Double Dose
Summary: With both Amber and Sofia being pregnant at the same time, Desmond and Cedric seek solace in the little bit of peace they can get.
Disclaimer: I only own Corban, Alamea, and Angel, though they're not present in this story. Nana and Tanya belong to MarionetteJ2X, though they're also not in this story. Everyone/Everything else belongs to Craig Gerber. (Except the babies, who…are in progress. Lol!)
A/N: Sweet and funny moments on the way! Brace yourselves. You may not be able to handle the cuteness. Good luck! 😊
*Story*
It was a warm Friday evening in August, close to 10:00 PM, and most everyone except the castle workers had already retired for the evening. Cedric had just changed into his pajamas and was walking toward the bed when he stopped at the side, smiling at what he saw.
Sofia had pulled her pajama top back a bit, her hand softly caressing her stomach. However, instead of a contemplative and content look that she would usually express, she seemed to be…frowning? She even seemed to be experiencing a bit of discomfort, actually.
The smile fell from the sorcerer's face as he moved onto the bed, settling next to his wife, who mumbled something incoherent as he wrapped one arm around her and placed his free hand over hers, and over the baby. "What's the matter, my love?"
"I'm not sure," she murmured quietly, a bit of pain laced in her words as she winced. "I… I think the baby is restless or something."
"I've got an idea." He ever so lightly traced the taut skin around her stomach and smiled calmingly as the princess hummed in appreciation of his attention. "Do you mind if I…?"
She shook her head. Whatever he had in mind, she just hoped it relieved some of her pain that she was experiencing.
Cedric nodded, smiling and kissing Sofia softly on the lips, before slowly yet surely trailing the kisses down to her tummy. He sat up momentarily to remove his gloves, tossing them onto his bedside table, before resting his warm hands against Sofia's cool skin. "Good evening, little dove," he spoke gently to the baby, whose movements he could feel under his own palms. No wonder Sofia was restless… "My darling, could you settle down a bit? Your mother needs her rest." He lowered his ear to Sofia's abdomen, and he could swear he heard the heartbeat. It was still such a surreal thing. His eyes caught Sofia's, and he could see something akin to adoration and gratefulness in her blue hues. She seemed…calmer.
"It stopped," she laughed in mild surprise, her hand reaching out and gently playing with his hair. "The pain stopped… How did you do that?"
He merely smiled, his face still nuzzling her skin as she ran her fingers through his hair. "I suppose I have the 'magic touch,'" he joked, causing her to giggle. "No, really, I just followed my instincts, I suppose… Any time you've ever been in pain or in danger of any kind, I've always tried to help you as best as I could. Granted, the current circumstances are a bit…different, but…" He made to move but found that Sofia's hand had stilled him, a slight pressure increasing against his head. "Sofia?"
"Can you just…stay there for a little bit?" She smiled sheepishly, seeming embarrassed, with a light blush creeping onto her face. "I, um… I'm scared that if you move, the baby will start…you know, moving a lot again. And I really, really need some sleep…"
"Of course, my dear. Whatever you need." He reached toward the end of the bed, grabbing a dark extra blanket they kept for when it got colder, and draped the fabric over himself. "Good night, Sofia. Sleep well."
She let out a thoughtful sigh, the exhaustion evident on her face, as she half-smiled at her husband. "Good night, Cedric… I love you, and thank you so much."
He chuckled, the vibrations from his tone rippling against her skin, causing the princess to shiver pleasantly. He smiled mischievously as he lightly caressed the bare skin of her hip. "Anything for my princess…" After a few minutes, he noticed that she'd fallen asleep, so he sat up and carefully lowered her shirt into place before tossing the blanket aside and moving under the covers with her, resting his head near hers. "Sleep well, my love." Soon after, he fell asleep as well.
The next days were… Well, 'interesting' was the operative word. While the castle carried on in its normal fashion, and while nearly everyone was going about their normal routines, Amber and Sofia seemed to be experiencing something that could only be described as 'pregnancy woes' at the same time. They were both uncomfortable, sleepy, hungry, and sometimes queasy. Amber was moodier or more irritable than Sofia, who was instead a little more emotional.
It took every bit of will power and consideration for Desmond and Cedric to help their wives as best as they could. While Cedric had never been through this scenario before (unless one counted Cordelia, though he hadn't seen her too often during her pregnancy with Calista), Desmond certainly had.
"It may seem insurmountable now," Desmond informed Cedric as they sat in the library, playing chess, while Amber and Sofia had both settled down for a nap with their girls (on Amber's and Desmond's bed, since it was much roomier). "It may be terrifying, unnerving, frightening—"
"You're not exactly helping settle my nerves, Desmond," Cedric chuckled, though the sound didn't quite meet his eyes as he moved a piece on the chessboard. Anyone could see how exhausted he was. He thought working long hours in his workshop—or rather, Cordelia's workshop, now—had been tiring. No, as it turned out, aiding and sometimes placating his princess during her pregnancy had been far more fatiguing. "Please tell me that you're getting to a point…"
"Oh, yes, of course!" He laughed, sliding one of his pieces into place, before grabbing Cedric's chess piece and tossing it into the box on the side. He smiled sheepishly as Cedric made a little sound of disapproval. "What I mean to say is… The girls will be fine. The first nine months were the hardest." He snickered as the sorcerer slumped in his chair, throwing his hands to his face with a groan of dismay. "I'm joking, Cedric. Well… Sort of. Look, we may not fully understand it, but pregnancy wears a lot on mothers. Their bodies have to adjust to a tiny human. Their hormones are all over the place."
"Yes, I've noticed Sofia's been crying a lot more lately than she used to…" He lowered his hands, sighing. "She sobbed heavily the other day when she found a sock under our bed. I don't know why it was there, or even whose it was, but…" He snapped his fingers, shaking his head. "It set her off, and she was crying for no reason."
"You think that's bad? Amber once cried because her pancake wasn't as big as James's."
Cedric smirked. "To be fair, she's kind of always done that…"
Desmond chuckled. "Yeah, but her reasoning the first time she was pregnant with Alamea was so strange. Something like, 'James, we're twins! Everything should be the same: our pancakes, our syrup, the number of berries in the middle of the cake! Everything is changing, and I can't take it!' James did not know what to say to that, and honestly, neither did anyone else." He laughed, smiling. "But at the end of the day, despite all the strange things they're going through, they'll eventually return to some semblance of their normal selves. We just have to be patient with them."
"Oh, I'm being patient," the sorcerer responded, moving one of his pieces again. "I've helped Sofia bathe and dress, I've braided her hair, I've given her massages, I've read her and the girls a story so they could all get some rest, I've…" He shrugged. "I've done what I can. And she's always been very sweet and appreciative. I just hate seeing her in pain when those moments do occur. The most I can do is hold her and tell her everything will be all right."
"That's what she wants," the prince assured his friend with a warm smile. "She just needs that reassurance. Just knowing you're there, listening and talking to her, is what she needs more than anything right now." He moved one piece one more time, grinning. "Checkmate."
"Ugh. Again?" Cedric yawned. "Perhaps it's time for me to get some rest now. I'm off my game."
"Cedric?"
He blinked, looking toward the prince, who was smiling at him.
"It's going to be okay."
Cedric returned the smile, nodding. "Thanks, Desmond… I needed to hear that." He stood up, helping gather the pieces to set aside in the box, before stretching a bit. "I'm just glad this time has been uneventful. I couldn't imagine having to go through this while an enemy is advancing."
Desmond smiled nervously. "Yeah, don't say that too loud, Cedric… You know things have a way of finding us when we least expect it."
"Oh, true. Let's…hope for the best then." He followed the prince out of the library, the room darkening as they closed the doors.
Meanwhile, amidst the darkness, a sharp pair of green eyes opened, a low, evil chuckle echoing softly through the room. "Think again, sorcerer…"
The end