Not The News I'd Hoped to Share [End]

[carcinoGeneticist]

Damn it all, that request had not gone over terribly smoothly, had it? The cringing was a clear indication that his guess was correct and that the woman was not a fan of doctors or hospitals. He couldn't exactly blame her for that he'd always felt a twinge of nerves when he'd first needed to check in on them. That was for a different reason, however. He wondered how long it would take before someone recognized him, before they found something that wasn't quite right in his physiology. He didn't want anyone outside of his small and select family to know his secrets.

But he'd quickly found that with his lifestyle, he had no choice but to spend a large amount of time in the medical wing, and he had to tolerate the medical attention or risk serious illness from infection or bleeding.

It didn't mean he had to like it, though.

"I know, I know," he replied in a fairly soft tone, closing his eyes for a moment. "I have... Something I need to tell you. I haven't been fully honest with you, Zuberi." It pained him to say it, but he needed to explain why he was so damn concerned about the way she'd been feeling. With any luck, it wasn't something that would make her angry at him. After all, it wasn't as if he'd deliberately concealed something wildly important.

"My daughter - She - Well..." He took a deep breath. "I carried her. I'd thought I was pregnant with Xiven's children for most of the pregnancy, and... Well, she came early. I almost died."

[Nako]

Zuberi had been sipping a glass of water she'd conveniently fixed for herself earlier in the day when he'd said that. She proceeded to choke on it , wiping away the water that now dribbled out of her nose.

"W-what!?" She set down the glass of water to be forgotten now that its use for the plot was expended. Leaning back, she -tried- to imagine what the man must have looked like gravid. If she hadn't been so bewildered she would have thought the mental image was amusing.

Perhaps that was what the scar was... That funny one along his belly she'd noticed the night they'd spent together. She'd never asked about it, but it was not like the other scars on his body that were from battle. There was something precise about it; very surgical. That was a common way to get children out of men nowadays; she knew that back in the old days, surgery was impossible and men died if they could not pass children through the birth canal. That was why sterilization of their female organs was so popular in tribal cultures. She even knew some males who went through the same procedure back home. Well.. not the same. The old way of doing it involved cauterizing the opening closed with a hot metal rod.

"Well. That.. explains a lot." Zuberi said, though she still seemed unsure. "But I'm no male... and I think I'm in fine condition for my age!"

She was defensive.. but what else could one expect? "Ye implying that this pregnancy could kill me." She stood up, having to put a lot of effort into doing so with any sort of fluidity. That shudder went through her stomach again... what a nuisance. "Apocalypse. If there had been anything that was going to kill me by now. Da sorrow would have done it first."

And with that.. she could do little more than storm out of the door with as much pride as she could muster. She was mad... and she wasn't really sure why. All she wanted to do was put distance between her and... well, everyone.

[carcinoGeneticist]

If he were to look back on things, Apocalypse would be at a loss in regards to what he had hoped to accomplish with his bizarre statement of truth. He'd felt it on his chest like a weight - for the first time, he'd been almost uncomfortable with a lie. It would have been so easy to ignore that discomfort, to push it under the rug.

But he needed to tell Zuberi what had happened to him. He needed to tell her exactly why he was so afraid for her sake, about how dangerous things could have been for her. Her reaction - he didn't know quite what to make of it, so he was quiet for a long minute, following her eyes down to one of the many scars that dotted his torso. He knew it was terribly out of place, and he shifted somewhat uncomfortably. Her next statement had a defensive air and he hesitated another long second. She wasn't male, no, and she did seem to be in fine condition for a woman of her age. All the same...

"I just don't want something to happen to you," he said, sounding somewhat miserable as she snapped once more. Was it wrong for him to worry? Really? He enjoyed Zuberi and the time he spent with her. He didn't want to see something like that flatten her spirit or even her life. He shifted with her, giving her room to stand, though he made a pained noise in the back of his throat. As she spoke his name with that stern voice, there was nothing he could do but stare back at her, sadness flashing in his expression.

But he let her leave.

She wanted to leave, that was clear. Nothing he could say or do would stop that. He watched her retreating form, then took a deep breath and glanced down at his hands. He wasn't sure what had just happened, but it made him feel... odd. The man took another deep breath. He waited there, giving the woman time that he was certain she needed. Then he stood, walking down the hall to try and track her down.

[Nako]

Well, needless to say that Zuberi felt like shit for storming out; she'd wandered off and went to the one place he'd probably not look; the doctor's office. She was in fact dilating, but it was only by two centimeters and the doctor still predicted it would be at least a week before she gave birth. Well, at least that was one more worry off of her mind.

She couldn't find him later that evening for whatever reason... neither could she find him the next day. She'd caught wind of some sort of drama going down in the Courts. Something about lost paperwork. It honestly didn't seem like a huge deal to her, but the ever diligent folk who -dealt- with those paperworks saw it fit to fret about.

So, what was a woman to do when she felt like she'd done something wrong? Well.. bake him cookies.. of course. Then again she knew that no normal cookies would do. That strange Bog appetite called for something with a more sultry calling than plain old sugar cookies.

It was a strange feeling of energy that kept her on her feet the following morning, butting her way into the kitchen and sifting through the supplies to find a mixture of cuttlefish, prawns and stingray that was then blended and baked into wafer thin cookies. They weren't particularly her favorite, but she knew that many of the cats in her family had a keen liking for them; her father would eat the entire plate of them when her mother took the time to bake them.

She wrapped them up in a napkin with great care, tying the top of it with a colorful string into a neat little bow. There would be no way he'd be able to look at her with that sad little face of his if she presented him with these! Well... she could have always appeased him with sex.. but it wasn't really like she was in the -mood- for that right now.

Having found his room empty, her next guess would be his office. The door was shut. Hm. Bringing up her hand, she gave the wooden door a brisk knock.

[carcinoGeneticist]

If Zuberi felt badly for storming out, Apocalypse himself felt even worse for saying something to make her so unhappy in the first place. When he couldn't find her, it didn't take the man long at all to come to the conclusion that she just didn't want to be found.

He just hoped that she wasn't going to decide that she needed to leave. He needed her help, more than he'd ever be able to put into words. He also was genuinely looking forward to getting to know the woman, and possibly helping her through a difficult situation of her own. He'd try again tomorrow to find her, and then he'd extend an apology, hopefully before the situation got any farther out of his control and before tempers could burn too hot.

As luck would have it, of course, the days following were some of the most busy that the man had experienced since he'd stepped up to the position of The King. The papers that had gone missing were highly confidential, highly urgent, and utterly gone. Apocalypse snarled and roared and hissed. He tore Bernard's office apart. There was no sign of anything, of course, and so the papers had to be re-drafted. That was his job, of course. By the time he'd finally finished and crawled into bed, he could swear he'd been able to see the light of the sun creeping over the horizon, the first traces of morning.

And then the next day had started, a few hours later. A few hours after that, the man had fallen asleep on his desk, head pressed into the wood. He'd slept soundly, until the knock at the door had woken him with a start. It took his brain a moment to process why he'd woken up in the first place. Door. A knock. Someone to see him. He'd been asleep? Quickly, he shook himself, running his fingers through his hair and sucking in a deep breath. Then he stood, crossing the room and opening the door.

"Zuberi," he said, blinking in genuine surprise. She had sought him out? "I was planning to see you as soon as I finished -- what is that amazing smell?"

[Nako]

Her expression was barely containing the grin on her face, looking up cutely at the much taller man as she brought the napkin of cookies up closer to his face and waggled them. "Oh, dese? Family recipe. A little slice of the sea if ya will."

She slid past him to get into the room, surprisingly light on her feet and spry for being so heavily pregnant. For some reason Zuberi was filled with a renewed energy today. "I felt bad for what I said." She finally said, clutching the cookies to her chest. "You were just tryin' to look out for me but.. I jus' don't want to t'ink about dying." Her downcast expression slowly coming back up towards him. Well, at least he didn't look too terribly upset; she at least had his attention with the cookies she baked. With a small smile, she held the little package out to him.

"Think ya can forgive me?"

[carcinoGeneticist]

The cookies were thrust forward and Apocalypse matched the movement, leaning in and sniffing eagerly at the plate. There was salty, and the sweet musk of seafood, and... oooh, did it smell good. He could feel himself starting to salivate already, and he was just reaching forward to slip one of the wafers out so that he could sample it when Zuberi slipped past him and into the room. He made a disgruntled noise, but grinned, and followed after her. Had something happened in the last day? The woman seemed to be much more limber and agile than she'd been before, even if the baby was still quite clearly on the inside.

He wasn't going to worry about it, just enjoy her lively company. Maybe it would help wake him up the rest of the way.

Then, in a flash, the mood seemed to change. The woman's posture indicated that she didn't want him nipping for the cookies right yet, so he didn't. He just watched her closely, his expression going from mild amusement to something.. softer, somehow, almost awkward. "It's - it's okay. No one wants to think about that, and I should have been honest with you about Linnea." That was what he felt badly about, and there was an apology of his own tucked into the words. The cookies were offered once more, and this time, he reached out and took the plate, pulling one off the stack and taking a slow, deliberate bite.

His eyes closed and he made a soft noise. Damn, but that was good.

"...Depends." He finally replied, pausing before he took another bite. "Think you can send me a basket of these when it comes time for you leave us and return to the place this amazing recipe came from?"

[Nako]

"No, I understand." Zuberi countered him quickly about the origin of Linnea. "Tis a personal thing, and personal things are told to others in time. You don't think I've told -you- my every secret, eh?" The cookies were quickly taken from her and she grinned, knowing that the treat was working their magic.

Scooting closer, she ran her thumbs over the thin scar that was just barely obscured by the hem of his pants. "I -thought- that scar looked funny." Slowly, her hands went from his belly to the points of his hips to feel the softness of the flesh over bulges of muscle.. and residual bruises. She was sure to keep her touch gentle. As much as Apocalypse liked to be touch, he was also quite touchable himself.

As if remembering herself, she pulled away and struck a proud pose with her fists to her own sides, looking up at the man with a quirk of her brow. "Dat is your ultimatum, eh? Well, I might have to make you come -visit- me if you want more. They're only good when fresh in my humble opinion, an' I won't be sendin' ya subpar goods."

Her belly tightened almost visibly, and she gave a small frown. She'd been having them since yesterday and she was told that they could potentially continue for days still. Of course... Zuberi wasn't really realizing they were showing up at regular intervals.

[carcinoGeneticist]

That was what he liked about the woman, Apocalypse realized with a rush. She was easy, laid-back, slow to judge until she'd heard the whole story. She was also damn gorgeous in a bizarre way, but that wasn't the point. Not for now, at least. He shifted as she reached out to him, taking a small step forward to bridge the distance between them ever so slightly. His eyes locked onto her, the wafer in his hand for the moment forgotten, his mind too focused on exactly what she was intending to do.

Stiff and sore as he was, emotionally scarred as the last few days had left him... He was never going to complain if a woman like Zuberi wanted to touch him. He shivered under her fingers as she traced the scar. Then he sighed when she continued to run her hands across his torso, settling into the touch easily and happily. A blush touched his cheeks and his lips parted, trying to find the proper words.

..He didn't have the chance. The moment had passed, and Zuberi was very clearly teasing him. "Nfff," he muttered under his breath, a spark in his eye at her next statement. "That would depend, wouldn't it? I mean, it's quite the trip, and while I appreciate your commitment to excellence... What would be the other benefits to my visiting, hmm?" He leaned in, his arms extending and easing around her waist, his face closing in as if he was going to bury it against her neck. Even if she wasn't in the mood for -that-, there was no harm in giving her the same little shivers as he'd just received from her feather-light touching...

But he paused, catching the frown and the odd contraction under his hands. "...You okay? How long have you been having contractions?"

[Nako]

Zuberi was immediately cursing her damned inconvenience. Her body had already begun to relax in anticipation for his closeness when that contraction had hit her. Frustration was obvious on her face, shoulders sagging as she looked up at the man with a near helpless expression.

"For a day now, but your 'esteemed' doctor told me to expect some odd contractions here and there for the upcoming days!" After all, the doctor was what everyone wanted her to see. Didn't he have all the answers? In that moment, a certain level of exasperation hit her. Damned if she did, damned if she didn't! Because even a doctor couldn't assuage the man's fears!

Chest puffing up, she poked Apocalypse's chest with a finger. "Look here. Labor is painful and intense. I'm sure I'd be -screaming- right now if I were in labor!"

Aha... is it ironic if everyone sees it coming? Well, perhaps ironic to Zuberi, since she was the only one who didn't. Just as she uttered those last words, there was a 'woosh' as liquid came pouring down her legs and onto the floor. If Zuberi had pupils, they probably would have narrowed to little dots as she stood there with her mouth open and finger still extended outward. The offending contraction in charge of the mess was still rippling across her belly.

She looked down at the mess. Oh gosh, now dying didn't seem that bad of an option. She was pretty sure she was going to die of embarrassment anyways. Then... it hit her what exactly just happened... and her voice rang up into a high pitched shriek. "Oh shit!!"