Eunoia

He treats you so delicately as if you’re made of something so tender and fragile, but he doesn't treat you as if you're completely incapacitated.

He's made aware by your doctor that pregnancy can be very stressful for a woman, but with the right care and support, it can be a wonderful journey that all expecting parents can come to enjoy and appreciate. So far, you haven’t been struggling at all, except for the occasional morning sickness or two.

Your pregnancy journey’s been smooth, and the doctor often mentions that you’re practically glowing with life.

With every doctor’s appointment you’ve had, Leon does his best to be present given the nature of his work, always away in the field, working at headquarters—it does hinder him from being present all the time at every appointment.

But by the third appointment he’s missed during your second month, you’re extremely surprised by the big decision Leon’s made to accommodate this new adjustment in your lives.

Leon decided to retire early from the DSO.

He returned from work one evening, carrying a box filled with papers and items from his office, and when he set it down, he told you those words you didn’t think would materialize from your husband’s mouth.

“I’m retiring, love.”

You almost forgot how to breathe.

There were so many things to consider with Leon’s decision, and you almost feel very disappointed he hadn’t consulted you or told you about this. But even then, he already opened the idea to you, even before you were pregnant. He had told you he wanted to focus on the life you were building with him, without the constant worry of being away for work, or taking a lot of time in the office instead of being at home with you.

Leon had also been planning this for a while. He explained to you that because of his years of service rendered to the government, along with the numerous hazard pay and bonuses he’s accumulated over the years, you’re basically set for life, and that doesn’t even include his monthly federal pension and health insurance, which includes you and your future kids as dependents.

Should Leon want to return to the DSO, there will always be an opening for him, not as an agent, but maybe something less dangerous like a consultant, an advisor, or a training officer—teaching anti-bioterror units, survival tactics, or just even on field operations.

But for the most part, he had traded the chaos of field missions for a quieter life at home with you and your unborn baby.

It was a well-calculated plan. Because Leon considered you and your baby for most of his decision, you knew that this was perhaps the right call for the situation which would allow Leon to be present for you during your pregnancy, and even after that. Even more when you’ve already given birth to your child. Especially then.

You didn’t want to doubt him, but you half-believed, half-expected that Leon would want to return as an agent, will crave the missions again, but by the time your seventh month rolled around, you were completely, utterly wrong.

You were grateful for his patience and love for the past six months, because he’s been more present in everything, whether it be appointments or simple late-night cravings. But he’s become more dedicated towards you and your baby when he found the joy of creating do-it-yourself projects at home.

“What are you doing?” You ask as you open the door to the nursery, finding Leon sitting cross-legged on the wooden floor, a screwdriver in one hand and a shaft of wood on the other. “You’re already working on the crib?”

You’ve only bought it a while ago.

“Hm?” Leon looked up, his hands stilling. “You said it’ll take a while to build, honey. The model we picked out… it’s secure, yes, but I want to make sure it’s all properly assembled. I’ll start on the rocking chair afterwards, and maybe you could try it out, what do you say?”

“Sounds great,” you answer him, your hand falling over your belly, feeling a soft kick from your little one. “Can I do anything to help?”

Leon instantly shakes his head. He drops the tools first on the floor, before standing up and making his way towards you. Once he reaches you, he places a gentle palm on top of your belly above your sweater.

“I just want you to rest,” Leon says in earnest. “We walked around a lot at the store today, plus you’ve worn out your feet checking one shelf after another for baby clothes.” He chuckles softly.

You playfully roll your eyes. “You’re the one who indulges me, Leon. We basically brought home at least fifteen bags from earlier.”

“Hey, I just want to be prepared for our little girl.” he rubs delicate circles over the top of your belly. “Plus, remember that pinterest board you showed me with a ton of do-it-yourself-ers? That’s basically my entire to-do list right now.”

You can’t help but laugh softly. “Well you don’t have to make all of them, you know. I just have a few I want to have for our baby.” You explain.

“Well tell me all of them, and you’ll have them as soon as possible.” Leon promises, planning a soft kiss at the top of your head. “But for now, get some rest, okay? I’ll call you when the rocking chair’s done so you can try it.”

“Okay.”

You watch as he returns to his earlier spot, this time with more focus than you’ve ever seen, and he’s just attaching pieces of wood together. It endeared your heart to see him this dedicated. You love him more for it.

—

One evening, you wake up with the urge to pee. You open your eyes, adjusting to the dim light in your bedroom. When you turn to the side, you’re quite surprised to see that Leon’s awake at this hour, holding his tablet while he scrolls with his finger. He’s wearing his glasses, and when you stir, he looks at you immediately.

“Hey… do you need anything?” He sets the tablet down, turning towards you. “Water? A snack? A back rub?”

You shake your head, pushing yourself up to sit down. “No, I’m okay… I just need to pee. Why are you still up?”

“I’m on these parenting forums. Just reading a couple stuff, nothing too fancy. I’ve been looking at DIY projects too… I saw this portable diaper caddy and also a playpen, but I’m thinking I should start installing baby monitors first.”

You blinked, too sleepy to comprehend much of what he’s telling you right now. But you know he’s excitedly (although subtly) rambling on about the baby projects he’s been planning on making, and you know he’s got a list somewhere that includes all the things he wants to prepare before the baby arrives.

He continues, his voice focused but also intrigued. “I also read somewhere about how to install baby monitors the right way so their signal doesn’t get jammed. I’ll work on it later.”

You lean down to kiss his cheek. “Mmm… you’re such a handyman.” You murmur. “But don’t lose sleep over it, ‘kay? I’ll be down to help you later in the morning if—”

“No, baby… you just need to rest, yeah? Let me handle the woodwork and the heavy lifting. I want to do this, so please, let me?” He looks at your eyes, almost insisting, if not subtly pleading for you to let him be with his creative ambitions.

You chuckle sleepily, before nodding. “Hmm… okay, if you’re sure. But if I want something done, you better make sure you’re doing it,” you tease him.

Leon nods, smiling at you before pecking your lips. “What my wife wants, she will get. And that goes for our baby too.”

With that thought in mind, he returns to scrolling through online parenting and baby forums and even pinterest, even as he struggles to navigate it. You, on the other hand, waddle to the bathroom so you could use the toilet.

When you return and climb onto the bed, you merely kiss his cheek before you lie down again, this time, snuggling close to him, even as he stays awake, his mind alert and working more than ever.

He’s already bookmarked a couple websites, and later, he’s set to work on the baby monitors and he’s going to double check the hinges on the crib.

He’s not an overexcited dad-to-be, isn’t he?

He doesn’t think so.

—

After he installs the baby monitor, he tests it multiple times, going in every room inside the house because he wants to make sure that the signal works everywhere, even in the basement or outside in the backyard.

He’s also mounted blackout curtains in the nursery for the baby, since he read somewhere that babies sleep better in darker rooms. He used thicker curtain rods to make sure they’re locked into place.

The crib has been successfully assembled, and even the rocking chair you bought a few days ago sits still by the window of the nursery. Slowly but surely, the room is starting to come alive with the preparations you’ve been making, especially Leon, who insists on assembling everything so you don’t have to lift a finger.

The next time you find your husband working on a project, you see him in the backyard, smoothing and polishing off pieces of wood. You bring him a glass of iced tea, setting it on a nearby table before walking towards him.

Leon is shirtless, only wearing his jeans and boots, and you can see the veins in his arms and the muscles of his chest and abdomen in broad daylight. The sight makes your tummy flutter. He’s always been this attractive to you, but right now, it’s just messing with your hormones just a bit.

“Hey there handsome,” you greet, bringing him the glass of iced tea. “You’re working pretty hard… what are you making?”

Leon smiles as soon as he sees you approaching, and he sets down his tools before wiping his hands with a rag. “Hey yourself, beautiful. I’m just working on the dresser you showed me the other day. Figured you’d need some place to put baby clothes in. I’m just makin’ sure it won’t splinter or anything.”

“You know you don’t actually have to build everything I show you,” you say to him with a smile.

Leon polished another piece before tossing it slightly onto the table.

“Too late.”

You chuckle at him. “Well here’s something for you since you’ve been out all day here,” you hand him the glass, your eyes ogling his shoulders, his arms, his happy trail… but you catch yourself. “I made you iced tea.”

“Mhmm… thank you, angel. You’re so sweet to me.” Leon takes the beverage from you, sipping from it before he groans. “Now that’s nice.”

“You deserve it, after the hard work you’ve been putting into the nursery, the dresser, even the crib and the rocking chair and so much more,” you answer him, standing on your tip toes to plant a soft kiss to his cheek. “Thank you, honey.”

“Don’t mention it, baby. For you and our little girl, I would build anything.”

“Just don’t overdo it okay?” You remind him gently. “I don’t want you straining yourself.”

You know he isn’t straining himself. You know this is what he needs after he retired from the DSO. You know Leon’s changed his purpose in life, from saving those around him from evil, to making sure your baby has the best life possible, and that you’re comfortable and safe at every stage of your pregnancy, and even after that.

“The only strain I’ll be doing around here is when my neck hurts from looking at you all day.”

—

By your eighth month into your pregnancy journey, Leon has successfully babyproofed your entire house.

He has installed outlet covers, cabinet locks, furniture anchors, and even corner guards on tables, which are all essential in making sure your home is safe and sound for a baby coming soon.

You watch him pour hours into every project, and he’s been rather thorough in reading safety guidelines for the furniture you bought, and even the other electronic devices that you will be using for the baby’s arrival. The nursery was ready—and Leon checked it everyday to see if he had missed something, which he hadn’t. He had basically memorized the layout of the nursery, of where you placed the items and all that whatnot.

He was attaching a few shelves to the walls which he made himself without breaking a sweat. You showed him a tiktok video of it the other day, something with a cream color with hooks to where you can hang the baby’s outfit for the day, and other items.

Pushing the door gently, you lean against the doorframe, you and that belly of yours that protrudes every shirt you have. A sliver of skin peeks from underneath the fabric of one of Leon’s old, smaller shirts that you love wearing because it smells like him, and it’s so much comfier.

You fold your arms across your chest, waiting for Leon to finish adjusting the shelves and decorating them with a small, pink stuffed animal and some baby books you bought last week, something about baby ducks and baby bears and the stars that twinkle high in the sky.

“Looks good in here,” you muse at him, your lips curling into a delicate smile. “Are you almost done there, honey?”

Your eyes scan the room, taking in the shelves, the dresser he’s made, the changing table he assembled along with a bunch of other small furniture. There’s the rocking chair and the crib, and the rug that he insisted he wash thoroughly to make sure it didn’t bring any outside bacteria in the nursery.

The milk bottles are ready, along with diapers and baby wipes that you have stashed underneath the changing table, inside its compartment. Baby clothes are folded neatly inside the dresser, and even your breast pump has been tinkered around with by Leon, making sure it won’t make you feel uncomfortable.

The only thing missing is your baby, who will arrive soon in just a couple of weeks.

Your eyes fall onto Leon once more. His brows are furrowed in concentration, hands adjusting the shelves until they are at least zero degrees flat. Then, he turns towards you, his expression softening as he sees you, especially in his shirt.

“Hey angel,” he cooed, dusting his hands off his jeans before walking towards you. Leon embraces you then, burying his face into your neck, inhaling deeply. “How are my favorite girls doin’, hm?”

“We’re okay, we just miss daddy,” you answer softly, taking one of his hands and leading them to your tummy. Your baby is clearly kicking. “We’ve been waiting for you since a while ago.”

Leon pulls away, lightly apologetic. “Sorry baby, I got distracted, just wanted to put up these shelves and then I’m all yours.” He murmurs against your neck, the stubble of his jaw tickling your skin. “But I’m done now.”

You melt into his embrace before pulling away after a couple of seconds. Leon straightens up, before he looks around, and you can see something unreadable in his expression. Something akin to longing, but filled with so much more love.

He’s thinking about your daughter.

The baby growing inside your tummy.

“I’ve double-checked everything. The baby monitor, the mobile hanging over the crib, the bassinet, even the car seat’s already installed… I think we’re all set, angel. I don’t think we’ve missed something,” he says, his voice oddly wistful.

You recognize it immediately. You reach up and squeeze his arm reassuringly. “We’ll have so much more to work with once the baby’s here. You don’t have to worry about running out of things to do.” You laugh quietly.

Leon gives you a wry smile. “I know that… but these projects, it’s okay for me to make a mistake because I can just start over or see where it went wrong. But not with our baby. Not with our little girl. I can’t afford to make a mistake. What if I gave her the wrong formula? Or what if I ended up hurting her—”

“Hey, none of that,” you cut him off gently, reaching out to cup his cheek, turning his gaze towards yours. “We’re first-time parents, Leon. We’re bound to make mistakes, but at least we’re in this together, right?”

When he nods at you, you continue, thumb circling his cheek. “I know you’re anxious, love. I’ve seen you read a lot of those online parenting forums, but you don’t have to worry much because each parents’ experiences are unique. We’ll be alright, hon. I know we will be. Because you’re here for me and I’m here for you. We’re in this together. All three of us.”

Leon exhales a sigh before he pulls you into an embrace once more. He pecks your temple, his breath ghosting over your ear after. “I don’t say this much, but I’m scared shitless of screwing this up… I don’t always make the best decisions, but I married you, and now we’re having a baby together, and I’d like to think that you’re singlehandedly the best decision of my entire life.”

You almost tear up at his words.

“I love you so much, Y/N. I will do my best to become the best father to our little girl, and the best husband to you. You have my word for it.”

You bury your face into his chest and hold onto him like he’s your safe anchor. “I love you too, Leon… always.”

The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of emotions for Leon as he prepared for your baby’s arrival. He’s gone through a series of feelings, from feeling focused, to determined, then to anxious and worried. He knows he’s gone through a lot worse, but nothing ever prepared him for when your daughter will finally be in the outside world with you.

Leon has made many mistakes in the past. Mistakes that cost him more than he can explain. Mistakes that still keep him up at night.

But with all the wrongs he made in his life, you are the one right thing that counters all of it.

You, and the miracle he calls your soon-to-be daughter.

this is for the anonymous person who requested for retired-from-the-dso leon to be a complete handyman husband at home with his wife 😁 i hope you like it!

also, thank you for all the positive notes on all my other fics so far, i can't wait to share more of my fics with you guys! expect more to come in the following weeks ♡

if you have any requests or would like to stop by and chat, feel free to send them! i love reading your requests and messages 🫶

thank you so much again for reading, have a wonderful day, wherever you are! 🤍

— aali 𑣲