#mild stuff

"...Mark, are you eating again?"

He blinked, pursing his lips as he looked down at the half eaten burger in his hand. "Uh...no," he responded, before quickly swallowing the considerable mouthful he had. "Yes. Maybe. Why does something like that matter?"

Amber chuckled on the other end. "Just something I noticed lately, I guess. It feels like every time I call, you're eating already or just about to start. Is that correct or am I just hearing things?"

"Um, well...," Mark didn't answer right away, as he somewhat unintentionally stuffed the rest of his burger in his mouth, as if to give himself both more time to think and to unwrap another double patty melt he got from Burger Mart. Three more unopened bags sat on his desk, and a pile of five emptied ones sat on the floor next to him. "Could just be you..."

"There's also the fact I notice you eat a lot more snacks these days," she pointed out.

"D-Do I?"

"Yeah, hun. Trail mix, popcorn, granola bars—it'd be more surprising to see you without a lil snack these days. Someone's been getting their munchies on lately, haven't they?"

Mark could feel his face warm up. "Ah—y-y'know, superhero work. It's, uh, stressful. Very, very stressful."

"Oh, I imagine," Amber remarked in a teasing voice.

"It is!" He insisted, nibbling on a few more fries in urgency. "Work is at a moment's notice, lives are on the line, it takes a LOT out of me!"

"And to combat that, you put a lot in yourself, hm?"

"Yeah, I—" He stopped himself, realizing what he was about to admit to.

"You know this is something you can't hide as well," she pointed out. "I can see how much bigger you are. I'd get a bit of weight, after all I got a Freshman Fifteen myself, but you...upwards of a Freshman Fifty...maybe even more..."

"...okay, I may have put on some weight."

"Some, Mark?"

"...a lot...but, hey! I got super strength! Not like I can handle the extra poundage!"

"Sure, but can your suit?"

At the mere mention of that, his mind flash backed to earlier that week, as he struggled to get into his suit. Stretchy as the material was, it really struggled to hug to his new, round shape, and hug to it it did. It almost felt as if he was wearing nothing, especially as he could see the shape of his nipples and even the head of his bulge a bit through the material. It didn't help either that when he bent down to pick up his mask, he had heard a loud RIIIIIP, and suddenly his Seance Dog underwear was on display for the world to see.

"I got Art to make some adjustments," he half mumbled, bashfully pushing some fries into his mouth. "I'm being responsible, Amber, if that's what your worried about. Everything is under control here."

"Oh, I bet," she chuckled. "So, in that case...this Friday? At the buffet place? Are we still good or...did you wanna make a change?"

For a second, Mark drummed his fat fingers on the desk, glancing at what would be his fifth burger today. For a second, he tried to hold back, before sighing and reaching for it. "Still good for that," he remarked, taking a huge bite.

The last thing Ignis wanted to do was to make acquaintance with the toilet bowl at nearly three in the morning.

He had woken up not but ten minutes earlier, in a sudden hot flash and feeling sick to his stomach. The slight hump happening to his belly was the culprit behind it, and yet his attempts to soothe it brought him no avail. Rubbing it, curling up, pulling his shirt up; none of it really worked. Even as he kicked the covers off, it still felt like he was sweltering. A hot flash, it must have been. With his other options exhausted, he tried to take slow, even breathes, as Lunafreya had suggested before. While he struggled for a moment, it seemed to slowly help, and for a second, he thought he had pushed it off.

He then felt his stomach growl, and felt as if he was going to explode.

Impressively, he was somehow able to both rush into the bathroom and not make a single sound; at least, Noctis didn’t awake right away, but he could honestly sleep through anything. Ignis spent what felt like hours over the toilet, for what in truth was merely five minutes, but it was an agonizing five minutes nonetheless. By the time he was finished, it took nearly all his strength to reach up to the handle for flushing, before he fell back against the tub, looking and feeling entirely wiped. Despite how tired he now felt, he couldn’t feel himself fading, no matter how heavy his eyelids felt. His position was hardly comfortable or even a stable feeling, but he wanted nothing to do than to just finally pass out and not have to deal with this.

“Ig?”

Snapping somewhat to attention, Ignis looked up and saw his husband standing over him, a look of surprise and concern on Noctis’s face. Ignis simply sighed, and softly turned his head away. “Didn’t…mean to wake you,” he noted weakly.

“Didn’t. I had to pee, and then I found you here,” Noctis explained. “What happened?”

Ignis glanced up at him with a fairly miserable look. “Pregnancy based sickness…not my best moment…”

“You’ve had worse.”

“Like what?”

“Our third date at that Italian joint.”

“I told the waiter that I needed them to go easy on the basil.”

“I’ll never forget how you were able to instill the fear of God into that chocobo.”

“Shut up.”

The two laughed, though Ignis’s was a fair bit weaker. He then sighed, and leaned his head back on the tub side. “All part of the beautiful experience that is pregnancy, eh? I know Luna mentioned it but…god, experiencing it…”

“Think it helped she had Lucien there to help her,” Noctis pointed out, crouching down to his partner’s level and gently lifting his head up. “And you have me, lest you forget. What can I do?”

Ignis blinked gently, and a hint of a smile came over him. “Water…and a fresh top. This one feels…completely soaked.”

“Certainly looks the part,” Noctis teased gently, reaching down and pulling Ignis’s shirt slowly off over his head. His hint of a bump now sat on full display, and he had to admit, it did feel a bit better now to have it revealed. Meanwhile, Noctis just tossed the shirt into the tub, and then hoisted up Ignis into his arms. “First, let’s getcha back in bed.”

Normally, Ignis would have objected to being carried in such a fashion, but with how he was feeling, he would have likely surprised himself by asking for this. Without issue, he was carried back to their bedroom, and gently set back on his bedside. He waved off the covers being offered, and took the new shirt from Noctis. “I can handle this…water, please,” Ignis requested.

Noctis gave a nod, and hurried off, while Ignis pulled on the new top. He had to admit, it felt a little weird to have someone serve him, as small as a part Noctis was playing. Not that Ignis minded it, he was simply more used to serving others, a task he had no problem with fulfilling. It just made him feel worthwhile, like he had a reason to be with and there for another, even if they were a friend or a partner, in Noctis’s case. At first, he was expecting a situation like this to feel unnatural, or at the least bit wrong. In truth, given his current state, it felt rather good, but in a way he couldn’t exactly pin down. Normally, he would reflect on this, but he was just happy to be feeling any good feeling at the moment, rather than another flavor of exhaustion.

Soon, Noctis reappeared, handing off a cup of water to his partner, who greedily guzzled nearly half of it in one go. “Heh, easy there. Don’t need you choking,” Noctis remarked, patting his shoulder.

Ignis eventually lowered the mug, gasping as he did. Looking down, he couldn’t help but chuckle at it; written on the mug’s side in big, blocky letters was “#1 DAD”. It was a ‘womb-warming’ gift, as Noctis had joked, given to him a few days after he was confirmed pregnant. At first, Ignis found it charming, but didn’t think it’d see much use, but slowly, it was becoming a regular mug of his. Now, in this moment, it was a small comfort.

“Anything else I can getcha?” Noctis offered. “I know it’s late, and you kinda just tossed up dinner, but if ya need me to make you anything, or get some crackers, I could…”

“No…no, I should be fine,” Ignis responded, setting the mug down on the nightstand and slowly leaning back. “I think…I am starting to feel that ‘post-vomit’ sensation they talk about…feeling a good bit better…”

“Ah, good.” A look of visible relief came over Noctis’s face, which was a rare sight to see, all things considered. “Am I good too…?” He gestured at his side of the bed.

“Oh, please,” Ignis nodded. “I am in desperate need of some cuddling now, my dear.”

“That I can handle,” Noctis chuckled, as he climbed back into bed. “Not that I couldn’t have handled doing anything else for you, but, you know.”

“Preferences?”

“Yeah, that.”

“Mm.”

Lucy had to admit, being within the ruins of an abandoned vault felt...off-putting. It was reminding her of home in the worst ways possible, whether it be the way the pipes have grown rusty, posters have partially decayed, or how vacant rooms were all messed up, as if picked over or left in a hurry. Part of her worried her own vault could end up like this, but she tried not to dwell on that—hopefully, there would at least be some explanation for what went down within the walls of this vault.

As she traveled through, she came across a room, marked with a sign that read 'TESTING LOUNGE', though when she peaked in, it seemed more just like a simple common area, with a long table against the opposing wall, filled with what appeared to be covered dishes. After an initial glance over, Lucy was just going to pass over it, but it smelled...odd. Not odd odd, but good odd, like...something was just freshly made.

Slowly she stepped in, somewhat hesitantly as she approached the table. The entire vault showed clear signs of age and disrepair, and yet both the table and the covered dishes looked brand new. As soon as she got close enough, she reached a hand out and grabbed the lid of one of the dishes. "Please don't be anything weird," she mumbled to herself, closing her eyes and looking away as she uncovered the dish.

When there was no immediate unpleasant sound or feeling, she reopened her eyes and looked back down at the tray...only to find that it was full of what looked to be miniature quiches. Tiny bread cups filled with what appeared to be a mix of gooey cheese and spinach, and they certainly smelled a part. She swore she could still see the steam freshly rising off of them.

"Oh...well...," she started while relaxing, before feeling a low rumble in her belly. Making a face down at herself, she eyed the mini-quiches again, before pursing her lips and checking around her. "I mean...having one probably wouldn't hurt," she reasoned with a shrug, grabbing one from the plate. She took a second to let it cool before popping it in her mouth and—

Her eyes widened, and her jaw would have dropped if not for the fact she couldn't stop herself from chomping down on it. "Oh my god...oh my god," she gasped, covering her mouth as she let the flavors of the finger food fill her. "Holy fudge...," she mumbled, chewing the rest of it slowly before just as gingerly swallowing it. She could hardly believe what she had just experienced; it was nothing short of amazing. She looked back down at the rest of the quiches, and against her better judgement, started digging into the rest of them.

They were small, so went down in quick bites, and weren't even all that filling, so she was able to polish off the whole plate with ease. Unknown to her, though, was her belly was starting to bloat out just the slightest. Not enough to be outwardly noticeable, but if one felt it, it would be obvious.

When she finished the last one, she sighed in pleasure...before realization followed by guilt came over her as she looked at the now empty tray. "I ate all of them?!" She sputtered, covering her mouth as she stepped back. "God, what a pig...but they were really good...and hey, they at least got other...stuff..."

Her eyes wandered across the other covered dishes, and assuming from the wonderful smells that still filled the room, she could only assume similar delights awaited her under each lid. She held her hands to her chest, eyeing them all with a strong desire. "W-Well...if they're all fresh and...no one is here, it'd...it'd be a waste to not at least try them...right?"

That was all the excuse she needed, as the moment she lifted up a second lid and saw strips of perfectly cooked salmon atop toasted slices of bread, it was practically over. Even as she tried to limit herself to just one, the fish was so fresh and the bread was too crisp that she simply couldn't stop herself from having another, then two more, than three more, and soon the entire plate was empty, just like the first. Again, her belly bloated out the slightest bit more, again, she felt guilt over eating the whole thing, but again she eyed another platter, and such the cycle continued.

Each lid revealed a dish more delectable than the last: wagyu beef sliders with freshly baked buns, miniature bagels with a fruity spread of cream cheese, freshly mixed deviled eggs topped with bacon, perfectly wrapped dumplings full of beef and vegetables. Soon, the finger foods revealed main courses, much to Lucy's delight. There were full on steaks, artisanal sandwiches, personal pizzas, fresh noodles drowning in their own homemade sauce. She couldn't keep the smile off her face as she slurped and swallowed every little bit in front of her, her stomach easily able to handle it all and then some. That said, her stomach did continue to grow out, becoming rounder and looking heavier with each thing she packed away. While she did notice it here and there, it was hardly a deterrent to get her to stop; everything was just too good.

However, like all good things, an end did come. Every lid was toppled, and every tray was cleared. With the last piece of bread, she soaked up the last of the au jus she could managed, before popping it into her mouth. "Urrp," she belched, barely making an excuse to cover it. "Pardon me...phew, was that good," she laughed, leaning against the table with one hand as she patted her rounded belly with her other. "Sure am stuffed now, golly. Could really go for a nap. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if I—"

Her thoughts were interrupted by a strange feeling in her belly. Not a cramp, or a gurgle, but more of...of a press. From within her. It was as if there was something inside her that was pushing against her form. With a confused look, she turned down to her belly, and watched it...before catching it. The surface of her belly, just under her jumpsuit, pushing outward.

"O-Oh, jeez!!" She sputtered, nearly falling over before catching herself. "Was...was that...?" She reached down, and rub the spot she just saw the movement at. Not even a few seconds later, she felt it again, not far off. There was no doubt about what it was this time.

A wave of emotions came over her face. "Wh-What, I—this can't be—I'm r-really...pregnant??" She stood up, and felt all around her belly. She even unzipped her suit and pulled up her tank top to get a better look at it. Not only was her middle firm and heavy, but there was the characteristic linea nigra right down the center of her stomach.

"Holy shit...," she gasped, now slowly rubbing her swell. "I'm...pregnant..." She then glanced back at the cleared table behind her. "With...a food baby?"

She felt another kick. Looking down at herself again, she blinked, taking a moment to really asses what had just happened to her, before patting the side of her bump, and then suiting back up. "Well...guess you're along for the ride now," she remarked. "Better get going."

"Amber? You okay...?"

Amber blinked, and looked between both Mark and Eve before her. "Wait, so just...if I may recap real quick," she started, leaning one hand against a wall, "you battled some weird wasp alien creature, and it got you with its stinger before dying..."

"Yes."

"And it got you...pregnant?"

Mark glanced away, blushing bashfully. "More or less," Eve confirmed. "We got some people to run some scans of him at the GDA. They think its an egg of some kind. Fortunately, I had some favors to turn in, so Cecil still doesn't know yet. We're the only people here who really know of this, besides Debbie."

"That's...that's crazy," Amber mumbled, grasping the side of her head. "How is this...working? And how's it gonna—"

"When it happens, it'll happen!" Mark quickly spoke up, clearly uncomfortable. "It's been about two weeks, and I just wanted to tell someone else to get this off my chest a bit. You're one of the few people I still trust closely. Was probably gonna tell William soon, too."

"I appreciate the trust. Believe me, I won't tell a soul. This is definitely weird side of super heroics stuff..." She sized up Mark, noticing the large hoodie he wore. "...are you showing by now?"

"Amber!" Mark exclaimed in distress.

"Oh, he totally is," Eve nodded with a chuckle.

"Eve...," he huffed in exasperation.

"Can I see it?" Amber inquired, with some renewed interest.

"Come on..." He turned to Eve as if for some way out.

All she did was smile at him. "It's fine. From what I know, pregnant people love getting their bellies rubbed."

He rolled his eyes. "Ugh...fine...," he sighed. Reaching down, he grasped the hem of his hoodie, and after a moment's hesitation, he lifted it up, revealing just how much the hoodie was truly hiding. Amber's eyes widened in shock; had she not just been told he got impregnated weeks ago, she could have reasoned he was nearly due.

"Oh my god," she gasped, stepping forward and reaching a hand out. "You're HUGE!!"

"Gee, thanks, Amber..."

Her face flushed, just realizing what she said. "Oh, no, I-I meant, like..."

"No, it's fine, really. I am...massive..."

"The pregnancy is likely accelerated due to the alien being bug-like," Eve clarified, pointing at her partner's belly. "Mark is probably gonna pop sometime the end of this month, maybe start of next month. Either way, baby is due soon."

"Can you not say it like that? I feel like I actually will pop here."

"Oh, please. You think this is a lot?" Amber chuckled with a raised eyebrow, patting the side of his bump. "You should see the pictures my mom has when she was pregnant with me. I was a pretty large baby, all considered." She looked down and started rubbing his stomach. "Jeez, your skin is ridiculously soft..."

"Well, uh, Eve does a lot of oil rubs..."

"Nah, I just supply the oils," Eve clarified with a wink, reaching over to feel his bump as well. "He's the one who takes care of it. All Marky-Mark work here."

"Aww, that's cute!"

"Oh, brother...," Mark sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Ah, come on, Mark. You got two girls rubbing your pregnant belly. What could be better?"