Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was early in the morning when Fun Ghoul felt the warm sun beaming on his face through his window. He was laying in his bed, face pressed against the pillow under his head. His arm was around his partner, Party Poison. Neither of them were fully dressed, having gone straight to bed after last night's activities.
It was far too early for Ghoul to be awake, he usually wasn't up till the sun was directly above, but glancing out the window by their bed, it was visible the sun had only recently risen, the sky still streaked with rays of orange and pink, a fading reminder of the sunrise he had just barely missed. Only moments after having opened his eyes though, Ghoul was hit with an overwhelming wave of nausea.
Sprinting to the bathroom of the diner, leaving his partner asleep on their own in their shared bed. The smaller man kneeled over the toilet, black hair pulled back as he emptied his stomach of last night's dinner, the smell only making him feel worse, he flushed the toilet and sat down on the cold, messy, tile floor next to it. He groaned at the turning of his own stomach, his face feeling feverishly warm. Feeling like shit he folded his arms over his stomach. Had he eaten something bad? No… he was sure he had eaten all the same things as the rest of the gang but they were completely fine, or asleep… he was lost in thought when he heard the bathroom door creak open, a sliver of bright red hair peeking through the door.
“Baby are you okay? I heard some noises…” Party asked, their voice gentle as to not disturb their already, not-so-great looking, boyfriend. Ghoul looked down at his feet, head in his hands,
“Yes, jus’ must have eaten something bad…” Ghoul suggested, although he knew it wasn't the answer. Maybe he had gotten sick from something in the desert while out on a mission.
“I thought I ate the same things as you and I feel fine.”
“Yeah I thought so.”
“Do you want some water or breakfast or anything?” The older of the two suggested, worried seeing Ghoul like this. They had gotten closer to the boy who was sitting criss-cross on the floor, running fingers soothingly through his hair.
“Yeah,” he paused for a second, “you go ahead, I’ll be there in a minute.” Ghoul mumbled while gathering himself, his gaze lingering on Party as they walked off into the kitchen. The rest of the gang wasn’t awake yet since it was still early for them to be up. 7:32 AM was what the ratty clock in the bathroom read. By himself again He used the side of the sink to pull himself up, rinsed his mouth out with water and washed his face in the mirror. He felt slightly better but still kind of nauseating, and another strange feeling he couldn't quite put his finger on… It wasn’t something he had ever felt before, a strange, foreign sickness… Something was wrong…
“Breakfast smells good,” Ghoul commented, while sitting down at a bar stool in the diner, watching Party fry eggs and toast. The sound had also awoken the rest of the crew. Within a few minutes Jet Star strolled into the diner area, rubbing his eyes and yawning, Kobra Kid following behind in a similar manner. Both of the boys sat down at the bar, right beside Fun Ghoul. Jet Star in between Ghoul and Kobra. Both of the guys stared at ghoul.
“Had fun last night?” Jet questioned, a teasing glint in his eyes. The diner didn’t exactly offer much of a living space, including paper thin walls. It was never a surprise to hear Party and Ghoul going at it, but it didn’t mean Jet wasn’t about to say something every time.
“What do ya think?” Ghoul snapped back, not even turning to look at him, his tone laced with annoyance that hinted his patience was running low with Jets stupid puns. It was unusual, he would usually reply back with some snarky joke or jab, but he was drained, and not in the mood, it was weird, different even… Jet Star thought about asking what was up but Party brought out eggs and he decided to just leave it to a later time. Kobra silently ate a piece of toast while watching the scene unfold.
“Feeling any better?” Party questioned, watching Ghoul drink down his orange juice, but his inquiry was only met with a glare from the other, he had seemed in a fine mood only a few minutes ago.
Twisting something on his ray gun back and forth, Fun Ghoul fidgeted out of boredom. He was lying on the couch, alone in the diner after having chosen — not chosen, been heavily suggested to by Party, to stay back on a mission. He hated it. Although he did feel off and a bit sick, it was nothing he couldn’t handle, especially to just stay back on a mission. Bored out of his mind he sat up, pulling on his boots. Surely nobody would get mad at him for going outside to practice shooting targets.
Grabbing his ray gun he stepped out of the diner into the blazing sun, it was about noon and the sun was directly overhead, warming the sand and anything else that lay out of the protection of the shade. He picked up some of the cans behind the diner and stared setting them up before noticing something. There was something red on the wall and floor, not really noticeable though, as if it had been wiped down.
Weird… one of the guys must have spilled something.
POW! 1. POW! 2. POW! 3.
All the cans fell off the ledge they had been set up on, each with a blazing hole in the middle from where the raygun had hit it. There was a sound of gravel crackling and tires on the pavement, the guys were back from the mission.
“I thought I told you to rest, you’re sick.” Party complained, although he knew Ghoul wouldn’t listen and stay home anyway.
“I feel fine, I should have gone with you guys.”
“You can come tomorrow if you feel so fine, just try not to vomit all over the Trans Am.” Jet star joked as the group went back inside.

Chapter Text

“You’re pretty hungry,” Party poison commented from the driver's seat, watching Fun Ghoul snack on a chocolate bar while they were riding in the Trans-Am, on their way back to the diner.
“Yeah whatever.” Ghoul grumbled back, he had noticed his appetite was much bigger than usual, he had been snacking all day on anything he could find. He had also been getting random cravings for stuff he usually hated but now felt an urge to try.
“And moody, what are you on your period?” Jet star teased from the passenger seat, earning a snicker from Kobra who was sitting in the back with Ghoul.
Fun ghoul didn't reply, but just rolled his eyes, looking out the window. Watching all the cacti and road signs speed by, blurring as they neared the diner. He felt carsick, which was also out of the ordinary for him. He was usually completely fine with the fast speeds and the sharp turns of the Trans-Am, but right now he felt like hurling over, taking deep breaths to keep it down.
As Party pulled into the parking lot, Ghoul stared at the door handle intently, and the second he heard the gear shift into park, he yanked the door open. Stumbling out of the car into the bushes outside the diner he felt his food coming up once again.
The others got out of the car, staring at him, maybe he wasn’t better enough to go on missions after all, he had skipped out for about a week before he convinced them he was fine enough to go again. It had been weeks and he was still getting morning sickness and vomiting after any slightly sharp turn in the Trans-Am. Party came up to the shorter boy, putting an arm around him and rubbing his back comfortingly. Ghoul responded with a groan.
“Are you sure you don’t want to see a medic or anything?” Party paused, seeing how Ghoul seemed exhausted, having been ‘Sick’ for weeks now. “I’m worried about you, this doesn’t seem like a regular stomach bug.”
Fun ghoul took a moment to regain his balance, spitting out the vomit tasting saliva in his mouth into the bushes. “I’ll be fine,” He pushed the hair out of his face. “Just give it a few more days, if it’s not better by then, we can go see somebody.”

*

“Shhh, baby it’s okay,” Party desperately tried to comfort Fun Ghoul, who had tears running from his eyes. It was late at night and both of them were in bed when Fun Ghoul had started tearing up over seemingly nothing, something about ‘being a bad boyfriend’. Party was a bit confused with the sudden mood swings but tried their best to make Ghoul feel better.
“No it’s not!” Ghoul cried, his face buried in his hands. He wasn’t even sure why he was crying, he just felt so emotional lately. Both of them knew something else was up, Ghoul had been acting so strange lately… and they hadn’t had sex in weeks. Which was something extremely rare for them. Fun ghoul was just never in the mood, he was spending all his time throwing up, crying, or eating.
Fun ghoul splashed water in his face, cleaning himself up in the bathroom and blowing his nose. It has been a month… Maybe a bit more since he had been feeling like this. Looking in the mirror, he noticed he had put on a bit of weight in that month. Probably from his appetite that never seemed to go away. He felt his stomach, was he bloated? He had felt bloated for the past few weeks. Now that he thought about it, he had been having all these weird symptoms since…

*

“Oh, fuck me Pois’…” Ghoul moaned, almost a little too loud, and he knew the gang would tease him about this later, but Party always had a special way of drawing the filthiest noises from Ghoul. Party tried finding that spot that always made Ghoul go crazy, as their thrusts got faster, sure enough, the most downright pornographic moan issuing from Ghouls mouth let them know that they'd hit their mark.
“Fuck, Party, keep this shit up I'm gonna come…” Party picked up their head a little, their eyes meeting Ghoul's half-lidded eyes. “Fuck!” he shouted, feeling an intense surge of pleasure wave through Ghoul as Party hit his prostate relentlessly.
“Good,” was the only thing they said to reply to his words. They added on with a wink they dipped their head down slightly wrapping their hands around Ghoul's cock. Ghoul let his head fall back as he felt his orgasm inching closer and closer. Party could feel the way they were tightening around their length, hinting he was close. It was only a matter of time before—
“Party!” was the only warning Ghoul gave before his orgasm hit him, come spurting out of his dick landing on his stomach. “Fuck, Party, ‘know you're close, come in me, please… I need it.” Ghoul groaned out his head tilted to the side as his breath was all raspy. Until he felt Poison's load fill him up, he pulled out of Ghoul with a slight ‘Pop’ sound, before Party’s cum started leaking out of him.

*

Wait, that couldn’t be it though… I'm a guy… Ghoul started to wonder, the possibility had somehow slipped his mind but now that he thought about it, it made sense. His symptoms lined up almost too well. He was always sick in the morning, tired all the time, he had mood swings all the time, was that why he was eating so much? Was he eating for two? He thought about it for a moment more, deciding not to tell Party about his realization just yet.
He needed a pregnancy test first, but where would he get a pregnancy test in the desert? Maybe he could find one in an old gas station or something.
He slowly peered the bathroom door open, and tip-toed back to his and Party’s room. He carefully opened the door to see Party asleep, it was pretty late. The whole gang was probably asleep by now, so he could sneak out and go look for a test, but first he went up to Jet and Kobras room, sliding his feet on the floor to make as little noise as possible. Jet star was asleep… Where was Kobra? Maybe he had gone out for a walk. Weighing his pros and cons, he had thought about the possibility of running into Kobra while trying to sneak out, but he also really needed that test…
Carefully and slowly, he made his way to the diner area, where he found his boots on the floor. He decided he needed that test. If Kobra sees me, so be it, he’ll need to know eventually anyway. Slowly… He twisted the lock, pushing the door open. The cool night breeze hit him in the face, a contrast from the warmness of the diner. He carefully closed the door behind him and tip-toed to the Trans-Am.
The tires seemed like the loudest thing around for miles as he pulled out of the lot, but his nerves were eased a bit as he got out onto the road, out of earshot from the diner.
The nearest (working) gas station was about 100 miles down, so if he wanted to get any sleep tonight he had to hurry.

*

Pulling into the gas station, it was about two-thirty in the morning. The moon was no longer directly overhead, but a bit farther to the west. He parked his car in the lot.
Inside the gas station was just the clerk since it was too late for anyone else. Fun Ghoul awkwardly wandered into the pharmacy section and brought it to the front, placing it at the checkout,
“Oops, right?” the clerk chuckled and rang up the test.
“Yeah…” Ghoul responded, just putting it in the bag and heading back out to the car.
While driving back to the diner, Ghoul could feel his palms sweating, the wheel practically sliding out of his hands. What if he WAS pregnant? Highly doubt it, but what if the test did show two lines? How would he raise a whole kid? Would Party Poison even want to help him?
Ghouls mind was racing as he pulled into the parking lot of the diner, trying to be quiet and slow, but the Trans-Am still made the gravel crunch loudly under the wheels. Hoping he didn’t wake anyone he crept back into the diner and to the bathroom, kicking off his boots along the way.
Hands shaking with anticipation he took out the test and followed the instructions. Sat on the toilet he stared intently at the first line slowly appearing. Please be negative, please be negative… Ghoul’s mind was racing with thoughts. Shit. Just as Ghoul was starting to get his hopes up, one eye on the clock, which was nearing the three minute mark, the other on the faint line on the test. A faint second line had started to appear on the test, then not too faint. A very bold two lines stared back at him from the bathroom counter. He was pregnant.
His breath hitched as he stared at the test. He had been right. He hid the test under the sink, not wanting to look at it too long as this was all just now starting to feel all too real. Maybe he could ignore it a little longer, maybe he didn’t need to tell Party right away.

*

“Ghoul, what is this?” Party called out from their shared bathroom. Rubbing his eyes, Ghoul sat up in the bed.
“What’s what?” Ghoul yelled back across the hall, rubbing his eyes and climbing out of bed. He waddled over to the bathroom, expecting to see clothes he left behind or something spilled. Instead he saw Party Poison standing in the doorway, holding up the positive pregnancy test.
“Is this yours?” Party Questioned, the thought seemed absurd, but the dead serious expression on his face, one that showed they may have sensed some truth to the theory.
Ghoul stood dumbfounded.
“That's not mine.” He said sternly, trying to defend himself but the proof was evident, and right in front of both of their eyes.
“Well I know this wasn’t here yesterday, are you trying to tell me it’s Kobra’s?” Party snarked back, also getting stressed out at this point.
Ghoul didn’t reply, he wanted to say something but he couldn’t find the words. It was his test. Party’s face fell to a blank expression when Ghoul didn’t answer. He had expected an argument, but the silence told him everything. Fun Ghoul was pregnant, and he was the father.
“How far along are you?” Party broke the silence, guessing by about when Ghoul started acting strange he had a rough estimate but wanted confirmation.
“About a month and a half” Ghoul responded, eyes glued to the floor, terrified of what he may see if he chose to look up at Party.
Party poison was upset, an irritated look in his eyes. How long did he know? Why didn't he tell me? As much as he was angry though, he found his thoughts racing. He was terrified. What did this mean for them? Could they even keep the baby? What if it wasn’t safe for Ghoul to bear a child? He had never seen a guy pregnant, did it work the same way as a girl? He was pulled out of his thoughts when he looked up at Fun Ghoul, who looked just as frightened as he felt. His angry thoughts were pushed aside and dissolved. He hadn’t known.
Party gently wrapped an arm around Ghoul. “It’s going be okay. We can do this.” he reassured Ghoul in a gentle tone, although he wasn’t too sure himself
“Can we not tell the others yet?” Ghoul asked, his tone quiet, he was already worried the others had heard them in the bathroom though the thin walls.
“Yeah.” Party replied, they had to get this sorted out first before they told anybody, how could Ghoul even get pregnant?
Kobra and Jet were in the diner area eating and chatting, when Party and Ghoul got there. Sitting at the table, Party sat closer to Ghoul than usual. Kobra and Jet assumed they were back to their nightly activities.

*

For the next two months, Ghoul stayed back. It ‘wasn’t up for discussion’ but he didn’t argue. The others had started to get a bit suspicious, with Ghoul taking so much time off, they were worried. The baby bump had also started to show, although they justified that with his recent eating habits. Ghoul and Party were planning to tell the others today when they got back.
The bell above the door rang as Jet, Kobra, and Party came back in. Party had made sure they were coming back home an hour or two earlier, he didn’t feel right leaving Ghoul all by himself for so long
“Could you guys come here for a moment?” Ghoul called from one of the diner tables and Party sat at the same side of the booth without question. The others looked confused but sat at the other side. “We have something to tell you..”

Chapter Text

     “How is that even possible?” Jet Star questioned, staring back at Fun Ghoul, eyes lingering on his stomach, there was really a baby in there…
     “Hold on, you said you’re what?” Kobra asked, not really grasping what he was being told.
     “Pregnant,” Party sighed while the two across from them stared dumbfounded.
    “But… you're a guy,” Jet went on, eyes still glued to Fun Ghouls stomach.
     “That’s what I thought…” Ghoul finished, biting his lip nervously. He leaned on Party, groaning as a bolt of pain went through his back. The symptoms had been getting worse and worse with the passing weeks.
Party Poison wrapped an arm around their boyfriend, he had never had to take care of somebody pregnant before.
     “It would be cool to have a little Killjoy running around here though, right?” They proposed, smiling thinking about it. They had never thought about kids before, it just never seemed like an opportunity or possibility before, but now that it was happening they felt a pang of excitement to be a parent. Not that their thoughts were not overrun by nerves surrounding this new stage as well.
     “What are you gonna name it?” Jet asked, also excited for the newest member of fabulous Killjoys.
     “Well, we don’t know the gender…” Party responded, not having considered that aspect yet, their kid did need a name.
     “If it’s a boy you should name him Krimson,” Jet added, presenting his name idea.
     “Krimson Kid, sounds pretty badass.” Party Poison smirked, imagining the little guy. They’d make a pretty awesome parents now that he thought about it, at least in theory. They could teach him how to drive, or shoot a raygun, it all seemed so unreal.
     Fun ghoul stayed quiet through the name discussion , leaning on Party’s shoulder, he felt like shit ever since he got pregnant and it was just getting worse day by day.

*

The gang was surprisingly accepting of Fun Ghoul and supported him the whole way through, filling in for him on missions, getting extra food for him, and stuff of that nature.
     Over the course of a few months his stomach grew from the size of a dinner-plate to the size of a watermelon. He and Party Poison kept a calendar to track his terms, Party also having to learn how to take care of Fun Ghoul since they didn’t exactly have a maternity doctor around in zone 6.
     Ugh… I hate this, why did I even choose to keep this baby… Ghoul was on the couch. It was late but he couldn’t sleep, his feet were swollen, and every time he started to drift off, he felt the baby kick him back awake, it's like no matter what ge did, this thing hated him.
     Crunch The silence was broken by a rustling outside the diner window, footsteps on the gravel. For a moment Fun Ghoul was distracted from the pain in his stomach and froze.
     Who could be up at this hour? And a realization struck through him, everyone of the killjoys was still asleep… His mind racing he stared out the window, he knew he should go wake up Party, if anyone got in he wouldn’t be able to do anything in the state he was in. He would just end up dead like any other break-in in the desert. But in that moment he found himself frozen. He should run to his and Party’s shared room but he couldn’t move.
     Holding his breath, he stared at the door, hoping to go unnoticed by whatever intruder lay behind it. Footsteps traced around the diner. Was it a drac? no, they had never found them out in the diner before, so why now? It was probably just somebody looking to rob the place, zone 6 isn’t exactly a wealthy place.
    The door slowly creaked open and there was a trail of footsteps on the tile floor. Ghoul sat silently, hiding behind the couch, anticipating an attack of some sort. But at that moment he realized something. He knew the sound of those footsteps, he had heard it many times before. The familiar sound of dusty leather boots shuffling on the diner floor.
     He slowly peered up over the edge of couch, careful not to be seen. Ghoul saw a sliver blonde hair… Blonde hair?
     “Kobra?” Ghoul asked then, sitting up straight and getting a good look at the so-called intruder, who seemed just as surprised to see Fun Ghoul as he was him.
     “What are you doing up?” Kobra stammered, although he was usually a very calm guy. he seemed almost nervous as if he was hiding something. but he didn’t have anything to hide… did he? The four of them were super close and told eachother everything, or that's what Ghoul had thought. But what the hell was he doing up   in the middle of the night?
     “Baby wont let me sleep, what are you doing out?” Ghoul asked, curious now as he had noticed Kobra going missing a few times at night. He wondered where Kobra went, maybe he was seeing somebody…
     “Nothing,” Kobra replied, he never was much of a talker but now he seemed especially avoidant
     “Oh come on. what, are you seeing anybody? You can tell me if you are.” Ghoul teased. He thought Kobra might just be shy or embarrassed to say anything, smirking at the other man who didn’t reply for a moment. but as he awaited an answer, Ghoul took notice of something, his demeanor changing. a few red spots on the yellow fabric of Kobra’s shirt. Which eerily matched the splatter he had seen outside the diner months before, he was surprised that he even remembered the minute, seemingly insignificant detail.
     “What’s that?” Fun Ghoul questioned carefully, motioning to the stain with his eyes. He watched Kobra Kid fumble to come up with an excuse. There was a tense moment of silence between the two before Kobra realized there was no normal explanation to red stains that all led to him, and considering that Ghoul noticed that, he must have also noticed all the other things leading to some conclusion about his disappearance.
     “…Can you keep a secret?” Kobra asked, he was walking on thin ice. Telling anyone about this could easily get him in a lot of trouble, not only with BL/ind, or anyone else, but the Killjoys also, his closest friends. By now Ghoul had come to the undeniable conclusion whatever Kobra was hiding was more than just a secret partner.
     “Yeah,” Ghouls tone was hesitant answering the question. It was an eerie thing to ask, the conversation just turning farther and farther in an offsetting direction. there was another moment of silence before Kobra spoke up.
     “It’s blood,” Kobra searched Ghouls expression for any signs of resentment, fear, anger, confusion, anything. there was nothing. Ghouls expression was blank, the only sound in the room being both of them breathing. So what did this mean? Okay Kobra was covered in blood, was he going out killing people? why on earth would he do that…?
     “I eat people.” Kobra clarified what he was saying, earning another elongated moment of silence from the other. Ghoul didn’t seem to fully grasp that. Kobra… eating people? But the longer he thought about it the more it made sense, Kobra was always missing at night, he was always the palest of the four, and he got so weird around blood, though he had told them that was just because the sight of it made him queasy.
     “…So you’re a vampire?” the question hung dead in the air, which appeared perfectly still at the moment.
     “If that’s what you want to call it.”
It was strange to think about, Ghoul had never even considered the reality of such beings. The likes of which entailed animalistic consumption of even the innocent, an uncontrollable blood-lust that hung necessary for their own survival. Ghoul had read about vampires but just thought it was a myth, like so many things they heard about.
     “Okay…” Ghoul replied, thinking, strangely enough, he wasn’t scared. Maybe it was just difficult to imagine one of his closest friends as a danger, an inhumane creature who killed just for his own nutrition.
     “You’re not scared?” Kobra asked, staring hard at the shorter man. He was a menace, a monster. He felt selfish to even stay around the Killjoys, especially Ghoul, who was with child. If Kobra were anyone else he would run the other way.
     “Well, you’re not going to hurt anyone… Are you?” As much as Ghoul knew this was a serious matter and not one to leave up to heart, he trusted his friend. He knew Kobra, and the Kobra he knew wouldn’t hurt a fly without good reason.
There was a pause between the two before Kobra spoke again.
     “No,” he replied. He had just been feeding off Dracs, and that didn’t count as a real murder, did it? The Killjoys altogether had probably killed more dracs then they could count so what difference did it make that he had bitten a few of them afterward. And as long as he kept himself fed so he could maintain control, he was sure he was no threat.
     “Then this can be our secret… the others would flip if they found out,” Ghoul may have trusted Kobra knowing what he is but he knew for sure the others wouldn’t even take a moment to consider. He Knew Party Poison would be especially opposed to any sort of reason, due to the baby and all.
Kobra just nodded in response, it felt strange having someone who knew his big secret.
     “So how come you don’t burn in the sun? or is that a myth?” Ghoul asked, a smirk on his face again. Now this seemed at no more than a new aspect of his friend which he was not aware of before.
     “That's a myth,” Kobra responded with a chuckle, he wasn’t like most textbook vampires in a lot of senses.

Chapter Text

Fun Ghoul was in his third trimester. As supportive as everyone had been to him over the months it was hard, and it was always a risky pregnancy. Not much is really known about male pregnancy, so there was nothing for them to reference. Not much of a doctor for them to see, they didn’t even know if it was even safe for Ghoul to have the baby. Lately though Fun Ghouls condition had been worsening by the day, if even possible. He had become completely bedridden by nausea and the never ending ache in his back and his feet.
“Are you sure you’re not hot in that?” Party Poison asked worriedly, handing Fun Ghoul a blanket, he was already wearing a sweater but he still felt cold, though his palms were clammy and his forehead greased with sweat.
Fun Ghoul shook his head in response, putting the back of their own hand against Ghouls forehead. Party was proven right with a scorching hot fever. Ghoul was 38 weeks into the pregnancy, it wasn’t safe for him to have a fever now, let alone ever during the pregnancy. And as worried as Party was, he tried his best not to express his uneasiness or anxiety about all this around Ghoul. Ghoul was already stressed enough as it is, worrying that any wrong move, or so much as an irregular breath, may harm the baby.
“You sure you don't want some Ibuprofen, Advil, anything?” Party Poison still asked, although he knew the answer. Fun ghoul was scared the drugs would cause some sort of birth defect.
“Water would be nice,” was the reply he got, without an argument Party sighed and left the room to get him a glass of water.

*

Fun ghoul was ill, and he certainly felt it. But staying in bed all day was probably taking a bigger toll on him than the sickness altogether. He was usually the first to spring up to any mission or any chance to go out, right after Party Poison. And having to stay in one place was just making him stultify. He knew it was selfish but he was aware that the pregnancy was making him somewhat useless, and sometimes he wondered if it would even work out, and then all this would be in vain. It had been almost 9 months, so much could happen in 9 months, but nothing had. And Fun Ghoul, who was used to living on the edge, was now conformed to an insipid life in his bed. It was always about the baby, and he did care about the baby, he really did, as he showed by refusing to take medication or eating anything that isn't “natural” even though that’s pretty much impossible in the desert in their situation. But it was getting to be less about him and Party, or the things they could be doing. He just hoped having the baby would make it all worth it though.
He sat up and dragged his feet out of bed, he was in pain, and every inch of his body was telling him to sit back down. But he didn’t care. Going outside a bit wouldn’t hurt anybody, plus some exercise, even a little walking, might actually be good for the baby.
The air was dry and crispy, with the warmth of the sun beaming down on him. It was fresher than the stale air he had been breathing in for days inside. It was afternoon and bright outside, sand and gravel glistened in the sun, in a way that was almost blinding to anyone not used to it.
The seasons had changed since the day when he first found out he was pregnant, it was the dead of winter now. Although it never got quite cold in the zones, just a little less hot than usual. The weather was actually pretty nice, not having to worry about getting sunburnt or overheating in your mask. Fun ghoul wished he could spend more time outside to enjoy it.
Walking around to the back of the dinner, he passed by the red splatter he had seen a few times before. This time he knew what it was, shuddering at the thought of what had caused it. He wondered if any of the other guys had seen it before, if they wondered what it was. Maybe they hadn’t even noticed it at all.
Looking at the spot he felt somewhat guilty, he was keeping a secret from the others especially from Party. He knew Kobra was no monster, he couldn’t possibly be dangerous, but what if something happened? It would be his fault. He didn’t warn the others, he could prevent something from happening. Maybe he could save a life. But that was a crazy way to think. Kobra wasn't dangerous, he only killed because he had to. He would starve if he didn’t, it wasn’t his fault he was the way he was.
Walking circles around the diner he was thinking. Staring at the floor he hadn’t even noticed the sun change position in the sky, moving down in the west. It was only when he heard a familiar voice that he had noticed the temperature starting to drop, the air feeling colder against his skin.
“Fun Ghoul!” Party Poison ran up to Ghoul, wrapping his arms around him. “What are you doing out here? I thought you were supposed to be in bed...”
“Thinking, I wanted to get out of the house” Fun Ghoul replied, there was a tone in his voice and Party could tell something was up, they had known Ghoul long enough to tell when something was on his mind.
“About what?” They asked, it had been a while since ghoul had left the house, Party was glad he was feeling well enough to go out now though.
“Nothing, just stressed out with everything…” Was the answer they got. It was frustrating, usually Ghoul told them everything, what was so bad they couldn’t even tell their partner?
Fun Ghoul wanted so badly to tell Party Poison everything, but what would happen to Kobra kid then? Nobody would understand. He would be kicked out, could he even make it on his own in the desert? Would he be found by Dracs? The killjoys relied on each other so heavily he couldn’t imagine what it would be like fending for himself. But Kobra was a vampire, maybe it was different. But would he be found out? Fun Ghoul stopped himself, he didn’t want to think like that.
Back inside, Ghoul was hit with another wave of nausea, rushing to the bathroom with Party at his side, as always. He realized then how much his little adventure had really taken a toll on him, his feet hurt like hell and he had a headache from another dimension.
He fell asleep around 8pm, exhausted by just about everything. Party Poison was at his side. Party didn’t like going to sleep early, but these days he was in bed between 7 and 9 with Fun Ghoul, this also meant he was waking up super early in the morning which he wasn’t exactly happy about either.

*

Two weeks were spent pretty much entirely in bed, Fun Ghoul had tried going on a few more short walks, although none could stretch quite past half an hour.
This morning Fun Ghoul had woken up before party poison which was very out of the ordinary. Party Poison hadn’t left Fun ghouls side for pretty much a week, anxious about the baby being due. He had even tried learning how to deliver a baby, though there weren't much resources other than word of mouth from other people in the zones.
“Did you piss yourself?” Party Poison groaned, rubbing his eyes. The bed was wet, there was no response from Fun ghoul. Looking up from the pillow his tired eyes were fixated on. He found Ghoul sitting up, breathing really heavily, a scared look in his eyes as he stared down at his stomach.
“I… I think my water broke…” Fun Ghoul stuttered, shifting his eyes to Party Poison, who instantly sat up, the sleepiness gone from his expression.
“Oh my god, when?” they asked, keeping their tone as calm as they could, they could already see Fun Ghoul starting to freak out. They wrapped an arm around Ghoul, looking around. They should tell the others, or get ghoul in the bathroom. Not like the hospital was an option.
“A–a few minutes ago I think… I don’t know.” Ghouls voice was panicky, he was scared out of his mind now. The moment he had been anticipating for 9 months was here, and he didn’t know what to do. Despite Party telling him all about everything he heard asking around such topics in the desert.
“Okay, okay. Let's get you into the bathroom… and then I'll get Kobra and Jet Star.” Party helped Fun Ghoul up out of bed, who winced at getting up from the bed. He felt the cold air hit his legs, a contrast to what he felt on the moist sheets. He knew the pain he felt in his stomach now was nothing compared to what he would feel pushing. The thought of the blood made him want to vomit, but he had to do this, he had to get through this, for the baby, for Party.
In the bathroom, Party helped him into the tub, carefully holding him up. Watching his every movement with the most attention they could give. The tub was cold, and the marble was smooth. Fun Ghoul tried to focus on that. He was breathing so loud he had hardly noticed Jet Star and Kobra kid enter the room. Jet star watched intently and ushered words of affirmation that Ghoul couldn’t quite catch. Kobra stood silently, as distant as he had been recently, he did look worried.
“Okay… Look at me baby,” Party’s voice was sure and steady. Despite the fact he could feel himself practically sweating. “Take deep breaths, and on the count of three push, okay?”
In return, he received a nervous nod from Ghoul, who could feel the contractions now. It was like the worst cramp he had ever experienced. He tried to open his eyes and look at Ghoul but the pain was just too vigorous.
Party counted “One… two… three…” a groan left Fun Ghouls mouth. He frantically grabbed at Party’s hand, squeezing with every ounce of might in him. All he could hear was the sound of his own laboured breathing. Somewhere in the back he could hear Party going “In out, in out,” and breathing with him. He tried to slow his breathing and follow Party, although he found it hard to focus on that. He pushed as hard as he could before letting go, taking deep breaths. Ghoul felt like he might pass out at any moment. He glanced up at Party, his eyes wide with fear and adrenaline.
Jet star was cheering something in the back and Ghoul would have smiled if he could do anything other than groan. Party counted off again and put all his energy into it. Ghoul pushed again. Party leaned over the bathtub, looking down between Fun Ghoul spread legs, with that push the blood started spurting out, a pretty decent amount at that. Party winced at the gorey sight and glanced away, they couldn’t imagine the pain Fun Ghoul was going through. It was admirable how he was willing to go through this, even if he hadn't fully been aware of just how painful it would be.
“You’re doing amazing honey,” Party reassured Ghoul, holding onto his hand tightly. The other hand resting on Ghouls shoulder, rubbing slow circles with their thumb.
The air in the bathroom was heavy and everyone was concentrated on Fun Ghoul. He was aware of that and slightly embarrassed but he would rather have them there than not.
Kobra shifted uneasily, his eyes bearing into the blood stains which had escaped the tub. Nobody else noticed them. Nobody else noticed the metallic scent in the air, they were too focused on the screams and the baby. Nobody seemed to notice the heavily concentrated look in Kobras eyes. He wanted to be here for his friend more than anything, but he had to put everything he had into controlling himself. It was one thing being hungry and surrounded by the sweet scent of human blood all the time, but it was completely different being faced with pools of blood and vulnerable prey just feet away from him.
“I can see the head! Keep pushing, you're doing great!” Party encouraged Ghoul who held his breath and prepared to push again. Ghoul felt weak, but fought to stay awake, and pushed even harder. Within all the comotion Kobra slipped away through the door. Jet Star’s gaze fell to the door slamming for a moment at the sound but immediately shifted back to Fun Ghoul, who was a much bigger subject of interest at the moment.
Kobra’s feet quickly shuffled to the kitchen of the diner. His breath was heavy and the air felt dry. Looking down at his hands, they were shaking. He wanted more than anything in the whole world to burst back into that bathroom and bite Ghoul and finally have a taste of the scent that has been haunting him for months, if not years. To feel the high of tasting his veins.
He didn’t really want that. He didn’t wish to hurt his friends or anyone close to him, only to satisfy the craving brought on him by what he had become.