[bhdire8]

Arthur was very ready in advancing their relationship - or rather, continuing, but for some reasons James was almost hiding form him. The morning after was awkward and whenever Arthur attempted to touch James, he would back off and tremble, looking at him with those beautiful eyes that sadly only spoke of fear. Over time, Arthur had grudgingly accepted that James might not be on the same page as he was, and silently backed off.

For some time their relationship was strained, smiles forced, and Arthur almost regretted having pushed this far, this fast. Had they not crossed that boundary... maybe they'd enjoy a way better relationship. He had been overcome with lust and that had apparently scared the selkie off. Arthur had tried his best to have James warming up to him again - and after some trying, he had achieved some success - at least now they became, once again, amicable to each other, and James no longer reacted as violently to his touches.

Through those days, they had travelled to some more places, settled at ports spending the night in separate rooms. Every time they set sail to a new place, James' excitement was evident and Arthur felt like they could never grow old of this.

But for the past week, James had fallen back a little. he had again started subtly shying away from Arthur's touches. THe human was worried, for the selkie also look almost sick at times.... "James! how about we stop here for awhile. this island looked quite pretty." he suggested as they passed by this cute little island, not far ahead of them to the East. Maybe this change of atmosphere would cheer the selkie up?

(LOL i started on this anyway... if you want to change anything, let me know ;))

[sipscan330]

(( that's fine by me, I'm an impatient person anyway :) ))

[sipscan330]

James had been wary of Arthur ever since that day. He just couldn't look past the fact that he'd slept with him without so much as having a relationship. It frightened him, and soon he was wondering if Arthur's advancement had been because of the discovery of his identity; perhaps the man only wanted to experience passion with a Selkie, regardless of whether or not it was James. The thought made him a bit bitter, though with time, these troubled thoughts stilled. Soon enough they were back to a sense of normalcy, especially once they began travelling again. James had almost forgotten all about their encounter, until he woke one morning feeling ill. The smell of breakfast had sickened him then, and he'd sequestered himself in the bathroom for half an hour, sick as a dog and throwing up whatever was left in his stomach. He'd denied any help from Arthur, assuming it only to be an odd bout of seasickness. It was reasonable enough; after so long at sea, the dizzying motions could become nauseous. However, his passiveness soon turned into real concern as it began happening every morning for the next week. Like clockwork, he'd wake up at four or five in the morning, sometimes too nauseous to stand for an hour. It always faded, but the pattern began to worry James. It wasn't until almost a month after the sickness began that he realized what it could very well be.

He stood in the mirror and lifted his shirt, face a bit pale as his gaze lingered on his stomach. It was once flat, with little to no real definition, but now it had begun to swell a bit. It wasn't too noticeable, easily hidden by his shirt, but the growth was obvious against his thin frame. He slowly ran a hand along the small bump, as if trying to decide if it really had grown, or if he was simply overreacting. Interrupted by Arthur's voice, he quickly pulled his shirt down again and left the room, finding his companion on deck. "It's...pretty. But actually, I was wondering if we could push on until we reach the mainland? There's some..business, I'd like to do. As soon as possible.", he said vaguely, deciding to keep it hidden from Arthur for as long as possible- which wouldn't be hard. It was a mere three day voyage back towards the mainland from where they were now. His muddled thoughts were obvious, gaze distant and not so bright. Though, he quickly realized Arthur would ask questions, no doubt he'd be suspicious.

"I've been feeling sick lately. I think it's best to see a physician, just to be safe. I'd rather not be caught sick, three months out at sea." he said pointedly.

[bhdire8]

Arthur was mildly disappointed his suggestion was not agreed by James. Usually the selkie was pretty excited about stopping over in islands, where he was surrounded by a natural environment his selkie-self enjoyed, but Arthur also could see the reasoning behind James' suggestion. He had, more than one itme, witnessed the episodes of James. It worried him, and although James dismissed it as seasickness, it still sounded rather incredible for a selkie to suffer from such symptoms - and for it to be so time-specific made it even weirder.

Arthur came closer to James. "Are you ok, James." he said quietly, looking into his blue eyes. "you have looked rather sickly lately... do you have an idea what could be wrong? had this happened to you before?" he asked with genuine concern, even reaching out to squeeze his shoulder. "I shall accompany you to the physician once we landed." he said sighing.

"So, what shall we have for dinner? we might be able to fish from here." Arthur said, cheered up a little looking out at the sea. "I don't think the fishes around had ever seen a bait - should be easy catch." he winked cheeikly at James, ready to fetch the fishing lines. "and if it didn't work out, I could catch us a few maybe. It's my time to show off my talents with a spear underwater." he said, straightening up at little. Of course he could not dream to rival James' skills underwater, but as a human sailor he was confident in himself as well.

Seeing James wasn't feeling that well, Arthur went ahead to prepare dinner. They had some vegetable left from their last landing, enough to make a decent meal with Arthur's own limited culinary skills. "James? Dinner's ready." arthur yelled, setting the table on the deck as they often do on clear evenings like tonight.

(haha how would u want the pregnancy revealed? we could wait a little longer... when James' bump's big enough he needed to do a little more to hide it)

[sipscan330]

(( yeah I was thinking we could postpone a reveal until something like, maybe one night Arthur suggests they make a long journey (like a 7 month voyage around Africa or smthn) and James immediately rejects the idea, they might argue a bit about it until James finally confesses? ))

[bhdire8]

(haha i might be thinking of something along the line of Arthur getting a little tipsy one night and started initiating touches on James, which ultimately ended with him brushing against his more obvious bump at the time... but yea that'd work!

I think ur scenario would create more tension: Arthur would feel like it was a rejection and that James was no longer interested in travelling with him. It didn't help that James had started flinching quite obviously whenever he touched him now - Arhtur would overinterpret it and take it the hard way! hmm, and how do u want to play out with this physician thingy?)

[sipscan330]

He gazed evenly at Arthur so as not to alert suspicion, expression unreadable. "I'm fine. It's likely I'm just feeling sick from all the travel...before this, I'd never even been beyond my hometown, remember?", he lied easily. Though, when Arthur suggested that he go too, James nearly jumped. "No!", he snapped, though suddenly recoiled upon realizing his outburst. "I mean, that's not necessary. I can take care of myself, Arthur. It won't take me long, either.", he said with a little more patience.

At the mention of fish, James felt the urge to vomit all over again. He wasn't even entirely sure why, but the idea of eating... He swallowed thickly, trying to calm himself, and gave a wane smile. "Whatever you want, I'm not picky..", he offered feebly, turning his gaze away.

He retreated again while Arthur took care of dinner, this time trying to block out the smell of food. He nearly protested when the other called for dinner, but instead forced himself to stand and join his companion. He said nothing as he sat across from him, eyeing his plate as if wary. He was anything but hungry at the moment, though lifted his fork and began picking at his dinner so as not to be rude. Though, it wouldn't be odd for him to be so callous tonight. That's another rather odd occurrence that had plagued him; a wildly flaring temper, which was extremely odd for the gentle Selkie. He looked miserable, interrupting himself a few bites in to suddenly stand, stomach clenching as he gagged sharply. Hand clamped over mouth, he hurried to the bathroom, gagging a few more times before finally giving in and bending over the toilet, throwing up everything. He was crying then; he was almost certain that these weren't just fits, they were symptoms of pregnancy. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he knelt, stomach churning, chest tight with anxiety.

[bhdire8]

Arthur waa taken aback by how strongly James protested against his suggestion of coming with him. It was another incident that although Arthur tried hard not to think too much of, but it still stung like a bee. And when these beestings accumulated.... Arthur thought one day that little poison might build up to be toxic enough, that he could no longer stand. But now... he could just sigh and nodded. "Alright... alright. If you say so." He forced a smile through even though it appeared bitter. "Whatever you want..." he sighed, keeping up with the smile even though he tried to keep it cheerful at surface.

Arthur again tried not to feel bad. James had been melancholic all the time lately. Arthur had abanoned the thought of attempting to cheer him up, just let him have the time and space to come out of that himself: it's easier for both of them. But he had to admit that affected quite a bit of their relationship, and the their voyages were no longer as perfect as it was...

But then, Arthur wasnt ready to call it quits. He liked James.... a lot. He wanted to try, he wanted to try more to see if they could cross this hurdle. He didnt want to just let go and release James, when he knew deep down what a perfect pair they were. Still.... he couldnt help but notice James just pushing his food around, the fish stabbed and cut, but never quite eaten...

He was prepared the food would go to waste.... but still it wasnt what he'd expected when all of a sudden James stood up and rushed towards the toilet in the cabin. He hurried towards the toilet only to see James threw up and looked very uncomfortable. "James.... are you ok?" He came rush to James' side and patted him on his back. "Shall we disembark tonight?" It looked like James had hidden some symptoms from him - he'd never seen him as sick before, not with his own eyes.

[sipscan330]

The Selkie was trembling from the ordeal, embarrassed to have Arthur see him in such a state. He waited until his nausea ceased, leaving him with an exhausted, bitter feeling instead. He snatched up a rag and disgustedly wiped his mouth, before turning and suddenly pushing himself against Arthur's chest. He relented; he couldn't deal with this on his own, not right now, not when he was vulnerable and uncertain. He clung to his companion tightly, crying silently into his chest before nodding.

"Please.", he confirmed, voice sounding small.

A heartbeat passed, then another, in silence.

"...Look, Arthur, I'm sorry. I know I've been difficult to be around lately, I don't know what's come over me. I haven't been feeling well, and i just...need you more than ever right now, alright?", it was a difficult thing, trying to let Arthur know how badly he needed his support without giving away his suspicions of a pregnancy. But he looked so pale and a bit thinner than when they'd first met, that an illness of some sort seemed highly convincing right now. Especially with his other symptoms; the vomiting, the dizzying fatigue, the delicate temper, the sudden loss of appetite. James took a deep, shaky breath to calm himself, before slowly standing with Arthur's help, moving to the basin to wash his mouth and face.

[bhdire8]

Arthur was about to take a step back, let James recuperate himself in case he didn't want him to touch him... but instead of just pushing himself up to stand, James launched himself to his chest and Arthur was more than surprised by this sudden act. So... was it that he wasn't really disliking his touches before? why would he reject him then... what was going on here?

Arthur patted James' back like he was a little child. he could feel his chest quickly soaked with tears and the silent cry melted his heart. "Shh..... ok, I will pull the anchor up right away." he nodded, seeing now that James wasn't kidding when he said he needed to see a physician.

"hey... it's alright. I'm here. sometimes you did scare me with how quiet you went, but i would not walk out of this. so trust me, i will take care of you...." he said, thinking this little outburst was from the fear of some unknown disease affecting the selkie. James looked so helpless and now that they were this close togehter, he could spot the dark circles and how exhausted he look, on top of being sickly pale. he stroked his face and pulled him closer. "there is nothing to be worried about. no matter what was wrong with your body, i will be here to see to its recovery. you have my word." he said linking their pinkes.

Arthur kept his words as he declared. He helped James wash out the foul taste in his mouth and help him get changed, his shirt dampened with cold sweat while he vomitted. He stayed by his side and even though James never requested, he followed him onto the bed and wrapped him up securely from behind. "is this acceeptable to you? i will be here with you...." The plan was to set sail to the nearest pot once James was asleep. Arthur could sail at night so that his companion could get the medical attention he needed....

[sipscan330]

James felt relieved; he wouldn't dare give away any more information, but for now, just having Arthur was enough. Still, it was that terror that lingered; the idea that if he was found to be pregnant, he'd soon be abandoned. It's what had kept him silent and afraid, though now he realized just how foolish it was to try and push Arthur away. He sank into his arms that night, lying comfortably in his companion's warm embrace and too tired to care now about any insecurities. "Don't leave.", he murmured in confirmation, shutting his eyes with a soft sigh. "That's all I ask.", he trailed, reaching down slightly to place his hand over Arthur's much larger one, giving it a gentle squeeze.

(( Again, I'll let you decide the pace here. :) ))

[bhdire8]

Arthur had stayed with James that night until he was soundly asleep before he went ahead to adjust their direction of sail, heading straight back to the nearest port. he had never seen James as insescure and in a way, vulnerable. On top of the frail physical state he was in, there was a distinct change in his demeanor and Arthur was worried about him. He vowed to stay close and be supportive, no matter what happened.

He had never seen a disease that could weaken someone as quickly - surely there was consumption, but that should also bring along the characteristic coughing... at least for now, James hadn't demonstrated such symptom... still, the possibility of James contracting such lethal disease scared him, and for the next few days of sailing time, he remained as close to james as possible. At least until a proper diagnosis was done, he would not leave his side.

They had arrived the port at high time of the day. the pier was busy and Arthur carefully escorted James through the crowd. "excuse me, Sir. do you know where's the local physician?" he asked a passerby. Today James had thrown up again in the morning, but now that it was noon, he had regained some strength and wasn't looking as pale now. Still, Arthur didn't think he could leave James alone with the visit to the physician, just in case there was some bad news...

(haha i thought we couldn't quite skip with this one?would James really visit a physician here? or find some way - his own "selkie" way - to confirm the pregnancy maybe?)

[sipscan330]

James knew exactly where he needed to go. Unlike Arthur, he wasn't a human that could easily waltz up to any doctor inquiring about a pregnancy. He knew it would likely frustrate his companion, but once they reached the market, James stopped, giving the sailor a wary glance. "I can go alone from here. Why don't you explore the town a bit? I won't be long... we'll meet back at the ship, yeah? No later than sundown.", he promised, and didn't seem to be concerned about Arthur's response anyway. He quickly left his companion, slipping away into the large crowd milling about the market. Moving on to the outskirt, he wandered down towards the seashore, brown gaze spotting two men wading about through high tide. No doubt they were one of his own; he could smell it even from afar. Selkies didn't smell like ordinary humans; they smelled of wet rock and fresh rain, and an oddly distinctive scent that lingered on their skin akin to pine. He was recognized, in turn, and explained his plight with newfound concern. If he really /was/ pregnant, he was worried...what of the baby? It would be a half-breed, and not to mention it seemed to take a huge physical toll on him already.

He was led, then, to a cluster of small cottages and homes. A settlement, consisting of a dozen or so Selkie and their mates or families. The matriarch stayed in a well-kept little cottage farther off from the rest, overlooking the seaside. It didn't take long for him to be welcomed, and soon, was asked if he came in search of refuge, as most of the others had. Fortunately, he'd never been hunted like so many others had. He'd been protected his whole life from any wayward trophy hunters. Rather, he explained his situation, and immediately the matriarch sent the others away, and got to work on examining him. The process was lengthy and thorough, mostly consisting of her asking him various questions. He laid back while her thin, weathered hands gingerly felt around his slightly swollen abdomen, just to be sure it was really located at his womb. Her expression was firm as she produced a pinard horn, pushing the end against his belly and leaning down to the earpiece. Sure enough, at roughly nine weeks, the faint heartbeat was there.

--------

James returned to the ship at twilight, when the sun was dipping below the water's horizon and staining the sea gold. He seemed slightly more relieved, relaxed, and even a little healthier. He'd been given a few jars, which contained some mysterious herbal mixture, that he carried in a satchel. Managing a smile when he saw Arthur, he headed over and confidently took his hands in his own, leaning up to press a longing kiss to his lips. When he pulled away, his face was flushed, seemingly radiant with newfound contentment. "Evidently, there's nothing to worry about. It's only colic, the doctor gave me a mixture to remedy that.", he sighed, though he was relieved for completely different reasons. He didn't dare plan on ever telling Arthur about the pregnancy, but the matriarch had given him full support. She'd promised to deliver the baby when the time came, even to allow James to live amongst them should Arthur deny the infant, and him as well. He did seem slightly melancholic still, however, as the look in his brown eyes betrayed him. "And you? Did you find anything exciting today?", he asked eagerly.

[bhdire8]

Arthur was taken aback by how suddenly James had made up his mind - and did not look back for once as he disappeared into the crowd, no longer possible for the sailor to track him down. To the sailor this wasn't a great feeling: the selkie had managed to fool him for long,a nd now he had more secrets to hide from him. Could this be something selkie-related and that James had decided he wasn't to know?

While the young man explored the area on his own, he couldn't help but sigh and felt disinterested no matter what crossed his path. He'd even ventured off to the brothels, unable to get rid of the sadness lingering with his partner/lover/companion keeping things from him, rejecting his help, but upon seeing the heavy makeup the prostittues wore, and the way they resembled nothing of James and his innocence.... he had lost all appetite and in fact felt almost nauseoues at the thought of spending some "fun" time here, and quickly moved away. strange enough, he was even feeling a slight bit guilty for having even stepped foot near this area...

Regardless of his lack of motivation, there were sitll necessary purchases required to refill the supplies on the ship. He carried back to the ship several big bags of supplies, some lemons as well, thinking that refreshing smell might be good for James. A wider range of food items were restocked as well, hopfeully at least some of those could sit well with James' stomach.

........

After, it had been just wait. he watched the sun slowly drop nearer the sea, the final rays tinting the entire sky red. It was nearly time and there was still no sign of James... for a fleeting second, Arthur was suddenly consumed by this fear that James would no longer return to him. Or would he encounter some danger? would that doctor be in fact a notoriosu criminal, keeping him hostage? rob him? would he had lost his way in this buzzling town, unfamiliar with the orientation around? what if....

All that fearful thoughts dissipated completely when he heard some noise from the ladder. he shoot up to his legs and saw James, looking a lot better than before, and all he could think of was he wanted to hug him, hold him tight, pull him so close there was no chance he would ever let hiim go...

But James calmed all that inner turmoil with just that simple kiss. He responded eagerly to the kiss, devouring James thoroughly - it had been so long since they last shared this, and right this could appear wrong in some people's eyes, but Arhtur was no longer held back by those criticisms - afterall, they were the owner of themeslves, why care about what others would think.

"James..." he murmured, parting with the selkie, he stroked his face. He shook his head silently and let out a sigh of relief. "That's good.... that's very good...." he said, again pulling James close. "i thought you'd leave me just now... j-just.. never return to me..." he said, his voice tight with the insecurty creeping through. "you're a free-spirited soul.... I was worried you'd grown bored of me..." he whined, tryignttok eep his voice steady.

Arthur needed another moment to compose himself, then straightened up again and shook his head once more. "i did some re-stocking, but nothing too exciting. this was just another port... too standard to contain much surprise. Oh, but I did bring us a wider range of food selection. what are you feeling like tonight? did the doctor give any instruction on how your diet should be for the coming few days to deal with that colio?" he asked with much concern, interlacing their hands together.

[sipscan330]

The smaller male leaned eagerly into the affection now, even slipping his arms up to hug Arthur's neck. When he pulled away, James gazed up at him with inquisitive brown eyes, a wry smile gracing his lips when his companion voiced his concerns. "Leave you?...", he laughed softly, shaking his head. "Of the places we've travelled, none are as beautiful, or make me feel as at home, as you.", he confessed softly, leaning in for one more gentle kiss.

At the mention of food, he seemed to perk up even more, stomach growling. He'd barely eaten all week, and hadn't eaten that day due to his nausea. The herbs the matriarch had given him would help his body adjust to the changes; the wild hormones, morning sickness, sudden depression, lack of appetite, etc... They would even give him more of an appetite; after all, he needed to eat well from now on since he was carrying a growing baby. "No instruction in particular, but.. something with lamb would be nice.", he huffed, lifting Arthur's hand and kissing his palm, then kissing the tips of his fingers before pressing it against his cheek longingly.

[bhdire8]

Arthur was shocked to find James returning - nay - he had never been as openly affectionate as this. From the time when they'd spent the night, JAmes had always put him at arm's length, just occasionally let it slip that he returned Arthur's affection. This was the first time he'd given clear indication on his feelings towards Arhtur - and Arthur was... flattered to say the least.

"James...." he murmured his love's name, also for the first time, poured all his affection through the gentle kiss that perhaps was not as passionate, but quite the more sensual, leaving little to veil their forbidden love - not only in terms of them being from different species, but also from their identity as both males...

Arthru was more than relieved to see James again interested in food. He was more than excited to let James know he had indeed acquired them some lamb - and looked at James almost beggingly. Before, James was so weak he dared not ask him to cook, but now that his spirit returned... Arthur had missed and craved his great culinary skills.

The next few weeks were great. They spent their time around the coast, visiting some ports and islands together. It was a change of pace where they needn't be concerned over the rough seas out there. James had shaken off the strange episdoe of melancholy and Arthur was more than happy to see an again cheerful James back on deck. He had also visibly regained his health, looking vibrant again, perhaps even more so than before, haivng put on some weight that softed his face. He was also getting a little more clingy, but that need for physical attachement apparently did not cover his body. Arthur had found that James was always dodgy whenever he attempted to embrace him, and woudl push him away even when he tried spooning him from behind.

They had just enjoyed another dinner under the starry night. Returning to the cabin, Arthur thought the atmosphere was great, he thought he could brief him on the new plan of adventure he had been contemplating on.

"James..what do you say if we cross the strait of Dover to visit the continent? it would be some eyeopening and the mediterranean would be great to see with our own eyes... think Rome and Greek, Southern France and even Constantinople?" he said rather excitedly, picturing the exotic eurasian culture. "It could take us a few months to get there, but we have the time right? no place is too far." he smiled at James who'd had a blanket coccooning, a new habit he had developed where Arthur found amusing. It almost appeared like James was hiding behind it..

[sipscan330]

Of course, as the weeks dragged by, James's pregnancy started to get harder to conceal. He started to feel movement by the third, almost fourth month, which had totally caught him off guard one day. The tiny fluttering movement was odd, but he found himself actually /happy/ for once; no matter the outcome, he'd decided that he wanted this baby, and if Arthur didn't...well, that was alright. He still hadn't so much as mentioned it, though it would become obvious soon anyway. Another odd occurrence that had happened were the cravings; not only had his appetite grown, but he craved strange food combinations, such as fish with jam at three in the morning. By now, his stomach had swollen noticeably, the bump larger than usual for a nearly four-month belly; it almost looked six months along, though James would have no inclination as to why. It was a struggle, keeping the fact hidden so long, but soon his secret would be exposed.

He struggled a bit to sit up from his position on his back, never letting the blanket fall from around him. Listening to Arthur, he felt a sudden twinge of anxiety. He wanted to leave? A voyage that far out...a few months indeed. "And leave the coasts here?..." he echoed worriedly. He didn't have time; in a few months, he'd be getting ready to deliver, and he did /not/ want to have his baby on board a ship in foreign country. They would need a doctor - /he/ had been planning on returning to the matriarch for his delivery. He felt a soft movement within, hand instinctively moving to rub over his taut belly, thankfully hidden by his swaddle of blankets.

"I don't think that's a good idea.", he finally trailed. "It's just... it's so far away, why not stay here a while longer? We can always plan for next year instead? I just...I don't think I'm ready to take that voyage with you just yet.", he sighed.

[bhdire8]

There were times when Arhtur thought James was wearing way too mcuh clothing, he adored baggy shirts and was almost always with the blanket that he used as a robe to cover his entire self. They would still hold hands, but basically they would be separated by a feet, and never again was Arthur allowed to hug him while on bed - they had a clear line between them now on bed.

The strange taste for food was beginning to get to Arthur as well - James had been an excellent cook, but lately the combination was so strange, there were times when he could not swallow any bit of it - and to his astonishment, James would clear even his share. They had since fallen into this strange state where James had put on some weight while Arthur was leaner than ever. But to not agitate James, especially not when eh'd just gone through thaat colio, Arthur had kept things to himself and never blatantly complain about anything, at most finding crackers for himself behind James' back.

It could be just him, but lately, James had also appeared more clumsy. Arthur watched James struggled to sit up and had reached out, only to have his arm freezing in mid-ari recalling how James always reacted to his touches. In gerenal, it was alright if James was the one initiating it, but if Arthur offered his help, James would usually push him aside and occasionally glare at him as fi he'd done something very wrong...

"What do you mean....?" Arthur asked, mildly disappointed but willing to discuss furhter. "why couldn't it be now? i mean, we could never tell where we would be next year. And the weather 's perfect for such travels now. And.... " he paused hearing what James last added. "you are not ready to take that voyage with me?" he echoed quietly. The hurt was creeping up and Arthur was again overinterpretting everything that James was saying. The conclusion that he arrived at was - HE was the reason James was reluctant to voyage with.

"Have I done something that concerned you, displeased you? had i not given you enough confidence to... to take this leap of faith with me?" he asked quietly, lowering his head. 

[sipscan330]

James had meant his statement quite literally; he physically wasn't prepared for such a long journey. But it was evident that Arthur had taken it the wrong way. He inwardly sighed and shook his head, firm in his decision. "I just...I'm not ready, alright? It's not up for discussion, Arthur. You..", he paused a moment, feeling fear creeping up his spine. "You can go, if you've grown restless. I understand that. But I'm staying here.", he huffed, though suddenly it dawned on him that his companion just might leave him. His emotions flared, as was usually the case, and before he knew it he was frustrated, teary-eyed as he rubbed his face. "No! It's not you, it's me... I trust you, Arthur, but there are numerous reasons I won't go.", he said defensively. When Arthur questioned his 'reasons', James grew exasperated. "I don't have to explain myself to you.", he snapped irritably, though upon seeing the hurt cross Arthur's face, he faltered, heaving himself to his feet. "-i didn't mean it like that,", he tried quickly, cut off when his usually patient companion turned to walk away. Watching the man begin to leave, James felt tears pricking his eyes, the fear that Arthur would abandon him more real than ever now. He didn't want this; keeping secrets had muddied the waters so much, it was as if they were blind to each other. He wanted to beg the other not to leave him, his irrational fear driven by the flaring hormones. It wasn't until he felt the tears rolling down his cheeks that he opened his mouth.

"I'm pregnant.", he blurted, voice shaking.

[bhdire8]

The conflicting emotions demonstarted by James had thoroughly confused Arthur, but those hastened words from James telling him to just move on without him was a serious blow. He had always assumed they had paired up and was now to be considered a party, a team, something that was inseparable, but apprently only he himself was thinking that. To he selkie, maybe they were never "one". He did tell him there were reasons, but yet when Arthur pressed on it James basically just declared it was none of Arthur's business and that was the hardest blow to him.

"Alright.. yea. You are right. you dont have to explain yourself to me... who am I really? Who am I to you? Sorry to have always overestimated myself... " he said, horrified to find his eyes heating up and was stumbling to flee from the room.no, Arthur, he told himself, stop being a whiny bitch. Man up...


The words from James was so quiet Arthur almost missed it. He frowned and the first reaction was James was making up pathetic reasosn. "What are you talking about! Stop making excuses.... especially something as..." he trailed off as the dots connected. In a sense Arthur had always treated James like he was any other human, so the first thought that hit him was it qas impossible for a man to get pregnant... then it slowly occured to him afterall James was not a human. He was a selkir and selkies....

Abruptly turning back at James, he came to his side and with disbelief written on his face, he slowly removed the blanket that James still had huddled around his torso.

He gasped when he came face to face with the big bump... there was no mistaking. He could not believe how he hadnt noticed this at all. "You are telling the truth..." he said, still quite shcoked. "This is... our baby?" He asked docilely, looking up at James as he reached ojt to rest his hand very gently on his bump.
"