Chapter Text
Together both Zoey and Baby decided that telling everyone individually might be a good idea. Then when they tell everyone, they can gather and have a fun get together! Everyone being around was always mayhem and chaos but of the best variety. It reminded Zoey of her home back in California with one side of her family. It just was extended and kept growing.
Now her own family she had created with Baby with her, him, their dogs, cats, and turtles, were becoming a larger family by adding someone like Rumi into the mix. So, given that information, they decided Rumi (and by extension Jinu) would be the first to know. They had decided to have Rumi and Jinu over for a date night in their apartment. Zoey had been craving some American food, so she and Baby would be cooking their food. Well, actually more specifically, American Pies. There was a few specifically that they had to hunt for the ingredients a little harder but it was fine.
It's what both Baby's wanted and Zoey so it was a no brainier. They would be having pie as the main course. Chicken Pot Pie had became a staple of their family while she was growing up. On days where both her parents worked late, they were able to throw in a premade frozen one they kept for long nights. Zoey would set it out and turn the oven on to preheat both before putting it in. It was a few of the good memories she remained.
When she and Baby made it, it was too plane for him. So, needless to say, they altered it. Baby loved kimchi and turns out it was a common thing to add to it. (Which honestly confused Zoey cause from where she was familiar with it, that certainly was not one of the ingredients used to alter it.) Anyways, Zoey liked it alright, but at the moment her body was rejecting it quite greatly. The smell, everything was a big no.
So, they were going to treat that as a hint for Rumi and Jinu. If they caught on that Baby was lacking one of his favorite integrants, that might mean something. Which, in this situation it did. Plus all the pies were sweet or slightly savory compared to each other. Their palate was not as it normally is with the sour spice of kimchi.
Which will never not be bizarre to Zoey. But it was what her love liked and well, she'd gotten accustomed to it. Plus, she could always remove it from her helping. So they had prepped the desert pies day before, some had to sit overnight in the fridge while others cooked and tasted better the next day. Rumi and Jinu were right on time as always.
"So good to see you!" Rumi exclaimed, wrapping Zoey in a tight hug as Jinu wrapped his arms around Baby.
"Always great seeing you." Zoey giggled, giving her best friend a tight hug back. "We have a different menu tonight." She smiled as she turned and gave Jinu a hug as Rumi and Baby exchanged a one armed hug.
"Oh I can't wait." Jinu smiled, a warm chuckle exiting him as he and Rumi returned holding hands as Baby and Zoey led them through the apartment to their dining area. They had made the kitchen island a buffet of pies, besides the main dish.
"That's a lot of pie." Rumi remarked, pointing and counting each of them. "Five?" She looked impressed and shocked all at the same time.
"Well, I wanted different flavors so we figured you guys could also take home which one you guys liked if it wasn't the one I have been wanting for a minute now." Zoey smiled at them, Baby shooting her a look causing her to laugh.
"She's been craving this one called Derby Pie? It was super odd and hard to make.." He explained, pointing to a darker colored one closer down to the end of the row.
"It's a mix of several things that you wouldn't expect." Zoey shrugged, smiling as she went to the oven. "We made pot pie and it's ready if you guys wanna eat!" She turned around, holding the dish in her hands as she made her way over to the dining table. The others followed behind and sat in the seats they typically sat in.
"It smells so good." Rumi took in a deep breath, pushing some purple hair behind her ear.
"Thanks. It took us a while to perfect this recipe." Baby said with a shrug. "Even if it is lacking some of the ingredients." He sent a glance towards Zoey who playfully glared at him.
"No kimchi?" Jinu arched an eyebrow, looking at the dish.
"Correct." Baby scooped out some of the pie and dished it onto his plate, offering Zoey to scoop hers. She nodded.
"Yeah, I couldn't handle the smell last time he tried to eat it." Zoey shrugged, biting her lip, starting to drop more hints.
"Really?" Rumi asked. "You used to not mind when me and Mira ate it."
"And normally, I don't. But yeah recently the smell of it makes me sick to my stomach." She scrunched up her face, already feeling nauseous thinking about the smell. "Okay, can't even think of it either. Change of topic!" She laughed causing a smirk to spread across Baby's face.
"How are you two getting along?" Baby nodded as he picked up his fork to take a bite.
"We're doing good." Jinu smiled, glancing sideways at Rumi who gave him a cheeky smile before supplying her own portion of the pie. "You guys?"
"Oh we're fantastic." Zoey spits out quickly with a nervous laugh causing the other two to arch eyebrows as Baby hid his laugh behind taking a drink.
"You're awfully excited." Rumi comments, narrowing her eyes. She glances over at the pies before back at her then at Baby's plate that was now covered in hot sauce but no kimchi. She tilted her head, looking through slitted eyes sideways at Zoey. "You're hiding something." Zoey's smile widened at that, her back shooting straight up.
"Heheh what makes you think that?" Baby reached over under the table, giving Zoey's thigh a gentle squeeze, almost encouraging her that it'll be alright. "Okay." She took a deep breath. "Yeah, there's something." She glanced at Baby who gave her a lovey smile, eyes turning into hearts momentarily before looking back at Rumi and Jinu who both were now looking at them with a critical eye.
"I haven't seen you like this... in a while." Jinu commented, looking at Baby who gave a shrug, but couldn't contain the smile- not smirk. But a genuine smile growing on his face.
"Yeah, well." He looks over at Zoey, grasping her hand and pulling it to his lips to leave a kiss. "I'm beyond happy with Zoey. I'm living a dream I never thought or envisioned that I could experience." He looked back over at them, Zoey's hand still against his lips. Zoey, for her part, had gotten used to blushing at Baby's antics and had not blushed as bad in several years. However, with his admission again of being able to live out a dream he hadn't realized he could have, made her blush so much harder.
"Something's happened." Rumi summarized, watching Zoey before glancing at Baby. "Something big?" She raised her eyebrow once again.
"You could certainly say it is life changing." Baby took over speaking, now resting their intertwined hands on the table between them, running his finger over Zoey's hand gently to sooth her nerves. "A big change is coming and we felt like you two should know first."
"Oh my god, I'm becoming a grandad!" Jinu jumps up, his hands going to his hair as he looked at them. The reactions from the three still sitting ranged. Baby gave him a look of exasperation, Zoey paled as her eyes widened dramatically, and Rumi looked puzzled.
"Granddad?" Rumi asked, looking up at Jinu who was staring at Baby.
"You aren't my father." Baby stated simply causing Rumi to snap her head at Baby.
"I basically raised you in the Demon world." Jinu pointed to him causing Baby to huff and roll his eyes.
"Nope. I didn't even originate from your area there." He rolled his eyes. "If anything, you're a mentor. Not my father."
"I'm adopting you. Right now. You're my son from now on. I am going to be a grandfather!" Jinu clapped at the last part, jumping up and down, fist pumping at the end.
"Wait, what?" Rumi looked between them as their conversation settled in, her eyes widening as she turned to look at a tomato red Zoey who had her eyes closed. "Zoey?"
"I'm pregnant!" Zoey screamed before hiding her face behind her hands (and Baby's since his hand was still intertwined with hers). Baby chuckled softly, turning and pulling her towards him before just straight up placing her in his lap, holding her close. He kissed her shoulder before resting his chin on it, looking over at Rumi and Jinu who were now both standing and holding each others hands as they smooshed their cheeks together and looked at the couple with large heart eyes.
"You two are so precious oh my god." Rumi said, her eyes welling up with tears. "And your going to be parents!" Tears escaped her face and cascaded down her cheeks. Jinu wasn't much better.
"I can't believe I'm going to be a grandfather!" He bawled, snot starting to escape. Yeahhh, he was ugly crying now. Baby thought as he watched the normally distinguished yet awkward couple before him completely dissolve into tears.
"You guys are the first we've told." Zoey said, peaking out from behind her hands as she snuggled into Baby.
"Oh my goodness!" They exclaimed together, running in sync to their side of the table and glomping them into a group hug. Zoey started crying with them, turning to try and wrap her arms around everyone. Baby was smoshed in the middle, chuckling softly but not crying at all.
"You guys are making it hard to breathe." He called out.
"You're a demon you don't have to breath." Jinu said between his sobs, getting tears and probably snot all over Baby's sweater. Great.
"You are incorrect." Baby snorted, his arms still locked around Zoey's waist.
"You guys." Zoey bawled, snuggling into every one of them. Baby heard the claws clacking on the tile as one of their dogs came up, stuffing it's nose between Jinu and Baby's side, sniffing. "We're okay, Woofy." She reached down to rub his snout.
"Alright, alright." Rumi backed away, rubbing the tears from her eyes, eyeliner and some mascara smudged below it. "Let's sit back down and finish eating. I want to hear everything."
"I mean." Baby started, arching his eyebrow. "We're not telling you about the beginning."
"Obviously." Rumi rolled her eyes before winking at Zoey as she took Jinu to sit back down. "Okay, when did you find out?" She asked, going and scooping some more food onto her plate.
"Uh, officially?" She glanced at Baby. "Last week was the conformation doctors appointment."
"She had been acting odd for a bit and I noticed she'd not have her period in two months." He supplied causing Jinu to shift slightly.
"I took a test cause things were making me sooo sick, and I also realized I hadn't had my period in a while. So." Zoey shrugged, a blush dusting her cheeks still.
"Makes sense." Rumi nodded. "So, do you know how far along you are?"
"I think it's about ten weeks now." She looked at Baby who nodded.
"You're about to end the first trimester." He took a bite, swallowing before continuing. "The first trimester lasts until week thirteen. You're currently at ten and a half, almost eleven. So you're almost done with the first trimester." He explained. Rumi looked at him in awe and Jinu just smiled proudly.
"Yeah, what he said." Zoey pointed to Baby causing everyone to laugh. "You know numbers are a little difficult at times."
"These are numbers you should probably pay attention too." Jinu said gently causing her to nod.
"I mean yeah but, I'll probably forget again." She shrugged, going and diving into her dinner. "This is so good."
"It really is." Rumi nodded, smiling as she took another bite. "I can't believe you're pregnant! And we're the first to know?"
"Yeah, and there's a reason for that." Baby glanced over at Zoey.
"We uh. Well. Cause the baby will be like you, Rumi." She gestured to her, how her markings were on full display. "We will need your advice and help."
"I don't remember what I was like as a infant." She furrowed her eyebrows.
"No, but you'd be able to help us." Zoey pressed, pointing her fork at her with her cheek poking out with food. "You can help guide me to make sure I never let my child feel like they were a mistake, like how you felt." Her eyes were swimming with tears.
"Oh Zoey." Rumi reached across the table and took one of her hands. "I can already say with certainty, you will not be that way." She said firmly. "Not just cause you are not Celine, but because you accepted me so easily. You fell in love with Baby" she gestured towards him. "You're already so far ahead of how I was. This baby is clearly wanted between you two."
"Do you think I'll die during childbirth?" Zoey asked quietly.
"Honestly? No." Rumi shook her head. "I don't think my mom's death was because of me being born." She explained softly, but her eyebrows furrowed. "I don't think so. But I also don't know if Celine would tell us the honest answer, even now." Zoey nodded at that.
"Plus times have changed." Jinu pointed out. "You won't be alone, like I feel like Rumi's mother might have been. You've got us." He smiled at her. "Granted, Rumi is the first of her kind, being half human half demon. So at least you can feel prepared."
"Exactly." Baby piped up. "We'll know what to expect, what to keep an eye out for. If you had any complications as a child with your demon side or if anything was different, you could easily help us through whatever obstacle may occur."
"But I don't know of any." Rumi shook her head, eyebrows furrowing.
"Then if something happens," Baby reiterated. "We'll go from there." He gave Zoey's thigh another squeeze, she was still in his lap, having scooted her plate over. "Point is," he gave Zoey a sideways glance, hoping the two before him would catch on the jist of what he was meaning. "If anything happens, we aren't going in completely blind."
"You are for sure not going to be alone, ever." Rumi nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly.
"Thank you." Zoey's eyes welled up with tears as she looked across at Rumi. "That means a lot." She sniffled slightly causing Baby to lean forward and kiss her neck gently.
"We'll be alright." He whispered against her skin, enjoying the taste from what he could get.
"We have a fantastic support system." She nodded, resting her head against his to give him a head hug before grabbing a large bite of her pot pie, stuffing it in her mouth.
"So who are you thinking of telling next?" Jinu asked, looking at them in awe.
"Not fully sure yet." Zoey and Baby exchanged a look. "But I know for sure we're going to throw a party at the end, once everyone knows." She explained. "I just didn't want to be overwhelmed with everyone finding out at once."
"It would make it a lot less enjoyable for us." Baby gave Zoey a squeeze, going and taking a drink of his beverage. "I know some people have baby showers, but that's farther down the line. So it's definitely a 'congratulations on being pregnant' party and not a 'surprise we're pregnant!' party." He explained.
"Are you going to find out what you're having?" Rumi asked, arching a purple sleek eyebrow as she took a bite.
"Honestly?" Zoey glanced at Baby. "We haven't really talked about that." She looked back at Rumi with a shrug. "Literally told him what? Two weeks ago?"
"We're literally still in the shock stage." Baby explained, his voice dropping a little more. "Even if I predicted it happening." Zoey playfully flicked his cheek causing him to bare his fangs jokingly, going and nipping her earlobe. "Don't even dare say that's not true."
"Yeah, yeah." She looked at him lovingly as he went to take another bite, watching him the entire way. He pausing only when he caught her staring at him.
"Goodness, you two are going to be so much more sickening to look at now, aren't you?" Jinu smirked, watching them.
"Yeah, but I wouldn't have it any other way." Rumi said with a wide smile causing everyone to laugh. "I'm so excited for you, Zo. You're going to be a fantastic mother." She sighed, leaning on Jinu as she watched them.
"I hope so."
"You will be." Baby kissed her head. "You spoil our pets enough, and they're fur babys. When you have our actual baby, they'll be even more spoiled." He chuckled.
"He's got a point." Rumi giggled, nodding.
The rest of the visit continued as much so. They taking turns talking about what was going on in their life, how everything was going to go with the little baby coming. And then they got to the pies. Jinu tried every single pie, so he was in a sugar high by time it got for him and Rumi to head out. Zoey was thrilled that her Derby Pie was still there, sitting on the couch happily with it, digging straight into it.
"So, who should we tell next?" Baby asked, finishing cleaning up the dishes. "You know they'll only be able to keep it quiet for so long." He glanced over at her.
"I haven't thought much about it." She pulled out her phone, scrolling a little while she looked. "Mmm maybe Mira and Romance? Or Bobby?" She suggested.
"I feel like we could leave Mystery last." He commented, coming in and plopping down beside her, pulling her legs into his lap. She sat her phone down, getting a bite on the fork and passing it to him. He happily took it.
"Maybe. He's currently not here, right?" Zoey checked, her mouth full of her own bite.
"Correct." Baby said with his mouth full. "Think he and Jelly took a trip to Paris."
"So maybe when they get back." She tapped the fork prongs against her lip before taking another bite. "Wanna do Mira next?" She asked, arching an eyebrow as she looked over at him.
"Sure." He shrugged, leaning over and kissing her forehead. "Whatever you want to do, I'm down for." Nodding, she continued to think about how to tell her.