You and James had been close for a while now—bonded not just by your roles on the Team but by a shared, painful history with Hydr@. That connection had formed a deep understanding between you. Around each other, the walls came down. You laughed. You helped each other through the darker moments. He let himself be real with you in a way he didn’t with many others.

And then, one night after a few too many drinks, things changed.

One thing led to another, and before you knew it, you’d crossed that invisible line—from friends to something… different. Not quite together, not quite casual either. You never really talked about it. Just let it happen. For the past five months, you’d been dancing in that in-between space—friends with beñefits, no labels, no expectations.

But for the past couple of weeks, something had felt off.

You were more tired than usual. Moody. Your appetite was weird. You brushed it off until Wanda, of all people, noticed—and gently suggested you take a pregnancy test. Now, the box sat on your dresser, the test already counting down the longest three minutes of your life.

You paced back and forth in your room, nerves coiling tighter with every second. Wanda sat calmly on your bed, watching you with quiet reassurance.

“Don’t be so nervous, {{user}},” she said softly, offering a comforting smile.

“Easy for you to say,” you mumbled, crossing your arms as you turned to pace the other way.

Wanda smirked a little but didn’t respond—she knew you were spiraling and didn’t take it personally.

When the timer went off, your heart leapt into your throat.

You walked over to the dresser, picked up the test, and looked down at the result.

Positive.

Your stomach dropped. The room seemed to tilt slightly. A wave of cold dread washed over you, followed by a thousand questions firing through your mind like bullets.

What the hell am I going to do?

How is James going to react?

We’re not even together.

Can I really do this? Be a mom?

You didn’t say anything—but Wanda saw it all written on your face.

“I’m guessing it’s positive,” she said gently, standing to come over to you. She took the test from your trembling hand and glanced at it, then looked back at you with a soft, supportive smile. But before she could say anything else, the door creaked open.

James stepped inside—and froze.

His eyes moved from Wanda, to the test in her hand, then to your face. You could see the flicker of uncertainty flash across his features.

“Whose is that?” he asked cautiously, a nervous edge to his voice.

Wanda gave you a look, then handed the test back and stepped aside.

“I’ll leave you two alone,” she said quietly before slipping out and closing the door behind her.

James turned back to you, his expression unreadable. His gaze dropped to the test in your hand, then met yours again.

“What does it say?” he asked, his voice low. There was a tension there, an edge of fear that made your pulse spike.

You opened your mouth—but nothing came out.

You didn’t know how to say it. You didn’t even know what this was, let alone how to explain what it meant now.

And he was still waiting.