Chapter Text
“So why haven’t you done a baby shower yet? Or a gender reveal! You’re missing out, Ai-chan.”
Truthfully, Aigis had not anticipated that motherhood came with so many ceremonial activities. Her son would not be born for another month. All required supplies and support systems had already been carefully gathered and organized with mechanical precision. In fact, Fuuka had insisted on taking her out to the mall specifically to shop for the new arrival, resulting in several neatly packed bags now resting at their feet.
And yet, despite all practical needs being accounted for, Yamagishi and the others seemed oddly captivated by what they called “celebrations.”
“What is so pressing about those?” Aigis asked plainly.
Fuuka blinked, then broke into a warm smile. “Aww, Ai-chan, it’s just for fun, you know?” She idly twirled one of the shopping bags by its handles. “Baby showers are when friends and family bring gifts to the new parents, and we play little games. It’s like… celebrating the baby before they arrive.”
“I do not require gifts,” Aigis replied without hesitation. “I have already acquired everything necessary for the child’s survival and development.” She tilted her head slightly, as though running a diagnostic. “Furthermore, the child is not yet born. Therefore, he cannot participate in or benefit from such an event. I do not understand the purpose.”
Fuuka’s smile softened, though she didn’t look discouraged yet.
“And I do not require a gender reveal,” Aigis continued. “He is a genetic copy of Makoto. His sex is already a known and documented fact.” There was a brief pause as the words settled into the air with clinical finality.
Fuuka let out a small sigh and placed a hand on her hip. “Aigis… you really know how to make something cute sound like a lab report.”
Aigis blinked once. “That was not my intention.”
“I know,” Fuuka said, though she was clearly still amused. Then her expression brightened again, determination returning. “But can you at least let me do something? Like—anything? Even if it’s not a party.”
Fuuka leaned in slightly, as if presenting a new proposal. “We could do maternity photos for you. I’ve got a decent camera, and I can find a nice place to take some pics. It’d be a nice keepsake for your baby… and for you too.”
Aigis processed the suggestion carefully. A record. A preserved moment in time. Something not strictly necessary for survival, yet not without value either.
“…A visual record of the pregnancy state,” she said slowly.
Fuuka nodded eagerly. “Exactly!”
Aigis looked down briefly, as though assessing her own condition with unfamiliar parameters. “If it serves as documentation,” she said at last, “then it may be acceptable.”
Fuuka’s face lit up. “Yes! Okay, you’re not getting out of this now, Ai-chan.”
The warmth of spring had settled over Iwatodai like a soft blanket.
Cherry blossoms painted the streets in shades of pale pink, their petals drifting lazily through the air whenever a breeze wandered by. Flower beds burst with violets, pansies, and fresh clusters of wildflowers, while patches of bright green grass pushed determinedly through every crack in the pavement and every neglected roadside planter. Though many of the trees had yet to fully leaf out, life seemed to be waking everywhere at once. The air carried the faint scents of damp earth, fresh herbs, and blooming flowers.
Fuuka wandered several paces ahead, camera already hanging around her neck, stopping every few moments whenever something caught her eye.
"Ai-chan!" she called, waving enthusiastically. "Come look over here! Aren't these chrysanthemums beautiful?"
She pointed toward a row of stone planters lining a weathered plaster wall. Each one overflowed with blossoms so vibrant they almost seemed unreal. Deep pink chrysanthemums curled outward in delicate layers, their petals catching the afternoon sunlight until they appeared almost luminous. Beside them, white blooms were only beginning to unfurl, opening themselves to the warmth of spring one petal at a time.
Without conscious thought, Aigis found herself stepping closer. She reached out carefully, brushing her fingertips against one of the blossoms. Its petals yielded effortlessly beneath her touch. Soft. Fragile. Alive.
Her fingers, cold hollow metal, could never truly share the flower's warmth, yet she could still appreciate its texture. Every tiny fold and delicate curve had been shaped through quiet persistence rather than precise engineering. She found herself smiling.
The more she learned about the life flourishing around her, the more she found herself cherishing the life growing within her. Tiny weeds emerging from fractured concrete. Vines climbing over lifeless steel and aging brick. Wildflowers blooming where no one had planted them. Nature possessed an extraordinary tendency to reclaim even the most artificial places, weaving life into spaces that seemed incapable of supporting it. The organic emerging from the inorganic.The natural born within the unnatural.
It reminded her, inevitably, of herself.
A machine. An anti-Shadow weapon. A body built from metal, circuits, and artificial muscle. And yet…Within that body, a child had begun to grow. Her child. Almost unconsciously, her hand drifted to the gentle swell beneath her dress. The familiar flutter greeted her immediately. A tiny kick. Then another. Followed by a slow roll that traveled across her abdomen. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, simply feeling him move. Every tiny motion filled her with quiet wonder.
Only a month remained until he’d be ready. A month until she could finally meet him. Until she could look into his face instead of imagining it. Hold him. Hear him cry. Feel the weight of him resting safely in her arms instead of sheltered beneath her heart. The thought filled her with an emotion that still resisted easy definition.
Anticipation. Joy. Love. Perhaps all three.
Click.
The sharp sound of a camera shutter gently pulled her back to the present. Aigis opened her eyes. Fuuka stood several feet away with her camera still raised, a grin stretching from ear to ear.
"Got it!" Fuuka raised the camera up “it’s perfect! Wanna see?”
“Why did you take the photo?”
“You just looked so perfect Ai-Chan. I’ve always heard candid photos are the best ones.”
Fuuka turned around the camera. Showing the result on the little fold-out screen. Aigis perfectly framed in the middle. One hand reaching out to touch the flowers around her, the other cradling her midsection.
“You look so beautiful Ai-chan, I know it’s cliche, but your just glowing with happiness!”
“I do not produce light. My eyes can emit a small amount of low intensity light but not enough to be visible in the daytime.”
Fuuka, try as she might, couldn't help but laugh.