A/N: As usual, I would recommend putting the video on loop.
Pale, soft light drifted in through the glass of the window. The glass gave view to the background bathed in the illumination of the moon. Grass, frosted over by the chilly air, spread out from one side of the fence to the wall where the window was at. Inside, the lamp on the table was shut off, and the light blue chiffon curtains hung limply by the sides of the window. Almost, it looked like the drapes wished to sway lightly in an invisible breeze, but they remained unmovable.
Across from the window, a white comforter and sheets covered a form. (H/c) locks fanned out around the owner's head, and hands were curled into relaxed fists. Lips were parted, and her chest rose up and down steadily. He could hear her soft breathing, and he could see the remnants of tears on her cheeks.
After her father left, neither of them had said a word to each other. (F/n) simply climbed into bed and cuddled under the sheets. He moved away from the bed and stood close to the table when he heard her begin to cry quietly. She was trying to hide, so he would give her the illusion that she was succeeding. Now, she had been asleep for about an hour.
Ether released a quiet sigh from his lips as he looked to her. Her (h/c) seemed to glimmer under the moonlight washing over it, and the tears, which had been trickling down her face even during sleep, sparkled like small diamonds. Due to the plush comforter and sheets, she almost looked like a star in the evening sky. The thought made him smile to himself, but his smile faded when he remembered the source of those glittering gems.
He imagined that she was shedding tears from the stress of the whole situation and the anxiety she felt for her mother and sibling, possibly her father too. Her father was in the living room resting, but he understood that she would've stayed up all night to talk to him if they both didn't require rest before the drive tomorrow.
There was also the fact that she probably worried about him keeping his promise about not attacking her sibling. If the baby survived in the womb long enough to be born, the baby next had to survive him. He had every intention of maintaining his promise. Killing her baby sibling wasn't something he wanted to do, nor did he need to. Besides if he did, a permanent barrier that he never would be able to tear down would form between (f/n) and him; he didn't want that at all, especially when one just had fallen.
Another fact entered into the matter. He had told (f/n) that he didn't want to adopt to have a child with her, but with a baby potentially on the way, he was admittedly curious. Sure, he had studied female anatomy as well as human birthing processes, but to witness it was another matter. Of course, he didn't expect (m/n) to let him view her giving birth, but to see a newborn that he would be living with was ... exciting ... even if it wasn't his child.
Maybe, that was because he wanted a child of his own so badly, and he knew that the likelihood of that happening with his love was next to none. He even admitted to her that he would be fine with never having a child with her if that's what she wanted, and he made that promise never to force that upon her; he would stick to that promise regardless of what he wanted. Another sigh exited from his lips, and he tried to picture what a human baby roaming the house would be like. In his wandering around the areas, he had seen a few human babies, but each of them seemed to be at their own pace in terms of walking, talking, etc. The difference between the few he had seen peaked his curiosity more. Just what would his pink flower's sibling be like?
Almost, he giggled at a thought. Maybe, the baby would giggle with him, and that would form a bond between them. It certainly would be intriguing to witness how the baby would adjust to living with him. Unlike most or all current human babies for that matter, none probably even had grown up with one of his kind in their home. Him living there would be the norm for the baby.
Perhaps, that was one of (f/n)'s concerns: his influence on the infant. To the baby, eating people might seem like a respectable habit among humans. That time, a giggle did leave Ether. Yeah, there certainly would have to be clarifications as the baby grew older. Personally, Ether didn't mind if the child would take after some of his habits, but he suspected that (f/n) and her parents wouldn't appreciate that. There also was the issue that the child wouldn't have the capabilities that he had to defend themselves if ever they were to try a bite of human or take an interest in killing their own kind.
Then again, Ether would try to keep his more sadistic tendencies hidden from the child, and eating the remains of already dead people set up for cremation would help that. With regards to his pink flower, he couldn't give up dessert completely, but he might be able to lessen it a little so that the child didn't associate him with something that constantly tormented their older sister. There was the possibility too that the child might think it okay to bite their sister, which Ether didn't desire at all. (F/n) was his.
Despite that negative possibility, Ether grinned a bit. He'd be lying if he said he was fine with the baby dying or living. Personally, he did want to see the child born. And if for some bizarre, seemingly impossible reason (f/n) did decide to have a child with him and she would survive the process, he could get some experience, though; raising a human baby compared to a baby of his species ... well, he was sure there had to be some similarities. Ether couldn't use his own infancy as a comparison since he didn't remember it, and he certainly didn't want his childhood ever to be repeated for his own child or (f/n)'s sibling.
Even though he was lost in his thoughts, his ears did catch the sound of his partner moving on the bed. Instantly, he snapped out of them and looked over to her. She was leaning against one of the pillows, and her eyes were trained on him. He sported a grin and crossed his arms. "Something bothering you?" Already, he knew that a lot of things were, but he didn't want to ignite her tears again; he didn't want to see anymore on her even if they did look beautiful under the moonlight.
"You were giggling." She sat up a little straighter and blinked some sleep out of her eyes. "What about?" Her voice dropped a level. "What's funny about this?"
Shaking his head, Ether relaxed his lips, and an apologetic look crossed his face. It caught (f/n) off guard a little, but she made no mention of that to him. Most likely, he could tell, but his expression remained the same regardless. "Sorry. I woke you back up. I didn't mean to." He pushed himself off of the wall and seated himself on the end of the bed. She pushed herself against the pillow more, but that was it.
"You still haven't answered my question." She crossed her arms and tried to get any remaining sleep out of her eyes, but her body did want more sleep; however, she also desired to know why he was giggling given the situation. It probably was because he still was annoyed by her father and because he was simply him. His giggles didn't always match up with the situation. "You seem ..." Her eyes narrowed. For a brief moment, she spotted happiness in his optics, which made her all the more curious. "... Joyful."
"I was thinking about the baby." Instantly, she tensed. What sick thoughts had been going through his head? He was going to keep his promise, wasn't he? "Don't get so worked up, though; I do understand why you would." Ether shrugged before he rested his hands on his knees. "Anyway, my thoughts weren't about harming them. I just was thinking about what it would be like to live with a human baby. I've never done that before for obvious reasons, so I'm curious."
"I don't think that my parents will let you near the baby if they do survive." Her tone wasn't necessarily harsh; it just was stating a blatant, probable fact. He giggled and nodded that he understood that. She furrowed her brows. His giggle had been cheerful ... genuinely so. "... You're really looking forward to the baby?" Ether nodded his head. There was no need for him to grin; the nod gave away his feelings enough. "... Why? They won't be yours. I thought ..."
"I do," he cut her off leaning back on his hands now. "That won't ever change, but I'm curious. I want to see what this whole experience is like for humans. I'll actually get to witness what a childhood is like." A sigh broke his gleeful mood. "I know that it won't be normal with me around, but I'd like to think that I'll still be able to understand some of the concept for myself." He grinned again, even more so as a new thought came to him. "And, I'll get to see what you're like with a baby."
Groaning, she rubbed the bridge of her nose, but when her fingers briefly glided over the inner corners of her eyes, she paused. They felt crusty and swollen, and she remembered how she had been crying before she had fallen asleep. Ether noted her action, and he scooted forward on the bed. His chipper mood dropped, and he wore a small smile, which brought up the memories of missing him to her. She shoved them aside, but she did meet his gaze. "You're scared, and even my prior reaction probably doesn't ease your mind."
"... I ..." She broke his gaze and peered down to her lap. "... It's not just that. This whole thing ... I feel helpless." Her hands tightened around the comforter. "I know that it's no time for self-pity." A bitter, quiet chuckle parted from her. "Though, there seems never to be a time for it." Slowly, her (e/c) optics lined with his very pale blue ones. "But, the only reason Ca ... he went after my mom and sibling is because I lived. He missed where he wanted to hit me. If ... If ..." Now, she choked back a sob.
"(F/n)," he reached forward and grabbed her hands with his right. She went to pull away, but he kept his hold on her. "If you had died that night in the subway ..." His chest tightened at thought of her body lying cold and lifeless in his arms. "... I can guarantee you that things would be worse right now."