Chapter 4: The Swelling
The first thing Becca registered was that someone was breathing warm and slow against her shoulder. The second thing was that the world had not ended while she was asleep, which felt like a small miracle given everything that had happened.
She blinked in the grey predawn light filtering through the apartment's single window. The Atheneum ran on artificial cycles, a pale imitation of sunrises and sunsets that still managed to feel real if you didn't think about it too hard. Chloe lay curled against her, one arm draped across Becca's stomach, her face slack with sleep. Softer than Becca had ever seen her, the nervous edges smoothed away, blonde hair splayed across the pillow like spilled honey.
Becca watched her for a long moment. She did not think about the eggs inside her, the fourteen tiny weights that shifted when she moved, the creature coiled somewhere deep in her abdomen. She did not think about the forty-two women who had failed, or the three volunteers waiting for Wednesday, or Dr. Vance's tired calculating eyes. She thought about the way Chloe's eyelashes left shadows on her cheeks, and how strange it was to feel this much for a person she had known for less than two weeks.
She kissed her, soft and unhurried, the way you wake someone you love when there is nowhere else you need to be.
Chloe stirred against her. Made a small protesting sound. Then her eyes opened, pale and unfocused, and she smiled before she remembered where she was.
"Morning," she murmured. Her voice was rough with sleep. "Did anyone take over the world while we were out?"
"Still pending." Becca's hand found Chloe's and squeezed. "Coffee? I think the machine in the hallway still works."
Chloe sat up, hands pressing against the mattress to push herself upright. And stopped halfway, eyes going wide.
Becca's own gaze traveled down, following the line of Chloe's arm, and her breath caught.
Chloe's belly was swollen.
It had been much smaller last night. A small bulge, given what was inside her; the creature had nestled close to her spine, keeping her silhouette unbothered. But now the curve had bloomed overnight, a round mound under the rumpled t-shirt Chloe wore, pressing against the fabric. It was not quite as large as Becca's, but close. Close enough that no one could call it incidental.
Chloe made a sound, a thin gasp, and her hands flew to the weight. She pressed her palms against it, fingers splayed, and Becca watched her search for the shape of it beneath her skin. Her knuckles went white.
"What," Chloe said. Not a question. A statement of pure unfiltered alarm.
Becca was already moving, shuffling across the mattress on her knees. She reached Chloe and wrapped her arms around her, pulling the thin frame against her own broader body. Chloe was trembling, fine shivers running through her shoulders. The new weight was warm against Becca's belly, two crescents touching, and beneath her own skin the creature pulsed, a slow wave that seemed to reach toward its kin.
"Hey," Becca said, low and steady. "Hey, it's okay. It's okay."
"It wasn't like this yesterday." Chloe's voice cracked. "It's never. I mean, it was only. It was so small."
"I know. I know. Mine just, it did the same thing. All at once." Becca stroked Chloe's back, slow circles. "The ultrasound showed fourteen. Yours is probably, I don't know. It's probably part of the same thing. They're in contact with each other, and mine accelerated, so maybe yours."
Chloe's fingers curled against her belly. "It's so heavy. How did it get so heavy overnight?"
"Because they're assholes?" Becca tried for a wry smile, and caught it when Chloe let out a wet, trembling laugh. "Or because they don't do anything on our schedule. I'm guessing."
She kept her arms around Chloe as the tremors slowly eased. The creature inside her pulsed again, and she felt Chloe flinch in response, her own creature answering. Becca pressed her palm flat against Chloe's belly, feeling the firm swell of it. The skin was warm, stretched tight, and beneath it something shifted, a subtle roll that made Chloe gasp.
"Did you feel that?" Chloe whispered.
"Yeah." Becca's hand stayed where it was. "That's it saying hi, I think."
Chloe looked down at herself, at the weight her hands kept returning to, and the fear in her eyes began to soften. Wonder crept in around the edges. She turned her palms over the curve of her belly, mapping it.
"I'm really doing this," she said. "I kept thinking it was a dream. That I would wake up in my apartment and nothing had happened. But this is real, isn't it?"
"Very real," Becca agreed. "And I can't even pretend to know what we're in for, but we're in it together."
Chloe leaned into her, forehead against Becca's shoulder. Her new belly pressed warm between them. "Your creature told mine to do this," she murmured. "Didn't it?"
"I wouldn't be surprised. They don't seem to like being apart."
"Do you think they can feel what we feel? When we're together?" Chloe's voice had gone quiet, almost vulnerable.
Becca considered the phantom warmth she had felt since the night before, the pull toward Chloe that had nothing to do with her own heart and everything to do with the thing growing in her womb. "I think they want each other," she said. "And I think we're convenient transport."
Chloe laughed, a broken sound. "That's romantic."
"Honey, nothing about this has been romantic. But the company's good."
They sat together in the grey morning light, Chloe's trembling finally easing to stillness. She kept her hand on her belly, a protective gesture she had not made before, and Becca watched the fear on her face settle into something more like acceptance. The curve was there to stay. The weight was real.
"So," Chloe said eventually. "I guess I'm going to need to borrow some of your clothes."
Chloe made a soft sound against Becca's shoulder, something caught between a laugh and a sob. Then she pulled back, swiping at her eyes with the back of her hand, looking down at the swell of her belly with a new kind of wonder.
"Yeah," she said. "I think I'm going to need a whole new wardrobe. Your hoodies are going to look weird on me. I'm too tall."
"You'll look adorable. Like a scarecrow in a bag." Becca grinned, and Chloe elbowed her, but it was weak, playful. A good sign.
They dressed in the grey morning light, Chloe borrowing one of Becca's few shirts that actually fit her new proportions, a soft grey tee that stretched tight over the curve of her belly. She kept touching it, hesitant fingers splayed over the fabric, like she was checking it was still there. Becca watched her from the edge of the bed, pulling on her own clothes, the familiar weight of her own belly settling low and heavy.
"Ready?" Becca asked.
Chloe took a breath. Nodded. "I think we should see Vance. I need to know what's happening. How many, I mean. If it's going to keep growing."
Becca crossed the room and took her hand. "Let's go find out."
The hallways of the Atheneum were quiet at this hour, the fluorescent lights humming overhead. They passed a few early risers, women in grey sweatpants and loose shirts, none of them showing, none of them pregnant, and Chloe's hand tightened around Becca's. Becca squeezed back, offering what she could through the contact.
Lab One was at the end of a long corridor. Dr. Vance was already there when they arrived, hunched over a datapad, his grey hair disheveled. He looked up as they entered, and his eyes went immediately to Chloe's middle, widening slightly behind his glasses.
"Ms. Harrison," he said. "You accelerated."
Chloe's hand went to her belly. "I noticed."
Vance set down his datapad and crossed to her, gesturing to the exam table. "Please, lie down. We need to assess the egg count and the creature's position. Remove your shirt first, I need clear access."
Becca saw Chloe's jaw tighten, her knuckles white at her sides. She stepped closer, her hand finding the small of Chloe's back.
"Hey," she murmured. "I'll be right here. It's just an ultrasound. Same as mine."
Chloe nodded, once, sharp. Her fingers went to the hem of the borrowed tee, and she pulled it over her head. The swell of her belly was stark against her thin frame, pale skin stretched tight over the curve of it, a round prominence that looked almost startling on someone so slender. She sat on the edge of the exam table, then leaned back, her hands gripping the edges, her ribs visible beneath the heavy mound of her stomach.
Vance moved efficiently, warming gel before applying it to her skin. Chloe flinched at the cold, her breath hitching. Becca moved to stand at her head, taking one of her hands.
"I'm here," she said. "Breathe. Like we practiced. In, and out."
Chloe's eyes squeezed shut. Her breath came in a slow, shaky rhythm. Vance guided the transducer along the curve of her belly, the screen beside him flickering to life with shades of grey and black and static.
Becca watched over Vance's shoulder. The image was familiar now, from her own scan. The dark shapes of the eggs, neat rows of them, nestled against the creature's body. But there was more of it this time. More development. The creature was larger, more defined, its arms curled inward in a protective spiral.
"Eleven," Vance said, his voice clinical but not cold. There was a note of something almost like satisfaction in it. "Eleven eggs. The creature has established a strong bond. Excellent placement, near the uterine wall. This is a very successful gestation."
Eleven. Three fewer than Becca. Chloe opened her eyes, looking at the screen, at the dark shapes that she could barely parse, and her lips parted.
"Eleven," she repeated. "That's, that's a lot."
"It's a very good number," Vance said. He withdrew the transducer and set it aside, wiping the gel from Chloe's belly with a soft cloth. "The creature has chosen you, Ms. Harrison. It is thriving. Congratulations are in order."
Chloe's laugh was a breath of air, strained. "Thank you." She said it like a question, like she wasn't sure she meant it.
Becca squeezed her hand. "Do you need her for anything else, Dr. Vance?"
"No. The scan is complete. You're both cleared for the caf." He pulled the cloth away, leaving Chloe's belly damp and shining. "I'll see you on Wednesday for the trial preparations."
Becca helped Chloe sit up, grabbing the borrowed tee and easing it back over her head. Chloe winced as the fabric settled over her stomach, the material clinging to the damp gel.
"Easy," Becca murmured.
"It's fine. I'm fine." But Chloe's voice was thready. She slid off the table, her hand going to her belly out of habit, and they walked together out of Lab One, the door hissing closed behind them.
The cafeteria was sparse at this hour, a scattered handful of women hunched over trays of grayish oatmeal and overcooked eggs. Becca guided Chloe to a table near the far wall, away from the others, and fetched them both trays of food. She set one down in front of Chloe, and Chloe stared at it without touching it.
"Not hungry," she said.
"Eat anyway. I promise the eggs are better than they look. Marginally." Becca poked at her own scrambled eggs with a plastic fork.
Chloe picked up a piece of toast and tore at it, not eating, just shredding it into a small pile of crumbs. Her gaze was fixed on the table.
"Eleven," she said. "I keep saying it in my head. Like it'll make more sense if I say it enough times."
Becca set down her fork. "You know what it means though, right?"
Chloe looked up, her eyes red-rimmed. "It means we're going to be moms. To aliens. A lot of them."
"It means our alien babies get to grow up together." Becca smiled, soft and crooked. “Eleven of yours and fourteen mine together. They'll have their own little alien playgroup. We can knit them matching sweaters."
Chloe blinked. Then a laugh escaped her, genuine and surprised, bursting out of her like a sob turned inside out. She covered her mouth with her hand, eyes crinkling.
"Sweaters," she repeated. "We're going to knit sweaters for alien babies."
"I'm not great at knitting," Becca admitted. "But I can learn. I do a mean cross stitch. My grandma taught me."
Chloe's laugh tapered off, but the smile stayed, fragile but real. She picked up the toast again, and this time she took a bite. Chewed. Swallowed.
They finished their breakfast in near silence, Chloe working through her toast and then the eggs, then a helping of fruit that she hadn't planned on eating but found herself reaching for anyway. Becca watched her with a quiet satisfaction, the way Chloe's hand kept returning to the curve of her belly, a new habit already forming.
The cafeteria slowly filled as the morning wore on, more women drifting in with trays and tired eyes. Becca caught a few of them glancing their way, gazes lingering on the swell of Chloe's stomach before darting away. No one said anything. No one ever did.
"I'm done," Chloe said, pushing her tray back. "Can we go back?"
"Yeah. Let's go."
The walk back through the corridors was quiet. Chloe's hand found Becca's as they turned down the familiar hallway, and Becca held it, thumb brushing over her knuckles. The fluorescent lights hummed overhead, marking their progress in pools of pale white.
Chloe fumbled the keycard at her door, her hands trembling slightly, and Becca covered them with her own, guiding the card to the reader. The lock clicked. The door swung open.
The apartment smelled of the incense from the night before, a lingering ghost of sandalwood and flowers. The stack of books stood where they had left them, the mugs from last night still on the coffee table, two cold puddles of tea at the bottom. Chloe stepped inside, and Becca watched her pause in the middle of the room, her hands going to the hem of the borrowed tee.
"Can I..." Chloe started, then stopped. "I want to look at it. Properly. Not in a doctor's office."
"Go ahead." Becca leaned against the doorframe, letting the door close behind her.
Chloe pulled the shirt up, slow, over the swell of her belly, then over her head, letting it drop to the floor. She stood in the middle of the room in nothing but a pair of underwear, her pale skin catching the soft light from the window. The swell of her stomach was stark on her thin frame, a round, prominent curve that looked almost alien on someone whose bones were visible at her shoulders, at her collarbones.
She turned sideways, looking down at herself. Ran her fingers over the curve, tracing the line of it. Pressed a palm flat against the stretch of skin, warm and tight, and felt the creature shift beneath her touch, a subtle, answering push.
"Holy shit," she breathed. "I'm huge."
Becca pushed off the doorframe and crossed the room, coming to stand beside her. "You're not huge. I'm huge. You're just... making excellent progress."
Chloe turned to the full-length mirror propped against the wall, the one with a cracked corner and a yellowed frame. She examined herself from every angle, turning this way and that, her hands never leaving her belly. A grin spread slowly across her face, tentative at first, then wider, almost impressed.
"I kind of like it," she said. "I mean. Look at it. It just happened overnight. Like magic."
"Alien magic," Becca said, coming up behind her. She wrapped her arms around Chloe's waist, letting her hands rest on the swell of her stomach. It was firm and warm beneath her palms, and she felt the creature inside pulse in recognition, a wave that rippled against her hands. "You're growing a whole litter. That's kind of badass."
Chloe laughed, a real sound, bright in the quiet room. "Badass. That's what I'll put on the baby announcement. 'New mother of eleven. Extremely badass.'"
"See, this is why I like you." Becca pressed a kiss to the back of Chloe's neck. "You get it."
Chloe turned in her arms, facing her, and her belly bumped against Becca's, the two curves pressing together. She looked down at the point of contact, where her own swell met the heavier weight of Becca's, and her smile softened.
"They fit together," she said. "Like they're supposed to meet."
Becca hummed in agreement, feeling the pull low in her own belly, the creature reaching for its kin. "They do. They really do."
Chloe's hands came up to cup Becca's face, and she kissed her, soft and warm, a kiss that tasted like the dregs of their tea and something sweeter underneath. Becca melted into it, her hands sliding around Chloe's waist, pulling her close.
"I'm glad it's you," Chloe murmured against her lips. "I keep saying it, but I keep meaning it. I'm so glad it's you."
"Me too," Becca whispered. "Me too."
They stood together in the middle of the room, their bellies pressed close, the creatures inside them humming their quiet, synchronised song. The books watched from their stacks. The incense had burned down to ash. The morning light crept further over the floor, and for a long, warm moment, neither of them moved.
Chloe's smile faded slowly, like a light dimming. Her pupils dilated, the pale blue of her eyes swallowed by black, and Becca felt a shift in the air between them. The hum in her belly rose, a low, insistent chord that made her skin prickle.
"Can I try something?" Chloe asked. Her voice had dropped, rougher than Becca had ever heard it.
Becca opened her mouth to answer. Chloe's hand was already moving, sliding down the curve of Becca's belly, over the taut swell of it, fingers splaying against the warm skin. She hooked her thumb into the waistband of Becca's sweatpants and tugged, pulling the fabric open with a soft rasp.
Becca's breath caught. "Chloe, what are you—"
Chloe's hand slipped inside, past the elastic, her fingers brushing through the damp curls at the junction of Becca's thighs. Becca's words died in her throat. She gripped Chloe's shoulders, her knuckles going white, as Chloe's fingers explored lower, parting her gently.
Then one finger slid inside her, and Becca's hips jerked.
Chloe found the spot immediately, that sure, knowing pressure that made Becca's knees buckle. She cried out, a bitten-off sound, her forehead dropping to Chloe's shoulder. The creature inside her pulsed in answer, a deep, resonant wave that rippled through her abdomen, and she felt Chloe's belly press harder against hers, the two creatures thrumming in sync.
"Chloe," Becca gasped. "How did you—"
"Shh." Chloe's other hand came up to cradle the back of Becca's head, fingers threading through her red curls. "Just let me."
Becca let her. She sagged against Chloe's thin frame, her legs trembling, her hands fisting in the fabric of Chloe's borrowed underwear. Chloe's finger moved inside her, slow and deliberate, curling and pressing, and Becca felt herself open, her hips rolling in a rhythm she didn't control.
They had been intimate before, hours ago, tangled together in the dark, but this was different. This was deliberate, focused, Chloe's gaze fixed on her face, watching every flicker of expression, learning her. Becca's belly pressed warm and heavy between them, and she felt the creature inside her move, a roll against her uterine wall that sent a spike of sensation straight through her core.
"Is this them?" Becca managed, her voice broken. "Is this the—"
"Maybe." Chloe's thumb found her clit, circling slowly, and Becca's head fell back. "But I wanted to. I've been wanting to. All morning, watching you, the way you move, the way you carry yourself. I wanted to touch you."
Becca's breath came in short, sharp gasps. Chloe's finger curled inside her, finding that spot again, and Becca's vision whited at the edges. The hum in her belly rose to a fever pitch, vibrating through her bones, and she felt the creature push against her skin, reaching for its kin beyond the barrier of Chloe's stomach.
"Please," Becca whispered. "Please, I need—"
Chloe kissed her, swallowing the rest of her words. Her finger moved faster, a steady, relentless rhythm, and Becca's hips bucked against her hand. The pleasure built and built, a coiled spring winding tighter, and Becca clung to Chloe like she was the only solid thing in the room.
She came apart with a cry, muffled against Chloe's mouth, her body shuddering in waves. The creature inside her pulsed in answer, a deep, rolling contraction that sent aftershocks rippling through her. Chloe held her through it, her hand steady, her mouth soft, her other arm wrapped tight around Becca's waist.
When Becca's knees finally gave out, Chloe lowered her gently to the floor, following her down. Becca lay on the worn carpet, chest heaving, staring up at Chloe's face. There was a flush on Chloe's cheeks, her lips parted, her eyes still dark with that strange, heated focus.
"Did you feel that too?" Becca asked, her voice husky. "The pulse. When I..."
Chloe nodded. She pressed a hand to her own belly, where the swell rose under her palm. "Yours reached for mine. I felt it. All the way through." She bit her lip. "It was like... being touched from the inside. In a different way than you just were."
"God." Becca laughed, a breathless, disbelieving sound. "We're going to be the first women in history to come because their alien parasites are horny for each other."
Chloe snorted, and then she was laughing, a real laugh that shook her shoulders and made her belly jiggle. Becca reached up and pulled her down, and they lay side by side on the floor, tangled together, their bellies pressing warm and close.
"That was incredible," Chloe said, her voice muffled against Becca's shoulder. "I didn't know I could do that. I didn't know I wanted to. But the way you looked at me, the way you said my name..."
"Keep talking like that and I'm going to want to return the favor."
Chloe's smile was slow and wicked, a look Becca had never seen on her before. "Maybe later. For now..." She pressed a kiss to Becca's lips, soft and lingering. "For now, let's just stay here."
They lay on the floor of Chloe's little apartment, the books stacked around them like silent witnesses, the morning light crawling further across the worn carpet. The hum in their bellies had settled to a low, contented thrum, a duet that never quite stopped. Becca closed her eyes, feeling Chloe's hand on her stomach, warm and steady.
Wednesday was coming. The trial. The volunteers. The whole impossible weight of saving a dying species. But right now, there was only this. The two of them, their bellies touching, their creatures humming, and the quiet certainty that whatever came next, they would face it together.
They lay in the quiet of the room, the morning light pooling around them. Chloe's breathing had evened, but Becca's had not. She propped herself on one elbow, looking down at the woman beside her, and something in her chest tightened.
Chloe's belly rose from her thin frame like a pale moon, the skin stretched smooth and taut over the curve of it. It was beautiful, in a way Becca hadn't expected to find beautiful. The weight of it, the promise of it. Eleven eggs, nestled safe inside her. The creature had chosen her, and it showed.
Her gaze drifted higher. Chloe's breasts were fuller than they had been two weeks ago, the pale blue veins traced beneath the skin, her nipples dark and peaked from the cold air. She was all sharp angles and soft new curves, a study in contrasts that made Becca's mouth go dry.
Then her eyes found Chloe's lips. Full, puffy from their kissing, slightly parted. A small smile played at the corner of one.
Becca's belly hummed, low and steady, but it wasn't the creature's pull. That had faded, settled into a quiet thrum. This was something else. Something that had no name, no alien origin. Just the plain, ordinary ache of wanting.
She reached out, slow, giving Chloe time to pull away. Her hand settled on the curve of Chloe's belly, warm and firm beneath her palm. She felt the creature shift inside, a soft roll against the skin, and Chloe's breath caught.
Becca's hand slid lower, tracing the swell's underside, where the skin was softer, warmer. Her fingers found the waistband of Chloe's underwear and hovered there, waiting.
Chloe looked up at her, and the slow smile that spread across her face was something Becca had never seen on her before. Confident. Knowing. A little wicked.
"Go on," Chloe said, her voice a low murmur. "I dare you."
Becca's heart skipped. She hooked her fingers under the elastic and pulled, and Chloe lifted her hips to help her. The underwear slid down her thighs and off, tossed aside without ceremony.
Chloe lay bare before her, all pale skin and new curves. Her belly rose in the center of her like a hill, and below it, a thatch of pale blonde hair, the flesh beneath already glistening. She was watching Becca with those dark, knowing eyes, and Becca felt the pull in her own belly, the ache between her thighs, sharp and immediate.
"You're staring," Chloe said.
"Can you blame me?"
Chloe laughed, soft and low. "No. I don't think I can."
Becca bent and kissed the crest of Chloe's belly, the skin warm and taut beneath her lips. She felt the creature inside shift, a subtle press against her mouth, and Chloe gasped, her hips twitching.
"He knows you're there," Chloe whispered. "He likes it."
Becca kissed lower, over the curve, down toward the hollow beneath it. Chloe's breath came faster, her hands finding Becca's hair, threading through the red curls. Becca's lips trailed lower, over the soft skin of her inner thigh, and Chloe made a sound, a bitten-off plea.
"Becca, please."
Becca looked up at her, at the flush on her cheeks, the way her chest rose and fell, the way her hands clutched at Becca's hair like she was holding on for dear life. The creature in Becca's own belly pulsed, a slow, answering beat, and she felt the pull again, the need to close the distance, to give and take in equal measure.
She lowered her mouth to Chloe's core and Chloe gasped, her hips arching off the floor. Her taste was warm and salt and something sweeter underneath, and Becca drank her in, slow at first, learning her, then faster, more insistent, guided by the sounds Chloe made, the way her fingers tightened in Becca's hair.
Chloe's belly rose above them, a pale, prominent curve, and Becca felt the creature inside it pulse in time with Chloe's gasps, a rhythm that seemed to drive her onward. She slid her hand up over Chloe's belly as she worked, feeling the taut swell of it, the heat of her skin.
"Please," Chloe breathed, her voice cracking. "Please, I'm so close. I can feel him, he's, oh god, he's pushing, he's, please, Becca, don't stop."
Becca didn't stop. She pressed her palm flat against Chloe's belly, feeling the creature move beneath her hand, and she felt it when Chloe came, a shudder that ran through her whole body, her back arching off the floor, a cry torn from her throat that filled the small room. Her belly contracted under Becca's hand, the muscles rippling in waves, and Becca held her through it, steady, patient, until the tremors faded.
Chloe lay limp on the carpet, chest heaving, her hand still tangled in Becca's hair. Her eyes were glassy, unfocused, and when she finally looked at Becca, there was something raw in her gaze. Something unguarded.
"That was," she started, then stopped, licking her lips. "I don't have words."
Becca kissed the inside of her thigh, then crawled up her body, being careful of her belly. She laid her head on Chloe's shoulder, her own belly pressing warm against Chloe's swollen curve.
"You don't need words," Becca said.
Chloe turned her head and kissed her forehead, soft and trembling. "I love you," she whispered. "I know it's crazy. I know we barely know each other. But I love you."
Becca's eyes burned. She blinked, and a tear slid down her cheek, catching in the hollow of her jaw. "I love you too," she said. "Even though this is the most insane thing that's ever happened to me. Which says a lot, considering I'm carrying alien eggs."
Chloe laughed, a wet, broken sound. "We're a mess."
"A beautiful mess."
They lay there, tangled together on the worn carpet of Chloe's apartment, bellies pressed close, creatures humming their quiet song. The morning light crept further across the floor, warming their skin. Wednesday was coming. The trial. The volunteers. The weight of it all, waiting just beyond the door.
But for now, there was this. Only this.
They lay there for a long time, the way you do when you don't want a moment to end. The carpet was rough under Becca's cheek, and Chloe's heartbeat was a steady drum against her ear, and for a while, the world outside the apartment might as well not have existed.
But the body has its own demands. Chloe stirred first, a small shift that turned into a wince as she tried to stretch against the weight of her belly.
"I need a shower," she said, her voice thick with sleep and everything that had come before it. "I feel like I've been through a war."
Becca propped herself up, watching Chloe struggle to her feet. It was a process now, a careful negotiation with gravity and balance. Chloe braced a hand on the coffee table, then the wall, and finally stood, swaying slightly, her belly leading her forward like a figurehead on a ship.
"The facilities are down the hall," Becca said, already knowing the answer.
Chloe looked at her, a question in her eyes. "Come with me?"
Becca rose, her own belly heavy, her knees aching from the floor. She crossed the room and took Chloe's hand, and together they padded out into the hallway, barefoot and rumpled, the fluorescent lights humming their cold welcome.
The communal showers were at the end of the corridor, a row of stalls with frosted glass doors. At this hour they were empty, the tiled floor slick with recent cleaning, steam curling from one forgotten tap. Chloe picked a stall at the far end and Becca followed her in, sealing the door behind them.
The water took a moment to warm, sputtering grey before it ran clear. Chloe stepped under the spray first, her breath catching as the heat hit her skin. The water plastered her hair to her skull, darkened it from honey to wet straw, and ran in rivulets over the swell of her belly, pooling in the hollow of her collarbone.
Becca followed her in, the water wrapping around her, sliding down the heavy curve of her stomach. The stall was small, the two of them pressed together, skin to skin, their bellies bumping gently in the tight space. Chloe laughed, a soft, surprised sound.
"Guess we're sharing the water."
"We're sharing everything else." Becca reached for the soap, a plain white bar that smelled of nothing in particular. She lathered her hands and reached for Chloe, starting at her shoulders, working the soap into her pale skin.
Chloe closed her eyes, letting her head fall back, the water streaming over her face. Becca worked her way down, over the sharp line of Chloe's collarbone, over the swell of her breasts, fuller than before, hernippled dark. She lingered there a moment, thumbs tracing the soft flesh, and Chloe made a small humming sound of approval.
Then lower, over the prominent curve of her belly. Becca pressed her palms flat against it, soaped and warm, and felt the creature shift beneath, a subtle roll that pressed against her touch.
"He likes that," Chloe murmured, eyes still closed.
"Doesn't he like everything?"
Chloe opened her eyes, a slow smile spreading across her face. "Not everything. He was very skeptical of the oatmeal."
Becca snorted, her hands circling over the taut skin, washing the swell of Chloe's stomach with a tenderness she hadn't known she possessed. She turned Chloe gently, soaping her back, her fingers tracing the ridge of her spine, the bones she could still feel beneath the new weight.
Then she knelt. It was difficult with her own belly, the weight of it pressing against her thighs, but she managed, settling onto her knees on the wet tile. Chloe looked down at her, eyes wide.
"What are you doing?"
"Washing your legs." Becca worked the soap up Chloe's calves, her thighs, the soft skin of her inner thigh. "You're carrying eleven aliens. You deserve at least this."
Chloe laughed, but it came out shaky. She watched Becca work, her hand coming down to rest on the crown of Becca's head, fingers threading through wet red curls.
"Nobody's ever taken care of me like this," she said quietly.
Becca looked up at her, the water streaming down her own face. "Then they were idiots."
Chloe's throat worked. She pulled Becca to her feet, their wet bodies sliding together, and kissed her, deep and slow, the water streaming around them. Their bellies pressed together, the two curves fitting like they were made for each other.
When they broke apart, Chloe turned, bracing her hands against the tiled wall. The water ran down her back, over the curve of her belly, between her thighs. She looked over her shoulder at Becca, her eyes dark, that same heated focus from before.
"Your turn," she said.
Becca's mouth went dry. The creature in her belly pulsed, a low, insistent beat that seemed to drive her forward. She stepped close, her belly pressing against Chloe's backside, her hands sliding around Chloe's waist to cup the weight of her stomach.
"I don't think I need much washing," she murmured, lips against Chloe's ear.
"Mmm. I'll be the judge of that."
Chloe turned in her arms, sliding down the wall until she was crouched before Becca, her face level with Becca's belly. She pressed a kiss to the swell of it, warm and tender, and Becca felt the creature inside roll, an answering press against Chloe's lips.
"He's saying hello," Chloe said, a smile in her voice.
Becca laughed, breathless. "He's saying you're a menace."
Chloe looked up at her, water streaming down her face, and there was something so open in her gaze that Becca's chest ached. Then Chloe lowered her head again, her hands coming up to guide Becca's thighs apart, and Becca's breath caught.
The water was warm, the tile slick, and Chloe's mouth was reverent. Not urgent, not desperate. Just slow, deliberate worship, her tongue tracing paths that made Becca's knees buckle. The creature pulsed inside her, a resonant hum that seemed to vibrate through her entire body, and Becca braced her hands against the wall, her head falling back, the water streaming over her face.
She came with a cry that echoed off the tile, her body shuddering against Chloe's mouth. Chloe held her through it, steady and patient, and when Becca finally sagged, Chloe rose, catching her, pulling her close under the spray.
They stood together, foreheads pressed, the water running between them. Their bellies were pressed together, the creatures humming their quiet synchronized song, and for a long moment, neither of them spoke.
"I could stay in here forever," Chloe whispered.
"Then we'd prune. And Wednesday would come without us."
Chloe laughed, soft, and pulled away to reach for the tap. The water cut off with a hiss, and they stood in the sudden silence, dripping, the steam curling around them.
"Wednesday," Chloe said, testing the word. "I keep forgetting it's coming. And then it's not."
"It's coming." Becca grabbed a towel from the rack, holding it open. "But we'll be ready."
Chloe stepped into the towel, and Becca wrapped it around her, drying her in long, slow passes. She worked the fabric over Chloe's belly with particular care, then her shoulders, her arms, her legs. Chloe stood still, letting her, a soft smile on her face.
When Becca was done, she wrapped the towel around Chloe's waist and grabbed another for herself. They stepped out of the stall, dripping onto the clean tile, and padded back down the hallway, hand in hand.
Chloe's apartment was the same as they'd left it, the books stacked, the mugs still on the coffee table. But it felt different now. Warmer. More like a place they shared, even if Becca's own room was a short walk away.
Chloe sank onto the couch, her towel slipping to reveal her belly, pale and prominent in the morning light. She patted the cushion beside her, and Becca sat, her own belly leading her down.
"Three days," Chloe said. "Till the trial."
"Three days." Becca took her hand. "We'll write out the questions. The intake forms. Orientation materials."
"I know." Chloe looked down at their joined hands. "I'm scared."
Becca squeezed. "So am I. But we're scared together, and that counts for something."
Chloe smiled, fragile but real. "It counts for everything."