Work Text:
Two lines.
It took all of Yor's strength to halt herself from crushing the fragile stick she was holding. Her hand trembled, and Yor had to lean against the City Hall's bathroom stall walls for support.
Positive.
Never would she think she would see that in her lifetime. Yor had always thought that death would catch her hostage before she got an opportunity to create life. And frankly, creating life was out of her orbit — as someone who had spent the majority of her life cutting others’ lifelines short. But that all changed the moment she became part of the Forger household.
Her attention was transfixed on the tiny object she had in her hand. Inhale. Exhale . She tried her hardest to calm her racing heartbeat to no avail. She felt a little lightheaded. From what, she wasn’t sure of.
All she knew was that her life would change immensely from now on. Loid’s too. And to an extent, Anya’s.
Knock knock.
“Yor, are you okay? You’ve been in there for a while. The Director is looking for you.”
That was Camilla’s voice.
Yor quickly pulled out a bunch of toilet paper and wound them tightly around the testing kit before discarding the pile into the trash.
“Coming!" Yor exclaimed to the door, faking a burst of energy that she didn’t have.
She’ll mull over this a little later in the day.
It all started two weeks ago. Yor was on a job assigned by Garden. She had to take out an underground organization that had been responsible for the trafficking and mysterious deaths of several young women in Ostania. Yor was more than happy to eradicate those scumbags and ensure that women across Ostania would be safe as they go about their day.
And even more fortunate for her, that particular mission was one Loid had been coincidentally assigned to by WISE. And so they’ve decided to work together once more. Twilight and the Thorn Princess. The greatest spy and the deadliest assassin. But on top of that all, husband and wife in every sense of the word.
There were hesitations and conflicted feelings when they both first revealed their true identities to one another. Garden was an organization on WISE's watchlist of those with the potential to shatter peace and for Yor, her turmoil came from knowing of Loid's past endeavors as Twilight. When they came clean to each other, Loid had told her of what he had done as a spy. Among them was pretending to be in relationships for intel.
Yor knew that the marriage she started with Loid was based on lies. But she wondered whether the tender words that they've exchanged, the gentle touches, and the intimacy they've shared in the secrecy of night were part of Loid's end to reach his goals.
The mere thought stung her because, aside from the assassin identity she had been hiding from him, everything else was very much real.
"Yor," Loid said one night, holding her shoulders tight so she wouldn't flee from him. Again. "Trust me when I say that if I have no interest in you beyond my mission, I would have kept our marriage as it was. For appearances. It would have made things easier for me. But despite my better judgment, I initiated moves on you. Twice. For no reason other than the fact that I care deeply about you and I want you. "
It took a little bit of convincing but Yor finally relented and accepted Loid's honesty. After all, despite their affiliations, their individual motives for tainting their hands with blood were the same. Everything was for the sake of a better world and the safety of the people they care about.
But most of all, they were each other's first love, and Yor couldn't imagine waking up in the morning without Loid Forger next to her. Loid, Twilight. She wanted all of him. If anything, knowing who he truly was made her feelings towards him even stronger.
A kindred spirit in the form of a significant other? Those are rare to come by and Yor was a very lucky woman to find Loid.
They work well together. Loid as the brain and Yor as the brawn. That was why they were able to take down and decimate the wretched trafficking group in no time. Everything was perfect. Everything was paradise.
Until….
"What's that smell?" Yor frowned
"Pardon?" Loid turned to her while wiping the blood stains off his gun.
"Can’t you smell it?" she asked him, "it smells so…pungent? Metallic and sour."
Loid looked around him and sniffed the air around them. "I don't smell anything out of the ordinary. Sure, there's blood and gunpowder but these are nothing you've never seen before."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," Loid nodded. He turned to her, a frown creased his forehead. "Is everything okay Yor?"
She was about to say no because whatever aroma was wafting in the air was strong enough to make her stomach churn. She wanted to run and get away from the place, that's how much she was repulsed by it.
"Yes. It's fine. I think it passed already. Let's go home," Yor said instead, not wanting to worry her husband. After all, his senses tend to be sharper than hers and if he said nothing was off then it must've been part of her imagination.
But to her dismay, despite being away from the corpse-filled warehouse, the mysterious smell haunted her home. It was only when she slipped out of her dress, washed the remaining stains off her weapon, and took a thorough shower that she was able to breathe easy again.
Was it blood?
But Yor had encountered worse than what she saw last night. She had come across bodies in a worse state of decay. She never found herself affected by them. So why that night out of all nights?
She didn't think further into it. Not when Loid pulled her in a searing kiss the moment she stepped out of the bathroom and brought her to bed with him for a passionate night.
-
-
It didn't stop there though. First, it was her sense of smell and then, her taste buds.
Yor was never a picky eater, considering her cooking left much to be desired. And she never had any issue with anything Loid cooked for her and Anya. But it was one morning a few days after the blood incident that she sat at their dining table with Anya, waiting for Loid to finish cooking.
"All right, breakfast is ready," the head of the Forger family announced. He placed three plates in their usual spots in front of Yor, Anya, and the empty spot on the table for himself. Omelette, toast, beans, sausages, and some side vegetables. Yor didn't suspect anything amiss at first. The food still smells delicious. Healthy and wholesome. All the nutrients for Anya needed to grow. Loid sat down in his spot and they all began to eat while chattering lightly about their day's plan.
Yor didn't sense anything out of the ordinary when she took the first bite of her egg. It tasted like an omelet should, fluffy and soft. The second bite started a little strange. The egg after-taste became a little strong in her mouth.
It was the third bite that sent her off. All of a sudden, Yor felt as if she was eating raw eggs, shell to mouth. Her stomach lurched and she couldn't find the strength in her to keep her food down.
"Excuse me for a minute," Yor shot up from her seat and immediately dashed to the bathroom, grabbing the toilet seat for her dear life as she threw up what little content she had in her stomach.
Yor groaned as she stood up and flushed the toilet. She walked over to the sink and stole a glance at her reflection in the mirror as she washed her hands. Sweaty from the ordeal and a little worse for wear, Yor felt as if she was out of her game. She was a bona fide assassin who had survived the taste of countless, vile-tasting poisons (and that included her own cooking). And yet here was Yor was completely at a loss of why her body succumbed to eggs. Had they gone bad?
No, it's impossible. Loid was a meticulous man when it comes to food safety. He wouldn't let Anya or her touch anything remotely close to their expiry dates.
So what was going on?
An inkling of suspicion crept at the back of her mind. Yor was reminded of a conversation she overheard between Camila and Sharon at the office a few weeks ago.
Could it be?
But she and Loid had been very careful with this. At least, she thought they were.
"No, wait a little bit more before coming to conclusion," Yor shook her head. Perhaps she's coming down with a rare stomach bug.
She didn't get to finish her breakfast that day though. And for the following days, the mere thought of eating eggs gives Yor an unpleasant churn in her stomach.
-
-
It wasn't until Yor found herself dozing off at all times that her suspicions became stronger. Yor never felt this kind of exhaustion in her life. She was always brimming with energy, the result of years of harsh endurance training from her job. And in the occasional moments when she felt extreme fatigue, that was due to days of non-stop assassination job.
But Yor hasn't been given an assignment for a while. And yet, keeping herself alert has been a challenge although her daily schedule had been relatively easy-going.
She dozed off in the middle of washing dishes. Almost lost her consciousness while dusting the house. At times, it would take her an hour longer just to walk from the City Hall to their home when she felt a noticeable dip in her energy. She had to sit somewhere and sleep it off.
All Yor felt like doing was sleep. Yor loved a good rest but she was never a fan of oversleeping. She felt like a bear during hibernation season.
This, she couldn't hide from Anya and Loid. She can hide her heightened sense of smell, and cover up her aversion to eggs by not eating her meals (she didn't have much of an appetite lately anyway.)
But the fatigue? That was hard to hide. Especially when considering how active Yor would normally be.
"Mama, mama."
Yor's eyes fluttered open as her body rocked slowly.
"Hnngg…" she grunted. Yor pushed herself off the armrest of the couch. "What is it Anya?" she said in-between yawns.
"You fell asleep," Anya replied. "Again."
Well, that's an obvious remark. It was clear that Yor has just woken up. She blinked. But what was she doing before she fell asleep?
Yor gasped. She turned to Anya who was sitting next to her with a worried expression. "Anya I'm so sorry." She turned to her right and Yor almost jumped back from seeing Loid hovering over her.
"Yor, are you alright?" he asked, the concern on his face hard to miss.
"I..uh…" Yor averted her gaze from him and instead stared at their coffee table where a pot of tea and three plates of pastries were. She can't lie out of this one. Not when she just passed out right in the middle of teatime with Loid and Anya.
"I'm sorry…I think I've been down with a bit of a cold the past few days," she ended up saying, hoping she sounded convincing enough.
"You've been sleeping a lot lately Mama," Anya pointed out.
"And you’ve been skipping meals more frequently as well," Loid added. He reached out and felt her forehead and then moved down to feel her neck. Yor let out a small yelp as Loid’s blue eyes scanned over her, intense and calculating. “You don’t have a fever but you feel a little warmer than usual. Do you want to visit a doctor? I’ll go with you.”
Yor was about to remark how Loid was already a doctor himself when she remembered that the psychiatry job Loid had maintained for years was merely a cover for his Twilight identity.
Still, he played the role so well that Yor often forgets he was not a real doctor.
He could be though. He was smart enough for that. Yor swallowed involuntarily as her mind began producing an image of Loid in a white coat, treating patients as an honest living job, assuring his patients with his comforting smile and words.
Yeah, Yor would like that. A lot.
“Mama you’re turning red,” said Anya.
“Wha– no I’m okay,” Yor shook her head immediately. She hoped Anya didn’t happen to read her mind and her embarrassing imagination of her father. Yor turned to Loid, meeting a pair of still-concerned-looking blue eyes. She gave him a reassuring smile. “Let’s wait it out a couple more days. Apart from exhaustion, I’m otherwise fine. It’ll go away soon.”
Loid frowned but Yor was determined. If this was what she thought it was, she wanted to be the first to know rather than someone else. And possibly, she wanted to share the moment with the two most important people in her life first, without a stranger’s presence.
“A few more days,” she repeated. “If there’s no improvement, we see a doctor.”
Loid let out a resignated sigh. “Fine, a few more days. But promise me you won’t push yourself at all.”
Yor nodded. “I promise.”
A few more days was too long of a wait and so Yor decided to take the test the day after that conversation took place.
Now she’s certain.
And life will change drastically for her and the Forgers.
Click.
Yor straightened up at the sound of the door opening. She wasn’t sure whether that would be Loid or Anya. Either or, whoever walked into the house would be the one to know her kept secret first.
She heard the sound of light footsteps and pink, shoulder-length came into her view. Yor exhaled, letting out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. She felt an odd sense of relief to know that Anya was the one whom she would break the news to first. A little practice before the big finale.
“Mama, you’re home already?” Anya blinked curiously once she noticed Yor perched on the living room sofa.
Yor nodded. “I asked to come home a little early today since I don’t feel too well.”
At that, Anya quickly put aside her backpack and rushed over to Yor. “Are you okay?!” Anya asked, panic-stricken. “Do you need water? Food? Doctor? Do I need to call papa? He said Anya should call him immediately if you don’t feel good again.”
Yor couldn't help but giggle at the girl’s outburst. It’s been four years since she first laid her eyes on Anya and the girl was still as compassionate as she was when she was six. It warmed her heart.
“Anya, calm down,” Yor smiled. She patted the spot next to her on the couch. “Come and sit down here.”
Anya complied and plopped down next to her. Yor’s lips stretched wider at the sight of her daughter. She’s ten now, much taller than when she first met her, her hair grew longer past her shoulders. Anya had lost a good chunk of her childhood chubbiness and Yor could already make out the hints of adolescence on her. But to Yor, she would always be her precious little Anya. She wasn’t related to her by blood but Yor grew to love her as if she was her own.
Yor looked at Anya straight in her emerald eyes. “Are you reading my mind now?”
Anya shook her head. “You and papa told me to respect your privacy, remember?”
It was a huge shock to her and Loid to learn of Anya’s abilities. But that shock was nothing compared to the immense anger they both felt when they learned of the experiments Anya was put through because of her abilities and the childhood she was robbed of, all to turn her into an intelligence weapon. Loid and Yor had vowed from then on to protect Anya at all costs. Whatever she decided to do with her abilities was her decision but what they both could do as her parents was to make sure she was not inclined to abuse them for her advantage. At ten years old, Anya had figured out how to drown out the noises in crowded places and control whose minds she wanted to peek into and who she wanted to shut off.
Yor placed her hand on top of Anya’s. “Do you remember your seventh birthday?”
The young girl nodded. “Of course. My first ever birthday party,” Anya smiled.
Yor chuckled. “Do you remember what you asked me and your father that day for your gift?”
“I wanted a pistol with a silencer. A new castle.” Anya laughed. “And I also asked for a baby brother or sister. You and papa were red like tomatoes when I said that.”
Yor smiled fondly at the memory. It was two years into the creation of the Forgers and around the time when real feelings were starting to blossom between Yor and Loid. Sure, there might have been romantic inclinations between them then that doesn’t mean they were willing to jump the gun and create a whole new human together.
They haven’t even gotten to the bedroom stage when Anya posed the question.
Although her innocent request did start conversations which sped up the process.
“Why are you bringing that up?” Anya asked, her head tilted slightly.
“Well,” Yor began, “after that day, we did give you a toy gun with a silencer. And the week after, Loid took you to that castle again with Frankie.”
“Oh yeah, that was fun,” Anya nodded, “Papa played as Bond-man again but that time he couldn’t beat evil witch Yorticia.”
Yor giggled. “And I believe we still owe you a third gift.”
Anya frowned. “What? No! That was some childish nonsense.” Anya retorted, “besides, you and papa have got a lot going on without a baby.”
That’s true. But what’s done is done. Yor took a deep breath before facing Anya once more.
“...Still,” Yor spoke, “you did ask that of us and I hope you’ll still look forward to your last seventh birthday gift, even though it is three or four years late.”
The pink-haired girl frowned. “What do you mean, mama?”
Yor slowly pulled Anya’s hand and placed it on top of her abdomen. It took a few seconds before she heard Anya gasp as the little girl began to realize the implication behind the action. Anya looked up at Yor, stunned and silent but from her expression, Yor knew Anya was trying to read her mind. And so, she let her. Yor replayed the events that took place earlier in the day for Anya to see.
“Mama, are you serious?”
Yor nodded. “If that is okay with you….big sister Anya.”
Another gasp. Anya retracted her hand from Yor to cover her mouth.
“....Anya’s really going to be a big sister?” Anya asked. Her green eyes were glassy and there was a hint of a crack in her voice. At that moment, Yor saw the small, six-year-old Anya Forger sitting next to her. The little girl who first made her become a mother before she was one herself.
“If things go well, yes,” Yor replied. “...are you happy about this Anya?”
In a flash, Yor felt a pair of slender arms wrap around her form. “Of course Anya’s happy,” the young girl sniffled. Yor brought her hand to Anya’s back, patting her gently. She felt Anya’s hug tightening around her.
“Anya’s always wanted to have a little brother or sister,” Anya continued, “I’ll be the best big sister to the baby.”
“You’re going to be a what to who ?”
Yor and Anya immediately turned to the source of the voice. Loid was there standing by the door, mouth agape, skin as pale as snow. The grip he had on his hat loosened and the headpiece fell dramatically to the ground, the only movement in the room while the three people in it were frozen like mannequins.
Anya darted her eyes between Loid and Yor. "Right. Anya will go to the room for one second." She hugged Yor once more. "Don't worry, mama, papa will be so happy with the news," the girl whispered quickly before running off to her room, leaving Yor alone with a stunned Loid.
Yor fidgeted in her seat before she broke the heavy silence that shrouded them.
"Um…Loid…"
"You're pregnant?" Loid asked, a strange tremble in his voice. Yor could only nod silently, unsure of what to make of the unfamiliar contortions on Loid's face.
"...with my child?" he continued.
"You're the only lover I have," Yor replied.
Silence. The air is thick and heavy once more. Yor inhaled sharply and mustered up the courage to look into Loid's eyes.
"Listen, I—" Yor lost her trail of thoughts when she saw Loid's face. The initial shock was still there but his expression has shifted into something warmer. But what caught her off guard was the hint of tears at the corner of his eyes. She never saw him cry. Not even remotely close. Yor didn't know what to do at that point.
"Loid–"
"No, stay seated Yor," Loid said when she tried to stand up from her spot. Yor plopped down to her spot at the command. Her husband slowly walked toward her and once he was in front of her, Loid lowered himself to the ground on his knees so he was at her eye level. Gingerly, he grasped both of her hands in his.
"I've had my suspicions…" Loid began in a quiet voice, "but I still couldn't believe it."
"Me too," Yor mumbled. "...but are you okay with this?"
"I should be the one asking you that," Loid smiled. It was warm. All the shock that she saw on him had disappeared, replaced with a newfound bliss. Loid reached out and covered her abdomen with a hand. "You'll be going through a lot of changes, physically and emotionally. You won't be able to accept tasks from Garden for a while and—"
"I want him. Or her." Yor interjected. She spoke with a conviction like never before. As sure as she was back when she decided to pursue the path of an assassin to protect Yuri and provide him with a life he could be proud of.
She only knew the growing life inside of her for a few hours. But Yor already knew she would protect them with her life just as she would Yuri, Anya and Loid.
"It's the hardest job in the world," Loid pointed out.
"But the most rewarding, right?" Yor replied. "Even if I'm not the best woman to be a mother out there, I will try my best for this child."
"You're already perfect, Yor," Loid palmed her face with his hand. "You've been the best mother for Anya and I have no doubt you will be as well for this child. Our second child."
Yor felt a flip in her stomach at his words. Their child. It all still felt surreal.
"How do you feel about all of this though?" Yor asked.
Loid threw her a sheepish smile. "This might be an odd answer but the first thing I thought of was…vindicated. As if all of my past actions had been redeemed."
She understood. Because that was exactly the first thing she felt the moment she knew. For two people like Yor and Loid who had taken many lives with their hands, to be able to create a life of their own meant two things. One; that the world had become more peaceful that even they were able to enjoy a taste of domestic bliss. Second was that the sins they both carried for each life lost by their hands had somehow been forgiven. And it all made their years of struggles worth it.
"Are you happy though?" Yor asked.
"That's not even a question," Loid answered without missing a beat. "I'm always happiest when I'm here, with you, Anya, Bond and now, our new addition." He chuckled, bringing. "Though I admit, I'm a little scared as well. I've never had to start from scratch before."
"Me too," said Yor. "But we'll figure it out together. Like we always do."
"As a family," Loid nodded. The man leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. "I love you, Yor Forger."
"I love you too, Loid Forger."
"Can Anya come out now?"
The two turned and saw pink hair and a pair of rounded green eyes peeking out from the corner of the hallway.
"Come out here Anya," Loid waved at her.
Anya scampered over to Loid and tackled him into a bear hug.
"Anya's going to be a big sister, papa!" she exclaimed.
"Yeah, you will," Loid patted her head, a tender smile gracing his face.
"I hope it's a little sister," Anya chimed, "then I can have someone to play castles with."
"Well, if it turns out to be a little brother, you will have someone to play Bond-Man with."
"Ooh, that sounds fun too!"
Yor watched as father and daughter became lost in a conversation of their own shared world. She smiled and brought her hand over to where her rounded belly would be later.
Things will change drastically for all of them.
But Yor had never felt more hopeful about the future. And she found herself giddy with anticipation of what was to come.
—
—
—
Extra:
Handler,
There is an unexpected change in Operation Strix. A new member will be added soon to the Forger family. I will give you more details regarding the individual in approximately nine months. In the meantime, please anticipate potential monthly medical bills being sent to WISE.
This is all for the sake of the mission and world peace.
Twilight
Sylvia read the message she received from WISE's best spy over and over again.
"This is definitely NOT part of the mission!" she grumbled in frustration. She now truly wondered whether the man was a genius or a fool beyond help.