I decided to write this because I have noticed a severe lack of Jackunzel pregnancy fics, hence my contribution. This may or may not be an accurate description of a pregnancy as different women have different hormonal reactions. So, I want to apologize beforehand if any of this is incorrect but judging from the website I visited to gain more knowledge (yes, I literally went there. The things I do for writing) it seemed to be pretty legit.
Disclaimer: I do not own Jack and Rapunzel from DreamWorks and Disney respectively. Any material here is a work of pure fiction and intended for me to expand my writing skills...but mostly just to fangirl over my OTP, heh.
The steam from the shower clung to her skin, heating up her chilly bones, offering temporary respite from the cold. She wrapped a huge towel around her, minding her ever growing midsection and stepped out from the bathroom, walking carefully least she wanted to slip and fall.
She positioned herself in front of the large body frame mirror and concentrated on getting the residue moisture out of her long, blonde hair. Various women had expressed their disbelief that she could take the summer heat (since she found out she was pregnant then), citing that being six months pregnant and having long hair was equivalent to inviting a heat stroke. But she shrugged them off. If she didn't feel the heat and minded her hair, the rest of them needn't to.
The mother-to-be moved slowly, the swelling pain in her wrists and fingers making it hard to do simple tasks that would've taken her mere minutes to complete prior to her pregnancy. The blonde winced as she ran her hands through the golden locks once more, letting it air dry as she concentrated on her skin.
Removing the towel, she wiped the water from her shower and observed her body.
She was well into her twenty sixth week now, her stomach more rounder; hips wider to accommodate her little boy. Rapunzel didn't yet know the gender of her baby but she and Jack had always referred to the baby as 'him', or in her favorite terms 'the little midget'.
Heaving a sigh of longing, she stared out the window. Jack was at work today, busy with the administration of his new skating rink. He had left in the morning, kissing her on the forehead and promising that he would be back before lunch. He then smirked and rubbed her belly, telling their little one in a mock serious tone that he better not start kicking up a storm.
She had giggled and swatted his arm playfully, calling him out for already starting a lecture even before little Caleb would come into the world (yes, they had even picked out a name for their tiny midget, irregardless of the unknown gender).
He had only grinned, saying that he needed time to prepare before their baby was born..which should be in another two or three months. Rapunzel sincerely prayed that it was the latter.
Both of their families had histories of premature births, Rapunzel being born one month too early and Jack being born at two. Nobody could blame her for being skittish and overly wary for the safety of herself and her little midget.
Jack however, was a different story. He had treated her as if she were made of glass when he first found out, asking her sit and rest even when she wasn't feeling particularly tired. He would volunteer to carry her purse for her whenever they went out, getting up to do the dishes and even considered cooking (though they both knew how that played out, after the destruction of her two favorite plates) just to get her to sit down. Rapunzel, being the hyper not-quite grown woman, hadn't taken it well to the sudden lifestyle change of calm evening dinners and tame walks in the park.
Honestly speaking, Jack's near neurosis almost made her seem normal in comparison.
She sighed and shook her head in amusement as she reached for her favorite, vanilla scented body lotion. Rapunzel applied the sweet smelling cream generously over her skin, concentrating on her elbows and knees in particular.
Hands rubbed her large bump, her tiny petite body distorted and disparate by the baby she was carrying. Slim fingers tentatively ran over the stretch marks that had accumulated over the skin of her stomach, each one looking like individual collective accounts of her pregnancy.
The first week, the second week...
She could even measure how far she was based on those marks alone.
It wasn't as if Rapunzel was a vain person – far from it – but even the most assured woman would feel unsightly after so long in her gestation. She felt bloated, tired, sore and cranky half of the time, always craving for hazelnut soup or cupcakes in the other.
Sometimes she even wondered how Jack could manage and bear her in this period.
Hands wondered up to cup her breasts, her sore nipples tingling even without any stimulation. Probably one of the bodily changes that she could forgive (and also Jack's favorite) was the growth of her previously smaller bosom.
She seemed to fill out in all her summer dresses now that she was two sizes bigger and her husband wasn't exactly complaining about the novel change.
But that seemed to be the only silver lining she could find about herself, aesthetically speaking. Other than that she felt as if she had been inflated with air, brimming with raging emotions and hormones that ranged from extremely horny to numbing sadness.
She wrapped her thin arms around her stomach, palms splayed over the stretched skin as she watched her reflection follow suit. The nude girl in the mirror wore a look of apprehension and was pouting, her tan skin glimmering in the direct sun.
"I hope you will remember and understand all the things I went through for you," she said, glancing at her bump. Her reflection followed, lips moving, green eyes weary with tiredness and the despondency of her own self judgement.
From downstairs she could hear the door opening, Jack's shout of, "Punz, I'm home!" echoing up the stairs.
She didn't rush to cover herself up, still studying her reflection even when her husband entered the room. She could see him do a double take before a mischievous grin spread over his face.
"Why, babe, if you wanted to attract me, all you needed to say was 'now'," he joked. When she didn't reply, the grin wore off and he walked over to her. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he rested his chin on her head, staring into her reflection's eyes.
"Punzie, is everything okay?"
Her eyes took in her husband's tall frame, his shock of white hair and the simple blue hoodie and jeans he had on since this morning. Concern blue eyes met her green ones and she felt her heart flutter.
"Nothing," she replied but made no move to continue with her routine. She simply stood there, eyes glued to her figure.
"Oh-kay," Jack said, as he moved away, resuming his easy disposition once again. "I'll go get lunch ready – spaghetti and meatballs."
He turned but was stopped by her hand around his wrist.
"Jack – wait," she mumbled.
"Yes?" he said, waiting patiently for her to continue. Hiccup had coined this particular symptom 'pregnancy brain', something he had experienced with Merida when she too found out she was pregnant. He shared that his wife would sometimes leave him hanging mid-sentence, confuse the cooking oil for milk (something that still made the lanky brunette shudder till this day) and would often times walk into a room in a daze of confusion before exiting again.
Jack waited patiently for her to form her words, eyes gauging.
"It's just...do you think my ankles look ugly?"
Now he was confused. He sneaked a glance below her legs, noting that her ankles appeared the same as ever. "Not that I notice."
"Are my breasts starting to sag?" she demanded, not meeting his eye.
"Um, no," he replied, growing more clueless by the second. What was this all about?
"Do you think I'm still beautiful?" She whispered that last part softly, so soft that he almost hadn't caught it.
"Uh..." he trailed off lamely. To his immense astonishment, tears started to fill up her eyes and she turned away, sniffling softly.
"Hey," he said, alarmed. Jack gathered her into his arms, forcing his stupefied brain to form consolations, soothing words, anything other than looking utterly gobsmacked.
He didn't know if it was her hormones acting up again or if she had been having a rough day. From the way how her body was stiffened in his embrace to how she covered up her stomach, he could almost guess what she was inadvertently trying to say.
"Babe, I can't read your mind, you know," he started, "but does this have something to do with you thinking you're unattractive?"
"Yes," she replied quietly, looking up at him through sad, green eyes.
It all clicked into place for him and he frowned, opening his mouth to dispel her fears but then, a light bulb worthy idea came over him.
He drew her to the side of the bed and sat her down, kneeling on the floor to better look her in the eye. She looked at him in confusion as he cupped her heart shaped face with his hands.
Jack stalled for a second before stroking the top of her head, feeling the smooth golden waves under his touch.
"I think y-you have the most prettiest, golden blonde hair I have ever seen on anybody," he said, cursing the stutter in his voice. He was not accustomed to using sweet words to woo his wife but the white haired male had a feeling that this time, he would have to push past his comfort zone and try to convey his emotions; even if it made him feel uncomfortable.
His hand slipped to her cheeks where he wiped away her tears with his thumb. "Your eyes...I could drown in them forever and I wouldn't even notice."
He placed a tentative kiss on her cheek, unsure if she understood what he was trying to say. It appeared that even if she didn't, she sat there patiently, lips slightly parted as she waited for him to continue.
"And your lips, they're utter perfection," he murmured, placing a chaste kiss on her mouth. She kissed him back, greedy, but he pulled away, small smirk in place.
His calloused hands wound down her neck, to her shoulders. Jack leaned forward, placing a hot, open mouth kiss on her neck.
"Rapunzel, your neck is the best place for me to kiss you – besides your lips of course." Fingers stroked her exposed skin and he felt her give a delicate shudder.
His hands gripped her shoulders, squeezing them gently as they ran down the length of her arms and caught her hands in his. He upturned her palms, gently kissing the back of both of her hands.
"And your hands, where do I even start? They are perfect, strong, beautiful, just like you are; always able to push through and carry on."
She giggled, expression alighting in happiness.
He smirked and left his hands to wonder down, cupping her stomach. "But you're especially beautiful here, right now, carrying our little midget." He brushed his lips against her skin, mapping out her stretch marks one by one with his lips.
"Even if you think you're not attractive, I personally think you're the most gorgeous woman that I have had the privilege to meet."
She cast her gaze down, lacking assurance to look him in the eye. "Do you really think so?"
"Rapunzel, you are the most stunning, graceful, beguiling and gorgeous woman that I have ever met and you're still as beautiful as the day I first met you." Gaze unwavering, the blue shining with profound honesty.
A small smile tugged on the corners of her lips as she pulled him up, molding her lips against his. Kisses broke and his heart thumped unevenly as she curled her body around him, whispering, "Thank you," softly.
He nuzzled her hair, appreciating the scent of wild flowers and vanilla. "Anytime, babe."
She giggled. "Jack?"
"Yeah?" he said, catching sight of her infectious grin.
Rapunzel pushed him down to the bed, bottom lip caught between her teeth. Smoldering green through a half lidded gaze instantly made his heart beat faster, the blood rushing southward. She felt him against her thigh and the seductive minx had the audacity to smile at his discomfort.
"Now it's my turn to show you just how grateful I am..."