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No Cheap Diapers
Chapter One: Feelings
Her stomach rose just above the embers of the fire place; the orange light a haze surrounding a large silhouette of a bump. She smiled over at him.
"Balthier, you're staring again,"
"Sorry love," he played with her left pigtail through long, slender fingers covered with ring of many makes and models; the most important being his engagement ring. "I'm awestruck by your beauty."
"Balthier, I've gained so much weight I'm too embarrassed to say the number out loud. How can you say I'm beautiful?"
He continued to play with her pigtail and shrugged. "I guess because you're just naturally beautiful, no matter what state you're in, Penelo dear."
They've been married for a little over a year now, and yet when Balthier commented his wife Penelo on her looks she still blushed like she did when they weren't an item and he flirted with her. He couldn't stifle his smile at her childish innocence, even though she was twenty-one now.
"You're such a tease Balthier." She leaned her head over to rest on his shoulder. He wrapped a muscular bronze arm around her shoulders and reminisced about the past nine months.
At first, Balthier almost resented his own child for growing inside his wife for one reason only: he was not ready for children, nor has he ever been good with them. Vaan and Ashe's children were a delight; adorable, full of energy and intelligence. But some of the stories Vaan told him around the water cooler about late night feedings, colic, and teething did not sound appealing to Balthier, and was relieved to hear that there's a low fertility count with the women in Penelo's family. Just as luck would have it, they forgot to purchase condoms one time and decided to take their chances, and nine months later Penelo would be a significantly amount heavier carrying another life inside her stomach.
Balthier grew comfortable with the idea in the past few months to the point where his breathe would quicken with excitement from looking at Penelo's figure, holding an all too important package, and brimmed with pride when thinking of his child growing up in the custom made nursery he slaved over for weeks.
He placed his large hand atop her stomach, glowering after a few minutes holding the position. "He hates me."
This caused Penelo to laugh out loud. "She doesn't; don't worry, she'll kick for you eventually."
He pouted comically. "Yes, well, he still has hurt me deeply."
She leaned up and planted a firm, wet, kiss on his whiskery cheek. "All better?"
"No, not at all," a wicked and playfully sinister grin spread across his face, and Penelo knew where this was going. He leaned her back with the skill of a maternity ward nurse who was putting a newborn down for a nap. He took great care not to press too much into her, as she still weighed a lot less than him including the baby weight, and caught her lips in a long, deep kiss. She could feel his mouth curl into a smile once again.
"How about now?" she asked.
He contemplated this question for a good twenty seconds, and then shook his head swiftly down at her. "Not quite," He kissed her once more, then again, then one more time, as if she were going to slip away at any moment and he would no longer be able to serenade her with kisses, nor she for him.
Yes, he knew their love wouldn't die out because of the baby, not one bit, and he no longer bore any resentment towards the fetus, but he was still fond of the memories both he and Penelo shared of being young, wild, and free, newly married kids where making love daily was as common a ritual as it was to breathe. She had but two weeks left, and honestly, he wanted to make them some of the most memorable either could ever dream of as childless man and wife, for once the baby was born, a whole new collection of happy memories and experiences will be delivered onto them, and neither were quite done being young, wild, and free Balthier and Penelo, regardless of their shared excitement and anxiety. Not one bit.
To be continued!