A hand ran down his face before he lazily dropped it to his lap, and as the taxi pulled away from the bay, he reached into his pocket to pull out his phone. Bickslow sighed when he saw two missed calls from Lucy, and he would have called her back instantly if it hadn't been the middle of the night and his phone was about to go flat.
All afternoon, he'd been constantly worrying about how Lucy was, and if everything had been okay on the ultrasound. He couldn't bear to stomach the thought of something bad happening to the baby – and Lucy – when he was on the opposite side of the country. He didn't think he'd ever be able to forgive himself if anything had happened, not when he should have been there with her.
But he still had to remain optimistic. After all, he made a point of telling Lucy that everything would be okay. It didn't matter how much it worried him, because he had to believe in his own words.
When he heard his phone beep quietly in his hand, Bickslow looked down just in time to see it shutting off, and then quickly put it back in his pocket. Well, guess I'll be staring out the window for the rest of the ride. Not that it was a bad thing, of course, because even in the middle of the night, the city of Magnolia in that world was lit up like a Christmas tree. Even after being in that world for two months, the city could occasionally take Bickslow's breath away as he looked out of his apartment windows. He just didn't think he'd ever completely get used to the modernised world, as much as he found himself loving it.
As he looked out the window at the back of the taxi he was sitting in, the regional airport just something that was in the rear-view mirror, Bickslow's thoughts drifted back to Lucy. He missed her. Truly. Just like he missed Ingrid. They were his girls and his family, and he loved them both dearly. All he wanted was to be back at home with them because that's where he was happiest. Lucy, Ingrid, the baby; they were his entire world and it was why he wouldn't change the life he had. Not in a million years and not for anything. Ever.
They were his family, his world, his happiness. And he knew that he was only bound to get happier when it was the four of them, and not just the three them. It was what Bickslow so desperately wanted, because he wanted everything to be okay with that fourth member of their little family. He wanted another reason to smile, other than Ingrid, and he wanted to believe that the baby – their baby – was still healthy and fine.
He had to believe that everything was fine.
But non-stop, he'd been worrying about it. He tried to be positive, he really did, but all Bickslow had wanted to do that morning was jump on a plane, ditch the last day of the conference in Crocus, and head back home so he could be with Lucy. He'd wanted to be there, right by her side, to find out if their baby was okay and everything else was fine.
If anything, he'd wanted to be there to ease his own concerns, rather than Lucy's. It wasn't his lovely partner in crime that was freaking out about it all, but instead, it was Bickslow. The tables had turned, and for the past two nights when they'd called each other before Lucy went to bed, she'd had to tell him that everything would be fine.
If Laxus hadn't calmed Bickslow down with a hit to the jaw that still made him ache just a little bit (surprisingly, it hadn't been that hard, and he was glad it wasn't bruised or even broken), then he really would have left. Bickslow knew Laxus had been sick of all of his incessant worrying and acting miserable because he was away from Lucy and Ingrid (Bickslow was still trying to forget the ride to the airport in the first place, where all Mira and Laxus had done was tease him about his goodbye), and the man had done his best to calm him down; partly because he hated it and it was annoying, and partly because Bickslow had a job to do and he didn't have time to be worrying. It was the hard truth.
But throughout the day, all Bickslow could think of was what Lucy was doing. He just couldn't help it. By the time the last event for the trip had finished though, no one could have stopped Bickslow from quickly going back to their hotel and packing up all of his clothes and getting on the first flight back to Magnolia. He didn't want to have to wait until the next morning to see Lucy, and he didn't want to call her that night either. He just wanted to see her, and be home so he could hold his daughter.
The only problem was that every single flight just kept getting pushed further and further back, and Bickslow was stuck sitting at the airport and waiting for the damn plane he needed to be on. Sure, he probably should have told Lucy that he was coming home early, but between doing his best to get the hell out of Crocus and away from all of the sharks that ran the business world he apparently lived and breathed in, he just hadn't had the time. Then, when he'd been waiting in those god-awful chairs at the airport, it had just been a matter of his phone being off to conserve the battery. He hadn't charged it since the night before, and he'd been using it non-stop throughout the day.
He wasn't supposed to be getting back to Magnolia in the middle of the night, but he had, and there was nothing he could have done about it. Thankfully, though, the trip from the airport to their apartment wasn't that long of a drive, and even though both Lucy and Ingrid would be asleep, he felt himself relax just a little as he looked up to the marquee out the front. Being away for just a few days – away from his family – was something he did not enjoy.
Bickslow paid his taxi driver, and sluggishly lifted his suitcase from the boot of the car before dropping it to the quiet sidewalk, only the stray intoxicated person seen walking the streets between clubs. As he walked into the main lobby, pulling the suitcase behind him with one hand and finally undoing his tie that he'd only loosened earlier with the other, and smiled to the night guard that manned the floor. Bickslow always supposed it was nice that their apartment building had the odd guard at night, and from what he could tell, they all seemed to know most of the building's residents. It was just a little relieving to know that his kids would be growing up in what he assumed to be a safe building, if they even grew up there at all. They had the spare room, but still, they'd never really discussed moving to a different place, not when all of their friends were in the same building.
But as he finally got into the elevator and it began its slow ascent to the twenty-fourth floor, he felt his lids get heavy and he fought to keep them open. He was so close, and he was certain that as soon as his head hit the pillow of his own bed, he was going to crash. He just hoped he didn't disturb Lucy too much, if at all.
Lucy's eyes were trained on the glowing television screen in front of her, but she wasn't watching it. She just needed something to break the silence in the apartment. Mira was long gone, having left earlier that evening to go and get her own son sorted out and ready for bed, and Ingrid had long since been put to bed. All had been quiet in the place Lucy called home, but every night, she couldn't have helped but notice it wasn't quite the same without Bickslow. It just didn't really feel like home, and that night, the feeling was stronger than usual.
It had been so quiet that Lucy had hoped that Ingrid would wake up, just so Lucy wouldn't be alone with the thoughts she couldn't silence. She'd even debated waking the infant up, but it had been a fleeting thought as she realized just how ridiculous it had been. So she left her daughter to sleep in peace, undisturbed like she did most nights, and how Lucy knew she should have been.
It was nearly one o'clock in the morning, but Lucy just couldn't sleep. She'd just sat there on the lounge, her legs crossed under her and one hand resting gently on her belly. She couldn't move, couldn't do anything but stare with her eyes slightly glazed over. She was tired, undoubtedly, but she couldn't shut off her mind enough to finally let sleep claim her. She knew she needed to as well, but it didn't matter how much she told herself she needed to curl up in the bed she'd been sleeping alone in for the last three days and close her eyes, because it just didn't work.
How was she supposed to sleep when all she could do was worry? Her mind was flurry of thoughts and emotions. Panic was the one at the forefront, and she let it consume her. Mira had tried to calm her down earlier, tried to tell her that everything would be fine and okay, but it just hadn't worked. Hell, Lucy had tried telling herself a million times over that everything would work out, but that hadn't worked either.
She knew it didn't really matter how many times she told herself, or anyone could tell her the exact same thing, because she only really needed Bickslow to tell her. If Bickslow told her that everything would be fine, then it would be. He promised her that everything would be okay, and even though she had told him time and time again that it wasn't a promise he could actually make, she still needed him to come through on it.
She needed the reassurance; the hope. She needed Bickslow to be there for her, because she couldn't do any of it alone. Not now, not ever.
When she heard the faint sound of keys in the lock, Lucy suddenly looked up and her brow became furrowed as she stared to the door in the dark. She was confused, but she was glad. Even if it was just because her mind was currently preoccupied with wondering who was at her door, it was a break from all of the thoughts she hadn't been able to shut off. The future, their lives… What she was going to do. Everything. She needed a break from all of that, because she could see that not being able to stop thinking about it was just making her situation all the more worse.
But then the door slowly opened, and a hand reached out to flick the light switch just by the door. Lucy blinked as the room lit up and the warm glow filled the space. When she saw Bickslow running a hand through his slightly dishevelled hair, she could only stare in wonder. "Bicks?" she whispered.
It only took him a few seconds to realize that Lucy was sitting on the lounge and the T.V. was on a soft volume, and as he dropped his keys to the table by the door and closed it gently, he turned to look at his girlfriend. "What are you even doing up?" he asked, foregoing the greeting and doing his best to refrain from jumping over the back of the lounge to tackle her and pull her into his arms. It didn't help that he didn't have the energy to do it anyway.
"I… I couldn't sleep," she mumbled. "What are you even doing back? I thought you were getting in tomorrow?"
"Decided to leave after the last event at the conference, but then the flights were delayed for a few hours," Bickslow said as he shrugged. It was only then did he notice just how different Lucy seemed. Her eyes while turned towards him didn't seem to see him at all; they had a distant far off look. Her chestnut eyes seemed dull; listless and sunk in. He watched as Lucy turned her sightless eyes back to the T.V., slipping back into whatever trance like state she had been in before he came home. A sense of unease settled deep in his chest as he took in the shaken and dazed sight of his girlfriend. Something wasn't right.
Bickslow noticed the tension she seemed to hold in her shoulders and watched as she pulled her lower lip between her teeth to worry it as she slipped further into her own head.
"Hey, Lucy, is everything alright?" he asked softly.
"Um… I…" Lucy looked down to Bickslow as he crouched down in front of her, and for the first time that night, Lucy found she could actually focus on something other than her own tumultuous thoughts. She could feel her worry easing only slightly as she looked into the crimson eyes that were swimming with fear. Her brow only became more furrowed as her lips turned down into a soft frown. It was so simple to say, only a few words, really, but she just couldn't for some reason.
Maybe she was scared? Maybe it was because she was scared of what Bickslow's reaction would be… Maybe she was worried about Bickslow not being able to keep his promise.
When she trailed off, Bickslow could feel his worst fears bubbling up to the surface, and already, it was like someone was taking a knife to his chest and was pressing it directly into his heart. No, no, no… anything but that… He just didn't want to believe that's what it was all about. But as he quickly glanced down to hand that she had resting on her abdomen, he took her free hand between both of his and looked back up. "Lucy, did something happen… with the baby?" he whispered, afraid that if he spoke any louder that his voice would crack. It hurt to ask, the thought that they may have lost the baby causing his heart to stutter in its rhythm. As much as he didn't want to ask, it had to be done.
"W-Well, no…"
He dropped his head with a loud sigh of relief. He could feel it wash over him and the knife in his heart was no longer being twisted. "Jesus Christ, Cosplayer," he muttered as he slowly stood. "Don't scare me like that." The baby was what he'd been worrying the most about, and just hearing Lucy say that nothing had happened eased almost all of his worries.
As long as it was happy and healthy – which he still hoped it was – it was all that mattered. Everything else he could get through. They would get through whatever the world threw at them together, as the little family they were.
As he pulled Lucy to her feet gently, he picked up the remote to switch the television off with his other hand. "Come on," he said softly as he pressed a kiss to her forehead when she stood, that same far-off and slightly distressing look returning to her eyes. "You can tell me everything – good or bad, though I'm hoping not terrible – in bed, because right now, I'm exhausted." All he wanted to do was curl up with his girlfriend and listen about her day and how the ultrasound went.
Lucy nodded silently before Bickslow turned and began to walk towards the bedroom, leaving his suitcase next to the bench. His words echoed in her head over and over again. Not terrible. Not terrible. Not terrible. Lucy knew her news wasn't terrible, but in truth, she didn't know if it was good or bad. She wouldn't know until she told Bickslow.
And it was really only a few words, and then it would be out there, she'd know just whether it was good or bad news. She desperately wanted it to be good, but she was terrified of it ending up being bad. Lucy's fear of his reaction to the words she wanted to, but at the same time didn't want to say were gripping her heart and stealing her breath.
But she had to put that fear aside. She had to put every worrying thought that had slowly wormed its way back to the front of her mind and dominated her thoughts aside. She had to the say those words. It really shouldn't be hard at all, but it was. Her tongue suddenly felt thick in her mouth that may as well have been sandpaper for the dryness in her throat.
With a quiet breath, the blonde steeled herself to say them, and as she looked down to her hands that she'd begun to wring together, she closed her eyes and hoped for the best. "It's twins…" she said barely above a whisper.
She waited for something – a curse, a shout, anything – but time seemed to slow down. She'd briefly wondered if she hadn't said it loud enough for Bickslow to hear, and she hoped that was the reason for the near deafening silence that filled the room again. But as she peeked her eyes open just to see if Bickslow was looking at her in shock or maybe disbelief, she saw the blue-and-black haired man fall forwards with a loud thud in the hall.
"B-Bickslow!" Lucy's eyes went wide as she let out a shriek, and quickly crossed the distance to kneel in front of where Bickslow had gone down. "H-Hey, Bicks…" she whispered. She lifted a hand to gently comb through his hair, and as she looked down to him with the side of his face pressed into the hardwood floors, she let out a quiet sigh as the corners of her mouth lifted up into a soft smile.
Sure, she was still worried as hell about what Bickslow would think and whether they'd be able handle having twins – considering Ingrid was only going to only really be a little over a year by the time they were born – and whether or not he'd stick by her (because she really couldn't do any of it on her own), but Lucy hadn't quite expected him to pass out. It just wasn't the reaction she'd expected, and she really couldn't help but find it a little entertaining.
Thankfully, though, it wasn't that long before Bickslow finally regained consciousness. A minute or two at most, and when he did finally wake up, he became aware of Lucy running her fingers through his hair and an almost sharp pain in his jaw. Again. He figured it had something to do with the fact that he currently had his face against the floor, and it just happened to be the same side Laxus had socked him on earlier.
As he slowly began to get his bearings again, pushing himself up slightly with a groan to sit up with his back against the wall and his legs out in front of him, he remembered the words he'd barely heard just before he assumed to have passed out.
Twins.
He turned his head to look at the blonde, her lip between her teeth and anxiously looking at him. He could feel his heart begin to race, and he was sure it was because he was freaking the fuck out. "D-Did you…" he whispered, his brow furrowed as he tried to figure out if he'd even heard it correctly in the first place. "Did you say…?"
"Twins," Lucy finished for him, her face slightly contorted as she prepared for the worst. "I'm, uh… well, I guess we are… having twins."
"As in… two?"
Lucy couldn't help but smile again. She could see him processing it, and the fear on his face was strangely adorable. "As in two," she echoed.
Bickslow nodded. "Huh…" Two babies. Two. Fucking. Babies. Plus Ingrid, and considering Ingrid was still going to be a baby herself, they would have three babies. They would have three babies at the same time. Was there anything about that concept that wasn't terrifying? Because Bickslow couldn't find it. He was still trying to get over the fear of being a father to Ingrid in the first place, and then the baby that Lucy was carrying. But now there was another one? Just how could that happen? "Um, how is that even possible?" he asked as he looked up again. "I mean, the last, what? Three scans? Pretty sure there was just one in there, and I'm pretty sure they can't just randomly multiply…" Or can they? He had to mentally shake his head to dislodge the somewhat worrying conclusion that they were somehow having a mutant baby.
Lucy had actually asked the exact same question once her doctor had announced that she was not just pregnant with one, but two babies. Hell, it apparently explained a few slightly 'abnormal' test results, too. "Well, apparently one can be hidden behind the other, and if they're not looking for multiples, then they can occasionally be overlooked," she explained, continuing to watch Bickslow's face for any changes. But instead, he just remained almost… stoic. He just stared at her, but she didn't think he was actually looking at her. Oh god. Have I broken him? "Are you… Are you okay?" she whispered, shifting forwards slightly.
Bickslow only turned his head to stare at the wall in front of him. He was still trying to wrap his head around it all, but it was doing so slowly. Panicked didn't even begin to come close to describe what he was feeling, but was he okay? Yeah… Yeah, he was okay. Two babies. Two fucking babies.
A slow smile split his lips as he turned back to Lucy, and he nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm okay," he whispered, and the instant he saw her shoulders drop as she let go of all that tension – he realised she'd been holding because of him – he let out a quiet chuckle. "I'm even more terrified than I was before, but I'm okay." He lent over to cup her cheek with one hand and then lightly pressed his lips to hers.
"Are you sure?" Lucy whispered, lifting her eyes to meet Bickslow's.
"Positive." And he really was okay, because like one of their trusty neighbours had said, 'the best things in life are those that are unexpected,' and she couldn't have been more right. Everything in that world had been unexpected, and Bickslow loved all of it. From Lucy, to Ingrid, to the baby that turned out to be babies; all of it had come as a surprise starting with that one morning, and they really were the best things in his life.
And as Bickslow leaned in to kiss her again, Lucy felt the rest of her worries dissolve into nothing. That was what she had needed; she had needed to know that Bickslow was okay with it all and that the man she loved would still be by her side with everything. Sure, she was still terrified about the prospect of having twins, but that was okay. She'd been terrified about having a baby in the first place. Her fear had only been upped… Slightly.
"We can do this, right?" she murmured as she pulled away slightly, their lips only barely touching with her arms lazily looped around his neck. It was just that last reassurance she needed. She needed to know that they could do it all.
"Of course we can." That was one thing Bickslow could say without a single doubt in his mind, because he knew that they would. And really, it was only because he knew Lucy could. Lucy could do anything, and it was just one of the many reasons that made her so amazing and why he was in love with her. He was really just there to support her, and that he could do. It was why he knew they'd get through it, and he had hard proof that they could. They had survived in a brand new world with a baby. Hell, they were still surviving, but Bickslow was entirely convinced it was all because of Lucy.
If he hadn't woken up in that bed next to her, he didn't think he'd be happy. Bickslow was only a little ashamed to admit that he was useless when it came to most things, but when it came to the entire domestic life, it was a different story. He'd never thought it to be a life he'd enjoy – not for a while, anyway – but Bickslow believed if he hadn't had Lucy there with him to help him adjust and learn about the life that they'd been thrown into, then he wouldn't enjoy it as much as he did. They'd learnt about everything they needed to know together, and learning how to cope with newborn twins and a fourteen-month old was just something else they'd do together.
Bickslow just liked to believe that they could do anything together, because they were a family. Albeit weird, and granted, not as small as he'd thought it to be only half an hour earlier, but they were a family, and families got through everything together.
"Now," Bickslow slowly pushed himself to stand, and he steadied himself against the wall he'd been leaning on with one hand when his head began to spin slightly. The exhaustion was coming back as he felt his lids get heavy again and the urge to crash intensified, having only forgotten about it in his brief moment of complete shock. "I'm still exhausted," he continued, a hand reaching down to help pull Lucy to her feet. "And you know Ingrid likes to wake up early, so we both need to go to bed."
"I know," she said with a sigh of defeat. If anything, her daughter had a knack for waking up extra early when her parents had gone to bed much later than usual.
"I'll be in in a minute. Just let me turn off the lights."
She nodded as she turned and slowly headed down the hall, and suddenly, she could feel her desire to sleep catching up with her. It was no secret she'd been going to bed far earlier than she usually had in the last few weeks, but this was late, even by her standards. She felt dead on her feet, and she knew it was because she wasn't worrying and fretting about everything anymore.
It was all because of Bickslow, really. So quickly, and with just a few words, he had eased her worries and stopped her from having a panic attack she could feel was coming. But he'd calmed her down with just a few words that she knew were true, because she believed in Bickslow with everything she had. He'd been the one to get her through everything up to that point, and she knew he'd be the one to get her through everything else. So if he said that they could do it, then she believed him.
She just knew she didn't have anything to worry about. Not when Bickslow was there to help her through it all.
When Bickslow finally climbed into his side of the bed only a few minutes later after switching off the lamp on his nightstand, he sighed in content as his head hit the soft pillow. "I missed you," he muttered, his eyes closing when he could no longer keep them open.
"Me or the bed?"
"Both," Bickslow chuckled tiredly before he reached out in the dark to snake his arm around her waist and pull her close to him, moving the pillow forward slightly as he met her in the middle of the distance. "I did miss you though," he whispered, leaning forward to press a kiss to her cheek.
"I missed you too," she replied with a soft smile. She really had missed him though, even if it really had just been three days. When she'd spent every second of every day with him for the last couple of weeks in the same small apartment, she'd gotten used to him constantly being around.
Just when Lucy was sure that their conversation was over and that they were both finally going to get the sleep they both needed (greatly), she was gently and quickly rolled onto her back. "What the hell are you doing now?" she mumbled, only letting out a quiet giggle when she felt Bickslow shifting on the mattress next to her to instead use her belly as a pillow, rather than his actual pillow. "You alright there?" she asked, folding the heavy quilt back so she could thread her fingers through the hair that felt far too soft.
"I'm superb," he murmured with a lazy grin. Bickslow only lifted his head enough to gently roll her shirt up – something he knew she was fine with – before lowering his head again and pressing a light kiss to her belly. It was something he'd come to enjoy far too much, and he was sure that if anyone found out just how much of a softy he was with the entire pregnancy thing, he'd never hear the end of it. Especially from Laxus. "How are our babies though?"
"Which ones?" Because technically, she had a few.
"All of them," he replied. "Including you." Lucy was his baby. Without a doubt.
She sighed, only pausing slightly to smile down softly at the dim image of Bickslow resting his head on her. "Well, Ingrid's fine. Mira and Claire helped out a lot with her while you were in Crocus. Since I'm included, I'm also fine. More fine now that you're here."
"And these two?" He couldn't curb the concern that started to build up again. Maybe something was wrong with them, and maybe that was why she'd left them for last. He sure hoped not.
She smiled again. "The twins are fine. Everything is good. Happy and healthy."
"Good," he murmured before turning his head again to lightly press kisses all over her stomach, his hands gently holding on to her hips as he felt her giggle beneath him. "And you better stay that way," he said between kisses. "Because I really don't want to be having a heart attack before I'm thirty."
"You're an idiot sometimes," she giggled. A cute idiot, but an idiot nonetheless.
Bickslow sat up again to climb up her body, instead moving so he was kneeling over her hips as he fixed her shirt, and then leaned down to take her face in his hands. "Yeah, but right now, I'm your idiot," he murmured, his grin only disappearing as he claimed her lips. Damn, he'd missed that, and it had only been three days. He didn't know what he was going to do if he ended up having to take any more business trips.
"I suppose so…"
"But hey, guess what."
"What?" Lucy asked, her interest suddenly peaking again.
Another wide grin split his face as he looked down to his girlfriend in the dim light coming from the only window in the room. "We're having twins," he said. Bickslow didn't know what it was, but suddenly, he was feeling a whole lot more excited about it all. Sure, he was still terrified – which he reasoned any parent would be – but he was feeling pretty fucking ecstatic right now.
Maybe it was the prospect of having two more tiny humans that were just like Ingrid, because he really did love Ingrid more than anything in the entire world, or maybe it was because his family was going to be that little bit bigger. He just didn't know.
All Bickslow did know, was that he really could not wait for the next six-months to fly by so he could hold the two other tiny humans that would dominate his life.
"Come on already."
"Don't push me," Lucy grumbled in response as she pulled open yet another drawer in her wardrobe and began lifting up folded shirts.
Bickslow rolled his eyes before he walked into the room and fell back down onto the bed behind Lucy. "Cosplayer takes far too long to get ready," he said to the smiling infant on his chest. "Oh? What's that you say? You say it doesn't matter what she wears? Well, Ingrid, I have to agree with you on that one."
"Oh, shut up, Bicks," Lucy mumbled before she tugged the blouse she was currently wearing off and threw it into another drawer, only to pull on a plain black singlet. She stepped to the side to look at herself in the mirror, and she frowned as she began to fiddle with the hem of her shirt where it sat over the grey maxi skirt. "This doesn't work eith—"
She was cut off by a groan from the former Seith mage, and looked to him in the mirror as he sat up. "Baby, you look fine."
"I just feel fat though…" she mumbled, turning to the side as a hand smoothed over her bump. She knew she wasn't fat – at all – because she quite obviously was having a baby (or two, as it turns out). She just couldn't curb that feeling to throw on an oversized sweater and swelter, just so she could hide it until she had to tell everyone. It was almost an inconvenience that she was more comfortable in the more form-fitting clothes, especially shirts.
And of course, those form-fitting clothes just happened to perfectly show off her growing belly.
Bickslow got up from the bed and moved Ingrid to the one arm as he walked over to the wardrobe against one wall, and slowly began pushing all of the open drawers closed, and sliding the mirrored doors closed. "Lucy," he said softly as he came up beside her, his free arm going around her waist as he leaned down to press a light kiss to her cheek. "You're not, and you know it."
She frowned as she looked in the mirror again. "I know, but—"
"No buts. You look perfect." Before she could get a word in to try and say she wasn't perfect (even though Bickslow was sure it would be an argument he would win, because she was perfect. To him, anyway), he quickly bent down to capture her lips in a chaste kiss, only pulling back with a slight smirk. "Now come on. Ingrid may have had her breakfast, but I'm starving, and I'm pretty sure if you get changed one more time, we'll be late."
"Fine, fine…" Lucy sighed in defeat before she fiddled with the hem of her shirt once again, making sure it was comfortable as she lightly tugged at the fabric.
Bickslow was right, as he always was, and they really would be late if she did change one more time. They were pushing it as was, because they were supposed to be going to Laxus and Mira's apartment for breakfast, and they would probably be the last ones to arrive as it was, and that was saying something.
The group get-togethers had been something they'd decided to do on a monthly basis, as a sort of anniversary. The previous month, it had been dinner at the restaurant, at which Levy had suddenly gone into labour. This month, though, it was something far simpler, and that was only because Bickslow and Lucy had mentioned something to the hosts about announcing their pregnancy. And of course, they were expecting all hell to break loose. At least if it was in a private setting, there would be no scenes to be made.
It just seemed fitting they do it then anyway, because it was only a few days past having been in that world for exactly two months, and at nearly eleven weeks along, Lucy really did have no choice in telling people.
But she was okay with finally letting everyone know, because she knew the babies were okay. Everything was fine and looking good. They were happy and healthy, and she was finally allowed to come off her house arrest. Though, she still did have to take it easy, but that was fine. She could do that. If anything, she was just glad about finally being able to pick her daughter up again.
When they stepped into the elevator, Lucy with her bag over her shoulder with her own and Ingrid's things, and Bickslow holding Ingrid in one arm and holding one of the tiki dolls in the other hand, she let out a shaky breath as she watched the floors light up at the top of the doors.
27… 28… 29…
Bickslow looked down then and seeing Lucy's face, he quickly reached out to pull the emergency stop on the elevator. Lucy looked up as the lights dimmed and they came to a stop, and she looked to Bickslow in confusion.
"We don't have to tell them if you don't want to," Bickslow said. He could see what was going through her mind, the unease set on her face only barely. He wouldn't blame Lucy if she didn't want to tell anyone just yet, because it was a huge thing. If she needed more time, then Bickslow didn't care; he didn't care if people knew or not, in all honesty. As long as Lucy was happy, and if it would make her happy to keep it just between them and the few other people who knew about the baby (because Mira was still the only other person outside of themselves who knew it was actually twins), then Bickslow just wouldn't mind. "We can just go home—"
"No," Lucy said with another sigh before she reached out to take Ingrid from Bickslow's arms and pull her against her chest. "I want to tell them… I just…" She looked down to the angelic face of her daughter against her shoulder, and she smiled softly. I can't wait until the other two will be here… "I'm worried about what everyone else will think," she said quietly. "I mean, what if… What if they think we're making a mistake? What if they all say it's a bad idea… And what if…" What if I change my mind?
It was the the truth though. She was so nervous about what their reactions would be that it was beginning to scare her. She could feel her chest tighten and she was sure her hands would be shaking if she wasn't holding on to Ingrid. Lucy didn't want to believe that that's what her friends would do, but she could see it happening. More than anything, though, she didn't want to believe that all of their doubts would wear off on her and convince her of what she couldn't help but admit had been a thought at the very back of her mind the entire time.
What if it really was a bad idea? What if they weren't doing the right thing?
Bickslow could see what was happening though, and it was making his own worry mount. The only difference was that his was about Lucy, not their friends. It was just another thing Bickslow couldn't care less about, because to him, it just didn't matter what anyone else thought. "Hey, come on," he said as he wound his arms around her, smiling softly at her as she looked up from Ingrid. "Don't worry about what everyone else thinks. It's not their life, it's ours. No one else matters, because as long as this is what you and I want, they can all go fuck themselves."
Lucy smiled as a quiet huff of laughter escaped. "I suppose…" she whispered. "I'm still nervous though." And she was. It didn't matter how right Bickslow was – because it really didn't matter what everyone else thought, as long as she believed she was doing the right thing, which she did for the most part – because she still worried about what their reactions would be. She'd already figured out that they would automatically assume that her and Bickslow were an item (which they were), and that they'd think that they were sleeping together (which they weren't), thus ending with her being pregnant… But really, that just wasn't the case at all, and she knew it was going to take a bit to explain the entire conundrum to her less than mastermind friends… Or just Natsu, really.
"I'm nervous too," Bickslow said with a grin.
"Don't worry, Erza doesn't have any swords here."
"I wasn't worried about her until now, so thanks for that," he chuckled, feeling his heart almost skip a beat at that sparkle in her chocolate eyes. It was just another one of the countless things that made him love her all the more. "I'm worried about not being able to stop myself from punching Natsu in the face." Because really, he still wanted the punch the guy, even though he hadn't seen him since that time he'd made Lucy cry. He was still entirely convinced Natsu was going to say something stupid, and he still really, really wanted to hit the guy.
Lucy took a sip from her glass of orange juice before placing it back down on the table and looking back down to Ingrid on her lap, all while trying to figure out just what it was that had the juice tasting slightly different. The infant had strategically been placed on her lap, rather than in the high-chair that Mira had found they had from when Blake was obviously younger, or with Bickslow. She was essentially using her daughter as a blockade until she was ready to make the announcement, and as everyone got close to finishing eating, she knew it was getting close. It was still a bit of a mystery as to how no one had seen it or commented on the fact she was, well… Definitely not as skinny as she had been the last time everyone had seen her.
For the time being, though, she was just enjoying the company. Even Levy and Gajeel had made it with their twins, and it was the first time they'd been out since Ellis and Emery had been born, so not only was Lucy enjoying being out of the house, but Levy was too.
She sat at the corner of the large table in the penthouse apartment. Bickslow sat just next to her on the shorter end, and the empty high-chair sat between them right on the corner. Levy sat next to her, currently rocking her son as Juvia hovered just over the two and cooed, and Bickslow sat next to Gajeel who was holding his daughter. Lucy couldn't help but smile at the hushed conversation Bickslow and Gajeel seemed to be having, mainly because it was about newborns. Lucy found it incredibly endearing just how much Bickslow was getting into the entire thing, and she was convinced that her boyfriend knew more about newborns and babies than she did. He'd spent far too much time reading up and researching all he could about how to look after them, because undoubtedly, a nearly seven-month old was in a whole different ballpark.
It was seeing that that made Lucy all the more convinced that they could do it all – the three kids who were all going to be under the age of two at some point – and that it was the right idea. He was like a giant kid himself when it came to his excitement over it all, and Lucy would be lying if it wasn't contagious. The more excited Bickslow got, the more she felt the same.
She really was absolutely ecstatic about it all, and Bickslow really was right; it didn't matter what everyone else thought, because ultimately, it was their life and no one else's. Everyone else be damned.
"Hey, Mira, did you do something different with the orange juice today?"
Lucy was brought from her thoughts and tore her gaze away from Bickslow and Gajeel just next to her to look to the youngest Strauss at the opposite end of the table.
Mira looked quizzically to her sister. "No. Why?" she asked, only before reaching for the pitcher that was only half-full and pouring some into an empty glass.
"It just tastes a little weird, that's all," Lisanna said, only to receive a few nods in agreement.
It was only then did a certain brunette affix a smirk to her lips as she slowly sipped from her own glass, and watching her suspiciously, Mira took a sip. Lucy could feel the dread rise within her as she watched Mira try to pinpoint just what was different about it.
"Cana…" Mira said as she scowled at the snickering brunette just a few seats away from her.
"What?" Cana replied as a collective groan was heard around the table. "Levy doesn't even like orange juice, so what's the big deal? No one will get hurt," she defended herself, shrugging as everyone stared at her in disappointment. Trust Cana to spike everyone's breakfast drinks.
Including Lucy's.
She could feel Bickslow's eyes on her, and she turned to give him a reassuring smile as she nodded, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm fine," she whispered. It was less than one drink, and she'd only had a few sips from the juice as it was. I'll be fine… Nothing will happen… The babies are fine… Just fine. A few sips wasn't going to do anything. It was what she told herself over and over in her head as everyone went back to chatting away amongst themselves quietly.
But then she cleared her throat as she pushed her glass just a little bit further away. "Speaking of spiked juice…" Lucy said, garnering everyone's attention and forcing all eyes to her. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to announce it all, really. "We have a bit of an announcement."
"We?" Gray echoed.
Lucy smiled softly. "Bickslow and I," she said. "Well, we're um… Well, I am…" She could feel her heart begin to race again as she briefly glanced down to Ingrid in her lap. Come on, Lucy. It's like ripping off a band-aid. Just say it already. She took a deep steadying breath before she looked back up, and with another smile, she finally said, "I'm pregnant."
Mira squealed, Laxus remained indifferent, Levy and Gajeel only smiled slightly, and everyone else just… well, they mostly just looked to her in shock. Natsu kept scarfing down bacon and sliced potatoes, and Cana spat out her juice. "Bicks knocked you up already?!" the brunette shouted.
"I-I… No," Bickslow mumbled, his eyes going wide as the rest of Lucy's team turned their attention to him (not including Natsu), and when he locked eyes with Erza, he pushed his chair back on the tiled floor only slightly. He was convinced the scarlet-haired woman could do a hell of a lot of damage with just a butter knife, and he was suddenly realising just how close he was sitting to her, given that she was next to Gajeel and opposite Lucy. "It wasn't… me. I mean, it was, but… Oh, fuck this. This is too hard."
Lucy let out a light giggle as Bickslow dropped his face to his palm, shaking his head slightly. She knew that she'd be stuck having to explain it, but that was okay. She couldn't help but feel relieved to be getting it all out, regardless of everyone's opinions. "What he's trying to say is that it was this world's Bickslow, meaning the us of this world… The babies would have been conceived just before we got here," she said, a light dusting on pink on her cheeks.
"So you two… aren't…?" Erza asked as she narrowed her eyes at the former Seith mage, only glancing to the blonde beside him.
"No," Lucy said.
"Not that that's anyone's business," Bickslow mumbled as he kept his head down.
There was a moment of awkward silence as everyone just stared at them, but there was nothing Lucy could do about it. She needed them to yell or freak out or ask something, just so she could answer or explain something. She had to but her anxiety down for the moment, because she knew that once it was all over, she'd be okay.
"Wait… Hang on…" Laxus suddenly said as Lucy turned to lift Ingrid into the high-chair just between herself and Bickslow, and then she turned to face him. His brow was furrowed as he stared down the table. "Did you just say babies?" He had to have misheard it.
Lucy smiled again. "Yup. Turns out it's twins," she giggled. "Found that out a few days ago, actually."
There was another round of gasping and choking, and that was from everyone on the table, excluding Mira. Bickslow only turned his head from where he had it in his palm when Gajeel began to pat his shoulder, a mischievous smirk on his lips as he looked to his friend.
"I'm sure it's just a food baby."
Everyone fell silent then as they all turned their attention to Natsu who was still feeding his face. He had barely stopped at all the entire time, and Lucy hadn't minded. Not until that moment, anyway. "Natsu, I can guarantee you that it is not a food baby," she said softly, glaring at her best friend who sat just across from her. She knew Bickslow had wanted to punch him, but now, she did.
Maybe it was the hormones that were making her crazy? Probably. She didn't care much.
"Probably is," Natsu mumbled as he shrugged, still barely looking up. "It's not like you've been doing anything these last few weeks."
Lucy sighed before she turned to Bickslow, who was stuck just glaring at the pink-haired idiot. She could feel her anger rising, and as everyone just stared in shock, trying to figure out if he was actually as dense as he seemed most of the time, she forced herself to remain calm. She was not going to cry. At all. "Bicks? Baby?" she whispered, grabbing his attention as she smiled softly at him.
She didn't even need to say anything else for Bickslow to figure out she was giving him permission to actually hit the guy, and that was enough to have Bickslow grinning and ignoring the sniggering from the former Dragon Slayer next to him, and the even more confused looks from those around them (after all, she'd pretty much just hinted that there was in fact something going on between them, not that he cared at all).
Quickly, though, he pushed his chair back on the tiled floor and got up. His long legs quickly had him closing the distance between himself and where Natsu sat between Gray and Erza, and with everyone's eyes on him, he quickly pulled Natsu's chair out with him on it. He'd seemed to only notice that Bickslow was behind him once his chair had been moved, and before he could question it, Bickslow's fist had hit the side of his jaw hard and sent him toppling over.
Erza tried her best to hide her smirk, as did Gray; Gajeel and Laxus did nothing in the way of hiding their amusement, with Laxus actually chuckling quietly.
"What the fuck?!" Natsu screamed as he scrambled up from the ground, rubbing his jaw and glaring at Bickslow.
But the former Seith mage ignored it, instead walking back around to his own chair. "Thanks for that," he mumbled, a smirk on his lips as he leaned over just enough to lightly kiss Lucy's cheek. He didn't care that more than half the people at the table were staring at him in shock still.
And neither did Lucy, though she did blush just a little bit. It was just something else she had to finish explaining, and she was perfectly fine with that. She knew for certain that her morning was far from done, and it was nowhere near being as stressful as it would be. "You're welcome."