Deadman Crawling [m×m]

TWENTY-FIVE

*Warning: Read with caution!*

Nothing is set in stone, until it is, and Eloy isn't even aware of it. The fatigue is almost always there so it's nothing new, not to him at least. But Jace notices that Eloy sleeps in later and takes naps more frequently, he always looks tired, always looks utterly exhausted. Another thing he's noticed, Eloy is eating less. He feels queasy, though frankly he's tired of only eating instant cooked rice or steaming cup noodles. The nausea doesn't make it better, of course it doesn't, but he doesn't complain.

What really gives it away, eight weeks after their little accident, is the fainting.  He doesn't faint, not really.

They were walking to a new house, Ella fussy on his hip when dark spots suddenly swam in front of his vision and made the world seem a little tilted, a little skewed. He had to stop and order Ella to wrap her little arms around his neck while he used a hand for support against the brick wall of a seemingly occupied house. Houses they try to avoid for fear of a repeat from before.

Jace had stopped at that moment to look back for a quick head count and immediately approached the pair upon noticing them a bit farther behind.

He was worried.

He is worried.

"Eloy?"

"Hi," Eloy rasps, trying to muster a smile but failing miserably.

"You okay?"

Eloy nods, but has no problem relinquishing Ella to Jace who gladly takes her from his hold. Once the light weight is gone, he breathes a bit easier and excuses himself with a hand clamped over his mouth.

He's tried to ignore the signs, the obvious symptoms. But he knows he can't, not anymore.

They reach a new house and they finally have a room of their own instead of sleeping on uncomfortable couches or dusty floors.

Eloy is sitting on the bed with the pregnancy test he swiped weeks ago in his hand, when Jace finally walks in and stops at the sight. Eloy looks up at him, bottom lip tugged between his teeth.

Jace takes a careful seat beside him and Eloy passes him the test without a word.

Positive.

Shit.

Shit.

Shit.

Positive.

"What do you want to do?" Jace asks calmly.

What can we do? Is on Eloy's lips before he says a bit hollowly, "Get rid of it."

And it's then the older man notices something he wishes he hadn't.  A crooked bent wire sitting almost innocently beside Eloy.

Jace nods, swallows thickly, and nods again. They can't have a baby, not now, not in the middle of a fucking apocalypse. The baby wouldn't survive, hell, Eloy might not survive. So, it's obvious, to them both, it's obvious that they should induce a miscarriage.

It doesn't stop Jace from feeling how he does, and it doesn't stop Eloy from feeling nauseated. Jace wants to tell Eloy not to do it. He does, because he doesn't want to let Eloy do something that can't be undone, something he might regret.

"Don't do it," he whispers as Eloy stands from where he was sitting.

It's soft, but Eloy still hears it, still stops.

He looks down at Jace.

"Don't," Jace repeats lowly.

Eloy frowns, the wire clutched tightly in his hand, "We won't survive if I don't. We... I'll... I'll become a burden and a newborn baby will only... it just won't work out. And I... I don't want to have a baby."