#sugarscript

Claire opened her eyes with a groan, reaching out to where her phone was incessantly ringing. Eyes squeezed shut against the brightness, she didn’t bother to check the caller ID before holding it up to her ear. “Hello?” she answered, mumbling as she rolled over onto her back.

“Claire!” a panicked voice replied.

Eyes snapping open, Claire jolted up in bed. “Akki!?” she asked, recognizing the demon’s voice.

“Claire, I don’t know what to do! Oh god. Mirari, she-Orias, Kael, help!” the redhead screamed away from the phone’s speaker, his voice still carrying through clearly to the brunette frozen to her bed.

“Akki, what happened? What’s wrong with Mirari?” she asked, forcing her voice low so as to not wake up her family. A quick glance at her bedside clock told her it was a little after three.

“Akki, please, tell me what’s happened!” Claire said, voice becoming distressed when she received no immediate answer.

A calmer, but still obviously worried voice answered her. “Claire, it’s Orias. Akki’s helping Kael right now. I need you to calm down, Claire, please. Just take a deep breath.”

Following Orias instructions, Claire took a breath before letting it out slowly. After several times of repeating it, she closed her eyes and nodded to herself. “Okay. Okay, I’m calm now. Orias, what’s going on? Why did Akki call? Is Mirari okay?” she questioned, her voice beginning to tremble at the end of it all. Silence met her for a moment before the sound of a sigh met her ears. “Orias!?”

“Claire, Mirari’s pregnant.”

Claire stared down at her phone, perched back on her bedside table, arms crossed over her knees as she watched it with wide, worried eyes. Glancing to her clock for the fifth time that minute alone, she shook her head and stood, her hands clenching at her sides. It was 4:12 now, and Orias had hung up an hour ago with a promise to call back once things had settled down. Thoughts spinning in her head, She began to pace, her sock-clad feet muffling her movements enough to not wake her family.

Mirari was pregnant. How could that be though? Worry began to gnaw at the insides of her stomach as her gaze flitted back to her cell phone. She’d given her number to the four after their first night together, not wanting that to be the last time she’d see any of them. It had only been a few weeks since then and everyone had called at least twice. Could that night be the reason…?

Shaking her head clear, she sat at her bed only to jump at her phone ringing. Snatching it up, she answered quickly and held the device to her ear. “Orias? Akki?” she said, voice beginning to tremble as she waited to hear whatever news was being delivered to her.

“Who is this? How do you know Orias and Akki?” an unfamiliar voice asked. Claire felt her stomach drop down past her feet.

Before her stood six demons. Four of which she knew. The other two were strangers and it frightened her.

“Claire!” Mirari and Akki cried out, lunging for her and enveloping her in a warm hug. Both held tears in their eyes and Claire found that her own eyes were welling up. Choking back a sob, she hugged the two, one hand tangling in Mirari’s hair and the other fisting the back of Akki’s shirt. “I was so worried about you!” she choked out, looking up at Kael and Orias to see them holding similar expressions to what the two in her arms held. “What happened? When you called you said Mirari was pregnant.”

“That would be where I come in, Miss Claire.” The taller of the two strangers said, the shorter’s hand held in his. “Mirari was indeed, pregnant. She successfully delivered at 3:51 in your world’s time. This is the result,” he said, gesturing to the demon at his side who was looking around with wide eyes.

Claire stared at the demon that was supposedly Mirari’s child. She had Mirari’s curled horns, with dark skin like Kael, red hair like Akki’s, and eyes of similar color to Orias, but what really caught her attention was the way her body was shaped and how her hair was cut. Those didn’t look like any of the four demons she knew, but instead…

She looks like someone took the five of us and threw us in a blender, she thought, eyes glancing over to Kael who had stepped over to take the newcomer’s hand.

“Claire…succubi and incubus are rarely able to have children. It’s…almost impossible and they mature very quick-”

The young demon running over and hugging Claire around the waist cut him off, the girl easily as tall as her as she hid her face in her shoulder. Claire could only stand dumbfounded as Mirari covered her mouth and Akki stepped back with wide eyes. Kael was frozen where he stood and Orias was looking away with a frown in place. It was like everyone was waiting for her to react.

Slowly, the only human in the room brought her hands up to carefully pat at the succubus’ back, her eyes trying to get a better look of who she now held in her arms. “Um…hi?” she said, her voice a tiny squeak as she looked at the other five in the room with confusion running across her face. The succubus pulling back gained her attention again and she met her silver-grey gaze long enough for them to smiled and hide their face once again in her shoulder.

“You don’t hate me?” was whispered in her ear and Claire’s breath caught in her throat.

“Wha-” Swallowing past the sudden lump in her throat, Claire glanced at Mirari with furrowed brows only to see the blonde’s comfusions mirrored back at her. “Why would I hate you?” she asked carefully, looking back to the succubus in her arms. A shake of the head was her answer and Claire found herself looking at all the demons she knew. Finding nothing but mixed expressions that all held varying stages of confusion, she turned her gaze on the strange demon and her hold on the young succubus tightened. “Why would she think I’d hate her?” she asked, voice low and surprisingly steady for the warring emotions within her.

A serene smile spread across the unknown male’s face and he held his arms out in an indication of everyone else in the room. “Children are such a rare phenomenon in and of themselves, it’s a wonder they aren’t all hated by their parents,” he said, like it was the easiest thing in the world.

Hot anger filled Claire’s chest and she felt something in her snap. “Shut up,” she growled, holding the succubus in her arms tighter and lowering her head to hide her eyes.

Akki looked stunned, his mouth parted with wide amber eyes as he reached out to the brunette. “Claire…?” he asked timidly, not sure how to process this new side of the human. The sharp gaze that met him made him freeze a mere inch before his hand met her shoulder.

“I don’t care who he is or what he means to you. He is leaving. Now.” Claire said, tone harsh and cold as her glare shifted to the stranger, who was now looking at Orias with a smug expression. “The five of you can stay, but he goes.” she added, letting go of the redhead in her arms and guiding her so they both sat on the edge of her bed. When no one else in the room moved, Claire’s glare hardened and she clenched a fist shut, her lips pursed tightly together to hold back the harsh words on the edge on her teeth. Just as she opened her mouth to say something else, she was cut off.

“I think you should go now.” Orias said, coming to stand by Claire and place a hand on her shoulder. “The others and I will take it from here, your presence is no longer required.”

“I agree,” Kael added, also coming to stand by the bed. “It would be best if you left.” Mirari and Akki glanced at each other before crossing the room and settling by their friends, Mirari perching on the bed while Akki stood between her and Kael nervously.

The stranger smiled before giving what was obviously a mocking bow. “But if course~ Remember though,I am never far if you should need my assistance.” And with that, they were gone, leaving behind the five hellspawn and one human.

Claire released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, her shoulders slumping as they untensed. The awkward silence around her reminded her of the other five in the room as she huffed out a short laugh. “So…does this technically make me a mom?” she asked, hoping to break the tension.

It worked, and Mirari let out a soft laugh. “Only if you want to be Claire,” she answered, a hand coming up to comb through the younger succubi’s hair. “Aren’t you going to introduce yourself?” she asked, voice soft and gentle as she addressed her daughter.

Claire smiled softly to try and put the succubus at ease. It seemed to work as she gave her own shy smile before speaking. “Hi, my names Clarinda. It’s…nice to meet you… Mom?” she said, the last word more a question than anything else. She was met with a hug by both Mirari and Claire, both making soft, happy noises as they hugged their daughter.