Chapter 28
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
“ S hhh. He’ll hear us.”
“I know, doofus. Stop whacking that, for God’s sake.”
“It’s fucking stuck. Not my fault.”
Daniel blinked, because he’d fallen asleep on the big, cushy couch in the living room, and now… well, there was whispering and… clanging.
What on earth?
Before this, Daniel had wandered outside. The twins were watching Jacks because he just couldn’t cope.
He was huge and tired, and he’d cleaned the nursery, and he wasn’t hungry, and he’d been hot.
Really hot.
And grumpy.
And he wanted to go home, and he didn’t know where home was. So then he’d come to lie down and take a nap after Hayden had found him wandering.
He frowned and shook his head, trying to wake up. “What is going on? Is Jacks okay?”
This was confusing as hell.
“Oh, hey!” One of the twins beamed at him, coming to stand and kind of block his view of the room. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you.”
“It’s okay. I was grumpy, and Hayden sent me to rest.” He patted his belly and actually found a grin. “This guy is heavy to carry around.”
“I bet! I mean…” The twin in question, Marco, laughed lightly. “Uh. Yeah. Do you need anything?”
“Apple juice? Do we have any?” He’d lost his taste for milk over the last week or so, but apple juice tasted amazing.
“Of course. Tonio! Apple juice for your dude here!”
“On its way.”
There was more clanging, but Marco kept moving into his line of sight, all but dancing.
“Is someone…building something? Who has Jacks?”
“Jacks is fine, dear,” Rita sing-songed.
“Oh.” Why was everyone in the front room, and why could he not see?
“Ta-da! Juice.” Antonio appeared to hand it to him.
“Oh, thanks.” He drank it down and it was cold and bright and it tasted utterly perfect. As it hit his stomach, his belly tightened, and he stretched with the sensation.
“Better?” Marco asked.
“Yes. Why are you two jumping around like that?”
“Are we?” Antonio lunged to keep him from peering around him.
Scrape. Clang. Whoosh.
“You promise Jacks is okay?” Are you building an ark or something, love?
No arks. Hayden’s laughter was soft. Are you all right?
Mmhmm. I just had the best apple juice. Nice and cold.
That’s wonderful, sweet. Jacks is just fine. He’s hanging out with Declan. He seems to think Declan’s face needs lots of love.
Aww. He’d get up and go see, but he was comfy and the twins were amusing the hell out of him. So cute. His face does need lots of snuggles.
“Can I have another glass of juice, please?”
“Of course. Kenn! Get juice.”
Soon they were going to start juggling or something.
“Busy! You do it, Marco.”
“Do you need help, Kenn?” he called out. “So long as I don’t have to lift or get up off the floor, I’m willing and able.”
“No, no. I’m fiiiiiine!”
He giggled, and he felt Hayden’s mental caress. Keep them running, love. This is hilarious.
What are you up to?
It’s a surprise. Just enjoy yourself.
I can do that. “Can I have ice too. I’m really hot.”
“Sure. Ice. Right.” Marco fled while Antonio bent to stare into his eyes, hand on the back of the couch.
“You look a little sleepy still. Do you need more nap time?”
“Do I?” He blinked slowly, rubbing his belly. “I am carrying around a bowling ball…”
“You are. Maybe two.”
“No!” A chorus of dragon’s voices shouted at Antonio.
“We don’t mention that,” Kenn roared.
Antonio’s eyes went wide, and Daniel started cackling. Like he didn’t know.
He hadn’t seen his feet in over a month.
“Okay, here’s juice.” Marco handed him an apple juice with ice. “Aaaand we’re ready.”
He gulped down the juice before asking, feeling that fascinating tightening and relaxing. “Ready for what? And if I have to move, someone’s going to have to help me up.”
“Nope, you can stay where you are.” Marco and Antonio bounced out of his line of sight. “Ta-da!”
There were balloons and a cake, a stroller and a swing, presents and little sandwiches and goodies, and his new family standing and beaming.
“Da-ta!” Jacksy cried.
“Wow!” His eyes teared up. “This is amazing. Look what you did!”
“You needed a baby shower,” Declan said in his quiet voice, smiling at him.
“Oh, guys. Look at this.” Daniel opened his arms for his son. “Jacksy! It’s a party!”
“Pah-tee.”
Jacks landed in his lap, kinda, his belly so big that Jacks sat almost on his knees. “Happy babbeeee.”
“Yes. Such a happy baby. Did you help make this?”
“I hep. My babbie.” Jacks kissed his belly. “Luf Nico.”
“I love you for that.” He kissed the top of Jacks’s head, then met every gaze in the room. “Thank you all so much. What kind of cake is it?”
“Red velvet.”
“Guh. Perfect. I’m so in. It’s beautiful, you guys. Thank you.”
“Are you happy, love?” Hayden came to lean over him from behind the couch, taking a soft kiss.
“I am. This is so…thoughtful.” Kind. Joyous. Perfect. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Do you need anything? The guys are anxious to play shower games. They googled.”
“I’m perfectly happy.” That tightening happened again, and he thought this may be the beginning of labor, but he wanted this whole experience. He’d worry about it later.
“Okay, love. Now, let me take Jacks so you can have some more juice and play some games.”
“Let’s do this.” He laughed, pushing himself off the sofa. “What are we playing first?”
“We’re doing guess the baby animal!” That was Kenn, who wore a party hat and a lot of glitter. He might have been on sign making duty, Daniel thought.
“Ooh…I do love my baby animals.” He sipped his juice and let everyone make him laugh and feel amazing.
All the while his contractions were growing stronger, more regular. They ached, but he was having too much fun to stress it.
They identified baby animals on the big screen TV from weird partial photos. They guessed the flavor of baby food from the color (no tasting, thank the goddess). They had cake.
And all the while, he felt the spasms.
Hayden kept glancing at him, checking in, and he just kept smiling, trying for serene.
Watching the twins guess how big his belly was the funniest thing ever.
Finally one of the contractions hit and it stole his breath, and he panted a bit.
Everyone stopped and stared.
“You’re in labor,” Declan said.
“Yes, but I haven’t had presents yet.” He firmed his lips at them.
“How long have you been in labor?”
“How long are the contractions?”
“How far apart?”
“How’s your birth line?”
It was like having eight midwives.
“Since the first juice, I have no idea, about two minutes, and have I looked at my birth line? No.”
“May I look, love?” Hayden asked.
“Can I have my presents after?” He was willing to negotiate.
“Of course you can. I promise you’ll have your presents.”
“Okay.” Mollified, he lifted his shirt, showing off his belly to Hayden. It was really hard for him to see, so he just kind of leaned back. “How’s it look?”
From the wide-eyed, shocked, vaguely green expressions everyone gave him, he thought it was…off.
Jacks pointed, eyes wide. “Dan Dan! Babbie!”
“Love. You might have to open presents this evening in bed. That baby is coming.” Hayden leaned up to kiss him gently.
“But I want to?—”
“Dan Dan!” Jacks pointed again. “BABBIE!”
Daniel finally fought to peer at the birth line, and oh. Yes. Baby. Right. He was coming.
“Maybe we should go upstairs…” Hayden scooped him up without waiting for an answer, calling over his shoulder. “Someone is on Jacks duty. Someone needs to be on baby duty!”
“We’ve got Jacks, huh, buddy?” The twins sounded gleeful.
Declan followed them up the stairs. “I’ll help, Hayden.”
Oh good. You know, Declan is the only one with experience. I’m not sure the twins wouldn’t just be reaching for me with kitchen tongs.
They would. And Kenn might pass out. But I have you, and the ladies say they’ve helped with this before.
He was about to agree when another pain hit, and he found himself focusing on it almost exclusively.
“Let’s get you in bed.” Hayden held him easily in one arm, pulling back the blankets on the bed with the other hand.
“I wanted to finish my party. I tried so hard, love. Honest.” He almost burst into tears.
“We can finish it later. There’s no law. I promise.” Hayden bent to kiss him, then sat next to him when Declan started bustling about.
“Nope. No law. We did all the fun shower games too.” Declan grabbed towels from the en suite. “Besides, you did the work, didn’t you? Laboring hard through the party.”
“I did. I want to see our baby now.”
“Me too. Can you hear Nicolaa? I can.”
He nodded, because he could hear this happiness, this pure joy pouring from his sweet baby boy.
“He’s ready to come out and meet us and Jacks. I’m so excited, love.”
He groaned at another contraction, gripping Hayden’s hand.
“This is happening fast, Declan.”
Declan shrugged at Hayden. “Babies do their own thing, don’t they?”
“I guess so. I bet Jacks was impatient.”
Daniel laughed. “I bet he was. Oh, ow.” He curled up, his shoulders leaving the pillows. “That’s…not nice.”
“Hold my hand, love.” Hayden took his hand and let him squeeze as hard as he could.
“You are a stud, my friend. You’ve labored good and hard without a bit of fussing.” Declan’s tease or praise didn’t make it hurt less.
“I tried. You gave me a party!” No one had ever cared to do that but this family they’d created.
“We did. You deserved that. You’re our Dan Dan. We have to take care of our own.”
“See, love? We all care so much about you.”
“Uhnnnnnghggh.” He was losing the thread of the conversation.
“Declan?” Hayden sounded worried.
“This is normal. It hurts, Hayden. He’s doing all right.”
“Promise me.”
“I do. Here, wipe him down with this cool cloth.”
Hayden did just that, wiping his forehead. That was nice, but it wasn’t enough.
This felt a lot like not all right. Not normal.
The pressure increased and he screamed, then hot liquid covered his legs and the urge to push hit him like a freight train.
“Daniel! Declan help him.”
“Just push, Daniel.” Declan was there, smiling. “You’re doing just fine.”
He nodded, pushing himself up over his belly, and Hayden was right there, holding his shoulders, encouraging him upright.
He pushed and pushed, breathing through it all, trying not to call curses down on Hayden’s head.
You can. I’ll take them all, just for you, mate. You’re so strong, so brave. Hayden was sweet, but he didn’t have the energy to appreciate it.
“I have a head, Daniel. He’s a big boy.”
Like he didn’t know that.
But he didn’t yell at Declan either. Only because he had no breath.
“Come on, love. Almost there.”
“He’s right. Just breathe. The next push will, be easy. The hard part is over.”
“P-promise?”
“I swear. You got this. Fastest labor in history.”
“Well, not exactly.” He flipped Declan off. Daniel tried to chuckle, but that just made him hurt, so he went back to pushing. And there was a whoosh, a startled grunt, and the baby was out.
An unhappy cry filled the air, little Nicolaa complaining about the sudden cold and light.
“Oh, oh, little one.” He smiled, feeling so much better. And feeling Nicolaa so much more. “It’s okay. It’s safe here with Papa and Uncle Declan.”
Declan put the baby on his chest, and he brushed the bright red hair from the baby’s sweet forehead.
“Look at him,” Hayden breathed. “Daniel, you did amazing. You did so well.”
He could do nothing—nothing—more than hold on and cry.
“Let me clean you up, sweetie. Hayden, hold your son.” Denise was there, then, Declan helping him move so they could change sheets, the ladies helping him wash up.
Hayden was singing, the song one he’d heard his mate sing to Jacks many nights, easing him down into sleep.
And he went right down into the void, too exhausted to keep his eyes open any longer.