As Machi had predicted, she awoke multiple times from intense dreams, all centered around Hisoka and hers' offspring. Some were sweet and gave her hope, but most ended with her being attacked by one or both and having to protect herself. Her intuition was renowned by all the members of the Phantom Troupe, and at the moment she felt like there was a slim chance of everything working out in her favor. Hisoka had the potential to be a decent father and co-parent, but if he would grow into that potential was unknown.
Machi pulled herself up to a seated position on her bed, feeling the weariness from interrupted sleep. All she wanted to do was drink some tea and attempt to sleep again, but her day was already off to a bad start. She noticed immediately, before she fully awoke, that Hisoka was already over, sitting in her recliner.
She looked over at him, studying his body language and general attitude. He seemed calm, even a little pleased or entertained, as he sat and sipped a cup of hot liquid. Machi stood and stretched out her body, deciding she didn't have the energy to waste on reprimanding him, it wouldn't do any good anyway. She stepped towards the kitchen, planning to make some toast for breakfast, when she noticed Hisoka had brought a few bags with him.
"What's all this?" she motioned towards the containers on the coffee table.
"I figured you had had a long day yesterday and would need a balanced breakfast." Hisoka stated simply.
"You know, I can make my own food. I don't need you buying me every meal."
"I'm aware, but when I looked in your fridge last night, I didn't notice anything of significant nutritional value."
"You shouldn't be snooping around other people's apartments, it's rude." She said, taking a seat on the couch and opening the food containers.
It was a mix of every kind of breakfast food, eggs, ham, bacon, biscuits, and sautéed veggies, along with some brown rice as a filler. Machi took a bit of everything and mixed it together on a plate before eating. She had eaten a little more dinner after Hisoka had left yesterday, but not much, and coupled with her restless night, she was hungrier than usual.
"My, my, you'll be easily at that extra 300 calories in no time." Hisoka teased, keeping an innocent smile on.
"Don't make fun, you were the one that was insistent about me eating more."
Hisoka nodded with a hum, "True, and it's not like you have to worry about getting fat. You can just blame in on the baby."
"Maybe I will get fat, if it'll get you to leave me alone."
"Oh, Machi, I wouldn't care if you were morbidly obese, your reaction to feeling my tongue on your body is all I would need to get off." He cooed.
Machi huffed, "We have more important things to talk about."
"Alright then, where do you want to start?"
Machi paused in thought, "Well, my current plan is pretty simple. I'll start buying and setting up all the furniture, you know, the crib and changing table and what not. I might as well sign up for a monthly diaper delivery or something, just so I don't have to go out all the time. I'll work until I can't hide it anymore and then just say I'm having medical issues and will contact Chrollo when I'm feeling better. From there it'll just be balancing getting the kid around and working, thankfully we mainly do nighttime jobs."
"So, you'll just leave the infant alone all night? What if you get caught or injured on a job? Who will come to look after the baby?" Hisoka grinned.
"Well, where will you be?" Machi asked accusingly.
"I may have a job as well, and you know I'm planning to be a floor master at Heaven's Arena soon, so I'll have to fight anyone who dares to challenge me." Hisoka leaned back, crossing his arms, "Besides, are you sure you should work until you show without telling Chrollo? He could send you out alone and on a dangerous mission if he isn't made aware. Plus, do you really think they won't be curious about a random illness you develop, and causes you stay away for months? Do you honestly think you could go back to work after giving birth? Not only will that child be dependent on you, but you'll be so exhausted you won't be able to work effectively. You won't be able to keep this child a secret for long." Hisoka rattled off easily, tearing apart Machi's original plan.
"I don't want people to feel bad for me or think I'm fragile. I want to keep working and make as much money as I can, before giving it all up for this baby." Machi explained honestly.
Hisoka sat in silence, a serious expression, as he considered the emotions rolling off Machi. She was tired and clearly enough so that she let her walls fall ever so slightly, but enough that Hisoka could feel her concerns. She knew she would have to give up a big part of her life in order to properly care for this child, and she wasn't ready for so much change.
"I still think you should tell Chrollo and the others, you won't feel good lying to them. I'm sure you can convince Chrollo to allow you to work for a few more months, and if not, I'll support you. You could at least assist with intel and researching, but when the time comes for you to ease off, you need to do so without resistance. Deal?" Hisoka offered calmly.
Machi folded her arms, not as pleased with his plan as she was with hers, but it was more practical. She didn't think she would need his help, but it felt good to have it either way.
"Fine. I'll talk to him before the next meeting."
"Good. Now onto the next topic." Hisoka smiled, causing Machi to raise an eyebrow, "You can't stay in this apartment."
Her eyes widened further but she didn't react extremely, "Why do you say that?"
"You have no room for a child in here. Where would you put all the furniture and toys?"
"There is room near my bed and in this center area. This kid isn't going to be spoiled or anything." Machi grumbled.
"Maybe not by you." Hisoka chuckled.
"Well, you can keep whatever you buy at your place."
"So, you want shared custody?" Hisoka asked, raising a brow.
"No, I would never leave you allow with the child, but maybe we could come visit."
"Well, either way, you will both outgrow this apartment quickly, and it will be easier to move now when you have such few belongings." Hisoka pointed out.
"So, you want me to end my lease, find a new apartment, and move out all while being pregnant?" Machi raised an eyebrow.
"Not exactly." Hisoka grinned, "You can move into my apartment."
Machi scoffed, "Your apartment? You mean the hotel room at Heaven's Arena? No way."
"Actually," he smiled, "I have an apartment. I use it whenever I need to lay low for a bit. Everyone knows they can find me at Heaven's Arena, but very few know I have another home in the city."
Machi was silent for a moment, "Where is it?"
"About ten miles or so away. North."
"So, closer to Heaven's Arena, and you." Machi glared.
"I did say I used it to get away. It makes sense it would be close to my usual place of residence."
"I suppose." She grumbled.
Hisoka looked at her and smiled nicely, "We could move you in rather easily. It's completely furnished and I should have the necessary appliances and items in storage."
"I don't like the idea of staying at your place. I don't feel like I have the freedom to get away from you and live the way I want." Machi explained.
"I won't intrude often and I'd be willing to sign over the lease if that's what it takes." Hisoka shrugged, still smiling.
"Really?" Machi questioned suspiciously.
"Sure. I haven't had to hide out there for months, so I don't see myself needing it. Besides I'll be too busy planning for this baby to cause much trouble."
Machi chuckled slightly, "I wouldn't count you out on that quite yet. Even so, I'll want to see this place first."
"Fine by me. I could take you now if you've finished your breakfast."
Machi gazed down at her plate, noticing it was empty. She sighed leaning forward to grab a cinnamon roll before standing to go put her shoes on. Hisoka was right behind her as they left her apartment and made the walk to his car.
0000000000000000000
The apartment complex Hisoka had rented in was beyond Machi's expectations. When he mentioned he used the place to hide, she figured it would be a hole in the wall, but this area was upscale, with multiple attractions. The map by the elevators showed a swimming pool, fitness center, fire pit, grill, and event rooms were available to all tenant. Per Hisoka, it was all included in the rent and all you had to do was sign up for a space and clean up afterwards.
"So, what floor are you on?" she asked looking up from the map.
"The 15th." He said, pressing the upward arrow button.
"Glad they have elevators, I'd never make it up the stairs later in the pregnancy."
Hisoka gave a slight laugh, if only to show he was listening, as they entered the small metal box. The ride to the higher floor was silent, but Hisoka used the moment to look at Machi, seeing her standing with a determined, blank face, and the reality of the situation seemed to dawn on him more. Until then, he really hadn't thought much about the actual gravity of it. Stealing a gaze at her now, it became more real to think about how they would be having and raising a child together. The thought made him smile happily at her, fantasizing about the new life they would be living together.
Machi noticed and shot him a sideways glare, "What are you smiling about?"
"I'm just thinking about how exciting this is all going to be." He said, his smile growing bigger.
"Well, I'm glad you're being optimistic." She sighed, turning to face the opening doors.
Hisoka lead the way down the hall to his unused apartment, opening the door and then moving to the side so Machi could enter first. The door opened into a large room with similar layout to her current one. The kitchen was in the far-left corner, dining table and two chairs in the center area, and multiple doors along the walls.
"This is the main area bathroom." Hisoka said, pointing to the door directly to the left of Machi.
Machi opened the door, seeing a standard sized bathroom with a plastic shower and tub combo and a simple sink and toilet.
"It isn't anything special, but the master bathroom is much better." Hisoka explained.
Machi huffed in response before turning away to look at the rest of the apartment. She walked past a door on the right-side wall and found a small nook, set up as a living room, but felt a lot cozier because of the closeness of all the furniture.
"This was probably meant to be the dining area, but I liked the privacy of it." Hisoka commented, walking up behind to whisper in Machi's ear.
She scoffed, shrugging her shoulder to bump his head away from her, before turning opposite his face and going towards the door straight across from the front entrance. She opened the door and found herself staring in surprise. Hisoka had a king-sized bed and black mahogany side tables and dresser in the room.
"Jesus, I thought you said you didn't live here?" she groaned.
"I don't, but when I do need to stay here, I want to be comfortable."
Machi regained her composure before walking to the left to open another door, which lead into a large walk-in closet. She shook her head at the mere amount of clothing space, knowing she would never be able to fill this space. Next, she walked to the other side of the room, finding a door a few yards away from where she came in. This lead into the master bathroom and she could see exactly why Hisoka would love this apartment. It included a full-length glass shower with duel rain shower heads. As she looked closer the lights above the shower were multicolored LED lights. The bathroom also had couples sinks as a special additive and plenty of storage space.
Machi had to admit it was a much nicer apartment than hers both in design and location. While she loathed the idea of agreeing with Hisoka and moving closer to him, she knew he was right about needing a place to grow into, not out of. She sighed as she walked back out into the main area, Hisoka following behind, closing doors.
"It's nice." She admitted.
"You haven't even seen the second bedroom." Hisoka giggled, walking to a door near the living nook.
He opened it, showing Machi a plain white room, full of boxes. She frowned, compared to the rest of the apartment, this was underwhelming. Hisoka stepped in, sliding a single finger across a box, picking up dust.
"Don't worry. I have a storage locker in the basement and can move all of this down there rather quickly." He explained.
"Fine, as long as you get it done in a timely manner." Machi huffed, walking away from the boring room.
"So, should we go get your stuff?" Hisoka asked, grinning knowingly.
Machi scoffed, "I'm not moving in today you idiot. I need a few weeks to pack and whatnot."
"A few weeks? You shouldn't have that much stuff."
Machi sighed, "Take me home."
Hisoka smirked, stepping to block her, "You do want to move in here then?"
Machi glared back, "Yes. I don't have the time to find my own and it probably won't be as nice either."
"Well then, how about you take till the end of the week to pack and I'll help you get everything moved in this weekend, hmm?" he smiled politely.
"Fine."
"Shall we seal the deal with a kiss?"
"No." she stated, closing her eyes and tilting her head down to keep her lips away.
Hisoka smiled teasingly before pressing a big kiss to her forehead. Machi jerked back and rubbed the bit of saliva off her head, glaring at him. Hisoka only continued to smile innocently as she watched him cautiously and moved to exit the apartment. The both made their ways down and out to Hisoka's car, before driving back to Machi's current apartment.
Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! There is plenty more to come so keep checking every couple of days or so!