Mirio didn't think twice when his friend from the potion shop asked if someone could watch her baby for the afternoon. The little one was only about a year old—squishy, sleepy, soft—and Lily was always so gentle and protective. What could go wrong?
"You're gonna be great at this," Mirio said as he handed the bundled infant over to Lily. "Just hold her, keep her safe, and don't let her eat any of your slime, okay?"
Lily blinked slowly. Her chest puffed with pride. She cradled the baby gently in her arms, holding it like she'd seen Mirio hold his pillow at night—with devotion and a firm squish. The baby cooed, wriggled a bit, then settled in against her glowing, cool gel body, drawn to the gentle hum of her core and the way she gave off calm, womb-like energy.
Mirio gave her a pat on the head and stepped out to run errands. "Back in two hours! Don't melt anything!"
The door clicked shut.
Lily stared down at the child, her tentacle-hair curling up around her as she watched it squirm. The baby made tiny noises—squeaks, hiccups, giggles—and reached up toward her face.
Lily lowered her head, bumping her forehead gently against the baby's, humming softly from within. Her gel pulsed with a calming warmth, and her body slowly shifted to soften even more, as if she were turning herself into a warm cushion.
The baby poked at her chest.
One tiny hand slapped into her left breast—then the other.
She blinked. Then smiled.
Her hands melted into a smoother shape and cupped the baby closer. The child babbled, content. But then its fingers tugged at her slime skin and started rubbing. The baby found the squish endlessly amusing. The more it smacked and poked her, the more it giggled.
Lily tilted her head.
The baby's skin was warm, but its nose was cold.
She tapped her forehead thoughtfully.
Then she had an idea.
A very Lily idea.
With slow, careful precision, she let her arms and chest morph. The slime around her bust spread forward like syrup and began to wrap lightly around the baby. Just enough to cover the child like a soft, wet blanket. Not drowning, not trapping—just surrounding it in a warm cocoon of gentle, temperature-controlled gel.
The baby blinked.
Then yawned.
Then sighed and fell asleep, perfectly suspended inside her chest like a floating jellybean in warm honey.
Lily looked pleased with herself.
She formed a recliner with her lower half and sat on it, patting the soft lump inside her breast where the baby floated peacefully. Her heartbeat stayed low and slow, mimicking the pace of the baby's to keep it calm. Her tentacle-hair curled up protectively around her chest like a privacy curtain.
Everything was perfect.
Until the neighbor walked in.
"Hey Mirio, I forgot to give him—WHAT THE—?!"
It was the elven merchant from next door. She froze in the doorway, mouth open in horror as she saw Lily lounging in the middle of the living room with a baby visibly suspended inside her chest.
"IS—IS THE BABY OKAY?!"
Lily blinked.
Then turned slightly, puffed out her chest, and proudly revealed the baby sleeping peacefully in her gooey embrace.
The elf screamed.
"YOU—YOU CAN'T JUST ABSORB OTHER PEOPLE'S INFANTS!"
Lily tilted her head, confused.
She tapped her chest.
Inside, the baby burbled happily and started chewing on one of her inner slime strands like a pacifier.
The elf was hyperventilating.
"You're supposed to hold it like a person, not wear it like a BRA!"
Lily didn't understand the problem.
The baby was warm.
Happy.
Safe.
She had even filtered her core water to a baby-safe consistency. The tiny one was perfectly suspended in her breast pocket, cradled by softness, with little bouncing ripples lulling it to sleep.
Still, the elf was practically climbing the walls.
"I'm—I'm going to get Mirio—!"
But before she could storm out, the baby gave a tiny laugh and floated upward inside Lily's chest, waving its arms.
Lily smiled and let the baby bob gently in place, forming a soft nipple-like shape for it to suckle—pure filtered core water, full of nutrients and safe to swallow.
The baby latched on like it was drinking heaven.
The elf passed out.
Ten minutes later, Mirio returned with groceries and blinked at the sight of Lily lying on the floor, coiled up in her own mass like a sleeping bag. A peacefully nursing baby floated in her chest, sound asleep, while an unconscious elf lay face-down on the carpet nearby.
"…I was gone for two hours."
Lily looked up at him and gave him a proud look, pointing to the baby inside her chest.
He sighed, rubbing his face.
"You really don't understand what personal space is, do you?"
She shook her head slowly and patted the baby.
Mirio walked over, crouched beside her, and gently touched the slime surrounding the infant. It was perfectly warm—just body temp—and clear as glass. The baby looked healthier than ever, cheeks flushed, belly full, still happily nibbling one of Lily's hair tendrils like a bottle nipple.
"…You're lucky you're good at this."
She beamed.
"Just… next time, ask before you turn your boobs into a crib."
She winked and nodded, then leaned into him and wrapped one of her arms around his back, giving him a wet, appreciative hug.
The baby burped.
Then giggled.
Then snuggled deeper into the goo.
Lily looked up and whispered, "Ours?"
Mirio blinked.
His ears went red.
"…We'll talk about that later."