Chapter 459 - 71 - Could be a child?

They left the factory early in the morning with whatever weapons they could find. Chen still had his rifle, but there wasn't much else inside the abandoned place that could actually be useful. Most of the tools were either rusted or too heavy to carry for several days, and Skyy's power wasn't something they could depend on yet. They still didn't even know exactly what his power was or how he was supposed to use it.

In the end, Chen found a solid metal pipe and handed it to him.

Skyy held it with both hands and looked down at it doubtfully.

"If anything comes at you, hit it," Chen said as he checked the ammunition in his rifle. "Don't stand there waiting for me."

Skyy nodded.

Chen glanced at him and frowned. "I'm serious. Zombie, animal, human, whatever. If someone comes at you and you think they're going to hurt you, hit them first."

"Even a human?"

"Yes, even a human." Chen reached over and adjusted Skyy's hands on the pipe when he noticed how loosely he was holding it. "Like this. Hold it properly or someone will take it from you before you even get a chance to swing."

Skyy tightened his fingers around it.

"Harder."

He tightened them again until his knuckles turned slightly white.

Chen finally nodded. "Good. And aim for the head."

Skyy gave him a very serious nod. "I'll hit their head."

The way he said it was so obedient that Chen paused for a second before reaching out and rubbing his hair roughly.

"Good."

Skyy blinked when Chen walked away, then reached up to flatten his hair again. His lips twitched slightly.

Liang Wei had already started toward the trees, one arm still bandaged and held close to his body. He glanced back at them once but didn't say anything. After last night and this morning, he seemed to have learned that keeping his mouth shut around Chen was probably better for his health.

According to him, City S was several days away on foot, and that was only if they didn't run into trouble. The main road would have been faster, but Liang Wei said there were too many abandoned vehicles and infected wandering around there. Some parts of the road had become completely unusable over the years. Going through the forest would take longer, but there was less chance of walking straight into a large group of zombies.

Chen didn't particularly like either option, but they didn't have a vehicle, so there wasn't much choice.

Liang Wei walked ahead to guide them while Chen stayed close to Skyy. Every now and then he would move ahead to check something before waving Skyy forward. He was far more cautious after what had happened in the forest before. Anything covered in thick vines or moss immediately caught his attention, and more than once he stopped just because a bush moved strangely in the wind.

Skyy followed without complaining.

The ground wasn't easy to walk on. Thick roots pushed through the soil everywhere, and the rain from the previous days had left parts of the forest wet and slippery. Skyy's legs were still sore from the night before as well, although he would rather die than admit that in front of Liang Wei after the man's comments that morning.

When they reached a narrow creek, Chen crossed first. The water wasn't particularly deep, but the stones were slick, and Skyy stopped at the edge trying to decide where to put his foot.

Chen turned around and immediately held out his hand.

"Come."

Skyy looked at his hand for a moment before placing his own into it.

Chen's fingers closed around his firmly.

"Step there."

Skyy followed where he pointed. He made it across the first two stones without trouble, but his foot slipped slightly on the third.

"Ah—"

Chen pulled him forward before he could fall.

Skyy stumbled directly into him, one hand landing against Chen's chest while Chen's arm automatically went around his waist.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine."

"You nearly fell."

"I didn't fall."

"Because I caught you."

Skyy glanced up at him and found Chen frowning as if slipping on one wet rock was some serious offense. He couldn't help smiling a little.

Chen noticed immediately. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Then why are you smiling?"

Skyy shook his head and stepped away from him, still smiling.

Chen watched him for a second before following.

It happened several more times as they continued. Whenever the ground dropped sharply or they had to climb over something, Chen would go first and hold his hand out. At first Skyy had felt a little embarrassed taking it every time, but after a while he stopped thinking about it. Chen would reach back and Skyy would simply take his hand.

Sometimes Chen didn't even let go immediately afterward.

Skyy noticed that too.

He didn't say anything about it.

By late morning, Skyy had fallen a few steps behind again. He was watching Chen walk in front of him when his hand unconsciously moved down to his stomach.

Last night...

His cheeks warmed almost immediately.

He still couldn't believe they had actually done it.

At the time he hadn't really thought about anything except Chen. Everything had happened naturally, and he hadn't wanted to stop and think about consequences when he finally had something that belonged to him because he wanted it.

But now that it was morning and they were walking through an unfamiliar forest in the wrong time, another possibility had begun bothering him.

He could be pregnant.

There was no way to know yet. It had only been one night. Still, his body had been created specifically for that purpose, and there was always a chance.

Skyy's fingers pressed lightly against his stomach.

For a moment, he didn't know how he felt about it.

Back where he came from, pregnancy had never been something he could choose. People like him were created because humans were disappearing. They were supposed to carry children. That was simply what was expected of them.

But last night hadn't been like that.

Chen hadn't forced him.

Skyy had wanted him.

That difference mattered more than Skyy could explain.

His eyes lowered to the ground as he carefully stepped over a root. If there really was a baby, it would be his and Chen's.

A small smile started to appear, but it didn't last long.

Skyy looked around at the forest.

They were in the middle of nowhere with zombies around them. They had barely enough food for themselves, no proper shelter, no medicine and no idea when they would even return to their own time. Trexa had said it might take a year or two before she recovered enough power.

His hand curled slightly against his stomach.

What if he really was pregnant?

How was he supposed to protect a baby here?

Skyy had never been particularly strong. Even now the only weapon he had was a metal pipe Chen had found in an abandoned factory. His power might be useful, but he didn't know how to control it. He didn't even understand what he had done to that zombie.

For the first time, the possibility made him genuinely nervous.

Then Chen stopped ahead of him.

Skyy almost walked straight into his back.

"What happened?"

Chen turned around. "I was going to ask you that. Why are you walking so slowly?"

Skyy immediately dropped his hand from his stomach.

Chen's eyes moved over him, his brows crunching together. "Does something hurt?"

Skyy shook his head too quickly.

Chen's gaze dropped toward his legs.

Skyy instantly knew what he was thinking.

His entire face heated.

Chen seemed to realize it a second later because his expression changed too.

"I meant from walking."

"I know what you meant!"

Chen rubbed the back of his neck and glanced away.

Skyy bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.

After a second Chen looked at him again. "Seriously, though. If you're tired, tell me. We can stop."

"I'm fine."

"You said that at the creek too."

"And I was fine."

Chen gave him a doubtful look but eventually turned around again.

"Stay closer."

Skyy quietly followed.

This time his eyes remained on Chen's back.

He thought about what Chen had just done. He had noticed Skyy slowing down almost immediately. He always noticed. Even when Skyy tried to hide something, Chen somehow caught the smallest changes.

Skyy's hand returned to his stomach.

Maybe he didn't have to protect a child alone.

His gaze softened.

He had Chen.

The thought settled something inside him.

If there really was a baby, Chen would protect it. Skyy didn't even need to ask him to know that. This was the same man who had sat beside him through the zombie fever thinking he was going to die. The same man who kept checking behind him every few minutes just to make sure Skyy was still there.

Skyy could already imagine what Chen would be like if he found out.

He would probably stop letting Skyy do anything.

No carrying things. No climbing. No walking too far. He would probably inspect every piece of food before allowing Skyy to eat it and glare at anyone who came within a few feet of him.

Skyy's lips slowly curled upward.

He would be annoying.

Very annoying.

But...

Skyy looked at him again.

He would be a good father.

The thought made his chest feel strangely warm.

"Skyy."

He snapped out of it.

Chen had reached another steep slope. He was already halfway down, one hand holding onto a tree while the other was stretched toward him.

"Stop daydreaming and give me your hand."