Pregnant During An Apocalypse [BL]-Chapter 302 - 303 - A normal morning

The morning light had barely begun to filter through the curtains when Hana woke with a start.

Her hand instinctively reached toward the spot beside her, only to grasp empty sheets, still warm. A frown furrowed her brows as her heart skipped a beat. Quietly pushing the blankets off, she slipped out of bed and tiptoed into the hallway.

The house was still. Too still.

Her eyes caught a familiar silhouette sitting cross-legged by the window, bathed in the quiet gray of dawn. The little girl sat so still it made Hana’s chest ache—back straight, eyes fixed on the half-lit horizon beyond the cracked glass pane.

Only then did Hana let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

"Why are you up so early, hmm?" she whispered as she padded over and sat down beside her, gently wrapping her arms around Yuki’s small shoulders and pulling her close. "Are you hungry?"

Yuki didn’t answer immediately. Her wide eyes blinked up at her. There was something different about them this morning—something somber and searching. Something soft.

"...Hana," she said at last.

The word was quiet but it rang like a bell in Hana’s ears.

It was the first time Yuki had ever spoken her name aloud.

Hana froze for half a second in surprise, blinking in disbelief. But then joy bloomed in her chest like the sunrise breaking through a storm. Smiling, she tightened her embrace and kissed Yuki’s delicate cheek.

"Yes, dear?" she murmured, voice trembling slightly with emotion.

"If... if I betray you one day," Yuki whispered, her voice small and brittle, "would you be angry with me?"

Hana blinked. Her brows lifted, and then she made an exaggerated thinking face, tapping her chin with a playful pout.

"Hmmm... I’ll be mad for a while," she whispered conspiratorially, "but then I’ll get over it. To be honest, my anger never lasts longer than a night."

Yuki visibly let out a breath of relief, her tiny shoulders relaxing.

"T-that’s good..." she murmured.

Hana tilted her head. Her voice dropped to a gentle murmur. "What’s this about, little one?"

But Yuki only smiled faintly and shook her head. "Just thinking of something... Hana, let’s go eat something. I’m starving."

"Ohhh, me too!" Hana chuckled, playfully ruffling the girl’s messy hair. "But we can’t eat before you brush your teeth, come on."

With a small grunt, she scooped Yuki up into her arms, the little girl giggling as they headed down the hallway together.

In the room next door, Yunfeng lay on the lower bunk, eyes open, listening to every word from the hallway. The tenderness of the exchange only made his chest feel heavier.

He sighed softly and wrapped an arm around Muchen’s waist, pulling his sleeping mate close. Burying his face into the crook of Muchen’s neck, he murmured, "When will this damned rut of Shao’s end...? I feel like I’m going crazy staying indoors all the time. I’d rather face zombies than deal with treacherous humans."

Muchen stirred under the warmth of his breath and let out a soft groan. "Can you stop rubbing against me like a horny beast..."

He opened one bleary eye and slapped a hand between their hips, shoving him away with a half-hearted glare.

Yunfeng pouted dramatically. "But it’s been so long... Little Yunfeng misses you..."

"Well," Muchen muttered sleepily, "Mini Yunfeng in my stomach doesn’t allow that anymore."

Yunfeng blinked, then let out a laugh, rolling onto his back.

"Pffft—you’re blaming the baby now?"

Muchen huffed and rolled over, pulling the blanket over his shoulder.

Yunfeng propped himself up on one elbow and gazed out the half-open window. The sun hadn’t risen yet, but golden rays peeked shyly along the horizon, soft and ethereal.

It was too calm.

Too still.

Muchen reached behind and tugged Yunfeng back into his arms, burying his face into his chest. "Hey... how long do you think I’ll be pregnant for?"

Yunfeng blinked down at him and grinned. "Maybe for two years. Like an elephant."

"Come on—be serious." Muchen lightly smacked his chest, but there was no real force behind it.

"Okay, okay." Yunfeng exhaled, stroking the soft curve of Muchen’s spine. "From what I’ve read, omegas usually carry for longer—anywhere from nine to eleven months. Some say omega babies take longer, like eleven months, but alpha babies are faster—maybe eight or nine."

Muchen listened intently, nodding against his chest. "What about beta babies?"

"I think they’re more like standard pregnancies—around nine months?" Yunfeng shrugged. "I’m not too sure, there’s not a lot of research on beta-omega couples."

Muchen gazed up at the bunk above them, his expression thoughtful.

"I hope our child’s a beta."

Yunfeng frowned. "Why?"

Muchen’s voice dropped, soft and laced with sadness. "I don’t want them to suffer through heat or rut or any of that pain. I just want them to live a happy, quiet life. No cycles, no biological urges... just peace. Just joy."

Yunfeng went quiet.

He took Muchen’s hand in his and traced their joined fingers with his thumb. What Muchen said made too much sense. In this chaotic, crumbling world, a rut or heat could be dangerous—crippling, even. A vulnerability no child should be born with. If possible, he too wanted their child to grow up without that burden.

But the truth was, the baby’s gender—or secondary gender—wasn’t something they could control.

Even if the child was born omega or alpha, they’d love them.

And they’d protect them.

Smiling faintly, Yunfeng leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to Muchen’s forehead.

"I promise you this," he whispered. "No matter what, I’ll always be there for you and for our baby. Whether they’re omega or alpha or beta... I’ll make sure they grow up happy and safe. They won’t even know what fear is."

Muchen giggled under his breath. "Yes, yes. Baby daddy."

Yunfeng chuckled and gently pushed Muchen onto his back, making sure he was tucked in comfortably. "Sleep more. I’ll make breakfast."

He pressed a soft kiss to his mate’s cheek. Then he paused... and kissed him again. Once on the cheek. Once on the forehead. Then on the ear, until they turned flushed and pink.

"Yunfeng!" Muchen cried, embarrassed.

"Okay, okay, I’m going," Yunfeng grinned as he backed away, mumbling to himself, "Why are you so damn cute..."

Muchen watched him leave and giggled, pulling the blanket closer around his face.

His free hand drifted down to his stomach, rubbing slow, tender circles over the small bump that had begun to form. He could feel the warmth of life, the faintest sense of connection.

"You’re growing so fast," he whispered with a smile. "Or maybe I just have digestive issues..."

He chuckled to himself and gently closed his eyes.

"Either way... your daddies love you so, so much, dear. I hope you come into this world safe and sound."

Yunfeng stepped into the kitchen quietly. The moment he crossed the threshold, he paused—his sharp eyes catching the way Yuki froze mid-movement. The girl was standing by the sink, a small bunch of dandelion leaves in her hand, but her shoulders stiffened and her fingers clenched the rim of the plate as if it were the only thing anchoring her to the ground.

Hana, standing beside her, turned just in time to spot her brother’s expression shift slightly. His eyes softened, and without commenting on the tension, he simply strode past them with a small nod.

"Morning," he muttered, opening the overhead cabinet.

"Morning," Hana chirped in return, deliberately cheerful. "We’re making dandelion leaf soup, aren’t we yuki."

Yuki stayed silent, her body slowly relaxing only when she saw Yunfeng walking toward the shelf by the counter instead of toward her.

He opened a can of corn with a small hiss of metal and popped the lid, grabbing two more and setting them on the counter. "I figured you’d want some of these in the soup," he said casually, glancing over his shoulder at Hana.

"You know me too well," she chuckled, then went back to stirring the pot on the stove. The faint scent of tomatoes and dried herbs filled the air, warm and homely.

Yuki cautiously took a step back and sat down at the small breakfast table, silently watching Yunfeng as he prepared the ingredients.

She hadn’t seen him since the night before. Her stomach had been twisting into knots ever since—caught between fear and guilt. But he wasn’t looking at her with that same terrifying glare now. That made her even more unsure of what he was thinking.

Yunfeng finished pouring the corn into a small bowl and placed it by the cutting board. Without looking at her, he finally spoke, "You sleep okay?"

The question made Yuki blink in confusion. It took her a second to realize it was even directed at her.

"...Yes," she whispered.