Jervis sat perched on the old couch of his partner's cozy apartment, fingers tapping anxiously against the chenille fabric, his posture stiff from barely-controlled anxiety. The room was warm, welcoming—so very them—but the air felt strangely heavy, thick with an unspoken tension that had been present since earlier that day at the Wayne Enterprises lab.

Something was wrong.

He had sensed it in the way they had been quieter than usual, their responses distracted, their expression weighed down with something... troubling. And then, just before the end of their shift, they had turned to him with that look—a tired, almost queasy sort of worry—and asked him to come home with them.

"There’s something important we need to talk about, Jervis."

Those words had settled like lead in his chest, digging deeper with every passing second. Jervis swallowed hard, his pulse drumming beneath his collar. He had gone over every interaction they’d had recently, every conversation, every touch, every kiss. Had he done something wrong? Had his affections become too overbearing? Or perhaps not enough?

No, no, surely not—Jervis had been careful. He always made sure to keep them happy, to be the perfect partner, to earn their love.

Yet the uncertainty gnawed at the blond older man, sending cold sweat trickling down his temple. He wiped it away with a shaky hand, his ruffled blond locks falling slightly over his forehead as his blue eyes darted toward the hallway where his partner had disappeared minutes ago. His fingers dug into the cushion, his mind racing toward dark, desperate places.

Three months and two weeks. That was how long they had been together romantically. Three years, seven months, and fourteen days—since the first time they had spoken to each other at work. Jervis kept track of every little milestone, every detail. Why wouldn’t he? They were the only one who had ever truly seen him. First as a coworker, then a friend, then—oh, the sweetest of all blessings—his partner.

Without them, he would've finally escaped the cold, lonely existence that once felt endless. But now with them, he was not just Jervis Tetch, the strange, socially inept scientist—no, with them, he was in Wonderland.

And yet now, as he sat here, his heart hammering, his stomach twisting with dread, he wondered if his fairytale was about to come crashing down.

More cold sweats rolled down his temple and cheeks. His blue eyes flickered toward the closed door, his heart pounding so violently it nearly drowned out his spiraling thought. His foot tapped restlessly against the hardwood floor, fingers now gripping the cushion so tightly his knuckles turned white.

What if they were going to leave him?

His chest constricted. His breath hitched. No, no, he couldn’t—he wouldn’t allow it!

No, no, no, NO. NO.

Jervis swallowed thickly. If they were about to cut him loose, he would plead. He would beg, on his knees, hands clasped, sobbing pathetically, promising to fix whatever needed fixing, anything to keep them by his side.

But.

If pleading on his knees, if sobbing and swearing eternal devotion wouldn't be enough, well...

His mind-control device was always an option, wasn’t it?

No, no, bad thought—BAD. Bad thought-

Jervis had always sworn to himself that he wouldn’t resort to this, not with them—not with his dearest, most wonderful, most beloved partner—but if they were going to abandon him, what choice would he have?

The sound of the door clicking open snapped him out of his spiraling thoughts.

His head jerked up as they stepped into the room, face still clouded with that same unreadable expression. Jervis forced his lips into a grin—his usual bright, eager smile, though this time, it was ever so slightly wry, laced with uncertainty.

“Ah! My heart,” he greeted, voice pitched just a little too high and a little too eager to please, a nervous chuckle slipping past his lips. “I... I do believe you have something of utmost importance to inform me...?” His eyes flickered to their hands, to the object they held. He felt his breath catch.

And then, he saw it.

A pregnancy test, clutched tightly between their fingers.