Chapter Text
Her eyes sweep the surroundings again, the impeccable walls painted in a soft neutral pastel color and the various simple decorations such as plants or some pictures with illustrations that serve as a subtle marketing strategy for visitors, have become a familiar sight after being waiting for almost an hour in these seats.
A tired sigh leaves her nose as she leans back against the back of her seat and rests her cheek on the back of her hand. Her bored gaze returns to look at the surroundings, not finding anything new like the previous times, however, now her gaze stops at a tower of magazines placed on a small table between the seats in the waiting room.
She looks at the tower in silence and finally reaches out to pick up a random magazine, scanning its contents for some source of entertainment. It appears to be a science or biology magazine, as many of the images are related to disease topics or recent successful research. Many of the terms she reads are unfamiliar, yet she continues reading and looking at the images simply to kill time.
She immerses herself in this activity for a long time, until she ends up finding a specific article that recounts embryonic development in detail. Her eyes widen slightly as she examines each of the illustrations displayed on both pages; While she observes the images, she concentrates on the illustrations of the first months, curiously reading the explanation of development and growth statistics.
A slight smile appears on her lips as she once again sees the demonstrative illustrations of the article, feeling a faint but growing emotion emerge in the pit of her stomach. She takes her eyes off the magazine briefly to glance at her partner, who is still checking something on her cell phone with a neutral expression. Kiana’s eyes descend towards her wife's abdomen, specifically the area of her flat belly.
Her smile widens, turning faintly shy as she returns her twinkling gaze to the magazine in her hands, a faint giggle echoes in her throat, which catches the attention of her companion. Mei turns her head towards her, leaning slightly to take a look at what she is looking with such a bright smile.
“Embryo development?” Mei reads aloud the title of the article Kiana is currently looking at, making Kiana straight up in her seat.
“A-Ah! I-It's just I think the illustration are kind of cute...it doesn't even look like a 'baby' as such, it looks more like a tadpole, it even has a tail” Kiana tries to give a quick excuse, internally sighing with relief as she sees a smile appear on Mei's lips.
“I guess you are kind of right, it's a funny way to look at it.”
“According to this, for the first few weeks they are the size of an apple seed, that's very small…” Kiana mentions as she points to said part with her finger, then she hums thoughtfully, frowning a bit.
“It doesn't mention much about the mother's symptoms though, I wonder if there's an article about it somewhere?” Mei chuckles as Kiana flips through the rest of the magazine quickly. “You were nauseous last week, right?”
“It’s still too early to relate symptoms; it probably must have been something else”
“Oh, right… do you think your cold might have altered something?”
“I really hope not, this whole process was so tedious and exhausting, it would be a shame” Mei flicks her gaze to the ground and places a hand on her belly, Kiana glances at her and sighs softly, sharing the feeling of uncertainty.
“I bet we made it; I have a tummy feeling! That's a sign that something good is going to happen” Mei snorts softly at her comment, returning her gaze.
“Are you sure it's not just because you’re hungry?”
"It's not that!" Kiana puffs one of her cheeks, looking at her reproachfully, but it's not long before her expression softens into a reassuring smile.
“I mean it! I feel we were successful. Unlike mine, your body is healthier and you also have healthier habits than I had before.”
Mei lets out a short breath, thinking for a moment.
“The doctor mentioned that my body is also considerably affected due to the exposure to Honkai after so many years…”
“But he also said that the state of your body is healthy enough for the process to be successful, we just have to be careful…and I guess have luck on our side.”
Mei nods and sinks back into a thoughtful state. Kiana watches her with a troubled expression, suddenly feeling uneasy at having this topic of conversation dancing around her head again.
Since that conversation a couple of months ago, the idea of having a new member in the family has slowly settled in her mind, especially after currently speaking with one of Schicksal's genetic specialists and beginning the pre-exams for the in vitro fertilization. However, finding out that she is unable to carry a pregnancy to term due to the consequences of her lifetime of Honkai exposure was not something she expected.
She wanted to be the one to carry the baby, more than anything to save Mei all the discomfort that this whole baby thing brings, but, in the end, this could not be carried out.
Kiana focusses her gaze on Mei, watching her pensive state with slight helplessness; Following the small voice in her head, she scoops closer to her and leans against her side, resting her chin on her shoulder and reaching out to hold her hand in hers.
“Even if the result is negative this time, we can still keep trying, you shouldn’t feel bad if there are some difficulties. I will be with you" Mei glances at her while she speaks, despite her neutral expression, Kiana can distinguish very well the trace of uncertainty and fear in her eyes, so she gives a light squeeze at her hand.
“We'll make it, I know it”
Finally, a small smile appears on Mei's lips and she leans her head against hers while she closes her eyes.
“Yeah” Kiana smiles satisfied after hearing the soft whisper from her partner, feeling relieved to have managed to remove some of her worry.
A few minutes passed in silence before starting a short trivial conversation, however, this is interrupted when one of the doors in the room abruptly open, revealing a couple with bright smiles leaving the doctor's office in the middle of a cheerful conversation.
Kiana straightens up as the couple heads out of the waiting room, looking at some black and white photos with palpable happiness. Another thing that catches her attention is the small bulge on the woman's belly, for some reason, a growing nervousness blooms in her chest before she turns towards the door where the couple came out.
The nurse who had previously taken Mei's blood samples when they arrived appears from the room, loudly calling out their last names. The moment has come, Mei is the first to stand up responding to the call and Kiana follows closely after quickly placing the magazine back in the pile.
Upon entering, they find a small room before the actual doctor's office, there is a small counter where the nurse reviews some documents before continuing to guide them to the doctor's office.
“Please, have a seat in front of the desk, the doctor will see you right away,” the woman instructs them in a calm voice, smiling subtly before turning to where the doctor is checking some bottles near a pair of counters.
The man notices their presence shortly after, greeting them with a friendly tone and a kind smile. Kiana watches as the nurse hands him the papers she had previously collected on the counter, but soon her attention is drawn to the pair of chairs in front of the desk at one end of the room. She glances at Mei again, noticing a slightly nervous expression on her face as she sits up straight and looking noticeably tense in her seat.
Kiana cautiously reaches for her hand to intertwine it with hers and gives a light squeeze to try to convey some reassurance. To her relief, Mei returns the squeeze, but she also begins stroking the base of her thumb with her own repetitively, a clear sign of her nervousness.
“-As I remember, you mentioned having a cold a week ago, right, Miss Raiden?” Suddenly the doctor asks a question as he goes to his chair behind the desk, all this while attentively reviewing the paper in his hands.
Kiana takes his calm expression as a good sign.
“That's right, I even had some fever, but it didn't last more than a couple of days.”
“Wasn't there some kind of bleeding? Or abdominal pain?”
“Uhm, no.”
The doctor hums thoughtfully and nods at Mei's response, returning his gaze to the papers in his hand.
Kiana feels her nerves on edge as the silence extends tortuously, however, soon the doctor's expression softens and he raises his gaze to them, leaving the papers on the desk.
"Congratulations"
Both of them blink dazedly as they hear the doctor's words. Kiana takes a couple of seconds to make sure she has heard correctly and once she processes what she heard; a big, bright smile appears on her lips at the same time that the nervousness in her chest transforms in a huge euphoria.
She turns to look at Mei, eager to see her reaction as she stops herself from starting to bounce in her seat from the excitement. Mei simply stares at the doctor with wide eyes, still seeming to process the news, which makes Kiana chuckle.
“The tests show a noticeable elevation of hCG in your blood, this is equivalent to a positive quick pregnancy test, although we still have to confirm it with an ultrasound” while the doctor begins to explain, he stands up and heads towards the stretcher at the other end of the room.
"Miss Raiden, please lie down on the stretcher and expose your abdomen, we will do a quick check" the doctor's request is what brings Mei out of her state of shock, Kiana watches her get up from her seat while murmuring a low 'yes'.
Kiana follows her to the stretcher and helps her lie down fully on it, while the doctor prepares to perform the ultrasound, Kiana takes the opportunity to lean close to Mei's ear and whisper something just for her.
“I told you I had a tummy feeling” Mei chuckles, looking at her tenderly.
“I will keep in mind not to overlook your ‘tummy feeling’ next time” they both laugh in complicity, until the doctor approaches with a bottle of gel and begins to explain some things related to the first trimester of pregnancy.
Kiana watches the doctor put some of the gel on Mei's belly, glancing at her with a small smile when she hisses at the cold sensation. The doctor continues explaining various aspects to consider during the first weeks and Kiana listens attentively to his words for a few seconds before her gaze focuses fully on the small screen of the ultrasound machine.
She sees the image flick in coordination with the doctor's movements, but she can't see anything specific in this. How can someone see anything in that?
A solid minute passes in silence, being the doctor the only one who breaks it with occasional comments, Kiana raises an eyebrow as she observes the diffuse image even though she cannot see anything in particular. A few seconds later her gaze diverts to Mei, who has her gaze fixed on the screen as well, subtly nibbling her lower lip with a worried expression.
She is nervous again, even after knowing that the pregnancy test is positive, Kiana sighs and smiles tenderly.
“Ah, there it is” the doctor's comment makes her immediately look up at the screen, the image is still blurry, but apparently there must be something there.
Kiana focuses her gaze on the screen, trying to discern something in particular, but all she sees is a gray and black background with a small circular black spot.
“Can you see it? This circular figure in the yolk sac, from how it looks, I can say that it has managed to stick to the uterine wall without any problem" as if he could read her thoughts, the doctor soon points out said black spot with his finger, turning to see them briefly
"Now, there is no doubt, the embryo implantation has been a resounding success, congratulations!”
Kiana’s mind goes blank for a few seconds, but almost immediately that bubbling euphoria returns with double the intensity, forcing her to smile from ear to ear before returning her gaze to Mei, whose expression is one of deep relief and similar joy.
The minutes following the big news pass quickly, or at least that's how Kiana perceives it as she half listens to the doctor's instructions and the recommendations to take regarding the first weeks. Once they finished their medical consultation and picked up some vitamin supplements from the clinic's pharmacy, they both headed towards the parking lot to return home.
Along the way, a palpable emotion radiates from both of them, but they simply choose to walk in complete silence until they reach the parking lot. Once outside, a small glance at each other is enough for both of them to burst into laughs and happy squeals while hugging each other.
Getting carried away by the heat of the moment, Kiana hugs Mei tightly and picks her up before starting to spin in place, however, she quickly stops when she notices her own actions and Mei's nervous, but happy giggles. Their laughter slowly dies once the euphoria fades, leaving a comfortable silence between them as they continue to embrace each other.
Kiana hides her face briefly against Mei's shoulder, inhaling deeply before lifting her head with the smile on her lips still lingering, possibly it will stay for quite longer. She glances at Mei while she's still hugging her tightly and her smile softens.
“See?” she says softly, rubbing her nose against her hair to call her attention, Mei soon loosens her hold enough to look at her with a big smile.
“We did it!” Kiana whispers in a cheerful voice, smiling widely like her.
Mei chuckles, leaning her head to touch their foreheads “Yes, we did it.”
Kiana giggles happily, leaning in to rub the tips of their noses briefly. She finally takes a step back, still weakly holding Mei's forearms as she directs her gaze to Mei's belly.
“Is it normal that part of me doesn't assimilate yet that there is something growing inside you right now?” Mei laughs softly, looking down at her belly as well.
“I guess not, I'm in a similar situation if I'm honest.”
“Do you…feel different than usual?”
“Mmm, not really. I know I’m pregnant because the results of the tests gave positive, but I don't feel different in any way; I do feel extremely happy” Kiana softens her smile and sighs.
“Then that's all that matters. By the way, can I drive back home?”
“…Did you bring your driver's license?” Mei stops on her way to the driver's seat, looking at her skeptically.
Kiana quickly searches her pockets for her wallet and pulls out said document to show it with a proud smile.
“Yep, don't forget this time!” A soft snort leaves Mei, just as she smiles softly.
“Well, no problem then.”
Kiana exclaims a happy sound and heads to the driver's seat, but before she can get there, she remembers something very important. Before Mei can reach the passenger door, Kiana circles around the car at record speed so she can open the door for her. Mei looks at her confused, but soon she laughs at her behavior.
“Kiana, what are you doing?” she asks in a tender voice, simply earning a giggle from her partner.
“I'm just opening the door for my beloved wife; I don't see anything strange.”
“Oh, hush” Mei laughs as she resumes her way to the seat, accepting her partner's 'chivalrous' gesture.
"But thank you anyways, dear" Kiana smiles pleased as Mei takes her seat, but before closing the door, she leans against the car so she can talk to her more closely.
“Is my act of chivalry worthy of a little kiss from this beautiful lady?” she asks in a teasing tone, not really expecting a reward as such, but to her enjoyment, Mei rolls her eyes at her and smiles before pulling her in for a short kiss on her lips.
“There, happy?” Kiana blinks slowly before grinning from ear to ear.
"Yes, very much!"
Giggling, Kiana carefully closes the door and hurries to circle the car to get into the driver's seat. After a quick check, she starts the car and proceeds to leave the parking lot.
“Should we do some shopping before we head home?”
“I don't remember if anything is missing from our pantry… do you want to buy something?”
“Nah, let's just go home then.”
__________
The weeks after the great news passed without any mishap, following the doctor's recommendations to the letter. Mei would be around sixth week in a few days, and there is no apparent change in her physique yet, except for the annoying morning sickness that she usually has. They aren't that bad compared to what she's heard from her co-workers though.
Both she and Kiana have talked about breaking the news to their friends, but the fear that she might miscarry has been part of why they keep themselves from announcing it openly. Kiana has told her more than once that nothing will happen, but they can never be completely sure, even knowing that her baby is safe and sound inside her womb, that fear that all this illusion could burst like a bubble is always in the back of her mind.
However, with each new week that passes without any mishap, a feeling of security gradually settles. In the end, she suggested announcing it during her birthday reunion in a few days; Everyone would meet as is customary among them, it would be a great opportunity to spread the good news quickly.
As the day arrived, all she has to do is get through her life and psych herself out while she endures the symptoms of pregnancy as best she can. At the moment, working is not difficult, especially because the nausea and slight dizziness only happen from time to time, so it’s easy for her to concentrate on her work duties fully.
After a couple of hours reviewing some of her students' homework and grading it, she decides to call it a day and starts fixing her paperwork so she doesn't have any delays in the morning. Once she finishes doing this, she proceeds to do her daily routine of checking the different rooms of the house one last time to make there isn’t any windows open or lights on; with her inspection completed, she finally retires to their bedroom.
The first sight she gets after entering is her wife, sitting on the floor with a pile of documents scattered around her with what seemed to be some kind of peculiar distribution system.
A loving smile appears on her lips when she notices Kiana’s focused expression, especially that small quirk she has of unconsciously sticking out the tip of her tongue when she is too focused on something.
“Are you still grading student assignments?” Just then, Kiana looks up from her papers, her expression immediately brightens when she sees her entering the bedroom.
“Mei! You are going to sleep now?" Any concentration she had on the documents around her is gone, Mei sits on the foot of the bed as she watches Kiana hastily gather the documents to stack them into a single pile.
“I was going to, but you can continue checking documents, I already checked that everything is in order in the house before coming here”
“Nah, I’m tired of review these things anyway. I will continue tomorrow during rest hours or at lunch time."
“If you say so” Mei decides not to insist anymore and she gets up from her seat to get ready for bed.
She follows her usual bedtime routine: brushing her teeth, changing her clothes, and using her facial care rigorously. By the time she's finishing doing the latter, Kiana joins her in the bathroom to brush her teeth and make some small talk in the process. Kiana didn't have as strict a routine like her, but at least she made sure to maintain good hygiene without needing to be reminded.
Many would think that due to her carefree nature she would not have it, she even thought so during the first few days since they met, but unexpectedly Kiana always maintains quite a good hygiene, yet she only focuses on the basics.
“Remember the floss” she comments once she finishes her skin care routine and turns toward the master bedroom. She receives a hum from Kiana and the way she rolls her eyes doesn't go unnoticed.
Mei huffs softly and raises a hand to ruffle her hair, drawing a quiet groan from her wife.
Clean and fresh, she is now ready to go for a well-deserved rest after a long day of work; After she gets under the covers, a relieved sigh leaves her lips and she relaxes onto the comfortable mattress. Her eyes close as she snuggles against her pillow, and suddenly she feels the lights being turned off, the corners of her mouth raise when she feels a faint movement on the other side of the bed and soon a tired sigh echoes at her side.
“You didn't floss, did you?” she whispers with an amused tone, still with her eyes closed, a smile is drawn on her lips when she hears an annoyed groan from her companion.
“Nothing will happen if it's just for one night, it was an exhausting day! I just want to sleep…” she hears Kiana complain in a pitiful tone, and soon feels the familiar warmth leaning against her under the covers.
“Whatever, good night!” she exclaims happily, snuggling closer amidst low giggles.
Mei sighs and wrap her arms around Kiana, pulling her into a tight hug as she hides her nose in her hair. “Goodnight, Kiana.”
Kiana responds the gesture by wrapping her arms around her in the same way and ends up nuzzling her face against her collarbone.
In the midst of the comfortable silence that surrounds them, Mei feels her consciousness slowly dissipate, especially when Kiana begins to caress her back, drawing random patterns with her fingers. A deep sigh of relief leaves her nose as she relaxes further into the embrace, letting the accumulated fatigue of the day wash over her.
….
Mei suddenly regains consciousness in the middle of the dark night, feeling first thing the, by now, familiar morning sickness, not as intense as on other occasions though. She whines weakly as she seeks to snuggle closer to Kiana, but after attempting this, she realizes that the space next to her is empty.
Her eyes snap open and she sits up in a second, still dazed, but with a growing feeling of panic blooming in her chest, she touches with one hand the empty space, not detecting any trace of warmth in the bed sheets. This only makes the feeling of panic settle in her mind, making her blood run cold through her veins.
“Kiana…” she calls with a low, shaky voice, shifting her gaze to the surroundings.
Her breathing starts to turn irregular as she searches blindly for the figure of her partner and find nothing, then she forces herself to take a deep breath in an attempt to calm her nerves a bit and clear her mind. She holds the air in her lungs for a few seconds and finally releases it in a long breath, she repeats the action a couple of times until she manages to clear some of the haze that clouds her senses.
Calm down.
“She probably just went to the bathroom, you don't have to get upset about something like that” she murmurs to herself as she puts her hands on her chest, feeling the frenetic beating of her heart.
It wasn't unusual for Kiana to get out of bed before her, but lately she's having a hard time calming herself down when she wakes up alone in bed, it's unknown to her why she's starting to have these spontaneous reactions of sheer panic, the only thing she recognizes is the immense fear that invades her and even clouds any common reasoning.
Maybe it's exhaustion from work?
After a few minutes she manages to calm down enough to get out of bed to continue her search. She knows from previous times that this feeling of restlessness will not go away until she sees Kiana, so she has no option but to search for the whereabouts her couple any time it happens. Her first search option is the bathroom; however, she did not actually expect to find her there, much less in the position she is in.
“Kiana?” the pair of blue eyes rest on her, somewhat dazed, but soon they open wide at the same time that Kiana stands up from the bathroom floor in a single jump.
“Oh, M-Mei…! Hehehe… Did I w-wake you up?” Mei examines her quickly, immediately noticing her pale complexion and the obvious nervousness she is trying to hide as she stands in front of the toilet, as if she is trying to shield it from her.
"Something’s wrong?" she asks in a worried and quiet voice, earning an awkward grimace from Kiana as she looks away to the surroundings nervously.
"What? No, no... i-it's nothing serious." Mei watches her probe blindly behind her back as she continues to babble excuses without much sense, eventually, Mei hears the toilet chain being pulled, which causes a short, uncomfortable silence.
Mei glances at the toilet before returning her gaze to Kiana, frowning slightly.
“Kiana”
Kiana closes her eyes and shrinks in place, letting a low groan echo in her throat. Finally, prompted by Mei's stern stare, she sees no way out but to confess.
“…I just threw up, okay?”
"What?" Mei feels a new rush of fear invade her, prompting her to approach Kiana to inspect her closely. “A-Are you sick? Does something hurt? Do you have a fever?" the questions tumble out of her mouth before she can stop them, as she quickly checks Kiana's temperature and examines her again for something unspecified.
“Mei- Mei!” Kiana is forced to raise her voice a little, though she soon softens her expression and holds Mei's hands against her cheeks. “I'm fine, nothing hurts.”
"But-"
“Maybe it was something I ate. Don't worry about something so small” Mei sighs and gives in, although she still can't calm down completely.
Kiana steps back to rinse her mouth with some water from the sink and after exchanging a few words, they return to bed. Having Kiana next to her took away that faint feeling of uneasiness, but she is still a bit worried.
“By the way, why did you get up? It's still too early to get ready for work” Kiana breaks the silence as she prepares to get comfortable under the covers along with her, Mei hums quietly and lies down on the mattress before answering.
“I woke up and you weren't in bed” she admitted with slight embarrassment, covering herself with the blanket until it covered part of her face.
“Aw, did you wake up because I wasn’t here?” Kiana coos with a small smile, lying on her side and resting her cheek in her hand to watch her with tender eyes. Mei simply nods and frowns, looking away while she feels a deep blush appear on her face.
“You shouldn't worry about something like that…” Mei flicks her gaze back to her, noticing her reassuring smile. “I'm not going anywhere.” Kiana whispers and her expression softens.
She brings her other hand to her head, stroking her hair gently.
“I know, I know…” Mei mutters, letting out a small sigh as she snuggles further into her pillow. “But, for some reason, I'm starting to feel uneasy when I don't know your whereabouts. I don't even understand where this is coming from” she confesses her recent concern, unconsciously reflecting said concern on her face.
Kiana hums, looking at her thoughtfully while her brow furrows slightly. Mei lets out a quiet breath and moves closer to her, seeking her warmth while she snuggles against her chest. Much to her delight, Kiana wraps her arms around her protectively, even leaving a small kiss on the crown of her head.
“Whatever it is, it's probably not that bad. You're so adorable this way” Mei complains weakly but she only buries herself further into Kiana's chest, holding into her tightly as she takes a deep breath.
Kiana’s warmth and smell are like a magic spell, calming her down in a matter of seconds and even making her drowsiness return with more force.
“You know, if you feel this restless again, even during our work hours, you can send me a message, I will be willing to answer you at all times” in the midst of her drowsiness, she hears Kiana whisper against her hair, she can merely hum in response, blinking slowly as her consciousness dissipate.
"Sweet dreams, my princess"
Her lips curve into a small smile when she hears the sweet words as she falls asleep, feeling safe in the warmth that wraps around her protectively.
_________
Sooner than she expected, her birthday arrived.
The day started relatively normally, receiving a big hug and cheerful best wishes from her wife as soon as she woke up, Kiana even got up earlier to try to bring her breakfast in bed. That year her birthday fell on a weekend so there was no need to go to work and she had done much of her preparation for classes the night before.
Until the meeting with their friends that will take place in the afternoon, they have much free time to spend together. What better way to do it than with a movie marathon? Oh at least that was Kiana's first offer. Mei doesn't really care if they spend their time staring at the ceiling, chatting, or doing any random activity, spending time with Kiana never stops being rewarding in some way.
The marathon starts after they had breakfast, with both of them huddled on the couch while keeping their expectant gazes on the television screen. Kiana suggested a saga of three films about a fantasy world, the synopses she gave didn't sound too bad, so Mei agreed to watch them with her, but as the minutes pass, her eyelids begin to turn more and more heavy.
Between the background sound of the movie, Kiana's occasional comments, and the quiet beat of her heart against her ear, keeping her eyes open becomes a herculean task. She unconsciously seeks to snuggle against Kiana, resting her cheek against her chest and hugging her weakly. The moment Kiana cradles her against her chest and begins to caress her back slowly, Mei knows she is doomed.
At this, she sighs and relaxes more into the embrace, finally closing her eyes and falling into a deep sleep in a matter of seconds. Her consciousness enters a state of deep calm and her breathing becomes deep.
…
A sudden light hits her in the face, forcing her to open her eyes with slight regret. Her blurry vision slowly comes into focus, and still a little dazed by her drowsy state, she blinks a few times as she examines her surroundings.
Contrary to the familiar view of her comfortable living room, her eyes meet a picturesque landscape of what appears to be a playground. As her drowsiness fades, confusion sets in, and she continues to observe her surroundings in search of any idea of where she is.
Happy children's squeals and laughter reach her ears. She then notices that these come from a group of children playing a few meters away. The image is touching enough to make her smile, but even so she prepares to continue glancing at her surroundings.
She places her hand on the bench where she is sitting and touches something that appears to be a purse, she turns her head towards the object and indeed it is one, but more than a purse it seems like some kind of bag. It’s hers?
She examines its contents superficially, distinguishing some personal items that she usually carries when she is away from home, but she also distinguishes a few objects that are strange to her, such as a package of wet wipes and a couple of tupperware with fruit, but what confuses her most is the presence of a small children's training glass with a liquid that she would dare to say is some type of juice.
"What in the world…?"
"Mommy! Mommy!" An unfamiliar childish voice booms out abruptly, snapping her out of her inspection immediately.
A light weight suddenly crashes into her lap, surprised, she lowers her gaze, finding a small girl clumsily trying to climb onto her lap, the action takes a little effort, but she eventually manages to, immediately raising her head to look at her.
A small gasp leaves Mei’s lips when she notices a strange fog covering the little girl’s face. The only thing she can make out is the contour of her face, and it’s quite frightening.
“H-Hello… little one-” Her greeting is cut short when the little girl extends a small 'bouquet' of flowers to her, in reality it’s just a bunch of battered flowers that were most likely plucked by the inexperienced hands of a child.
"I found flowers! I think they are pretty, so I brought them for you!"
Despite the strange fog that covers her face, Mei can deduce that she is smiling just from her cheerful tone of voice.
She receives the flowers with a small smile, careful not to mistreat them further as she briefly examines them. They really are beautiful, it's a shame she can't take them home to put them in a vase though.
“Mommy, I'm thirsty… can you give me juice, please?”
“…Huh?” Mei looks up, stunned when she takes notice in her words.
‘Mommy’?
“Uhm, little one, I think you're getting something wrong... I’m not-” she stops in the middle of her explanation when she sees the little girl tilt her head, probably confused.
"I'm wrong? Can’t I have juice then?” Mei is startled when she hears the clear sadness in the little girl's voice, immediately retracting her words.
“I-It's not that, it's just…” resigned, she stops herself again and sighs, her gaze goes to the bag next to her and she quickly searches for the small glass in it to give it to her.
The child takes the glass with both hands and immediately begins to eagerly drink its contents. A small smile appears on Mei's lips when she sees the enthusiasm, while the child is focused on drinking the juice, Mei inspects more aspects of her appearance; She has shoulder length silver hair, dressed in an adorable overall and black closed toe shoes.
She doesn't seem to be older than four or three years old, perhaps she could be five, but no matter how much she searches for any clue as to who she could be, she doesn't find anything concrete, her fog-covered face only makes her task more difficult.
She called her 'mommy', more than once and with quite the confidence, so the chance that she is confusing her with someone else is small.
So, is this little girl her ‘daughter’?
Why can't she see her face then? …What kind of dream is this?
Her brow furrows slightly as she examines the little girl again, this time placing a hand on her hair to gently stroke it. Her eyes widen when she feels the soft hair in her palm, it feels so… real.
It's like she's stroking Kiana's fluffy hair.
Her hand stops dead when she realizes what she’s thinking, she blinks slowly, flicking her gaze to the child's face, noticing to her surprise how the fog begins to fade out a bit, allowing her to see more of the little girl's face, but it still covers her eyes.
With this change, she can now see clearly the little girl's chubby cheeks while she still drinks the juice unhurriedly. A relieved sigh leaves the child’s mouth once she finishes drinking almost all the juice and her lips curl in a small smile while she turns to hand Mei the glass. She takes it and sets it aside, concentrating fully on the little girl while she waits for her next move.
The child quickly thanks her in such a cute way Mei had to bite the inner part of her cheek to keep herself from cooing; however, the little one doesn't get off her lap, instead she begins to swing her legs gently, humming a childish tune while she examines the surroundings. Mei blinks slowly, this time staring at the little girl's profile, again her gaze is drawn to the chubby cheeks and this time she can't control herself from raising a hand to gently pinch one.
"Ah!" The little girl complains and puts a hand to her cheek, turning to look at her and then making an adorable pout. “Mommy, that hurts…” she grumbles in a pitiful tone, drawing an apologetic smile from Mei.
“…S-Sorry, I couldn't resist” the little girl only puffs her cheeks more at her response, huffing as a sign of annoyance.
“Mommy, you're being mean!” Mei laughs briefly when she feels the little girl's soft smacks of protest on her stomach, apparently this only makes her angrier, as she starts huffing more in annoyance.
After a short time, the girl leans abruptly over Mei’s front, hiding her face against her chest while she grumbles something that is difficult for Mei to understand.
A wave of tenderness washes over her at the sight and she immediately wraps her arms around the small figure to hug her tightly against her. Again, the fascination of how real the small body in her arms feels hits her, making a pleasant warmth to invade her chest.
Her lips curve into a soft smile and she leans in to rub her nose against the little girl's soft hair. A faint smell of the classic commercial baby fragrance reaches her nostrils and she can't help but take a deep breath to fill her lungs with the pleasant smell.
This is so nice and warm.
Realizing that the child is still in a bad mood after some time, Mei sighs softly with her smile still present. She tries to see the little girl's face, but due to her position, this is impossible. She then tries to whisper sweet words to get her attention, which little by little seems to alleviate her little tantrum. A sudden idea passes through her mind, and despite the unexpectedness of it, she decides to try it.
“Now, now, mommy is sorry, baby…can you forgive me?” the little girl complains weakly and finally backs away a little.
To Mei's surprise, the strange fog that covered part of her face finally fades in front of her perplexed eyes, revealing a pair of adorable watery eyes and a small pout. Her heart skips a beat and her body freezes, without realizing her own actions, she raises her hands to cradle the small face, stroking the chubby cheeks with fascination as she engraves each small feature in her memory.
There is a clear similarity with a certain someone that only makes her heart ache.
"Mommy?"
A quiet gasp leaves her lips as she is brought out of her trance by the childish voice, she blinks dazedly, focusing on the pair of big eyes staring at her curiously.
Mei tries to speak, but her words get stuck in her throat, so she just shakes her head gently and smiles in an attempt to reassure her. The little girl blinks and tilts her head, her blue eyes seem to examine the depths of her soul, which eventually makes her a little uneasy.
“No... it’s nothing, honey, do you feel better now?” She can finally find her voice and speaks softly, barely noticing some faint stains of dirt on the little girl's face.
Remembering the package of wet wipes in her bag, she turns to look for it and take out a couple of wipes to clean the girl's face. She laughs at the gesture, smiling brightly while Mei makes sure to leave her face flawless. Seeing the girl's happy smile also makes her feel inexplicable happiness.
As is usual with an innocent child, any negative emotion fades as quickly as it appears, the girl is once again happy, swinging her feet as a visual display of her good mood. At this point, Mei feels comfortable enough with the little girl to start a trivial conversation, getting responses typical of a little child, but they are still entertaining.
As the conversation unfolds, the little girl settles in to snuggle against her, holding on to her clothes with a weak grip. Mei sees this tenderly, raising a hand to comb her hair carefully, it is difficult for her to explain it, but this girl gives her a feeling of immense calm just by being able to hold her, it’s like she has known her since forever.
“I'm hungry…” suddenly the girl announces in a saddened voice, straighten up in her place to look at her with pleading eyes.
Mei softens her smile and stroke one of her cheeks affectionately. Her gaze scans the surroundings quickly, but she doesn't see anything that could serve as an appetizer for the little girl, then she remembers the tupperware with fruit that she saw in her bag earlier and immediately directs her attention to look for it.
When she opens one that contains red berries in front of the little girl, her eyes light up with joy and she almost immediately begins to eat them eagerly. The way she devours the berries is as if she hasn't had a decent meal in a long time, and she's also a bit of a messy eater, Mei's gaze softens fondly, remembering someone in particular with a similar enthusiasm towards food.
Her smile slowly fades as the realization that this is just a dream hits her again, her gaze sweeps her surroundings, nothing she sees is real, but she feels like it is. The light weight and warmth on her lap, as well as the innocent smile and adorable eyes full of life, are just a figment of her imagination.
What a cruel illusion.
While she is deep in thought, she feels something suddenly touch her lips, which makes her blink and snap out of her trance, only to notice the little girl's smiling face as she insistently tries to make her eat a raspberry.
“Eat too, mommy, they are yummy”
Such an innocent gesture makes her smile again. If this is just a dream, at least she would enjoy the short moment while she could.
She chuckles and accepts the berry, receiving a happy giggle from the little girl before she continues with the task of devouring the rest, occasionally giving one to her to eat. Time seems to freeze for Mei as she lets herself be completely carried away by the sweet illusion.
After a long time and, after properly cleaning the girl's hands and face, the child announces her desire to return home, so Mei prepares to put everything in her bag and then get up from the seat. However, before start walking, she feels a gentle tug on her long skirt, she lowers her gaze just to meet with the adorable sight of the little girl clinging to it while she skips in place.
“Mommy, up, up!”
Mei chuckles before leaning down to pick her up in her arms.
“Alright, alright” the girl lets out a happy giggle and hugs her neck, resting her head on her shoulder.
Mei places a hand on her back and pats it gently before starting to walk down the only path she sees. She can hear her little girl humming a childish tune as she keeps the tight hug around her neck; Since the path continues straight for a few meters, Mei allows herself to close her eyes to be enveloped in the tranquility of the moment, but soon the childish humming stops just as the warm weight in her arms disappears from one second to the next.
A sudden wave of fear runs through her when she realizes this, she opens her eyes immediately and looks down at her arms, finding nothing in them. Her breath catches in her throat and she begins to desperately search for her child, but what ends up leaving her stunned is not finding the colorful landscape of the playground, but an extensive darkness surrounding her.
The fear in her chest settles more deeply, turning into an immense terror that spreads through her body like cold ice. She steps back unconsciously, keeping her search for some kind of way out of that terrifying place. Suddenly her back collides with something solid, making her gasp in surprise and immediately turn around to see what it is.
In a matter of the blink of an eye, the image of a metal fence is in front of her, and the distant sound of a thunderstorm reaches her ears, little by little, the faint sound of falling raindrops invades the surroundings and she can even feel a few cold drops fall on her shoulders. Feeling her breathing quicken, she looks down at her hands again, spotting the distinctive black gloves of her Herrscher of thunder battle suit.
…Please, no.
“Mei-senpai… Why do you look like this?” She unconsciously clenches her jaw tightly as she hears that voice behind her, she freezes in place, refusing to turn around.
"Why…?"
Again, that voice calls behind her, demanding a response in a trembling tone. Mei brings her hands to her head, holding it as the frantic beating of her heart drills into her eardrums.
No…
“…Is this a stupid joke? I’m definitely not going to agree!” The voice now reflects a hint of anger and pain that only squeezes her heart painfully.
No.
“I'm not going to let you join World Serpent!” she can hear her footsteps approaching quickly, which forces her to turn around only to avoid a swift fist by a few centimeters.
No, no, no. ¡No!
She takes a few steps back to put distance between herself and the enraged vision of Kiana, or rather the young version of her. She can distinguish the deep pain and anger reflected in her blue orbs, which give her a sensation similar to being stabbed with spikes of ice directly into her chest.
“Mei-senpai…Why? You know what they have done…”
“K-Kiana…”
"You’re an idiot! I’m not letting you leave!”
Kiana prepares to launch a punch again, marching towards her with great speed. Mei can only watch her approach petrified, at the last second, she simply closes her eyes tightly, preferring to receive the punch rather than relive this nightmare again.
If this really is a dream, why hasn't she woken up yet?!
How can you escape something that is not even real?
A gasp chokes in her throat when she feels a sudden jolt shake her body and her eyes snap open. There's no longer a metal fence or cold concrete floor beneath her, much less a storm or an angry Kiana fighting to keep her from leaving, there's just the white roof of her house.
She quickly places a hand on her chest, feeling the frenetic beating of her heart and noticing her erratic breathing, she blinks repeatedly, feeling a drop of sweat roll down her temple and her whole body shivering slightly. She raises her trembling hands in front of her eyes, there are no gloves on these either, just her bare hands, with a ring around one of her fingers.
A shaky sigh of relief leaves her lips as she drops her hands on top of her and returns her gaze to the ceiling of the room.
“Oh, you woke up…” a soft voice echoes in the place, she directs her gaze towards the source of it, meeting the smiling face of her partner “Did you sleep well? You were sleeping like a rock! you didn't even wake up when I moved you to lie you down on the couch."
At Kiana's cheerful comment, Mei barely notices that she is in a different position than the one she fell asleep in, now she is lying along the sofa, with a pillow under her head and a light blanket covering her. Kiana is sitting almost at the other end of the couch, letting her legs rest across her lap.
The lack of response causes Kiana's smile to fade, being replaced by an expression of uncertainty.
"What's going on? You look a little pale” Kiana leans over to put something on the coffee table and pause the TV, meanwhile, Mei pushes herself with her arms to sit on the couch slowly, still clearly shaken.
Her eyes land on Kiana briefly, she has the exact same clothes she had on her before she fell asleep; She continues her inspection by glancing at the television, where she sees the image of one of the protagonists from the previous film, in a scene completely out of context. Finally, her gaze descends to the coffee table, where she notices a Tupperware with some remaining red berries.
“Ah, I was eating them while watching the movie, there is still some, want some?” Kiana is quick to explain, bending down to pick up the Tupperware and bring it closer to her.
Mei stares at the berries and a sudden current of emotions erupts within her, the images she experienced just a few moments ago swirl into a huge mess in her mind, overwhelming her in a matter of seconds. Her throat closes with a painful lump, making her swallow hard as her vision quickly blurs.
An abrupt sob shakes her body, and this is only the beginning of a series of low whimpers that are accompanied by bitter tears. Kiana's smiling expression immediately fades, being replaced by a horrified expression.
“W-W-What?! W-Why? …Mei?! W-What's-?” Mei tries to explain herself, but her uncontrollable sobs only allow herself to babble incoherently, which ends up confusing Kiana more.
“…Y-You don’t want b-berries? T-That's good! No problem…” Kiana softens her tone, leaving the tupperware to one side to focus her attention squarely on her, still trying to calm her down a bit.
This only makes Mei turn into a bigger mess with her words, eventually giving up and just sobbing uncontrollably, hunching over in place and covering her face with her hands. She tries to stop her involuntary sobs when she feels Kiana pull her into a tight hug, failing again to do so, she decides to accept the gesture and hug her back, clinging to her as if she were a lifeline.
It was just a dream, wasn’t it? And yet, it still hurts like the first time.
________
“Are you sure it can be noticed?”
“Hmm…if you look at it up close, maybe a little, but it's not that bad! You can say that you have had problems sleeping…”
After the 'event' that Mei experienced while they were resting at their home, she continued crying long after calm down her sobs, which had caused her eyes to swell slightly from the effort. It's not that noticeable, but Mei seems to have a complex that their friends could see her like that.
They had spent the last ten minutes inside the car, parked outside Rita's café where the meeting would be held. She had received instructions to bring Mei early, since they had planned to celebrate a surprise party for her birthday, although Kiana did not understand much about the 'surprise' since the idea of the meeting was to celebrate her birthday.
Anyway, details.
After glancing at the entrance of the cafe, she returns her gaze to Mei, who at some point started to give herself a few small touch-ups with makeup using the rearview mirror. A small smile plays on her lips, and her gaze softens.
“You look beautiful as always, you don't need to worry so much” she whispers as she brushes a strand of hair behind her ear, Mei turns to glance at her, looking a little reluctant for a few seconds before sighing softly.
“I don’t want to draw too much attention, that's all”
“But you're the birthday girl, today is your day.” Kiana scoops closer to give her a gentle push with her shoulder, which makes Mei smile weakly.
“See? A small smile is all it takes for you to look stunning as always” she says with a joyful voice, resting her cheek on Mei’s shoulder and nuzzling it briefly.
Mei's smile widens and she leans against her too, looking calmer, just what Kiana wanted to see.
“Come on, the others are waiting for us… Ready to tell them our little secret too?” Kiana finishes her question by reaching out to Mei's still flat belly and giving it a couple of gentle pats.
Mei chuckles and places a hand on top of her hand, softening her gaze in the process. “Alright… let's go.”
Kiana smiles victoriously and after getting out of the car and making sure to lock it properly, they both head towards the entrance of the cafe. Kiana intentionally speeds up her pace so she can open the door and block some of Mei's vision before she fully enters the establishment.
Mei raises an eyebrow as an amused smile appears on her lips at this behavior, but soon a unison shout of 'happy birthday' from all their friends makes her flinch and step back. Mei watches the scene stunned before bursting out laughing as the others begin to blow some party trumpets and shout cheerfully in the midst of the lively celebration.
The festive atmosphere comes quickly and hours pass without realizing, between lively conversations and delicious desserts shared together. On more than one occasion, Kiana checks Mei's whereabouts, seeing to her relief that she is smiling happily and chatting with their friends. The worry she had a while ago has probably gone to the depths of her mind to these moments.
It makes her happy to see her so happy, and in turn it gives her the peace of mind to fully enjoy the celebration, joining a card game proposed by her father and which has attracted the attention of many participants.
Everything goes smoothly, until a peculiar smell reaches her nose, making her grimace slightly; Rita suddenly approaches their table with a tray full of snacks, which are new recipes that she is developing. What better time to try them than with a large group of nearby guests?
All this is not something that causes problems with her, but the smell…
She's not sure if it's the cheese in some of the snacks or the garlic sauce that comes with them, but it's inexplicably repulsive to smell, so much so that an unpleasant feeling of nausea rises up her throat in a matter of seconds.
This is something that has been bothering her for almost a week.
At random moments, foods she's never had any sort of conflict or rejection with suddenly become impossible to stomach, even if it's just the smell of them. First it had been her dear Mei's special sweet pepper curry, then her favorite brand of creamy onion-flavored potato chips, and now it seems that cheese and garlic are joining this growing list.
At this rate I'm going to run out of foods to eat...
Trying to be the most discreet possible as not to hurt her sister-in-law's feelings or culinary pride, she turns her head to the side and pretends to be entertained by a random decoration, internally fighting to keep the nausea at bay. Her plan seems to be a success, until the moment she turns to look at the tray of snacks and the sight of the garlic sauce along with the strong smell reaching her nostrils is too much to bear.
It takes all of her self-control just to stop the gross reflux rising up her throat, she swallows hard and quickly excuses herself to rush to the bathroom. Fortunately for her, no one seems to be there by the time she arrives and simply empties her stomach into the nearest toilet.
She really hates this. Specially, the bitter taste and painful burning residue left in her throat. Once she finishes her business, she makes sure to look presentable enough before returning to the main hall, and she seems to arrive just in time to sing the happy birthday song, as everyone is starting to gather around Mei while Fu Hua approaches a cake with candles towards her.
“Ah, there you are… Where have you been? It's almost cake time” a carefree voice echoes next to her, taking her by surprise. The Herrscher of Sentience rests an arm on her shoulder, while she quickly examines her with her gaze.
“Yo, what's with you? You look like an old possum about to take its last breath” Kiana sighs and deadpans at her, but this only elicits a sly smirk from the Herrscher.
"What is it? Is the possum in a bad mood?” The Herrscher wraps her arm around her neck, making a sort of lock as she squeezes with some force, Kiana groans lowly and glares at her, which only makes the Herrscher's smile widen, obviously amused by her bad mood.
"Shut it… would you?"
“Senti! Kiana! It’s time to sing the song, you’re not coming?” Fortunately, Hua appears to call them, immediately the Herrscher's grip around her neck loosens and she begins to walk towards her.
“What have I tell you about calling me that, Old Timer…” the Herrscher grumbles as she walks past Hua, who just smiles placidly.
“Yes, yes, I'm sorry…” Hua looks at her once the Herrscher has joined the rest of the group.
“Kiana, are you coming?” Barely now, Kiana realizes she hasn't moved an inch.
“Y-Yes, I'm coming!”
She returns along with Hua to the others, who have already formed a circle around Mei. Aunty Theresa approaches to light the candles on the cake and she almost immediately begins to clap slowly, starting the well-known song along with everyone. Kiana joins in shortly after, clapping to the rhythm while a wide smile spreads across her lips.
Mei leans over to blow out the candles near the end of the song, and once the small flames die down everyone cheers with joyful shouts. Kiana is once again influenced by the festive atmosphere, forgetting the event from a few minutes ago with the snacks, Mei's happy expression is adorable to see.
After a few minutes, the attention of the celebration focuses on the opening of the gifts. Kiana is happy to have been able to eat a slice of cake despite still having a slight feeling of nausea; After she got distracted by some conversations and had something to drink, she discreetly sat next to Mei and leans over to whisper something in her ear.
“Mei, when do you think is a good time to tell them?” Mei looks at her with some confusion, but soon her expression brightens dimly.
“Ah, I had forgotten…” she admits with some embarrassment, returning her gaze to their friends, who are busy minding their own business in the pleasant atmosphere.
“Do you want me to say it or do you prefer to say it?” Mei hums thoughtfully at her question, remaining silent for a moment.
"Maybe-"
“Hey, everyone! How about we make a little toast in honor of the birthday girl? I brought an excellent export liquor that I’ve been saving for a special moment like this." Her father's sudden call for attention drowns out Mei's response, in turn, making her direct her gaze toward the cheerful man.
Kiana frowns unconsciously, looking at her father with some disapproval.
Some of their friends are carried away by Siegfried's enthusiasm, while others simply smile in resignation. Even so, they soon began to approach the center of the place, while Siegfried is looking in the small cafe bar for some small glass glasses to carry out the toast, Bianka comes to help him in his task, distributing some glasses.
“I say that since we are celebrating a birthday, the birthday girl should be the first to have a drink, do we agree in that?”
Kiana widens her eyes after hearing her father's words, noticing to her horror that he is already in front of them while he pours some of the bottle’s content into a glass to later extend the glass of strong liquor towards Mei, smiling widely.
Mei looks down at the glass of liquor, smiling awkwardly while Siegfried keeps encouraging her to drink it. In one quick movement, Kiana takes the glass of liquor from her father's hand, earning a confused look from him, as well as a few curious glances from the others.
“Don’t give Mei liquor, dad! She can’t drink it!” Siegfried raises an eyebrow, looking genuinely confused.
“Huh, why? Does she have stomach ache or something?” By this point, everyone's eyes are already on the scene, which makes her feel self-aware.
Kiana directs her gaze towards Mei, receiving a small smile and a slight nod from her. Having more confidence, Kiana looks back at her father, appearing as serious as she can.
“It's not that, but it would hurt the baby.”
A dead silence falls over the entire place, absolutely everyone stares wide-eyed at them, frozen in place. Kiana can't help but chuckle nervously, returning her gaze to Mei briefly.
“…Just to clarify…” Seele suddenly breaks the silence, looking at them with some skepticism and confusion “…Was that a joke or…?” The ‘gentler’ Seele quickly whispers something to her that Kiana cannot hear clearly, while Bronya continues with her shocked face next to both of them.
The latter makes Kiana have to hold back her laughter.
“It’s not a joke…” Kiana reaffirms in an amused voice “We're expecting a baby!”
“We wanted to wait a little before announcing it openly, but we think it's time to say it, I'm six weeks now” Mei joins the explanation, smiling happily.
Once again, silence settles in the place, but this time their friends faces begin to slowly light up, from one second to the next everyone begins to cheer with euphoria, quickly closing the distance to bombard them with questions and genuine congratulations. Everything at first is a bit overwhelming, but eventually the happiness of their friends becomes contagious.
The matter of the toast is overshadowed by the big news, although his father is not discouraged by this in the least. He receives the news of becoming a ‘grandpa’ with even more enthusiasm than Kiana initially thought possible, for some reason, this brings immense relief to her.
“Kiana!” The plaintive voice of her Aunty Theresa suddenly catches her attention, noticing her glare while she crosses her arms and a slight pout form in her lips “Seriously…I can't believe you keep such important news from us, you're mean.” Her reprimand just makes her chuckle.
“But Aunt Teri, you were the first to find out about our secret, you helped us contact the genetic specialists, remember?” The short woman's annoyed expression fades, replaced by one of slight surprise.
“…Oh, right…” is all she mutters before scratching her head as she laughs shyly and looks away with a slight blush “I forgot…”
"Wait a second! Theresa! You knew about this and you never mentioned anything about it?! You traitor!” Suddenly, her father joins the conversation, and a small argument takes place between them.
“Shut up, you lazy bone! Why would I be telling to everyone something that was obviously a secret?!”
Kiana watches the scene with a small smile and slowly walks away to let them resolve their issues among themselves. Her attention returns to Mei, who is still being surrounded by several of their friends as they animatedly ask details about her pregnancy. As she approaches the group, she can make out part of the conversation that is taking place.
“Fertilization in vitro? And, furthermore, genetic engineering… Fascinating” she hears Rita murmur as she holds her chin, looking extremely focused as she gets lost in her thoughts.
“But is that a viable method? I don't think I've heard of anything related before…” This time Hua intercedes, asking Mei cautiously.
“Actually, it’s a somewhat recent project, if you can call it that. You could say that we are the pilot plan, but I don't really like to think about it in that way…”
Ah, they're talking about the treatment.
Mei doesn't really like to mention the uncertainty that this whole thing generates, despite Schicksal's extensive history of genetic experimentation over the centuries, when they finally had the genetic specialists in front of them, they mentioned something about to 'no prior records' regarding the creation of embryos using same-sex reproductive cells.
Yes, there have been clones of all kinds, she herself is proof of this, but many of these attempts to create new 'humans' were with the mere purpose of creating Honkai-resistant soldiers, not just creating an ordinary baby using the genetic material of two women.
So, it is not bold to say that their baby is something like a 'first experiment', but taking that into account is not to her liking either.
The bitter memories make her make an uncomfortable grimace, so she shakes her head, trying to put them aside and focus on the present. They will have a healthy baby, that's all that should matter.
A hand rests cautiously on her shoulder, making her snap out of her thoughts in an instant, she turns her head just to find Bronya, who by this point has already come out of her state of shock.
“Bronya” Kiana greets her with a friendly smile, earning a nod from her friend.
“I talked to Mei a moment ago, but I guess I should tell you too.” Bronya gently pats her back, smiling at her with a gentleness that was strange to see in her. “Congratulations, Kiana.”
Her eyebrows raise slowly, her words took her by complete surprise, but soon a wave of happiness and joy wash over her.
“Bronya…” she murmurs weakly, touched by the sincerity.
Bronya blinks and looks away, and Kiana could even swear there's a faint extra blush on her cheeks.
“I-I also wish you good luck and that everything turns out well… I guess” Bronya stutters a little while she scratches her cheek with her index finger, at this Kiana can't resist anymore and launch to hugs her tightly.
“Aww Bronyaaa!” she whines, ignoring Bronya's complains of her using too much force.
Giving the pregnancy news was apparently a great success, but this is only the beginning of a long road.