For MESPX13.
I've changed the rating to T for language, so if you don't mind a few minor swears, read on!
Her fingers flit over the taut skin of her rounded belly, a wide smile spreading across her lips. A hand jabs her from the inside and she pokes at it playfully. The hand retracts and seconds later a foot kicks her on the other side. She grabs at the foot too and waits for the baby's next movement, but he seems to just settle.
A son. She can hardly believe it.
She's so unbelievably scared. She remembers the panic that had filled her when she and Steve first found out. She always believed that she wasn't cut out to be a mother, between what she did for a living and her prickly personality in general. She knows now that she was wrong, but she's still so scared. Her baby's every kick and every movement rouses something that feels like maternal instinct inside her, and she's amazed that she can love someone who hasn't even been born yet this much. She knows with absolute certainty that she would die for her son without thinking twice. And that's what scares her.
Because what if that happens? What if she's killed, taken away from her child too soon and leave him to grow up without her? What if she misses his first words, first steps, first day of school, first dance, graduation, everything?
The baby stretches his long limbs as if to reassure her that everything will be fine. She places a hand on her belly as he turns, trying to find a comfortable position.
"I can't wait to meet you," she says out loud. According to her doctor, her baby can hear her voice and recognize it as his mother's. "I've been waiting my whole life for you."
A larger hand covers her where it's resting on her stomach, and she looks up into the deep blue eyes of her husband. "Only a few more weeks," he murmurs. She steals a kiss from him and rests her forehead against his.
"I'm so nervous," she admits. "I can't believe this is really happening." She kisses him again and accepts his embrace, allowing herself to just relax against him for a few moments.
She's disoriented and her body is aching and all she wants to do is close her eyes and fall asleep, but Steve's arm is behind her back helping to prop her up so sleeping isn't a possibility. He smiles down at her with tears in his eyes and then they place the screaming infant on her chest and the rest of the world just sort of fades out.
She's aware of the doctors cleaning him as he struggles on her chest and Steve is openly crying as he shifts closer to her, but all she can focus on is her perfect little son. By some miracle her arms come up to cradle him even though the feel like their made of jelly. He son's cries turn to small whimpers and he opens his eyes and looks at her and she feels as if she's been struck by lightning.
She just knows in that instant that she was born to be this little boy's mom.
"He's beautiful," Steve said through his tears. His hand cups their son's tiny head and he starts kissing every inch of her that he can reach. She melts into his embrace and, to her embarrassment, begins to cry as well. Somehow the doctors manage to swaddle him without removing him from her arms and a little blue cap is tugged over his head. She has the urge to laugh because James is just staring at her the entire time with the strangest expression and it's so damn funny. She whispers nonsense to her son even as she feels her eyelids droop, and despite her exhaustion Steve is physically unable to remove their son from her arms until she's already asleep.