"Wake uppp," Roy sang softly, hovering near Kori's ear.
Kori groaned tiredly, turning her back to him.
Roy wouldn't take the hint, though, draping himself over her side. "Come on, sunshine," he urged patiently.
"God, you're heavy," Kori slurred, voice thick with sleep, "Get off!"
"You sure did last night," Roy grinned smugly, "Thought you liked me on top, sweetheart."
"Pig," Kori mumbled sleepily, pulling her shoulder back in hopes that Roy would simply roll off of her.
But, he stayed stuck to her like glue.
"Oink, oink," Roy mocked, turning over and letting his weight turn Kori as well so that they were both on their backs, Kori nestled into his side.
"Leave me alone, Roy," Kori begged, "I'm so tired."
"Could never do that, beautiful," Roy dismissed with a sweet smile, "I know you're tired. That's what happens when you're up until two in the morning. But, you have a brunch to go to."
"Brunch?" Kori echoed sluggishly.
"Yeah, with your siblings," Roy reminded, "At noon. And it's… 10:33."
"Fuck," Kori cursed quietly, abruptly sitting upright, "Fuck, fuck, fuck."
"Alright, Potty Mouth," Roy laughed, "Come on, you won't be late if you start moving your ass now."
"This…" Kori began, digging the heels of her hands into her eyes, "Is bullshit."
Roy shook his head fondly, reaching up and removing her hands from her face. "Stop it before you go blind," he chided, "And, I told you to schedule a dinner instead. Maybe, next time, you'll listen to me."
"Oh, fuck you," Kori muttered, throwing the blanket off of her legs and standing from their bed.
"Did that already," Roy shot back, content as he watched her stand at their bedside and stretch. At her glare, he continued. "Lighten up, sweetheart. You haven't seen your siblings in how long?"
Kori rolled her eyes, turning away to search for her phone. "Two months," she admitted begrudgingly.
"Exactly," Roy smiled triumphantly, "And I refuse to be the idiot that robs you of what little time you get to spend with them. So, shower up, brush your teeth, and get out of here."
"Uh huh," Kori hummed as she found her phone, "And, should I not get dressed before 'getting out of here', or…?"
"If you wanna get me sent to jail, by all means, don't," Roy shrugged, "But, when you're talking to me from behind a glass, remember it could've been avoided if you'd simply kept in mind that your boyfriend is a professional old school ass kicker." A pause. "And a maniacal gun owner."
Kori let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head as she made her way to the bathroom. Suddenly, a strange, unpleasant sensation had her freezing in place, hand shooting to her stomach.
It was like the feeling you got when you dropped on a roller coaster. Except, so much more than that.
"You alright?" Roy asked immediately.
He was trying to tamper it down but his tone was drenched in concern.
Kori grimaced for a moment before forcing out a long breath and shaking her head at herself. "I'm alright," she said finally, "Probably just hungry."
Roy eyed her suspiciously up until she disappeared into the bathroom.
Kori let out a quiet sigh, turning the shower on and waiting for it to heat up. She reached in to feel the temperature after a moment. Satisfied, she began to shed her clothes, only to falter when that feeling hit her again. "Roy?" she called out.
She could hear the faintest patter of quick steps before the bathroom door was opening.
"You okay?" Roy questioned, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, nothing, I'm fine," Kori assured, "I was just gonna ask you to make me some tea."
Roy was silent for a moment, appraising her. "Are you sure you're alright?" he asked.
Kori wasn't sure if he'd meant them to be, but his eyes were pleading. "Nothing a cup of tea can't fix," she dismissed, "Go on, I'm alright."
Roy still wasn't sure. "I'm gonna put the water on for your tea and come back, okay?" he told her, "I don't want you passing out in the shower or anything."
"Whatever you want," Kori replied with a warm smile. 'Probably for the best', she added quietly.
Roy stared at her, gaze almost accusing as if he'd heard the thought. It softened quickly, though. "Can I have a kiss?" he requested, tone like a child asking for candy.
"Nope," Kori hummed, popping the 'p'.
Roy let out a scandalized gasp. "And, why not?" he questioned indignantly.
"Because I'm basically naked and you have horrendous self control," Kori replied simply.
"That's not true," Roy defended.
Kori snorted at that. "Do you remember in school how we had those stupid dress codes?" she inquired, "The 'no tank top' rule comes to mind, specifically." A pause. "Well, everyone would say 'what kind of weirdo gets turned on by shoulders'. It's you, Roy. You're the shoulder weirdo."
"Okay, first of all, it was one time," Roy huffed, "You looked really pretty. Like really, really pretty, which is insane because an off the shoulder-"
Kori cut off his rambling immediately. "And you'll look really pretty in the kitchen, making my tea," she beamed sweetly.
Roy glared at her. "Oh, but if I'd said it…" he grumbled.
"You'd be canceled," Kori finished, "Of course, sweetheart, it's a woman's world. Now, come on, kitchen's waiting on you."
Roy slowly shook his head, walking toward her instead.
"Roy…" Kori called out warningly, "The kitchen is in the opposite direc-"
"Oh, hush," Roy murmured, pulling her into a gentle embrace. They stood there for a while, hugging in silence until Roy spoke once more. "I love you," he said quietly.
Kori's huff was barely audible as she snuggled into his neck. "I love you more," she whispered into the space, there.
Roy cupped the back of her neck, pulling back to look into her eyes. His next words became that much more powerful because of it. "I love you most," he stated with finality.
There was no room for debate, no playful glint in his eyes.
Just contentment and honesty.
The weight of it all served as a magnet, drawing Roy and Kori together until their lips met.
Their kiss was a slow one. The waves of emotion put into it, however, were anything but. It meant more than any words that could be said. Shakespeare, himself, couldn't capture the depth of this moment.
The way Roy brought his hand up to the side of her face, thumb continuously stroking across her cheek as if to reaffirm that she was there and okay. His tongue seemed to follow the same train of thought, sweeping across her mouth, committing the taste to memory.
You taste the same, you feel the same, you're alright.
Nothing felt out of place but Kori could practically hear the analysis in his head.
She gently pulled away, smiling as he subconsciously tried to chase after her. "I'm right here," she murmured, resting her forehead on his, "I'm not going anywhere."
It wasn't until she said the words that everything clicked into place.
The reason he was so convinced something had to be severely wrong with her.
A few years prior, Roy's father had been complaining about his stomach bothering him. He'd sworn that nothing was wrong for months.
A week after Roy agreed to stop hounding him about going to the doctor, he was making arrangements for his funeral.
Roy would never admit to anything because of the tumultuous relationship he and his father had. Would vehemently deny that his father was his father in anything other than name.
But, Kori wasn't naive enough to believe he'd started drinking after his father's death for no reason. That he'd tried to save him at all was proof enough.
'Men and their feelings', Kori sighed to herself, 'Damn the world for making you think you're not supposed to have them.'
Roy cleared his throat, breaking away from her and shaking her out of her thoughts as he did so. "I'm gonna go make your tea," he told her.
'Gonna go cry, you mean', Kori corrected. But she'd let him have this. "Alright," she replied with a smile, "Still coming back for me?"
A smile tainted with the slightest bit of sadness spread across Roy's face.
Kori wanted to erase it but she wasn't even supposed to know it was there.
So, she dug her heels in and waited.
"Always, sunshine," Roy promised, pressing a kiss to her forehead before pulling himself away and exiting the bathroom.
Kori let a sad smile of her own grace her features as she stared at the vacant space Roy had left behind. "I hope you find peace soon, my love," she whispered, "It's up to nobody, but you, to obtain it."
She scrubbed her hands down her face before finally stripping and getting into the shower, allowing the heat to ease her nerves.
About seven minutes later, Roy came back and hopped up onto the counter.
No words were exchanged.
He just waited patiently while she showered, leaning against the wall with his head tilted up to the ceiling and basking in the scent of her cotton candy scented body scrub.
Once the shower stopped running, he pulled a towel out of the closet from where he was sitting and tossed it over the curtain, holding onto the other end until Kori grabbed it.
He grabbed another smaller towel for her hair, throwing it over his shoulder. Once she pulled the curtain back, a towel wrapped tightly around her, he helped her step out, immediately draping the smaller towel over her hair.
"Feeling alright?" he inquired carefully.
He knew he had to be irritating her with the repetitive question but he needed to be sure.
"I'm fine," Kori replied with a smile, "Stop it, you'll worry yourself into gray hair."
"I'll worry myself right into an early grave if it means being the attentive, affectionate man you deserve," Roy dismissed, looping her arm in his and guiding her out of the bathroom.
The prospect of an early grave was an unwelcome shock to her system but Kori pushed the feeling down. "Early grave?" she echoed playfully, "What, you're gonna leave me?"
"Haunt you as a ghost, duh," Roy snorted as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Already told you, I'll always come back for you, sunshine." He kissed her forehead as he deposited her onto their bed. "Moisturizer and your blow-comb thing are right behind you, okay? I'm gonna get your tea."
Kori smiled brightly, their eyes locking for a tender moment, before he exited the room and went downstairs. "What a sappy mess I am," she sighed to herself, patting her hair dry.
By the time she'd moved on to untwisting and blowing her hair out in sections, Roy had returned with her cup of tea.
She let out a sigh of content as she took her first sip.
"Glad you like it," Roy grinned, "Bought that honey from Hillary's that you like."
Kori nearly spit up her drink. "The 'expensive as shit' Hilary's honey?" she questioned, afraid of the answer, "Please, tell me you didn't."
"In bulk," Roy beamed proudly, "It's not like I'm hurting for money or anything."
Kori opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water as she struggled to comprehend what he'd just said.
In bulk.
Roy paid her no mind, grabbing the remote and switching on the tv. "Don't try to argue with me about paying me back," he hummed idly, knowing that that was the first thing she'd try to do once she successfully stressed herself out about what number equated to the words "in bulk". "What's mine is yours and all that jazz," he continued, scrolling through Netflix.
"Roy-," Kori protested.
"You bought me a 175,000 dollar Turbine Streetfighter," Roy interjected, "You don't get to complain because I spent-... as a matter of fact, I'm not telling you how much I spent. And I didn't keep the receipt, which means no snooping, either. So, say 'thank you, Roy', drink your tea, and continue getting ready for brunch."
He expected more argument out of her. But, he didn't get it.
Instead, he got a soft "Thank you, Roy," just as he'd requested.
Roy eyed her suspiciously, studying her form for any sadness or mischief. Because he just knew, in order to get a reaction like that, he'd either hurt her feelings or she was up to something. But he found no evidence of either. His eyes flitted to the tv and back, quickly picking a show so he could get back to his careful observations.
"What are we watching?" Kori asked, head angled to the side as she focused on untwisting yet another section of hair.
"How To Get Away With Murder," Roy answered, mirroring the positioning of her head, though for an entirely different reason. He couldn't hold in his curiosity. Refused to really try. "Did I hurt your feelings?" he asked.
Kori turned, slowly, to face him, eyebrow raised. 'Are you kidding me?', it said. "Which episode?" she asked rather than dignifying his question with an answer.
Roy could only smile as she turned back around and resumed working on her hair. Silly him. "Fuckable Frank Delfino fucks Bangable Bonnie Winterbottom," he informed, shaking his head in amusment. A pause. "When Frank's on the run," he clarified, "Forgot they were repeat offenders."
Kori laughed at that. "I wonder how Charlie's doing," she mused quietly.
"The fact that you know these guys in real life is still baffling to me," Roy mumbled.
"That's what happens when you actually go to charity events, Roy," Kori grinned sweetly, "You meet people."
"I don't like meeting people," Roy groaned.
"You picked the wrong profession to be in, then, sweetheart," Kori chuckled, "All you do is have meetings."
"I didn't pick it," Roy muttered, "Besides, that's different. I mean socially."
"You still have to socialize at networking events to find people to have those meetings with, goof," Kori pointed out.
"Completely mandated," Roy dismissed, "And precisely why we need to hurry and stop being a secret so I finally have a valid excuse to use you as my talking piece." Kori only glared at him. "What?" he defended, "I mean, honestly, why would I go to an event, purely for the sake of socializing, just for the heck of it? I'd rather meet the people I'm donating to. They're the ones who matter, not some idiots who want to gloat that they wrote a check."
"You're such a sweetheart…" Kori smiled as she finished up with her hair and got up from their bed. She glided over to where he sat on their bed, leaning over to kiss him on the head before heading to their walk-in closet. "But, I'm one of those idiots, doll," she finished, just before she disappeared into it.
Roy grimaced as her words set in. "You and I both know you're not included in the collective," he tried, moving to get up from the bed.
"Ah," Kori called, "You stay right there. I'm completely exposed and we just talked about your self control."
Roy sighed but dutifully stayed in bed. "Kori, did I ups-?"
"No, Roy," Kori interrupted with a laugh, "What is with you today? I'm not a baby, I can take a joke. Promise."
Roy murmured his assent, figuring she was too wrapped up in getting dressed to notice him.
It wasn't long before Kori came out of the closet, fully dressed.
She wore a peach colored half button crop cami, black ripped jeans, and green and white Nike Dunks with black laces and a peach interior. Her jewelry consisted of medium sized gold hoops earrings, a gold nameplate necklace, a gold ear cuff, and a rose gold pandora bracelet.
"Have you seen my hair tie?" she asked Roy idly, scanning the room.
"Top drawer," Roy answered, eyes stuck on her like glue, "You're not wearing it out?"
He almost sounded disappointed.
"It's being uncooperative," Kori replied, retrieving her hair tie from the drawer.
"I could help," Roy offered.
"Gotta pass on that," Kori sighed, gripping her hair and pulling it back into a ponytail, "However… you can help me with my retwist when you get home from your meeting, later."
Roy beamed proudly at that. "You look incredible, by the way," he proclaimed fondly, "… Like, way too incredible for me to let you out of the house. Go put on a garbage bag."
Kori smiled at that, hiding it as she finished her tea. "I thought you said I could take the risk because you know how to fight," she reminded.
"I've reconsidered my stance on that," Roy sighed dramatically, "If I go to jail, I can't enjoy this. Unless you're willing to participate in conjugal visits, sunshine."
Kori huffed at that, shaking her head and setting her mug on the dresser.
"You do look absolutely stunning," Roy grinned proudly, "…I just have one complaint."
Kori eyed him confusedly as he stood from the bed.
Roy appraised her for a moment before leaning in and giving her a long, loving kiss on her forehead. "There," he hummed, "Just needed my stamp of approval."
Kori shook her head at his antics, bracing her hand on the side of his face. "Miss you already," she murmured, "I love you, I'll see you soon. And don't forget, you have to get Tank in an hour."
Without another word, she walked away, setting off to brunch with her siblings.-
"I'm just saying, guys, I really like him and-," Artemis tried.
"Art, Art, Art," Cashmere sighed, "You haven't even known him that long."
"What?" Artemis questioned defensively, "You-"
"I think what Cashmere is trying to say," Kori interjected, "Is that it's a dangerous life we lead, Art. We just want you to be safe. Isn't that right, Cashmere? Cole?"
"Of course," Cashmere agreed dutifully.
Cole, however, didn't quite get the message. "You say that like we're in a gang or something," he laughed, "Kori's right, though, Art. Because of who we are, the people in our lives, more often than not, don't have the best intentions."
"This coming from the guy who popped the question to a girl he met six months ago," Artemis scoffed.
Cashmere and Kori blanched.
"Artemis, you mother-," Cole started.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Kori interjected, "Nice words!" She whipped around to look at Artemis. "Not cool."
"What?" Artemis questioned defensively, "He-"
"I. Don't. Care," Kori interrupted, leaving no room for argument, "This family is all we have. We don't throw secrets in each other's faces." She looked to Cashmere for backup, only to find him looking down at his plate. "Cashmere!"
The man in question snapped to attention. "Kori's right" he agreed fervently, wincing at his sister's tone, "Cole would've told us in due time, it was his right to." A pause. "But… since we know now, what girl is Artemis talking about, Cole?"
Cole opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Kori.
"You know," she began, wiping her mouth with her napkin, "You three should continue this conversation on your own. I just remembered, I have a meeting I have to get to. Same time next month, huh?" Before anyone could say anything, she stood up, opening her wallet and pulling out 40 dollars. "That should cover my meal and part of desert."
She put both hands over her mouth, blowing everyone at the table a kiss before walking away. She heard chairs screeching behind her as she went.
"I'll handle it," someone murmured.
Cole.
Kori shook her head slightly, continuing her path outside of the restaurant.
"Kori, wait!" Cole called out.
"Nope, nope, nope," Kori muttered, making her way to her car.
"Ah, stop it!" Cole demanded, blocking her car door, "I'm not stupid, Kori, I know something's wrong."
"You're damn right something's wrong," Kori snapped, "I'm your twin, Cole. We're twins. We tell each other everything."
She realized she was being hypocritical considering she hadn't told him anything about Roy, but this was different.
Wasn't it?
"It wasn't exactly planned," Cole sighed, "Artemis just found the ring."
"Even still, you never even mentioned that it was a thought," Kori argued, "We share everything, Cole. We share life. I'm just…" 'God, what is wrong with me', she muttered, wincing internally as her stomach turned again.
"You're just, what?" Cole asked.
"I don't know," Kori sighed, "Really freaking emotional? I don't know."
"That's your second 'I don't know', Kori," Cole pointed out.
"Yeah, because I don't," Kori huffed, "Probably just-…" She trailed off as her stomach clenched. "Just hormonal stuff," she finished, swallowing thickly.
Cole eyed her concernedly. "… Kor, you alright?" he inquired hesitantly.
"Been feeling sick since earlier," Kori answered irritatedly, though the attitude was directed at herself, not her brother.
"Are you- are you gonna throw up?" Cole questioned, "Should I go-?"
"Not if you let me go home," Kori interrupted with a smile, "So… you gotta let me go, okay?"
Cole studied her for a moment before reluctantly agreeing. "Fine," he conceded, stepping out of the way, "Get out of here."
His tone was a playful one, making Kori smile.
"I'd hug you if I wasn't afraid I'd hurl all over you," she chuckled, getting into her car.
She turned around it on and rolled the window down just in time to hear Cole gag mockingly.
"Seriously, call me if you end up having to pull over on the side of the road or something, alright?" he requested.
"Oh, so, now, I'm expected to tell you things," Kori snorted, though it was clear she was no longer taking the issue personally.
Cole glared at her halfheartedly. "Call me when you get home," he ordered.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Kori dismissed with an easy smile, waving him off, "Love you!"
And, with that, she drove off. The smile disappeared as soon as she got on the road.
She had to get home.-
The drive home was tedious, to say the least. It seemed like every light was turning red just to spite Kori. By the time she reached the house, she felt completely disrespected by some sort of mysterious force out in the universe.
She was so tired.
She sighed heavily, taking the keys out of the ignition and getting out of the car. 'Finally', she thought.
"Excuse me?"
Apparently the universe wasn't done, just yet.
Kori silently cursed her luck before rounding the car to speak to the person who had just addressed her.
It was a woman Kori had never seen before and, in all honesty, had no desire to see now. But, she was raised right. So, she spoke.
"Good afternoon," she greeted politely, "... I'm pretty sure the owner of the house is not looking to buy anything right now, if that's what-"
"Oh, no, no, no," the woman interrupted with a laugh, "I'm not here selling anything. I was actually wondering if Roy was home. Are you a friend of his?"
'A random woman standing on the lawn waiting for my shooter to come home', Kori mused, 'Not strange at all…' "I am, actually," she lied expertly, "He had to attend a business meeting. Can I take a message or…?"
The woman stared at Kori for a long moment before her eyebrows raised in realization. "Oh my God, you're Kori Stormshadow," she gasped.
'Yes, bitch, now what do you want?', Kori hissed impatiently. She felt bad immediately but her nerves were even worse. "That's me," she beamed dramatically, "Nice to meet you, doll, truly, but I really do need to know what you're doing, here."
She was running out of fake niceness.
"Right, sorry," the woman winced, "I'm just here to pick up my bracelet. It's a pretty nice piece and I have my own meeting to attend, so I need it to pull the ensemble together."
Kori nearly blanched. Nearly. Years in the public eye had taught her better than to expose her cards prematurely. But, that had truly thrown her for a loop. "Bracelet?" she echoed confusedly, "You must be mistaken."
"If Roy Holden lives here, which I'm fairly certain he does, then I'm not mistaken," the woman insisted.
Kori stared at the woman, careful to keep her expressions in check. "Uh huh…" she murmured, "And, when did you leave this bracelet here?"
The woman tilted her head in thought. "You know, I'm not sure," she said, "A few days ago, probably last week."
But Kori had completely drowned out what she'd said. The sunlight had hit her neck, bringing attention to the tattoo there.
A star.-
"Only details I really remember about her are that she had a tattoo of a star on her neck and she couldn't, for the life of her, say the word 'minimize' right."-
'There is no way', Kori muttered.
"I can always just come back later, if-," the woman began.
"No, no, nonsense, I can go inside and look for it," Kori dismissed easily, "I just need you to do something for me, first."
The woman eyed her suspiciously before responding. "Sure," she shrugged.
"My friend gave me a riddle a little earlier," Kori lied, "The answer's on the tip of my tongue but it might help if someone else says the clue for me."
It was a sorry excuse for a lie, but it was the best she could come up with at the moment. And it worked.
"Sure," the woman said again, "What's the clue?"
Kori fought back a triumphant smile. "What's the opposite of 'maximize'?" she inquired.
The woman's face scrunched up in disbelief but she answered, nonetheless. "It's mim-... I mean, minm-," she stammered, "Sorry, I can never quite get the word out. Basically, it's min, like minute, and then…"
She was still talking but Kori had completely tuned her out. "No fucking way," she chuckled, though there was no humor in it, "Kira."
The woman's eyes widened before she schooled her features into a cool expression. "You know me?" she inquired.
"Do I know you?" Kori scoffed, "Hell, yeah, I know you. You're Roy's crazy ex."
Kira was thrown for a loop but quickly attempted a smooth recovery. "That's what he said about me?" she inquired, "Because, just last week-"
"You weren't here last week, Kira, because I was," Kori interrupted, "Jesus, you really are batshit crazy."
Kira's eyes widened in panic. "Hold on, I-," she tried.
"Kira," Kori interjected sternly, "Kira, Kira, Kira… I have been on the verge of throwing up since this morning. 'I do not have time for this' does not even begin to describe how unwilling I am to put up with your nonsense."
And what did Kira take away from her words? Apparently not her irritation.
"Throwing up?" she echoed incredulously, "Oh my God… he got you pregnant."
She truly looked devastated.
"Pregnant?" Kori questioned, "What are you, nuts?" She'd nearly forgotten nobody was supposed to know that they were dating so she played the lapse off as a calming breath. "Firstly, Roy and I are friends. Secondly, I'm not pregnant, it's a stomach bug."
"Friends?" Kira mocked, "How come you've been staying at his house, then?"
Kori couldn't believe this. There was no way she was really getting grilled by a conwoman. "Not that it's any of your business," she spat, "But I'm getting work done in my house. Holden let me crash here for a few days."
Now this was a lie that Kori was proud of. Calling Roy by his last name might've been too much. In fact, it almost made her gag. But she needed to put enough distance between them that the familiarity she did present couldn't be mistaken as anything but friendship.
A perfect lie.
And it couldn't be disproven unless Kira actually went to her house and there was no way she was getting anywhere near her property.
Kori pulled herself out of her satisfaction just in time to hear Kira actually thanking God that she wasn't pregnant. "Fucking psycho," she muttered. She trudged up the lawn and to the front door, taking her key out and unlocking it. Once inside, she turned to face Kira who was still in her exact same spot on the lawn. "Don't come back here with your shit again," she warned, closing the door firmly and locking it.
She scrubbed her hand down her face irritatedly before glancing through the window to make sure Kira was actually leaving.
Once she was satisfied, she headed further in the house, towards the stairs. As soon as her foot touched the first step, Kira's words rang out in her head.
'He got you pregnant.'
Instantly, her curiosity was fired up. She tried, and failed to tamp it down.
"No, no, this is nuts," Kori reasoned, "I haven't even-…" She trailed off as her mind flashed back to the previous month. "I skipped…" she realized, "I skipped a cycle. But that doesn't mean… does it? Fuck, fuck, fuck."
She pulled her phone out of her pocket, shaking her head as she dialed her assistant. She got an answer on the first ring.
"Miss Kori," Victor greeted with a grin.
"Hey, Vic," Kori replied tiredly, "Unfortunately, this is not a courtesy call."
"Of course," Victor said, immediately adopting a formal tone, "What do you need?"
Kori's head pulsed, almost tauntingly, as her request floated through her mind. "I need…" she began, wincing internally as the words got stuck in her throat. 'Better to get it out now', she reasoned, though the logic did nothing to help her reluctance, 'Just rip the bandaid off.' "I, uh… I need a pregnancy test," she blurted, clenching her eyes shut as soon as the words left her mouth.
The way the breath punched out of Victor's chest would be comical if Kori didn't feel so sick.
Victor wanted to repeat the request but he knew this was a delicate issue that they couldn't risk being leaked. "Is he aware of this… development?" he asked carefully.
"No," Kori answered, "I've been feeling a little under the weather and… well, somebody brought the possibility to my attention. It could just be a bug, for all I know. But I want to be sure. Otherwise, there's no point in bothering Roy with this."
Her phrasing puzzled Victor. "Bothering?" he echoed, "You think this would be an inconvenience to him?"
"I know he wouldn't make me feel like that," Kori shrugged, "Doesn't mean it'd be any less true. The reality is that Roy is busy trying to save company contracts that are in danger of falling through, due to his father's death."
"Still?" Victor asked.
"Still," Kori confirmed, "Kids weren't even a thought, not with all that going on. So, this is the last thing he needs on his mind."
"What are you gonna do if the product… produces the results you're wary of?" Victor inquired.
This gave Kori pause. She hadn't considered that. Had avoided the thought altogether, actually.
Apparently Victor picked up on this. "You know what, I'm not here to grill you," he told her, "You have my full support, regardless. I'm going to go run this errand, I'll be there in, what, 20, 25 minutes?"
"Thanks, Vic," Kori sighed, "I'll see you soon."
Victor murmured a quick goodbye and hung up.
"All the unprotected sex we had in Maui and I just magically get a pregnancy scare the one time I opt to use birth control," Kori muttered, "Fuck me."
She wanted, desperately, to take a shower. But, Victor was going to be there soon so, what was the point?
With a put out sigh, she wandered into the living room and plopped down onto the couch.
She hadn't been seated for five minutes when she heard the pitter patter of canine feet approaching. She allowed a small smile to grace her features as Tank jumped up on the couch and immediately laid his head in her lap.
"Hey, Tankalicious," Kori chuckled fondly, scratching behind the large Tibetan Husky's ears.
Her face fell, immediately, when Tank started nudging at her stomach with his snout. He'd been doing it a lot within the past week or so but Kori hadn't thought about what it could mean.
Until today.
"You couldn't have warned me about this?" Kori sighed, "You've come pretty close to speaking English before, you could've tried."
Tank only huffed at her and nestled further into her stomach.
"Is that your way of saying 'I tried to tell you dumbass'?" Kori inquired with a laugh.
Tank looked up at her and smiled before turning over on his side, still laying in her lap.
"You're such a goofball," Kori murmured, stroking behind his ears, "Just like your dad."
Dad.
The word made her stomach roil.
"God, what the hell am I gonna do with a baby, Tank?" Kori groaned, "I'm still a baby. Twenty-fucking-six and already about to have a kid." A pause. "Allegedly."
She was in the middle of letting out another sigh when her phone started ringing. She fished it out of her pocket, careful not to jostle Tank too much, wincing when she saw the caller ID.
Roy.
She blew out another breath before answering. "Hey, shooter," she greeted with a smile.
"Sunshine," Roy returned happily, though something was off about his tone.
"Aren't you supposed to be in a meeting?" Kori inquired.
"Investors wanted a snack break, funnily enough," Roy chuckled.
Still, though, his tone was off.
'He sounds afraid', Kori realized. "Hey, is the meeting not going well or something?" she asked, "Because, you can turn it around if it's not. I know you can."
"No, no, the meeting's fine," Roy assured, "It means a lot that you said that, though. I just-" He paused for a moment, taking a breath. "I saw you and Kira on the doorbell camera. You were too far away for me to hear what was going on, but-"
"She claimed she left a bracelet here last week," Kori interjected, "I told her she was nuts and left her outside. I know better than to trust Kira, Roy."
"I didn't think you'd know it was her, since you've never seen her before," Roy explained, "How did you know, by the way?"
"Star tattoo," Kori answered with a shrug, "The fact that she couldn't say 'minimize' right was what really gave it away."
Roy let out a snort at that. "Well, I'm glad you remembered that detail," he chuckled. He paused, sobering as he explained the reason he'd called. "She's extremely manipulative and I was afraid that-"
"Roy," Kori interrupted, sparing him the trouble of voicing his fears, "I'm smarter than that. And fairly intuitive. I'm pretty sure I'd know if you even thought about cheating on me, so that didn't even cross my mind. Besides, you know I'm crazy, therefore you-"
"Know better," Roy agreed, chuckling once more, "I'm too in love with you to cheat, anyway."
"Aww," Kori swooned playfully, though his words really did warm her heart, "I'm in love with you too, my shooter."
"Could you come up with a better name, please?" Roy groaned, "'Shooter' compared to 'sunshine', Kori? Just think about that."
"First time I see you in years and you're brandishing a gun like my knight in kevlar armor," Kori grinned, "What can I say? It made an impression."
"You're being dramatic, I was not brandishing my-," Roy argued.
He was cut off by a squeal on his end of the line, prompting a groan from him.
"What's going on?" Kori asked.
Roy sighed heavily before proceeding to explain. "Tim's wife had to go out of town, unexpectedly, because her mom broke her hip," he said, "Unfortunately, he couldn't get a sitter for the bundle of screams you hear in the background, so he brought it here. To the meeting."
"It?" Kori echoed, swallowing nervously, "Doesn't sound like you're enjoying your guest."
"Not even remotely," Roy muttered, "That thing is not a human being, it's a demon. And it's been screeching and trying to climb me ever since we set foot in the conference room. I'm so glad there's peace and quiet at home. Only baby we have to worry about is Tank, and even he handles his own business for the most part."
Kori's mouth went dry.
Roy didn't want kids.
What the hell was she supposed to do if she ended up being pregnant?
The panic began to settle in and seize her heart before it was interrupted by a knock on the door.
Tank's silence let her know it was somebody they were familiar with and the only person she was expecting was Victor.
"Roy?" Kori began, "I gotta-"
"What's Victor doing at the front door with a brown paper bag?" Roy wondered.
Kori felt cold all of a sudden. 'Roy wants peace', she mumbled, 'Kids aren't part of that peace. And, now, Vic's outside with a fucking pregnancy test which could prove to be a threat to that peace. Our peace. Oh, God, what the fuck am I gonna-?'
"Kori?" Roy inquired, "Are you expecting Vic?"
"Uh, yeah…" Kori answered, "I had a craving for Leviathan's banana pudding, so I asked Vic to go for me."
The lie felt like acid in her mouth.
"... Alright, then," Roy replied hesitantly.
Kori opened her mouth to try to speak but another knock sounded out. 'Alright, think fast', she sighed, 'He doesn't believe you.' "I, um… I'm sorry, Roy," she apologized, "I lied. I'll tell you what's really going on when you get home, but, it's a sensitive issue, so-"
"Of course," Roy dismissed, "As long as everything's okay."
"Everything's fine," Kori assured, "I have to answer the door before Vic thinks I got kidnapped or something. I love you, enjoy your meeting."
"I-," Roy tried, cut off by yet another squeal. He sighed heavily before centering himself and speaking again. "I won't. But, that's alright because I'll see you afterward. In our nice, demon free house. I love you, my sunshine, I'll see you later."
Kori managed to let out a strangled hum before Roy hung up. 'Oh, what am I gonna do', she groaned. She was heading to wallow in the living room when another knock sounded out. "Shit, I forgot Vic," she cursed, hurrying to the door and opening it.
"Are you-?" Victor began, interrupted by Kori hastily pulling him inside and closing the door behind him.
He opened his mouth to speak again but stopped when Kori put her hand up.
"We have a doorbell camera," she explained, "He saw you through it and wanted to know why you were here and what was in the bag."
Realization washed over Victor. "Sorry," he winced, "I didn't even see-"
"That's the whole point," Kori interrupted, chuckling, "It's alright, at least you didn't have the box out in plain sight. Unfortunately, now I have to explain why you were here."
"Lie," Victor shrugged, "It's not ideal, but-"
"Tried that," Kori interjected, "He knows me too well for that. Immediately knew I was lying. And I didn't want to try another lie because I didn't want him to think I was cheating or something, especially because his crazy ex was just here, so I-"
"Whoa, whoa, let's back it up for a second," Victor coughed, "What do you mean 'his crazy ex was just here'?"
Kori eyed him for a moment. "I'm not sure there's really another way to voice that… she was here," she shrugged, "Out in the lawn. Claimed she left a bracelet here last week."
"She was trying to get you to let her in the house?" Victor questioned.
"Think she was just trying to get under my skin because she thought Roy and I were dating," Kori replied.
It was Victor's turn to eye her confusedly, now. "Thought?" he echoed, "Am I missing something? Did you guys break up?"
"Jesus, Victor, no," Kori sighed, "She just doesn't think that anymore. I lied and told her I was just staying here while my house was undergoing some work."
"Oh," Victor laughed breathily, "Well, how long has it been since they… you know."
"Four years and some change," Kori answered, "Haven't heard a peep from her until now."
"Wow, she really is nuts…" Victor mumbled.
"Completely," Kori agreed, "Anyway, could I have the…?"
Victor stared at her blankly before realizing he still had the bag in his hand. "Sorry," he laughed awkwardly, handing it over, "Did you want me to stay or…?"
"Any other time, probably," Kori sighed, "But if you're here for too long, it'll be harder to convince Roy that I'm not up to something."
"Right," Victor hummed, "Well, you can call me if-... whatever the results are, give me a call."
"If I don't pass out from pure exhaustion first," Kori muttered, "Thanks Vic."
Victor offered her a small smile before backing away toward the door and exiting the house.
Kori stared at the door for a moment, taking a deep breath before pulling the box out of the bag. Looking at the words made her head hurt. "Might as well get it over with," she sighed, turning to trudge up the stairs.
Once upstairs, she went straight into the bathroom in her and Roy's room.
"26 years old and peeing on a stick," Kori growled quietly as she got situated on the toilet, "What would my parents think?" She took the test out of the box, carefully placing it under her. "Fucking weird," she complained, "Guess it's a good thing I drank so much water at the restaurant."
Despite this, however, she still couldn't seem to go.
It was right there, almost like it was sitting on her pelvis. But the circumstances were too weird.
Kori groaned tiredly. "Come on," she murmured, "Tinkle, tinkle, little Kori. Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle…"
She winced inwardly at the chant but it seemed to calm her nerves enough to allow her to pee. She rolled her eyes as she finished up, setting the test on the edge of the sink. She mumbled mindlessly, trying to get away from what had happened as she went through the motions of cleaning up.
Once she washed her hands, careful not to splash any water on the test, she set a timer on her phone and went on to pace the length of the bathroom.
"God, I hate this for me," she muttered.
She wrung her hands out impatiently, trying to think of a way to pass the time.
Suddenly, the timer went off, making her jump.
"Never knew three minutes could suck so bad," she snorted, scrubbing her hands down her face.
She wanted to cower away, but she knew that the longer she waited, the more likely she was to get false results. So, she went to the counter and picked the test up.
It took a moment for her eyes to focus on the image on the screen.
A plus sign.
She didn't even fight the urge to vomit this time, barely on her knees and over the toilet when the spasms began to wrack her body. Her eyes rolled shut as he fell victim to the unbearable sensation.
It felt like hours before the seizing finally alleviated. She wanted to sit and cry but she didn't have time.
She needed a plan.
She rolled her shoulders determinedly and took a deep, shaky breath before pulling her phone out and dialing a number. She waited a beat, sighing as the phone was answered.
"Artemis, I need you to come to Roy's house," she told her sister calmly, "Now."