Hey there, new chapter^^ This time I had really fun writing it, ecause I didn´t give that much about ICness anymore- it´s really a fic that should be fun and isn´t exploring the characters deepest depths ;) I hope you enjoy! Ah, and btw: if you know about any funny pregnancy stories (can have happened in RL) that could inspire me, please don´t hesitate to write me XD I was never pregnant, so I am more or less just guessing about the things that happen.
A very special thanks goes to the wonderful Chephren and PfenixB for betaing! *huggles*
Happily ever after
*Chapter 3*
3 weeks later
Yazoo came down to the living room, still a bit sleepy from his nap. He felt awfully tired as of late, and his limbs hurt constantly, but at least the morning sickness was gone. Padding to the sofa where Sephiroth sat peacefully reading, he poured himself a glass of lukewarm tea from the pot that stood on the table. Then he wordlessly nestled into the couch, drawing his knees to his chest and stared drowsily out of the window into the sunny afternoon.
"Did you sleep well?" Sephiroth asked, just briefly looking up and taking in the adorably tousled form of his boyfriend. Yazoo just nodded and blinked, leaning against the broad chest that was offered to him as the former General lay his arm around the smaller man´s shoulder.
"Where are Loz and Kadaj?" Yazoo asked, taking a small sip from his cup.
Sephiroth just shrugged, offering off-handedly "Fighting somewhere, probably. I told them if they broke one more piece of china, I´d personally force them to take one of Aeris´ pottery classes…"
"Hn," Yazoo smirked smugly and quietly took another sip. He stared for another few moments, enjoying the pleasant silence and cozy togetherness, before he curiously looked at his lover again and asked,
"What are you reading?"
Sephiroth just wordlessly held the book cover towards him, without taking his eyes from the pages.
"'A history of war…'" Yazoo read, tilting his head. "Is it interesting?"
"Hm," Sephiroth nodded, absorbing himself with the book´s contents again.
They were silent again, before Yazoo grew restless. "Care to read something for me? I´m bored."
The former General simply raised an elegant brow. "Why don´t you get your own book then?"
"…Because I like listening to your smooth, manly voice?" Yazoo pouted, making big, shiny eyes.
Sephiroth threw him an unsure, sidelong glance, not knowing if he was being ridiculed, before he hid back behind his pages and uttered, "I don´t think this´ll be interesting for you. It really is all about blood splattering and destruction and battle and-" his eyes had drifted back towards Yazoo, hoping to have him snoring against his shoulder already, but the young man´s excited, eager nodding made him inwardly groan. "Look, why don´t we… watch a movie or something?" he nervously suggested, sporting an eager and excited expression now himself as if there really was nothing he´d rather do right now, shutting the book with a snap.
Narrowing his eyes suspiciously, Yazoo searched the man´s face for a moment, not failing to notice Sephiroth´s light flinching under his scrutinizing gaze, but then he simply shrugged. "Fine."
"Great," the one winged angel declared, looking a bit too relieved as he carefully withdrew his arm from Yazoo, laid the book on the table and got up. "Let´s see, we haven´t seen The Wutai War for a whi-"
"'Father´s First Steps: 25 Things Every New Dad Should Know'?!"
The Great General swirled around, aghast, face beet-red as he, in the blink of an eye, snatched his book out of Yazoo´s incredulous hands, clutching it protectively to his chest. Sticking out his lower lip, he half-heartedly scowled at his perfidious lover who had impudently dared to unwrap the book cover of his fake anthology.
Yazoo disbelievingly blinked.
Giving a restrained cough, Sephiroth tried to downplay the awkward and highly embarassing situation by turning around and muttering, "You want to watch the damn movie now or what?"
"You sure you wouldn´t rather watch 'Junior'?" Yazoo smirked, leaning back and folding his arms over his chest as he watched the flustered former General.
"Shuddup," was the barked reply, as the man hid behind his long hair, concentratedly studying the DVD´s they had gathered, standing next to the TV.
"Aw, come here…" Yazoo smiled, grabbing his lover´s hand and pulling the reluctant figure back onto the sofa. Sephiroth was still huffing, his sulky expression (still undermined by a light, rosy colour that painted his high cheeks) rather cute than intimidating. Yazoo wisely kept that thought to himself however and nuzzled his head underneath the man´s chin, purring,
"I think that´s really great that you prepare for the eventual…"
Sephiroth just snorted and kept sulking, the book still safely tucked under his arms, which he had defiantly crossed over his chest. He could have told Yazoo that one always had to be prepared for battle, but right now he didn´t really feel like it. His pride was badly hurt.
"Where did you get it anyway?" Yazoo prodded further, looking up with huge, impressed eyes that hopefully would draw Sephiroth out of his ratty shell. Still, the silver haired man kept staring straight ahead, but after approximately 5 minutes he droned, "…Library."
"We have a library? I didn´t even know that…" the pregnant remnant continued buttering his boyfriend up, his shining eyes radiating utter awe.
"Yes… we have. It is located behind the meadow, three miles to the left…"
"Oh, I see." Yazoo eagerly nodded, pleased to see that Sephiroth was appeased, since he had unfolded his arms and embraced Yazoo´s lean form again. Snuggling closer as well, Yazoo let his lashes drop a bit and sighed, "So, would you like to read it to me still? I think this could be valuable information for me too, even if there is no gore…"
"I wouldn´t be so sure about that…" Sephiroth muttered under his breath, with a shudder remembering the chapter about 'Being In Labour', but then he opened the book and started reading about the forthcoming joys of fatherhood.
*
5 ½ months later
Sephiroth drifted through a pleasant world of honourable battles and heroism, where men were still men and women took the job of getting pregnant, when something poked him into his cheek and he blearily opened his eyes, needing a moment to remember where he was. After he had taken in the dark bedroom and the pale moonlight shining through the window, as well as the faint, ever present smell of flowers, he looked at his shoulder, where Yazoo´s chin was resting. The young man looked at him out of huge, shimmering green eyes.
"Do you love me?"
"…What?" Sephiroth´s voice was still heavy with sleep.
"Do you love me."
"Why do you want to know that now?" The man frowned, rubbing his tired eyes with long fingers.
"I just want to."
Green eyes darted towards the clock, silently and mercilessly counting the nightly hours. "Yazoo… it´s 4 am." It sounded a bit desperate.
"You didn't answer the question: do you love me?" Lifting his chin up from Sephiroth´s shoulder demandingly, Yazoo narrowed his eyes impatiently and chewed his lip.
Sephiroth turned around on his side of the bed, groaning. Just what the hell… Wait. Maybe… Could it be…? Yazoo finally wanted some sex again??? Irritation turning into smugness, Sephiroth crept a bit closer, sneaking his arm around Yazoo´s slightly bloated form, purring into his ear, "Sure."
"Good. Because if you do then you´ll get me ice cream." Yazoo declared happily, fluttering his eyelashes prettily.
"…What?!" Irritation and despair creeping to the surface again, Sephiroth lifted his tired head to glare down at his lover, very tempted to ask if he had a screw loose somewhere, but when he met with huge, bleary eyes and a wobbling lower lip, he just groaned and swung his feet out of bed in resigned defeat.
"Wait here, I will see if we still have some."
"Strawberry flavor!" Yazoo exclaimed, absently stroking over his belly. "And get me some pickled cucumber while you´re at it, will you?" At the pained look he received, the remnant added a sweet "Pretty please?"
With satisfaction, Yazoo observed how the proud, beautiful figure of his lover stumbled over the cold floor towards the door, tousled silver hair swaying behind him. Somehow he still managed to look somewhat dignified and elegant, Yazoo noted, pleased. Hopefully their child would inherit these good genes…
Once the former General was gone, he contently smiled and pulled the blanket up to his chest, folding his hands and abandoning the act. He hadn´t felt like crying since 4 months now, but he had found out that it had a rather interesting effect on Sephiroth when he displayed this fake emotion, namely: his lover couldn´t deny him anything at all anymore! This was a very pleasant turn of actions, and Yazoo was exploiting it to his fullest advantage. Not viciously of course, but he thought that he kind of had a right to do so, since he was the one having to deal with the strange things that came with the baby! So it was just fair that Sephiroth got his share of baby trouble as well (Yazoo blissfully ignored the fact that living with a cranky, constantly mood changing partner wasn´t a piece of cake either).
Sitting in the bed like that for a while, waiting for his lover´s return and the ice cream, Yazoo´s lids grew pretty heavy again and he couldn´t hold back the yawns. Soon his head slipped to the side and within another 20 minutes, he had curled into a ball again, hugging Sephiroth´s cushion to his tummy so the baby would have it warm.
*
He woke up again when the familiar warmth of another body and an arm around his waist was missing. Sleepily groping for Sephiroth´s reassuring form, all Yazoo found was cold sheets and confused, emerald eyes opened. Sitting up and shivering from the cold, the silver haired man had an alarmed look through the room, but his lover was nowhere to be found. The sun must just have risen, because it was still half dark in the room… A look at the watch told the soon-to-be-daddy that it was 6:25 am already.
His expression grew concerned as he sluggishly drew one of the blankets. How long could it take to get the ice cream from the fridge?! Surely not two and a half hours…
Inwardly wincing at the cold floor, Yazoo quietly made his way down, past Loz and Kadaj´s bedroom (where the former was keeping the latter safely in a bear hug, blissfully oblivious to the pool of drool that gathered on his arm).
Poking his head into the living room, he had to learn that the one winged angel hadn´t taken a nap on the sofa either (where he sometimes took refugee, because as quiet and withdrawn Yazoo was while awake, as expressive he became in his sleep- kicking and punching was his specialty).
Indecisively he stood in the doorway, not knowing what to do now, when a noise made him turn his head towards the kitchen. Narrowing his eyes, he slowly wandered back, inwardly preparing to be battle ready. When he finally entered the room and saw what had caused the noise, he simply raised a brow however, slightly dumbfounded.
Sephiroth sat on the floor, back against the counter, head leaned against the fridge and softly snored into the early morning. In his lap he held an open bowl of straw berry ice cream with a spoon sticking out, the fingers of his other hand wrapped tightly around a glass of pickled cucumbers.
"World domination surely is ours…"
Shaking his head, Yazoo knelt down before his lover, briefly contemplating if he should get the camera, but then just gently shook the man´s shoulder. Out of the corner, he noticed a sign tacked to the bowl: 'Angeal´s personal supply. Do NOT eat! (And yes, that includes you too, puppy, there´s still limits to sharing bed and board.)'
Smirking, he waited for Sephiroth to wake up, but all he got was an unhappy moan and an unconscious frown as the former general curled his arm protectively around the ice cream.
Sighing, Yazoo took the glass out of his lover's hand, sat down beside him on the floor and gently pulled Sephiroth´s head into his lap without resistance. At most, the one winged angel gave a content sigh. Carefully, Yazoo draped the blanket around them, dipped a cucumber into the melted ice cream his lover had gone through the hardship of stealing from their precious neighbours and leaned back, chewing, waiting for the former God to rise and shine again.
"I love you too."
tbc
Okay, finally got the time to reply to the reviews from chapter one as well^^
Aeriths-Rain: Yay, thank you ^__^ I don´t think I have ever written something cute before, I´m glad you like it! XD As for the second chapter I´m happy you found it still fluffy XD That was a trial, but I think now I slowly get the hang of it… hopefully XD
Natzilla: Yeah see, that might be the only reason why I am able to write fluff at all: they are already dead ;P Haha, thanks for thinking they are IC XD I decided to not give a damn anymore though, because this way it is much more fun. Hopefully for you too ;)
Soyna: Hm dear, I don´t know either… Well, I hope you decide to do the former ;)
Zexion.6: Woot!!! I must say that I find mpreg strangely fascinating too! It´s a shame men can´t get pregant XD Well outside of fiction, I mean ;)
AlexJ69: Hehe, there yu have it XD I found the idea too amusing as well, I just had to use it! Thanks for the plotbunny!
Amon2: Yeah, poor Sephiroth, he becomes a daddy and apparently he was elated to hear about that ;P Hehe, well, they´ll figure it out :)
Constance32: Yay, he is!!! Thanks for reviewing!
Rina: Okay, I abandoned the ICness in favor of fluff XD Because really, if they were IC they wouldn´t be really fluffy… (though I must admit that Yazoo´s and Loz´ caring for each other is cute^__^ And Kadaj throwing a fit in the church was sweet too XD). At least I hope this time it´s more fluffy, and I actually had fun writing it XD I might just have found my fluff-way or so… But thank you very much for the encouragement!!! *kisses and huggles*
IA1979: Haha, I almost wanted to forget this story too! I hate leaving stories unfinished, but this one was a bit glaring at me :D But now I got the gist of it, I think ;) Hehe, yeah, Seph has some old habbits that better not get passed on to his child XDD But there´s still Yazoo who will hopefully be able to keep Seph a bit in check ;) Oh, and I´m fine, thank you!!!
Review pu-re-tt-y puweeease? *pushes Yazoo forward so he may make teh puppy eyes*