AN:
Hellooooooo!
How are you lovely people?
Ok, so we all know this is a pregnancy fic, but I always try and not make it one of /those/ fics that do their best to tick all the preggo trope boxes. Alas, I feel this chapter is at least one of /those/ chapters that just can't help itself and is super preggo centric anyway. Sorry? XD (unless that's exactly what you're here for, I guess...)
Anyway, hope you'll enjoy. Happy reading!
See you next week!
xoxo MLE
(=^_^=)
Chapter Seventeen
"Good morning, Elphaba," said midwife Vittolea as she strode into the room, puffing from exertion. "Apologies for the wait, but we're terribly busy. The flu incapacitated nearly half of our more useful staff members. Unfortunately, it didn't also stop women from falling pregnant and babies from being born."
She looked up from her bag and chortled merrily at her questionable joke. Only at second glance did she realise that they were't alone.
"Oh, what's this? You brought a friend? Yes, emotional support might be a good idea," she said, then pursed her lips. "Even more so in your situation, I suppose."
Elphaba let it roll off her back, and Galinda, looking more confused than offended, rose to her feet in order to shake the woman's hand.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Galinda, Elphaba's partner."
"A birthing partner!" beamed the midwife and enthusiastically took the hand on offer. "Even better."
"Uh, no, not exactly." Blushing faintly, the blonde sat back down, crossed her legs and fiddled with the purse on her lap. "The other kind of partner, actually. Though I do hope to be there for Elphie when the time comes."
Vittolea's expression sobered somewhat as she took in the information and studied the girl before her.
"I see," she said at last, rubbed her nose and sniffed before plopping down onto her swivel chair. She picked up her clipboard.
"So. Elphaba." Her voice had turned lacklustre, making her sound more like a humanoid robot than a woman of flesh and blood. "How are you feeling? Any concerns or complaints?"
"None," Elphaba replied, automatically matching her tone.
"Eating and sleeping well?"
She remembered the previous night and how Galinda had kicked and poked her while in the throes of some dream, but that was certainly not what the question was about.
"No problems there."
"Splendid. How about baby? Are we feeling any kicks yet, or maybe a bit of a flutter?"
She paused to consider. Was she really that far along already? Truth be told, she'd noticed an odd sensation every now and then, but it had been indistinct, and she'd dismissed it as gas or indigestion.
"I don't think so," she answered slowly, still wondering which really was the correct answer.
The midwife took notes.
"Well, that's entirely normal at this stage. Especially for first time mothers. By the time we meet next, you're almost certain to have noticed movement in there.
"At any rate, how about you go for the urine test, dearie, so we can proceed with the measurements?"
Elphaba couldn't have cared less about the midwife's opinion in regards to her child's parentage, her same-sex relationship, or anything else for that matter, but the careless use of pet names vexed her, especially if applied disingenuously. And still she knew better than to protest. All she had to do was get through this appointment as quickly as possible. It was a necessary evil.
So she did as she was told. Upon her return, she found Vittolea and Galinda staring at each other silently. Wondering what had transpired in her absence, she was almost tempted to say something. Almost.
"Oh, you're back," observed the midwife. "Hop onto the scale for me then, will you? What does it say?"
"Sixty-one point nine."
"Goodness, love"—Vittolea shook her head—"almost one kg down from last time. Look at you, you're all muscle. What is baby supposed to feed off, hm?"
Feeling herself flush, Elphaba couldn't tell whether it was out of anger or embarrassment. Perhaps a blend of both. Her eyes darted towards Galinda who was scowling at the woman. When she felt Elphaba's gaze on her, she met it and smiled encouragingly.
"Well, let's have a look at your bump then," said the midwife. "If you have one that is," she remarked somewhat snidely.
Elphaba lay down on the examination table and pulled up her jumper barely far enough. Vittolea made it a point to push it further.
"Now look at that. A little compact maybe, but noticeable." Her expression brightened, and she quirked her mouth upwards, seemingly despite herself. "Very nice. Now, I'll measure your fundal height. That's the distance between your pubic bone and the top of your uterus. It's not an entirely exact science, but it helps us keep track of baby's growth."
The feeling of the cold tape on her skin and Vittolea's hands at the top and bottom of her slowly burgeoning belly was vaguely uncomfortable, but not as uncomfortable as the midwife's subsequent palpation of her abdomen. Not that it was in any way painful; it was rather a matter of invasion of space and privacy, and her growing disdain for the woman wasn't helping with that.
Even so, she knew she was being silly. Setting her jaw, she trained her eyes on the ceiling until she remembered that she hadn't come alone this time. She took a breath and let her head roll to the side until Galinda came into view. She was watching, of course, and even though they were too far apart to hold hands, her smile connected with Elphaba, reassuring her.
"So far so good," declared Vittolea at last and turned around to fetch a small device from one of the drawers next to the bed. "Let's have a listen to baby's heart then." She placed the wand which was connected to a monitor via a curly cord, against Elphaba's bump. The green girl relaxed a notch. Being poked with a plastic probe clearly beat foreign hands groping and pushing.
Elphaba and Galinda looked at each other and waited with bated breaths as they heard several different kinds of noises. After repositioning the wand two or three times, the midwife was finally satisfied that she'd located the proper spot. The resulting sound resembled the thundering of galloping horses. Elphaba smiled faintly at first, but as an expression of wonder lit up Galinda's face, the corners of her own lips tugged further up, and her heart began to beat just a little faster.
"That's all good and well," Vittolea announced and briskly stowed away the device before scribbling down a few remarks on her notepad. "That about concludes today's visit, I'd say. Unless you have any further questions?"
Galinda shifted in her seat and looked eager, yet too indecisive to actually say something. Elphaba gave her a questioning look, but the blonde didn't notice. She herself didn't have anything else to add.
"Two things," said Vittolea. "First of all, it's time for your anatomy scan. The ultrasound technician will have a quick look at baby and make sure everything is there and in the right proportions. I also need you to come in for a few urine and blood tests—gestational diabetes and such. It's a bit too early, but an appointment close to our next visit in four weeks should do."
The older woman handed her several forms, and with that they were dismissed.
"Insufferable woman," commented Galinda once they'd left the building and shook at the thought of the midwife.
Elphaba snorted at her rather too passionate display.
"As long as she's doing her job I won't complain," she shrugged.
"Well, she could do her job a whole lot better!" insisted Galinda. "Elphie. This could be such a wonderful experience. We don't need an old, judgmental crone to rain on our parade."
"You're so cute like that, my sweet," grinned Elphaba. "I'm really sorry you're so terribly bothered by this. I myself don't care quite as much."
"Well, I do." Galinda gingerly took her hand and lifted herself up to her tiptoes so she could plant a quick peck on her lips. "You're amazing, you know that? To think that you can grow a whole new life inside your tummy."
"Most women can do so," retorted Elphaba, licking her lips while her cheeks warmed up from the undue praise. "It's not much of a skill."
The glint in Galinda's eyes told her that she wasn't going to be swayed. Her admiration remained undamped.
Back home, Elphaba unlocked the door. Letting her satchel glide off her shoulder, she headed for her room for a change of clothes, but Galinda called out to her and made her turn around.
"Yeah, wha—"
She was cut off by a pair of lips that claimed her mouth. Chuckling, she allowed Galinda to push her backwards and towards the living area, shoes and all. With a few resounding meows, Malky came trotting their way, but was blatantly ignored.
Elphaba divested herself of her bag, and Galinda brushed off her jacket, as well as her own.
"Wow, where's this coming from?" she managed in between kisses.
"Shush, I'm hard at work here," Galinda told her sternly in reply.
The taller girl swallowed as she felt a hint of anxiety setting in, taking hold of her lungs and restricting her intake of air. Galinda's attitude was different from her usual, sweet self. This introduced a new, unknown variable, and Elphaba preferred to know what to expect.
Galinda pushed her another few paces, until she knocked against the armrest of the couch. The impact made her knees buckle. Their contact broke, and she gasped in surprise. Threatening to fall backwards at first, she instead managed to regain her balance and came to sit on the armrest. Taking advantage of the new position and her gain of height (or rather Elphaba's loss thereof), Galinda quickly closed the gap that had arisen between them. She buried her hands in long, dark tresses, raking her nails along her scalp.
This felt vaguely familiar. Elphaba's concerns eased somewhat; apparently they weren't going further than usual after all. If increased urgency was the only aspect to change, she could deal with that. They'd been doing this for weeks by now, and she couldn't blame her love for trying to spice things up a notch.
One of Galinda's hands brushed downwards, taking a long strand of hair with it, twirling it around her index finger. As the hand wandered further south, the silky hair unwound and fell softly against Elphaba's chest. Galinda meanwhile began to tug at the hem of the black jumper.
Elphaba's eyes opened wide, and she stopped all movement to regard her girlfriend properly, pulse still pumping wildly. She was hoping to explore new territory after all, wasn't she? Oz, Elphaba didn't know how she felt about that. No, she did know, but was frustrated with herself for not wanting it.
"No, Galinda. I—I'm sorry, but I can't."
Galinda drew away far enough to focus her eyes. She moved both of her hands to cradle Elphaba's face.
"Elphie, listen," she said in her sweetest voice, sounding at once patient and desperate. "I have no plans to ravish you—neither here, nor now. But I wish I could see you."
"See me?" replied Elphaba, puzzled. "Surely you can see me just fine. I'm sitting right in front of you."
"Oh, you silly green bean!" Her blithe laughter rang out before she leaned in for a chaste peck. "I want to see your body, admire it. I don't mean to do anything to you other than touch and kiss."
"There—there's nothing much to see there," replied Elphaba and cleared her throat.
"Don't you trust me enough to let me be the judge of that?"
She pressed her lips to Elphaba's forehead before dropping her hands and taking a step back. Crossing her arms, she grabbed the folds of her dress and pulled it over her head. Elphaba looked on with an odd sense of awe as carefully coiffed golden curls were ruffled and stretched by the manoeuvre, then came pouring back down over Galinda's shoulder, messy but gorgeous as ever.
After discarding the rose-coloured garment onto the floor, Galinda stood still, her right hand holding on to the left upper arm. Her head was turned sideways, but her eyes unwaveringly held Elphaba's gaze. Her intended message was clear: Look at me, here I am. It's just me, and I trust you. Will you trust me, too? Yet despite her demonstrative resolve, there was a strange bashfulness about Galinda that Elphaba hadn't expected.
She bit her lip, hard. At first, she stubbornly maintained eye contact. It felt weird to study other parts of Galinda's body while she watched her doing so. Then again, wasn't this an invitation to do just that? Elphaba risked a few fleeting glances without moving her head. She'd seen her girlfriend like this before—had seen more of her even, since she was still wearing her bra now. Elphaba couldn't erase those flashes of memories from their Frottica trip if she wanted to. But proximity and expressed consent made a remarkable difference, she found. Before long, she allowed herself to take in small, intimate and fascinating details, barely even blushing as she did so.
Galinda was slender, but softer than Elphaba had ever been, even in girlhood when she'd arguably been a bit less sinewy. She had more of a waist and hip, compared to Elphaba's narrow, yet rather straight and angular lines. That much had always been apparent; however, free from obscuring clothes, the resulting silhouette looked so much more impressive. She discovered a faint scar on the righthand side of her abdomen. Appendicitis? She'd ask her some other time.
Absorbed in her expedition of discovery, she stopped thinking as she let her eyes roam. And roam they did, extensively, over each square inch of bare skin. She began to really appreciate the opportunity she'd been given. Eventually, they moved back up, following the elegant centre line that ran through her navel and further, until it terminated between her breasts. They were the perfect size, she thought, neither so big as to cause strains and aches, nor as small and unremarkable as her own. Instinctively, and almost as if in a trance, she reached out to feel them—as much as she could feel them through the lacy fabric of the light blue, semitransparent bra.
The sound of Galinda's quiet chuckle, subtle as it was, alerted her to what she was doing, and she retracted her hands, her face suddenly flushing furiously as self-awareness set back in.
"No, don't!" said Galinda and caught her wrists to guide her back where she wanted her. "Don't be shy. They are all yours."
Elphaba felt a little lightheaded. This was all too deliberate and too fast. A shuddering breath escaped her lips while she moved her hands sideways and let them glide along Galinda's curves. They came to rest on her hips, and she plucked up the courage to speak.
"I know you meant to encourage me this way, but I'm not as beautiful as you are," she said once she'd had a chance to centre and calm herself. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't shy away from comparison."
Galinda blew a breath through her slightly parted lips and shook her head.
"This isn't about conventional attractiveness. It's about nearness and trust. But if you need to know…"
She covered green hands with her own pale ones.
"Too often men can't keep their hands off these," she said about her hips, her voice dripping with distaste. Together, both sets of hands moved up to her waist. "It's fucking hard to maintain this shape, and if I don't, my friends start staring and sneering behind my back. At least if I didn't have the natural ability to achieve this curvature, I wouldn't have to bother and blame myself." They arrived back at her breasts. "I'm not proud of them. They are too much, I'm too aware of their existence. And again, they draw unwanted attention, especially given my particular situation and preferences. It's not like I wish for a more boyish body—I don't. But a more modest size would do perfectly fine for me."
After a few moments of taking it all in, Elphaba tore her eyes away from where her hands were still stuck cupping Galinda's ample bosom. The blonde's own hands had disappeared at some point without her noticing. She let her featherlight touch glide towards Galinda's back, then interlaced her fingers, pulling her closer. Even with her heart in her mouth, she somehow managed to kiss her.
When their lips parted, she whispered, "You realise that you basically just told me how insecure you are in your own beauty."
"This is me being vulnerable, but somehow you still sound accusatory," replied Galinda mildly, not quite upset yet. "Why is that, hm?"
"I'm sorry, my sweet. I didn't mean to. But to the ugly complaints about an access of beauty tend to ring a little hollow. A bit like a rich person's lament over not knowing how to spend their money would sound to the poor. I realise it's more complicated than that, but it's something I need to process first."
"Gosh," scoffed Galinda and averted her face. Elphaba watched her laboured breathing and wondered whether she'd gone too far in voicing her unfiltered thoughts. She hadn't meant to offend her.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to belittle your struggles."
"Pft! Poppycock." Galinda finally looked back at her. "You're not ugly though, Elphie. Not by a long shot. Maybe your looks are somewhat of an acquired taste as far as attractiveness is concerned, but if that is so, I'm a connoisseur and I say you're breathtaking. Not to mention that very unique appeal you have… By Oz, you're not ugly, not one bit."
Instead of bolstered, Elphaba felt taunted by Galinda's words as if she was trying too hard to convince her, speaking all kinds of untruths in a last ditch attempt to get her way. None of it was convincing.
"Glin"—she dropped her gaze and licked her lips nervously—"I'm sorry, I don't think I…"
Galinda sighed and smoothly freed herself from Elphaba's arms so she could sit down next to her on the armrest of the couch. A sound of defeat escaped her as she let her tired head fall against the taller girl's hard shoulder.
It was close to midnight, nearly the end of her shift, when she first felt it. It was like someone was poking her. From the inside.
She was in the middle of stocking a shelf with various pet food products, but stopped, leaning against the cool metal construction with one hand, the other flying to the site of the strange sensation. She waited, trying to discern whether her distracted mind had played a trick on her, or whether the prodding would return. It did. It was more noticeable internally, but she thought her hand detected just the slightest of ripples. Slipping it underneath her long-sleeved t-shirt, she pressed it against the bare skin of her abdomen to make sure. For a while, there was no further sign of the life within, but then, one final kick or punch, or whatever it was. She smiled despite herself. This was pretty awe-inspiring, she had to admit.
"Hey, Elf! Something wrong with you?"
She gave a start and turned her head, spotting Mrs Manglehand, or Oatsie, as most of the long-standing staff dared to call the supervisor.
"No, nothing," muttered Elphaba in reply and pulled her hand out from under the shirt. She put it back on the same spot, but atop the fabric, and rubbed it. "Might have pulled a muscle or something."
"Because you young things never listen when we explain to you how to correctly lift heavy items that is," the older woman chided lightly. "Well, if you're quite recovered, finish that box and return the rest backstore. The morning staff will have to finish this. We're ready to turn the lights out for the night."
Elphaba resumed her task. As her hands did most of the work, her mind tried to focus on her midsection. Baby stayed quiet, maybe having exerted themselves enough for the time being.
Regardless of her superior's instructions, she took her knife to one more box containing bags of cat kibble. Carefully heaving each sack onto the lowest shelf, she wondered how much longer she'd be able to do this job, how long it would be safe. She supposed she could find lighter work to do if she told her boss about her condition. But once the child was born—who'd look after them? She might have to ask Galinda to foot all bills, including hers, so she could take extended parental leave, perhaps even quit this sad place. She knew her love would be delighted to do anything and everything in her power. Allowing herself to actually let her was the trick.
Galinda's car was parked no more than five metres away from the backdoor of the shop. Elphaba grinned to herself and pulled the door open with gusto, then plopped down on the passenger seat.
"You're energetic today," remarked Galinda, looking her up and down. She appeared tired in comparison.
For a clock-tick, Elphaba considered telling her about her little experience earlier. Somehow it didn't seem right though. She knew Galinda would be excited, but also at least marginally jealous.
At home they had hot tea and a few biscuits. Elphaba reheated a portion of the takeout food Galinda had ordered for dinner.
"You look terrible, my pretty" she commented as she watched her killing time with her phone.
The blonde cast her a sharp but playful side glance.
"It's against the rules to simultaneously insult and flatter me."
"Forgive me," laughed Elphaba. "It came from a place of concern. What I meant to say was that you should go ahead and sleep. You look like you need it."
"Neither of us has gone to bed without the other since we got together as a couple. I'm not going to break this ancient, six weeks old tradition."
Her stubborn determination made Elphaba grin, and she did her best to finish her meal a little faster.
When they at length snuggled up next to each other under the warm, cosy blanket, Elphaba stroked Galinda's hair, occasionally twirling a curl around her fingers. She wasn't tired enough to sleep yet. Working late tended to do this to her—the physical labour, the adrenaline kick of being sent first one way, then another, the rush of finishing set tasks on time. She'd read some more once Galinda had fallen asleep. It was obvious that she was already fast on her way to dreamland and wouldn't take very long.
Her musings were interrupted by a tentative trembling in her belly. She was unsure of its nature at first and shifted slightly to get more comfortable. Not long after, however, a decisive little poke. Her breath hitched, and her senses sharpened as she concentrated, honed in on the sensation. Again.
A smile slowly forming on her lips, she peered at the relaxed form of her girlfriend next to her. Under normal circumstances, it would have seemed like a crime to wake her, but she was certain that Galinda would want to witness this.
"I'm sorry, my sweet," she whispered, reaching out to shake her gently, yet with some urgency. There was no telling how much time they had before baby went back to sleep as well. "Galinda. Quick, or you might miss it."
Her eyes fluttered open.
"What in Lurline's name," she mumbled sleepily. "Are you out of your mind? You told me to—"
"Shush!" laughed Elphaba and grabbed her hand to press it against her abdomen. She'd lifted her shirt, making sure Galinda had a decent shot at witnessing what she herself felt.
Still confused, Galinda blinked, but she stopped protesting. Elphaba could feel her thumb moving, caressing the spot where she had placed her hand. It was the first time she'd allowed Galinda to touch any place that would generally be concealed by clothes. She clearly appreciated the gesture, even without understanding the underlying cause just yet. Elphaba sucked on her lower lip in agitation. She'd been exited to share the baby's movement with her, but in absence of it she felt self-conscious.
But then. At last, another jolt, followed by an even stronger one. It was almost uncomfortable, but at least Elphaba could be certain that Galinda would have felt it.
Indeed she had. Blue eyes wide and bright, she met Elphaba's gaze.
"Is that..?"
Elphaba nodded and Galinda squealed quietly.
"This is amazing! Elphie!"
She moved surprisingly quickly as she made to kiss Elphaba soundly on the lips. There was no trace of tiredness left to discern. They waited for a good few more minutes to see if there would be any more, but the wee thing had settled down for the night it seemed.
Galinda's enthusiasm was not affected by the brief duration of the spectacle.
"You'll let me know when it happens again, won't you?" she said softly, capturing Elphaba's lips one more time.
"Of course."
The heart in Elphaba's chest was still pounding. Sharing this moment with Galinda had felt surprisingly profound. She hand't imagined herself so moved by another person's excitement. She felt Galinda's hand wandering, describing small circles on her belly. Was she trying to soothe the child or her? At any rate, she was mostly okay with it now. The boundaries in her head must have given way and shifted under the intensity of that almost magical shared moment.
The circles gradually became bigger. After a while of careful negotiation, Galinda became so bold as to push up Elphaba's shirt and cast aside the duvet. She didn't make any attempts to undress her, but eagerly took in the sight of her exposed midsection. She wiggled down to press a kiss just above Elphaba's navel.
"It's so cute, this tiny bump," she said and added a second hand so she could encompass more surface area with every single stroke.
Elphaba sucked in a sharp breath before releasing it and reminding herself to calm down. Galinda proceeded to leave evanescent butterfly kisses all over the newly exposed skin. Only after showering Elphaba with endless adoration and love, did she dare to venture the question that might have been burning on her lips since she first laid eyes on her abdomen.
"What's this dark line?" Her finger traced along the pine green marking that ran vertically all the way down her belly, disappearing below the waistband of her shorts.
"It's a pregnancy thing," explained Elphaba, "caused by hormones. Linea nigra is the word."
"Oh. So it's not part of your usual colour scheme?"
She shook her head.
"It might still darken more or grow wider. I'm not sure." She thought of other parts of her skin that had been affected similarly, but decided against educating Galinda further, lest she demand to see those, too, causing an unnecessary disagreement. For now, Galinda looked happy enough with the little progress they had made.
They kicked off exam period together, with Doctor Dillamond's Biology 101 exam. It was a perfect coincidence, and Galinda seemed delighted to no end. Elphaba was more amused than exhilarated, yet enjoyed seeing her girlfriend so happy. It also took the edge off the blonde's worries over her performance, which was an additional benefit.
It was Monday, eight-thirty in the morning when they left the house. Galinda wondered whether theirs was the first exam to take place across the entire university.
"Along with a dozen others, I suppose," shrugged Elphaba.
Galinda clung to her arm as they walked, resting her head against the taller girl's shoulder.
"I'm so glad that this is my first exam. Having you there will be a comfort. Whenever I don't know an answer, I'll stare at the back of your head until our brainwaves align and I remember."
Elphaba considered her skeptically.
"Well, I don't know about that, but I'm sure you'll do fine anyway."
"Maybe brainwaves are a bit of a pseudoscience," admitted Galinda. "But regardless, we studied and practiced so much together. By now, I probably subconsciously associate your face with all things biology. I'm sure looking at you will help jumpstart my memory."
"Whatever makes you sleep at night."
They took a detour and bought rich, warm chocolate drinks topped with cream on the way—a little treat to help them relax. As they approached campus, Galinda stopped and bade Elphaba to do the same. The green girl peered at her quizzically.
"A kiss for good luck?" Galinda ventured.
Elphaba smirked mischievously.
"We come well prepared, and we'll do great either way. No luck required."
"Oh, why do you have to tease me, you mean green thing!" huffed Galinda. "I know you want to kiss me, so shut up and play along!"
Grinning, Elphaba leaned in. Despite having been the one to suggest it all to begin with, Galinda hesitated, her eyes briefly darting either way before she finally closed the gap and pressed her mouth firmly against Elphaba's.
A sense of joy bloomed in Elphaba's chest. Perhaps luck wasn't required for her to ace this exam, but a good mood might nevertheless inspire her to deliver better answers faster, making it a downright breeze.
Galinda withdrew and offered her a sweet smile, then whirled around and marched on without extending an inviting hand or even looking over her shoulder. Elphaba's face darkened as she realised that this was deliberate. The spring in Galinda's step was nothing but concealed hurry while she tried to increase the distance between them as swiftly as possible. The kiss? An apology at best, a diversion at worst. Possibly both.
Elphaba ground her teeth and sullenly followed a few paces behind, exactly as Galinda apparently had intended. She alternated between blaming Galinda and herself. What exactly had she expected? Galinda had never been brave enough to admit their friendship, at least not in familiar circles. Why would she want to broadcast their love affair?
On the other hand, it was Galinda who constantly begged her to let her be part of her future, her child's future. If she couldn't even acknowledge her feelings in front of her peers, how did she ever hope to be a mother to this baby? If she couldn't explain their friendship or their romantic feelings to her friends, then how did she plan on explaining the child's existence and their affiliation?
The initial anger in Elphaba's heart soon receded, leaving only a trail of resignation. She wouldn't hold any of this against Galinda. How could she? But next time Galinda would ask her about her potential role as co-parent, she'd know precisely how to respond.