Chapter Text
When you were summoned to the foyer, you weren’t sure what to expect. It was still early in the day. You did a light workout with Dunk and just changed into a comfortable long sleeve shirt and some clean leggings. You reached the bottom of the stairs and stared at the large box Dorian sat down in the foyer. You didn’t remember ordering anything. You definitely weren't sure what the box could be.
“It’s from Rainforest,” Dorian looked over the shipping label. “You been sleep ordering again?”
“No,” you crossed your arms and pouted. “It was one time.”
Domain chuckled. “Would you like me to open it?”
“Yes please.”
Dorian knelt down and pulled out his set of keys. He nimbly took the gold one, which was sharper than the rest. He ran it down the seam of the box, cutting through the tape so you could pop it open. You froze when you pulled back the cardboard.
It was wrapped.
“The fuck?” You looked down at the white and green striped wrapping.
“Language missy,” Dorian teased. “Know what it is?”
You shook your head. “Hey Mac!”
Mac rolled in through the office door.
“What’s up?”
“Can you look at my Rainforest account and see what I ordered last? It’ll be the one that said to wrap it as a gift.”
“Of course!” They smiled. Mac pulled out their keyboard and started typing. “Let’s see… login, recent orders and” Mac gasped and covered their mouth with their hands.
“What?” You asked
“Uh, well.”
While you were waiting for an explanation, Dorian went ahead and cut the seam of the wrapping paper.
“What could possibly be-“
You looked back at him and he went very still when he lifted the flaps of wrapping paper.
“Love, what is this?” Dorian’s paled face looked at you.
You leaned around him and you yourself felt ill. You blinked several times, looking at the words on the box. You ordered a-
“When did you order this?” His stern voice startled you. “Mac?”
Mac had flushed cheeks as well. “Two weeks ago, on Tuesday at 2:11am from the purchase order.”
Dorian’s cheeks went ruddy.
“Two weeks?” you thought back to two weeks ago. It took a moment. Then you remembered. “Oh.”
You spent the night with the trap door version of Dorian. He fucked you so good you couldn’t think straight. Which was probably why you were on your phone late afterwards wishing Dorian was real. You told him in the heat of the moment that you wanted him to fuck you pregnant. You begged him to give you a baby. He… definitely didn’t discourage it.
But you didn’t mean it.
Until he tucked you into bed. You remembered what Mikey said about his kids. Sometimes newer objects adjacent to old ones become a new thing. They become children. Or something like that. It was hard to remember details when you still felt the phantom ache Dorian left you with. You decided you could have a baby with Dorian- you would just have to order it.
And here it was.
A baby gate.
“We can send it back.” You whispered.
“Do you realize what you've done? We can’t just send it back.” Dorian still looked pale when he gestured to the box.
“It’s not assembled.” You argued. “The box itself is unopened. We can just send it back. Pretend this never happened.”
“Right.” His jaw twitched.
“I’m gonna go,” Mac said slowly and rolled back into the office, shutting the door.
“I’ll close it back up and just file a return online.”
You didn’t sound confident in that statement and it wasn’t about whether the return would be successful. Dorian crossed his arms, his grip indenting his jacket sleeves. While his stern gaze was pointed solely at the box, you still felt his radiating disappointment. Finally Dorian sighed and shook his head.
“We don’t even know what will happen if,” he didn’t finish his sentence.
“I can always ask Skylar.” You said softly.
Before he could protest you opened your phone and pulled Skylar forth. She appeared in front of you, her smile bright and bubbly.
“What can I do you for hun?” She pulled her glasses down and looked at you.
“Um,” you tugged at your long sleeves, fiddling with them over your hands. “Do you- would you- um.”
You look at Dorian, your eyes wide and pleading. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed again.
“Do you have anywhere in that database of yours that would tell us what this,” Dorian gestured to the box, “is?”
“Oh well, let’s see what-“ she bent down to read the letters peaking from the open wrapping. She squeaked, covering her mouth with her hand. “Um.”
She stood upright and adjusted her glasses. She cleared her throat and continued.
“Well, I can tell you I do not have it logged in my current database.”
“So it would be nothing, if I accidentally activated it.”
“Not necessarily,” she gave you an uneasy smile. She looked pointedly at Dorian. “It just won’t register as an existing object. It would be something new.”
“So not a version of me?” Dorian said slowly.
“No. Gate and door are not the same.”
“So a miniature gate person?” You asked.
“Also no. It would be what it says it is.” That was the most confident response you’d heard yet. “I don’t think it would even be a real gate. I suppose it is door adjacent. So that would make it like your and Dorian’s-“
“Okay.” You cut her off. You stared at the floor with wide eyes, nervousness started to overwhelm you again. “Thank you Skylar.”
“No prob!” She flashed a smile and disappeared.
You and Dorian were left alone in the foyer with the box between you. The air felt heavy. You dared to look at Dorian and his gaze met your own.
“This is a problem.” he said softly.
“How would we even take care of it?” You bit your lip. “If it is, you know, what it says it is.”
“I suppose I could watch them when you aren’t around. It fits in my frame. That’s what it’s for.”
You ignored the flash in your mind of Dorian holding a baby. And how hot he would be as a- no.
You shook your head. “Skylar said that this is not in her database, though. There’s a chance we put it together and nothing happens.”
“Or something does happen.” He replied slowly.
You shifted on your feet. “Do you want something to happen?”
Dorian rubbed his hand against his forehead. “I don’t know. We haven’t talked about this.”
”I know. Dorian, I’m sorry. I didn’t think- I,” You crossed your arms tight against your chest. “I was so stupid. I wasn’t thinking about the consequences. This is all my fault.”
“Sweetheart,” he cut you off.
You must have been pacing; you were closer to the office and Dorian grabbed you by your shoulders to stop you. Once you stilled, he took one hand to tilt your chin up and cup your cheek.
“This is not all your fault,” he said seriously. “You weren’t the only one who got carried away.”
That did make you laugh. And you were crying. Shit. He wiped away the tear with his fingers.
“So what do we do?” You wiped your other eye with the sleeve of your shirt.
“Whatever you want to do. If you want to send it back, we will and it’ll just be something we laugh about later.”
“Or?”
His cheeks went ruddy again. “Or, if you want to see what happens when it’s put together, then I’ll help you do it.”
You studied his gaze for a moment. You knew he was serious but it felt surreal. You whispered. “And if there’s a baby?”
“Then I guess we’ll have a baby.” There was a slight uptick to the corner of his mouth. Like he was suppressing a smile. “So what’s it gonna be?”
- Keep the package
- Return the package