Chapter Text
Before any and all shit hit the fan, Rho glowered down at a - once again - negative pregnancy test for approximately five to ten minutes. In fact, he glared at it for so long that the evaporation line almost convinced him it was positive and that resulted in Rho throwing the test into the trash can so hard that it bounced off the rim, the wall, then ricocheted to smack him in the face.
It left both a mark and a couple of piss dribbles he was unprepared for.
“Mother fucker!” Rho snapped, contemplating whether or not to let the damn stick remain on the floor. Ultimately, he picked it up and threw it away like a Good Boy, and he scrubbed his face raw with soap before emerging from the bathroom where Diana waited expectantly.
“Anything?” she asked, a lilt of hope in her voice that left Rho’s heart fluttering.
With a sigh, Rho shook his head and mostly lied to himself, “I can’t tell.”
Diana frowned, “What do you mean?”
“I mean, I can’t tell!” Rho threw his hands up in exasperation. “I think it was negative, but–! Well–! I don’t know!”
Diana hummed slightly while Rhonin fumed. He honestly assumed he just needed to check again in a couple more weeks, but then Diana hit him with an idea that was both genius and terrifying: “Maybe we could ask Ella to take a look?”
“What do you mean?” Rho perked up at that. He knew damn well what she meant, he just didn’t…well…was he supposed to go by himself?
“I mean she works with ultrasound all day,” Diana shrugged, “I’m sure she could just…take a look really quick to see if she can find anything.”
“Diana, this is our potential baby, not a scavenger hunt,” Rho felt his ears drooping. Diana merely laughed in response to that until Rho asked, “You think she’d mind?”
“Of course not!” Diana grinned, her voice and her smile brighter than sunlight. “Why do you ask?”
“W-well, it’s just that she and I haven’t really hung out much by ourselves,” Rho bashfully looked away. And…well…there was also the unspoken but painfully obvious observation that he noticed a few weeks ago where Ella sorta…the vibes were off with her and he couldn’t figure out why and it was wigging him out. Was she mad at him? He couldn’t tell if she was mad at him.
Diana, however, seemed both unconcerned and unbothered as she patted Rho on the shoulder and insisted, “No time like the present!”
“W-well, yeah,” Rho flushed, “But, Diana–”
“I think you two just need an opportunity to actually speak with each other,” Diana smiled with that cute little twinkle in her eye, “Without me or Klydus getting in the way. I think you two have more in common than you realize!”
“W-well, yeah, duh,” Rho stammered, feeling his face flush. That wasn’t what he was worried about, even if Diana did have a point. In fact, Diana had a point that was so immaculate, she was right on the cusp of kickstarting one of Rho’s deepest and closest friendships ever. In fact, Ella was doomed to be the person that Rho would find himself drunk texting more often than not just a couple years in the future while he was the person who would be dragging Ella out of frat parties and bar fights when she finally pulled the trigger and put her brilliant mind towards a four-year college. She was the person who would become Ru’s godmother and Rho’s ride-or-die. For fuck’s sake, in two years’ time, when Rho would inevitably contemplate the magic of science to bring Ru into this world, Ella was going to be the gremlin who insisted on pre-screening every possible sperm donor in the fucking bank. And then she was going to get into a slap fight with him when he conceived his daughter the old fashioned way.
But Rho didn’t know any of that yet. He just knew Diana was pulling out her phone to text Ella on his behalf.
Blushing brighter, Rho snapped, “I don’t think revisiting my medical trauma while she shoves a wand up my mangina is the best way to initiate Bonding Time.”
Diana paused, pursed her lips, then batted her eyelashes briefly up at Rho before asking, “So do you want your sister getting involved, or…?”
Rho yanked his phone out of his pocket faster than he could blink and started texting Ella that very instant. Of course it was like the first text he ever sent her off of his phone! Dammit, this was stupid! “I hate that you’re right.”
Ella felt very comfy under Klydus’s weight as the two of them nested together on the floor in the trio’s blanket fort. It started because she laid down on the floor on her stomach to read the cringey fanfic Diana sent her. Then Klydus crawled on top of her and gently flopped down until she was trapped in a Klydus Blanket. Then Klydus started purring aggressively as he held her in his arms until Korbin began screaming in his bedroom. Then Korbin came stomping out into the living room and wordlessly handed Klydus the Gameboy in their unspoken pact. Then Korbin climbed onto Klydus’s back and hugged his neck while watching Klydus backpedal to grind out whatever section Korbin had been working on. Then, at some point, Rini and Everly began giggling and building a blanket fort around all of them and Ella was neck deep into this K-Pop (Kakariko Pop) drama about Diana’s favorite band in a reverse harem, and it took until about chapter sixty-seven before she caught the omegaverse tag.
…
It was still really good.
“Oh well,” Ella shrugged, hunkering deeper into the floor while Klydus rested his chin on top of her head while Korbin rested his chin on Klydus’s head. The electronic beeping of the Gameboy music was like a mini symphony in Ella’s ears, and she had lost complete track of time when Tipf suddenly crossed the living room and paused.
“Oh my,” Tipf snorted in amusement, “You three look like a stack of blupees.”
Ella glanced up, fighting back a grin, but Klydus’s purring immediately ceased, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Ella watched as Tipf stuttered, his smile falling, “N-nothing, I was just saying it’s cute.”
“Mmph,” Klydus grumbled, looking back down at his Gameboy. The apparent lack of commentary from Korbin told Ella that he was asleep. However, seeing the way Tipf’s face fell was…well, it was…
It was hard: “Klydus, is everything okay between you and Tipf?”
“I dunno, ask him,” Klydus grumbled, pounding his thumbs more aggressively on the keypad as he sifted through a dungeon.
There was a nauseous feeling forming in the pit of Ella’s stomach, and she couldn’t help but feel like the growing rift between the brothers was her fault. After all, she still hadn’t exactly told Klydus that she….
Ella trailed off, lost in anxious thought until Tipf crossed the living room again fiddling with his wallet, “I’m going to the store to get dinner. Dad and the princess should be home in like an hour but do you kids need anything while I am out?”
Tipf looked directly at them, and while Ella shook her head in reply, Klydus remained stubbornly quiet.
Tipf frowned, “Klydus?”
“What?” Klydus grunted.
“Do you need anything while I’m at the store?” Tipf asked again.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you were talking to the kids,” Klydus grumbled. The way Tipf’s face just fell was even worse than earlier and Ella wriggled under Klydus to try and stand up.
“Actually, some gummy worms would be great,” Ella managed to prop herself up on her elbows as a peace offering, “Right, Klydus?”
“I dunno,” Klydus muttered.
Ella frowned, “You’re being mean.”
“Well, the last I checked all of the kids are either asleep on my back or in their bedrooms because they abandoned the blanket fort,” Klydus didn’t even bother looking up from his game. Was he being serious? “That’s all.”
“Klydus,” Ella frowned, but Tipf dejectedly turned away and went to grab the shopping bags out of the kitchen.
“Point taken,” Tipf acknowledged, “Okay, so I’ll assume the kids just need their usual snacks, Ella requested gummy worms, does my brother with the full government name of Klydus Briggs need anything from the store?”
“Well, you don’t have to be so condescending about it,” Klydus grumbled under his breath and Ella got so tired of this passive aggression that she kicked her leg up and struck him square in the cloaca. “OW!”
“Do you need anything from the store?!” Ella finally snapped, “Or are you going to continue ignoring Tipf like an asshole?”
Klydus glowered into the Gameboy when she looked up at him, but after a couple seconds of simmering, he quietly relented and shot Tipf a seething glare before muttering, “I’m almost out of the magnesium I’m supposed to take.”
“Yeah, I noticed that this morning,” Tipf nodded, scribbling something on the notepad he grabbed from the kitchen table. “And the doc wants you to take the two hundred milligram one, right?”
Tipf looked up, and Klydus didn’t answer.
Frankly, Ella was impressed with Tipf’s patience because she had never seen Klydus manage to be petty for three weeks straight like this before. Still, the lack of an answer left Tipf’s shoulders sagging in annoyance, “Dude!”
“Read the fucking bottle!” Klydus snapped back. “Since you’re so attentive to my childish needs or whatever the fuck!”
Okay, so Tipf’s patience was actually pretty thinned out by this point because now he was slamming every cabinet in the kitchen and throwing bottles of medication on the table until he dug out the vitamins and grumbled incoherently to himself while he read the label. Taking a cleansing breath, Tipf spat, “Okay! Two hundred milligrams of magnesium! Anything else?”
Klydus once again resumed his silent treatment, and Ella almost wanted to excuse herself from this entire house if this was going to go on all day.
Eventually, Tipf threw his hands up and stormed towards the door, “You know what? I don’t have time for this! If you think of anything, just text me–”
“Why?” Klydus finally snapped, “You think I’m incapable of going to the fucking store?”
“No, but I think you’re incapable of being anything but a fucking brat right now,” Tipf snarled, “And seeing as we all live in the same house, I just figured it would be nice if I handled the groceries for the household! Which includes you!”
“Well, maybe I don’t want anything from you!” Klydus spat.
“Maybe I still wanted to offer!” Tipf spat back.
“Maybe I’m a perfectly capable adult who can handle his own shit!” Klydus bared his teeth.
“And maybe I’m still your brother who cares enough to help out!”
“Well, maybe I don’t want your help!”
“Then I guess you don’t need it!”
“Fine!” Klydus shouted, jerking Korbin awake.
“Fine!” Tipf retorted, slamming the door hard on his way out. Ella stared up at Klydus in shock as Korbin groaned, sliding off Klyde’s back with an annoyed look in his eye.
“Maaaan, I thought all the yelling would stop when Mom and Everly stopped fighting,” he spat, “Why are you and Dad mad at each other again?”
“Uggggh,” Klydus groaned, rolling off of Ella as she kept trying to wriggle out from under him. She silently pulled herself to her feet, and Klydus spat, “Well, he’s not respecting any of my boundaries and still treating me like a fucking kid!”
“You set boundaries?” Ella grunted.
“I thought you were still a kid,” Korbin frowned.
Klydus glared at Korbin, “I’m nineteen, dude.”
“Yeah,” Korbin dusted himself off a little bit, “But Dad just likes to help out sometimes, that’s all.”
“Well,” Klydus glowered down at the Gameboy and got an ugly look on his face, “He can take his help and he can shove it–”
“Is this still about the baby thing?” Ella finally guessed. She watched as Klydus flinched and flared his rayfin, and Korbin curiously looked up at her. “Klydus, that was three weeks ago and I thought you said he apologized!”
“Well, he keeps trying to talk to me about it!” Klydus snapped. Ella flinched at that.
“What baby thing?” Korbin asked.
Ella sighed, “Klydus and Rho want to have a baby, your dad thinks it’s too soon for them, and it’s been a Whole Thing.”
“Really?!” Klydus snapped.
“Wow,” Korbin blurted, then stared at Klydus, “But Klydus, I’m too little to be an uncle.”
“It–” Klydus rubbed a hand over his face, clearly fried for some other reason as he spat, “Korbin, you wouldn’t be her uncle, you’d be her cousin!”
“Her?!” Korbin and Ella both snapped.
“I don’t know!” Klydus threw his hands up, “It’s just a guess! Besides, I don’t even know if Rho is pregnant right now! None of us do!”
Korbin backpedaled into Ella’s legs, and Ella absolutely hated the shiver that ran up her spine listening to the way Klydus spoke. He already had his mind set on this happening and…well…
She still hadn’t talked to him about it.
And she had a really really bad feeling that Tipf was trying to warm Klydus up to the conversation for her sake.
Swallowing a lump in her throat, Ella asked, “Did…did something happen between you two recently?”
“It’s just the same shit as always, Ella,” Klydus finally stood up on his feet and handed Korbin the Gameboy, “Here. Try this boss battle on your own now that your health and your magic are up. If it’s still too hard, let me know.”
“Kaaaay,” Korbin grinned, then hugged Klydus by the legs, “You’re a really good uncle, Klydus.”
“Uh–” Klydus grunted, and his cheeks flushed slightly, “Thanks–”
“But you’re the best big brother too,” Korbin grinned up at him like a ray of sunshine, and Ella could just tell that Klydus felt conflicted by the compliment. This felt like her fault. “So you’ll make a really good dad someday.”
….ohhhhhhhhhh gyaaaaaaaahahahaaaa–
“Thanks, little dude,” Klydus mumbled, and Korbin trotted merrily back into his bedroom before Klydus looked up at Ella with a worried pout on his face, “What?”
Ella didn’t know how to explain that the exchange was giving her heart palpitations in an Anxious Way, but it was. It was just. Well. Ella didn’t know she was wringing her hands aggressively until her knuckles popped and she blurted, “I…feel Very Strange knowing that he could be…that Korbin might be…um…nevermind, so you and Tipf got into another fight again?”
“Ella,” Klydus’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and he stomped in a circle before flopping on the couch in defeat. Briefly, he switched topics to her Issues and muttered, “You know that you could probably tell Tipf about Korbin and see if the kid even wants to know.”
“Y-yeah,” Ella didn’t know how to tell Klydus that she already kind of told Tipf. Well…maybe not about Korbin specifically, but…well… “Um…so. That’s kind of the thing–”
“Which is so fucking funny,” Klydus sat forward with grit teeth, “Because he would have no problem with you having kids of your own. In fact, he’d probably be delighted! But the literal minute something similar comes up with me, he goes on this fucking tirade about how I’m not ready! Or he grills me with a million and one questions about whether or not I’m including you in these conversations or if Rho and I are actually on the same page or if Rho has included Diana in these conversations and–! Of course we have! We’re all on the same page! Everyone is on the same page! Why wouldn’t we–!?”
Klydus paused and Ella realized too late that she shut down in the middle of his rant. Which wasn’t fair to him. He needed to let his frustration out, he needed to vent because Tipf… needed to stop coddling Klydus so much. And he was working on it! But Ella could clearly see that it was starting to grate on Klydus and everything just came to a head with a potential baby and–
Fuck, she couldn’t do this.
Ella hadn’t realized she had been shaking until a gentle hand fell to rest atop hers. Klyde’s tone changed entirely too when he asked, “Ella…?”
“Um,” Ella squeaked, feeling smaller than an ant. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t tell him. She couldn’t. “I…yeah, no, sorry. You’ve…you’ve made every effort to include me and make sure we’re on the same page. And…I think Tipf is just trying to make sure since he…you know, he and the trio were kind of a package deal when he met Nami so…you know, she didn’t have much of a choice so like–”
“Ella,” Klydus leaned forward, and that concerned little glint was twinkling in his eye. Dammit. “We…we are ready for kids…aren’t we?”
Ella felt a lump catch in her throat. This was like the fourth or fifth time Klydus had asked. Every time Ella managed to brush it off or backpedal into the corner while Rho and Diana gushed about the possibility. But she realized then, in that moment, that she never gave Klydus a direct answer. Swallowing the lump, she feared that Klydus was realizing it too.
“U-uhm,” Ella whimpered. She wasn’t crying, she just…couldn’t stop shaking. “I–I mean we’re nineteen, Klydus.”
Klydus’s face rippled like he heard that same statement from Tipf in the last twenty-four hours, then he squeezed her hand, “Well, yeah. That’s why I’m asking you, Ella. I’m not throwing you into something you don’t want.”
“It’s not that I don’t want it, it’s–” Ella looked down. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck, no this was not how it needed to come out, just–! No! “Klydus, I laid an egg when I was twelve and then dumped it into the orphan pools! I’m not exactly motherly material?”
Ella looked up, and she fully expected her words to carry less weight than they did. She expected her words to be met with a reassuring smile and a warm hug. Not the…not the visible anguish that washed over Klydus’s face when he finally asked, “W-wait…so…? You don’t want this?”
Ella felt her mouth hang open as she stammered, and she finally coughed out, “I want what you want.”
“That’s not what I’m asking,” Klydus shook his head. “Ella, I’m not–I would never force you into a situation you’re not ready for. I thought–! You didn’t–! I could have sworn you and I were on the same page with this?”
“We–we were! We are!” Ella looked down, ripping her hand out of Klydus’s only to grip the sides of her head. It was at that precise moment when her phone started buzzing with text messages, but she couldn’t bother to look at it. “I’m just…I’m–I’m nervous, okay? Am I allowed to be nervous?”
“I–well, yeah!” Klydus scoffed. Not with an attitude, just with vehement agreement. Except now he looked like he was blinking back tears. Like he felt lied to. Because he was lied to. Ella had lied to him and she didn’t know how she would ever make up for this betrayal. “Of course you are! I’m nervous too! I just didn’t…I didn’t think–you sound like you don’t want a baby, Ella.”
“Ahhhh,” Ella looked down, shaking more violently than before. She shook her head, trying to get words of reassurance out of her mouth. But none came. Her mind just drew a blank. And she finally broke down crying. “Klydus, I’m trying so hard not to worry you right now!”
“Ella–” Klydus started, but instead of finishing his sentence, he just pulled her into the warmest, coziest hug he could ever muster, and Ella broke down crying in his arms.
This sucked.
It sucked even worse when Ella calmed down enough for Klydus to gently ask, “So…? Do you want a baby…?”
No.
But Ella didn’t know how the hell she could say that.
Instead, she clung to Klydus and closed her eyes tightly, “I want to know whether Rho is actually having a baby. I think the unknown is what is freaking me out right now.”
“Why is that?”
Ella shivered, and she realized after she said it that…well…that was the cold hard truth: “It brings back bad memories.”
She felt Klydus shuddering at that, and his voice was so low and so broken when he muttered, “I am so sorry, Ella.”
“It’s not your fault,” Ella melted in Klyde’s arms. It was okay. They were okay. She was okay and Klydus would definitely be okay. “I’m just…I have to work through a lot of extra things with all this, okay? I don’t want to drag you guys into my own mess.”
“You’re not dragging us into anything,” Klydus assured, and despite how mad he was at Tipf, it was tangibly evident that he still thought the absolute world of his brother when he added, “You can talk to us and I promise you aren’t dumping anything on us by letting it out. And if that doesn’t help, then! Well! I know Tipf would be happy to lend an ear. He’s good at this stuff and probably knows how you feel better than we do.”
“Oh,” Ella sniffled, clinging to Klydus when her phone buzzed again. “Thanks, Klyde.”
“I’ve got you,” Klydus purred, “I’ve always got you.”
“I know,” Ella melted, but she still felt bad that she hadn’t…fully…ugh, this was going to be one of those conversations she had in layers, she could tell. “Although, I should probably check my phone.”
“Here, I got it–” Klydus grabbed it for her, stared at the lock screen, then blushed vibrantly, “It’s Rho!”
“Huh?” Ella grunted, wriggling an arm free to check the message. Weird, she couldn’t remember if she had ever directly texted just Rho before. Which was a shame, because they were one trauma bond away from being best friends who sent each other practice dickpicks to make sure the angle was seductive enough for their target audience. But she didn’t know that yet. For now, she just opened her phone to find a flurry of nervous text messages from him as if he did not know how to start a conversation.
Rhonin: Heeey Ella!
Rhonin: Um
Rhonin: I have a weird request/question/wonder/Idk a question ig
Rhonin: So…you know how it’s been a minute since that whole uh…well, since Tulin’s wedding? Long story short, I’m having a hard time reading this damn pregnancy test and was wondering if you had any advice on
Rhonin: Sorry Diana took the phone for a sec and I hit send too soon
Rhonin: This is Diana and he’s asking for an ultrasound for peace of mind but is being Weird about it.
“Ah,” Ella grunted again, feeling sick to her stomach as every single possibility swirled through her brain. She didn’t know how she was going to keep a straight face through this, and yet she couldn’t help but type back, “LOL yes I can do an ultrasound. Wanna meet at noon?”
Rho’s reply was almost immediate: “PLEASE.”
Snickering, Ella looked up at Klyde’s expectant and nervous little pout and tapped his cheek with her hand, “I’m going to go up to the hospital in a bit.”
She watched a flicker of hope flash across Klydus’s eyes, and his pupils looked oddly heart-shaped when he sat up, “Did he get a positive test?”
“Er–” Ella glanced down at another text from Rho, then puffed her cheeks out nervously while contemplating her answer.
“Oh odd request but is it cool if we keep it to just us at the ultrasound? I, uh, don’t have the highest of hopes for this and wonder if it would be better if we just find out the news and process it first before telling Klydus and Diana?”
Hot air blew out of Ella’s gills at that and she could not believe she was feeling her own flashing spark of hope. She felt horrible. “He didn’t say, he just said he was having a hard time with the at-home test and wanted me to take a look.”
“Oh,” Klydus deflated for a second, but then stood up when Ella did, “Well! I can come with!”
Ahhhhhhhhhhh–!
“Actually,” Ella grimaced, looking around for an excuse as she gently quelled Klydus’s bouncing by placing a hand on his shoulder, “You… may need to stay here with the trio. At least until Tipf gets back.”
Klydus’s entire face fell, “What?”
“And…” Ella glanced down, shifting her weight nervously. Oh dear. Oh no, oh no, ohhhhh dear. “It… might be better if you wait for Rho to text you…?”
Ella winced as she looked up at her boyfriend, and Klydus’s little heart of gold was just so tender and it killed her to even inconvenience her! Ugh! “Why’s that?”
“It’s just…” Ella looked around. Fuck. “I don’t…? Think you were supposed to see the text…?”
She glanced up at Klydus briefly, and he looked extremely unenthused by her response.
“He wants it to be a surprise…?” Ella shrugged.
Klydus looked even more pissed off as he crossed his arms, “If Rho just wants to do this appointment alone, you can say so.”
“He doesn’t want Diana there either!” Ella threw her hands up, “Klydus, I’m sorry, I don’t think it has anything to do with–”
“Ella,” Klydus surprisingly relaxed as he placed his hands on her shoulders, and Ella was surprised by how well he took the news. In fact, he was smiling and Ella was starting to wonder if she hadn’t given him enough credit for…well…any of this in recent weeks. “It’s okay. Rho’s probably just nervous and doesn’t want to be surrounded by everybody. I’m just relieved that he trusts you enough to reach out!”
Ella felt her heart jump up into her throat as she melted a little, “Really…?”
“Yes, really!” Klydus grinned, his usual upbeat demeanor quickly returning. In fact, his smile was so infectious and sweet and–! AUGH! “Besides, this also means that two of my favorite people in the world get some time for actual bonding! It’s perfect!”
“R-right,” Ella laughed nervously, accepting a hug she desperately needed before backing even more nervously away. She backed all the way into the bathroom in time for Everly to burst out of their room with a list of demands for Tipf, but Klydus was there to hoist them onto his shoulders and bounce them through the kitchen rummaging for whatever snacks they had gotten the hankering for. Ella watched briefly as Klydus galloped and laughed while playing with them, and then she backed all the way into the bathroom to text Rho back: “Agreed. It’ll just be me so feel free to meet me in the main lobby.”
Nami sat at Dad’s desk that afternoon, racking her brain over the budget reports she promised to go over, but it was becoming quickly apparent that money made absolutely no sense to her.
…
“Don’t call Tipf, you dumb slut,” Nami told herself, tapping her pencil repeatedly to her head. Several more minutes passed and the numbers on the spreadsheet started blurring together when she felt her eyes crossed. “Doooon’t do it.”
As Nami continued looking back and forth between her phone and the paperwork, she heard a door open and close. Then another door open and close. And then a third opened but didn’t close. Instead, thundering footsteps sprinted behind her as Cado yelled, “Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck!”
Spinning around in her chair, Nami barely saw Cado fly by in a blur, his voice rising and falling like a doppler. At a slower pace, Abby’s hooves clopped against the floor until her maned little head appeared in the doorway for the first time in…well…a while. Nami frowned, saying nothing, but Abby perked up and mewled, “The plot found Cado!”
“Uhm,” Nami felt inclined to stand up when Abby chased after Cado, but when she poked her head out of Dad’s office, she found Goop meowing and trotting after Abby. And when she looked towards the back door, Twilight was just chilling in his usual lounging position like nothing was wrong. Except he was lying in a pool of his own blood. “Uh–yeah, okay, I’m calling Tipf, I’m a dumb slut.”
Twilight barked in reply, his tail wagging before he put his head down to take an Undead Nap or something, and Tipf sounded absolutely defeated when he answered the phone and spat, “I think my brother hates me.”
Nami winced, “Is this still about the Baby Thing?”
“I don’t know,” Tipf grumbled.
Nami winced again, “Did you, perchance, attempt to have another talk with him after I went to bed last night?”
Tipf was silent for a little too long before answering, “M-maybe…?”
“Babe,” Nami pinched the bridge of her snout and sighed, “I hate to be this person, but you’re hovering.”
“I’m–!” Tipf audibly flinched. Oh boy. “I’m not hovering!”
“Uh-huh, that’s what I said,” Nami droned.
“Princess!” Tipf squeaked, his voice cracking, “I–! Well, I just–! I was just checking in!”
“Well, does he know about Ella yet?” Nami asked, crossing her free arm and leaning against the door frame. Twilight was still wagging his tail at her and the pool of blood was getting larger. What would happen if he bled out before midnight…?
“No! She’s been too afraid to talk to him about this,” Tipf grumbled, “I don’t–! Gaaagh, I don’t know how to help them, Princess, I really don’t.”
“Then, I hate to say it, but I think you just gotta leave it alone until one of them comes to you,” Nami shrugged. “I mean…it worked for us.”
“Okay, but they’re kids.”
“Annnnnd our parents say the same thing about us,” Nami shrugged again. Why were they talking about this again? “Anyway. Uh. Since you’re in a spiral about being Helpful, can I have you help me with something?”
Nami grinned into the phone, and she could hear the distinct beeping of a checkout line at the store before Tipf droned, “You need me to do the budgeting sheet for you, don’t you.”
“No!” Nami squeaked. “Well! Just some of it. I–I promised it would get done before Dad gets home and Cado just inexplicably sprinted past the office in a panic and Twilight is lying in a pool of his own blood.”
“Shouldn’t you take him to the vet?!”
“No, no, Twilight kinda regenerates or some shit at midnight,” Nami replied, “Wait, you saw it!”
Tipf paused again like he was screaming internally and honestly, Nami didn’t blame him, “Let me drop the groceries off at Dad’s and I can be over in like fifteen minutes.”
“I love you and you are amazing and I owe you my life.”
“Just check on your brother and your undead dog,” Tipf grumbled, “And leave the budgeting shit on Sidon’s desk where I can find it when I get over there.”
“I love you and you are amazing and I owe you my life.”
“You don’t owe me your life, Princess.”
“But–”
“I’ll take a back rub though.”
“Oh,” Nami perked up, her tail wagging. “Like a normal back rub or like a pre-sex back rub…?”
Tipf sputtered up a laugh, and she could hear him bidding the store clerk goodbye before his voice dropped into a low purr, “I think you know which kind I am talking about, Princess.”
“Aahhhhhhh,” Nami felt sweaty suddenly, and her tail could not stop wagging as she crossed her legs to ride a sudden wave of pleasure in her lower abdomen. Coughing, Nami squeaked, “You got it, Chief.”
Tipf chuckled deeply, and his purrs were very audible on the phone for a moment before his tone changed and he redirected to the more immediate issue at hand, “Okay. So. I’m going to drop the groceries off and head over. You are going to check on Cado and the Undead Dog. And…the budget reports will get done before your dad gets home.”
“Okay,” Nami nodded, pulling her shit together to march down the halls where Cado disappeared to. As she bid goodbye to Tipf and hung up the phone, she found Cado down the hall in his bedroom making screeching sounds as he flipped through a very very very large and unfortunately familiar book. “Oh–Uh–Cadoooo?”
Cado whipped his head around, sweating bullets as he laughed maniacally before holding up the book, “I think we have what Mipha needs and also I think we are so totally fucked.”
Rho’s leg bounced nervously on the exam table as Ella swirled around in her stool while waiting for the computer to boot up. Spinning in her chair, Ella asked, “So how are you feeling?”
“Symptom wise or in general?” Rho asked. Ella shrugged. And Rho shrugged in response, “Um…I mean? I’m nervous. And…I don’t? Really have any symptoms? I mean I didn’t with Oren either at this point I think.”
Ella bobbed her head in thought, and things felt…awkward. And like it wasn’t that they didn’t know how to talk to each other it was…their…first time hanging out without Diana and Klydus around and Ella was getting ready to shove a probe into Rho’s vagina.
And Rho still had a certain level of anxiety about it.
Tapping his fingers against his thighs, Rho asked, “Hoooooww are you?”
“I’m!” Ella squeaked, her rayfin flaring as she stiffened up. “Um. I’m okay.”
Rho frowned, “You sure?”
“Yeah,” Ella winced as the computer finally came to life, she smacked the keyboard control thingy and the whole machine started whirring as a black screen appeared on the monitor above Rho’s head. “I’m fine. Um…I’m gonna…your pants.”
“Oh,” Rho looked down, then hopped off the table to just drop his pants. “Okay, I’m ready.”
Rho plopped back down on the bench, then looked over to find Ella blushing brightly. Which made Rho blush and for a minute he was worried that he dropped his pants too early.
“Wow,” Ella’s gaze drifted down to Rho’s, uh, dick and stuff. Coughing, Ella turned her gaze away and squirted jelly on the wand before offering him the paper thingy to cover his bits with. “You really are endowed.”
“Oh–” Rho crossed his legs and took the paper, “Sorry.”
“Er–!” Ella jumped again, flushing brighter, “I am so sorry, that was rude! I–! I just mean you’re–! Ahem, I can see why Klydus–! Anyway!”
Ella turned away from Rho fully, and something about her demeanor left him giggling a little, “What? You’ve never seen a penis before?”
Ella scowled back at Rho, though that playful glint in her eye was slowly appearing before she grabbed the wand and held it up like a scepter, “Not a Hylian one. Now spread’em.”
“PFFT! Aight,” Rho snickered, and he plopped his legs onto the stirrups relaxing just enough to feel the probe prod between his legs. Annnnnd then the panic set in and he jumped, scooting away from the probe and further up the chair. “UH–! I forgot how cold it was.”
“Oh,” Ella looked down at the probe, then scooted back slightly, “You wanna insert it?”
“Nnnnno,” Rho clammed up. Why was he clamming up? He did this plenty of times before and was fine! Why was he clamming up?! “No, just uhhhh hang on.”
Rho shimmied back down into position and Ella eyed him more skeptically this time as she slowly slid the probe between his legs. Rho subconsciously started to shake as the probe bumped up against his opening, and as Ella started to push through the clenching muscle, he finally shrieked and panicked.
“AAH!” Rho screeched like a little girl, scooting up the back of the chair in a panic. His hands slapped against the back of the chair, pulling down the sanitation paper in his hysteria, and he was drenched in sweat when Ella loudly set the probe back on its stand and looked up at him with wide eyes. Rho panted, unable to catch his breath, and tears actually clung to his eyes because he was apparently still a scared little pussy about this, “I’m sorry! I didn’t think I would still react like this, I’m–!”
Rho couldn’t finish his sentence. Instead he just slid down the chair and held his head in his hands while Ella sat across from him. And she was frozen in place.
Great. Great, now he was making a total ass of himself in front of his boyfriend’s girlfriend. Who was also his girlfriend’s girlfriend.
The fuck was his problem?!
“Here,” Ella muttered, tossing Rho his pants. “Put your pants back on, I’ll be right back.”
“Um,” Rho sniffled. Oh for fuck’s sake, was he crying?! “Sorry.”
Ella wordlessly disappeared out of the exam room, and Rho was too frozen in humiliation to even move off the seat, much less put his pants on. Instead, he just sat there with his head stupidly in his hands until the door opened and closed again. When Rho lifted his head, he found Ella holding out a cup of water for him to take. He was silent as he accepted the gesture, and Ella was silent as she sat down next to him. They were both silent when Ella held his hand while he chugged the water and cried out whatever the hell that reaction was.
She remained completely silent until Rho was completely calm, and then asked, “Did something happen to you?”
“Huh?” Rho grunted, but then shrugged and hung his head in shame, “I, uh…had a really bad experience with these machines when I was younger and it…I thought I was over it, but my body just reacted.”
“Yeah,” Ella nodded, “I get that. I, uh…I’ve not had this kind of exam done yet because I had a panic attack when I was first learning how to do it on a mannequin.”
Rho slightly lifted his head, and he couldn’t help but note the slight trembling of Ella’s shoulders as she looked dead ahead of her with a dazed look in her eye. Swallowing a lump in his throat, Rhonin could only guess, “Bad experience?”
“No worse than what the other girls in my tribe experienced,” Ella shrugged. “Look, Rho…if you aren’t comfortable with this, we don’t have to–”
“No! No,” Rho didn’t mean to cut her off, but he could feel the visceral recoil of his own avoidance tactics creeping in, and he squinted his eyes shut with hopes he could just get this over with, “I’m–I’m just at a point where I can’t play this stupid guessing game anymore. Baby or not, I just want to know what I am dealing with here.”
“Right,” Ella agreed, taking a deep breath, “Then you tell me when you’re ready, okay?”
“Kay,” Rho huffed, and he ultimately tossed his pants to the side and leaned back. Taking several calming breaths, he couldn’t help but stare up at the ceiling and muse, “Man, of all the places to have a heart-to-heart, I didn’t think my pants would be off for this one.”
“Well,” Ella’s voice lilted, “I have watched you have sex with our boyfriend.”
Rho frowned, “With your permission!”
Ella snorted at that, “Yeah, it really pairs nicely with the omegaverse fanfiction Diana keeps sending me.”
Rho winced, “The what?”
“Oh, she hasn’t told you about those?” Ella grinned, a mischievous glint appearing. Oh, she had jokes. How had they not hung out on their own before? “You should ask her what omegaverse is sometime. See what she says.”
“I know what omegaverse is, Ella,” Rho rolled his eyes, “But of all the shit for her to get into!?”
“I dunno, I think you awakened a kink,” Ella’s grin grew even more devious and Rho could only snort up a laugh.
“Funny,” Rho teased, “You’re funny.”
“What?” Ella smirked. “Am I wrong?!”
“I dunno!” Rho shrugged, “Maybe!”
“Mmmmhmmmmmm,” Ella droned, and for whatever reason that left the two of them giggling like stupid ass idiots. But he felt better. And slowly, Rho put his feet back up on the stirrups and braced himself for the inevitable. Noticing his shift, Ella asked, “You ready?”
“No,” Rho squinted his eyes shut, “But the sooner I suck it up, the sooner it’s over.”
“Okay,” Ella hesitantly grabbed the probe and scooted back towards him, “You tell me when, okay?”
“Kay,” Rho nodded, shivering slightly as he took several calming breaths. Fuuuuck, this wasn’t ever going to get easier. “When.”
Ella gently pressed the probe in, moving more slowly this time and pausing whenever Rho yelped. Just getting the fucking thing in took several minutes and Ella eventually reached out to hold onto Rho’s hand. Rho winced as it pushed past the muscular wall, but as soon as his body adjusted, Ella squeezed his hand and said, “Okay, I got it. Do you need a minute? Or can I let go of your hand?”
“You can–you can let go,” Rho winced. Ella did precisely as she was told, and Rho let go of a shaky breath and gasped, “Okay! Worst part’s over, right?”
“Minus me moving this around a bit,” Ella teased, “You okay?”
“Yeah,” Rho stared up at the ceiling, not daring to look at the screen. Okay, well…this was it. Maybe. Hopefully. “So? Uh? See anything?”
“Give meeee one second,” Ella droned, fiddling with something on her little control panel thing. “But uh…whatcha hoping for?”
“Oh…I dunno,” Rho shrugged. Well, that was partially a lie, but he was still shaking nervously because of the damn probe and didn’t know what to say or how to say it. “I, uh…I mean I obviously want a baby, I just…I didn’t think I would feel so melancholy.”
Ella paused, turning her attention fully to Rho before taking his hand again, “Why is that?”
“Oh,” Rho shrugged again. Ohhhh dammit, was he going to start crying again?! “Y-you know, after everything that happened with Oren, it’s just…you weren’t here for that…”
“No,” Ella shook her head with a frown, “Not completely, but…he was your son, right?”
“Right,” Rho blinked fervently, the tears threatening to form. Fuuuuuck. “He, uh…I lost him before he was born.”
Ella’s hand squeezed his more tightly, and her voice was barely above a whisper, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s just,” Rho wiped at his eyes with his free hand feeling like an idiot, “It’s hard to think that I might be doing this again without him, you know?”
“Yeah,” Ella looked down, “Yeah, I get it.”
“I–” Rho didn’t know what to say or how to respond, so he wiped his face and pulled himself together, “Sorry.”
“N-no, don’t be sorry,” Ella shook her head. “Um…do you need a minute, or do you want to see what we’re dealing with?”
“See what we’re dealing with,” Rho finally breathed, and he dared to lift his head up and look at the screen. Ella pulled her head away simply to maneuver the computer thingy while she waved the wand around. Rho could see a bunch of different grayish white clumps that Ella took pictures of, but she made notations that had more to do with organs than actual babies.
In the space where he expected to see something, it was pure black nothingness.
“Damn,” Rho leaned his head back once Ella took out the probe. She was silent as she cleaned it off, then let Rho clean himself off as he put on his pants and sat back down in one of the more comfortable chairs. Even as she scooted next to him and took his hands again, Ella looked hesitant to meet his gaze. Although, he already knew what the answer was going to be.
“So,” Ella looked down, “I don’t see anything, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be something later on.”
“N-no,” Rho ultimately decided. He felt heavy, but he also felt…an odd sense of calm. He really thought he would have handled this worse than he was, but he supposed his reaction would just be coming on a delay. “No, if there’s nothing at this point, I don’t think there’s going to be anything at any point.”
Ella perked up, and there was an odd look in her eyes, “There’s not…?”
“Well,” Rho shrugged, squeezing Ella’s hand as he took a deep breath, “It’s not like we’ve forgone protection enough to warrant it. Tulin’s wedding was kind of…our only hope for something to happen now and…well…I dunno, I feel like if I’m going to bring another baby into this world, I might as well do it when I’m done with school, ya know?”
Rho looked up at Ella, and he didn’t know what to expect from her. But he was still caught off guard by the puddles in her eyes as she pursed her lips.
“Ella…?” Rho asked.
Ella flinched, and she sucked in a deep breath and wiped her eyes, “I-I’m sorry, Rhonin. I know how much you wanted this and…! I don’t know, I’m sorry!”
“H-hey,” Rho felt the waterworks showing up, but he had a feeling there was probably more simmering under the surface and couldn’t help but pull her into a hug, “It’s okay. I’m just sorry it didn’t work out this time.”
Ella shook in Rho’s arms, and she took a really shaky breath before blurting, “I don’t know if I’m going to be very good with children.”
Rho frowned, but hugged her tighter, “What do you mean?”
“I–” Ella whimpered, her claws digging into his shirt, “Rho, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be dumping this on you, forget I said anything!”
“No, wait,” Rho pushed out of the hug to look Ella properly in the eye, “What’s going on?”
Ella stared up at Rho, her lip wobbling, and she burst into tears, “I’m being a bad friend.”
“Why is that?” Rho asked.
Ella’s face crumpled, and she ducked her head in shame, “Because for some stupid reason, I’m actually relieved!”
“Oh,” Rho felt his ears droop, and as he pulled her back into a hug, he felt…the same way? He didn’t know. He was a weird mix of sad and relieved and it was fucking weird. So he just held her tighter and sighed, “I guess we both have some pretty traumatic baby-related stories that are fucking with us, huh?”
Ella coughed up another sob, clinging to Rho for dear life, but she nodded her head. Rho just hugged her tighter and let the tears fall out of his eyes. Because on the one hand, this did really suck. On the other…
“I don’t want to get pregnant again if…I don’t want this to be a happy accident again,” Rho confessed. “And I–I don’t know…”
“I don’t know if I can be the kind of mom that Klydus thinks I’m going to be,” Ella sniffled, “I just–it’s too hard, I–Rho, I should’ve told you, I’m sorry!”
“N-no, don’t be sorry, this was kind of just thrust on you and…” Rho wiped his tears out of his eyes, and it was really fucking weird how okay he felt with all of this. So he rested his chin on the top of Ella’s head and mused, “Well. You don’t…you don’t need to be a mom if you don’t think you’re ready, Ella. But I would love to see you become a fun aunt if you want to…?”
Rho felt himself trailing off when he realized how selfish he sounded. And yet, he felt Ella smiling against him and she let out a relieved purr as she relaxed. And just like that, Ella became one of Rho’s best friends, “I think I can do that.”
Chuffing, Rho grinned, “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Ella hummed, wiping her eyes and sitting back up before smiling brilliantly at Rho with stars in her eyes, “In fact, I think I’d like that a lot.”
Klydus felt his entire leg bouncing as he stared mindlessly at his phone, but Rini made the executive decision to climb all over him at the dining table whilst depositing her freshly polished rocks on top of him or in front of him. Her giggling was absolutely maniacal and Klydus only sat still for her because movement would cause scuff marks on the freshly polished rocks. And scuff marks would make Rini sad.
So.
Here he was.
Everly, on the other hand, seemed completely unbothered by the pile of rocks on Klyde’s shoulders when they jumped on him and asked, “Whatcha lookin’ at?”
“Nothing, just waiting on Rho to text me,” Klydus hummed. He was getting nervous. Excited? Mostly nervous. The last three weeks had been like a heavenly cloud Klydus floated on, but the sudden impending news that Rho and Ella were at the doctor’s office made everything seem real.
There was a baby in the works.
Maybe.
Klydus whined.
He really hoped there was a baby in the works.
In fact, he could still close his eyes and picture Ru’s dazed little face that looked so much like Rho and while everyone was saying she was part-Sheikah…well…Klydus didn’t know, he held out a stupid and blind hope that maybe things were gonna work out differently and like…! He didn’t know!
“Mmmmmmm,” Klydus droned, and Everly shook his shoulders again.
“Everlyyyy,” Rini whined, stacking a quartz on top of Klydus’s head, “Stop! He’s my rock stand.”
“But he’s whining a lot,” Everly bumped their head on Klyde’s shoulder. Klydus just sighed as the sisters bickered, and he lifted his gaze in time to find Korbin standing on a chair to pop popcorn in the microwave.
“Need help, Dude?” Klydus asked.
“No, I got it,” Korbin retorted.
Klydus did not think Korbin had it.
“I’m…going to help you,” Klydus decided, plucking the quartz off his head and setting it on the table.
“No!” Rini snatched the quartz out of his hand and put it back on his head, “You gotta stay here!”
“I need to help Korbin,” Klydus frowned.
“No you don’t,” Rini glared up at him.
“You really don’t,” Korbin insisted, and then he slipped off the chair and fell right on his ass. “Ow!”
“Korbin!” Klydus jumped up in a panic, and all of Rini’s rocks scattered. “Oh–! Shit!”
“Klyyyyyyyyyyde!” Rini cried out, arms flapping as she gripped the sides of your head, “You ruined it!”
“Er–! Sorry!” Klydus winced, stooping forward to scoop up her rocks. She only cried out more and Klydus couldn’t figure out what was wrong (he ruined her organization), so he ran over to help Korbin back to his feet. “You good?”
“I don’t got it,” Korbin whined, rubbing his eyes.
“Yeah, that’s okay,” Klydus frowned, but as he reset the microwave, he heard the front door open and internally screamed. But only internally.
“Guys, I’m back!” Tipf called out, and as he rounded the corner into the kitchen, he stopped dead in his tracks and frowned, “What happened here?”
“Korbin was trying to make popcorn and Rini was using Klydus as her rock shelf and both of them messed it up,” Everly declared while Klydus just…withered under his brother’s gaze. He didn’t know why, but he was just braced for some kind of lecture for some reason.
He was really prepared for the lecture when Rini spat, “I didn’t mess it up! Klydus moved and ruined everything!”
“Okay,” Tipf calmly set the groceries down and turned his attention to Rini, “Then how about we don’t turn our family members into a rock shelf?”
“Why?” Rini pouted.
“Because people need to be able to move,” Tipf pointed out.
“Klydus doesn’t,” Rini looked back down and resumed polishing her next rock.
“He doesn’t?” Tipf asked.
“No,” Rini declared.
“Why not?” Tipf asked.
“Because it’s funny,” Rini said with a flat tone and completely straight face. Tipf only responded with a sigh, and as Klydus simmered his way through dumping fresh popcorn into a bowl for Korbin. As the little dude gleefully took the bowl in hand and trotted off, Klydus felt Tipf’s eyes on him.
“Um,” Tipf started awkwardly as Klydus turned to scoot around him, “I need to go help Nami with those budget sheets after all, so…do you guys wanna come with or stay here?”
“Stay here!” Korbin chirped, skipping to the living room.
“Here,” Rini spat, shining her rocks.
“Guess I’m outvoted then,” Everly grumbled, but trotted into the living room to join Korbin and steal his popcorn. And the siblings immediately started fighting.
Tipf listened to the bickering for all of two seconds before he turned back to Klydus and asked, “So do you mind staying here or do you need to go somewhere?”
“I mean!” Klydus shrugged. Really?! “I was hoping I could meet up with Rho and Ella in a bit!”
“That’s fine!” Tipf agreed rather quickly. It wasn’t surprising how quick he was to agree to that, but Klydus was still…he didn’t know. He was on edge and prickly for some reason that day. And if he had known that day was one of the last few the brothers would truly have together, Klydus might’ve curbed his attitude and actually enjoyed his big brother’s company for once. “I just need to know if I should call a babysitter or not.”
“Well! Don’t bother,” Klydus spat, looking away with a huff. “I don’t mind watching them.”
Klydus stormed to the pantry to pop himself another bowl of popcorn, but Tipf stood there stiffly and awkwardly like he wanted to say something.
“What?” Klydus snapped. He really needed to stop taking his brother for granted.
“I–” Tipf cut himself off, and Klydus didn’t bother looking at Tipf at first because he was tired of seeing such a sad look on his face. Mainly because Klydus didn’t want to admit the sad look was his fault because he was absolutely taking their three-week long argument too far. “Klydus, I am sorry about earlier.”
“Which part?” Klydus grumbled.
“I dunno, all of it?” Tipf shrugged, “I lost my patience and shouldn’t have called you a brat.”
“Kay,” Klydus grumbled, and he started unpacking the groceries because he was so annoyed and had to keep busy.
Tipf shifted awkwardly, then added, “And I am really sorry if I’ve been hovering over you the last couple of weeks. I just…I love you a lot, Klydus and I want to support you however I can. But you’re nineteen and I need to back off. So. I’m sorry.”
At that, Klydus felt all of his frustrated resentment fizzle out, and his head smacked against the pantry door with his sigh, “You keep saying that, Tipf. But then you keep interrogating me about how Ella feels and how Rho feels and how Diana feels and–! I know what I’m doing, Tipf.”
“I know that!” Tipf’s shoulders hiked up to his ears and he looked like a deer in headlights when Klydus turned around. He also looked like a soggy puppy left out in the rain. “I am just…coming to terms with the fact that you’re growing up and I’m doing a really bad job at coming to terms with it.”
“Do you really not think I can handle a kid?” Klydus finally asked, “Like. Rho and Ella are at the ultrasound right now and–! We’re like actually hoping this is a thing! Can’t you just be my brother for a second instead of my dad?”
Tipf’s eyes got larger and sadder, but he nodded his head, “Y-yeah. But I might need you to tell me what the difference is.”
“Seriously?” Klydus spat, his mood falling again.
“Well, the last three weeks have made it painfully obvious that you and I have different definitions of the two,” Tipf crossed his arms.
“Like actually be supportive and excited,” Klydus pointed out, and he nearly burned the popcorn in his frustration. “Not! Not all interrogating and breathing down my neck and pointing out every stupid fucking thing that could go wrong just because you regret having kids at a young age.”
Tipf’s rayfin immediately flared as Klydus ran his mouth, and his gaze briefly darted to where Rini was still polishing her stones. He whipped his head back to Klydus, and his gaze fell into a firm scowl, “Don’t ever say that again.”
“What?” Klydus shrugged, “You sure are acting like it.”
“No!” Tipf started to snap, but he pinched his snout and immediately deflated, “Just– no. No, that is not what this is. Interrogations? Hovering? Yeah, I should cut that out and I will stop. I promise. But I wasn’t bringing my concerns up because I have regrets. I was bringing them up because you and your partners deserve to know what you’re getting into! Having kids is amazing. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done with my life! But it’s also fucking hard, Klydus. It’s harder than shit and I at least wanted you to–! Nevermind. I’ll, uh…I’ll go deal with this stupid ass budget and be back so just text me if you plan on leaving the house before Dad’s home? Please?”
Klydus felt his eyes rolling into the back of his head, and he was so fucking frustrated that he almost missed the tears in Tipf’s eyes. But he didn’t. And because he didn’t he stupidly asked, “Are you crying?”
“What am I supposed to do?!” Tipf snapped, glaring back at Klydus before wiping his face, “Of all the shit you’ve said to me, this one hurts the worst, okay? It’s bad enough I missed the first five years of the trio’s lives. But you had to accuse me of regretting them? Of regretting you?”
“I–” Klydus fumbled. Oh. Oh. Hearing his words thrown back at him was…gross. Did he really say that? “Okay, you’re right. I’m sorry, Tipf.”
“Just!” Tipf threw his hands up, but his face contorted like he was still fighting back tears. And Klydus felt…he felt sick to his stomach as reality finally caught back up with him. “Let me know if you actually want my help but I’ll stay out of your way.”
“No, wait,” Klydus gripped the counter as he looked out into the living room. Korbin and Everly were fighting over the TV remote and otherwise oblivious. He didn’t know about Rini, but he couldn’t shake the growing pit in his stomach as his anger bubbled into general anxiety and freshly fucked guilt. “I…I am sorry. I’m just stressed and…I’m sorry.”
Tipf only barely paused in the doorway, his voice a low grumble, “So do you want my input or not?”
“Um,” Klydus fidgeted. He didn’t on this particular subject. Not now. But he did feel a growing inkling as logic and reason finally forced its way to the surface: “Does…? Does Ella ever talk to you about what happened to her? With the…Initiation stuff, I mean.”
Tipf was eerily suspicious when he took a deep breath, and his voice was even lower when he answered, “Yes, a little bit.”
Klydus looked down at his hands feeling suddenly worse about all of the interrogations he’d been dealt with. On top of the weird conversation he’d had with Ella earlier. On top of her noncommittal answers and…he had a bad feeling. “Has she…? Told you about the egg?”
“Klydus,” Tipf sighed tiredly, “This really doesn’t have to be any of my business.”
“Yeah, but,” Klydus looked down, wriggling uncomfortably, “I’m…I’m starting to wonder if I screwed up.”
“You can’t screw up what you don’t know, Bud,” Tipf said like he already knew something.
“But she thinks it’s…” Klydus’s eyes trailed over to where Korbin was now doubled over his own Gameboy and Everly was sitting on him glued to the TV. Rini had finally trotted in to join them, completely abandoning her organization system to the kitchen. “Um…anyway. You should go save Nami from budgeting hell.”
Klydus looked away, and he had not realized that Tipf had perked up at his statement. In an instant, Tipf was at Klydus’s side, leaned over the counter with a firm look in his gaze, “Klydus.”
Klydus flinched at the changing tone in Tipf’s voice, and his scales started ruffling like a lecture was about to start, “Tipf.”
Tipf leaned forward, his eyes darting out into the living room before he leaned closer to Klydus and whispered, “Does Ella think her egg survived…?”
Klydus winced, shifting his weight as he looked out into the living room. At Korbin, who let his sisters roll all over him while his smile lit up the whole room in a painfully familiar way. And he withered, “She thinks…all three of them are the same age the egg would’ve been and I…”
“Rini is Chum’s and Liera’s,” Tipf’s voice was barely audible. “And Everly is mine and Talon’s, so…”
“Yeah,” Klydus winced, “Um. Anyway, that’s not what she and I talked about. At least not a whole lot, but I’m scared that…”
He trailed off again, shaking suddenly as Tipf’s gaze became more intent on the trio. Klydus could feel Tipf taking a deep breath and the two of them said nothing. Ultimately, Tipf asked, “What do you need from me?”
“Nothing? I don’t know,” Klydus looked away, “Space, maybe. Or just trust that I have the Baby Thing handled. But if you’ve talked to Ella about it, I want to know that too.”
“Hm,” Tipf grunted, shifting his weight. Another sigh and he confessed, “If you felt like I was interrogating you or discouraging you from making your own decisions, I wasn’t and I really am sorry. But if you’re concerned about Ella, then you really need to talk to her before Rho is too far along.”
“I don’t even know if he is pregnant,” Klydus noted.
“No, but if he is,” Tipf looked Klydus dead in the eye, “He’s going to need your support and you all need to be honest with each other about your feelings.”
“We are!” Klydus felt his hackles raising instantly.
“I–!” Tipf grit his teeth, then looked away, “I know! I’m not criticizing you, Klydus. I’m just telling you that you really need to have a conversation with Ella because she has a lot of trauma surrounding this. And if what you suspect is true…she’s going to have a fucking hard time reconciling that in time for a whole baby to enter the world. She’s going to need you, Klydus.”
Klydus glowered as he glanced down at the counter again, then sighed as the message Tipf was trying to get through his thick skull finally clicked.
Dammit.
“But if anyone can navigate this,” Tipf continued, taking Klydus’s hand, “It’s you four. And I’m sorry I haven’t made that part clear enough.”
“...thanks, Tipf,” Klydus grumbled.
“I am sorry,” Tipf said again, “Um…do you need me to…?”
“Go take care of your girlfriend,” Klydus muttered. “I just wanna wait here for mine to text me back.”
“Okay,” Tipf nodded, patting Klydus’s hand. “I’m here if you need me.”
“Yep,” Klydus nodded, and he felt like dogshit when Tipf hugged the trio goodbye and headed back out the door.
Zelda could feel her own exhaustion as she stared down at her lunch that day. Running a hand over her face, she forced herself to keep moving so she didn’t fall asleep where she was. Ultimately, that just led her back to where Link was moping at Faro’s bedside. This time, however, when she returned she found Sidon as well.
“I think you boys need to take a break,” Zelda pointed out.
Sidon looked up, and he wore a rather indignant frown on his face, “I just got here!”
“Uh-huh,” Zelda crossed her arms, “And where were you before this?”
“...my dad’s appointment,” Sidon looked away. Zelda raised a brow and Sidon shrugged, “What!? He’s on hospice anyway, this was just a check-in to see what level of ‘dying’ he’s at.”
“And?” Zelda asked.
Sidon was quiet for a moment, twiddling his thumbs, “He’s okay for now.”
“Soooo?” Zelda tilted her head, “Are you staying here, or…?”
“I’ll head home,” Link decisively stood up to Zelda’s surprise, “I think the big lug needs a minute alone with Faro.”
“Oh!” Sidon jumped, looking at Link with big, glassy eyes. “I’m fine!”
“He’s an emotional trainwreck,” Link whispered in Zelda’s direction, then immediately dodged the box of tissues that went flying towards his head. But the couple snickered and Link bid his husband goodbye before darting out into the halls to ask, “What’s up?”
“N-nothing!” Zelda shrugged, “For once. I was just checking to see if you’d like me to keep watch over him.”
“Ah,” Link shoved his hands in his pockets, and decidedly started marching down the hall towards the exit, “I think I’ll take you up on that offer in like an hour, but Sidon really…he’s blaming himself for what’s happened with Faro.”
“I’ve noticed,” Zelda briefly glanced back to the hospital room, “But his complexion is looking much better.”
“Yeah, the doctors just thought he’d wake up by now,” Link observed. “And…well, his ex-girlfriend started working here now so he’s waffling between guilt on all levels while also avoiding her.”
“Ex…?” Zelda craned her neck.
“Yeah, Yona or whoever,” Link noted, then stopped and frowned, “At least I think that’s her name.”
“It’s her name,” Zelda rolled her eyes, “I didn’t think they dated?”
“No, but Sidon’s act like he had feelings for her and is Being Weird about it,” Link shrugged.
“Sidon’s gay,” Zelda pointed out.
“And you know!” Link pointed up at Zelda with a wild grin on his face, “I thought that too! But here we are and I am just waiting to pop the popcorn!”
“Link!” Zelda scoffed, “This is your husband! Who is pregnant with your daughter!”
“Yeah, and he’s waffling over a girl because he can’t tell if he’s bisexual,” Link was snickering at Sidon’s expense.
Nevermind that there was something else on the backburner that was fueling Link’s humor towards this, Zelda could not believe that he would be so lackadaisical over Sidon’s inner turmoil! “You’re terrible sometimes, you know that?”
“Oh, I do,” Link nodded his head, “But Sidon knew that when he…why is Nami power walking towards us?”
“Hm?” Zelda perked up as the two marched past the glass doors to exit the hospital. Sure enough, Princess Minami was… scurrying directly towards them, arms pumping at an unusual pace with large eyes plastered directly on Link. “Nami?”
“Twilight’s bleeding out in the hallway,” Nami skidded to a halt, then shoved a book into Zelda’s hands. “And this is back.”
“Er–” Zelda froze when she caught the book in her hands, and at first she didn’t recognize it. “He’s bleeding? Should he go to the vet?”
“No, he’ll be fine in like twelve hours,” Link brushed off, paused, then frowned, “Wait, he’s been gone a while.”
“Looking for our Twili friends? Yuh-huh!” Nami’s eyes were bugging clear out of her head. “And now he’s bleeding on the floor and he brought this book back alongside Abby and Goop.”
“The…lynel cub and the demented cat?” Zelda asked, opening the book up. It was the spellbook. The spellbook that Mipha used to resurrect like half of her dead friends. The spellbook that Zelda decidedly left in Kakariko when she rescued Impa, Paya, and Diana.
That spellbook.
Snapping it closed, Zelda looked up at Nami with alarm, “Why is it here?”
“Boy,” Nami chuffed, a nervous whistle blowing through her teeth as she rocked on her heels, “Was I sure hoping that you would know!”
“But–wait,” Link frowned, taking the book out of Zelda’s hand to inspect it before looking back up at Nami. “If the book was in Kakariko…and now it’s here…”
Link didn’t even get a chance to finish his thought because within seconds Bazz was zipping up to the three of them with the same haunted look in his eye, “Say, guys? Any chance Sidon is done with his daily Mope Session yet?”
“Please don’t tell me there’s an army descending on us from Kakariko,” Zelda begged. The general winced, his eyes bugging further out of his head.
“Well, I don’t know if they’re from Kakariko, but uh…” Bazz looked around, then lowered his voice, “We have a fuck load of Blights and Hollows trying to climb up the southern levee right now and I would like to get to the bottom of this before it turns into a full-on invasion.”
All in all, the budgeting sheet took less than fifteen minutes for Tipf to work through. He would never understand how Nami could be an entire doctor with genius intellect while claiming complete ineptitude over something so simple. But Tipf felt his mind wandering elsewhere and he felt sick to his stomach. Or maybe that was the heartburn talking.
Tipf only stopped to bang his head against the doorway once, and he halfway contemplated going to see if Dorephan had any sage old wisdom to impart on him. In fact, he started waddling in that direction until he remembered Dorephan was at a doctor’s appointment. So he stood in front of an empty bedroom for approximately ten minutes contemplating what to do next, and he moved mostly on autopilot through the palace until he found a familiar courtyard with a familiar cherry blossom tree. Under it, a familiar blond head was reclined staring at a familiar patch of flowers.
“Rhonin?” Tipf asked, and he watched Rho jump up with alarm and spin around. Tipf also flinched, not sure what the vibe was, but he hesitantly approached and asked, “How’s it…? Going?”
“Oh, hey,” Rho relaxed, scooting over as though Tipf were welcome to sit. So…Tipf took the seat. “Nothing much, you?”
“Eh, your sister is still afraid of finance,” Tipf leaned back on his hands and the shifting position immediately woke Samwise up from his nap. “Um…how are you?”
Rho grew quiet at that, then shrugged, “Fine.”
“Good,” Tipf nodded. “That’s good.”
The two of them were awkwardly quiet and Tipf had no idea how to break the silence without being an ass. Or at least more of an ass than he already had been. To his surprise, Rho was actually the one who broke the silence and confessed, “So…there’s no baby.”
“Oh–” Tipf reared, turning his head. Oh, this was about to be bad. “Rhonin, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s…” Rho trailed off with a furrowed brow, and he looked so conflicted as he confessed, “Weirdly? Fine?”
Frowning, Tipf asked, “You sure?”
“Yeah,” Rho looked down, eyes fixating on the little flower patches in front of them, “I, uh, I had a bit of a…I don’t know.”
Rho looked down at the ground, taking significant interest in the blades of grass by his left shoe. Tipf eyed him, and it was only because he had gotten to know Rho exceptionally well in recent months that he figured, “It’s hard going to these appointments without a bouncing baby on your lap, huh?”
The shaky exhale that came out of Rhonin was heartbreaking and Tipf could only place a hand on the boy’s shoulder.
…
Sorry, the young man’s shoulder.
Tipf needed to pull himself together and stop treating them like kids.
“How did you feel when you finally got pregnant with Sammy?” Rho asked, sniffing loudly as he looked back up at the tree. “Like did you…? Did you miss the others, or…?”
“Well, I was a little preoccupied with my own crumbling mental health when I found out about him,” Tipf looked down, trying not to think too hard about his Rock Bottom Era that still felt too close for comfort these days. “But once the shock faded and I had a chance to get excited, then…yeah, it felt a little weird. Especially after losing her.”
Tipf pointed at the little flower garden in front of them, and Rho nodded, wiping his eyes. Another moment of silence, this time less awkward, and Rho finally confessed, “I don’t know if…I don’t know if I’m actually ready for a baby, Tipf.”
“That’s okay,” Tipf said, squeezing Rhonin’s arm, and the poor kid just crumpled in his own indecision as he covered his face with his hands. “Hey, Rhonin, it’s really okay–”
“I was so sure before today! I don’t get it!” Rho looked back up, “Like! Like I wanted this. I still want this. But I…! I don’t know, I sat down for that ultrasound and I just–I saw nothing and I was relieved? What the fuck is that?”
“I don’t know,” Tipf shook his head, “But if I were to guess, I’d say that you really really want a baby but find relief in having more time to prepare for it?”
“Maybe?” Rho shrugged, “I just feel like I lied to everyone.”
“I don’t think it was a lie,” Tipf shook his head, glancing down to the little flower patch as well, “I think becoming a parent is equally exciting and terrifying and…it’s both the best and hardest thing I have ever done so don’t beat yourself up for wanting to wait a little bit, Rho. There’s nothing wrong with that and there’s nothing wrong with changing your mind.”
Rho sniffled again, but nodded his head. Then, after another moment, he timidly asked, “Do you think Klydus is gonna be upset…?”
Um.
Maybe.
But Tipf cleared his throat and thought long and hard about his little brother. His loving, selfless little brother who would do just about anything for the people he cared about. Taking a deep breath, Tipf sighed and actually found himself chuckling, “I think Klydus is going to be a little bummed if only because he jump started on nursery ideas. But he’ll be okay.”
“Are you sure?” Rho asked, puddles forming in his big blue eyes again.
“Yeah,” Tipf grinned, “He cares more about making sure you all are on the same page and happy together. He just needs to know where you stand. That’s all.”
Rho’s head bobbed, and he actually leaned up against Tipf slightly before breathing, “Thanks, Tipf.”
“Sure,” Tipf shrugged.
“Oh,” Rho wiped his eyes again, “And thanks for these flowers by the way. They’re really nice.”
At that, Tipf’s mind skirted to a halt, “Huh?”
“I don’t think I ever said anything, but it means a lot that you would plant these,” Rho said, smiling up at Tipf. But Tipf had no idea what the hell Rho was talking about.
In fact he completely short-circuited, “Klydus said you planted them.”
Rho’s brow furrowed, and he frowned, “But Klydus said you planted them.”
“That little shit,” Tipf looked back at the flowers, leaning back again. At first he shook his head, then he felt himself tearing up, and then he felt a small grin tugging at his lips as he asked, “So do we call him out or let him sit in his discreet satisfaction?”
Rho fell quiet at that, and he ducked his head. To Tipf’s surprise, the kid’s shoulders started shaking and he broke out into tears, “Why is he so niiiiiiiiiiiiice?!”
“Oh–Rhonin,” Tipf sputtered up a laugh. He didn’t mean to laugh at Rho, something about the exchange was just really sweet and he couldn’t help but pull the kid into a hug. “It’s okay!”
“I know! But!” Rho sniffled, blubbering all over again, “He didn’t have to do all this and he didn’t want us to know!? Why is he like thiiiiiiis?”
“Because he’s got the biggest heart of any of us, probably,” Tipf shrugged, grinning to himself as his own heart swelled, “I wouldn’t be surprised if he loved those babies as much as we did.”
“Hhhhhhhh,” Rho droned uneasily, “I’m going to break his heart.”
“No,” Tipf shook his head, “He’s just going to have to be patient. But you guys are going to have a little one that looks just like you and acts just like him. I’m sure of it.”
“You think so?” Rho asked, and Tipf couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought that crossed his mind.
“Yeah,” He nodded, “In fact, your kid will probably make biscuits the same way Klydus does!”
Rho snickered at that, and the kid had the sweetest smile on his face when he pulled out his phone to text the little Biscuit Maker in question.
In about two years time, Tipf would find himself sitting in a hospital room hovering nervously over a proud new dad and his infant daughter. He was doomed to do a lot of nervous hovering, no matter how much Nami called him out on it. But he couldn’t help himself after the overly dramatic events that happened with Hyrule and those blasted Sheikah trying to make underhanded claims over his niece.
“You know, I don’t care what anyone says,” Rho stated nonchalantly, balancing the baby girl on his laps as he held her tiny little hands and inspected her tiny little face, “I have a cute baby.”
“She’s perfect and can do no wrong,” Cado droned in a low tone, but he refused to move from his seat posted directly in front of the closed door to the room. At this late hour, any and all family had cleared out to give Rhonin some much needed rest. However, Tipf and Cado chose to stay behind because…well…
Tipf didn’t exactly feel confident that the Sheikah Priests were above child abduction at this point and despite Rho’s best efforts to thwart the future, Nayru Wilde was always destined to be born with Sheikah blood. But none of that mattered at this point. What mattered was that she was here, she was healthy, her dad was over the moon, and the entire family banded together to protect them both from the worst that Hyrule had to offer. So it stood that the family would take shifts in keeping tabs on everything, and currently that meant Tipf and Cado were in charge that evening.
Cado coped by guarding the door, physically using his chair and his body to act as a barricade. He let no one in unless it was hospital staff that Nami personally approved of or a family member that texted him ahead of time. Tipf coped by…well…doing what he did best.
Which was apparently hovering like his wife.
Namely, Tipf was eyeing the dark bags under Rho’s eyes and offering, “If you’d like to get some sleep, I’ll hold her.”
Rho immediately flinched, clearly still on edge after everything that happened, and shook his head, “N-no, I’m good for a while, still. Besides, I don’t exactly want someone coming in here while I’m out.”
“I get that,” Tipf placed a hand on Rho’s shoulder, “But Cado has the door and Kid, you look rough.”
“I’m really fine,” Rho insisted.
“I know,” Tipf took a seat on the side of Rho’s bed, looked the kid up and down, and felt his heart sink as he practically begged Rho to take a break, “But I’ll watch over her. I promise.”
Rho very hesitantly glanced up at Tipf, looking him dead in the eye as his body began to tremble. Tipf quietly squeezed his shoulder, rubbed the side of his arm, and gave him the time he needed to finally admit to his complete and total exhaustion. By the time he handed the little bundle over to Tipf, Rho was both timid and whimpery when he begged, “Don’t let anyone take her, okay?”
“I would never,” Tipf promised, his voice low as he took the little girl into his arms. Din Almighty, little Nayru was even smaller than Sammy had been when he was born. Tipf hugged her swaddled little body tightly to his chest for his own personal security as he stood back up and added, “She’s not leaving my arms until you wake up from your nap, okay?”
“O-okay,” Rho nodded. Tipf kept a firm eye on the kid as Rho hesitantly let his eyes slip closed. As Tipf finally took his seat back in his chair - on the opposite end of the room far away from the door with a bed and a bassinet between him and Cado - he watched as Rho quickly and quietly succumbed to the sleep he desperately needed. And Tipf…well, Tipf became captivated by the sweet little grunts and coos that came out of the baby as she turned her face into his chest.
“Well, hello, Little One,” Tipf relaxed to get comfortable, and he reached for the boppy pillow to pull across his lap so his arms didn’t get tired. “I’m going to keep an eye on you while your dad takes a nap, okay?”
“I’m still her favorite uncle,” Cado droned from across the room, though the kid’s eyes were growing heavy too.
Chuckling, Tipf agreed, “He’s right, Ru. I’m not gonna hold a candle to him.”
“Well,” Cado leaned his head back, eyes drooping slightly, “I wouldn’t say that.”
“Suuuure,” Tipf teased, and he let himself lean his head back slightly as he looked around him. All was finally calm. After a hectic, horrible start to the day, all was finally calm and the boys could finally take a rest. Ru was finally here and she was safe from whatever bullshit tried to determine otherwise. He just could not believe that there would be so much political turmoil over a baby girl who needed her dad.
Evidently, Cado had a similar thought when he finally blurted, “None of this would’ve happened if Rho and Klydus had been able to have kids of their own.”
“Yeah,” Tipf droned, and he felt Ru wriggling slightly against him as she turned onto her side. “But we couldn't have known this would happen–”
A little hand grasped onto Tipf’s scales, opening and closing into a tiny little fist. The motion pulled Tipf immediately out of his thoughts as he looked down to find another hand doing the same. For a moment in time, Tipf Briggs was completely and utterly frozen as he watched the baby in his arms wriggling against him and grasping at his scales. Even the face she made as she settled herself into a slumber was like…it was just like…
Tipf’s eyes felt wet when he broke out into a set of chuckles, and Cado lifted his head with a little more attentiveness, “What?”
“N-nothing,” Tipf shook his head, and he had to wipe tears out of his eyes when he said, “We just have a new little Biscuit Queen in our midst after all.”