
Content warning: stillbirth.
“You’re almost there,” Yomo says, rubbing his lover’s shoulders.
“Don’t push,” Itori says, trying to keep her voice light. She doesn’t like how she can see the umbilical cord before the baby.
“Huh?” Yomo’s S/O squints.
Itori draws her kagune. “I think the cord prolapsed.”
“What does that mean?” Yomo demands.
“It means I need you to keep her calm,” Itori says as calmly as she can manage. “While I cut her open.”
His lover gasps, but Yomo knows now is not the time for emotion. He holds her hands tight. “Look into my eyes.”
Itori curses herself for not noticing anything sooner as she carefully slices across her friend’s abdomen. She grabs the baby and holds it up.
“It’s not crying.” Yomo’s lover is already healing, but screw it, she doesn’t care.
It’s head it blue. Tears blur Itori’s vision, but she feels the baby’s heart. Please beat.
Nothing.
Itori begins compressing its tiny chest with her fingers, and Yomo’s lover is shaking. But Yomo won’t look, not now, because his lover is starting to fall apart.
“Uta! Get in here.” Itori’s voice breaks, and that’s when Yomo knows. “Come on kid, please.”
Uta comes in, and for once he looks utterly serious.
“What was the gender?” Yomo manages.
“Boy,” says Uta, tears gathering in his eyes.
“So baby Kuzen, hmm.” Yomo turns back to his lover, who is sobbing loudly.
“I’m sorry, Ren.” Itori clutches the baby.
“Wait! Can – can I hold it?” His lover whimpers. “I just want to pretend for a minute.”
Itori nods and hands over their son.
Kuzen is perfect. He should be here. She should have been in a hospital, her life as valuable as a human’s, so none of this would happen. Yomo holds his love in his arms and lets himself sob with her.
