Every night, im sick and why? - Pezzy
Itโs been five weeks since you last saw Max. Youโve both been missing each other deeply. When strange symptoms and late nights of nausea hit you hard in San Francisco, you chalk it up to stress. But a joking comment from Max turns into realityโand your world shifts completely. - The Neighbourhood , Staying Up
Pezzy x Reader , mentions of other steamers
Warnings: Pregnancy, mild language, comfort, found family, fluff, emotional moments.
The Neighbourhood Lyrics Masterlist - โ
Youโre sitting cross-legged on your bed, the blue light of your laptop glowing on your face. Itโs nearly 1 a.m. in San Francisco, and for the fifth night in a row, you feel like crap.
Your stomach twists. Your throatโs sore. Youโre tired, nauseous, and not entirely sure whyโuntil the FaceTime screen flashes and your heart leaps at the name.
You answer with a groggy smile. โHey, Maxโ
He lights up at the sight of you, messy hair and all. โHey you. Damn, you look like a zombie.โ
โThanks,โ you mutter, rubbing your temple. โI feel like one.โ
His brow creases. โStill sick?โ
You nod. โYeahโฆ every night, Iโm sick and I donโt know why.โ
He pauses for a beat, then lets out a laugh. โMaybe youโre pregnant or something.โ
You raise an eyebrow. โShut up.โ
โIโm just saying!โ He throws his hands up. โThatโd explain the mood swings and the fact you said โI miss youโ four times yesterday.โ
You try to laugh it off, but something twists in your stomachโmore nerves than nausea now. โYou think I shouldโฆ test?โ
He goes quiet. โWait. Are weโlike, could we actually be?โ
You both just stare at each other, the possibility suddenly becoming terrifyingly real.
Youโre staring down at a stick. Two pink lines. Not one.
You sit on the bathroom floor in your tiny San Francisco apartment, knees pulled to your chest.
Then you pick up your phone, looking for your longtime boyfriendโs name.
After 2 rings, he picks up the phone but before he could say anything you beat him to the punch โMax?โ
His voice crackles through. โWhatโs up, beautiful?โ
You take a breath. โYou were right.โ
Thereโs silence. Then: โWait. Youโre serious?โ
Six Months Later โ Texas
The warm Texas sun dipped low in the sky, casting gold light through yours and Maxโs living room windows as you stood back and watched pure chaos unfold in slow motion.
Grizzy was sitting on the floor surrounded by tools for a changing table, staring at the instructions, โwho the hell made this so complicated to understand?โ
โI think you just slow there man,โ Droid offered, half-laughing, half-panicking as a paint can almost exploded on him as he was opening it.
โJesus Christ!โ Droid shouted, hands flying up.
โI told you not to pry it open like that dumbass!โ Puffer called from the kitchen, holding a bottle of water, handing it to you.
You sat on the couch, hand on your belly as Olivia kicked softly inside. The boys had insisted on helping build Oliviaโs nursery and decorating it. now that it was getting closer to the date and secretly didnโt want you nor Max to worry about it. Maxโs mom had sent him some heirloom stuff and even his old baby stuff to add.
โWhy didnโt we just pay someone to build this shit?โ Grizzy grumbled again, staring at the pile of sad, scattered pieces on the floor.
โBecause weโre not millionaires,โ Smii7y mumbled under his breath, taping a paper โBaby Pezโ banner to the wall.
Seven heads turned in unison.
Smii7y blinked, โwot?โ
โYou literally own a house and rent an apartment, bro,โ Pezzy said slowly.
โYou flew us first-class to Vegas because you โwere bored,โโ Droid added.
โYou accidentally bought a second gaming PC because you forgot you already had one,โ Puffer said, smirking.
Smii7y shrugged. โYeah, but that doesnโt mean I wanna pay for someone to build something.โ
You let out a laugh, the first full one in days, hand on your belly. โThis baby is going to have the weirdest, best set of uncles.โ
Max came over, pulling you gently to your feet. โYou say weird like itโs a bad thing.โ
โIโm pretty sure our daughterโs first word is gonna be โPuffer,โ and I donโt know if Iโm emotionally prepared for that.โ
โI hope itโs โGrizzy,โโ Grizzy piped up, holding up a screw like it was a microphone. โIโve already accepted the role of favorite.โ
Max leaned in and kissed your temple. โSheโs gonna love all of you. But mostly you.โ
The room was warm and buzzing, voices low and awed as the boys took turns peeking into the clear hospital bassinet where Olivia slept peacefully โ for now.
โSheโs got a whole head of hair already,โ Grizzy whispered, peering in like he was inspecting a rare artifact. โBet she came out with a skincare routine too.โ
โSheโs literally glowing,โ Droid added, crossing his arms. โLike she knows sheโs a star.โ
Smii7y tilted his head, squinting. โI feel like sheโs judging me.โ
โShe should be,โ Blarg chimed in from the corner, cradling a juice box heโd stolen from the nurseโs station. โYou said you wouldnโt cry, and you did cry.โ
โThose lights are bright,โ Smii7y argued, blinking dramatically. โCouldโve been allergies.โ
โSure, man,โ Droid muttered, grinning. โDefinitely wasnโt your voice crackinโ when she opened her eyes.โ
Amid all the noise and teasing, you and Max sat side-by-side, your shoulders touching as he rested a hand gently over your wrist. Olivia had just fallen asleep again after her first bottle, her tiny chest rising and falling rhythmically.
Then the chaos paused. Not because anyone said anything โ but because Chris, hasnโt said anything.
Puffer was standing beside the bassinet, eyes locked on Olivia like the world had narrowed to just that single moment. His bottom lip quivered just slightly, his brows furrowed in a way youโd never seen. He lookedโฆ soft. Lost. Reverent.
โPuff?โ Max said, cautiously.
Puffer didnโt respond. He reached down instead, arms open, waiting for a nod from you.
You nodded gently. โGo ahead.โ
He scooped Olivia up with a kind of care you wouldnโt expect from a guy who raged at Uno. His arms cradled her like instinct โ like heโd held a hundred babies, even though you were pretty sure this was his first.
And then she started to fuss. A soft whimper at first, growing louder. Her nose wrinkled, her lip wobbled.
โCโmon, Liv, donโt startโโ Puffer whispered.
But thenโlike magicโshe stopped.
Grizzy pointed. โYo.โ
โShe stopped crying,โ Droid murmured.
โIn his arms?โ Blarg looked offended.
โIs she broken?โ Smii7y asked. โOr is he some kind of baby whisperer?โ
โSheโs got a favorite already,โ Max muttered, mock-offended.
You smiled. โUncle Puff.โ
Chris looked up, and yeahโhis eyes were glassy now.
โI donโt know why Iโm crying, bro,โ he said with a watery laugh. โSheโs justโฆ sheโs real, man. Like our baby. Like she belongs to all of us.โ
The room went quiet for a second.
Then everyone, everyone, started tearing up.
Smii7y was the first to break the silence. โOkay, who gave him the main character arc?โ
โYouโre just mad she didnโt stop crying for you,โ Droid fired back.
โWatch your mouth,โ Puffer mumbled, bouncing Olivia gently. โSheโs sensitive.โ
You leaned into Max, laughing softly through your own tears. He wrapped an arm around you, eyes never leaving the sight of Puffer and Olivia.
โSheโs got the weirdest family,โ you whispered.
โBut the best one,โ he replied. โHands down.โ