Warning: pregnancy smut and an explanation as to why Newt freaked out so badly when Tina discovered she was pregnant. Don't read if that isn't your thing. ;)


Tina wakes before him, stirring to the pale light of dawn. She's always the first awake now since the child in her belly often chooses first light to start its regular contortions. She doesn't necessarily enjoy this fact but she's resigned to it, and she's grateful for whatever rest she can get, these days.

She rolls over to watch Newt sleep. He's burrowed into the pillow, covers pulled to his chin and snoring slightly. She smiles and brushes an errant curl off his forehead before heaving out of bed. She isn't large yet, but the change to her center of gravity is an adjustment, and she's terrified that she's going to make a serious misstep and hurt the child. So she's careful in all she does, and if that means getting out of bed is a five-minute process, so be it.

Tina uses the toilet and cleans up before starting breakfast, taking care to put a kettle on for tea. As sure as rain, the scent of cooking eggs and steeping tea rouses Newt from slumber, causing him to lurch to the table in lopsided pajamas, sporting an adorable case of bedhead. He sinks into a chair and stares fixedly at the table until Tina sets a plate of food and a teacup before him. She's careful to hide a smile as he drinks half the tea in one drought, seemingly unaffected by the heat. She knows that it will take at least one more cup to get him going, and regular infusions throughout the day to maintain his manic pace.

They eat in companionable silence, though Tina is careful to eat slowly. She feels much improved overall but mornings can sometimes be a challenge. Chewing thoroughly helps. Avoiding coffee helps even more, and she sips unenthusiastically at her own tea while Newt slowly comes alive across from her. He clears his plate and gets up for seconds, pausing to drop a kiss on her shoulder as he passes.

He cleans up when breakfast is finished and helps her dress. She is still adjusting to her new garments, the magically expanded waist on her slacks and the shirt that fits and flatters like a circus tent. The day promises to be warm and Tina isn't sure she can tolerate that heat, so she opts instead for a light linen skirt and a matching top. A silk camisole over a specially-modified corselet complete the ensemble, and she chooses the silk stockings for which Newt had previously expressed appreciation to round it out.

He doesn't comment, but she can see the softness in his eyes as he assists her, a mellowness that contains some small amount of heat as his stare lingers. It's been months since she's known his touch, and she thinks that today is perfect to change that. Her body seems to agree, if the fissure of warmth in her lower belly is any indication.

They open the windows in the apartment to allow it to air, welcoming the first truly warm spring day, and grab baskets. Then they link arms and walk, taking their time, through the No-Maj parts of Brooklyn to their preferred market. Newt hovers worriedly over the greens and fruits, while Tina sets her discerning nose to selecting only the freshest meats and fish. Tina leaves the haggling to Newt—his befuddled exterior camouflages a remarkably keen intellect, and he can barter like no other. They trade currency for food, load their baskets, and meander towards home.

They take their time on the walk, soaking in the sunshine and content in shared company. Tina turns her face toward the sky whenever she can, and Newt always waits for her patiently as she breathes and basks. She is alive and drunk with the day, enraptured with the green buds on the scant trees in the city, and delighted to find even the air seems cleaner than normal. She is equally enraptured with the man beside her, and by the time they reach the stairs leading to the apartment, she thinks he must be aware of it. His gaze has gone from warm to hot, and he pauses occasionally to drop kisses onto her palm, her wrist.

She catches him off-guard at the top of the stairs, turning at the landing to trap his lips. He melts into the contact with a sigh, his arms circling her full waist to pull her close, and when they break away he's breathing heavily and beaming at her.

"That was nice," he breathes as Tina runs an affectionate hand through his hair. He leans close to trap her again, a series of gentle pecks over her mouth and chin that cause her to quake momentarily and sag against him.

"There's plenty more where that came from, if you want it," she manages when he finally pulls back, and he leans further away to take her in. Tina inclines against the rail in what she hopes is a suggestive manner, though she suspects her shoddy balance and swollen ankles rather dispel the illusion. He eyes her before melting into a smile and moving close.

"I think I do want it, to be honest," he mutters against her mouth, and kisses her with feeling.

Tina isn't sure how, but they manage to get up the stairs and into the bedroom without falling or breaking anything. They separate long enough to deposit their shopping on the table and shed their light spring jackets. Then he's maneuvering her to the boudoir, mouth damp and hot on the thin fabric covering her shoulders. She's vaguely aware that she's making soft, needy sounds and he's responding in kind, but his lips and hands dominate her focus until she gives herself to the maelstrom.

Tina fumbles with his waistcoat and shirt, desperate for contact, and he pulls away long enough to shed both. Then it's his boots, which he has to bend to unbuckle and toe off, hissing in displeasure all the while. Newt's mouth sears her when he comes back up, and he groans in his chest when she loosens the buttons on his trousers and underwear and pulls them both down. He steps out of them impatiently and then Tina's hand are on his length and they gasp into each other's mouths.

Newt allows her a few moments to touch him, to reacquaint herself with this most intimate part of his body before he places his hand over hers and breaks away to examine her. "Sit," he instructs, and she does, perched on the edge of the bed. He sinks to his knees before her and looks up at her earnestly. Then his hands go to the hem of her shirt and pull it off. He finds the waistband of her skirt and loosens it, and thinking becomes a challenge when her skirt is drawn down her legs, slow and teasingly.

His clever mouth traces the skin on her inner thigh, nipping the edge of her stocking before mewling happily. Tina can feel the moisture of his mouth bleeding into the fabric, and she experiences a swell of want, unlike anything she'd felt before. She is instantly ready for him and has to tamp down the urge to pull him atop her and let him have his way.

Instead, she allows him to worship the skin of her thighs and hips, and to tease her garters until they are both panting. He gradually works his way up to loosen the stays on her corselet before helping her ease it off, and with it goes most of the rest of her undergarments. Then his mouth is on her breasts, careful to avoid her sensitive nipples, and it takes Tina a while to realize that the animal sounds she keeps hearing are issuing from her throat.

Tired of waiting, Tina pushes him away and yanks off her camisole in one smooth motion. Her fuller breasts spring free, almost directly before Newt's face, and she has to duck her head to smother inappropriate laughter at his shocked face. More obvious is the swell of her stomach, an island of white skin and pale blue veins between them, and his hands drift down to touch it before he tips his head to the side.

Tina senses the run of his thoughts and hastens to settle the issue. "It's not a problem," she pants, trying desperately to tug him over her. "The witch-midwife said it was fine, remember? Just...just don't push down on him or anything, okay?"

Newt quirks an inquisitive eyebrow. "Him?"

Tina rolls her eyes. "Yes, him. I've known we're going to have a boy since before we figured out what was going on. It will be a boy and his name will be Corvus and that's that. Now, can you please take me to bed?"

She huffs an annoyed breath and Newt frowns. He catches her hands and holds them still, thumbs rubbing soothing circles against her skin.

"Tina. There's absolutely no reason to get worked up. I'm going to go to bed with you, but you must remain calm. Now please, take a deep breath for me."

He massages her hands until she grits her teeth and does as he asks, and after a minute or two she discovers she does feel better. Less frantic about the whole thing.

He nods and guides one of her hands to the apex of her thighs, eyes gleaming. He bites his lip when he lets her go, then he takes himself in hand and looks into her face. "We aren't doing anything until we're both ready, and I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to do a proper job of it." He pitches his voice lower, dropping a quarter octave and barely above a whisper. "Touch yourself for me, Tina, will you do that?"

Tina controls her breathing very carefully, and instead of answering uses her elbows and heels to pull herself further onto the bed, until she's propped against the pillows with her knees splayed. She catches his eye and slowly slides her fingers down to touch herself, taking a moment to tweak her nipples. Her stomach gets in the way but she angles her wrist and navigates by feel, until she's got two fingers spreading her outer lips, revealing the slick channel of her cunt. Newt watches, thoroughly transfixed. He strokes his length almost absently, focused entirely on her, so Tina makes every effort to put on a good show.

She moves her other hand to dip two fingers into herself, sucking in a quick breath at the sensation. Tina sets a steady pace, alternating her strokes with the occasional swipe at her clit, and Newt mirrors her movements on himself, hips swaying gently. She's panting before long, poised on the edge, and she whines when he shifts forward and brushes against her.

"Newt, please!" She pleads, and he nods shakily and moves closer. She feels him huff a quick breath when he covers her and discovers that the swell of her stomach prevents him from obtaining the proper angle. Nonplussed, he grabs a pillow from behind her and works it under her hips, propping them higher into the air. He then kneels and aligns their cores, her prone on her back, him on his haunches and using her hips to anchor himself.

"Are you ready?" Newt asks, and when she nods a little desperately, he sinks in. His eyes drift closed and his head falls back when they are flush, throat working. Tina takes a moment to appreciate the sight before shifting her legs, stretching them so her calves rest on his shoulders and the strain is off her ligaments. Like this, she can grasp his narrow hips to urge him along, which she does. He groans and sweeps his eyes over her before withdrawing almost completely, hesitating on the precipice to catch her eye and smile a little wildly, before sinking back in.

The friction and pressure of his simple tempo are enough to make her cry out, fingers digging into his hips. Tina isn't sure if it's her altered physical state or their adventurous teasing of before, but she's on the brink already, legs trembling in anticipation. He turns his head to kiss her calf before murmuring against her skin, "Go 'head Tina. I've got you." She nods and urges him faster, mouth falling open in bliss, and with a few more strokes she's there, pulsing heat chasing through her while he embraces her legs and sighs deeply.

It is the longest and most thorough orgasm she's ever experienced, and it seems to work through her entirely. Every inch of her body is set aflame, and she hears him utter a curse as she clamps around him, milking his length to maximize the friction. It goes on and on until she stiffens her arms to halt his steady thrusting, overcome and shuddering weakly.

"Too much," Tina gasps and Newt stops immediately. He hesitates before curling above her and claiming her mouth. They kiss softly, lips barely touching until she's calm and her breathing has returned to normal. Then Tina winces and rubs the large muscle of her thighs, trying to encourage blood flow. "Sorry," she mumbles, but he voices no complaint, just eases her legs off his shoulders and rubs them until they no longer tingle.

He's still hard when she calms down, so she rolls onto her side and maneuvers him behind her. "Like this," she declares, and it takes a few tries but he figures out that draping her leg over his hip works best, that he can ease into her from behind and rock them together. His hand snakes around her to grip her neck, a primal action that causes them both to growl territorially. He moves in solid beats that see him buried within her completely, and any attempts he makes at speaking are lost in motion.

The novel angle and dominant posturing of her partner combine to tease another orgasm out of Tina, and she gives herself to it completely. She gasps and trembles as she comes undone, and neither it nor Newt relents while she's in its thrall. She quivers around him and he swears again, foreign words that reverberate through her skin and sink into her core. His teeth find the point of her shoulder and dig in as he shivers, and within moments he's gasping her name and clutching painfully. With a deep groan and one last powerful thrust he is released, twitching frantically inside her while he bites and licks the nape of her neck.

He pants against her skin until she flexes her leg, subtly trying to indicate she's gone numb (again). He rolls onto his back and sits up shakily before lifting her leg and massaging the sore muscles. "Ah," he says, and his voice is still wrecked. "So sorry. Didn't mean to hurt you." He kisses her knee apologetically.

Tina waves feebly, eyes heavy with completion. "'m fine," she manages, and she places a fond hand on her swollen stomach. "I think we put him to sleep, though. All that rocking."

Newt nods and makes a noncommittal sound before raking his eyes over her, seemingly taking in every inch. He puts his hand over hers and speaks directly to her stomach. "Be good to your mother, you little blighter," he admonishes. "She's the only one you'll ever have, and you're already a dreadful burden."

He then grows serious and looks at her, one hand tracing the faint blue veins on her breast while the other threads their fingers together. "You are remarkably beautiful like this, Tina, and I know I don't say it enough."

Tina comes awake all at once, the timbre of his voice yanking her from her drowse. She doesn't react other than to widen her eyes, knowing that any overt emotionalism will cause him to retreat into nervousness. He refuses to look at her as he goes on, hand brushing her skin hypnotically. "I acted a terrible prat when we discovered your condition. It was an inappropriate reaction, and the way I treated you afterward was unforgivable. For that, I am sorry."

His eyes flick to her face, gauging her emotional barometer, before curling their fingers together. He takes a deep breath, holds it, and lets it out slowly. "I can offer no excuse or justification that is valid. However, I can say that much of my distress came from the unexpected nature of the situation. I sustained...certain injuries, during The Great War. One happened just before the program I worked with was discontinued, and when I returned to England for treatment I was assured that bearing children would be a physical impossibility for me."

Newt squeezes his eyes shut, though whether in pained remembrance or self-reproach, Tina can't say. "There were tests performed, of course. The healers spent days confirming their theory, quite past the point when I was ready to return home. Upon my return to London, Theseus pestered me about the delay until I told him that it would be his sole responsibility to carry on the family name. He was not happy about that prospect, but he was more displeased with what had happened to me. Then you came along, Tina, and I meant to tell you eventually but..."

He makes a helpless gesture before opening his eyes, and Tina gathers him into her arms and kisses his forehead, the salt of his sweat tangy against her lips.

"Then I came along and threw myself at you, is what you mean," she murmurs, and when he opens his mouth to protest she shushes him. "No, it's all right. It's essentially the truth, isn't it? I'm not innocent in all this. Yes, you over-reacted, and yes, you hurt me when you pushed us away—but I didn't stop to think that this could happen, either. It just never registered. So in the end, we are both responsible."

Newt makes a miserable sound and Tina rolls her eyes good-naturedly. She pulls him close before shoving him away playfully, and he can't contain the small, toothy grin the action provokes, despite the tears. "I'll forgive you someday," she says, voice a serious contrast to their playful actions. "But you have to promise me that you won't run away, or...or hide in the future if something else like this happens. Because we're in this together...aren't we?"

Newt's eyes are luminous when he takes in her face, and his mouth relaxes into the smile he saves just for her. "Yes, Tina," is his reply, voice firm with conviction. "We're in this together."

Tina smiles back, equally as gentle. "Good. That's good, Newt."