now
i was six months pregnant with the dragon-phoenix twins,
belly so big i couldn't see my feet,
regulus had turned into a full-time pregnant-husband maniac,
he tested the bath water with his elbow every morning,
he was terrified that the water was too hot and would scale me and my child, causing an irreparable mistake. It turns out I have a very sensitive heart.
carried me to the bathroom because "what if you slip",
slept with his hand on my bump listening to the kicks like they were music
today was the big ultrasound
the one where we'd finally see their little faces
he was more nervous than me
pacing the palace clinic like a wolf with separation anxiety
silver hair a mess
crowncrooked
kept muttering "what if there's three" "what if they hate me" "what if i drop them"
i laughed "relax it's just twins"
he looked at me like i'd said "it's just a nuclear bomb"
the doctor spread the gel
cold
i shivered
he immediately took off his robe and wrapped it around me
doctor put the wand on my belly
screen flickered
two perfect little babies
one sucking its thumb
one kicking like it wanted out already
doctor smiled "healthy boy and girl... and wait..."
Regulus froze
"wait what"
doctor zoomed in
"they're already showing silver hair strands… and look at those eyes… golden"
regulus's knees buckled
he grabbed the bed rail
tears instant
big fat ones rolling down his face
"they... they have my hair... and my eyes..."
doctor "congratulations your majesty, dragon-phoenix twins with pure lycan royal marks"
he didn't hear
he was sobbing
full ugly crying
nose running
kneeling by the bed
face pressed to my belly
kissing it over and over
"my babies… my little prince and princess… princess… i'm gonna be a dad…"
i was crying too
but he was worse
he turned to the doctor
voice cracking
"can… can i hear their heartbeats again"
doctor turned the sound on
thump-thump thump-thump
two tiny heartbeats racing
he lost it completely
buried his face in my bump
sobbing so hard the bed shook
"they're real… they're really mine…"
the kids weren't even born and he was already ruined
global live stream was on (because he insisted "the empire deserves to share this moment")
billions watching their terrifying lycan king bawling like a baby over ultrasound pictures
chat exploded
"THE KING IS CRYING"
"he's a dad now i'm not okay"
"someone give the man tissues"
he finally looked up
face red
eyes swollen
not everywhere
grabbed my hand
"thank you… thank you for giving me this…"
then kissed my belly again
whispering to the twins
"daddy loves you already… so much…"
i've never loved him more
even when he cried harder than me at the gender reveal
even when he framed the ultrasound pics and hung them above the throne
even when he started talking to my bump in formal royal language
"heir apparent, cease kicking your mother at 3 a.m."
the twins kicked harder
he cried again
this man
this terrifying lycan king
was already completely owned by two unborn babies
and i was here for every second of it
(Chapter 8 End – typed this while literally crying because damn this man, my baby just kicked me while i wrote the heartbeat part, next chapter the birth and the whole empire shuts down, love you absolute queens)
Author's Note:
my shirt is wet with real tears not milk for once, the cat is judging me, this chapter is my whole heart, next chapter the twins are born and the king faints again, muah daddy kings