Daddy Duo
Chapter 8
Lavender Bubbles
(AN: Lime alert!)
Dr. Lamarr looked over the expanse of Hilde's stomach.
"I want you to come every week now," she said to Hilde. "Your baby is due in about 4 weeks, so we're going to be keeping close watch on you. Although I have to say, this has been a wonderfully uneventful pregnancy. That's the best kind to have."
"Uneventful." Hilde thought that was the least most appropriate word for being pregnant she could think of at the moment.
"Can you tell me how big the baby will be?" said Hilde. She still had no idea how 7 or 8 lbs of baby was going to emerge from her, although all the books said it was completely possible.
"Seems pretty average, from what I can tell," said Dr. Lamarr, smiling down at her. "You're probably thinking it seems impossible but I can assure you, it will happen. Everything stretches, believe me."
"Ouch," said Duo, sitting in a chair next to Hilde and holding her hand.
"I didn't say it wouldn't hurt," said Dr. Lamarr, chuckling a little.
"And that reminds me, you two have been going to childbirth classes, haven't you? I highly recommend it. Even if you want anesthesia, I still think it's a good idea to know exactly what will happen at the birth."
Hilde rolled her eyes. Duo had been his usual irrepressible self at the childbirth classes. She still blushed and grinned to remember what he'd done with the anatomical model of a woman giving birth and a rubber chicken after class.
Of course, the other expectant fathers and some of the mothers thought he was hilarious. The instructor had almost threatened to ban him from more classes until he had turned on the charm and apologized.
"Yes, we've been going once a week," said Duo, being a good boy.
"I heard about the rubber chicken," said Dr. Lamarr. "I hope it will not be present at the actual birth."
"Uh, no," said Duo. "Just a little joke," he said sheepishly.
"Very little," said Dr. Lamarr, but her eyes twinkled behind her glasses at Duo.
"I think I'd like to try having the baby without drugs," said Hilde.
Duo looked surprised, "You mean I'm gonna have to watch you scream and carry on?" he said.
"I won't scream and carry on," said Hilde. "I think I can do it."
"Know that the option is always open to have an anesthetic," said Dr. Lamarr. "This isn't about being tough. An epidural has very little effect on the baby if any. And it's almost completely safe."
"I'll remember that," said Hilde.
"Take the epidural!" groaned Duo. "I don't want to see you in pain!"
"Wuss," teased Hilde.
"I am about watching people in pain," he said. "If it were me, well, who cares?"
"I'd care," said Hilde.
"Well, now you know how I feel," said Duo.
"Okay, we'll just see how things go," said Hilde. "I'm not really into pain, I just want to do what's best for the baby."
"Of course you do," said Dr. Lamarr. "That's what we all want."
"You can get up now, Hilde," said Dr. Lamarr.
"That's what you think," smirked Duo. Hilde gave him a dirty look.
"Help me up," Hilde said. "And I might forgive you."
He put his arm around her shoulders and hoisted her up into a sitting position.
"I have no lap," mourned Hilde. "I can feel my feet, but I haven't seen them in two months."
"They're still there," Duo said. "It'll all be over soon."
"I snore, my ankles are swollen, my belly button has turned inside out and I'm as big as a house," said Hilde, sounding as though she might burst in to tears.
"I know," he said, "I'm sorry."
"Women often get a little depressed late in pregnancy," said Dr. Lamarr soothingly. "It's normal."
"I'm so tired of everyone telling me it's normal!" cried Hilde.
"It's okay babe, I'll take you home," said Duo soothingly.
"I wanna have the baby NOW!" cried Hilde.
Duo looked at Dr. Lamarr and shrugged.
"Only four more weeks give or take a few days," said Dr. Lamarr. "You'll make it. Go home and take a nice warm bath and get a nap. I know you're probably not getting enough sleep."
"Yeah, babe, you're just tired," Duo said to a sniffling Hilde.
Duo slipped his arm under her knees and one around her waist and lifted her into his arms.
"Put me down!" said a rather embarrassed Hilde.
"See, you're not so huge," he said, setting her gently on her feet.
Dr. Lamarr grinned. "Take her home and put her to bed. Doctor's orders."
"But I have so many things to do to get ready for the baby," protested Hilde.
"Do it later," growled Duo. "You heard the doctor."
Hilde nodded resignedly.
"Okay, you can quit ganging up on me, I'll be good," she said.
Duo helped Hilde get into the car and drove her home.
"You're really going to take a bath and go to bed," he said to her. "I wasn't kidding about that."
"All right, DAD," said Hilde, smiling a little.
"I'm practicing," he said, grinning back at her.
"You're going to be a good dad," she said to him.
"I hope so," he said, now serious.
"You take awfully good care of me," said Hilde. "You always have."
Duo swallowed. "I only did what I wanted to do. When I first saw you I thought, 'Now there's one tough girl.' But then I found out you're pretty sweet too. And not quite as tough as you think you are."
"I'm not very tough right now," whispered Hilde.
"You heard the doc," said Duo. "You don't have to be tough right now."
Hilde sighed loudly and put her head back.
Before they got home, she was asleep in the car.
He went and unlocked the door and opened it, then carried her inside and laid her on the sofa.
She murmured in her sleep a little as Duo covered her with a blanket.
"I gotta go do sumthin," he whispered, kissing her on the cheek.
He went over to the vidphone and called Quatre.
"Q-man!" he whispered, not wanting to wake Hilde.
"What's going on, Duo?" Quatre said, frowning at him. He was in his office, tie loosened around his neck and ran his hands through his shaggy blond bangs.
"I need your help, buddy," Duo whispered.
"Are you in trouble?" asked Quatre, suddenly alert.
"Sort of," replied Duo. "I need a Hilde cheer-up and fast."
"A 'Hilde cheer-up'?" repeated Quatre.
"Yeah, she's all depressed and I need to do sumthin to cheer her up."
" I see," said Quatre. "And I am some sort of expert on this subject?"
"Well, you're the sensitive guy who knows all the right things to say and do when someone's upset," said Duo.
"I am?" asked Quatre.
"Yeah," said Duo. "You are."
"Oh," said Quatre.
There was silence for a few seconds.
"Well?" asked Duo finally.
"I'm thinking," said Quatre.
Duo started to twitch, playing with the end of his braid, twirling it around his neck and then tickling his cheek with it.
"Have you tried flowers?" asked Quatre.
"Yep," said Duo. "I tried that last week."
"Chocolates?"
Yep," said Duo. "She cried after she ate the whole box about how huge she's getting."
He sighed.
"Jewelry?"
"Her fingers are so puffy, she can't even wear her wedding ring!" said Duo.
"Lingerie?"
"PULEEZE!" exclaimed Duo.
"How about a poem?" asked Quatre, finally.
"A poem?" Duo squeaked.
"Yes, you know what a poem is, surely?" asked Quatre.
"Yeah, it's supposed to rhyme, right?" asked Duo, uncertainly.
"Forget it," groaned Quatre.
"Hey, Quatre, why don't YOU write Hilde a poem?" asked Duo, a glint coming to his eyes.
"Me?" asked Quatre.
"Just pretend it's Trowa," Duo said encouragingly.
"I can't do THAT!" said Quatre indignantly.
"I know she doesn't look anything like Trowa..." began Duo.
"It's not THAT!" exclaimed Quatre. "It'd be dishonest!"
"Oh," said Duo. "I suppose."
"Duo, you're going to have to think of something yourself, I'm busy!" said Quatre. "Good-bye, Duo!" he ended the connection.
"Who was that on the vidphone?" asked Hilde in a sleepy voice.
"Uh, nobody, just Quatre," Duo answered her.
"What did he want?" asked Hilde.
"Well, I called him," admitted Duo.
"About what?" Hilde persisted.
Duo sat down on the end of the sofa. "I just wanted to ask him sumthin," he said. "No big deal."
"Duo?" asked Hilde. "Could you help me up? I'm going to take a bath."
"Want some help?" he asked her, taking her hand and helping her up off the sofa.
"Okay," Hilde said, giving him a sleepy smile.
He went in the bathroom and turned on the water, testing it with his hand. Looking around on the shelves, he found some lavender-scented bubble bath and poured some in.
When he turned around, Hilde was nude. His eyes traveled over her body.
"Wow," he breathed. "You're so beautiful."
She blushed. "When you look at me like that, I almost believe it."
"You are, though," he said.
He began to take off his shirt.
Hilde laughed, "I suppose we're going to conserve water again."
"That's right," said Duo mischievously. "It's all about conservation."
He stripped off and got in the bathtub. "Come here," he said holding out his hand.
Hilde came over and Duo helped her into the bathtub in front of him.
She leaned back against his chest.
She noticed that he'd turned down the lights.
"This is nice," she said.
He began to massage her shoulders.
"How's this"?" he asked.
She nodded blissfully.
After kneading her shoulders for a few minutes, he worked his way down her back.
"How about here?" he asked.
She nodded, moaning a little with pleasure.
He pressed his thumbs into the small of her back.
"Here?" he asked.
"That's the spot," she whispered.
He made little circles with his thumbs.
"Ahh, that's wonderful," sighed Hilde.
"Feeling better?" Duo asked in her ear.
"Yes," she breathed.
"Lean back," he whispered.
He reached around and ran his hands lightly over her belly, making large circles.
She sighed. "Feels good," she murmured.
"How about this?" he purred, bringing his hands up to lightly caress her breasts.
"Ooh."
"I'll take that as a 'yes'," he said, kissing her on the back of the neck.
She moaned.
"I don't know about you," he breathed into her hair, "but I'm definitely feeling better."
"I can tell, Liebhan," sighed Hilde, wriggling a little against him.
"Oh, geez, Hilde, don't do that!" he gasped.
"I WANT to do that," she breathed, pulling his arms around her again.
"You're sure?" he asked.
"Oh yes," she moaned, pushing herself up against him and twisting her head around to kiss him.
"And I wanted to get you flowers," he said, running his hands along her sides and down her thighs.
"Lavender will do nicely," she said, putting her hands on his and putting them on her breasts again.
Chapter 8
Lavender Bubbles
(AN: Lime alert!)
Dr. Lamarr looked over the expanse of Hilde's stomach.
"I want you to come every week now," she said to Hilde. "Your baby is due in about 4 weeks, so we're going to be keeping close watch on you. Although I have to say, this has been a wonderfully uneventful pregnancy. That's the best kind to have."
"Uneventful." Hilde thought that was the least most appropriate word for being pregnant she could think of at the moment.
"Can you tell me how big the baby will be?" said Hilde. She still had no idea how 7 or 8 lbs of baby was going to emerge from her, although all the books said it was completely possible.
"Seems pretty average, from what I can tell," said Dr. Lamarr, smiling down at her. "You're probably thinking it seems impossible but I can assure you, it will happen. Everything stretches, believe me."
"Ouch," said Duo, sitting in a chair next to Hilde and holding her hand.
"I didn't say it wouldn't hurt," said Dr. Lamarr, chuckling a little.
"And that reminds me, you two have been going to childbirth classes, haven't you? I highly recommend it. Even if you want anesthesia, I still think it's a good idea to know exactly what will happen at the birth."
Hilde rolled her eyes. Duo had been his usual irrepressible self at the childbirth classes. She still blushed and grinned to remember what he'd done with the anatomical model of a woman giving birth and a rubber chicken after class.
Of course, the other expectant fathers and some of the mothers thought he was hilarious. The instructor had almost threatened to ban him from more classes until he had turned on the charm and apologized.
"Yes, we've been going once a week," said Duo, being a good boy.
"I heard about the rubber chicken," said Dr. Lamarr. "I hope it will not be present at the actual birth."
"Uh, no," said Duo. "Just a little joke," he said sheepishly.
"Very little," said Dr. Lamarr, but her eyes twinkled behind her glasses at Duo.
"I think I'd like to try having the baby without drugs," said Hilde.
Duo looked surprised, "You mean I'm gonna have to watch you scream and carry on?" he said.
"I won't scream and carry on," said Hilde. "I think I can do it."
"Know that the option is always open to have an anesthetic," said Dr. Lamarr. "This isn't about being tough. An epidural has very little effect on the baby if any. And it's almost completely safe."
"I'll remember that," said Hilde.
"Take the epidural!" groaned Duo. "I don't want to see you in pain!"
"Wuss," teased Hilde.
"I am about watching people in pain," he said. "If it were me, well, who cares?"
"I'd care," said Hilde.
"Well, now you know how I feel," said Duo.
"Okay, we'll just see how things go," said Hilde. "I'm not really into pain, I just want to do what's best for the baby."
"Of course you do," said Dr. Lamarr. "That's what we all want."
"You can get up now, Hilde," said Dr. Lamarr.
"That's what you think," smirked Duo. Hilde gave him a dirty look.
"Help me up," Hilde said. "And I might forgive you."
He put his arm around her shoulders and hoisted her up into a sitting position.
"I have no lap," mourned Hilde. "I can feel my feet, but I haven't seen them in two months."
"They're still there," Duo said. "It'll all be over soon."
"I snore, my ankles are swollen, my belly button has turned inside out and I'm as big as a house," said Hilde, sounding as though she might burst in to tears.
"I know," he said, "I'm sorry."
"Women often get a little depressed late in pregnancy," said Dr. Lamarr soothingly. "It's normal."
"I'm so tired of everyone telling me it's normal!" cried Hilde.
"It's okay babe, I'll take you home," said Duo soothingly.
"I wanna have the baby NOW!" cried Hilde.
Duo looked at Dr. Lamarr and shrugged.
"Only four more weeks give or take a few days," said Dr. Lamarr. "You'll make it. Go home and take a nice warm bath and get a nap. I know you're probably not getting enough sleep."
"Yeah, babe, you're just tired," Duo said to a sniffling Hilde.
Duo slipped his arm under her knees and one around her waist and lifted her into his arms.
"Put me down!" said a rather embarrassed Hilde.
"See, you're not so huge," he said, setting her gently on her feet.
Dr. Lamarr grinned. "Take her home and put her to bed. Doctor's orders."
"But I have so many things to do to get ready for the baby," protested Hilde.
"Do it later," growled Duo. "You heard the doctor."
Hilde nodded resignedly.
"Okay, you can quit ganging up on me, I'll be good," she said.
Duo helped Hilde get into the car and drove her home.
"You're really going to take a bath and go to bed," he said to her. "I wasn't kidding about that."
"All right, DAD," said Hilde, smiling a little.
"I'm practicing," he said, grinning back at her.
"You're going to be a good dad," she said to him.
"I hope so," he said, now serious.
"You take awfully good care of me," said Hilde. "You always have."
Duo swallowed. "I only did what I wanted to do. When I first saw you I thought, 'Now there's one tough girl.' But then I found out you're pretty sweet too. And not quite as tough as you think you are."
"I'm not very tough right now," whispered Hilde.
"You heard the doc," said Duo. "You don't have to be tough right now."
Hilde sighed loudly and put her head back.
Before they got home, she was asleep in the car.
He went and unlocked the door and opened it, then carried her inside and laid her on the sofa.
She murmured in her sleep a little as Duo covered her with a blanket.
"I gotta go do sumthin," he whispered, kissing her on the cheek.
He went over to the vidphone and called Quatre.
"Q-man!" he whispered, not wanting to wake Hilde.
"What's going on, Duo?" Quatre said, frowning at him. He was in his office, tie loosened around his neck and ran his hands through his shaggy blond bangs.
"I need your help, buddy," Duo whispered.
"Are you in trouble?" asked Quatre, suddenly alert.
"Sort of," replied Duo. "I need a Hilde cheer-up and fast."
"A 'Hilde cheer-up'?" repeated Quatre.
"Yeah, she's all depressed and I need to do sumthin to cheer her up."
" I see," said Quatre. "And I am some sort of expert on this subject?"
"Well, you're the sensitive guy who knows all the right things to say and do when someone's upset," said Duo.
"I am?" asked Quatre.
"Yeah," said Duo. "You are."
"Oh," said Quatre.
There was silence for a few seconds.
"Well?" asked Duo finally.
"I'm thinking," said Quatre.
Duo started to twitch, playing with the end of his braid, twirling it around his neck and then tickling his cheek with it.
"Have you tried flowers?" asked Quatre.
"Yep," said Duo. "I tried that last week."
"Chocolates?"
Yep," said Duo. "She cried after she ate the whole box about how huge she's getting."
He sighed.
"Jewelry?"
"Her fingers are so puffy, she can't even wear her wedding ring!" said Duo.
"Lingerie?"
"PULEEZE!" exclaimed Duo.
"How about a poem?" asked Quatre, finally.
"A poem?" Duo squeaked.
"Yes, you know what a poem is, surely?" asked Quatre.
"Yeah, it's supposed to rhyme, right?" asked Duo, uncertainly.
"Forget it," groaned Quatre.
"Hey, Quatre, why don't YOU write Hilde a poem?" asked Duo, a glint coming to his eyes.
"Me?" asked Quatre.
"Just pretend it's Trowa," Duo said encouragingly.
"I can't do THAT!" said Quatre indignantly.
"I know she doesn't look anything like Trowa..." began Duo.
"It's not THAT!" exclaimed Quatre. "It'd be dishonest!"
"Oh," said Duo. "I suppose."
"Duo, you're going to have to think of something yourself, I'm busy!" said Quatre. "Good-bye, Duo!" he ended the connection.
"Who was that on the vidphone?" asked Hilde in a sleepy voice.
"Uh, nobody, just Quatre," Duo answered her.
"What did he want?" asked Hilde.
"Well, I called him," admitted Duo.
"About what?" Hilde persisted.
Duo sat down on the end of the sofa. "I just wanted to ask him sumthin," he said. "No big deal."
"Duo?" asked Hilde. "Could you help me up? I'm going to take a bath."
"Want some help?" he asked her, taking her hand and helping her up off the sofa.
"Okay," Hilde said, giving him a sleepy smile.
He went in the bathroom and turned on the water, testing it with his hand. Looking around on the shelves, he found some lavender-scented bubble bath and poured some in.
When he turned around, Hilde was nude. His eyes traveled over her body.
"Wow," he breathed. "You're so beautiful."
She blushed. "When you look at me like that, I almost believe it."
"You are, though," he said.
He began to take off his shirt.
Hilde laughed, "I suppose we're going to conserve water again."
"That's right," said Duo mischievously. "It's all about conservation."
He stripped off and got in the bathtub. "Come here," he said holding out his hand.
Hilde came over and Duo helped her into the bathtub in front of him.
She leaned back against his chest.
She noticed that he'd turned down the lights.
"This is nice," she said.
He began to massage her shoulders.
"How's this"?" he asked.
She nodded blissfully.
After kneading her shoulders for a few minutes, he worked his way down her back.
"How about here?" he asked.
She nodded, moaning a little with pleasure.
He pressed his thumbs into the small of her back.
"Here?" he asked.
"That's the spot," she whispered.
He made little circles with his thumbs.
"Ahh, that's wonderful," sighed Hilde.
"Feeling better?" Duo asked in her ear.
"Yes," she breathed.
"Lean back," he whispered.
He reached around and ran his hands lightly over her belly, making large circles.
She sighed. "Feels good," she murmured.
"How about this?" he purred, bringing his hands up to lightly caress her breasts.
"Ooh."
"I'll take that as a 'yes'," he said, kissing her on the back of the neck.
She moaned.
"I don't know about you," he breathed into her hair, "but I'm definitely feeling better."
"I can tell, Liebhan," sighed Hilde, wriggling a little against him.
"Oh, geez, Hilde, don't do that!" he gasped.
"I WANT to do that," she breathed, pulling his arms around her again.
"You're sure?" he asked.
"Oh yes," she moaned, pushing herself up against him and twisting her head around to kiss him.
"And I wanted to get you flowers," he said, running his hands along her sides and down her thighs.
"Lavender will do nicely," she said, putting her hands on his and putting them on her breasts again.
