Please note that you'll need to suspend your disbelief for this fic. Obviously you can't make a test tube baby from two sperm cells, but I wanted to create a Stendan baby that really would be part of both Ste and Brendan, rather than having them adopt or use a surrogate. I also have no idea how these things work in real life, so this is just my own imaginings.
I intend to write a few chapters of this, just as a little collection of domestic one shots with the new baby.
Rated M for some of the chapters.
"Leah! Come back ere!"
Leah was so hyper this morning bless her, couldn't wait to meet her new baby brother. She was currently running around the flat trying to pick up every toy she could find.
"Do you think my baby brother will like this one?"
"Well he can't really play with anythin until he's a little bit older, but you can find him a nice teddy" Ste quickly assured her as her face dropped, "We can put it in his cot."
"YAY!" Leah cheered, and before Ste could blink she was already in her bedroom emptying every toy box all over the floor.
When Brendan's keys jingled in the lock the flat looked like a bomb had hit it. Ste was practically following Leah around trying to put away everything she was getting out, but as quick as he was tidying, Leah was making a mess all over again. Brendan surveyed the jungle of toys that was waiting to meet him with a bemused look. It looked like Toys R Us had exploded in their living room., he couldn't help but chuckle though as Ste gave him a frantic "help me?" look.
"Wow, what's been goin on here?" Brendan asked.
Ste rolled his eyes.
"Finding toys for my new brother" Leah proudly answered.
Brendan raised an eyebrow at Ste and followed it with a knowing smile, signalling that they'd let Leah get on with it and relish in the big sister act.
"So where's ye other brother?" Brendan asked Leah, looking around the room to locate Lucas' whereabouts.
"Stayed with Amy in the end" Ste replied as he flopped exhaustedly into an armchair, he was so exhausted but they had to be ready to leave in an hour.
"Everythin ok?" Brendan asked as he switched on the kettle.
"Yeah, he just got a bit overwhelmed and teary cus our Leah were so excitable. Isn't really old enough yet to properly understand what's goin on, so me and Ames decided it were best if he stay at home today and we can introduce him tomorrow once everythin's settled down a bit."
Brendan grunted in approval.
Ste let his eyelids droop then, nodded off for a split second before he could sense Brendan lingering over him, opening his eyes to a cup of tea being passed to him.
"Cheers Bren." Ste smiled.
"You drink that up, I'll go check Leah hasn't turned her room in to a jumble sale. We need to leave soon." Brendan pecked Ste lovingly on the forehead before heading down the hallway.
The hot drink soothingly warmed Ste's insides, although he realised that the even warmer sensation within him, making his heart swell, was the contentment of domestic bliss. Ste had the family he had always wanted, and it was soon to get bigger.
Brendan was focusing on the road as they cruised along in their BMW, Leah sat in the back, far too engrossed in a conversation between two of her Barbies, (the hunt for the teddy had been ditched when she found some of her long lost dolls).
Ste let his head lay back against the head rest and enjoyed the blur of scenery as they drew closer to their destination.
Ste hadn't realised he'd nodded off again until he felt the warmth of Brendan's hand resting on his knee. He turned his head and gave him a loving smile which Brendan reciprocated before turning his eyes back on to the road.
"Ye nervous?" Brendan asked him.
"Yeah a bit" Ste admitted, "How about you?"
"Brickin it!" Brendan chuckled which made Ste giggle too, but then rolled his eyes whilst shaking his head.
"You're gonna be a fab dad Bren" Ste soothed as he placed his palm over Brendan's hand still positioned on his knee.
"You've already done so much for our Leah and Lucas, and I know it's been tough with ya own kids at times" Brendan grimaced at the reminder, "but we all know that were more Eileen's fault anyway, she were hardly compromising were she? It's not like you haven't tried."
"You're too good to me Steven" Brendan smiled.
"I'm only tellin the truth" Ste smiled back as he gave Brendan's hand a reassuring squeeze.
It wasn't long after until the car tyres slowed to a stop over the gravel of the hospital car park.
"WE'RE HERE! WE'RE HERE!" Leah yelled excitably.
"Ok calm down, you mustn't shout around ya new brother" Ste scolded, "You'll scare him."
Leah responded by putting her finger to her lips, signalling a vow of silence. She was very clever and observant for a six year old, must have got it from her mum Ste thought to himself.
"Ye got all the necessary paper work?" Brendan asked as he unbuckled Leah from her booster seat.
"Yeah both our passports are in me pocket" Ste replied, "And I already sent em an email with copies of our bith certificates attached."
"Brilliant stuff!" Brendan smiled as he lifted out Leah and locked up the car.
"You paid for everyfin ages ago didn't ya?" Ste asked, just to be on the safe side.
"Yeah it's all sorted."
Ste walked around the car to take hold of Leah's hand, and gave Brendan a quick peck.
The three of them strolled towards the reception door, stomachs full of excited butterflies.
Ste was letting Leah choose a chocolate bar from the vending machine whilst he let Brendan fill in the paper work at reception. Brendan was better than him when it came to things like that.
"Steven?" Brendan called over his shoulder, "Can ye come and sign ye name on this?"
Ste took the pen, made a small squiggle and passed it back over.
"Thank you Mr Hay." The receptionist smiled at him. "Now if you'd like to follow my colleague Sue here, she will take you to meet your son."
Brendan and Ste both gave a nervous smile as a middle aged woman in a nurses uniform made her way towards them from behind the reception desk.
"Right come ere Leah!" Ste beckoned over his daughter. She hurried over and gripped his hand tightly.
The three of them then followed nurse Sue along various corridors in silence, anxious to meet the tiny bundle.
They were soon led on to a ward entitled 'Baby Unit' as Sue kept turning around and giving the couple reassuring smiles. They must have looked like a bag of nerves by now.
A set of double doors were now the only thing separating Ste and Brendan from their baby, once they'd walked through, they both crept over to the little hospital cot that he was cradled in.
"I'll leave you to it." Smiled Sue as she backed out of the room. "You'll just need to sign a release form on your way out back at reception."
Brendan nodded and Ste mouthed thank you as they were left alone with their little family.
"He's got your eyes" Ste smiled to Brendan as he snuck an arm around his waist.
"But your long lashes" Brendan mused as he stroked a finger down the baby boy's cheek.
"Daddy can you lift me up?" Leah asked. "I can't see!"
Ste scooped her up and let her coo over her new baby brother.
"What's his name?" She enquired.
Brendan glanced over at Ste to see if he had any thoughts.
"Well I were thinkin" Ste said to both, "that like, you know in that Twilight film right?"
"The one with all the vampires?" Leah interrupted.
"Yeah that one." Ste smiled
"Steven I am not naming my child after a fictional character." Brendan groaned.
Ste laughed. "Dint meant that! What I were gonna say, were that, you know they name the baby by combining both their mum's names?"
Brendan suddenly tensed and looked wary.
Ste stroked a reassuring arm down his boyfriend's. "Don't worry, I weren't suggesting any of our parent's names." He grimaced at the thought. "But, well tell me if you think it's stupid, but I thought it might be nice to combine our names. So when I did that, I came up with Stendan." He looked cautiously at Brendan. "Whatcha think?"
Brendan's silence worried him for a moment, he was just staring down at the baby. But when he lifted his gaze to meet Ste's, Ste knew that look, and knew that his partner was in agreement.
"I think it's the perfect name." Brendan smiled. "D'ya think ya new brother looks like a Stendan?" Brendan asked Leah.
"Stendan Brady Hay!" Leah grinned.
"Stendan Brady Hay!" Ste and Brendan both announced at the same time.