Through soft kicks and deep breaths, Danielle laid awake while the little one drummed away in her womb and her partner slept at her side.
Carefully turning over, she eyed the man, she drew circles on his chest, playing with the tiny hairs atop of it.
"Dead to the world." She quietly laughed to herself, the baby moved around inside, sticking his little limbs where they shouldn't have been.
"Oww, that hurts mommy." She whispered, helping guide his foot out from between her ribs; he was always grumpy in the mornings, more so like his father.
Danielle leaned over and laid her head on Snake's chest, the soothing thundering of his heartbeat giving her a tranquil effect; he started mumbling in his sleep, like always. Sometimes he would blurt out full sentences; whatever was on his mind, he didn't have a problem expressing it.
"I wonder what he's dreaming about." Danielle thought to herself, she watched as his muscles tightened, his face began to twitch, and his jaw clamped down as his breathing became rapid; soon after came the convulsions, she turned him over on his side as his breathing labored.
"Shh, it's ok, just breathe; you're all right." She said, stroking his back as he gasped. The seizures lasted no more than three minutes, but they sure as hell drained him of energy; he rarely ever woke up right after them, but when he was up, he was up.
"It happened again didn't it?" Snake asked as he regained his consciousness, wiping blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.
Danielle nodded in response, "Let me see how bad it is." She demanded, turning on the bedside lamp, Snake reluctantly showed her his freshly lacerated tongue. It wasn't as bad as the one prior, "You won't need stitches, consider it lucky." She stated.
"Are you all right, did I hurt you?" He asked, she shook her head, getting up to help clean him up.
She ran a basin of warm water, carefully dabbing away at his face; he was worn out, sure he could do 48 hours in the field with little to no sleep, but to come home to only be dosed up to be able to finally try and sleep, that was torture. His doctor suggested that they were stress seizures, the constant nightmares of the traumatization he's experienced day after day, one can only imagine what he's seen.
"You should try and sleep, it's not even dawn yet; you need it, you can't keep drugging yourself to feel something, I'm real, and I'm here to talk with you if you need it. Don't keep pushing me away, it might not seem like I understand, but I can." Danielle added, Snake shrugged off her offer.
"It's nothing, it's just the memories… memories I thought I'd put behind me."
"Just get some rest, it won't be long now. I can't imagine what hell will come of this when he gets here; the screaming, and the messes, you're in enough pain already." Danielle sighed as she lay her hand on his shoulder.
Snake looked up at her for a moment, taking a second to reflect on the sight in front of him, "Being deemed infertile, maybe it's something to help cope with the stress, it's not like I'm at a healthy child bearing age anyways; I've passed my prime, years ago, and you, you're just starting out. You have a hell of a life ahead of you, I just can't shake that feeling; it's too wrong."
"It's not, I'm not a child, I'm my own woman; you know it would've hurt you more if I gave up on this child, because I was afraid or because I just didn't think he deserved this type of life. I know it isn't fair, but how could you continue to look me in the eye as an equal? To me, you'd see nothing but a heartless killer, only thinking of myself. I wouldn't and shouldn't deserve respect if it came to that, I couldn't bare knowing that I killed a child; the guilt would've eaten at me until it drove me insane, what if the procedure left me barren, the last child I would've seen in my lifetime. What then?" Danielle asked, her emotions getting the best of her.
Snake remained silent, he pulled her into his lap; consoling her as he wiped away her tears.
"It's ok, I'm here for you; we'll make it, one day at a time."
She leaned away from him, looking into his eyes; her hands combing through his hair before lightly brushing the scar on his bottom lip, he kissed her down her neck, his hand trailing up and down her back as she tilted her head back with a sighing moan.
Snake attempted to pull off her nightgown, Danielle kept a firm grip on it, embarrassed at her weight gain.
"You wouldn't want to see me, besides I'm just not that self-confident."
Snake narrowed his eyes, he was in front of her without his eyepatch, his prosthesis, and showcasing his scarred frame. Why would he mind baby weight amongst his extremities?
He shook his head, slowly kissing over her body as he made her feel more comfortable; he reached for her breasts, only to be turned away once again.
"They're too sensitive, I'm lactating." Danielle responded accordingly. He took his time, feeling around her lower half, his massive palm grinding against her, teasing her entrance with his middle finger, silently asking for permission; she lifted from his lap, stepping out of her nightwear and undergarments, to her surprise he sprang into action, setting her back down in his lap.
Their eyes met again as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "Be gentle." She whispered into his left ear, Snake slipped into her, giving her full control of the depth of penetration. She straddled him, bouncing lightly in his lap; he kissed and nibbled on her left shoulder, before laying back to have her on top.
Bracing herself on his knees, Snake caressed her bump, she smiled down at him. She leaned forward with her hands on his chest, he began to thrust from the bottom; they were at their peak from lack of relations, both of them finishing in record time. He took one last throaty breath, and before he knew it, he was out like a light. Danielle laughed to herself, redressing and covering him up; she kissed his forehead, granting him a good night's sleep.