Their obscenely large bathroom was so quiet, it was unsettling. Every white surface, all of them shining clean, and the smell of soap and flowers. What would normally bring her peace, now is aggressive to her senses.
The wait is killing her, as the timer on her phone started. The six hundred seconds in the blasted countdown is haunting her as Raul stood beside her in their bathroom. Lynette was pacing as the stick is placed on their sink.
The test that could change their lives forever.
The pink-haired woman is unnaturally concerned, due to the former state of her physical existence, whilst the tall and usually easy-going man is trying his best to calm his wife's nerve.
After some unwitting observation, he managed to get himself an idea to ease her worries. The distraught woman, in turn, is trying to distract herself by clutching down on the bathroom floor, and he followed her lead. She was hiding her face in her hands. This little quirk of hers, hiding her face when something embarrasses or vexes her, is a gesture he knows all too well.
This is his time to shine. Raul starts to make his funny faces and expressions that he remembers she used to love all these years, long before they were husband and wife.
It was a small gesture to make her laugh, and honestly, he loved her laugh. He loved seeing her happy, as she walked through the studio set, the offices of Cupid Corp, or their front door. He even loved the times she held that beautiful smile whilst being strong in this field where they had indeed seen both loss and tragedies.
He started on doing the usual trick that he always did on the kids when they would have child actors on set, as he would play a session of peek-a-boo and it often works with the youngest of them. He started acting at eighteen, after he got his GED, and so he could not relate to the stress of theirs on a personal level, but he always found that they looked dour and serious.
Then, he started playing with them. They did not mind that he talked their ear off about mythology, and they even found amusing his theories about the relations between all sorts of beliefs. Besides, after spending some time with them, he saw many a problem child crack a smile on set, and it was always a point of pride to him.
He is unsure whether that would work on a four-hundred-year-old, but it could not hurt to try, right?
At first, Lynette did not even bother to look, as the pressure from the ticking clock, too fast and too slow at the same time, started to get to her. Raul thought about all their moments of spending their time at the set together, all the smiles from the kids made his heart warm and, he started to stuck his tongue out, and playfully covering his eyes.
The pink-haired woman finally notices what he was doing, and her face relaxes a little. Her husband pats himself in the back as he started to figure out more expressions as it was slowly working, but he knows that she would not give in that quickly.
Raul started on making the fish face expression, as his cheeks and mouth were sucked into a real fish as Lynette tries her best to hold on a burst of laughter with a small cough, as the pressure is slowly lifted from her back.
She folded her arms, with a raised eyebrow. "Are you surrendering already, Mr. Aconite?"
Raul smirks, as his mind was set on winning their small battle.
"Never!" He responds, petulant. "Not in a million years."
After a million faces expression later, Lynette is on the verge of losing as he figures out his final move. Both of them unaware of the pregnancy test at the moment, as they were lost in this little moment that somehow has been a huge part of their relationship.
Raul rubs his hands together mimicking an evil villain, as he prepares his final expression. The one that he knows Lynette would not resist. The Raul Aconite-patented sensual wink.
Way back when, during his "ludic love" phase, girls would find that particular set of bedroom eyes absolutely irresistible, but his wife always found that stupid technique to pick up girls both pathetic and hilarious. Alas, his bright blue irises would score him another victory, since, for the purposes of their little game, it was his secret weapon and, he knows he could win with that move.
His wife tries her very best to stifle her laughter from the previous expression, with an expression as hard as stone on her face. She tries her very best not to be distracted by her irresistible husband.
His face was hard as stone, before he leaned forward with an exaggerated look on his face, as he winks as slowly as he could, as if he was back at the Goddess Upon the Camel set and he had reverted to those cringe romantic acting skills once again. After the signature wink, he fluttered his eyebrows at her, ending it all with the cross-eyed face.
This proves to be her final straw, as she lets out a huge laugh. She could not contain herself anymore, as the bathroom was echoed with laughter by a less worried Lynette Aconite.
Raul dusted his shoulders with pride, as he had won once again. Honestly, the look on her face was all the prize he would ever need, as the worry on her face has melted away and that beautiful smile that he loves lingers there, from where it should have never left.
Lynette stops herself from laughing once more, as she pulled Raul into an embrace. He held onto her, the love of his life as they enjoyed the little moments as a notification from her phone brought them both into reality.
It was a message from Claris. "What's the verdict?"
Lynette stood up from the floor, and Raul follows suit. Their session made them forget about the whole situation, as she took deep breaths calming herself by whatever the result is. The blond man holds her gaze for a few moments as she nods before seeing the results.
She took the stick in her trembling hands, while he held her. Both of them are ready to know what the future might hold.
Two lines. Positive. Pregnant.
The room was silenced, as Lynette lets out a shriek and a gasp in between. Raul felt himself in tears, as it was positive after all these years. He pulls her into a bear hug, as he spun her slowly as the waterworks is finally happening.
"We did it, Raul." She said between the sobs. "We're going to be parents!"
Raul strokes her cheek with unalloyed happiness in his eyes.
"No, we are going to be a family." He replied as their wish had finally been granted after all these years.
Both husband and wife are excited about the new journey, and he is glad that he could finally use his skilful talents for their very own family very soon.