Archive of Our Own

Slowly, Krat was beginning to heal.  The alchemists had fallen, and those that had been left had fled the city after Simon Manus had fallen.  A cure for the Petrification Disease was being shipped over from the Country of the Morning.  Buildings were being rebuilt and the streets were cleared of the bodies of puppets and carcass monsters alike.

Geppetto’s puppet did his best to help rebuild the city as he struggled with the grief of losing his father.  He knew he should hate him for everything he had put him through; for using him, but somehow, deep down, he still loved him.  Every night when he closed his eyes, he saw his father’s face as he lay in his arms, dying.

“I’m…sorry….son.”

The words haunted him.  He did his best to push them to the back of his mind and press forward.

Sophia was a huge help with this.  She provided a much needed distraction.  She had huge plans for helping the families who were struck by the tragedy of the Petrification Disease.  She stepped up to lead the city when no one else could, and Geppetto’s puppet stood by her side.

Geppetto’s puppet.  The name no longer suited him.  He wasn’t Geppetto’s.  He belonged to no one.  He was free from his strings and becoming more human by the day, his body surprising Venigni whenever he insisted on checking him over.  He was still very much a puppet, but at the same time, his body was functioning as a human’s would.  He was learning to sleep, to eat, to laugh, to feel all of the emotions a human should.

Said emotions often led him to go on long walks through the city, watching the progress the humans had made.  There were people in the streets now, children ran around and played, new puppets were made by Venigni to take up the jobs they had before and help protect the city.  Initially, the humans were scared to trust the puppets again, but once Sophia had explained to them the truth of what had happened, they learned to trust her.  They had no idea that Sophia herself was now a puppet as well.

Geppetto’s puppet often found himself guided by his heart and not his mind.  His walks always ended up at the Estella Opera House, one of the few places that hadn’t begun reconstruction yet.  He would sneak inside and walk all the way to the stage, standing in the center of the large room, looking around and feeling immense grief.

If only he had listened.  If only he hadn’t blindly trusted his father.  Then maybe Romeo–

Gemini told him not to think that way, but he couldn’t help it.  He felt guilt, an emotion that Sophia had explained to him, and it felt terrible.

Romeo had died at his hands and he hadn’t deserved any of it.  The horrible tragedies that had befallen Carlo’s best friend had all happened because of him.

“I knew I would find you here.”

The puppet remained where he stood, having heard Sophia’s soft footsteps the moment she entered the room no matter how elegant she had been.  “I always wind up here.”

Sophia came to stand beside him, looking out at the stage.  “Romeo had always loved the theater.  Even as a child, he was a star actor.”

Geppetto’s puppet looked over at Sophia, his heart clenching in his chest.  He loved hearing stories of when Carlo and Romeo had grown up together at the Rose Estate.  Sometimes, memories would filter back to him, but they were few and far between, and no matter how much he remembered, he knew he couldn’t change who he had become.  He knew he would never be Carlo.

“No one loved this city more than Romeo.” Sophia continued, her voice sounding fond.  “He had come from nothing and so he respected everything that had ever been given to him.  He would have fought for Krat’s people until the very end.  He always did what was right.”

Geppetto’s puppet’s eyes gravitated toward the ground, the place where Romeo’s body had fallen.  He remembered staring at his cracked, burnt face after he had perished, as he thanked him for setting him free in a language he hadn’t understood at the time.

“Don’t you think it’s time we brought him back?” Sophia’s voice made the puppet raise his head and look at her in shock.  “Oh, don’t give me that look.  I know you have been troubling yourself with the decision for months now, my clever one.”

The puppet’s head tipped downward again, hands curling into fists.  “I can’t do that to him.  I can’t drag him back from the grave again just because I feel guilty for what I’ve done…”

Sophia stepped closer, taking the puppet’s hands in her own.  She pressed her forehead to his own and closed her eyes–this was often a way they showed each other that they cared.  “There is no one Romeo would rather see than you.”

Somehow, in his heart, Geppetto’s puppet knew this was true.  Everything Romeo had ever done had been for Carlo.  But he wasn’t Carlo.  Not anymore.  Would that matter?

“I…have decided on a name…for myself.” he ventured to say, hoping a change of subject would make him feel braver.

“Oh?”

“I want to name myself after Carlo’s favorite book.”

He opened his eyes, watching the smile that painted Sophia’s lips.  “Pinocchio is a wonderful name.”

The puppet shook his head.  “No.  Not Pinocchio.  P, just P.”

Sophia’s smile widened.  “P it is then.”

P felt his springs loosen some.

***

Bringing Romeo back would be a huge team effort.  Sophia had agreed to help P invest some of her Ergo into his new body along with the Ergo that contained Romeo’s original essence.  P had never had the heart to use it or get rid of it.  He kept it close to him at all times.  He knew that with Sophia’s help, they would all have more than enough Ergo needed for the task.  It wouldn’t be like how he had nearly spent himself to bring Sophia back in Arche Abbey.

Next, Venigni had been tasked with designing Romeo’s new body.  He had asked P to venture back to the train car where he had first woken to look for the plans that Geppetto had used to build him.  P had no problem locating them, as luckily the train station hadn’t been renovated just yet and the Blue Fairy was intact.

Venigni had warned that Romeo’s body might not be as perfect as his own, since he was not Geppetto, but P had complete faith in him.

Eugenie worked as Venigni’s assistant, chiming in with ideas of her own to try and make Romeo’s body even more efficient.

Spring helped by knocking Gemini off the table while they worked, which P decided was not very helpful at all, but it was pretty cute.

It took the better part of six months, but Romeo’s body was finally finished.  It rested on a table in Venigni’s workshop in Hotel Krat, and P stared in wonder at it while everyone else prepared to finally bring Romeo back to life.  It looked perfect, exactly as Romeo had in life.  P had shared the pictures he had from Lea’s room with Venigni so that he could sculpt Romeo’s body in his actual likeness.  There had been things that Geppetto had gotten wrong when he had created the King of Puppets, such as Romeo’s nose, and his eye color.  They should have been blue, not hazel.

P wasn’t sure why that had mattered so much to him, but it did.  He insisted that Romeo should look as much like himself as possible.

“Are we all ready?” Venigni asked, coming to stand beside P as he put a hand on his shoulder.

P looked up at him and nodded.  “Yes.”

He reached into his pocket and produced the Burnt White King’s Ergo, watching the way the lights of the room caught it and made it shine.  There was a split second where he could have sworn he saw Romeo in the Opera House, fighting him in the reflection of the Ergo, but it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared.

Venigni’s hand fell from P’s shoulder as the young puppet reached over and pressed his palms over Romeo’s still heart.  The Ergo passed through his chest, latching onto his P-organ, and P felt Sophia grab his hand, channeling her own Ergo through him.

“Wake up, Romeo.” Sophia whispered.  “Come back to us.”

Come back to me.

For a beat, nothing happened.  Everyone had collectively held their breaths, the only sound being the clock on the wall across the room.

“Did it…did it fail?” Gemini asked for his place on a nearby table.

All at once, P felt a shift in the room.  He heard the sound of cogs turning, of a heart beating.  A gasp of breath.  Romeo’s eyelids fluttered and his lips parted.

P squeezed Sophia’s hand, feeling like he couldn’t breathe as slowly, Romeo’s blue eyes opened and focused up at him.  He looked confused, but that was to be expected.  He had been gone for so long.

P had been thinking of this moment for months, but now that it was happening, he didn’t know what to do.  He opened his mouth, intending on saying something, but Romeo beat him to it.

“Car…lo?”

It came as both a relief and a stab to the heart.  He wasn’t Carlo, but he could speak to Romeo about that another time.  Right now, he just wanted to make sure he was alright.

“Romeo.” he breathed, watching as Romeo raised his hand and reached over for him.  P took it without hesitation and watched as a smile spread across Romeo’s handsome face.

“What…what happened?” the blond asked.  “Everything is a blur.”

“Don’t worry about that right now.” Sophia chimed in, breaking the tension as she often did.  She must have known it would be difficult for P to explain everything that had happened since the Opera House.  “The important thing is that you’re back with us.”

“Sophia?” Romeo asked, surprised to see her.  He blinked owlishly as his eyes landed on her.  “Your hair is blue.”

Sophia couldn’t help but chuckle behind her hand at that.  “Yes, dear.  Some time has passed since you last saw me.”

Romeo’s face scrunched up in confusion and P could see the gears of his mind trying to process that information.

“Best not to burden you with all of that so soon after you’ve woken up!” Venigni said, sweeping up to the table.  “Signore Lorenzini Venigni, at your service!  I was the one who designed your new body as a favor to my dear compagno here.”

P couldn’t help but snicker and roll his eyes at the flamboyant engineer.  However, he was sure this would only confuse Romeo even more.  “Can you just check him over and make sure he’s alright?  Then he should really…rest.”

“Of course!  Of course!” Venigni continued to ramble on as he shooed everyone away from the table, asking Romeo to do things like move certain limbs, or blink, or take deep breaths.  The whole time, Romeo’s eyes never left P.

Eugenie jotted down notes as Venigni went, introducing herself to Romeo when she had the chance.  Venigni seemed intent on talking about everything under the sun, even when Romeo’s eyebrows drew together in confusion.  P thought that maybe the blond puppet was about to develop a headache, if he even could at this point.  Venigni had assured them all that Romeo would become just like P and Sophia; a puppet who would bridge the gap between machine and human.  He would be capable of feeling emotion.

“Carlo.” Romeo said, now sitting up on the table and fixing his shirt after Venigni had been tinkering around in his chest cavity.  “I’m happy that you’ve managed to make new friends on your own, seeing as you were shit at it back at school, but could you maybe have chosen quieter ones?”

P just grinned at that.  “You haven’t even met Gemini yet.”

“Hey!” the cricket chirped from across the room.  

Romeo got down off the table and stood at full height.  He towered over P, but the smaller puppet preferred it that way.  He looked just as he had when he had been a human.  He cast Gemini a look before P beckoned him out of the room.  Romeo could get better acquainted with everyone later.  Right now, P had to speak to him about a few things.

They had a room set up for Romeo beside P’s own.  P opened the door and let them both inside, but the moment they were, Romeo had eyes only for him.

“Carlo, what’s going on?” he asked, looking very much like a confused puppy.  P felt horrible for leaving him in the dark even if it had only been for a few minutes.  “The last thing I remember is–”

P chewed his lip, watching the recognition flash in Romeo’s eyes.  Shattered memories.  Their fight.  Dying at P’s sword.

“You set me free.” Romeo finished, his voice sounding broken and soft at the same time.  

“Romeo–”

“Geppetto…” Romeo continued, as if P hadn’t spoken at all.  “I made a deal with him to be turned into a puppet, so I could continue to be a Stalker.  So I could fight for Krat.  So I could warn you about what was going to happen to you.”

Their eyes met and P was sure his heart had just malfunctioned because it hadn’t ever felt like this before.

“He was going to steal your heart.”

Romeo took a step closer to him and P found himself frozen to the spot.  He didn’t shy away from his touch, Romeo’s hands cupping his face, his touch as soft as a butterfly’s wings.  P tipped his head and stared up into his face.

“I tried to warn you.” Romeo went on.  “But you didn’t listen.  We fought.  And you killed me.”

P choked on a sob, unaware that his eyes had even begun to tear up before the tears were falling freely.  “I’m sorry.  I’m so, so sorry.”

But Romeo just shook his head.  “No.  Don’t be.  You set me free.  Geppetto had imprisoned me for so long inside the King of Puppet’s body.  I couldn’t move.  It had been just like–”

The name went unspoken between the two of them: Arlecchino.

“It had been torture, Carlo.” Romeo spoke, his voice filled with so much emotion that it made P feel like he hadn’t even begun to become human at all because how did Romeo have this range of feelings after having woken up mere moments ago?  “And you set me free.  Thank you.”

“I’m not Carlo.” The words slipped out before P even had a chance to stop them, tears still cascading down his freckled cheeks.

Romeo’s face scrunched up in confusion once more.  “What…do you mean?”

P raised a hand and touched his heart.  “I have his heart, his Ergo, and some of his memories.  But…I’m not him, Romeo.”

Romeo seemed to stop and think about this for a moment before covering P’s hand with his own and gazing into his eyes.  “If you have his heart, then you’re as good as him to me.”

That strange feeling was back once more and the corners of P’s lips curled up in a smile.  What had he ever done to deserve Romeo’s kindness?  He had killed him, after all.

“What should I call you then?” he heard Romeo ask.

“P.” he answered, his smile only growing.

Romeo returned the smile and a laugh bubbled from his pretty lips.  “Like Pinocchio.”

“Yeah.” P said, feeling strange as he laughed along with Romeo.  For a moment, it felt like he was Carlo.  It felt like they were back in their room at the Rose Estate, two boys who were in love with one another.  But they were far from that now.  They weren’t even remotely the same people they had been back then, especially in P’s case.

Carlo had loved Romeo, and Romeo had loved him back.  P understood that now.  But did that mean that Romeo could learn to love him just as he had loved Carlo?

Without having to ask, Romeo read his mind.  “I’m going to learn everything there is to know about you, P.  You have my loved one’s heart, and I owe you that much.”

P smiled like Romeo had hung the stars.  “I would like that.”  He was looking forward to getting to know Romeo again as well.

They had a long way to go, but just like Krat, they were beginning to heal.

***

Romeo fit into their new family seamlessly.  He was charming and eager to learn everything there was to learn about P’s new friends.  Eugenie looked at him like a younger brother, always showing off her latest inventions to him.  Sophia mothered him as she always had, listening to him whenever he needed a shoulder to lean on.  Venigni laughed and joked around with him, filling him in on what had happened while he had been away when P didn’t have the heart to.  Gemini became like a brother, or perhaps an overprotective companion to P, warning Romeo that if he ever dared to break his heart, there would be hell to pay.  They fought like cats and dogs in the most playful way.  Even Spring took to Romeo straight away.

The group had their meals together in the elegant dining room of Hotel Krat.  Even Polendina and Pulcinella joined them, despite not needing to eat anything.

Hugo stopped by as often as he could, educating everyone on the newest treasures he had found and crowing stories about Alidoro.  P’s heart ached whenever the treasure hunter’s name was brought up, his eyes secretly darting to Eugenie who had no idea who the man’s true identity had been.  He never had the heart to tell her, but he had told Romeo.

Romeo listened with rapt attention whenever P told him stories of his journey.  The freckled puppet was rather quiet, but he was coming out of his shell more and more as the days passed.  Romeo always saw traces of Carlo in him–the way he pouted when he was feeling particularly stubborn, that twinkle in his eyes when he was being mischievous, that brilliant smile that meant absolutely everything to him.

P might not actually be Carlo, but Romeo decided he loved him just as much.  They were the same person, and yet they weren’t at exactly the same time, and Romeo wouldn’t have had it any other way.

At first, he had been hesitant to learn about P.  What if he couldn’t actually make good on his promise to love him despite the freckled puppet having Carlo’s heart?  He wasn’t Carlo, he kept insisting.  But after a few days of being around P, Romeo knew that his love had come back to him, just in a different way than he had expected.

They traveled around Krat together so Romeo could see how it was healing, so he could view the reconstruction.  They pointedly avoided the opera house–P insisted that reconstruction hadn’t begun on it yet anyway, there was nothing to see there.  Instead, their walks were nice and refreshing.  They observed all of the small shops opening up again, the families of Krat coming back outside to live again.  

No one paid them any mind, and Romeo preferred it that way.  He could sneak secret glances at P, watching him stare at the world around him in wonder.  He had never been exposed to how life should be before.  He had been built for a certain purpose, and now that that purpose had been fulfilled, he got to experience life in a whole new way.

Romeo watched a young girl approach P and hold out a red rose to him, telling him it would look pretty in his hair.  Romeo had to agree, it really would look stunning.  P had told him that his hair had changed various times throughout his journey; growing longer after Romeo had died, turning silver after setting Sophia free.  Once Sophia had been brought back to life, P’s hair had returned to its normal shade of raven-black.

Romeo swept over to the young girl and plucked the rose from her hand since P seemed hesitant to do so.  “Thank you!  I’m sure my friend will look stunning with this.”

P blinked at him as Romeo straightened up and tucked the flower behind one of his ears, brushing his hair back.

“She’s beautiful!” the girl gasped, fawning over P.

P couldn’t help but giggle at that.  It hadn’t been the first time he had been mistaken for a girl.

Romeo’s smile brightened, his eyes locking onto P’s.  “Yeah.  He is.”  He was rewarded with the sight of a bright blush spreading across P’s freckled cheeks.  So, puppets could blush.  Interesting.

***

Even though life had been going wonderfully, it wasn’t without its downfalls.  The nights were hard for Romeo, who saw flames every time he closed his eyes.  He tossed and turned in his bed, sweat forming on his synthetic skin until he was forced to toss the covers of his bed aside because he felt like he was roasting alive, just like back then.

He bolted upright, his hair plastered to his neck as a shiver racked his body.

He wasn’t back in the Opera House.  He was home at Hotel Krat.  He wasn’t fighting P, he was alive and comfortable in his own bed.

“Fuck…” he panted, sweeping his hair off his neck and running his fingers through it to try and dry it some.  He blinked and his eyes adjusted to the darkness around him, wishing he had Gemini here to light up the night around him.  He knew the cricket puppet would tease him for such a request though.

The room seemed oppressively large and empty.  Romeo hated it.  All his life, he had fallen asleep to the sounds of others around him; Carlo more often than not.  He hadn’t ever had his own room, even when he had lived with Lea.  He and Carlo had always shared.  He was finding that he just couldn’t sleep on his own.

He wondered if P would mind if he came into his room just because he was lonely.

He swung his legs over the side of his bed, planting them on the ground as he stood up in nothing but his sleep pants.  He crept out of his room as silently as he could, bare feet padding on the carpet of the landing until he reached the door directly next to his own.  He considered knocking, but he didn’t want to disturb his sleeping friend.  Instead, he just turned the knob and stepped inside.

Immediately, the first sound he heard was Gemini’s loud snoring, his soft green glow illuminating the room from the bedside table.  An easy smile slipped onto Romeo’s face and he started feeling better already.

“P?” he whispered, crossing the room, quiet as a cat.

“Romeo?” P answered almost immediately, apparently a light sleeper, unlike Carlo.  He bolted upright in bed, Gemini’s light falling over him.  His eyes were wide with concern.  “Is everything alright?”

Romeo shook his head.  “Yeah.” he was quick to say, keeping his voice down even though he really doubted he would be able to wake Gemini.  “Well, no.  I just…can’t sleep.”

He saw P smile softly before he budged over on the bed, scooting to the opposite side.  “You can sleep with me, if you’d like.”  He held up the end of the covers and Romeo climbed in without a second thought.

“Thanks.” the blond said, resting his head on the pillow.  It smelled like P’s long, dark hair.  Romeo wondered how he still smelled like Carlo.  Was Ergo infused with the scent of the person who it had belonged to in a past life? 

The room fell silent but for Gemini’s snoring as Romeo and P gazed at each other in the dim light of the room.

“Carlo and I used to do this all the time.” Romeo blurted out.  

“I know.” P said, his eyes shining with fondness.  “I remember.”

More silence, before P decided to break it this time.  “You…did other things together too.”

Romeo stared curiously at the puppet on the other pillow, wondering if he was blushing.  He always looked so pretty when he blushed.  “Yeah.” he chuckled.  “Not sure if I can do those things now.”

“Puppets can still do those things.” P confirmed before his eyes blew wide as he realized what he had said.  “I mean–”

A wicked smile lit up Romeo’s face.  “Oh yeah?  Maybe you’re more like Carlo than you think, P.”

P seemed to be considering this.  “I’m…trying to be.”

That made Romeo’s heart squeeze in his chest.  He didn’t want P to try and be more like Carlo.  “No,” he said, reaching out and cupping the side of P’s face in his hand.  “You don’t have to be anyone but yourself.  You’re perfect the way you are.”

P chewed on his bottom lip, eyes flitting up to meet Romeo’s shyly.  “I want to be more like Carlo…so you’ll love me like you love him.”

Oh.

Romeo should have figured sooner.  P carried Carlo’s heart–so didn’t that mean he had the same feelings?  Did that mean P had loved him this entire time, even before he had really known him?

Romeo smiled fondly at the freckled puppet, moving closer so they were sharing the same pillow.  He tucked a lock of P’s dark hair behind his ear, hearing both their mechanical hearts beating like crazy.  “I loved you from the moment I first saw you.”

He heard P gasp and watched as he leaned in even closer, their breath mingling together in the night air.  “I…love you too.”

Romeo’s thumb traced over P’s lips, finding they felt just like Carlo’s.  “Can I kiss you?”

P nodded and that was all Romeo needed before he swooped in and pressed their lips together.  He wondered if P had ever kissed anyone else, but judging by how clumsily their mouths fit together, Romeo doubted it.  He guided the kiss, trying to keep it as light as possible until P got a feel for it.

P pressed himself up against Romeo’s body, desperate to touch more of him, to be as close as possible, and Romeo was sent right back to the nights he and Carlo had spent at the Rose Estate, making love together.

Just like every other thing he had ever learned to do, it only took P a moment before he got the hang of kissing.  He was leaving Romeo gasping in no time, heat quickly traveling throughout his body, making him burn in the most pleasant way.

It had been so long.  Years.  He had waited for Carlo for years , and now he had him back in the most unexpected way.  Kissing P felt like kissing Carlo, and like something entirely new at the exact same time.  Romeo started to wonder if it was possible to have two true loves, because if P and Carlo were two different people, then surely it was possible because he loved them both equally.

One of his hands found P’s hip, pulling him flush against himself and earning a loud gasp from the brunet.

The sound of Gemini clearing his throat echoed from the bedside table.  “Uh, guys?  I’m still right here.”

From that night forward, Gemini started sleeping in Sophia’s room.

***

Over the following months, P and Romeo got closer and closer.  They shared a new room together in the hotel once renovations were done and it was open to the public again.  Sophia shared an entire floor with them on one of the upper levels, which gave them more privacy.  They had their own suites, as did she, but they would often come together for meals.  Polendina was happy to go back to his business running the hotel at the front desk, while Sophia took over all other matters.

Venigni had since moved out of the hotel and back to his mansion, returning to work at the factory and of course taking Pulcinella with him.  P found he missed his company more than anyone, but he still got to see the eccentric playboy more often than not.

Eugenie had also moved out of the hotel, deciding to work for Venigni since he was in need of more talented engineers.  The two had become close since their stay at the hotel and had formed a close friendship.

Eugenie had told P to take good care of Spring, not having the heart to move her from the home she had known for all of her life.  Spring didn’t have an official owner, but she had been closest to Eugenie and it was very difficult for her to leave the cat behind.  P promised that he and Romeo would look after her and spoil her rotten.

It was strange not really having anything that he needed to do.  P wasn’t quite sure what to do with himself at times, though he and Romeo did their best to try and help Krat rebuild.  It was beginning to thrive as it once had, and they felt like they had made an impact.

Slowly, the Estella Opera House was restored, but P still tried to keep Romeo as far away from it as possible.  He got a far away look in his eyes whenever it was mentioned, and P didn’t like it.

Luckily, there were many ways to distract Romeo.  P found that the flirtatious ones worked the best, and they usually led to rewards for him.  Their late night kisses had evolved into so much more and P was learning so much about himself and about Romeo as well.  Romeo was always so careful, always willing to explain anything before he tried it, making sure P felt absolutely comfortable the entire time.  P would have never hesitated–he wanted Romeo to do everything to him and with him.  So, Romeo did.

He was on his back one night, with Romeo above him, their bodies slotted together as the blond puppet thrust in and out of him, setting P’s every nerve-ending on fire.  He clung to his partner for dear life, moaning with each thrust, whimpering at Romeo’s heated kisses.  Romeo chased his lips, stealing his breath from his very lungs.  At times it was overwhelming, but P loved it so much.

“Gonna–”

“Do it.” Romeo breathed into his ear, tugging on the lobe between his teeth.  “Cum for me, my puppet.”

P choked on his next moan, that tight coil inside of him coming undone as his back arched as much as it could with Romeo on top of him.  He came between their bodies, feeling Romeo following shortly after.

For a moment, there was nothing but silence and the sounds of them catching their breaths.  When P opened his eyes, Romeo was hovering above him, brushing P’s long, dark hair from his eyes.  Curiously, P’s hair continued to grow rather quickly, now falling past his shoulders in cascades of black waves.  Romeo had said it looked gorgeous, so P kept it long.  He had learned to care for it, and even how to braid it and tie it back in ribbons.

Romeo gave him a kiss, lingering close before smiling softly and moving off the bed to get a washcloth to clean them both up.  P stared down at the mess he had made on himself, dragging his fingers through the sticky liquid, his head tilted in wonder.

“Here.” Romeo said, sitting beside him and reaching to clean him off.  “Let me clean you up.”

“What is this stuff for?” P found himself asking as Romeo wrapped his hands up in a clean cloth and scrubbed them.  “We always make it whenever we do that.  But it seems like it’s wasted.”

Romeo smiled gently.  “Sometimes I forget that you aren’t human.  You just look so natural.”

P was still learning how to be human, even though he, Romeo, and Sophia were all something in between puppet and mortal.  He did his best to absorb all of the information he could, and Romeo had taught him a hell of a lot about sex, but sometimes he had extra questions for him.  

“It can be used as a lubricant, like you and I do.” Romeo explained, ditching the cloth in their dirty laundry hamper.  He lay back on the bed beside the brunet, turning to face him.  “But, I suppose its main purpose is to create a baby.”

“A baby?” P repeated, full of curiosity.  He failed to see how some liquid could make a baby, especially when he was sure that only women carried them in their bodies.

“Well, with a man and a woman, yes.” Romeo went on.  “It can’t happen with us though.  Only women can have babies.”

There was something in Romeo’s voice that P couldn’t quite decipher.  “Did you ever want to have a baby?” he found himself asking.

Romeo’s head snapped up at that, meeting P’s eyes as his face flushed.  “I…I did, but maybe not like that.  I always thought that when Carlo and I were old enough, it would have been nice to adopt a child in need…I know I would have loved to have had a mother and a father growing up.”

That’s right.  Romeo’s parents had died when he was very young.  He had grown up at the Monad Charity House when it had functioned exclusively as a home for orphans.  He never had a proper family until he met Lea, who took him under her wing and treated both him and Carlo like her sons.

It made sense that Romeo wanted to repay that kindness to a child in need.

P smiled brightly at his partner.  “Then we’ll adopt a child.”

Romeo reached out and cupped his face in his hands, stroking his thumbs over his freckled cheeks.  “I’m afraid it’s not that easy.  You know how we often have to hide our relationship when we’re out in public, right?”

P nodded, feeling his heart beginning to sink.  He knew what Romeo was going to say.

“Society sees it as blasphemic to place a child with two fathers and no mother.  There’s no way we would be approved for adoption.”

There was such sadness in Romeo’s eyes that it was making P distressed.  “Oh…”

A beat of silence passed between them before Romeo shook his head and leaned in to press their foreheads together.  “It’s alright.  It was just a dream.  Not all dreams come true.  Besides, you’re my family now.  You and Sophia.”

It was true.  Romeo had a new family now and he was happy–but over the next couple of weeks, P couldn’t shake the conversation they had that night from his mind.  He confided in Sophia about it, but even she didn’t have any kind of solution.  She couldn’t change the rules of Krat.  So, P was left to push his thoughts aside and carry on as usual.

One night, he, Romeo, and Sophia were gathered on one of the balconies, staring up at the night sky as they excitedly awaited the shooting star that was supposed to grace the city that day.  Sophia had told them that if they made a wish on it when they saw it, it would come true.  P wasn’t sure if he should believe that, but he was going to try for Romeo’s sake.

“Look!” Sophia gasped, pointing to a streak of white shooting across the sky in the distance. 

 It was a lot bigger than P had thought it would be.  There seemed to be something magical about it, but P wasn’t sure if that was because of the star itself or because of its beauty and the hope it brought with it.

He traced its path through the sky and spoke his wish silently in his heart.

I wish I could give Romeo a child.

Nothing seemed to happen, but P hadn’t expected it to.  He looked to Romeo and Sophia who were still watching the star shoot across the sky until it eventually disappeared.

“Ready for bed?” Romeo asked, turning to smile softly at him.

P nodded and took his hand, feeling a little disheartened that his wish hadn’t worked.  But at least he had tried.

***

P shifted in bed, a strange feeling starting up in his throat.  It was an acrid taste and saliva flooded his mouth.  No matter how he tried to push it down, it just wouldn’t go away.  He was sweating and he couldn’t get back to sleep and he didn’t have the heart to wake Romeo since it was so early in the morning.  He had experienced many new things since becoming something between a puppet and a human, so maybe this was just one of them.  He had even caught a cold once and Romeo fretted over him for days.  Perhaps this was just some other kind of illness.

P stared off into the distance, trying to will the feeling away, but it was only getting worse by the minute.  Eventually it reached a point where his body just had to react.

He sat bolt upright and leaned over the side of the bed, heaving as the contents of his stomach were emptied onto the floor.  His eyes went wide and his body was racked with shivers, trying to suck in air once he was finished.  Tears streaked down his cheeks and nose was running.  His throat burned terribly.

“P?!”

Romeo was at his side in an instant, rubbing his back as he slowly woke up.  “What happened?”

P worked his mouth but nothing came out but a whimper.  He couldn’t stop shaking.  What was wrong with him?  Was his body dissolving from the inside?  Was he malfunctioning?  Was he dying?

“Oh, you poor thing.” he heard Romeo say as he climbed out of bed.  “You threw up.”

Threw up?  What was that?  He wanted to ask, but Romeo had already set to work cleaning up the mess he had made beside the bed.  He felt so horrible.  It smelled and it couldn’t be pleasant to have to clean, but Romeo didn’t complain.

A few minutes later, P found himself being bundled into Romeo’s arms.  His hair was swept away from his forehead and Romeo’s lips were placed there instead.  He was handed tissues and he blew his nose, focusing on breathing because he felt that no air was getting into his lungs.

“Shh.” Romeo soothed.  “It’s alright.  You remember when you had a cold?”

P nodded, still unable to communicate verbally.  He was in a state of shock.

“It’s just like that.  Sometimes, human bodies do this when they’re not feeling well, particularly if they ate something bad.” Romeo explained.

P cast his mind back, trying to think if he had eaten anything “bad” last night, but he couldn’t come up with anything.

“Do you still feel nauseous?” Romeo asked, pulling back to cup P’s face in his warm hands.

“Nauseous?” P parrotted, not quite understanding the question.  “What’s nauseous?”

“It’s that feeling you felt before you threw up.”

“Oh.” P shook his head.  “No.  I…I feel better now.”  He just felt exhausted and like he could sleep for another couple of hours.

“Good.” Romeo said, brushing another kiss to the brunet puppet’s forehead.  “Then I’ll get you some water and you can go back to sleep.”

P’s breath hitched and he quickly caught Romeo’s wrist with his flesh hand.  “You’ll stay with me, right?”  He didn’t want to be alone when he was feeling like this, and he doubted Romeo would abandon him, but he was feeling very vulnerable right now.

“Of course.  I’ll go back to sleep with you.  We can spend the day in bed.”

P smiled at that and relaxed his grip on Romeo’s wrist, letting the blond out of bed so he could fetch a glass of water.  

After taking a few slow sips, P found himself resting back among the pillows again.  Romeo curled protectively around him and brushed his fingers through his long hair.

“Wake me up if you feel nauseous again.” Romeo instructed.  “It doesn’t matter if I’m asleep, I want to be there for you, P.”

“Okay.” P croaked out, smiling softly before closing his eyes.  The next time he opened them, he wasn’t sick again.

***

Unfortunately, even though P had been alright for the rest of the day after he had thrown up, the same couldn’t be said for the next morning.  In fact, every morning around the time he was about to wake up, it happened again.  It became like clockwork.  At least he had gotten the hang of rushing off to the bathroom to throw up in the toilet to save Romeo from having to clean up after him though.

There were times other than the morning that P would throw up as well.  He and Romeo had been walking through a street fair in Krat one day, and the smell of something cooking outside had gotten to P so badly that he had doubled over right there on the cobblestone.  That wasn’t the only time either.  He found he just couldn’t stand certain smells and they would make his stomach rebel against him.

Venigni came to check him over, wondering if he was malfunctioning in some way, but he could find nothing wrong.  In fact, P’s body had changed so much that he couldn’t really even tell where the puppet parts ended and the human parts began.  Even if something had been wrong, it was above Venigni’s knowledge.

It wasn’t until one evening when he and Romeo were having tea with Sophia that some questions were answered.

P was leaning into Romeo’s side on the couch, his tea ignored as he listened to his partner speak excitedly to Sophia about the Estella Opera House’s newest play.  He had wanted to go and see it, but P still wasn’t sure it would be a good idea.

Sophia’s eyes kept wandering to him and P stared back at her questioningly.  It looked like she was puzzling over something, but he wasn’t sure what.  He knew she was worried about the illness he had, but he had been assured by everyone that it was probably just some long lasting bug.  Nothing could be done about it.  He had even started getting used to it.

“Of course, it won’t be the same without Adelina there–”

“Romeo, could you be quiet for a moment?” Sophia asked, making the blond snap his mouth shut and raise a questioning eyebrow.  “I…hear something.”

The two puppet boys stared curiously at Sophia as she rose to her feet and came over to them.  She leaned closer to P and her eyes widened.  P noticed that Romeo’s grip tightened around his waist.

“There is Ergo whispering from within you.” Sophia said, her voice a mere whisper.

“Isn’t there always?” Romeo questioned, not understanding what was so strange about a puppet having Ergo.

“In your heart, yes.” Sophia went on, reaching her hand out and splaying it over P’s belly.  “There’s a new source of Ergo, right here.”

P stared down at the hand on his stomach, blinking curiously.  “In…my belly?”

He couldn’t understand why there might be Ergo there.  He hadn’t accidentally ingested any, that was for sure.

Beside him, Romeo had gone deadly silent.

“Are you all thinking what I’m thinking?” Gemini chirped from the table in the center of the room.  “Because I don’t wanna be the first to say it out loud.  It’s just weird.  It’s weird, isn’t it?  That’s definitely not supposed to happen to puppets–even if P is a special puppet.”

“I don’t understand.” P said, feeling so confused that he was starting to get afraid.  “What’s wrong with me?  Is…is this why I’ve been vomiting?”

Sophia’s hand left his belly and instead she took a seat on the edge of the table beside Gemini, leaning forward to be as close to P as she could.  “That night that we saw the shooting star…What did you wish for?”

P’s heart skipped a beat, his mind slowly starting to put things together.  “I wished…that I could give Romeo a child.”

“What?!” Romeo squeaked beside him, causing P to look his way.  He found the blond looked impossibly pale.

“You said you always wanted a child so I…I wished for one on the shooting star.” P explained.  “I didn’t think it would–”

“Is it even possible?” Gemini asked, sounding frantic.  “I mean, he doesn’t have the parts!”

Sophia put a hand on top of Gemini’s lamp, a soothing gesture.  “Shooting stars are powerful things, and so are wishes.  If your heart wants something badly enough, the power of a wish is able to make it come true.  It could have very well changed P’s body for him.  It wouldn’t be the first time his body has changed, after all.”

That was true.  P was very used to his body changing in unexpected ways.  It was becoming more human, for one, but he didn’t expect his anatomy to be able to change as well.

“You’re saying he’s…pregnant?” Gemini asked, saying the word no one else dared to speak.  “As in, he’s carrying Romeo’s child?  There’s a baby in there?”

P sat in shock, a hand on his belly, trying to process what he was hearing.  How could that be?  How could the star have interpreted his wish in that way?  He had wanted a child for Romeo, yes, but he hadn’t ever intended to carry it himself.

“Yes.” Sophia said.  “It certainly looks that way.”

There was a sudden, loud thunk and P looked over to see that Romeo had pitched forward and passed out on the floor.

“Well…” Gemini said as P scrambled to help move Romeo back to the couch.  “He took that news well.”

***

The next couple of days were very strained for everyone.  P wished that they could have a doctor check him over, but it was too risky.  This kind of thing just didn’t happen in Krat.  Males weren’t supposed to get pregnant, even with wishes.  Sophia had warned him against trusting anyone, and after everything P had seen alchemists do, he had to agree with her.  There was no definitive way of confirming he was pregnant other than Sophia’s Listener abilities.

Without a doctor, everyone had to pull together to try and figure things out themselves.  Sophia brought P things to help remedy his nausea, and for the most part they seemed to be working.  She assured him that they would also be safe for the baby.

The baby.  It was still so strange to hear those words.

It was easier for P to accept that he was pregnant than it was for Romeo though.  The two had gone quiet around one another.  Their nights of lovemaking ceased until nothing but silence enveloped them whenever they were alone together.  P hated it.  He felt like Romeo was upset with him in some way, but Romeo didn’t appear angry or sad.  He was still taking care of him as best he could, bringing him meals that would be easy on his stomach and cuddling him after he threw up.

“I think…we need to talk.” P said one night after it became too much.  The silence was too deafening.

“Yeah.” Romeo said, taking a seat on the bed beside his partner.  “We do…”

P looked expectantly at the blond puppet, waiting for him to open up about why he had been so quiet lately.  He thought Romeo had wanted a child, but perhaps this was a step too far for him.  Perhaps he hadn’t wanted P to be pregnant either.  After all, neither of them had expected it.

“You didn’t have to make that wish.” Romeo started, and P felt like he could be sick in a whole different way.  “Not for me…I told you I was fine with just having you and Sophia as my family.  I didn’t want…to have to put you through something like this.”

“I don’t mind.” P was quick to say, reaching out for Romeo’s hands, cupping them in his own.  “I know it’s not normal.  But…I’m not exactly normal either.”

Romeo frowned but refused to say anything more.

P felt his heart sink.  “You…don’t want this?  You don’t want a child with me?”

“No!” Romeo shouted, his voice much too loud, his eyes looking startled and scared.  “No, P.  That’s not it.  I…I want this.  I just didn’t want you to have to change in ways you don’t want to.”

Relief washed over the smaller puppet and he smiled softly.  “But I do want to change like this if it means I can have a baby with you.”

Romeo’s mouth opened as if he wanted to say something but no words came out.  Instead, tears flooded his pretty blue eyes.  P didn’t understand why he was crying and the next thing he knew, Romeo pulled him into his lap and wrapped him up in a comforting hug.  “P…”

P hummed and rubbed Romeo’s back soothingly, waiting for him to be able to speak properly.  He had a feeling they had been misunderstanding each other.  This talk really had been needed as they appeared to be on the same page now.

“I want this baby.” Romeo said at last, drying his tears and pulling back to properly look his partner in the eyes.  “And I want you to carry it, if you’re willing to.”

P chuckled wetly, unsure of when he had started crying.  He seemed to do that whenever Romeo teared up.  Seeing the other being so emotional always made his heart lurch.  “I want to carry it.”

Romeo’s eyes traveled down P’s front and he reached a hand out, his fingers brushing against the brunet’s belly.  An entirely new kind of warmth flooded P’s body as Romeo placed his palm over the spot where their baby was growing.  He covered Romeo’s hand with his own, gazing up into those blue eyes that had never stopped loving him.

He met Romeo’s lips in a soft kiss, their hands pressed together over P’s belly, a silent promise that they were in this together.

***

The passage of time brought with it change just like it always did.  P and Romeo were becoming more used to the fact that they were going to be parents in just a few month’s time and Romeo had insisted they start preparing as soon as they could.  He had checked books out of the library about pregnancy and childbirth, obsessively reading them whenever he had the chance.  He told P about everything he learned and P did his best to push his nerves down.  He was excited but very anxious at the same time.

The best part about his pregnancy was that P got to eat whatever he wanted.  He was being absolutely spoiled rotten by Romeo who brought him whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted it.  If P felt like eating strawberries dipped in jam at one in the morning, Romeo was rushing to the kitchens to get him a plate of them.

There were times when Romeo was a bit too coddling, however.  P found that his emotions were starting to get a bit out of whack, something they had learned about from the pregnancy books.  He had been short with Romeo more than once, but the blond always understood and gave P his space when it was needed.  Still, P tried to make it a habit not to develop a temper whenever Romeo insisted he sit down and put his feet up, or when he told him what he could or couldn’t carry.

Weeks had gone by since they had found out that P was pregnant, and on the outside, nothing had changed.  P was still just as lithe as ever, not showing yet, but one morning that all changed.

He had rolled out of bed and was in the process of getting dressed for the day, pulling his sleep shirt up over his head, when he heard Romeo gasp from the bed.  P let his shirt fall to the floor, looking over at his partner with wide eyes.  “What?”

“Your belly.” Romeo said, his voice hardly above a whisper.

P’s head snapped down to his front–and that was when he realized.  His stomach had the slightest bump to it, the front of it sloping ever so gently outward.  Their child was growing.  Right there.  Inside of him.

He put his hand over his stomach, fingers tracing over the skin, in a trance-like state, unable to believe how his body was changing.  He barely heard the sounds of the mattress springs creaking behind him before Romeo came to kneel on his knees before him, getting eye level with his stomach.  Lips were brushing against his navel and Romeo’s arms locked around his back, tipping his head back to smile up at P.  P smiled back down at him, tears flooding his eyes.

“Hey, little one.” Romeo cooed, speaking to their baby as he always did.  He said speaking to them would help them recognize their parents once they were born.  “Are you getting bigger in there?  We can see you now.”

P ran his hands through Romeo’s hair as the blond puppet went back to showering his stretching skin with soft kisses.  “I can’t wait to meet them.”

“We’ve still got a while before that happens.” Romeo replied, the pads of his fingers gently brushing over P’s belly as if the slightest amount of pressure would cause him to break.

“I know.” P whispered, unable to wipe the smile from his face.  “I just can’t believe this is happening.”

The change in his body made the whole thing feel even more real.  Before, it had been like a dream they were tricking themselves into believing.  But now, their child was growing and they could see it.

This was really happening.  They were really going to have a baby.

***

“What’re you reading?” P asked, scooting closer to Romeo on the couch.  The mid afternoon sun was pouring in through the windows, making the brunet puppet feel rather lazy.  He had been cooped up inside for much too long and he had to admit that he was a bit bored.

“Hm?” Romeo hummed, hardly even noticing P beside him.  “Oh.  Just another pregnancy book.”

P blew a sigh out of his lips, crossing his arms over his chest.  “You’re always reading those.”

Romeo said nothing.

It wasn’t fair.  Sometimes, P felt like those books got more of Romeo’s attention than he did.  He deserved some attention.  He was the one that was pregnant, after all.

A devilish smirk crossed P’s freckled face as he reached a hand over, creeping across Romeo’s thigh and into his lap.  Again, Romeo remained silent, but that didn’t deter P in the least.  In fact, he slipped to his knees in front of the couch, pushing his way in between Romeo’s legs as his hands flew to the blond’s trousers.

“P!” Romeo squeaked, looking down at him but not putting down his book.  “What’s gotten into you?”

“Nothing.” P said, unzipping Romeo’s trousers and pulling his cock free.  He got a hand on it and pumped it a few times, earning a moan from Romeo who now had a death grip on his book.  “Just keep reading.”

He was sure Romeo wouldn’t be able to read now though.  That was his entire plan.  His fingers ran deftly from Romeo’s root to his tip, leaning forward to press his lips against the slit in the top, tongue darting out and tasting.  He heard Romeo hiss above him and soon there was a hand petting through his hair.

P smirked and opened his mouth, taking Romeo’s hardening cock in to suck on.  Above him, Romeo had started moaning, blessedly setting that stupid book on the couch beside him.  

P had won.  He got Romeo’s attention on himself.

He smirked around the cock in his mouth, eyelashes fluttering as he looked up at his partner, watching Romeo’s slackjawed expression.

“P…” the blond groaned out, the grip on the freckled puppet’s hair tightening.  It only urged P on and he took Romeo in deeper, nothing that he was fully hard now.  “Oh, fuck!  I-I need you.”

Just like that, P pulled off of Romeo’s cock, resting his cheek against his thigh as he looked up at him, his hair falling into his face.  “Now you need me?” he asked coyly.

“Up.” Romeo commanded, getting to his feet and helping P along with him.  “Clothes off.”

P laughed at his partner’s haste.  This was what he had needed.

Romeo was pulling both of their clothes off in a desperate attempt to get them naked as quickly as possible.  He got distracted once P’s shirt was yanked over his head, hands drifting to his middle where their baby had been doing a very good job of growing lately.  P was around five months now and it was very evident when he was naked like this.  He had to take care when he traveled outside of their suite, covering up to make sure no one realized what was going on with him–not that the average passerby would assume he was pregnant even if they noticed the weight he had gained recently.  He was a male, and people weren’t aware that he was a puppet, which made it doubly as impossible.  But with his long hair, he could easily pass as female if he needed to do so later in his pregnancy to walk the streets of Krat.

Their clothing pooled around them before Romeo sat back down on the couch, grinning up at P.  “Think you’re up for riding me?” he asked, lazily stroking his cock and spreading precum around it.

P nodded eagerly and climbed onto the couch, straddling Romeo’s lap and hovering just above it.  “You have to prep me though.”

This was absolutely fine with Romeo, who spent time lazily kissing P as his fingers scissored him apart from behind.  P did his best to remain still, but he had been hard for a while now.  His belly kept bumping up against Romeo’s chest, earning little gasps from the blond.  Why did his pregnancy seem to make this all the more exciting?

Once he was prepped with the precum from Romeo’s tip, they worked together to guide P down onto Romeo’s cock inch by inch, P’s fingernails digging into Romeo’s shoulders as he was seated.  They locked eyes and Romeo gave P that dazzling smile that never failed to make P fall in love with him all over again.

“You’re beautiful.” Romeo said, brushing a lock of P’s long, dark hair from his face.

P smiled shyly, a blush spreading across his face as he slowly lifted himself up only to drop back down, Romeo’s cock filling him up again, making him gasp.

“Easy.” Romeo whispered, his hands going to P’s hips.  “Take your time, love.”

P nodded.  He had done this before.  He knew how to do it.  He was just overeager today.

He started up a slow rhythm for himself to follow, getting the angle just right before he was practically bouncing on Romeo’s cock.  He felt Romeo’s fingers scrabbling at his back, making him moan even louder.  His cock bobbed between their bodies and one of Romeo’s hands finally found it, giving it strokes in time with his thrusts.

Their bodies knew each other so intricately, even from the first moment they had done this.  P knew it was because of Carlo’s memories, and he thanked him for it.  No matter what forms he and Romeo took, they would always seek each other out.  They would always fit together like this.

Romeo met P’s downward thrusts with upward ones of his own, their panting and moaning a symphony that echoed off the walls of the room.  Sweat glistened on their synthetic skin, making P’s hair stick to his face and back.  He knew he wouldn’t last long like this, he had needed it so badly.

“Go ahead.” Romeo whispered in his ear, nibbling playfully at the lobe.  “Cum for me, P.”

“A-Ah!”

Romeo showered P’s neck with kisses and bites, making his way to his lips and kissing him until the freckled puppet felt his head swim with dizziness.

P felt Romeo’s cock strike that bundle of nerves deep inside of him and his rhythm became more frantic, the springs of the couch singing along in the symphony.  He rocked and rocked and rocked until he was shaking apart in Romeo’s arms, slamming himself down one final time onto Romeo’s cock, feeling the blond puppet fill him up as they came together, P’s own spend splashing over their bellies.

P’s forehead fell onto Romeo’s shoulder, panting to catch his breath as the world around them came back into focus.  “Mmm….”

“Better?” Romeo chuckled, hands brushing P’s hair from his back.

“Y-Yeah.” P replied, his voice sounding a little hoarse.  Had he been louder than he thought?

“Sorry for not paying enough attention to you.” Romeo said, tracing lazy circles on P’s back where his sweat was drying.

P kissed his neck and remained where he was.  “It’s okay.  I-I’ve just been getting really…pent up lately.”

Romeo snorted out a laugh.  “That’s the hormones, my darling.”

P scrunched up his face.  “Well, I don’t like them.”

P felt Romeo twirl a lock of his hair around his fingers.  “You’ll have to hold on.  We’ve still got a long way to go yet.”

P let out a sigh, his eyes closing.  “But you’ll help me through it, right?  If…if this happens again?”

“Yes.” Romeo answered, brushing a kiss to P’s forehead.  “Just tell me what you need and I’ll drop everything I’m doing for you.  Books be damned.”

P laughed at that.

***

There were times when Romeo could forget all of his troubles as if they had never happened.  There were days when he woke up in a good mood, forgetting all of his past trauma and choosing to live in the now where he was happy with P and building a new family.  Today was one of those days because the Estella Opera House was finally reopened and he and P had tickets to see the first play to be performed there on opening night.

Romeo was so ridiculously excited that it had been all he talked about the week leading up to the event.  Their tickets were nothing spectacular, not even a balcony view, but that was alright.  Just being able to see a performance again would do Romeo some good.

He missed the days when he had been young and he had aspired to be an actor along with a Stalker.  He had performed in every play the Charity House had put on, always getting the lead.  Carlo had always supported him and cheered him on, smiling at him from the audience.  P was no different, encouraging him to go and see this performance, sticking by his side as they sat together among the crowd.

Romeo didn’t know any of these new actors, but it mattered not.  He was sure they would have the passion he expected from the theater.  He held onto P’s hand as they sat side by side, P dressed in the loosest clothing he could find, a giant coat covering his belly.  He didn’t get so much as a stare, however, since all of the guests’ attention was on the stage that night.

Romeo watched the performance with rapt attention, laughing and gasping at all the right parts.  He held onto P’s hand the entire time, nudging him when something amusing happened that earned little pearls of laughter from his partner.  It was so good to hear P laugh like this.

Everything was going so well.  That is, until the pyrotechnics.  Romeo knew they weren’t harmful.  He knew he wasn’t in danger of being burned.  He knew they were just there for show.  But the moment the fire caught his eye, he was drenched in a cold sweat, his lungs refusing to allow him to breathe the air he needed to function.

Heat licked at his limbs.  The side of his face was melting away.  Burning.  Burning.  It was all going up in bright, white flames.

He dropped P’s hand and bolted.  He thought he heard P call out to him, but he needed to get out.  He couldn’t breathe in here.  It was too hot.  He needed to get out into the cold.  He needed to put out the flames.

He threw open the balcony door and raced for the railing, almost as if he had planned on throwing himself over it.  He didn’t, of course, but he did grip it with enough force to bend the metal beneath his palms.  He gulped down air as if he hadn’t been able to in years, his vision swimming.

It was cold out here, but he was still burning, his body shaking.

“Romeo!”

Romeo hunched over the balcony, shivering despite the heat.  He could feel that metal body around him, encasing him.  He wasn’t able to move.  He was trapped and the fire was eating him alive.

“Romeo…”

Suddenly, there were arms around him.  Suddenly, just like back then, he saw P.  He was out of that shell of a body, the flames slowly beginning to ebb away.  P had come to rescue him again.  To set him free.

“Breathe with me.” he heard P say.

It was hard to find a position to shift themselves into.  But eventually, Romeo’s head was resting over P’s chest, listening to the sound of his lungs filling with air, his heart beating.  He copied the rhythm, his eyes closing as he slowly began to calm down.

“You’re not back there.” P said.  “There’s no fire.  You’re okay.”

There was no fire.  He was okay.

Romeo opened his eyes and slowly pulled out of P’s hold, his eyes wet with tears.  When had he even started crying?  “Thank you…”

P cupped his face in his hands, thumbs brushing his tears away.  He then leaned in until their lips met and Romeo was so thankful for the distraction.  The feeling of P’s lips against his own made him feel even more alive.  He wasn’t back in the Opera House all those months ago.  He wasn’t in the same puppet body that Geppetto had doomed him to, trapping him on a throne he did not ask for.  He was here, with P, and he was safe.

“O-Oh!”

P pulled away from the kiss, a strange expression crossing his face.  Shock and confusion, his brow knitted as a hand flew down to his belly.

“P?  What happened?!” 

Without a word, P snatched Romeo’s hand and pressed it to his belly.  Romeo was about to ask him what was wrong again when he felt movement beneath his hand.  A fluttering feeling.

A kick.

Their baby was kicking.  Their baby was moving.

“That’s the baby?” he asked, his own voice sounding so far away.

P just nodded, a wet laugh tearing its way from his lips.

“It’s so strong…” Romeo whispered, falling to his knees in front of P.  He nuzzled his face against his belly, knowing no one was around to witness the action.  “Were you worried about me, little one?  Is that why you’re moving about so much?”

As if to answer him, their baby delivered another swift kick to P’s belly, making the brunet gasp.  “Ow!”

Romeo chuckled, caressing P’s stomach in an attempt to calm their unruly child down.  “Hey, not so hard.  Your papa has it hard enough already.  Do you know how much his back aches from carrying you around?”

P groaned again and Romeo knew their child had just kicked him once more.  “You’re making it worse.  Damn, they kick just like you.”

Romeo snorted out a laugh and nuzzled his face against P’s belly one more time before rising to his feet.  He pulled P into another hug, tipping his head up by the chin to kiss him softly.  “Thank you.  Both of you.  I feel better now.”

***

By the time P was seven months along, there was no possible way he could hide his pregnancy from anyone who looked at him, no matter how roomy his clothes were.  His back and his feet ached constantly.  His cravings were out of control.  His hormones were driving him mad.  And he hated to admit it, but he could use a break from Romeo, who was constantly trailing after him like a lost, little puppy.

That was why Sophia had decided to take him into town that day.  She had said they would go and shop for things for the baby, which P knew they really needed to do anyway.

Sophia had helped him get dressed in a maternity gown, insisting he look the part so no one would ask questions.  She had even put some light make up on him to help him look more feminine, though P doubted he needed it.  Even before his pregnancy, he was constantly getting mistaken for a woman.  The long hair helped him blend in even more.

Romeo watched them leave, shocked by P’s appearance, a blush high on his cheeks, and P knew exactly what dirty thoughts his partner was thinking.

“Later.” P said, closing the door on Romeo and taking Sophia’s arm.

They made a list of the things the baby would need; a crib, a highchair, plenty of clothes, diapers, baby bottles, bibs, a changing table, and everything else they could possibly think of in the moment.  Of course, that didn’t stop them from buying every cute thing they saw on their shopping spree.

“How about this one?” Sophia asked, holding up a frilly little pink dress with matching ruffled socks.

P cocked his head, inspecting the garment.  “Isn’t it a bit…girly?”

Sophia just gave him a knowing smile and suddenly it dawned on P that she knew something he didn’t.

“You know the baby’s gender?”

“Yes.” Sophia admitted, hugging the dress to her chest.  “I’ve known for quite some time, I wanted to keep it a surprise as long as I could.  But now that we’re here, you should know what gender you’re shopping for.”

P’s hand fell to his belly, stroking over the bump as he smiled.  “I’m having a girl.”

“You are.” Sophia said, quickly putting the dress into the shopping cart they had been pushing around.  “And she’s going to be so spoiled.  I have a feeling Romeo wanted a girl.”

P felt like he was floating on clouds.  He hadn’t ever pictured what their child might look like, but now that he knew it was a girl, a picture began to take shape before his eyes.  She would have Romeo’s blond hair, maybe his blue eyes.  Freckles?  She would look cute with freckles.

P couldn’t exactly focus for the remainder of the day, too wrapped up in the fact that he was having a little girl to think of much else.  Sophia was more than happy to take charge, letting all of the shop owners know where to deliver their heavier purchases, like the crib and highchair.  The lighter items were bagged up and P helped Sophia carry them back to the hotel at the end of the day.

They had been out for hours and P was beginning to feel exhausted even though they had stopped to have lunch together.  He really couldn’t be up on his feet for very much any longer and he knew he would likely need Romeo to massage him later on.

Sophia helped him bring his bags to his suite, leaving them by the door in the living room for him and Romeo to sift through later.  P had a feeling she knew that he wanted to be alone with Romeo to tell him the news, so she was quick to excuse herself, saying she had left Gemini to his own devices for far too long.

“I missed you.” Romeo said, enveloping P in a hug.

P hugged him back while pressing kisses to his lips, staining them with his lipstick.  “I missed you too.  I have news.”

“Hm?” Romeo asked, tucking his face into P’s neck to nip at the skin there.  P knew he was one second away from ripping his clothes off.  “Can’t it wait?  I’ve been fantasizing about you in this dress all day.”

P shook his head and laughed softly.  Romeo could be so impatient at times.  

He dipped his hand into one of the pockets in his dress and produced the pink shoe he had slipped inside of it, pressing it into Romeo’s palm.

Romeo gave a confused look as he brought his hand up to his eyes and opened it, staring at the little pink shoe he held before P saw recognition take hold.  “A girl?  We’re having a girl?”

“We are.” P confirmed.

Silence enveloped them before Romeo threw his arms around P, lifting him off his feet and spinning him around as he attacked his face with kisses, making the freckled puppet howl with laughter.  “WE’RE HAVING A GIRL!  WE’RE HAVING A GIRL!”

P was spun around until Romeo finally realized that he might be getting dizzy, setting him back down on his feet to kiss him passionately.  He clung to his partner, returning the kiss with fervor, heat radiating from beneath his skin.  He knew where this was headed and it was only a matter of minutes before Romeo was carting him off to their bedroom and peeling his clothes off.

***

As the weeks rolled by, P was finding every day things were becoming more and more difficult.  He couldn’t dress himself without Romeo’s help, for one.  He stood no chance of reaching his toes at all.  When he slept, he had to be on his side or else his lungs felt so compressed that he would wake up wheezing.  Most nights, Romeo spooned up behind him, his hands resting on P’s belly.

The worst thing of all was how big P was getting.  He didn’t fit into any of his clothes anymore and he was quickly outgrowing even his maternity gowns.  He hated it and he felt very unattractive like this.  He looked like he had swallowed a watermelon.

But Romeo was relentless in his affections.  He made love to him every chance he got, telling P just how gorgeous he was, and P believed him, he just couldn’t see it himself sometimes.

That night, Romeo had been pressed up against him, rocking gently into him while they made love, and the rhythm could have eased P to sleep if he hadn’t been so turned on.  It was hard for Romeo to reach P’s cock under his belly, yet another thing P hated about being this pregnant, but they managed.  P thought he would sleep soundly after that, but he woke up to the strangest sensation in his chest.

He frowned, peeling his nightgown from his front where the feeling of it brushing against his nipples was causing him to hiss out in pain.  His chest felt very tender.  Maybe it would be better to sleep without a shirt on.

With some effort, P pushed himself to sit up in bed, groggily looking down at his chest as he prepared to remove the troublesome garment when he noticed something.

There were two, twin wet marks on his shirt right over where his nipples were.

Was he leaking something?  Was something wrong with him?

His heart started racing and he reached beside him, jostling Romeo by the shoulder.  “Romeo!  Romeo, wake up!”

Quick as a shot, Romeo bolted up in bed, his hair flying everywhere, his eyes wide with terror.  “What?  Is it the baby?  What’s wrong?”

“I’m not sure.” P answered, frowning down at his chest.  As puppets, they could see better in the dark than humans, but it was still difficult to make out what was happening.  “Can you turn a light on?”

Without a word of objection, Romeo clambered over P and out of bed.  He turned on the lamp beside the bed, looking P over before his eyes landed on his wet chest.  “Oh.”

“Oh?” P repeated, tilting his head.  “What’s wrong with me?  Why am I leaking?”

Romeo sat down on the bed at P’s side, unable to look away from his partner’s chest.  “It’s…it’s milk.”

“Milk?”

“For the baby.” Romeo clarified.  “Your body is getting ready to feed the baby since she’ll be born soon.”

P looked back down at his chest, frowning some more.  “The baby isn’t here yet though…How can I make it stop?”

Romeo looked thoughtful for a moment.  “I know some mothers are able to pump their breasts to get the milk out, but we don’t have what we need to do that.  I didn’t think your body would start producing milk.”

P hadn’t thought it would either.  Romeo hadn’t ever told him anything about this in all of the books he had read.

He sat up straighter and pulled his shirt up over his head, unable to bear the sensation of the fabric brushing against his sensitive nipples any longer.  He hissed when it was removed, puffing out another sigh.  “My chest feels so tight.  And my nipples hurt.”

Romeo didn’t reply and it took P a moment to realize that he was staring at him with a faraway look in his eyes.  “Romeo?”

“I…might be able to help.”

P brightened at that, sitting up straighter.  He would do anything to get rid of the pressure in his chest.  “How?”

Romeo’s cheeks began to flood with color, something P had come to understand meant he was rather embarrassed.  He couldn’t meet P’s eyes and when he spoke, it was almost in a mumbled whisper.  “I could…drink the milk from you.”

“Okay.” P answered quickly, not seeing anything wrong with Romeo’s idea.  The milk was meant to be consumed, after all.

“Really?” Romeo asked, looking hopeful.  P never understood why he got shy like this sometimes.  “You…won’t think it’s weird?”

“Why would I think it’s weird?”

“Because the milk is for the baby.  Not for me.” Romeo replied, shifting in his seat.  “I would only be doing it to get rid of the pressure and make you feel better.”

P furrowed his brow.  “It’ll come back, right?”

Romeo nodded.  “Your body will keep producing milk for a while, but it should stop feeling so painful once the baby is here to drink it.”

“Okay.” P said again, determined.  “Do it.”

Romeo looked like he had been given the green light to do whatever he wanted in his life for the rest of his days.  His face lit up in surprise and he crawled closer to P.  “Lie back for me.  Get comfortable on the pillows.”

P did as he was asked as soon as Romeo propped some pillows up behind him.  He watched as Romeo slotted himself up against his side, his eyes on P’s chest.  He didn’t touch him with his hands.  All he did was lower his head and gently lap at one of P’s nipples with his tongue.

“Ah!” P gasped, nearly jumping out of his skin at the sensation.

“Sorry.” Romeo quickly apologized.  “It’ll feel better in a moment.”

The next thing P knew, Romeo’s lips were wrapped around his nipple, his mouth open wide as if he was trying to devour him.  He was no stranger to the way Romeo played with his chest–he knew the blond puppet enjoyed both sucking at him and biting him.  P usually loved that kind of attention, but his whole body tensed when Romeo began suckling at him this time.

P squeezed his eyes shut, his toes curling as he drew in a breath.  Nothing was happening.  Romeo was sucking and that pressure was still there–

Until finally, P felt something shift in his chest.  He felt the milk begin to leak out of him at a more steady pace, and Romeo suckled a bit faster, opening his eyes to look up at P.

“It’s working.” P told him, threading a hand through Romeo’s hair.

It actually felt kind of good.  The pressure was slowly leaking out of him, leaving P feeling warm and more than a little turned on.  That had been something he wasn’t expecting.  Romeo was only doing this to help him feel better, after all.

But a quick glance at Romeo told P that his partner was also enjoying the moment.  Romeo’s hand had dipped under the waistband of his sleep pants and P knew he was touching himself.

They locked eyes and P’s mouth fell open, unable to contain the moan that slipped out of him.

It felt good.  God, it felt so good.

Romeo kept pumping himself while he suckled, until at last, P’s body had nothing else left to give.  At least on that side.  It took Romeo all of two seconds to hop to P’s other side and start the same treatment on his other nipple after settling down once more.

By this point, P was moaning as if Romeo was pounding into him, fucking him into the mattress.  They were barely even touching.  P couldn’t even get a hold of his own cock.  He was doing nothing but leaning back and watching Romeo suckle at his chest.

Romeo’s eyes were clouded over with lust, his pupils blown wide, those beautifully long lashes fanned over his cheeks when he closed his eyes.  His lips were stretched wide around P’s breast, shining with the liquid that P assumed was his milk.  They looked impossibly kissable.

Suddenly, P wanted to know what it tasted like.  Luckily, Romeo was finished drinking from him a second later, and P got his chance to pull Romeo in for a kiss, licking his way into his mouth to taste the remnants of the milk that was left there.

It didn’t taste very good.  Nothing like P thought it would.  But that didn’t matter.  They were both feeling the fire in their veins now and P knew where it would lead.

“I need you.” Romeo moaned against his lips, cupping P’s face in his hands.

“Mm!” P whimpered.  He was willing to do whatever Romeo wanted, but he hoped Romeo would want to be rough with him tonight.

“Can I…d-do you think you could handle…me taking you from behind?”

“Yes.” P groaned out, the very idea sending shockwaves throughout his entire body.

Romeo pulled away from him then and quickly started piling all of the pillows from the bed into a makeshift nest.  “You can lean on these.  Just don’t fall.”

P rolled his eyes and crawled over to the mound of pillows.  “I won’t.  I’m not weak, you know.”

“No, but you’re pregnant and I’m just being careful.” Romeo said, dropping a kiss to P’s freckled shoulder once he was in position.  He helped him slip out of his underwear and climbed off the bed again, shedding his own clothes and grabbing their bottle of lubricant from the drawer at the bedside.

P was impatient as always as he was prepared, thrusting back against Romeo’s fingers as he begged for the main event.  He had been stretched earlier that night.  He couldn’t have gotten that tight that quickly.  He would be fine.  He just needed Romeo inside of him now .

At long last, Romeo pulled his fingers out and P heard the sounds of him slicking up his own cock.  He looked over his shoulder as Romeo lined himself up, pushing in inch by inch.

But P’s patience had reached its limit.  He snapped his hips backward, pushing Romeo in so far and so quickly that it caused both of them to groan out loud.

“Fuck!” Romeo cried, and P could feel his body trembling against him.  “S-Stop being overeager.”

“Can’t help it.” P whined, clenching the sheets beneath him and grinning at Romeo over his shoulder.  “Now fuck me already.”

He heard Romeo curse again as his hips pitched forward.  Hands were on P’s hips, helping guide him backward when Romeo thrust forward.  The sound of skin slapping against skin filled the room and soon they were clashing against one another like animals.

P had to go down on his forearms because of the force of Romeo’s thrusts, but he insisted the blond shouldn’t slow down.  In fact, he very nearly threatened to cut off Romeo’s manhood if he so much as tried.  That was the hormones again.  When P needed sex, he needed sex.

P’s belly brushed against the pillows beneath him and they cradled him comfortingly, promising to take the pressure off and help support him.  In that moment, he forgot about their daughter inside of him.  She shouldn’t have to know the things her parents got up to in bed anyway.  Right now, it was just P and Romeo.

P felt Romeo thrust so far into him that he could practically taste him in the back of his mouth.  Every inch of him was filled up and it had been so long since they had been able to have sex like this.  Romeo always insisted on being so careful and P had gotten too big to really be in any other positions as of late.

But right now, this was perfect.  This was what they both needed to blow off some steam and to quell the anxiety they were feeling about becoming parents in just a few, short weeks.

Romeo’s cock struck P’s prostate, making the freckled puppet howl in ecstasy.  He couldn’t hold on, no matter how much he wanted to, and it was only a matter of seconds before he was spilling onto the pillows beneath him.

Romeo followed suit with a cry of P’s name, hips becoming frantic before falling deadly still, pressed flush against P’s ass.

P hung his head between his shoulders, his whole body quivering.  He felt Romeo pull out and help ease him back onto his side in a clean spot on the bed.  They were lucky to have so many pillows, because Romeo just chucked the ones that were dirty onto the floor to deal with later.  He piled more pillows under P’s head and dropped another kiss to his shoulder before P felt him slip from bed, probably to get a washcloth to clean them both with.

P’s face went lax as he was cleaned and covered again, Romeo’s body curled protectively around him, holding him close as they both slipped back into a peaceful sleep, the pressure in P’s chest relieved for now.

***

It had become routine for P to wake up at ungodly hours of the night to make a trip to the bathroom to relieve himself.  Ever since their daughter became large enough to kick at his bladder and lean up against it like her own, personal pillow, P’s sleep schedule had gone to hell.  He did his best not to wake Romeo, something that had become basically impossible these days since the blond had run himself ragged with worry when he wasn’t hurriedly trying to put together their daughter’s nursery.  P wished that Romeo could calm down, but he knew just how he felt.  P just had an extra layer of stress because he so desperately wanted his baby to be born so that he didn’t have to deal with the woes of pregnancy anymore.

He yawned as he pushed himself up with great effort, the morning sun already pouring in through their bedroom windows.  P took a moment to rock himself to his feet and find his center of gravity, keeping one hand on the small of his back as he waddled to the bathroom.  

He relieved himself, his brain still foggy with sleep, and he decided he was going to try for a few extra hours before Romeo woke up.  Turning the sink on, he washed his hands, drying them with a towel and blinking sleepily at his reflection in the mirror.  His face was rounder than it had been before he had gotten pregnant, the weight he had gained catching up to him.  There were dark circles under his eyes, which were still clouded over.  His hair fell halfway down his back now, but he had no intention of cutting it any time soon.

Overall, he thought he looked pretty healthy for someone who hadn’t been sleeping that well for about three weeks.

He let out another yawn and turned back to the bedroom, taking two steps before a strange feeling took over him.  There was a release of pressure and a gush, and then the insides of his thighs felt wet.  

P let out a gasp, staring down at himself, but he couldn’t see anything beneath his belly.  The floor around his feet felt wet and for a moment he thought that maybe he had urinated on himself, but that didn’t make much sense since he had just relieved himself.  Besides, this was far too much to be urine.

Then it dawned on him.  His face paled and his heart raced.  His knees felt weak and he didn’t know if he should attempt walking.

“R-Romeo!” he called out, waiting all of three seconds before trying again when he didn’t hear any movement from the bedroom.  “Romeo!!”

The sounds of Romeo tumbling out of bed and his heavy footfalls gave P some sense of relief.  But the wild look in Romeo’s eyes as he entered the bathroom brought P’s panic right back to the forefront of his mind.

“Your water broke.”

P nodded, his breathing starting to become shaky.  He reached out a hand for Romeo, who took it and guided him away from the puddle on the floor.

“Okay.” he heard Romeo say, though he sounded far away.  “Okay.  Let’s get you out of these wet clothes and…a-and dried off.  Then I’ll go and get Sophia.”

P hadn’t really heard anything Romeo had said.  All he could hear was the pounding of his own heart in his ears.

He was in labor.  Their daughter was coming.

He vaguely registered Romeo stripping him of his nightgown and a towel being used to dry his thighs off.  Then, somehow, he was lying back in bed again, a sheet draped over his lower half and pillows stuffed behind his back helping to prop him up.

He reached out for Romeo when the blond made to step away from the bed.  “D-Don’t go.”

Romeo looked about ready to cry at the panic in his partner’s voice.  “I have to get Sophia.  We can’t do this alone.”

They had no doctors.  They couldn’t risk the chance of hiring someone only for them to turn on them or exploit them for personal gain.  No one really had a clue who P was, but the moment Krat found out about a pregnant, male puppet, Romeo was sure that they would get the alchemists involved.  They would perform experiments.  They would use both P and their daughter.

Not even midwife puppets could be trusted right now.  They couldn’t lie, so they would tell the truth about a male patient to the rest of Krat, not knowing they were putting P and his daughter in danger.

That left them with very few options.  So Romeo and Sophia had read up on childbirth as much as they could.  They would take turns helping to deliver the baby if they needed to, one comforting P while the other worked on getting the little girl out.

“P,” Romeo’s voice filtered back into P’s ears.  “You have to let me go.”

P realized he had a death grip on the blond puppet’s arm.  He was squeezing it so tightly that Romeo’s springs were creaking beneath his legion arm.

He quickly released him, eyes snapping forward to look down at his belly.

“I won’t be long.” Romeo said, and with that he was off.

Even if Romeo had been long, P wouldn’t have been aware of it.  He sat in bed, trying to control his breathing and the beating of his own heart.  His hands rubbed circles into his belly, licking his lips nervously.  “Hang on, little one.” he whispered to his daughter.  “Just wait until your dad gets back in here with your aunt Sophia.  Then you can come out.”

Then I can hold you for the first time.

That’s right.  It would all be worth it once his daughter was in his arms.

Surprisingly, P did hear the door open again, and he watched Romeo come back in, Gemini’s lamp swinging at his side.  But Sophia wasn’t with him.  “What–”

“Sophia is at a conference across town.” Romeo answered with controlled anger.  He set Gemini down on the bedside table next to P.  “Gemini contacted her, but…”

P looked at Gemini, feeling his heart crawling into his throat.

“There’s a snow storm.” Gemini answered.  “The carriages can’t travel through the roads.  We have to wait for the snow to stop falling and the roads to be cleared.”

Cold fear seized P, squeezing his heart further up his throat until he felt like he might throw up.  In fact, he gagged, and Romeo was quick to react, grabbing the waste bin from the other side of the room and rushing to shove it under P’s face before he could vomit on himself.  P hugged the waste bin as he emptied last night’s dinner into it, choking as he drew breath in.

“We’ll have to manage without her until the snow stops.” Romeo said, rubbing circles into P’s back.  P knew he was being brave for his sake.  For all their sakes.

P wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.  “Okay.”  If Romeo was being brave, then he could be too.

“You’ve got this, pal!” Gemini chirped beside him, making P smile softly.  “You’ve faced way scarier things than this!  This’ll be a piece of cake!”

Gemini was right.  P had come up against literal gods and taken them down.  He had saved all of Krat.  He had come too far to give up now.

Putting on a brave face, he nodded and locked eyes with Romeo.  “I’m ready to meet our daughter.”

Romeo gave him that smile that made his heart squeeze pleasantly in his chest.  “Me too.”

***

For a long time, nothing happened.  The pain that P expected had not happened.  In fact, he had even been able to get some sleep as Gemini kept watch on the weather outside.  Krat had been blanketed in a thick layer of snow that was piled halfway up the windows of his and Romeo’s room, causing the two puppets to cuddle together while they waited for any progress on P’s labor to be made.

It was two hours after his water broke that he finally felt the first pains of labor.  A tightening in his lower back until his whole belly seized and he curled in on himself, hissing through his teeth as his sleep was broken.

Romeo woke up and held his hand, helping him ride out the pain, but it ended as quickly as it had started.  Nothing more came of it until several hours later.

P was thankful he had been able to get more sleep because he knew he would need it.  The second contraction was more painful and he sat himself up with Romeo’s help, doubling over and groaning.  Gemini chirped in distress next to him, which wasn’t really helping at all.

“Okay?” Romeo asked, pushing P’s hair out of his face.  “Need some ice chips?”

P shook his head at the offering, the edges of his vision clearing until he could see clearly again.  “I-I’m okay.”

“No, you’re not.” Romeo countered.  “You’re in pain.”

“It’ll be worth it in the end.” P said, leaning in as Romeo looped his arms around him.

“Yeah.” Romeo agreed.  “It will.”

Silence fell over them again and the hours crept by until the sun was high in the sky, though it couldn’t be seen through the huge snowflakes that fell outside.  P’s contractions were finally coming closer together, but it wasn’t something he was too happy about.  He had become restless just lying in bed and waiting for the next one to hit, so Romeo held his hand and walked him around the room.

“A-Ah!” P cried out, gripping onto the chair by their desk and going down into a crouch.

By this point, Romeo knew to allow him to get into any position he needed to help him get through each contraction.  He knelt with him, his hand hovering over P’s back, afraid to touch.  “Breathe.”

P listened, feeling almost like he had slipped into a repetitive trance at this point.  The contraction would hit, and he would breathe through the pain until it subsided, then he would wait for the next one.

His knuckle turned white where it was gripping the chair, his legion arm having been removed as to not cause damage to anything in the room or to himself.  He blew out a breath and opened his eyes, feeling almost dizzy.

“Wanna lie down again?” Romeo asked, practically glued to P’s side since this whole thing started.

P shook his head.  “No.  I need to walk some more.”

And walk they did.  They walked until P felt like they would wear holes in the floorboards.  They walked until, at last, P’s contractions were coming too quickly for his body to be able to hold itself up any longer.

Romeo ushered him back to bed, helping him get in position so he could start pushing when he needed to.  The blond ducked between his legs, checking him over to see how dilated he had become.

They had been shocked to find that P’s body had created a temporary birth canal for the baby earlier that week.  His body truly was changing in ways that shouldn’t have been possible in order to prepare for his daughter’s birth.  It was a good thing though, since it meant they wouldn’t have to resort to cutting him open to get the baby out.  Neither Romeo nor Sophia would have felt confident enough to do that themselves.  They weren’t surgeons.

“You’re almost there.” Romeo announced.

P gave a frustrated groan.  “I want to start pushing.”

“You can’t.” Romeo told him, sympathetically rubbing his knee as he came back to lie down beside him in bed.  “I know you’re tired.  I know you want to meet her.  But you have to take it slow.  Listen to your body.  You’ll know when it’s time.”

P draped his arm over his eyes, shielding himself so he could cry quietly for a little while.  He didn’t stop until Gemini piped up again.

“The streets have been cleared!  Sophia is on her way!”

That set a fire in P.  His determination had come back tenfold.  He could hold on until Sophia got here.  Sophia always helped to comfort him and she would know what to do.  Then Romeo could sit beside him and hold his hand while he pushed their daughter out of his body.

But his daughter had other plans.  She had suddenly become very eager and P’s entire body clenched painfully as the next contraction hit.  P cried out, tears streaming down his cheeks as he gripped the sheet hard enough to tear it in his flesh hand.  Romeo was back between his legs, saying something, but P couldn’t hear him over the sound of his own screams.

“Push!” P finally heard.  “P, push when you can!”

Okay.  Okay, he could do that.

He took a deep breath and bore down as the next contraction racked his body, pushing as hard as he could, until Romeo shouted at him to stop.

P collapsed back against the pillows behind him, sweat covering every inch of his body, his hair plastered to his back.  It hurt so much.  He felt so tired.  So drained.  And it wasn’t nearly over yet.

But he barely had time to rest before the next contraction seized him and he bravely bore down again, feeling like his teeth might break from how hard he was clenching his jaw.

The bedroom door burst open and Sophia came rushing in.  She was throwing off her coat and gloves as she crossed the room, letting everything fall where it landed, snow melting into the floor to be dealt with later.  “Romeo, go be with P.  I’ve got this now.”

P didn’t even register that Romeo had moved before he was being guided back against his partner’s chest, feeling Romeo’s comforting warmth behind him.  Romeo’s hand was slipped into his own and P smiled weakly, turning his head to look back at him.  “R-Romeo…”

“Yeah.” Romeo whispered, sweeping P’s hair from his back and bundling it up to tie into a ponytail to throw over his shoulder.  “I’ve got you.  Now, let’s bring our daughter into the world, okay?”

P chuckled softly at that and nodded, gripping Romeo’s hand at the next contraction, hearing Sophia giving the signal that he should push now.

The next push was easier than the others and it might have been because Romeo was right there with him.  He had someone to hold onto, someone who melded right up against him, cradling his body perfectly.  He wasn’t alone.  He was right where he belonged; in Romeo’s arms.

When Sophia announced that the baby was crowning, P nearly started crying again.  But he didn’t have time for that.  He was determined to get her out as quickly as he could because that’s what she was demanding.  She hardly gave him a minute in between contractions to rest.

Sophia guided the baby’s body out as P pushed with each contraction, announcing every step of the way until she confirmed it would just take one more, big push.

“You can do it, pal!” Gemini cheered, making P feel like they were right back in the heat of it, saving Krat together.

“You’re doing great, P.” Romeo whispered into his ear, kissing his cheek and lightly squeezing his hand.  P squeezed back.  “One more push and then she’ll be here.”

P gathered himself, waiting anxiously for the final contraction, and the moment it hit, he bore down with all of the strength he had left.  He felt pressure again as something slipped from his body and he knew their daughter was in Sophia’s arms.  

Finally.  Finally, it was over.

He took gulping breaths, trying to gather his strength and prepare for the moment his daughter would be placed in his arms.  

And then a loud cry tore its way through the room.  Tears sprang to P’s eyes and by the way Romeo’s chest was heaving behind him, P could tell the blond puppet had started crying too.

Sophia approached with a bundle in her arms, having cleaned the baby up before she gently deposited her in P’s waiting arm.  “Here she is.”

P could barely see her through his own tears, but she was beautiful, and Romeo said as much, his voice wavering.  She didn’t look like much yet, her face scrunched up as she wailed her displeasure about being expelled from the place she had called her home for the past nine months.  But she was beautiful to him.  Absolutely beautiful and perfect.  “H-Hi, little one.  You’re finally with us.”

Romeo reached out and very gently held out a finger, watching as their daughter quieted and wrapped her entire little hand around it.  Five, small, wrinkled fingers.  “She’s gorgeous, P.”

The baby opened her eyes, gazing up at the owners of the familiar voices she had heard for so long now.  Two, large, greyish-blue gems shined up at P and Romeo.

“She has your eyes.” P said, as Romeo moved his finger to ghost over their daughter’s round cheek.

Her features were delicate, much like P’s own.  She had his nose and his lips–hers resembling a rosebud at the moment.  Her hair was a wisp of light strands and P hoped they didn’t darken with age.

She looked up at them, appearing to study them for a moment.

“I wanna see!” Gemini cried from beside them.  “Sophia, bring me closer.  She’s my niece too, you know!”

“Give them some privacy, Gemini.” Sophia chided, scooping up the Monad Lamp in her now clean hands.  “You can meet her after she’s had time to get acquainted with her parents, and after her first feeding.”

That was right, she was likely hungry.  She had been through so much in just a few hours.

P waited for Sophia and Gemini to exit the room before asking for Romeo’s help to guide their daughter to his chest to be fed.  She latched on eagerly, her little hand curled into a fist where it rested against P’s chest as she drank.

P couldn’t explain the feeling that came over him.  His daughter was here, in his arms, and while it was strange not having her growing inside of him anymore, he couldn’t wait to watch her grow out here in the world with him.

Romeo hooked his chin over P’s shoulder, watching the little baby girl gulp down milk.  “She’s got your appetite too.”

“I wasn’t the only one who put on weight during this pregnancy.” P teased, nuzzling Romeo’s cheek with his nose.

Romeo laughed goodnaturedly, snorting through his nose, which made their daughter crack an eye open at them.  “I guess we’ll have to get back to training as soon as we can, huh?”

“We might not have much time for that now.” P said, watching the baby push his chest away and scrunch up her face again.  “She’s our priority now.”

Romeo helped him to raise their daughter over his other shoulder, patting her back until she was properly burped, making them both laugh quietly.

“She’s more than worth it.” Romeo concluded, finally getting out from behind P to slip from the bed.  He had some cleaning up to do and he wanted to reattach P’s arm so he could properly hold their daughter without worrying about dropping her.

P was escorted from the bed and guided to the rocking chair they had set up, easing his body down into it while Romeo changed the sheets to freshen things up.  They had really made a mess, but it was all over with now.  P could finally sleep, but he found that he didn’t really want to.

He hadn’t even realized that Romeo was standing beside him until the baby was gently being taken from his arms.  She had fallen asleep without P noticing.  “Time for everyone to get some rest.”

P pouted up at Romeo, but he knew he was right.  If he pushed himself much harder then he would wind up passing out.

He managed to make it to the bed and Romeo plastered himself to his side as he set their daughter who was now wearing a diaper back down on P’s chest where she comfortably remained, silently sleeping.

Romeo brushed P’s hair from his forehead and dusted a kiss there.  “I love you both so much.”

P smiled sleepily at him.  “We love you too.  Isadora and I both.”

***

Krat was changing.  It was rebuilding and learning to flourish again.  At the same time, P and Romeo were learning how to be the parents of a rambunctious, baby girl.

Isadora wasn’t a very good sleeper in the beginning and she often got fussy whenever she was set down in her bassinet.  She insisted on being rocked to sleep first, preferring the rocking chair to assist her.  P was usually the one to do this, then he would pass her off to Romeo who was in charge of easing her into her bassinet for the night.

Their schedules revolved around her.  They slept when she slept, they were awake when she was awake, but it became routine.

P and Romeo didn’t have very much time alone together, aside from the times when Sophia insisted that she and Gemini needed some time to spoil Isadora (as if she needed more of that).  Venigni and Eugenie also stopped by as often as they could to meet her, though she cried every time Venigni held her because he wouldn’t stop talking.  P also thought she didn’t like the feeling of his mustache when he attacked her face with kisses.

Gemini had gotten into the habit of telling Isadora bedtime stories.  She liked the sound of his voice and P wondered if it was a trait passed down from him, or if she simply remembered it from her time in the womb.  It might have been that her ergo could have become tied to Gemini’s in the same way P’s had.  Either way, she loved her cricket uncle to pieces, and by the time she was ready to crawl, he was the first one she made a beeline to, much to Romeo’s dismay.

Once she was on the go, Isadora got into all sorts of trouble.  She moved with a speed that could rival Romeo’s own.  She was always trying to push herself to stand when she wasn’t ready, bumping her noggin on more than a few pieces of furniture.  But P and Romeo learned how to babyproof their suite so that she was safe and no major injuries were had.

Isadora had seen P as her mother figure from the very beginning, knowing that she had grown inside of him.  She saw Romeo as her father, preferring to roughhouse with him, choosing to play with him much more than she did with P.  P was a soothing figure to her, one she turned to when she was feeling sad or confused.  He was also her teacher, being patient with her and letting her know everything he had learned about the world and the city of Krat since his awakening.

It did dwell on P that Isadora had no grandparents.  He purposely hid pictures of Geppetto, preferring not to tell his daughter about her grandfather until she was older.  She wouldn’t understand now.  She was too young.

However, Isadora grew up on stories of Lea, which Romeo told her almost every single night.  She also adored the way Romeo sang to her, sweeping her about her bedroom in a sort of ballroom dance, her laughter like bells that rang around their suite.  Her dada was silly.

Sometimes, P worried that they weren’t good parents.  In those times, he would turn to Sophia, who told him that despite the fact that he hadn’t had much guidance from a parent of his own, it was the love he had for his daughter that truly mattered.  As long as he loved her and he did what he thought was right, Isadora would grow up to be happy.  Sophia always knew what to say.

“Dora, do you want to smile for me?” P asked, peeking at his daughter from behind the easel he was painting at.  P had discovered he had a talent for drawing and painting when Romeo had told him that Carlo was quite skilled in that department.  It didn’t surprise him much since he knew Geppetto also had possessed that talent, as was evident by his puppet schematics.  P was currently working on a painting of Isadora for her third birthday, but his daughter was proving stubborn as always.

“No!” Isadora pouted, her lips downturned and her eyes big and pleading.  “I wanna go play with dada!”

Romeo was lying on the floor right in front of where Isadora was perched on a fluffy pillow, occasionally playing with her little feet and making her giggle.

“Dada is right there.  Being unhelpful, as always.”

“Hey!  I’m helping!” Romeo piped up, making one of Isadora’s little shoes knock into the other.

Isadora squealed in delight at the sound.  P gave Romeo a look.

“Right.” Romeo said, sitting up and tapping his daughter on her little, button nose.  “Dora, stay still for a few more minutes until your papa finishes his painting.  You know he wants one that looks like the one he had done of him when he was little.  It’s important to him.”

To Isadora, Carlo and P were indistinguishable.  She didn’t notice that their eyes were different colors.  She didn’t notice that P’s hair was slightly darker.  She didn’t know that P and Romeo weren’t entirely human.  She didn’t know that she was part puppet either.  All she knew was that her papa loved that painting and it was very dear to him.  So she sat up a little straighter but still didn’t smile in the slightest.

Good.  It would make her look even more like Carlo, and P knew Romeo was thinking the same thing as he came to stand beside P as he painted.

“She looks so much like him.” P whispered, knowing Isadora couldn’t hear them from over here.

“So do you.” Romeo replied, leaning in to brush a kiss to P’s cheek.  “You two carry on his spirit.”

P knew what that meant to Romeo.  He knew he missed Carlo.  He knew that feeling would never go away, but he also knew that Romeo loved him.  Romeo had built a new life with him and he couldn’t be happier.

In the end, the wish that P had made upon that star all those nights ago had come true in the most unexpected of ways, and none of them would have had it any other way.