Despite the fears, constant illnesses, and doctor visits, Joaquin managed to make it to his first birthday. His father, of course, was overjoyed. Even though the boy had just got done enduring yet another ear infection, he still got a little birthday party with everyone.
"Look at you, buddy," Jean cooed as he held up his beloved son. "You so big now! You's a big guy, yeah!"
Hearing Jean engage in baby talk was still pretty embarrassing. At least it wasn't like Joaquin's first word ("Dada", which was typical of babies). Then Jean had been completely over the moon, never knowing when to shut up about it.
Jean was all smiles when he carried Joaquin into Connie's apartment, holding him against his chest and telling him how much he adored him. Armin walked beside him, not quite sharing his enthusiasm. He just looked over at their son, who was munching on one of his tiny fists. His big golden eyes darted about, seeing the change in scenery around him.
Armin envied the little boy, to be honest. He got to monopolize all of Jean's free time when he was home. Even just seeing Joaquin right now caused a sick wave of jealousy to rise in his stomach, like bile.
He wasn't even smiling as he then watched the girls (and Connie) fawn and squeal over Joaquin donning a little party hat, making good use of his designated smash cake.
...
Shortly after Joaquin's birthday party, he was ill again, this time presumably with the flu. He made noises of discomfort while Jean cared for him, the latter wearing a face mask while he tried warming up some food for his little one.
Once more, Armin was out and about with Eren and Mikasa. Jean wasn't going to admit it out loud anytime soon, but knowing Armin would rather be out with his friends instead of him and their son, it caused a painful ache in his chest.
Jean was now in the process of getting ready for work tomorrow when he heard a knock at the door. Carefully setting Joaquin down on the ground (Joaquin was able to take a few steps by now at this point), Jean went to answer who turned out to be Marco and his mother.
"Uh...hey guys," he said to both of them. His mother said a quick "hello there" before going into the other room and gushing over her precious grandson.
"Careful Ma," Jean told her while pulling his face mask down to his chin. "He's sick again. So maybe hold back on the 'kissies'."
Miss Kirstein commented that she was aware of that, but picked Joaquin up anyway, holding him close in her arms. Joaquin himself squirmed in discomfort and sniffled, burying his face into his grandmother's shoulder. As for Marco, he gave Jean certain items to help with Joaquin's other baby related milestones.
"I hear someone's still teething," he told Jean as both of them watched Miss Kirstein dance around trying to comfort Joaquin.
"Yep. He's up to three now, I believe." Jean paused, changing the subject a little. "...I wish Armin were enthusiastic about all of this like you guys are."
Marco couldn't think of anything to say to that. So instead he clasped a hand onto Jean's shoulder and shook it.
...
Come evening, when Jean was trying to get Joaquin to go to sleep, that was when Armin actually came home.
"I'm back-" He was promptly shushed. Jean then whispered 'welcome home' before starting to rock Joaquin from side to side. Joaquin almost seemed to be fighting off sleep, and not doing it very well. There were also sounds of gurgling and the occasional "ah".
Armin tried not to flinch away as Joaquin reached out to him. Instead, he extended a finger and let him grasp it. Awkwardly enough, this was really about the closest Armin had gotten to his son since the latter's birth.
It was still heartbreaking to see him suffer from his constant colds and earaches, though.
...
While Armin and Joaquin slept deeply that night (albeit with Joaquin coughing in his sleep), Jean was up and staring out the window.
Deep in thought as he was, Jean could still think back to the days of three years ago. Those were the days of confusion, hardship, young love, and ultimately tragedy.
Weirdly enough, he also remembered the choices of Chinese food they ordered right after their wedding (crab rangoon and chicken egg rolls for him, egg drop soup for Armin, steamed buns for both of them). Along with that, Jean recalled Armin sneaking an egg roll off of his plate, when he thought he wasn't looking.
"I was starting to get a hankering for them," was what Armin's reasoning had been. Looking back on it now, Jean wondered if Armin had also been thinking of some equivalent to 'this is my husband now'.
Jean's mind then turned to more lurid memories, causing him to quickly get to the bathroom to deal with it.
...
Back when Armin was still carrying Alyssa, there had been a time when he was particularly horny.
It had been at the beach, while he and Jean were showering off all the sand and salt water from playing and frolicking about. By this time, Armin had to have been eight and a half months along with her. For reasons he couldn't really figure out, he was incredibly aroused. He stuck a hand down his swim trunks, and called for Jean. Once he explained his trouble, Jean was quite eager to soothe his raging lust.
That didn't mean Jean wasn't going to tease Armin, though.
"Uhh...Oh God!" Armin cried out as he felt Jean's hands slide up and press against his chest. His panting intensified when he then felt Jean's thumbs rub against his sensitive nipples.
It was incredible, the sensations Armin was feeling right now. He continued moaning in bliss as Jean pulled and pinched his nipples now.
"I love how so very big you are," Jean whispered into Armin's ear over the soft sound of the running water, while also placing gentle kisses onto his neck and shoulder. "Just look at you, carrying my baby. That gets me so hard."
Sure enough, Armin could feel something hard pressing on the back of his thigh. He couldn't stop panting and tilting his head back, letting Jean now suck and bite at his skin.
"I know you love it, too," Jean continued on, purring sensually in between licking Armin's neck now. "You love being filled with my child, don't you?"
Armin was too far gone to say very much. He simply nodded, letting Jean slide his hands down onto his baby bump.
"Ah! Unnhh, oh yes, Jean! M-more, please! More!" Was really all he could get out while Jean proceeded to caress and hold his stomach, hardened by the life being carried within.
"You just can't get enough of your husband teasing you, huh?" Jean told him. "Mmm, so nice and heavy with another life. Imagine how warm and safe it is inside you." As though in response, Jean and Armin could both feel Alyssa begin kicking inside Armin. When Armin gently pressed his hands against his stomach to feel her, Jean did the same thing.
Jean then got down onto his knees and knelt in front of Armin, now proceeding to kiss and nuzzle Armin's baby bump. As he did, Jean pulled out his cock and proceeded to jerk himself off. This all continued on until climax was reached. Then both of them stayed where they were, satiated and content.
By then, the water from their shower continued to stream down their bodies. Of course, they didn't stay in there much longer. The water was getting cold, their fingers were getting pruney, and no doubt there would soon be dry feet to suffer through.
...
The affection continued when they got back home, of course, with both of them in comfy pajamas instead of soaked swim trunks.
Jean made sure that Armin's feet, which were again beginning to swell, were elevated on a couple of pillows before slathering lotion on them. Armin himself lay back and relaxed, looking off to the side and absent-mindedly stroking his large belly.
Armin moaned contentedly as he felt Jean's thumbs and fingers expertly maneuver about the bloated looking feet. He also giggled upon feeling Jean teasingly play 'this little piggy' with his toes. Finally, he softly cried out as Jean's hands slid upward to continue their work.
It was while Jean was massaging Armin's thigh that he leaned forward to lay his cheek against Armin's stomach. He grinned dreamily as he felt his unborn child kicking again.
"How do you like it in there?" Jean asked his daughter as he now pressed his hands onto Armin's stomach again. "Is it nice and warm and safe in there? Do you like being inside Mommy?"
He smirked, closing his eyes and softly rubbing the sides of Armin's stomach now. "I like to be inside Mommy too."
Armin blushed furiously out of embarrassment when he said that. Jean, however, merely chuckled and nuzzled his nose against Armin's belly again. Alyssa simply gave her usual response.
...
Not wishing to risk waking up Armin or their son, Jean found himself seated on the half-unfinished tile floor of their rather small bathroom. His legs were stretched out before him, somehow managing to span the whole length of the bathroom.
Jean was exhausted, finding himself nodding off. He was about to fall asleep right then and there before the door right next to him creaked open.
"Huh?" Jean didn't get much of a chance to say anything before Armin and Joaquin stepped in. Joaquin ran right over and climbed into Jean's lap, gently tapping his little stuffed teddy bear against his father's face. Armin just got to his knees and crawled over to be at Jean's side, throwing over them one of the sheets from their bed.
"Joaquin woke up and couldn't find his Daddy," Armin explained to him.
None of them said anything else after that. Jean did wrap his arms around both of them. He then leaned over and pressed his lips against Armin's forehead.
Against all better judgment, the little family slept like that in there for the rest of the night. Needless to say, all three of them were a bit stiff the next morning.