"Darling," a familiar head pokes its way around the door and then frowns. It's rather difficult to ignore the sense of ... agitation that David is giving off even without the staring at the little stick of plastic in her hands with a look not unlike horror.
He moves into the room, sliding his arms around her. "What's the matter?"
David shows him the pregnancy test. "Found out why I never changed back," and God he still hates the way his voice sounds now, and at this moment it's even worse because it's shaking. Her voice, by most standards, but David refuses to be a woman no matter what he looks like.
He plucks it from her fingers, scrutinizing it like a child encountering an new and particularly fascinating species of bug.
He might have suspected, possibly, once she hadn't returned to her natural form like one generally did in these cases. Might have hoped that he was mistaken - if only because it made things even more complicated. After a moment's silence, he passes back the pregnancy test. Rests his chin on top of her head before asking: "What do you want to do?"
"I don't know." But some part of him--her--whatever does, because his hands automatically move to his stomach. He can't feel anything there yet, of course. Which is good, he reminds himself, because he doesn't want another kid, and he really doesn't want to carry it. Still, he's not sure, so he throws the question back at Aubrey. "What do you want me to do?"
It's not really a fair question for either of them; on the one hand he sympathizes with the predicament - and he does, truly, knows better than anyone what it means to be trapped in a body that doesn't feel like yours - but then there is the small part of him. The small, quiet part that says that this is a child - innocent and theirs - and he doesn't know what to say. Doesn't know what answer to give her save to cover his hands with his.
Squeezes lightly. An unspoken promise that, regardless, they would find a way to be okay.
"We both have kids already." Oh Jesus, he's going to cry. He looks up, blinking away the tears furiously. "We both do, just--not with each other." And that matters, to him. It matters that to Meggie and Jack Aubrey is an uncle or a stepfather at best, never as much a dad as David is. It matters that he didn't help raise Aubrey's kids. It matters, as much as he hates it, that he and Aubrey haven't done this together.
Any tears are brushed aside: "Come now, none of that."
He tips her chin upwards, their eyes meeting for a moment, and then he's pressing a kiss to her mouth. "It'll be all right. I promise it'll be all right. No matter what happens."
David melts into the kiss, or maybe just into Aubrey's embrace. It's hard to tell. But there's no more tears after the kiss. "What if I told you I wanted to keep it? Would you be okay with that?"
The sudden flush of elation doesn't need to be mentioned. It's been some time since he was a father; he isn't entirely sure how good he would be at it but he wants to try. He wants to try and that's something.
He presses another quick kiss to her lips, gently pries the pregnancy test from her fingers and sets it on the counter. "Of course I wouldn't mind."
There's a somewhat hysterical laugh because of course David notices the elation, of course he knows now how much Aubrey wants this. It's a good thing Aubrey kisses him, because that distracts him enough to calm down. He nods. "I want to. I was... Well," he clears his throat, "I didn't get much of a hand in raising Meggie and Jack--wasn't any good at it when I did. Too young, too stubborn. So..." He nods again. "I'd like to. I want to--to keep it."
"Well, then." There are things that need to be done, clearly. Preparations and the like.
First and foremost, however, they should probably both sit down before the reality of the situation hits them both. His hand slips into hers, fingers lacing together. "Now that the panic part of the evening is over -- "
David clings to Aubrey's hand. He's made his decision. This child--well, there's still a chance they'll lose it, and that might just break him. But he's going to do everything he can to make sure they don't. "Yeah, let's, um. Sit down."
"Should be, it was yours." His voice is light, teasing. The clowning around he's used for years to fight panic and despair in his own mind. As soon as they're seated he tucks his feet under him and put his head on Aubrey's chest, all but burrowing into the fae.
Reply
1. Make him female for a day.
2. Have some sketchy guy slip him a drug to make him horny, because he never learned to keep his eyes on his drink at all times.
3. Unfortunately, this man has someone he loves who he'd rather fuck than the sketchy guy. Still happens, though.
4. As it turns out, if he gets pregnant from this, his body won't change back.
So now David is staring at a pregnancy test and cursing very loudly, in his head but projecting it just as loud.
Reply
He moves into the room, sliding his arms around her. "What's the matter?"
Reply
Reply
He might have suspected, possibly, once she hadn't returned to her natural form like one generally did in these cases. Might have hoped that he was mistaken - if only because it made things even more complicated. After a moment's silence, he passes back the pregnancy test. Rests his chin on top of her head before asking: "What do you want to do?"
Reply
Reply
Squeezes lightly. An unspoken promise that, regardless, they would find a way to be okay.
Reply
Reply
He tips her chin upwards, their eyes meeting for a moment, and then he's pressing a kiss to her mouth. "It'll be all right. I promise it'll be all right. No matter what happens."
Reply
Reply
The sudden flush of elation doesn't need to be mentioned. It's been some time since he was a father; he isn't entirely sure how good he would be at it but he wants to try. He wants to try and that's something.
He presses another quick kiss to her lips, gently pries the pregnancy test from her fingers and sets it on the counter. "Of course I wouldn't mind."
Reply
Reply
First and foremost, however, they should probably both sit down before the reality of the situation hits them both. His hand slips into hers, fingers lacing together. "Now that the panic part of the evening is over -- "
Reply
Reply
A gentle tug then, out of the bathroom and toward the sitting room.
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment