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(1/10)

Illapha, with the affect of a drunken man half asleep at the bar, watched through his half-lidded eyes as the crewmate that had been tailing him gave in to the flirtations of a very insistent madam, and disappeared behind a beaded curtain towards a private room. The hybrid exhaled and slowly sat up from his crouched position, rolling his tensed shoulders as he cast a casual glance around the bustling inn. Had he missed anyone? There used to be three, but that number had dwindled in the past month - dropping to two, until the last month's incident when the number permanently dropped to one.

Considering the extenuating circumstances, it really wasn't difficult for Illapha to play the part of the disappointed, jilted lover. The last few months of shore leaves he'd been monitored closely by Indra's people. He hadn't given Indra's spies anything to report back; he wandered onto shore, visited the old brothels that Tavihe had once banned him from, and spent the nights drunk. Mostly for real, at first.

The point was, in the months since Tavihe disappeared into the night, managing to slip past the goons tasked with watching them, Indra's people hadn't been very happy with Illapha and were convinced he'd had a hand in helping his lover break their contract with the Whispering Witch.

(2/10)

In the end, despite how much they feared their boss, the people tasked with tailing Illapha weren't especially committed to their work; not when temptation was so close at hand. In the end, there were two incidents that finally convinced Illy it was safe to finally reach out to Tavihe.

The last shore leave had been… exciting, in that once he'd paid for company and escaped into a back room, his tail made the hasty mistake of bursting in after him, convinced he was holding a secret meeting with Tavihe. Instead, they found themselves beaten to a bloody pulp after infuriating a half drunk, massive hybrid who'd had to pull himself away from a very buxom partner.

… They didn't need to know that despite their nudity, Illapha had only climbed into the bed and curled into her for a guiltily stolen bit of human warmth, nothing more.

The mistress of the house was horrified; not at the violence, thankfully, but at the idea of one of her clients' privacy being so easily interrupted. The culprit was barred from the establishment.

And now, today, the second piece of proof. His tail was finally gone. He blew out a breath and stood, sweeping his eyes around the room until he spotted the familiar figure of his informant - the courtesan who had been both his cover, and Xenia's ally in the past. She motioned him over, and together they disappeared upstairs, opposite from where his tail had been taken.

(3/10)

"Tavi." Illapha murmured, swallowing against a wave of relief at seeing them. They weren't dressed in their normal style - they'd adopted a shockingly female attire in the form of a matronly dress, dyed a deep navy blue to match the hue of their usual coat. Their hair, normally shorn short, had grown choppy and chin length, and their normal piercings were missing, at least for the moment.

He opened his mouth to comment on the strange change in style, only to laugh, a bit giddily, at the unsurprising jealousy. His face softened and he walked closer, setting his hands on Tavihe's upper arms so he could look at them, taking the reassuring sight of them in. "Yeah. It worked though didn't it? They didn't replace the guy who got banned from this place."

(4/10)

Maybe Illapha should feel insulted by Tavihe's distrust, but he knew them far too well for it. They probably didn't truly believe he'd betrayed them; but they were showing a surprising amount of vulnerability in asking for open reassurance that he hadn't. He DIDN'T let go - and instead drew them in close to embrace, pressing his lips to the top of their head. Their horn jabbed uncomfortably at his jaw, and their hair smelled strange without the constant tang of sea salt tangled in it; but it was wonderful to finally have them in his arms again, to be able to feel them safely here.

"I didn't sleep with her. Except in the sense we laid in a bed and cuddled a bit." He admitted. He wanted to ask the important question, but reassuring his lover felt more important.

(5/10)

Good. Illy chuckled fondly, then leaned back, curious as Tavihe tugged up their clothes. Given the flowing nature of the outfit, he hadn't noticed it before - but seeing the normally soft belly rounded like this stole his breath away. A surge of protectiveness, and heated possessiveness, nearly knocked him over, and without asking for permission he reached to carefully press his hands on either side.

Horrifyingly, the flesh rippled under his touch, a sharp pressure catching his palm. He recoiled, and watched as the skin stretched, then settled again. "Gods above, is that normal?" He asked, stupidly.

(6/10)

They really were pregnant. Illapha stared, heart swollen so big he was sure it would explode in his chest. The tears took him by surprise, and for a moment he stood, neutered and unhelpful - until a moment of inspiration struck him. He sank to his knees, bracing his hands on Tavihe's hips so he could hold them close. Their skin, normally dark save for their scars, was marked with angry tiger-stripes of stretch marks that made them look delicious. He pressed a soft kiss to an especially angry mark, then let his hands shift to once again carefully bracket that belly. "You're beautiful." He worshipped, gazing up at Tavihe.

(7/10)

Illapha grinned, but stood with a somewhat uncomfortable grunt, knees popping. He guided Tavihe to the bed to sit, carefully smoothing out their dress to once again cover their tummy, and give them some modicum of privacy. "When did this happen? The uh- woman look, not the - I know when the pregnant thing happened." He blushed, rubbing at his neck with a hopeless grin.

(8/10)

Oh. Illapha wondered at that, blushing as he imagined his lover wearing pretty things, like the sheer, exotic silks some past partners had used. But he stubbornly shook the lewd thoughts away, and instead reminded himself of the reality of their situation. His expression sobered and he wrapped his arm around Tavihe's shoulders, holding them close. "… Right. Are you okay? You're safe? Where have you-"