Prompt: Preparations

Rating: K+

She was in her element. Absolutely.

Becker watched from the other side of the sofa, rubbing her feet where they lay in his lap, smiling to himself at the contented expression on her face. Every so often, her brow would furrow and she'd start furiously scribbling something on the note pad she was holding, the frown fading as a smile of satisfaction spread across her face.

She was in planning mode and obviously couldn't be happier.

It reminded him of when they'd started making wedding plans, and he knew the super organised, detail-orientated side of his wife was coming back to the fore as she made list after list, note after note, preparing for the impending birth of their first child.

He couldn't see clearly what she'd written from his place on the sofa but knew from her mutterings and rhetorical questions that names for the baby and themes for the nursery décor were top of at least one of the many lists she'd written down.

After a while, Jess looked up from the notepad in her hand and smiled at him. She scooted forward, leaning in to kiss him softly as she shifted positions so she was curled up against his chest.

"I'm sorry I've been ignoring you," she murmured, her hand resting on his chest while she tucked her head beneath his.

"Don't be." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and drew her closer. "You were having fun, and I was enjoying the view."

It took her a second to realise what view he meant, her gaze straying first to the blank screen of the turned off television before a slow smile curled her lips, a light blush staining her cheeks. "If I remember rightly, it's probably down to comments like that that got us where we are today."

He chuckled lowly and moved his other hand to rest on the growing bump at her midsection. "I don't think either of us are going to complain about that."

"Hmm. Definitely not." She covered his hand with hers and laced their fingers together. They sat for several moments in a comfortable silence before Jess sighed, tightening her grip on his hand. "We've got so much to do before the baby gets here."

"We've still got plenty of time." He kissed the top of her head before letting his cheek rest against it again. "Why don't you go through some of the items on your list with me so I know what we're up against?"

That was all the encouragement she needed, and Becker found himself biting the inside of his cheek to keep from smirking when she flicked through the notepad to the first scribbled list, enthusiastically reading her musings aloud.

"First thing we need to do is decide whether we want to know if we're having a boy or a girl," she informed him. "Doctor Ellis said we'd probably be able to find out at the next scan, depending on the baby's position, but it's entirely up to you whether you want to find out. I've got mixed feelings about it."

"Mixed feelings?" Holding onto her, Becker manoeuvred them so they were both lying length ways on the couch, her body nestled comfortably against his.

"Part of me thinks we should find out," Jess explained quietly, "just because it'd make it so much easier to decorate the nursery and pick out names and buy clothes… But then part of me thinks it'd be so much nicer if it was a surprise and we planned for either and didn't know until he or she gets here."

"Do you have a preference?" He asked quietly. "Boy or girl?"

Even without being able to clearly see her face, he could hear the soft smile in her voice when she spoke. "I want both, eventually. But I'd be happy with either, or with a houseful of girls or a houseful of boys as long as they're healthy and take after their father."

He gave a surprised snort of laughter at her last stipulation and moved so he could see her expression. "You want them to take after me?" He repeated sceptically.

"Why wouldn't I?" She looked genuinely confused and arched an eyebrow at him. "You're the best person I know. And," she added with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "you don't look half bad, either, so if our kids look like you, too, that'd be a bonus."

Knowing she meant every word of it, Becker leaned in to kiss her lightly. "If our kids are going to take after anyone, in brains or looks or personality, I really hope it's their mother. Though I'm putting it out there right now that any daughters we have aren't allowed to date until they're eighteen. At least."

Jess laughed at him, shaking her head a little. "Do you have a preference? Would you prefer a boy or a girl?"

"I don't mind." And it was true, he didn't. "All I care about is our babies and their mother being happy and healthy and being the best father and husband I can be."

Tears shone in her eyes but from the bright smile on her face, he knew he'd said the right thing. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?" His wife asked a little tearfully. "Because I really, really do, you know."

"I know." He kissed her forehead tenderly. "And I love you, and I'll love any and all children we have together."

Gazing at each other for a while, it was only when the notepad she'd been holding slipped from her hand and dug into her side that Jess remembered they'd been going through her lists. "You still haven't told me if you want to find out what we're having at the scan," she reminded him quietly.

Becker thought about it for a moment. "I'd say let's not find out. If neither of us mind, we can just pick names for both and be pleasantly surprised on the day."

"Sounds good to me." She smiled up at him for a moment before returning her gaze to her list, biting her lip thoughtfully as she read the next two items. "We'll put choosing names on the back-burner for a while since there isn't any rush but we do need to start thinking about the nursery. The sooner it's decorated, the sooner we can start getting the furniture we need, like a cot and wardrobe and changing mats and nappy bags and clothes and toys and -"

"I get the idea," he interrupted with an amused smirk. "We're off next weekend. Why don't we head to a couple of the DIY shops and see if we can get some ideas on paint colours and wallpaper? Unless you've already got an idea in mind…?"

"My mind is a complete blank when I think of the nursery," she admitted, rolling her eyes at herself. "I can't settle on a colour or a theme or anything so it'd be a good idea to go out and see if inspiration hits."

"Then we will." He gave in to the impulse to lean in and kiss her nose when it crinkled. "Is that all you've got for now or is there something else…?"

Jess glanced again at the notepad. "That's all until we've settled on a design for the nursery."

"Good." Taking the notepad off her, he dropped it on the floor beside the couch before turning them so she was pressed between him and the back of the couch. "Now can I suggest a distraction from the thoughts I know are going round and round in your mind?"

Her answering smile was immediate. "Oh, please feel free. Distract away."

Continued in 'Paint'.