Valerian is pregnant.

Sebastian sat on the bed, his mind churning with unanswered questions. Valerian had already left with them. He hadn't said a word.

His behavior had been strange lately—more anxious, more withdrawn. He barely spoke, barely ate, and now, he had just left without a single explanation.

Something was wrong.

Lost in thought, Sebastian stood up, but in doing so, his foot accidentally hit the small waste bin beside the nightstand, knocking it over. Papers spilled onto the floor, but amid the crumpled sheets, something else caught his eye.

A small, white stick.

Frowning, he bent down, picking it up. It was unfamiliar—something he had never seen before. His fingers tightened around it as curiosity took over.

---

Back at Dave's House

The drive had been quiet. Valerian barely spoke, lost in his own thoughts as he sat in the backseat. When they arrived, Dave gently helped him out of the car, leading him inside.

"Come on, let's get you comfortable," Dave murmured, guiding Valerian to the bed. He helped him lie down before pulling the blanket over him.

Kelvin leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching silently.

Valerian clutched the sheets, his voice barely above a whisper. "What now?"

Dave sighed, pulling out his phone. "Now, we call Rihanna and figure out what to do next."

As the phone rang, Kelvin moved to sit at the edge of the bed, his expression unreadable. They already knew Valerian was pregnant—that wasn't the surprise. They had come to pick him up because he had called Dave, panicked and unsure of what to do.

The moment the call connected, Rihanna's voice came through. "Dave?"

"It's positive," Dave said immediately.

A brief pause, then she sighed. "I knew it would be. Okay, so what's the plan?"

Dave glanced between Valerian and Kelvin. "That's what we're trying to figure out. Should we call your grandma, or get a private doctor?"

Rihanna hummed in thought. "A private doctor would be faster and more discreet. My grandma might take a day or two to get here, but she's the one we really need."

Dave ran a hand down his face. "That's the problem. We need to decide fast."

Kelvin finally spoke. "We'll get a private doctor first. That way, we can settle the small things before your grandma arrives."

"Good," Rihanna agreed. "I'll send the contact of a trusted doctor. Keep me updated."

Dave ended the call, tossing his phone onto the nightstand. "Alright. First step, private doctor. Then, we figure out the rest."

Valerian remained silent, his grip on the blanket tightening.

His mind kept screaming at him to stay calm, but he wasn't sure he could listen. Because all he could think about was what would happen when Sebastian found out.

God.

---

Back at Sebastian's House

Still holding the strange stick, Sebastian pulled out his phone, opened Google Lens, and snapped a picture of it. Within seconds, search results popped up.

His eyes scanned the screen.

Pregnancy Test.

His brows furrowed. Pregnancy test? Why would something like this be in his room? Only two people lived in this house—him and Valerian.

Both male.

His breath hitched.

But Valerian… Valerian was different.

His gaze flickered between the stick in his hand and the article explaining what the symbols meant.

He looked again.

A plus sign.

Positive.

Sebastian's heart stopped.

His grip tightened on the test as he reread the words, trying to piece them together.

Positive.

Pregnant.

His stomach twisted. His mind raced.

Valerian… is pregnant?

Valerian is pregnant.

And he hadn't told him.

A sharp, bitter laugh escaped his lips. He felt sick. Sick that he had to find out like this. Sick that Dave and Kelvin had known before him. Sick that Valerian—of all people—had kept this from him.

So this is how it is? Valerian chose not to tell him? He, who was responsible for the child growing inside him? He, who was supposed to be the father?

Sebastian's mind was a storm of emotions, each thought louder than the last. His chest ached, his grip on the pregnancy test tightening as he stormed out of the house, his footsteps heavy with anger.

The thought of Valerian keeping something this huge from him was already unbearable, but the fact that Dave and Kelvin had known? That was a betrayal he couldn't swallow.

And now?

Now, he was going to get answers—whether Valerian liked it or not.

---

At Dave's House

The drive was a blur. He barely registered anything around him, his vision tunneled in a haze of fury and pain.

When he reached the house, he didn't hesitate. His hands shoved the door open, stepping inside with the kind of energy that made the air in the room shift instantly.

He was ready for a confrontation. Ready to yell, demand explanations, make Valerian see just how much he had hurt him.

But what he saw stopped him cold.

Inside the room, a stranger—a doctor—stood beside the bed where Valerian lay. A medical bag was open, equipment set up. A stethoscope was pressed against Valerian's abdomen.

Something inside Sebastian shattered.

His breathing turned sharp. His heart pounded so hard it hurt. His gaze darted to Dave, to Kelvin, then back to Valerian.

"What the fuck is going on?" His voice was sharp, slicing through the tension like a blade.

Valerian's eyes widened in shock. "Sebastian—"

Sebastian's world tilted. Everything—the secrecy, the doctor, the equipment—it all pieced itself together in the worst way possible.

"You're getting rid of it." His voice cracked, raw with disbelief.

Valerian flinched. "What? No! That's not—"

"Don't lie to me!" Sebastian's voice was louder now, dangerously close to heartbreak. "You didn't tell me because you didn't want me to know! Because you were planning to do this behind my back! You want to get rid of it!"

The doctor, startled by the outburst, took a step back. Dave and Kelvin exchanged looks, sensing the situation was spiraling.

Valerian sat up quickly, reaching out. "Sebastian, I swear to you, that's not what's happening!"

But Sebastian was already backing away, shaking his head, his body rigid with betrayal.

"You never planned to tell me," he whispered, more to himself than anyone else. "You were just going to go through with it and pretend like it never happened. Like you never carried my baby."

His eyes burned, the weight in his chest unbearable.

Valerian's own eyes stung. "Sebastian, listen to me—"

"No." Sebastian's voice wavered, his hands clenched into fists. "I was stupid to think I mattered to you. I was stupid to think we mattered."

His jaw tightened as he looked away, forcing down the lump in his throat.

"You knew." Sebastian's voice was eerily calm, but there was an edge to it that made the hair on the back of Valerian's neck stand up. "You fucking knew." He turned to Dave and Kelvin, his gaze burning.

Dave straightened. "Sebastian—"

"Don't." His voice cracked. "You knew," he repeated, each word dripping with betrayal, "and you didn't tell me."

Valerian opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

"What? You had no problem telling them?" Sebastian's voice rose as he gestured at Dave and Kelvin. "But not me? Why? Was I just not important enough?"

Valerian's hands curled into the blanket. "Sebastian, I—"

"No." Sebastian cut him off, his voice breaking. "You don't get to 'Sebastian' me right now."

His fingers loosened around the pregnancy test, letting it drop onto the floor between them.

The small sound echoed in the silence.

Sebastian turned on his heel, heading straight for the door.

Valerian's breath hitched. He stumbled off the bed, reaching for him. "Sebastian—"

Sebastian didn't stop. He didn't even look back.

And when the door slammed shut behind him, Valerian felt it.

The unbearable weight of losing him.