Summer - July

"Is this straight babe?"

Dina blinked before eyeing Ellie's body up and down, enjoying those toned arms, legs, and ass, as she hung up a wooden carving of the Jewish Star on their wall. Not too long ago, Ellie had sweetly carved one during her free time. This was the second gift she received, the first being a hand-carved Menorah candle holder she had given Dina in the past month. She ended up staring at her toned arms again before finally answering.

"Nothing's straight about this."

"Huh?" Turning around, Ellie shot Dina a look. "It's not straight?"

She licked her lips before finally looking at the picture frame. "No, it's straight."

"Okay…?" Taking that as permission, Ellie climbed down the step ladder. Once she was by Dina's side, she pulled her in by the hips before pecking her lips. "How do you like it?"

A soft smile grew on Dina's face as she wrapped her arms around Ellie's shoulders and crossed them. "I love it, just like the other Menorah piece you carved for me." She kissed her lips before swaying slightly, "You didn't have to make that for me, you know?"

"I know." Ellie smiled before hugging her closely, "But I wanted to since the beginning when you first moved in with me. There wasn't a good opportunity but now that we got a house together… I thought it'd be a nice gift for you. That and well, our house is pretty bland."

It's only been a month since they fully moved and settled in so the majority of their 'house decorations' revolved around furniture and random nick-nacks like Ellie's music supplies and Dina's books.

Dina giggled before rubbing her nose against Ellie's. "I didn't know you wanted to swoon over me this much."

That made Ellie's lips curl up. "I do." She then pressed her lips on Dina's, giving her a chaste kiss. "I gotta keep you someway don't I?"

"Well, so far you're doing a great job. Keep this up and I may let you use one of our spare rooms as your creative space." She then pulled back to look into Ellie's eyes.

"So serenading you isn't good enough?"

"Depends…" Dina let out a soft breath before kissing her neck. "If you write me a song maybe I'll reconsider."

Sucking in a quiet breath, Ellie bit her lip. "Maybe I have."

"Hold up." Dina pulled away before grabbing her forearms, "You what?" She then tightened her grip when Ellie tried to pull away.

"Nothing, don't worry about it."

"You do know you can't run from me now right? We live in a house away from town, so if I were you, I'd be smart and let your girlfriend know about the song you wrote for her."

"Or else what?"

Dina pulled up Ellie's left arm and pressed her lips on her palm. "Or else your girlfriend is not gonna let you live it down and you'll regret everything."

"That so?"

"Mm hmm…. that and… no sex."

Ellie gasped. "You wouldn't."

Despite Dina being pregnant and all, they still had sex pretty regularly. Maybe less 'rough' and 'intense' but still very personal and satisfying for both of them.

"I would." She shot her a challenging look before adding, "And no kisses either."

"Fuck you."

"In your dreams."

"Fine. I'll play for you and then after that, I get you allllll to myself for the night." Ellie teased before getting close to Dina's face but not enough for a kiss.

Dina chased after her lips but Ellie pulled away. That continued for her next few tries until Dina sighed with a frustrated huff. "You're such a tease."

"Says you," she finally closed the gap and pecked her lips with a moist kiss. "Why are you so damn sexy?"

"It's a curse I was born with."

Ellie responded with a kiss on the lips. She quickly swiped her tongue which Dina welcomed by parting her lips. Their tongues were quick to brush against each other, rubbing and swirling against one another until Ellie finally pushed Dina toward their couch. She carefully laid Dina down on it before climbing on top of her. She was conscious not to apply pressure on her stomach but was close enough to feel her curvy body up.

"Mmh… this okay?" Ellie asked before pecking her lips and slowly making her way down Dina's jaw and neck.

Dina moaned before shifting slightly to be on her side. "Can I top?"

That made Ellie let out a breath before working with her girlfriend so that she was flat on her back and ready to be ridden. It wasn't a surprise though. The more Dina's stomach grew in size, the less she liked laying on her back. She just felt more comfortable on her side or straddling Ellie when they had sex.

"God, you're so hot babe…" Ellie let her eyes roam up and down Dina's body before she sensually groped her thighs.

"Mmh, keep them coming." In no time, Dina was comfortably straddling Ellie's hips.

Ellie couldn't take her eyes off her girlfriend as she leaned up to kiss her neck. "You're fucking drop-dead gorgeous."

She chuckled at that. "I knew you were into me."

Grinning into Dina's neck, Ellie kissed her again. "I got the hottest gal alive on top of me so sue me why don't you?"

"God, you're such a simp."

"Can you blame me? Have you seen yourself?"

"I have and I have to say… you got good taste."

Laughing into the nook of her ear, Ellie finally shook her head. "Okay, enough compliments. It's making your ego bigger than it already is."

"Excuse you, I know my worth."

"As you should." She peppered kisses all over her skin before lightly biting the start of her neck. She nipped her skin, sucking it tenderly, before releasing it with a wet pop. She immediately latched on her neck again, tugging her skin between her teeth while sucking on it. Dina hummed before gently rocking into Ellie's body.

"Don't leave a big one."

Ellie released her neck with a loud pop. "Why not?"

Dina sighed when Ellie continued to mark her neck. "Cause the kids keep asking me about my bruises."

"Well fuck 'em." She then kissed her neck more aggressively. "They don't know how kissable your neck is."

"Ugh, what an asshole." Dina joked back before finally turning her face and kissing the side of Ellie's head. "I hate you."

"Mmhmm and you're the one that's on top of me."

Rolling her eyes, Dina pushed down Ellie so that her back was flat on the couch and armrest. "Just shut up. You're ruining the moment."

She chuckled softly before challenging, "Make me."

Dina breathed out a long breath before running her hand across Ellie's shoulder. She then leaned down and kissed her lips. "You're so fucking needy." She then kissed her again and Ellie's lips curled into a huge smile.

"Love you."

"Love you too."

The two of them fell into comfortable silence after that and living together was only the start of their obnoxious cute behaviors. Of course, they typically kept most of their open physical affection at home but were relatively tame in town for most of it. They started growing a garden and picked up a couple of hobbies such as sewing, knitting, and drawing. It was truly a start to their 'farm life' and they were busy enjoying each other's company for as long as possible until their baby was born.

"Oh shit—" Ellie exclaimed before pulling back her hand. "That's so… weird."

Dina laughed before rubbing her belly as well. "Well, there is a tiny human inside of me."

"There is…" Ellie dully noted before feeling up her pregnant stomach again. "Geez, the human body is so fucking weird."

"It is."

Humming in curiosity, Ellie just sank onto their mattress before resting her face on Dina's thigh. "What should we name them?"

"What do you want to name them?"

Ellie scrunched her nose. "I don't know."

Smiling softly, Dina reached out and started playing with Ellie's hair. "C'mon, there has to be some cool name you either wanted for yourself or name another kid."

She hummed before drawing random circles on her thigh. "Well… I've always thought Rainer is a cool name."

Dina's face scrunched. "We are not naming our kid Rainer."

"What? It's a cool name." When Dina shook her head with an unamused face, Ellie just rolled her eyes. "Fine, how about Skylar."

"Better, but no. It doesn't… feel right."

"Well, I don't see you coming up with a name. Besides, we gotta either be generic or come up with two names depending if they're a boy or girl."

"Mmh… how about… Noel?"

"Too basic."

Dina's face scrunched. "Sasha?"

"We can do better than that."

"Mmh… Jamie?"

"Okay, that's cute but we shouldn't limit it to that."

"True, in that case… uh, AJ?"

Ellie snorted. "Went straight to letters huh?"

Dina slapped Ellie's arm. "Fuck you."

Laughing at that, Ellie just sighed before staring at her round belly. "Well, you might be onto something though…" She rubbed her thigh soothingly before mumbling out loud. "AJ… AJ… A… J…" She then closed her eyes before thinking to herself. After a moment, her face softened up before she pressed her lips on her stomach. "How about… JJ?"

Dina mindlessly combed Ellie's hair with her fingers before lightly scratching her scalp. "JJ?" She hummed thoughtfully before starting, "Well, it does have a nice ring to it. Does it stand for something?"

"Mmh, I was thinking 'J' from Jesse… and 'J' from well… Joel." She whispered the last part that Dina didn't hear.

"I'm sorry?"

Ellie cleared her throat before speaking a little louder. "Joel."

"What?"

Groaning loudly, Ellie half shouted. "Joel! J for Jesse and Joel!"

Blinking once, Dina's face softened. "Oh, Ellie…" Her voice was so gentle that it made Ellie's ears burn up from embarrassment.

"What?!" She exclaimed in a flustered voice. "I just thought that it'd be nice to honor Jesse in some way and as for Joel, well— I just— it's just—"

Dina leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "You don't have to explain. I think it's perfect, rolls off the tongue, and is generic enough for a boy or girl."

Ellie whined as she turned away and buried herself in Dina's legs. "Don't talk to me."

She chuckled at that. "You mean I can't brag about my girlfriend for being so sweet and thoughtful?"

"No."

"But I love you."

"No."

"Even if I kiss you?"

"No."

"What if I… let you play with me all you want?" Dina suggested with a flirtatious chuckle.

That made Ellie shift a little. She lay there silently before grumbling. "No. We are not ever going to talk about it. If you do, I'm not going to rub your back or feet."

She gasped. "You wouldn't."

"I would."

"Fine. I won't tease you… often at least." She giggled and Ellie turned to glare at her before Dina gave her a playful smug. "You know I love you."

"Not enough apparently."

"I'd do a lot of things for you though…"

"Oh really?"

"Mm hmm… I thought you knew this. Where you go, I go. End of story."

Ellie sighed. "Love you."

That made Dina giggle. "I knew it."

Rolling her eyes again, Ellie pushed herself up to kiss Dina. They pecked each other's lips before going to bed for the night. Ellie ended up pressed up against Dina's back with her arm wrapped around her waist as she cradled her round belly. Sleep was quick to come and as usual, they went on about their days.

Another month passed by in a flash and not much had changed. The only difference was that Dina's stomach grew a little more in size, marking her at her fifth-month mark. That and that her breasts have grown in size too. Dina became more self-conscious about her appearance and size but Ellie found all of her new features ridiculously attractive so she constantly made sure her girlfriend knew that.

Today was no exception and well, if anything, it was hopefully going to be special.

Fiddling around with a small box in her pocket, Ellie led the recent addition to their family, her favorite brown mare, Shimmer out into the field. "C'mon girl…" She made some kissy noises before getting her settled down by their front door. "Wait for me here Shimmer."

The horse only huffed as Ellie made her way to the door. She opened it before calling out for her girlfriend.

"Babe, can I talk to you?"

It took a second but Dina responded from the second floor.

"One second, coming!"

After a moment of patiently waiting, her girlfriend came down while cradling her round stomach. Ellie only swooned at the sight before walking over and kissing her cheek.

"Hey, beautiful."

Dina kissed her back as she loosely hugged her. "What's up?"

"Can I take you on a ride?" Ellie asked while rubbing her lower back and kissing her again and again.

"A ride? To where?"

"It's a secret."

She rolled her eyes at that. "Okay?"

"Trust me." Ellie kissed her lips this time, "You'll love it."

"Alright, fine but if we get killed by some weirdo out there, that's on you."

Chuckling at that remark, Ellie grabbed her hand. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."

After Ellie helped Dina put on her shoes, they were outside by Shimmer's side where Dina was about to grab the saddle and help herself up.

"Here, let me help you up." Her girlfriend quickly cut off as she grabbed her hand.

Dina rolled her eyes at that. "Ellie, please, I'm fine. I'm not that pregnant."

Immediately lowering her eyes, Ellie stared at her bump which had to be the size of a small watermelon. She then walked around her girlfriend before hugging her from behind and cradling her stomach while looking down at it over her shoulder.

"Babe. You're huge."

Scoffing at that, Dina's face just scrunched a little. "Rude."

Quickly grinning at her cuteness, Ellie kissed her cheek. "And still very hot." She then released Dina before getting on top of the horse. She then eyed her girlfriend before extending her hand and teasing, "Why? You don't want me to be your knight in shining armor?"

"Oh god," with an endearing eye roll, Dina reluctantly grabbed Ellie's hand. "I hate you."

"Sure you do."

It took a moment but Ellie helped Dina up onto the saddle. Her girlfriend was seated in the front while Ellie was right behind her, holding onto the reins. She then pulled out a blindfold from her picket before tying it around Dina's eyes.

"Ellie, is this seriously necessary?"

"Obviously. It can't be a surprise if you see where we're going." She was quick to tie it off before supporting her stomach with one arm and tugging the reins with her other. "Haa!"

Shimmer started a trot as Dina let out a deep sigh. "El, babe, you do realize I'm pregnant as shit right?"

"Mmhmm," she then kissed her neck.

"Okay. Glad you know."

Ellie just chuckled into her side before peppering kisses all over her neck and face. They continued a slow and relaxing trot for about twenty minutes or so until they made it to where Ellie planned everything out.

"Alright, we're here Dina."

"Oh, the joy! I can finally see now!"

"Oh shut up," Ellie laughed before getting off Shimmer. She then gingerly helped Dina off and once she was on her feet and settled, Ellie gently tugged her over to the picnic blanket she had set up not too long ago. "Alright, we're here." She then took off Dina's blindfold. "Surprise!"

Dina blinked repeatedly to adjust to the light before her eyes widened. "A picnic?" She glanced at Ellie. "Aww, it's adorable. Are you taking me out on a date?" She then pulled Ellie into a loose hug before kissing her lips.

"Maybe." Ellie kissed her back and their lips melded against each other before she released it with a soft pop. "C'mon, I brought my guitar."

Melting into a soft smile, Dina held her hand before Ellie guided her to the blanket. Once she was carefully situated on the floor, Ellie picked up her guitar before strumming a few chords. She ended up playing a few songs, right until the sun began setting.

"This is beautiful El," Dina awed as she stared out into the setting sun. "We should do this more often."

Ellie had yet to take her eyes off Dina. "It is and we should…" She then fiddled around with her pocket before taking a deep breath. After she calmed her nerves a little, she pulled out the box and opened it. "Dina, will you marry me?"

Dina turned and made eye contact with her before her eyes flickered down to the little box in her hand. She then gasped before looking back into her eyes. "Oh shit—"

Only a nervous chuckle left her lips as Ellie held up the box. "Is that a no…? Or a uh… yes?"

She quickly shook her head in disbelief as tears began to form. "Of course it's a fucking yes you dumbass. Just kiss me already!"

A happy grin quickly formed on Ellie's face as she crawled over to kiss Dina. Their lips immediately found each other and rather than starting with a soft and chaste one, they both kissed each other rather passionately. Ellie gently pressed Dina down onto their blanket before kissing the life out of her. A moan was the first thing that left Dina's lips before Ellie sighed.

"Wait fuck, the ring— let me put it on you."

Ellie awkwardly shifted around carefully before grabbing the ring. She then grabbed Dina's left hand with a shaky grip before sliding it onto her ringer finger. After it was on, Ellie kissed her fingers before chuckling softly as Dina sniffled.

"Babe, are you crying?"

Dina sniffled again before wiping away a tear. "I'm not you dick!"

Ellie smiled before sniffling as well. She then wiped away Dina's tears before kissing her lips. "I love you."

"I love you too." Dina kissed her back before letting out a soft moan. She hugged Ellie affectionately until she started kissing her way down her neck.

Ellie started unbuttoning her shirt and Dina let out a few mumbles before tapping her arm. "Mmh— Ellie! Wait, I am not having sex with you in the middle of a forest."

At this point, the top of Dina's shirt had been undone, exposing her collarbone which Ellie was pleasantly feathering kisses on. "No?"

Dina sighed. "No, I'm too fucking pregnant. What if something comes? I won't be able to do shit."

"So what I'm hearing is that if you weren't pregnant, then you'd be down?"

Rolling her eyes, Dina slapped her arm. "Oh my god, just shut up! You're ruining the moment."

They kissed each other again with a smile before enjoying the sunset. Dina finally took her time to enjoy the details of her ring. It was a simple yet cute gold band with their initials connected together by a heart on it. Miraculously, their hands didn't wander too much and by the time they made it home, Ellie took her time and made sure to show how much she appreciated and loved Dina that night.

It was about a week later that the two of them went into town again to get some supplies. Along with that little chore, they also told their family about their engagement which was warmly received. And, unsurprisingly enough, Talia was the most excited about the news. She had been the first to jump the gun, talking about wedding plans and asking how they were planning to do it, and all those fun details which was a hell of a nerve-wracking moment.

Ellie didn't think about the future in-depth though. She just knew she wanted to marry Dina and make her her woman. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with her. Now, Joel's reaction, on the other hand, was something. He was speechless at first. It took a second for him to buffer but once he did, he welcomed Dina into their family. He always did like her and had respect for her after all so it was easy getting his permission or acceptance or whatever.

Tommy and Maria were no different and they were earnestly happy for the two of them. The real worry of the whole group though was Jessie's parents. They hadn't seen them that often since the burial ceremony and well, they were inclined to let them know. When they did, both of their worries were quickly washed away as the two of them were delighted for them.

Time quickly passed and after what felt like an eternity of morning sickness, busy housework, and house decorating, when the ninth-month mark approached, it had been decided that Dina would stay at her sister's house.

The main reason was so that she would have access to better medical help when she went into labor. Ellie ended up crashing at their house as well and naturally, she slept in Dina's room. Her twin-sized bed might have been a little tight but Dina reassured her sister that it was perfect. If anything, she loved how close they slept with each other every night. The way Ellie would be closely pressed up against her back and held her pregnant belly helped immensely.

Then, on one fateful morning when Ellie was out on patrol, Dina's water broke and she went into labor. Talia quickly rushed her to the clinic and after Dina was admitted into the urgent care room, they sent a messenger to go retrieve Ellie. Dina spent the next few hours alone with her sister, aggravated in pain, until Ellie eventually rushed back into town.

Covered in sweat, Dina bit down hard before screaming in pain. Her breath was labored and she had a hard time keeping steady. The pain was coursing through her entire body as if her back was splitting into two let alone the gut-wrenching feeling in her stomach. Her toes were curling with anger and her fingers were tearing apart the bedsheets. She shouted in pain again and that's when Ellie came busting through the door.

"Dina!" Sweat was dripping down her forehead as Ellie finally made it and ran into Dina's room. "Babe, I'm here! I'm here!"

Dina shouted in pain again before she jerked around in the bed. "E-Ellie!" She cried again before wheezing, "Fuck! El—" She bit down to suppress her cries.

"Jesus fucking crisis—" Ellie urgently went over to Dina's side before grabbing her hand. "I'm right here." She squeezed her hand and Dina immediately shouted in agony.

This continued for what felt like an eternity. Ellie had long lost the sensation in her hand and by the time Dina started giving birth, they completed the 'push push' routine after a few hours. Ellie was busy cradling Dina in her arms but she was vaguely aware of the soft crying in the distance. She was just overwhelmed by her girlfriend's pain as she panted in pain and agony.

"Hey…" Ellie gently cooed, "You did it." She then kissed her sweaty forehead before brushing a strand of wet hair out of her face. She then brought up Dina's hand and kissed it. "Holy shit you did it!" She quickly kissed the living heck out of Dina and praised her in awe. "You gave birth to a tiny human!"

Dina's eyes were glued shut as she grumbled in agony. By some miracle, she managed to press her face against Ellie's chest. She felt drained as if her life got zapped out of her. She was also relishing Ellie's warmth and it wasn't until one of the nurses interrupted them that she finally forced an eye open.

"Congratulations Dina, Ellie, it's a boy!"

That announcement finally made Ellie pull away from Dina. She eyed the bunched-up baby before hesitantly letting go of Dina. Her heart was racing and once she was at the nurse's side, she lost her breath as he carefully placed their son into her arms. Ellie's breath hitched as she teared up.

"Hey…" She let out a nervous laugh before quickly pivoting around and bringing him to Dina. "Babe… look at our son."

Grunting softly, Dina brought her eyes over to look at him. "Oh… Ellie…"

Ellie carefully sat next to Dina before cradling their son between them. She carefully lowered him, somewhat stiff and awkward as she held onto his small body and supported his neck. Then, once he was next to Dina, Ellie smiled before noting:

"He looks like a wrinkled nugget."

Speechless, Dina shot Ellie a look before scoffing weakly. "You did not just call him a wrinkled nugget."

"Hey," Ellie laughed before shifting around again. "He's cute though." She then kissed Dina's forehead again before winking. "Just like his mama."

Dina smiled weakly before taking a good look at her son. Her breathing finally leveled out somewhat so she was better despite being drenched in sweat.

"C'mon," Ellie moved around again before grabbing a hold of Dina's hand. "You hold him."

"Mmh…" Worry quickly washed over her face but the moment he was in her arms and chest, Dina melted. Her eyes fluttered before she nuzzled into his little face. "He's so small."

Ellie sighed in contentment before wrapping her arm over Dina. She then kissed her cheek before rubbing her free hand over Dina's side. "He's perfect."

The nurse finally interrupted them. "Have you two decided on a name yet?"

The two of them shot each other a glance before Ellie smiled and looked at the nurse. "Yeah, JJ."

And just like that, time passed in just a blink of an eye. The nurses and doctors made sure both Dina and JJ were healthy and safe before releasing them from the hospital just two days after his birth. Within those two days, JJ had a busy time being introduced to his entire family through a window.

He first met Talia. After that, Robin and her husband, and then finally Joel, Tommy, and Maria. Everyone's reactions were practically the same. They were quickly his number one fans and both Ellie and Dina knew that he would be well taken care of, spoiled rotten honestly.

And, of course, as the two of them recuperated in the hospital, Ellie stayed with them for every second of it. When it was the day they were dismissed, it was wild. The two of them barely managed to convince their family that they'd do it alone. There were protests of course but they were firm with their words. They wanted to do it together rather than rely on help so early on.

Not to mention, they had been the talk of the town for a hot second.

Many gave them looks, some of bewilderment, some of judgment, some of curiosity, and even some of disgust. The two of them ignored them of course. They were busy, lost in their world, taking in every detail of their son. From his brown yet bright eyes to his little tuff of black hair and even his chubby cheeks and hands and fingers. Frankly putting it, he was cute as shit.

Funnily enough, Dina was kind of walking like a newborn fawn from being a little torn down below but took it like a champ in stride. She was still exhausted as well but Ellie supported her the entire way as they headed to Joel's house since he offered to give them a ride. She had her arm wrapped around her waist, keeping Dina up and steady as JJ was closely coddled against her chest.

"God, he's so cute."

"I mean, he is my son so of course he's cute."

Ellie snorted at that. "That's why he looks like a potato."

"A potato!" Dina jabbed Ellie's side. "Fuck you."

"Ow—" She laughed before kissing her cheek. "Well, you're lucky I love potatoes."

Dina shook her head with a smile before poking at his pudgy face. "He's precious."

"He is." Ellie bounced him up and down softly, getting him to make a small noise, before she noticed Joel up ahead. "Guess our ride's ready, you doing alright?"

Letting out a deep sigh, Dina kissed her shoulder. "Tired as shit but hanging in there."

Once they were within earshot, Joel spoke up. "You girls ready?"

"Yeah." Joel opened the door for them and Ellie paused to help Dina inside. "Watch your step."

Ellie offered her hand which Dina graciously accepted before awkwardly hopping inside. Once she was settled, Ellie handed JJ to her before shutting the door and sitting in the front. Joel was quick to start the car and soon enough, they were on their way home. By the time they made it home, Dina had fallen asleep with JJ cradled in her chest. Ellie almost melted on the spot. They looked so adorable and she discovered her newfound favorite pastime: watching her family sleep.

"They're precious aren't they," Joel commented as Ellie brushed away a strand of hair from Dina's face.

"Yeah, they are." She turned to face him with a smile. "Thanks, Joel, you didn't have to drive us back."

"Of course, I had to kiddo. I wasn't about to make you horseback ride home with a newborn baby and a recovering wife."

Ellie's cheeks grew warm at the word 'wife' since it was the first time she heard it out loud. They were barely engaged so it was a foreign idea but something she was looking forward to using in the future.

"Thanks, Joel." Her voice was small but full.

Joel just nodded. "Don't hesitate to call me if you need something."

"I won't." Ellie then gently rocked Dina's shoulder. "Babe, wake up. We're home."

Dina grumbled before rousing from her sleep. She blinked a few times before registering her words. "Already?"

"Yeah," she then unbuckled her seatbelt before helping her up. "Let's get you to bed."

A soft sigh left Dina's lips as she passed JJ to Ellie. Once he was settled in her arms, Ellie offered Dina a hand and once she was up on her feet, Ellie turned to face Joel again. "Thanks again, old man."

Joe smiled at them both. "Anytime kids, anytime."