#tmpregnancy

“Ooooh, I am totally beating your ass right now!”

“No need to rub it in.”

“But you’re so far behind, Noct!”

“I’m a little tired, okay?”

Prompto glanced back at his partner, and for a moment did feel a pang of guilt. Whenever Noctis said he was tired, he always believed that no doubt, but right now, he definitely looked exhausted. Even discounting the fact he was so massively pregnant, his whole outfit was very ruffled, his hair was a mess, his eyes were a bit dark and practically half clothed; had it not been for him holding a controller, he could easily be mistaken for being asleep. The pregnancy, though, was definitely a major factor, as he both looked the part of and was very nearly due with their family’s first kid. Sure, being tired was Noctis’s natural state, but especially now, he looked so much more beyond that. Even if Prompto wasn’t the one who got him like that, he still felt rather bad for his predicament.

“Hey…do you need me to pause it?” Prompto asked softly. “If you’re not feeling up to it, we can just take it easy. Maybe turn on a movie, or something?”

“Nah, I’m fine,” Noctis responded, then a half smile came across his face. “You should keep your eye on the game, though.”

“Wha—?” He turned back to the screen, just in time to see Noctis’s character zooming by him on the racetrack. “What the—! Hey, that was underhanded for you!”

“Just using what I had to my advantage,” he admitted with a casual air, staying ahead of Prompto for the rest of the lap, and ultimately winning the race.

Prompto fell back in his chair, jaw hanging open. “Using your tired pregnant state…to get my eyes off the game…dastardly…” He turned back to him with a look in his eyes. “Next time, I’ll be the one who carries, so I can pull that on you.”

“Next time?” Noctis inquired, raising an eyebrow. “And you’d get pregnant just for that?”

Prompto’s lips immediately pursed, as his eyes darted away. “Good point…yeah, probably should wait for baby number one to get here before we talk all that.”

Noctis chuckled, before setting his controller down. “For what it’s worth, I am genuinely very tired right now,” he admitted. “Need a break from games, a break for my eyes.”

“Need me to turn the lights off? Help you to bed?” Prompto quickly asked, a touch of concern in his voice.

“Nah, it’s not that bad,” he insisted. “Could use a bit of snuggling though, if you don’t mind.”

Prompto gave a goofy grin. “Yeah, totally!” Jumping up from his chair, he hopped over to the couch Noctis was relaxing on, and snuggling right up to him, one hand already snaking down to rest on his bump. With a chuckle, Noctis wrapped one arm around Prompto, and placed his free hand over his partner’s on his bump, letting it be gently guided as Prompto began to rub slow circles on it.

“Has it really been nine months already?” Prompto asked softly. “Feels like you were just starting to show last week.”

“Trust me, it has been nine months,” Noctis remarked with a chuckle. “Sure has felt like it. I am just…very ready to stop being pregnant.”

“It wasn’t that bad, right?”

Noctis’s lips shifted across his face, clearly in thought. “Ups and downs,” he admitted. “I probably wouldn’t want to get pregnant again, even if we do decide to have another. All that said…I definitely don’t regret it.”

Prompto seemed to sigh in relief. “Good…I was worried for a second there.”

“Don’t act like you weren’t there when I was begging to be a father.”

The blond chuckled, blushing a good bit. “And the sore throat you had the next day! I still never heard your voice get that high!”

“Yeah, well,” Noctis huffed a touch, blushing himself, “just know this was one hundred percent my choice, what I wanted, and…I’m genuinely looking forward to being a father with you guys.” A soft smile made its way across his lips.

“Ooooh, Noct,” Prompto almost whimpered, his eyes getting big and watery. He leaned in and planted a kiss on his partner’s cheek, followed by several more.

“Heeeeey,” Noctis seemed to whine, grabbing hold of Prompto’s face as he turned to face him. There was a pause, before he brought him back in, the two kissing gently yet passionately on the lips. They started to shift a little bit, as if to engage in something more, before Noctis stopped both of them, wincing as he did. “Hold on…stomach’s feeling tight…”

Prompto quickly shifted to concern. “What’s wrong? Contraction?”

“Yeah…think just a Braxton Hicks,” he muttered, holding his belly. “I’ll…I’ll be fine. Could you…grab me a ginger ale from the fridge, though?”

“Of course, Princess,” Prompto gave with a light tease, kissing his partner’s forehead as he hurried off.

“Phew…” Noctis sighed, sitting himself upright as he rubbed his massive bump. “Making a bit of a commotion in there, huh, baby? Well, don’t get too rowdy, cause you still got at least a week to—oooh…” He winced again, clutching his middle as he felt it tighten up some more. He had been having Braxton Hicks for the past few weeks now, which according to their doctor was fairly expected, being as big as he was. He thought he had gotten used to how bad they’d feel, but for some reason, these ones felt especially rough. What is going on here? He grumbled, breathing deeply. Are they supposed to feel this bad? Feels like they got amped up or something overnight! Maybe I should call the doc and see what—

He then froze in shock, his eyes jumping wide open. It was small, almost unnoticeable, but he could feel the space between his legs slowly grow damp. There was no denying what had just happened.

“Hey, Noct, I forgot if you like soda just out of the bottle or in a glass,” Prompto spoke casually, walking back in with both a bottle of ginger ale and a glass full of ice, “so I just bought one in case ya did! Maybe you could try crunching on some of the cubes? I think I remember hearing that helped with pain or something.”

Noctis curled his lips in, almost wanting to not just drop that sudden bombshell out of nowhere. But he couldn’t not tell him, right?

“...my water just broke,” he finally managed to squeak out.

Utter silence came over the home for what felt like hours. One could hear a pin drop, and know where in the house it fell.

“......what,” Prompto finally squeaked out, voice very high pitched.

He sighed. How else was one supposed to react to such sudden information as that? Not like there was any better way to tell him. Even if there was, too late now.

“My water broke,” he repeated with some emphasis. “I…guess those weren’t Braxton Hicks, huh, heh heh…P-Prompto…?”

He glanced back, and saw his partner standing a good ways behind him, trembling like a leaf. His eyes looked big and watery, and he looked as if he would crumble as the slightest blow. In particular, Noctis zeroed in on the bottle of soda and glass of ice in his hands, which were equally shaking.

Lord, last thing we need is another mess on our hands, Noctis panicked to himself. “Prompto. Prompto, honey. Calm down, okay? D-Deep breaths, like Gladio told us about.” The fact he was technically in labor aside, Noctis wasn’t exactly an expect of calming others down. He was a bit better at rallying them up, as his friends and partners could attest to. Still, he tried his best to get Prompto to relax ever so slightly.

Thankfully, it appeared to be working, as the blond was slowly breathing in and out, his shaking calming down considerably.

Noctis sighed in relief. “Okay, okay…now come over and set those glasses down before you drop them…”

“O-Oh! R-Right,” he nodded, as if just realizing he still had those in hands. He hurried back over to the couch side and gently set both the bottle and the glass on the coffee table. As he was standing back up, he paused for a moment, prompting some confusion in Noctis. He was about to speak, before Prompto suddenly spun around with a loud expression on his face, yelling out, “WAIT BUT YOUR WATER JUST BROKE DIDN’T—!?!”

“PROMPTO!!” Noctis shouted back, interrupting him. “Calm down! Jesus…pretty sure the thing they told us in lamaze was that you don’t panic the very second my water breaks. We have a plan, remember?”

Prompto jerked back a bit, tensing up, before relaxing. “Yeah…yeah. Sorry…just…your due date is next week, though, right???”

“It’s okay…and yeah, it was,” he confirmed, grumbling a bit as he felt some movement in his belly. “Those are just estimates though. If the baby wants to come a week earlier…well, they will…man…”

Prompto nodded, stress clear on his face. “R-Right, right. Okay, our plan. Uhhh…homebirth! In the bathroom! Oh, jeez, but we still got to call Luna! AND Ignis and Gladio!! God, so much to do…!”

“One step at a time, love,” he reminded him, reaching out to grab his hand. In the moment, though, he found it funny that he, the one currently pregnant and in labor, was the one doing the comforting. “Grab my phone. I’ll call Gladdy, you call Iggy…”

“A-Are you sure you can handle that? You are…” He indicated his current situation.

“Labor takes time. The baby isn’t gonna be coming out anytime soon,” he assured him. “I can handle a phone call. I want them both to know as soon as we can get them to.”

“Right…good idea,” he nodded, hurrying back to the bedroom and returning with both of their phones. “Here…you got the uh…?”

“Yes, I can put in his number.”

“Of course. I’m just…a lil on edge.”

“I know. Just calm down a bit, and Iggy, okay?”

“Okay.”

The two called them at the same time, though when Gladio did pick up, Noctis first heard the background sounds of music and people working out. “Oh, hey, Princess,” Gladio spoke, sounding a little winded. “What’s up?”

“You have a minute?” Noctis asked. Normally, he’d come right out the gate with news like this, but considering just what exactly the news was, and that Gladio was at work, he thought it better to at least preempt it.

“Yeah,” he confirmed. “Just got done with a class. Really making some progress today. On my break now. Why, somethin’ up?”

“My water just broke.”

“WHAAAAT—!” Noctis could hear Gladio’s voice fade, and a small donk on the other end. “S-Sorry, dropped it..still there?”

“Yep.”

“O-Oh my god…a-are you sure?”

“Yep. Underwear still feels a little wet. Contractions…mmph…are getting tighter.”

“G-God, jeez…” Gladio panicked, as Noctis began to hear some movement. “I-I’m gonna be right home, right now, okay? D-Don’t worry, I have the sick days, I can—!”

“Yes, yes, I know,” Noctis interrupted. “Just…don’t rush right over, okay? Take a moment to calm down. I don’t want you driving excited.”

A small yet tense laugh came across. “Calm down? Babe, you’re the one currently in labor!”

“Yes…but it’s gonna be a while before I pop,” he huffed, working through another contraction. “I got Prompto here, and he’s calling Ignis. I’ll be…fine for a while. Just get here safe, okay? For me?”

“Mmmm…okay,” Gladio responded. “Make sure not to push yourself, though. A-And don’t get up for anything if you don’t need to!! And make sure Prompto is always at your side!! An-And—!!”

“Gladdy.”

“Y-Yeah?”

“I know. I love you, too.”

He could hear an exasperated sigh. “Alright,” he noted, a hint of a smile clear in his voice. “I’ll be home soon. See you then.”

Prompto’s fingers drummed in the back of his phone as it rang, trying to think of what to start with as he waited for his partner to pick up. After the fourth ring, Ignis finally picked up. “Yes, Prompto?”

“O-Oh, hey, Iggy!” He greeted, his voice clearly shaky. “I-I uhhh…is um…how are things?” He asked, chuckling outside but screaming on the inside. Sure, maybe someone like Noctis could start with the urgent news, but Prompto? He almost felt sick from the sensation.

“I’m alright,” Ignis responded. “Slow day at work, but it’s work nonetheless. Was there something you needed?”

“Yeah, yeah, there was, ummm…” the blond pursed his lips as his eyes darted about. “Well, aaah…see, it’s Noctis, he…”

“Did his water break?”

“I—” In one sudden moment, all of Prompto’s worry was sapped out in exchange for surprise. “Uh…yes? How did you know…?”

“I could tell something was up,” he explained, voice still even and calm. “I was guessing it was something with Noctis, and once you said his name, I just took a shot at it being that. Besides, I had a hunch he was gonna give birth early.”

“Wh-What made you think that?”

“It’s Noctis, love.”

“...yeah,” Prompto admitted with a nod.

“I’ll be home as soon as I can,” Ignis told him, as the sound of ruffled papers were picked up. “I’m sure you don’t need me telling you this, but make sure to keep Noctis comfortable, and get him into the bathroom.”

“R-Right, I know. As soon as he’s done calling Gladio, I’ll see to that!”

“Good. I can call Luna if you need me to.”

“Y-Yeah, that would help,” Prompto confirmed. “You uh…you seem relatively calm about this, Iggy. You do know that…he’s giving birth, right?”

A small laugh came over the phone. “Ah, yes. Well, I simply came to terms of my impending fatherhood much earlier than I presume you or Gladio had. Being the one to get Noctis to this current point helped. We have an understanding.”

“That makes sense,” he remarked, glancing back at Noctis, who was still on the phone with a clearly frazzled Gladio. “W-Well, I’ll leave you to get over here. Drive safely.”

“Thank you. I’ll call if anything comes up.”

With that, Ignis hung up, with Gladio seemingly doing so at around the same time. “Well? Everything good with Iggy?” Noctis asked. 

“Uh, yeah. Surprisingly so,” Prompto confirmed, turning back to his expecting partner. “How was Gladio?”

“About as I expected. He might be a little late if he needs to calm down,” he explained, and then winced through another contraction. “Jeez…you wanna call Luna?”

“Ignis said he would.”

“Ah, good. Guess that’s everyone…,” Noctis nodded, and then paused. The sudden realization of what exactly was going to happen just came over him. It wasn’t enough to shake him up, but it definitely felt…new. “Mind helping me to the bathroom?”

“Yeah, course.” Grabbing his partner’s hand, he helped him to his feet, and started walking him down the hall. “Ready for this?”

Noctis didn’t answer right away. He did genuinely think about it, and for as much as he appeared ready on the outside, still within him, he felt almost scared. The moment he got into the bathtub, he likely would not leave it until he was a father proper. Perhaps he could have thought about this moment more, but as a contraction quickly reminded him, now was not exactly the time.

“Yeah,” he nodded, wincing a touch. “Ready as I can be.” 

Ignis pulled up to their home, and saw that Gladio’s car was already parked. Surprised he got here first, he noted, as he parked himself. I guess it’s typical. He is a bit of a worrywart under all that bravado, and as they say about people who worry…

His thoughts trailed off, his attention caught by his hand, which was ever so subtly shaky as he went to reach for the car door. He stared at it for a moment, and his mind thought back to the conversation he just had not but a half hour earlier.

“Already!?” Lunafreya has gasped over the phone. “Sorry, just surprised Noctis of all people would be one to have a baby early.”

“Was it not you who said it’s the child who decides when they come, not the parent?” As Ignis spoke with her, he was still cleaning things up in his office. Fortunately, he had kept his schedule intentionally light for both this week and the next just in case a situation like this had happened.

“I did,” she remarked, laughing. “You called at a good time. I was just about to head out spur of the moment, so I’m free to head right on over. Will just have to call Nyx real quick and tell him to pick up the boys.”

“Of course, but don’t keep my princess waiting for too long.”

“Naturally. You…feeling good about all this, Ignis?”

He paused what he was doing, and turned his full attention to the call. “Certainly. I’m going to be a father. What’s not to feel good about?”

“That’s kinda my point. Not that you shouldn’t feel good, but more…ready, I suppose. It’s a big step.”

He chuckled lightheartedly. “Luna, please. Noctis and I have hash this out. There’s nothing for me to be worried about in the least!”

“You’re sure?”

Ignis was about to confirm for sure, but instead, he stopped himself. Whether it was the heat of the moment or the way Lunafreya asked, part of him suddenly felt…unlocked. As if a side of himself he usually tucked away just came to the surface. He sighed, his voice suddenly shaky. “N-Not entirely, no…th-this really is all happening now, isn’t it?” He halfway mumbled, running a hand through his hair.

“You really sound like some who hash this out, huh?”

“Luna, please.”

“I know, I know,” she responded, her tone gentle. “Nyx was the same way. Both times. It’s a big change, and sudden at that. Your little marriage of four is gonna become a nice little family of five.”

“Right…and I know the others are just as worried. It’s easy to see with Prompto and Gladio, though it took Noctis admitting to me himself that he was nervous for me to find out. I just…I feel like I need to be a rock for them all. Hell, I gave Noctis the kid, I should be the most worried of them all, and yet…it came to me to be the one to look over them.”

“No one said you had to be like this, Ignis,” Lunafreya responded, speaking softly. “It’s good to be there for the others, but you need to remember they are there for you too. Mutual support system. I was there for Nyx, and he was there for me. Even if Noctis is the one having the baby, it will all be yours in the end, so don’t forget that. This includes all of you.”

This includes all of you, Ignis thought to himself, as he sat in his car, replaying that conversation over and over. In a way, he had always been the one to try and act like the glue to keep them together; not that there was any fear of them splitting, but with so many distinct personalities, it did get rough at times. Perhaps, through all this, he had forgotten to take care of himself along the way, or let himself be taken care of. Perhaps this was selfish, but so too would it not be selfish to insist on being the only one the others would need to rely on?

“This is for all of us,” Ignis said to himself, took a breath, and nodded. Collecting himself, he reached again for the car door, and stepped out.

No sooner did he step out did the front door burst open. “Ignis!!” Gladio shouted, as he rushed over and pulled the thinner man into a massive hug. “Oh thank god, you’re here!!”

Ignis’s eyes widened in a brief moment of shock, as well as just how tightly his partner was holding him, but he took it in stride. With a soft chuckle, he returned the hug. “E-Easy there, my dear,” he replied. “Yes, I am here. How is Noctis?”

“Oh! Yes!” Gladio nodded, setting his partner down. “When I got here, Prompto had already shifted him into the bathroom. We’ve been looking after him best we can, and getting everything in order. We were basically just waiting for you and Luna to finally get here.”

“Good, good,” Ignis nodded. “I already rang for Luna at work, but traffic was a touch slow on the way here. By my estimate, she should be here in…I’d say thirty minutes?”

Gladio seemed to visually relax upon hearing that. “Ah, not too long, then. I had just, uh…checked Noctis, and he’s still got a good ways to go before he’s fully dilated. Hopefully Luna gets here before he gets too much further along.”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure she will,” he nodded, smiling to comfort his partner. While the quartet had naturally looked into the pregnancy process the moment they found out Noctis was expecting, there was still so much they felt they didn’t know about it. It was Ignis who had actually approached Lunafreya on the matter, given she was the only person they knew who had been pregnant multiple times already. What was meant to be a quick correspondence shifted into an agreement for her to be their resident midwife, especially considering they wanted a homebirth from the start. He still wasn’t quite sure how they reached this, but he would be lying if he wasn’t partially relieved to have someone who knew more about this on hand.

Of course, that’s not to say Lunafreya was their sole lifeline; they had all taken considerable measures in making sure they had everything they needed, on top of having a plan in place. Needless to say, they had enough equipment laying around in their bathroom for the past few months that it could reasonably be called their medical bay. In retrospect, both Noctis and Ignis agreed they may have gone a touch overboard, but as far as the life of their child went, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Stepping back into the house, the two caught Prompto as he was scurrying about with some towels. “Ah, Iggy!” He gasped, clearly in relief. “You, uh…you doing good, babe? Handling all this well?”

For a brief moment, Ignis was about to ask if his clearly more distressed partner was alright first, but the call he had with Lunafreya quickly flashed again in his mind. Instead, he sighed and gave a tired smile. “I’m…handling the best I can, to be frank,” he responded. “Rather nervous about this, fatherhood and all. But I know I’ll have you two by my side with Noctis.”

Prompto appeared to relax a great deal. “Of course, babe. You’ll always have us,” he confirmed, walking up and pressing a kiss against his cheek. He also felt Gladio press a cheek on his head. “Come on, now. Best not to keep the princess waiting, hm?”

“Oh, naturally,” he agreed, a small laugh escaping his lips. “How has he been handling this, by the way?” He inquired, as the trio made their way back to the bathroom.

“Well…” Prompto started, and instead of finishing simply opened the bathroom door. Inside, everything was set up just as was planned, on top of several fans running and the window being cracked open. The space wasn’t that large to begin with, but with everything there was, including the three men standing around in it, it did feel pretty cramped.

Sitting in the tub was Noctis, who has since ditched both his pants and undergarments, and even his shirt was riding halfway up his bump. Now, Noctis looking tired was as natural as a chocobo being yellow, and him being pregnant certainly did nothing to help with that matter. Now, however, he looked simply exhausted. His eyes were half draped while the bags under his eyes were getting darker, his hair was all messy and sweaty, and had none of them known he was currently dealing with rather consistent contractions, it would have been easy to assume he was nodding off. One arm was propped up on the tub’s side, which was keeping his head up as he laid up against it.

He gave a quick glance up to the entering trio, before double taking and quickly pushing himself up, eyes wide. “I-I—I didn’t know you guys were back…”

“They caught me as I was coming back,” Prompto explained, as he stepped forward and offered Noctis a wash rag. “I would’ve hollered, but I didn’t wanna shout halfway across the house.”

Noctis gave a small nod, taking the towel somewhat sheepishly as he dabbed it across his forehead, a light blush making itself known on his pale face.

Ignis gave a look back to Gladio, who simply gave a knowing smile in return. Stepping in, he knelt down and joined Prompto by their pregnant partner’s side. “Someone’s a little embarrassed, hm?” He asked, mostly with care but with a light teasing edge.

He glanced away for a moment, before slowly turning back to him. “It’s…a bit more than I expected. The whole…birth process,” he winced out, as a contraction reeled over him, “but also just…Iggy, look at us. The four of us? Fathers??”

Ignis couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah…I think I get whatcha mean. None of us are exactly the ideal fit of a father, so to speak.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Gladio asked with a raised eyebrow as he joined them tubside, his tone prompting a laugh from Prompto.

“I mean it’s natural,” Ignis elaborated. “No one is ever exactly made to be a father. Sure, we’ve read and practiced all we could, but when it comes to actually raising the kid? We have to be here for each other. So long as we’re here and provide for each other,” he reached out and placed a hand on his bump, “we can be the best fathers ever for them.”

“That’s right,” Gladio nodded, reaching out and placing his hand over Ignis’s.

“Yeah!” Prompto cheered, placing his hand over Gladio’s.

Noctis looked at the hands of his partners on his bump, and he found himself stunned, overwhelmed with a warm feeling in his chest. With a slow smile spreading across his face, he slowly placed a hand over those of the other three. “Thank you…I love all of you, so much…”

“We love you, too.”

For a brief, peaceful moment, they enjoyed the silence together, before Noctis jerked in place, wincing as he gripped his belly. In surprise, the others pulled their hands back, waiting by his side but at the ready to jump at a moment’s notice. When he finally calmed down, he was short of breath. “That…that one…was bad…wh-when is Luna getting here?”

“About twenty more minutes,” Ignis replied, checking his watch. “Gonna be able to make it?”

“Y-Yeah, just…damn, that woman better hurry…!”

For the next twenty minutes, the trio hurried around, tending to Noctis as best they could. Each of them took turns being by his side, while the other two made sure everything else around the house was in the order, or at the very least keeping a dedicated ear out for when Lunafreya did arrive.

“Just remember the whole breathing exercise, okay?” Gladio assured him, squeezing his hand tight. “From the lamaze class, remember??”

“Yes…yes, I remember,” Noctis nodded, trying his best to focus on the very thing. “It was just…a few weeks ago…”

“I know, but I always hear about how pregnancy brain sometimes mixes things up,” he voiced in concern.

The younger man cracked a smile. “It’s not that severe, Gladdy. I can at least remember that…”

There was a swap, and now Prompto was at his side, carrying in hand a tall glass of ginger ale and ice, with an accompanying bendy straw. “Never did get this for you, did I?” He asked, chuckling lightly. “Up for a sip?”

“Yeah, that’d be real nice now, actually,” Noctis admitted, raising his lips up as Prompto pushed the straw down to him. He only got a few sips before he had to pull back, wincing as he did. “Oww…damn, they’re getting closer together still…”

“Do you need Gladio to uh…ya know…”

He shook his head. “No…Luna should be here soon. I can make it until then, I’m sure.”

“O-Okay, if you think so…”

Once again, there was a swap out, though Prompto left the glass on the tub counter as Ignis swooped in. “I’d be happy to join you in there,” he offered with a chuckle, “but I doubt we’d both fit. You being in there alone is enough to nearly fill the width, anyhow.”

“Always know just what to say, huh?” Noctis teased with a raised eyebrow.

“I try to be truthful,” he admitted, as he brushed a cold rag against his partner’s forehead. “If it’s any constellation, I think you do look truly adorable at this moment. Like a blackberry too full of juice.”

“Yeah, sure,” Noctis nodded, and then gripped his belly already. “Dammit, is Luna gonna be here soon?? Hasn’t it been twenty minutes?!?”

“Just fifteen,” Ignis corrected. “She’ll be here soon, I promise.”

Noctis groaned, rolling his head back. “...ya know, Iggy, you are pretty smart. You could probably—”

“Out of the question,” he shot back, his tone calm and caring.

“Worth a shot.”

 The trio continued to rotate in and out as they cared for him; even with them all, there was only so much they could do to alleviate the pain. His contractions were getting closer and closer together, only stirring up more of a frenzy in the home. With all the commotion going on, they may have missed the knock at the door, even with Prompto attentively standing by.

“Luna!” Prompto gasped as he tore open the door. His clothes were ruffled, his hair was messy, and he sounded nearly out of breath. Appearing to realize this, he took a moment to collect himself, before trying a smile. “Glad you could make it!”

Lunafreya stared back at him, blinking with wide eyes. “Yep,” she nodded. “Definitely first time fathers, you guys.”

After a few moments of explanation, Lunafreya got herself set up in the bathroom with the others, joining Noctis in the tub. Four people was enough to make the space feel cramped, but five now made it feel very constricted, especially for Noctis. True to what Ignis noted, the tub wasn’t quite made for two people, even with Lunafreya sitting opposite to him. The pregnancy, of course, was not helping matters, as he could just barely spread his legs out far enough, but only just enough. In fairness, he did know this going in, when they established the plan two months ago, but like many things, he was realizing how much being in labor changed things.

“So…how’s it feeling?” Lunafreya asked, her tone clear in genuine inquiry.

“Hurting like hell,” Noctis grunted. “My back is fucking killing me.”

“You definitely sound like a new parent,” she commented, producing a range of small chuckles from his partners. “Yep…got here just in time. You’re near fully dilated. After this next contraction, you can start pushing. Ready to be a dad?”

“Can you just focus on making sure the baby arrives safely,” Noctis snapped out, shutting his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. He could feel his head spinning.

“Easy, Princess,” Ignis piped up, reaching out with a warm rag. “Sorry, he’s like this when agitated.”

“I recall. And feel no need to apologize. I was like this myself, as Nyx can attend to,” she responded with a dry chuckle. “Looks like you’re all ready to go, Noct. Ready? Three, two, one, and…push!”

Noctis collected himself, and the moment she said the word, he started pushing. The feeling was incredibly intense; the contractions alone were horrible enough, but this was on another level. Deep within him, he could feel something start to slide down a part of his body he thought would never be used. The movement was there, yet for all he felt, it was just so little until he eventually stopped, gasping for breath.

“Good! That was good!” Lunafreya smiled. “Try and keep that energy for the other ones!”

“Good!?!” Noctis sputtered. “That felt like shitting out a watermelon!!! How many times do I have to do this?!?” “It varies from parent to parent. First kid was within a half hour. Second one…um, closer to two hours?” She sounded hesitant to reveal that fact, yet said it anyway. Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis all looked toward their partner with grimaces.

“Oh, fuck me!!” He shouted, rolling his head back.

“That’s just on the higher end! Might be shorter!” She added quickly. “Come on, another contraction is coming up! With me; one, two, and…!”

With a bit less enthusiasm, but just as much vigor, Noctis pushed once more. The sensation was just as painful, with the movement just as tangible and miniscule as before. The fact he had to arch his back with each push was doing no help for his back pain; thankfully, Prompto hurried back with a pillow and slid it behind him. It didn’t solve the issue completely, but it did help a bit and the gesture was nice.

“D-Dammit all,” he bemoaned, voice hoarse after his fifth push. Apparently, he should have been close to crowning now, but to his frustration and shock, he could feel the progress of his child be ever so slightly undone on some of the pushes. According to Lunafreya, this was natural and could happen every now and again; if anything, it just meant this was a relatively ‘easier’ labor, which Noctis had a hard time believing.

“You’re doing wonderful, love,” Ignis cheered from the side.

“Yeah, great work!!” Gladio smiled, confidently raising a fist.

“Hasn’t even been that long!” Prompto encouraged. “Our baby is gonna be here before ya know it!”

Noctis gave them a glance, seeing their smiling faces. Let’s see you guys handle this, he thought to himself, yet outside, he tried his best smile. He had to admit, it was nice to have them there.

“Got the hang of it now?” Lunafreya piped up. “Next one upcoming. One, two, and…!”

With a nod, Noctis breathed in, and started to push once more. To his shock, though, he felt a rather sudden burst of movement, and he could feel a distance was moved much greater than any attempt before. He found himself immediately caught off guard, so much that he nearly slipped forward. His eyes immediately jumped open, and a look of shock came over his face.

“What’s wrong?” Lunafreya asked quickly, the others at attention.

Noctis simply blinked, and spoke in a rattly voice, “I’m gonna be sick…”

There was a flash of movement around him, yet from his point of view, it all seemed to move in slow motion: Lunafreya going on about how this was normal, Ignis shouting to grab the bucket, Prompto scrambling for the bucket, and Gladio simply watching on in shock. Even from within, the gurgling and slow rising from his stomach felt slow and gradual, up until the very moment the inside of the bucket was in his view. At that point, time resumed as normal, and he could feel the rush of sickness coming from deep within, and eventually out of his mouth.

“There, there…easy now…” Ignis soothed, rubbing his partner’s shoulder as he emptied out into the wastebasket.

“And this is normal, right?” Gladio asked Lunafreya with some urgency.

“Uncommon, but it does happen,” she clarified. “Giving birth is intense. Even on an empty stomach, I’ve heard dry heaving happens.”

Noctis eventually had his fill, and the bucket was handed off. Prompto looked down at the contents, made a face, and then tucked the bucket away to be dealt with later. “Al-Alright,” he breathed, wiping his mouth off. “I-I’m ready…one, two…”

He continued to push on the same cycle, following Lunafreya’s pattern as best he could. Aside from her gentle encouragement and his own heaving and moans, the room was silent. The three watched on with bated breath, eyes both on Noctis himself and on where their baby would soon enter the world.

“Good! Very good!” Lunafreya cheered, though her eyes were locked between Noctis’s legs. “Seems the baby is just about to start crowning! We’re nearly there!”

“Oh…good…” Noctis breathed out, barely audible, especially as his partners cheered alongside the midwife. “Just…a few…more…”

Perhaps it was that simple comment, or perhaps it was the hormones giving one last hurrah in his system, but for some reason, a sense of doubt began to build in the man’s head. It was not the quiet kind, no, but a loud, urgent kind. The kind of signal the body would get if you were to put your hand on a hot stove, or step in front of a moving car. An urgency to stop, to pull back…

“One, two, and…!”

This push in particular was especially painful. Even with having a hole specifically made for this, it felt as if he was being ripped open, as if something much larger than what was ever supposed to come out was attempting to do so. It was like burning, and his quiet moans quickly gave way to roaring cries, his eyes leaping open.

“Noctis? Noctis???” Ignis reached out, concern in his voice.

“O-Oh, god, is something wrong??” Prompto quickly inquired.

“He’s starting to crown,” Lunafreya updated. “This part really hurts, especially when compared to the pushing he was doing earlier.”

“Guess it is like shitting out watermelon,” Gladio mumbled to Prompto, though with no humor in his voice.

“Oh, god. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck!!!” Noctis panted, breathing heavily as he gripped the sides of the tub. 

“Noctis, love! Breath, breath!! It’s going to be okay!!” Ignis cried out, trying his best to comfort him.

“Next contraction coming up!!” Lunafreya called out.

“Mm-mm!!! No no!!!” He shook his head rapidly. “I-I can’t!! I can’t do this!! It’s too goddamn much!!!”

His three partners erupted into shock, worry, and fear.

“No, you have to!! It’s too late!!”

“The baby is right there, Noct!! You can’t stop now!!”

“Please, you have to!! Just two more, okay?!?”

Noctis did calm down slightly, enough to get a good solid look at expressions his partners were giving him. He could feel his face contorting in a way he had rarely felt, giving an expression he almost never showed them. At that moment, he understood. Maybe not on the conscious level, but where it counted, he understood.

“Come on! Three, two, one, and…!”

Noctis tensed up, and pushed again. The feeling was just as intense, burning the whole way through as he felt himself get torn more and more open. The movement’s were bigger now, much more noticeable, but if anything that was a detriment now. If he could think clearly at the moment, he may have actually missed when he was making slower progress.

“Good, good!! Almost here!! Just give me one more, okay?!”

“N-No, I-I can’t—!!!”

“You said you’d do two more!!”

“Yeah, you’re so close now!!”

“You can do it, my love. Just one more!!”

Tears were streaming down his face now. He barely felt like he could get in a whole breath. His vision was even growing blurry, barely being able to make out who was around him. Though, even with pounding ears, he could hear his partners counting down alongside Lunafreya:

“Three…two…one…and—!”

He pushed one final time, and screamed at the top of his lungs.

“Noctis…Noctis! Noctis, are you listening?”

“H-Huh?” The man blinked, and his eyes immediately darted around. The last thing he could remember was that he was in the tub, and he was yelling out with one final push. Course, that was just the last thing he could remember clearly; he recalls a rush going on after that, but it was all blurry. Now, though, he was in their bedroom, bundled under the blanket and propped up by a lot of pillows. The shades were drawn, and the only light source came from a scented candle. Also, his crotch hurt.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked over to see Gladio smiling down at him. “Hey…doing alright?”

Noctis stared at him for a moment. “Y-Yeah…I-I think I spaced out there for a while…were you saying something?”

“I was,” he chuckled, “but I think I’ll let her speak for herself.”

At first, he presumed he was talking about Lunafreya, but when he shifted out of the way, his eyes slowly widened. Stepping through the doorway was Prompto and Ignis, the two cuddled together as Prompto held something in his arms. Both of them were smiling wide, a face common for Prompto but rare for Ignis. When they finally reached him, they smiled down at him, before gently bringing the bundle they had into his awaiting arms.

Now, in his arms, wrapped in a soft blanket, was a baby.

His baby.

Their baby.

His eyes were locked onto her, fully wide and mouth slightly open. The baby squirmed a bit, made a few noises, but overall seemed fairly sleepy.

“She came out nice and healthy,” Ignis resported, as he and the other two sat on the bed around him. “Today, at around…five thirty five in the evening, you brought a beautiful baby girl into the world, Noctis.”

He didn’t even look up, only nodding ever so slowly as he remained focused on his baby. At such a sight, even Ignis couldn’t help but chuckle a touch, much less Prompto or Gladio.

“You, uh…gonna be okay, babe?” Prompto asked, after a few moments of pleasant silence.

At first, it appeared he was going to go without answering again, but then—

“...Stella.”

“Hm?”

He looked up at them all, suddenly a playful expression on his face. “What? Don’t act like you forgot what name we all agreed on. Unless I’m wrong, then man, that would be embarrassing, huh?”

For a single beat, an air of shock hung around them. Then, they all started chuckling; Prompto was the first to burst, followed by Gladio, and then an almost reluctant chuckle from Ignis, though with a fair shed of tears as well. Of course, they all kept it low, but were quick to shuffle up close to Noctis.

“Look at her little hands!!” Prompto gushed, sticking a finger out to poke at her palm.

“And her cute baby cheeks!!” Gladio squeed, gently cupping Stella’s head with two fingers.

“She is so unbelievably precious,” Ignis sighed happily, leaning in close to Noctis. “You made an adorable baby, Princess.”

“I had some help,” Noctis remarked, jabbing gently at Ignis with his shoulder. “Though…I think we all have a new ‘Princess’ in our lives. One much more befitting of the title.”

The others gave their nods in agreement, though quickly clammed up as Stella began to shift around, making some noises as well as a face. “Hey, hey, what’s wrong, baby?” Noctis asked, a sudden worry in his voice.

“I believe she’s just hungry.” Turning to the doorway, the four of them say Lunafreya step in, bottle in hand. “Had this prepping up on the back burner. They usually come out pretty hungry, as I’ve found out.”

Gladio quickly took the bottle and handed it off to Noctis. For a moment, he looked between the bottle and Stella with some confusion, before gently pressing the rubber nipple between her lips. As soon as he did, he could feel her gently sucking away at it.

With a soft exhale, he could feel himself relax, as if he could almost fall asleep. 

Lunafreya smiled. “Good to see everything came out okay. I’ll be at the ready in case anything comes up. For now, though…” She trailed off, the indication being clear as she stepped out of the room without another word.

They all watched with fascinated looks as Noctis fed Stella. “Wow,” Gladio remarked softly. “She’s really guzzling it down!”

“Gladdy!”

“Well, she is!”

“Hungry baby,” Noctis chuckled softly, before slowly removing the bottle when she indicated she was done. “I love you, Stella,” he spoke gently, and he leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead. For a brief moment, Noctis felt comfortably alone, as if there was nothing else in the world beyond him and his newborn…

Not that it lasted too long, as the presence of his three husbands practically breathing down his neck was hard to not notice. He must have given them a look, at least to Ignis, as he seemed to back up, and gestured for Gladio and Prompto to do so likewise.

“If you, uh…want us to let you have some time alone,” Ignis spoke up. “Which is completely understandable, seeing as you—”

“Iggy,” Noctis interrupted, a smile still on his face. “She’s your daughter too. All of ours,” he went on, looking at the others. “I want you all here, at this moment. You don’t need to be anywhere else, but here for her.”

Ignis’s whole face flushed in response, pushing his glasses up for a moment as he wiped a tear away. Prompto and Gladio likewise looked on with much more emotional, teary eyed expression. Internally, Noctis was thinking of teasing them a bit, but he decided against it. After all, he was barely holding back crying as much as they were.