There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 638: Side Story 1. The Twilight Zone - 20

Chapter 638: Side Story 1. The Twilight Zone - 20

One thing that Zein never seemed to get used to during his pregnancy was watching the ultrasound. It used to be tiny blobs a few months ago, and gradually, he could see their shape clearer. The most beautiful blobs in the whole world.

Even though he still couldn’t see their shape clearly.

"The twins are healthy and very active," the Doctor explained with a laugh as she looked at Zein’s sparkling yet confused eyes. "They are on the smaller side, but that’s to be expected. Looks very cheerful, though."

"Oh, thank Gods," Zein nodded and leaned back in relief. He couldn’t know since the blobs seemed to be wriggling the same way as the last check-up. "Worth all the back pain."

After entering his last trimester, it felt more and more apparent that his body was different; that there were other people inside his body. He could feel the weight, the pressure and the tightness around his stomach, the soreness that could appear randomly...

Just like how it felt real for him after seeing the house’s construction with his own eyes, it felt more real for him that he was carrying two tiny humans inside his body.

If only his brain could comprehend the shape of those blobs. He knew the biggest blobs were their heads though, huddled together and looking even cuter than his husband. And so, while he couldn’t comprehend it, Zein stared at the wiggling and pulsing bobs with utmost interest. Even after the wand was off his stomach, he couldn’t stop looking at the recorded footage while getting his stomach cleaned and getting off the bed.

The doctor chuckles at Zein’s dazed expression. The guide usually looked nonchalant because Bassena would be the one with dramatic responses to anything, so it was rather amusing to see what happened when the esper wasn’t there. "How are you feeling?"

"Good...I guessed. I no longer have those morning sicknesses, though my cravings have increased," Zein took a seat and exhaled slowly. The increase wasn’t just about the amount, but the weirdness.

"I see that in your weight," the doctor nodded. Zein had lost his abs and gained more fat in his chest and cheeks. He looked more delicate and somehow looked like his mother more. "Well, it’s all good as long as you’re still in the limit."

"My husband is strict about that," Zein chuckled. No matter what, Bassena would make sure Zein ate healthily and did not go over the recommended weight--even with all his cravings.

"Attentive as always," the doctor smiled. "It’s good, since you’ll need more care from now on. Expect some joint pains, and you might urinate more often."

"I see," Zein nodded, turning on the recorder in his commlink so Bassena could hear it later.

"Your body will change more drastically from now on, and although you’ve been very calm this far, I’ll keep reminding you that you should call me if you feel something is wrong," the doctor paused and leaned forward slightly, staring at Zein in the eye and made her voice firmer. "Don’t think about holding in the pain and hiding it. Even if it’s in the middle of the night, just call me."

Was he that unreliable about his own well-being? Zein replied with a smile. "I understand."

She narrowed her eyes slightly for a few seconds before nodding and started to list what else Zein needed to be careful about during the last trimester and scheduled him pre-natal exercise and education--which he would have to do privately considering his undwindling fame after the announcement of their wedding.

"I guess that’s it," the doctor closed Zein’s folder. "I don’t see any risk present this far, but we’ll still have the birth through cesarean."

While it was possible, it was more risky for male guides to give birth naturally. With Zein especially, his body was too rigid and his muscles were too taut to be flexible enough to let two babies get out through the birth canal. The standard for male guides, thus, had always been surgery.

Still, sometimes, some people refused to have anything but natural birth. Zein, however, responded easily.

"Yes, I think my husband prefers that too," he chuckled. There was no way Bassena would want him to go through anything risky if there was a safer method.

Well, Zein just wanted his twins to be delivered safely, so he couldn’t care less about the method.

"I’m glad we’re in agreement," the doctor nodded and opened the door personally. "Well then, see you on the next visit."

Senan and Cohen came over the moment Zein stepped out of the doctor’s room. It felt a bit overkill to have two executives accompany him for just a regular check-up--and Senan even had a worried face as if Zein came there bleeding or something. But both Bassena and the Iron Shield never compromised if it came to Zein’s well-being, so he just learned to accept their over-protectiveness.

"Young Master! How do you--"

"I was just having a regular check, Senan, not a contraction," Zein rolled his eyes.

"Oh, well..."

Zein chuckled and waved an envelope while walking toward the hallway. "I want to show you this, but Bas will cry if I let you see our sons before him."

Cohen patted the disappointed Senan on the back with a soft laugh, before following the guide out. Before they could leave the deserted ob-gyn, however, the hallway door was opened by a panting man.

"Oh, you’re done..." Bassena scurried over and grasped the guide’s cheeks. "Oh, I’m so sorry. I should have--"

"Sush," Zein clasped the esper’s mouth. "I told you it’s fine already."

It was the first time Bassena missed Zein’s doctor’s visit, and he acted as if he had just committed a big sin. Truly--Zein wondered why everyone around him acted so dramatic.

"But--"

"I mean, you’re away because of my cravings anyway," Zein laughed and patted the esper who clearly came straight from the airport.

Bassena had just returned from buying a confectionary in the Western Republic because Zein wanted to taste it after seeing it on the television. When he made an inquiry, it was a limited product, handmade by what they called a national treasure artisan, and the person only sold it for one day.

Of course, that one day coincided with Zein’s check-up schedule--just their kind of luck. Bassena wanted to send someone to purchase it if he could, but Zein’s cravings always required him to buy and bring them to Zein with his own hand. Otherwise, the guide would look at them with disdain and stop talking to Bassena for a few days.

Torturous!

It happened once and Bassena vowed to never let it happen again. Ayya generously cheered him up by saying that at least Zein did not feel nauseous while looking at his face--which happened to her before.

Yeah; at least Zein still found him adorable and attractive.

That being said, Bassena had a certain trauma about staying away from Zein.

"Ugh--it’s just..."

Zein patted the esper’s cheek again before kissing the man briefly. He took Bassena’s hand and led him away, continuing his initial journey out. "Are you afraid something might happen while you’re away?" he asked softly.

"I mean...there are precedents..."

From the Deathzone where Bassena got trapped inside an isolation barrier, to all kinds of incidents happening in Althrea, bad things tended to happen when Bassena was in a position where he couldn’t come to Zein right away. Whether he was in the tower, in a talk show, in another dungeon...

"But even during the majority of those times, I came out fine," the guide shrugged.

"Zein--"

"No, hear me out," Zein gripped the esper’s hand tighter. A light smile was on his lips, but his tone was firm and his voice carried weight. "I’m not saying nothing will happen. It’s just...I realized I wasn’t alone during those times when I ended up fine."

Bassena blinked and Zein glanced at him, smiling a bit wider. The guide wasn’t being hard-headed or over-confidence. On the contrary, he was getting even more aware that he couldn’t survive by himself. Perhaps he could, but he wouldn’t be ’fine’.

"Even now, your nanny is staying with us all the time, and the Iron Brigade is staying close by," Zein reminded the esper. Zein truly had never been alone during his pregnancy. Bassena was always around, and when the esper wasn’t, even more people would be there. Zein raised his hand and pressed his commlink. "Look--I already put you, Radia, Senan, and the doctor on the speed dial list. We even have that app--what is it again? The one where you can monitor my heartbeat--there."

"Uhh, well..."

Bassena scratched his neck and Zein laughed in amusement. He patted the esper’s chest and spoke calmly. "So let’s take a deep breath. The Doctor told us to be cautious but not anxious, don’t you remember?"

"...I guess."

And so, just like Zein told him, Bassena took a deep breath and learned not to be too anxious. Ludya told him that if he did not learn to be calm, he wouldn’t be able to act when something bad truly happened.

Thanks to that advice, Bassena started to be more relaxed and focused on taking care of Zein instead. He watched the guide’s nutrition intake and fulfilled the weird cravings, attended the private pre-natal education and exercise, and had fun shopping for baby stuff with Han Shin and Reina--who seemed to be more eager to prepare the nursery than their own upcoming wedding.

The universe, however, liked to laugh at them, because on a seemingly calm day when Bassena had just finished cleaning up a high-rank dungeon in the eastern sea, a red notice came to his commlink.

No; it wasn’t another high-ranking dungeon. It was worse.

I’m going into surgery soon

"...what?"

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