#waterbreaking

Gladio kept a hand up to catch Noct if he started to falter in his standing, and provided as much of an actual shielding from the public seeing his face contort with pain, “Calm down, breathe,” he whispered back tersely.

Noct eventually caught his breath, taken aback by the power in that contraction, it was short but it was painful.

“Hey,” Gladio nodded his head to the table, “Tell Luna.”

Noct swallowed thickly and had to wipe the sweat from his forehead into his hair, “… I can’t…”

“Do it,” Gladio did not wait to argue here with him, he stepped aside and nudged Noctis back to his seat by his queen, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret.

She sat serenely, sipping from her crystal glass of water as she heard Noctis shamble back over and sit down. The small groan in his throat caught her ear as she turned to Gladio for response. Gladio smiled in that forced way, pointing back to Noctis before he resumed his posting just a few feet away.

“Darling, are you well?” Luna asked Noct, her hand touched his shoulder.

He tried to keep it smooth with bringing his hands out from under the cloak to resting his elbows on the table. Screw the formalities, he needed it for a simple chance to breathe under the cloak. The only people able to see behind this table cloth at his distended, round belly would be him, his shield, and his queen. For just the chance to get some air in and cool his heated body would be a risk he took.

“… I’m fine,” Noct said cooly, despite the sweat that beaded at his brow. After a moment more of thought, and taking in what hint of a pleasant breeze he could, he looked over to Luna, “… Are you alright?”

Confused for a moment, Lunafreya went to answer, only to be stopped as Noct’s hand came down to rest over her belly. That look of concern in Noct’s eyes eventually conveyed a pain that he was working hard to desperately cover up. And she quickly caught on as she was quickly reminded that they sat in front of a large audience.

Amongst the guests, they appeared to be busied with one young man, a new recruit who had run over to his friends with a shaken up bottle of champagne. It was quite a scene, but not enough to stir the entire luncheon from their various conversations. And the glimmer of camera lenses that pointed up towards the royal duo was an even sterner reminder that they had little wiggle room to let the facade slip.

Luna then put her hand over Noctis’s, where they both rested over her own distended belly.

“… I do think I’m having a bit of trouble,” she answered him, intertwining her fingers with his.

“Mh, in what way?” Noct asked, squeezing his fingers around hers.

“There’ve been these pains?”

Noctis nodded, “H-how long? Since this morning?”

Her eyes widened at that, “… Yes.”

“And they’re worsening now?” He squeezed her hand a little tighter, almost painfully.

“M-much,” she brought her other hand to rest on his shoulder, “Noct, should we… Go to the hospital?”

Noctis’s mouth became a thin line as a bead of sweat rolled down his face, suddenly he was tongue tied, and as Lunafreya looked down to his middle, she could actively see how it seized tightly in his formal clothes underneath the robe.

She admired his strength to still not act on the pain, and she wanted to comfort him, so badly did she want to.

When he sighed out, hand loosened around Luna’s, he swallowed thickly again and asked, “… I don’t know, what do you need?”

Luna opened his mouth to speak, then flinched and curled over herself, letting out a loud and sharp gasp. Noct was bewildered as he saw her clutch at her middle. His heart dropped at the sight of her crumpling over, worry shot into his heart.

“Luna??” Noct tried to help her sit up.

Gladio was by their side in an instant, dropping down to Lunafreya’s level.

“I-I…” She gasped for air in between, “… a contraction, it must’ve…”

Noctis blinked, having nearly been convinced that something was truly wrong, but he quickly realized. And so did the rest of the guests as many of those sat closest were now catching on and looked up in fear and worry.

“Just breathe, your majesty,” Gladio spoke clearly, “I’ll call for a ride and get the marshal to help us through.”

As the shield took to his protocols, Lunafreya continued to feign her own pains, and clung onto Noctis’s arms without putting any real weight on him. And sure enough, it did the trick of causing an appropriate scene to start as a murmuring spectacle began to form around them with the guests in front worried and inquiring, and then appointed guards and security hurried up behind the table to help them both up. Noctis quickly closed up his cape again, and offered a hand to Lunafreya’s back as they stood together.

However, before they could move, Noctis stiffened, as a sudden wetness trickled down his pants legs and flooded his socks and shoes. With how much and how sudden, he gave a gasp involuntarily. Lunafreya snapped her head to look up at him.

Noctis was frozen in his own silent panic now. Embarrassment was the furthest thing from his mind, it was the reality of what was actually happening to him that hit. And Lunafreya must have caught on to that, because with her back turned to the public and the herd of guards around them providing just enough cover—there was as small splash that hit the ground.

“Ah!!” Lunafreya fretted, “M-my waters!”

Noctis did not catch when Lunafreya had a glass in her hand and didn’t even see when she palmed it over to one of their security. A real magic trick as suddenly a puddle of water was on the ground, right by her feet.

And like that, a flurry of activity stirred up, as the king and queen were escorted out, there were guests—part of the press no less, that clamored to get photos and ask desperately of what was happening every second that it was happening. Most of those cameras pointed directly at Lunafreya and followed her until they got through a marked exit. In the meantime, Noctis kept close behind her, keeping to her shadow.

They hurried out where the vultures of press lurked the most and jumped the moment that they noticed the arrivals of the king and queen, they had stalked around since they saw the royal regalia roll up and park itself at the front for pickup. Gladio made sure there was a solid 5 feet of clearance that the journalists kept, barking at them when they even tried to inch in too closely. The back door opened and Lunafreya was helped first inside, quickly after her was Noctis. Gladio closed the door on the two of them, gave a final order to the security, and got into the front passenger seat of the car before it took off.

At the wheel was their trusted friend, Prompto Argentum, who was careful to navigate out of the parking area and get onto the main road that led homeward. He spoke with Gladio in the front in hushed voices.

Now that they were safe and in total privacy, Noctis forcefully ripped off the cloak from him and took off the jacket of his suit to shove away from him. Ignis could chastise him later about wrinkling the fabric, he didn’t care.

Lunafreya was relieved too as now she turned her full attention to Noctis and placed her hand over his heaving belly, “You did so good back there, darling,” and kissed over his cheek and face.

Noctis breathed desperately as he bunched up the fabric of his cloak in his hands, “son of a…” he seethed out through his agonizing. The contraction ballooned into a whole new type of hurt now, one that brutally made him feel as though he was being torn open from the inside and that his body was being compressed so tightly that his lungs couldn’t even expand. Had they taken a second more, he was sure that he may have thrown up in front of the press with just how forcefully he kept himself from panting, crying, or groaning in that awful walk with soddened shoes and wet pants.

“We’re gonna get home in no time,” Prompto announced to them, “Called ahead to the Marshal and he pulled strings to get the streets to the citadel blocked off just for us to have a clear shot with no traffic or interruptions!”

“Guess they learned from when the last heir of Lucis was born, huh?” Gladio commented playfully.

Noctis could have thrown Gladio out of this car with how little humor he saw in anything happening right now. Instead he clung himself to Luna and got out all the grunting and bellowing he wanted into her shoulder as she rubbed circles into his back and to the side of his taut belly. Both of their stomachs touched, but hers obviously gave way more with how soft the material was.

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

It was quite a sight to be a male teacher needing to wear a fashioned maternity uniform. Did wonders to hide his form, but not too much wondering had to be done to see and realized that he was, in fact, very close to being due with how far ahead his belly stuck out. Just the semester before one of the female teachers had her own child-children, a set of twin boys. It was admirable to see her still teaching lessons up until the week before she was due, made Lazlo hopeful that he too could accomplish that just as easily.

Well, not exactly. What he didn't get to hear was just how much your feet would ache or how terribly your back bowed with all the added weight. Ankles being swollen, and generally being so out of breath during lectures that he started to just assign students to independently read on their own in quiet. Which was not quite what the students liked to do. Especially the teens who had their attentions spanned so thin, they would openly call out "This is stupid! Why do we even need to learn this?"

Botany may not have been a caster's first idea of a useful utility, especially not when anyone coming through these doors would leave them as a druid. But Lazlo tried to employ the use of anecdotal evidence from his own study and work about how great a utility plants had in spell components and even other various aspects of potion making or practical medicines.

Though it was that practical medicines part that so many students tuned out from. It was frustrating to constantly hear "Why do we need that when we can just use arcane cures?" it never came from a place of understanding the importance of resource management or, the more important cause, when magic is too taxing and too expensive, there are other alternatives that people must seek.

But no. Everyone here thought that just the flick of wrist would handle all their problems and needs, cure all sickness and wounds, end all starvation and poverty. And yet, here they are, living in a world with sickness, starvation, and poverty, still abundant.

Never mind all that though, Lazlo just had to make sure he got through the day and ticked off the calendar just how close he was to a break. The much sought after break that hopefully gave him time to fulfill the final preparations around his little home before it had a second inhabitant.

Although, that was becoming less likely the longer he had to wait.

He may have been overly cocky in assuming he could wait until roughly three days before his projected due date. A rough estimate that even the doctor wasn't entirely sure about. And what a crock of a doc, if it wasn't the Mrs. Monniker name dropping, it was the absolute denial of having him be offered forms of pain relief cause "Well, you're a man, you have a higher pain tolerance."

Lazlo could just about knock that blockhead of his and tell him to shove it. He endured it for most of the time as he cared to only know that the baby was still alive and well. But upon the impending birth coming... He did not want that man to be in charge of delivering his baby. In a last ditch effort, he sought out a midwife for something of a more natural birth. Instead of a hospital with its imposing white walls and sterile halls, why not have the baby at home where he could be comfortable and not gawked at by too many staff that had to do a double take over a tall elven man with a beard who sported a rounded pregnant belly. No more of that.

But in the middle of class one afternoon, he was in the midst of writing on the chalk board when his hand stopped and the chalk made an awful screech that upset more than just a few students to hear.

Lazlo was frozen in place a moment, back turned to a wide classroom of over two dozen students. He felt in his gut a strong tug. He'd felt these for days, on and off. He knew that they were nothing more than little cramps here or there. But this one... It sucked. Bad.

"Mr. Monniker?"

He clapped the chalk down on the small shelf that lined the bottom of the chalkboard, and looked to the wall for the clock.

2:47

He took in a breath and pivoted to the whole room, "Well..." He looked over the students, many of their puzzled faces of concern and curiosity, "... Why don't we have an early dismissal, hm? Weekend and all that!"

And while he said that, chairs skirted back and students threw their books into their bags swiftly, not delaying for a second (good).

"Mr. Monniker, do we have any readings?" One good nature student asked, to the dismay of her peers that groaned.

"None," Lazlo grinned, "You need not worry about any reading or writing!"

There was a small cheer as the class filed out of the room. Lazlo hurriedly gathered his own things: papers into binders and books to carry into his satchel. A dauntingly heavy thing for his already dauntingly heavy load he carried around his waist.

He hurried out after and locked the door, then doubled his pace for the office.

In there he asked to use the phone, which the staff member allowed. He made swift use of the dial and called to his midwife. What he heard back from her was "Well don't you fret, dearie. First timers like yourself won't be quick to deliver, you might labor for a day or two more!"

Lazlo was not excited about hearing that but... He knew that, still, "I'm in no condition though to work like this, am I?"

The midwife hummed, "Well you know, some mothers can go about working the farms and be cooking and cleaning all the way up to when their little one's pop outta them."

Lazlo pinched the bridge of his nose, "I'm a teacher. I can't... Be on the brink of giving birth in class."

"Well it's the weekend, is it not? Surely the little spud will come out sometime then!"

This conversation grew more aggravating by the second, "Ma'am, please, I need to know whether I should take my leave now or wait!"

"Oh well sure, if you need a second opinion, I say you should."

Lazlo sighed in relief, "Then... What do I do now?"

"... Go home?"

"Are you going to come by?"

"Oh, well we'll see. I can make you part of my route as I check in moms and families tonight. We'll have you looked over and I'm predicting that your little spud will come out likely in the next day or two."

Lazlo huffed, "... Alright, thank you." Not exactly the vote of confidence he had hoped for, but she knew her stuff so... Yeah, it was bound to be alright... Right?

~~~

He told the headmistress that he needed to take his leave sooner than later, he knew that he still had three days left on his schedule, but hopefully over the weekend they could arrange for a substitute to take his place and carry out the work for the time being.

Lazlo made his trek back home, and along the way the pains persisted. He tried his best to time them, checking his wristwatch as he did, but it would grow to a progressively worst state that his eyes couldn't even stay open.

It was a relief to come home and drop his bags by the door. He would sort them out later as he practically tore himself out of these robes and ornate garments. For a time behind he wore just his small clothes as he fell back onto his bed and let himself be in silence for a few moments.

Suppose he ought to fix some dinner, fold his laundry, draw up a quick bath for the aches and pains.

For dinner, it would just be soup, nothing overly complicated for his stomach. He stirred the clear broth, vegetables, and bits of chicken as they boiled over the stove. He was feeling the day of fatigue hit him in his legs and back. And the dizzying thought that soon, very soon, he would have to be taking care of a baby of all things after all this he...

Another contraction hit and he hunched over, gripping the edge of the stove, careful of the side without the fire burning in it. How his stomach tensed and pressed down into his hips made him groan out. An awful, terrible experience. All just to bring a child into the world. Was it truly that worth it?

Lazlo focused on breathing, despite how close his face was to the boiling pot, he was stuck there for a time until this came to pass. It was dreadful, growing into a pain that blossomed as a daunting pressure to something almost sharp.

Though when it released, Lazlo sobbed out.

He lifted himself from the stove, only to catch a whiff of smoke.

In his peripheral he saw a bright light, like a candle, and something stung his skin and-fire. A strand of his hair caught fire. He thankfully waved it out quickly, blowing it out as simply as a match. But the smell of singed hair caught his nose, nearly causing him to gag. Stupid oversensitive nose.

He snuffed the burner out and set the soup aside. Maybe he would keep that for later.

~~~

The night pressed on and Lazlo tried to keep up with household chores, but had to constantly be distracted by a contraction or two that came and went, leaving him winded and on the brink of tears. He opted for a hot bath instead of dinner and laundry. He sank into the tub and just absorbed the warmth into his muscles and bones.

He caressed his hand over his belly, the top of it just showing out of the water. He tried to massage the scarred skin, the underside itched terribly, but scratching only reddened the area raw. A slight fear was that if he nicked himself, the baby could just fall out.

Ridiculous a notion, it was impossible to happen without also needing to penetrate many other protective layers of muscle and tissue... But after one wild story about a woman with a zipper on her womb, Lazlo had a terrible nightmare that absolutely had no sense in being as scary as it was.

He just tried to rub the area instead, and relax as he applied pressure back against his bump. He could feel that the baby was curled up in there, snug as a bug. Ooh, don't think about bugs. Another awful story that he had too much time on his hands to read also made him paranoid about that.

What he hoped was a short reprieve from pain and soreness, accidentally turned into a full fledged nap that Lazlo had not at all realized had happened.

Truly, one moment he was staring down at himself by candlelight and feeling so content and relaxed by the warm water... Then in a blink, the room was dark save for the moonlight that poured in through the window. The water had gone cold and he felt the baby kicking up a storm.

Lazlo was disorientated, how long did he sleep for? Long enough for the candle wick to snuff out in the wax?? These candles were pretty cheap, but convenient that they would snuff out themselves when he was so ditzy these days to forget he left one burning an hour ago.

He carefully lifted out of the bath, shivering from the draft that snuck in. Pruned fingertips grabbed the towel and quickly wrapped himself to dry his wet body. But his body was quickly met with another seizing pain.

"Nnh, not now, no no," Lazlo braced against the sink, he panted and groaned. No, this wasn't right, this hurt like a fucking bitch. It was dawning on him that maybe this whole labor thing was quickly catching up.

It sure had to be, because a second later his water broke and completely flooded the miniature bathroom floor.

In shock of it all, Lazlo swallowed dryly. This was happening. It was happening very. Very soon.

He dropped his towel on the floor to mop the mess, and took another towel to dry off further. Despite drying his legs, he felt even more amniotic fluid drip and stream down his legs. He waddled through his apartment bare naked with the towel held between his legs as he tried to find his wrist watch. At the chance that he found it and took a look at the time...

10:53

What.

Lazlo thought about the midwife. She had to be arriving soon, right? He had to think that otherwise he would hyperventilate and have a full panic attack.

He threw on a tunic to be modest, the towel had to stay though as he didn't want to leave a trail in his apartment. He wandered to the door, hoping that miraculously if he checked it, she would instantly appear there. Except he noticed a paper on the floor. One that seemed to slip in through the mail slot. Oh no.

When Lazlo picked it up, he read:

Dear Mr. Monniker, Came by your apartment to check on you, but you didn't appear to be home. Come tomorrow I'll make sure to check you first thing in the morning! Hope you're well, Milly Lausendale

Lazlo crumpled up the letter and slammed fist to the wall. Of course.

~~~

So he did think that maybe, maybe he could hold out until morning. Surely, first timers like himself wouldn't be so quick to deliver. And given how easy it was for him to sleep earlier, he could just sleep in bed.

Only that wasn't so simply the case. He couldn't get comfortable, not one bit, and even as he closed his eyes and tried to sleep, a throe of pain absolutely wrecked through him and he ended up crying and wailing. Or worse, stomach bile came up his throat and he scrambled for the nearby bucket (which he had the foresight to get nearby) to throw up into. It was absolute hell for him.

Hour by hour, the pain worsened, the contractions quickened, the suffering persisted. He was on his back, on both of his sides, on his knees, leaned back, leaned forward. Loop-de-loop and around the world this man was trying everything in his power to be comfortable on this bed long enough to sleep as miraculously as he did in the damn bathtub.

He had to wait until the midwife got here, he had to. He could survive until then. It was just what he had to do.

The pain made him delirious, unable to focus on anything in the reality around him. He thought that maybe he heard a knock at the door, and he cried out saying "Please help!!" only for that knocking to stop and be left in agony forever more.

Thinking about it, how would the midwife come in? She didn't have a key. Lazlo was in too much pain to even imagine walking to the door to unlock it. Maybe if he managed the strength just enough, it would then be right then and that his little spud dropped out of him and she could catch it.

And speaking of the spud, he almost began to grow resentful of it. This little creature that he allowed to inhabit his body was driving red hot nails through his loins and causing him to see stars. How the hell could he forgive such a little demon for doing something so awful to him?

OK that was unfair, Lazlo did, in fact, want said little demon to join him in his life (hoping that he manages to make it to see the rest of his life after this all). Who was to blame was that fucking disgusting man that put his dick in him. Sure he wanted to have sex, but... Getting pregnant had not been on the agenda! And foolishly, Lazlo thought that maybe this could work out. Maybe they could settle somewhere nice, maybe they could fall in love, get married, have some honest work and have this baby together. Wouldn't that have been nice?

Instead, when Lazlo announced his pregnancy, and announced second to that he would be keeping it...

"Do not." Xander darkly said back to him, "You do not want this."

"Xander, please," Lazlo pleaded, "I really do want this. I mean... I'm not getting any younger, so-"

"Not this, Laz."

"Xander. I've made up my mind."

The horned man just glared at him, "... If you keep it, there's no tellin' it's gonna live long."

Lazlo was offended and taken aback, "What? What the hell does that mean??"

"Cause it's gonna be one of those magic null types."

Lazlo blinked in utter astonishment, and suddenly a new perspective was put on this. One which had him reflexively hold his hand over his middle, where the smallest suggestion of a bump formed.

"... Yeah, not so fun now, is it?"

"I didn't know, Xander."

"Then do yourself a favor," he stared intensely, "Get rid of it."

The thought did cross his mind. Because what would that mean for him to bring into this world a person who likely would suffer, whose life expectancy was at best 30 years of age, who may not survive the common cold? It was a thought that was terrifying, but seeing Xander too in this new light...

"... No, I'm keeping it."

Xander bared his fangs, but he didn't bothered more than that, "You selfish bitch."

Hm. Maybe he was pretty selfish. And maybe this pain was penance for that. He devoted himself to research, and pored over books between bouts of sickness and ailments. His prior research and the research he was finding seemed to prove to him that no. It wasn't entirely dismal and hopeless. With proper care and practical medicine, it was possible for those null of magic to live long and fulfilling lives. He just needed to be patient and calm as a broken bone would certainly not be saved with the help of a cure spell, and most common folk already had to rely on the practical methods of treatment since affording a trip to the hospital for so much as a cure spell could bankrupt them.

It was possible, he wasn't selfish, he wasn't an awful person for falling in love and thinking what they had was special. And hell, despite that break off, he still hoped that if anyone could show up now and help him, maybe it would be him.

A particular contraction got him and suddenly Lazlo was startled by the new sensation it brought. It went from the usual ballooning pain to now something being between his legs.

Lazlo dared feel his hand to between his legs. Thankfully, nothing protruded, but he was slick and wet still, even now.

Only when he brought his hand back up, he expected nothing of it. But saw blood on his fingertips.

Empty heavens, fuck...

Lazlo tried again with moving his body, though how agonizing it was, he felt that he should recline back against the pillows and spread his legs apart. Something which his brain was yelling that he should do.

Well, no one can call you the wrong name or make objectifying comments about your obscene amounts of body hair, Lazlo humorously thought. Cause you got no one to say all that!

As the next contraction arose, Lazlo cursed and threw his head back. He felt a force say to him start pushing.

So he did.

He really couldn't tell if he should be, or if he was doing it right, or really how the hell this should feel and what it was doing. There was just something urgently pressing down in his lower bowels that if he didn't push, it would happen for him regardless.

This was something that went on for the next agonizing hour. Pushing, breathing, pushing more, he changed how he was laying so he could hold his legs wide and push again, and again, again again again.

The more he pushed the less oxygen that went to his head, and on one particular push he felt like his eyes would pop out from his head at how hard he clenched down. It resulted in a sharp, hot burn to strike at his loins in a way that he cried out.

That had to mean something was happening.

Lazlo reached down and sure enough, he felt something hard start to breech out of him. Round and smooth.

That had to be a head.

Suddenly Lazlo's heart raced far more quickly than felt safe in his current state, he was drenched in a cold sweat as his body was overheated and overspent. Yet there was no chance to turn back, not like he could undo all this progress and wait for morning dawn. This baby had to come out now.

He heaved himself upright, and this time took a stance on both his knees, he held onto the headboard of his bed. Gravity is a tool he could use, not an obstacle he should fight against.

With taking some quick breaths, he pushed again, and quickly felt this sensation worsen as apparently he had not even crested the forehead. He bent into the push, forehead rested to the wall as he bellowed out a yell so loud--were his neighbors home? Was there anyone else hearing this?? If he was to wake up to a damn noise complaint, then Lazlo was sure to wrangle someone by their stinking chicken neck--

There was suddenly a pop, he gasped as it happened. There was no doubt in his mind that the baby's head was out. And damn the false gods, this was the last stretch.

Every minute shift of his hips made him vividly aware just how big this child was. Small enough to fit but just barely he thought.

And yet, with it being so close to over, Lazlo wanted to get through it and get it done. He worked up breathing and catching his breath to finally grit down hard and not stop, don't stop. He felt he was being ripped in two as he finally cried out. With it, there was a sudden release all at once.

He could just about collapse, had he not the foresight to look down and see there between his legs, on his pillow and blankets-sodden now with fluids and blood-was a flopped over baby.

Lazlo carefully sat back, hissing at the small tug of the cord, but instantly took this baby into his hands. They were so lifeless and still and he got terrified.

"No no baby, come on, come on," Lazlo breathlessly pleaded as he rubbed their back, silently noticing too that they were indeed a she. And the more he coaxed her to take a breath, the scarier each second got. No, she couldn't be just... Not when she hasn't even...

He then felt her flex, make some sort of move. Lazlo quickly kept trying to warm her up and patted her bottom, that's what they did with newborns.

She coughed, gasped, coughed again, gasped a little more, and then wailed.

Lazlo's heart felt a whole release now, on the brink of utterly shattering, he was restored back whole and could breathe himself. He brought her to his chest, and rocked in place with her there.

"That's it, lovely, just breathe," he cooed at her as she cried and gurgled, "I'm so sorry, it's going to be alright."

Someone should honestly be saying that to him, because he was just made to give birth all alone at home with no support. He turned her over again to cough and hack out that mucus, right onto the bed that was already a bloodied and sodden mess.

When her cries clarified, Lazlo cradled her again and gently shushed her, "It's okay, you're alright."

He got to kiss her wet little head, and rocked her until she began to calm. Though the shivers he felt made his heart break for a wholly new reason. She was cold and this room was drafty.

"Missin' that warm place you had, a-aren't you?" Lazlo asked, shivering a bit himself after it all. Despite how noodle-y his legs felt, he had to fit them with something to keep warm. In a rather amazing feat of strength and will power, Lazlo worked one-handedly to set a cut log in the corner wood stove-he would need to thank the school groundsman later for such a generous gift of cut dry wood-and could use a snap of the finger to conjure a small fire to start. Then he rifled his closet, taking from it a shawl to wrap around him and his daughter.

Then, sat in front of the burning stove with his back against the bed.

He felt dreadfully fatigued, but his body was not done working. Pure adrenaline was what he ran off now, as he gave small pushes at a time for this next step in the process.

He could clean the floors, replace the bed coverings, deal with the awful aftermath later. Though what he couldn't stand to do was see how his little girl trembled, and sure enough, she began to settle in against his chest soundly.

Lazlo watched her, in utter awe at just how tiny she was. Everything was so small on her, from the button nose to the folded over ears, her gently parted lips and wisps of hair that stuck out as it dried more.

"... Can't believe you came from me..." Lazlo was in utter awe.

Finally, after several minutes more, he felt the last part of the afterbirth come to pass. He pulled the string out form the front of his tunic to cinch the cord, before he then reached into the nearest drawer that thankfully carried fabric scissors. As soon as the baby was freed, she kicked back up a fuss over it.

"I know, I'm so sorry," Lazlo soothed her and rubbed her back, "I promise you, papa's going to make it up to you, my little rabbit."

For as cute as a name Spud or Bunny were, he knew that he would need to land on something substantial to call her throughout her life. She was a sweet, a pinnacle of light for him in his life right now. While terrified that he could mess this all us-hell, he likely already did-he wanted her to be happy and live a long, healthy life.

"Hm... I really quite like the name Hester," Lazlo mused as she whined, "Something sweet, something bright. A true little starlight." He chuckled at his own pun, "I promise, I won't be the father that speaks in rhymes and riddles. Not too good for words and all that."

She seemed to calm considerably as he spoke, and that just made Lazlo choke up more. She sank into the crook of her neck so comfortably, so safe and trusting.

If only he had someone here who helped him feel as safe and trusted.

"It's just you an' me, Hester," Lazlo whispered to her and kissed her head, "An' I promise... We're gonna make it through all this."

~~~

There was quite the fuss come the morning, from the midwife arriving first thing and seeing that there was a baby already here made her suddenly blanche and run up and down on apologies to the poor man. She took swift care of his sheets and mess left on the floor. Lazlo could have dealt with most of it too, he had the spell casting expertise for it, buuuut he enjoyed someone else taking care of it for him for the time being.

Then came the landlord, who was prepared to issue a "The tenants complained about a buncha yowling and screaming at the wee hours of the morning" disturbance of the peace nonsense, when quickly met with the midwife that mistook him for the sanitation department and tried to hand him the wrapped up placenta. He quickly apologized and saw himself out.

Once things were in tip-top shape and baby Hester was weighed and fed, the midwife went back onto her route for the morning and left Lazlo to it. And what that it was--was sleeping.

Though the mid afternoon came with Hester demanding a meal. Lazlo would have argued but she was just so small. So cute. He also could tell that his chest was going to need to get as many of these feedings in as possible, with how quickly he was starting to let down at her cries. His shirts were about to be ruined...

While she ate happily and he rocked her gently, a ring came at the door again. Lazlo dreaded if this would be the landlord making a second pass at complaining on the noise.

He held up Hester to his shoulder and shambled to the door, where then he opened it and was rather surprised of who he saw, "Georg?"

"Lazl--whAAA??" The kindly orc was just starting to greet the man before he dropped the bag he carried and something glass did unfortunately break within, "Ah! Gyah! Aaa it's a baby!"

"That she is," Lazlo smiled.

"W-when??" Georg stammered.

"Last night."

Georg blinked, he looked Lazlo up and down. The man looked quite a sight. And then quickly he scrambled to pick up his bag, "Ahh geez, the jam."

"Would you like to come in?"

Georg gulped, "Uh, if you don mind."

Lazlo stepped aside and allowed the friendly groundskeeper to make himself right at home. He immediately went for the kitchen and extracted from the bag what was salvageable, while careful not to nick himself on the glass shards.

"So much for the peach jam," Georg chuckled, "But uh, got you some bread, soup mix, and bit of cake-all glass free."

Lazlo sat at the table as he patted Hester's back, "Georg, this is so kind, you didn't need to."

"But I did!" Georg said and then gestured to the baby, "I mean, clearly! Look at you, havin' a baby like nobody's business! And all on your own!" He disposed of the bag with glass and jam inside, "Well, 'cept for help from the midwife."

"Oh, she wasn't there when Hester was born."

"What!?" Georg looked mortified, "Lazlo!!"

"Shh!"

"Can't believe you, man," Georg shook his head, "Truly, you're something else! They sure do build elves like you different, don't they?"

"I promise, it's not an Elemar thing, it was purely a wild set of circumstances," Lazlo sighed as he heard a small burp bubble up from the baby, "I'm just glad it went... Okay."

"... Okay?"

Lazlo was quiet as he brought Hester down to his arms, she gave a big yawn, "... I mean, it was scary."

"Yeah no kiddin'," Georg went on to grab a pot from the sink and fill it with water, "But hey, proud'a ya! And I'm gonna be sure to tell the rest of the staff so they make sure to come around and say 'hi' to ya too!"

Lazlo hummed, "... Georg, why did you come?"

The orc handily brought the pot over to the stove, "Word's got out that you clocked in for family leave a bit early. And the ladies in the office seemed to say they heard you callin' up your midwife. I had a feelin' that you'd likely be in labor by the time I came over since first timer's take a day er two to have their first kids."

Lazlo rolled his eyes, yeah someone needed to reanalyze that saying because it was doing him no good thinking that, "So... You wanted to bring me soup, bread, jam, and cake all while I was in labor and wouldn't be able to eat?"

Georg started the burner fire and scratched his chin, "... I mean, yeah, but... Not like you needed to eat'em right away! I thought... You might like some company... Going through all that."

Lazlo felt a pang in his heart at that, and sighed through his nose, "... I really would've."

"... Well hey," Georg took the jar of soup mix and added it to the steeping pot, "I'm here now, and happy to help where ever ya need! Takes a village an' all that to raise a child, and I don't see any sense why you gotta do it all on your own."

Lazlo looked dumbfounded at Georg, "... Oh, no no Georg, I couldn't ask you--"

"No I insist, good sir!" Georg then picked up a ladle, "Mama would'a had me strung up by my ears had she heard I let some lone single parent struggle all on their own when I'm perfectly fine and able to do something about it."

Lazlo laughed lightly, his stomach a little too sore to get more than that, "I... Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Georg smiled back over at him, "So! What's that sweet pea's little name?"