Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“But anyway, if I had a nickel for every time I had someone faint in the middle of a goddamn presentation on the character foils to Hamlet, I’d have two nickels. Which, in the grand scheme of things, isn’t a lot. But the fact that it happened twice is fucking hilarious.” Karkat scoffs into his coffee. Some overly sweet concoction with enough whipped cream piled on top to kill a medieval peasant. “I don’t understand.”

“Maybe it’s time to give the curriculum a rework,” Dave mutters lazily, tapping out a rhythm of sorts on the little coffee table they’re all gathered around. “Foils are clearly way too blood-pumping for these youngins. The moment they start talking about the way Hamlet and Laertes contrast each other, the pressure spikes through the roof. It makes me sweat buckets just thinking about all the possibilities.”

Karkat rolls his eyes, then reaches out to punch Dave in the shoulder. “It was probably stage fright, you ignorant cow turd.”

Dave punches Karkat back. Rose sighs into her latte. Sollux fights the urge to pretend he doesn’t know any of these people. Is it too much to ask for a day where he can take Dave and Karkat out in public without them making a scene?

“Can someone else share the newest chapter to their life story now?” Karkat huffs. “I don’t want to think about the mountain of essays I have at home to grade. If I have to see Rosencrantz get misspelled one more time, I will flip my goddamn lid and jump out the nearest window.”

“I have a particularly juicy tidbit of news to offer,” Rose offers. She sounds oddly excited, and from the way her lips curl at the edges, she’s fighting the urge to just beam like a giddy schoolgirl. Sollux has to blink, because this is Rose he’s talking about here, and she’s all about her carefully crafted aesthetic.

For her to break it and let the genuine her slip through…

“Well, now you gotta share with the class.” Dave props his elbows up and rests his chin on his hands. “Come on, Lalonde. Don’t leave us hanging!”

Sollux studies Rose carefully, trying to piece together what exactly she has to tell them, just based on her reaction alone. He gives up after a second. Rose waits an extra two before she speaks.

“I’m pregnant.”

Dave’s jaw drops open. Karkat has to physically reach over to close it for him. The word just echoes through Sollux’s head, like a broken record. Over and over and over.

Pregnant.

Rose is pregnant.

This is not a shock to him. To anybody, really. Rose and Kanaya have been trying for a baby since their wedding night six months ago. Not that Sollux particularly cares. Rose and Kanaya are grown adults who can do whatever they hell they want with their bodies. He’s in no position to tell them what to do. It doesn’t really concern him at all.

“Really.” Karkat actually smiles, all anger and frustration having melted away. Sollux chuckles to himself. Bit of a bleeding heart, Karkat is. He’s always had a soft spot for kids. He complains all the time about how much teaching sucks, but Sollux knows that the students are what make the gig worth it for him. Even if they can be little shits sometimes.

“Well,” Karkat continues. “That’s a little sunny spot in the absolute shithole that is my day. Congrats, Lalonde.”

“Thank you, Karkat,” Rose replies demurely. She rests a hand on her stomach. Sollux keeps his head still, so as to not make it so obvious that he’s studying her form with his eyes. No sign of a baby bump. Yet. Must be early.

He’s not sure why it matters so much to him.

Dave is talking now. Sollux pays no attention, still lost in his own head. Pregnant. Yeah. It’s been established. Get over it, Captor. And Sollux wants to, but something is sticking with him. Rose and Kanaya are going to have a family. He’s always figured they’d be the first of their friend group to do so, since they’re currently the only ones married, after all. Karkat and Terezi’s wedding won’t be until September, and Dave has yet to man up and stick a ring on Jane’s finger. John is enjoying the bachelor’s life and probably won’t settle down anytime soon, if ever. If Jade met someone in Europe, she hasn’t brought it up yet.

Sollux hasn’t even mentioned marriage to Aradia or Feferi, let alone kids. To be fair, neither of them have either. It’d be a whole can of worms with their current situation so they all just dance around the topic.

But…yeah. Wow. It’s real. This is happening. There’s gonna be a kid running around now, a little Rose Junior. God. That kid is going to grow up spoiled. So many uncles, aunts, and even auncles (Feferi is gonna love that). It takes a village to raise a child, after all.

Sollux realizes he wants to be a part of it.

“Sollux?” Karkat is calling his name. Ah, there’s that trademark Vantas scowl. Oh, how he’s missed it. “Don’t you have anything you want to say to Rose?”

Sollux snaps back into the present as he sheepishly realizes that he’s been zoning out for a few minutes. His ears are ringing. His heart is pounding and his palms are coated in a thin layer of sweat.

“Congrats,” he mutters, mouth dry. “This…it’s really exciting. You’re gonna do awesome, Rose.”

“Thank you,” Rose replies, giving him a strange grin. As if she knows something he doesn’t. Ah, fuck. Was his staring really that obvious? “I’m excited. Kanaya and I are both so excited, actually.”

“R-right,” Sollux responds, nodding like he’s a bobblehead. “Yeah. Um, we know how much you guys wanted this, and…yeah.”

Don’t think about it, don’t think about, don’t-

He glances at his phone and pretends that a message just popped up. “Oh shit. Feferi asked me to get some groceries for tonight’s dinner and I forgot. I have to run.”

“It’s been only ten minutes!” Dave calls out after him, but nobody stops Sollux from standing up and speed walking away. Sweat beads drip down the side of his face and his heart won't stop pounding at all.

Sollux is the first one home. Fuck. Of course he is. He’s the only one with stable hours anyways. Aradia runs an antique shop with her family and usually has to stay back to close it, and Feferi being a waitress at one of the city’s busiest lounges means that their shifts are all over the place.

Normally, Sollux doesn’t mind getting home before his partners. Usually gives him a chance to relax before they have to figure out what’s for dinner. If he isn’t in a hyperactive mood and trying to surprise everyone by whipping up a passable dish himself. But right now, he’s really on pins and needles. He isn’t sure why, just that he knows he needs to talk to someone so fucking badly or he feels like he might explode.

Sollux quickly fires a text to Aradia: when you are getting home

Message shot off, he then flops onto the couch and jiggles his leg. Sollux remembers the grounding techniques he talks about with his therapist and tries to apply them. Five things he can see. He names them in his head. Four things he can touch. Um…

His phone pings. It’s Aradia. almost done! should be home within the next 30 minutes 0u0

Thirty minutes have never dragged on so long. Sollux paces by the door, waiting to hear the familiar sound of a key in a lock. The second the door opens, he practically pounces onto Aradia and nearly knocks her purse out of her hands.

“Woah! Sollux, what’s-”

Sollux grabs her by the shoulders and pushes their faces together. It all comes out in a single breath: “Iwantababy.”

Aradia blinks. Sollux freezes up when he finally registers what he just said. That allows Aradia to pull him off her, holding his hand in hers as she takes off her shoes and puts her purse down. She leads him to the living room, and they both sit on the couch together.

“Run that by me one more time?” she asks him.

“AA, come on.” The adrenaline has worn off and now Sollux wants to go crawl in a hole and wither up from embarrassment. “Please don’t make me repeat it.”

“Well, I genuinely didn’t hear what you said, silly!” Aradia laughs nervously. “It all just sounded like gibberish. So yeah, you’re gonna have to repeat it.”

Great. Sollux’s face heats up and his cheeks flush a brilliant red. “Fine. But you gotta promise not to make fun of me or anything.”

“You have my word, love.”

“I want a baby,” he says again, still relatively fast, but significantly more intelligible this time. The words are actually distinct from each other. But he can’t bring himself to look Aradia in the eye as shame takes over and Sollux pretends that the carpet is the most interesting sight in the world.

Aradia just cups his face. “Oh, honeybee. Is that so?”

He nods in silence.

Aradia purses her lips together the way she always does when she’s thinking. “Tomorrow. We’ll have a proper talk about it tomorrow.”

“Seriously?”

“Feferi texted me to tell you that she’s stuck working overtime, and so she’ll be coming home super late. Tomorrow, nobody has to work right away, so we can all sit down and talk about it.” Aradia smiles reassuringly. “And nobody’s laughing at you, Sollux. If this is something you actually want-” 

“I do!” Sollux blurts out, surprising both Aradia and himself with the sheer confidence behind his words. “But tomorrow…ugh…that’s so fucking far away, AA!”

Aradia chuckles and kisses him on the nose. “You’ll be fine, dear.”

Of course Aradia leaves the ball in Sollux’s court to start the conversation. The three of them are seated around the breakfast table, with cups of coffee that are in various stages of being drunk. Feferi fusses over a knot in their hair, while Aradia shoots Sollux a knowing look. He was really hoping she’d take the charge, but then again, he was the one who brought it up first.

Sollux ponders over what to say to get Feferi’s attention, how he can steer the conversation to the topic he wants without freaking them out. After all, if there’s anyone who’d have severe reservations about raising kids in their household, it’d be Feferi Peixes by a mile. Not like they had the best role models, if any.

As a matter of fact, Feferi was raised with quite a few examples of what not to do when it comes to parenting. Sure, they had more than enough money to buy every house on the block if they wanted, but money can’t always buy love. And being disowned and cut off from the Peixes fortune left a bitter taste in everyone’s mouths, but Feferi took it in stride. They simply marched into that bougie lounge and asked for a job to cover them while they finished their schooling. They’re a braver soldier than most, certainly braver than Sollux.

Speaking of which…

“Sollux!” Feferi trills, flashing him a cheeky grin. They lean forward, resting their chin on their hands. “Whatcha thinking about?”

“You,” Sollux replies bluntly. “And your mother. And how much she sucks ass.”

Years ago, that would’ve left a bitter taste in everybody’s mouths. But now, Feferi just laughs and waves their hand. “Yes, yes we know. She’s a real bee-atch!”

“Exactly,” Sollux agrees. “And a terrible mother. And if we ever have a family of our own, I hope none of us ever turn out to be anything remotely like her.”

Feferi’s mouth drops open, forming a little “o” that’s perfectly accentuated by plump pink lips covered in their favourite cherry chapstick. Aradia reaches out to take Feferi’s hand in hers, stroking it warmly.

“Family?” they repeat, wide eyes somehow even more widened. Some days, Feferi really looks like something straight out of an anime. “Like…kids and stuff…is that what you mean?”

Sollux nods. “Yeah, pretty much. I…I want a baby. I want us to have a kid together. And get to raise them.”

Feferi taps manicured nails against their coffee cup. “I see. Are you really serious about it?”

“I’ve never been more serious about anything else in my life,” Sollux insists, giving Feferi an earnest look. “Well, except about being with both of you.” He can still easily recall the fierce argument he had with Feferi’s mother over their relationship.

But he’ll never regret that. Just like how he doesn’t want to regret this.

“I want us to be like a boring heteronormative suburban couple and raise a kid or two,” he continues. “Except way cooler, obviously. Because we’re cooler. But the TL;DR is…I want a kid. A family. I want our family to grow.”

Feferi nods. “Okay. But how are we gonna do that?”

“There are options,” Aradia replies “Well, maybe we can’t have a biological kid, but there’s still options.”

Feferi frowns. “What do you mean? We totally could! I have a uterus, Sollux has a uterus-”

“Thanks, FF.”

“Anytime, baby. And Aradia, you do too!” Feferi gestures broadly to their girlfriend. “I’m sure we could get a donor, no biggie. So, what’s the problem?”

Aradia smiles sadly. “Well, you could. Sollux could, if he really wanted to. But I…can’t.”

Sollux and Feferi both bolt from their chairs and rush to envelop Aradia into some hugs. The kitchen is filled with cries of “oh, my darling!” and “shit, AA, I’m so sorry.” and “we’ll get through this.” and “look, if you don’t want to have kids, then it’s okay, we won’t-”

Aradia shakes her head, pinching Sollux’s cheek. “No, honeybee. I do want to have kids. I’ve just accepted the fact that it would be pretty hard for me to get pregnant. But like I said, there are other ways.”

“So we’re doing it.” Sollux feels disbelief coat his voice. Deep down, he knows that obviously Feferi and Aradia would be on board, because he wouldn’t have brought things up if he thought otherwise. But still, for them to agree so quickly, for nobody to freak out…

Wow. This is some kind of miracle.

“As long as we do it together!” Feferi insists. “That’s the important part.”

“Obviously,” Sollux mutters with a mock eye roll. “It's settled then. We’re gonna be the coolest parents on the block.”

Aradia chuckles. “I like that idea.”

They end up leaving the topic alone for a few weeks, which wind up bleeding into months. Wedding planning has hit and as Karkat’s best man, there’s a lot on Sollux’s plate that he needs to handle. So the baby talk has to get pushed to the backburner, at least until after the wedding.

Sollux is in charge of sending out the invites, since he knows a pretty fast way to email them to everyone without crashing a computer or installing a virus like Karkat probably would. His method is hilariously simple. Just write an algorithm, press a button, and off everything goes!

In mid-July, Rose and Kanaya host a baby shower and the trio is invited. Feferi and Sollux head out to buy a present. The store they are currently checking out is full of pastels, ruffles, and bows. Seriously. So many ruffles. Nobody needs this many ruffles.

“Solluuuuuuuuuuux!” Feferi squeals, holding up a bright pink dress. “Look at this! Look at it! We absolutely have to get it.”

“We don’t even know if it’s a girl or a boy yet,” Sollux points out. “They’re gonna reveal that at the party tomorrow. And come on, you of all people should know better than to assume.” He snarks that last word out in a condescending tone that makes them both giggle.

“Well,” Feferi insists. “Pink is still the superior colour regardless of whether or not it’s a boy or a girl. Because pink is the best. Period.”

“We should at least get diapers or toys or something. Things the baby won’t grow out of in a month.” Sollux checks his phone to revisit the text from Rose. “Yeah. They said don’t bother with clothes, because babies grow like crazy.”

“Aw,” Feferi pouts. “Fine. Let’s go get boring stuff. Like diapers or toys or something.”

She sticks the dress in the basket anyways and Sollux doesn’t take it out. They buy a pack of the diaper brand that Rose specifically requested, a rattle, and a cow plushie with a music box inside. That one’s gonna be a hit with the unborn sprocket for sure.

Feferi is bouncing on her heels during the whole shopping trip, even after she and Sollux have paid and are walking back to the car. “Sollux. We should do it. We should really do it.”

“Do what, FF?”

“Have a baby.”

Sollux pauses in the middle of the parking lot. “Like…right now?”

Feferi shrugs coyly, batting her eyelashes at him. “Well, I wouldn’t be opposed to right now if it were possible. But seriously. Let’s do it. Let’s have a baby.”

Sollux can’t help but snort. “What do you think I’ve been wanting to do since April? But yes, we’ll have a baby. One way or another. No matter how long it takes. I promise.”

“November 7th, really?” Sollux huffs into his phone, covering his ears to block out the chatter echoing all the way from the event hall. “Is that really the earliest time we can meet with you? You don’t have anything closer to…fine. Fine! I said it’s fine! We’ll meet you then, alright. I gotta go now. See you on the 7th.”

He ends the call and runs back into the event hall from the men's bathroom, acting as if nothing happened. Right now is Karkat and Terezi’s night, so he’ll let his partners know the news tomorrow. He’s left his best bro hanging a bit too long; time to get back to wedding duties.

Vriska is still in the middle of her speech when Sollux slinks back to the head table and sits down next to Karkat. He smoothes out his suit and shoots Karkat a “mind your own goddamn beeswax” glare which Karkat challenges with a signature “fuck you” scowl. Once that's settled, Karkat goes back to gazing lovingly at his new wife. Ah, life is never dull when Karkat Vantas is around.

Mercifully, Vriska gets bored of the sound of her own voice and ends her speech after a few more minutes of bragging. The second the applause begins to die down, Terezi stands up again.

“I have a special announcement to make. Karkat and I are having a baby!”

The room practically erupts. Dave stands up and yells out “HELLS YEAH!” before an angry Jane yanks him back into his seat. Rose and Kanaya start a very forceful round of clapping before the whispers can overtake everything else. Soon, the tone shifts into something much more positive. A baby is good news, right? Karkat and Terezi are both high school teachers, and they obviously love their jobs and the students they educate. This baby will be honoured to have them for parents.

Sollux glances at the table where Feferi and Aradia are sitting together. Aradia’s smile strains. Feferi’s smile crashes and burns. And he understands.

At the beginning of October, Marjolaine Maryam-Lalonde is born. The other adopting agencies Sollux has contacted have refused to return his calls.

It’s hard to enjoy the good things when all the bad insists on getting in the way.

November 7th rolls around. Sollux sits in between Feferi and Aradia, holding both of their hands as a snobby looking elderly man behind a desk scrutinizes them. 

It’s clear from the start that this will be a hopeless case, convincing this man that they can look after children. He doesn’t outright say no, but after five minutes of torturous silence, the man shakes his head and tells them it’s best that they leave. Sollux looks back to catch an expression of disgust and hatred, and his blood boils.

Back at home, Aradia brews some tea while Sollux holds a sobbing Feferi on the couch and gazes vacantly over his head. This is going to be harder than they realized.

Chapter Text

Feferi is used to people looking at her funny.

Shock in elementary school, when her classmates learned that a Peixes walked among them. Laughter in high school, because she was way too different to ever fit in. Anger from her mother, when Feferi explained that no, she would not be marrying Eridan Ampora and had chosen two nobodies to fall in love with instead.

But the way that man at the adoption agency sneered at her and her partners when they were walking away…

It’s different. Because this time, it’s not just Feferi. It’s them as a unit. There’s something wrong with their existence together, just three people in love with each other. It’s wrong, in the eyes of some. Wrong and gross. Wrong and gross and hated.

Feferi knows life isn’t easy, especially when she defies all expectations and rules. But she loves Sollux and Aradia, and it stings her very core to see people sneer at them. She knows how much Sollux wants this, and she wants it even more than him. The timing just feels right. She’s on her way out of that shitty waitress job anyways, with an interview next Thursday to work as a receptionist for Zahhak Manufacturing and Robotics.

Yes, Feferi wants that child. She actually wants a few. At least two, a boy and a girl. That way, there’s always someone to play with. Maybe four? So nobody feels left out? Wow, that’s a lot of kids. She’d have to check with Sollux and Aradia to make sure they both agree with that. For now, they’ll start with their first child, and then see how they feel from there. See, she has a plan!

But it’s hard to keep her head up when everybody else seems to get that picture perfect family. Feferi stops by to drop off some stuff for Kanaya, and finds herself sitting cross-legged on the floor watching Marjolaine nap in her crib while Kanaya brews them both coffee.

God, Marjolaine is the cutest baby Feferi has ever seen. It’s hard to take eyes off her, not that Feferi even wants to. Without even realizing it, she reaches down and gently rubs her thumb along the baby’s cheek.

Marjolaine’s eyes burst open.

“Oh,” Feferi whispers. “I’m sorry, darling. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Marjolaine doesn’t seem too deterred at all, still staring up at Feferi with those beautiful purple eyes of hers. There’s just so much Rose in her features. Feferi giggles to herself, leaning on the crib as she and Marjolaine continue to study each other. “It’s me, love. Your auncle Feferi. Well, the only one you have. For now, at least.”

Kanaya returns with the coffee cups. “Would you like to hold her?”

Feferi hesitates, taking in Kanaya’s words. “Wait, really? Me!? Seriously!? But what if I drop her or something?”

Kanaya chuckles. “You won’t. I trust you. And besides, if you plan on having a child of your own someday, you will have to hold them regardless.”

“Okay,” Feferi replies, pushing down her nerves as Kanaya bends into the crib to pick Marjolaine up. She passes her towards Feferi.

“Make sure you support her head. Put your hand under it, by her neck. And the other hand at her bottom. Yes. Just like that.” Kanaya nods in approval as she hands over her daughter for Feferi to hold. “Excellent. Look at you, Feferi. You’re already a natural at this.”

“Wow,” Feferi breathes. “I’m doing it. I’m actually holding a baby.”

And it doesn’t feel as nerve-wracking as she thought it would be. Marjolaine definitely doesn’t look scared in the slightest, continuing to marvel at Feferi as she takes in this new person she’s never been so close to before. Feferi gives a slight rocking motion to her arms, to help put Marjolaine at ease, and she swears her heart might explode from pure cuteness alone.

Twenty days after they were rejected by the first adoption agency, Feferi makes up his mind for good. As he and his partners are getting ready for bed, he breaches the question.

“What if I have the baby?”

Aradia sits up suddenly, their hair whipping around their head to hit Sollux in the face. “You want to have a baby?”

Feferi giggles nervously. “Well, we all wanna have a baby. But you saw how that guy treated us. Stared at us like we were as worthy as fish shit.” He sighs. “I don’t wanna scare you guys, but…what if it’s like that with every agency we go to?”

Sollux shifts around in bed, on Aradia’s other side. “FF…”

“I’m okay with it,” Feferi continues, and he knows that he’s being honest. “Like, if we need to, it’s okay with me. I’m serious. I want to carry our baby. At least then we can guarantee we have it, instead of waiting to find someone who doesn’t hate us and actually thinks we’ll be okay as parents.”

“I dunno,” Sollux admits. “I just don’t want you to feel forced or anything, that’s all.”

Feferi reaches over to clasp hands with Sollux. “I’m not, Shoallux. I swear. I just want us to have our little family so badly that if this is what we need to do, then so be it.”

Aradia smiles, leaning over to kiss Feferi’s hair. “I believe in you, darling. If this is what you want to do, you know that Sollux and I won’t stop you.”

“I’m not planning on stopping anybody,” Sollux insists. “I just want FF to be safe, that’s all.”

Aradia makes a gushing noise before tackling Sollux and burying their face in his shoulder. “Awwww, honeybee! You do admit that you care!”

“Ow! AA! Of course I care! I wouldn’t be dating you two nitwits if I didn’t.”

“You’re the nitwit,” Feferi cackles. “The dumbest dummy dunderhead I’ve ever had the pleasure of falling in love with.” He tackles Aradia from the backside, him and Sollux squishing their partner together in a Megido sandwich. Aradia laughs. Sollux groans.

Once it’s gotten a bit too warm to continue cuddling and they have to untangle themselves to cool off, Sollux speaks again. “Who’s gonna be the sperm donor?”

Oh. Feferi hadn’t even thought of that.

She spends weeks agonizing over the decision. Because this isn’t something that Feferi wants to take lightly. If she’s gonna have a baby growing in her body, then she should at least pick a father that she trusts. And like she feels comfortable talking about the topic with. Some guys can be so immature.

Anyways, that means John is definitely out, with how squeamish he gets when talking about subjects like babies and lovers and marriage. Everybody makes fun of him for it enough as is. Feferi crosses the name off the proverbial list.

Perhaps she could go to Dave? Or one of his brothers? Would they be down? But Feferi is admittedly a little terrified of Jane and her finding out that Feferi asked Dave to father a baby with her…hmm. Better safe than sorry. Dave is also crossed off the list.

Karkat could be an option, but he’s already having a baby, so Feferi decides to not bother him. She could ask Rose and Kanaya about the donor they’re using, but that might be a bit weird. Sollux’s brother Mituna? Oh wait, he hates kids. Go pester Eridan? Never in a million years. Dang. Why is this so difficult?

Feferi is still mulling about this when it’s New Year’s Eve and she’s attending Rose and Kanaya’s party. Aradia passes her a cup of juice and kisses her on the cheek, trying to help quell her nerves. It’s not working. Feferi smiles at her girlfriend, but can’t hide the strain.

Dave calls for a moment of silence and gets down on a knee in front of Jane. She doesn’t even give him the chance to speak. “Yes!” she practically screams, throwing her arms around Dave’s neck. “Of course, Dave! I’ll marry you!”

In the back of the room, John makes a retching sound and Karkat slaps him. Feferi claps halfheartedly, guilt shooting through her because she knows she should be happy for her friends but it’s just so fucking difficult when nothing is going her way.

In the wee hours of the morning, after everyone is either asleep or has left to head home, she finds herself with her head in Tavros’s lap as she spills everything to him. The months and months of longing, the rejection from the agency, her choice to have the baby herself and her worries, everything.

“I feel like a bad girlfriend,” Feferi sighs, twirling some hair around her finger. “I just want us all to be a happy family together.”

Tavros purses his lips together in thought. “No, no,. I don’t think you’re, you know, a bad girlfriend. Um. quite the opposite actually.”

“You really think so?”

“Yeah,” Tavros agrees. “It’s quite a noble thing for you to do. Very…selfless, I would say. Um, that was meant to be a compliment. I hope it came across as a compliment.”

Feferi genuinely smiles for the first time that night. “It did. Thank you, Tavros. You’re always such a good listener.”

“I try my best.” Tavros suddenly frowns, thinking about something. “Uh, I was considering what you said about needing a donor for the…the thing…and it’s totally your call! I don’t wanna pressure you into anything! But um…if you really wanted…I wouldn’t mind doing it for you.”

Feferi suddenly sits up, nearly bonking heads with Tavros. “Are you serious!?”

Tavros smiles sheepishly. “Yeah? If you’re okay with it, I’d be down.”

Feferi can’t help the sob that escapes her throat as she throws her arms around Tavros’s neck.

Tavros: hey…i’m just outside the house…ready whenever feferi is…

Aradia: tavros, this is so incredibly kind of you. thank you so much for agreeing to do this for us.

Tavros: well…you're might best friend

Tavros: if it was you who wanted this...i'd do it for you too

Tavros: i think all three of you would make amazing parents…

Aradia: youre so unbelievably kind

Aradia: well take you out for lunch when you both get back, itll be my treat! 0u0

It takes another two months before the IVF treatment pays off and Feferi finally falls pregnant. They think they might combust just from pure joy alone.

“Hey!" Sollux shouts as he opens the door to the bathroom, just in time for Feferi to shove the pregnancy test right in his face. “Ewwww! FF, you peed on that!”

“Read it, dummy! Read what it says!”

Sollux squints at the stick. “Two lines. That’s all I see. Wait, does that actually mean…holy shit…”

“Yes!” Feferi squeals so loud, they swear they set off the neighbour’s dogs. “It’s happening, Shaollux! We’re finally having a baby!”

Despite not being the pregnant one, Sollux starts crying anyways. They just hold each other on the bathroom floor, letting the tears flow. It’s finally happening. They’re getting the child they so desperately want. Feferi can’t wait to tell Aradia the good news when they come home from work.

They think this is the happiest they’ve ever been.

Until it isn’t.

It’s been a week since that stupid ultrasound, since the fateful day the doctor smeared the goop all over Feferi’s belly and sadly shook her head at what she found…or the lack thereof. Scheduling that abortion to remove her child, the baby she’ll never get to hold…Feferi can’t help but replay all the events in her mind. She hasn’t slept since; every time she closes her eyes, she has nightmares of everything.

Sollux and Aradia try to coax her into eating and getting up. She can’t bring herself to. She only moves from the bed to go to the bathroom when her bladder can’t take much more, and that’s it. Why bother anyways? Her baby is dead.

She failed. She failed her whole family. Feferi clutches her stomach and stares vacantly at the ceiling. This was her idea, to give her partners the child they so greatly deserved, and she couldn’t even do that right. Somewhere, fate decided that Feferi Peixes isn’t good enough for a child and it cruelly ripped her darling away from her.

It keeps her up at night. Would it have been a boy or a girl? Would it have been a spitting image of her? What would they be named? They didn’t even get far enough to discuss names. Feferi squeezes her eyes shut as more tears flow down her face and she hates herself so much. She’s a failure. A bloody rotten failure. Can’t do anything right.

Aradia comes into the bedroom, carrying a bowl of crab bisque. “Hey,” she says gently, sitting down on the bed next to Feferi.

Feferi glances up at her girlfriend, the only sign that she acknowledges Aradia’s presence.

“Karkat and Terezi had their baby today,” Aradia explains. “He was born very early this morning. They named him Reddie. Sollux went down to the hospital to see them and give them our regards. He didn’t want to tell you, but I think it’s fair that you know.”

Feferi doesn’t respond, trying to force down the jealousy that bubbles up within her. It’s not fair. That Karkat and Terezi get their baby but she doesn’t. Not that she wishes this pain and suffering onto them, but she’s just so goddamn angry.

Aradia puts the bowl down on the nightstand, then takes Feferi’s hand into hers. “It’ll be okay, love. Sollux and I aren’t mad at you. We love you so much, you understand that. Right?”

“I’m sorry,” Feferi whimpers.

“You have nothing to be sorry about,” Aradia tells her. “It wasn’t your fault at all.”

“Then why did it happen?” Feferi whimpers. “I did everything right, but it still happened. I wanted us to have our family, to be whole and happy. That’s all I ever wanted. For us to be happy. But we’re not. It’s not fair.”

She then dissolves into a blubbering mess as Aradia lies down next to her and holds her close. “It’ll be okay, my little ocean pearl,” Aradia whispers, running her hand through Feferi’s locks. “We will get through this together. I promise.”

Feferi doesn’t know.

She and Sollux go together to see the second adoption agency. Feferi’s heart is heavy. He and his partners agreed to turn back to adoption instead of having a biological child, and he knows what they’re thinking even if they won’t say it out loud.

If there’s another miscarriage, it’ll break them. All of them.

Feferi wants to insist that he’s strong, that he can handle it, but now he doesn’t know anymore. He holds onto Sollux’s hand as they see the director and sit in their office. It’s hard to be positive. Not when there’s a strange atmosphere in the air that tells Feferi nothing good. Sollux is already grimacing.

The director shakes their head, trying to look more empathetic and supportive. “Look. I understand where you’re coming from…but our children need a stable and steady home. I just don’t know if you three can provide that.”

Of fucking course. “Thank you for your time,” Feferi mutters, not even bothering to smile. Sollux gets up and storms off without saying a word.

On the drive home, Sollux’s phone chimes. Feferi picks it up and checks out the message while Sollux drives. It’s from Dave. And the second Feferi reads it, he immediately wishes he hadn’t.

Dave: did you hear the news? rose is preggers again

Dave: fucking crazy huh

Feferi resists the urge to fling the phone out the window (only because he knows how protective Sollux is over his electronics) and blinks back tears yet again. It’s not fucking fair.

They see a third adoption agency, located in the next city over. It’s exactly the same result.

Feferi doesn’t know what they’re doing wrong.

“How are you feeling?” Kanaya asks, taking a seat next to Feferi at Dave and Jane’s wedding reception. It’s a nice party, and the refresher that Feferi so desperately needs. She’s been down in the dumps since May, and she’s tired of feeling that way.

In Kanaya’s lap, Marjolaine squirms about and reaches out for Feferi. “Ba ba ba ba,” she says eagerly. Kanaya laughs, and passes the little girl over.

“It’s a bitch of a time,” Feferi admits, bouncing Marjolaine up and down in her lap. She probably shouldn’t be swearing in front of a baby, but Karkat drops F-bombs all the time around Marjolaine, so it’s probably fine. “I used to love dreaming. Now all my dreams are nightmares and I hate it.”

Kanaya hums in sympathy, sipping the last of her champagne. “You have probably heard this so many times before me, but I am terribly sorry this happened. It’s a horrible thing for anyone to experience, a miscarriage.”

Feferi nods. “I wouldn’t even wish it upon my mother. Tavros blames himself a lot. He thinks that his sperm is defective or something, and so it was his fault. But it wasn’t.”

“Then you understand that means it wasn’t your fault either.”

Feferi pulls her hair over her shoulder so Marjolaine can’t grab it. “I just feel like I gotta blame somebody. Which is stupid…”

“But nobody was at fault,” Kanaya reminds her. “These things happen, and it’s awful they do, but they’ll happen regardless. You are not to blame. Neither is Tavros. You did nothing wrong.”

“Okay,” Feferi mumbles. “I’m trying to remember that. It’s hard, though.”

The two of them sit in silence, watching Dave twirl Jane across the floor. He then passes her over to her father for the dad-and-daughter dance. Feferi heard some earlier rumors about breakdancing. She cannot imagine Jane breakdancing for the life of her. 

“I want to meddle,” Kanaya suddenly says. “But I really know I shouldn’t.”

“Depends on what your idea of meddling is,” Feferi says with a shrug. Marjolaine is trying to stick Feferi’s charm bracelet in her mouth and Feferi has to pull her hand away. The bracelet was a joint gift from Aradia and Sollux and every year on her birthday, they gift her a new charm. Sorry to Marjolaine, but there are some things Feferi won’t let her slobber on.

“You remember my grandmother, right?” Kanaya asks. “She doesn’t do it anymore, but she still has connections with people who work in child and foster care. Perhaps she can find someone who is willing to hear you out and give you a chance.”

“I’ll take it,” Feferi says immediately. “Please, Kanaya. Do it. I’m so glubbing tired of being jealous of you and Rose and Karkat and Terezi and everyone else I see pushing strollers on the street.”

Kanaya just hugs her. Feferi huffs. “I don’t think I deserve a hug for that.”

“Yes you do, darling. Yes you do.”

“Ba ba,” Marjolaine babbles in agreement.

“Anything?” Aradia asks as Sollux sits down on Feferi’s other side. The three of them are only mildly paying attention to the Law and Order reruns on TV. Sollux is once more calling adoption agencies. Feferi is fidgeting with her bracelet.

“Nope,” Sollux huffs. His phone chimes again. He glances at the screen for only two seconds before stuffing it into his pocket. “Bullshit. The fuck do you mean Jane’s pregnant now?”

“Jane!?” Feferi blurts out. “Are you fucking kidding me? Jane. Miss ‘I’m gonna run my grandma’s company someday, I don’t have time for stupid family shit’. She’s having a baby with Dave.”

“It’s her body,” Aradia replies distractedly, sounding far away.

Sollux groans. “We really don’t need a mini Dave running around. One is enough.”

Aradia nods. “Hear hear.”

Feferi buries their face into a throw pillow. “I hate this. I don’t need an excuse to feel even more awkward around more of our friends. And I don’t like feeling that way! Of course I'm happy for them! I wanna see the baby Dave-Jane combo!”

Sollux pulls them close. “It’ll be okay, FF. I hope.”

“You trying to be optimistic is so weird.”

“For you, I try my hardest.”

Aradia joins in on the hug and Feferi cries yet again. They’re tired of crying. It seems like for months, that’s all they ever do. It’s so exhausting.

When will this be done and finalized?

“I hate this,” Feferi says, over and over and over. “I hate this so much.”

Aradia and Sollux just share helpless looks.

Chapter Text

Aradia is the only one home when the phone rings. “Hello,” a warm and gentle voice says. It’s a woman Aradia has never heard from before. “May I speak with Aradia Megido, Sollux Captor, or Feferi Peixes?”

“You’re speaking with Aradia. Can I help you?”

“My name is Dolores Maryam,” the woman on the other end continues. “I was informed a few months ago by my granddaughter, Kanaya, that you and your partners are looking to adopt?”

Aradia’s heart picks up its pace. Is this really happening? “Y-yes,” she stammers out, blinking in surprise. Aradia Megido never stammers. Oh God. Why are her hands so clammy?

For almost two years, Aradia has been doing what she can to keep her partners from falling apart as they navigate the obstacles of trying to start a family together. She knows how hard it’s been on Sollux, and especially Feferi. But Aradia is reaching her breaking limits too. She wants a baby as well, something she thought she could never have due to her own body being a total bitch and hating her, but the dream seems more and more unattainable with every passing day.

Aradia knows the only reason she hasn’t suggested they simply stop trying is because it would break all three of them to admit that out loud. Even if it’s for the best.

But maybe Dolores Maryam can change things?

“I spoke to an agency that specializes in helping queer couples adopt,” Dolores explains. “I told them your case, just what I knew. That you are three lovely young people looking to make a home for a child who needs it. They got back to me and said they are interested in helping you out.”

“That’s amazing,” Aradia breathes. Because it really is. Is this finally happening? Are they getting their wish?

Dolores chuckles into the phone. “Yes, dear. It is. I’ll have them call you to arrange a meeting so you and your partners can discuss matters with them. Kanaya says that you would all be truly amazing parents, and I have no reason to doubt you or her judgement. Best of luck.”

When the call ends, Aradia has to sit down and just think. Then she cries. But happy tears, as she lets out months and months of pent up emotions and being so tired all the time. But now, she doesn’t need to push down her resentment and her insecurities.

It’s okay for her to feel everything now. She isn’t stuck being a steady rock for her partners anymore. She can finally rejoice in the knowledge that this is happening and everything might be okay and oh God, she’s so happy.

Aradia can’t wait to tell Feferi and Sollux the news.

To nobody’s surprise, Feferi bawls in Sollux’s arms. Sollux strokes her hair and lets his own tears fall too and tries to hug both of his girlfriends at the same time. Aradia buries her face in Feferi’s hair.

“It’s happening,” Feferi whispers in awe.

“It’s happening,” Sollux echoes.

“It’s happening,” Aradia agrees.

Playing another waiting game has become the norm at this point, even if it’s still pretty difficult to bear. The agency came in contact with the trio and promised to put them on the list, but had no children available yet. Almost all of them have gone out to loving homes and are settling with families that care unconditionally for them.

Feferi sighs into his French toast when Aradia updates them on the situation at breakfast. “That makes me feel a little better.”

Life and time both seem to slow down as winter hits. The new year comes quietly, and Aradia wonders if things will finally be on the upturn. Last year was awful for a myriad of reasons. Maybe this time, luck will be on their side. Maybe this time, they’ll get to be happy.

Late January brings the arrival of Marjolaine’s baby sister, Magnolia. Aradia, Sollux, and Feferi stop by the hospital to visit, bringing presents for the baby, food for Rose and Kanaya, and toys to keep Marjolaine entertained. She’s beginning to learn how to walk, and enjoys being carried around the hospital room by Feferi, who coos and fusses over the little girl as if Marjolaine is her own child.

Kanaya looks like she wants to ask, but Aradia just silently shakes their head. They and her partners aren’t ready to announce the news to the public yet, not after enduring so much heartbreak already. Aradia knows Feferi wants to shout everything to the world, but has held back because of a what if. They’re not out of the woods yet and that scares all of them.

What if yet again, the adoption falls through?

What if the agency never returns their calls?

What if they get turned away at the door once more?

Tavros stops by to take Rose, Kanaya, and their daughters home, both mothers too exhausted to safely drive. Later, he stops by after Sollux and Feferi have already gone to bed, and sits with Aradia in the kitchen.

“It’s not your fault,” Aradia says, as if they’re already aware what Tavros is thinking. “Please, don’t continue to beat yourself up over it.”

Tavros blinks. “Oh…I still feel guilty over it sometimes…but it wasn’t what I wanted to talk to you about, but…um, if you want, we can talk about it?”

“I’d rather not,” Aradia admits. “It was hard on all of us, but especially Feferi. I can tell this is breaking her, and I don’t know what to do. Tav, if this fails, we might as well just give up and accept the fact that none of us are meant to be parents.”

“You don’t mean that,” Tavros says softly. “...do you?”

“...maybe…”

Tavros nods gently and returns to his coffee. “Well…whatever happens, I’ll be there for you guys. You’re my best friends, and…look, I know this is hard, but you don’t have to go through this alone, okay?”

Aradia nods and throws their arms around their friend, hugging him tight. Tavros just hugs them back. The world is silent and for a moment, Aradia finally lets their walls down and allows themself to admit that maybe things will be okay.

They have to be, right?

February passes by. Dolores calls twice, to confirm that she’s still in touch with the agency and that the trio is on the list. It’s a cold comfort. Aradia doesn’t know what else to do. She busies herself by working at her family’s shop, having date nights with her partners, and stopping by to check up on her friends as they deal with their families.

Jane throws a baby shower. Dave starts a gambling ring over the baby’s gender, much to her displeasure. “What?” Dave asks, pretending to sound innocent. “You never let me do anything fun!”

Jane sighs and rolls her eyes. “Dave, betting on the gender of our baby with your friends is a tad juvenile, don’t you think?”

“You won’t let me name the baby Dave Junior, so I gotta find my own entertainment somehow.”

“For our sakes,” Karkat grumbles as Reddie climbs all over him. “I hope it’s a girl. We don’t need a second Dave existing in this world.”

“Amen!” Sollux cackles. He and Karkat toast their glasses of sparkling apple juice together. Reddie giggles along. Feferi shakes their head in disapproval and Aradia and Terezi just laugh. Dave pretends to be hurt. Jane sighs again and leaves to check on the cake she made.

It ends up being a boy.

“How fucking long is this gonna take!?" Feferi groans, lying across both Sollux and Aradia’s laps. “I swear, I’m gonna die of boredom before our baby gets here!”

Sollux grumbles when Feferi nearly kicks him in the face. “What, you think it’s fun for us too? Just be patient, FF. I’ll call another agency when they open tomorrow.”

“We’ve made it this long,” Aradia points out. “At this point, one more day won’t kill us. We can only hope, but we have to hope, our else we give up. And we don't want to give up, right?”

Feferi is about to protest when the phone rings. She practically dives off her partners to pick it up. “Hello!?”

“Put it on speaker!” Sollux snaps.

“Hi, Mx. Peixes! This is Dolores Maryam. I have news for you and your partners.”

“News?” Feferi squeaks. Aradia plucks the phone out of her hand. “Hi, Ms. Maryam! Yes, please tell us whatever news you have!”

Dolores merely chuckles. “The agency informed me that they currently have a pair of infant triplets in their care. They think that this will be a good match for you three. If you’re still interested in adopting?”

Triplets?

“Wow,” Aradia breathes, trying not to feel too disturbed by Sollux and Feferi’s shocked faces behind her. “Yes. We’re still interested in adopting. But we just…ooh, how do I put this?”

“You only have one crib?” Dolores laughs. “Yes, I know. I’ve heard it before, dearie. I have to give the agency an answer by the end of the week; they really don’t want to split up biological siblings if possible. Just let me know by then, alright?”

“Kay,” Aradia mumbles, then hangs up. She finds herself staring back at her partners as they take in the news.

Triplets. They could adopt triplets. Holy shit. That’s two extra babies they didn’t bargain for. They have the space, sure. There’s two extra bedrooms in the house, both decently sized. Dave’s older brother has offered to make them cribs free of charge; surely he wouldn’t mind making two more.

But still…triplets? That's a lot of babies at once.

“We should do it,” Aradia says almost immediately. “We can do it. There’s three of us, and three babies.”

Feferi chews on her lip. “Aradia, I don’t know.”

“Yeah.” Sollux agrees, frowning. “Are we really cut out to raise three babies at once!/ We only planned for one! We don’t even have three names we agreed on!’

“They already have names, silly!” Aradia laughs nervously. “And I don’t think we’re gonna change them. We should keep their names, so they can keep their legacy.”

“Okay, but this is still three kids we’re talking about,” Sollux protests. “Karkat complains he barely sleeps just with one in the house. We’re gonna sleep never!”

“We wouldn’t be sleeping with one kid anyways,” Aradia points out. “Feferi, you spent all of last March raving about having four kids.”

feferi puffs her cheeks out. “Not at the same time!”

Sollux glances down. “...I feel like I’d mess up if we had triplets. I don’t know if I could juggle multiple babies by themselves. I don’t wanna screw them up like how I was screwed up.”

Aradia gives him a hug. “You won’t, honeybee. I’ve seen you with Rose and Kanaya’s daughters, the way you play with them and talk to them. Those are not the words of someone who’ll screw up.”

“You don’t know that.”

Aradia kisses him on the cheek. “I do know that I love you. And I want to be by your side as we grow our little family.” She reaches out to take Feferi’s hand. “Both of you. If you don’t feel we’re ready yet, I will let Ms. Maryam know. If we don’t think we can take on triplets, then I’ll explain that to her and maybe we’ll get lucky again and the agency will stay in touch.”

“But there’s that chance this is it,” Sollux points out.

“Maybe,” Aradia replies with a shrug. “Maybe these children were meant to be in our care and loved by us too. Who knows? I certainly don’t.”

Feferi cozies up to Sollux’s side. “It’s scary, but also kinda exciting. I mean, triplet babies! They’re gonna be so cute. How many girls do you think there are?”

Sollux gives her a funny look. “That’s all you care about?”

“If they’re all boys, I’ll love them too! I’m just saying!” Feferi suddenly jolts up. “Oh my cod! We’re gonna have to colour code them!”

“That’s only if they’re all identical triplets, FF. We’re not gonna be those asshole parents who do the whole aesthetic thing with our kids. That’s not…” Sollux trails off and flops backwards on the couch. “Fuck. I’m already thinking of them as my kids, aren’t I?”

“Could be a sign,” Aradia giggles. Then her face softens as she pats Sollux’s cheek. “Does this mean you think you’re ready?”

“I think so,” Sollux replies, resting his head on Feferi’s shoulder. “You know what, fuck it. We’re never gonna get something like this again. Let’s do it!’

“Yes!" Aradia screams, tackling Sollux onto the couch. He lands on top of Feferi, who squeals as she is suddenly made to take the weight of both her partners at once. They become a tangled mess of limbs and bodies, but Aradia can’t stop laughing at all.

Instead of a baby shower, Aradia arranges a different kind of party. She calls it a homecoming, because the triplets are technically coming home, much to Feferi’s excitement and Sollux’s indifference. They let her have her fun by planning the whole thing. Everyone is invited.

Tavros chuckles as he studies photos of the triplets that Dolores sent them. “Wow. They’re so adorable…gosh, it kinda makes me want one of my own, um…even though I’m nowhere near ready for that yet…”

Aradia grins as she peeks over her friend’s shoulder. “Gosh, I just want to hold them so bad. And pinch their cheeks. Look at them?”

“What did you say their names were again?” Jane asks, as Dave hands her a glass of apple juice. She’s about four months along now. Aradia hopes that her kid and the triplets will get to play together at some point in the future.

“The agency said the girl’s name is Epione,” Aradia explains. “The boys are named Shivia and Charon. We’ve decided to keep those names for them, instead of giving them new ones. I like them, they’re pretty.”

Jane nods along. “Very pretty.”

“Yep,” Dave echoes, sitting down next to his wife. “Nice of their old parents not to do the whole ‘start with the same letter’ shtick that mine almost did. Although, if you’re in the market for middle names, you can always hit up your old pal Dave and-”

“They are not naming their babies after you, Dave!” Jane scolds.

“What? I didn’t ask for all three! Just one? As a middle name! A completely reasonable compromise, don't you think?”

“No. You’re just mad I won’t let you name our son after you.”

“Point taken.” Dave sighs in defeat. “Perhaps it’s for the best. You can’t recreate this much swagger. Pure Strider coolness right here, one hundred percent grass fed and locally raised. Unmatched in all other supermarkets.”

Jane kisses her husband on the cheek. “Exactly. You’re one of a kind, dear. That’s part of the charm.”

Aradia laughs and watches the fruit of her party planning labours with pride. Sollux and Feferi are gushing over a space themed mobile that Jade sent from Germany while Marjolaine tries to climb into Feferi’s lap. Karkat is trying to pull a present from Reddie’s mouth as the little boy chews on a curly pink ribbon. Rose is nursing Magnolia while Kanaya sits at her side, texting her grandmother. Terezi helps herself to another cupcake.

Tavros reaches out to pat Aradia’s hand. “I’m so happy for you, by the way. I know it’s been hard these past few years…but you guys deserve to have something good.”

“Thanks,” Aradia replies demurely. “Tavros, we were all talking last night, and we have a proposal for you. No, don’t worry, It’s nothing to do with pregnancies. But would you be interested in being the godfather to one of our babies?”

Tavros nearly falls off his chair, if it weren’t for Dave reaching out to grab him at the last minute. “You mean it?” he gasps. “But uh, why me!? I’m not…I’m not really that special or anything…I mean, there’s just so many better options…”

Aradia chuckles. “But you feel like a right option. It just seems fitting. I can see the kids getting all excited when their Uncle Tav stops by to visit, don’t you?”

Tavros smiles shyly. “Uncle Tav…I like that.”

When she holds one of her sons in her arms for the first time, Aradia finally feels like she can breathe properly again.

Shivia is about three months old, and easily the biggest out of all babies. He has the beginning of dark curls forming on the top of his head, as he stares up in awe at the woman who is about to become his mother.

Sollux has Charon drooling on him already, as the baby sleeps against his shoulder. Feferi cries to herself as she takes in Epione’s details. “I love her, guys. I love everything about her. I can’t wait to take her home.”

“They’re beautiful,” Aradia agrees, booping Epione on the nose which causes the little girl to giggle. “I think we made the right choice.”

“Yeah,” Sollux sighs wistfully, bouncing Charon a little bit. “And we’re doing it all together. That’s the important part.”

Aradia nods when suddenly, Shivia reaches up and grabs the sunglasses that were sitting on top of her head. “Bah,” he babbles, throwing them onto the floor with a clatter. Charon perks up and proceeds to give his brother the most venomous glare that an infant can muster.

“Yep,” Sollux replies. “A total handful, that one is gonna be.”

Aradia balances Shivia in one arm as she bends down to pick up her sunglasses. “Well, we signed up for this. And I don't regret it in the slightest.”

“Me neither,” Feferi trills, rubbing Epione’s back. “We’re gonna be the best parents ever.”

“Damn right,” Sollux laughs. “The coolest ones on the PTA board. Wait, there’s nothing cool about PTA boards. Well, they’ll wish they were us.”

“Exactly.” Aradia shifts Shivia again as he drifts off to sleep against her chest. Charon reaches out for her, so she lets him play with her sunglasses. In classic baby fashion, they’re finding the most random objects to be the most interesting toys. Apparently Aradia was the same way when she was a child.

It won’t be easy in the slightest, looking after triplets at once. But Aradia knows she is prepared for that. And so is Sollux, and Feferi. They will do it all together, sharing in the joys and pains of parenthood. That’s the important part: that nobody feels alone. This won’t work unless they’re a team.

But they’re a pretty fucking good team, if Aradia says so herself. She kisses Shivia on the head and he babbles in his sleep, clutching onto her sweater.