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The world ends, again—-

Except it doesn’t.

The Earth turns on without quitting, time ticks by, weeks pass after worms at large try to gobble their world whole while husbands go — not ******** missing — not that, not technically that? But what else can he call his fiery boy getting fridged deep into a pantry so special that even he’s apparently not welcome there? He’s sure there’s ‘No Waru’ signs and everything.

And he could ruminate on his feelings surrounding that, chew on it all till he wore his teeth to nubs. But he was trying to be better — less rabid, at least.

And so Waru wasn’t clocking Noas excitement to meet up with him as anything strange or extra, or— No, for them it was just going to be another Sunday. One where she had a revelation worth sharing and he wanted to be a part of it because he could use the break — as always — from his own damn self. He lived for every new chance to revel in whatever the others were doing, piling distraction atop distraction, but was it really even right to call it that? When he was simply doing his part to maintain long held friendships; watering his friendship garden as it were.

Noa wasn’t an excuse out of his responsibilities — they didn’t need excuses to see each other. They were friends, doing friend things, being friendly —

So he was early for a change, goody-bag in hand, smile on his face as he knocked all cordially and s**t. He told himself he was bringing this for her because the pastry place was on the way, because sweet champagne paired well with sweet desserts, because he and Noa deserved nice things.

They’d both more than earned it.

Plus? What better way to celebrate a surprise!!

“NOA!” He returned the hug instinctively, bolstered by her excitement, spurred by it, so much so that he hardly noticed.

The overalls, the mess, the roundness that she caressed like something precious —

Wait.

Wait.

Waaaiiiitttt——

“You’re moving out—“ She somehow managed to outrun him, even at a slowed pace, the way her words over-clocked his brain. The way it took him time, to wade in after her, to catch up as he set the pink box full of crème-filled pastries down on the nearest, kinda clear, surface. “You have a—“ and he did take his own damn time, staring, shoving the door closed behind himself and really just *looking* —

Because Noa had always been made of short, tight curves. Carried volume in more places than her busting personality and the thick hair atop her head. Maybe not this much, not the overalls over everything kinda much — And he was damned sure she wasn’t announcing she had a — a what? A tapeworm? A vitamin B deficiency?! Parvo? Was parvo a parasite thing or…

“S’arreter—-“ a low curse, a ‘hold-up’ held up with both hands as he weaved after her wobbling and tugged gently on one of her overall straps. Looking down at her with wide eyes, wondering if he should be sitting, or hell! If she should be sitting?! “Say that again, one more time?” Softly genuine, a hint of awh-struck upside the head wistfulness to his tone.

‘I’d be honored—‘ was what he wanted to say, truly. The way those words fought for first place and came out last; tripping over the rush of other, less important words that nonetheless wanted to cross that same finish line at the same time. There was so much to say! So much he wanted to know!

How did she know it was a boy? Did her man know it was a boy? Had she decided on baby names and —

When she said she was having a baby she didn’t mean alone, did she? She couldn’t! And—

Offering congratulations came to mind. Real congratulations instead of wide eyed, glittering staring and bass-mouthed smiles. As did swearing some kind of godfatherly fealty on one bent knee like a goddamned knight with a capital K. What did godfathers even do?! There was so much he didn’t know, wanted to know, needed to know—

And then there was the look on Noas face, sheepish glow, beautiful shyness. His mind so utterly undone by the gentle fluttering going on beneath where she pressed his hand.

“Hi—“ And he was saying ‘yes’ ******** emphatically, nodding as his fingers lingered there over the covered roundness of her stomach, saying everything he thought she might want to hear. Crouching a little to make it easier on them both as he did a bit of a double take between her belly and her rapidly moving lips.

“Whatever you need…” the way he meant it, trying to feed greater meaning into words that should’ve been more, and he was so rarely ******** speechless, but he felt speechless now! Gut-punched in a good way and grinning for it.

“And I mean anything, Noa.”

I mean it. I mean it. I mean it.

Clearing his throat and blinking the wistfulness out of his eyes before he teared up beyond usefulness. “Now….about my super cute godson-t’be’s baby-daddy? Is he — I mean — you’re moving uhm— in with him?” A nervous gesture at the place as a whole, half packed, in the good kind of shambles. He knew it took two to tango, and let he’d checked her and Mr. Tall, dark, and handsome had seemed pretty intertwined.

Still didn’t hurt to ask.

Oh god she can’t start because if she starts crying I’ll start crying — His next chuckle was wet, the teary joy contagious, as her gratitude washed over him, he felt it was somewhat undeserved, after all? He was only doing the right thing, and how hard was it to do the right thing for someone he loved? Even if their affections had shifted over time, had grown into platonic rather than hit and run romance burning out at both ends. He was happy to have stayed her friend if it meant getting to have this in his life! A new experience, a new part of her to love.

A little boy—

And he’d always been an only son, always had little sisters; and never had enough time with them. Not the way he craved deep down in his bones. So the idea of getting to watch Noa’s son grow up? To be able to fill a small void within himself of missed moments with her and the family she was building?

He couldn’t help but jump at it, grasp it with both hands, and hold on tight!

“And now you’ve got me going! Oh — jeeze — Noa…m’happy too..m’so glad y’asked me.” He wasn’t going to snot all over her, tried to keep the leakiest bits of his happy tears contained to the hem of his own shirt as he rubbed it across his face. “Ugh— cryings contagious, huh? Seriously…” snickering warmly as her best piece of news was followed with one that soothed the prickle of nerves running wild and screaming in the back of his mind. He sighed for it, hearing that her man had already stepped up, had the experience it seemed, and in ways Waru envied himself. It was a huge relief that Noa would have two sets of helping hands.

That Idri was worth her.

That he just kept proving it time and again—

“Wellll…some of what I brought you can have right now? And some you — uh — can give to Idri? Call the champagne a thank you from me, yeah. It’s a little on the sweet side...but you did say he was your…what? Big, sexy, hunk of chocolate?” Grin sharp as he teased her gently, moving to pop the cardboard lid on the creme-filled beignets. “I can’t wait to meet the both of them either, yanno? Oh man — are you two already thinking on names, or y’gonna wing it?”

“You really, really did—“ He laughed wetly as he dried his eyes, whatever her delicate fingers couldn’t reach with such care. He’d found it endearing at the time, the way she gushed about her man. How could he not have been happy for her?!

”And m’glad for it. A girl with a sweet tooth like yours deserves nothing less than a hunk of candy. ‘Specially since you’re gonna be eating for two now, right?” He encouraged her to go ahead, pulling the pregnant ladies first card, because she deserved the fluffiest one, full of chocolate cream, or vanilla, or? He’d not thought to ask on flavors, only on quantity and what best to pair it with. He supposed he’d miss drinking with her for awhile, but they could make the time up later. There would be nights to babysit too! And he couldn’t help but imagine — baby’s first Halloween — Noa’s first Christmas with a whole-a** family!

A little sister and a man and a baby…

He thought he might be jealous, nearly so. At how adult she had become. How — no matter what — his big, stupid, heart always yearned for more family to add to. Become a part of. Assimilate into his own!

“And it’s fine— me’n him will meet eventually. S’kinda inevitable, yeah? His little sister too…the way you talked about her....she gets to be a big sister all her own now! N’that shits exciting!” He nodded as she mentioned the name choice, rolled it around in his head. He couldn’t wait till he heard more — knew what to call the little boy he’d get to meet some — s**t — four months from now?!

“Hajime ...and his whole, tall family. Heh except his short-stack mom, I bet you he’ll land somewhere in the middle.“

“I’m glad you like them.” He purred in delight, glowing over how the whole moment was too cute! And for a while Waru was content to watch her pick her favorites out. Taking whatever she left as his own to munch on, one delightfully banana coated inside, crispy-gooey to the touch. This moment was perfect as any moment could hope to be.

Proof, maybe? That there would forever be good in the world. That it was worth saving even when the cost was so astronomically high.

“You? Just like the challenge— which means your kid’s gonna be tall and a daredevil. Probably a little stubborn too? Huh, Hajime?” He wondered at what point babies could start to hear, he’d heard it was a thing! That they could listen into the outside — were tuned to what was going on around them — was that true only five months in? “Not that I can blame you…sometimes I wanna be carried around like a sack of potatoes too; like a princess — heh — a prince? We’re gonna have t’enjoy that with this one while we can!” He waggled his fingers at Noa and Hajime both, even knowing the one couldn’t yet see him? It was still fun to do. To start the connection early…

I’d always wanted to be there more for my sisters. Maybe I can make up for..not…like this, with them?

It was a novel thought, one he mulled over while encouraging Noa to eat another, to try this next one. To thank her again, for letting him be even a small part of this. He wasn’t sure he’d ever be father material himself, but if Now and Idri could do it?