All Silhouettes with No Regrets

by ClockworkCarnage (kissingandcrying), kissingandcrying

Summary:

It took a moment for everything to click. How she constantly forgot that she was visibly pregnant to other people was a mystery, but it stood to reason that Ekko didn’t want to feed another man’s pregnant wife and get himself in trouble.

In Powder’s case, the father was a man she’d never met before in a town she’d only ever visited once, under the influence of several mocktails, her ovulation cycle, and a dream to exercise her free will in a normal, twenty-six year old way.

“I don’t have a partner,” she said plainly. “This was an oopsie-daisy after a long week.”

“Oh. Okay,” Ekko said. “I’m… happy for you? Or sorry? I don’t know.”

Powder huffed, releasing the tension in her shoulders. “We’re really fucking this up, aren’t we?”

- - -

Powder is a pregnant single mother. Her neighbor is a man named Ekko who's handsome, attentive, and can cook. Honestly? Match made in heaven.

Chapter 1: Crystal and Clover

As if pregnancy weren’t humbling enough, Powder just kept discovering new ways to be brought lower and lower by this growing body of hers. One minute she was carefully swatching paint onto the walls of her soon-to-be nursery, and the next, she found herself salivating over the smell of food drifting through the vents from the neighboring apartment.

She tried, really, really hard not to give in. The cravings were vicious, but she liked to believe she still had some semblance of self-control.

In the end, it wasn’t true. After ten minutes of suffering, she dropped her paintbrush into the bucket and yanked off the gloves she’d been using to protect herself from the spatter, bracing herself for the embarrassment of asking her new neighbor to lend her a bowl of whatever the hell they were cooking.

The hallways were blessedly empty when she snuck out of her apartment. It was Friday evening, so the college kids had gone out for the night, and the parents and older professionals were likely cozied up on their couches, watching movies. Only Powder was redecorating, preparing her space for the little plum that she was currently growing to the size of an avocado (according to the last doctor’s visit). 

She considered turning back. Honestly, three steps in, she could already picture herself spinning on her heel and heading back to her apartment. But the scent was even stronger in the hallway and her feet seemed to move on their own. Before she knew it, she was anxiously knocking on the door. 

When the new neighbor had moved in a few days ago, Powder hadn’t given it much thought. She’d lived here for years and knew firsthand that people came and went all the time. Her dads owned the building, and one of them had a knack for being a menace when it came to maintaining the property. He also had a property manager that looked like she’d danced down the cobblestone pathway from hell, and now worked in the leasing office, horns still attached. 

She didn’t expect the new guy to last long.

But when he opened the front door and she got a good look at him, she kind of hoped he would.

“Wow! Holy shit,” she blurted. 

The man's eyes widened comically. Powder clapped her hands over her mouth, heart hammering so fast she felt lightheaded from it. Why would she say that?

The man smiled. “Well, here’s hoping that’s a good thing. You’re the neighbor, right?”

"Yeah! Yes. I'm in apartment 308." She turned a bit stiffly as she pointed toward her open door. "Right there. I’m Powder. "

“I’m Ekko, and I know. I actually saw you in the lobby yesterday.”

“You did?”

"Yeah," he said, hesitating for a moment. Then, squinting slightly, he added, "I think you were talking to a toaster."

Powder was well aware of how ridiculous she sounded before she even opened her mouth and said, “Oh! That’s just spud.” There was never going to be enough time to fully explain that she’d built herself a solar-powered AI toaster that had actually grown quite intelligent over the years. It still lived in the kitchen and occasionally made toast, but for the most part, it had become more of a companion than an appliance. 

Which sounded batshit crazy. So she decided not to explain it at all.

“Spud?”

Shaking her head frantically, she said, “Nevermind that. I'm here because I - I was wondering if maybe I could bother you for some of whatever you’re cooking.”

“What? Like you want to eat it?”

“Yes. Urgh. This is about as embarrassing as it gets,” she mumbled. Closing her eyes, she took another deep breath. “I guess I’ll just come out and say it. I keep smelling whatever you’re cooking through the vents, and I don’t know what it is or - or how to make it. I’m a really bad cook, which kind of sucks, considering,” she pointed at her swollen stomach. “But if you have any extra, I just… even a little bowl would work. A taste tester, maybe!” 

Ekko looked hesitant and Powder felt awful. Shoving her hands into her dungaree pockets, she quickly said, “Or, you know what? Forget I asked. I’m being stupid. It’s the pregnancy brain.” 

"No! It's not that," Ekko assured her, stepping further into the hallway and pulling the door halfway shut behind him. "I just don't want to step on any toes. Maybe I could cook for you and your partner? Or-"

It took a moment for everything to click. How she constantly forgot that she was visibly pregnant to other people too was a mystery, but it stood to reason that Ekko didn’t want to feed another man’s pregnant wife and get himself in trouble. In Powder’s case, the father was a man she’d never met before in a town she’d only ever visited once, under the influence of several mocktails, her ovulation cycle, and a dream to exercise her free will in a normal, twenty-six year old way.

“I don’t have a partner,” she said plainly. “This was an oopsie-daisy after a long week.”

“Oh. Okay,” Ekko said slowly. “I’m… happy for you? Or sorry? I don’t know.” 

Powder huffed, releasing the tension in her shoulders. “We’re really fucking this up, aren’t we?” 

Ekko let out a sudden snort, then burst into laughter, shaking his head in disbelief. He had a sweet sound about him, and Powder wasn’t sure if it was the hormones or just the effect of standing in front of what was clearly one of God’s favorite creations, but his laughter made her feel light and easy. If it were honey, she’d have drizzled it all over her skin. She wanted to know more about this Ekko.

“I got you. Come on in and let me get you a bowl.”

Chapter 2: Swear to God, Double Knot

Ekko was kind of a stunner. 

Which was a non-issue if Powder chose not to pursue anything. She’d had handsome neighbors before and they’d never been worth the effort. Honestly, it was all too easy to ignore them once they’d opened their mouths and let actual words come out.

But Ekko was a menace because he was a triple threat. He was hot. He was thoughtful and attentive. He could cook. 

Basically every trait that the primitive and nesting part of her brain wanted in a man. 

Was it selfish and maybe a little tacky to be pregnant and still trying to pull someone new? Probably. Yeah. But if you asked Spud, single mothers had every right to put themselves out there. And Spud’s was the only opinion worth listening to because he was a robot, you see. Robots didn’t judge. They just googled facts about hot to trot single mothers and framed them in a way that made Powder feel a little less guilty about staring at Ekko’s ass while he carried her groceries up the stairs for her. 

"So, what’s the deal with the toaster?" Ekko asked, leaning casually against the wall as Powder stepped around him with her keys.

“Not just a toaster. It's an advanced therapeutic device.” Powder shot Ekko an impish look, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Oh. My bad,” he said, smiling. “And does this advanced therapeutic device still cook breakfast?”

“Heh. Yeah. Funny enough, I know when he’s angry because he burns all my toast.” Powder nudged her door open and stepped aside while Ekko wormed his way around her, instinctively heading towards the kitchen. She dropped her keys in a dish at the door, shrugging out of her coat and hanging it on a wall hook. “He’s solar powered! I put him on wheels so that when his battery is low he can just park himself at the window. You should hear him when he’s telling me he needs to recharge. He goes, “Looooow Juiiiice ~ ””

“That’s fucking hysterical,” Ekko snorted.

Powder’s apartment was usually pretty lukewarm, but something about following Ekko to the kitchen made it unbearably hot. She trailed a few steps behind, hyper-aware of his scent. Moving behind him was a lot like being continuously pelted with aphrodisiacs. He set the two grocery bags on the table and his shoulders flexed beneath his tight shirt, and Powder drew in a quick, steadying breath. He was reaching in and unpacking her things before she could refocus.

“Wait a minute! You don’t have to do that,” she stammered. 

“It’s fine. I’m already here. Just tell me where stuff goes.” 

Ekko wasn’t even supposed to be here. Powder had run into him in the parking lot, dressed in a workout fit that had made it clear he was heading somewhere. The moment he’d spotted her dropping two grocery bags onto the trunk, he’d veered in her direction with a wide smile and the first words out of his mouth were, “Looks like you could use an extra hand.” She’d all but thrown herself aside and let him snag the bags up.

Could she have carried them by herself? With 100% certainty. She probably needed the exercise. But still, she'd fluttered her lashes and held her warm belly in her hands, and watched him take care of her. Selfish. Tacky. Who fucking cared anyway? Anyone with the opportunity to admire Ekko’s ass in grey sweatpants would have done the same thing.

“Weren’t you headed somewhere?” She asked.

“Meh. I go to the gym everyday. It can wait an hour.”

The two of them unpacked the bags together. It was a quick, five-minute task at most, but it felt good to have company that wasn’t family for once. While Ekko folded the paper bags and shoved them neatly under the sink, Powder hopped onto one of the barstools in the kitchen, kicking her legs idly as she watched him move. 

“Thanks for helping me with the groceries. I probably could have done it myself, but it’s more fun with you.”

“It’s okay. You can say it. You like me.”

For one heart-stopping moment, Powder thought she’d been caught. Thought that all the ogling she’d been doing for the past ten minutes might have actually cost her a good relationship with her neighbor. She was more than ready to throw her hands up and back off. Hell, she’d even grovel at his feet if it meant more home cooked meals and good company. But then he turned around, eyes glinting with amusement, and she realized he was fucking around. 

“You’re an ass.” 

Ekko leaned casually against the sink and crossed his arms over his chest, a motion that made him seem impossibly large. Powder bit her lip.

“Your problem is thinking I’m not gonna tease a girl who jailbroke a toaster.”

Powder gasped. “Rude. Also - speaking of. Spud!” 

There was the hum of machinery in the other room, followed by the sound of wheels rolling across the hardwood floor. Powder almost couldn’t believe it. Spud rarely listened to her when she called for him, but this time he rolled himself to the kitchen doorway, beeping a few times before his little voice said, “Maaama.” 

Ekko looked at Spud with pure, unbridled shock. "Wow. You weren’t kidding."

“Nope. He’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever made.” Powder grinned. “At least until someone put a baby in me. Now I’m starting to wonder if I’ll just spend the rest of my life outdoing myself.”

“Don't you have that backwards?”

Powder frowned. “Hm?”

“I mean - kind of seems like someone was out doing you.”

It took a second for the joke to hit, but when it did, Powder’s mouth fell open.

“You are a piece of work!” she screeched, blindly grabbing the first thing within reach, which just so happened to be a tattered old rag bunched up on the table behind her. She hurled it at him, cackling when he threw up his arms in mock defense. "You absolute dickhead."

Ekko’s responding smile was genuinely one of the most dazzling things Powder had ever seen.

 

---

If there was one thing that Powder had learned from years of knowing her, it was that Sevika liked to perch in the darkness and just wait. 

Like a gargoyle.

Which wasn’t a problem unless Powder wasn’t expecting it. When she returned from visiting Vander and Silco that very same day, she hadn’t expected anyone to be waiting for her in the entryway of her apartment. So the moment she stepped inside and saw an impossibly large, human-shaped shadow waiting for her, she tripped backwards and screamed, dropping her box of goodies as she fell into the hallway. 

Sevika rushed after her, starting to say, “What is wrong with y-” just as a neighboring door flew open, Ekko’s deep, frantic voice yelling, “Powder?”

Powder leaned up on her elbows, peeking over at the man sheepishly. Ekko frowned as he took in the whole scene, clearly struggling to connect the dots between why she was on the floor and the demon from the front office was standing in her apartment doorway. 

“I’m okay!” Powder said. “I’m good.”

“What’s going on?” He asked, stepping out fully and looking between the two of them.

“I came to check on my pregnant god-daughter is what’s going on. Seems she forgot about me stopping by today.” 

“You never told me you were coming by!”

“I did. Four times. Including a text message two hours ago. And I told your dads to remind you on the way out the door.” 

“Well, they didn’t.”

“Or they did, but you're pregnant and you forgot,” Sevika said, her tone exhausted but not unkind as she reached out and offered her hand. Powder took it, allowing herself to be pulled to her feet. “Are you hurt?”

“That depends. We talking about my tailbone or my pride?”

Sevika gave her a blank, unamused stare.

Powder rolled her eyes. “Yeah. I’m okay.”

“And you -” Sevika snapped, turning to Ekko. “You seem awful worried for someone I didn’t even know was close to her. What’s your name?”

Ekko blinked at her. “You don't already know my name?”

“Yes, she does,” Powder said pointedly, offering a face she hoped looked sympathetic. “You pay rent every month. She knows who you are. Please don't give it to her.” 

The man didn't speak for a long minute. Then, he slowly said, "It’s Ekko."

“Well, Ekko, why don’t you stick around for a bit? Make sure she’s alright.” She turned her gaze back to Powder, giving her a once-over that made Powder wonder if she was actually concerned about her well-being or just trying to be the world's biggest and most embarrassing pain in the ass. “Doctor’s appointment tomorrow. I’m taking you. Don’t forget.”

"You really needed to come here and wait in my apartment to tell me that?"

"I did. Are you gonna remember it?" 

“Yes, your highness.”

“Good. And stop stealing all the goddamn chocolates from the front office.” 

Before Powder could fully defend herself about that (because Silco absolutely bought her favorite chocolates and kept them stocked in the front office for a reason, and Powder was more than willing to die on that hill), a whirring sound echoed from inside the apartment. A second later, Spud rolled out and beelined for Powder, his buttons clicking anxiously as he rolled under her feet. Sevika took one look at him and deflated, mumbling, “This fucking toaster” before turning sharply. She headed for the stairs without so much as a look back over her shoulder.

“Maaaama~” the toaster chirped.

Powder bent down and scooped him up, well aware that there were trinkets and other scattered items that should have been prioritized. She promised herself she’d clean them up later. Right now, she needed to slow her heart rate down a bit. Not that Ekko would help with that at all (like, literally what a stupid idea inviting sex on legs to her apartment when she was already toying with cardiac arrest), but Sevika gave an order that for the first time in decades, Powder wasn’t interested in fighting. So she followed through with it, shooting Ekko a slightly apologetic look before jerking her head towards her open apartment door.

"What do you say? You free?”

“Yeah. You hungry?"

Powder’s grip on Spud visibly tightened, and she hissed, “Fuck yeah."

Across the hallway, Ekko whistled and laughed before closing his door behind him. 

Chapter 3: All of Me, Honestly

“Okay, okay, okay! Take it easy, will you? When did this become ‘Dig on Powder’ hours, anyway?”

Vander’s responding laugh was probably one of Powder’s favorite sounds in the world. His broad chest meant that it was so much deeper and more rumbly than many people’s she knew. She lifted her cup of tea, hiding her smile against the rim as she took a sip. Couldn't have him thinking she was going back on her complaint seconds after she'd made it.

“We’re not digging on you. Just asking a few questions, my love.”

“They’re not very fun questions,” she mumbled.

There was a local café that had turned into their go-to Sunday brunch spot over the years. Silco had known the owner and had managed to finagle a private room just for them - a quiet little space where they could catch up. Powder quite liked the brunches. For one, eating was a favorite pastime of hers, so allowing her dads or sister to pay for a meal was a no-brainer. But for two, her family was a fucking riot. 

At least, when they weren’t harping on her about the baby. These days, brunch felt a bit more like contingency planning than actually catching up. 

Powder turning to Silco. “Say, Pops. Why don’t you come get your man? He’s asking invasive questions again.”

Silco had his nose buried in a free newspaper he’d picked up outside the front doors. He didn’t bother lowering it as he said, “He’s been out of control long before you both showed up. One day, we’ll all come to terms with the fact that he’s going to do whatever he wants, regardless of what any of us thinks about it.”

“Gee, thanks for trying,” Powder said sarcastically, slumping back in her chair and staring up at the ceiling.

She understood why her parents were anxious. She knew why Vi was hovering. A single mother in her mid-twenties with little to no support outside of direct family probably sounded like a dumpster fire waiting to happen. But she also missed the conversations they used to have during these little get togethers. The questions about her work. Her engineering. Her newfound interests. Truth be told, the hyper-fixation on the baby was making her feel a little overlooked.

“We’re just trying to get some stuff together ahead of time, Pow,” Vi promised. “Five months really isn’t that long.” 

“Bleh.” 

“Don’t be like that,” Vi laughed, grabbing a fry off of her plate and smothering it with ketchup. Before Powder could sit back up, Vi held out the fry, waiting for her to open her mouth before dropping it in. Powder started chewing obnoxiously and Vi made a startled noise in the back of her throat. “You’re like a damn seagull.” 

Oh. A seagull, huh?

Powder looked at Vi. Vi looked back at Powder. There was a long, quiet moment that passed between them before they came to an understanding.

Just as Powder opened her mouth to start her bird scream, Silco's voice cut through the room. “Don’t.”

“But -”

“No bird noises at the table.”

“Oh, come on!” 

“Not at the table,” Vander agreed, nodding his head at her plate. “And eat your salad before it wilts. Too much dressing on it if you ask me.”

Silco folded the newspaper, setting it neatly in his lap before reaching for his fork. Most of the plates around the table were nearly empty, but Silco had never been one for multitasking. Picking through his salad, he said, “Sevika mentioned you'd made a new friend. One of your neighbors.”

“That traitor. Do you have her watching me? She’s always - Oh! Right! Ekko! ” Powder sprung up in her seat. “You guys wouldn't believe it. He’s so cool. No idea where you even found a guy like that.” 

“That’s not how apartment complexes work,” Vi snorted. “Literally the opposite.”

“And how did you meet this Ekko?” Silco continued gently, forking some salad into his mouth.

“I went and begged him for food,” Powder said matter-of-factly, completely disregarding the way Silco nearly spat his food back out, and how Vander took a slow, measured breath. Vi, on the other hand, simply looked at her like she always did, with a soft sort of amusement on her face. Shrugging, Powder continued, “He was really nice about it. And it was probably one of the best things I’ve ever eaten." She looked over at Vander. "Sorry, dad. Anyway. Now he feeds me all the time.”

Vi straightened up at that, looking between Silco and Vander. The three of them shared one of those annoyingly long, silent conversations before Vi finally turned back to her.

“Well he sounds like a charmer. When do we get to meet him?”

“No! Don’t make it weird. We’re not dating. He just cooks for me.” 

Vi squinted, clearly ready to fire back, but before she could, Vander cut in, “Well, any friend of yours is a friend of ours, love. Bring him round. We’ll take good care of him.”

 

---

 

As if it weren’t hot enough that Ekko knew how to cook, the fact that he wanted Powder to learn was another level of frustratingly romantic. 

It was a month into their friendship when Powder’s phone chimed with a text. 

 

Chef E: Get ready. I’m taking you out tonight. 

 

Powder’s chest tightened, heat crawling up her neck. Her palms were going clammy at the idea of a date. Not a date. He didn’t say a date.

But it was a date, right?

To be safe, Powder spent an hour in the bathroom. She shaved every inch of her body, scrubbing herself down as if she'd just returned from a month-long trek in the hottest desert known to man. With her hair washed, blow-dried, and styled in her signature two-bun look, she made sure her makeup was snatched to the gods before slipping into a cute tea dress. It had fit better a month ago, but it was still cute the way the fabric bunched around her little bump. She spun this way and that in front of the mirror, admiring the reflection for a moment before nodding to herself and heading for the door.

Ekko was waiting by his car, leaning casually against the hood. When he spotted her coming down the stairs, he straightened up, a low whistle slipping from his lips as he took her in.

“Wow,” he said, strolling over and offering his arm to help her down the last few steps. “Who got you smiling like that, girl?”

Powder gagged, covering her face with her free hand to hide the red as much as she could.

Powder didn’t remember much of the car ride, too keyed up to stay still and focus, but a few details stuck with her. Ekko’s car smelled like cake. He listened to physical disks, and used the car’s interface to change tracks. His car was neat, almost obsessively so. No dust on the dashboard or errant wrappers on the floor by his feet. Most importantly, he drove with one hand on the wheel, the other casually resting on the console. In some other reality, Powder liked to imagine his hand resting on her thigh instead. Just a gentle pressure as he switched lanes or hummed along to his music, absently squeezing her leg as he drove. 

But that was her imagination, and he wouldn't do that because they weren't dating. This wasn't a date.

Hm. 

“Where are we going?” Powder asked about fifteen minutes into their ride. 

“It’s called The Gilded Crucible. It’s a restaurant, but it also doubles as an industrial kitchen for cooking classes on the weekend.”

“That sounds so familiar,” Powder whispered, gaze fixed on the passing city just outside the window.

The restaurant was in a quaint part of town that Powder seldom visited. It was clearly for tourists and couples, not single mothers and their confusing situationship of a neighbor. Even so, when Ekko helped her out of the car and she glanced up at the building they were parked in front of, she couldn’t help but feel selfishly giddy about finally having an excuse to visit. It’d been years since she’d had a reason to dress up, let alone splurge on a visit to a fancy-shmancy restaurant. 

The lobby was even more dazzling than the outside. There were ornate light fixtures in the entryway, the host stand decorated with bouquets in all shades of blue. 

“This is kind of -” Powder started, snapping her jaw shut when she saw the small picture hanging behind the podium. Squinting, she confirmed that it was exactly who she thought it was before letting out a short, amused huff. Ekko hummed behind her, and she was just about to explain what was happening to him when the sound of kitchen doors swinging grabbed her attention.

“Well if it isn’t the boy genius!”

Bingo. Jayce fucking Talis. 

“Hey, man! Great to see you.”

When Powder was in college (the few years she’d actually tried to attend), she’d met a man named Viktor who was sharp as a pin and as well-intentioned as they came. He’d been working on a project to develop a new source of energy that lasted longer, burned brighter, and could power virtually any infrastructure without damaging the world in the process. The details were still a bit hazy - mostly because when he and Powder were together, the man would go on and on about a guy from his other class. Apparently, this guy was built like a linebacker, with eyebrows so thick they deserved their own birth certificate.

It’d been a few years since then, but if the pictures on the wall were anything to go by, the two were now married.

“This is my girl Powder,” Ekko said, nodding his head towards her. 

“So you’re the man that Viktor was always crying over,” Powder said, walking up to him and extending her hand. “You’re as tall as he said you were.” She glanced down, her gaze landing on the buttons of his chef’s jacket, which were honestly fighting for their lives. “You usually wear your coats that tight…?”

“Oh, yeah. These days,” he laughed. “No matter how many I order, they all seem to go missing. I think Viktor keeps replacing them with smaller and smaller ones. But the food is good and people keep coming back, so I've given up fixing it."

"That probably has to do with the - you know -" she said, swirling her finger by his pec.

"Yeah. Crazy business tactic, but that's Vik for you. Anyway. Ya’ll ready to make some pasta?”

"Make some?"

Powder turned to Ekko, trying not to think too hard about him watching her. He was biting his lip, and when their eyes met, he smirked. She couldn’t help but mimic, turning back to Jayce before she got herself in trouble.

“Fine. Let’s hope you got insurance.”

Notes:

The next part will not be until Sunday (she said, knowing damn well it'll probably be here tomorrow). LOL.

Chapter 4: Why Waste Time?

Every now and then, night was too quiet. 

Powder would lie in the dark in her bedroom, straining to hear the sounds around her. The soft hum of the ceiling fan, the distant honking of cars, the muffled thud from the upstairs neighbor dropping something on the floor. It never seemed to do much for her. Each noise only made her more aware of the fact that she was alone, and that in her room, it was just her and the sound of a million other lives happening elsewhere. 

She wondered if there were other people who felt as lonely as she did at 3AM.

Sighing, she rolled onto her side, eyes catching on the faint outline of the dresser across the room.

What would it be like to have someone? To not just stare at the wall when her heartburn kept her from sleeping? Would life feel different if there were someone nudging up behind her, wrapping their arms around her waist? Kissing the back of her neck? Rubbing her belly until she fell asleep? Not the first time, the idea of pregnancy seemed so much sweeter when there was someone else to share it with.

Outside, the wind blew into her room through the small gap she’d left, damp and smelling of petrichor. It was supposed to rain for the next few days. Powder wasn’t much of a rain person, but when the pattering began and little droplets splashed against the glass, she found herself watching them trickle down anyway, eyes drawn to the movement. The moon was missing, the sky too overcast for it. Only the streetlamps outside were bringing any semblance of light to her room, and even then, it was dim and kind of ugly.

It only took a moment for Powder’s legs to start tingling.

She was thinking herself in circles. And if she took a minute to actually look in the center and find the source of her restlessness, she'd probably find a big, spray-painted image of Ekko's face. 

“Urgh,” Powder growled, kicking her legs and pressing her fists against her eyes. “I wanna kiss him so bad.”

Beside the bed, Spud chirped awake.

The riff of a guitar was too loud in the otherwise quiet room, and Powder shot up, glaring down at the robot beside her. 

A while back, Powder had taken a small speaker no larger than her fingertip, and attached it to the inside of Spud’s body. The idea was that he’d eventually teach himself to communicate, and he needed a mouth for that. But instead of learning to talk for himself, all he ever seemed to do was borrow AI voices to say offhand words, narrate Googled information, or… play music.

The kicker was that as a robot with an interface, he had access to the world’s music libraries at large, yet seemed to be obsessed with one particular band.

And that band just so happened to have an appropriate song for her crisis.

“Dude! You’ve got access to the entire internet. Why do you keep playing this band?”

“Kiss me out of the bearded barley. Nightly, beside the green, green grass. Swing, Swing-”

“Seriously. Turn it off. It’s three in the morning and I’m not in the mood.”

“Swing that spinning step. You’ll wear those shoes and I will wear that dress, oh -”

“Spud! God damnit!” Powder yelled. She flopped back over, violently pulling the blankets over her head as the song carried on. 

Short of turning him off, which Powder would never do, she’d come to accept that the robot made his own decisions. Like a pet. Or a child. She’d built him from scraps with the understanding that once he was made, he was his own being. This was just one of his latest quirks: an obsession with Sixpence None the Richer. Powder figured that if she said the right thing tomorrow, she’d probably get a new soundtrack. 

As the song continued to play, Powder’s thoughts drifted back to Ekko.

She liked his lips. The last time they’d spoken, she’d been hit with the realization that the shape of them, how pillowy and soft they looked, was slowly going to drive her crazy. 

Just once, she wanted to interrupt him when he was talking to her. She could see it now: him mid-word as she leaned in, going up on her toes to kiss him. It would be magic. He’d taste like Beignets. Or strawberries. Or something overwhelmingly sweet. Ekko would pull away and do that adorable frown of his, staring at her for a moment. And then, just like in the movies, he’d wrap an arm around her waist and pull her in properly, huffing against her lips as she laughed. They’d stumble backward together, lips catching as he fumbled for the door handle of his apartment, and maybe if they were lucky, they’d manage to get inside and kick the door closed behind them before his hands were unlatching the button of her dungarees.

“Kiss me beneath the milky twilight. Lead me out on the moonlit floor.”

The morning after, she’d make him breakfast and it would be burnt.

“Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance.” 

He’d take her to the movies anyway and hold her hand as they walked into the theatre together with a too-big bucket of popcorn. 

“Silver moon’s sparkling.”

She just couldn’t seem to stop dreaming.

Taking a deep breath and feeling the weight of sleep creeping in, Powder yawned and untangled herself from the blanket to get some fresh air. She squeezed her eyes shut, shifting her head on the pillow to find a more comfortable spot.

“Maybe I’ll tell him tomorrow,” she said. “What do you think, Spud? Is that a good idea? Or am I crazy?” 

The robot didn’t answer. The song continued to play. 

 

---

‘Tomorrow’ turned out to be a pretty bad day, all things considered.

It started like any other day, though Powder was in a surprisingly good mood. She had a plan, you see. Today, she was going to talk to Ekko, and maybe even kiss him once or twice. She wasn’t exactly the expert on kissing. She’d had a boyfriend in high school who’d all but tried to eat her face at one point, and a girlfriend during her brief college stint who’d like to kiss, but much preferred a different type of lips, and then there was the one-night stand with the freelance bartender who had kissed her maybe once to get it started, but focused more on the ‘baby making’ portion of the event (and was a little too successful if you asked her). So, yeah, her practice was limited. 

But she had passion! And spirit. And was convinced that that would be enough to move the needle.

“Hey, Spud? Can you not play anymore Sixpence?” Powder called over her shoulder as she reached into the shower to check the water temperature. It was scolding. Perfect.

The toaster whirred and rolled into the bathroom. It was still for a minute before its voice, clearly borrowed from some other AI program, blurted, “No, mother.” 

“How are you even real?” Powder scoffed, shaking her head and tossing her towel to the sink as she stepped into the shower. 

In response, Don’t Dream, It’s Over began to play. 

Maybe Powder should have known then that the day wouldn’t go to plan. She didn’t want to look too overdressed, so she left her hair down, skipped the makeup, and threw on a larger sweater to disguise her belly just a bit. Ekko had a routine on weekends, coming in from the gym and always wandering through the front office to check for mail on the way to his apartment. Not that she needed an excuse to meet up with him - she had his number and an open invitation to call. But if she wanted a movie-like kiss, they needed a movie-like run in. Accidental. Innocent. Cute.

Sevika was at the front desk when Powder barged into the office. She glanced up uninterestedly as the girl walked in, her attention quickly returning to the show on her screen without so much as a shrug.

“Good morning, sunshine!” Powder crowed.

“Mm.”

“Whatcha watching?”

“A documentary on squids.” 

“Right.” Powder lowered herself into the seat right across the desk. “And you’re watching that because you’re interested in that particular topic? Or…” 

Sevika had a way of speaking that managed to sound both judgmental and dismissive at the same time. When she said, “Nosey Nellie already, huh? Don’t you have a yoga class or something to attend?” Powder wasn’t sure if she was genuinely asking or taking a dig that Powder couldn’t quite place.

“Nope! I’m just chilling here with you today.”

“Here with me,” Sevika parroted slowly. 

“What? I can’t hang out with my own godmother on a Saturday? Yeesh. What’s the world coming to!”

“If you really wanted to hang out, you’d drag that chair of yours to this side of the table and watch the squid documentary. Otherwise, you can go wait for Ekko by the door and let me watch this in peace.” 

“What? I’m not waiting for -” 

The door to the front office chimed, and Powder straightened up immediately, breath catching in her throat as Ekko stumbled in. He was laughing as he shook off his umbrella, and Powder’s entire body was tingling. She lifted a hand to wave, smile faltering slightly as she processed him making his way through the door. Without the umbrella in the way, she could see he was with someone.

A girl. 

“Woof - ! That storm is something else,” he laughed.

To Powder’s absolute dismay, the girl was drop-dead gorgeous. She was petite, though Powder could make out some sort of muscle beneath her clothing. She dressed like she’d stepped out of a thrift store, effortlessly pulling off the careless-hipster aesthetic that Powder had probably tried at one point, but couldn’t maintain. Her thick, blonde hair that draped down her back was a bit tousled and the errant strands were curling up around her face because of the rain. 

The girl looked at Ekko, snorting as she reached for a small leaf that had stuck in his hair, and she plucked it off, handing it to him.

Powder had never been punched before. She knew too many inhumanly muscular people for that to be a worry, but when all the air in Powder’s chest rushed out in one sharp exhale, she kind of thought that maybe this was what it felt like. Her fingers twitched as she watched the girl laugh, so charming and effortless that it almost seemed scripted. 

Ekko didn’t notice Powder until Sevika cleared her throat pointedly. 

“You’re right on time. I was about to close the office for the day.” She jerked her head towards a table by the door. “Your mail’s over there.” 

Ekko’s eyes caught Powder and his face lit up, a wide smile spreading across his lips.

“Hey, Powder!”

“H-hi, Ekko.”

“What are you doing down here?”

Oh, I don’t know. Just trying to invite you to a make out sesh. No big deal. 

She tried her fucking hardest not to look shattered. Her eyes stung, and no matter how much she blinked, it seemed she was only an inch closer to bawling her eyes out in the front office. She was pregnant and hormonal, and she’d spent the last twelve hours imagining a life with a man who had just walked into the front office with someone else. How could she not have asked him if he was taken? He’d asked her. It only seemed fair.

"I just came down here to see Sevika," she croaked, standing abruptly. Her palms were sweating and she anxiously rubbed them against her pants legs.

“Who’s this?” the girl whispered, smiling.

“Oh, this is my neighbor, Powder. Super cool girl. Powder, this is Lux.” He turned to look at his friend, gaze so soft that it made Powder sick.

“Rad hair, Powder! I love that color blue. It's beautiful.” 

Rolling her eyes skyward to try and clear the water from them, she took a deep breath, steadying herself before blurting, “Why is everyone around here so hot? I’m gonna have a stroke.” When Sevika coughed, she said, “Sorry. Kidding. No, not kidding. You’re very attractive. I shouldn’t have said that. Ugh!” This was a whole lot like being on the drop of a rollercoaster, except you realize midway down that your seatbelt is off and that you’re already airborne, plummeting to the concrete below. Powder didn’t want to be dramatic, but she was kind of ready to hit the pavement already and get it over with.

“Powder,” Sevika said quietly. She'd only ever used that voice a few times, and it was always when she was concerned. 

It was time to go.

“I’m just tired. Not feeling too good,” she said, taking a few steps backward. “Sorry, Sevika. If you could just run me some tea or something later, that'd be nice. I think I’m gonna go back to bed. Probably forever. Yeah.” 

Ekko said her name, but the rest of his sentence faded into the background, muffled, distant, and swallowed by the rush of blood in her ears. Was it embarrassing that she all but booked it for the stairs? Sure! Actually, it was probably at the top of a long list of awkward things Powder had done to embarrass herself. She was grateful that nobody followed her. She’d already caused enough emotional friction in the ten minutes of day she'd actually decided to participate in. No need for everyone to suffer a bit more.

Powder held off until she’d made it up the first flight of stairs, but then the waterworks started. By the time she reached her floor, she was hiccoughing and fighting to breathe. Her eyes felt raw and red, and her chest was tight.

The reality was that she couldn’t have Ekko. Whether Lux was his girlfriend, a date, or just an occasional hookup, she was a reminder of the bigger picture. She wasn’t carrying the weight of pregnancy. She wasn’t a tangled mess of emotions. She wasn’t desperately seeking emotional support to get through the next five months with her sanity intact.

Ekko deserved to make out with someone else.

The soft whir of Spud approaching was the only sound in the apartment. It was a welcome one.

“Hi,” Powder sniffed, locking the door behind herself before sliding down to sit against it. Spud rolled between her legs, gently bumping her thigh.

“Don’t mind me. I’m just crying my eyes out because I'm a dramatic piece of shit.”

Spud chirped, and a second later, in an old and mature voice that he’d certainly downloaded from some documentary, said, “Emotional secretion of tears may serve a biological function by excreting stress-inducing hormones built up through times of emotional distress.Tears have symbolic significance among humans.”

Powder giggled, the sound catching in her throat. “Is that so?”

“Emotional tears can also be triggered by listening to music or by reading, watching or listening to various forms of media.”

“Oh. Of course. You just wanna play more music. I assume we know who it's gonna be?”

Spud didn’t even wait for her to finish the question before the opening notes of a song blared through his tiny speaker. Powder covered her face, torn between breaking into hysterics and curling up quietly on the floor. In the end, she chose the latter, slumping to the side and tucking her arm under her head as she cried out the rest of her feelings.

Next to her, Spud sat still as the track played.

Is it all inside my head?
I view the list and take my pick,
I'll view my fate and make the choice,
'Cause it's nobody else's but mine.

Notes:

Huhuhu. Ok, so you may be wondering why Powder is so dramatic. Partly because she’s pregnant, but she's also (canonically) an emotional girl who feels a lot all at once, so I tried to keep that side of her. That being said, this is not an Ekko/Lux fic, as you can see from the tags. Powder is 100% misunderstanding. Twenty points if ya'll can guess their actual relationship!

I should be able to update this by Sunday, but I'm actually uploading this one early because I'm going to a wine festival downtown. I don't write drunk or hungover because I can't edit properly LOL. So it may be on Monday! But I'll try my hardest to update tomorrow anyway. xx

Chapter 5: Dedicated to Hold You

“Cait’s cooking breakfast. You up for some?”

Powder hummed softly, glancing up from the paper on the desk. She smirked as she watched her sister casually lounge against the doorframe of the guest bedroom. It was Sunday, well past noon, and the woman was still in her pajamas just like a trophy wife. They'd joked about it before but this was serious. Cait’s influence looked good on her.

Cait and Vi had bought their own house years ago, offering the guest bedroom as Powder’s to decorate as she pleased. The result was a stunning, sun-filled space, where nearly every wall was covered in plants, paintings, or unique artifacts she’d plucked from the local stores. She sat there now, in hiding, gathering the courage to fix her emotional fumble. 

“I don’t think so.” 

“You haven’t eaten since yesterday, Pow. I really think you need to try.”

Powder looked back down at her paper. She’d been trying to write a proper letter, but instead the page was filled with doodles. In the margins, she’d drawn a million versions of her and Ekko holding hands, or smiling at one another, or cooking in front of the stove. In one, they had a dog. In another, she'd given Ekko a hero mask and drawn herself standing over his shoulder with her arms in the air, a little speech bubble with the words 'save me' between them. She huffed quietly. She was being kind of ridiculous. 

“Why’re you hiding out here?” Vi asked. “Did something happen?”

Powder hadn’t offered an explanation when she’d shown up a few days ago, and as always, Vi and Cait hadn’t asked for one. They rarely did. Even before Ekko, she’d sometimes gotten lonely and decided to spend a few days with them. They certainly deserved an explanation, but Powder was still a little too embarrassed to give it. 

“I’m just writing a letter.” 

“To someone in particular?”

“A mystery man from a mystery planet,” Powder grumbled. 

Vi pushed up off the doorframe, folding her arms over her chest as she wandered over to the desk. Her head tilted slightly as she looked down at the paper. “Okay, grumps. Spit it out.”

Powder grabbed her phone from the bunny teddy bear propped on the desk. She’d read every message from Ekko multiple times over the week, except the last two. They sat in the inbox, bold and unopened. There was a second of hesitation, and then she unlocked her phone, scrolled to the messages, and silently passed it off. When Vi started to read, Powder closed her eyes and listened.

“Hey, P. I figure you’re upset. Not sure what’s going on, but I’m here for you, whatever you need and whenever you’re ready.” Vi frowned, lowering the phone. “Okay. This doesn't tell me a whole lot. What’d he do?”

“He didn't do anything. I got jealous and I messed up. I guess I'm hoping that a letter might make for a better apology.”

Things seemed to click, then. “Jealous? Ah. He’s with someone else?”

“I don’t know,” Powder said, huffing as she slumped forward and set her head on the table. “I didn’t ask. I just freaked out.” 

Vi locked the phone and set it down by Powder’s head. Then she reached out to rub slow, gentle circles between her shoulder blades. Her hands were comforting, and Powder exhaled, melting into it.

“Well this warrants a conversation.” 

“I’m trying .”

“Not a love letter, Powder. I know you. A talk is what you need. A sit down, face to face. Let him read the letter after.”

Powder thought about it, staring at the desk as Vi’s hand moved in slow, soothing circles against her back. Could she actually sit down with Ekko and put into words what her body had been feeling the last few months? Was it allowed? Would it ruin his friendships, or relationships, or chances to be a young, hot, single guy shopping for a woman to start his own family with? It all felt sticky and overwhelming.

“Don’t overthink it, Pow,” Vi said. “They’re just words. Give him a chance to decide what to do with them.”

“And what if he doesn’t want them?” Powder whispered. 

Vi crouched beside her, running a gentle hand through her hair as she smiled softly. “Then you deserve to know that, don’t you think? So that you can move on from this and find someone who’s ready for all of you. Sprog included.” 

“Don’t call them sprog.”

“Well my niecephew needs a cute nickname until you give them a real one, so sprog it is.” 

Powder cackled, turning her face toward the desk to hide how ridiculous it sounded. It didn’t feel right to say she was better after the conversation, but her sister had always been a safe place. An emotional harbor. Vi laughed too, straightening up. For a moment, neither one of them spoke, just enjoyed each other's company. Then, Powder quietly asked, “Are you excited for this baby?”

“Oh, you have no fucking idea. We all are. I bet dad cries when he sees ‘em for the first time.”

“Which one?”

“Vander,” Vi laughed. “Silco’s gonna be by the bedside right next to you.” Vi started her way back towards the door. “Oh! Before I go. Cait made you some strawberries and cream. Sure you don’t want to try something small?”

Powder was well aware that she was lucky. She had a sister who kept a room in her house just for her. A sister-in-law who made her favorite snacks when she was too emotionally drained to care for herself. Two dads who loved and supported her, even when she’d gone crying to both of them that she’d made a mistake, and would soon be bringing a whole new human being into the world because she was too irresponsible to take an out of town trip on her own. 

The truth was, it still didn’t feel like enough. As guilty as she was to admit it, something was missing. Someone was missing. 

Powder sighed, pushing back from the desk and hopping up out of her chair.

“Alright, alright. Just twist my arm, why don’chya?”

 

---

 

There were two kinds of walks of shame.

One was the kind where you had the best sex of your life, stumbling home at 1PM the next day in a torn cocktail dress with one shoe missing. The other was a slow, heavy walk into your apartment complex with a letter stuffed in your pocket, and the weight of a thousand tiny pins and needles stabbing you in the chest.

Powder hadn’t been home in a week. She’d messaged Ekko and told him that they could talk when she’d gotten back, but now she wasn’t so sure she was ready for it. The emotions hadn’t tapered at all. If anything, she felt more wired and anxious than ever.

Sevika was in the office when Powder walked in, and she looked unsurprised by the visit.

“You haven't been home in a minute. Ekko's been looking for you.” 

“When did you guys get all buddy-buddy."

"When you ran off and he damn near had a panic attack in the office," Sevika said clearly, turning her focus back to the screen in front of her. "Go say Hi when you've got a minute."

Powder gave her a ‘humph’ of acknowledgement before heading for the stairwell.

Nerves were funny things. It felt like there were squids in Powder’s stomach and they were tying themselves in knots. She made it to her floor, but even with her palm around the handle, couldn’t get herself to go through. A few minutes later she gave up, instead choosing to sit on the top of the steps with her arms wrapped around her knees, the lights of the empty stairwell flickering about her. She didn’t know how long she sat there with her anxiety running amok, but her ass was beginning to ache when she heard the door creak open behind her.

Powder's first instinct was to shuffle aside so that whoever it was could pass by. But then they sat down beside her, and she was unsurprised to hear a familiar voice say, “Welcome home.”

“Sevika message you?” She asked, turning her head to look at him. 

It’d only been a few days, but it’d felt like ages. Powder had grown quite fond of looking at Ekko, and after spending so many weeks watching him work, and talk, and laugh, the absence was noticeable.

She exhaled shakily, eyes already starting to sting. 

“Hey,” Ekko said. “What’s going on with you, Blue?”

Powder was so stupid, and Ekko was so beautiful. If she started crying again, she’d fuck it all up, so she scrunched up her nose and took a deep breath, reaching into the front pocket of her shirt to pull out the letter. 

“This is for you,” she croaked. “I wrote it yesterday.”

Ekko took the paper, staring at it for what felt like forever. He flipped it over in his hands, brow furrowed, before finally looking back at her. “Do you want to talk about what happened?”

Powder took an audible breath. 

“I guess first, I just wanna ask... are you with someone?”

The way Ekko’s face softened was a lot like a valve letting off steam. The tension in his shoulders melted to nothing and he smiled down at the letter, clearly trying to keep his expression hidden. Only after taking a second to compose himself, did he look back at Powder and say, “Am I with someone? I kind of thought I was, but maybe I was reading it wrong.” He leaned toward her, giving a gentle nudge with his shoulder. “This is about Lux, isn’t it?”

Powder dipped her head, squeezing her eyes closed as tears finally bubbled over. 

“I panicked.” 

"I knew as soon as you saw her. You got this look on your face," Ekko said softly, reaching for her hand and squeezing it. “You’re not really good at hiding your thoughts. Actually, they all just kind of… come out of your mouth.”

Powder snorted, breath catching as she hiccoughed.

“Lux and I are not together, but we’ve known each other since we were old enough to talk. Our parents are politicians, so linking up kind of comes with the territory.” Ekko’s thumb absent-mindedly rubbed the back of her hand. Powder leaned to the side, plopping her temple against his shoulder. “I told her about you the night I met you and she wanted to see you in person.”

“Oh, god. I’m sorry, Ekko. That was so embarrassing.”

Ekko hesitated, words caught in a loop as his mouth opened and closed several times but nothing came out. What was he thinking? What would he say? She had no idea. The pause was brief while he gathered his thoughts, and then he finally spoke. 

“You’re allowed to feel things, Powder. People do it all the time. I'm here for whatever those feelings are.” 

Powder turned her cheek against his shoulder, catching his eye. Their faces were so close that she could see his pupils dilating. Every breath seemed to be amplified by the quiet around them. When Ekko’s eyes flickered to her lips, the temptation to lean in and taste him was so strong that it felt like a physical ache in the back of her neck. So many nights she’d imagined different scenarios that lead to this point, and each one was more campy than the last. But she leaned in just a fraction, breath hitching when she noticed that Ekko did the same, and all at once realized that her imagination was never going to live up to the experience of actually being this close to a man that hung the moon. 

“And what do you feel?” She asked, aware that the words were all but spoken against his lips. 

“So many things, I wouldn’t even know where to start,” he whispered, closing the gap between them.

Ekko’s lips were as warm as Powder thought they’d be. Unimaginably soft. She tilted her head to lean into him, and he let go of her hand, fingers gently cupping her jaw to guide her exactly where he wanted her. She probably wasn’t the greatest kisser, but she couldn’t even think about a thing like skill when she was busy breathing Ekko’s air. He felt so good, and he smelled so good, and he didn’t taste quite like sugar, but Powder would have spent all day eating him anyway.

When he pulled away, she leaned in and chased his lips, laughing when he immediately gave in and kissed her again. They kissed for a minute. Or five. Powder couldn’t tell. All she knew was the sound of their lips catching over and over and the feeling of Ekko’s tongue. The growth of confidence as she followed his lead and quickly learned what he liked, humming against his mouth and all but vibrating when he hummed back. 

Below them, the sound of the stairwell door creaked open and they startled apart.

Sevika’s voice echoed loudly around them, “Get out the fucking stairwell! Go home!”

Powder sucked in a breath, hissing “how does she always know” before shaking her head and wiping her eyes. They were probably bloodshot and red, and quite ghastly. She’d certainly seen cuter days. Still, when Ekko mindlessly tucked a few errant hairs behind her ears, readjusting her bangs with a quick 'cute', she’d never felt as good.

“Guess we’d better go have an actual conversation then, huh?”

“Can we make out on my couch while we do it?”

Ekko tilted his head back and made her favorite sound in the world, still laughing when Sevika yelled again for them to get the fuck up and go back to their apartments. The last thing he said as he stood up and offered her his hand was, “Whatever you want.”

Notes:

Next chapter: Powder gets to find out if she's having a boy or a girl. Ekko wants to join! She and Ekko have a nice, healthy conversation about what a relationship between them might look like. Also, Ekko meets the fam. Huhu. A slightly longer chapter, so it likely won't be out until Wednesday or Thursday! I also think that realistically, this might be closer to 15 chapters, but will update around chapter 7 depending on the length of these next few chapters.

Chapter 6: Between You and Me

Ekko hung out around the apartment most days. He cooked and cleaned, and help set up the nursery.

He hadn’t been joking when he’d said his parents were politicians. One quick Google search and Powder confirmed that he not only came from money and influence, but actively helped his parents manage negotiations. It certainly explained why his schedule was so open. It also meant that not only was he a smokeshow, but he was an important smokeshow that was great at talking.

Apparently, Powder wasn’t the only one attracted to that. 

Spud had gotten way too attached to him. A few weeks back, when they’d walked into the apartment together after their little talk, Spud had been waiting by the door already playing his music. Ekko had said, “And he’s a jukebox? He really does do it all,” and that little offhand bit of praise had gone straight to Spud’s circuits. Let it never be said that an AI toaster couldn’t be gassed up in the same way that every human was. 

Now, whenever Ekko was around, Spud made sure to have music playing. At some point, he’d even put together a playlist titled “Lovely Ekko”, something Powder had stumbled on while checking his activity log. She’d left that alone because, honestly? Mood. Also, it was a massive upgrade from the revolving Sixpence playlist. 

As things settled and time trickled on, Ekko and Powder spent more time in the nursery building it piece by piece. Last night, she’d offhandedly asked him to help her put the crib together, and when he’d texted back, of course baby girl, she’d all but thrown herself face-first onto the couch, waiting for the blood that had rushed to her lower body to kindly return to her head. 

So here they were, holed up in her second bedroom with hammers in their hands putting together the crib. They were royally fucking it up. Two of the wooden legs were already dented, one plank was clearly too short, and Powder was pretty sure she’d screwed something in backward. It was hard to focus on the instructions when Spud kept wheeling into the room, spinning in violent circles, and booting up another track.

It sure didn’t help that Ekko jumped up every time.

Jabbing a finger at Powder, he screamed, “Show him what you got, P!”

What was she supposed to do? Say no? 

Powder gasped, dropping her hammer as she sprang to her feet. She threw her hands over her head and did a little wobble, laughing when Ekko said, “Ooooh - who is she?”

Spud whirred around in rapid circles, clearly overstimulated. He’d picked a song they all knew, and when Ekko started singing along the toaster chirped.

“On the street and I got my swag on ~”

“Okay!”

“Get the money gotta get my bag on ~”

“Okay!” 

Powder didn’t mean to boost her own head up, but she could move. How she looked to anyone other than herself was a mystery. It didn't matter. Confidence was everything and she had the sauce. Rolling her shoulders and then spinning and kicking out her leg, she pointed straight at Ekko. He paused, a slow smile spreading across his face. Then he dropped his hammer and with a few fluid movements, slid into a smooth two-step before spinning on his heel and popping his shoulders.

“Woof. That man can dance,” Powder cooed.

When she felt the first flutter in her stomach, she assumed it was just her falling deeper into the hole that was Ekko. She’d had nothing but butterflies since the day she’d knocked on his door, so it stood to reason that watching him smoothly catch a beat with his body was winding her up. But then it happened again. 

She paused, frowning, her hands instinctively going to her belly as if she could problem-solve from the outside.

It was subtle and new, but definitely there.

“Oh my god, Ekko,” she whispered, looking down at her stomach. “I think we woke ‘em up.”

“Huh?”

“Come here,” she hissed, stepping toward him and reaching for his hand. She guided it gently to the spot where she’d felt it. It was so small, barely noticeable, but the look on Ekko’s face as he placed his hand there made it worth trying. Whether he could feel it or not, he certainly looked like the earth had moved under his feet a little. “They're moving. I think. Yeah. That’s crazy, right?”

“So it's really not a watermelon in there,” Ekko said quietly. “That’s a whole ass kid.”

“I know!”

Ekko’s hand moved a little, rubbing so softly that his touch was nearly indistinguishable. 

Spud’s track ended, and in the following silence, he blurted out, “In some species, males will perform ritualized movements to attract females. The male six-plumed bird-of-paradise exemplifies male courtship display with its ritualized "ballerina dance" and unique occipital and breast feathers that serve to stimulate the female visual system. These stimulations, along with many other factors, result in subsequent copulation or rejection.”

Ekko chuffed, turning to look at the toaster. “You good, dude?”

“Yeah, what the hell Spud?”

Spud carried on. “In some species, males initiate courtship rituals only after mounting the female. Courtship may even continue after copulation has been completed…”

It took a moment to sink in. Ekko and Powder exchanged a look, and then Ekko raised an eyebrow. “Is he talking about sex right now?”

Powder sighed, her shoulders slumping as she stared up at the ceiling. “Probably, yeah. Because we were dancing.” When Ekko’s expression didn’t change, she clarified, “Spud doesn’t see like we do. He has to use sensors and heat signatures, so he’s probably putting two and two together. He thinks it’s a mating ritual. Or he's just being a dick and trying to embarrass us. Both equally likely.”

“Well did it work?”

"What?"

"The dance."

Powder looked down at where Ekko’s hand still rested gently on her belly. When she looked back up, Ekko had stepped a little closer, his arm warm as it wrapped around her waist, pulling her up against him. Her belly had gotten bigger the last few weeks, but it still fit safely between the two of them. It felt nice. Powder felt nice. 

“I don’t think you need a dance, Ekko.”

They hadn’t talked about this much. The sex part of it. While the opportunities had been there, it had all felt a little quick, and Powder hadn’t had much time to figure out when that line should be crossed. What was the etiquette in this situation? Did she need to wait until the baby was born to start using her body that way again? Would taking off her clothes remind Ekko that he was with a woman who had already given this part of herself to someone else? Questions, questions, and more questions.

“Aht. No overthinking,” Ekko groused, leaning in and nudging her jaw with his nose. “We don’t have to do anything right now, P. We’ll take it easy.”

“I haven’t shaved,” Powder said suddenly. “Down there. My bits and things. You know.”

Ekko leaned back and his mouth snapped shut. Powder could see the slightest twitch in his lip. After a minute, he said, “A little fuzzy between the thighs, huh?” and his voice wobbled a little while he said it.

“This is so serious. The first time you see me naked, I’m gonna be smooth and smell like peaches.” 

"Powder," Ekko groaned, dropping his forehead onto her shoulder before he started to laugh.

“Let’s just plan it out, alright? Date night? Then we come back and you can stick it in me.”

“Just like that, huh?”

Powder turned her face into his neck, pressing her teeth gently into the skin, tasting the warm, salty tang of it. There was a small, primitive part of her that didn’t really need everything to be perfect before making a move, but the logical side wouldn’t budge. When Ekko finally spread her out, it’d be on a bed of roses, and her thighs would surely smell like peaches. 

 

---

 

“You got a thing for Dr. Mel?”

Sevika sat in the small office chairs with her legs spread, a magazine open in front of her. She looked absolutely menacing. Why she brought this kind of energy to an OBGYN appointment was beyond Powder. They were already in the exam room together waiting on the doctor, so there was no reason to be on guard. Still, when Sevika turned to look at her, the expression was militant.

“I get it. She’s a cutie,” Powder continued. 

“What kind of scenario are you making up in that head of yours?”

“I don’t know,” Powder shrugged, kicking her legs so that her heels bumped against the metal frame of the exam bed. “Thought that was what you were into.” 

“At which point in this relationship have I ever spoken to you about my preferences?”

“None. Hence the scenarios. I'm taking a stab at it because I'm bored.”

"Then get unbored."

"Oh, pfft. Can't just get unbored. What kind of advice is that?" 

Sevika sighed just as there was a light knock on the door, snapping the magazine shut before tossing it onto the nearest counter. There wasn’t much time to speak before the door was squeaking open, but the last, knowing look that Powder gave Sevika was nothing short of mischievous. Sevika shook her head in warning as Dr. Mel slipped in. 

“Powder. Sevika,” Mel said sweetly. “Feels like it’s been too long. How are you both?” 

“The baby kicked!” Powder said by way of greeting.

Mel was the best doctor. She had a naturally mothering look about her. Warm. Composed. Reassuring. The woman was petite, but her soul was so large and so strong that she looked like all she did was emotionally weightlift people three times her size for a living. Whenever Powder came for her checkups, she wanted to spill everything that had happened since they’d last spoken, and Mel was always ready for it. 

“Oh, go on, then. Tell me all about it,” she smiled. 

While Powder chatted, Mel moved calmly around the room, preparing the ultrasound materials. She switched the lights off, leaving only the dim glow from the smaller fixtures beneath the cabinetry. By the time Powder had finished recounting her physical and emotional baby adventures, Mel’s expression was nothing short of giddy. 

“Sounds like you’ve had an amazing few weeks,” Mel said. “And you've got an even bigger day today. Wonders never cease.”

“Yes,” Powder hissed, flopping back onto the bed as she lifted her shirt over her belly without hesitation.

Mel laughed, pulling a paper towel from the wall dispenser and handing it to Powder, who quickly tucked it into her waistband. As she reached for the gel, she asked, “Any guesses? Boy or girl?”

“I think it’s a girl,” Powder laughed.

“Has to be a boy,” Sevika offered, leaning forward in her chair. 

Powder had never been able to tell what she was looking at on the screen. Despite Mel's clear explanations, everything just looked like a collection of grey blobs. She didn’t really care what was going on up there anyway as long as the baby was healthy, and asking for clarification seemed like a massive waste of time. This time, Mel applied the gel, carefully placing the wand on her belly before adjusting the screen slightly for all of them to see. 

“You a betting woman?” She asked, turning to Sevika. 

“Oh, she’s a gambler,” Powder said.

Sevika snorted, shaking her head. “Should I have put money on it?”

“You should’ve,” Mel said, pointing to random blob number two on the screen with her free index finger. “Because it looks an awful lot to me like Ms. Powder is growing herself a baby boy in there.” 

Powder gasped. Oh, fuck ! She sat up slightly, squinting at the screen as if looking more closely might give her the foresight to know exactly what she was looking at. When her brain came up blank, she let out a shaky breath, looking over at Mel with her mouth wide open. A boy! What did she even know about boys other than that they were crazy, excitable, daring, and a long list of other stereotypes she’d never thought too hard about until now. 

Truly. Honestly. What did she know about boys?

Laying back down, she stared at the screen again, eyes locked onto the blob that was her son. At that particular moment, Ekko came to mind.

She really couldn't wait to tell him. 

Notes:

I've extended the number of chapters. There was no way I was going to fit all the slice of life I wanted into 10 chapters, so I've done 12 (but it will likely be closer to 15). xx That being said, there were a few changes to this chapter! Originally, Ekko was going to go with her, but that scene wouldn't write itself, so I've got plans for the next chapter instead. There was also supposed to be a family dinner this chapter. I didn't want to rush those things, so just decided to make the fic longer and spread them all out instead lol.

The song Spud is playing is a real song. See ya'll next chapter!

UPDATE: Next chapter will be on Tuesday (3/11). Sorry for delay, work is literally kicking my ass this week LOL.

Chapter 7: Feelings Are Good

Notes:

Warning: This chapter contains harassment! I tagged for it early on, but wanted to give an additional warning here since I know tags can be forgotten as a story goes on a bit. Someone touches Powder without her permission, and Ekko's not happy about it. Since this is a slice of life fic, chapters can be skipped without any real baring on reading ~ so feel free to skip this one!

Powder quite liked being pregnant. 

It was undoubtedly difficult, but it was satisfying. An overwhelming amount of the time, things that Powder had been able to do before growing a human, she could still do, and the few things she couldn’t were all non-essential. Well, almost all. 

There was one noticeable difference. She couldn’t quite protect herself in the way she was used to. 

For all the scenarios she’d made up in her head about how to avoid danger, none of the solutions matched a growing belly or a clumsier stride. In pregnancy, she'd decided that when things started going sideways, it was safer to hide than to run, and if hiding wasn’t an option, then to keep her head down and her mouth closed, and hope for the best. An awful strategy, to be sure. 

“You went to the store without me?” Ekko laughed, voice crackling through the phone line.

Powder propped the phone between her shoulder and ear, looking down at her basket full of cupcakes. 

“It’s a nice day outside. I figured I’d get some exercise,” she said, frowning before swiveling to grab a third container of vanilla cupcakes. Ekko liked vanilla, and Powder wasn’t in the mood to share her unreasonably large haul with him. Better to buy a decoy container. 

“Oh. Eating cupcakes? 10/10 workout. Make sure you save me some.”

Powder smiled to herself. “You got it, boss.”  

“Are you at Georgino’s? I’m about five minutes out of the way. I’ll come swoop you.”

“Dude. No cars - I gotta get back in shape. I swear I'm gaining weight.” 

Ekko laughed fully then, the sound of it trickling right into Powder’s ear. The funny thing was, if she closed her eyes when he laughed, she could still see every fraction of his face in her mind. The crinkle of his eyes. The way his lips spread around his gorgeous teeth. The way he tilted his head back and let the sounds fall out. The man was beautiful down to his voicebox.

“Okay. How about a compromise? I come grab you, we eat cupcakes on the drive back, and then we go on a walk.”

“And hold hands.”

“And hold hands,” Ekko agreed easily.

“Okay,” Powder said. “You win. I'm headed to the checkout. See you in five?” 

“See you in five.”  

The sun was still shining when Powder left the store. Her messenger bag was slung over her chest and a plastic bag was looped around her wrist. All the walking she’d done to get to the store made the bench just a few feet away feel like a godsend. She wobbled over and collapsed onto it, sliding down and kicking her feet out. With her head leaned back and her eyes closed, she let the sun warm her face as she waited for Ekko to come.

“Hey, miss. You got a smoke on you?” 

Powder startled, her eyes flying open. She turned toward the voice, shocked to find a man standing right in front of her. She hadn’t heard him walk over at all.

“Hi…” she said. 

“Just need a cig.” 

“Ah,” she said, sitting upright. She pointed to her rounded stomach. “Sorry. I don’t smoke.”

The man’s face was unreadable as he stared at her. He didn’t look crazy - tall and lean with his hair a little mussed. If Powder had to describe his energy, it was more like the front man of a band on a quick break, looking for a place to chain smoke. Still, there was something about the way his gaze flicked between her stomach and her eyes that made her feel a little strange, and when he took an audible breath and sat down beside her, she instinctively scooted over to put a bit of space between them. 

“I don’t bite,” he laughed. “Just taking a little break.”

“My ride’s on its way,” she said clearly.

“Mm. Who left a pretty thing like you out here all by yourself?” The man reached into his pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes, and nudged the box open with a casual flick of his thumb. “What’s your name?”

Powder weighed her options. Standing up and heading back into the store would be awkward, especially after he’d already asked her name. It would also be obvious that she was trying to put some distance between them. Giving a fake name was a possibility. It would buy her some time, and then once Ekko showed up, she’d leave and none of it would matter.

She quickly scanned the parking lot, squinting to see if any of the incoming cars were familiar.

“I’m talking to you,” the man said. 

Powder huffed, gaze narrowing as she turned to face him.

“So?”

The man pulled a cigarette from the pack with his lips, tucking the box away before leaning forward. The cigarette dangled from his mouth when he said, “So I want to know your name.” 

Weird, weird, weird, Powder thought, heart starting to thud wildly in her chest. 

“I don’t mean nothing by it,” the man said. “So don’t be like that.” 

When the man pulled a lighter from his other pocket, Powder knew it was time to go. She’d never been a smoker, and her anxiety around the idea of a healthy pregnancy was at an all-time high. She’d even gotten Vander to stop smoking his pipe around the house because of the residual smell. There was no way she was sitting next to a stranger who was about to blow smoke in her face.

Slowly, she stood up off of the bench. 

“Wait a minute,” the man said, standing up with her. He was taller than Powder by a bit, and the difference in height was enough to make her feel uneasy. “You said someone’s on the way to grab you?”

And wasn’t this just the way? Powder had lived as a girl her entire life, so she knew how men were when a window of opportunity opened up. But midday at a grocery store? And trying with a visibly pregnant woman? A whole new low. Gripping the strap of her messenger bag, she shook her head and turned on her heel, starting the trek back to the store.

“Hold on.”

When Powder was young, Vi had drilled a very simple idea into her. If you were smaller and weaker, or outnumbered, you had to be smarter. It wasn’t an option. If you wanted to win, you needed to strike first and strike fast, because each movement was vital to coming out on top. Never in a million years would Powder have expected a stranger to grab her by the arm, but the second he did, her instincts kicked in and she immediately swung her bag to break his hold. It was a mistake. Her movement was too clumsy, and with the extra weight of the baby she overstepped, heel catching on an uneven bump in the pavement. 

As she toppled backward, plastic bags splitting open and her cupcakes rolling everywhere, she thought, should have kept your head down. 

It took a second for everything to process after she’d hit the ground. The man took a step back, running a hand through his hair as his expression shifted from cocky to anxious. 

“What the hell is up with you?” He hissed.

Powder's mouth opened, then snapped shut. Her gaze flicked between the man and the scattered cupcakes, a lump rising in her throat. One part of her wanted to burst into tears. The other wanted to jump up and shove her fingers through his eyes. Her internal monologue was still stuck between the two when the sound of tires screeching into the parking lot cut through them. A voice called her name and she thought to answer, but it wasn’t until she saw the man in front of her grabbed by the neck and pushed forcefully back onto the bench that she realized what was happening. 

“Oh my god,” she heaved. “No, no, no. Ekko, wait-!”  

“Why is she on the ground?” 

“Get off me, man. She tripped!” 

“Why is she on the fucking ground?” Ekko howled.

“Ekko!”

Movies and television had always made moments like this seem so much more romantic than they actually were. In reality, it was overwhelming. Mostly because Powder had squirreled the idea of an angry Ekko away in the back of her mind and locked him up tight. All she knew of him was laugh lines and sweet words, yet here he was in his entirety, looming over a man with his fingers locked around the guy’s throat.

Ekko turned to look at her, eyes wide with panic and another emotion that probably didn't quite have a word for it.

“Why are you on the ground, Blue?” He croaked. 

Powder stood slowly, ignoring the ache in her tailbone as she straightened up. To be honest, she was only a few seconds from losing her mind, but she blinked rapidly, trying to clear the wetness from her eyes as she raised her hands and breathed, "It's okay. See? We're okay."

Ekko released the man, leaning back with a huff. He looked down at him and spat, “If you ever touch her again, I’ll knock your fucking teeth out, you get me?”

“I didn’t touch her-”

“I’m not repeating myself,” Ekko said clearly, turning to Powder. He gently removed the broken bag from her wrist, then slipped his arm around her, guiding her toward the car.  It was like night and day. The hands on her lower back felt worlds apart from the hands that had snatched the man by the throat, and she was distinctly aware of it as she climbed into the car and buckled herself up.

The first few minutes of the car ride were silent. Then Powder hiccoughed, and it was as if the floodgates opened. She covered her face, leaning forward and laying her head on the dashboard as she started to cry.

"My girl," Ekko sighed, reaching over to rub between her shoulders as she broke down. “Let me pull over.”

“No, I’m fine,” Powder cried. “It was just a lot. Give me a second.” 

There was a brief silence, only the hum of the car engine and the muffled sound of Powder’s sobs slipping through her cupped hands. After a moment, Ekko’s voice broke through the quiet. “Maybe I shouldn’t have done that. I don’t know. But I - I saw him grab you when I pulled in, and it just… I didn't mean to scare you.”

Powder snorted and then took a stuttered breath as she said, “What? Little old me, scared of you?”

“Oh, here we go,” Ekko chuckled, a hint of amusement in his voice.  

“I think I could take you,” Powder sniffed, wiping her nose with her knuckle. “I’m s-small, but I’ve got a lot of power,” she added, squeezing her eyes closed as fresh tears welled up. “I’m just pregnant, okay? I’m not weak!”

“No. You’re not weak at all, Powder,” Ekko promised, reaching for her thigh and holding onto it. Powder’s breath caught in her throat. It was just like in her imagination, Ekko sitting in the driver’s seat with one hand on the wheel, the other touching her just because she was there. She wiped the tears from her cheeks, then covered his hand with her own, squeezing gently. 

“I don’t want you to get in trouble for today,” she said quietly. 

Ekko took his eyes off the road for a second to look at her. “If I do, I’ll take my licks, but I’d be surprised. He’s a dickhead. Used to hang around downtown and get handsy with the girls coming out of the bar. At some point it was bound to catch up with him.”

“Seriously?” 

“Yeah. I don’t know why he migrated to Giorgino’s, but I need him to understand that I was serious. If he touches you again, he's getting laid out.”

“Oh. I guess I should say thank you then,” Powder mumbled through her congestion. "Even though it feels a bit strange to say that."

“Just say whatever feels right to you. If thank you isn't it, that's okay,” Ekko said, shaking her thigh. After a second’s pause, he said, “You gonna let me take care of you when we get home?” 

Powder pressed her forehead against the cool glass of the window, watching as the world flew by outside. Maybe she wasn’t the best at protecting herself these days. It’d been a while since she’d felt as vulnerable as she did with the baby, and coming up with scenarios and solutions could never really work in such a chaotic world anyway. It was clear that sometimes, the solution to the problem lay in someone else’s hands. 

And maybe it wasn't a weakness to need protection. Powder wasn’t bigger than some of the problems the world threw at her, and so she had to be smarter, like Vi said. She couldn’t run. Apparently she couldn’t walk much, either. And if today was anything to go by, hiding wasn't always available.

So maybe she had to stick to Ekko like glue for a few months. 

Or forever. Who knew?

“Yeah,” she whispered. “I’d like that.”

Notes:

Our Powpow is so tiny! T-T

 

She needs a pocket Ekko so that nobody will mess with her while she's busy cooking a baby. I won't make any promises about what's in the next chapter because lord knows this story writes itself, but we're about half way through! So we've got some obvious milestones coming up - the promised family dinner, freakybomb, and then of course - BABY! The little fluff in between is just chaotic little day-to-days. Also, not me changing dialogue lines AFTER publishing LOL. I swear people who read later edits get a different story.

Chapter 8: Banana Split

Powder’s childhood home was one of her favorite places to be. 

There were a a bunch of reasons why. The space. The memories. The people that still lived inside of it. Though she and Vi had grown up and moved on, there was a place carved out for them here that didn’t exist anywhere else. As she glanced up at the house, she wondered what others saw when they looked at it. Without the nostalgia, was it a beautiful home? Did it look lovely? Did it feel warm? Because that's what she always thought a home should be. 

“This house is huge,” Ekko whispered, staring up at the building in front of them. 

Powder tilted her head up at the building too, eyes tracing the familiar lines of it.

“A lot of people have come through here. Vander basically collects orphans, so he needs lots of rooms. Then there’s the fact that none of us ever wanna leave, so…” 

“Big family,” Ekko guessed. 

“Big family.” 

Even with a key in her pocket, Powder leaned in and rang the doorbell. When she stepped back, she playfully nudged Ekko’s arm. He was doing a damn good job of hiding his nerves, but something was telling her that he needed the extra few seconds to prepare.

Winding an arm through his, she pulled him close and whispered, “It’s gonna be so much fun. I promise.” 

“Yeah. I know. It’s just-” he started, only to freeze as the front door clicked open.

Standing on the other side was none other than the Hulk himself. Ekko’s mouth audibly snapped shut. Seeing Vander for the first time was always a bit harrowing because he was the size of ten abnormally large men. It was probably quite alarming to a regular-sized human like Ekko.

“Oh, yeesh. I think you're scaring him already!” Powder giggled.

“Well I can’t make myself any smaller, love,” Vander laughed. “I’m guessing this lad is Ekko.” 

"That's me," Ekko breathed, quickly offering his hand.

Vander looked down. His smile was warm and unmistakably fond. Instead of shaking, he pulled Ekko into a hug, holding onto him for a moment before releasing him with a firm pat on the back.

“Handshakes are reserved for strangers, not family. I need to thank you for looking after my little girl.”

“Ohhh, and that sounds so glorious,” Powder said slowly, raising her hand. She knew her father, and he was seconds from going into a spiel. “I vote we thank him from inside the house. Your grandson is starving and there's a cookie cabinet with my name on it.” 

“Oho. Can’t have my grandbaby starving now, can I?” Vander said, stepping aside and nodding into the foyer. “Come on, you two.” 

Powder reached for Ekko’s hand first, fingers curling around his as she gently tugged him along behind her. She caught Vander’s eyes as they briefly flicked to where their hands were joined. The smile he wore as he let them pass by was nothing short of spectacular.

 

---

 

“I’m guessing you had a hand in tonight’s menu?”

Powder sat up and peered at the living room doorway. She’d been feeling a bit off for the past hour, so while Ekko and Vander had taken to the kitchen to cook, she’d collapsed on the couch, listening to their banter from the other room while waiting for her stomach to settle. 

It made sense that the minute Cait and Vi arrived, Cait had gravitated toward the living room. The last time they’d spoken, Powder had been holed up at their house, doodling away her depression. They hadn't spoken about it since then. 

Cait walked right to the couch, sitting on the edge of the cushions and reaching for Powder’s face. She smoothed the girl’s bangs back fondly. 

“How are you feeling?”

“I ate too many cookies,” Powder laughed. “Just need a minute.” 

“Poor thing. I hope they were good cookies, at least.” 

"Silco baked them so there were way too many raisins.”

Cait made a face, glancing off to the side as she whispered, “Why does it not surprise me that he’s a raisin man?”

"Because he hired Sevika, and Sevika is the human equivalent of a raisin." 

Even from a few rooms away, Powder could hear Vi's voice. The sound of it echoed off the walls and down the hall, and when she yelled, “Well if it isn’t the boy savior!” Powder groaned, dropping back onto the couch and burying her face in her hands. Ekko had never met Vi before. In a town as small as theirs, they’d probably passed each other more than once, but they'd never shaken hands. Imagining Vi storming into the kitchen and beelining straight for Ekko with that introduction made her sweat just a teensy, tiny bit.

“They’ll be fine,” Cait promised. “You know Vi. She loves what you love.” 

That was true to a fault.

The living room fell quiet. Powder let her eyes flutter closed, sinking into the feeling of Cait’s fingers running through her hair. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed before she felt a familiar pressure in her lower abdomen. While it was probably the upset stomach that had woken the baby, she was an opportunist. Without opening her eyes, she reached for Cait’s hand, slowly guiding it to her bump with the understanding that the woman would probably go bonkers over it. When Cait gasped, Powder smiled triumphantly.

“He's moving, Powder,” Cait said, hand shifting to follow the baby’s foot. “God. You’ve got quite the gymnast in there, haven't you?” 

“He started moving a few weeks ago and now I can’t get him to stop.”

Cait huffed. "Well that's a clear family trait." 

Powder hummed, turning her head into the pillow for what she thought was just a second, but when she opened her eyes again it was to someone else rubbing her back and saying her name. It was such a soft and familiar voice. She blinked herself awake to a dark living room, taking a moment to process. Sitting on the couch beside her was none other than her favorite wet dream. 

“Ah, shit,” she croaked. “Did I miss dinner?”

“Nah. We wouldn’t eat without you,” Ekko promised. “Vander’s just setting the table. You good?”

“I guess we’ll find out.” Powder took a deep breath, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she sat up. “How’d the cooking go? Did you get a chance to talk to them?”

“Yeah. I don’t mean to brag, but I think they kind of like me.”

Powder dipped her head and laughed. “A stunner like you? They’d be crazy not to.” 

In a way, Powder had always suspected that her parents would love whoever she bought home. One night stand aside, she’d always had good judgment when it came to flings. Vander and Silco had never questioned her choices. But there was something different about Ekko. The need for her family and Ekko to get along felt vitally important.

“Hey, Ekko?”

“Mm.”

“Those guys in there are really important to me. I hope you like them as much as I do.”

Ekko smiled, his hand gently squeezing Powder's thigh. When she huffed and looked down at her lap, he shifted closer, glancing pointedly at her lips before tilting his head to kiss her. 

If Powder had to guess, they’d kissed a bajillion times since the stairwell, but each time was just a bit more intoxicating. It was impossible not to react. She exhaled softly, leaning in as he cupped her face and held her steady, feeling a lot like a cup beneath a leaky faucet. There was so little space left before her emotions were dribbling over the rim. She loved the way Ekko’s fingers danced along her jaw, and the way his breath warmed her lips when he pulled back for a second. He could never seem to stop at just one, kissing her until she was panting for it and all but climbing into his lap.

“Powder Lanes!”  

Vi’s voice rang out through the hallway, wafting into the living room from a few rooms away.

Powder pulled back, huffing as her breath caught in her chest. She ran her fingers through her hair as she attempted to regain her composure. “Hmm. Okay. Why don’t we -”

“Dinner?”

"Exactly that."

She was so fucking flustered.

When Ekko stood up from the couch, Powder reached for his arm, her fingers brushing against his sleeve to stop him. 

“Wait! Do I look okay?”

Powder could feel how red her cheeks were. Her buns were certainly out of sorts and her shirt was slightly hiked up a little on one side, so she couldn’t say with confidence why she’d even asked, but when Ekko turned to her and winked at her, she knew it was a moot question anyway. His simple reply was, “Always”.

And a man like him would probably never answer any other way.

---

 

“Are you alright?”

Powder glanced up from her plate to find Silco watching her play with her food.

“Me? Yeah! I'm fine.”

In truth, she wasn’t fine. Ekko had fucking wound her up, and now she was stuck at the dinner table with her entire family, imagining Ekko’s head between her legs. The worst part was that her brain seemed to be on a loop. Every time she spaced out, the vision played in high definition: her sitting on the couch with the television playing softly in the background, and Ekko on his knees in front of her, head moving between her thighs.

"Sure you're not warm? I can turn the fan on for you. I know you've been battling your temperature lately." 

“Oh, good god,” Powder muttered, squeezing her eyes shut. She’d probably have embarrassed herself further if not for the snort that came from the neighboring chair. Slow as anything, she opened her eyes and glared sideways at Ekko.

“Your dad’s asking if you’re feeling warm,” Ekko said, jerking his head toward Silco. “Your cheeks are kind of red.” 

Vi and Cait sat across the table, both looking impossibly smug while Vander and Silco wore near matching expressions of bewilderment. The difference between the two would have been comical if it weren’t clear that Vi knew exactly what was going on. Powder felt frazzled, and for the first time in years, she needed for Vi and her dads to stay on opposite pages. Hell, preferably in opposite books if possible. 

“So I take it you’re not staying here tonight?” Vi asked.

Cait giggled but quickly froze, glancing up at Powder apologetically when she realized what she’d done.

“What’s going on?” Vander asked. 

Vi shrugged, going back to her plate. “Nothing. Was just checking to see if Pow was staying the night. Ekko, this is really good by the way.”

“Thanks,” Ekko laughed. “I was trying to impress your pops.”

“Well, consider me impressed,” Vander said easily.

“You’re always welcome to stay, dear. Your father and I would love to have you,” Silco said, pivoting back to the topic, and Powder could have smacked her forehead against the table for how badly she wanted him not to do that.

“I don’t think you’re the only one that would love to have her,” Vi quipped, and Cait physically turned around, pressing her hand over her mouth as she stared intently at the wall across the room.

“Question,” Powder said. “Did you and Sevika walk up from hell together? Or is it like a solo pilgrimage that demons have to take before they're allowed to walk the Earth?”

“Am I missing something?” Silco asked.

Vander reached for Silco’s arm, holding it gently. “Yes. I think we are missing something, love. And I think it best we stay missing it.”

“Don't worry. Cait and I are staying even if Powder can't,” Vi said.

“Yes. I know it’s not Spring yet, but I’d love to take a whack at your garden tomorrow.”

Cait was such a sweet thing. Powder almost felt sorry for what she was about to say. There was a twinge of guilt because once she’d said it, she knew the games would continue and Cait and Ekko would be caught in the crossfire of wholly inappropriate table talk. But it had to be done. Powder needed to reassert her dominance, and Vi was looking all around too pleased with herself. 

Licking her lips and tilting her head, Powder said, “Wow, Cait. Sure you don’t get enough of that at home?”

Ekko coughed while Vi tilted her head back and laughed.

“Oh, bush jokes. Real original!”

“I think dinner's almost done, Vi. I’m sure Cait could use a little floss.”

“Absolutely not at the table!” Silco tried, catching on.

“You know what?” Ekko interrupted, reaching for a napkin and dabbing his face with it. “We made pie for dessert. I can go grab that quickly -”

“If it's not cream don't bother,” Vi said, folding her arms across her chest. “That's the only kind Powder's into.”

The thing about the family dinner was that like much of Powder’s life, it wasn’t traditional. While Vander pinched the bridge of his nose and Silco rolled his eyes so hard they nearly fell out of his head, Powder realized she hadn’t laughed so hard in weeks. Even Cait, despite her best efforts to stay neutral, couldn’t hide the way her brows furrowed as she sucked her lips in and tried not to laugh. It was authentic, and it was true, and when Powder turned to check that Ekko was still in the room with them, she was happy beyond belief to find him smiling softly at her.

That’s all to say, the first family dinner was perfect.

Notes:

I'm sorry this took so long. I'm 3k into a Flashbomb PWP and I can't stop hahaha. I tried to edit, but it's 3:30 in the morning, so if you see any mistakes, please forgive me. Next chapter will be up probably Wednesday or Thursday, and you can probably guess what's coming lol
(3/18) - Edited! The flow was a bit off here and there, but I think it reads more smoothly now. xx

Chapter 9: When I'm Melting Into You

Notes:

This chapter is mostly sex, just as a heads up!

Powder wasn’t ashamed to admit that she’d had a good time making her baby. 

It had been a bad week. Work had been awful, Vander and Silco had been arguing about something ridiculous, and she had barely gotten any sleep thanks to the temporary neighbors who thought 3 AM was the perfect time to blast every Enya album in order, at full volume. She had never been much of a drinker, but by the time Friday rolled around, a bar felt like the only place that made sense.

The Back Alley was a rundown pub one town over. She’d spent time looking for it just to be sure it was far enough away that there was no risk of running into someone she knew. The bar was nearly empty when she’d arrived, aside from a few clearly worn-out regulars and the one rowdy patron at the Jukebox. In a way it was a relief that she hadn’t had to sift through so many options. She’d needed a quick in and out. A more… transactional approach to letting off steam.

Ten minutes and one mocktail. That’s all it had taken for someone to slide into the seat next to her.

She’d glanced over, eyes widening when the man was not only handsome, but age appropriate. He looked to be mid-twenties, warm skin, curly hair, brown eyes, and the thickest eyebrows she’d ever seen. If she had to guess (courtesy of the fitted button-down and the loosened tie), he’d just come from work.

The two of them had briefly locked eyes and his upper lip had twitched, and she'd made a decision.

The funny thing was, she’d watched scenes like this in the movies. Girl meets boy, they hit it off, and by the end of the night they can’t stop thinking about each other. If memory served, this was the part where she was supposed to bat her eyelashes and accept his offer for a drink, because only then could she be carried away to the next chapter of her life. Powder hadn't needed to be swept away, but she'd always had quite the imagination and was more than down to play the part.

“What are you drinking?”

She'd tilted her head cutely. “A Shirley Temple. Extra grenadine.” 

He'd frowned, mouthing the words Shirley Temple before turning to the bartender and raising his finger so that he could order her drink. Powder had bitten her thumbnail to keep from laughing.

They’d never quite made it to a hotel. 

The first time, they’d fucked in the bathroom with her bent over the sink. Her hands had gripped the porcelain so hard she’d sprained her fingers. She’d never thought herself the type of girl to take it from a stranger in a seedy restroom, and for one heart-stopping second, when the doorknob had rattled because someone had to piss, she’d wondered if she was actually having fun. 

But then the stranger had wrapped an arm around her waist and fucked her so hard her legs were trembling. When she’d come, she’d collapsed against the sink as her vision went black, and any question of whether she was enjoying herself had been tossed down a well. 

The second time, they’d fucked in her car. He’d walked her out to make sure she was okay, and as he'd leaned in to say goodbye, her stomach had fluttered. For a second, she’d gone back to that Hollywood dream of make-believe and painted him as someone that she would be waking up to in the morning. Grabbing his hand, she’d dragged him to the passenger’s side of the car and pushed him in, crawling in after.

What she remembered about that was the way her arms had draped casually around the headrest, and how her body had opened so easily for him as she’d sunk down on his cock again. He’d never said things like, “I love you,” or “You’re so pretty,” but he had said, “Good girl,” and “You take it so well,” and that had worked for whatever reason. 

Now she was up the duff.

Powder wasn’t sure why she’d been dreaming about that night for weeks, but in her dreams, something had changed. The stranger wasn’t a stranger anymore. He had a face and a name that she recognized better than anything. He wore earrings, loved to cook, and had the biggest, brightest smile she’d ever seen. 

A rumble of thunder stirred her to waking, and she blinked groggily, eyes slowly adjusting to the ceiling above her.

Ekko. 

Pregnancy had changed Powder in so many ways, but the most noticeable was that she seemed to feel everything more intensely. When she came to, the aching between her legs was unmanageable. Her body was throbbing, and outside of the desperate need to touch herself, she couldn’t wipe the thought of Ekko from her mind. He was like a train on a track with all the bells and whistles blaring. 

She moved on auto-pilot, bedraggled and barely conscious. Her feet hit the carpet and she stumbled through the dark bedroom toward the front door. 

Shame wasn’t something she’d felt around sex to begin with, but even if she had, pregnancy would have made it impossible to care. Her growing body had needs - and not just food, doctor’s visits, or the constant questions about her wellbeing - but touch, validation, and a person to remind her that she was doing a Very Big Thing with her body, and that she deserved to be taken care of every now and then because of it.

Her heart was hammering in her chest as she knocked on Ekko’s door, and it nearly crawled up her throat and out of her mouth when he opened it a minute later.

“Hey. I was just thinking about you,” he said, as if she wasn’t overstimulated and incredibly turned on already. 

Her gaze flicked from Ekko’s face to his bare chest, then down to the loose gray sweatpants he’d worn to bed. Fuck subtlety. There was no hiding the way her eyes trailed back up to his lips, nor the way she leaned in to get closer. 

“Were you?” She whispered.

Something shifted the moment the words left her mouth.

When she moved forward, Ekko let her guide them back into the apartment, the door swinging shut with a soft thud as she kicked it closed with her heel. She kissed him feverishly in the doorway and whimpered when his arms slid around her waist and pulled her flush against him. Their movements were clumsy and urgent, less like walking to the bedroom and more like fighting for their lives as they bumped into the console, tripped over the rug, and knocked into the doorway on their way to the bed.

At some point in the future, when Powder finally found the strength to crack open her diary and write about her first time with Ekko, the top line would be gibberish. She knew that for a fact. It would be an odd string of letters and symbols that made no sense to anyone but her.

The second line would be a simple question. I wonder if this is love?

It wasn’t that Ekko did anything wildly different from the stranger at the bar. It was all the little things, like the way he let her push him back on the bed, and the way he held her shaking hands to steady them as she’d pulled his pants down to his thighs. It was definitely the way he’d said, “It’s okay, baby. You got it,” as she’d knelt over him, steadying herself with her hands on his chest to line herself up, that made her feel truly feral.

The room was nearly pitch black, so when she finally began to sink down onto him, her senses were focused solely on what she could hear and what she could feel.

And that was entirely too much. 

She groaned, body shivering as he pushed deeper and deeper, and by the time she was seated fully on his lap, her entire body was stiff enough to break.

“Fuck,” she hissed, squeezing her eyes closed and taking a deep breath. “Sorry. Just give me a sec. If I move I’m gonna come.”

She probably should have known better than to say that. 

Ekko bucked his hips and Powder lost her balance, falling forward just enough for him to pull out. When he kicked up into her a second, then third time, her mouth fell open and she panted, body immediately clenching around his cock as she came. 

“There you go. That’s it,” Ekko exhaled. His voice sounded like it had been punched out of his chest.

Powder let herself feel it. She quivered, rocking back on him until the waves passed and her body relaxed. Her cunt still ached something fierce, but apparently, a quick release had helped her put her head on somewhat straight. 

“You dick,” she heaved. “Oh my god.” 

“You act like it’s not yours for the rest of the night,” Ekko laughed, smacking her thigh and gripping the meat of it in his palm before squeezing. “Now c'mon. Let's get into it. Ride me like you mean it.” 

Sitting in one man's lap while carrying another man's baby should have been embarrassing. Each time she rolled her hips, she considered that she should feel guilty. But then Ekko grasped the sheer fabric of her nightgown, hooking it over the curve of her belly so that his palms could rub the stretched skin of her stomach uninterrupted, and just like that, what little guilt she had dissolved into a puddle between her thighs.

It stormed the entire night.

And when they finished, they laid next to each other and listened to the rain pelt against the window. Head on Ekko’s chest and body damp with sweat, she wondered - had any movie ever gotten this part right? Or was it simply impossible to capture the quiet, emotional peace of lying with your head against someone, feeling their heart beat inches from your ear, their words vibrating through your cheek as they said, “I think I love you.” 

Tilting her head up and pressing a soft kiss to his jaw, Powder smiled as she silently wrote the third line of her future journal entry.

I guess it is. xx

Notes:

Waking up in the middle of the night with That Feeling.TM is the WORST. Unless you're Powder and you have an Ekko. Then I guess it's aight. Huhuhu.

Next chapter shouldn't take so long to update! I wrote two chapters of different fic in the interim (one is a 6k Flashbomb PWP and it was soooo finished, but then my beta recommended I add a scene and now I'm working on it), so that's why this was delayed. The Flashbomb piece should be up in a few days, I suspect, and then the next update for this will be this Sunday because I have a class to teach on Saturday and still have to prepare bleh ~

Chapter 10: The World Goes On Without Us

Notes:

This chapter is focused on Vander & Powder, because I hate that he didn't get the chance to be their dad into their adulthood, and every fic I write is fix-it fic damnit lol.

When Powder was little, she’d been sick all the time. 

An upset stomach from too many cupcakes. A bloody nose from trying to jump on Vi’s back as she passed by. A bruise to the knee, a headache, or even a sneezing fit because allergies were bad that season.

She wasn’t inherently more sick than other kids her age, but she seemed to take the emotional bits particularly hard. When Vi got sick, she’d lock herself in her room and sleep it off. When Mylo caught something, he’d pretend nothing was wrong and head out anyway. Claggor would pop a few meds, grumble about it for a bit, and be back to rights in no time. Only Powder seemed to be completely non-functional up until she was back to 100%. 

One time in third grade, she’d caught a fever from a classmate named Chuck. She’d started the day feeling a little woozy, and by three had been drenched in sweat, sniffling, and begging the teacher to call her dad. By the time Vander had shown up, Powder was in the closet with the coats and the bookbags, laying face-down on some poor boy's jacket and sobbing into the wool.

“I’ve come to grab my girl,” Vander had groused, and now sooner had he said it than she tripped her way out of the closet and ran straight for his legs. 

In a way, Vander was the only one who really knew what Powder needed when she was sick. Though Silco tried his best, he’d always been too pragmatic. Solutions over comfort and all that. Vi was the opposite. She felt everything too deeply. All it took was one look at her crying baby sister and the realization that she couldn’t fight her way to a solution, and she’d start crying, too. 

In summary, Vander was raising a bunch of cry-babies. 

But he was so good at being a dad. That day, he’d taken Powder home and told her to change into her favorite jim-jams. He’d fluffed the pillows on his and Silco’s bed and turned on the humidifier. While Silco had busied himself making broth and getting some medicine together, Vander had kicked off his shoes and settled in beside Powder, letting her snuggle up against him before softly saying, “What story am I telling today?”

Over the years, nothing had changed. Whenever Powder fell sick, the first person she wanted was her dad. Pregnancy had only made that need more frequent. Somehow, she'd managed to endure the constant waves of illness without running to him, and she'd told herself that was growth. Maybe she'd finally grown up. Maybe she didn't need him for that anymore. But all it took was one particularly brutal bout of acid reflux that left her hunched over the toilet for hours, and she quickly felt herself slip back into that familiar, childlike panic.

She tried Silco’s way first, asking herself what the sensible solution was, and how she could get it. 

Fumbling for her phone on the bathroom counter, she texted Ekko.

 

Do you have antacids? I’m dying over here.

 

Immediately, he texted back. 

 

Chef E: Nooooo. Don’t die. I need you.

Chef E: Not feeling too hot?

Chef E: I have some. OMW. 

 

Month eight was proving to be as difficult as month one. Her body was always achy, her head was constantly splitting from sinus pressure, and the baby never wanted to sleep. Not that he had much to do in his little bubble except kick her organs around, but he could at least cool it for an hour or two. She was completely drained, and all of it combined was slowly making her feel crazy. 

When Ekko arrived, Powder knew it long before she saw him, just from Spud’s excited screeching as he rolled after him down the hallway. 

He popped into the doorway with the toaster fresh on his heels. 

“Oh, thank god,” Powder hissed, opening her hand toward him. “Help a girl out, wouldja?” 

“Just one of those days, huh?” He asked.

“One of those weeks. Months. Honestly, at this point, it might be a forever thing.”

Having Ekko around was so much better than roughing the wilds of pregnancy alone. When he handed her two antacids and her stomach settled for the hour, she was grateful. And when the relief wore off, and she found herself hunched back over the toilet retching up bile and stomach acid before the day was out, she was even more grateful. He did all the right things. His hand rubbed slow circles between her shoulder blades, he whispered in her ear that she was going to be fine, and he kissed her temple as she cried because she was exhausted.

It just wasn’t enough.

“Ekko,” Powder sobbed, holding her forehead as she drooled into the toilet. “This is miserable.” 

“I know, Pow.” He wiped his palm across her damp cheeks to help dry them. “What can I do to make you feel better?”

Well, the first solution hadn’t fucking worked, but if there was one thing Powder had also learned from Silco, it was that a second, less obvious solution always existed, and there was no shame in taking it if it led to the same outcome. Sure, she was a grown woman, and perhaps she should have been more self-sufficient than she was. But she knew, without a doubt, that there was only one remedy that had never failed her.

Powder closed her eyes, taking a deep, hiccoughing breath as she said, “Can you call my dad?”

It only took Vander and Silco ten minutes to show up. There was a knock at the door and Ekko whispered, “I’ll be right back” before slipping away to let them in (which was preferable, because if Silco realized she’d left the door unlocked again, she’d be cooked). She took that chance to grab some toilet paper, dabbing at her face and hissing when the cracked skin at the corners of her mouth stung. Then she tossed the paper into the toilet and flushed, pushing herself to her feet.

Vander was waiting for her in the hallway.

“How’s my little love?”

There was something about his voice that got to her. Like honey melting into warm tea or the comforting weight of a thick duvet in winter. Powder wanted to be ashamed at how quickly she broke into tears when she saw him, but there was no emotional room left for anything but relief. She dragged herself over, wrapping her arms around him as best she could, and then buried her face against his chest and wept.

“I don't know if I can do this anymore.”

“Oh, I think you’re doing just fine,” Vander said gently. “All you need’s a warm bowl of soup and a little sleep. Then you'll be back to it, hm?”

The clatter of pots and pans echoed from the kitchen, so Silco had gotten straight to work. If Powder really focused, she could pick up on the low mumbling between her dad and Ekko. The thought crossed her mind to go check in on them and make sure they didn’t need anything, but when she loosened her grip and turned, nose blocked and tears dripping from her chin, Vander said, “Ah, ah. They’ll both still be here when you wake up. Promise. Let’s get you sorted first.” 

Her bedroom was already set up and waiting for her. When Ekko had found the time to do it was a complete mystery, but the pillows were fluffed, and the comforter was folded back at the corner, ready for her to crawl right in. The reading lamp was on dim and the blinds had been lowered. The room had turned into quite the cave. 

“You know, your dad’s been reading a lot about pregnancy these days. He found a soup recipe I think you'll like.”

Powder kicked off her house shoes, crawling into the bed as she tried to pull herself together. “Y-yeah?”

“Yeah. A good broth should do you up right.” 

Powder wiggled into the bed and leaned back. Vander was already beside her, adjusting her pillows and pulling the blanket snug around her neck. Even now, with so many years of distance between the Powder that had clung to her father’s legs, and the Powder that was fast becoming a mother, Vander still seemed larger than life. He was the solution to so many problems she hadn’t even thought up yet. She loved him so much. 

“You know, I really wouldn’t mind if you both came around a-a little more,” she said. 

“I'm sorry. It’s hard, love. We're just trying to do the right thing. As your kids get older, you need to give them space and let them grow, so that they can build the confidence to work out this crazy world around them,” Vander said. After a beat, he admitted, “But it's strange. One day you’re cooking for them and kissing the cuts on their knees, and the next they’re bringing someone else around to do it for them. That step has to happen, hard as it is.” Gently patting the side of her belly through the blanket, Vander smiled. “You’ll understand that sooner than late.”  

Powder’s eyes burned. She wiggled her nose and tried to keep her tears from spilling, but ultimately covered her eyes when she realized she couldn’t. She hadn't closed the valve just yet.

“I still need you, dad,” she whimpered. “Please don’t leave me alone. I'm your b-baby, I'm just taller!”

Vander chuckled. "Oh, Powder. You'll always be my baby girl. You can call me or your father anytime, and we'll come running. Promise.” 

Vander leaned over the bed, pressing a kiss to her forehead. When she only cried harder, body shuddering with each breath she took, he kicked off his boots and carefully settled into the empty space beside her. She flopped onto his lap immediately, burying her face against his pants as she let out every emotion she’d been trying to suppress the last week. The headaches, the broken down body, the son that wouldn't stop breakdancing on her bladder. She put all her grievances into one big cup, and poured it onto Vander's lap. 

Little Powder was such a big crybaby, and apparently big Powder was an even bigger crybaby. 

But honestly, neither Powder fucking cared. She would cry all day every day if she wanted to, because Vander didn't mind.

It took a while for Powder to settle. The two of them listened to the quiet sounds of cooking in the kitchen. Of Silco’s deep voice rumbling beneath Ekko’s lighter one, their conversation blending with the clatter of pots and pans. Neither she nor Vander moved, choosing to be still together until her stomach was okay, and her son had finally fallen asleep, and the comforting scent of aromatics floated heavy in the air around them.

Powder took a deep, easy breath and let her eyes flutter closed.

When Vander spoke, his voice was gentle. 

“Alright, my love," he said. "What story am I telling today?”

Notes:

Two official chapters to go. The next one is a bit dramatic, as we a) meet the baby daddy again and b) Powder goes into labor. Are the two related? We'll have to seeeee. Then of course Chapter 12 is BABY TIME. You may be wondering why so little Silco in this chapter. You'll see a lot more of him in chapter 12 when she's in the hospital. Vi wasn't lying when she said he'd be bedside the entire time LOL. That dad is the one with the plan, and the nurses aren't ready for the Silco/Sevika two-step combo.

Chapter 11: All Silhouettes With No Regrets

“You think I could leave the house like this?”

It was midday and Powder was sprawled out on Ekko’s couch in nothing but a sports bra and a loose pair of shorts. The man knelt beside her, carefully dipping a brush into the paint palette he’d balanced on her thick thighs. For the last week, her stomach had been a canvas and he’d been practicing his mindfulness by forcing her to lay back, and painting all manner of things on the soft curve of her belly. 

“It’d be a shame to let this one go to waste,” he said, painting a green line down her abdomen. “So I say let it all hang out, mama.” 

“Trying to get me arrested?"

“I’ve got bail money and a few lawyers on call if you're ready to risk it. Just say the word." 

Powder laughed, tucking her arms behind her head and closing her eyes. The bristles felt good. The paint itself was a little cold, but she didn’t mind. She’d been running warm lately anyway, fighting off hot flashes left and right. With Ekko’s windows cracked and a gentle breeze drifting through the screen, the contrast was actually quite nice. She was enjoying herself. 

Without a doubt, Ekko was nesting. The magazines may have tricked the world into thinking it was the mothers who spent most of their time preparing with things like rearranging furniture, fussing over colors, and making sure everything was soft and safe for their babies. But a little time with a man like Ekko told a different story. 

At some point last week, he'd crawled into Powder’s crafting closet, rummaging through old paint, bags of clay, and all the tiny doodads she’d collected over the years. He'd gotten quite creative with them, making little trinkets to hide around the baby's room. Everything from small air-clay walruses to a clock that played a lullaby every time it struck twelve. It was obvious that he was mentally making space for someone new, and Powder thought it was the cutest thing in the world.

Today’s agenda seemed to be turning her belly into an even bigger work of art than it already was.

“Does it feel good?” Ekko asked. He was so close to her stomach that when he asked, his breath tickled her skin.

“Mm?”

“You keep humming,” he clarified.

Powder looked at him and Ekko was hyper-focused on his work, brows furrowed in concentration as he tried to keep his lines straight. She took a deep breath in, snorting when his line went wonky and his lip twitched. He had a lot of physical tells like that; his nose scrunched up like a bunny when he smelled something he didn’t like, and his lips curled over his teeth if he tasted something bitter, or sour, or overly sweet. Powder had a strange obsession with mapping all these tiny details, and she'd dedicated hours to memorizing how he moved, and all the things his body said even when his mouth didn't. It was just obsessive behavior. 

When he turned to her and caught her staring, she blinked. 

“You keep looking at me like that and I’m gonna have to charge you.”

“Oh, please don’t. I’d be broke in an hour.” 

He laughed, turning back to the palette and mulling over his next option. Something about the way his earrings dangled, and his profile caught the light from the sun beaming through the window. He was dipping his brush into the blue and Powder had exactly three seconds of foresight in which she knew something unhinged was going to come out, before she blurted, “When this is all over, would you give me a baby?”

Ekko looked at her so fast that she could have sworn she heard his neck snap. 

“Uh-oh. I shouldn’t have said that,” she hissed, puckering her lips. 

“No, it’s -" he paused. "Huh." 

Hoping to not sound as crazy as she felt, she sputtered, “You know, because I think you’re cute, and I'm cute, and we would make cute babies, that's all. I - urgh. Fuck. I’m sorry. It’s the hormones talking.”

Ekko set the paintbrush gently on the carpet before lifting the palette from her thighs and moving it somewhere safe. For a split second, Powder braced herself for the worst-case scenario,  worried that she’d ruined the mood. But then he crawled onto the couch, kneeling over her, and his eyes were a bit glassy, cheeks a warmer color than usual. 

“I wanna hear every freaky little thing they have to say.”

“Oh?”

“And if they want me to put a baby in you, that’s what I’m gonna fucking do.”

“Oh,” she breathed, leaning up to meet Ekko halfway when he kissed her desperately. He always tasted good. Maybe it was because Powder was so turned on that anything he offered would be a buffet of cherries and pineapples. She just couldn’t get enough of how gentle he was with her lips. How softly he licked into her mouth and swallowing her sighs. How she could feel the curve of his smile when she reached around him to squeeze his ass. “You mean right now?”

Gently rubbing his hand along the side of her stomach, he said, “Well I think it’s a little occupied, but I’m still down to try if you are.” 

Powder was so sensitive. Their bellies brushed when he leaned back in and it was maddening. With how big she’d gotten, it was impossible for them not to touch, and every time they did, the same thoughts recycled in Powder's head. Ekko felt warm. He felt real and safe, and all those good things that women wanted in a partner. When he trailed soft kisses from the corner of her mouth down to her neck, she groaned, tilting her head back to let him play. 

There was nothing better than him leaving pieces of himself on her skin.

It was the realization that her one remaining brain cell was tethered to the weight of him over her, or the press of his hands tracing delicate lines along the raw and stretched skin of her waist, that always seemed to set her over the edge. She couldn’t possibly get more pregnant than she already was, but the part of her that had spray-painted his face and his name across every ridge of her brain was the same part that wanted her to try anyway. If she was lucky, by the time he was done fucking her on this couch, he’d have gifted her riches in the form of a baby that looked just like him.

“I want it so badly,” she whispered.

Ekko understood. He gently guided her arms back over her head, then hooked his fingers beneath the band of her sports bra, tugging it up so he could press soft kisses along the underside of her breasts. His voice was low when he mumbled, “Then let’s give it a shot.”

And as Powder let her eyes flutter shut, she breathed, “Yes.”

 

---

 

The world would always find ways to remind Powder that despite her best efforts, she couldn’t outrun fate. Or coincidence. Or circumstance. Quiet and calm never lasted long, and truth be told, it was kind of dumb to think that her luck in finding Ekko would extend to her luck in keeping him.

“You’ve really never been to Pinball Peters?” Ekko asked. 

“I wouldn’t call myself much of an arcade girl,” Powder admitted. 

Local arcades always seemed fun in theory, but as the two of them stepped into what was arguably the loudest, most chaotic collection of flashing lights and screaming machines, she was reminded why she’d never felt the need to visit one. When she was a kid, Vi had begged Vander to turn their garage into an arcade-style hangout spot, and he'd let them do it. Powder had run around town for months scavenging for parts, and between her, Vi, Mylo, Claggor, they'd managed to build a knockoff version of all the most important machines. It'd taken a year to finish it, but once it was done, the space filled any craving they might've had for an actual arcade.

Still Ekko seemed excited to be here, so Powder was more than happy to give it a shot.

The moment Ekko got their coins, she grabbed his hand and made a beeline for the nearest machine.

“Whack-a-mole. Interesting first choice.”

She shrugged. “What can I say? I’m good at smashing things.” 

“There’s a sex joke there somewhere,” he said, handing her a coin. 

She scoffed as she snatched it from him. “Give me my coin, peasant.”

Shoving her coin into the slot and grabbing the hammer, she paused when the first mole popped up. It wasn't actually a 'mole' - more of an elf-like creature that was clearly handmade. It was charming, but the googly eyes were off-center, and the little wig looked like it was glued on sideways, no doubt dislodged from years of being smacked around by kids with terrible aim. Powder gagged.

“Holy shit. Is it just me, or does that look a little possessed?”

“You could always smack it and see if a demon pops out.”

“I think Vi and Sevika are enough.” She turned slowly, pressing the hammer into Ekko’s chest with a soft pat. “You’re up, champ.”

Ekko looked at her manically, smiling wide as he stepped up, rolled his shoulder, and pointed at the elf peeking out of its hole. When it vanished and another took its place, he let out something between a laugh and a battle cry, swinging his arm down to smack it. Powder gasped and stepped back, covering her mouth to keep from laughing as he went to town, hammering the poor creatures so hard that the machine started to beep. When she glanced at the neighboring game, a small group of children had stopped playing, and were watching with their mouths open. 

The game barely lasted a minute. When it ended, the score flashed across the screen and then disappeared. He hadn’t even cracked the top 100, which was kind of insane given the manpower behind the movements. Still, a stream of tickets sputtered out, and Powder snatched them before Ekko could get to them. When she stood up and turned to him, she kissed him full on the mouth, wiggling the tickets in his face before turning and waddling her way to the next game.

It was a shooter called Time Crisis, and it was actually the perfect chance to show off. 

“Oh, okay,” Ekko crooned as he slid into the cramped machine, hands immediately going for one of the plastic guns. “Let’s see if you can actually hit something.”

“It’s times like these that I realize we’ve got a lot to learn about each other.”

“Well that doesn't sound alarming."

Powder didn’t clarify. She just fed the coins into the slots and grabbed her gun.

As it turns out, time hadn’t dulled her senses at all. Despite her pregnancy brain, her reflexes decided to work with her for once. One after the other, she shot the bombs on the screen to detonate them, running through them so quickly that the gameplay timer reset and she went round two. The days in the garage were coming back to her in waves, just memories of her and Mylo sitting in front of their makeshift shooting station, and Vi a few feet away, dodging a mechanical fist on the boxing device. One after the other, down, down, down. She'd spent so many hours practicing, and it had never come to anything more important than this - showing off for the most competent man she knew, and hoping that he'd find it charming.

When the screen finally went black and the score flashed, Powder bit her lip and smiled. 

“No fucking way,” Ekko croaked. “How did you -”

She set the gun back in its holder, then leaned in and whispered, “I’ve got good aim.”

“There’s good aim, then there’s ‘top score’ on the whole fucking machine aim." Squinting his eyes back at the screen and leaning in, he huffed. "Man. That's crazy." 

The machine was blinking wildly at them, prompting them to save. Playfully, Powder said, “What do you think for the name? Powdekko?”

“Nothing wrong with a little Ekkoder.”

“Or Pekko,” she said.

“Oh, yeah. Great couple name. Pekko for sure.” 

Powder typed it in, whistling when it pinged and flashed across the screen. The whole thing was oddly satisfying. It felt like a tiny piece of them was permanently etched into this old, run-down machine, and even if nobody knew who they were, years from now, somebody might see it and acknowledge that they were here. That was enough.

She reached into her pocket and tugged out her phone, snapping a quick picture before squeaking, “Hey, look Ma! I made it!”

"That's my girl," Ekko said, taking another long look at the screen. 

With no small amount of effort, she pushed herself up out of her seat, emerging from the small cocoon of the game when someone just outside of it said, “Thought I heard a high score over here.”

If Powder had been paying attention, she would’ve recognized the voice right away. But she was too giddy for it to click. She’d said two words in response, just an offhand, “Thanks! It’s -” before she actually looked up and her mouth sprung shut. It was as if someone had pulled a plug on her brain, every thought spiraling so quickly down the drain that she couldn't even scoop one out and save herself the embarrassment of going fully mute. 

“Thought that was you,” the man laughed. “Long time no see.”

Fuck.

Fuckity, fucking fuck.

Powder's heart sank. She’d gone through so much trouble to make sure that her one night was disposable. How she'd fucked it up so badly, she would never know. Everything about him was as she remembered. His curls were a little longer, but his eyes were still big and brown, and his nose was as sharp as ever. His eyebrows looked like logs. He considered her with that quiet amusement he’d fixed her with at the bar when she'd said 'A Shirley Temple. Extra Grenadine'.

She stared at him helplessly, taking a visible step back as she tried to collect herself. 

"Oh, god." 

"Sorry," he said, blinking at her reaction, clearly thrown. "I don’t usually walk up and say hi to, well… you know. But I heard your voice and figured I’d come see how things were going." His eyes wandered to her stomach and he smiled, a little uncertain as he gestured to it. “Congratulations.”

Ekko stepped out of the machine, clearing his throat as he casually wandered up beside her. She startled when he touched the small of her back, turning around a bit wildly. It wasn't that she'd forgotten about him. She was just short-circuiting.

He froze for a second, eyes flicking between the two of them as he said, “All good?”

Funny he should ask since things had never been worse. 

It was a cruel irony that the moment Ekko spoke, the man visibly tensed - probably anxious about overstepping or saying the wrong thing because who honestly had experience introducing themselves to a one-night stand's boyfriend? Was there even a protocol for that? But it was clear he wasn't ready, and he probably hadn't expected to meet the man at all. This little reunion was going disastrously for the both of them.

Powder’s fingers tingled, and every inhale felt like one step closer to the panic attack that was hiding just beneath her ribs.

“Sorry,” Ekko continued, extending his hand. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Ekko. I’m the boyfriend.” 

The man shook it. “I’m Emil. Powder and I go way back.”

Powder breathed out shakily. She really, really tried not to speak, but the word vomit was burning on the way up, and it sat in the back of her throat as the two men quietly assessed each other. The tension was thick, awkward, and so very obvious that there didn't seem much of a choice. Alongside the moral crisis of potentially fucking up this young man's life, was the fear that if she didn't speak and Ekko found out the truth later, he’d think of her as dishonest. Untrustworthy. A real piece of shit. 

It all made her sick. 

Just as Emil nodded his head and said, “Alright, well. Was just stopping to say hi. I should -” she choked out, “Not way back. About eight months back.” 

There was a pause between all three of them. For Powder, it was because she couldn’t say another word unless she wanted to throw up. For Ekko, it was likely because he was processing and reprocessing what she'd said, and why she'd said it.

Emil was visibly calculating. His brow furrowed, then his shoulders slumped as his gaze dropped to Powder’s stomach. She could almost see the wheels turning in his head, scrambling to make sense of what was happening. He was probably racing to find the right way to ask the one question she wasn’t strong enough to answer on her own. Eventually, he spoke. 

“You're about eight months along?” 

"Yeah," Powder whispered.

He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight. Vander used to say that whenever Vi stumbled into the kitchen after school, knuckles bloodied and cheeks bruised, heaving as she tried to defend why she’d fought an entire group of boys for teasing her sister. At the time, Powder had thought it a little ridiculous. That he'd discourage her from standing up for herself didn't quite make sense. But years of experience couldn’t have taught her as much about his perspective as this one singular day. Suddenly, it was as if everything clicked.

When Ekko said, “There’s a café next door,” there was no emotion in his words. Powder turned to look at him, expecting to see something, but his face was flat and completely unreadable. He pointed toward the exit. “I think maybe we need to have a cup.” 

Vander was right. Not every battle was worth fighting, because not every fight could be won. Some situations were a loss from start to finish, and protecting yourself from additional wounds was the only way to make it out with your pride intact. Powder couldn't even find it in herself to fight what was happening. This was one of those cases where she would have to feel it, and it was going to hurt something awful.

Ekko didn’t wait for either of them to agree, likely too overwhelmed to consider how it might look to just walk out the moment he spoke. It was understandable. Powder forced herself to understand it even if it felt like she'd taken a shotgun to the chest. They would talk. Ekko wouldn't just leave.

They had time to talk, right?

Emil’s face was twisted with devastation. "I -" he started, licking his lips and then closing them. It took him a minute, but when no words came, he just nodded stiffly, turning on his heel and heading for the door.

Powder's stomach ached. She'd never felt so uneasy. Bile burned the back of her throat, and she rubbed the underside of her belly, trying to soothe the throbbing that was starting to worm it's way through her muscles. If she could just make it through coffee, she’d be okay. Getting there when every second felt like an eternity was going to be agonizing, but this wasn't the time to fight it. She had to face it.

Slowly, she began the walk to the exit, surrounded by the bright lights and cheerful sounds of games she’d probably never get the chance to play.

Notes:

Ekko is not happy. :( But who would be, I guess? It's easy when a child has no other father, but now he has to confront that there is a baby daddy, and that he now knows he's a baby daddy, and that it's possible he'll want to be responsible and involved which leaves Ekko wondering a lot of things.

The final chapter is a direct continuation of this chapter. We're gonna have the baby! I didn't want to split up the labor and the birth because I think the conversations that come out of them are important.

Anyway - next chapter should be done Wednesday or Thursday of this upcoming week (EDIT: I lied, it'll probably be done Sunday because it'll be about 3-4k LOL). And sorry for uploading multiple times. It was glitching on my end and I wasn't sure why. If you got twenty notifications, they were from me. xx Thanks for sticking around with me!

Chapter 12: Nothing To Say

Notes:

I KNOW, I KNOW. I ADDED ANOTHER CHAPTER. It's because I was too ambitious and thought I could get through all the feelings in one chapter, but slice of life works when you've got that 'slice' like flow to it, and I felt like the chapter was getting too 'jumpy' because I had too many slices in it. That being said, I've written the whole thing, but for stylistic choices (and to give me a chance to edit the last chapter a bit more and add a 'jump forward' portion), I'm going to publish this part tonight, and the next chapter tomorrow night/Tuesday. This part is 3.5k - the next chapter will probably be 2-3k.

Enjoy! We're really almost there. Seriously LOL. Then I can write family shenanigans.

“I got you some tea.”

Powder looked over, face softening as Ekko set her cup carefully down in front of her. Her instinct was to say thank you, but her mouth had been glued shut since she’d left the arcade twenty minutes ago. Everything that came to mind felt wrong, and she found herself caught between offering another apology and asking the question none of them were really ready for. 

What happens now? 

Either Ekko or Emil had seated them in a quiet corner, which was necessary given the conversation they needed to have. Funny how she never had trouble running her mouth until it came to saying something that actually mattered.

Wrapping her hands around her cup, she stared at the ripples in the tea.

“Can I ask you something?” Emil said, breaking the silence. He sounded different from the bar. That night, he’d been so happy. It was painful to hear how strained and heavy each syllable was this time around. “Were you ever gonna look for me?” 

Powder bit her lip, thumb drawing a line along the ceramic edge of her cup. The question was like a punch to the gut, but it was also an oddly fitting place to begin. 

“I don’t know,” Powder said, pausing for a second to breathe her way through the discomfort of acknowledging it. “I went into that night thinking I would never see you again. I guess I carried that with me when I found out. I was anxious, and selfish, and stupid.” Another deep breath. “It’s just an excuse to avoid having to look you in the eye and admit that we’re strangers, and we’re still tied together now for the rest of our lives anyway.” 

It wasn’t lost on her that Ekko hadn’t moved an inch since he’d taken a seat beside her. 

Powder felt the sting behind her eyes, but she quickly shook her head and looked back down at her cup. This wasn’t about her. The last thing she needed was to draw attention to herself when the two men beside her were being emotionally flogged. 

Quietly, she said, “Can I ask something?”

There was an awkward pause, but Emil eventually hummed.

When she finally looked up at him, he was blinking hard, using his knuckle to catch a few stray tears from the creases of his eyes.

“Have I just fucked up your life?”

The silence that followed was deafening. The coffee shop carried on. Cashiers took their orders, customers chatted and sipped their drinks, but it was as if a bubble had formed around them, muffling everything except the uneven sound of Emil’s breath as he struggled to find the right words.

On one hand, she didn’t want to hear the answer. If it was yes, she might actually spend the next week in emotional exile, sobbing herself to sleep. If it was no, she would assume it was a lie. Rubbing her belly anxiously, she turned toward the window and squeezed her eyes shut, desperately trying to calm the cramps for just a minute so that they could actually get through this part of the conversation. They’d just started, for fuck’s sake. 

Eventually, Emil rubbed his hands over his face, then dragged them down his pants as he exhaled loudly. 

“No. I don’t think you have. It doesn’t feel real, that’s all. An hour ago, I was a single guy visiting an arcade for a blind date. Now I’m a dad.” The man turned to Ekko. “Guessing I’m not the only one struggling with that.” 

Ekko was listening, but his expression hadn’t changed much. He opened his mouth, hesitated, then closed it again. After a beat, he tried once more, huffing frustratedly when the words wouldn’t come to him. Eventually, he said, “She was already pregnant when we met, so it’s not like I didn’t know you were out there. I’m just not sure what to say right now. Honestly thought I had a little more time to figure that part out.” 

Given her history with important life events, Powder should have known that the conversation wasn’t going to happen as planned. She should have expected the most unavoidable interruption, because the universe always had to one-up itself.  

Gritting her teeth, she forced out, “I’m so sorry. To both of you. I- ” She paused, taking a shaky breath so that she could try and explain further, but was distracted by the unmistakable warmth spreading through the fabric beneath her thighs. The sound of water dripping to the floor beneath her seat confirmed she wasn’t imagining it. There was a second of silence in which she wondered if she should just keep her mouth shut about it, and say what she needed to say, but then a flush of adrenaline rushed through her and she knew it wasn't possible. Barely holding back her panic, she said, “I swear I’m not trying to run away from this conversation, and Emil, I owe you a whole lot more than I just gave you, but either I’ve pissed myself, or my water just broke.”

It took a second. Ekko and Emil looked at her, both with varying levels of confusion before it visibly clicked. 

Ekko was the first to move, immediately springing up out of his seat and shedding his jacket. Emil followed, nearly tripping his way out of his chair to circle the table. 

"God damnit," Ekko hissed.

“I’m sorry for everything,” Powder said, turning to Emil desperately. “Really.”

“We've got time to figure it out,” Emil promised, face flushing bright red. "We gotta - this is -"  

Powder groaned as both men helped her to standing. She could physically feel that her stomach had deflated a little, and the sensation was so jarring, so immediate, that it left no room for self-deprecating thoughts or worries that she’d just screwed the two of them … again. The baby was kicking, and the cramp that had started minutes ago was insistent. It tingled all the way down her legs.

“Here, baby. I’ve got you,” Ekko said, looping the jacket around her waist and tying it off before slipping an arm around her. 

It was just Powder’s luck that when Emil reached out to grab her bag dangling over the back of the chair, he stepped in the small puddle of amniotic fluid. She winced, glancing up at the ceiling and begging for a break. Just five minutes where something didn’t go catastrophically wrong or embarrass the ever-living daylights out of her. The relentless string of humiliation was starting to feel personal.

“We’ll take my car,” Ekko said. “Emil?”

“Yeah. Yeah. I’ll follow,” he said. “Which hospital?”

“Riverside. About ten minutes from here.”

“I have to call Vi,” Powder said frantically, already turning to grab her bag in Emil’s hand. Before she could get it, Ekko caught her arm and lowered it, guiding her toward the door instead. She could hear the edge of hysteria creeping into her voice and knew she was only seconds away from completely losing it when she said, “Please .”

“Powder,” Ekko said firmly, halting her movements as he gently took her cheek in his palm. He guided her gaze back to his, voice easy but firm. “Listen to me. This has been a hell of a day, but we’ve got to make it out, okay? I’ve got you.”

“You’ve got me,” Powder parroted. 

"I'm gonna take care of you."

"You're gonna... yeah..." 

Ekko smiled, and it was the first familiar hint of emotion Powder had seen since they’d left the arcade. She gravitated toward it, eyes drawn to his mouth as she instinctively smiled too. It was kind of pathetic how quickly her mood changed because of something so simple, but… well. That’s love, bitch. 

“I’ll call Vi from the car, put her on speaker, and we’ll meet her at the hospital.” He turned to Emil and added, “It's a straight shot. Just follow me.”

“Okay,” Emil agreed. He gave a sheepish nod and patted the bag slung over his shoulder. “I’ve got the bag.”

“And I’ve got the girl,” he said, nodding towards the door. “Time to go confuse the hell out of the hospital staff.” 

 

---

 

It was no surprise that Vi got to the hospital first.

By the time Vander and Silco walked through the door, the woman was kicked back in one of the visitor’s chairs by the window, casually flipping through the television channels. She smiled as they entered, but didn’t bother looking away from the screen. 

“Wow. You guys are really slacking. She got here hours ago.” 

Silco headed straight for the empty chair beside the bed. The timing couldn’t have been better. Ekko had just left to find something to eat and dragged Emil along with him. For the first time all day, Powder had the choice to avoid an awkward conversation she wasn’t ready to have. She sucked on her blue popsicle and pointedly kept her mouth shut. 

“It was one hour ago. And we were on a date. It took a moment to get the bill.”

“A date?” Powder asked, tilting her head. “Like, a romantic one?”

Silco frowned. “Married couples do go on those sometimes.” 

“Married?” Vi called from her seat, finally turning to look at them incredulously. “What the hell? I thought you two were just long-term roommates with benefits. I didn’t know there was, like, legal paperwork involved.” 

“You’re joking,” Silco said. 

“When did you even find time to get married?” Powder asked. 

Silco turned to Vander in disbelief. Vander looked just as stunned, glancing between the two of them to see if they were joking, and letting out a warm chuckle when he realized they weren’t. The funny thing was, Powder had always known they were together. They'd both been dad for decades. But they were so non-traditional that it didn't make sense. Over the years, she, Vi, Mylo, and Claggor had collectively decided they’d been adopted by two best friends who'd just decided to be fathers and raise kids. Certainly, they must have been in love to stick together for so long, but marriage? That was an honest surprise. Way too normal. 

“How could you possibly not know that we’re married when we raised you?”

“You don’t have rings, for starters,” Vi mumbled.

“I’ve never seen you guys kiss. Like reeallly kiss. Not once,” Powder tacked on.

Accidentally harassing their parents seemed to be a pastime at this point. When Powder peeked over at Vi, she caught the woman half-smiling, trying to mask it by biting her thumb. Their eyes met. Vi raised her brows, and Powder quickly popped her popsicle back into her mouth to stop herself from laughing.

“Well,” Vander rumbled, wandering over to the couch across from the bed and dropping into it with a sigh. He looked amused. “What I’m hearing is that we should have spent less time in the garden, and more time snogging.”

“Apparently so,” Silco said, shaking his head.

“Where’s Cait?” Vander asked. 

“Oh. She and the boys went to the cafeteria. Was getting a little stuffy in here.”

“The boys? Mylo and Claggor got here that fast, did they?”

Vi went stiff in her seat, glancing at Powder apologetically.

While she appreciated the gesture, there was no point in hiding anything from Vander and Silco. It was clear her time of avoiding it was up, and it wasn’t like Ekko and Emil wouldn’t be back. Either way she spun it, an awkward introduction was in order. With a soft crunch, she bit off the rest of her popsicle and set the stick on the side table. Then she looked at Vander and said, “Not those boys.” 

Vander frowned.

“I kind of… ran into the baby’s father at an arcade. He’s down in the cafeteria.” 

The silence that fell over the room would have been comical if Powder wouldn’t have been at the center of the joke. Instead, she was just embarrassed. Having to admit that her boyfriend and her baby’s dad were bonding in the cafeteria because she’d gone into labor and accidentally forced them together? Kind of diabolical. But if anyone in this family were to pull this sort of mess, it would be Powder. 

Once the drama of it wore off, she was never going to hear the end of it. 

“The father,” Silco mouthed. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.”

“Sorry,” Powder said immediately, dipping her head. “I know it’s weird.”

“That was shock, dear. There’s no need for apology,” Silco said, sliding his chair closer to the bed and taking her hand. He squeezed. “Better to introduce them now than never, wouldn’t you say?”

“From what I’ve seen, he’s a real stand up guy,” Powder promised. 

When Vander laughed, he put his whole body into it. “Well that settles it, then. What do you say, Sil? Ready for another kid?”

“Hell yeah. Let’s make it a party,” Vi said. 

Silco’s thumb rubbed the back of Powder’s hand as he went quiet. Of all her family members, he was the most pensive, and it was quite easy for him to go still as he sunk into his thoughts. Unlike with Vander who wore his heart outside of his body, she could never quite tell what Silco was thinking. It would’ve been nice to take a quick poke around his mind just to see what kinds of things lived in the cracks.

As it was, if she wanted to know, she’d have to ask.

“Is it disappointing?”

Silco frowned at her. “Is what disappointing?” 

“Me? That I did this?”

“That you did what most adult women do and found someone to enjoy your time with?” Silco leaned in to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, giving a gentle nudge under her chin. “You have agency in this world, Powder. That will never disappoint me.” 

“Nor me. Nor Vi, nor anyone else that actually matters,” Vander tacked on. “We’re gonna have this baby safe and sound. That’s all any of us cares about.” 

Over the last few weeks, Powder had done nothing but cry. She felt like Alice, just weeping and weeping until she was drowning in a room full of tears. She turned her face away, covering her eyes with her free hand. They’d all seen her cry before. In fact, everyone in this room was so intimately familiar with her emotions that it felt silly to even try and hide them. But she wasn’t thinking straight. She was tired, stressed, and emotionally compromised. 

When Sevika burst through the door, all four of them jumped, heads snapping toward her. Powder startled so badly that it was as if her tears sucked right back up into her eyes.

Vander huffed. Silco dipped his head. Sevika glanced between them, palms up in confusion.

“Okay. What the hell did I miss?”

 

---

 

Powder was extremely overwhelmed. 

Everything hurt, and there were too many people in the room with her. It might’ve seemed like a good problem to have, but the contractions were relentless and the energy around her didn’t match how awful she actually felt. When Vi laughed at something in the corner, Powder took a deep, steadying breath, and it took everything she had not to scream her head off.

Ekko was the first to notice how harassed she was. He took one look at her and immediately cleared his throat, speaking softly from the bedside.

“Have you guys had dinner yet?”

Cait gasped and asked quietly in response, “Oh, god. When was the last time we ate?” 

Powder was so grateful he’d spoken. She loved her family to the ends of the Earth, but there were too damn many of them, and the real issue was that there probably weren’t even supposed to be this many people in the room. Vander standing next to Vi and Caitlin so that Emil could sleep on the couch was evidence enough that they were squeezing into a place that wasn’t made for them. But really, Which poor doctor or nurse was going to ask them to clear out? It’d be like going up against seven undertakers and hoping you left with your head on your shoulders.

Vander glanced from Ekko to Powder. He sounded unbelievably fond when he said, “There’s a joint just up the road. It’s open late, so we should be alright.” Nodding his head at Ekko, he said, “I assume you’re staying?” 

“Yeah. Just in case. You know." 

Oh, thank fuck. He wasn't leaving. He was choosing to stay. And even if that ended up being the only victory today, Powder would celebrate it with everything she had in her. 

"Well that's a lad." 

The sun had set hours ago. Now it was just waiting for the next step. She’d had hope, perhaps naively, that it would be quick and relatively painless, but the contractions were starting to grow unbearable, and she had the sinking feeling she was going to be up all night.

“Then dinner it is,” Sevika said easily, springing up out of her chair. She yanked her phone from her back pocket, wiggling it at Ekko firmly before saying, “Speed dial.” 

“Got it,” Ekko promised. “I’ll call if something changes.”

Cait seemed the most hesitant to leave. She anxiously followed Vi to the door, but took a quick detour to the bedside, leaning down to kiss Powder’s forehead. She looked exhausted herself. Her hair was tied up in a sloppy bun and she was wearing one of Vi’s favorite shirts. It was a birthday gift from years ago, back when Vi had first moved out of Vander’s house for a boxing internship overseas, and Powder had bought it for her. Cait straightened and quietly said, “We’ll be back in jif.” Looking at Powder’s tummy and gently rubbing the underside, she said, “And you be good to your mum. The poor girl’s exhausted.”

Powder tried to smile, though it came out as more of a grimace. She rubbed Cait’s hand in thanks. 

“Hang in there, Pow. We’ll be back,” Vi called, slipping an arm around Cait’s waist and gently pulling her toward the door. 

The room was only manageable when the three of them were left in it. Emil was on the couch, one arm slung over his face as he snored softly, legs draped over the armrest. He’d been asleep for about an hour and nobody had dared bother him. It was already awkward enough having to spend time in a hospital room with a bunch of crazies he didn’t know, but doing it the same day you found out you were a dad? After the kind of day he'd had, nobody had had the heart to wake him. 

Powder shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position, but the movement only pushed her into the next contraction. She let out a low moan. With fewer people in the room, it felt easier to verbalize how badly things hurt. Ekko reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. 

“You hanging in there?”

“It hurts,” Powder hissed. “It fucking hurts. Should have asked for the full epidural.” 

It wasn’t to the point that she couldn't cope, but it was starting to wear her down. She closed her eyes slowly, pressing her free hand to her abdomen. The baby was kicking like crazy. She hummed and hummed, riding the wave until the pain dulled, then exhaled and went still. Ekko gently adjusted the blankets over her legs the moment she’d settled. 

“Ekko,” Powder started.

Ekko looked at her and shook his head. “If you say you’re sorry, we’re throwing hands the minute the baby’s out.” 

Powder’s mouth dropped open and she choked. “Really? In a hospital? You’re not supposed to say that to a pregnant woman! I swear, no tact whatsoever.”

Ekko made a face. "Oh, don't play. I've seen your sister. You know how to fight."

Sputtering, Powder playfully released Ekko’s hand, shoving it aside.

The room fell quiet, the gentle beeping of the monitors blending with Emil’s soft snores from the couch. Ekko took Powder’s hand again, resting his head on the edge of the bed as he turned to watch her. She stared back shamelessly, wondering if they were terribly lucky or unlucky to find themselves in this situation. It’d only been a few months, so her infatuation felt dangerous. But when Ekko looked back at her like this, it seemed stupid to argue whether it was right, wrong, or something in-between. It just was, and she wanted it to continue to be.

Ekko’s brows furrowed and Powder quietly asked, “What's going on in that beautiful brain of yours?" 

It took a minute, but when Ekko spoke, there was a hint of desperation in his voice. “Just tell me we can make this work. I’ll believe you.”

Powder sighed. Then she lifted Ekko’s hand to her lips, kissing the back of it, too big and uncomfortable to do much more. It felt impossible to put as much sincerity into her response as she felt. Each word was like a fire in her cheeks, and opening her mouth did nothing but let out a rush of smoke that threatened to suffocate both of them. But she knew, and she hoped he knew, that she meant every single word when she said, “Ekko, there is no universe in which this doesn’t work if we want it to. I promise.” 

Ekko turned his face into the mattress and Powder knew he was trying not to cry. She could hear it in the labored breaths he took, could see it in the way his shoulders shuddered with each exhale.

Another contraction hit and Powder tilted her head back, gritting her teeth as she groaned through the pain.

Ekko sat up, sniffling as he locked in.

“It’s okay, Blue. I’m right here with you," he said, eyes glassy and words strained. He tightened his hold on her hand. "I've got you." 

 

Notes:

Do we have any guesses on a baby name? Clue: it starts with a V.

Chapter 13: I Belong In Your Arms

Powder would love to say that she remembered the whole morning she had her son. 

In reality, it only came to her in bits and pieces.

There were parts that were crystal clear. Scenes she knew she’d be able to replay in her mind even years down the road. Like the way the soft morning light spilled gently into the room when she woke from her nap. Ekko had been asleep in the chair beside her, slumped forward with his face resting on the mattress, breathing steadily. And Emil - how he’d startled awake the moment the doctor walked in and said, “I think it’s time to start pushing, don’t you?” How his face had gone deathly pale as he moved on auto-pilot to the head of the bed, trying to find his place and eventually settling on the empty spot opposite Ekko.

Then it came in fragments, just a series of images that had softened around the edges. 

If she closed her eyes and really tried, she could almost recall the soft encouragement Ekko had whispered to her, but the words were hazy and jumbled. The second she’d tucked her chin to her chest and funneled every nerve, cell, and atom into pushing, everything else had slipped away. God himself could have spoken to her and she’d have blocked it out until her son was safe in her arms. 

When the baby arrived, he was so small and fragile that Powder was almost scared to hold him. One minute the doctor was lifting his pale, sticky body from between her legs and carrying him to a table just out of her line of sight, and the next the woman was turning back toward her with something swaddled in her arms. 

Powder hadn’t realized she was hyperventilating until the doctor smiled and said, “Breathe, Powder. He’s perfectly healthy.” It was then that she saw him - really saw him - and he was screaming his tiny head off. 

Her breath caught in her throat. 

“Oh my god. Oh my god,” She whispered. “You’re so little.”

But babies did come out small, didn’t they? Barely bigger than two hands put together. She leaned in to kiss him, breathing deep and committing his scent to memory. It was intoxicating. His head was warm and impossibly soft, covered in a surprising amount of hair, and even though he was still slick with bits of slime and goo, Powder wanted nothing more than to squeeze him tighter, and hold him closer to her chest. 

Many moons ago, when Powder was little, she'd imagined herself as a mother. It was much in the same way that kids often did, just sweet, innocent little daydreams built on instinct more than understanding. Back then, she carried around a stuffed rabbit named Mr. Bunny, and that was her child. To her, he was everything.

She lost him one time and she was immediately inconsolable. It took Vi, Mylo, and Claggor an entire evening to track him down, eventually finding him lying in the dirt road just outside of the garage where he’d likely fallen from her backpack on the walk home from school. She remembered so clearly how Mylo had burst into the garage, windswept and out of breath, waving the stuffed animal in her face with a proud, “We found him!” And the relief had been so immediate and so immeasurable that Powder had collapsed from it, sobbing against the ground with Mister Bunny tucked against her chest. 

It’d been decades since she’d felt anything even remotely similar, but holding her baby came with the same overwhelming tidal wave of relief. It covered her from head to toe and threatened to drown her. 

It was Emil’s sniffling that pulled her back to the land of the living. She startled, glancing over at him, then took a deep breath and tilted the baby so that he could have a proper look. 

“You should smell him. It's so sweet,” she said absent-mindedly.

Emil shuffled a little closer, leaning in to sniff him. When he pulled back, he was clearly overwhelmed, but seemed to be in the similar predicament of being unable to keep his hands to himself. They were shaking as he reached out and ran his finger along the tip of the baby’s button nose. The baby quieted, whimpering a little before turning and latching onto Emil’s finger.

“He’s beautiful, Powder,” Emil breathed.

“Isn’t he?” 

Ekko had been quiet. Powder turned to look at him and was shocked to find his eyes not on the baby, but on her. He looked so stupidly, unapologetically happy that for a second, she forgot how to speak - and wasn’t that a fucking first? All she could do was stare at him. He had the kind of smile reserved for someone you really, really liked, where the dimples left soft shadows in your cheeks, and your eyes crinkled at the corners. She took a deep breath and tried to smile back, horrified when her brows furrowed instead and the first few tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Ekko, I did it,” she choked.

“You did it,” he murmured, each word thick with emotion. 

What else was there to say? For the fourth time in as many days, Powder found herself wordlessly hoping that Ekko would just understand. That she wouldn’t have to struggle with words that were inadequate. Words that could never actually describe how deeply she was feeling everything.

She looked down at the baby again and found herself right back at square one: tethered to the simple, undeniable fact that he existed.

She’d done it.

 

---

 

Powder was absolutely shitting herself. 

She’d been wandering between rooms for nearly an hour, pretending to tidy up. There wasn’t really much to clean, so this had amounted to her just relocating random things that her parents would eventually yell at her for moving. Vander and Silco had been in the kitchen cooking all day, while Vi and Cait were out in the garden, pulling weeds to lighten up the front of the house. Somehow, everyone else seemed calm and unbothered.

Only she seemed to be panicking about Ekko’s parents joining them for dinner. 

They’d talked about it a few nights ago and at the time, she’d been all in. Hell yeah! Dinner at Vanders? It’d been so easy to imagine herself reaching out and shaking Ekko’s Mom’s hand that she hadn’t stopped to consider how her god awful anxiety might unravel it. It was like she was the frog in a pot, waiting to be boiled, every insecurity bubbling up around her until she was cooked. 

The front door bell rang as Powder was arranging the books on the living room shelf in alphabetical order. The baby was strapped to her chest, staring up at her chin as she worked. The second she paused, he hiccoughed once, then let out a small, tinkling laugh. Powder looked down at him with wide-eyed amusement.

“So you think it’s funny, huh?”

When the baby giggled again, she couldn’t help but lean in, nuzzling and kissing his cheek. She would never get tired of how soft and warm it was. Like a little ball of dough. Suddenly, she understood why Vi had spent so many years just pinching her face.

“Alright, handsome. Looks like it's time. Let's do this.” 

Vander beat her to the door. By the time she wandered into the foyer, he was already pulling on the handle and opening their home to the three guests waiting patiently on the other side.

The first thing she noticed was that Ekko was cheesing. From the second Powder and the baby shuffled into their line of sight, he did nothing but smile, gravitating towards them as his mother and father followed him into the house. 

“Mama, this is the girl I was telling you about,” Ekko said by way of introduction.

Powder had done her best to dress right. She’d put on a clean pair of dungarees, washed and tied back her hair, swapped to a new, fresh pair of earrings and even brushed on a little mascara, all to create the illusion that despite being a single mom, she was also Very Responsible. And pretty. And perfect for their son, really.

“It’s so lovely to finally meet you,” the woman said, her eyes drifting to the baby. Her expression softened as she cooed, “And who do we have here?”

“This is Viggo,” Powder said, angling herself so the baby could see them. He was enthralled by the new faces, head flopping against her chest, still too wobbly and weak to hold up on his own. He blinked at all three of them. “Sorry if he’s a little rude,” she added. “I’ve told him not to stare, but... well, you know. He’s new around here.”

Ekko’s mom chuckled, and she sounded so much like him that Powder was immediately fond.

“His eyes are so blue,” she said sweetly. “Feels like it’s been forever since I’ve seen one this age.”

“Doesn’t it? Where does the time go?” Vander asked.

Ekko’s mom gave the baby one last glance before turning to Vander and offering her hand. “I’m Inna, and this is Wyeth,” she said with a small smile. “Sounds like our son’s latched himself onto your family.”

"Oh, with full consent. He's a lad." 

While the parents said pleasantries, Powder took the chance to slip in close, leaning over to steal a quick kiss from Ekko’s jaw. She didn’t want to get caught because god knows Vander with a bit of ammo was a menace to society, but Ekko looked so good today that she couldn’t help herself. He was wearing a casual cardigan with tighter jeans, but the colors suited him. He looked like a million bucks.  Despite the way her stomach was lurching, she had to touch just a little. 

The second she pulled away, he said “uh, uh,” and reached for her, sliding an arm around her waist and tugging her back in. The baby was squished between them, silently accepting his fate as Ekko kissed her like he’d been waiting for his opportunity to do it. His lips tasted like sugar, and the wild guess was that he’d eaten something sweet on the drive over. She had an idea what it was.

"Cupcakes?” She asked, looking at his lips. 

“Vanilla,” he answered.

“Oh, my fave,” Powder hummed, leaning in and kissing him again.

For all the panic and discomfort she’d endured these past months, it almost felt balanced by everything Ekko had given her. With him, she felt safe in every sense of the word. Conversations they’d yet to have, situations they still needed to iron the wrinkles out of, and none of it mattered as much as the taste of vanilla cupcake on the man's lips. There was proof enough in the fact that she let him taste her back, and neither of them broke apart until Vander cleared his throat and said, “Well you’ve just had one, Powder. Why don’t you give it a rest?”

Cheeks flaming red, she pulled back and gagged, turning the other way as she tried to quickly regain her composure.

Without a doubt, this is where Vi got it from.

“I think we’d better join you in the kitchen, Vander,” Ekko’s dad laughed, clutching his chest in exaggerated offense. “Give these two some time to catch up. It’s clear they haven't seen each other in ages.”

"Oh my god," Powder whispered, covering her cheeks with her palm. "Sorry."

"No, no. Please. Take your time. Catch up," Inna said, looping her arm through her husband’s with a playful tug. 

Watching Ekko’s parents disappear into the kitchen with her dad, Powder felt a hundred things at once. She’d lived her entire life knowing she wasn’t traditional in any sense, and that so much of what made up her world came down to her impulsive behavior. But when she turned back and saw Ekko offering his finger to the baby, leaning in to babble nonsense like it was the most natural thing in the world, there was warmth. Fondness. An indescribable amount of adoration. Gratitude that not only filled her cup, but spilled over the sides. She was happy that her impulses had led her here. That she'd found the confidence to knock on his door, and in doing so, found a partner and a protector.

“I love you,” she said suddenly. “Thank you for - for bringing your parents to meet me.” 

“Well, it makes sense to introduce them to my future wife.” 

Powder laughed. “Mm,” she hummed, voice drifting as her mind wandered. Then the words caught up with her. She blinked, gasped, and yelled, “Wait, wife? Who?”

“You,” Ekko laughed, reaching out and fussing with the straps of her carrier like he needed something to do. Then he bit his lip, eyes flicking up to meet hers. “One day. If you want it. I mean, no pressure or anything." He shook his head. "Sorry. My mouth just kind of ran away with me.”

Wow. What a thing to say.

Without an audience, she felt much less guilty as she stepped forward and wrapped both arms around his neck, baby pressed between them once more. When she spoke, her voice was soft, words brushing against his lips.

"Well, looks like you've come to the right place, 'cause I know a thing or two about that."

Notes:

And that's that - kind of! Hahaha. Now that the central story is done and the baby is here, updates will be much more sporadic, but also much more slice of life. Little things like Vi and Cait seeing the baby for the first time, or Emil/Ekko/Powder actually having that very important conversation. I thought about adding those to this chapter since they were already written, but I didn't want to distract from the Ekko/Powder part of it all, and thought that I'd still have plenty of time to add those once the main plot was delivered. I hope you enjoyed, and thanks for hanging around with me! I'm two chapters into a supernatural Ekko/Jinx fic so that next update for this might be a minute, but I promise there are many little stories to deliver. I'll come back and re-read for editing shortly. I went over this many times, but there were some places where I feel the wording is still not how I want it. Huhuhu.

Chapter 14: Extra 01: Die Hard

Notes:

WE PASSED 700 KUDOS! I love all of you and appreciate you reading. Really! All the comments, messages, and otherwise make me feel so good, and I know that comments and kudos are optional, so the fact that you take time to even press the button or chat with me about this fic means the world. xx

This chapter is a little naughty, but I toned it down a lot from the original draft. All the parts I cut will end up in a later chapter. The title is punny, but only after you've read it! And it's snagged from the Kendrick Lamar song of the same name - haha!

Motherhood was a treasure trove of struggles. Though Powder was proud - no, she was beyond proud to have created a baby with such a strong opinion on life at such a young age, she really couldn’t take it anymore. Her arms were aching from hours of rocking and it had just turned four in the morning. Even in the dim light of the living room, Viggo wouldn’t settle.

“Oh, baby. You have got to sleep. Mama is so tired.”

As if acknowledging her frustration, the baby tipped his head back and wailed, tiny fists clenching while his legs kicked wildly. Powder squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath, wandering over to the couch and dropping down onto it.

Her baby was so lovely. But why, why, why wouldn’t he sleep? 

Spud rolled out from behind the couch. The toaster had been doing his best to keep up with the baby’s crying. The day she’d bought Viggo home, he’d swapped his usual party playlists for lullabies and white noise. He’d also stored a series of parenting articles in his folders and started reading them aloud through the speakers whenever an issue came up. Tonight, he didn’t use either, probably aware that Powder was on the cusp of losing her mind. The toaster merely bumped into her ankle softly and whirred, “Maaamaaa~ ”

“I know, Spud. It’s okay. He’s just having trouble sleeping.” 

Little did the toaster know, Powder was one missed nap away from throwing herself down a set of stairs. 

Powder heard the whir of Spud’s wheels as he zipped out of the room. A few minutes later, the sound returned, followed by the soft padding of someone’s feet in the hallway. Then, from somewhere behind her, a quiet voice croaked, “Blue?”

Leave it to Spud to go and wake Ekko up. She’d done her damndest to let him sleep this time. He’d spent the whole last week up late with the baby so that she could rest, and now he was finally out cold. It felt selfish to ask for help again even if she felt like she was at the end of her own rope. With the way he approached her, arms already outstretched, she knew it wasn’t worth fighting. He was stepping in regardless.

“Did we wake you?” she whispered, handing the baby over without hesitation. Then, with a tired shake of her head, she added, “Sorry. That was a dumb question. Of course we did.” 

“Actually, spud woke me up,” Ekko laughed. “Started reading the urban dictionary definition for a 'grippy sock vacation'.”

“Where do I sign up? Viggo’s so spicy tonight." Powder tilted sideways and collapsed onto the nearest pillow, her eyes fluttering shut. “I already gave him booby. I’m not sure what else he wants.” 

“Probably just exhausted and waiting for his body to run out of fuel,” Ekko guessed. He sat down beside her, reached for the thick throw draped over the back of the couch, and gently dragged it over her shoulders. “Get some sleep. Think I got this little critter.”

For a second, it occurred to Powder that Viggo had actually stopped crying. Maybe it was because Ekko’s body was so warm. Maybe pressing a cheek against the man’s bare chest, listening to his heartbeat, was enough to calm him down. The quiet rhythm of it, or even just the reminder of being so close to safety, was probably enough to help anyone rest.

“He loves you, Ekko,” she mumbled, half asleep already. 

Whatever Ekko said in response was lost to her subconscious, filed away in a part of her brain that she’d never willingly be able to access. One day, she’d be sitting in some innocuous situation, and it would likely come back to her, but for now it was just a rumble of words she couldn’t make out. The transition between being awake and asleep was so quick that even God himself could've read her last rites and she wouldn't have known a thing. 

Within minutes, she was out like a light. 

 

---

 

Powder woke to silence and a wall clock that read 2:00PM.

Fuck. She’d overslept.

Her heart stuttered in her chest as she shot up from the couch, frantically scanning the room for any sign of where the baby or Ekko had gone. Then her senses kicked in one by one. First, the smell drifting from the kitchen - bacon, maybe? Definitely coffee. The soft clatter of pots and pans paired with the low hum of a familiar tune she couldn’t quite place. The weight of the duvet that laid over her lap.

“Oh, shit,” she hissed, prising herself off of the couch and stumbling quickly toward the kitchen. 

Ekko was alone, standing in front of the stove singing to himself as he cooked breakfast. He turned when she cleared her throat, looking every bit the picture of an overachieving house husband - shirtless, save for a loose pair of pajama pants and an apron covering his bare chest, and Powder had half a mind to drop to her knees and thank every deity she could name in ABC order, for how fucking good he looked.

“Heeeey, sleepyhead. How was the nap?”

“Nap? I think I might’ve died for a solid eight hours,” she laughed. “But it was great. Thank you.” Glancing around the kitchen, she frowned. “Where’s our little soot sprite, anyways?”

“Emil came and grabbed him this morning.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I texted him, asked if he could cover for us so that we could eat out.” 

“Wow, Ekko,” Powder crowed, pointedly looking at the food on the stove behind him. “All the lies in the world and eating out is the one you go with?”

Ekko huffed, turning off the hob on the stove and wiping his hands on a dish towel. When he faced her again, his gaze was a little sharper, trailing down her body before rising again so that he could stare at her head on. He tilted his head, voice low and unhurried when he said, “Kind of hoping it wasn’t a lie for me.”

It took a moment. No. Embarrassingly, it actually took more than a moment for Powder to put two and two together. But the second it clicked, she raised her eyebrows. 

Sex. Ekko was talking about sex. 

“Oh! Yeah, okay.” She bit her lip, a nervous laugh bubbling up as she jerked her thumb over her shoulder, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the bathroom. Then lowering her voice a little, she added, “Got it. That’s good. Uhm. But before we do that, I’m just gonna… hop in the shower real quick. So don’t go anywhere.”

Ekko laughed, eyes crinkling at the corners, and his smile was so bright that it might as well have been made of diamonds. Powder grinned back and hoped that she looked half as enamored, and half as ready for whatever the hell he had planned. Short of blurting out the tragically inappropriate thoughts spiraling through her head, she wasn’t sure how else to communicate all of the fuzzies that were dancing along her limbs, or the butterflies that were eating her insides and leaving nothing but space for him to fill. 

“Take your time,” he said gently, turning back to the stove and busying himself with whatever he’d been working on. “I’ll be right here when you get back.”

 

---

 

So back to that treasure trove of struggles.

The thing about having a baby, Powder reckoned, was that so much self-care fell through the cracks. So many hair appointments. So many showers. So many late nights out to get ice cream just because you were in the mood. Even the simple act of undressing felt like a routine that had been lost in the transition. 

You took off your clothes. You crawled in bed. You waited to put them back on again in the morning. Boring. Bland. Routine. Ugh. 

Now, she had a day to care for herself intentionally and that meant skipping the clothes altogether. She wore nothing but a towel, her damp hair twisted up and tucked neatly on top of her head as she plucked her eyebrows, and by the time she was pulling the last few hairs, she felt absolutely giddy. She was scrubbed clean and refreshed. A whole new woman.

“Wow. What a stunner,” she muttered, leaning into the mirror and giving herself a once-over.

Powder’s cell phone chimed softly from beside her and she reached for it without thinking, snorting when it was Ekko’s name on the screen.

 

Chef E: What are you wearing?

 

She hadn’t meant to take so long, but Ekko had probably eaten actual breakfast by now, or if he hadn’t, it wasn’t exactly his top priority. Panic-flirting her way through a response, she unlocked her phone and quickly typed, why don’t you come see, before setting it face down on the vanity.

The biggest worry was that she had never been particularly ‘sexy’, or at least, she’d always struggled with eroticism. Her idea of a good time was roleplaying her way into a bathroom tryst with a well-dressed stranger. When Ekko’s footsteps padded down the hall, she forced herself to stay confident. To look fine. Her reflection was already beyond how she’d woken up. She just needed to own it.

Shaking her head quickly, she said, “Ah, fuck it,” and unhooked her towel, letting it fall from her body.

When Ekko walked in, his breath hitched. It was clear he’d expected something other than Powder sitting bare at the vanity, casually rubbing lotion into her face. She caught his reflection in the mirror as he leaned against the doorframe, wide-eyed and quiet, and a grin tugged at the corners of her mouth.

“Like it?”

“Think it's my new favorite. I'm kind of wondering why you don't wear it more often.”

“‘Cause I don’t want to find myself face down on every surface in this house.” Powder huffed. Glancing over her shoulder, her eyes flicked from him to the bed. “You can sit. I'll be ready in a sec.”

Ekko saw himself to the bed, sprawling back across the blankets with his arms tucked behind his head, wearing that infuriatingly calm expression that told her he had zero anxiety about her state of undress. She caught his gaze in the mirror, biting her lip when he said, “Don’t mind me, then. Go ahead.” 

Physically, getting dressed for someone wasn’t hard. Mentally, though, Powder was all over the place. Just a mess of nerves and anticipation. Was there even a word for that strange blend of anxiety and excitement someone felt before they did something big and new? When their hands were shaking because their body was overwhelmed by energy that had no immediate release? Whatever that word was, Powder felt it in the marrow of her bones.

In the mirror, the light danced along her new curves; the dip of her waist, the soft turns of her belly, the round and smooth skin of her breasts. She turned just enough for Ekko to see a little more, and then reached for the lotion bottle. 

“Have you ever done this before?” she asked casually as she pumped a little into her palm. 

Ekko's voice was dangerously low when he said, “Done what?”

“Watched someone touch themselves.” 

She started off slow, hands moving along her skin as if she were sculpting herself. She began with her arms, smoothing lotion from her wrist to her shoulder, then tilted her head to linger at the curve of her neck. Her skin was so warm, the lotion slick enough that her fingers moved easily. Then she traced the line of her collarbones, letting her fingers rest in the hollow as she waited for Ekko to answer.

“Never,” he admitted quietly. 

She pumped more lotion into her palm, warming it in her hands before moving onto the soft shape of her belly. The beauty of her body was in its evolution. Even months after a baby, she remained gently rounded at the edges, and it suited her. There wasn’t much room for regret that Ekko had never known her before she’d carried Viggo, because the moment her fingers traced the curves of her stomach, his eyes followed like he was watching something sacred. As if the body she had now was the only one he needed. 

"Talk to me," she sighed, finally letting her hands wander up to her chest, circling the warm swell of her breasts before dragging the pads of her fingers along the sensitive bump of her nipples. Not rushed. Not performative. Highly indulgent.

God, she had never thought herself the kind of girl to do something like this, but she kind of loved it.

The bed creaked as Ekko pushed himself up on his elbows. “Spread your legs a little for me.”

Her eyes fluttered closed.

“No. Eyes open. I need you to watch.”

The authority in Ekko’s voice was astounding. Whatever softness was usually there had disappeared under the firm edge of command and, honestly, Powder was shocked that it was working for her. She’d never been much of a listener, and as she parted her thighs and reopened her eyes to look in the mirror, she thought that it wasn’t so bad to occasionally follow orders. At least, not his. 

"Good," he said, gaze dropping. "Now show me what you like."

Powder was wet, glistening as she reached between her legs to touch herself. Her fingers were warm, still a little lubricated from the lotion she’d rubbed into her skin. As her fingers began to rub slow, absentminded circles, she imagined it was Ekko’s fingers instead. That his big hands had wandered between her thighs to touch her warm cunt.

“It’s so wet,” Ekko breathed. “So pretty. Love the way it feels when I’m in it.” He shifted his weight slightly. “Sometimes I think about how you showed up at my door to fuck me - and you did so good, didn’t you? Milked me until I damn near passed out.”

“Yeah,” Powder whispered, eyes fluttering closed again for a second.

“Slow down. Just a little slower.”

Powder’s eyes flew open, her body starting to shake. Still, she kept rubbing herself, pressing a little harder as her free hand moved back to her chest. What to do? The sound of Ekko talking to her was making her feel crazy, but the vision of herself in the mirror, chest rising and falling as her fingers ran across her nipples was overwhelming. She hadn't touched herself in so long. It'd been even longer since she'd taken her time with it. Usually, when she did this, it started fast and hard - a two-minute ordeal that took the edge off, and it'd been that way for so long that the idea of going slow sounded almost sacrilegious.

But Ekko was right. There was no need to hurry. She deserved to enjoy it.

“Like this?” She breathed, barely audible over the sound of her pulse beating in her ears.

“Perfect.”

Powder swallowed hard, a low hum catching in her throat as she forced her eyes to stay open, locked on the mirror. She couldn’t tell which view was better; Ekko, biting his lip as his eyes followed her fingers, or the way her cunt looked, slick and shining as she rubbed herself raw. She alternated between strokes - moving slow and letting the sounds of her own arousal fill the space between them, and then speeding up just a touch, until a dull pressure began to build. 

“What would make you cum right now? What do you need to hear?” Ekko asked, voice near unrecognizable. "Remember that day you said you loved me? Bouncing on my cock and scratching up my chest and just saying it over and over and over.” He was quiet for a second, then he said, “I think loving me looks real good on you, Blue.” 

How was he doing this? Touching her from halfway across the room? Whining softly, she dipped her head and squeezed her eyes shut, overwhelmed by the sudden pressure blooming between her legs. It felt like her eyelids had weights attached to them, her vision blurring at the edges as she rubbed more urgently and forced herself to watch it. She told herself she could do it, if for no other reason than to watch Ekko’s brows furrow as he reached for his cock, tracing the shape of it through his pants.

“I want you to say it when you cum,” Ekko whispered. “Tell me again how much you love me. How much you want me to take care of you. How much you want me to give you more babies.”

“Oh, fuck.” Slamming her free hand on the vanity to steady herself, Powder groaned, thighs shaking and body locking up as she came. “I want it,” she breathed. “I want you. I love you, I -” her breath caught in her throat, teeth chattering as her legs finally sprung shut. “Oh.”

It seemed to go on forever. Each wave rushed through her body and she breathed her way through it until her thoughts dissolved and her body relaxed completely, folding in on itself. It took a long moment for her to open her eyes again, and when she did, Ekko was smiling like a dope in the mirror’s reflection. 

Powder whipped around, squinting playfully at him. “Baby talk? Really?” 

"I pay attention," Ekko shrugged. “Nothing wrong with having a kink.”

“It’s not a kink! I just -!” When he smiled wider, she groaned, turning back and slumping onto the vanity. She turned her head, resting her temple against the surface as she grinned at him. “I like the idea of us making something like that.”

“A baby?”

“Yeah. Can't you imagine it? Waking up and seeing a little version of us in a playpen? They'd be so tiny. Their little fingers, and their little toes. And they'd look like you and me, and -” She paused, frowning. "You know what? I think I’m ovulating.”

Ekko threw his head back and laughed, collapsing back onto the bed. Then he tapped his lips and said, “Sounds like it’s time to come take a seat, baby girl.” 

"I’ve never done that before. Is it - is it dangerous? I'm not gonna suffocate you, right?”  

“If I die because you sit on my face, put that shit on my tombstone. I’m begging you. Then call all my friends and tell them I died in a heroic pursuit.” 

Powder covered her mouth, laughing before she could stop herself. In an exaggerated voice, she said, “Here lies Ekko, a man who mistakenly thought he could swim.”

Matching her tone, Ekko replied, “He died a warrior’s death. He now stands among the honored in Valhalla.”

By the time Powder joined him on the bed, both of them were in hysterics. She rolled onto the mattress, stretching out beside him before leaning in to press an open-mouthed kiss to his lips. Her voice was little more than a breath against his mouth as she whispered, “If it’s a warrior’s death you want, Mr. Ekko, then it’s a warrior’s death you’ll get.”

 

---

 

“Special delivery!”

Powder gasped around a mouthful of eggs, shoving back from the kitchen table and scrambling toward the front door. She’d been playing catchup with the food Ekko had made that morning, and was finally putting a dent in her plate when someone knocked at the door. 

“Sounds like Auntie Cait is at my door!” 

“With a very special and wiggly guest,” the woman laughed, sound muffled by the wood.

Powder threw the door open. Cait was standing in the hallway with baby Viggo strapped snugly to her chest, holding his tiny hands and bouncing just enough to keep him from getting too stir-crazy. It didn’t matter much. When the baby saw her, his lips curled into a gummy smile and he reached out, kicking his legs wildly.

"Yes, yes, alright! Go say hi," Cait laughed, huffing dramatically as she unfastened the straps and gently peeled Viggo from her chest to hand him over. “He was good today. A little quieter than usual.”

Powder took the baby immediately, peppering his face with fat, sloppy kisses as she muttered, “I thought he was with Emil.” 

“He was. We all got lunch together. Figured it was a good way to catch up since Ekko texted all of us that you’d be off limits today.” 

“Did he? Huh! Well, we - uh - we went out to eat and then just… you know…”

“Powder,” Cait said knowingly, tilting her head. “It’s alright. As long as you had a good day, no answers needed. Actually, no answers wanted.” 

“Fair enough.” 

Cait gave Powder’s arm a quick squeeze. Now that she was up close, Powder noticed Cait had trimmed her hair. The change was so subtle it was almost missable, but it looked good. She looked so much softer with the ends of her hair curled just so around her jaw. Very modelesque. And when Cait smiled at her, it was suddenly obvious why Vi had spent an entire year moping about how her life would be ruined if she couldn’t get Caitlin on at least one date. The woman was truly a bombshell. 

“Right. I have to go save Vi from Sevika. Call this weekend? Vi’s bulking, so I need a friend to try Jayce’s new menu with me. It’s phenomenal.” Giving Viggo’s cheek one last touch, she said, “Bye my little love. Be good for mummy.”

Ekko was waiting for them both in the kitchen when Powder returned. Smiling wide, he opened his arms. 

“Three bellies rounder than when you left this morning. What did they feed you?”

“Probably everything, and we’re blaming Vi for that. He's so spoiled when he's with her,” Powder said, handing the baby off before sinking back into her chair.

The kitchen settled into a cozy quiet. Ekko nuzzled the baby, leaving big kisses on his little cheeks, and Powder felt a lot like a kid in a candy store, eyes settled on the sweetest things the world had to offer. She just wanted more and more; so greedy for the life that she was being given by all the people she loved the most. She rested her elbow on the kitchen table, holding her chin in her hand as she watched them, breakfast all but forgotten.

When she let out a soft whistle, Viggo twisted in Ekko’s arms to find her, his wide blue eyes locking onto hers immediately. She stuck her tongue out and he giggled, waving his arms excitedly. 

It was times like these that the treasure trove of struggles still felt like a treasure. Sitting at the kitchen table making faces at a baby who adored her, while the man holding him watched them both like they hung the moon, it was clear that she was okay. She had more than enough.

Honestly, it was better to say she had everything.

Notes:

The next installment, we'll get to see Jayce/Viktor again! Guncles incoming. I also would love to do a granddad chapter where it's just Vander and Silco taking care of Viggo, but because they're experienced parents, it's just so easy and natural hahaha. The little baby just chilling around granddads house while they garden and cook.

Just two genius cutie-patootie's raising a kid together. <3 Thanks again for stopping by.

Notes:

Well, well, well. Okay. Here's the plan. This fic will be approximately 10 chapters long, updated once or twice a week, and each installment will be about this long (1-3k per chapter). Probably could have typed the entire thing up at once and published, but I love a good slice-of-life (if you couldn't tell from my extensive writing history of shorts, or long-fic that are made up of short chapters), and apparently I'm still in my family/domestic feels so here we are! The adventures of single mom Powder, her hot ass cooking neighbor Ekko, and their AI toaster, Spud.

Title blatantly taken from I Belong in Your Arms by Chairlift.