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Midnight had come and gone. It was officially their fifth wedding anniversary. Ilya smiled into the kiss pressed to his temple, Ilya’s lips soft against his skin.
“Happy anniversary, Ilya,” Shane whispered.
“Happy anniversary.” Ilya murmured softly.
Shane petted his side and his hand automatically found the swell of Ilya’s belly as he pressed himself closer, his chest a hot line against Ilya’s back. Ilya was due any day now and if he was honest he’d loved being pregnant, but he was also ready for their baby to be here. This little love had come as a complete surprise, but a welcome one. Ilya’s heat suppressants had failed after years of pushing his heats down until later and well, one thing led to another in a hotel in New York and here they were.
Their baby shifted inside him and Ilya grunted at the sharp kick that landed somewhere near his ribs. Shane patted his stomach gently and teeth nipped at his mating mark across the scent gland at the bend of his neck.
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Is our anniversary, Shane, I want to feel you.” Ilya placed his hand over Shane’s on his stomach. “Not much longer until I will not be able to have you inside me for a few weeks so I think we should savor it while we can.”
“If you’re absolutely sure,” Shane conceded.
Ilya sighed and pushed his hips back into the hard length of Shane’s cock where it rested at his ass.
“I want and I know you want. I feel it.”
“Okay, alright.” Shane rolled away from him and grabbed the lube from his bedside table.
Ilya drew his top leg up bent at the knee and leaned as far forward as his belly would allow to give Shane space to open him up. Shane returned and Ilya heard the cap flick open then Shane’s slick finger was touching him. Shane settled behind him and Ilya knew this wasn’t the best position for what was being done, but it was the easiest on his body. It took a little more time, but he knew Shane didn’t care. Shane pushed in one finger, so easily, so slow. Ilya breathed in deeply and tried to relax his body into Shane’s hands. One finger crooked and Ilya’s hips jerked when Shane found his prostate, a soft “oh” leaving his mouth before he could bite down on it. Shane pulled out and pushed in with two fingers this time and he found a rhythm, opening Ilya up and making him whine and squirm back for more.
“One more?” Shane sounded wrecked.
“Yes,” Ilya replied and huffed out a soft noise when Shane pulled his fingers out
“Hang on.” Shane was behind him fiddling with something and Ilya heard the cap for the lube again.
Shane returned and pushed in again this time with three very slicked fingers. Ilya curled into himself when those fingers stretched and then curled. Shane rubbed his prostate until Ilya felt an orgasm beginning to build somewhere behind his balls and Ilya reached back, blindly grabbing for Shane’s wrist.
“Enough, fuck, Shane, enough please…” Ilya pleaded.
“Shh, I’ve got you.” Shane withdrew his fingers and Ilya felt Shane getting into position.
Ilya relaxed, his back against Shane’s chest and felt the head of Shane’s dick pressed to his hole. A slick hand groped at his hip, and then Shane was sliding inside him. There was no resistance, his body opened readily for his mate and Ilya keened, voice high and tight. Shane found a rhythm, no leverage with this position, but Shane’s thrusts were still deep. His perfect fucking cock was at the right angle, hitting that spot inside Ilya that made his breath catch and his dick twitch desperately against the swell of his belly.
Shane reached around and wrapped his fingers around Ilya, and Ilya was caught between the snap of Shane’s hips and the grip of Shane’s hand around him. It was too much, too good and he wasn’t going to last, the orgasm threatening to burst through him before he was ready.
“Shane, Shane, fuck Shane,” Ilya gasped, fingers clutching the pillow.
Shane stroked him, faster and Ilya felt himself careening toward the edge. Just as his orgasm spilled over Shane latched onto his scent gland, teeth sinking into the mating bite that had been bitten and scabbed over more times than Ilya could count. Ilya screamed, their bond pulsing, as Ilya felt himself cum. Shane’s knot swelled and his hips snapped, knot pushing past the rim and they were locked. Shane was cumming, through their tie, through that magical strand he could feel things from both sides. Ilya could feel Shane cumming inside him, the way his hips stuttered, and his own dick spent against the underside of his stomach.
They came down together, breaths slowing and before Shane’s knot deflated, both fell asleep, wrapped up in one another.
…
Ilya woke and at first he wasn’t sure what woke him. He was warm in Shane’s arms and the room around them was still dark. The waning crescent moon hung low on the horizon looking a bit like the Cheshire Cats smile. Everything was quiet. Shane’s breath was a soft tickle on his neck. Their baby kicked and Ilya’s focus went to his stomach. His hand brushed over the spot and then lower to the dried cum from earlier. He groaned. That was the downside of falling asleep after knotting. He still wasn’t sure why he woke up, but he knew his bladder was grateful. He carefully dislodged himself from Shane and threw his legs off the bed. It was harder to get out of bed these days. He had to use a hand braced into the mattress to help himself get upright, but he managed. Shane snuffled behind him and Ilya knew it was coming.
“Are you okay?” Shane’s sleepy voice cut through the darkness.
“Bathroom, I’m fine, go back to sleep.” Ilya heaved himself upright and padded to the bathroom. He closed the door behind him before he turned on the light. He waddled, yes waddled, to the toilet and sat. Pissing while standing when you can’t see your cock anymore isn’t worth it. So Ilya sat, pissed, and when he was finished he grabbed a washcloth from the closet and wetted it. He cleaned up from their earlier play and threw the washcloth into the sink to deal with later. Before he could get back to the door he felt it. A tightening crept from his back, across his belly, and then down through his ass and thighs. Ilya rolled his eyes. Not a contraction until our anniversary. Are you serious?
Ilya stopped then and looked at himself in the mirror. He squared his feet and stood tall. He barely recognized the man in the mirror. Swollen dark nipples that leaked when they felt like it, a huge belly that sat in his palms, and all those nine inches completely hidden beneath it. That had been the hardest part. Yes it had been a welcome surprise, but losing himself little by little every day and becoming someone he didn’t recognize anymore was the most bizarre experience of his life. He’d lost hockey, he’d lost his abs, and at some points even though he loved being pregnant he’d almost lost his mind. Those first few weeks of puking, thinking he’d had the flu. The late night cravings when he was alone and Shane was on roadies. The awful moodswings. One minute laughing and the next crying for no reason.
The contraction ebbed with little to no attention on it and Ilya flipped off the light and headed back to bed. Shane curled right back around him when he got back into the bed and Ilya snuggled back into him. He drifted somewhere between awake and asleep just waiting to see if maybe he was in the beginning stages of labor. Ilya didn’t know how much time had passed, but it didn’t seem like it had been very long when it happened again. The same slow swell that started in his back, wrapped around, and then down. Already this felt more intense than the first time and Ilya slipped again from Shane’s hold and got to his feet. This time Shane murmured something, still mostly asleep and Ilya shushed him before making his way out of the room and to the living room. He was antsy all of the sudden and didn’t want to keep Shane up.
Ilya timed it this time, eyes on his watch. When the wave came this time only ten minutes had passed and this time it had him bent over, face shoved into the couch, rocking his hips trying to get above the pain. This was insane. It wasn’t supposed to happen this quickly, was it? He didn’t think so. He let out a soft moan when the contraction faded.
Ilya paced through the living room for a moment before heading out the door and onto the deck. It was the middle of the night, crickets chirped and paid no mind to him. The air was warm on his bare skin and before he was ready it was on him again. This time Ilya dropped to his hands and knees, the wood beneath his knees still sun warm even after hours of dark. Ilya panted, the intensity cresting and smashing into him. Fluids spilled onto the deck behind him and Ilya hissed out a breath as the contraction finally passed. His water broke, this was real, he was in actual labor. Of course he was in labor on their anniversary.
Ilya got back to his feet and hurried back inside. Shane needed to be up and their midwife, Sheila, needed to be called. She needed to be notified that she would probably need to head to the cottage before sunup. Things seemed to be moving way quicker than he was led to believe.
Ilya moved through the house as quickly as he dared and when he made it to the bedroom he placed a hand on Shane’s shoulder and shook him. Shane sighed softly in his sleep and Ilya shook his head and flipped on the lamp. Before he could reach for Shane again another tightening started in his back and he slipped carefully to his knees, hands braced on the bed.
“Shane,” Ilya grunted softly.
This time Shane’s eyelids fluttered open and Ilya could see Shane processing everything in front of him. Shane sat up quickly and before Ilya could say anything Shane was on the floor beside him, fingers carding gently through his hair.
“How long?” Shane asked once Ilya’s body relaxed.
“About an hour. My water already broke though, just a few minutes ago while I was outside.” Ilya knew Shane would have opinions about him going outside, but to Shane’s credit he didn’t fuss, he just gave Ilya that look and then Shane was up and headed for his phone.
Ilya listened while Shane called Sheila and his mom. Sheila was on her way and Yuna promised she’d be by later. It would be at least an hour before Sheila arrived and with the way this was going Ilya needed Shane. The distraction Shane could give him. He was on all fours by the time Shane finished with the phone. He knew he was making pitiful noises, but the contractions were already closer and stronger than they’d been before his water broke.
“What can I do?” Shane was ever practical to ask.
“Touch me,” Ilya whimpered.
Shane didn’t reply, but positioned himself behind Ilya and reached around to grip Ilya. Ilya groaned. A spike of pleasure pushed the pain back just enough he could think straight. Shane gripped and squeezed him until the contraction passed and Ilya sat back on his knees and pulled Shane into a kiss. Shane didn’t treat him like he was fragile, the kiss was immediately deep, Shane mapping his mouth with his tongue like he’d be asked for directions later and Ilya moaned into it. Shane pulled away only to pull Ilya to his feet and get him into their bed and then Shane was there again kissing him, and sucking on Ilya’s tongue. Shane moved from his mouth down to his nipples, a contraction on the horizon, Ilya tensed and then gripped Shane’s hair while Shane suckled on his nipple. Shane released his nipple only when it had become a hard pebble, colostrum pearled there. Shane kissed his belly and when Ilya felt like the contraction was going to rip him apart, Shane took him in his mouth. Warm wet heat surrounded him and he couldn’t stop the buck of his hips. Shane braced his hips in those huge hands and sucked softly, tongue working the head on every upstroke. It was so slow, a direct juxtaposition to the intensity of the contraction and apparently exactly what Ilya needed. Just as it peaked, so did he and he cried out as he came, Shane swallowing around him until Ilya melted back into the sheets.
Shane’s lips were puffy and red when he came back up to kiss Ilya and Ilya could taste himself on Shane’s tongue. He never thought labor would be like this.
“It is coming again,” Ilya whined and he felt a gush of slick spill from him onto the sheets underneath him. “I… Shane, I think I need to push.”
“Sheila’s not here. Ilya it’s too soon, breathe for me.”
Ilya tried to breathe, he really did, but his body was bearing down without him doing anything. Ilya wriggled until he managed to get back onto his hands and knees. The baby was coming, he could feel them moving down into his pelvis. He huffed and grabbed for Shane’s hand, one contraction melding straight into the next not giving him any relief. He gripped Shane’s hand and screamed, the pain pushing him past what he felt he could survive. His breaths were short and fast, panic seeping into his system, his heart pounding in his ears.
“I cannot do this. Shane is too much pain. Is going to kill me.”
“Ilya.” Shane’s voice was firm and pulled Ilya’s attention. “You are okay, we are okay. Sheila is on her way and right now I need you to breathe. Your body knows how to do this, Ilya.”
“No, is not possible.” Ilya’s body bowed with the sheer need to push and he tried to resist it, tried to focus, but he felt like he was being split in two.
Shane squeezed his hand and Ilya felt the bed move beneath him, but really it was just Shane. Shane moved, Ilya heard his deep inhale, and then Shane released his hand.
“Roz.” The name Shane used when they were about to do something hard together. “I can see hair. I don’t think Sheila is going to make it in time. Everything is fine, we can do this together.” Shane pressed a hand to his hip, letting him know he was there. “You can push if you need to, I’m right here.”
A million things went through Ilya’s mind at one time, but he was again reminded of all the hard things he and Shane had done through the years, together. This was just another one of those hard things.
“Hollander, I hope you can catch.” Ilya followed his body’s instinct and took a deep breath and pushed with his chin to his chest. All his energy focused on the feeling of their baby moving down.
Ilya reared back, spine straightening and bore down until he felt like his eyeballs were going to pop and then the contraction eased off enough that he breathed, deep breaths through his nose, out through his mouth for a few seconds until the pain crept back in along with the need to push. He pushed as hard as he could and felt Shane’s grip on his hip tighten about the same time as everything started to burn.
“I need you to breathe, baby is crowning. If you have to push, little pushes, you don’t want to tear.”
Ilya gasped out a breath, tried to pant. His body tense with the effort it took just to breathe.
“Almost there, little push.”
Ilya groaned and tried to push gently, whatever the hell that meant. Shane gave a hum of approval.
“Little bit more, head is almost out. You can do this.”
Ilya pushed and Shane made a tiny choked sound somewhere in his throat. “Head is out, Ilya, oh my, the baby has a head full of hair.”
Ilya felt tears flood his eyes and the baby wasn’t even here yet. It didn’t matter. His body was tuned into the shift of the baby inside him. The baby was turning and now the shoulders needed to come. Ilya grunted and pushed again with everything he had left, tears causing the world around him to blur, and then it was over. A tiny cry and Ilya resituated himself on the bed until he was able to sit, pillows braced at his back, careful of the cord. Shane handed him the tiny squalling bundle and Ilya automatically raked the baby’s mouth to clear any fluid even though they were crying. Then he used his mouth on the baby’s nose to suction their sinuses and spat the fluid onto the bed. The bed was filthy with slick and birthing fluids and it didn’t matter because this tiny creature had been inside him moments ago and now they were in his hands. He sniffled and drew the infant to his chest, Shane watching him tears streaking down his cheeks.
“We have a baby.” Ilya was pretty sure this was the craziest dream ever.
Ilya leaned back and placed their baby on his chest watching tiny legs flex and push against his stomach, little hands searching, and Ilya waited. He knew babies had a reflex to find food if given time and he let their squawker search, tears finally slowing when Shane scooted in next to him. Finally an open mouth captured his nipple and the squalling infant made contented noises as they had their first meal.
“I told you that you could do it.” Shane watched Ilya support their baby while they nursed.
“I couldn’t have done it without you. Happy Anniversary, Shane.”
“Happy Anniversary, Ilya. And Happy Birthday little one.” Shane kissed Ilya’s cheek and leaned down to softly kiss their baby’s head.
Dawn was on the horizon, a new day, a family of three, and a midwife fifteen minutes too late.