Lunafreya looked down at the mucous in her underwear, and suddenly her vague discomfort before falling asleep made sense. She cleansed herself, noticing she felt extra moisture. After washing her hands with some clumsiness managed to collect her box of sanitary napkins from the bathroom closet, selected a thin one, and sat back down on the toilet to place one in her underwear. Oh gods. I'm in labor. The thought struck her and she felt the heat in her face and she felt momentarily dizzy.
"A bit fed up with the cramped space?" she asked as she rubbed her distended abdomen. Rosa wiggled beneath her palm, woken up as Lunafreya had been.
She got up, holding her hand over her lower stomach as she felt a strong cramp. It didn't quite compare to her most intense menstrual cramps, but was significantly stronger than the strange tight feeling she had experienced periodically throughout the pregnancy. She let the cramping pass and returned to bed, drawing herself up into it and reached for her phone. She found her phone's stopwatch and set it down on her lap and reached for the television remote on her bedside table, grateful Noctis was a deep sleeper as she flicked it on, still tuned to the movie station she had fallen asleep to. I think I'm in labor. She thought again, trying to identify the movie on the screen when another cramp hit her stomach. She tapped the timer on her phone, and tapped again when it passed, and a third time to start timing the gap between contractions.
She recalled her most recent appointment with the obstetrician telling her about when labor started the importance of timing the duration of contractions, and the timing of them. Oh my gods I'm in labor. It's real. She looked at Nocits sleeping after glancing at the phone for a moment. Her contraction had lasted approximately thirty seconds. Should I wake Noctis yet? She wondered, and decided to wait until she had information in case he had questions. You're in labor Luna. For real. She tried to focus on the movie, her foot wiggling in the sheets, finger tapping against her thigh next to her phone while she waited for the next contraction. It came, her finger tapping her phone initially missing the timer button at first but tapping again. Okay fifteen minutes since the last one. This one lasted thirty-three seconds assuming she was somewhat accurate with her button taps. Labor. It's really happening.
"Noctis?" she inquired, but he didn't stir. She rolled her eyes at herself, reaching out to shake his shoulder while she said his name louder. "Noct?" He grunted, shifting under the sheets. She shook him again, and he rolled onto his back.
"Yeah?" He mumbled.
"I… I think I'm in labor. Not quite time to go rushing to the hospital, but I believe that I'm in labor." She explained.
"Okay." He mumbled again, rolling onto his side and shifted the blankets back up over his shoulder. "In labor… okay." He repeated in a sleepy slur. After a moment he sat upright in the bed, turning sharply in the bed to stare at her, "What?!" he asked, eyes wide. His hair was a tousled mess, his beard kinked on the side of his jaw he had been lying on. "You're…?!"
"In labor. I think so, yes." She confirmed with a nod.
"Wh-why? When? How long? Should I get up?!" He asked in rapid succession, shifting himself in the bed.
"Slow down!" she urged, reaching out and pressing a hand against his arm. "I woke up and went to the bathroom to a small mess in my undergarments." she flushed, biting the corner of her lip.
"Wait your water broke?!" he asked, throwing the blankets off of himself.
"No!" she answered quickly, "Not that big of a mess! Please Noct, settle." She asked with a nervous giggle, recalling his friends teasing that he would panic and warp out the nearest window without her in his rush to get to the hospital. He sat back against the pillows and tried to give her his attention. She could see the flush in his cheeks once she turned to tug the string on her lamp, reaching out to grip his wrist.
"I should be the one trying to keep you calm" he admitted with a light chuckle.
"I have started contractions, I'm timing them so I can have answers when I call the doctor." she explained.
"You haven't called yet? How do you know it's labor?" he asked, still speaking too quickly. He hesitated after his question then shook his head, "stupid question." he mumbled. "Umm do you need something? Water? Can you have water?" He offered.
"Yes, I can." She answered. "Some water would be nice, and perhaps a light snack. I still feel well so I should eat to give myself some energy for what's to come." She answered him.
"Right. Umm… what time is it?" he asked, reaching for his own phone. He moved too quickly, knocking it onto the floor, bumping his lamp and reaching for it with a curse to keep it from falling to the floor as well.
"Three twenty-five AM." She answered.
"Shit no wonder I'm groggy." He replied. He slid out of bed, bending down to pick up his phone, dropping it again when he tried to shove it into a pocket, forgetting he had fallen asleep nude. Another curse and he bent down, setting the phone onto the bedside table he crossed the room to the bureau, pulling out sweatpants and a tee-shirt to make himself decent for a trek to the kitchen. "Thought you were joking last night about sex helping kick-start labor." He teased her when he came over to her side of the bed.
"I was!" She answered, her brows coming up. He chuckled, leaning over her to give her a peck on the lips.
"Craving anything in particular?" he asked. She shook her head, not feeling hungry in all honesty but knew she needed to fuel herself for what lay ahead.
"Perhaps oatmeal, fruit, and some juice?" she asked. He nodded, giving her another kiss.
"Whatever my Queen and Princess desire." he answered, stroking her stomach with his hand. She winced, causing him to retract his hand and look at her with wide eyes. She was quick to shake her head,
"Not you. Next contraction." she answered while tapping at her phone. Seventeen minutes since the last one. Noctis stayed locked to his spot, his brows close together and he reached to squeeze her hand, only settling when she told him the contraction had passed. Twenty nine seconds. "My hand." she said with a smile, Nocits realizing how tightly he had gripped her.
"Oh right. Guess you'll be getting revenge on me soon enough though right?" he chuckled again, his voice quivering slightly. He cleared his throat and drew back. "Be right back with food." he promised. She nodded with a smile and watched him rush from the room. She hitched her pillows up behind her back. The pile had grown significantly during her pregnancy between needing to sit upright for her heartburn, and her discomfort with being placed on bedrest; the pillows made a comfortable way for her to sit upright against the headboard and again tried to focus her attention on the television.
She didn't recognize the movie, and found it hard to keep her attention on something unfamiliar halfway though. She glanced down at the phone, wondering if she should text Aranea and Crowe. She had promised to inform them both as soon as she went into labor, but hadn't expected that to occur at such an ungodsly hour. She picked up the remote, starting to flick channels though she didn't expect much to be broadcasting in the middle of the night. To her surprise another channel was playing a movie, a comedy Crowe had insisted she watch.
Two contractions later, no change in their pattern, and she felt her phone buzz. She looked at it, seeing a text message from Prompto.
[rec][Prompto] Did he warp out the window yet?
She laughed, sure now that bothering her friends in the middle of the night with the news would be a mild inconvenience at worst.
[sent][Prompto] Nearly. She typed back before bringing up her recents to disturb Aranea first,
[sent][Aranea] As promised, here I am to send you in a panic with the news my labor has started. Still at home, so I don't want to catch on the news shortly that a dragoon was seen vaulting over the city to the hospital. I'll keep you posted.
[sent][Crowe] Your charges are about to make your life difficult by no longer sharing one body. I'm in labor. Though settle, quite early I suspect. She typed to her shield.
[rec][Gladiolus] He warp through the walls and half the city yet? Lunafreya laughed, now wondering when the incoming text from Ignis would arrive, curious which would wake him first. An excited Aranea, or a text from Noctis.
[sent][Gladiolus] Not yet. Best place a trampoline beneath our window.
A new contraction had her rubbing her stomach and trying to get an internal sense of time while she switched from her text messages back to her stopwatch. Thirteen minutes since the last contraction, but its length was harder to gauge and this one was a bit more intense than the previous. Rosa wiggled about, a visible lump appearing as she kicked with the completion of the contraction.
"I don't imagine this is very pleasant for you either my little one." She spoke quietly. Noctis returned shortly after, pushing one of the kitchen's small carts with their breakfast.
"A touch overboard?" She gestured at the large array on the cart.
"You said you'll need your energy for the rest of the day." He replied. He set the cart beside his side of the bed and climbed up next to her, "more contractions?" he asked, seeing the way she winced slightly and rubbed at her stomach. She nodded,
"Same pattern." She nodded back, letting out a sigh after it finished. He handed her a bowl of oatmeal with berries, glass of juice that she set on her bedside table, and a mug of her favorite tea that she set beside the juice.
"I also brought you some toast, they made a fresh loaf last night."
"Neb made bread? Oh he always makes the best, please hand me a piece." He smiled and handed it to her, and started to eat their early meal. "Gladio is heading over. He'll probably go kick Crowe's door in first."
"I wonder if she's awake. I sent a text to Aranea and Crowe as I had promised them."
"Hey it's their job right?" Noctis joked.
"The real reason they bear a friendship with us. We sign their paycheck." She rolled her eyes and bit into the toast. "Neb really does make the best bread." she mumbled through her mouthful. They talked and ate, only pausing when the next contraction hit. Lunafreya winced again, and Noctis frowned, swallowing his mouthful to scooch closer to her and rub her back.
"They hurt?" He asked her, then crossed his brows and shook his head. "Stupid question. Of course they hurt. It's labor…." He shoved more food into his mouth to keep himself from asking more stupid questions while Lunafreya giggled through the end of her contraction. Shortly before they finished eating Noctis received a text from Gladiolus stating they were in the Royal Wing of the Citadel. Lunafreya heard her phone buzz and sure it was Crowe stating the same. Noctis answered to assure them they were both dressed.
[rec][Gladioilus] You sure? Seen enough of your pale gyrating ass for a lifetime. The Shield typed back to his charge.
"We're both dressed you jackass!" Noctis shouted at their doors. The doors opened and Gladiolus and Crowe came in. Both had gotten themselves into their official uniforms, the fatigue was clear on their faces, each carrying a travel mug filled with coffee.
"Go time?" Crowe asked.
"Not quite. Didn't expect you to come rushing to the wing…" Lunafreya answered her, feeling bad their Shields were dragged from bed so early.
"Never know when it'll be go time. Can't have my charge in labor waiting around for her Shield to drag her tired ass out of bed before going to the hospital." Crowe shrugged.
"I think I just panicked and overreacted" Gladiolus admitted. "Half expected to get in here to find Noctis already halfway across Insomnia and you screaming your head off."
"I dunno, I can't picture her screaming." Crowe argued, cocking her head slightly and clucked her tongue. "Probably one of those weird chicks who can meditate the pain away or some shit."
"I'm still human!" Lunafreya countered. Another contraction started and she winced, rubbing her stomach and letting out a deep breath through it. "This is less than comfortable."
"See what I mean. Sittin there in fuckin' labor saying less than comfortable. Not so sure you're human. Alien maybe?" She asked, slapping Gladiolus's arm with the back of her hand.
"Maybe Shiva herself sneezed her out or something. She always did have a weird resistance to the cold."
"I'm from Tenebrae! Have you ever endured one of our winters? You become quite adapt to the cold. It's your insufferable summers that are a trial." Lunafreya shot back to them, sitting back against her mound of pillows.
"Oh man remember how damn hot it was up on Ravatogh?"
"Thought I was going to combust into flames." Lunafreya concurred.
"Wait a second. Are you seriously just talking through contractions?" Crowe asked.
"I suspect they shall get significantly worse as the day progresses as of now they are more akin to severe menstrual cramps." Lunafreya argued.
"You guys eat before you got here?" Noctis asked, cutting off the potential for another debate about Lunafreya qualifying as human or not.
"Yeah but could always eat again." Gladiolus answered, and Crowe just shook her head no. Noctis made another trip to the kitchen, glad for an outlet for his nervous energy even though all he could picture the entire time he was absent from the room was that Lunafreya's labor would progress suddenly and significantly meaning he would miss the birth of his daughter. He returned with the rolling tray with eggs, bacon, and toast for the Shields as well as a pitcher of coffee.
Back in the bedroom he saw Lunafreya shifted in the bed so Crowe could fit behind her and was rubbing at her lower back. Noctis glanced over at Gladiolus who didn't seem to see the confused expression on his face, tucking into the food to pile up some eggs and bacon on top of toast, shoving the food into his mouth.
"Starting with a backache." Lunafreya explained when she brought her head back up and saw the way Noctis was looking at her.
"Oh. Do you umm need anything?" he asked, tempted to shoo Crowe away so he could take her place.
"I would do almost anything for a hot pack but Crowe looked it up on her phone a hot back in labor is a bad idea." She sighed, shoulders dropping while she pouted.
"Pain getting stronger?" Nocits asked.
"Not particularly. Just adding a new location to it. I feel as though I have the worst backache of my life. Rather sudden." She explained. Crowe shifted off the bed to get herself some food before Gladiolus finished all of it, and Lunafreya laid back against her pillows and let out a slow nasal exhale. Noctis climbed up on the bed and scoot so he was right next to her, reaching over to squeeze her hand.
"Maybe it's time to call the doctor?" Noctis suggested.
"I'd be waking them up at quite the hour." She argued.
"That's what they have on-call docs for. Also, you're the fuckin' Queen of Lucis and The Oracle to just sprinkle a little sugar on top. I think they can put up with waking up for you of all people." Crowe threw her palms up, staring at Lunafreya with her arms out.
"She's got a point." She made the call, face pink as she asked her friends to step outside the door a moment to allot her a minute of privacy. She answered the doctor's questions, assured the hospital was going to be ready to receive her at any time, offering to send an ambulance with a midwife aboard to get her immediately. Assuring the doctor that such measures were unnecessary and would only draw excessive attention. She seemed satisfied to learn she would be escorted by the King, and both royal Shields, and agreed to come to the hospital immediately.
"Didn't the Queens of old like, give birth in their own rooms?" Gladiolus asked once brought up to speed after re-entering the bedroom.
"Isn't that why women lived to the ripe old age of died in childbirth back then?" Crowe quipped.
"I had the option at first, but the pregnancy has left me with little energy and they placed me on bedrest. They determined that due to risks going to the hospital is the safest option."
"Leave it to Luna to answer a rhetorical question with a graceful dance of words." Crowe teased, sitting on the end of the bed. "So that mean we're getting you up to the hospital now?"
"The doctor is requesting we go in immediately or she's sending an ambulance."
"Well can't blame her. I wouldn't want to be the doctor responsible for this." Lunafreya's face scrunched and she rubbed at her belly as another contraction started, gasping when it hit its peak.
"Oh it hurts more in the back than anything." She whined with a high-pitched hitch in her voice.
"Well all the more reason to get you to the hospital maybe they can do something about the pain." Crowe waved her hand in invitation to Lunafreya, who nodded. She reached below the blankets to make sure her nightgown was pulled down past her waist before sliding herself out of the blankets and to the edge of the bed. Sure that whatever she wore wouldn't matter once she arrived at the hospital she picked a simplistic maternity dress from the wardrobe and let herself into the bathroom to change.
"Surprised you're in one piece." Gladiolus remarked to Noctis once Lunafreya was in the bathroom.
"The panic is there. Just hasn't figured out how it's gonna come out yet." Noctis answered. "Should I be in there helping her get dressed?"
"She's been dressing herself just fine for nine months pretty sure she can handle one more time." Gladiolus offered, patting his shoulder. "Gonna be a dad. Should get you a pack of cigars for you to curl your lip at and a bottle of whiskey you'll down in a gulp." He laughed.
"Oh man I should have thought of that." Crowe huffed, hands on her hips. "All I thought of was stuffing my pockets with Luna's favorite candy. What do women do to celebrate shoving a watermelon out their hooch?" she crossed her arms and shifted her weight.
"Snuggle with the baby they just grew for damn-near a year?" Gladiolus offered back.
"Okay valid." Crowe acknowledged.
"It's the helpless dad who needs booze after his involvement ended after a night of fun. Watch his wife in horrible pain, screaming, sweating, doctors and nurses everywhere, oh man." Gladiolus elaborated.
"Thanks guys. Making me feel real great!" Noctis shouted to them, crossing his arms and bouncing on his feet. "Should I get the car started? No… I shouldn't really go anywhere right now. Gladiolus, can you start the car?" Noctis asked, tapping at his pajama pants for his keys before he made a face and dropped his arms.
"Where do you keep the keys?"
"Umm up on the shelf next to the door." Noctis gestured, avoiding eye contact and pretending not to notice the way Crowe snickered at him. Gladiolus grabbed the keys and left, waving his phone in the air as he left the other two nodding. Lunafreya emerged from the bathroom shortly after, carrying her nightclothes to the laundry basket, shaking her head at the two as they offered to take the laundry for her.
"I should tell my dad." Noctis blurted to her.
"It's quite early. Perhaps wait until we're at the hospital?" She suggested.
"I dunno. I should at least text him or call him so he knows." Lunafreya shook her head again,
"I'm quite early in my labor We're likely being rushed to the hospital simply due to who I am." She countered, though admittedly part of her hesitation was the thought of so many surrounding her already. "We should head to the car, speaking of such."
"Want me to carry you?" Noctis offered. Lunafreya could feel the ache in her limbs, chest tight as she felt short of breath already from the minimal activity. She pondered it for a moment before shaking her head no again, but knew she would be wobbling on her feet before they reached the front door. She only hoped the early hour would mean the staff was at a minimum and at worst a single digit number of guards would see her so infirm.
"I should be okay." She assured with hesitation in her voice. She winced again, both hands reaching behind her and she gasped, face scrunching together.
"They're getting closer together." Noctis observed. Lunafreya let out a long slow breath, nodding in agreement. "We should get going." he suggested.
"Yes." She moved to picked up the small bag they had packed some prior in anticipation of the time spent in the hospital, filled with toiletries, loose comfortable clothing and books; but Crowe barked for her to stop and picked it up herself.
"You're in labor. Let us do something for you." She insisted. Lunafreya responded with a sheepish smile and they started to walk from the bedroom. The contractions were sappign more of her energy than she expected, and by the time they reached the elevator to bring them to the main floor of the Citadel she was leaning her weight against Noctis, alternating between trying to rub at her lower back and place her hands over her stomach to soothe the movement in her belly.
"You okay?" Noctis asked. Lunafreya nodded, but leaned harder against him as the contraction wore away, leaving her breathing harder than before.
"No arguing." He insisted as he picked her up in his arms. She hooked an arm around his neck, feeling a flush spread across her face as he carried her the rest of the way to the Regalia. The pre-dawn hours of early spring was still quite cold, but the inside of the car was already warm Gladiolus having had the foresight to crank the heat. Crowe sat in the passenger seat, Noctis in the back with Lunafreya.
A buzz in her pocket reminded Lunafreya that she hadn't checked her phone in some time, and saw a missed message.
[rec][Aranea] Go time huh?
Okay so. Noctis's reaction here is based off my own mister's reaction to when I went into labor. I had been working and having contractions at work (only realized it in hindsight) came home went to bed pretty late. Woke up a few hours later to pee, went to the bathroom and had an "oh" moment of my own. Woke the mister up right away and he did the "oh okay" and rolled over thing before WHAT?! it was quite comical.