#morphituu

“Oh my osito,” she sang, giggling when his staticky voice spiked into an excited shriek after she laid him across her chest. With any luck he'd catch the last of his afternoon nap and not completely derail his schedule the night before they left him. With one hand rhythmically patting his bottom in tune with a gentle song she hummed, the nails of her other dragged down his thick stripe of sandy colored locks, thick and tangled as hers always was.

Leo’s sleepy growls wound down to soft grunts, his little mouth pursing when he sucked on his tongue.

Her bottom lip quivered. To think she'd go four days without kissing this face or hearing his voice almost made her call off their already brief honeymoon despite desperately needing the break, not to mention the alone time she so craved from her husband to be. Quickies were fun in the moment, but when she'd have to walk right back out and balance Leo on her hip and a stack of laundry and dishes in the other arm, the yearn for a quiet, post-sex cuddle session resounded loudly in her bones.

“You know we’ll be back, right Leonardo? You won't even notice us you'll have so much fun with abuela y abuelo,” she smiled, recalling all of the toys Oleg had gone out to purchase in preparation for his grandson's extended visit, excitedly sending pictures to Nick every time he found something new.

Callie giggled, her eyes drifting up. She gasped softly, looking down at Leo. “Guess who's back?”

Her door swung open and Leo’s head craned back to find Nick placing their contribution to the dinner at her feet, a smile spreading across his gummy face immediately.

“What's with those sad eyes?” Nick pouted, reaching for Leo.

“His tooth broke through,” she handed him over, their son rubbing his tired eyes against Nick’s chest after being leaned into the crook of his beefy arm. Nick groaned, rubbing Leo’s back.

“I feel bad we're taking off right when this starts,”

“Me too,” Callie sighed, pushing her messy hair back from her face. “I keep rethinking it,”

Nick’s head lifted with a pout. “You don't wanna go anymore then?”

She exhaled loudly, shaking her head. “I really wanna go but I don't think the guilt will go away so I just gotta suck it up and deal with it,”

“We’ll only be a few hours away,” he reassured, a comforting squeeze left on her knee before he carried Leo to the backseat. Nick wiggled his face between Leo’s round cheek and shoulder to elicit bubbly giggles, his affections unyielding even after his son was safely strapped in his seat again, not until Callie reminded him that they were needed elsewhere.

A final squish of his cheeks, and Nick was off to the drivers seat again.

“Let’s do this,” he chimed, the dark clubmasters hiding the excited glint in his yellow eyes.

The weather was ideal for the windows to stay down, a soft breeze drifting through the cab that neither worried about overwhelming Leo as long as the traffic stayed this slow, but neither minded that, either. Nothing- not even that Callie’s dress had been delivered with a rip in the seam, could dampen their moods that day.

For weeks, more notably the sleepless nights they'd planned this and endless trial and error from music to food to seating, keeping enough excitement alive until their day came, and through rejections from churches that deemed their union unholy to now having a backyard wedding at his parents that a shocking number of family wasn't arriving to, they were here, the day before their wedding, and Callie couldn't shake the warmth that had held in her cheeks all day.

The butterflies fluttered about her stomach, bubbling in her throat when she tried to speak. As usual he held her hand while they drove, but now more than ever he toyed with her singular ring that would soon have it’s pair. When they stood in line to pick up Leo’s fitted outfit, he brought her decorated hand up to his lips to kiss shamelessly before the humans that rolled their eyes in disgust, further stirring the churning excitement before she leaned into his side to hide her blush.

Callie’s head landed against his arm rested over the center console, his big hand landing on her leg. Nick kissed her head while he drove, his thumb tracing the supple skin of her freckled thigh.

Callie grinned then. “I hope this song plays tomorrow,” she noted the raunchy beat bumping softly through the speakers.

Nick snorted. “Someone's uncle is gonna grind on someone's aunt,”

She giggled harmoniously, her face rotating in to hide against his bicep. Nick egged her on, the dirty comments flushing her cheeks and leaving her breathless as they drove leisurely along the backroads. At red lights he made it a point to steal kisses, his hand leaving the steering wheel to hold her jaw when a taste of her tongue became too tempting to refuse. They were honked at a few times, but Nick blew them off, telling his pretty fiancée “this is why we should've put the cans on the truck today”.

Their bantering settled enough to let silence pass between them, listening to Leo babble against his crinkly blanket or exclaim when he caught sight of himself in the mirror.

“Did Ward tell you what you guys are doing tonight?” she asked, pulling her hair over her shoulder when it whipped before her face.

“He won’t even give me a hint,” Nick huffed, endlessly worried they’d end up at a strip bar. “What about Rosie?”

“Just a girls night at her house,” she shrugged, hiding her excitement. A night to kick back with her feet up and gossip? With unproblematic people? It’s fucking paradise, she’d clarified to Nick when he was confused as to why bachelorette parties weren’t rambunctious like the mens. “I’m not drinking until the reception though,”

“Is it the Orkish champagne?”

She moaned, her eyes closing as saliva pooled in her mouth. “Forget the food, just hand me another glass of it when mine is empty,”

“One glass will have you on your ass, mama,” he reminded, peeking at her from over his clubmasters.

“Good thing my husband will be there to carry me away from the judging eyes of the public,” she said, her chin balancing on his shoulder as he pulled into his parents' driveway. The street was lined with their guests, the chatter from the backyard heard over their engine.

“Only because my wife is the fairest in all of LA,”

She pouted. “Just LA?”

“Who even matters outside of LA?” he asked.

“You’re right.” She leaned in for a quick kiss.

The pair went about gathering Leo from his seat and his numerous bags they’d store tonight in preparation for the following day, including a bouncer and swing. He was excited as ever when Callie lifted him from behind the buckles, the teething toy in his grasp. It took only three months for Leo to reach a girth that Callie could carry on her hip like a six month old, his head unwaveringly steady and held upright as he learned the world around him. Their pediatrician warned he’d fly through milestones faster than they could record, so when Leo started angrily gnawing on their hands and crying through the night, it took them some time to figure out he was simply teething when they’d normally not expect it until later. Moments were cherished with greater excitement after they realized how quickly Leo was growing, and how brief this baby stage would be.

It wasn’t until they’d at last received the results of his genetics test were they able to find some peace of mind knowing when he’d hit a year, this rapid aging would slow drastically.

Being seventy-six percent Orc meant doctors felt confident leaning towards the likelihood that Leo’s growth would match that of a full-blooded one, but the moments remained bittersweet for the parents. In the blink of an eye Leo went from being a wiggling newborn to a hefty calf able to sit up on his own and mimic their mouths when they spoke to him.

His yellow eyes tracked and narrow in on objects he wanted, his colored hands able to pick items, and Nick’s ear was always on the menu of items he loved to gnaw on.

At the call of his name he’d turn his head, and a smile would grace his lips when it was either of his parents. Callie would walk from corner to corner with him between her feet, his grasp tight around her fingers and his feet dragging less everyday he built up the muscles of his strong legs. When he’d be done from such an exerting exercise, a frown up at Callie would signal his reluctance to waddle any farther.

The pouts and angry chuffs were Nick’s favorite. He’d gnaw Leo’s thighs and roll him side to side just to see his little face snarl, a sharp cry rattling in his throat before he’d clamp onto Nick’s arm. Now that the sharp fangs were coming in, he found instigating a fight with his vicious little boy wasn’t in his best interest. It had only taken a few times for Leo to learn if he laid over his dad’s head, he was further defenseless, including those ears.

“Ah!” Leo exclaimed, reaching over Callie’s shoulder towards Nick. “Ahh!” he cracked again, looking at Callie.

“He’s comin’, don’t worry,” she assured, his chuff tickling her ear.

The door was cracked open upon walking up to it, and inside the furniture was already being moved around to create more space to linger around in.

“Late to her own rehearsal!” came Oleg’s booming voice, strutting in false intimidation from the hallway, but his angry scowl melted into a wide smile once Leo recognized him and reached.

“Is everyone here?”

“The booze went quickly,” he teased, walking toward the back of the house with Leo excitedly squealing in his grandpa’s arms.

“That’s what happens when you get Orcs and Mexicans together,” Nick commented, grunting his way in with all the bags slung across his arms and shoulders.

“They didn’t drink the champagne, did they?” Callie frantically asked, following Oleg and leaving Nick to topple over with Leo’s luggage.

Nick and Ward both sipped their beers alongside Matuk and Sergey, the summer sun having been unbearable until Dinara silenced the mens whining and dished out the cold drinks. But the sun still kept glaring down at them even as it drew near sunset, their shirts sticking to their skin and hunger growing. Dura had been the only one to be blessed with a chair at the front, her belly near bursting as her due date approached.

“Pay attention,” Dura hissed at Sergey, fanning her face with her sun hat.

“All I do is stand here-” he hissed back, silencing when Ward elbowed him.

“Can you shut the fuck up she’s about to come down,” Ward growled, jabbing his hand in the direction of the house.

“We’ve done this eight times, why do we need to be quiet?”

“He’s right, there’s no point,” Nick answered loudly, sipping his beer.

Ward glared at him in disbelief. “At your own rehearsal?”

“Look, they’re talking,” he pointed to Callie’s mom who sat beside Dyani and Joaquin, Leo and his mother coming to join them once she’d finished walking down the mock isle.

“Okay music, yada yada everyone stands, then Callie,” Dinara called, tip-toeing around the line of bridesmaids to stand beside Nick at the front.

It was just the rehearsal, and there was nothing to match how spectacular and dreamy it would be the following day, but Nick still smiled watching her walk down like that, a glowing smile on her face and hanging onto her father's arm. Nick tossed a kiss to her before she was even there, tipping his bottle back over his lips to hide a nervous smile when she winked at him.

For the eighth time, Nick shook Diego’s hand and accompanied Callie back to their spot at the front, his actions growing clumsier with every round.

“Pre-gaming?” she asked, smiling at Nick’s loose nod. She was sure his eyes were half-lidded behind his sunglasses.

“Okay dearly beloved and all that, they exchange vows, beads, rings and kiss,” Dinara recited from the front with Leo still in her arms, wiggling towards Nick when he made faces at him. He stopped only to peck Callie sweetly, snatching his son from his mother's arms. “And we’re done,”

There was a collective sigh of approval from everyone placed about in the wide yard, all of which were starved for the cool drinks and savory dinner laid out under the shade of the patio.

Sergey stumbled to Dura’s side and only laughed when she scolded him for already drinking himself into a cloud, but Callie was there to loop her arm around the expectant mother’s and assist in her waddle across the yard. Nick and Ward picked Sergey back up, leaving hard slaps on his back while they teased him over being a lightweight.

“I hope Morn feels better by tomorrow,” Callie pouted, feeling her friend's absence.

“She kicks shit fast, she’ll be good,” Ward answered. It was useless denying they’d become quite cozy with one another, especially when Nick had stopped by unexpectedly to find her wandering around Daryl’s house in his shirt. It was a sensitive topic, but Callie thought it sweet how lovingly he spoke of Morn when she wasn’t around. There was always the hint of a longing sigh somewhere in his words, a hardened pout pushing his mustache up.

“Was it a stomach bug? Daryl wasn’t feeling too good either,” Rosie noted, following her ear into their conversation.

“Was Dejza sick too?”

“Yeah I think that’s where she got the bug from. Grandparents wanted to see her,” Ward explained, finding a spot beside Nick once they all came up to the table. Leo perched on Nick’s thigh, reaching over to tap Callie’s arm so she’d talk to him as the others found their seats. The chatter of Callie and Nick’s chosen family was lively among their friends, the last minute preparations or concerns rising into question and then settling quickly. Food was passed through mouths as fast as the words, the plates filling just to empty minutes later for seconds and thirds. The men of Nick’s bachelor party were ordered to lay off the beer and instead fill up on food before their night of celebration and farewell, waving off their disapproving groans and wails.

By the time they were all dug into their meals, Leo was drifting in Nick’s arms with a bottle balanced on his chest, at last catching a nap to soothe away the throbbing in his gums they’d managed to mostly keep at bay all day with the chaos swarming around them.

When Leo spat out the bottle and rubbed his face, Nick took a final bite of the crispy pork ribs to lean back in his chair and cradle his son closer to his chest, a wide palm patting his bottom. Soft chuffs were the last of Leo’s attempts at consciousness before Nick’s purring did him in, his big eyes finally sliding shut.

Nick was lost staring at his son when Ward suddenly came into view, his ear almost close enough to press against his shoulder.

Ward snapped up, mild disbelief coloring his expressions. “Are you… vibrating?”

Callie laughed out loud, covering her mouth filled with food.

“Does Morn not purr?” Nick asked, Ward leaning away from him.

“P-purring? Y’all… purr?” he looked up hesitantly at the other Orcs around him who were unphased by his discovery.

“Does Morn really not?”

“No! I think I’d know if I heard somethin’ like that!” Ward exclaimed, returning to his meal with a shudder.

“I bet she does n’ it just puts you to sleep,” Sergey added, talking around a corn on the cob.

Daryl looked back to Nick. “Sophia always told me she reminded her of a cat and I thought it was cuz of the ears n’ shit,”

The table chuckled at that, their laughter heightening when Daryl again leaned into Nick’s chest to listen to the rumbles, even placing a hand flat on him to make sure it wasn’t some elaborate prank. The fervent manner in which everyone devoured the food calmed into small pickings here and there and the low rumble of chatter filling the backyard, everyone in their separate conversations or stories until Dinara pulled Nick's attention away from Callie and Rosie who spoke so fast, it only sounded like clicking.

“Ukmall, you’ll need to be here before eight to get Leo,” she informed, and his brows furrowed.

“So early?” he groaned, having fully expected a few hours to sleep off a hangover.

“Callie needs to get her hair done. The fumes are bad for him,” she scolded, and he looked back to his bride.

“You’re changing your hair?” he questioned with big eyes.

“Just a little bit,” she smiled, internally screaming. She’d come to this decision to alter her hair after talking herself out of going entirely blonde despite her curiosity for years pulling her the other direction, but now she wondered if he’d even notice.

“I guess I can get him,” he griped, leaning down to kiss Leo when Callie and his mother sucked their teeth in discontent.

“What time are people arriving?” Callie asked around Nick.

“Three, so we have a lot to do and a lot of cooking before people start showing up. That being said,” she grunted, standing at the head of the table with her glass of sweet tea raised. “I’d like to propose a toast and a thanks,”

Everyone hushed, reaching for their variety of drinks to hold up.

“We want to extend our thanks to Callie’s family who have graciously accepted us in, not to mention our son who came with a reputation,” she gestured at Nick, the table chuckling. “To everyone who’s helped and put up with my screaming,” she admitted to bashfully. “To my son, who I knew would be the father his own raised him to be, and now the husband I always knew he could be,” she smiled lovingly at Nick, his own grin goofy and adoring. Callie rubbed his arm, squeezing his wrist affectionately.

“And to Callie,” she cleared her throat, raising her glass. Callie’s smile dropped when she looked up, her anxiousness kicking into high gear. “It’s because of you my son smiled again, and it’s with your help he’s shown that beautiful baby in his arms such love. You weren’t only a gift in his life, but ours too, and no matter the paths you both might take from here on out, you’ll always have a place in our family. Cheeruk, mausan daughavas. Lat've bleukukun avhiuk famipak.” She finalized, her glass raised and Oleg following suit.

“I’d like to also say something,” Diego stood creakily, his age at last catching up to him after decades of back breaking work. He smoothed his hand down his church shirt, lifting his glass. “Mija, you haven’t always had the best of luck when it came to men, and to be honest I would’ve pulled my hair out if you had brought home another white boy,” he chuckled, the table following suit as Callie hid her face in despair. “But now I can rest easier at night knowing you have a man I would’ve hand-picked for you specially,” he tipped his head at Nick, the orc nodding once in return even though he was inwardly elated.

“I’m sorry the ones you were told growing up were your family didn’t make it here, but it’s their loss, cariña. If they can’t grow as much as you, let them leave. You’ve always been better than them. Nick,” he turned, startling his daughter’s groom.

“Thank you. You’re the standard I raised my daughters to expect, so thank you for taking care of her and Leonardo. I only want forever for you two.” He finished, his free hand resting on Luciana’s shoulder as she looked on at her daughter with watery eyes.

“I second that!” Rosie declared, Santi’s glass following his sister only to spill across the table's surface and onto her plate.

Her cheeks were hidden in her palms when they toasted, Dinara’s words whispered in translation into her ear by Nick after drinking to their parents speeches. He kissed her flushed cheek, promising the sincerity of her words. Her eyes wandered while Nick adored her secretly, watching their parents take turns hugging and speaking with smiles plastered across their faces. It helped ease some of the burns she’d been dealt when her family started RSVPing just to say they wouldn’t attend, and she wondered how much of it was because of Leo and how much was because of their choice to marry. Either way, she knew now who to keep up with.

The couple was dragged from their steamy bubble of secret kisses and whispers when Ward elbowed Nick insistently until he turned, motioning his head toward the door, but his hairless brows drew together.

“Are you okay?” he whispered, noting Ward’s lighter complexion.

He shook his head, waving his hand. “Drank too much,”

“They took our drinks-”

“Man let’s go!”

Nick turned back to Callie, a loose smile curling her lips.

“Is it time?” she asked, and he nodded, leaning in for another lengthy kiss. “If I get a call from Jake that one of his girls is shaking their asses in your face I’m gonna make sure you can’t make anymore babies,” she warned quietly, trying not to laugh when he gagged.

“I hid a nanny cam in the house so if I see a male stripper shoving his junk in your face I’m gonna throw you in the ocean,” Nick cracked back.

“I can’t swim!” she giggled, trying to frown.

“Yeah, you’ve been warned,” he kissed her before she could respond. “I love you, have a good night and be safe,”

“You be good,” she reminded, pursing her lips for another kiss before he lowered Leo into her arms and smooched him goodbye. “No tequila,”

He sucked air through his teeth, pointing at her. “I can’t promise that,” and he was off, following the others into the house after kissing his mom on the head. They grew rowdy once separated from their lovers except Matuk who was as stoic as ever, and they could be heard causing a commotion all the way to the cars until they were off.

“Ten bucks says they don’t make it past midnight,” Rosie announced.

“Make it twenty,” Oleg raised his beer, his bright smile tightening when Dinara elbowed him in the side before making her way over to Callie as the rest of their guests found separate conversations to delve into.

“Callie, I’d like to show you something we picked up today,” she said under her breath, tugging on her elbow.

“Oh?” she piped, tapping Rosie’s shoulder so she could deposit her hefty son into her arms. Rosie doted over him lovingly, endless kisses pressed into his cheeks as he was roused from his nap, but that would be her problem, now. By the time Leo was awake and gnawing angrily into his tia’s cheeks in retaliation, Dinara had led Callie into her room where the bed was lined with pressed and covered clothing, some decorations and linens hung over the small bench at the end. Callie wandered, her hands gravitating towards the colorful flowers protected in plastic boxes.

“Here, look,” Dinara called from the desk at the corner of the room.

The small lamp was flipped on when Callie was at her side, watching as she lifted the lid from a silver box carefully, but upon removing the satin material protecting whatever was underneath, her hands moved even more gingerly than before until a shining, silver plate looked up at them. Orkish letters were carved deep into its face, but the polished grooves were clean, elegant.

“Marriage Armor, it’s called. The bride wears the plate with her new name upon her back and the groom wears the bride's zodiac on his shoulders and chest,” she explained, a smaller pouch that she had in the top drawer of the desk emptying into Callie’s palm. The charms were attached to thin, dainty chains, and carved from a deep, grey metal shaped into bull heads.

Callie smiled, studying their details. “Nick will wear these?”

“Mhm. You’ll both wear the bracelets that are exchanged, but those are kept for the day of. Right now we need to get this on you to make sure it fits,” she explained, opening the pouch so Callie could deposit the charms back inside.

The ‘armor’ had length to it she at first couldn’t see between the satin covers. Her own sparkling chains braided across the shoulders as one long, jeweled piece ran the length of her back, stretching from the plate that spelled Jakoby. When Dinara had it balanced on her shoulders so she could clasp it at her front, she saw where the chains came together into the shape of the Taurus symbol. With delicacy she touched the pieces on her shoulders and at the center of her chest while it was adjusted at her back, her smile beaming. It was heavy- this was definitely some special mineral, for she’d never seen one of such weight be polished finely enough to catch even the smallest glimmer of these dim lights.

“Tomorrow you’ll glow during that sunset,” Dinara smiled, tugging the chains at either side of her shoulders. “Poor Nick will be so blindsided we might have to give his men a heads up,”

They giggled, Callie’s smile wavering when Dinara held her hands tightly, staring at her with glossy eyes. “These plates are traditional. A male’s mother hands them down to his bride if she approves, so these should have come from my own mother in law, but they didn’t,”

Callie’s smile fell. “What?”

“Oleg’s mother hates me. She wanted her boy to have the smiling, waxy wife who pops babies out like rats. So I had these made the day before we were married, and I wore them in front of her,” she grinned.

“Reclaimed the name?” Callie smirked.

Dinara nodded. “It’s a good name despite the reputation that came with it when you met my son,”

Callie only hugged her, their arms tightly wound one another in that moment. “Thank you,” she said, giving her a last squeeze before they both wiped their cheeks of any stray tears.

“Well it fits,” she giggled before the two got her out of the intricate chains and back into the sleek box.

“Come on then,” the orc sniffled, turning the light off. “Let’s finish the night.”

↠

Nick’s hand still hadn’t come down from shielding his eyes, but as long as Ward was emptying his dinner and three beers onto Sergey’s lawn, he wasn’t going to even bother glancing at him. His excitement had drained the entire two hours it took to get here, it’s gradual drip starting as soon as they’d left his parents.

“I’m fine, I just drank too fast,” were the kind of things Ward kept saying to excuse his deteriorating, sweating form, but Nick knew he’d heard him heaving into the toilet after calling Morn to ask exactly what she’d come down with. Still, he insisted he was fine the entire duration it took him to shower and change before they headed to Sergey’s next, but by the time they’d gotten in the car, Sergey was starting to look worse for wear, too.

As soon as the car had come to a stop, both of them were falling out, one running into the house and the other making it to the lawn before he lost his composure. Now, Nick was alone in this filthy mess after Matuk had ditched them, but Nick hadn’t expected him to go, really. Bachelor parties didn’t seem like his thing even though there was nothing to celebrate anymore.

“Juh- just gimme a min-” Ward choked, retching loudly.

“For three months I’ve dealt with puke almost daily,” Nick explained calmly, his eyes still hidden.

Daryl coughed.

“You’ve been hyping me up for this for weeks,”

Ward nodded, spit hanging off his bottom lip. “I’no,”

Nick dropped his hand and sighed when thirty seconds had passed- the longest yet- without him heaving, and he couldn't help laugh a little. Ward wasn’t the kind of person to ever show vulnerability even when he was hurt, so seeing him hunched over and whimpering meant taking a few photos should’ve been his top priority, but Nick showed mercy on his friend while the other was lost somewhere in his house likely calling Dura to cry.

“C’mon,” Nick groaned, lifting Ward’s limp body off the ground.

“I need t’go to Morn's,” he grunted, walking unsteadily beside him.

“She can come get you after I drop you off,” Nick used his lighter voice, clearing his throat when he realized what he was doing. “Sit down,”

Ward instead flopped into the backseat, exclaiming when his head smacked the door panel. He continued to wail when Nick used his foot to push his feet in, flinching at how loudly he protested.

“Jesus now I know why Sherri was such a bitch,” Nick mumbled, closing the door before Ward could scream at him. “Stay there,” he knocked against the window, turning towards the house. “Let me go check the other child…”

What started as Nick’s bachelor party he had looked forward to for weeks, had turned into a mini-pandemic between the parties involved- thank god they left his parents house when they did- and had resulted in Nick getting one giant man baby into bed with clean clothes after he was found on his bathroom floor, and cleaning the puke out of Ward’s car when he voided even more of himself while waiting. It hadn’t come without a cold scolding from Nick, demanding to know why he couldn’t have opened the door beside his head if he had enough power to sit up and spray everywhere, but Ward stopped listening when the words became languages he didn’t know.

He hollered and gagged the entire way back to driving Daryl home, bursting from the car as soon as he was parked, but that only meant helping clean this one up too.

After nearly three hours of scrubbing, and gagging, and screaming, Nick sat on Ward’s porch waiting for his Uber, a cold beer in hand. No amount of air freshener or borrowed cologne would mask the raw stench of vomit under his nails and on his clothes. He’d likely throw these away- his nose was too keen to allow back into his closet. Too bad; he really liked this shirt.

Night had at last crept over LA, leaving only a soft orange glow where the sun had slipped from. The night was humid, but cool, and the woven chair he sat in wasn’t half bad.

He looked at his phone, tracking the driver who was coming down the street.

He’d made the move multiple times to message Callie, but he couldn’t bring himself to halt her night, either. If she hadn’t messaged him about anything, that meant no sickness had befallen them either, right? Maybe they’d been lucky to avoid catching it from Daryl. He texted his mom at least, warning of a stomach bug floating around and to keep a closer eye on Leo.

A compact little sedan rolled up, and Nick groaned. Now he had to squeeze into that.

What am I even gonna do all night… he pondered, walking towards the car. He chuckled. Sleep.

Nick slipped in the open door, closing it noisily behind himself before spinning the bolt shut. His palm popped up just as he smacked his inner arm, his keys flying onto the counter and sliding noisily across its surface.

Never, not even after his most grueling days at the academy or after an even more grueling workout did he ever desire a shower and sleep like this moment, kicking his shoes off excitedly.

“Nick?”

He froze, his head half in the cabinets looking for something to take with him. Nick leaned out of the kitchen entry, his ears twitching. Was that…?

“Cal?” he called back warily.

“Maybe,” she called back, and he was off towards the bedroom he hadn’t even noticed had been shut.

The TV was mumbling lowly with her favorite show, but she wasn’t on the bed like he expected. Instead, sitting on the carpet on a folded blanket surrounded by her phone and wires that made up her headphones and charger with a pre-roll between her fingers, he found her sitting beside the cracked sliding glass door so the smoke could wisp out into the night.

Her eyes were just as wide as his, the pair speechless.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, almost afraid to move. Where’s Leo?

“What are you doing here?” she returned, knowing he’d seen the joint in her hold.

“Ward and Sergey-”

“Got sick?” she interrupted, her mouth tightening. He nodded, snorting.

“The girls too?”

She nodded, relaxing a little bit. “I thought you were off already doing the bachelor party thing so I just came home… and left Leo with your parents,”

“Yeah I didn’t call them either,” he confided softly, licking his bottom lip.

“So…” she looked around. Why was this so awkward!?

Nick watched her, leaned back on his hands after pulling a fresh shirt over his scrubbed skin. His head lolled to the side, watching her at last let out the insane breath she’d pulled in. The smoke from this one smelled foul compared to the scented trails from a cartridge, but he wouldn’t speak out against it.

By the time he’d come out of the shower, she had gone through half its length and her eyes were already falling shut. Eight months of sobriety brought her tolerances way down, but this was also the first time in months he hadn’t seen her chewing her inner lips or bouncing her knee. What a wonderful remedy this was, but the stigma attached to it would always leave Nick hesitant.

“That wine is gonna knock you out tomorrow,” he mumbled, grinning when she swatted sleepily at his foot.

“I thought we already agreed you’d catch me,” she reminded, twisting the butt in the ashtray before looking at him.

“Only if I can get really shit faced in San Diego,” he whined, and she laughed.

“Duh, me too,”

He smiled, watching her fidget around on the blanket and fix her hair hanging around her shoulders. She looked down at the ring on her hand, smiling adoringly at its face then clutching her palm to her chest. Soft humming came from her, a soft sway back and forth starting.

“What’re you doing?” he asked, knowing she’d fallen into her dreamy haze.

Callie shrugged, looking up at him. Those balmy eyes were glowing, her cheeks flushing. “I can’t believe we’re getting married tomorrow. It feels like it’s taken decades to get here but it’s only been… pfft three years? And now we have our baby?” she pouted, holding her own face.

“Wow,” Nick mumbled, smiling at her in amusement.

“I shouldn’t have left him there, I need to call your parents-”

“Cal,” he called, catching her frantic eyes. “He’s fine. Take a breath,”

She paused before nodding, sighing instead of taking an appropriate breath.

“I wanna be on whatever planet you’re on,” his words nudged her away from that guilt, a little smile lifting his spirits when he worried about her mental state. Sometimes the break-through anxiety was sneaky.

Her brow perked up, her smile growing devious.

“I can’t,” he reiterated.

“You can,”

“I can’t,”

“It would be out of your system in two days. We’ll be back way after that,” she too reminded him of the miraculous gift that was an Orcs metabolism, but Nick was a faithful worker and had his own, brittling views on the earth-made herb she relied on. “You didn’t get enough that first time,”

“It tastes like ass,” he defended, growing weary when Callie sashayed towards him with the ashtray and lighter pinned under her palm. “It makes my lips dry,”

“I’m not stopping until I hear ‘no’,” she clarified, sitting between his spread legs stretched across the floor and lighting the end of the blunt.

Still, Nick remained silent, watching her suck in her own small hit until the embers were crackling at the end. “I won’t make you do it if you don’t want to,” she told him, sensing his hesitation. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to. If he liked the buzz from drinking, he was sure he’d like the buzz from smoking, but his encounters in the past not to mention the particular one that had left him in a room full of laughing people during a bad trip left bitter emotions.

But he trusted Callie when reminding him she’d never do such a thing, and she trusted her when she said, “You’ll like it,”

“And I’ve seen how jittery you’ve been,” she noted, patting the hand that had moved to rest on her thigh when he sat forward.

“Who wouldn’t be?” he asked, pinching the shrinking joint between his fingers when she passed it. Then she sat back on her bottom, crossing her legs.

“It’s your decision, baby. I want you to have a good time but not if you’re uncomfortable,” she told him, knowing even in her bombed state that despite Nick accepting this more over the years and his own curiosity growing, pressuring someone wasn’t how you did it.

He rolled it a little bit between his fingers, glancing at her with his critical, yellow eyes.

Ugh, he’s so yummy-

“How long do I hold my breath?” his voice disrupted her thoughts.

“As long as you can,”

Nick sighed, looking at it one last time. “Fuck it, why not,”

Callie’s eyes widened every second he kept inhaling, caught between warning him and possibly making him panic or letting him get one huge drag in instead of coughing through a bunch of little ones, but by the time she decided, he was done. Silent, holding his breath, his eyes already watering when he handed it back.

Without looking she snuffed it out, waiting. “Nick?”

He exhaled loudly, a cloud of smoke blowing around her that she swatted towards the cracked door. The coughing started before he even finished his breath, the next one bubbling up his throat before the previous one finished. His throat and nose burned, and he could’ve sworn he felt his trachea vibrating with every ragged cough.

“Cough as hard as you can, it helps,” she coached, rubbing his back when he rolled onto his stomach to smother his teary eyed face in the carpet.

The ferocity of the coughing rang down his arms, his head throbbing when he managed to sit back up, but with the calming of his body came… warmth.

Nick cleared his throat over and over, wiping the back of his hands across his eyes, but the warmth surrounding his head was making it hard to keep his eyes open. They felt like they could fall into a slumber at any moment, but his mind was as wakeful as ever. He glanced down at his body; why did he feel so… floaty? He cleared his throat again of its scratch while rocking side to side, tensing his arms. Upon lifting his hand, he found he still had full coordination.

He snorted, coughing a little.

“Are you okay?” His head snapped around, finding Callie staring at him in suspense. “How do you feel?”

He inhaled. “I feel like there’s cotton in m’head,” he mumbled, an eye closing. “Like fuzzy cotton,”

She repressed giggles. “But are you okay?”

He nodded loosely, looking around their cluttered room. “It’s like being drunk but sober,”

“I’ve never been able to explain it that well,” Callie grieved, her arms throwing up into the air. “Are you gonna be one of those insightful people when you’re stoned?”

Nick blinked, his eyes reflecting when Callie snapped a photo of him. “Who?” he asked.

“Oh my god.” Callie mumbled.

“Damn,” Nick exclaimed under his breath, his face twisted in horror.

“I know,” Callie nodded, her knee draped over his thigh.

“Could you imagine…?

“No. It’s bad enough we have dragons,” she said against his chest. Every blink felt like eternity.

“Imagine if they did that,” Nick pictured, his body shuddering under hers. “What’s this movie called?”

“Princess Mononoke,”

He scoffed; no way he was remembering that. Nick took a final bite of their ordered dinner, chewing slowly as he stretched to rest the bowl on his nightstand. Maybe this would finally calm his voracious appetite, but as long as Callie kept opening that bag of Doritos, he was hopeless.

“I’m gonna gain thirty pounds by tomorrow,” he mumbled into her hair, the both of them chuckling.

“I never lost my thirty,” she pouted comically, stuffing another chip into her mouth.

“Damn, what that mouth do?” he teased around a yawn.

“Yo mama,” she mumbled, giggling when he snorted.

Silence lulled between the two snuggled and surrounded by snacks in the bed, both of their minds lost somewhere in the clouds as they re-watched various Netflix series.

He thought he’d heard her slip in and out of sleep earlier, but truth be told, he could’ve been listening to himself breathe. There had been a few times his reddened eyes snapped open to be in the middle of a completely different episode, but mentioning it would be admitting he was falling asleep which he continued to adamantly deny. With a blind reach, he retrieved his phone from the nightstand.

Just a little past midnight, but way too late. He was enjoying this too much, though. Nick was only selfish in the sense that sometimes he just wanted to snuggle right up to Callie and feel her body against his. The last time they’d had a moment like this without Leo in the way was at the beginning of her pregnancy, and laying like this only made him realize how long ago that was.

“We should be in bed,” Nick mumbled, rubbing his eye.

“We are in bed,” she laughed, sliding her cheek up to look at him.

“You know what I mean. Big day tomorrow,” he looked down at her, reaching to move some of her hair from her cheek so he could better see those big eyes that always sparkled.

“Everytime I think about it I get so nervous,” she whispered.

“Why?”

She shrugged. “I dunno. It feels like that first time I met you at Santa Monica. I stress ate like seven funnel cakes. I was so anxious,” she admitted shyly.

“I changed a bunch of times. Couldn’t decide on anything,”

“Oh you did good, sir,” she winced, biting her bottom lip. “You could’ve drowned in my panties,”

“I would’ve if your sister hadn’t’ve interrupted,” he grumbled, forever bitter.

“Oh hush, it was a sign we would be together forever,”

“How so?” he questioned, twisting in her direction a little.

“I would’ve never called a guy back if that happened with anyone else, but you were so perfect that I swallowed the embarrassment and saved my horniness for another day,”

Nick smiled, a big goofy one. “Shut up,”

“Shut me up then,” she came back with, fast as a whip.

His eyes dropped to her lips, lingering before coming back to her eyes. “Isn’t that bad luck?”

“It was bad luck when we both ended up home,” she whispered, the weight of her hand once on his chest now coming to stretch across his meat.

That was enough convincing for Nick.

Callie was a little slower getting over him, but her heated kisses kept him concentrated on what they both wanted. When she was in her spot sitting in his lap, he could better taste her tongue after pulling her chest flush against his, his strong hands quickly continuing to her round ass he pulled back and forth over his growing dick. A steadying hand against his chest meant he could leave her skin that was marked red where he grabbed, her hips resuming the motions.

With his bottom lip pinched between his teeth, he easily pulled her loose sleeping shorts aside, revealing her plump pussy lips.

He could already feel how warm she was through his sweats, shortening his breaths in anticipation.

“You’re so hot,” he admired, looking up in time for her hair to fan around them when leaning down to kiss him. Strong, sinewy arms wrapped tightly around her waist, grounding himself to the angel that squirmed in his hold deliciously. Silently, inwardly, he thanked those who had blessed him with such a girl, promising to worship more as soon as he was done with this.

A firm tug on the ends of her shirt had it flying past her fingertips, thrown to the floor.

Callie gripped the railing to the headboard when he pulled her chest into his open mouth, a long lick gliding over a hardened nipple that had goosebumps fire up her arms. She snickered when he smacked his lips a few times, moving onto the other side. An old technique had her limp in his hold, her thighs tightening at his sides. He encouraged her hips to keep moving, his cock desperate for attention, but her mind was only a pool of melted pleasure at that point.

A hard gasp fell from her wet lips when he graced her clit with tight circles, hanging off of his neck to look down at his hand flat against her lower stomach as his thumb massaged her into a trance. Gradually her eyes fell shut, hair sticking to her cheeks while she panted softly.

His loose smile made her rock into his touch. “You want it already, don’t you?” he asked quietly, his voice vibrating with growls; Callie could only nod. He pecked her sloppily. “Get naked,”

Callie stumbled off into the center of the bed to kick off her shorts and socks, moving onto the food and remotes and phones that were now being swept onto the floor without a care.

Nick’s shirt and sweats had already been tossed off, but now as he rummaged through the drawer of his bedside table, his excitement was plummeting. Here was the box, but…

“We’re out of condoms,” he announced, looking back at her sat naked at the center of the bed on her knees with her dishevelled hair a mess around her shoulders. It only added to the tragedy of the situation.

“So?” she asked, her fingers drumming against her thighs.

Nick stood straight, his head cocking.

Since she’d been cleared for sex there hadn’t been a session they forgot to use protection, no matter how it dampened the sensation. He’d done it for her, for he wasn’t the one who’d be carrying anymore surprise babies, although it was the memory of her sweet, bare pussy around his unsheathed cock that helped bring him to an end, now. He’d wanted to ask her, even just for one quick slide in, but Nick had always assumed this was the new norm until either of them were snipped.

“Are you- really?” he asked.

“I hate them, Nick. I’m so over using them,” she exhaled, her shoulders drooping. “I’ve been trying to be good but if I have to ride your dick one more time with a balloon over it-”

She yelped, her legs pulled from under her ass and Nick finding his spot between her flailed knees when she realized what happened.

The mood shifted again, and suddenly they were in perfect sync.

Her knees drew upwards when the top of his thighs pressed under her bottom, his hand finding its place at the bend of her leg that was closest to her chest.

She made it up onto an elbow when he spit at his tip pressed against her entrance, her hand hovering against his belly.

“I’ll go slow,” he soothed, meeting her eyes. The first time they’d reunited in bed, his excitement resulted in hurting her, and from that came the need to remind him to be gentle, even this far down the road. A guilt he’d always carry, but he’d work on fixing it.

It didn’t burn this time his head popped in, his thick shaft following until she was filled to his base. Her shoulders fell back with a loud sigh while his eyes slammed shut, pressing to her as tightly as he could. He’d dived into a pool of ecstasy, sending strong shivers up and down his spine as he basked in her heat.

The stinging tug of a condom was at last absent, and there was only Nick’s velvet skin gliding against hers, creating the friction she so wildly desired.

“Baby,” she called, holding the hand at her leg when he stared down at where they were joined. His dilated eyes landed on hers, a low snarl curling his lips when he withdrew only to slip back in.

Her head rolled back in time with her eyes, a loud moan rumbling under the hand that slid up his chest when he rested forward on his hands, her knee hooked around his chiseled arm. He’d draw out until her heat was kissing his head, just so he could feel that delicious pressure before pushing back in. Nick leaned into one hand so he could touch her, dragging his rough hands up and down her body that gravitated towards his caresses. When her pussy bucked into his thrust, a surprised moan came from him, an eager thrust bouncing her.

A low, rumbling growl moved into her when he yanked her hips up in line with his, his nostrils flaring as he scented them together like this.

“Do it,” she smiled, her feet planted into the sheets behind him.

Their eyes locked during the time he adjusted his feet beneath himself, his breaths deep and loud. A few leisure bucks were her warmup, and then came that smirk. She bowed until she balanced on her shoulder blades, his grunts and chuffs nothing compared to the singing made in his name during his fucking. He was a force driven purely by instinct; the need to fill his girl again, to lay claim to what would officially be his that day.

The slapping of their bodies coming together drowned out the TV beside them, Callie’s resounding cries piled atop his raucous moans as he shoved his way into her body again and again, her juices covering them as he pounded that spot hidden deep between her tightening walls.

Her ass was dropped from his hold so he could lean forward for a kiss, her mind spinning when he rolled her on top of him.

With a flip of her head to move her hair off her sticky back, Callie sat straight, her fingertips guiding him back in as her knees slid out until she was sitting flat on him, flinching when his tip found the back of her pussy.

God, she was so small in his hands when he held her cinched waist; if he stuck his thumbs out, they could touch.

A deep moan rang in his chest when she snapped her hips back and forth, her sweet cunt massaging his entire length. When a dip of her center was particularly low, she’d gasp, holding her stomach where it felt he was poking, but a wide smile always followed those overpowering shocks of spine curling bliss.

Nick held steadfast to her hips, guilty in keeping her flat against himself so there was the added friction on his head.

“Oh fuck,” he drawled, his hand landing back into the sheets.

“Nick-” she gasped, her hand flying to his chest. “I’m-”

His last burst of energy was used flipping them again so she was spread below him, his hands hooking under her knees to push back into the bedding beside her ribs.

There was no more words as he poked his way back in, pistoning into her with such power her toes curled, her arms falling limp above her head when her climax came crashing around her. In an instant, she was stiff as a board, her legs strong enough to fight past his hold and stretch straight in tight trembles at his sides as he continued. When she could catch her breath, she shouted, a deep flush blooming across her cheeks and chest. Nick watched with a proud smile as she convulsed under him, her silent mumbles barely words as she came down from her high.

Her limp thighs shook mightily in his hold when he pushed them apart, their bodies touching in a paused moment so he could adore her with soft kisses.

She was still breathless as he brushed his lips across her jaw, her soft throat pulsing with the blood racing through her. Her pussy throbbed dully around him compared to the fist like hold he barely made it through moments ago.

A soft whisper in his ear brought the tempo back up, but Nick wanted to stay like this.

A beauty such as her was only admired best this close, and even though she’d found her climax, she whimpered below him, holding his face as he fucked her sweetly. Her ankles locked behind him, a heady groan to follow before he dropped his face beside hers.

“Should I cum on your stomach?” he panted, his thrusts weakening as the pleasure peaked.

“Inside me,” she kissed into his cheek, tightening the hold with her legs. “Cum inside me baby,”

The hand lost in her hair gripped her roots, a loud hiss coming from between her teeth when his entire body tightened and jerked against her flushed cunt. The screaming engine of Nick’s orgasm overtook him like a wave would at the beach, ringing from every end of his body and back to his center that spilled into his ecstatically beautiful bride to be. He grunted with every thick stream of semen forced into the space they both snuggly occupied, slowly stilling until they were both a heaving pile of sweaty parts and cloudy minds.

He worried he’d crush her the longer he laid over her, but the soft gliding of her hands up and down his back were too good to pass up. He exhaled, his face buried between the mattress and her head. “Fuck,”

Callie giggled, her cheek leaning into his so he’d force himself up to look at her. The urgency was gone in their kisses, but now he could feel how sleepy she was.

“Ready?” he asked against her mouth, only moving when she nodded. Her thighs trembled when he dragged out of her, bringing a thick stream of the nectar he’d left behind.

“Oh I can feel that,” she grimaced, sitting up on her elbows warily. It wasn’t clear at that point if it was the weed or sex that had left her feeling like her head was vacant.

“You should see it,” he smirked, his cocky pride coming through. “How many siblings did you want Leo to have?”

“Ha,” she shouted. “Good luck getting me pregnant ever again. My body said one and done,” she grunted sitting up, scurrying off to the bathroom after Nick had hoisted her up. He didn’t answer, and wouldn’t. Callie adored the idea of having a big family, but the night the topic came up when Leo was two months old, it only ended in her confiding in Nick that she felt she’d never be so lucky again. She wasn’t wrong in saying her body would likely fight off pregnancy for years, maybe endlessly if they ever tried again. Where it once happened so effortlessly, the time following to get where they were now had left them both a little… doubtful.

Nick yanked the blanket off their bed, tossing it beside the door so he could flop into the cool sheets of the mattress after turning off the lights and TV. His arms were already open when she came wobbling back in, her naked body collapsing into his. They rolled and wiggled until they found their spots, her head tucked under his chin and their legs tangled.

“We broke like four traditions,” she mumbled through a closed jaw.

“Thinking about it, I don’t think it applies to us,” he yawned; the sleepiness was at last getting to him. She looked up at him curiously.

“Our whole relationship is taboo. Curses don’t apply to morally incorrect choices,” he explained, laughing when she did.

“Yeah I guess you’re right,” she settled, her soft smile lingering when he rubbed her arm. The soft breeze from their ceiling fan moved her loose hair around his arm, tickling his skin, but the gentle strokes across his chest from her was lulling him into sleep.

“You’re not gonna bail on me tomorrow, right?” she asked suddenly, and his eyes opened.

He leaned away from her so he could better see her face when she looked up. “Why would you ask that?”

“I had to ask, my mind wouldn’t let me put it to rest,” she sighed. “I’m sorry,”

“Hey,” he pulled her chin up, holding her face. “I’ve been trying to get you to marry me for years, remember?”

She giggled, nodding. “What if right when I said yes you were like ‘fuck, she said yes, what do I do now?’”

“Oh my god that brain of yours,” he sighed, laying back down to pull her tight against his chest. “I’ll prove it to you when I’m waiting at the altar,”

“Promise?” she asked, her big eyes already closed. He pushed some hair aside, her lids fluttering a moment.

“Always.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

did i plant a seed in this chapter? are those church bells in the distance? honeymoon in san diego where they have the best tacos HWHAT?

This time Nick watched over her shoulder before sticking his hands in there again, and learned that although babies grew seriously rigid when they were angry, they still had joints that could bend into the onesie he didn’t think would be big enough, and more importantly, Leo screamed just as much when Callie was the one disturbing him.

“His first outfit,” he smiled, pulling his phone out to memorialize the moment, his loud cries settling into short grunts and angrier chuffs under Callie’s working hands moving up the stretch of buttons. By the time she was combing his sandy stripe into a little point, Leo was dozing in her arms, his jaw dropped open in soft breaths, properly exhausted from such an experience. Nick helped pull his beanie on, smoothing aside the swoop his hair made. She smiled as he leaned into her arms to kiss him, sliding the knuckle of his finger over his cheek.

“Wanna take him?” she asked. “I need to clean this room up and shower,”

“Are you- can you move around that much?” he asked, cradling Leo against his chest once he’d been handed over.

“Standing hurts less than sitting actually,” she clarified, gathering the used towels and stained blankets.

Nick made his way over to the rocker beside the bed carefully, lowering even slower into the seat. Thankfully Leo wasn’t so big that he couldn’t fit across Nick’s forearm when he reached to grab a pillow, folding it under his elbow so he could finally cozy him up to his chest. Not without a few long kisses and sniffs to his cheeks, however. “Oh my God he smells so good,”

“Like that soft baby smell right?” she smiled, organizing their clothes.

“He smells so clean and fuzzy,” he groaned. “Like you, too,”

They idly chatted as she waddled from corner to corner of the room, sometimes stopping to kiss Leo’s hand when she moved around Nick. The TV murmured below their soft words passed back and forth, and with the hospital phone pinched between his cheek and shoulder after Callie propped it there, Nick ordered dinner while Leo suckled on his finger, clamping down hard enough to concern Nick as to just how brutal it must’ve felt around a nipple.

He reached to hang the phone on the bed railing. “Food will be up in about forty-five minutes,”

“I think I can shower in time,” Callie huffed after squeezing her dirty clothes into her bag.

“What if he starts crying?” Nick asked nervously.

“Walk with him. Talk to him. If he gets hungry again he’ll just have to wait until I’m done but I’ll be fast,” she reassured, grabbing clean clothes and her toiletry bag.

Before shuffling to the bathroom, Callie brought Nick’s attention upwards with a soft touch to his cheek. His eyes fell shut when her mouth caressed his deliciously, consumed by every second of it; from the moment her eyes captured his to her last warm peck on his hungry mouth.

He chuffed when she came up, his eyes heavy.

“I love you,” she squeezed his jaw endearingly, her touch smoothing to the back of his head.

“I love you more,” he promised, watching her walk almost like a gingerbread man to the bathroom. A few deep breaths brought some clarity back to his sight, in addition calming the wild hammering of his heart. A hard clamp around his finger brought him back to a dozing Leo, his eyes barely open. “But I love you the most.” Nick hushed softly down at his boy.

After that small interruption however, Leo was awake and peeking at the world around him, his limbs moving sporadically until Nick moved him into a more freeing position. His thumbs stroked Leo’s round cheeks where his palms cupped his head in support, his frame laid across the length of Nick’s forearms. Loosely he squirmed in the blankets draped over him now that Callie finally gave him up long enough to shower, but he wouldn’t hold the hoarding against her. Both of them were eager to smother him with love, but her fervor was likely greater than his.

 But now I got you, he smiled to himself, leaning in to press his chest to Leo before scooping him up and leaning back into the rocking chair. It seemed warmth was what Leo had been craving, for he settled quickly, his rapid breaths tickling Nick’s neck where his head was tucked under his chin.

Nick only pushed off his heel to rock the chair agiley, the warm beams of sunset coming through the lowered shade and illuminating the quiet room that only Leo’s soft grunts filled.

The worry that he’d start wailing while Callie was away bridled his mind, but Nick continued to remind himself if it wasn’t today, there would be another time that he would find himself in the same predicament, alone and unknowing of what to do or how to help.

“I gotta learn all these noises,” he mumbled, rubbing his back. “You beefy little thing,”

More sleepy wiggles and a hard kick made Nick chuckle, moving his face down to peck his cheek. “No wonder your mama was always in misery. You kick like an ox,” he mumbled, fixing his beanie. “You look just like her, you know that?” he poked his nose, smiling when it scrunched. No matter how many times Nick would trace the wild patterning of his arm or leg, he couldn’t get over how their colors came together in such an intricate maze that was already immortalized in his memory.

Of all the possibilities, every single thing that made Leo so unexpected and beautiful, it was these ones that made him who he was.

It left Nick utterly speechless and in complete awe.

Never did he think he could help make something so perfect.

The latch of the door clicking some time later brought Nick’s eyes up in time to grin at Callie as she waddled in stiffly, her wet hair hanging around her shoulders and her bloody nightgown now replaced with a camisole and sweats, complete with her worn and tattered slippers.

“How’d he do?” she whispered, leaning over to touch Leo’s cheek before kissing, calling to him when he jumped.

“Sleepin’ and kickin’,” Nick grinned, rubbing Leo’s chest when his little arm shot up to stretch.

“Mi corazon,” Callie said against his cheek. Her hands wiggling flat between Leo and Nick’s arms made him tense up, resisting Callie’s pull.

“Hey hey it’s still my turn,”

“I’ve been in the shower!” she frowned.

“You’ve had him all day and everyone else was passing him around last night,” Nick argued stubbornly. Callie groaned, looking down at Leo who was already settled back into the crook of his father's arm, his arm draped over his face.

“Fine,” she whined, fixing the loose blanket around him before moving to her bed. Carefully she crawled to her spot at the center and lowered gradually, hiding her discomfort.  

“How’s your kitty?” Nick asked, cringing when she shook her head.

“It’s a massacre,” she sighed, opening up her toiletry bag.

Nick swallowed, looking back down at Leo. “I’m sorry,”

“Hush,” she paused to soak a cotton pad with toner. “I knew what to expect. I’d do it again if I had to,”

That was a relief to hear, but Nick still expected some less than neutral complaints to eventually come up, especially after pushing out the thick nugget that was chuffing in his sleep. Nick chuckled, pressing his nose to Leo’s and letting out his own. “I wonder if he’ll have tusks,” Nick pondered aloud, pulling Leo’s chin down with his fingertip to expose his rosy gums and tongue.

“When do orcs start teething again?” she asked.

“I think my mom said something like two or three months,” he said through bared teeth, stretching Leo’s cheek until he growled in protest. “I don’t know what to look for,”

Callie rubbed lotion into her arms and loose belly when looking at him, a sense of worry spreading over her. “Would you be mad if he didn’t?”

“Mad?! No, no, I don’t mind either way… but it would be kinda cool to see,” he explained shyly, rocking when Leo started to fuss. “He’s tryin’ to bite my chest,” he chuckled.

“That means it’s my turn,” she popped her cap back on her chapstick, swiftly tossing her tiny bags aside and propping pillows under her arm all in the time it took Nick to stand and walk over. Nick smiled everytime she talked to him; words of praise and pure adoration, and of course hundreds of kisses to follow her loving words. Even as the beginnings of angry, crackly cries would start to bubble up in his chest, she’d be there holding him up, peppering kisses into his face while she egged him on lovingly.

Now was Nick’s time to literally step back and let her handle this. It had only taken a full twenty-four hours to see that breast feeding wasn’t the breeze most made it to be, and Callie, who was slowly coming down with her hormones, flustered easily, and quickly, and when that happened she wanted no one to bear witness to her new struggle with motherhood.

The first time they’d finally persuaded her to accept a visit from one of the hospital's lactation consultants only ended in some heated words from Callie’s corner of the ring and the consultant kicked out. Nick understood the misunderstanding, but he also didn’t like how pushy she had been when trying to coach Callie. He probably would’ve snapped if someone was that rough with him, too.

That was the last of any visitors- including nurses- present when she fed.

A hard exhale from her turned Nick the slightest bit from his hands digging through his bag in an attempt to appear distracted, not to mention Leo’s heightening cries.

His ears twitched. “Can I help?”

“He’s screaming instead of biting, what would you do?” she snapped.

Nick reluctantly nodded, continuing to search for nothing, but it was the only thing that kept from standing and staring at them. Despite the tone she’d taken with him, her whispers were of pure patience as she spoke to Leo, more than likely glancing at the door anxiously.

At last the screaming boy found his target, immediately falling into a soft, grunting state of serenity even though his beanie had fallen over his eyes during his fit.

Callie exhaled softly, better situating her arms and her head dropping back into the pillows. Tears brimmed her glossy eyes, but they were blinked away before Nick would ever know. She looked to him, knowing whatever he pretended to search for in his bag was in fact not there. A small smile crept to her lips; such a considerate man, he was.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized, staring sheepishly at him by the time he turned to grin.

“Hush,”

She grinned, blowing a kiss back to him when he sent his own.

“You okay?”

She nodded, taking another breath as she smoothed her hand over Leo’s head. “I think it’s the most frustrating thing I’ve ever had to do,”

“I hate to admit it but… he’s kind of being a jerk about it,” Nick shrugged, feeling a little guilty for throwing his newborn son under the bus like that but he sensed she needed the pick me up more than ever right then, and her withheld giggle and stubborn smile confirmed that.

“Don’t say that,”

“Yeah yeah,” Nick waved, turning back to put his bag away. “So who’s coming today?”

“Rosie should be here soon with Daryl and your parents said they’d come in a couple hours,” she winced, her toes curling when Leo clamped down. “That one made me see stars,”

“There better be a boob left when it’s my turn with those,” Nick said below his breath.

“Huh? What was that?” she barked, glaring at the back of Nick’s shaking head.

“I said we got a lot of painting left in Leo’s room,” he mislead.

“Oh yeah, sure, and here you are still messing with the laundry instead of painting,” she sighed, smoothing the pad of her thumb down Leo’s face by the time Nick turned to look at her in mild annoyance. He was foolish to think he could poke fun at Callie without any torment in return.

“My mom and cousin offered to fix it, asshole. I wasn’t gonna miss out on Leo’s first few days,”

She gasped, eyes growing wide. “Daddy said a bad word,” she whispered.

“Oh shut up,” he rolled his eyes, reluctantly grinning with a cocked brow when she winked at him. “He looks like he’s getting restless,”

Callie chuckled. “Eager to hold him again?”

“Duh, hand him over, selfish,” he pouted, arms outstretched by the time he made it to her side to scoop up their partly conscious son who had stopped suckling some minutes ago and was squirming against Callie’s chest.

“He’s got a milk mustache,” Nick noticed, chuckling throatily when he lifted Leo to kiss him a few times before finding his spot over Nick’s shoulder. A wide palm had just cupped Leo’s little bottom when a few soft knocks came from the door, and once turned he faced Rosie who was coming in quietly with Daryl in tow.

“He’s not sleeping,” Callie said first once Rosie scurried right over to Nick.

“Hello my love! Hello hermoso! Are you awake? Are you looking around?” she doted, kissing Leo’s small hand over Nick’s shoulder while he was burped. “You look so handsome in your onesie!”

“He’ll stare at you if you talk long enough,” Nick said softly against the back of Leo’s head, praising him when he burped.

“No shit?” Rosie asked, a little perplexed.

“I thought newborns couldn’t track,” Daryl stepped beside Rosie, cracking a smile when Leo grunted and wiggled his face down into Nick’s shoulder.

“Halfling perk,” Callie grinned.

“Ooh I see those big eyes opening,” Rosie smiled, bending at the knees to catch early sight of them. “Oh dios mio look at those eyes!” she reveled, softly stroking his cheek when his golden orbs peeked from behind sleepy, blinking lids. “You’re gonna stop people in their tracks with those,”

“He’s got big ass eyes like you two,” Daryl teased, grunting when Rosie swung back into his gut.

“Language,” Rosie hissed. “Tia’s turn?”

“I suppose,” Nick groaned reluctantly, letting her expertly slide him off his shoulder and onto her chest where she could maneuver him into the crook of her arm.

“Oh he’s so hefty, you’re a big boy,” Rosie keened, swaying side to side when Leo protested the sudden change in cushion.

“How much did he weigh?” Daryl asked, his finger locked in Leo’s grasp.

“Ten pounds,” Callie answered as she slowly and with discomfort swung her legs over the edge of the bed to stand. Now that both of their arms were free, Nick hastily offered his hands in support, securing at her sides even after she stood straight and assured him she was steady.

“Where ya headed?” he asked, offering an elbow.

Callie tittered, slipping her lithe hand into the crook of his elbow to grip his thick bicep. “Restroom, please,”

“If you weren’t a human gusher right now I’d throw you over my shoulder so you didn’t have to walk,”

“WOW,” Daryl shouted, eyes pinched shut and shaking his head.

“Shut up, you’ve witnessed it first hand,” Rosie scolded, though her tone was of complete enamore while she gazed down at her nephew who was still whining lowly.

“The visual, though,” he shuddered.

Callie’s hand followed the length of his arm until their palms met as he moved aside the curtain and opened the heavy restroom door. Before he released her nimble fingers, his lips met her knuckles in a warm kiss, smiling when she did.

“Call if you need anything,” he reminded, at last letting her go.

Her nod and flush was almost drunkenly, but his charming gesture was the cause.

Nick wandered back to their visitors, still completely enamored with Leo who’d woken fully and was talking up quite the storm.

“He’s such a chatterbox,” Rosie cooed, nodding enthusiastically in response to every loud shout he made.

“He’s been catching up on all the gossip from Callie and the nurses,” Nick grinned, rubbing his cheek before moving to a seat.

“Oh chismoso!” she giggled, turning to follow them to the chairs. “How’re you two doing? Gotten any sleep?”

Nick’s lips pursed as his brows pinched together in hard thought, honest to God fuzzy when it came to pin-pointing what exactly he’d done between the times he was doting over Leo. “I think so,”

“Soon you’ll start losing track of days of the week,” Daryl nudged his elbow while shaking his head tiredly, recalling the days that blurred together when his own children were newborns. “Almost lost my job I was so drained,”

Nick’s eyes widened. “What?”

“Callate, gringo. Nick, don’t listen to him. As long as you don’t lose track of Leo you’ll adjust,” Rosie buoyed, her cheek pressed against his sons when she smiled.

“Punch a pillow when you get angry, not Leo,” Daryl piped in again, but Nick couldn’t help but snort.

“Thanks,”

“If either of you are ever having a bad day you can always come kick it at our place for a while,” he went on to offer. “Got some Indica that’ll-” he flattened his hand to cut through the air horizontally. “Chill ya right out,”

“He doesn’t smoke,” Rosie reminded.

Daryl scoffed. “Wait a while,”

Callie’s shuffling steps turned Rosie, and Leo was showered with kisses from his mama before she made it to Nick’s side on the pull-out sofa, finding her spot under his arm with a soft exhale.

“Y’alright?” he asked, the back of his thumb stroking her arm.

“I feel like I’m gonna die everytime I pee,”

“Use the Sitz bath, it at least makes it bearable,” Rosie suggested.

“I haven’t asked for one yet,” Callie yawned, lifting her feet to stretch. “Aw fuck,”

“Hm?” Nick hummed. She wiggled her toes, looking at her raised feet forlornly. “Pantuflas?” he asked, and she nodded, watching him stand with his hand on her thigh to steady himself.

“Cal,” Rosie whispered, side stepping towards her sister with eyes on Nick’s back. Callie inclined when she asked, “Are you guys gonna circumcise Leo?”

“Oh, no,” Callie leaned back again.

“No?”

“It’s unnecessary,” she replied derisively. “Nick didn’t want him cut either,”

“Is it a cultural thing?”

“Yep,” Nick answered, coming from behind Rosie to drop Callie’s slippers at her feet.

“Huh. Didn’t take you for one of those, munguz,” Rosie frowned, looking down at Leo.

Nick’s brows furrowed. “One of what?”

“Someone to uphold traditions like that,”

His head tilted now, his eyes narrowing. “Why?”

Callie’s hand slipped into his, the squeeze of her fingers pulling him back into the sofa when he’d started to lean forward.

“You act human. Maybe that’s why Leo looks so human,” she laughed.

“That’s not funny,” Callie snapped, but Rosie snorted despite Nick’s brows twitching in discomfort; a visible flinch.

“It’s a joke, settle down,”

“Says the one who was all pissy about Dyani basically being Daryl’s clone,” Callie reminded.

“Cuz she’s a girl, she should’ve looked kind of like me!” Rosie smiled. “But okay, I am sorry, I didn’t mean any harm,”

“Yeah it’s fine,” Nick only mustered that grin for a short second before he was shifting uncomfortably beside Callie, leaning on his elbow behind her.

The conversation switched like it had never started, and although Callie interacted with them the same during the remainder they were there, Nick was quiet. He lingered behind Callie or in an opposite corner, only stepping forward when Leo cried or Callie called, and for the first time in years , she noticed her fiancés eyes were cast down, staying below others gazes.

She peered secretively around Rosie’s arm, smiling at Nick sweetly when he’d finally notice her.

Warmth would collect in his heart when she beamed at him. When she walked by, she’d graze the back of his hand, her finger curling around his momentarily before she walked away. By the time Rosie and Daryl were getting the last of their hugs in with Leo, his upset had dissipated enough to stand and hug his soon to be sister in law without temptation calling to snap her neck.

“I really am sorry- I need to learn to keep my mouth shut,” she apologized again, holding Nick’s arms.

“She does, it’s always open at the wrong times,” Daryl said as he hugged Callie, giving her a kiss on her temple.

Rosie spun on her heels. “Excuse me, I have to kiss my nephew goodbye and then I’ll kick your ass,”

Callie snorted, letting her sister get the last of her smothering smooches in as Leo started to stir from his nap, chuffing when Rosie pressed his round nose.

“Goodbye my love, don’t forget your tia,” she frowned, leaning in to wrap an arm around Callie. “Call if you need anything, use your diapers,”

Callie giggled, letting her sister go.

“Take care of ‘em, Dad.” Rosie told Nick as she passed, patting his arm. The men shook hands as they left, leaving the room quietly to the new parents.

Nick grinned at Callie when he’d looked back to find her walking towards him with Leo stretching in her careful hold. His head looked so small under his touch when he smoothed his hair down, leaning over to leave a long kiss on his cheek. “My boy,” he spoke in a hushed tone, smoothing over the spot his lips just met.

Callie watched him, her lips pursing to the side. “I’m sorry about what Rosie said,”

Nick shrugged. “She doesn’t have a filter,” she added, and he nodded.

“Do you think he looks like me at all?” Nick asked lowly, his finger tracing the patterning of Leo’s hand.

“I think he’s more you than me, actually,”

Nick’s hairless brows furrowed. “He literally has your face,”

“He has my nose and chin, what else?” she asked, looking up at him in wait when he opened his mouth to speak, but when he really thought about it and stared down at Leo, what else did he have from Callie?

“Look,” she splayed Leo’s small fingers. “Your hands,”

The corner of Nick’s lips kicked up in the smallest grin, holding Leo’s hand open to compare, but he knew since the night before that this was true. He was the one who first called Callie over to see.

“The dinosaur mark,” she whispered, and his head leaned back when his eyes rolled.

“It’s not a dinosaur, ” he groaned, still smiling.

“Look at that mark and tell me that’s not the same one you have on your thigh and furthermore tell me that it doesn't look like a T-rex,” she smiled, laughing when he only frowned stubbornly. “Leo is all you, baby. There’s no part of him that you don’t influence in some way, and that makes him Orc no matter how human he is,”

He only nodded, this time being the one to wiggle his hands between them so Leo was passed into his arms smoothly. A short cry expelled from his strong lungs, but once he was swayed side to side and Nick spoke in Orkish whispers, his tired eyes gazed up at his father while his limbs calmed, their amber eyes locked.

Callie pulled Nick down for a kiss on the cheek before she shuffled away, her hand lingering on his arm.

Nick tightened his arms, bringing Leo closer. “ Even if you didn’t have my color, you’d still be my son. If there was no Orc in you, you’d still have my name, Leo. ” Nick professed softly, the sincerity of his words clear, and true. If Leo had been born to the world with a human's total appearance and nothing to show the Orkish blood that made him, Nick would still be proud to call him his son.

His ears twitched then, his head lifting. “I think my mom is here,”

Callie faced him with a folded blanket in her arms. “Huh?”

He turned, facing the door, and in a matter of seconds it was opening to let in his parents who came with warm smiles and- Callie sighed- more gifts they’d have to deal with while going home. The blankets and photo albums they’d already gifted were beautiful , but she’d only hate them when she’d be forced to carry them by the armfuls up their driveway.

“Ma, with the gifts!” Nick groaned, his grievances unheard when Dinara was already keening over a sleeping Leo.

She wailed softly in Orkish declarations of love, her grandson carefully placed in her waiting arms after she greeted Callie with a tight hug. Leo of course was quite objectful to being passed around anymore than he already had been, but a few minutes of his grandmothers rocking and the same lullabies she used to sing Nick calmed the building cries into soft whimpers.

“Ahh let me see him, let me see,” Oleg exclaimed, wandering over to Dinara once he’d released Callie from a bone crushing hug. “Liukaven avo naj-ri! He obviously missed his grandfather,”

“Oh no it’s me he wanted to see, wasn't it my little sunshine? Was it me you wanted to talk to?” Dinara wept lovingly, the grandparents cooing back softly when Leo wailed sleepily. “Have you two eaten yet?”

“We ordered dinner a while ago,” Callie answered, leaning into Nick's side when he found a seat beside her.

“Hospital food?” Oleg asked, and shook his hand dismissively when Nick nodded. “Come on old man, let’s get real food,”

Nick blinked. “Old man?”

“C’mon then,” Oleg urged, his brows peeking above the frames of his glasses.

 Oh.

 “You’ll be okay if I go?” Nick asked Callie, and although his nerves rattled under her skeptical side eye, his calm exterior remained intact until she nodded.

“You know what I like,” she grinned, meeting him for a quick kiss.

Nick rose with a loud groan that only prompted more teasing from his father, but a quick swipe of Dinara’s hand against Oleg’s arm silenced most of his teasing as Nick leaned in to kiss Leo a few times.

“Look how quickly he quieted,” Dinara took notice.

“Nick is the only one he doesn’t scream at,” Callie commented, winking at Nick when he grinned.

It wasn’t until they had said their brief goodbyes and closed the door behind themselves that Oleg pulled Nick aside, digging into his pocket.

“I had it cleaned,” Oleg said silently, depositing the small, wooden box into Nick’s waiting palm.

Upon opening it, Nick was relieved to see it was still how he remembered; delicate, with one chiseled diamond at the center, and silver. Anything more wouldn’t match his girl, and he wanted this to be just perfect, even if it was only the engagement ring.

“I hope it fits her,” Nick mumbled, turning it under the light.

“I’m sure it will. Your mother and Callie are nearly the same size,” Oleg comforted, squeezing his son's shoulder when he breathed deeply. “Why’re you nervous? Didn’t you already ask her?”

“I did but it’s still scary,”

“Worried she'll change her mind?”

Nick nodded, “She has more than enough reason to decide she wants better,” he mumbled while turning.

Before Oleg followed, his mind was… still trying to decipher that. Why would his son who he’d always known to be gentle and kind say such a thing? What could’ve transpired for him to worry about that? Even he, who admittedly could be a little absent minded, wasn't blind to the way Callie smiled at him, like he’d picked a star from the sky only for her to cherish. So what plagued Nick enough to even worry about this? Could he have a side he’d never known about?

Oleg shook those thoughts away. No, he decided. My boy isn't the monster everyone claimed him to be.

In a few wide steps they were walking side by side quietly down the marble hall that was busy with staff or other parents reeling from their own brand new bundles of joy, all the way to the elevator that a small group of humans had decided to pass on once watching the two, muscled Orcs step in.

Nick pressed the button, his hands then shoving into his pockets to wait. Oleg did the same; they could be brothers.

“You know,” his father started, bringing Nick from his pleasant cloud of thought about Leo. “Me and your mother had our fair share of hardships before I asked her to be mine,”

“Like what?”

Oleg shook his head. “Things you wouldn’t forgive the either of us for, but from it came you,” he grinned at his son, bumping his elbow with his own. “I’ve told myself what you said to me at least a million times, and I still question to this day what she’s seen in me to stick around for so long, but one thing I’ve come to know from the years and fights is that a year from now , you’ll be wondering why you ever thought that,”

Nick’s brows furrowed. “What d’you mean?”

“A year from now you’ll understand, son. It’s something that takes time, but you have someone who’s willing to spend it with you, and that’s what matters,” Oleg’s explanation was vague, yet it brought a serenity to Nick in these times he found fear when Leo wasn’t nearby to calm his stormy heart. “If Callie has put up with whatever bullshit you’ve already pulled, and still pushed that meatloaf out, I think you’re in clear,”

Nick stifled a laugh, nodding when Oleg squeezed his shoulders into his side for a hug. “I’m sure she wouldn’t so willingly give up your bacon, either,”

A stiff elbow to his side stifled anymore raunchy jokes before they started, and just in time for the doors to slide open.

The men eventually returned with bags of entrees and sides hanging off their wrists and drinks balanced in their palms with the ring safely tucked away in Nick’s pocket for a moment of privacy, but as soon as Oleg stepped into view, he turned on his heel.

“I’ll be over here,” he called.

Nick was confused at first, but upon spotting Leo latched onto Callie, he understood. Baring so much around his mom was one thing, but around his dad, ehh.

“You alright?” Nick asked hesitantly, but Callie’s smile was ear to ear when she looked up.

“We’re good,” she whispered, rubbing Leo’s back as he grunted.

“He… was he better this time?” Nick asked.

“Yeah but your mom showed me a trick,”

“Must’ve been some trick, he’s impossible,”

“There’s no trick,” Dinara came up beside him, taking the drinks. “She just had to shove it in his mouth,”

Nick flinched a little. “What if you break his jaw?”

“Didn’t break yours, did it?” Oleg called.

Nick shuddered. “Okay I’ll take your word for it,”

“It obviously worked, look how beefy and healthy he is now for an old man,” Dinara pouted, squishing Nick’s cheeks even as he glared down at her.

“Ma, please,” Nick groaned, leaning away from her hands.

“Leo will be like Nick. Once he figures out how much he likes the tit, he’ll grab, no issues,” she finalized, patting her son's arm forcefully.

“I hate all of you. Except that one. He’s cute.” Nick pointed to Leo, even shooting Callie a bitter glare as he passed, but she only continued to laugh into her palm, her eyes watering.

“Can I come out now?” Oleg called, his nose peeking from behind the curtain.

—

A loud, noisy kiss was placed on Leo’s cheek, and despite just having eaten, he still searched with his mouth for the intruder, his big eyes pinched shut.

“And another,” Nick whispered, kissing his other cheek. “Here it comes,” he warned, getting the spot between his eyes.

“That’s not fair, he can’t defend himself,” Callie called, flipping off the lights and crawling back into bed. Midnight feeding sessions never came without a bathroom break and a little cleaning now; that’s gonna be an adjustment, she thought to herself as a wide yawn stretched her jaw.

“Is he gonna be okay awake like this?” Nick asked, standing straight from the bassinet Leo was placed in.

“He’ll fall asleep, don’t worry. It’s good to not hold them all the time or they get too needy,” Callie explained, stuffing the pillows under her head so she could still see Leo as she dozed off.

“That sounds harsh,”

“You’ll thank me when we can still have sex in our bed without him in the way,” she grinned, her brows bouncing when he leered at her.

“I can’t believe that’s on your mind, you pig,” he teased, grinning at her smile. “I still feel bad,”

“Come spoon me, it‘ll make you feel better,”

“Trying to make another baby already?” he taunted, but her pained frown made him snort. “I’m sorry,”

“Just the thought alone hurts,” she groaned, pulling his arm around her when he wiggled into the sheets and blankets behind her. His face pressed to the back of her neck, his legs pushing between hers carefully.

“It’s weird without your stomach here anymore,”

“I know, laying on my stomach has never felt so good,” she noted, moaning in pleasure when he rubbed her bare arm.

Though their eyes grew heavy with every passing second, neither could bear to keep them shut while Leo kicked and grunted softly, his bundled feet popping from inside his blanket. His tiny hands would shoot up high above him, gripping blindly for anything, and would come to curl back against his body while a foot shot out.

“Now that I see him I understand how exhausting it must’ve been having that go on inside of you all the time,” Nick mumbled, and she giggled.

“I shouldn’t have talked so much shit, I already miss having him that close,” she replied sleepily.

“Maybe the next one will be quiet,”

She snorted. “He hasn’t even met everyone yet and you’re planning the next one?”

“Speaking of, why haven’t you asked your parents to come by?” Nick asked, sitting up on an elbow.

“Inviting them means inviting my entire family. I can’t handle that chaos right now, not until we’re home,” she exhaled, pulling his hand under her cheek.

His brows furrowed, his head tilting. “Are you feeling overwhelmed?”

“Cuz of my hormones. I know they’ll chill again but for now, I just want it nice and calm cuz everything makes me freak out and cry,” she explained silently, but then snorted. “Nevermind, that’s me 24/7,”

Nick chuckled at first, but that was before his earlier motive came barreling back to his thoughts. “I have something that might help,” he mentioned, kissing her shoulder.

She rolled onto her back to watch him spring from the bed and over to where his jeans had been discarded, but it wasn’t until he was settled back beside her did she see what he’d pulled from one of the pockets.

Callie knew before opening the palm-sized, mahogany box what it was, but it didn’t stop the butterflies from springing to life in her vacant stomach, and upon gazing down at the delicate ring that still sparkled in the dark, her bottom lip trembled. She looked up to find him grinning, but obviously nervous.

“Is this why you and your dad ran off earlier?” she croaked, clearing her voice.

He nodded. “I wanted to do this right,”

She smiled, her eyes glossy. “It was pretty perfect the first time,”

“It was, but Leo being here makes it better,” he shrugged. Nick’s hands came to hold hers, the ring between both of their palms. “Marry me, Callie,” he stated, not asked, but her tearful smile confirmed he’d assumed right in knowing she’d say yes again.

Words would’ve betrayed her if she dared speak, so she nodded enthusiastically, meeting his lips for an enthusiastic embrace. It took great restraint to pull away from him after a few minutes of gasping smooches that had built from sweet pecks, to pry her hands from his face so he could slip the ring onto her finger, and even more to keep from exclaiming when she threw herself into his arms.

“Stop,” he laughed against her eager mouth. “Stop stop stop, we can’t,” he struggled, his fingers digging into her hips.

“I know,” she sighed, placing a final kiss on his searching mouth one last time. “Ugh, god damnit,” she groaned, carefully flopping back onto her side to pull Nick back against her. At least she could admire the ring that fit her hand so well.

“I mean, you still have one hole that wasn’t wrecked,”

“I can’t believe you just said that in front of our newborn son,”

“He was witness to all the times I scrambled your guts, I think he’s fine,”  Nick grinned into her hair, chuckling when she reached back to slap his hip.

“I can’t believe I want to marry such a pervert,”

“I’m sweating,”

“We’re sweating,” Nick snorted.

When she at last stepped from the fridge, she brought with her a bowl of homemade deep red salsa that had sat long enough for the shimmering oil to be seen pooling at the top. She hastily and with little care unwound the nearly empty bag of tortilla chips on the counter, plunging a chip into the dip.  

“That’s gonna make you sweat more,” he bravely commented, joining her across the bar and dipping his own chip that piled pitifully compared to her towering bites.

She swayed and pulled air in harshly between her teeth as she chewed, an eye pinched shut and hands flailing.

“You’re gonna give yourself lethal heartburn,”

“If it gets him out I’ll deal with it,” she coughed, going in for another bite.

“You still have three days baby,” Nick reminded, wincing at his own bite of the searing salsa.

“I’m not taking any chances. I can do this,” she too reminded, her gaze harder than her words.

“No one is doubting that,”

“But everyone is expecting otherwise,” she murmured, snapping the lid back onto the jalapeño tupperware. She wouldn’t look up again, but he didn’t need to see her face to recognize the discouragement drooping her shoulders.

Nick chewed his last chip and dusted his hands of any crumbs before jogging around the wall and into the kitchen, immediately holding wrapping her in a tight embrace from behind. “I know you can do it,”

“I know you know,” she sighed, finally leaning back into his chest with her head on his shoulder.

He listened to her chew on the crunchy jalapeños and chips, his lips against her shoulder and rocking side to side. “He’s really going today,”

“Since this morning,” she added, moaning when he dragged his hands across her stomach, alleviating the insane itching that plagued her night and day. Her frame melted in his arms, tossing aside the last bite she couldn’t bare one more of with her mouth already feeling like fire.

When her fingers laced behind his neck, a low growl vibrated through his chest, his caresses wandering higher.

“I have time before I go in,” he groused.

“That walk wiped me out,” she sighed, curling her spine ever so slightly despite being ready for a nap. The implication alone got her blood boiling in a way she didn’t mind despite her wiser half protesting at anymore physical exertion.

“I’ll do the work,” he rumbled, angling her jaw to stop her low whine. “You just worry about enjoying it,”

“It’s gonna be work, you gotta help me get him out,” she murmured in defeat, her breath catching when he massaged a tender breast through the dress.

He chuckled into her hair, a burly arm supporting her up when two thick fingers slipped under her dress and panties. “I know what I’m doing.”

It was too good.

The haze she floated in, the fan blowing across her naked, spent body, the cold sheets she was lost in; the kisses she opened her eyes too when she felt Nick’s impression on the bed beside her.

It was all too good.

 “Time to go already?” she asked softly, her hands feeling his unbuttoned uniform shirt before her heavy eyes opened.

“Mhm,” he toned into the top of her breast. “It’s a half shift today,”

“You’ll be home for dinner?”

He nodded, exclaiming sorely once standing.

“Frijoladas?” she asked, rolling on her side with a pillow ready to stuff under her stomach.

“Oo, hell yeah,” he grinned, stepping into his slides. “You stay pregnant until I’m home,” he pointed, his tone grave.

“I think he’s too comfortable in there,”

“Good. Keep him in there until tomorrow,”

“Tomorrow?” her brows furrowed.

“It’s my day off,” he grinned cheekily.

“Don’t get shot,” she said into the pillow she embraced, breathing in Nick’s cologne.

“I’m too quick.” He teased, bouncing around a couple times to rile some giggles. With a final kiss shot her way, Nick was shuffling down the hall towards the door and grabbing his bag, then keys, and groaning against the assaulting summer heat once outside. It only made him want to slink back into the dark, cool room with Callie, but regardless of whether there was a c-section in three days or she managed to get Leo out beforehand, he had five days worth of time to spend with the two whenever he decided to make his debut.

Just the thought had Nick shaking his hands loose of the tremble they’d steadily maintained.

Everything was set and ready for his arrival, but counting down the minutes made the wait excruciating, and if Nick was being honest, he wanted him out weeks ago. The daily barrage of texts from friends and family asking is he here yet!? were not so much a pain, but hourly reminders that he had no control over his sons awaited birth, and that another day had gone by without him in his arms.

 Even if I’ve been fucking her three times a day, he thought bitterly.

He’d been promised from all directions that sex would do the trick, but all either had gained from it was funny walking and a sore dick, not to mention the few times where neither had actually came and they’d just flopped over one another in annoyance.

He pulled onto the road, the chilled air blasting across his face and chest that was already accumulating sweat.

Maybe he should bring home chili’s to eat with the dinner.

 Seeing as that's our last hope.

In the afternoon blaze that looked over LA, people were irritable and hollering at one another in traffic. Many drivers didn’t have the luxury of working AC in their old beaten cars, and sitting under the sun flared tempers of all races, especially humans and Orcs. He even found himself spitting harsh choices of words at particularly dumb drivers that only further congested on-ramps, and by the time he made it to the station, he could barely muster patient responses when the baratement of where’s the baby? came.

 Do you think I’d be here!? He wanted to shout, but he still needed a job to come back to.

“Still!?” Sergey asked in honest shock, feeling Nick’s exhaustion bone deep when he shook his head slowly. “You know I’ve heard-”

“Whatever you’ve heard we’ve already tried,” he groaned, the pair making their way to the lockers.

“Even-”

“Don’t say spicy foods,” Nick snapped.

Sergey’s nose scrunched. “For someone who’s expecting the miracle of life you’re awfully cranky,”

“I’m not cranky,” Nick shoved his partner into an empty locker, his shoulder making loud contact with the metal door, but he laughed it off. “I’m impatient,”

“Why not just take off the extra days before it happens?” Sergey intoned.

“Over-time pay, that’s why.” Nick smirked, pulling his lock off the locker door.

↠

She flung out another onesie so the feet popped out, holding it up to decide whether this one was to hang or fold, and decided it would be stuffed into his already packed dresser.

For weeks now Leo’s closet had been bursting at the bolts with clothes and blankets and everything else that came with a baby; so much that Callie wouldn’t actually need to buy any clothes until he was at least one, but that didn’t stop her, or Nick from plucking cute sets from racks and all the assortments of socks possible, not to mention beanies.

She traced the pads of her fingers along the baby blue designs lining a hooded onesie, grinning to herself.

Nick had picked this one, going on about how easily his little melon would get cold.

Callie placed it in the pile to be hung up, and if need be, she’d take a few out to make sure it found its place amongst the others. Her brows furrowed the longer she stared, starting to question if it should tag along in the hospital bag. The rooms did get awfully chilly.

“I’ll come back to you,” she decided quietly, leaning down to grab the next article of Leo’s clothing from the basket between her feet.

Though her eyes remained trained on the TV muttering lowly in the living room, she’d completely retreated back into her thoughts when that first cramp of the day hit, but when it continued long enough for her to really evaluate its depth, she realized this one was… different.

The Braxton Hicks that had tormented her for months were sharp, often radiating down into her pelvis like minor shots of electricity. They’d subside quickly before the next one came, but this cramp was intimidating. It wrapped around her entire stomach, stretching to her lower back, and this first one wasn’t even painful. It was low, and lasting, as if giving a stern warning about what was to come, but wouldn’t pain come with something like this?

She exhaled slowly when it finally ended at thirty-six seconds, ames still outstretched and holding a little sweater while deciding upon her next move.

Callie looked down slowly as if she expected something to lunge up at her from below, but all was the same.

Leo swirled a few times, but he’d been calm since the previous day, even when Nick cooed lovingly to him to purposely evoke some kicks and shoves.

She glanced at her phone, noting the time.

“Alright then,” she cleared her throat, flinging the sweater out flat before piling it on the tabletop. She still glanced around while continuing to fold and sort, listening and waiting for something else to come, but it wasn’t until about twenty minutes later that she felt it again, and this time she had enough sense to press a hand to her belly and actually feel the contract-

 No, she shook her head, continuing on with her laundry through this one. It was uncomfortable, but manageable, and definitely not that , she decided. It just didn’t start like that… did it?

When this one ended at twenty-two seconds, she scoffed.

“Almost had me there,” she mumbled, carefully piling the clothing on the table surface.

The third one was… annoying. It almost made her grip the table in support, but she bullied the discomfort aside and told it to fuck off. It radiated deep from within her gut like a period cramp, which didn’t help convince herself it wasn’t what she thought.

When the fourth one came, her attention to the ‘cramps’ had increased, and with her palms pressing into the tops of her knees, she straightened her back and ground her teeth, but sitting through them only generated more intensity.

But by the time the fifth one came, her leg was bouncing high and though she tried, she couldn’t help but cringe. The severity had grown more than she could’ve expected so rapidly, but forcing herself to move through them kept her from panicking. Folding laundry was the last thing she wanted to be doing now, but she also knew if she’d simply sat there with her undivided attention on this, she’d call Nick and likely take a ride to the hospital for false labor.

So she leaned back in her chair after throwing a pair of little pants back into the basket, holding her wrist against her forehead as she waited for this one to stop. Her skin was warming up, her heart hammering between her ribs.

Tightening her thighs only brought more misery when she tried to cross her ankles, and her palms fell over her eyes when it finally subsided. Callie exhaled hard, pushing her loose hair back and the basket away with her foot. No way she could concentrate on that. Her head lolled to the side when looking at her phone, debating heatedly within herself to call Nick. Her fingers tapped against the back of her hand atop her head as she stared at it, reaching after a few moments to swipe the screen up.

“No!” she snapped, tossing the phone down. “This isn’t it,”

Callie rose then, straining and following her stomach into standing before waddling to the kitchen. Her actions were unprecise when reaching into the fridge for a water, cranking the cap off angrily. She drank it purposefully, as if giving her body water would mean she was right and this was just a weird form of dehydration, or something.

“Mhm, mhm,” she went on as she gulped, a hand on her hip and rocking side to side.

But here came another one.

“Chinga su madre-” she sputtered, slapping the bottle down on the counter and bending forward. “Oh fuck me,” she forced out, leaning onto her knees as she continued to rock side to side through the harsh tightening. With every one that passed, the vigor that matched a charlie horses rapid incapacitation grew, and it brought back vivid recollections of the time she laid withering away in Nick’s arms as the onslaught of premature labor defeated her.

“No,” she straightened, exclaiming when her body gave her back a bigger no. Bowed over and down against her knees she went, puffing out a few quick breaths before slowly rising this time.

Her steps were cautious, one hand on her stomach while the other traced counter tops or walls, hovering to the back of a chair so she could gather the clothes that needed to be put away. By the time she made it to Leo’s room with arms full of fragrant, clean outfits, it had died down, but now came the soreness after them. Each step was coupled with sharp stabs that landed at her lower stomach and groin, bringing forth hard breaths from between her teeth.

She pushed the door open with her elbow, padding carefully across the plastic laid out over the carpet in preparation to paint the room, but now she feared it was too late for last minute projects such as this.

The clothes to be hung were draped over the crib until after she finished stuffing the folded clothes into the drawers, shoving aside the abundance of socks to make room for even more while counting her breaths, in through the nose, out through the mouth.

“Get in there!” she whined lowly, shoving the drawer closed so she could move on.

Her urgency to finish wasn’t farfetched; just as she’d reached for the last of the outfits to hang, she instead found herself leaning against the crib, her forehead landing on her forearm and doubt melting away under the fervor of this one.

Deep breaths did nothing, nor did squatting which had been sworn up and down on that it worked, but only resulted in her stuck down there, hanging onto the bars of the crib and mashing her teeth together through the physical torment that stifled her breaths. The duration didn’t even matter anymore, because these were far from normal Braxton Hicks.

Callie laughed to herself as the contraction died down enough to pull herself back up, her grip remaining steadfast on the crib until she knew she could walk without swaying. Her eyes cut down to her stomach, her bottom lip starting to tremble.

“I told your dad I’d wait until tomorrow,” she breathed, her voice breaking.

All week she’d done all she could to start this, to meet her son and at last hold him, but now she was alone in his room and terror was her only companion. How did she end up questioning her own capability when she’d done nothing but tell everyone how able and ready she was for this? How did doubt always find its way in?

 I need Nick. She needed her rock.

It was time to finally, finally meet their son, no matter how prepared she thought she was or how terribly she shook now as the realization that nothing could truly prepare her for this cast over her like a shadow.

Callie nodded, her eyes sliding shut and taking a slow breath in, then letting it out even slower. “Okay,” she exhaled, stepping warily from the crib and reaching for the dresser beside the door.

Her hand landed on the door frame the moment she felt it run down her leg.

“Oh my god,” she exclaimed when the warm fluid kept coming, pooling in the plastic around her bare feet. It’s sickly sweet odor was unpleasant, as was the shocking amount. Her hand shook when touching between her thighs, observing the shimmering liquid on her fingertips.

“Oh-” she gasped, laughing again. “Okay, okay,” Callie inhaled, sights set on the table in the dining room when she took another step.

But the world pulled out from under her, and the back of her head cracking against the floor was heard before everything was felt. The shock to her spine, the next contraction, her skull starting pound so loudly she could see it. Her hands lifted weakly, but they completely missed, folding heavy against the carpet beside her head.

But the contraction… it was so dull now as her world started to close, and her bent knees slid out in her own puddle of amniotic fluid she was stretched in.

“Ni…” she breathed weakly. Her arms were unable to lift again, the throbbing in her skull too mighty to fight.

A hard roll of shivers shot up his spine, shimmying his shoulders and shaking his head.

“Is the AC too strong?” Sergey asked, reaching to turn the dial.

“Nah, I just got a shiver,” Nick mumbled, rolling his shoulders again. He’d knocked loose that one, but what was this agitation that wouldn’t lift? It had come to a simmer in his belly, leaving him restless and uncomfortable no matter how he shifted in the seat.

He glanced around, jumping between passing faces and buildings, even scenting the air inside the car inconspicuously to see if some threatening scent had wafted in through the vents, but nothing explained the discomfort he felt.

It was irritating and only sank farther into his gut, heavy like stones.

“Ugh,” he groaned, moving around again.

“Tummy troubles?” Sergey played, hiding his smirk.

“Shut up,” Nick laughed off, but his grin vanished upon pulling out his phone. His thumbs flew over the screen, shooting a quick message to Callie.

 Gotta cover all your bases.

Consciousness came back to her like a kick to the jaw.

It rang behind her eyes, thundering against her temples. The sweat that had broken out across her body mimicked that of a fever dream, but her thoughts were crystal clear as she came back. The weight of her limbs was substantial, barely mustering the energy to hold her pounding head and bend her knees-

The shout that cracked in her throat was stifled late, far into the fast moving contraction gripping her frame, leaving her gasping and curling onto her side.

 That’s right, she was in labor. Active labor.

Callie pushed her upper half up, her hand sliding in the amniotic fluid pooled beneath her. She was rigid in pain, a shaking breath just moments away from becoming a shout. There was no counting, no more rocking side to side through it. There was only the suffocating wrath wrapping around her midsection like a suffocating corset, curling her neck back as she bared her teeth to the ceiling in agony.

At last it started to ebb away, leaving her spent and heaving into her palm before smoothing back her sweaty hair.

She wanted to lay back down, even being soaked in sweat and fluids with a throbbing skull. A migraine would be an easier foe to fight; at least then she wouldn’t be so dizzy she couldn’t even stand to keep her eyes open. But she couldn’t fall back into the quiet darkness. She had to bear the static in her vision and the hot tears that sprung before them.

This couldn’t end here.

“Go get your phone,” she gnarled, looking up at the door frame.

Her limbs shook something awful after finally pulling herself onto her feet, the amniotic fluid continuing to trickle down her inner thighs. Every step was a gamble, but with wet handprints left on the walls and a small trail behind her in the carpet, she made it to the table by the time another contraction was coming.

Her hands slid harshly across the table surface, knocking over clothes and mail, but her frantic searching didn’t yield her phone amongst the clutter.

“No no no-” she cried, gasping when it again constricted her midsection like an angry fist. She landed in the chair, her head flinging over the backrest and bawling into her hands as it’s fury kicked back into high gear.

The seconds felt slower than before as they ticked by endlessly, her legs kicking helplessly until she curled forward and crawled onto her knees and elbows that burned against the carpet.

 Breathe in- out, breathe- breathe in-

 It was impossible. Anything was. The only thing she wanted was to scream, but the floor smothered those. Loud grunts ripped from her throat, the dress clinging to her body like a wet sheet. Trying to form words in hopes she could calm herself down was futile when she couldn’t make it through a full breath without shouting, and as long as she was stuck there on the floor, she couldn’t find her phone.

It surely hadn’t even been a full minute since the last time he checked his phone, but he still looked again anyways, chuffing when there was no response from Callie.

Nick shifted to lean on his other foot, arms crossed and back burning under the glaring sun while stood in full uniform at the center of a lawn listening with only half his concentration to Sergey as he took the reins on this call. It was probably best that way too. If Nick had to deal with this stout man screaming about his lawn, he’d likely shove him into one of the many trash cans lining his yard.

So instead he cracked his neck, trying to ignore the sweat collecting across his scalp and gave in to checking his phone once again, but still, nothing.

Nick exhaled with another adjustment of the kevlar vest, hoping to alleviate the tightening of his chest.

Making it back to the table to again look for her phone hadn’t only been difficult, but a test of her willpower to remain standing when the contractions kept coming and strengthening enough to at first keep her on the floor for some time. She’d long since pushed her soaked panties down her legs, but was fearful if she reached down, she’d be faced with the top of Leo’s head and still no way to call for help. The thought of wobbling her way out of the house was quickly tossed; all their neighbors were busy singles or couples that were rarely home, and she sure as hell couldn’t just walk outside and scream.

So now she was upright again, even going as far as to unfold some of the clothing that it maybe could’ve been hiding between, but her thorough search did not produce the phone.

A few times she could’ve sworn she’d heard it vibrate somewhere, and when it went unfound she started to question her sanity. She did just crack her head against the floor and still struggled to keep her eyes open; it could be right under her nose and just couldn’t see it.

Callie’s hand flew over her eyes when she felt the fresh burning of tears, a weak sob building in the back of her throat. Between contractions she’d try to remind herself to relax, not to overexert herself more than she was already doing, but once the pain was no longer occupying every fiber of attention, she was left with this crippling fear.

Leo’s perfectly planned birth had suddenly been yanked out from under her in a matter of seconds, and now she was here, stranded and alone in the middle of her own labor that was completely out of her control. All the terrible outcomes she’d been warned of were suddenly so plausible; she could be losing another baby right now and she just didn’t know it yet.

Was labor supposed to hurt like this? It was so close to what it had felt like the first time during Tikka’s battle- so was she dying? Was Leo!?

There was no one to ask as she sobbed, leaned against the table with weak knees and wailing into bunched up laundry as another contraction fired up.

They were starting to last longer, which gave them more power without even really intensifying. Every one dragged on for eternity; it terrified her thinking of this going on for hours when she’d look to the clock above the bar and face that it’d only been a mere hour since first coming to.

Would Leo even have that much time?  

She steadied herself against the edge of the table, pulling her messy wet hair from her neck and face to fashion into a neater bun.

I’ve had many patients who’ve tried delivering vaginally and the baby’s become stuck in the pelvis because of their size.

Her stomach that had decreased in size since her water broke had been still; Leo had been quiet through all of this, not even a small foot to jab into her ribs like he normally did when she moved around too much, and she knew why. He was slowly moving down with every tight squeeze, coming closer to the end of his journey, but Callie didn’t know how she could ensure that being here.

She looked up, scanning the living and dining room.

Would this be enough to bring him into the world?

These walls had seen her grieve the loss of babies before; missed opportunities of a family and little laughs. Would they witness life this time?

Callie’s face hardened, nodding to herself with quickening breaths.

“I can do this,” she panted, tears brimming her eyes. “I can do this,”

Without Nick?

She wiped her eyes crudely, stopping hard when another contraction buckled her knees. The basket flipped it’s contents out before her alongside a curse, but through her own spitting profanities, she heard a soft thump , then the hum of her phone vibrating beside her hand, hidden under a small shirt. Her laughter was hysteric as she clawed for it, pressing it against her sweaty forehead and sobbing. When she could look at the multitudes of messages Nick had sent, she brought her face to the sky, thanking whoever had been passing by for showing mercy.

Cal answer me please

He sent the text with a hard press to his screen, the phone shoving back into his pocket as he made his way back to Sergey and the stout man who’d still kept hollering, but was now going to be dealt with a handful of tickets he’d accumulated after a quick sweep of his premises revealed he was the man who someone had called about.

Although at this point it wouldn’t help, Nick still took a cautionary breath while making his way across the lawn. He was a few insults away from slugging the middle aged man and calling it self defense, but Nick couldn’t trust himself not to concuss him if given the chance.

The strong vibration of his phone against his thigh completely turned him around, raising a hand to Sergey as he answered Callie’s call he’d waited desperately for.

“I texted you like a hundred-”

“Nick come home Leo’s coming!” she gasped harshly into the call.

It was what he’d feared had been happening the entire time his texts and calls had gone unanswered. There’d been days she did this; usually it was because of a nap or showering, sometimes forgetting her phone in the kitchen, but today, it wasn’t the heat that made his skin sweat, and it wasn’t his uniform that felt too tight around him. The discomfort had been under his skin, building deep down in his gut as the time dragged by. He’d known it all along, but couldn’t accept it until now.

He shouted something at Sergey, but to know if he understood him would go unconfirmed. Nick couldn’t even hear himself above the instant pounding in his ears, his sprint back to the cruiser and jumping behind the wheel all a blur, his voice shaking when he told Callie he was already driving.

The sirens stayed blaring the race across town, slamming his palm against the horn when the inane didn’t know better to get out of his way, because he’d push cars aside with his own if they interfered with this. What they’d been waiting years for, what he’d had nightmares and daydreams about, what he was so ready to protect.

It left him in disbelief while he drove wildly through the streets- surely to face harsh criticism once he’d returned to work- that in this moment, he felt no fear over meeting his son. It was only bubbling excitement to soon have all his questions answered, to finally touch the feet that kicked mightily when he heard his father's voice.

Nick’s hand covered the wide smile that spanned across his face, an equally insane stream of laughter erupting as the understanding fully dawned on him, and with that, the fear returned, too.

He was about to be a father for real, now.

By the time he was screeching around the last turn to the home stretch to their house, he’d composed himself and silenced the laughter he knew she didn’t need to be dealing with right now. By that phone call alone he could tell she was probably in hysterics, but why had she taken so long to reply then?

The sirens had also been killed before coming to a shrieking halt in the driveway, not even bothering to close his door before sprinting across the lawn.

He swung the door open so hard it bounced against the wall. “CAL!?”

“Over here,” came her weak call, and he again didn’t bother with the door before following her voice to the dining room where she was slumped in a chair and fanning her cheeks with an envelope.

“Are you okay? Are you alright?” he implored, squatting down to hold her face that was flushed and sweaty.

“My water broke all over his room and I slipped and hit my head,” she pouted, hot tears falling down her cheeks.

“Wha-” he choked, quickly standing to move her hair apart and check where she said it had smacked against the floor. Thankfully there was only a small abrasion that barely bled, but after going on to tell him how she lost consciousness and was sensitive to light, he knew there was even more reason to hurry.

“Leo’s bags,” she pointed, moving to hoist herself up.

“Hell no,” Nick scolded, easily scooping her up bridal style. “You’ll sit in the cruiser and I’ll get his stuff,” he was already walking her towards the door, taking the moment to kiss the top of her head when it rested tiredly against his chest. The exhaustion she must’ve been feeling was probably crippling based solely on her limp movements and weak voice.

Another contraction was starting when she was placed in the seat, but Nick moved faster than before when she waved him back into the house hurriedly, gripping the roof handle and arching against her seat. It was only a matter of seconds before he returned and was throwing all their bags into the trunk and himself back behind the wheel and they were off with the sirens blasting again.

Surely another harsh lashing was to come from that misuse, but this was worth it.

He didn’t know what to say or ask when she squeezed his hand like a vice, her legs straightening like a board and smacking her thigh repeatedly as she did her best to ride the contractions out silently. A few loud cries made their way from her throat still, then a soft apology that Nick would insist wasn’t needed.

He’d hold her face and kiss her cheeks when they stopped in traffic and Callie urged him to turn the sirens off when they did nothing to move the congested lanes no one could budge from, but it pained him to see her in such agony when they split her down the middle.

“W-what can I do?” he asked, fighting to keep his focus on her and the traffic inching forward.

“Nothing,” she gasped, her head lolling to look at him. “But it’s okay baby, just concentrate on the road,” she breathed, both of her hands securing around his. The sincerity in her big, tired eyes was there, but so was anxiety. Could he even tell if she was going to swing into one in this state?

“Talk to me,” she grunted while positioning herself in the seat. “Did we agree on what color he’d be?” she smiled.

He laughed nervously, a hand on the wheel and another on her stomach while her body was calm. It was so hard now, and if he wasn’t mistaken, even a little smaller. “I think we said mostly you with freckles of my color,”

She laughed, wincing. “I don’t think he’ll have hair,”

“I think he will. Maybe pointed ears,” Nick glanced at her, his smile fading when her face started to tighten again.

“And tusks-” she got out before her hand slapped against his arm to grip, this time wiggling onto her side to press her face into the seat.

It was another hour before the hospital was finally in sight, and for the first time in their relationship, Callie had been the one to leave bruises on his arm. Nick this time would take full advantage of being a cop; he could leave the cruiser parked right in front for as long as needed and no one could do anything about it.

“Ready?” Nick asked after darting around to her side with the bags looped around his shoulders and chest. His vest and belt had since been removed; they were only an annoyance at this point.

Callie’s response wasn’t immediate, and it wasn’t entirely sure, either. Although she nodded, the tears in her eyes and tremble of her chin revealed to him the fear she’d tried hiding up to this point. All the times she’d told him, herself, everyone that she could do this, she was still questioning herself in the moment. All this time she’d done her best to bury that dread, but now facing the question anew, could she do this?

A small team of nurses had come out with a wheelchair after spotting exactly what was going down and Callie was transferred from from his arms to the seat, his hand lingering in hers until he was forced to follow behind.

Her intake was quick; apparently your water breaking got you a spot right to the front of the line in the maternity wing, but just as they’d given Callie a bed and IV with the promise of rest, an exam to verify what stage she was at had her cursing just as loudly as she did during a contraction. Nick’s fingertips turned white under her grip, watching in horror as the attending dove knuckle-deep to examine her.

“Okay my love,” the attending stood, pulling her gloves off. “You’re at seven, so almost there. Did you want an epidural?”

“No,” Callie snapped. “I’m doing it natural,”

“That’s fine, but know we don’t give them after a certain point so we don’t slow down labor. Who is your OB?”

“Sangui,”

“We’ll page her, I think she’s here today, actually,” she jotted down in her little notepad she’d brought forth from her chest pocket, a few strands of hair loose around her eyes. “Okay, sit tight and we’ll be back,” she smiled, squeezing Callie’s foot before leaving with the nurse.

“Hey,” Nick scooted back beside her, wiping his thumbs across her brow and looking into her tired eyes. “How’re you doing? What can I do?” he asked in soft tones, kissing her gently when she shook her head.

“Tell me I’m gonna be okay,” she croaked, hanging onto his wrist.

“You’re definitely gonna be okay, both of you are,” he reassured, pressing his forehead to hers when she closed her eyes and nodded, soaking in his confidence.

Now out of her soaked dress, the crisp hospital gown actually felt nice on her hot skin, as did the cold sheets of the bed, at least until she was rolling onto her hands and knees as another contraction roared to life. Callie cried from the misery in her lower back, unable to remain still or even lay down when it wrapped around her.

Between sprints, Nick, although feeling like more of a nuisance than actual help, spooned ice chips into her mouth and pressed forcefully against her lower back when she begged for some kind of reprieve, moving on to carry all her weight when she hung in his hold after deciding to stand and walk around; that only lasted a half lap around the room. It was an awkward way to hold her up like this, with his hands clasped against shoulder blades and forearms under her armpits, but it seemed the way she hung deadweight helped ease some of the insane force across her body.

Until they were taken upstairs to a more appropriate room for her delivery, Callie bit and smothered herself through the pain, leaning over into the bedding to scream instead of trying to walk and breathe through it like the nurses so urged. Sometimes it was the mental strain that needed to be eased.

But even then the allure of pain meds grew as the time drew on.

She walked and bounced on the exercise ball when they said it would help speed labor along, but either of those became impossible as the contractions only grew closer. There wasn’t enough time to catch her breath before the next one came barreling down, and within another hour, she couldn’t stand to be touched.

Laying down was murder, but so was standing up.

She stopped Nick everytime he urged to call Rosie or his mom, telling him he wasn’t allowed to until Leo was out. Knowing my luck this will all be false labor, she had groaned.

She wanted to rip off the noisy monitors banded around her distended waist, but hearing Leo’s heartbeat thunder through the speakers reminded her of what was to come after all of this, that she knew as soon as she saw him, all of this would be worth it.

So she grit her teeth and clung to Nick when the pain came, her nails digging into his arms and shoulders, but he didn’t let out a peep of discomfort. In the moments she was free of misery that left her breathless, he held her against his chest and kissed her steamy cheeks, wiping away the sweat dotted across her forehead. He only told her how strong and capable she was, but never asked her to keep fighting through the pain. He didn’t want her to think she had to break herself over this; that it was okay to ask for pain relief if it was easier on her already strained body.

Callie grunted against his chest, her knees propped apart with a couple pillows. She’d given up trying to find comfort with the ten pillows that only made her hotter, and although Nick was a heater of his own, he came with big hands that massaged her miserable back.

“Do I need to move?” he asked, starting to pull his shoulder from underneath her head.

“No,” she grunted, rolling her onto her back. ”I gotta go to the bathroom,”

The heavy door to their room opened, and at last Dr. Sangui came in with hands clasped and a warm smile. “What ever got you here needs to be relayed so I can share the secret with the other a hundred moms desperate to pop their babies out,”

“Homemade salsa,” Nick grinned.

“Oh, well some of them are out of luck then. How’re you doing Callie?”

“I have a lot of pressure on my butt,” Callie frowned tiredly.

“Well let’s do a quick check here then,” she moved to grab gloves from off the walls. “When was your last one?”

“‘Bout an hour ago,” Nick answered, already offering his hand after Callie slid fully onto her back and spread her knees.

“And you were seven then?” she asked, apologizing softly when Callie tensed. She still nodded through it, this one not anywhere as bad as before.

“Well, get ready for the last stretch,” she looked up at the nervous couple. “It’s time to start pushing,”

Callie’s expression worried, her head dropping back with a hand rested against her chest and the other in Nick’s grasp.

“Hey,” he called softly, stopping her before she walked into that storm. “You can do this, baby,”

She nodded with him, eyes glossy. “I can do this,”

“You can, you’re finally gonna see him,” Nick’s voice wavered, but he took the opportunity to kiss her knuckles before leaning down to kiss her, reassuring her as many times as needed.

The staff was a blur around them, setting up trays at her feet and dimming the lights to make way for the blinding one above her. Gowns were draped over scrubs and Callie’s bed was formed until she was upright with one foot in a stirrup and another in Nick’s hold, his thumb caressing her knee comfortingly.

“Alright hun, why don’t you give me one good push to see where we’re starting,” Dr. Sangui smiled from behind her mask.

Callie nodded, her chin touching her chest when she pushed, whimpering at the immediate growth in pressure.

“Mom’s a good pusher, let’s set up quickly,” she called back to her staff cheerily, smoothing down the blue mats between herself and Callie.

It was a small boost to her confidence, but one she’d take nonetheless.

She watched them finish laying the blankets over the warmed tray and the scale beside it, the stethoscopes ready around their necks and bulbs prepared to be used. She didn’t dare examine the tray of scalpels and head clamps within Dr. Sangui’s reach; she couldn’t concentrate on that possibly.

Callie’s knees started to tighten. “I’m gonna have another one,” she groaned, her toes curling.

“Okay Callie, when you feel it, that’s time to push, alright? Push right into your bottom like you’re poopin’,”  she instructed, scooting closer between her feet.

Her hold adjusted around Nick’s wrist, looking up at him, searching.

 I love you, he mouthed, grimacing when there was only a second of her bright smile before it was time.

She pushed with every fiber of strength she had left in her spent body. Until her face was red and they said rest, she pushed even if it felt like her middle was splitting open.

 Just go just go just go! She screamed internally, desperate to move her mind around the torture, but everything was pain, and she felt every second of it. Every twist Leo made in her pelvis, she felt. Every inch he moved farther down between her hips; at one point she stressed her hips could dislocate, but was only told to keep pushing.

The breaks between the pushes were still agonizing. The pressure was that of the kind around your skull when you dive too deep, but it didn’t lessen when she calmed.

“...seven, eight, nine, ten, okay take a breath,” Dr. Sangui breathed with Callie. “And again, push,”

With her chin to her chest and jaw clenched so tight she thought her teeth would shatter, she started to care less and less about the gutteral sounds she made. She grabbed the back of her knees, her face scrunched-

“Here comes the head!” Dr. Sangui smiled. “Keep going- five, six, seven-”

Nick leaned forward to look, the air punched from his lungs once observing the horrifying sight before him.

“Okay take a quick break, this is the ring of fire but I think you can have his head out in another push,” she encouraged, piling gauze beside her.

“Oh fuck me,” Callie breathed, panting before falling back into concentration and pushing again, and lord did the ring of fire live up to it’s name. This time the shouts wouldn’t be suppressed, nor the curses. There was no way in hell anyone could expect composure now at this point with her center literally on the brink of ripping apart.

“Breathe breathe breathe and again,”

It was hard to hold her breath while she pushed; there was already so much pressure everywhere, and her head was starting to pound again-

There was a popping sensation, some slight relief.

“Heads out! C’mon Callie, one more good push!” Dr. Sangui cheered, a nurse stepping forward with a blanket over her outstretched arms.

Callie couldn’t see past her stomach when she searched frantically. “His head?” she looked up to Nick who’s eyes had glossed over when he looked at her.

“He has hair,” he smiled, his voice cracking.

Callie tittered, her shaking grip adjusting around Nick’s wrist again.

“You can do this,” he held the back of her head, sincerity pooling in his molten eyes. “You’re so close baby,”

Callie nodded again, eyes pinching shut when the wrath started to build up.

“Okay hun, one more time,”

She waited, inhaling deeply. “I can do this,” she whispered.

Nick started to exclaim and encourage when she felt Leo start to move from her, his grip tightening on her leg, but she couldn’t open her eyes while she pushed. Sangui cheered the same, and could feel her fingers move around Leo’s jaw and neck, pulling gently against her body until the pressure was finally gone.

She exhaled loudly as he came spinning out, Nick’s breathless exclaim opening her eyes just as the tiny, gargling screams came.

Callie sobbed as soon as he was lifted onto her bare chest, his arms thrown out angrily and puffy eyes pinched shut as he wailed into the cold world around him. Finally he was in her hold, at last able to touch the velvety skin of his face or feel his cries when resting her hand on his back, and the deep breaths he sucked in between every holler. She held the back of his delicate head, astounded by the dappling of Nick’s color that formed the markings across his round cheeks and human nose, all the way back to his tiny pointed ears.

Her words weren’t words at all, but simply emotions taking flight in wails and sobs as she touched every part of him that she’d grown.

She looked up at Nick who was wiping his eyes crudely against the sleeves on his arms. “I did it,” she sighed, her eyes sliding shut when he kissed her forehead. “Nick look at him,” she beamed, pulling him closer by the shirt.

His vision was blurry from tears when he dragged his knuckles faintly across Leo’s soft cheek, hiding the sobs in his other palm. His soft graze traced the tones of his skin, detailing the freckles that dusted across his shoulders and cheeks like his mothers.

His strong, little fingers wrapped around Callie’s, squeezing and releasing as he continued to weep against her chest as he was jostled and dried by the nurses. Nick smoothed the sticky, sandy blonde hair from his forehead, the parents laughing when Leo grunted loudly before stirring again.

“I didn’t expect this color,” Callie commented, carefully pulling it up to see he already had a few inches worth of hair running the curve of his head in a thick stripe.

“I didn’t expect hair,” he snorted.

Callie kissed his fingers, tears trailing down her cheeks as she admired him. “He’s so perfect,” she whispered, tapping his puckering chin.

Leo’s face scrunched, a soft chuff stirring a few coughs.

Nick’s heart wept; there was already so much of himself in him.

“I can’t believe how pretty he is,” Callie spoke softly, the pair in awe when he whined, his face sorrowing.

“He looks so sad,” Nick grieved, rubbing his arm that curled in tighter to his body, still gripping Callie’s finger.

Callie hushed him softly, craning her neck to press a flurry of kisses into his cheek and temple. “Que paso hermoso? Hm?” she cooed, more kisses finding his hand. “Are you angry you had to come out?”

“Is he…?” Nick trailed off, both of them freezing when his swollen eyes started to flutter open. Nick leaned far over, fighting to catch a glimpse of his eyes. “Can we turn that off?” he asked, pointing at the light.

“Oh, yep! Sorry little guy,” Dr. Sangui grinned guiltily, adjusting the high beam from his face.

Two bright golden jewels rolled around behind squinted eyelids, making out only a blurry outline of his father that smiled down at him.

“So all you got from me is my nose, huh?” Callie joked, both of them chuckling.

Leo’s big eyes opened wider, his head pressing back into her palm.

“Talk again,” Nick said, watching in amazement.

“Leo,” she called softly, beaming from ear to ear when he stilled, his eyes opened and looking in her direction. “Do you recognize my voice bebe? Do you hear me Leonardo Makar?” she whispered, kissing his knuckles.

He kept looking up, his blinks heavy as she spoke to him, kissing the space between his eyes that Nick ran the pad of his thumb up and down over to make his nose scrunch. When it was time for him to be weighed, her heart sank the moment he cried after being lifted from her chest, his serenity broken and warmth taken away

“Go with him,” she told Nick who was already following his crackly cries to the small heated bed.

He wailed and kicked, and Nick fought shouting at them to do this all later. Why couldn’t he just lay with Callie!? They didn’t need to be putting bands around him and measuring- he wasn’t going to grow that fast!

“He is ten pounds four ounces,” a nurse smiled back at Callie.

“Oh my god,” she wailed from behind him, but Nick wouldn’t drag his eyes from Leo who was continuing to howl and tremble under their assault.

 What else could they have to do!? They’d done the lengths, drying, wrapping yada-yada, what the fuck else!? How long were they gonna keep him crying there!? He wanted to move beside him and talk to him, offer his touch in comfort, but they remained huddled around him, rolling him side to side as they swaddled him.

 “Ready to hold him dad?” an older, more soft-spoken nurse asked Nick while she finished fixing the beanie pulled over his matted hair.

His anger fell away, excitement bringing forth a quick nod.

Leo was starting to whine angrily again just as Nick found his seat beside Callie’s bed, another nurse propping a pillow under his elbow before his son was lowered carefully into his arms. His head rested in the crook of his elbow, his body curled inwards towards Nick and his hands peeking out from the blanket where he tried to suck on his fist.

In Nick’s hold Leo looked small, but even he knew just by holding him that he was a big baby, but everything about him was precious, miniature. Nick’s curiosity moved under the beanie to his pointed ears, following his brow down to the tip of his rounded nose- Callie’s nose- and over his soft lips that searched for milk.

Leo’s feet nudged softly against Nick’s palm where his bottom half was curled up, and he squeezed them with great care, watching his toes spread when a foot finally broke loose of the swaddle. Nick’s thumb fit across the bottom of Leo’s silky foot, his toes curling around the tip of his finger when he pressed gently.

He chuckled every time a little arm sporadically sprung upwards, his grabbing hands aimless and sometimes gripping Nick’s shirt. His grip was strong around his finger, lifting his hand to gaze at his little, little fingernails.

Callie watched with misty eyes as Nick pulled Leo closer to his chest, leaning down to press firm kisses to his face, nuzzling his nose under his round cheeks even when the baby boy whined in protest. His crackly voice stirred sympathy in Nick’s already bursting heart, softly, and only half-heartedly apologizing to him after peppering more kisses against his chubby cheek. The blanket was secured tighter around his little shoulders, talking softly to him in Orkish whispers that he hoped would calm Leo’s tired cries. Babies crying usually made him nervous, but Leo’s little wails stirred something close to a sobbing laughter, something affectionate and overflowing with admiration for the little thing he held close to his heart.

He wanted to see those big, amber eyes look up at him, but the longer he remained curled tight against Nick’s warm chest with calming pats against his bottom, the more he couldn’t bear to move him from contentedness.

“Of course he doesn’t kick you when he’s angry,” Callie mumbled playfully, giggling at Nick’s goofy grin when he could finally pull his gaze away from his handsome son.

“He’s got a lot to say,” Nick rubbed the space between his eyes again, chuckling when his brows furrowed and he whined louder.

“Now we can call everyone,” she grunted, eyes pinching shut as the doctor went on to stitch and clean her up. It stung, but was nothing compared to five minutes ago.

Nick gasped softly. “I have an idea,” he whispered to Leo excitedly. He cringed when he disturbed him while stretching a leg to dig his phone from his pocket, comforting Leo enough to keep him from wailing as he found his mother in his call log, but his quick panting would soon lead to full on sobs again.

High-pitched whimpers started to emit from him, his arm coming from the blankets.

“I see what you’re doing,” Callie reached to touch Leo’s forehead, rubbing her fingers back and forth over the velvety skin.

Nick tensed when the line picked up, and as planned, Leo started to cry louder, his round face souring. “Ma?” Nick called, his voice bubbling with excitement.

“Nick- who’s, who’s baby?” Dinara finally spoke, breathlessly that was.

He fought but couldn’t steady his voice before saying, “He’s here, Ma,”

There was only shouting after that, clustered and slipping madly between English and Orkish as she screamed for Oleg, struggling to get out what she intended. Nick tried to answer her blubbering questions, but she was crying the next one out before he even had time to finish the first.

Nick let the nurse lift Leo from his arms and back into Callie’s after she’d finished, ending the call with his parents after getting enough out to tell them what hopital they were at.

“Come here come here,” Callie reached excitedly, cradling him tight to her chest and freely reining kisses over the small plain his soft face.

Nick wiped his eyes again, standing to watch quietly as the nurse assisted Callie on how to get Leo to latch, his body unwrapped from the blankets and resuming skin to skin contact. Now he was really screaming, his short legs kicking wildly and arms throwing erratically until he was placed on his stomach over Callie’s bare chest.

The sensation of breastfeeding would definitely be something to adjust to, and Leo although being eager to eat was a stubborn latcher, crying angrily when Callie struggled and her soft words doing nothing to calm his hunger.

Nick could see her becoming flustered under the gaze of the nurses, glancing up nervously while trying to adjust the support under her arms.

Without a word, he stuffed the pillow higher under her elbow, releasing his own breath when she did after Leo finally found his spot.

Her head dropped back, eyes closing with a small smile across her lips. “Thank goodness.”

It was a brief feeding; Leo needed only a few drops of colostrum before he released, but the whole feeding had been another sight to marvel at. He grunted through his nose as he suckled, his face scrunched hilariously. Leo detached himself with a single sharp cry, his big eyes starting to flutter open again. This time, Nick had his phone ready for pictures when he looked around sleepily, and blindly, basically, but his cries were now little grunts and chuffs, breathing rapidly in between wide yawns that made Nick and Callie’s hearts throb.

Nick promised and pleaded her beauty when he started taking photos of them, begging her not to hide her glow after pulling the blanket down enough to snap the photos that would be cherished forever. Leo lasted a while before his lids started to slide shut, his sporadic wiggles calming when Nick rubbed his bare, fuzzy back.

He leaned over to wiggle his face between his shoulder and cheek carefully, pressing final kisses everywhere until he started to stir, but rested his cheek against his back, the beat of his rapid heart filling his ears.

Callie touched Nick’s cheek, her eyes pooling with tears again. “He’s perfect, isn’t he?”

He kissed her before he lost his composure again, smoothing her messy hair away from her face and reminding her how beautiful, amazing, and strong she was. “He’s perfect because you’re perfect,” he kissed into her cheek, wiping her eyes when she tried to look away with blushing cheeks.

“Hey!” she sniffled, craning her neck to find their bags. “Get my phone, yeah? I wanna call Rosie,”

Nick quickly located her phone, handing it to her but replacing her hand on Leo’s back so he wouldn’t roll away by some miraculous chance.

Callie navigated her phone until the line was ringing on speaker, hopeful she wasn’t in the middle of a call.

“Heeey,” Rosie answered nonchalantly.

"You have to promise you won’t be mad at me,” Callie barely got out past the excitement in her voice.

There was a pause. “What did you do?”

She withheld the laughter to say, “I’m holding your nephew,”

“My nephew… my nephew. My nephew!? You had Leo!?” Rosie shrieked, the panic heightened in her shrill voice over the line.

“He has my nose!” Callie lamented, both her and Nick laughing when Rosie only screamed obscenely through the phone.

“I’ll be there! I’m coming right now, I love you so much I’ll see you soon!” Rosie sobbed, the line clicking before Callie could get another word in.

“I hope she doesn’t walk in screaming like that,” Callie giggled, stuffing her phone beside her.

Their attention quickly moved back to Leo when an acute growl vibrated through his small body, and that was when Nick lost it. He hid his face against the pillow behind Callie, laughing as she did but also sobbing like a mess. There was no need to explain the confusing swarm of emotions he was under the spell of to Callie or the nurses around them, and definitely not to Dr. Sangui who congratulated the new parents on their healthy baby boy, assuring to Callie that as soon as she left she’d be canceling the c-section.

When the sobs were muddled and eyes red and puffy found his son again, Nick rested his cheek against Callie’s arm above Leo’s head so he could watch him sleep, kissing soft I love you’s into his covered head while she counted his toes and fingers, touching the two freckles on his chin that matched hers. They detailed the distinct patterning of Nick’s hue over the caramel glow of his skin, the darker freckles in some spots and the lighter ones over his cheeks. Nick was in awe at how much of himself and Callie he found the longer he stared and how much was unexpected, but in every sense, and every way possible, Leo was perfect.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leonardo Makar Jakoby

July 19th | 10 lbs 4 oz | 21 in

Born to proud parents Calista & Nicholas

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nick snorted. “No,”

Callie flicked his hand.

“Well I think you may wanna keep them in the car, honestly. You’re about 70% effaced,” she grinned at Callie, instantly recognizing the excitement rising in her big eyes.

“What’s that?” Nick asked, feeling a little excluded from all the smiles.

“She could go into labor any day now,”

Nick’s poise flickered through a wide range of emotions just as his ears did, blindly reaching for Callie’s thigh to squeeze, but she was sure that although he would go on to tell her it was for moral support on her part, he was actually supporting himself so he didn’t fall forward onto his face.

“So he’s full term?” he cracked, grimacing at the betrayal of his voice.

“Right now his growth equates to a human baby at 36 weeks, at that stage we don’t stop labor if it comes. Callie’s body is showing all the right signs of labor preparation so I feel comfortable saying yes, he’s full term and you should have a little boy in your arms any day now,” her smile had started to break through her words, and by the time she finished, Callie was pressing her fingers over her own wide smile.

“Any day?” Nick repeated, the telling placement of his hand on his chest alerting Callie that he was leaning into breathlessness

“Yes sir, so pack those bags,” she scolded. “If you don’t have anymore questions or concerns I can get your paperwork organized and send you two on your way to get all the sleep you can.”

“Yes!” Callie clasped her hands together. “What secrets do you have to start labor?”

“I wish I had some,” Sangui frowned. “And while we’re at it, I'd like to go over our plan once more,”

“My natural birth plan?”

Nick’s glance up at her was one of annoyance; he didn’t understand why she had to be so hard-headed about this.

“Your back-up plan,”

“Assuming I even need one because I’m going to push him out,” Callie was frolicsome as ever, but her refusal to even consider the possibility of anything going south was worrisome. How would she handle the labor if it did go south?

“Seeing you wholeheartedly believing in yourself thrills me, but I need to hear you say you understand the importance of it, please . I don’t want any confusion if the time comes,”

Callie exhaled, choosing to look away from her doctors hardened, and seasoned stare. “I understand,” she established clearly, her mood having plummeted a little. “When can I cancel the c-section?”

“The second Leo is out,” she promised. “And a little personal advice from a mother of five,”

Nick’s eyes widened. Five!?

 “Walk. Walk as much as you can and let gravity do its job,”

“That’s it?” Callie muttered in disbelief.

Sangui nodded enthusiastically. “Tried and true method of evicting those little things,”

Callie looked at Nick who in turn shrugged. “Of all things,”

“Just please, whatever you do, don’t use castor oil. I cannot stand to see another baby go to ICU,” Dr. Sangui pleaded, the familiar grief lining her expression telling all the heartache she’d endured from such unfortunate events.

“I’ve heard horror stories,” Callie agreed, and once again Nick was left in the dark as he waited for some kind of hint to be provided

“Listen to them. Okay! Let me go grab your papers and you two can get going!” She chimed happily, patting Nick’s shoulder as she passed and left the room.

Callie always giggled when Nick took it upon himself to help pull her shorts up her legs, tugging them up her thighs once she was standing despite her half-hearted attempts at shoving him away. When it came to the spandex band that covered the curve of her low stomach, he’d step away knowing she liked to fold it over a particular way.

The black tank-top was pulled down, already fanning her cheeks and tossing her hair off her shoulders. A deep flush dusted her freckled cheeks, one the brisk AC didn’t even harpen.

Nick gazed up at her, admiring. Like the first time he’d looked up at a police officer at six years old, eyes wide and sparkling in wonder, he now found himself stuck in the same predicament, unable to pull from the force keeping him there. This time however, he gravitated towards it instead of ducking shyly behind his father.

His strong hands came to hold her thigh, his forehead resting there also.

It had started to hit him while basking under the warm beams of her smile; the realization that soon his world that revolved around Callie would shift, and Leo would become the center.

There were times he’d wake from hazy dreams of finding Callie sitting in their bed, whispering in mystifying talk down at her arms where little hands grabbed blindly, and where even softer cries would bring him towards her despite feeling fear heavy his feet.

Nick took a composing breath, his hands squeezing her thigh steadily. Callie’s own came to caress the back of his head and neck, but with her global stomach in the way, she couldn’t lean down to kiss him into a tranquil state. She hoped her touch gliding across his wide shoulders that expanded with deep inhales did something for him like his comforting aura so often did for her when she found herself in a panic.

Now that the power of his night terrors were failing to do harm, they seemed to switch their assault on his wakefulness the closer they came to meeting Leo. The fluttering excitement was stirring, slowly simmering into fear, the steam clouding his eyes and leaving him in a confused haze.

 What do I do if he doesn’t stop crying? How often can I hold him? What if he hates me?

Fatherhood was just around the corner, but there wasn’t much even she could do to prepare him, and the questions would likely remain unanswered until the time came for him to simply go through the motions of learning their son.

He’d started to absentmindedly draw designs across her thigh where the shorts didn’t reach, his head tilted and staring from behind his sunglasses at the woman who struggled to pay her parking ticket at the gate.

“How hard is it to press a button and swipe a card?” Callie chastised, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

Nick shook his head. “Not like we need to be anywhere today,”

“Ross is calling and the heat is cooking me,” she whined, rallying a chuckle from him.

“Maybe it’ll bake him a little faster,”

“You got your oven mitts ready?” she cracked, and he laughed again.

The remnants of his smile lingered once looking back to the car ahead of him, his ears twitching when an alluring idea came to the forefront of his mind. “Do we have anything planned for dinner?”

Her eyes momentarily bounced around as she squinted, finally exhaling, “Nope,”

Nick grinned. “Date night?”

“Mm? What’ya have in mind?” she smiled when resting her chin in her palm and laying her phone in her lap.

“How about Santa Monica?”

Her smile wavered here and there between a scowl. “Last time we were there we got in that fight ,”

“That was last time,” Nick sighed.

“I know, okay, I just…” she fidgeted, halting her drumming fingers. “That was just a shitty day,”

Nick reached into her lap to smoothly scoop her hand into his, their fingers twining when he kissed the back of her hand, his eyes on the road as they finally made their way from the parking lot. “You know I’ll be sorry forever,”

 “Callie open the fucking door!”

The heel of her palms stayed pressed against her eyes when she shook her head, leaned forward into her own lap. “Go away Nick,” she croaked, sniffling.

“Open the door!” he bellowed, his palm coming to hit the window sill of the passenger side door.

“Fuck off! Just leave me alone!” she screamed, fresh hot tears staining her cheeks.

“I’m not going until you fucking talk to me!”

“ I don't wanna talk !” she sobbed, and continued to scream as he yanked animalistically against the handle, the truck swaying side to side. “Nick stop before someone calls the cops!”

“I don’t fucking care!” he bellowed, truly uncaring of the strangers amongst the crowds coming in and out of the piers parking lot that had stopped to watch him beat wildly against the truck. “Now open the fucking door so we can go home!”

“ NO !”

She screamed when his lightning fast strike was enough to crack the window, the soft splintering filling the silence between them now as she looked at his heaving form that looked back in shock from his own outburst.

“I know,” she used the back of her knuckles to rub his chin before he held her thigh so she could have her hand back.

“That won’t happen again, I promise,” he still reassured.

“It’s okay baby, really,” Callie’s small smile was comforting, but he knew the somber memory still made her flinch sometimes when his temper grew explosive. “It’s not like I haven’t gone apeshit sometimes,”

“Yeah but I can just pick you up and toss you aside when you start tapping into those crackhead vibes,” Nick grinned when she giggled, her soft touch tracing the back of his hand as the wind tossed her loose hair around. “So do you wanna go?”

“Yeah, one more date with just us two,” she beamed, her smile brighter than any magic he’d bored witness to.

“Are you sure you’re okay with it?”

“Oh yeah, it’s not like all the times there were bad,” she suspired, leaning closer to give him that crooked, toothy grin.

Nick could only look at her in fleeting glances, but he’d recognize that glimmer of her eyes anyday. “Like?”

“Like the ball,”

Nick swallowed. “The black dress ball?”

“Mhm,” she bit her bottom lip, studying him closely.

 “Nick stoh- stop stop I’m gonna cum I’m gonna cum!” she sobbed, thighs trembling and spread in his lap. He was buried to the knuckles in her pussy, his hand other working her flushed tits that shook with her ragged breaths.

“That’s the whole point, isn’t it?” he sneered against her hair, the shimmering black dress pooled around her waist.

The aching of her knee started to dull as she ebbed closer, her heeled foot hooked onto the dashboard and fingers dug into the fabric across his thighs, surely burning her own palms the longer he extended his torture.

His fingertips found her clit for only a moment before sliding two fingers back in, her spine arching immediately when he drummed her spot.

“Ah fuck-” she choked, curling off his body. “Nick, Nick Nick-”

“Fuck I love it when you shake like that,” he growled, teeth bared and gripping her breast tight enough to make her whimper, but it was all muted the moment she climaxed.

Callie was always a sight to behold when this moment came; the way she chanted his name until her voice broke, her hips rolling perfectly into his rhythm, and there was always the pulses of her pussy. How he could feel her slick walls milking his fingers, and could practically taste her sweet nectar he scented furiously.

“You’re fucking perfect,” he whispered, dragging his slick fingers out to rub her sensitive clit. There were a few listless jerks of her body, but Callie twisted in his hold after evening her breathing, her sore fingers curling in his shoulders to steady herself.

Her movements were wobbly and sloppy, but this night, Nick was too heated and hard to stop her from wiggling upright in his lap, and clumsily reaching down to guide his hard as rock cock inside once he’d done away with the belt and zipper.

His head hit the headrest, eyes closed and moaning against her parted lips that ghosted against his. She tasted like the champagne they’d been served in crystal glasses, her touch cold across his chest once she’d run down the length of buttons.

Every slow drop of her hips took him back in with ease, a breathless whine meeting his lips every time he filled her.

The fallen strands of her messy hair that was once pinned up in a soft french twist now tickled his cheeks as she looked down at him with balmy eyes.

Nick’s mind further unraveled when she leaned back against the steering wheel, switching to soft bounces that dropped her head back in the wake of a loud moan.

The smooth plain of her torso was bared for him to touch, his palms sliding flat up between her breasts and resting at her neck as he bucked into her sweet pussy, his own cries starting to fill the steamy space of the trucks cab.

A few snaps before his eyes brought him back with a deep flush and growing erection, his heavy eyes finding her looking up at him curiously.

“Are you daydreaming?” she smiled, poking his hip.

Nick shrugged, his knees swinging wide as he adjusted the achy hard-on in his shorts while following her to the next aisle. He quickly offered an elbow upon watching her waddle with a hand pressed into the wearied crook of her spine, still keeping a hand at her back when he reached up to top shelves for her.

“Here,” she took both of her selections and hung a bag on each of his shoulders, studying them meticulously.

“Why me?” he cocked a hairless brow.

“You’re gonna be carrying it while I’m dying of labor pains,” she grinned. “I think I like the Puma one,”

“If I’m carrying why can’t it be more me looking?”

“They don’t have any blue ones,” she pointed with a frown, narrowly avoiding the slap to her ass. “If I scream that someone from the Blue Man Group is hitting me people will come running!”

Nick chuffed, hooking his arm around her shoulders before she could slip away, hanging on tight when she tried to squirm away. She let out high pitched laughter into his chest as he shoved his face between her shoulder and cheek, all in attempts to chuff into her ear; it always made her squirm and scream.

“Cheesecake!” she finally squealed, slapping a few rounds worth of hits against his arms that didn’t phase him in the slightest. “You ruined my bun!”

“Ahh it was already fucked, c’mon fur ball,”

Now Nick barely avoided a hard punch to his arm after grabbing the bag of her choice and moving on, only coming back to her side to help her walk after she pinky promised she wouldn’t groin shot him.

“So what else?” he asked, his arm hung around her shoulders.

“Swaddling blankets. I have everything I need at home-”

Nick nearly lost his footing when his arm didn’t follow, but he quickly realized what was happening when he came to face her pinched brows and scrunched nose, the irritated turn of her jaw.

“Bad one?” he questioned keenly, glaring at a couple that murmured lowly in annoyance as they moved around a steadfast Callie at the center of an aisle.

She nodded, exhaling slowly. “Thought my water was gonna break everywhere for a second,”

Nick felt the blood come back to his face. “Wait until we’re in the car at least so I can just drive you to the hospital,”

She snickered, leaning more into his arm now as they ambled around the store.

The mostly curious, sometimes disgusted and other times intrigued gawks in their direction was for the most part ignored now; years of toughening allowed him to now brush the remarks off, but even he couldn’t resist growling lowly when the looks deviated, dragging up and down Callie, or his form. If there was ever a time Nick hated his heightened sense of smell, it was in Targets with middle aged mothers who would outwardly glare at him, but upon passing, their arousal would give them away, often accompanied by a glance over their shoulder at the beefy Orc.

“There’s another cougar looking at you,” Callie would whisper, pointing with her chin.

It’s when he’d give a small reminder to the less informed humans that he was spoken for, usually with a hand slipped into Callie’s back pocket or slyly pulling her hair back from her face to reveal the faint bite under her jaw.

“So where’re we eating?” Callie piped, gently touching a pair of thin, silver earrings whose jewels sparkled softly.

“Mariasol’s? I could go for some ceviche,” Nick’s mouth watered at just the thought.

“Oh good, I thought you were gonna be tired of Mexican after these last two weeks,”

He scoffed. “I haven’t grown tired of you, have I?” he asked against the shell of her ear, smiling when she blushed.

“Nick?”

They both turned at the unrecognized call of his name, but Callie caught the stiffening of Nick’s spine before she even had a chance to properly overlook the lean Orc woman that had called after him.

“Grohet?” Nick said, his eyes peeled.

“Yeah- hi!” she smiled, her stubby tusks barely peeking from her lips as she moved forward to hug him.

Although Nick’s embrace was stiff and half-hearted, it still shrunk Callie back to his side, unknowing where to look or how to place her hands as she took in small details of the admittedly gorgeous woman before her lover.

“How’ve you been?” she went on to ask, respectfully stepping away from him.

“Uh yeah, good, real good. God it’s been years since I’ve seen you,” Nick replied nervously, his eyes shooting to Callie’s and finding the anxiousness. “This is my girlfriend Callie,” he proudly introduced, his hand returning to the spot at her back

“The lone wolf is finally settling down, huh?” Grohet teased, shaking Callie’s hand gently.

Callie’s head cocked. Lone wolf?

 “Najbor-tuk or lavgru-mal?”

“Boy, we’re naming him Leo,” Nick went on, his chest puffing.

“About to pop then?” she asked, and although Callie nodded and snaked her arm behind Nick again with a nonchalant smile to match, she wanted out of that conversation immediately.

She didn’t need to be told to know these two had history.

The kind that made Nick fidgety, or her cock a painted brow when she spotted Callie’s obvious condition.

It also made her wonder how he’d jumped from tall, elegant Orcs with velvety voices to her stunted stature and tangly hair that even annoyed her sometimes.

God, she was almost his height and built like an Olympian-

“Maybe, but we should get going, we have a few more errands to run,” Nick’s voice broke through her thoughts, but by the time she realized she’d been glaring at Grohet, he was already shaking her hand.

“Yeah me too. It was nice meeting you, I’ll see you two around.” She grinned at Callie who could barely muster her own. Grohet strolled away leisurely, pushing her earphones back.

“I thought she moved out of LA,” he pondered out loud. “You alright?”

Callie nodded with a sour grin. “Cramps,” she lied.

“Well let’s get you off your feet then.” He offered an elbow, the couple setting off back down the aisle as Nick went on to chat about something she didn’t quite catch when glancing over her shoulder, but the mysterious woman was already gone.

It was surprising how easily he found parking this time of day, and so close, but before he could even turn off the truck, he was staring at Callie again, more notably her downcast eyes and hands toying listlessly in her lap.

“Callie,” he sighed.

“Hm?”

“Talk,”

She pursed her lips, looking at him with glossy eyes. “You never mentioned her before,”

Nick’s expression turned horrified. “Why’re you crying?”

“I’m not, it’s the fucking hormones,” she sniffled.

“What-”

“Why didn’t you ever mention her?” she questioned. “I’ve sat and talked about your exes with your mom and that one never came up,”

“She wasn’t an ex,” he intoned, resting back in his seat and turning the engine off.

“Oh bullshit,” Callie scoffed. “Just spit it out,”

He looked to her with apprehension, sighing as he said, “She was a fuck buddy,”

A few seconds of Callie’s blank mein ticked by, then a few more before she calmly situated back in her seat, holding her round stomach. “An ex would’ve been better,”

Nick sighed again, unsure of what to even say that could expel the tension, or calm the unrest in her mind.

“How long?” she asked softly.

He shook his head in uncertainty. “Five-ish months?”

Now she looked at him, her brows pulled together in mild discomfort. “How’d you two meet?”

“O-Date,”

“So it started as a date?” she whined, but Nick had grabbed her hand, turning in his seat to face her.

“She told me within ten minutes she wasn’t looking for a relationship. She only wanted sex,”

“For five months!?”

“Callie,” he stopped her rampage. “That’s not fair,”

Her brows furrowed now.

“I didn’t ridicule you for the guys you slept with before me,”

She looked down at his hand holding hers, his thumb stroking her skin. “What was she like?”

“I don’t know,”

Callie looked at him in confusion.

“It was literally just sex, we didn’t even talk. I’m surprised she even remembered my name,”

“What’s with the lone wolf thing?”

Nick looked outwards, his lips in a straight line. “It was my username…”

Callie tried, but she still giggled at it. “She’s pretty,”

Nick scoffed. “She has fake eyebrows,”

She laughed this time, bringing her forehead to rest against his knuckles. “I’m sorry,”

“Don’t be. I’d flip if one of your ex’s came strolling up like that,”

With a shrug she said, “I’m positive none of them would even come up if you were standing next to me,”

“That’s what you get when you date white boys,”

“Shut up! You fucked someone with fake eyebrows!”

Nick’s leer was menacing. “You really wanna go there?”

 “Uhh…” Callie could only utter, the sheet wrapped loosely around her bare form. “Can… are you okay? Josh-”

Fuck, was his name Josh!?

He only waved her away, his face buried in his other palm as he choked down hiccuping sobs and sat facing away from her at the end of his bed. His bony shoulders shook terribly; it freaked her out a little bit.

“Y-you can lea-leave,” he at last choked out, rising naked from his spot and wobbling out of his messy room.

She could hear him bumping against the doorframe to another room, and until she heard the door lock did she remain motionless, but as soon as she could hear his intensifying cries drowning out in the slurred words of who ever he was calling, Callie was on her feet and pulling her clothes back on with her phone pressed between her ear and shoulder.

“Pickuppickuppickup-” she hissed, yanking her jeans up her legs.

“Hey bitch-

“Rosie come pick me up,” Callie rushed, flinging her phone down only a moment to pull her shirt on.

“That was fast-”

“NO, he fucked me for three seconds now he’s in the other room crying!”

There was a long pause. “What!?”

 “Why are you making me relive that?” Callie carped.

“Cuz you reminded me of the time I rubbed off one of her eyebrows and it was horrifying,”

She managed to stifle most of the laughter, but he’d at least had the courtesy of not laughing at her when she’d first retold the tale of her flee from the boy that had started sobbing like she’d murdered his family before him, and muted her amusement.

“Are you okay?” he asked again, his hand smoothing the back of her head.

Callie nodded, the rampant thoughts diminished and Leo rousing lively after hearing his father speak. “I’m sorry,” she again said softer.

There was only a shake of his head before he closed the space between them, his lips meeting hers for confident, full kisses that made her cheeks warm. His big hands concealing her reddened cheeks only continued to warm as he prolonged the kisses, speaking softly to her in whispers only she would ever hear.

“Okay,” Nick forcefully threw the truck into park in his excitement, the pair looking out to where they’d already spotted Dinara and Oleg sitting at one of the outside patios of the bar. “Ready?”

She nodded, but didn’t move except for her leg that was bouncing like it had its own engine.

“Baby,” he held the back of her neck until she looked at him with glossy, wide eyes.

“It’s the third time,” her voice broke, quickly wiping her eyes. “What if-”

“No, we already said no what if’s. This,” he reached to place a hand over her flat stomach that would soon start to bulge. “This is it. There’s no more what ifs,”

Her lip started to tremble. “What if I lose this one too?”

Before she could even continue he was bringing her forehead against his, holding her steadfast, vanquishing all of the fear if only for a few seconds. Her grip on his wrists was tight, but he knew it was out of fear, not repulsion, and his unwavering support was what she’d need now and until she pushed this baby out despite fearing it would be ripped from her grasp like the ones previous.

“This is the one Callie,” he spoke softly, his palms moving smoothly over her cheeks. “Pick names because you’re gonna be a mom,”

She smiled, weakly, but it was still something. He kissed her head when it dropped, allowing her the minutes she needed to compose herself before they’d once again step before his parents and tell them she was expecting.

“It feels like yesterday,” he mumbled, his mottled finger following Leo.

“I didn’t think I could do it,” she admitted carefully, shame filling those big caramel eyes when meeting Nick’s bewilderment. “My body’s never been reliable,”

He couldn’t argue that. Between miscarriages and endless medicated routines that turned Callie’s body sour, the ornery temper of her womb would always seem to flare up when she least needed it.

“Baby?” he called, shrugging off his bag by the door and hanging his keys. He pushed down Pucca who excitedly pawed as his hip, shoving her wide head under his hand with a series of high-pitched whines.

“Where’s mama?” he played, but the sudden spin and glance over her shoulder Pucca shot back at him brought his teasing manner down. Nick furrowed his brows as he looked down at Pucca’s perked ears and straight as an arrow tail.

“Where’s mama?” he asked again, beelining after her when she took off down the hall, her nails ripping across the carpet.

The blood assaulted his senses before he even made it to Callie’s aid, curled up in bed under the sheets.

Pucca started barking beside her, whining when Nick whipped the sheet away to lay bare the blood pooling beneath her.

“Cal-” he gasped, Pucca continuing to cry beside them.

The stench of sickly blood still laid vivid in the meadows of his mind no matter how he fought to forget it’s odor, but a quick, and comforting look at her stomach swelled beautifully with his healthy baby brought him back from the darker corners of his mind.

“Ready to eat?” he asked.

“Yep.” She nodded, thankful to be steered away from those memories.

Nick was there as always to help her down from the high seat, his hold at her sides unmoving until she was steady and clear headed. His daily attentiveness reminded her of the faith she held in him, knowing the same strong arms that so guarded her would be where Leo would lay safely, cradled and shielded from any harm.

As she looked up at him with their hands joined, listening to him speak about the ambiance of the outside bar he wanted to sit at, she knew he’d share his thoughts and lessons with their son throughout his life, confident that the same excitement that glimmered in his eyes would grow brighter once he looked into Leo’s inquisitive eyes.

Nick took notice to her quiet stares, her brows furrowed every so slightly as she gazed, and listened, a hand rested over her stomach once sat under the warm lights lining the patio like stars.

“What?” he scoffed, his curiosity growing when she shook her head, but gave him that toothy, crooked grin.

“I just like listening to you talk,”

“Even after all these years?”

“I can’t wait to hear you talk to Leo,” she wavered, batting her glossy eyes.

Nick waved his hand, leaning his cheek into his palm shyly when she smiled adoringly at him.

But did she know how excited he was to see her with Leo in her arms? To at last give her what she’d fought for? To be lulled by the soft lullabies he knew she was saving for her son, and watch her admire the tiny hands she’d soon be able to kiss?

Nick stared at her now much in the same way she did, his heart hammering and his quiet breaths unsteady.

Could he keep her forever? Would her overflowing love for Leo leave room for him after all he’d put her through to get here?

He swallowed, smiling off her soft accusation of staring, his eyes diverting to the menus before them.

His eyes roamed over the words, but his heart was directing his attention to the question he’d wanted to hear her scream yes to that first time he’d ever spoken of his desire to make her his wife.

“They’re gonna like you,” he buoyed, snatching her hand to kiss her fingers.

“Says the one who told me how vicious your mother was when she met your other girlfriends,” she whined.

“You’re different,”

“Oh yeah? How?”

Nick sat up, inclining to kiss her sweetly once before saying, “I didn’t plan to marry any of those other girls,”

It didn’t register right away, but when it did, he saw the gravity of his words flicker across her face. First it was a loose smile, then the furrowed brows, them pure confusion, all making him smirk.

“What?” she croaked.

“You heard me,”

She situated better, scooting closer. “How’re you so confident after everything that’s happened? You never once thought we were hopeless?”

“Sure, but I never stopped feeling it. No matter what I did it’s been the same since I first saw you. Hit me like a bullet to the heart,” he explained, witnessing the glaze move over her eyes.

“Wh-” she cleared her throat when her voice cracked severely, moving her hair behind her ears. “Why?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Cause of the shit you’ll get for wanting to be with someone like me,”

He blew air. “I don’t give a fuck what anyone says, even if it’s our families. And it doesn’t have to be soon, hell it can be on our deathbeds, but no matter what, I’m gonna marry you one day Callie. Even if we’ve only known each other so briefly, and some of it was apart, I can’t fathom a life without you,”

She blinked away the moisture in her eyes. “You’re so sure you wanna spend that long with me?”

“Are you asking me, or yourself?” he questioned, leaning on a hand closer to her. “If you don’t want to spend that long with me, it’s okay-”

“I’m asking you. I know what I want, but do you?” she asked softly.

He kissed her again, resting his forehead against hers. “I want forever with you. Everything about you-”

“My anxiety?”

“Callie-”

“I can never give you a family,” she grieved, but he hushed her, kissing her silent.

“Anything, everything, always. You can’t scare me away,” he laughed, and so did she.

Nick glanced around. Could I do it here? There were only a few more patrons filling up the patio that late afternoon, individuals that hadn’t even given the odd couple second glances.

He looked back to Callie, leaned to the side and going on about Leo favoring her left side the past few days.

 I don’t have a ring.

That smothered his flame some, but the thought of Callie not being his in every sense possible made his heart ache, even if she was branded with his mark and carried his scent.

He gazed at the smile that had made his heart thunder to life that first time all those years ago, the freckles he’d once counted as she slept tangled in his hold. Her big eyes that twinkled with life, even in the dark.

Callie’s soft ranting about the price of an enchilada dish halted when her hand was suddenly enveloped by his on the tables surface, and as soon as she found the bubbling, skittish fear in his eyes, somewhere deep down in her heart, she knew what was coming.

“Callie-”

“Hey there! My name is Kim and I’ll be helpin’ you two out tonight,” the cheery, short statured waitress popped up, laying down coasters. “Can I start you two off with any Liquid Marijuanas or Mai Tai’s? Maybe a bottle of Black Sky for you sir?”

“Uh-” Callie started.

“Woops! Or maybe some waters? Fresh horchata? Jamaica?”

“Can we have time to look at the menu?” Nick stopped her, his agitation growing.

“For sure! I’ll swing by in a few minutes!” and Kim was off, pacing towards the next table.

Nick exhaled bitterly, letting go of her hand to open his menu again in preparation.

“What were you gonna say?” Callie asked, eyes hopeful and waiting.

 Not now, not here. I’ll take the signs. “If you minded if I drank a little,” he grinned.

The mild disappointment in her tone when she replied made him wonder if she knew what had been coming, and if she’d been hopeful for it.

Callie acted nonchalant when she leaned back in her chair, quickly changing subjects and not really letting a word in otherwise, but he understood. He knew it was so she didn’t have to argue with her own thoughts and emotions of hidden embarrassment.

Suddenly the dinner felt like it’d take too long, but a quick reminder of their last date they’d ever have as just Nick and Callie settled that impatience.

If the time he would ask could be perfect, he’d wait.

But once the food came and went, his nerves grew.

When they finally raised from their seats after talking for what felt like hours, lost in one anothers smiles and soft caresses across their hands, he found his hands starting to shake.

The sky was melting into waves of oranges and purples, glowing over the crashing waves she wanted to sit in the sand before. Nick held their shoes in one hand and hers in the other, wobbling over the warm sand until they found a spot close to the shoreline.

He made sure she was safely nestled before flopping down behind her, his legs on either of her sides and arms coming to wrap around her cool arms, her thick hair wisping in the cool breeze under his chin.

She reclined into his chest, gently shh-ing Leo when Nick brought his vivacious side out, both of them chuckling when his touch was kicked away.

Their voices and conversation dimmed with the setting sun, Callie’s heavy eyes lingering on the thin wash of water that crept up and down the beach.

Sometimes she could still hear Pucca barking and running through the shallow water, uncaring of what child she mowed down in her efforts to chase her ball. Callie didn’t think she’d ever get over the absence of her deceased companion. Her bed still sat by the hallway entrance, her bowls still below the bar.

She turned her shoulders to press her face into Nick’s chest, curling into a tighter ball.

His firm hold around her frame stirred a content moan, goosebumps firing up her arms where his hand rubbed up and down.

Nick released a steadying breath low enough to go unnoticed, opening his eyes after his small pep talk that now felt foolish. Nothing would help with this intense fluttering in his gut except her final answer, whether it be what he wanted or not.

“Callie?”

“Hm?” she lifted her nose to press under his chin.

He blinked away the heartbeat behind his eyes, licking his dry lips. “Will you marry me?”

Callie looked up at him now, and he worried she’d heard the shake in his breath after asking, but the beaming smile shining up at him after some visible tension had fallen off her shoulders made him laugh nervously, his brows starting to furrow when she didn’t answer right away.

“Yes, yes- I want to be your wife,” she sighed, her grip already moving to his broad chest.

Nick felt his heart vault back between his ribs from his stomach, a loud exhale making her laugh when she realized he’d been holding his breath.

“Did you think I’d say no?” she asked against his mouth when he started peppering her face with kisses.

“I did,” he groaned apologetically. “Every time I brought it up you seemed to hate the idea,”

“What!?” she exclaimed. “Nick I’ve wanted to marry you since we first got back together, but I didn’t trust myself to remain the person you fell in love with if I would’ve kept losing babies, especially Leo,”

“Why would I stop loving you for that?”

“I don’t doubt you, but I don’t know if you would’ve been able to live with the person I could’ve become, regardless of how much you love me. I didn’t want to disappoint you anymore,” she explained sullenly.

She tried to look down despite his hands angling her face up, pressing her cheek into his palm bashfully.

“You’d be doing me the honor of being my wife, because I don’t deserve someone as brave, and strong and fucking gorgeous as you”

“Nick stop,” she wept, his hands bringing her back when she shook her head.

“I don’t deserve you but you’re my other half, Calista. I’m not me without you. You’re my best friend, and my home. You’re my fucking girl,” his voice had started to shake again, his brows arched in annoyance that he couldn’t remain composed, but her lips sealed his when there was no more to be said. Without words she calmed the torrid emotions, reassuring that he hadn’t made a mistake in asking for her hand.

She promised she’d excel the ideal image of a wife just as he did when he swore her everlasting protection and devotion, and together they vowed the home for Leo, the love, patience, and everything else they would surround their son with as he came into this world and grew.

When their tears had dried and he again kept her tight against his chest, his flannel removed and draped over her body, she started to giggle to herself until he leaned back to look at her in question.

“You couldn’t have asked before we ran into your ex fuck buddy so you could introduce me as your fiancée?” she smiled playfully.

“Do you want me to scream it in case anymore are around?”

Her smile dissolved. “More?”

“I’m joking.” he grinned, blocking her hits against his arms and chest until he got his arms around hers to continue smothering her with kisses.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

✨🎉🔔⛪⛪⛪🔔🎉✨

i'm already writing the next chapter. it's time.

Callie knew how close he was by the way his arms grew weak, his head raising off the pillow weakly, yet his eyes remaining shut tight.

A few more smooth rolls of her hips and some encouraging whispers later, and the grip at her sides was enough to make her whimper, a few languid pumps of his hips slapping softly in the stuffy room. He whimpered in time with the thick shots of cum shooting into her, the severity of his hold lessening when his stomach unclenched and wide shoulders lowered back into the sheets.

She rode out the last of him slowly, kissing his palm that reached blindly to touch her face. He cradled her cheek as her cunt massaged his slowly shrinking dick, the small bursts of tenderness making him twitch under her.

There was a low purr that mingled with the deep breaths he exhaled, his chest slowing as hers did. Sweat clung to both of them, her sloppily pinned hair even messier around her sticky shoulders and neck.  

Callie ran her nails upwards along her scalp, holding the loose hair atop her head. “Esta bien?”

Nick nodded without opening his eyes, his wide hand dragging in a slow circle across her round stomach. “You?”

She nodded, reaching for his hands to lean into as she lifted off him. Nick tensed and whined as he slid out, his heavy dick falling onto his lower stomach.

Callie leaned over her stomach for a quick kiss before waddling to the bathroom, her last steps rushed when the extra weight of Leo pressed on her already touchy bladder.

The locks of hair that had fallen around her face were pinned back up as she relieved herself, in addition tenderly checking her sore earlobe after Nick had accidentally yanked when he hooked a finger in one of her hoops. She cringed, expecting a torn lobe but was relieved to find only minor swelling.

 No more hoops during stripteases. Callie was mid-wipe when something felt… unfamiliar.

Her brows furrowed as the bizarre sensation of what she expected to be able to clean up quickly prompted her to look down, and gaze curiously at what she’d… produced?

“Is this from me?” she mumbled, holding the tissue at arms length.

Her eyes flickered to the door. “Nick?” she called out.

Her eyes followed every pass he made, from bedside table to sliding door, but just because she sat calmly at the edge of their bed with the phone pressed between her ear and shoulder did not mean her outward appearance accurately portrayed how she felt. It had only been about forty-five seconds she’d been on hold but Callie was certain something closer to ten minutes had in fact passed.

“Do we even have a hospital bag ready?” Nick asked out loud, suddenly looking in all corners of the room. “Does Leo!?”

Callie didn’t stop him when he suddenly zoomed from the room, surely scouring Leos’, in search of the bag that too did not exist. The receiver picked up, and Callie snapped her fingers fervently. “Hi Doctor Sangui!” she said louder than necessary, and Nick was near tripping into the room half a second later.

“Yes- yeah, I’m calling because um- well me and Nick had just… finished, and I went to use the bathroom and this mucousy clot came out of me,” Callie reiterated flusteredly, scowling at her poor elaboration.

Nick stood anxiously, his arms crossed and rocking side to side as he listened.

“Uh-huh, yes. Yeah it was,” she spoke, eyes jumping here and there. “Nope those haven’t been consistent at all. Nope. No I’m good right now, no pain,” she answered, and then there was a long pause as she listened intently, but the more her face soured as the seconds ticked by, the more unease grew in Nick’s stomach.

“Speaker phone! Speaker phone! ” he tried hissing, but was silenced.

“So I should be alright then? No need to go in?” Callie verified, giving Nick the thumbs up to rest some of his worries she could see immediately fall off his shoulders. “Okay, thank you so much! We- yes next week, yep, you too, thank you, bye.” She finished, ending the call.

“It’s all good?” Nick still asked.

“It’s called a mucus plug,” she cringed, and although just the sound of it was off putting, his curiosity was greater.

“Plug?” he repeated.

“She said it’s like a barrier from the outside to keep infections out, and when it falls out it’s a precursor to birth,” she brought her hands together, her lips pursed as she too absorbed that vital, terrifying, exciting little piece of knowledge bestowed only moments ago, but she was far more concerned with Nick’s subtle signs of distress.

It was how he looked down at her stomach, then crossed his arms tight- like they suddenly felt empty. There was a weak smile, then in a few blinks she could’ve sworn his color was paling.

“Baby? You need to sit down?” she asked, almost about to stand when he waved his hand.

It was a few beats later before Nick could ask without feeling like he would vomit, “How- how soon, is um… soon? How now- um, soon?” he struggled, suddenly flustered and clasping his hands to keep their shake out of Callie’s sight.

“She said it could be hours or weeks,” Callie exhaled, her toes curling when he held his head and spun away, ambling into the hallway. “Are you breathing?” she called, watching him lean against the wall adjacent to the open door so he could still look at her.

He patted his chest, shaking his head. “ Hours? ”

“It’s either or baby,” she tried to comfort him, but the anxiety was rising in her like water coming to a rolling boil. “Is- is this too much? Is it finally hitting home?” she asked in a panic, her hands fisting at her sides.

“What- no!” he exclaimed, honestly taken aback. “Baby, baby no,” he had her face in his hands once coming back to her, leaning down to press loving kisses to her lips. “I just didn’t expect hours to be an option,”

“Me too,” she half laughed, holding onto his wrists. “Do you still wanna go today?”

“Do you? Are you feeling okay?” he checked, angling her face up so the light revealed her glowing skin that had come back after another bout of morning sickness.

“I’m good, first time all day I haven’t had any cramps actually  and I don’t want to sit around here just waiting for something to happen if we do still have weeks,”

“You better not be lying just to avoid the hospital,”

“I like hospitals, mensito,” she clarified, gripping his hips to hoist herself up. “It’s the pelvic exams I’m trying to avoid,” she kissed his chin.

“ Calista ,” he barked.

“You know I’m joking, calm down daddy,” she patted his chest while waddling back towards bathroom, leaving Nick to chuff and glare at her backside.

“Why don’t we have bags packed?” Nick called, leaning in the doorway of the bathroom as she undressed with the shower already on.

“Cuz we’re waiting to see what we get at the shower today, remember?” she reminded, suddenly groaning and holding her stomach.

“What!? Whaav whaav !?” he panicked, rushing to her side.

She pouted up at him. “We’re hungry,”

It took a moment before Nick could calm down enough to chuff angrily at her, stomping out of the bathroom.

“Nick it’s a joke!” she laughed, leaning out of the doorway to watch him trudge into the bedroom.

“It’s not funny!”

She rolled her eyes while stepping back to the shower, cranking it to near boiling temperatures.

“No lava showers or I’ll hide all your maternity jeans!” Nick yelled on cue. Callie rolled her eyes again, adjusting the levels ever so slightly.

↠

Nick turned his jaw side to side to carefully observe his reflection, more so the deep scars that at last were fading into a less prominent tone across his brows, cheek and chin. He tilted his head and flicked his half severed ear; he’d surely never grow completely used to that, just like his filed tusks. His yellow eyes moved down to his chest in the foggy reflection of the mirror, and before he grabbed the damp towel to ball into the crook of his arm, he wiped the mirror down in the steamy room to better see how his image changed.

No matter how at ease he tried to appear holding the mock baby, he still found himself feeling awkward and stiff, even with both arms cradling the balled up towel.

He tried to imagine Leo there, with no idea how he’d look or how he’d react to his father cradling him despite the more than lively response he always received when whispering softly to Callie’s stomach.

But this just didn’t feel right.

 Cuz you’re holding a towel, dumbass. Don’t overthink it. Nick tossed the towel into the hamper and with a few small spurts of his cologne across his chest, he walked out of the steamy bathroom.

“Hey you almost ready?” he peaked in the room, but didn’t find her there.

“I’m reh-ee,”

 Ahh, kitchen. Nick grabbed his shoes before heading across the house, stifling a snort once coming upon her with both cheeks full of food. “Are you breathing between bites?”

“Fuh you,” she glared, chewing forcefully.

“Do you not want any of the food there?” he asked, ripping off a small piece of the kimchi she already had wrapped around a bite of rice.

“When he’s hungry there’s no waiting,” she better spoke this time, rocking side to side as she took the next hearty bite. “This is his favorite,” she noted, her eyes fluttering in pure delight.

Nick nodded, he too wrapping his own little bites up as she went on to dance goofily beside him, picking up small pieces of pork leftover from the previous nights dinner. The prior motive to leave was momentarily paused as they snacked, Nick wrapping little bites and feeding them to her as she loosely braided her long hair over her shoulder.

“Do you have a bathing suit packed?” he asked, but she shook her head.

“Wearing it underneath,” she chewed, and he spotted the bikini ties at the back of her neck. “I don’t even know if I’ll swim, honestly,”

“What, why?” he exclaimed. “If I have to swim you have to,”

“Do you have a globe attached to your stomach? I look like a planet,” she grumbled, sucking her fingertips clean.

Nick sucked his teeth clean, his eyes dragging up from her painted toenails and over the spaghetti strapped, navy blue sun dress that flowed gently down to above her knees, continuing on to her bare face that was grinning up at him with a cocked brow, her own pink scars now a part of the smooth plain of her face.

“If you were a planet you’d be the moon cuz you’re glowing,” he professed lovingly, and even though the comment on her size ruffled her feathers some, she couldn’t be mad at him. She felt like a star he’d talk to secretly every night, professing his love tenderly in ways that still surprised her.

Instead, she lightly punched his chest, finishing the last of the kimchi and rice.

“Ready then?” he asked.

A few more well balanced spins and the salsa’s she’d made were out of the fridge and added to the other items they carried in a couple beach bags hung on Nick’s arm, then coming to steady herself against his shoulder as she slipped her sandals on. With a few quick taps to their security system, he was walking slowly after her, swallowing low chuckles when watching her waddle side to side. From behind she was still small and curvy; it was fascinating when she’d turn to reveal that pregnancy swell that was quickly becoming the culprit of a few tip overs in recent days when her little legs couldn’t keep her upright.

Nick wouldn’t let her even attempt climbing into the truck until he had hands on her frame, ready to catch her if she tumbled back despite the low protests.

“Baby I can do it myself,” she grunted, but he scoffed.

 “Just wait a second-” Nick called, struggling to pull his jeans up whilst Callie was already grabbing her keys.

“I’m fine, I need to get out of the house,” she waved him off, slipping out the front door after looping her purse onto the crook of her arm.

“Cal!” Nick called, growling when the button to his jeans didn’t agree with him. “Callie!”

“I’ll bring back snacks!”

“Stubborn-” he grumbled, hastily pulling his shoes on. “Brat!”

He was across the house- without his phone, but whatever- in two seconds, throwing the door open and gliding across the patio and down the stairs just as she’d hoisted herself up onto the running board of the truck.

“Callie c’mon,”

She only turned enough to look at him, but that small shift threw off her balance. Her grip was neither strong or prepared for her center of gravity to swing, and her own stomach flung her back onto the hard concrete below.

Only a semblance of her name was punched from him before bolting to her side in panic.

“If you hadn’t distracted me…” she murmured, but he pinched her thigh.

“If you would’ve kept your ass on that couch, you mean?” he corrected, but she stopped him.

“How do you expect me to be okay sitting around all day?”

“The same way I expect you to ask me to take you somewhere, anywhere you want as long as it means you’re not doing things that are gonna put you and Leo at risk,” Nick spoke vehemently, stifling Callie’s quick remarks.

She stared irritably, fingers drumming against her stomach. Her Orc only moved to lean against the door so he could keep looking at her, his amber eyes calm, yet resilient.

Callie sighed. “You don’t get it,”

“I get it to an extent. I was holed up in there for two months once,”

“I took you everywhere with me!”

“And I loved that but yeah, there were times when I wanted to do things on my own. I get it, Cal. I do,” he held her hand in her lap. “But you have this little boy attached to you. Just one more month you have to put up with me and you can go off wherever you want, but for now please just let me help,”

Callie scoffed, unable to pull from his pleadful pout. “You’ll let me run off with Leo in my arms but not in my stomach?”

“You’ll be able to run again with him in your arms,” he grinned. She smiled, caressing his cheek. It was times like these she tried to remind herself to be thankful he was so attentive and concerned with her well-being when he could’ve been the type of man who showed no interest at all, even when she was feeling crowded.

“One month and not a day more,” she played.

“Deal.” He even held his forearm up to bump hers, making sure she was tucked in before closing the door.

He already had his Clubmasters on by the time he climbed in beside her, forever adjusting the seat back to his settings before backing out of the driveway.

The cool breeze that tossed loose flyaways around was a welcome sensation over her invariably flushed skin as the sun hit her side of the car. Nick glanced over when she let out an audible moan of relief, her head leaned back and arm stretched into the forceful wind. Although it would’ve spoiled the shower they’d both been looking forward to for weeks, inwardly, Callie wished the rain that had blessed LA a couple weeks ago was still falling. She could stand warm weather, even the humidity that made her hair stand on end, but the white hot sun glaring down at her was just aggravating.

“At this rate I’m gonna spend the day in the pool,” she groaned.

“I think everyone else will too, honestly.” Nick nodded; he was already over the heat and they still had the second half of summer to make it through.

Thankfully Rosie’s wasn’t a trek across LA like everyone else seemed to be, but Callie was still eager to get inside once turning into her long driveway that was lined with baby blue and gold balloons, lines of sparkling raindrops hanging over the entrance of the wide patio.

“Wow,” Nick marveled, taking a moment to stare.

“Rosie goes all out for parties,”

“Yeah she does,” he intoned, quickly exiting the truck to help her down from her seat.

She gently ran her fingers across the decorations they walked under once before the door, letting themselves in.

The foyer was also covered in the shimmery balloons leading down past the staircase and into the wide family room where the furniture had been moved aside for fold out tables with snacks covered with baby blue table cloths and chubby star and cloud table settings surrounded by candles.

“Oh thank goodness she didn’t do the lions,” Callie mumbled, smirking when Nick elbowed her.

Everywhere they turned was some kind of explosion of cuteness, whether it be little golden star sprinkles littered across the breakfast bar where the booze was chilling or tissue paper ruffled and taped to the rim of the bucket that held all the ice. Everything was adorned and beautiful, the summer light coming in bouncing off the shimmery surfaces.

“Ah, mija! There you are!” Luciana came from Rosie’s wide kitchen holding a heavy pot filled to the brim with marinated chicken ready to grill.

“Where’s Rosie?” Callie asked, waddling over to give her mom a quick peck on the cheek as Nick took the pot for her.

“She had to run to the store for more plates,” she cooed, leaning down to pat and rub Callie’s stomach until she was chased away. From outside, Callie could hear that Dyani and Joaquin had seen Nick and were likely glomping him; often they’d use their towering uncle as a jungle gym, but Nick had just as much fun tossing them around like ragdolls.

“What can I help with?” Callie asked, her purse set down beside the bags Nick had stashed against the back of a couch.

“Nada, go sit somewhere ,” her mother ordered as she turned her daughter to push towards the backyard.

“Ma not you too,” Callie whined, reluctantly waddling towards the glass double doors that lead to the sprawling backyard.

“ Me and Trish have it under control ,”

Callie planted her feet, turning to face her mother. “She came ?”

“Hey,”

Just a moment she took to close her eyes and mentally prepare herself before turning to face her sister, but her determination to remain cold and calculated faltered when two big, dark eyes looked up at her from Patricia’s arms.

Callie’s heel started bouncing. “She’s getting big,”

“So are you,” her smile was guiltless; it made Callie want to slug her.

 You’re lucky you have that baby in your arms, you witch. “That often comes with pregnancy, thank you for pointing it out,”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Patricia rolled her eyes.

“Think before you open your mouth then,” Callie smiled, again moving to leave.

“Wait, can we talk please?”

“You gonna tell me how fat my ankles are too?”

“Callie,” she touched her arm, prompting her to turn. “Please?”

Luciana had already left, eager to give her daughters the space they needed to make up, but Callie saw it as abandonment. How many times or different ways would she have to voice that she didn’t want to make up when there was nothing she’d done wrong?

Yet here she was again, cornered. With a low groan and tilt of her head, she nodded. “Can I at least meet my niece?”

Happily she handed Yareli over  and despite following Trish into the kitchen with the ominous presence of dread, she smiled lovingly down at the baby girl that peered curiously up at her tia, a wide smile curling her gummy face when Callie pressed kisses into her cheek.

Oh how she’d fought the urge over the past few months to call Rosie and set up a secret meeting with the beautiful little girl in her arms, and now she found herself bubbling with love, and even some hot tears burning her eyes.

In addition to just meeting her, she hadn’t seen Tomas in almost a year…

Trish turned to face Callie once they were stood at the far corner of the kitchen, pushing loose strands of hair behind her ears. “How’ve you been?”

“Keeping busy,” she answered, swaying side to side with Yare sat on her stomach.

Trish nodded. “Still have a couple months left before he pops?”

“Only a month,”

Her brows furrowed. “I thought-”

“He’s a halfling, they grow fast,”

“I didn’t know-”

“He’s half Orc, it’s kind of obvious,” Callie snapped knowing it wasn’t common knowledge, but she couldn’t keep her temper in check.

“Calista,” Trish exhaled, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“ Patricia ,”

“I’m trying  here,” she implored.

“You think showing up and helping out is gonna fix everything? Do you remember what you did?”

“Does it matter if I’m trying to apologize?” she rolled her eyes.

It was a moment that Callie could only stare at her, her heart plummeting into her stomach. “You went out of your way to remind me more than once that it was solely my fault every time I had a miscarriage,”

“That was-”

“When I didn’t want to talk, because you were a monster, you made it your personal goal to remind me that I was dead to you,” her voice shook now, handing Yare back to her sister.

“There was a lot going on you don’t know about,” Trish sighed, wincing when Yare grabbed a fistful of her hair.

“Bullshit. Everyone has shit to deal with but family- my own fucking sister shouldn’t do that over something you never had any business weighing in on in the first place!”

“You were making a mistake and didn’t see that- you always do this,” Trish battled, her viper side coming forth.

Callie’s eyes narrowed. “Nick wasn’t a mistake,”

“That’s not what I meant-” Trish tried, but Callie’s hand rose.

“I’m done, Trish. I’m done, just… you get on with your life and I will with mine.” Callie ended the brief, heated exchange, realizing as she stepped away to head into the backyard that it would likely be one of the last times she saw or held Yareli; there was no knowing if she’d ever see her nephew again and that there’d be no returning to happier days with her sister she formerly looked up to for her strength. It wasn’t just ending it with her sister, but a portion of her family, but she wouldn’t allow herself to be smothered beneath her thumb anymore.

Callie was a little winded by the time she made it into the backyard and had found a seat at the patio set, slowly lowering onto one of the cushioned benches.

A robust flush coated her skin, the ire that spoiled her mood matching its power. It tingled in her toes and fingers; had she not been swollen with pregnancy, Callie could confidently say she would’ve momentarily reverted back to her more fiery, high school mindset and decked her sister right in the fucking-

“Calista?” Luciana’s soft call came, and Callie looked up just as her mother had sat beside her, her aged eyes finding the despair in Callie’s.

“ Why did Trish leave ?” she asked.

“ Why else, she didn’t get her way ,”

“ Calista ,” her mother exhaled.

“Don’t,” Callie held up her finger, fed up and unwilling to be the one everyone looked to blame. “Do not . It’s not my fault she’s such a-”

“ She was trying to fix it ,” Luciana pleaded, but Callie pulled her arm from her mother’s touch, looking out to Nick who was still swinging the kids off his arms.

“No she wasn’t. She wasn’t going to apologize,”

“Mija-”

“Ma please!” she snapped.

Nick slowed, squinting past the sun at his lover. Something wasn’t right.

“I’m done trying to get back in her good graces when she does nothing to fix what she did. I know she tells everyone her side of it but there’s two sides. My side that no one cares about, and if you’re at all interested in it then I’ll tell you another day, okay? Can it just end at that for now?” Callie urged, ready to leave if her own mother didn’t grant her this one small request.

It was clear Luciana wanted this to be settled now rather than later judging by the way she reluctantly nodded, but her agreeing was all Callie wanted. At this point the entire issue at hand could never be revisited and she’d be content with that, but life just wasn’t that easy. She knew it would come back around at some point when Trish started to stir again.

A lingering kiss was left on Callie’s head before Luciana stood creakily to move back into the house just as Rosie and Daryl had returned, leaving her to lean back on her hands and stifle a low groan when a roll of sharp cramps fired up her belly.

“Of course,” she ground out, her head dropping back.

“Braxton’s or Leo?” Nick asked, and she peered over to find him leaned against a beam without kids climbing all over him anymore.

“Braxton,” she frowned.

He hmm -ed, finding a spot next to her. His cheek rested at the top of her head when she leaned into him, counting between long breaths that did little to ease the cramps but were favored over just sitting and suffering through. A quick glance down revealed Leo was kicking, likely bothered by his already cramped home tightening around him.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Nick asked, bumping his knee into hers.

She shook her head. “The problem left so let’s leave it at that,”

 Ahh. “At least she left all the food she bought,” he said below his breath. Only when she chuckled did he, his thick arm coming to hang around her shoulder whilst placing a few kisses on her cheek.

“You two are neverending with the cuddling,”

Callie spun- as best she could- in her seat and gasped. “Hey!” Callie exclaimed, grunting as she stood to meet Morn who held her one year old on her hip.

“Hey, baby,” Morn smiled, hugging Callie tightly around the neck one-armed and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Hi mamas! Que paso hermosa?” Callie went on to sweet talk, lifting the beaming, kicking little Orc from Morn’s arms to hang off her own hip.

“Munguz!” she moved to Nick next, their forearms bumping before they exchanged quick hugs. “How’ve you guys been?”

“Good, same old stuff, how about you and this little one?” Nick asked, leaning down to smile at the pretty eyed girl who was the same hue as Morn and whose little tusks were starting to peak from behind her lip.

“Lots of Yo Gabba Gabba and chewing,” she sighed, evoking a giggle from Callie. “Won’t be laughing when your own is gnawing on your tit,”

“S’that why yours are deflated?” Callie smirked.

Morn grinned. “Bitch,”

“Bith,” the little girl repeated, tugging on Callie’s necklace.

“Oh no, no no ukour, Dejza, don'av ukaausan avhaav,” Morn frowned and smacked her own mottled hand despite Nick and Callie turning cheek to laugh.

“Yeah don’t listen to mama, she foul mouthed,” Callie whispered. “Que asco,”

“You wanna call me foul mouthed when your nickname for this dude is tall boy ?”

“Both of you are foul,” Nick hissed, snatching the little girl from Callie’s arm and moving inside to find her snacks. Dejza was already excitedly switching between hitting and biting his shoulder, giggling when he growled at her.

“Munguz is adapting well it seems,”

“It helps having an army of kids around a lot,” Callie let out a pleased sigh, tugging on her wrist towards the tables lined with snacks and massive, golden balloons spelling Leo.

“At least there’s hope for him,” Morn intoned, her painted nails dancing over the elegant champagne glasses and bottles of beer.

Callie looked at her. “Things aren’t any better with Tandzh?”

The double set of silver hoops hanging from her pointed ears chimed when she shook her head. “I haven’t heard from him in a few weeks,”

“Not even to see Dejza?”

There was a pause before she scoffed lowly, grabbing a bottle of tequila by the neck to poor into a solo cup. “Why would he come see her when he didn’t even want her?”

Callie looked down at the swirling her drink. “He said that?”

Morn nodded, throwing the booze back with ease. There was a slight grimace, but with a slow exhale, she poured herself another. “I thought I could change him, but I was wrong,”

There wasn’t much of anything Callie could’ve offered to alleviate the harsh reality her beloved friend was living, but there was at least the repeated promise of everlasting help and support she could again present and offer, plus the arm around her waist with her head against her shoulder. To most it wasn’t much, but to Morn the hug meant everything when she’d so silently yearned for support.

“Anyways,” she cleared her throat after unwinding her arm from around Callie’s neck and pouring another slug. “Cut me off after this next shot,”

“We’re having a party, don’t worry about it. There’s a whole nation of people coming to help watch Dejza,”

Morn grinned around her ivory tusks that had newly been treated with gold carvings, matching her molten eyes beautifully. “Thanks, lambchop,”

Callie’s buoyant smile was interrupted by another sharp cramp; one that pinched an eye shut and called for a hand to the achy crook of her back.

“Someone’s close to comin’ out,” Morn pursed her lips in a quirky smirk, gently drumming her fingers against her stomach.

Callie blew a raspberry. “Please, I still have a month left,”

“Baby you got two weeks at most left, look how low your belly is,” she observed, and Callie looked down in wonder.

“Is it?” she muttered, but from her vantage point, it looked like any other day. Not even a few far leans and trying to observe her silhouette in the reflection of the windows did her any good.

“What’re you doing?”

They both turned to find Nick standing at the entrance, Dejza in the crook of one arm and his other hand holding a popsicle up for her to gnaw on, small grunts and chuffs slipping past her busy jaws.

“Does my stomach look lower?”

“Nah,” he shook his head, but upon a longer look, his brows pulled together in thought, his head slowly tilting. “Well actually, you do look a little deflated. Do you feel okay?”

“Yeah,” she nodded, rubbing her stomach. “It’s a little easier to breathe, actually,”

“Told you,” Morn smiled.

“What? Told you what?” Nick asked, the alarm rising.

Just as her mouth had opened, a loud collection of loud welcomings coming from inside caught all of their attention, and soon came cousins of Callie’s that Rosie was ushering outside. It appeared to be only a handful of individuals, but if there was one thing Nick had come to learn about her family over the years, it was that the way they clustered was much like that of an iceberg: the majority of their mass was hidden from plain sight.

They all took turns hugging Callie and greeting Nick, most of them even sweet talking the little girl in his arms he wouldn’t openly admit he was using as a shield. Morn scowled at him, but Nick dished out a cheeky grin.

After the first wave, Morn finally snatched Dejza back, hissing in Orkish at Nick who was more upset over losing his little buddy.

“Oh I’m already over-heating,” Callie fanned her face. “We should go hide in the pool,”

“There’s already a game a’chicken going on,” Nick pointed out.

“And there goes my hiding spot,” she unenthusiastically smiled, further deflating.

“You’re the star today,”

“Leo is, I’m just the middle man,” she sassed, chuffing- which was actually just a forceful exhale through her nose- back at him. “That’s gonna be the first thing your son learns,”

“It’s gonna be so cute,” he lamented, blocking a swift slap to his arm. It ignited a small mock fight, one that Nick found himself having to refrain from picking her up and tossing her in the pool.

“Assault on a pregnant woman is a class A felony,”

Nick spun. “Hey, partner!” he called happily, moving to greet Ward alongside Sophia at the door.

His friend had since shaken the hard edge to his shoulders, the deep glower that warded off most replaced with a drowsy grin, and had even packed on a few healthy pounds. It hadn’t been long ago that Daryl had suffered through a period of sleepless nights and deep paranoia that had severely impacted his health, so to see the color had come back to his face and scent of illness was gone brought great relief to Nick. All he wanted was peace for his best friend.

They exchanged brief hugs, but Daryl’s hold on his shoulders stopped him once Nick was at arms length. He clapped his hand there, further confusing Nick.

“It’s hard to believe I’m attending your baby shower when it wasn’t too long ago you were a lonely virgin,”

“Oh shut the fuck up,” Nick shoved his hands back, shooting Callie a look when she laughed. “‘Bout to ask how you’ve been but now I don’t give a shit,”

“Good, cuz nothin’ is new,” Ward explained. “Get so bored now I actually consider comin’ back to work,”

“Mama said you’re gonna move into the guest room if you do that,” Sophia piped, looking at her father with her hands over Leo who’d woken after hearing Nick speak.

Callie pulled her lips in to hide her smile, but it didn’t do much to actually mask it.

“Thank you, sweetie,” Ward intoned, slugging Nick on the arm when he too did little to mask his own amusement. “Don’t you go actin’ like Callie wouldn’t do the same thing,”

“There’s more effective methods than that, your wife is just cruel,” she countered, a sharp brow cocking.

Even Morn snorted that time, pretending to be deeply enthralled with the sparkling streamers Dejza’d had her eyes on.

Ward’s sour-puss stare was comical, but Nick decided he’d had enough and ushered him towards the table lined elegantly with lush choosings all glistening in full bottles. Somehow Nick convinced him to throw one Orkish vodka back, promising a quicker buzz. It was sharp, almost freezing with the slightest trace of teaberry, but after he took a few breaths to cover the burning across his tongue, Ward was impressed that his cheeks felt rosy  right away.

Callie had warned Nick to not find himself completely wasted and face down in the water seeing as this celebration was equally his to be had, but she blessed him with one of her Long Island iced teas he absolutely loved, the Orkish vodka and rum of course taking it’s tame competitors place.

He kissed her on the cheek before running off with Ward, likely to further heighten their tipsiness under one of the umbrellas perched at the rented tables covering the expansive yard.

“You want the shade?” Nick asked behind a chair, but Ward waved him off.

“Nah the sun feels good. Been cooped up for weeks,” he exhaled as he melted into the padded seat, sipping generously on his drink.

“Want me to bring you on a ride-along?” Nick poked, pleased with his own joke. “Sherri couldn’t hate you for that, could she?”

Ward looked down at his drink, swirling the cup so the ice chattered. “F’not that she’d find something else to hate me over,”

Nick halted his teasing, overlooking the somber tone of his face. “How’s Sophia managing it?”

A long sigh. “She doesn’t know I’ve already been livin’ in that guest room,”

Nick nodded, looking to Callie who was hugging a friend that had come with her own teens that’d found the shady, quiet corner of the yard with the other ones their age. She waved secretly to him once she had the moment, motioning that she had her eyes on how much he was drinking.

“Don’t fuck it up with Cal like I did Sherri,” Ward said into his cup, but Nick scoffed.

“If we’re at this point, I don’t feel bad saying that Sherri was just a bitch,”

There was a pause, but Ward eventually nodded. “Not all her fault though. Maybe I’m just not made for marriage,”

“Ahh it’s only your second one,” Nick reasoned.

“Should’ve only ever been one,”

The Orc shrugged. “Third times the charm.” He grinned toothily, but straightened up when more family was directed towards his table.

Callie juggled greeting all of the family and friends, but just as she directed them towards Nick, she equally enjoyed watching the impressive tower of diaper boxes people brought under their arms growing by the gift table. At the rate they were going, Leo would be covered for a few months at the very least.

Sergey and Dura popped up soon enough, and when both Callie and Dura found difficulty in hugging one another because of both their bulging bellies, they both questioned why they hadn’t just thrown a joint shower.

With a quick hug around Callie and a cautionary glance in Morn’s direction- who he could’ve sworn he’d seen at a Fogteeth brawl at one point- he was off jogging to Nick and Ward, wiggling between them to dive in on the drinking and gossip.

Dura was just as eager to find a seat as Callie did after Morn insisted she keep her ass parked in a seat and let people come to her, but she only settled after convincing the both of them to strip down to their bathing suits with her and stick their feet in the pool.

Biting down the greater majority of a spiteful glare was near impossible on Callie’s part; Morn had snapped back to her slim figure after having Dejza, and there Callie was feeling like a watermelon with arms and legs as she waddled beside them to the pool.

Yet even as she worried people would tease her size, she couldn’t help but laugh as Dura did when they both struggled to help one another down.

And as people found their way over for hugs and smiles, despite even being beside the pool, it did work out better because the men eventually followed them over, but their rambunctious sides were coming out with every finished drink. They flung themselves into the pool, yelling like barbarians and Ward even mimicking Nick and Sergey when they flexed their arms and biceps, hollering in typical war Orc stances.

But soon more kids started to pile in; her endless list of cousins all had kids, not to mention some of the older tias and tios who still had some coming. Soon enough it wasn’t just the two grown Orcs and human thrashing like wild animals in the pool, but a swarm of little ones that drove them back to the steps where the girls sat soaking in the sun, their shades pulled down. It was near perfect timing, too. They’d started to worry one of them wouldn’t come up from beneath every time they were thrown aside, the beer cans piling beside the pool.

Nick wiggled back between Callie’s knees, his arms hung over her thighs and the cold skin of his back pressed against her stomach. It was a pleasant sensation on her part. He nudged his head back against her until she finally stuck his Clubmasters on his face, but he caught two familiar silhouettes coming their way.

“Look who’s here,” he jerked his chin in their direction, already grinning.

Callie looked over and gasped. “Matuk!” she joyfully exclaimed, pushing Nick forward so she could struggle onto her feet.

Her silent, lumbering friend simply opened his arms with a half hidden grin, leaning down to hug her tightly when she finally made it upright.

“Sorry we’re late,” he apologized, moving to bump forearms with Nick and shake hands with Sergey and Ward. Daryl stared up at him suspiciously, instantly recognizing the silver chains hanging around his neck.  

“I’m just glad you made it. Hi Lala!” she smiled, moving to embrace Matuk’s much slimmer and smaller boyfriend.

“Oh my god the last time I saw you there wasn’t even a bump yet!” he declared, holding her hands up once they’d unwrapped from one another.

“Has it been that long?” Nick asked, squinting up at Matuk who shrugged.

“He doesn’t take me anywhere anymore,” Lala pouted, but Matuk reached over to wiggle his chin.

“Ah he’s busy Lala, hush up,” Morn rolled her eyes, having drifted from her conversation with Ward once they’d showed up.

“I’m gonna start making lunches at home instead of sending them so he’ll visit me,” Lala went on, smirking up at Matuk’s dark blush.

Callie had used Nick to sit back down where she once before, and it was then being at eye level with their feet did she spot something rather surprising.

“Are those Gucci slides, you boujie bitch?” she pointed, glancing up at him.

“Oh!” Lala posed, a gentle hand on his own thigh. “Yes, daddy bought those for me,” he suspired, an arm securing around Matuk with his cheek against his shoulder.

Nick and Sergey both choked on their drinks, but the girls could only cover their faces in laughter, leaving Matuk to quickly stomp away towards the drink table, his ears red hot and Lala trailing behind innocently until he caught his hand.

Matuk still hooked an arm behind his neck, people parting as the two Orcs strode over to the drinks.  

It wasn’t until the chit-chat between Dura and Callie had died down that Nick nudged her silently, motioning in Ward and Morn’s direction. Callie found them chest deep in the water and hidden in the shade, lost in conversation that had only grow more enthralling as the minutes ticked by. Callie had always figured Ward would have difficulty speaking to any other Orc besides Nick and Sergey, but now he was being almost charming , which was something not commonly witnessed coming from such a normally salty individual.

And Morn looked just as glamorous, her witty remarks and gift at keeping conversation rolling no matter what direction it took more than enough to hold Ward’s attention.

“I feel like I should give him a heads up,” Nick mumbled, meeting Callie’s confused expression. “He doesn’t know how Orcs are in bed,”

Callie smacked the back of his head with a wet hand, but before Nick could retaliate with a splash of water, everyone scattered about the yard was called in once the food had finally finished cooking just as Nick’s parents and more extended family had arrived.

They brought with them their own unique feasts: marinated, smoked and shredded pork, the mountains of sides like potatoes and grains and pastries, and of course what Oleg started offering generously to the other fathers of the family: robust shots of Orkish whiskey that guaranteed to turn eyes red.

After helping Rosie finish heating up the last of the tortillas and bread, Dinara came out to keen lovingly over Callie, who in agreeance with Morn, insisted she didn’t have much longer judging by the state of her dropped belly.

The massive mob of family and friends all piled the selections high on their plates, moving to one of the many tables laid out or even sitting on a tossed towel under the shade of the few trees in Rosie and Daryl’s backyard.

The kids were ordered to keep out of the pool until they’d finished eating, but were free to take bites between sprinting games of tag, some of the young Orkish children teaching smaller ones how to wrestle.

Another majority had formed around Nick and Callie where they’d chosen to sit at the main table, the topics of conversation flipping as fast as the flip of a coin.

They at one point even demonstrated how lively Leo became when Nick talked to her stomach but then having to waddle around for a while to settle him back down. Yet as long as she kept piling the food, unable to resist dipping her hands into all the savory, delicious options, Leo would keep jumping in joy.

Just before everyone had began to clean up their empty plates and most of the kids had exhausted enough to lay in the cooling grass at sunset with popsicles, Callie silently, and with a coy smile, watched Morn nervously invite Ward along in tow of Rosie when Daryl and herself offered anyone to ‘partake’. Where she’d expect hesitation, Ward looked starry eyed when he nodded and stood to follow her,Callie happily accepting Dejza and winking up at her friend who wore a bright smile around her tusks.

“Am I the only one seeing that?” Sergey leaned over towards Nick, pointing obviously at Ward and Morn’s departure. “Isn’t he married?”

“Barely.” Nick scoffed, in addition laughing at Sergey’s perplexed expression.

After some maneuvering of the tables and Callie’s mock throne covered in balloons and more sparkly streamers was dragged over, she was sat before the impressive pile of gifts and literal mountain of diapers she insisted Nick take a photo of her beside.

Neither of them were really given a chance to change out of their bathing suits before having the first of the gifts dropped in their laps or the photos that began to flash as they graciously opened them all, one by one.

From Dura and Sergey they were gifted a homemade thick woven blanket for Leo, painted in soft tones of earthy reds and browns, some splashes of gold here and there. Callie held the blanket close to her chest, thanking them lovingly.

Morn had found the bag Callie had dubbed impossible to find: a diaper bag that wouldn’t sit bulkily under her arm nor a backpack that looked like a turtle shell. Somehow, with that vague yet steadfast preference she managed to find a messenger bag that could hold plenty in it’s divided main compartments but wouldn’t puff up like a pillow if all the items were lined up correctly.

Callie winked at her once spotted how closely she sat to Ward, Dejza sleeping peacefully against her chest.

Matuk saw it and shuddered.

But his displeased expression was squandered once they moved onto the gift he and Lala had both bought together, and the one Dorghu had personally sent along with them when his attendance wasn’t expected.

Nick waited to open the bag in his hand, much more curious as to what was inside the small, teel box tied elegantly with a white ribbon Callie carefully unfolded.

Her eyes softened once the light from the hanging lamps above them shined down on the golden bracelet showcased softly in the box, Leonardo engraved into its face.

It hit home for Callie then. Why this bracelet and not the already building pile of onesies or little booties her cousin had gifted them was the thing to bring clarity to the thought that soon Leo would be laid in her hold was unknown, but she blinked back hot tears, keeping the small box close to her side.

Nick was earlier instructed to open his half of the present in private, but he almost buckled until both Matuk and Morn shook their heads. Nick chuffed, setting the box aside.

Callie was lost in a stream of squeals whilst opening Oleg and Dinara’s gift. The same winter sweater Nick had worn as a baby was clutched in her arms, wailing hysterically at the significance and cuteness of it despite Nick trying to get a look at the small article of clothing he couldn’t believe he once fit in. That too was kept close to her side, clutching Dinara’s hand thoughtfully.

And on it went, bag after box after wrapped gifts that would secure Leo’s wardrobe and toiletry needs for a solid six months at least, not to mention a few of those gifts given to Callie; a few sleeping gowns that were baby friendly, some gift cards, things she’d put into good use.

Although most of them were stuffed, most found room for a slice of the round red velvet cake with small candied jewels shaped like raindrops gleaming around it, a small standing moon and stubby stars sat at its base, but not before Callie took a photo from every angle, marveling at its beauty.

Only when she’d convinced Nick to let her take a photo of him cutting it did she ease up, threatening to behead anyone who tried smashing cake in her face.

Her warnings were well respected, and after everyone had been served a slice, they at last settled into their spots to run out the remainder of the party, but with the barbeque still warm and reheating food, it looked like it could go well into the warm summer night.

A stool had been slyly stolen from under a few kids who they tricked into jumping into the pool so Callie could keep her feet up, and thankfully Nick’s beefy shoulder was there to lean back into after he looped an arm behind her shoulders.

With Dyani passed out at her side and Nick lost in a cloud of chatter with his dad and Sergey, Callie once again had her sights set on Morn and Daryl.

She thought by now Morn would’ve noticed her staring and shot her a look, but her pretty amber eyes were trained on Ward, their proximity continuing to close ever so slightly as the night drew on. At one point she could’ve sworn she saw Ward take a half step closer to brush his knuckles against hers, but it was hard to tell if Morn’s tusked smile was that of bashfulness, or trying to pull him in closer.

“What’re you staring at?” Nick whispered against the shell of her ear, and she inconspicuously used her raised pinky to point at them when she sipped her drink.

Nick’s coordination wasn’t as graceful as he swung his head in their direction. “Where’s Dejza?”

“You mom snatched her a while ago,”

He snorted. “Figures,” Nick took a hearty gulp of his beer. “If I hear those two end up dating I’m gon’ give him the same shit he gave me,”

“He didn’t give you shit,” Callie snickered.

“Defending him now?” he snarled quietly, but she jabbed his side.

“They look like they have good chemistry, don’t ruin it for him,”

Nick took another hard look, noting the relaxed manner of his friends shoulders. “Yeah I guess you have a point,”

“What if we just set up soul mates?”

Nick’s chuckle was low. “We didn’t set them up,”

“In a way we did. Third times the charm,” she whimsied.

“Morn’s been married twice?” he asked, and she nodded. “Poor thing,”

“She always did come off a little more human tempered than Orc,” Callie observed.

“Ward’s got a mouth like an Orc, they even each other out,” Nick said into his cup as she giggled. “He found the Callie to his Nick.”

Her smile up at him was dazzling, her big eyes catching the lights above them and twinkling beautifully. He kissed her cheek before she snuggled tight against him, a lopsided smile remaining as she looked down at Leo’s soft bumps.

It took a few trips between the truck and their house before all the gifts were at last piled haphazardly in Leo’s room, ready for organization some other day, but definitely soon.

Morn’s words had hung in her mind the remainder of the day, bringing her anxiety up a notch, but this would’ve happened eventually as she approached her due date. But as the days went from a month down to a mere fourteen days, maybe seven- a week, Callie couldn’t help but feel like she needed to start organizing promptly despite the exhaustion and slight burn across her shoulders urging her to lay on the cold sheets of their bed.

In greater caution she stepped carefully, taking her time to stand from a seat or asking Nick to pick up objects she’d drop, going out of her way to make sure her body had no extra reason to rush in labor early.

 Maybe a couple more weeks would be better.

Peeling off the cold bikini and slipping into one of Nick’s big shirts sent goosebumps all over her skin, her damp hair falling around her shoulders so she could scratch her scalp. The sunscreen that did little to help was washed from her face, and with a gulp of water went her final vitamin of the day.

She padded quietly from the bathroom to find Nick’s back to her at the dinner table.

“You okay?” she asked, walking around his arm.

In his hands was a brand new, glossy Fogteeth jersey he’d pulled from the gift Matuk and Morn had told him to open in private, and now the two understood why.

 Munguz was embroidered in Orkish across the back once Nick lifted it clear from the tissue paper, a breathless scoff punching from his chest.

“My mom would’ve fainted if she saw this,” he realized, studying the silky material just as Callie did.

“Your captain would, too,” she added, both of them chuckling. Surely one of the other officers at the party would’ve let it slip he’d been gifted an official jersey, and they didn’t need that kind of heat falling on them. “Do you not like it?”

“No, I really like it, actually. Just caught me off guard,” he explained.

Callie looked back to the box, and upon pulling back the tissue paper found a small note card scribbled in Orkish. “What’s this?”

Nick took it, his eyes scanning over the words. “From my clan to yours. We take care of our own and theirs,” he read. Callie grinned when she understood it’s meaning.

“You should try it on,” she suggested, holding his shirt when he pulled it off.

It was snug around his biceps and chest, but Callie wouldn’t outwardly express that as an issue, even when he swung his arms in mild discomfort.

“I think they’re supposed to be like that,” she made up, ogling.

“Matuk’s wasn’t like this,”

“I’m sure he got to pick his own size though,”

“Ehh, true. Look good?” he posed, catching her heavy eyes moving up and down his frame. “Are you undressing me with your eyes?”

“Trying to but you’re still fully clothed,” she frowned.

Nick’s ears flicked, but just as he’d motioned to remove the jersey, she stopped him, her small palms sliding into his.

“Leave it on, munguz,” she breathed against his mouth. Nick’s brows raised, carefully kissing her parted lips before his mouth wandered to her neck with another step closer. The smallest of breaths blew past his ear when he leaned slightly forward to hold her, his mighty grip landing on her ass.

“You’re into costumes now?” he groused, his heavy touch dragging up her hips under the shirt.

“I’m into you,” she mumbled, kissing him when his lips sought hers. “So I’m into this,” she moaned as her hands slid up his broad chest, his fingers digging into her sides as hers hooked around the collar.

Nick chuffed softly, appreciatively when she stroked him through his trunks, already warmed up and ready to roll.

She gasped when he suddenly dipped down to scoop her up bridal style against his chest, her arm securing behind his neck and her other hand holding his jaw so she could kiss him. He briskly stepped into their room, kicking the door shut behind him all with his mouth still locked against hers.

↠

It was some time before he decided to open his eyes after waking but remaining still, enjoying the soft humming of their fan and the breeze gliding across his bare form. The room was dark when he dared a glimpse; still nighttime.

With an arm tossed back, he quickly assessed Callie wasn’t there, but the lack of heat on the sheets told him she hadn’t been there for some time.

Nick rolled, sitting up on an elbow and searching blindly under the pillows for his phone.

He squinted at the bright screen; it was two AM. A look at the door revealed the light coming from the other side, and with a grunt he sat up, taking his time to yawn and try to reach the itchy, fresh scratches covering his back but went ham on the ones across his chest.

Maybe smacking her hand when she bit her nails wasn’t the best idea, afterall…

 A quick step into his sweats and a few wobbly steps later brought him into the hallway, looking with narrow eyes at the illuminated kitchen.

His sleepy steps had gone unnoticed until he rapped his knuckles softly against the kitchen entrance, grinning when he found her in a sports bra and tights, a couple gallon bags opened with spoons dipped into the food.

She looked at him with round cheeks, her messy hair pinned into a bun. “I got hungry,” she admitted shyly, taking a bite of a rolled tortilla.

He nodded with his arms crossed and leaned in the entryway, a smirk teasing her.

“Want some?” she offered, but he shook his head, choosing to shuffle over and wrap his arms under her bust from behind, kiss landing behind her ear. Callie giggled, trying to pinch her shoulder in before finally dropping it and holding his strong arms, her cheek pressing into his kiss all with a bitten slice of cheese held up.

“It’s gonna be common soon seeing you up at this hour,” he said quietly.

“Midnight snacks with Leo?”

“Well you’re his snack,” he teased, hiding his smile when she smacked his arm playfully. He found himself consumed by sleepiness the longer he swayed back and forth, his face pressed into her neck as she nibbled the selections before her.

Soon their home would rarely be silent, yet at the same time he couldn’t imagine it growing any more lively compared to how silent it was a few years prior.

“You’re almost there.” Nick reassured her, holding tighter when her head leaned against his.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------