Zed's POV
It was so hard to focus. On anything. My eyes trying to stay closed every time I'd blink. I had to think about blinking. I obviously couldn't hold a conversation. After dropping Addy off at her first period, I went straight to class and laid my head down on the desk. I was almost asleep when the bell rings way too loudly, I shot up right with a start. I hear Eliza and Bonzo start laughing as the sit around me.
"Geez Zed, you really look like a zombie today." Eliza says teasingly.
"Za! Zombie Zedka!" (Yeah! Zombie Zed!) Bonzo teases along, lifting his arms and uses a mocking tone as he mimics a stereotypical zombie before laughing heartily with Eliza. I shoot both of them a glare.
"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up. I was up all night. Leave me alone." I stated flatly. I caught Eliza's look of disgust before laying my head back down.
"I really don't wanna know how you and Addison spend your alone time." She says. I turn my head, still on the desk, to glare at her again.
"I wasn't with Addison, Genius. Or else I would've slept." I spit back. She raises a brow at me.
"You mean to tell me you were up all night worrying about her?" Eliza asks. I nod and lightly slam my head against the solid surface.
"I couldn't get ahold of her 'cause she was passed out and I paced around the house all night. I'm pretty sure I kept my dad up too. I feel horrible." I admit guiltily. Bonzo pats my shoulder as a supportive gesture.
"I'm sure your dad was just worried about you." Eliza comforted. I nod, closing my eyes for a minute.
I open my eyes again as the bell rings. The florescent lights sending shooting pain through my skull. Everyone is shuffling to get their things together and leaving. I groan as I sit up and look around in confusion. Eliza pats my back.
"It's time for second period." She informs me.
"I slept through class?" I ask, gathering my things so my friends don't leave me.
"Za. Ru ag zrav grazeepa." (Yeah. Your were dead asleep.) Bonzo confirmed. I pressed the heel of my hand into my temple to elevate some of the pressure.
"My head's killing me." I groan again.
"If I had a head like that, it'd hurt too." Eliza joked. I scowl at her from the corner of my eye.
"Zed!" I'd know that voice anywhere. I sigh a breath of relief and my body instantly relaxes. I look up to see Addy rushing through the crowded hall towards me. "Hey." She greets in a breath.
"Hey." I reply, pulling her into my arms for a much needed hug. I take in a long breath of her scent. She smells extra sweet today. Or maybe it's just the fact that I'm running on a cumulative hour and a half of sleep. "I missed you." I whisper into her hair. She giggles and pulls back to look up at me.
"I think you slept through class." She accuses jokingly. I glance at my friends who try hiding their snickering. I sigh and scratch the back of my head in defeat.
"Yeah." I admit. "But I didn't mean to!" I quickly defended. Addy gives me a soft smile.
"It's ok." She forgives, reaching up to hook a hand around my neck and pull me down for a light kiss. "Try to stay awake for your other classes. You can nap during lunch, ok?" She whispers. I nod and lean in for one more kiss. We hear Eliza making a puking noise, causing us both to laugh and separate before we all head to our next classes.
XxX
Addison's POV
After the fourth period bell rang, Zed audibly groaned in relief, throwing himself against me for cuddles. I laugh and rub his back comfortingly.
"You'll be ok." I assure him, earning a muffled groan in response. I giggle and gather my things in my bag, doing Zed a service and putting his away too. Once I'm finished, I kiss his head laying on my shoulder. "Let's go to the Safe Room." I whisper into his scalp. He sluggishly sits up and grabs both our bags to throw over one shoulder and takes my hand in his other.
The closer we got, the quicker his pace became. I watch his face, the hard blinks every so often bring a smile to the surface and I start to laugh as I'm pulled along. He slows till he's right beside me and give me a curious look.
"What's so funny?" He asks. I clear my throat to settle my laughter.
"I'm sorry. You're just so cute when you're sleepy and determined." I tell him honestly, grabbing tighten onto his arm to hug myself against his bicep. I glance up and he's smiling down at me.
"Happy to be of entertainment for you, My Dear." He jokes, not giving me a chance to respond as he scoops me up bridal style and gives me a sweet kiss. I giggle against his lips and wrap my arms around his neck as he carries me the rest of the way to the Safe Room.
Once we're safe inside, he walks us straight to a futon, gently sets me down with my back resting against the metal barred headboard, and plops down with a huff. I giggle and stroke his emerald green hair where it lays in my lap. He adjusts his position slightly to get more comfortable, curled up so his long legs won't hang off the edge. I smile as I watch his face relax when his eyes close.
"Hey Zed?" I ask softly.
"Hmm?" He hums to acknowledge he's listening.
"Remember when I was sick? And we didn't know why?" I continued.
"Mhm?" He agrees sleepily.
"I've been thinking about that dream I had." I admit.
"Mm, da good dream." He remembers, his words slightly smushed from lying on my lap.
"Yeah. The good dream." I laugh quietly. The images of Zed's blurred face from the blinding sunlight. The angelic giggles from their green haired child. The happiness that filled my heart from just that single sound. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes, but you wouldn't notice from my face splitting smile. "I, I think we're having a girl."
Silence.
But it's quickly cut by the hushed snores coming from my lap. I glance down and his peaceful face shows he's sound asleep. A new softer smile gracing my lips. I decide it's best to let him rest as I gently continue to pet his hair affectionately and watch him sleep.
Suddenly, my stomach growls hungrily. My free hand rubs my belly gently.
"I better ask Bree to bring me some food." I whisper to myself. I pull my bag closer and dig out my phone, careful not to wake Zed in the process.
Hey Bree! Could you bring me something I can eat to the Zombie Safe Room please? I text. A second later, my phone buzzes with a response.
Absolutely! Is everything ok? She texts back in concern. I smile.
Yeah! Zed's just really tired. I'm letting him rest. I reply.
Oh! That's right! Bonzo was telling me about that! I'll be right there! I set my phone to the side and refocus my attention the sleeping zombie on my lap.
I lean down and kiss his cheek gently. He shifts and I'm afraid that I woke him but I'm quickly relieved when he just snuggles closer to my torso and relaxes again. I lean my back against the headboard and run my fingers through his hair while I wait for some food to arrive.
A few minutes later, the door of the Safe Room opens slowly until Bree pops her head in. I put a finger over my lips. She quietly enters, closing the door behind her carefully, then tip toes over to me with a tray of goodies. I smile widely at her from my pinned seat.
"Awwww! Look how cute he is when he sleeps! Sleeping like a little baby!" Bree gushes in her hushed tone. I giggle quietly, glancing down fondly at my zombie resting on top of me.
"Yeah, he is pretty adorable." I agree. We both giggle together before she passes me the tray that I sit beside me on the firm mattress. "Thanks Bree, you're the best!" I thank in a whisper. Of course, she waves me off.
"Don't mention it! I have to keep my best friend and future god-baby nice and nourished!" She replied proudly. I laugh softly.
"We haven't decided who's gonna be the god-parents." I point out teasingly.
"Pff!" She snorts. "With me being your best friend and Bonzo being one of Zed's best friends, I'm basically guaranteed a god-baby from you two!" She counters. I laugh a little too loudly, Zed jumps and tries to sit up quickly but I grab ahold of his shoulders to stop him. He looks between Bree and I then relaxes.
"It's ok Zed! I'm sorry for waking you." I apologize. Zed scoots closer to me and lays his head on my shoulder.
"Don't apologize. You didn't do anything wrong." He mutters as he closes his eyes again. It makes me smile and I turn back to Bree.
"I think I've got it from here. Thanks again Bree!" I tell her happily. She leans in to give me a gentle side hug then scurries out of the Safe Room. Once she's gone, Zed tightens his arms around me affectionately.
"What'd I miss?" He asks curiously. I rub his arm that's over my stomach.
"She brought the baby some food." I joke, earning a chuckle.
"I shouldn't be keeping you from lunch." Suddenly I feel a wave of guilt. I immediately turn and pull him by the face to kiss me. After a hard kiss, he pulls back with a look of curiosity.
"I offered to stay with you while you slept. And you're not keeping me from lunch." I nod towards the tray of food waiting for me. He sighs with a grateful smile, lifting his hand to caress my cheek affectionately.
"What did I do to deserve you?" He mused, staring at me with an expression in such awe and love that I forget how to breath for a second.
"Because you love me like that." I whisper. He doesn't waste a moment to pull me back in for a heated kiss. It didn't take long for the kissing to turn into touching, or the touching to turn into lovemaking. We spend the rest of our lunch hour in each other's arms, exactly where we both belong.
XxX
I still spend my last period with the cheerleaders in the gym. Of course I wasn't practicing. I was basically standing in as a coach. Bree beside me as head captain.
"So I had this great idea that we should change that middle part so that these two would backhand spring into a double tuck just as the flyers do triple twists in sync and then that leaves these three-" the final bell rings. "Ugh!" I groan loudly. Bree looks at me in concern.
"What's the matter?" She asks. I begrudgingly pack my duffle bag.
"I have a doctors appointment today and I'm not excited about it." I inform her in a grumble. She laughs and packs her own bag.
"But it's for the baby right? Maybe you can hear the heartbeat! Or maybe they'll do an ultrasound!" She squeals. I pause and think it over for a moment. I hadn't even thought about that. In a matter of seconds, my feelings of dread and anxiety are replaced with excitement and eagerness. I quickly stuff my belongings in the bag and zip it up.
"You're right! Thanks Bree. You're the best!" I tell her sincerely as I give her a tight hug.
"I expect deets tomorrow! Now go, go, go!" She warns before shooing me off. I laugh as I skip down the bleachers and out of the gym. I step out front of the school and almost immediately spot my tall green haired boyfriend talking with Bonzo and Eliza. I walk up behind him and wrap my arms around his waist.
"Whoa!" He exclaims with a chuckle, then peaks back over his shoulder to see my big excited smile. "Hey Addy!" I loosen my hold enough for him to turn in my arms to lean down for a quick peck. "Did you have a good time at cheer?" He teased.
"We might get to hear the baby's heartbeat today!" I tell him excitedly, but he stiffens. I look around at our friends who are avoiding looking at me. My face immediately drops in concern. I can feel his overwhelming nervousness growing in my chest. "What?" I ask. He clears his throat and rubs my back for a gesture of comfort.
"I, uh, don't know if you should get your hopes up." He says cautiously. It takes a second for what he's told me to process. But then it's like a switch is flipped.
"You, you mean they might not have a heartbeat?" I ask in a whisper of disbelief. He gives me a small nod. My stomach starts to churn and my heart hurts, my heightened hormones probably not helping as tears well up in my eyes. Zed cradles me into his chest and rocks me back and forth, kissing the top of my head to ease my hurting.
"I'm sorry Addy. Zombies don't have heartbeats at all. But trust me, it's normal for us!" He tries to comfort. Without warning, Bonzo hugs both Zed and I in a group hug, his own eyes watering with sympathy but quickly lets us go to not make us uncomfortable. I give him a small smile even though the tears are still pouring.
"Yeah! Zed's just weird for having a heartbeat!" Eliza adds. I laugh through my tears and look up at Zed.
"It's normal? Our baby'll be ok, right?" I ask hopefully. He smiles but it doesn't quite reach his eyes.
"I'm sure they'll be perfect. Just like you." He says before kissing my forehead. "I think Bucky's waiting for us, you go ahead. I'm right behind you." He tells me, pointing over at Bucky's van. He's bombarded with students trying to get the legend of a cheerleader's autograph. I laugh and wipe the tears away as I head towards my cousin.
XxX
Zed's POV
"Why didn't you tell her about the risks? You know how rare it is for a zombie baby to make it full term!" Eliza fumed. I glare at her.
"How'm I supposed to tell her that?! You saw how upset she was just about not hearing a heartbeat! 'Oh yeah and Addy, to top it off, our baby will probably die inside you because of my shitty zombie genes!' That would go over great! Don't you think?" I ask sarcastically. She narrows her eyes at me.
"You know what I mean." She hisses in reply. "You have to tell her." My nose wrinkles with anger but I ultimately sigh in defeat.
"I know! I know." He say, running my hands through my hair in frustration. How can I possibly tell her that without stressing her out in the process? Eliza's right though. I do have to tell her. I can't keep acting like everything will be perfect. Because zombies are far from perfect.
XxX
Bucky drove us back to Addison's, the ride was deafeningly quiet. He wanted to beat the shit out of me for making his baby cousin cry, but she stood between us to stop him. She insisted that it wasn't my fault she was so emotional, but it really is my fault. It's because of my stupid genes. If I were human, she wouldn't have to worry about if her baby had a heartbeat. Or if it would be stillborn before she reached her due date.
I instinctively tighten my arm around her and kiss her head where she now rests against my side in the back seat of the van. But she picked me. Not a human. A zombie. She was happy to be carrying my child. Will she still be happy to carry this baby when I tell her what could happen?
"Zed." Addy's soft voice snaps me back to reality. She's holding my face and her eyes look so sad. When did I start crying? "It's ok, I know you're scared too but it's gonna be fine." Addy tried to assure me in a hushed voice. I wipe my eyes of the wet tears. She's right. I am scared. Scared she'll leave me when she finds out about zombie baby survival rates.
XxX
Addison's POV
Going to the gynecologist had to be my least favorite thing to do in the world. I'm always completely embarrassed the entire time 'cause I'm naked and they'll get all up in my business for my exam or test or whatever they do up there. But having Zed in the room with me made it that much more humiliating. I tugged the paper gown tighter around me and the ungodly loud crinkling made it clear to anyone three rooms over that I'd moved.
Zed reach over from his seat beside the exam table to grab my hand and squeeze it supportively. I look over at him with bright red cheeks, his sweet smile making me relax slightly. He's here with me, for me.
I jump when there's a knock on the door and the doctor enters. "Good afternoon Addison!" The woman greets happily, closing the door behind her then quickly approached with an extended hand. I shake her hand nervously. "I'm Doctor Jenny Carter! I'll be your primary doctor through your pregnancy!" I couldn't lie, this lady made me feel comfortable from the get go. I relax a little.
"Nice to meet you!" I say with a smile. Then she seems to notice Zed beside me. He stands as she addresses him.
"Oh! And you must be 'Dad'?" She asks extending her hand to shake as well. Zed accepts her hand for a shake.
"Yes! My name's Zed!" He introduces himself. Dr. Carter smiles.
"It's a pleasure!" Then, she looks between the two of us with excitement behind her eyes. "You two are a very special case! The first zombie human hybrid baby! How exciting!" She enthused. I look over to Zed who's already smiling at me, steps closer to give me a side hug.
"Yeah we're very excited." I reply with a small shy smile as I hug Zed back.
"Good!" Then she reined back her energeticness to be slight more serious but still had a friendly smile on her face. "I'm going to do everything I can to make sure you have a smooth pregnancy and a healthy little baby." She assured us. Then she claps her hands together and turns to wash up and put on a pair of gloves. "Now! Let's get started! I'm going to give you a quick exam to make sure everything is looking good so far and then we'll see if we can hear a heartbeat! How's that sound?" Her bright smile fades quickly when she sees the panic on my face.
"B-but what if the baby w-won't have one?" I ask shakily. She steps forward and places a hand on my shoulder.
"We won't know until we check, right?" She counters gently. "Yes, your baby is half zombie but it's also half human too. There's a good chance your baby will have a little heartbeat in there!" Her assuring words make me feel better and I give her a smile as I nod in agreement. "That's better!"
She then pulled up her rolling chair and asked me to lay back, helping me place my feet in the stirrups so I was spread wide for her exam. I stared at Zed the whole time and he stared back into my eyes lovingly, keeping me distracted by rubbing the back of my hand with his thumb.
"All done!" Dr. Carter exclaimed as she threw her gloves away and helped me unhook my heels from their propped state. I was pleasantly surprised how short that seemed to take. Then she stepped around to the side opposite of Zed. "While I have you here, I'm also going to do a quick breast exam to make sure there's nothing there we need to worry about!" She explained. Breast cancer. The thought made me shutter so I agreed.
She pulled open my paper gown and I see Zed can't help but glance over at my bare tits that are in front of his face. It makes me laugh, the doctor gives me a curious look but doesn't question me, probably assuming I'm just childish or something about being naked. The breast exam goes as smoothly as the vaginal one. Quick and simple.
"Great! I didn't find anything out of the ordinary!" She tells me happily. "Now for the fun part!" She says with a smile, walking over to grab the Doppler device that looks like a walkie talkie with a little microphone attached to it. She returns to the spot she'd been at for the breast exam and presses her hand along my lower belly. "Yup, that's a pregnant uterus!" She jokes. Zed leans forward and presses his forehead against the side of my head affectionately, I smile. She feels around a little bit more. "Feels like you're about, 4-6 weeks along. We'll be more sure when you have your first ultrasound around your next visit." She clarifies.
My heart starts to race as she turns on the device and the radio static sounds in the room. She presses the paddle where her hand once was and the radio quiets. She moves it around. Still nothing. I'm holding my breath now. Waiting to hear something. Zed is squeezing my hand anxiously. We're both a ball of nerves. She moves the Doppler again.
Suddenly, we hear the sound of little palpitations. We both release our held breath and smile at one another. He leans in and plants a gentle kiss to my lips, his hand still constricting mine at my side. I can feel his overwhelming relief and love as we listen to the sweetest sound that's ever hit our ears.
Dr. Carter continues to let us hear the heartbeat for a few extra moments. "That's strange." She muttered before switching off the device. She doesn't say much else at first but then tells me I can sit up and get dressed while she goes to type up the results of all my exams. She excuses herself and is out the door quickly. Her lack of enthusiasm worries me for a moment, but Zed's lips crashing into mine distracts me. His hands are cradling my face and his kisses are soft yet demanding, loving yet heated. His tongue glides against mine in my mouth. When he finally pulls back, I'm left breathless staring into his eyes.
"Oh my god Addy. You're so amazing. I love you so much." He praises between his panting breathes. I giggle breathlessly.
"What did I do?" I question. He closes his eyes for a moment and chuckles.
"Carrying my baby! Making them healthy! Oh god, just being with me!" He rattled off in amazement, pulling me back for another blistering kiss. This one was much shorter. "I love you." He whispers. My heart feels so full and tears threaten to escape.
"I love you too." I reply quietly. He smiles a dazzling smile that once again makes it hard to breathe.
"I better get you dressed before the doctor comes back." He teases with a quirked eyebrow. I laugh and slap his shoulder.
"Then stop trying to seduce me!" I tease back. He hands me my bundle of clothes and helps me off the exam table and out of the paper robe. He hums appreciatively as I bend over to put my panties back on. I glance back over my shoulder and see his line of sight is glued to my ass. I roll my eyes and continue getting dressed.
We spend the next few minutes exchanging kisses while we waited for the doctor to return. Zed had sat me back up on the exam table and stood close beside me with his arm wrapped around my waist as we waited. It wasn't long before another knock came to the door, Dr. Carter entering again with her friendly smile like before.
"Ok! Everything looks good! Nothing to be too concerned with this early." She added. My brows furrowed.
"Wait, do you think something could be wrong?" I clarify. She sighs with a shake of her head.
"I heard a murmur of the heartbeat when we were listening but it's really too early to tell if it will become a problem. It could possibly go away completely by the time the baby is born!" She says smiling. I release my held breathe, relieved once again. Zed tightened his grip around my waist and hides his smile in my hair, planting a gentle kiss while he's there. "We're done for today! Schedule another appointment for next month. Then, when we start getting closer to your due date, we'll start seeing each other more frequently." I nod eagerly.
"Thank you Doctor!" I thank. She extends her hand back out to me then to Zed.
"I look forward to helping you two along through this!" She said finally then saw us out to the front desk. I scheduled my next appointment and my mom was waiting impatiently in the waiting room.
"How'd it go Honey?" She asked excitedly, rushing up to us as soon as we were in sight.
"It was fine Mom. I'll tell you all about it on the ride home." I encouraged for us to go.
"Oh! Right, right! Let's get going!" She ushered me along with Zed following very close behind. I cuddle into his side as soon as we're comfortably in the back seat and riding back to my house for the night.
