Chapter 32
LABOR AND BIRTH
Aaren’s water broke on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
He stared between his legs and groaned. “I just sat down!”
“What? What happened?” Hades asked.
“My water broke.”
Hades froze. Sure, they had both been preparing for this day. And sure, the nursery was all set up, ready to go. Hades had been hoping for their baby to arrive sooner rather than later, because Aaren was in a lot of discomfort.
But he still panicked anyway.
“Fuck,” Hades said, his hand clenching around Aaren’s fingers.
“Fuck is right,” Aaren said, looking down at his belly. Then he squared his shoulders and put on a brave face. “It’s okay. Once this is over, the scary stuff will be behind us.”
Hades huffed. “Sure about that?”
“No,” Aaren said, his shoulders sagging. “But at least we’ll be in this together.”
“Yeah, that counts for a lot,” Hades agreed.
They exchanged nervous smiles. Then Hades straightened too. “I’ll get the overnight bag ready. Want me to tell everyone?”
“I’ll tell them,” Aaren said.
Hades dropped a kiss on his head and went off to prepare.
There was only so much he could do, though. He cleared out his own schedule for the next few days and arranged for some food deliveries; he double-checked their overnight bag and made sure everything in the house was off and ready for them to leave. Then he checked his phone.
Jag
How are you holding up?
Fury
You’re going to be a dad soon!
Rex
Happy fathers day (smiling emoji)
Storm
Not quite fathers day, but... you know, that IS kinda appropriate, huh?
Hades
Thanks, y’all. Still on my way to freaking out though. I’m gonna be a dad soon. Holy fuck.
Rex
Baby pee on you. Not scary
Storm
Keep your omega happy, otherwise your omega will be scary
Fury
LOL
Jag
Best go rub Aaren’s feet, you’ll have a while to go yet.
Hades tucked his phone away, hurrying back to his omega. “How are your contractions?”
“I had a few more,” Aaren said, rubbing his belly.
Hades had to take some time to rub Aaren’s belly too, feeling the shape of their baby in there.
He began to massage Aaren’s thighs, then down his calves to his swollen feet, working his thumbs into their arches.
Aaren moaned and looked so pleasured that Hades didn’t want to stop.
Eventually though, he couldn’t help but blurt, “Do you want to start heading for the hospital?”
Aaren sighed. “Yeah. But I need to pee again.”
Hades helped him to the bathroom, then into the car. He did a last check on everything in the house, before carefully driving them to the hospital.
Everything was better with Aaren in his arms, even when they had to wait for him to be checked into a room. Then they were in Aaren’s room, alone, and... it was a lot more waiting.
Aaren whined, rocking back and forth on the bed. Hades sat with him, keeping one arm wrapped snugly around his omega.
“Soon,” Hades murmured into his hair. “You’ve done such an incredible job so far.”
Aaren perked up. “Really?”
“Yes.”
Aaren beamed. The midwife came in and checked his vitals, then the baby’s. Hades held his breath until she said everything was going as expected.
“Now, I’ll need to check you inside,” the midwife said, snapping on a pair of gloves.
Aaren was fine with it. But a possessive growl burst out of Hades when she put her fingers into Aaren.
“Hades,” Aaren hissed, his cheeks turning pink. “This is supposed to happen!”
No matter who the midwife was or what she was doing, Hades did not like anyone touching his omega inside. “Mine,” he growled.
“Yes, yours,” Aaren whispered.
The midwife rolled her eyes. “I’m checking him because of the baby you put inside him. Now, shut up and let me do my job.”
Hades growled anyway, on alert until she finally left the room. Then he relaxed, and Aaren grinned fondly at him.
“You’re such a growly alpha,” Aaren said delightedly.
“Can’t help wanting to protect you both.”
Aaren’s smile grew. His contractions began to grow more frequent. Hades hovered when Aaren got out of bed and paced the room; he tried to offer snacks, but Aaren didn’t have space for anything inside him right now.
“I know,” Aaren said when he finally sat back down on the bed. “If everything else fails, we’ll copy our friends and pretend to be good parents. We’ll fake it ‘til we make it.”
Hades laughed, feeling so incredibly fond. He brushed his wrists all over Aaren—over his face and down his arms, under his hospital gown to get all of his chest and belly. He did Aaren’s back and legs too, and since there was no one else in the room, he rubbed his wrist all over Aaren’s cock.
“Hades,” Aaren squeaked, turning pink.
“Mine,” Hades said, pleased.
When Aaren’s contractions grew more intense, Hades tucked himself behind Aaren on the hospital bed, sitting with his legs on either side of his omega, Aaren’s back resting against his chest.
“Can’t wait to meet our little one,” Hades murmured over Aaren’s shoulder, looking down at his hands on Aaren’s round belly.
Aaren tensed and shook through a contraction, gasping in pain.
“Fuck,” Hades muttered. “I don’t like this part of the pregnancy. I don’t like that you’re hurting.”
“I think I can ask for an epidural now,” Aaren panted.
He got his epidural and relaxed a little, but it was still a struggle to push. Hades held him close, rubbing his back and his belly, kissing him wherever he could reach.
It was one of the longest few hours of his life, waiting as his omega struggled through this.
“You’re doing so good,” Hades said in Aaren’s ear. “I’m so proud of you.”
Aaren sobbed a little. Then he gave a huge push, and a small, bedraggled shape slid out of him.
Aaren panted, sagging back into Hades. Hades couldn’t help staring at the little baby, the midwife cleaning off their child. He kissed Aaren wherever he could reach, so relieved that this was finally over. “You did it, sweetheart. Good job.”
Aaren mumbled and flopped against him, exhausted.
Then the midwife came up to them, setting the wailing baby on Aaren’s chest. “Congratulations on your son,” she said.
Their baby was tiny. A little face, little fingers and limbs. Hades’ heart swelled so full, he thought he might burst.
“Hey, Jeremiah,” Aaren murmured, soft and soothing. At the sound of his voice, Jer quieted down, listening. Hades grinned.
“I think he looks like you,” he whispered.
Aaren dipped his head to look, carefully cupping their child with his hands. He sucked in a shuddering breath. “He’s beautiful.”
“Just like you,” Hades said.
“No, like you,” Aaren mumbled.
Hades huffed and leaned around Aaren to press a kiss to Jeremiah’s ear. “Hey, kiddo. Welcome to the family. We’ve been waiting a while to meet you, and we can’t wait to bring you home.”
“You’re amazing,” Aaren said tearfully. “Both of you.” He carefully trailed his fingertips over their baby, then took Hades’ hand in his own, dragging both their wrists down Jer’s back to scent mark him.
After everything he and Aaren had been through, Jeremiah’s birth felt like a whole new chapter, like a fresh start on a life that they would both take together. This was home, and this was safety. It was everything Hades had never dared to dream for himself.
“I love you both,” Hades said hoarsely.
“If he grows up to be anything like me, we’re going to have so many foot-in-mouth conversations,” Aaren said, tucking his head under Hades’ chin. “But we’ll both love you with all our hearts.”
“I don’t need anything more than that, sweetheart,” Hades said, and leaned in to kiss his omega again.