Chapter Text
It all began in a tiny library on the campus of a small city college, two days before classes were set to start. Two hands reached for the same book, the last one remaining on the shelf.
They both paused.
One belonged to a dark grey hedgehog with brilliant green eyes, a sweater tied around his waist and short quills in an almost bob-like style, with two slicked back from his forehead. He had a timid disposition, the kind of person that could walk right by and you’d be none the wiser.
The other, another hedgehog with shimmery grey fur, long white quills and hair tied back in a messy ponytail, and enormous golden eyes. She was taller than the other, dressed in black jogging attire with yellow stripes, and seeming almost out of breath.
They shared a long look, before the boy snapped out of it.
“Um…” He shifted uncomfortably, retracting his hand. “You can have it.”
“Oh. Thanks.” She nodded, reaching up to snatch the textbook off the shelf without a second thought. “I was so worried they wouldn’t have any copies left by the time I got here. You’re a lifesaver.”
Then, without so much as a glance back, she turned on her heel and walked back to the automated check out desk, grinning to herself. She had sharp teeth, he could see from there.
He simply sighed and drooped. He was going to have to go to the nearest book store and hope they had a second hand copy. He could NOT afford to buy it full price. He had been betting on the Library having it.
But clearly that didn’t pan out, and just because a pretty girl happened to reach for the book at the same time as he did.
They hadn’t even exchanged names.
__ __ __ __ __
He perked up as someone plopped their belongings down in the chair next to him. He had arrived a whole ten minutes early to the class, but the Professor, a kind looking lizard, had let him in early.
He glanced up, only to gape in surprise at a familiar grin and golden eyes.
“Heya. Mind if I sit here?”
She had the whole lecture hall to sit in, and she chose to sit right next to him. He nodded, and she slid into the chair next to him casually. Today she wore a casual sweater vest and skirt, with a brown color scheme, and the same pair of glasses. Though, her quills were down now, and seemed to split off in two directions at the end.
He still had the same hoodie wrapped around his waist.
“Sorry for not introducing myself earlier. I’m Agate, Agate the Hedgehog.” The white hedgehog offered a hand out to shake.
He took it. “It’s alright. I’m Palm.”
Agate smiled. “Who would have thought we’d be in the same class. What a coincidence, huh?”
“Yeah. It’s nice to see you again though.” He nodded. Normally, he wasn’t one for small talk. But this other hedgehog radiated a sense of warmth. She was easy to talk to.
“Yeah! Thanks a ton by the way, again. I managed to pay rent thanks to you.” She laughed. Her laughter was bright and warm, just like her. Palm couldn’t help but join in.
He… couldn’t afford rent, thanks to her and having to buy the book brand new, but he couldn’t find it in him to be mad. His roommate spotted him. And besides, he had made someone else’s life easier, and what more could he want?
Soon enough, other students began filtering into the lecture hall, and much too soon, class began. The entire time, he kept sparing looks at the bubbly hedgehog next to him, leaning into the desk and listening with perked ears and an attentive stare.
She didn’t take a single note.
By the time the hour and a half was up, they had gone over the syllabus, the materials, and the very basics of philosophy. In the end, as he began to pack up, she turned to him casually with an innocent look.
“Hey, would you mind sending me those later?”
“Come again?” He tilted his head at her, ear flicking.
“Forgot my notebook. But I don’t want to fall behind, y’know? Here,” She snatched his pencil off the table and scribbled down some numbers. “That’s my number. Just message whenever, I’ll know it’s you.”
Palm just nodded. She grinned again, flashing him a thumbs up, before gathering her own bag from below her chair and waltzing away, seeming almost pleased with herself.
He watched her leave stock still, mesmerized by how gracefully she seemed to move. Like a flower, almost. In the wind.
He made a note to himself to go home and paint a flower, while she high fived the friend waiting outside of the lecture hall when he looked away.
__ __ __ __ __
Palm messaged her later that evening, sending her the notes. He had finished a painting, a pretty white flower in a pot by the window, but decided not to send it to her. She was a stranger, and maybe she would feel weird about being a muse.
She thanked him a lot for the notes, and was added into a group text moments later, much to his alarm. Despite this, everyone in there was friendly. Agate introduced him as “the quiet guy I talked about earlier”, and it turned out to be a study group. They planned on meeting Wednesdays at 5 PM, and Agate had intended on inviting him, but jumped the gun.
The forwardness and lack of forethought made him chuckle, and he agreed to at least give it a try. Never a bad idea to get some extra studying in.
(Oh, and snacks were being provided. That certainly was also an incentive too.)
Their other classes began like normal, but the pair’s thoughts always seemed to fall back to each other. For Agate, the gangly, goofy hedgehog with the hoodie who seemed too nice for his own good. For Palm, the graceful and in-your-face girl who he let take the last book.
__ __ __ __ __
“Wait, you’re studying meteorology?” Palm gaped, staring at Agate from across the table. The study group met in the Student Union building, on the second floor in a meeting room. Five other mobians had made the trek to study, aside from the two hedgehogs.
Agate laughed brightly. “Yep! It’s a ton of fun. Lots of math and programming and stuff. What about you?”
Palm chewed on the eraser of his pencil. Truth be told, he didn’t quite have a real plan. She, on the other hand, had a completely sorted out straightforward goal. Survive long enough to get a bachelor's degree, get a job in a local news station, get a masters degree, get a better paying job.
Okay, maybe she didn’t have the WHOLE thing worked out, but she said she would figure it out.
“I’m playing it by ear.” He decided to go with, shrugging. He wasn’t sure why he was so surprised by Agate’s apparent love of math, but he was.
“Fair, fair.” She giggled. The other group members were staring at her, unimpressed, and she seemed to notice after a few seconds. She lowered her voice to a whisper, sheepishly. “Sorry.”
Palm smiled reassuringly at the loud hedgehog, and she returned it.
They continued to work quietly, until one of the other members of the group, a lynx, lifted her head and asked a question. “So, what do you all think of these ‘Ascendancy’ people?”
“Come again?” Palm asked, perking up.
“Y’know, the weird little cult thing that’s starting to pop up. I saw them outside the campus handing out pamphlets. Saying something about the ‘second coming of Sonic’.” The lynx mocked, resting her head on the table. “Some idiots were actually taking that stuff.”
“I don’t know how anyone could fall for that kind of thing.” Agate’s muzzle scrunched up, seemingly a little disgusted. “That’s ridiculous.”
“I know, right.” The lynx agreed.
“That certainly sounds like a cult. What would a reincarnation of Sonic the Hedgehog even look like?” Palm hummed.
Agate shrugged. “Who knows. They’re weird, but kind of entertaining. Never heard of ‘em. Anyway, what’s the answer to number five on the supercell paper?”
__ __ __ __ __
Months went by after that.
To Palm, they almost felt like a dream. His classes were easy and the workload light, so he had plenty of time to do other things and properly develop a social life.
Agate’s friends were delightful, and he found himself getting along with them and hanging out with them frequently. But moreso, he found Agate quickly becoming his very best friend. He spent time with her most frequently. Going out for coffee after class, fishing on the weekends in the river, going on late night adventures with the other’s roommates.
She was such an angel.
He had realized he had fallen completely head over heels for her as they walked back to the dormitories as snow began to drift down from the sky and landed on her nose. She smiled, holding a hand out to catch it as it landed in her quills.
It kept him up all night. How much he wanted to tell her just how much she meant to him. But he didn’t at the time, and he didn’t for about a week.
Finals rolled around, and so came their final class together, for all they knew.
He planned it so carefully, sneaking flowers into his bag and waiting outside of the lecture hall for her to finish her exam, nervously chewing on his thumb as the time ticked by. He had finished quite early, having studied practically the whole night.
Maybe it was the sleep deprivation that was giving him the confidence…?
Anyway, after a few close calls, she did step out, looking relieved and twirling a pencil. Much to his later embarrassment, immediately dropped to his knees with the flowers and stumbled through a clumsy confession of love and asked her to go on a date.
Agate stared down at him for a long, long minute, seeming puzzled.
He braced for rejection.
“Aren’t we already dating?”
Pause.
“What?” Palm choked out feebly, finally meeting her eyes.
“...The coffee dates? We hold hands? I thought you were just shy, I-?” Agate sputtered. “I literally text you good morning and goodnight messages with a shitton of hearts? Do you think I do that for everyone?”
Palm got to his feet awkwardly, face a vibrant shade of red. After a beat of awkward silence, they both broke into giggles, then full on laughter.
“Oh my gods,” Palm wheezed, pushing the flowers into Agate’s hands as she cackled along with him. “We’re idiots.”
“We’re so stupid!” Agate agreed, taking the flowers and leaned against Palm for support, pressing her face into his sweater and gasping for air.
“I love you.” He sighed. He felt like he was practically floating, giggling as he reveled in the bubbly feeling.
“Likewise, dork.”
___
Their first real official date was just as much of a goofy disaster.
They had agreed to go to a particularly nice restaurant downtown, and both dressed in the best that a broke college student could afford (under their winter coats), and sheepishly exchanged a hug. Palm was shy about it, and Agate was nervous for some reason. Snow had fallen over the city at last.
They got seated and the night was smooth at first. Smalltalk, discussing grades, occasional compliments and giggles.
They had their meal, and then the check came around.
“Allow me.” Palm stated, leaving little room for debate as he reached for his wallet in his pocket.
“Nuh uh.” Agate countered, using that little room for debate to argue. “I’ve got it.”
“No,” Palm attempted to argue, and so began a back and forth that lasted about two minutes. It was entirely playful, but neither of them could agree on who would be paying. Agate swore she saved for this very occasion. Palm insisted that it was against tradition. Agate said she didn’t care.
In the end, they ended up paying for each other. Palm covered what his girlfriend (oh wow, he had a girlfriend) got, and Agate did the same for him.
Then, they went for a brief walk through the city, the streets lined with winter holiday lights and glistening snow. It was like a scene out of a movie.
…Until a group of teenagers misfired a snowball and it hit Agate square in the snout.
There was a comically long pause, the teenagers pausing their playing in the street to stare at the couple, terror in their eyes. Agate blinked a few times, shook off the snow, and suddenly gained this mischievous look.
She bent down and made a snowball of her own, and hurled it at the kid who hit her. They shrieked, and so began their petty snowball fight with a group of teenagers.
Agate turned and threw one at her boyfriend, and it devolved into chaos.
By the end, they were both sopping wet, freezing, and had the stupidest grins on their faces as they declared their team the winner, the teenagers looking exhausted but just as happy. Nothing wrong with a little goofing off, right?
Palm insisted on walking Agate back to her dorm afterwards, and shared the world’s most sheepish and clumsy kiss. He would never admit it, but it was the first time he had ever kissed a girl.
He liked it. He liked it quite a bit.
With a final squeeze of the hand, Agate went inside to warm up and dry off, and Palm made the short hike to his own to do the same.
Not a terrible date, all things considered.
He had a really good feeling about this.
__ __ __ __ __
Winter melted to spring, and spring bloomed to summer. Classes came, exams went, and graduations rolled around.
Agate sighed heavily, resting her head on her partner’s shoulder as they watched a group of new graduates wander by, still in their robes and celebrating their victory over their degrees. “That’ll be us next year.”
“Yeah.” Palm agreed, leaning his head against hers somewhat apathetically. It was hot, and she was warm, but he didn’t have it in him to tell her to get off, especially with just how adorably affectionate she was.
“I wonder what comes after,” Agate mumbled, letting her eyes drift shut against the harsh summer sun. The two had sought refuge under a tree on a bench in a park after Agate had wrapped up a sparring event she had signed up for.
She had cleaned absolute house. It was a no-holds-barred, chaos ability permitted competition, and she had come out on top with nothing ‘but’ a mild teleportation ability. Palm couldn’t help but wonder how he managed to wind up in a relationship with such a badass. He had noticed the circles on her hands when they first met, a blatant sign of chaos energy related abilities, but he hadn’t thought twice about it.
It was something he got really okay with very quickly. Sparring was a regulated sport, with judges and a medical team on hand in case things went south, but he couldn’t help but be concerned the first time he heard she was going up to bat with other people with combat oriented abilities and training.
…Only to promptly learn why their friends all told him to relax, and why she was the undefeated champion. She was clever, and her opponents underestimated her because of her lack of bulk.
And yet, every time, she’d dish out a can of whoop-ass and then have the gall to strike a dramatic pose to cement her victory before hopping out of the ring and taking a shot of vodka.
…Yeah, this woman was a badass, as far as Palm was concerned. He was so in love with her it made him look stupid.
Back to the bench though, he watched lazily as some weirdly dressed mobians stood across the clearing and attempted to hand out leaflets to others, mostly to be turned down. They dressed in all purple, and were rather… enthusiastic.
The duo watched them for a long moment, before Palm spoke up. “Who do you think they are?”
“Probably those Ascendancy freaks my roomie was telling me about.” Agate replied. “They’ve been getting really pushy lately. Insisting that ‘the second coming of Sonic the Hedgehog is nigh!’ or whatever. Buncha nutjobs if you ask me.”
One of the purple clad members, an axolotl, caught them staring and, unfortunately, marched across the field and right up to the pair.
“Good afternoon!” He chirped, casting the pair in a shadow. Agate raised her head, and they looked up at the cheery axolotl. “How are you two on this fine day?”
“Fine.” Palm replied, wearily, exchanging a look with his girlfriend.
“I have excellent news, if you’d care to listen.” The cheery axolotl reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the pamphlets. “A new saviour will be born any year now! Sonic the Hedgehog of the past will make his return! Please, take this.”
He offered a charming smile and the pamphlet to the pair. Wearily, Agate reached out and took it, looking it over.
It was a neatly designed brochure for the church, advertising a strong community and ‘the truth’.
“...Thanks.” Palm replied sheepishly. “I’m sorry, we have to go. Right now.”
Palm stood, and Agate very quickly followed, shoving the pamphlet in the pocket of her leggings as she took his hand and began to walk away from the axolotl, who’s charm really was becoming more and more unnerving as the seconds passed.
The duo left the park as quickly as they could make look natural, before they both visibly shuddered.
“What a weirdo.” Agate grumbled, taking the pamphlet out of her pocket and staring at it as if it were made of rot.
“What does it even say?” Palm asked, taking it from her hands and opening it up.
“Probably nothing true. ‘Second Coming of Sonic’, bleh. How would they know? And what good would even come from being part of their cult? What? Special protection? Y’know, I bet it was targeted. We’re hedgehogs, they seem-”
Agate continued to rant, while Palm’s muzzle scrunched up. “Excuse my language, but this seems like a bunch of hippy-dippy bullshit.”
“It’s complete fucking bullshit. Glad we’re not stupid enough to fall for that.” She rolled her eyes. “I do feel bad for the people they’ve already brainwashed. Blegh. I need a shower after just talking to that guy.”
“Tell me about it.” Palm agreed.
He tossed the pamphlet in the garbage bin as they passed, piled up along with countless others, and let the subject drop.
__ __ __ __ __
“Agate, what the hell. ”
Agate flashed him a peace sign from the hospital bed, where her leg was bandaged and propped up. “Hey handsome.”
Palm had passed up on going to an out of city sparring competition several hours away to get a project done in his dorm room, only to receive a call from a hospital near the event requesting he come and pick her up.
Naturally, he hopped on the first train, trying desperately to text her and ask what happened.
He practically sprinted to her door in the emergency ward, where he found her playing a holograph chess game with one of the nurses.
“What happened? Why weren’t you answering your communicator, I almost-” Palm sputtered, stumbling into the room as she waved the hologram away and sat up properly.
“Chill, babe, I’m fine.” She reassured, grinning up at him as he approached her bedside. “My devices are all still at the event. I’ll need you to grab my stuff, I get the feeling I’m down and out for the count for this contest.”
“But what happened ?” He begged, the nurse vacating the stool by her bed and allowing him to sit next to her.
“Broke my ankle. Thought that part was obvious.” She replied cheekily. “Won the round, but had to hobble off the stage like an old lady. They made me forfeit the rest of my matches and go come here for an x-ray and stuff.”
Palm couldn’t help but smile, shaking his head. Of course she won.
“They messed with the wrong hedgehog.” Agate grinned. “Aaaand now I’m on leave until I can walk again. Boo.”
“Maybe a break isn’t such a bad thing?” Palm suggested, smug grin on his face while his girlfriend groaned a laugh. Couldn’t pass up on such an easy pun.
“No, breaks are bad. That’s why I’m in the hospital.” She argued.
Palm went to the event venue to pick up her belongings, and when he got back to the hospital, she was armed with a pair of crutches with explicit instructions to stay off the leg and for her partner to escort her home.
They caught the final train to Park City that evening, and Agate invited him over to her dorm for the evening to watch movies and record her roommate's reaction to her new injury.
He insisted on carrying her up the stairs to the room, as the elevator was notorious for trapping students inside of it and the fire department needing to come and break them out. Agate tried to argue, but she scooped her up like she weighed nothing and carried her up all three flights of stairs, tired arms be damned.
Her roommates sighed really heavily, and paid up rings to one of the girls, who was unbearably smug about having apparently won a bet.
While they got cozy and snuggled up on the couch, the other roommates arguing over which movie they’d be watching, Palm couldn’t help but purr as he leaned into her. She leaned right back, grabbing his face and planting a big ol kiss on the side of his head.
__ __ __ __ __
“Ah! This is the young man she speaks of.” Agate’s father all but shouted in the thickest Holoskan accent Palm had ever heard in his life.
He turned around and away from his friends, only to find himself immediately put in a headlock while a stranger noogied him, much to his confusion.
“Papa!” Agate scolded from out of view, pulling her father away from him while he stumbled back and readjusted his cap.
It was the fabled graduation day. They had been dating for well over two years at that point, Palm had still yet to meet her parents. Spoken to them on the phone? Yes. But never met them. Mostly, because they lived in the furthest northern reaches of Holoska, which was pretty significantly far from Park City.
But, they had flown down for the celebration. After all, it wasn’t every day your baby girl graduated college!
Palm’s parents were long gone, so the idea was foreign to him, which is why it startled him so badly when suddenly his girlfriend’s parents stood in front of him, dressed to the nines with their thick accents and exuberant friendly gestures. They swapped between their native language and English, fawning over just how ‘simpatichny’ he was and how excited they were to finally meet him.
Agate found his deer-in-the-headlights stare to be the funniest thing on planet earth, apparently, even while she tried to scold them in their first language for startling him so badly.
Palm had graduated with a degree in graphic design, and Agate in meteorology. It was weird to think that at least for the time being, their education was over. They could start being real adults.
(...Palm still felt like a gangly teenager pretending to be an adult, frankly, but he kept that thought to himself.)
For the time being, they agreed to stay in Park City while they made more concrete plans. It seemed Agate would probably go into working for a local weather station, and Palm would do whatever whoever hired him wanted. They had started looking at apartments, and had selected the most likely one.
It was on a residential side of the city, a little place on the 4th floor of an apartment complex. It was small, but nice, and enough for the pair, and had a spare bedroom in case one of their friends needed a place to crash for the night.
But, back to graduation.
Agate’s parents were obsessed with him on sight, pinching his cheeks and insisting they go out and get dinner to celebrate Agate and his’ accomplishments.
Their friends waved them off, encouraging them to go have a good time, and a good time they did have.
Agate had given him a warning before they arrived, though.
“Listen. My parents are… a little much,” She had explained while folding a blanket over her dorm’s living room couch, Palm situated at the table and watching her tidy up before they went on a little date. “My dad is probably going to ask you to a drinking contest, and if you want him to like you, you’re gonna have to try to out-drink him. You won’t, but it’s my family’s idea of a bonding activity.”
Palm winced. He liked alcohol fine, but that did not sound fun.
“I’m sure they’ll like you regardless, but they’re just like that.” She sighed.
Unfortunately, Agate was correct. After dinner, they escorted Agate’s parents (who looked strikingly like her, with their pale white fur and round eyes) to their hotel, and only then did her father whip a bottle of something out of his quills and insist the pair stayed for a while and ‘celebrated like men’.
By the end of the night, Agate practically had to mop Palm off the floor, who had made himself sick trying to keep up.
It was a night to remember, that was for sure.
…Er. If he remembered it at all. That was a lot of alcohol.
__ __ __ __ __
They moved into their apartment a few weeks later. 427 Bridgecreek Building, Pineapple Street, Park City.
So began the start of the rest of their lives, much to the young pair’s excitement.
Palm ended up getting a good job with a freelance marketing company, and was never short on work to do. Agate interned at the local weather station, and was apparently quite the programming wiz.
Life was quiet, but they enjoyed it.
It was late in autumn, the trees having long since lost their leaves and littered the ground with yellow and orange.
Agate had suggested they go on a hike, not at all taking into account how cold it really was, and dragged Palm out of the house to a mountain a few hours away. She was strangely insistent.
And Palm? Palm was strangely compliant. He had a plan, an idea if you will. Normally, he would plead with her to do anything else, since unlike her, he was not made to withstand frigid wind (though, it did make her the fluffiest pillow in the world during the winter). But, it was going to work out just fine.
Palm slipped a little tiny box in his quills on their way out of the house, and they finished their hike at the summit of the mountain, cradled between other peaks in the distance of the mountain range.
The sun was beginning to set, but they had agreed earlier that they would be taking the lift back down to the bottom of the mountain when they were done and ready to go home. Gods bless the sort of ski-lift they had installed on the other side of the mountain.
And finally, while Agate stared out into the distance, golden eyes shining like the sun, he dropped to one knee with his box open for her to see, waiting for her to notice.
She turned, and her eyes widened, and he smiled shyly. “Agate-”
“You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
His heart dropped, anxiety spiking. “Wh-what?”
She suddenly burst out into uncontrollable laughter, leaning against the railing off the side of the cliff for support as she reached into her quills and- pulled out another box.
Oh no.
Oh no.
“Gods damn it Palm!” She cackled, also dropping to one knee and flicking open the box, wheezing for air.
A simple gold band laid in the box, contrasting the silver one with a snowflake he had bought for her.
Palm couldn’t help but also laugh, face palming.
Once they had managed to calm down, Palm finally continued. “I’m going to skip the speech I prepared for this. Agate, will you marry me?”
“Nuh uh. Not unless you marry me .” She countered, pushing her box further forward with a cheeky grin.
They swapped rings, and headed back down the mountain, hand in hand as they giggled about the irony of them both planning on proposing at the same place at the same time.
“We’re still idiots.” Agate sighed affectionately. “We’re still, still freaking idiots.”
__ __ __ __ __
The wedding came a lot faster than either of them were ready for. They scheduled it for the following spring, when the weather would be the nicest.
It was a modest affair, and mostly just Agate’s family and a few of Palm’s old classmates and cousins.
They held it at a lakeside venue just outside of Park City, and Palm was so nervous he was going to throw up. He never liked having too many eyes on him, but as he stood there at center of the stage with the officiant, he felt like he was going to throw up. Or cry. Or both.
Made even worse when Agate came his way down the aisle.
She was gorgeous. She never liked dresses, but she had decided to wear one anyway. And she was stunning.
He had to admit. He cried.
But so did she!! They both barely managed to stumble through their vows and the rest of the ceremony. Her parents were very entertained to say the least, and Palm’s friend’s blackmail folder got a little thicker.
After it was all said and done, they went home. They put all of the gifts they had been given away in their new homes, changed out of their formal attire, and flopped over on the couch together, basking in the silence with their hands clasped together.
“...What time is our flight?” Agate mumbled.
“Uh,” Palm wracked his brain. They had bought the tickets quite a while in advance. “Ten AM, I think? We have the digital checkpoint stuff, I’ll check later.”
“Soleanna, here we come.” She sighed happily, resting her head on her husband’s shoulder.
It wasn’t going to be a long trip, just a little “honeymoon” of sorts. Four days in Soleanna, paid for with a generous donation from her parents and money they had been stashing away. Then, they’d be back, and their real lives would begin.
They couldn’t wait.
__ __ __ __ __
Agate sighed, running a comb through her quills boredly. It was five AM, and she had work in an hour.
It had been two years since the wedding, and it still felt as if life were tinted with rose. Sure, it wasn’t easy, but she was as happy as she could be. So was Palm. He worked freelance for an agency, and they made modest money. Enough to live comfortably.
Agate was as happy as she could be, save for one thing.
While they had been in Soleanna, she had brought it up while watching the water together. “Have you ever thought about kids?”
Palm admitted that he had, maybe for the future. She didn’t think it sounded too bad either. Plus, with their country’s attempt at raising populations a little, they had some incentive to try for children.
And, well…
She glanced at the test resting on the counter.
No luck yet.
She finished pushing her bangs out of her eyes, attempting to put a little more pep in her step. She never worked on air, so she got to come to work with no real uniform. Just her badge. She kind of wondered if they’d let her just come in with sweatpants and a sweater. The late February winds were making everyone lethargic and sleepy.
A beep drew her attention back to the counter, and a little hologram appeared above it.
She blinked several times. Rubbed her eyes for good measure.
“Palm.”
No response came from the bedroom, where he was still sleeping.
“Palm!”
“Mph?” He groaned, finally lifting his head from the pillow and looking to where she stood in the doorway of the joint bathroom, looking woozy.
She snatched the little test from the counter and held it out, the green light hovering over it trailing with it. She couldn’t figure out what to say next, so she just let him stare at it before he realized what it meant.
“You’re-...?”
“It’s positive.” She confirmed, eyes wide. “Holy shit Palm.”
He sat right up, eyes just as wide as her own. “We’re gonna be parents.”
They stared at each other for a long moment, expressions of bafflement and disbelief mirrored on both of their faces slowly morphing into ear to ear grins.
“We’re gonna be parents.” Agate whispered, tears brimming at her eyes. Finally, at long last.
__ __ __ __ __
All things considered, the next few months were smooth sailing.
Palm had expected Agate to be miserable 24/7, an expectation drawn from the horror stories he had heard passed around (though could never relate to). But she seemed to hold up just fine most days.
She was sick sometimes, too tired to do anything but lay around and read, or was a little moody, but otherwise seemed pretty much as normal. Just now they were preparing the guest room as a nursery and cooing at how cute pictures of newborn hoglets.
Palm could hardly believe that he was going to have a little mini combination of him and his wife running around in November. That was when they were told to expect the little one; November 15th.
Agate was obviously excited. More excited than she expected to be, and honestly? As was Palm.
Their family placed bets on if it was going to be a boy or a girl. There was a deal; the side that was wrong had to cough up all of the money, and then it would be split among the winners. Despite this, the two had abstained from choosing a side. In fact, Agate had jokingly suggested that instead of a gender announcement, they send a passive aggressive “It's a Hoglet!”, as whatever they were assigned at birth could change if that was what the kid wanted. They had made the nursery gender neutral for that reason; most people were past gender roles of decades and centuries past.
But, they were informed that it would be a boy, and they couldn’t help but share the news.
“We’re gonna have a little you!” She had grinned, ruffling his quills playfully. “Though, if he’s been in me this whole time and he looks like you, I will be pissed.”
She then paused and thought for a moment. “We’re gonna want to clean up our language a little I think.”
Palm agreed and they instituted a swear jar.
He took on a lot of the housework so that she could simply lay around and nibble on whatever wild combination she had decided she wanted to make for the day in food. Palm tried not to judge, but peanut butter and pickles sounded HORRID and that was the most tame thing he had caught her making at an obscene hour of the night.
Instead of splitting work 50/50, like they previously did, he very slowly took over most of her assigned chores, slowly enough that she wouldn’t notice.
She did eventually, but at that point, she didn’t bother trying to argue.
“This kind of sucks.” Agate whined, sprawled out on the couch and staring at their apartment ceiling.
“I’d imagine.” Palm agreed, unloading the dishwasher in the kitchen. “Maybe it’s time to take your maternity leave.”
Agate grumbled. It was October, and she had gotten that recommendation a few times from coworkers and family as well.
“That station is going to fall to pieces without me there.” She complained. “I’m the only one who does anything.”
“So let it,” Palm suggested playfully. “They might promote you when you get back.”
“Yeah.” Agate sighed. He set the bowl he was holding down and made the short walk to the couch, leaning over and planting a kiss on his wife’s forehead.
The silence resumed, and she called out for work the next day.
__ __ __ __ __
Palm had been in the final meeting before his own paternity leave, on November 14th, when he received the call.
It was from an unknown number, wrist communicator buzzing silently on his wrist while the project manager went over expectations for their next gig, a project that he wasn’t even going to be there for. It was early in the morning.
He ignored it.
And then it rang again, and the coworker sitting next to him leaned over. “Shouldn’t you go answer that?”
The manager’s attention was drawn to the two, and he stopped talking. “Is something wrong?”
“Just… getting a call.” Palm sheepishly admitted, pressing the ‘decline’ button. “Sorry.”
The manager narrowed her eyes on him. “You can go answer it.”
“Oh.” He dumbly replied, standing and excusing himself from the glass meeting room, standing out in the hall still in view as he called them back.
“Park City Regional Hospital, this is Lila, how can I help you?” A cheery voice on the other end said.
His heart dropped.
“Er, this number called me and-?”
“Oh! Palm, correct?” She corrected, seeming to realize who he was.
“Yeah. Is everything okay?” His quills prickled, looking at the projected screen from his wrist with the number displayed on it. The number of a hospital. A day before their son was due.
“Oh, yeah, everything’s just fine. Your wife came in earlier and went into labour. We called you to let you know in case you would like to come and be with her.”
Palm’s fur stood up on end. A whole day early. That was unusual, they were usually extremely precise with the date, according to his research. “Oh, shit! I’ll be there in a bit!!”
He hung up quickly, thankful that Agate wasn’t there to tell him to put a ring in the swear jar as he whipped around and poked his head back into the room. “I’m sorry, I have to go, she-”
“We figured.” The manager snickered, waving him off. “You’re dismissed. Good luck.”
He had never run home faster in his life, skipping the elevator and going for the stairs when he got to the apartment building.
Once on the fourth floor, he was very out of breath, but fumbled with the key to the door as he ran in, looking for the bags they had packed specifically for this hospital visit.
But, they weren’t there.
He face palmed. Of course, she probably brought them with her if she managed to make it down to the hospital on her own.
He pulled up the directions to the hospital and winced, realizing he would have to take a bus. And buses were always unpredictable with their schedules, no matter what.
Long story made as short as possible, it took an hour for Palm to make it to the hospital, and at 8:06 PM on November 14th, the couple welcomed their first child into the world.
Palm felt like his hand would never recover from how hard Agate had been squeezing it, but it was over.
Their son was currently being checked over by the doctors to make sure he was healthy, and his parents were patiently waiting to meet him.
They did eventually come back, and they finally met him, fur cleaned and eyes wide open. They were molten gold, just like his mother’s. They looked at the world with such fascination, taking it all in.
He had five little tufts of quills coming out from his forehead, and two on the back of his head, and was covered in silvery fur with a ring of while beginning to grow around his neck.
Agate held him first, like he was the most precious thing she had ever seen in her life. When she finally spoke, it was just about the most Agate thing to say ever. “He… he looks just like me.”
And then she turned to Palm with a snarky grin, despite her tired eyes. “Ha! Eat shit Palm, he’s a mini-me!!”
Palm was so shocked he couldn’t help but laugh, almost having to be escorted out of the room. He would have to remind her to put a ring in the jar for that, but it was so funny to him.
He did eventually manage to convince her to let him have a turn, and he was the cutest darn thing he had ever seen in his life. The little guy managed to wriggle a hand free of his blanket binding and reached up for one of Palm’s quills, which he promptly attempted to tug on. Then, he noticed it.
Tiny cyan circles on his tiny little paws.
“Agate,” He breathed. “Look.”
She saw it too, and her eyebrows shot up. “Oh?”
“Yes, we detected an excess of chaos energy in him, clearly.” The nurse confirmed. “You will want to keep an eye on him, for unusual activity or behaviour. We may want to prescribe him inhibitors, it’s not normal for abilities to make themselves apparent so soon.”
Agate waved the nurse off. “He’ll be fine. We’ll talk about it later. Can I have him back?”
It was less a question and more an instruction. Palm sighed and handed their son back.
“Have you thought of any names?” The nurse tried.
Palm glanced at his wife and shrugged, and she looked down at the child staring up at her with massive eyes. His ears were too big for his head, paws comically large as he tried to grab whatever he could reach of his mother.
“Mm… I have one.” She tentatively replied, gently petting his head behind his ears. “It’s kind of dumb though.”
“Let’s hear it.” Palm prompted, and she smiled down at her son as he yawned.
“Silver,” She sighed, enamoured with the precious life laying on her chest. “Silver the Hedgehog.”