Not a secret anymore
Disclaimer: They`re not mine. Not making any profit with them. Just having fun.
It was early morning in the Kingdom, the sunlight streaming through the open window of the bedroom that Ezekiel shared with his wife Carol. Outside, the birds were chirping but aside from that it was still relatively quiet. Ezekiel loved this time of the day, indulging in his most favorite pastime – watching his wife sleep. His pregnant wife. It`s been about a month since Carol revealed to him that they were expecting a child and there were still moments that he couldn`t believe they`ve been granted such a miracle.
Smiling, his eyes wandered over her sleeping form. In their relationship Carol had usually been the one to wake up first, but lately this has changed, giving Ezekiel the opportunity to just look at her, study all the small changes that her body went through. To anyone else there wouldn`t be anything visible just yet, the pregnancy still too early for her to show. But there were some subtle changes, noticeable only by him.
They`d made tender love last night and now Carol was lying next to him naked, on her back with one hand next to her head, the other one on her belly. She was gorgeous, completely relaxed in her sleep, a tiny smile curving her lips. Ezekiel reached out to brush a strand of hair from her face, careful not to wake her. His fingertips softly caressed her cheek, then slid down her neck, over her chest and stomach. Resting his hand on her hip, he leaned forward to place a kiss on the almost indiscernible bump low on her belly.
With a deep sigh, Carol stretched her body, slowly coming awake.
"Good morning."
She opened her eyes to her husband`s loving face. Rolling to her side, she reached for his dreads to pull him in for a kiss.
"Hey you."
Carol carefully sat up, looking at him expectantly. With a small chuckle, Ezekiel reached over and took a plate with some cookies from the nightstand, handing it over to his wife. She immediately started munching on them. Morning sickness had been hard on her for a while, making her dash out of bed and into the bathroom every morning like clockwork. The doctor had suggested she should try to eat something while still in bed and thankfully it kept the nausea at bay. Though it still sometimes hit her during the day, it has become a lot more bearable.
"Today is doctor`s day again."
Ezekiel was excited. He couldn`t wait to finally see his child, the development it made since Carol`s first ultrasound about a month ago. Maybe they would even find out whether it was a boy or a girl. Carol found his excitement endearing. So far, he had kept his promise not to let anyone in on their secret, but she knew he was dying to shout it out to the world. Well, she wouldn`t be able to hide it for long anymore anyhow, her body changing much faster than she remembered from her first pregnancy.
"I know."
Putting the plate aside, Carol snuggled up to him, not yet ready to leave their warm bed. She enjoyed every second they got to spend with each other alone, in each other`s arms, especially now. It all felt so different with Ezekiel by her side. Even though she wanted to have Sophia, loved her from the beginning despite all the circumstances, she`d been scared out of her mind throughout her pregnancy. Not now. With Ezekiel she felt loved and cherished.
Only when they heard their son Henry moving around in his room next to theirs, did they get out of bed, going about their morning routine.
After breakfast Carol and Ezekiel accompanied Henry to the Kingdom`s gates where Jerry and some of the other fighters were already waiting. They were about to go hunting and Henry was going with them. It wasn`t the first time and although they trusted Henry (and Jerry) to be careful outside, as his parents they always felt a little uneasy whenever he left the safety of the Kingdom.
Hugging her son, Carol said "Remember the rules. Stay with the group. No running off alone, no matter what happens!"
"I know, Mom, I promise."
"Be safe outside, my son. And may your hunting be very successful!"
Turning to his father, Henry hugged him as well.
"Thank you, Dad." He then ran off to join the others, taking his place on the wagon.
Ezekiel addressed Jerry. "Make sure you all come home safe and sound!"
"Will do, boss" Jerry replied with his usual happy grin on his face.
Carol and Ezekiel stood with their arms around each other and watched as the hunting party left the Kingdom, waving goodbye to Henry. They were so proud of him.
An hour later Carol was lying in the infirmary waiting for the ultrasound to be done. So far, the doctor was happy that she hadn`t lost any more weight since her last examination and that she was beginning to feel better. Ezekiel was standing next to her, almost bouncing on his feet like an impatient child. Carol tried to give him an annoyed look but failed miserably. How could she blame him for being happy and excited about their miracle child?
Carol was too, she just could handle her emotions a little better than him. Or at least that`s what she thought. But when the monitor came on, she grabbed Ezekiel`s hand, squeezing it tight. There it was, their perfect little baby, moving inside of her. She stared at it in wonder, a small tear sliding down her cheek. She brushed it away absentmindedly.
"This is all looking very good" the doctor said. "It´s growing as expected. I think we can confirm it`s about 14 weeks by now. That puts the expected date of birth into mid-February."
Ezekiel, too, was staring at the monitor. He`d been waiting for this moment for weeks, to finally see his child for the first time. They`d went to the doctor together after Carol told him that she was pregnant but as it was too early for an abdominal ultrasound she insisted on some privacy the first time. He`d been a little disappointed but didn`t argue. Now, he couldn`t take his eyes off.
"What about –" his voice sounded a little hoarse to his own ears, so Ezekiel cleared his throat and tried again "- what about the gender? Can you detect whether it is a boy or a girl already?"
The doctor slowly shook his head.
"I`m sorry, Your Majesty, but it still is a little early for that. Maybe in another month."
Carol looked up at her husband, again squeezing his hand that was still holding hers. He looked at her with a big smile on his face.
"Then we shall wait." He leaned down and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. "The most important thing is that you and the baby are okay."
After their visit in the infirmary, the King and Queen made a stroll around the Kingdom, politely chatting with some people along the way, before either of them went about their daily tasks. At lunch time, Ezekiel surprised his wife with some self-made sandwiches which they had together in the privacy of their royal garden.
It was summer and very warm outside, but the trees and bushes surrounding them shielded them from the sun, keeping the heat at bay and creating a perfect little sanctuary. It was quiet, the sounds from the Kingdom seeming far away. Lying comfortably in Ezekiel`s arms, Carol drifted off to sleep. Ezekiel would have loved to just lay back with her, taking a nap, but there was work to be done and so he carefully lifted her up and carried her to their bedroom.
When Carol woke up again it was early afternoon. After a short stop in the bathroom she decided to head over to the public kitchen where Nabila and her crew would be busy preparing the meals for dinner. She wanted to help. Stepping outside, the bright sun momentarily left her dizzy and a little nauseous but that didn`t stop Carol in her intentions. Taking deep breaths, she slowly made her way through the Kingdom.
At the kitchen she was greeted warmly by Nabila. The younger woman had become a close friend over the years and Carol enjoyed spending time with her. Nabila had just recently revealed her own pregnancy to Carol, not knowing that Jerry had spilled the news some weeks ago already. Carol had been a little sour about that because it ruined her own surprise for Ezekiel. Good thing poor Jerry didn`t know how close he came to having his ass kicked by Carol.
She snickered at the thought of Jerry going all pale. He was a big teddy bear who almost always had a smile on his face and who always tried his best to make everyone else happy, too. Although he wouldn`t hesitate to fight for the people he loved, he hated any form of argument. Knowing that the Queen, whom he deeply admired, was mad at him for some reason would probably bring him as close to tears as possible.
"What`s so funny?" Nabila asked.
"Oh, uhm, nothing."
Carol couldn`t contain the grin on her face but she wasn`t going to cause Jerry any trouble. Before Nabila could say anything more, Henry came rushing into the kitchen. Carol was relieved to see that he was back safe.
"Mom! Look what I got!"
The boy came to a stop right before her, waving a bunch of freshly caught fish in front of his mother`s face.
"I caught them on my own! Look how big they are! Can we have them for dinner tonight?" Henry was so excited that he didn`t notice his mother paling or taking a step backwards, swaying a little. But Nabila did.
"Is everything alright?"
Carol desperately tried to reign in the wave of nausea that hit her, but realized she wouldn`t be able to hold it in. Pressing a hand over her mouth she dashed out of the kitchen, leaving a very confused Henry and concerned Nabila behind. She barely made it outside before the remains of her lunch came out. Wiping her mouth, Carol turned around and found herself face to face with her son and her friend. Just great, she thought.
Henry still looked confused and also a little worried, not understanding what had just happened. Nabila instead had a funny look of surprise on her face, slowly realizing what was going on. It almost made Carol laugh out loud.
"Mom?"
Fixing her attention on Henry, Carol smiled at him reassuringly.
"I`m okay. Just felt a little sick. No need to worry. Come on, tell me about how you caught the fish."
Putting her arm around his shoulder, she led Henry back into the kitchen. When she passed Nabila, she almost imperceptibly shook her head, silently asking her not to say anything. Nabila nodded in understanding, a huge knowing smile on her face. It was okay, Carol knew her secret would be safe with her.
After dinner, Carol and Ezekiel were relaxing on their beloved couch in the garden as they did almost every night during summer. They had grilled Henry`s fish for dinner together with some potatoes and other vegetables, agreeing that it was an excellent meal for a perfect summer night. Henry was happy that his parents were proud of him. They always were but today it felt special to him. Ezekiel had even allowed him to grill the fish himself – under his father`s watchful eyes, of course. Now Henry was in the kitchen cleaning up the dishes, giving his parents some time alone. They were surprised at his offering but didn`t argue.
Carol was sitting with her back against the armrest, her naked feet in Ezekiel`s lap. As soon as Henry had disappeared inside, she told Ezekiel what happened earlier that day in the kitchen, making him laugh.
"That`s not funny!"
The cute pout she gave him vanished immediately as he started massaging her feet, a satisfied groan escaping her lips.
"Well, I guess it could be worse. At least Jerry wasn`t around. No way would he be able to keep the secret" she said.
Ezekiel unsuccessfully tried to hide the guilty look that appeared on his face at her comment. Carol leant forward, narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously.
"What did you do?"
Ezekiel shrugged his shoulders, giving her an apologetic grin.
"I didn`t tell him on purpose. It just kind of – slipped. He`s always talking so much about Nabila`s pregnancy. I made a wrong comment."
"Dammit, Zeke!"
Carol punched his shoulder half-heartedly. She wasn`t really mad at him, couldn`t be. She herself had to bite her tongue more than once not to give her secret away when she was talking to Nabila in the past few weeks. Leaning back again, she sighed in defeat.
"We should tell Henry before he hears it from someone else."
The happy smile on Ezekiel`s face made her heart swell with love for this man.
When Henry came back out a few minutes later they called him over to sit between them on the couch.
"What`s up?" He looked expectantly from his mother to his father.
As eager as he was to tell his son that he would soon have a baby sister or brother, Ezekiel couldn`t find the words to breach the topic. He looked at his wife for some help.
"Henry, do you remember how I felt sick all of a sudden earlier today?"
Frowning, Henry nodded his head. He remembered that he wanted to talk to his father about it, worried that something was wrong with his mother.
"Well, the reason for it was – IS – that I`m, I`m pregnant. We`re having a baby."
Henry`s face lit up immediately at the prospect of becoming a brother again. He still missed Benjamin a lot. Though he didn`t quite understand what his mother throwing up had to do with her having a baby, the happiness on his parent`s faces was enough to tell him that it wasn`t anything he needed to worry about. Throwing his arms around Carol`s neck, he kissed her on the cheek, then did the same with Ezekiel as he felt his father close his arms around his family, holding them tight.
Later that night
Dropping his clothes to the floor, Ezekiel stepped into the shower. Embracing his wife from behind, he placed a soft kiss on her shoulder, his hands resting low on her belly. Turning her head a little, Carol pulled him in for a kiss, her fingers scratching through his beard. It was a leisurely kiss at first but when Ezekiel slid his hands up her body, placing them over her breasts, Carol gasped, opening her mouth to him. Ezekiel took advantage, delving his tongue in.
While kissing her breathless, his hands kept busy kneading her breasts, which have become slightly larger and a lot more sensitive recently. He teased her erect nipples, circling them, rubbing them between his thumbs and index fingers. Carol dug her nails into his forearms, the pleasure he was giving her almost a little too much, too intense. Almost, but not quite.
Drawing her mouth away from his, she turned in his arms. The fire in her eyes fueled his own passion, making him want to take her right there in the shower. But the water would soon turn cold and he didn`t want Carol to feel uncomfortable. He wasn`t interested in a quickie, either, at least not tonight. So, with the last bit of his willpower, Ezekiel stopped her hand moving over his hardness, grabbing her chin.
"Let`s take this somewhere else, shall we."
They did not bother drying themselves off, somehow stumbling their way into their bedroom, landing on the bed in a tangled mess of limbs, kissing and groping everywhere they could reach. Their desire for each other hadn`t lessened over the years. Sometimes the need was so overwhelming that they couldn`t keep their hands off each other, no matter where they were. They`d even done it at the theater more than once.
Now Ezekiel was trying to roll himself on top of Carol, but she had other ideas. Raising up on her knees she motioned for him to do the same, her eyes taking in the beauty of his body. She let her fingers follow her eyes – from his broad shoulders, over his chest and stomach, down his strong legs until finally settling on his manhood again. Fixing her eyes on his, she stroked him slow but firm, enjoying the power she had over him.
When she noticed his breathing change, she stopped, taking her hands away from him. Making sure she had his full attention, Carol then slowly turned around, leaning forward until she was on her hands and knees. Looking back over her shoulder, Carol waggled her behind at him in invitation. Ezekiel`s heart rate went out of control at the sight before him. He was thrilled every time she put herself in this position for him, knowing she did it out of unlimited trust and love for him.
Leaning down, he trailed tiny kisses up her spine, playfully nipping and licking her skin every so often. Carol dropped her head to the mattress, impatiently rubbing her ass against his erection. She didn`t want to wait any longer. Taking the hint, Ezekiel straightened up, placing his large hands on her hips. Then, with one swift move, he entered her, knowing that she was more than ready for his intrusion. Carol tried to stifle her cry of pleasure in the bed sheets, but he heard it anyway.
He rode her hard, trusting his instincts to tell him what she wanted. With her fingers clutching the sheets, Carol moved back against him, the sound of their lovemaking almost driving her crazy with lust. She gasped every time he hit that sweet spot inside of her, knowing she wouldn`t be able to hold on much longer. When she couldn`t take it anymore, Carol reached behind her, needing desperately to touch Ezekiel in any way.
He understood, lifting her upper body so her back was plastered to his chest, never failing in his movements. Carol slid her hands around him, groping his ass as best as she could from that position, feeling the strength of his muscles under her touch, spurring him on. She was so close. Putting his hands over her breasts once more, squeezing the hard tips between his fingers, Ezekiel gave her just that small bit of extra stimulation that sent her flying over the edge. He followed her willingly with his head buried in her neck.
They rode out their orgasms together, then crashed to the mattress, still connected. It took a while before either of them had their breathing under control again. When he could move again, Ezekiel propped his head up on his elbow, looking down at his wife lovingly, his hand drawing tiny circles on her belly.
"What`s going on in that head of yours?" she asked with a smile.
"Well, I was wondering…the doctor said it`s about 14 weeks now. I was wondering about the day we made her." At Carol`s raised eyebrow he quickly added "Or him."
"Oh, I know exactly when it happened" she teased him.
"Do you now? Care to share this valuable information with me, my Queen?"
With a grin on her face she said "Well, my King, I`m fairly certain that it was the night of my birthday. Or maybe during the day. Who knows? So many possibilities there."
With that she turned in his arms, snuggling her back against him, ready to fall asleep.
Ezekiel thought back to her birthday, slowly nodding to himself. That day had been memorable in many ways. A very fitting day for their child to start it`s life. Kissing his wife`s head he settled in for sleep as well.