Wrote a fluffy little something in @princington 's Bean Salad AU verse, since I feel like we could all use some fluff. Mentions of pregnancy. Bean (Ha-Young) and Chickpea (Cece) belong to Prince.
Momma Zo is sleeping again.
She's supposed to be helping Bean with her coloring book- Appa had bought the ocean animal book especially for them!- but she's on the couch, mouth slightly open, snoring softly.
Bean frowns, looking Momma Zo over. She's been sleeping a lot. Eomma says she did the same while Bean was in her tummy, and that growing a baby takes a lot of energy. But Momma Zo had promised to help Bean with the turtle page, and she had brand new markers to try.
Momma Zo's belly catches Bean's eye. It's gotten big, and Bean can sometimes even feel the baby moving inside. But that's not what has her attention right now.
They're faint, like hers and Appa's when their feelings are quiet, but they're there. Momma Zo didn't have patterns on her before. Had Appa given her some, like she'd given Bean hers?
Bean touches a finger to one. It doesn't glow like her patterns do. Her eyes drift back to the table and gets an idea. Maybe Momma Zo's patterns just need a little help.
Bean gathers her supplies and gets to work. It's a good thing Momma Zo doesn't wake up easily.
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"Ryu Ha-Young! What on earth are you doing?"
Ha-Young jumps- she hadn't heard Appa come in. Her hand jerks, sending the line she's been working on in a different direction. She turns to Appa with a huff.
"Appa! You scared me! I was helping Momma Zo with her patterns!"
"Huh? Wha- oh, did I fall asleep again? I'm sorry Bean, I was supposed to help you color!"
"That's okay! I colored your patterns instead! I wanted to make them even prettier!" Bean reaches over to pat Momma Zo's belly, giggling when she feels the baby push against her hand. "See Appa? Chickpea likes them!"
Momma Zo's gone very, very still, like when they play statues, except for her hand. She uses that to trace a finger over one of the lines, and makes a strange little noise, like something's stuck in her throat. Bean looks up, and seeing tears in her eyes, shrinks away.
"I'm sorry Momma Zo. I didn't want to make you cry."
"Oh, my sweet Bean, no, it's not bad. It's just me being so happy I end up crying."
Appa huffs, then scoops Bean up. "That doesn't mean you should be coloring on anyone's skin. Markers stay on paper; alright?"
"…alright. I'm really sorry, Momma Zo."
Momma Zo holds her hands out, and Appa hands Bean over. Bean tucks her head into Momma Zo's neck.
"Appa's right Bean, you should be coloring in your books. But I do like how pretty you made my stre- patterns. Maybe we can get some face paint at some point and make a picture for the baby on my belly, hmmm?"
Momma Zo sticks her tongue out at Appa, which makes Bean giggle. "I'll be supervising this time. Besides, my body, my choice Ru."
Appa rolls her eyes and makes a funny grumbling noise before taking Bean back. "You're impossible, Zo. Come on Bean, let's go help Eomma with dinner. Momma Zo can clean up the markers."
Mira finds Zoey in their shared bathroom, one finger tracing her colored stretch marks, tears running freely down her cheeks. When she catches sight of Mira in the mirror, she wipes them away and attempts a smile.
"Hmmmmm." Mira comes up behind her, carefully placing her hands under Zoey's belly to avoid smuging the marker. A gentle lift has Zoey leaning back into her with a low groan, eyes fluttering closed. They stay like that for a long moment, silent and enjoying one another's presence.
Zoey is the first to speak.
"I know it's not hygienic, but I just don't want to wash it off. I… Bean said she wanted to make them prettier. She thinks they're pretty. And I know they're part of being pregnant, and you and Rumi tell me they're beautiful, but I have a hard time seeing them that way sometimes. And I know that's okay."
The tears are falling again, and she closes her eyes, letting her head fall back onto Mira's shoulder. Mira presses a kiss to the top of her head.
Despite herself, Zoey smiles. Mira knows her- she has more to say.
"But when Bean called them my 'patterns' and wanted to color them in… it just… it meant everything. I saw them like I see Rumi's patterns, like your tattoos and stretch marks. It… it made them beautiful. If that makes sense."
Another kiss, this time to Zoey's cheek. "It absolutely does. She has a way of making everything beautiful, doesn't she?"
"She does. We have an amazing kid, you know that?"
"We certainly do. And you're going to give us another one."
Zoey chuckles. "I'll do my best. Thanks… thanks for letting me get that all out."
"I will always be willing hear you, love. You are safe to feel how you feel. Now, how about we head to bed and start your moisturizing routine, hmm?"
Zoey glances down at the marker on her belly.
"Leave it on for tonight, Zo. It won't hurt anything."
"Can be washed. If makes you happy, that's all that matters. I'll avoid putting lotion there."
"I…yeah, I'd like that. Just for tonight."
Mira eases Zoey's belly back down and kisses her cheek when she grumbles in complaint. "Come on, you. Bed. I'll do some extra foot massages."
That's enough to spur Zoey into moving. She smiles as Mira creates a miniature throne of pillows, muttering to herself as she arranges them just so. She learned early on to let Mira be when she's prepping the bed- the mere thought of Zoey being even slightly uncomfortable will not do. Eventually she steps back, eyeing her work critically, before setting a heating pad atop the pillows and nodding sharply and motioning for Zoey to get in.
It doesn't take long for Zoey to relax as the heat of the pad and Mira's gentle hands ease her sores. She's already half-asleep when the door eases open, admitting Rumi, hand-in-hand with Bean.
"Someone wanted to say goodnight."
Bean pulls free from Rumi and scrambles onto the bed, nestling into Zoey's side opposite of Mira. Zoey wraps her arm around her, pulling Bean in close.
"I love your patterns, Momma Zo."
"Mmmmm. You know what, Bean? So do I."
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