a/n: all of the credit for this goes to ramenreignss who posted a picture of the demma baby on her tumblr last night and who came up with the name for demma's baby boy. i'm just trying not to screw it up, basically.
~*~unlike your bedtime stories~*~
It was [surprisingly] the only thing they never talked about, and she got him to talk about everything, when for most people he could barely string together a complete sentence, when he wasn't cutting a promo or talking trash in the ring.
Now, of course, they had no choice but to talk about it. A digital plus sign was staring back at them in the little window of the home test he had run out to the drug store around the corner to buy.
"It could be a false positive." Emma murmured, rubbing his shoulder and looking at him hopefully with her big blue eyes.
"You're late and you're never late. You've also been puking your guts up. Flower Moon Sunset's a better secret keeper than Tits McGee," Dean shook his head, using his preferred nicknames for the Bella Twins. "She never keeps her giant trap shut, so you shouldn't tell her things you don't want anybody to know, Blondie. She told me all about you running out on your signing last night. Mostly because she was whining about having to hold your hair back while you puked."
Emma flushed, looking down at the test in her palm, feeling her heart speed up, which was accompanied by the now familiar feeling of her stomach churning. "Are you as terrified as I am?" She whispered, bottom lip wobbling as she blinked to keep the tears stinging at her eyes at bay.
Dean laughed under his breath, flopping backwards onto the bed, his steel blue eyes staring up at the ceiling. He pulled her down with him, so she was splayed across his chest, crown of honeyed blonde hair tucked underneath his chin.
He dropped a kiss to her hair and whispered back, "More, but if you tell anybody, I'll deny it."
It wasn't the full-blown, head thrown back, nose scrunched adorably laughter he wanted, but she giggled and feeling her body shake in relief against his, made the fear coursing through his veins a little less.
"Emma keeps complaining about her boobs hurting," Dean spoke casually as he lifted weights while Roman did chin ups on the pull up bar in the hotel's gym. "Is that like normal for pregnant ladies and stuff?"
"Emma's pregnant?" Roman kept his voice level, something the other wrestler was thankful for, which is why he was glad Seth was all the way at the other end of the gym. Their two-toned friend's eyes would've bugged out of his head and shouted those same two words loud enough for everyone in the whole place to hear.
"At least Blondie listened to me about telling Flower Moon Sunset instead of Tits McGee. If she told her, like she wanted to cause they're like bffs or whatever girly thing they got goin' on, the universe would know by now, but yeah," Dean put down the weights, sighing as he raked his fingers through his curly fringe. "She is. And she talked about how they're, like, tender and shit and fuck, man, does that last the whole damn nine months?" His eyes were wide with horror, making Roman laugh and shake his head. "Cause what the hell am I supposed to do? Beat off every night like some fucking horny ninth grader?"
"Relax, man," Roman rolled his eyes as he hopped down from the bar. "That only lasts for the first couple of months, the tenderness, anyway. After that, it's all about swollen ankles and complaining about how she got fat and a sore back. Though, every woman's different," He tilted his head thoughtfully. "So I don't know maybe hers will stay that way longer. Or maybe not as long. I mean Jess," He said referring to the mother of his seven year old daughter Talia. "Was tender for about four months, but when Brie was pregnant with Leia it was longer than that."
"So what did you do beat off every night like some fucking horny ninth grader?"
"You better learn to watch that dirty mouth of yours, Ambrose," The big man let the teasing roll of his back. "Before your kid gets here. You don't want their first word being a swear. Emma won't ever forgive you. But, hey," He smiled at his friend, warm and open, so different from the intimidating scowl he wore in the ring and pulled the other man in for a hug. "Congratulations."
"I can't believe you told Brie before you told me." Nikki pouted, making Emma giggle under her breath.
"If we wanted the universe to know, she would've told you first, Tits McGee." Dean ignored Nikki's harsh glare, sliding into the chair next to Emma and pushing a plate of crackers covered in peanut butter in front of her, saying, "I heard crackers are supposed to help with the whole puking your guts up thing, and the peanut butter's good for, like, I dunno," He shrugged his shoulders, trying to appear nonchalant. "Being healthy and whatever. You know for you and the kid."
"Aren't you just adorable," Nikki leaned over, pinching Dean's cheek, laughing as he swatted her hand away and glowered at her from behind the fringe of his curls. "Next you'll be giving back rubs and massaging swollen ankles and rubbing olive oil on Emma's vagina like Roman did for Brie every day before her due date."
Dean visibly paled and Nikki threw her head back in hysterical laughter while Emma blushed furiously and hissed, "Nicole!"
"Emma Dashwood, Dr. Blake will see you now." A nurse in a floral print scrub top and purple bottoms announced, clipboard in hand.
Just as Emma was about to push herself out of the chair, Dean stopped her, gently pulling her up. "I don't think so, Blondie." He shook his head. "I got you, okay?"
Emma rolled her eyes, but the smile on her lips – soft and sweet – belied any real aggravation. "Dean," She was gentle in her chastising. "I'm pregnant, not an invalid. I don't need you helping me out of chairs. At least," She pouted. "Not yet, anyway. My stomach," She sighed. "Is only going to get bigger from here."
"And you'll still be hot as fuck." He dropped a kiss to her forehead. "So don't start complaining."
"All right," Dr. Blake was a middle-aged man who revealed that he wanted to be an OBGYN so he could deliver babies, something he found he liked as an intern in medical school, which made Emma smile. "We're going to take a look at Baby Dashwood…"
"Ambrose." Emma interrupted, looking at Dean over her shoulder. "Baby Ambrose." The smile she gave him was beaming, so blinding it was like staring into the sun, and he felt his insides twisting pleasantly, a feeling only his Blondie could give him.
"Baby Ambrose." The doctor amended with a small smile as he moved the transducer over Emma's small bump after she had lifted her shirt.
"This is fucking crazy." Dean breathed, leaning over as he squinted at the monitor. "There's a human in your stomach. Fuck." He shook his head, blinking while Emma laughed to herself, shaking her head. "It's beautiful." She mused, tears shining in her eyes.
"You're beautiful."
"It's a crib, not a space ship." Seth said, looking over the instructions and then to the parts that were scattered all over the wooden floor of the room that would soon be a nursery. "How hard can this be?"
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Dean eyed the Iowa native skeptically. "I mean how many cribs have you built in your life? What if it comes out wrong? Or the bars are loose and the kid climbs out during the middle of the night? Or chokes on a screw?"
"And how many cribs have you built?" The two-toned superstar shot back.
"Rome should be here for this. He's built cribs and done all this shit."
"Don't you think he'd be here if he could? But Leia's sick and he's giving Brie a break by letting her go to the gym with Nikki. She's been cooped up in the house taking care of a sick 18-month old who's wanted her Daddy the whole time, basically. She needs this. And what am I?" Seth exclaimed in mock offense. "Chopped liver? I'm not good enough for you because Nikki and I don't have any little Rollins' running around? That hurts, Ambrose that really hurts."
"How the hell the two of you don't have 9,000 kids by now, I don't know." Dean grumbled, snatching the instructions. "You'll have sex anywhere. Like at Talia's birthday, remember? When you got blown in the pantry at Sika and Patricia's?"
"Ya'll are pathetic." Roman announced from the doorway while Seth glowered at Dean. "You called Roman, seriously, man?! We were just starting to make headway!"
"Headway at what?" The Samoan laughed and the shaking of his chest caused little Leia to giggle who was perched on his hip. "Cause if you're trying not to build a crib, then yeah, I guess you losers are making headway. Now, get out the way. I got this. Here," Roman held Leia out for Dean to take. "You take Leia. Her fever broke earlier and she got the fresh air she needed, but if she starts to get fussy just grab her stuffed elephant, that always calms her down. Or grab a bottle from her bag."
Dean blinked at Roman who sighed heavily and placed Leia in the other man's arms. "You're gonna be holding a baby sooner than you think, so you might as well get used to it. Just remember to support her head and you'll be fine."
He did as his friend instructed all the while trying to curb the panic that was rushing through his body just from having the toddler in his arms. She gave him a gummy smile, a hint at a tooth or two coming in and patted his cheek with her tiny fist, and he swallowed thickly.
Her eyes were the same chocolate shade as Brie's and he couldn't help but wonder if his baby would have Emma's eyes. He hoped they would. Her big pretty blue eyes, like a warm spring day and always sparkling and happy.
Yeah, he wanted his kid to have those eyes.
Emma woke up one morning to the feeling of hands rubbing her stomach. Confused, her brows burrowed down, as she fought the urge to ignore the sensation and fall back to sleep. She was so tired lately, more than she had ever been, which was not fun because she was such an active person.
Letting out a yawn, she stretched her arms above her head and looked down to see Dean smoothing lotion into her skin. She blinked in surprise, not expecting this at all.
"Brie said this coco butter stuff would help with stretch marks whatever the hell they are." He answered the question she didn't ask. "That's like some girly thing you're gonna complain about after the baby comes or some shit, right? Like how you're already starting that I'm fat bullshit, when you're not." He glowered at her. "You really need to stop with that. You're pregnant. That's different and whatever."
"You're sweeter than anyone will ever give you credit for." She touched his face tenderly and he jerked way, grumbling, "Keep that to yourself all right, Blondie. I got a rep to protect. Jeez."
"The world better be on notice," Seth laughed as he brought the beer bottle to his lips. "In three months there's gonna be an Ambrose Jr. running around ready to tear shit up."
"Just keep your kid away from Leia, and it'll be all good." Roman joked, elbowing the Ohioan as he too took a gulp from his beer.
"I got a feeling," Dean's lips curled into their signature lopsided grin. "This kid," He pointed to the ultrasound picture that revealed he was having a boy. "Is gonna be into blondes. Like his Pop, so you can relax, Reigns. Leia's just gonna have a bodyguard for life. Something you'll be thankful for when scumbags like me start sniffing around her pretty face. You and Brie should put her on a leash. Talia too while you're at it."
"Hey, man," Seth leaned over, patting Dean's shoulder. "You're not that guy anymore. Stop calling yourself a scumbag. Look at you, dude, you're having a baby, you got a great girl, a house, you're at the top of your game. You got everything anyone would kill for. And you're gonna make sure your boy's got everything you never did."
"Seth's right, man." Roman agreed, nodding his head. "And if you ever forget that your kid and Emma will be there to remind you. It's hella sappy and if you two repeat this, I'll spear both of your asses into the next century, but man," The big man shook his head, smile crossing his lips, as he looked out to the pool they were sitting around watching Brie and Talia play with Leia who was wearing her floaties and splashing everywhere. "There ain't nothin' in the world like coming home to this; to my girls. They don't give a shit if I won or lost or whatever. They just want a piggy back ride or a story to lay with me. It makes it all worth it."
Dean swallowed as he looked out at the scene before him and instead of Roman's family, he saw his own. He wasn't good at imagining things. The future was just that, the future. He'd worry about it when it came around, till then the here and now is what was important. The next match, the next training session, the next moveset practice, and the next promo he had to cut.
Anything beyond that was just a waste of his time.
But there was Emma in those floral print dresses she liked so much, holding a little boy with her eyes and his messy curls and bouncing him and saying the same shit he heard Brie say to Leia when they were backstage watching The Shield's matches.
Her Australian accent, so damn pretty, was right in his ear. "There's Daddy. He's about to go kick some butt. There he is."
"Dean, Dean," Emma's whispering of his name grew progressively louder just like the shaking of his shoulder became more vigorous as her voice grew in volume. "Dean Ambrose if you don't wake the fuck up, I'm going to have to call Roman to take me to the hospital because the baby is coming right now!"
"What?" Dean bolted up right, rapidly blinking, as he struggled to swallow because his throat was suddenly dry. "He can't come now. You're not due for, like, three more weeks. Are you sure it's not that fake labor shit Dr. Blake was talking about? Braxton-Hickson or whatever? Maybe it's that."
"Considering I felt my water break," Emma's tone was gentle and soothing, as she placed a slender hand on Dean's shoulder, silently willing him to stay calm. "No, I don't think it's Braxton-Hicks. We have to go. It's time. And don't worry, most women don't make it to their actual due date. Everything's going to be fine. Very soon," She rubbed her stomach and smiled brightly at him. "We're going to have a healthy baby boy in our arms."
Emma turned out to be half right. She was wrong about the 'very soon' estimation considering her labor was grueling and lasted twelve hours, but she was right about the healthy baby boy.
Logan Dashwood Ambrose weighed in at five pounds and 12 ounces while measuring at 17 inches long and already he had a head of hair that was easy to imagine falling into his eyes as he grew older, not unlike the curly fringe of his father. His cheeks were chubby and he had all ten fingers and ten toes, which were wriggling just like his tiny body, unable to remain still not unlike both of his parents.
"Thank God all he got from you, Ambrose," Nikki teased, bumping the new father with her hip. "Was your hair. Which is going to be totally cute when he gets older. Seriously, Emma," She smiled at the blonde. "Do not cut it. It's going to be all curly and fall in his eyes. Oh my God," She squealed. "He'll be adorable."
"Logan," Emma murmured, stroking his cheek and even though she was talking to Nikki, she never looked away from the bundle in her arms. "Has Dean's nose too. And he came out scowling like," She giggled, warm blue eyes meeting steel. "Him, too. Just like he does in the ring. All, grrr." She growled and scrunched her face, making everyone around them except Dean laugh.
"Don't listen to your Mom," He leaned over, speaking softer than ever before, gently stroking the downy hair that covered his son's head. "She thinks she's funny, but she's really not. She's only funny when she's doing that stupid dance she does."
"Talia and Leia wanted to give Logan something," Brie announced, producing a blue bag proclaiming IT'S A BOY that was stuffed to the brim with tissue paper, from behind her back. "They thought this would be something that could keep him company on the nights when his Daddy's on the road."
After pushing through all the tissue paper, Dean pulled out a stuffed elephant with a blue bow wrapped around his neck and a note attached. Written on blue paper and in crayon, in handwriting that was clearly Talia's with the bumps and loops, said To: Logan It's an elephant just like I have and just like Leia has. His bow's blue cause you're a boy. Mine's green cause it's my favorite color and Leia's pink cause she got hers when she was just a baby, like you. He's really nice and soft and we made sure he was a good hugger before we bought him. He won't hug as good as your Daddy, but he'll be good enough when he's gone doing wrestling. From: Talia and Leia
He swallowed thickly, looking at Brie and Roman who wore the same smiles on their faces and said, "Tell 'em thanks."
"You can tell them when you bring Logan by for Sika and Patricia's anniversary party in a couple weeks. They can't wait to see him, and oh my God, Dean," Brie shook her head, laughter under her breath as she recalled the conversations she had with her mother-in-law about Logan. "She's so ready to spoil him rotten. He might get it worse than Leia and Brittany and Samantha," She revealed referring to Roman's eldest sibling Alma's children. "So just be prepared when you come over. And, hey, you two," She glared at her twin and her boyfriend who were fussing over Logan together. "Keep it in your pants this time! I'm serious! Have sex in your own pantry, not in my in-laws!"
"God, Brianna," Nikki rolled her eyes. "You're such a drama queen. It was one time, and it's not like anyone saw. Jeez."
"Nicole…" Brie started, her teeth grit and eyes narrowing into slits. Roman placed a large hand on Brie's slim shoulder, rubbing gently, as he told Nikki and Seth, "You're not gonna die if you don't have sex every five minutes. Do it before you come over. You're almost thirty, not teenagers who need to rub one out every hour on the hour."
Emma laughed as she gently rocked Logan in her arms, cooing, as she stroked his cheek, "See all the craziness you were born into? Your Aunt Nikki and Aunt Brie like to argue, but they really love each other. Your Uncle Roman's going to keep you out of trouble. Uh-uh, he is. And your Uncle Seth…"
"Is going get you into trouble." The Iowa native finished, grinning ear to ear. "You and me, little man, are gonna have all the fun. We'll let the big man be the wet blanket and say things like don't teach Logan how to suicide dive, he's only two, but whatever you'll be able to do it. You're gonna tear it up just like your old man."
"Hey, if anyone's teaching my kid how to suicide dive, it's me, so step off Rollins. Get your own kid to teach how to suicide dive."
"You're both wrong," Emma mused, lips quirking into their signature blinding smile. "Logan's going to learn how to do the Emma-lock before he learns any suicide diving or how to spear or the dirty deeds or peace of mind."
"Maybe in your dreams, Blondie." Dean scoffed, plucking the bundle from her arms. "Nah, you're not gonna worry about learning any spears or peace of minds. Just the dirty deeds like your Pop, huh, buddy?"
This wasn't anything he ever expected, holding a baby that was his, talking to him and tickling his chubby tummy and being fascinated by every wriggle and blink, but that was his life now. His whole life wrapped inside this tiny blue bundle with downy hair, blue eyes, full cheeks, little fingers and toes.
He was scared shitless but looking at Emma who was exhausted but beaming just watching him hold Logan, lessened the fear.