Fuck!!!! I'm Having The Alpha Princess's Baby.

It was evening. I was sitting in the living room on the couch, wrapped in bedsheets like a cocoon. I was feeding myself pizza and watching TV, but my eyes were just moving over the screen. My mind wasn’t on the show at all.

I was still thinking about what happened at school today. The cold wind on the rooftop, the way Malo’s face went pale, the weight of him in my arms when he almost slipped.

I can’t believe I was the one who erased my school memories and everyone else’s. I still can’t believe I would do something like that. It felt like a story about a stranger, not me.

I checked my phone again. I had texted Malo an hour ago, but he hadn’t responded. The read receipt mocked me. He’s ignoring me.

He was really angry about what I did to him today, and honestly, I can’t blame him. I felt a pit in my stomach just thinking about it. I never thought I would go that far, threatening someone just to get answers. I mean, I’ve gotten angry before, but not like that. Not dangle your best friend off a building angry.

Then SpongeBob started playing on the screen. The bright colors and laughing characters felt too loud for the room. All I could do was stare at it, trying to remember if I had ever watched it with Malo. I searched my brain for a single image of us sitting together, laughing at the jokes.

Nothing. No memory.

It was frustrating. It felt like trying to grab smoke with my bare hands.

Princess was already getting little flashbacks of us. She mentioned things, small details that made her head tilt. But I had nothing. My mind was a blank slate where those years should have been.

How the fuck am I supposed to get my memories back? If I used a serum to lock them away, is there a key?

I was even wondering how Princess would react when she finds out that I was the one behind everything. When she realizes I’m the reason she forgot her own life. That thought made me want to hide under the sheets forever.

Then I heard the door open. The click of the lock made me jump slightly. I looked up to see Yuki holding a heavy grocery bag.

"Hi, Yuki," I said, waving a hand from my blanket pile.

"Hey, Faye. I want to borrow your kitchen, can I?" she asked. She looked tired but offered a small tilt of her head.

"Of course you can," I said. I forced a smile, trying to act like I wasn’t just spiraling deep in my thoughts. I kicked the sheets off my legs.

"Okay, thank you." She removed her shoes, placed them neatly on the rack, and walked straight to the kitchen. The crinkle of the paper bag filled the quiet room. "Faye, can you help me? I’m still a foreigner here."

"Oh... okay." I stood up from the couch, stretched lazily until my back popped, and walked over to the counter.

"Don’t stress about it. Just sit at the dining table and tell me where everything is," she said. Before I could reach for a cabinet, she pulled a big cup of ice cream out of the bag and placed it right in front of me. She gave me a look that told me to sit, and I did. "Enjoy."

"Wait, you bought me ice cream?" I asked. I stared at the container, surprised.

"Yes. I was shopping for groceries and saw banana flavor. I thought my pregnant fan would like it. You can start before it melts."

I didn’t need to be told twice. I immediately grabbed a spoon from the drawer, scooped a big chunk out, and tasted it. The cold banana flavor hit my tongue instantly, sweet and creamy.

"Thank you very much, Yuki..." I said, already digging in for a second scoop. The sugar hit felt like a tiny bit of relief.

As I ate, I guided her through the kitchen. I pointed out where the pots were hidden and which drawer held the good knives. She started cooking, moving with a kind of focused grace I’d only seen in her highlight reels. I watched her chop vegetables and start a base for beef soup. When she was finally done, she filled two bowls and served both of us.

This was amazing.

My idol, the girl I had posters of, was actually cooking for me in my own house.

"Wow, this looks delicious, Yuki. I can’t believe you cook," I said, looking at the steam rising from the bowl.

"I am more than just a fighter, I am a lot of things." she said. She sat down beside me and handed me a spoon. "Come on, taste it and rate it."

I took the spoon, but just as I was about to dive in, I noticed something orange floating near the surface.

"Carrots?"

Yuki paused, her spoon halfway to her mouth. "You don’t like carrots? I can take them out..."

"No, I love carrots," I said quickly. "It’s just that Kaye doesn’t eat them, so Paye never cooks them. But I’ll try it."

I took a big bite. The broth was rich and savory. My mouth was full, so I just gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up.

She smiled, a real, soft smile, and started eating too.

"I’m glad you like it. It’s better than the pizza you were eating, right?"

"Yes, 100% better. I love this soup. The meat is so tender, I don’t even have to chew, it just melts," I said, savoring the warmth.

"It’s good to see you like this. Earlier, you looked like you had a lot going on in your head."

I froze for a second. So she noticed... I guess I’m not as good at hiding it as I thought.

"Yeah... it’s nothing," I muttered, looking down at my bowl. "I just have a lot going on lately, and I don’t even know if I’m the problem around everyone."

"Hey, don’t worry yourself to death, it won’t solve anything," Yuki said. She put her spoon down and looked at me. "Before I step into the cage to fight, I drop all my worries. I leave them outside the door so I can focus on the person in front of me. That’s how I win, by facing what’s in front of me, not what’s in my head."

"Yeah... I’ve heard you say that in your interviews when they ask about your secret," I said. It felt different hearing it in person, though.

"You really are my fan," she smiled. "Just don’t overthink things, okay? It might affect your unborn pups. And you’re not a problem, you’re a solution."

I watched her eat her soup and felt a small smile grow on my face. The weight in my chest didn’t go away, but it felt a little lighter.

Then I continued eating mine.

She really knows how to take someone’s mind off things. She didn’t push for details; she just gave me soup and a reason to stop thinking for ten minutes.

This... felt good.

I’m glad to have a neighbor like her.