Firstborn [malexmale]

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

Positive.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," I managed, staring at the pregnancy test as I sat on the toilet, trying to cope with what I was looking at. I reached up and rubbed my eyes with my fingers for a moment, then stared back down at the test. As clear as day, the little pink plus sign seemed to stare up at me with a happy-go-lucky shine as the white plastic glinted in the light overhead.

A knock at the door startled me and I gasped, dropping the test directly into the toilet with a soft plink sound. I cursed, parting my legs to glare down into the toilet before I scrambled to my feet, turning around to figure out how I was going to get the damn thing out.

"Who is it?" I asked without looking up.

"It's me," Thorn's voice returned, "Listen, Lucifer just called; he and Hades are on their way over. Hades says he has some good news and bad news, and knowing him, it's all bad news. I'm not gonna be left alone out here to face him." I grimaced, gripping the sides of the toilet as I leaned over it, debating what to do now.

"Yeah," I said, staring at the test that floated in the water, "Uh, okay, I'll be out in a minute."

"Are you alright?"

"Yup. Never better. How's Hadrian?"

"He's laying on our bed, playing with the blanket Theo got him with the little dragon face on it. Do you need help?"

"Nope. Everything's great," I called. Thorn muttered something incoherent through the door and I went back to wondering how to get that test out of the damn toilet. At the same time, I was panicking. No way that thing was right. Surely Theo was playing another prank on me. I couldn't be pregnant again, already. I reached up, brushing the hair back from my face before I dunked my hand in the toilet, grimacing at the cold clammy water as I fished the test out and gave it a shake, but the thing was waterlogged. I sighed, chucking it in the garbage and generously covering it with toilet paper for now.

I'd take another test tomorrow and the day after, just to make sure.

Because so far, I felt normal. Then again, that was how it started out with Hadrian.

But how could I be pregnant already and so soon? I know Kieran said there wasn't much of a waiting period, aside from recovery from the surgery, but did that not apply to my situation given that I fucking died after giving birth the first time?

Stressed to the extreme, all I could do was manage to take a deep breath before I came out of the bathroom. In the bedroom, Thorn was laying across the bed on his stomach, his head propped up in his hands as he made faces down at Hadrian, who clapped his hands and appeared to be trying to imitate the expressions. He'd make cooing and gurgling sounds, but no actual formation of words, which Kieran said was totally normal for a fae baby. Although, he had been impressed when he'd heard about Hadrian's ability to smile already.

"Babies don't usually smile for another couple months," Kieran admitted, "But it must be that god blood in him that ages him a bit quicker up here." He had gestured to his head. And it made sense; Holly and Keros had also matured quickly. The toddlers, though appeared to be aging slow in terms of physical appearance, were already speaking in full sentences, recognizing intellectual questions, learning new languages and more. Sooner or later, Hadrian was also going to be maturing, either physically or mentally, or even both. I myself had aged rather quickly in terms of my intelligence. I already understood Hades's military jargon by the time I was four.

"How about you try and say papa," Thorn asked Hadrian in a gentle voice, "Pa. Pa. Papa." Hadrian cooed and made a sucking noise. Thorn laughed and touched Hadrian on the nose and Hadrian grinned wide. I smiled at that, coming over to sit on the bed beside them, leaning over to kiss Thorn on the head before I rubbed noses with Hadrian, who clapped his hands in delight.