I’m so happy-so, so happy” he mumbled the last words into the fabric of her shirt, hiding his tears on her body.

* MC wrapped her arms around her, stroked his hair as he cried. They eventually found themselves laying side by side on the carpet like a pair of teens wasted at a house party, holding hands as they stared up at the ceeling.

* “...Do you think they’ll be twins?” Saeyoung joked, relishing in the small huff of laughter elicited from MC.

* “I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle another pair of twins in this household” MC teased back, “that’s like...quadruple the amount of pranks” she shrugged.

* They stared at the peels on the paint, content in the silence before Saeyoung propped himself up on his elbows, turning to his side so he could rest a hand on MC’s abdomen.

* “Think it-they-whatever, think our child can hear me?” he asked, trying his best to hide the creeping blush blooming up his neck.

* MC hummed. “I’m not sure”, she admitted, “but I think you should try and speak to them regardless.”

* Saeyoung nodded, taking a moment to compose himself. “Hey baby. Or babies. Or whoever it is in there” he laughed, “um, this-this is your dad. Don’t confuse me with your uncle, otherwise I’ll be super sad okay?!” He rolled his eyes as MC’s belly shook with laughter, waiting for her to calm down before he continued.

* “Listen...I’ve always dreamed of being a dad, and of having a big happy family. I’d tell my brother-that’s your uncle, I’d tell him every day when we were young that when we grow up we’ll live together in a biig house, and we’ll have a toy factory together, and I’ll have a direct line to Santa Claus so I could help him provide gifts to all the kids in the world-and that I’d have my own big family, and that my kids would always get any toy they want, and if that toy didn’t exist, then I’d make it for them. And...and I’ll do that for you too. So if there’s anything you want, start thinking about it, and I’ll make it for you. Anything.”

* He smiled, stroked his thumb across MC’s belly. “I need you to know I love your mom very very much. If she wasn’t here, I don’t think I’d ever be able to dream of having a family and being a dad again. So...so you should know she’s an amazing person, and that I’ll forever be grateful she stumbled into my life, and that she chose me out of everyone else out there.”

* He looked to MC, leaned back down to knock his forehead across hers.

* “Thank you”, he whispered, “thank you for the best gift I could’ve ever asked for”.

V/JIHYUN:

* This happened after the two had adopted Lucy. Their daughter was a bundle of joy, an angel that brought so much happiness to their daily life, that Jihyun could barely even remember the horrors of his past.

* Even if he were to ocassionaly have a nightmare or remember a horrible memory, MC would be there to hold his hand, or Lucy would be there with her big smile and tight hugs, the two chasing all the bad things away.

* Lucy was also equally happy, absoloutely adoring her parents and her uncles and aunt of the RFA-there was only one tiiiny complaint she had...

* “Mommy, daddy? Can I have a baby brother or sister to play with? Pleaaase?” she’d ask, sweetly blinking those big blue eyes of hers as if she was asking for a new toy or a candy, ignoring the awkward looks her parents shared trying to think of how to explain to her that they can’t just...bring a baby sibling to her on demand.

* This led to an awkward talk of the different ways babies come into a family; from the belly into the world, and then into the arms of a loving mom and dad, be it biological or not. Luckily, Lucy never seemed upset about being adopted; the two always worried wether it was right to tell her from such an early age, but Jihyun prided honesty above all else, so the two decided to ease her into the topic, making sure to shower her with love and affection so she’d know that how she came to be their daughter didn’t matter to them at all-they were just happy to have her in their lives.

* But lo and behold; her wish really did come true.

* One day Jihyun and Lucy were in the back garden playing with watercolours, making the white t-shirts they were both wearing a swirling mixtrue of colours. As Jihyun came back inside to wash up, he found MC in their bedrooms’ bathroom, holding something in one hand, the other covering her mouth as if in shock.

* “MC...? What’s wrong, is everything alright?”

* She turned to him, eyes teared up which only added to his worry as he looked down to her hands, finally noticing the stick she was holding.

* Slowly, he put two and two together, his brows raising. “You-this is....are you..?”

* MC nodded, biting her lip as Jihyun gasped, laughed, a quiet huff at first before he burst into a full laughter, tears welling at his eyes as he gripped MC by the waist and swirled her around, holding her tight. 

* Lucy walked into their bedroom at that very moment, peering in curiously at the commotion. “I wanna lift too! Me too!” she giggled, running to her dad with her arms extended. 

* Gleefully Jihyun picked her up, bringing both her and MC close for a family group hug. 

* “Lucy, honey, you said you wanted a baby brother or sister right?” MC asked, stroking her daughter’s hair as Jihyun held her up to their eye level. Lucy nodded furiously, her cheeks red, eyes gleaming.

* “Do you still want one now?” MC continued, biting her lip to stop from smiling. Lucy nodded again. “Yes!! Yes, I do, I want one! And I want to help them drink their milk and put them to bed when they have bad dreams. And when they grow up we’ll play together all the time!” she beamed, Jihyun hiding his grin into her hair as MC nodded along to her daughter’s words.

* “Well baby, you’ll get a sibling soon. Mommy has a baby right here” Jihyun explained, bringing a hand to touch MC’s abdomen, “and when they’re born you’ll be a big sister!”

* Lucy was in awe, staring at her mom’s belly like it was made of gold. “There’s a baby in there?!” she pointed, looking incredulously to her parents. 

* Jihyun nodded, gently leaning down to let Lucy back on the ground. “They’re still very very small”, MC began to explain, “but as they grow you’ll even be able to feel them kick and move”.

* Suffice to say, everyone in their little family was thrilled at the news. Jihyun was worried, ever a worry-rat even when Lucy was a baby, but Lucy was already preparing to be a big sister, insisting on coming along with her parents at every doctor’s visit, asking the doctors a dozen questions each time. 

* As the baby grew and MC’s pregnancy got heavier, she could see the worry plaguing Jihyun, a concern he refused to voice. But MC was no fool-she could tell what it is he was thinking.

* “You know”, she told him one night, as she rested her hands on her growing baby bump, “I wish they’ll have your eyes-that gentle gaze of yours, it’ll be really nice if they inherit it from you.”

* Jihyun sighed at her words, turning on his side to bring a hand over her belly. “I don’t...MC, you know what I fear. I don’t want them to be anything like me I don’t-I don’t want them to go through anything remotely similar to what I did, to be anything like me, like I was, like I still am if I stop trying to change-I want them to have a good life. Them and Lucy..I want them to be happy.”

* MC pouted, gripping Jihyun’s hand, interlacing it with hers. “What you went through didn’t happen because of who you were, only because of the circumstances you were put under. You’re kind-hearted, self-less, caring and gentle, and yes, you put others above yourself and are quick to carry all the burden even when there’s others around you willing to lessen the load. But none of those are bad qualities Jihyun. And improving yourself isn’t a goal-directed process, it’s an open-ended journey. I hope our kids grow up to be like you.”

* Suffice to say, Jihyun was floored. MC had read him like a book, and he knew that, even if he initially didn’t want to admit it. Eventually he laughed, shaking his head. “I love you, you know that?”

* MC rolled her eyes.

* “I sure hope so”, she teased.

I went a ~little~ overboard with these but listen I’ve been doing ObGyn work for nearly a month now so it had to serve as inspiration somehow hehe

-send me mystic messenger headcanons for character(s) reactions!-

[sabraeal]

Seven Swipes for Shirayuki, Chapter 1

Prologue

Obiyuki AU Bingo Medical Drama AU

Here it is guys, the modern AU version of Seven Suitors for Shirayuki that you all asked for and I thought I would never really write. Obviously the chapters for this will not be 1:1 with parallel content-- I think we ALL would like to avoid another Chapter 6-- but here at least is the beginning of what I’m sure will be a stupidly long journey.

Plink. Plink. Plink plink plink--

“You know.” Shirayuki sets her hands flat against the keyboard, the surest way to keep them from becoming fists. “I really don’t think the janitorial staff will appreciate having to get those down.”

Obi turns wide eyes on her, striving for an air of innocence she doubts he’s possessed since long before his voice dropped. “What do you men, Miss?”

He twirls a pen between his long fingers-- cheap ones, little blue Bics that hardly scratch out a solid line since the hospital cut down on frivolous spending-- and flicks his wrist. It flies unerringly upward, lodging itself firmly in the particleboard of the ceiling.

At least it won’t be lonely with all its friends to keep it company. “They can’t just leave those up there, Obi. It’s probably a fire hazard.”

At least, she thinks so. Considering how EHS feels about anything being on the floor besides furniture and feet, she can only imagine they have strong opinions on ceilings too.

Obi scoffs, languidly kicking his legs over the arm of his chair. Anyone else would look ridiculous, but with his long limbs and cunningly tailored suit, Obi just looks dangerous, like a panther behind glass.

“Don’t worry, Miss.” Another projectile unerringly hits its mark. “They’ll come down on their own.”

Her mouth flirts heavily with a frown. “So I can look forward to a pile of pens on my floor next Monday?”

“Nah.” Teeth flash between his lips. “It’ll be all cleaned up before you get here.”

Shirayuki stifles a sigh, turning her attention back to her notes. Exasperation only encourages him. “I’ll be done soon. If you want you can wait in the hall--”

“Miss.” He presses a hand to his chest, affronted. “Would I ever leave your side? What if something happened to you while there was this one, flimsy door between us? What would Master--”

“Don’t let Zen catch you calling him that.”

“--even do to me if some terrible fate befell you while I turned away for just one moment?” He blinks, far too innocent to be earnest. “You wound me, Miss.”

She lets out a huff, flyaways fanning out around her face. “Considering how many bags of Funyuns you’ve fished out of the vending machine the past year, I think it’s safe to say that nothing will happen to me if you choose to harass Higata down at the nurse’s station instead of me.”

His smile sits stiffly on his lips, pen stilling between his fingers. “It did happen, once.”

Her heart gives a single, loud pound in her chest. “Obi--”

“Anyway.” His smile slides into a smirk, sitting more comfortably on his face. “We’re back on days after this, aren’t we?”

Her fingers roll back into their rhythm, keys tacking pleasantly beneath them. “For a little while at least. Why, do you have exciting plans?”

“Miss.” His expression wilts like a plant left in the maintenance closet. “That’s what I’m asking you.”

She blinks. The answer is simple: lounge around in her scrubs-turned-lounge wear and catch up on The Great British Baking Show while eating a staggering amount of Thai food. But he should know that; it’s what she does every weekend after she’s been on nights, and he’s usually right there beside her, making inappropriate comments about Paul Hollywood’s piercing eyes and speculating if he comes by the last name honestly or whether he had a stint in the adult film industry.

(”It’s the future, you know.” She waggles his smart phone; hers is still in her bedroom. As nice a gesture as it was from Zen, she’s never quite gotten used to keeping it on her. “We could just google it.”

“No.” He turns to her, affronted. “I appreciate the thought, Miss, but there are some things you don’t google.”

She arches a brow, tucking her feet under his butt on the cushion. He lets out a put-upon grunt, but allows it. “You just don’t want to find out it’s some old, perfectly respectable English last name.”

“It’s not that,” he snips as Netflix rolls through to the next episode, promising nun-shaped pastries. “Knowing things ruins the mystique.”)

“I mean,” he sighs, “are you going out with the boss?”

“Oh!” She stares, helpless. “I don’t...know? He hasn’t said anything to me.” She gives the keyboard a few cursory pecks before asking, “Has he said anything to you?”

His expression only falls flatter. “Has he said anything to me about your theoretical romantic plans?”

Her cheeks prickle, the sure sign that a blush is starting to dawn. “Well, you usually know before me!”

“I...wish I could say that isn’t true,” he sighs, rolling until he’s sitting properly in his seat-- or at least, as properly as Obi ever does, slouched so low that his chin is level with the ankle crossed over his knee. “But it is. And no, I haven’t...heard of any plans.”

“There you have it.” She waves a hand and turns back to her work. “No plans. Just us, some Thai, and a bunch of decorative but delicious meat pies.”

“And Paul Hollywood’s piercing eyes,” he says with more relish than anyone should. “But you’re all right with that?”

“What? Of course.” She shrugs, clicking down to the last field. “He’ll call if he has time. And if not, there’s always next week.”

Obi arches an undeservedly dubious brow, in her opinion. “Next week?”

“Sure.” She barely pauses as she says, “Zen’s a busy man. And I’m a busy lady! I don’t need to see him every weekend. Or every week!”

“Right,” he huffs, “but you, you know, presumably would want to see him more than you did when we lived three thousand miles away.”

“Obi.” Shirayuki shoots him a warning look. “We see each other plenty, and certainly more than every six months--”

“Ten months.”

“Fine, ten months.” She shrugs, gazing fixing back onto her screen. “Still. We saw each other just last week.”

He blinks. “Last week?”

“Yes, last Saturday.” She tilts her chin up, chuffed she’s remembered it. “We went to the Getty Center to see the Monet exhibit.”

“Miss.” His mouth twitches. “That was three weeks ago, and you were bored out of your mind.”

Her jaw drops. “I-- I was not!”

“You kept calling him Manet, blamed it on your Portland ‘accent’--” Obi does some vigorous finger quotes she does not appreciate-- “when the curator corrected you, excused yourself halfway through and then speculated whether drowning was a peaceful death while we stared out at the Pacific.”

Her lips pull thin, and she pointedly shifts her attention back to the screen. “I need to finish this.”

Obi raises his brows, rucking up the silvery slash above his eye. “You were bored.”

“I’m not the biggest fan of art, no.” Her fingers hesitate above the keys. “Three weeks?”

He nods. “Three weeks.”

She grimaces. “All right, let me just get the notes for this discharge written up for Garrack, and we can head out.”

“Oh, the discharge?” Obi’s looking far too pleased with himself. “You mean the ultrasound girl?”

“Yes?” His sudden interest is unnerving, to say the least. “Third trimester pregnancy, lots of blood and cramping, thought she was losing the baby, ended up just having a ruptured luteal cyst.” She stares at him, brows drawing down in confusion. “Did Ryuu tell you about it?”

“Mm-hm.” If it was possible to look like those little mischievous kitty emojis he sends her, he’d be doing it now. “And that you held her hand through the whole sonogram dealie.”

“Well, yes. No one was with her.” The girl had been so pale she nearly matched the sheets. “I wasn’t going to let her find out she had a stillbirth by herself. That’s just cruel.”

His eyes melt from gold to amber. “Of course you wouldn’t, Miss.” In a breath that softness is gone, replaced by his Cheshire Cat grin. “But are you sure that’s all?”

“W-what else would it be?”

“Ryuu said you were very interested in that baby on the screen.”

“I’m an obstetrician, Obi--”

“No need to deny it, Miss,” he assures her. “I understand completely. After all, some of that may be in the cards for you, soon.”

Shirayuki stares at him. “A luteal cyst?”

Obi heaves a sigh. “No, Miss! Maybe you have--” he waggles his narrow brows-- “baby fever.”

“What?”

“It’s only to be expected, after all,” he says with a shrug, as if this were a done deal. “You and Master have been together for six years.”

Shirayuki nearly balks, nearly suggests that he takes a walk down to the pediatrics ward and ask to check out their number line--

Until she does some mental math of her own. It has been six years. “But I-- but we-- we haven’t--”

Obi’s brows lift in a terrible cross between amusement and curiosity. “You have talked about this, haven’t you?”

They most definitely have not, which didn’t seem like an oversight until just this moment, and now--

“Shirayuki.”

She jumps, eyes darting to the door. “Dr Gazalt! I didn’t-- I didn’t expect you.”

Garrack blinks, brows raising. “Yes, me. The one who is waiting for your shift notes. Higata tells me there’s a discharge I have to sign for?”

“Oh, yes. I--” she glances at the empty notes field-- “I’ll get that done right away. I was just, ah, finishing up now.”

“Hm,” Garrack grunts, gaze shifting to where Obi is contorted in his chair. “I can’t imagine what’s keeping you.”

“Why, Chief,” he gasps, pressing a hand to his chest. “You can’t possibly think I was being anything but the most helpful for Doctor--”

“Oh, I know what you were being.” There’s a twitch at the corner of her mouth, and a spark in her eye as she reveals, “A nuisance.”

“Chief.”

“I’ll be done in a minute!” Shirayuki interjects, too shrill. Both of them turn to her, brows raised mildly, and she adds, “Just, ah, give me some quiet.”

“You heard the lady, big boy.” Garrack grins. “Looks like you’ll be shadowing me.”

Obi’s expression rings with alarm. “Oh, I think I’m supposed to--”

“Oh no, you’re not escaping this time.” She reaches in, getting a good grip on his tie, and tugs. “I got some heavy things that need to be lifted.”

save me pls Miss

I’m almost done

Miss she wants me to help rearrange the stock room PLS hurry

Five minutes

im wasting away i can feel the life leaving my body

We’ll get breakfast This will go faster if you stop interrupting me

the angels are calling me home theres a light at the end of the tunnel Miss

Walk towards it This is probably your only chance at heaven

M I S S

It’s no use, Obi. I may be an optimist, but I’ve seen your search history

Touche

It’s not until she’s in the elevator that it hits her: she’s forgotten something.

Her brain is, as usual, coy with the rest of the information. Did she forget something important on her report? Did she leave her keys back on her desk? Does she have some appointment this evening that will keep her from getting confused every time someone says biscuit in the tent?

Nothing comes to mind, the answer hanging frustratingly out of reach. She’d have better luck trying to get Obi to talk about his past than she will trying to brute force this memory.

Shirayuki sighs. Time to check everything.

She’s wearing clothes-- check. They’re not her scrubs-- also check. Shoes match-- double check.

Her hand sweeps into her purse. Keys-- ouch, yep, check. Wallet-- check. Phone--

Buzzes hard against her palm.

Shirayuki blinks. It’s quick, only lasting a beat before it stops. Just a text, but-- it’s eight in the morning. Even with all her early-rising, day-shift doctor friends, this is well before their first morning coffee has kicked in. This is--

Weird. Worryingly weird. She drags the phone out of her bag, waking the screen to be greeted with 12 MISSED CALLS.

Shirayuki stares. That can’t be right. She’s kept her phone on her all shift, only tossing it into her bag when she’d stopped by her office to log her notes. There’s no way she’s had that many calls in an hour. And texts--

Well, that number is staggering. Her screen shows only the last one, a very cheerful, ill kill him and hide the body so well hell get famous as cold case from Yuzuri. She grimaces. Whatever Suzu’s done now, he’ll spend the whole day regretting it.

Well, that’s not exactly fair. It could be Kazaha, or even Shidan if he’d made her work down in the pharmacy hard enough. But...

It’s definitely Suzu.

She traces the appropriate squiggle onto her phone to open it and her homescreen unfurls before her. Her thumb hovers right above the little speech bubble--

A bright ding lets her know she’s arrived at ground level, and the entirely unamused bodyguard leaning against the doors lets her know that she’s late.

“Well,” she says, tipping the phone back into her bag. “You’re looking...hale?”

“I was promised breakfast,” he reminds her in a pleasant, if displeased rumble. “This is a thing that is happening.”

She makes sure to infuse some extra bounce into her step as she exits the elevator, earning a weary scowl. “Doctor Gazalt must have worked you hard.”

“Doctor Gazalt has some definite opinions about how her office should be arranged.” He raises a hand, rubbing pointedly at his neck. “What do they make the furniture out of here? Bricks?”

“Concrete, probably,” she agrees. “Pancho’s?”

He nods. “Spicy sauce. Extra spicy sauce. I’ll get the car.”

She grins. “Sounds like a deal. Meet me out font in ten?”

He lets out a huff. “I’ll meet you out front whenever I manage to lug my broken body across the parking garage and into the driver’s seat.”

“You poor baby,” she deadpans, patting his arm.

“I’ve suffered,” he tells her, affronted. “And don’t forget! Extra Spicy!”

The hospital is a cool cocoon, it’s temperature scrupulously maintained for the benefit of the labs and supplies inside, and so when Shirayuki emerges into the bright, May morning--

The heat hits her like a wall.

The air is oppressive; with each step it weighs her down, like a body laying across her back, and oh, she cannot wait until Obi gets here with the towncar, because there is no way she can last more than ten minutes without air conditioning.

Shirayuki has to laugh at that as she trudges down the granite stairs. She, who had spent her summers in a stuffy attic of an old Victorian house with only a single circular window to allow air in, happily devouring book after book as she laid on her bed with little more than underwear on, to whom air conditioning was a ridiculous luxury--

And now she can’t live without it. Probably couldn’t bear to sleep in a tiny twin bed either, with a mattress last changed out when she stopped wetting the bed. Not now that she’s experienced queen size and memory foam. Zen’s truly made sure she can never go home again.

Not that it was an option, anyway.

She oozes onto the pavement, taking a moment to really feel how sweaty twenty steps and thirty seconds can make her, and turns, goal blessedly in sight. Pancho’s lime green paint glistens in the morning sun, and the smell of meat cooking on the griddle inspires her to make the last three yard push. Well, that and she’s absolutely sure that Obi won’t let her in the car empty handed, not after he had to move Garrack’s desk.

“Good morning!” Shirayuki manages. “Two breakfast burritos. One...al pastor...extra spicy. The other...veggie? Mild.”

The vendor peers down from the counter-- it’s the dark-haired one, Shiira. Good. He won’t scream if she passes out in front of him. “Doing okay there, ma’am?”

“Never better,” she assures him, knuckles white where she grips the metal. It’s the only thing keeping her upright “I love heat. So much.”

His mouth curves into a faint smile, ringing up her order. “Boston thinned your blood, did it?”

“I’ll get used to it.” It’s been a year, sure, but it will happen at some point. It has to. “I did it before.”

He barks out a laugh, mouth opening to say more until his gaze catches over her shoulder. “Oh, can I take your order, sir?”

Shirayuki steps off to the side, her shoulder bumping hard into the magazine rack hanging off the window. It wibbles hard, metal banging against metal as it vibrates against the side of the truck. She catches it with a grimace, stilling it before it can make more of a racket, and glimpses the name WISTERIA on the front page. Her hand hovers, ready to grab it--

And catches the National Enquirer above it. Her hand jerks back like it’s been scalded. She doesn’t need to see any of that, thank you. Probably just more articles about Izana’s philandering ways.

She huffs out a laugh. Anyone who wrote about his wife crying in bed, unable to stand from grief has clearly never met her. Yuzuri’s probably read it already, with bullet points ready to bitch about, and--

Oh! Yuzuri. She digs into her bag, fishing out her phone. 12 MISSED CALLS sits bright on her welcome screen, nagging at her. As much as she wants to know just what ridiculous scheme has gotten Suzu in trouble now, she can always catch up later.

With a flick of her thumb she summons her call screen, and there it is, twelve calls missed, and all of them--

All of them are from Yuzuri.

Her heart pounds loud in her ears, the sound of the street around her muted. The screen won’t stay still, making words blur as if she’s trying to read in a dream, as if any moment they’ll drip off the page.

But it’s no dream. She’s had twelve calls from Yuzuri in the past hour, and her hands are trembling.

Something must have happened. Suzu’s hurt, or Kirito’s sick, or-- or--

What had her text said? She swipes a thumb, ready to find out, but--

Her phone buzzes, right in her hand. Shirayuki stares at it, dumb. She must have forgotten to turn on the ringer.

YUZURI it reads, and her heart skips a beat.

“Is everything okay?” she breathes the moment the call connects, one hand clenched in her collar.

“No, nothing is okay,” Yuzuri snaps, voice crackling in that way that means both danger and most probably homicide. “I will fly out there and help you hide the body. There are lye pits everywhere, Yuki.”

She blinks, head jerking back from the whiplash. “Excuse me?”

“Or I’ll do the job myself, if you want,” she continues, undaunted. “I’m sure a rich kid like him has a lot of enemies. We’ll never get caught.”

“Yuzuri.” She shakes her head. “Who on earth are you talking about?”

“Wha--? Zen!” she says, exasperated. “You mean he hasn’t even told you?”

“Told me what?”

“Oh my god,” Yuzuri breathes. “I can’t-- you haven’t even seen the news?”

“I was on nights.” She turns to the rack behind her, riffling through the magazines. “I didn’t really have time to-- oh. Oh my.”

WISTERIA WEDDING BELLS TO RING AGAIN! the tabloid boasts, showing Zen right on the front, his hair tousled as he steps down from the private jet. She’d laugh it off, just like she always does-- she’d lost count of the number of times they reported his engagement to Kiki before she got married, and Obi made a habit of buying anything that reported them having an affair so he could snapchat it to Kiki at his leisure-- but this-- this--

(”Is everything all right?” She picks her head up from his shoulder, but beneath her palm she can still feel his heart racing. The movie keeps playing on the screen, something fraught and in French, and when he stares down at her, she can see the white all around his eyes, shining in the dark.

“It’s fine. I’m fine.” His arm wraps tighter around her, and he gives her a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. She’s never realized how much he looks like Izana until now.

She raises a brow. “You seem tense.”

“Ah.” he shifts beneath her, gaze flicking back to the TV. “Yeah, I just-- have a project I have to finish up next week. Just...starting to really feel the deadline. You know how it is.”

A line carves a chasm between his eyebrows, worn by the inexorabe waters of worry. There’s never much she can do for him, the man who wears the weight of the world on his back, but-- but she can do this, sitting back on her knees, fiddling with the watch around her wrist.

“Here,” she says, pulling it tight around his.

He stares down at it, confused, and she smiles. There’s something perversely gratifying to giving a man who has everything something so second-hand it still has the heat from her body. “What--?”

“My lucky watch.”

He tilts his eyes up to watch her, so blue in the dim. “Is this the one I gave to you?”

“After I broke yours?” She nods, smile tilting ruefully. “And now I’m lending this to you. Bring it back safe.”

His fingers brush it, almost reverent. Zen may not let her bear any of his burden, but she can make it feel lighter, even if only for a while. “I...will.”)

Her watch gleams from beneath the cuff of his blazer, visible as he holds out an arm to help a pair of shapely legs behind him. The cover creases in her hands, cracking under her grip, and--

“Are you going to buy that too?” Shiira asks, somehow both pointed and concerned.

Shirayuki shakes herself. The tabloids are always quick to speculate, slapping fiancée over any woman he shared air with for more than a minute. This doesn’t have to mean anything.

And it wouldn’t, not if she hadn’t already thought--

“Shirayuki?” Yuzuri prompts, alarm ringing through every syllable. “Are you--?”

“I’m fine.” It’s not a lie if she doesn’t know whether or it’s true. “I just have to-- I’ll have to call you back.”

She hangs up with Yuzuri mid-breath, doubtlessly gearing up to give her an earful of opinions. It’s rude, yes, but she can hardly think past the next name on her list, scrolling until ZEN WISTERIA lights up on the screen.

It’s a mistake, it has to be. It’s just some picture, out of context, slapped right onto the page like it means something.

Two foil-wrapped packages slide toward her. “That will be seven forty--”

You’ve reached the voice mail of Zen. Wisteria. Please leave a message at--

“This too,” she says, slapping the rag on the counter.

Shiira stares at her, wide-eyed.

She coughs, arranging it with slightly more care. “And, um, a horchata. Please.”

You’ve reached the voice mail of Zen. Wisteria. Please leave a message at the tone.

Shirayuki shifts her load to the crook of her elbow, nibbling at a cuticle. “Hi. It’s, um, me again. I just got off shift, and I--” she takes a long, hard breath, and switches tack-- “just call me. Whenever you can. I’ll keep my ringer on.”

A black sedan slips up to the curb, the passenger side door stopping right at her toes. The window scrolls down with a soft hum, and Obi stretches across the seat, his mouth rucking up in a smirk. “Come on, Miss, we don’t have all--”

His whole body stiffens, the warm amber of his eyes fixed to her face. “Miss,” he breathes, lips hardly moving, knuckles white where he grips the console. “Miss, what’s wrong. Are you--?”

She shoves the magazine through the window, crumpling it into his hands. “Miss, what--?”

He stares. Obi might not recognize the watch-- might not even know she had given it away-- but oh, he can recognize the ring.

“That’s Mrs Wisteria’s--”

“Yes.” She can’t even bear to hear it spoke. “Yeah.”

His brow furrows. “There has to be some explanation. You know how these rags like to come up with--”

“He won’t pick up.” Her voice cracks, but she can’t-- she can’t do this here, right on the sidewalk. Not in front of her hospital. His hospital. “Or Mitsuhide. Or Kiki. I don’t...”

Know what to believe. her lips catch the words before they slip out. If she doesn’t say it, it can’t be true, it can’t be real, this can’t be happening.

“We’ll figure it out,” Obi tells her, but his voice wavers, and his hands clench tight on her seat. “Just get in and we’ll--”

Her phone cuts him off. She jumps to answer it, glancing down at the screen to see--

Oh. Oh no.

IZANA WISTERIA, it reads.

“Oh,” Obi breathes. “Shit.”

[thecrownedlioness]

our past: after the ultrasound.

Summer emerges from the room, looking tired. As medically advanced as the Sanctuary is, Dr. Mason had been forced to use unconventional methods in order to be 100% sure, but she'd told him to do whatever it took. There was no room for any mistakes when it came to the paternity of her child.

Well, her children, as it turns out. One boy belonging to her husband, and the other to her worst nightmare.. 

Summer turns immediately to Michael as he sits overwhelmed in the chair of the waiting room, and stands in front of him. She lowers herself onto one knee in front of him, damning what Abbadon will say or do. 

"Your Majesty," she says to him, with a little smile. Summer knows he already knows the news, the full news, but she's wanted to say these words for so long, that she will NOT be cheated out of the joy of saying them. "I am carrying your son."

Michael looks into her eyes, and there is joy. It’s a golden light shining through the dark. He smiles, taking her hand and kissing it, then bringing her to her feet and embracing her. “We’re having a baby, my only. Our son.” 

“That’s nice and all,” Abbadon says callously. “But my life is on the line here.”

Summer pulls away and turns to him, her face firm. “And I am carrying your son as well... who is an heir of Satan and a royal child, and who will be raised with the love and care that my husband's son will receive. As for your life? I can't speak to that."

“Mikey,” he immediately turns away from her. “Come on, I’m having a son! You can’t just kill me like that, can you?” 

“It was quite easy for you to just kill me.” ...

He is half of you. Summer touches her temple gently as the sensation fills her, the sensation of being spoken to by a power higher than she is. But she doesn't say anything. This is Michael's call... no matter how badly Summer wishes he would have Abbadon executed. Wait... or does she? 

Michael would recognize the voice far more easily and quickly than his wife when it says, simply: He is your brother.

He killed me and raped my wife. How can I be expected to abide that, Father? What he has done is treason. How can you say that after he murdered your anointed king? Abused the prophesied mother of my children? I don’t understand. Open my eyes.

His silence makes it clear that they will need to commune more... extensively... for this to be made plain to Michael. Summer takes his hand, sending him the signal, you don't have to decide right now.

He nods, standing and looking to the guards, “Take Prince Abbadon back to his home. We’ll call again once a final decision has been made.” The guards lead Abbadon towards the door. 

“You can’t kill me, Mikey. You know you can’t!”

@theuncrowneddestroyer @thecrownedbeast

Michael

Once they’ve celebrated, in their own way, Summer lays down on the chaise in his office to rest. Michael makes sure she’s asleep comfortably, and then his ritual room calls to him.

Michael kisses her forehead before walking down the stairs towards the basement where his ritual room resides. It's a room entirely sealed by concrete and lead with no door. The only way in is transmutation. 

Once inside, he takes a deep breath and removes his clothes, getting on his hands and knees, splaying his fingers out over the pentagram in the obsidian floor in a sign of reverence. He retrieves the dagger beside him and drags the razor edge up his forearm, letting the crimson flood pour to the ground. 

"Rise from the void, Father..." he grunts through the pain, "Grant me wisdom and eyes to see thy will and strength to follow it..."

A darkness comes to the room, deep and pervasive, one that would be horrifying to anyone but the son who seems comfort in it's embrace. There is a long silence, the presence preparing itself to "speak." 

He is your brother. He is my son.

“And what of my kingdom? This will not be the last time he attempts something like this. How can I allow the New World to be thrown into such chaos?” He keeps himself steady, reverent, “His crimes against me and my wife cannot go unpunished, Father.”

He is needed to populate the world with the next generation of my heirs.

Michael ponders this. That makes far more sense to him than keeping him alive for sentiment only. He pities the poor woman who must be the mother of his children. Then he remembers Summer...but that was a consequence of his absence. Nothing more. 

“Yes, Father. I understand,” he furrows his brow, the next words difficult to say, “He will not be executed.”

In my wisdom and authority I have chosen the Mother of the New World, and the mother of my heirs.

The words fall on his ears, but they are like static at first, buzzing incomprehensible noise that only becomes clear after he repeats them over and over again in his mind. Even then, they are astounding. 

Summer is the Mother of the New World... 

No, no, no, no, no... 

"Father, you can't mean... please, I beg you..."

In exchange...

"Father, please..." He places his forehead on the ground, nearly prostrating himself.

...I will grant her immortality. To live with you for eternity, by your side, as your queen. You will never have to see her grow old and die. You will never lose her. She will be yours, forever.

He looks up, tears in his eyes, "In exchange for his life?" Somehow he knows that's not the only condition.

In exchange for the lives they will give the world.

It's a nightmare. It's not real. It can't be. His Father couldn't... He's going to force him to choose between a mortal lifetime of love and comfort or an eternity of suffering for his wife. His beloved. His best friend. The girl he walked in the garden with and watched movies with on her couch. The one he's been trying to protect from Abbadon for all these years. 

She is the Mother of the New World. 

It's obvious that Satan plans on raising her to a near demigod-like status. She will be far more than just a ruler for her lifetime, to be remembered fondly for a few years after her death and then forgotten by all but schoolchildren. She will be the Eternal Queen. She will be the Eternal Mother. She will always be young and beautiful, intelligent and fertile. She will always be witty and elegant and wise. 

And Michael will never be unloved.

It would only prove fruitless and stupid to try and run away from his Father's will. He is his Father's will. It is his duty to enforce it. He has to trust that she will find happiness still. That they will still be happy. That the New World will thrive.

He bows again, closing his eyes, "Thy will be done, Father."

Michael's wounds slowly close, the obsidian floor drinking in his blood until there isn't a drop left. 

Your son will be blessed. 

With that, the darkness withdraws.

Summer

My child. 

Summer stirs a little in her sleep, her eyes moving back and forth. 

You are the Mother of my world. 

She's standing in an empty stone room, with candles lining the edge. It looks... feels... like a ritual room. 

"Yes, my lord." 

My sons are each half of you, they and their children making up the whole of who you are. 

"I am married to your eldest son. My liaison with your youngest was an accident. A fluke." 

Without it, you would not have his son, who will bring you great joy. 

She considers this, caressing her stomach. 

All of his children will bring you great joy. 

Summer looks up, alarmed. “There will be more?" 

He and his children will make up half of who you are, for all eternity. 

She staggers backwards, shaking her head. "My lord... please...” 

I chose you for this before you even came into the Old World. This is your destiny. I have two sons who will live forever. You, too, will live forever, and the three of you will populate the New World with my heirs, who will rule unchallenged in far-reaching places and continents. An heir of Satan, birthed by the Mother of the New World, on every throne overseeing humanity's new rise in my power.

She is silent. Well, it all makes perfect sense when he says it like that. When you look at it from a bird's eye view, looking far into the future, it makes perfect sense. They don't have to worry about Abbadon giving heirs to every whore who comes to his penthouse, heirs of Satan born with diseases and flaws, maybe even ones that won't even follow Satanism to begin with. All of the heirs will be blessed, and healthy, and destined to rule forever. 

But... to get Abbadon's heirs... she has to... 

Summer starts to cry, both in her dream and in the real world. "I am yours to command, my lord," she says, bowing her head. 

Your children will be blessed, and I will protect you. 

She opens her eyes.

Abbadon

Abbadon paces his balcony with a cigarette in his hand as always, trying to think of a way he can get out of this. Michael probably won't execute him... ...maybe.  But he also might keep him under house arrest until the day he dies and god he can't stay cooped up here any longer. There has to be something to get him a little more freedom...

Suddenly the cigarette falls out of his fingers and onto the marble of his balcony, followed swiftly by his knees as Satan floods his mind with a deep, swallowing darkness he's only felt before a few times in his life. 

My son.

Not being as used to the presence as Michael, Abbadon trembles, every fear synapse in his brain firing. "F-F-Father..."

You tried to kill my son.

"Yes..." he tries to think through the primal, bone-chilling terror, "I wanted the throne, Father." He can't come up with any justification in this moment.

It is natural. You are you. You are who they need. You are who she needs.

"What? What do you mean?"

I have selected her for a specific purpose: to populate the world with my heirs. Your children will be rulers of the New World, as will his, and she will be the mother of them all. You will give her your seed, and she will be half yours.

The shock temporarily drags him out of his fear, a scoff exiting his throat. “No fucking way...” He believes him, and he’s thrilled, but it’s astonishing.

You are called to a higher purpose than whores and toys, Son. I will not have the seed of my heirs squandered on the wombs of the unworthy. 

He pauses, letting this sink in. After months of wondering whether he will live or die, his father confirms it. 

Your brother cannot kill you. He knows it is not my will for you to die, but to live, and take the Queen for yourself as much as necessary to produce your heirs.

His eyes gleam with that same wickedness that made him strangle Summer in the pool all those years ago. “And this is...forever? Will I and her live forever like Michael?”

The three of you will rule the world together, in this way, for eternity.

The three of you.  He... rules the world. Abbadon mouth splits into an evil grin. “Thy will be done, Father.”

Abbadon, his father snaps, with a pay attention to what I'm about to tell you tone.

He pouts, but stays silent to listen.

You are the Prince of the New World. They are the King and Queen. Do what you must to provide her with heirs; you are you, and you will do your part for the New World. But your brother is King.

It's a little blow to his ego, but he still has something to hold onto. He can have so much fun with this... and of course, his life has been not only spared... but immortalized. "Yes, Father."

Your heirs will be blessed.

With that, the dark withdraws, and Abbadon comes to on his knees, the cigarette still burning in front of him.

[buckysforeverprincess]

What Do You Want From Me? Ch 13

Lance x Reader, OMC Jase, OFC Claire

Words: 3510

Warnings: Language

A/N: There’s a lot going on in this chapter. Enjoy!

October…  

“Claire, I can do this on my own!” She's standing behind you straightening out your dress. Since your belly is getting bigger it's getting slightly harder to do simple things. Claire had offered to help your get situated for the evening ahead of you and you reluctantly let her help, not sure as to why you wanted to endure this kind of torture.

She turns you around and looks you over making sure everything's in place. “I just want to make sure you're perfect this evening!” Claire squeaks and is like a kid in a candy store.

“Claire, stop. I know what's happening. No one can keep a secret and it's been expected since we started dating…especially with the arrival of the babies.”

“You mean Lance's babies.” Her response is snarky, and you really want to slap the privilege out of her.

“We’ve been over this before, I will not discuss him with you.” You gave her a look of anger and dominance.

Claire rolls her eyes and shakes her head but decides to concede to your words. “Fine. Let's enjoy the show!”

You walk out of the bedroom and down the stairs to the dining hall. There's several guests you don't even know and quite honestly didn't care too. This really was not your idea of fun, but you'd have to get used to it. If not now, when?

“Darling!” Jase exclaimed, leaving his aunts side to walk over to you.

“Jase.” You smiled at him and placed a kiss on his cheek.

“This is too much isn't it?” He asked you, knowing how you felt about too many people in a small space.

“It's fine, Jase. I know this is more for your aunt than anything else.”

Jase could sense your unease with the whole evening. “If you want, we could leave. I mean...you already know what I'm about to do, so we could go and do it in a more private setting?”  

You appreciated the gesture. Knowing he was open to going somewhere more intimate meant the world to you, but there was no escape at this point. “No, honey. Let's just do this for her, and then we'll go home and have our own celebration.” You smirk at him and he kisses you softly.

“Let's do this, shall we?” He grabs your hand and walks you to the center of the room.

The governor starts by welcoming the guests and thanking them for coming out. He speaks about Jase and raising him from a little boy to the man he is now. You tuned out at some point and started looking around the room. Claire is grinning at you and giving you two thumbs up in approval. Her constant presence is starting to annoy you more as of late. You desperately need a break for sanity's sake before you deliver these twins in prison.  

You're brought from your thoughts by Jase’s touch. He moves himself and is now facing in front of you with a big bright smile.

“Y/N. I know we haven't been together long, and I know we come from very different worlds. I never imagined I'd be here at this moment, about to pledge my love and devotion to another woman until I met you. You've made me happier in these last six months, than anyone else I've ever met. I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy and making a wonderful home for our children. I know we've done things backwards, but I wouldn't have it any other way.”  

Jase gets down on one knee and pulls out a ring. You can't help smiling at him and beaming with happiness. Even though you knew this was happening it still felt like a moment from a fairy tale.

Jase looks into your eye as he opens the box with the ring inside. “Y/N, will you marry me?” 

“How about a pumpkin?” Lance asked you.

“Just because I look like a pumpkin, doesn't mean I want to pass out candy as one!”

He laughed at you and moved on to another costume. The two of you were shopping for Halloween decorations and possible costume ideas. The plan was to pass out candy at his home, since you lived in a penthouse with Jase and there we hardly any kids in the building.  

���What are you thinking about going as?” Lance was looking at all the Marvel character costumes.

He holds out a red, white, and blue shield in your direction. “What about Captain America?”

You laugh and the ridiculous pose he’s making while holding the shield. “I'm actually thinking you're more of a Bucky Barnes than a Cap. You're too much of an asshole to be the symbol of righteousness!”

The two of you laughed hysterically and he concedes defeat. “Ok, ok…maybe Iron Man? I mean, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. I could pull that off!”

You nod your head in agreement. “Yes! Your douchebag skills and fuckery make you a good candidate for Tony Stark. I'm game, but you really don't need a costume to be a dick!”

Lance smiles and grabs the ridiculous outfit and walks over to you. “What about you? Find anything?”

You shrug your shoulders, “I'm fat! I won't look right!”

He chuckles at you and places his hand on your belly, “sweetheart, there are two perfectly beautiful babies making a temporary home in your belly. Soon they'll be out, and your belly will be gone and you'll become a hot mom I'd like to fuck!” He starts laughing, and you punch him his arm.  

“You guys are so cute!” There’s an older lady in the aisle with you.

Lance grabs your hand and smiles at the woman, “isn't she adorable?”

The lady nods her head, “you two make a cute couple.”

Lance is enjoying every second of this, “we hope we make cute babies too!” He puts his hand on your belly, and the woman coos.

“Well you sure are a good looking young lad, I'm sure it'll look just like you if it's a boy!”

Lance just can't help but continue, he gets closer and leans into the woman. “Shhh! Don't tell anyone...but we got a really great deal. Two for the price of one!”

The lady shows a look of surprise, and you can't help but laugh at them both.  

“As cute as you both are, you'll make great parents. My dear, you should be a pumpkin for Halloween!”  

“So I've been told.” You smirk at Lance, who just shrugs his shoulders back at you.

“Well, good luck with your babies. Two will keep you very busy. You got a nice, good looking man to take care of ya, don't let him go!” She smiles at you before walking off through the store.

Your face morphs into alight disappointment. Too bad I'm engaged to someone else.

“You just had to make it weird?”

Lance laughs at your pouty face, “I was just having fun. She was cute.” He grabs your hand and walks you up to pay for your items.

Maybe she'll adopt you, or at least she can be your sugar momma.”

Lance laughs at your comment. “Awww, jealous of my skills on the elderly? Afraid I might replace you?”

You shake your head and laugh. “Of course not! At least not yet. I'm still fairly young, and with you being older, I'll never reach cougar status. I don't think you'll replace me for at least ten more years.”

Lance bites his lips and smiles at you. “I'll never replace you.” He leans in and presses a soft kiss to your lips.  

“Lance!” You push him off you and give him a dirty look.

“I'm sorry! I know I'm not supposed to, alright? It's just…why are you even marrying him?”

You've thought a lot about that very same question. “Not here, Tucker…we'll talk at home.”

He raises an eyebrow at the word ‘home’ but says nothing.  

The two of you grabbed take out and ended up back at Lance's house sitting on the couch watching Netflix. You can see the building frustration carry over from the conversation earlier and you know he wants to address it.  

You grab for the remote and pause the tv. “Talk!” You demand as you turn and face him.

“Why? Why are you marrying him?” He looks at you in disbelief.

“Lance, we talked about this…”

“No, you talked about it, while I stayed quiet and listened. I’m sorry to have to say this, but I don’t think he’s right for you, and I’m pretty sure he’s not in love with you!” Lance removes himself from the couch and is pacing around in front of you.

“He asked me to marry him, I think he loves me!” You're defending your absent fiancé to a man that you know is in love with you.

“No, he doesn't! You're here more than at home with him, you're practically living here now! He's always ‘working’, and when's the last time he went to an appointment with you? Huh? I seem to remember going to the last ultrasound with you. I got to see those babies and the man who's supposed to be their father, who you're marrying, is continually out of the picture! So, I ask you again, why are you marrying him?” He begins to stare hard at you.  

“Because of you!” You scream at Lance in a fit of emotions. “Lance Tucker doesn't do family life! You never wanted it, so why would you now? You only want me because another man has me. So, I break things off with Jase and then what? I come playhouse with you until you get bored and decide we cramp your style? Discard us like yesterday's trash? I can't do that Lance! I have to think about the babies!”  

Lance has stopped pacing and looks shocked at your words. “Is that really what you think of me? All this time we've spent together, and that's what you think? I've gone shopping with you, taken you to dinner, gone to the ultrasound with you, hell, where did you sleep last night?! Curled up with me in my bed! I'm pretty sure my hand has been on your belly more than your fiancé, and yet you think I'm playing a game?! Unbelievable!” He runs his hands through his hair in frustration.

“Tell me Lance...what if these were your babies? What then? Huh? I walk up to you and say ‘Lance, we're pregnant.’ How do you respond?” You ask him and wait for his response.  

He just stands there silent. He opens his mouth to say something, but nothing comes out.

Again, speechless.

“That's why Lance.” You're much calmer now. “When Maggie told you she was pregnant, you panicked. Swore you weren't the father and had a long drawn out court battle. After everything that happened we stood there in the same kitchen we had sex in, and you told me you would never want a family. That's why I can't. Because deep down, you don't want that, and I won't make you change for me.” You stand up from the couch, “I love you too much to change you.”

You grab your purse, phone, and keys and walk back over to Lance and place a kiss to his cheek. “I'll call you tomorrow.”

You move from in front of him and make your way to the door. “Lance…” you said to him as you opened the door. He's looking at you like a lost puppy. “Today, I love you more than Jase...I just wanted you to know.” He nods his head and gives you a forced smile, and watches you walk out.  

“I'm so shocked you text me!” Claire says sitting across from you at the little corner deli. “I was sure you hated me and wouldn’t speak to me again” The woman frowns at you.

“I'm pretty certain I do indeed hate you, but I needed someone to talk to and going through my phone, you were the only one to respond.” Your tone dry, and she just shrugs at you.  

“So, what up? What’s weighing so heave on your mind that you have to use me as a last resort?”  

“I'm going to end things with Jase.” You tell her and the look on her face looks like a raging bull instead of shock and awe.

“Why would you do that, you're about to get married!” She looks like she wants to freak out on you.

“Because Claire, I have to come clean with Lance. He has a right to know he's going to be a father and I just can’t keep this up anymore.” You put your head in your hands and sink into the table.

“And what do you think will happen?” Claire has raised her voice. “He’ll hate you for not telling him. You know how much he wanted to prove he wasn't the father of Maggie's baby, he'll do the opposite to you! He'll have you in court trying to take them away from you because he'll think you won't let him see them. You won't have Lance or those babies, is that what you want?”  

Maybe she had a point. Lance will be furious when he finds out you lied. Would he go to that extreme, though?

“You're suggesting I just keep up with the lie and ruin not just Lance’s life, but Jase and the babies as well?”

“Yes!” She responds harshly.

“Jesus, why do I even bother? I'm leaving…I need to go find Lance!” You grab your things and leave her yet again for the umpteenth time.

Behind you something was happening, but you had no idea what. Claire watches you leave and pulls out her phone, dialing a stored number.

“Claire, what the hell?” The male says on the other end.

“Where are you? You better not be with that whore I told you to dump weeks ago!” She's practically yelling through the phone.

“What do you want?” The man asks sternly.

“Move the wedding up!” She demands of him.

“Why, beginning of December isn't good enough for you?” He responds sarcastically.

“Not when she's going to find Lance and tell him the truth! I told you not to let her spend time with him, but of course you'd fuck up a wet dream! Now fix this Jase or I'll make sure you never see partner at that firm and everyone will know about your extracurricular dominant activities. That won't look good for your uncle’s re-election campaign!”

Jase huffs, irritated through the phone. “What do you want me to do?”

“Call her now before she goes to him. Tell her to meet you and move up the wedding! I'll have my own talk with Lance Tucker…he's overdue for a reality check!”

Jase is less than happy at the demands being dictated to him by the tyrant, but he knew what he signed up for when he agreed to this in the first place. “Fine, I'll call her. You do know, this is going to end very badly. You're playing with too many lives, just to get back at one!”

Claire laughs at him through the phone. “All I care about is getting what I want from Tucker! It's not my fault her dumb ass got pregnant! Now call her!” She hangs the phone up on him.  

Jase stares at the phone for a few minutes before dialing Y/N to ask her to meet.

“Hey!” You happily greet your fiancé.

“Hello gorgeous! What are you doing right now because I'd love to see you.”

“Well I was headed over to see Lance, but I could come to you instead?”

Maybe he'd decline, and you could still go talk to Tucker.

“Great, I'm at the office! Just come in when you get here. I'd like to talk about the wedding!” Jase sounded unusually upbeat. This was a whole level of weird for him.

“Ok, I'll be there soon.”

Hanging up the phone, you made a few turns, and went back into the direction of Jase's office.

Guess the conversation with Lance would just have to wait for another day.

Lance arrives at the posh restaurant and gives the host his name. She grabs a menu and takes him towards the back to a table where the other guest is already seated.

“Claire Baxter…what do you want?” He's practically dismissing her, and she just smirks at him.

“Have a seat Tucker, we have much to discuss.” He shakes his head at her but sits down anyway.  

Lance doesn't like her. Never has. She was a one nighter that wanted more, and he was never inclined to give that to her. She may have been beautiful on the outside, but inside she was Gollum, or maybe an Orc. She had looks, but the sex was horrible, and he knows she's used to getting what she wants. He hates high class pussy.

“I'll ask you again, what do you want? What was so important that I had to come meet you here? And how the fuck did you get my number? Stalker much?” Lance is giving her his best ass hole face, showing no emotion. He knows how she works and he'll be damned if he gives in.  

“Y/N Y/L/N.” Those are the only two words she says to him.

“What about her?” Lance senses this is a cat and mouse game, and he has no interest in playing it.

“What does she mean to you?” Claire smiles at him, but it's not a nice smile. It's a ‘I know more than you’ smile and he’s already sick of her bull shit.

“She's a friend and former employee. But you already knew that, so why the interrogation?” He takes a sip of the water in front of him trying not to show how uncomfortable he is with Claire bringing her up.  

“She's more than a friend, isn't she?” She raises her eyebrows and takes a sip of her wine.

“I guess I don't understand what you want to know or even why I'm here. So, I'm not answering anything until you tell me the reason for the Spanish Inquisition.” Lance sits back and crosses his arms to his chest.  

“Fine…but I liked my way better.” Claire places her arms on the table and leans in towards him. “I'm going to tell you a story…stop me if you've heard it. There once was a girl, sweet and innocent. She moved here from Boston after graduation and made a life for herself. Things were going well, but she had a disagreement with an employer and was out of a job. She needed something so badly that she took the offer from an agent and became the PA of a world class asshole. Sound familiar?” She asks with a smirk.

“I'm intrigued…keep going.” Lance responds.  

“She worked very hard for him, but he was still a world class fuckboy! She did everything he wanted, including kick out his one-night stands, all the while, falling deeply in love with the man. One day after three years of employment, she makes a horrible mistake. For some reason, they had sex…shocker! He fucks up, of course! And she ends up dating another man. You sure you haven't heard this one?” She's taunting him now.

“Get to the point!” He's becoming increasingly irritated.  

“Where was I? Oh yes, she starts dating another guy. Then, she finds out she's pregnant! Scandal! But guess what? It's not the boyfriends! Eek!”

Lance’s breathing has increased and his face is getting red. “Finish…the fucking...story, now Claire!” He says through gritted teeth.

“She promised the boyfriend she wouldn't tell the father, but the pathetic things is…he's been around almost the entire time! Gasp! You sure you don't this one?”  

“Fuck you Claire!” Lance slams his fist onto the table. “She wouldn't do that to me!” He says angrily.

“Oh, but she has. See...I hate you...maybe, and I may have made sure you never have anything to do with her or those babies. Who do you think introduced her to Jase? I'm the conductor of this train, and it's about to leave the station. They're getting married sooner than expected. You can kiss her goodbye! This is what happens when you reject me! I told you you'd regret it, and Y/N played perfectly in my hand!”  

Claire starts to laugh at him, and he has clearly had enough. He grabs his glass of water and throws it in her face.

“Listen here bitch! If all of this is because I rejected you years ago then you don't deserve the life you're living! I may be an asshole, but your fucking with kids…my kids to be exact, and I'll be damned if you deny me the right to be in their lives. Good job, cunt! You just made me your worst enemy! Trust me bitch, you don’t want to fuck with me!” Lance gets up and leaves the restaurant.

Claire wipes the water from her face with her napkin. “But I already have!”

[everlarkbirthdaygifts]

Happy Birthday to nightlock-89!

Happy, happy birthday to @nightlock-89 from all of us a @everlarkbirthdaygifts! We hope it’s an amazing day for you. To celebrate, @booksrockmyface has written a little something special just for you!

Title: Does Your Mother Know?

Rating: M

Author’s Note: Happiest of days! I hope you like the interpretation of your age gap request. Title comes from the ABBA song of the same name.

—

Katniss tapped her fingers on the steering wheel at the stoplight.

Peeta reached over and squeezed her leg. “Hey, there’s nothing to be nervous about.”

“I’m about to introduce my much-older boyfriend to my mother.” She said quickly. “I think there’s plenty to be nervous about.”

He chuckled. “Well, stop it. Everything’s going to be fine.”

“That’s easy for you to say.” She pushed his hand away as the light turned green. “You’re old enough to be my father. She’s going to freak out.”

“Unless I was a teen father, not quite old enough.” Peeta trailed a finger down her cheek. “And that’s not the real bother, is it? It’s because she dated Graham, right?”

Katniss shrugged. “A little. He cheated on her. And she said your mom and Ryan weren’t that nice to her. Like, ever.”

“I know.” He sighed and pulled her hand off the steering wheel to kiss her knuckles. “She always seemed to like me, though.”

“You were twelve.” She lifted her finger and ran it over his lips. “And it’s easy to like you.”

He kissed her hand again.

Katniss pulled into the driveway of her childhood home. Taking in a deep breath, she said, “Let’s get this over with.”

Peeta followed, resting his hand on the small of her back as they made their way up the front walk.

Katniss knocked on the door as she opened it, calling, “Mom, I’m here.” She reached back and took Peeta’s hand to pull him inside.

“In the kitchen with Prim and Rory.” Iris called back.

The kitchen was situated in the back of the house. Katniss felt like her feet were growing heavier with each step. But Peeta’s strong hand in hers kept her going.

Conversation spilled through the door as Katniss walked into the room.

Rory bounced Owen on his hip while the boy whined, “Wanna eat!”

“Soon, buddy.” Rory promised.

Iris looked up from the pan she was stirring and the smile dropped from her face. “Why did you bring a Mellark to my house?”

Katniss swallowed. “Because I’m dating him.”

“Hi, Iris.” Peeta said, his smile wavering a little.

Prim waddled over and held out her hand. “I’m Prim.”

Peeta shook her hand. “Peeta.”

“Peeta.” Prim repeated. “Nice to meet you.” She waved Rory over. “This is my husband Rory and our son Owen.”

The men shook hands.

Iris heaved a sigh and moved toward the kitchen table. “I hope you’re better at dating than your brother.”

Peeta chuckled. “I am. Serial monogamist.”

Prim gave him a large smile as she pulled him toward the table. “You have to tell us everything. Katniss never brings boys home.”

“Not much of a boy.” Iris said under her breath.

Peeta have a nervous laugh as he took a seat. “Katniss took an art class I was teaching at the community center a few months ago.”

“Katniss? In an art class?” Prim looked toward her sister.

Katniss shrugged. “It was Madge’s idea. She and Gale said I needed to get out of the house a little more.”

Iris pulled the meatloaf out of the oven and sat it in the middle of the table. “And you saw my young daughter and decided what? That she was the perfect age to take advantage of?”

To Peeta’s credit, he didn’t get angry. Katniss knew by now that he was good at keeping his temper in check. “No, actually. She was just a student.” He sent Katniss a smile. “Not much of an artist.”

Katniss laughed and patted his knee. “You’re supposed to be supportive and encouraging.”

“But you said yourself you suck.” Peeta grinned. “She told me she was going to stop coming to class and I told her it was her choice. But if she stopped coming, I could ask her on a date.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet.” Prim gushed, rubbing a hand over her belly. “Isn’t it sweet, Rory?”

Rory looked up from preparing a plate for Owen. “I mean, it would be if… never mind.”

“I know I’m older.” Peeta said. “But that’s between me and Katniss. And I hope we can all get along for as long as Katniss wants to be with this old man.”

Iris shrugged. “I remember you were always so sweet whenever I was around. A sharp contrast to your mother.”

Peeta nodded. “My mother left not long after Graham graduated. So, there’s no need to worry about her or her influence on me.”

“Don’t make a mess, Owen.” Prim admonished as her son started drumming in his mashed potatoes.

“Tatoes!” Owen exclaimed just before he shoved a handful in his mouth.

Peeta chuckled. “Mashed potatoes are the best, huh?” He shoveled a large mound into his own mouth. “Mmmmmm!”

Owen let out a happy laugh and ate another bite. “Mmmmm!”

Prim let out a sigh. “Oh, Katniss, you need to keep this one. The last time you brought a guy to my house he always made that disgusted face every time Owen made the smallest noise.”

Iris let out a huff as she took a sip of water.

Katniss shifted uncomfortably. “The meatloaf is good, Mom.”

“Thank you.” Iris said. “I put a package of onion soup powder in this time. I read it on the internet.”

“I always put ranch powder in mine.” Peeta said. “Never thought of onion soup. It adds a nice bit of flavor.”

“You cook, too?” Prim’s eyes were wide. “So when’s the wedding?”

Katniss laughed. “We’ve only been dating a couple months. Slow down, Prim.”

“Not a bad idea.” Peeta murmured.

“I’m not talking about that now.” Katniss said through gritted teeth.

For the rest of the meal, Iris kept making snide comments while Prim was so positive. Prim gushed about every little thing Peeta did and gladly showed off pictures of her latest ultrasound on her phone. Katniss shared a few glances with Rory. He mostly stayed out of the conversation and looked after Owen.

Katniss was a lot more relaxed on the ride back to Peeta’s house. “I’m glad you kept your mouth shut about your ex-wife and daughter. My mom would have come unglued if you dropped that little tidbit.”

Peeta laughed. “If this keeps up, we’ll have to say something.”

“On the wedding day.” She said with a laugh. “Michaela can be one of my bridesmaids. Surprise, Mom!”

He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I’m going to keep asking you to marry me until that gets to be less of a joke.”

She rested her hand on his thigh. “We’re just getting started.”

“Well, I’m not getting younger, Katniss. I want to be married. And I think we could be good together.”

“We’ll talk about it again in a few months.” She moved her hand up a little higher on his leg. “Can I stay tonight?”

He let out a soft moan. “You can stay any night you want.”

Katniss grinned. “You may regret that offer.”

“Never.” Peeta laughed. He rested his hand on top of hers and slipped his other hand up her arm. “Can you drive faster?”

“Not if you want to get home in one piece.” She moved her hand up some more and rubbed him through his jeans. “Why do you have to live so far out of town?”

His breath hitched. “You know, we could just park somewhere.”

She laughed. “Neither of us are kids anymore. I would prefer a bed. And the last time we tried anything too adventurous, I never heard the end of how bad your leg hurt.”

“It really is easier without the prosthesis.” He pushed her hand away. “Let’s get back to my place before you make a mess of my pants.”

Katniss laughed and raised her hand to comb her fingers through Peeta’s ashy hair. He’d expressed self-consciousness about the bits of gray that were becoming more prominent. But she adored how soft his wavy hair was, so she assured him the grays didn’t matter.

Peeta leaned closer to Katniss as she drove so she could more easily reach his head. At a stop sign, she turned her head and kissed his forehead.

“I think it would be interesting to be your wife.” She said softly as she pulled into his driveway.

“You do?” He sat up and looked at her. “A good interesting?”

She put the car in park and turned to him. “A very good interesting. I like Michaela. She seems to like me. And I think that’s as important as what we feel for each other.”

“Your mom doesn’t like me much.” He said, reaching for her hand.

“She started coming around near the end of supper. Just give her some time to get to know you better.” She leaned in and kissed him softly. “Come inside so I can thank you for being so great with my family.”

They hurried inside the house, shedding their clothes between the front door and the bedroom. Katniss sat Peeta on the bed to help remove his prosthetic leg. She sat it aside as she leaned forward to kiss his stomach, pushing him on his back as she moved over him.

“What do you think of a spring wedding?” She asked as she lowered herself over him.

He laughed and ran his hands up her stomach and cupped her breasts. “Are you sure you want this to be the story of how we decided to get married?”

“Well, you handled the dating thing well enough.”

“I couldn’t tell them you and I had a wild night of sex before you decided to quit coming to class.” He slipped his arms around her back and pulled her down. “Unless you want them to know we were friends with benefits until a month ago.”

She braced her hands on the pillow beside his head. “And now talk of marriage. My mother’s going to hate having a man just five years younger than her as a son-in-law.”

“Is that the only reason you’re talking about it?” He gently scratched her back.

“Maybe a little.” She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips. “How about we table that discussion for now?”

“Sounds good to me.”

They made love slowly and almost silently. Peeta was normally very vocal, but he watched Katniss moving over him in wonder. She felt his hands roaming and leaned back to give him a little more freedom.

Peeta’s hands were soft except for the calluses on his left forefinger, middle finger, and thumb from holding pencils and paint brushes. The way his hands felt over her body always made her feel so alive. She felt herself growing closer and threw her head back in a triumphant yell as she met her orgasm.

Peeta’s chuckle met her ears a moment later. “You’re on fire.”

Katniss smiled down at him. “You are the one that got me that way.”

He pulled her down and kissed her gently as he moved slowly within her. He broke the kiss with a gasp and she felt him pulsating inside her as he came. He moaned softly as he clung to her.

“You’re beautiful, Peeta.” Katniss murmured.

He panted and grinned up at her. “Not near as much as you.”

She laughed and stretched out over him. She was just on the verge of sleep when he jostled her.

“A spring wedding?” He asked. “I’m partial to summer. We could be barefoot. Put a little flower canopy in the back yard.”

“We can do that in the spring too.” She rolled over and sat up, stretching her arms above her head. “We could even build the canopy and get some climbing plants to grow over it for a couple years.”

“Or a summer wedding.” Peeta wrapped his arms around her and pushed her back down. “You could wear a beautiful dark green dress. And I’ll wear a shirt to match. And it’ll be beautiful.”

“A summer wedding would be good, I guess.” She threaded her fingers in his hair. “If I get to wear green.”

He smiled and kissed her softly.