Work Text:
Althea stood with both hands on the kitchen counter, eyeing the few dirty dishes in the sink that she'd meant to do once she got home from her doctor's appointment, but now couldn't seem to get herself to.
They had just recently gotten home from their trip to Disney World that Mark so generously surprised her with. When she spent their last few days vomiting in the hotel room bathroom, they agreed that seeing a doctor once they landed was the best call. Now she was twenty two, living in her boyfriend's single bedroom apartment while working part-time at a grocery store to pay off her student loans, and expecting a baby.
Althea's heart dropped at the tell-tale sound of keys turning at the front door, a sound she'd been dreading for the past three hours. She had turned her cellphone off soon after coming home, knowing he would call to check in on her. She couldn't bare the thought of ignoring his phone call, much like she couldn't bare the fact that she was about to tell him he was going to be a father.
Mark stepped in, catching a glimpse of her standing in their small kitchen area as he shut the door behind him. "Hey, babe."
Althea forced a smile, her body now turned slightly towards him and a hand resting on her hip, her "hi" barely came out as a whisper. "How was work today?" She tried to sound casual, but her heart was beating a million miles per second. It couldn't wait any longer, she had to tell him now.
"Work is work," he shrugged, sliding off his shoes and nonchalantly heading towards her. "Your phone off?" He places his lunch bag on the counter. "None of my calls went through. How'd it go at the doctor?"
"I'm pregnant."
Silence.
His eyes finally met hers, and she stared back at him, her chest heaving slightly from the adrenaline of having blurted out the news. She swallows past the lump in her throat as she tries to read his expression.
"Oh," the blank look on his face turns into a light smile, but his eyes showed no emotion. "That's good."
That's good.
Althea inhales, her chin raising slightly as if she were to nod. Instead, she bites her lips inward and speed walks away. A mere sound comes out of Mark's mouth before she yells.
"That's good?!"
He winces as the bedroom door slams shut.
Althea sits on the left side, her side, of their shared bed. She takes a deep breath and covers her mouth as she bursts into tears.
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About twenty minutes had passed since Althea retreated herself to their bedroom. Mark knew enough to give her that space.
Upon arriving from their trip, neither one of them thought her nausea was caused by a pregnancy. Food poisoning, maybe. But not a baby. Mark didn't know what to do with himself, so he remained in the kitchen, back against the counter and glass of tap water in hand. He deadpanned at the clear contents as he swirled them around thoughtlessly. He had gotten her pregnant. He had gotten her pregnant and she clearly wasn't happy about it. Mark sighed, tilting his head back as he finished his glass and placed the empty cup in the sink - he'd have to remember to do the dishes later. He checks his watch and pushes himself off the counter with his foot, approaching the bedroom door and holding his breath as he places his hand on the doorknob.
Mark slowly opens the door and finds her curled up, back facing him. She doesn't move, but her soft sniffles indicate that she hadn't fallen asleep. He padded silently across the room, cautiously sitting down by her feet. Althea continues staring at the wall, her eyes puffy and red.
"I'm sorry," his voice was low and careful, an apology seeming to be the only words he could muster.
"No," she sniffles again as she sits up. "I shouldn't have reacted like that." There was a beat of silence. "Honestly, I wasn't even sure what to expect."
"I'm terrified."
Althea's head turned up at the sudden confession, but Mark looked straight ahead.
"Well, you're doing a horrible job at showing it," she stated. Mark could hear the hint of amusement in her voice.
"Me?" He chuckled, raising his eyebrows. "I have no idea what you're feeling."
Althea puts a gentle hand on her stomach. "I'm scared too," she admits. Mark's mouth open and closes as he tries to find the right words to say. Althea looks at him with a gentle concern.
"You're not..." His voice trails off. She knows well what he's implying and shakes her head.
"No, I'm happy, just..." She struggles to make eye contact, scanning the bedsheets visible from the gap between them. "It's a lot." Mark nods understandingly, and they both look away again. Becoming parents was something they'd both admitted to wanting when they first started seeing each other, but right now it felt too surreal.
"We're having a baby."
"We are."
"We're not married."
"We aren't."
Althea groans, resting her head on his shoulder. "My mom is gonna kill me."
Mark exhales quickly from his nose, his lips twitching at the thought. That would be a hurdle for another day. "Well," he adds, breaking the silence once again. "We have a year."
"Nine months."
"Ah."
Althea smiles and closes her eyes as Mark chuckles awkwardly, scratching his eyebrow with his thumb. "I've got work to do," he said.
"We."
"We've got work to do." He holds out his hand and she takes it, their fingers intertwining.
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Hiro Angelo Nishigori was welcomed the following summer.