It was the middle of the night when Host found themself waking up. The comfortable darkness of the city outside, paired with the peacefulness of their bedroom just felt... warm... nice... safe...

Everything was fine, everything except for the odd sensation in their body... Host was no stranger to the heavy feeling in their belly, but it was evident that their fidgety baby had different plans than to let them have a peaceful night's sleep.

They let out a quiet sigh, realizing how low-battery they still were. Charging for the two of them was taking longer and longer every night, and while it was usually quicker when their sleep was in sync, if the baby was awake, then they often had to make sure their parent was as well.

Yawning, Host smiled as their screen glanced at where their small partner had been resting. While normally sleeping next to their head or comfortably curled up on their chest, lately Mike had instead taken the habit of sleeping next to Host's pregnant belly as if watching over them, or in an attempt to be closer to their child.

It was endearing, Host thought as they watched him breathe slowly with his tail curled up around his body, knowing Mike would definitely wake up were they to move too much. Yet, with the baby's random bursts of activity, they were surprised he even managed to stay asleep in the first place.

Host softly sighed and smiled, allowing for their hand to gently rub their belly, while another reached to caress Mike, who instinctively leaned towards their touch, his tail curling in their direction as he let out a subtle purr.

These moments of randomly waking up were becoming more frequent now that they were less than two months away from their estimated due date. They so badly wanted to hold their child in their hands and the wait was driving them mad, so the least they could do was get some proper rest.

Host had mentally prepared themself for what the birthing process would be like. By now, they knew they were having a TV baby, but nearly every doctor had told them that their child was significantly smaller than average, likely due to their hybrid nature that baffled just about anyone they met when they learned of who the other parent was.

At least a smaller child likely meant an easier birth, and Host couldn't help but get a smug laidback attitude about it all. They weren't THAT concerned about it... TV Darkner births were notoriously known for being followed by complications one way or the other, so the news had been a relief.

Mike, on the other hand, had also been a lot more anxious throughout the process. If anything, he was so anxious for their wellbeing, that Host almost felt like he'd be willing to have the baby for them if it meant it would inconvenience them just a little bit less, as much as Host had made their peace with the concept.

For Mike, it was that and concerns over his ability to be a loving parent, but Host had no doubt that he had been born for that role. Instead, Host was mostly just uncertain about their own parenting abilities, Mike felt like he could light up every room he found himself in, and as much as Host enjoyed their own silent persona, their social skills would leave a lot to be desired, they thought. They couldn't hide behind Mike for something like this.

But Mike kept doubting himself, even bringing up Spamton a few times, their old client who Mike had fondly regarded as like a son to him, despite how poorly that situation turned out in the end. This wasn't going to be like Spamton all over again, Host would reassure him. It wasn't like their child was going to disappear forever after a bad falling out like the aforementioned Addison.

But Host wasn't sure how good of a parent they'd be. They felt like they had known this child all their life, but that wouldn't be enough to raise them... It required love, discipline, and responsibility, all just as important...

Yet, Host looked forward to it with a smile. To raise a child with the one Darkner they loved more than anything in the world, to leave their dark pasts behind and to focus on a brighter future. Host felt more than ready to fully tend to their new client.

Tenna.

Host felt Mike's tail twirling and swishing against the bed. Was he having a bad dream? Their caressing thumb gently rubbed his cheek and Mike slowly leaned towards their touch, taking a soft breath as his tail seemed to go back to being motionless. Host smiled quietly when they saw him slowly opening his eyes, droopy and tired, squinting at them for a moment before signing a "Is everything alright?" to which Host nodded in response.

Mike closed his eyes again, lazily stretching his short arms before pulling them to himself again. Host had noticed how he adjusted his small round body to make himself comfortable, leaning his head against their belly and quietly sighing. They felt their heart skip a beat at the sight of him and smiled, cupping their hands to hold and bring their small partner closer to their chest instead.

Mike would often protest not being able to sleep close to their belly, but this time around, although displeased, he was just drowsy enough that he lacked the energy to argue. Host did miss having him resting by their chest, but they noticed how he lazily kept his eyes half closed, letting out a yawn, likely disturbed due to being denied his sleeping spot.

As such, Host simply adjusted the soft smaller blanket over him. "Why'd you move me...?" Mike groggily asked, feeling the larger darkner caress him slowly, then nuzzling him carefully. The fuzzy feeling of the TV screen's static electricity on his head let him know that they were just looking for an excuse to cuddle. "The baby..." He mumbled, "Did they move...?"

Host simply nodded, noticing as Mike's tail began to swish again, this time in excitement.

"Didn't you feel it?" Host signed, tilting their head with a curious expression and Mike just shook his head.

"Must'a slept through it..." He mumbled, yawning and loafing comfortably against their chest.

Host was simply smiling contently, holding a sleepy Mike's hand, their thumb being enough to fill his palm as his fingers curled around it.

Host simply gave him a dorky smile proceeding to sign something.

"Your hands look like that of a baby's, Mikey."

They snickered as the small microphone rested his head on his arms "...Hun, go to sleep..." He yawned with a smile, tail waving slightly "Maybe if I plug into ya, y'might feel as tired as I do..."

"I just can't stop thinking about them..." Host signed excitedly "And holding their little baby hands..." As they finished signing, they held Mike's hands, the implied comparison going unspoken.

With his hands being held hostage, Mike kept waving his tail, snickering "Where're ya even gettin' this energy from...?"

Host smiled sheepishly, and shook their head, releasing his hands "No no, I'm exhausted, actually." They signed adamantly.

"We got that in common, then..." Mike spoke quietly as he lay down, feeling Host reach for his tail. He loosened it enough out of habit, but a part of him felt uncertain "Y'know I was kiddin' 'bout gettin' plugged in..." He laughed awkwardly, but there was a hint of concern in his voice "You're already havin' plenty a trouble with chargin', hun... I don't wanna be a drain..."

Host shook their head, approaching to give him a careful headbutt, the affectionate gesture leaving the small mic more at ease.

Sleeping plugged in together was an old habit, and Host always cherished it. The emotional connection became quite literal, and it was often comforting to feel him so close to them physically and emotionally. As far as energy went, they'd be charging him too, so when they first learned that they were having a child, this habit died down as Mike feared that being plugged in was "taking the energy away from the baby."

But maybe having him connected just this once wouldn't hurt. And maybe they could get him to relax his nerves as well. They adjusted to go back to sleep, and slowly plugged the smaller Darkner's tail under the power button on their chest, the familiar sensation of Mike's essence becoming part of their own began to fill their chest with warmth and they saw him looking down.

Rather than relaxed, despite still being in a loafing position, there was a tense expression on Mike's face. Host could feel his nerves crawling up them and quickly signed a "What's wrong?", to which Mike gave them a concerned look, his plugged tail swishing ever so slightly as if he was finding the words to say.

"...Does this feel... different...?" He placed a hand on the side of his head and another on his stomach "Somethin's off."

Host was confused at first, before feeling a sudden hint of an urge to tear up, which was surprising. Someone was overwhelmed and it wasn't them.

They saw how Mike looked visibly shaken, looking back at their pregnant belly and then at their face. Whatever Mike was trying to communicate was completely lost on them.

"Are you worried about stealing energy away?" Host signed sheepishly, but became surprised when Mike shook his head, sitting up.

"N-No, it's 'cause I... I feel..." He looked worried at them "Huh..." His words left him, replaced by his signing towards his own body, in an exasperated mix of confused gestures and signs.

For a moment, Host looked shocked, before letting out a full-hearted broken glitchy cackle, which immediately got them to start coughing, the giggling not stopping as they messily and quickly signed. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU FEEL PREGNANT?!" Their coughing died down as they kept snickering.

"HOST, I'M SERIOUS!" Mike protested but their joy was just so contagious as a smile also crawled to his face. It was a scary sensation, he wasn't quite sure what he was feeling, but it wasn't just Host's body that he was sensing.

Extending his tail a bit, he backed closer to their belly, leaning his head against it as if trying to sense something. "I... I think I... I feel them... Heh... Heheh! Host hun, I can feel 'em!" He laughed embarrassedly as Host sat up, still trying to control their laughter.

"You still wanna have the baby for me?" They teased, to which the microphone quickly shook his head.

"Ain't happenin'. ...I get why ya've been so excited now! I thought I was excited before, but now..."

"Don't get into a feedback loop, my love... Your smile always gets me so excited..." Host signed back, snickering. Mike was picking up on their excitement, which in turn got Host to pick up on his, and it would loop back around to a joy overload if not kept in check.

Realizing this cycle, Mike took a moment to take a deep breath, his arms were wrapped around their belly, but his eyes were fixated on Host, expression completely enamoured. Host's expression was similar, looking at him with a blush on the sides of their screen as they got flustered.

"I love you... I love Tenna... I love our family!" Mike began to enthusiastically state as Host placed their hands on the side of their face, smiling flustered "And!" Mike continued "You're gonna be a GREAT parent! The best!"

Host snickered embarrassed and gave a dismissive gesture "Let me guess... You feel it in your heart?" They signed teasingly but there was a certain fondness in their movement.

"Always! Ain't that the way, hun?" He gave them a warm smile, then shifted his focus back to their belly "They feel... small..."

"They're a baby, Mikey..." Host snickered as the small Darkner remained focused, getting them to start feeling curious "...You can actually tell?" They signed.

Mike glanced at them and nodded without a word, seeming to be focusing on the sensation "...I wanna hold 'em... I... I might actually be able to... i-if they're this... tiny..." He paused for a bit "Ya feelin' a tail in there somewhere?"

Host looked surprised and tilted their head "Tail? What do you mean?"

"A tail..." Mike seemed focused, his own tail curling as he listened "I feel like the kid's got a tail..."

With this, Host just made themself comfortable, flushing as they fiddled with their thumbs "...You're not pranking me, are you...?" They signed worriedly, getting a surprised look from Mike.

"Oh honey, no! Was it comin' across like that?" He seemed apologetic with this "I could be wrong... S'been a while since we've done this..."

Host quietly nodded, their hand resting where his cord had been connected, "I don't have a tail..." They smiled sheepishly "Neither do any TVs, Mikey. Tenna is a TV like me... Are you sure you're not getting excited and sensing yours?"

"Heh... Maybe." He smiled thoughtfully "I just feel... somethin'..."

"Do you love them as much as I do...?"

"Of course! What kinda question is that?" He snickered, getting Host to grin as well "Tail or no tail, doesn't matter..."

Host nodded and saw him let out a sigh as he snuggled against their belly, Host could feel his initial anxiety fading away and took a deep breath.

"You're even more tired than I am..." Mike mumbled "You weren't kiddin' about being exhausted..."

Host chuckled and waved dismissively "I'm fine..." they signed, letting out a yawn that immediately betrayed their statement. They could tell that Mike was making an active effort to keep himself awake, but it was getting harder and harder to keep his eyes open.

Host smiled lovingly, signing "sleep" at him, to which Mike nodded, closing his eyes once more. They could feel the warmth of his body on their chest, but the microphone had chosen to rest his head against their belly once more as if listening in.

Host could sense his longing, as unbearable as their own, yet, Mike still smiled all the way. Host could sense it all, including his love for them, and how earnest he felt about it. It really had been such a long time since they stayed connected like this, and their heart pounded for him as well.

Mike slightly opened his eyes when he felt Host's hand on his back, and as he looked back at them, they smiled flustered with a blush as they pat the spot next to their chest, beckoning him. He blushed and seemed hesitant at first, but smiled, grabbing his blanket and approaching them, making himself comfortable and laying down as Host curled around him.

But yet, as they did this, he could sense a growing tension in the TV's body as their hands wrapped around him.

"Honey... What's wrong...?" Mike murmured, hearing a quiet sniffling from his larger partner who shook their head with a smile "No, you're scared... I know how worked up ya get in your mind, I don't need to be connected to tell..."

Instead, Host just held him against their chest, not responding, and Mike quickly understood that they didn't want to talk.

"Tell me it's going to be alright..." Host muttered in the quietest whisper their croaky broken voice could allow them.

"I know it's going to be alright..." Mike's voice softened, "You'll be fine... Tenna's a tiny kid... I promise I'll be with you no matter what, every step of the way..." He placed his hand on theirs, looking up at them "...Okay?"

Host just glanced down with static tears on the sides of their screen and nodded with a smile, holding his arms carefully.

"The kid loves ya... And I love you too..." He smiled brightly "...How much do you wanna bet they'll have a tail? I'm serious, we're gonna settle this."

"...?" Host looked surprised then signed, chuckling quietly "No tail..."

"I'm tellin' ya. I feel a tail..." He laughed quietly, his tail curling excitedly "They're half microphone, they're allowed to have one!"

But Host just snickered, shaking their head "They're a TV, so no tail."

"And what about half-mic ones?"

But Host shook their head again, repeating their sign "No tail. No."

"Come on, whaddya got against tails anyway?" Mike laughed, "It'd be cute..."

"It would..." Host flushed, then nodded quietly "I just hope their screen isn't broken like mine..." They signed, getting Mike to smile sadly.

"I suppose only time will tell, hun..."

"And I'm SO tired of waiting!" Host signed to a sleepy Mike.

"We both are, honey..." He yawned.

"If they have a tail... Can I connect them to my chest? Even if they're a TV?"

"Uhm..." He drowsily spoke, "I dunno, hun..."

"You're the one saying they have a tail! I'm curious..."

"Heheh... We'll see... Unless ya know any TV-microphone hybrids out there... Our kid's one of a kind..."

Host smiled at the thought and nodded, their hand absently caressing Mike who was almost off to sleep once more.

"You should get some sleep too, hun..." He murmured, drowsily glancing at them while Host nodded.

They made themself comfortable as Mike snuggled against their chest. As nervous and excited as Host had been, the exhaustion was soon catching up with them, and glancing at their tiny partner, comfortably curled against them only made them all the more drowsy, their screen dimming as they too fell back asleep.

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