#huge fan of watching ruby slowly fold and snap at everyone who keep looking to her for answers she has to figure out alone!!

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

I love how chill you are about multi-shipping! I was wondering if I could get a continuation of the gc pregnant prompt with Lena getting lots of support from her friends during the pregnancy or the proposal? Thanks! I love your work

Lena’s first contractions hit three months before her due date. They take her by surprise in the middle of brunch with Kara, who in a sudden panic calls James before Lena can warn her not to.

“Wewerejusteatingandnowshe’sbeenholdingherstomachforthepasttwentyminutesIthinkthebabyiscoming–” James hears in rapid Kara-freak-out.

“Kara, Kara!” he interrupts gently, lifting a finger to the other half of his meeting. His visitor nods in understanding. “Is Lena able to talk on the phone?”

Across the line, he can hear Kara relay the question, and then Lena’s loudening voice. “You called James? Kara, I said it was nothing– It’s nothing,” she tells him, after a rustle of movement as the phone is transferred. “Just Braxton Hicks contractions.”

“You’re sure?” He doesn’t doubt her. He’s just keenly aware that they’ve entered the final stretch, and every step from here on in has the potential to tear everything away.

He can hear the smile in Lena’s voice. “They’re irregular, not quickening, and mostly just uncomfortable rather than painful. I’m sure.” She half-gasps, then releases her breath slowly. “Not entirely pleasant, though. I’ll let you know if anything changes.”

“Sounds good. Love you.”

“Love you too. Here’s Kara again. Tell her to stop vibrating, will you?”

Another rustle and then. “James?”

“Hey Kara? Next time, listen to mama.”

An embarrassed whoosh of air scrapes across the line as she huffs. “Okay, I won’t bother you next time.”

“That’s not what I said. You should absolutely tell me, just don’t freak out unless Lena is. She’s done the research, she knows better than anyone what’s going on with her.”

There’s a beat of a silence and then, “Right. Sorry.”

From the slight distance in her voice, James can tell the apology isn’t really directed at him. “I gotta go,” he says. “Talk to you later.”

Luckily, his meeting is aware of the imminent baby. “I remember those days.”

“Anxious godmother,” James supplies. “Sorry for the interruption. So, about those reports…”

The false contractions become a regular visitor in the final trimester. The closer they get to Lena’s due date, the higher James jumps with every twinge. Lena teases him, lovingly, grateful for the concern but amused by his readiness. 

By now she’s huge, and just about everything about her body is uncomfortable. Her ankles seem to be permanently swollen, her back aches (as do her breasts), and she is done being pregnant. 

When she jolts awake one Saturday night, she brushes it off.

“I’m fine,” she tells him through the sleep in his ears. “Go back to bed.”

He does, briefly, before he opens his eyes and realizes that Lena has left the room. He goes padding off in search of her, and finds her pacing the living room with a fan in one hand and a stopwatch in the other, face flushed and sweating.

“Not a Braxton Hicks,” he surmises aloud, snapping her gaze to him.

“No,” she allows, teeth clenching against the pain. When it passes, she takes a ragged breath. “Not this time.”

She doesn’t want to go to the hospital. Not yet. “The contractions should be about five minutes apart before we go in.”

James nods, unwilling to insist on anything different even though all he wants is to get there now, now, now.

“What are we at?” he asks instead.

“Fifteen.”

Lena continues to fan herself, features pinched and creased with pain as she walks back and forth. Misery oozes from her with every pass, until James can’t stand it anymore. He turns on the bluetooth and queues up a playlist on his phone. Bright, jazzy music fills the room as he flips on another lamp for more light.

“Benny Goodman?” Lena asks, breathless. “Really?”

“Just because we have to wait, doesn’t mean we have to be miserable doing it.” He finds the beat, dancing slowly towards her with hand extended. Exhaustion thwarts the smile trying to poke through, but Lena takes his hand anyway. She starts with a gentle sway, until James’ smile infects her.

She laughs when he spins her out, and their pace picks up to better match the music. Movement is good– James has done enough reading to know that the right movement could help speed labor– but it’s the distraction that helps the most. Lena swings and turns her way through two contractions before she has to stop to catch her breath.

Their feet still move though, swaying place with cheeks touching. As a new song slows and softens, James feels Lena’s mirth slowly abate. Quiet worry spreads over her, until it drowns even the music.

“I’m scared, James.”

The confession is barely a whisper, and the first admission of doubt since she first told him of the pregnancy. James pulls back to find her gaze dark and deep with uncertainty.

“What if we do everything wrong, and our baby ends up…” She can’t finish the thought. She doesn’t need to.

“Hey.” James presses a kiss against her hand. “We’re going to mess up. That’s a certainty. Whether it’s in the first six months or thirty years down the road. All we can do now, and every day forward, is love them, and accept them wholly, without question.”

Lena looks at him, eyes wide and sparkling.

“And that,” he promises, “I know we can do.”

“Yeah,” she nods. “That we can do.”

Then her hand is tightening sharply on his, squeezing as the next contraction folds her at the waist. “Ohhhh… I’m sick of this already,” she mutters when she can breathe again.

James hits his watch, starting the timer again. “We’ve got to be close.”

“Almost.”

Almost becomes three contractions, spaced with five minutes between them like clockwork.

James helps her to the couch after the first nearly takes her off her feet, and hovers nervously as they watch the clock. Music plays low in the background, a soothing counterpoint to the rising tension.

After the third, James swallows. “Go time?”

Lena gulps down a breath. “Go time.”

He calls Kara, only half aware of the early hour when she answer with voice thick with sleep. “It’s go time,” he says, half-jogging to the bedroom to get the overnight bag they’ve had prepped for weeks.

“Wha… go? Go where?” Then Kara snaps to full wakefulness. “Go time! Oh wow. Okay! You have everything you need?”

“Yeah. We’re heading to the hospital now.”

“We’ll meet you there!” Kara chirps. “Get going, Papa! We’ve got everything else handled.”

James hangs up, smiling as he helps Lena to her feet. “Operation Baby has commenced.”

“You guys need better codenames.”

Kara paces the waiting room floor, back and forth and back and forth until she ultimately sits next to a sleepy Alex, knees bouncing anxiously.

“Did I miss something?”

“What?”

“Did I miss the step where you became the third parent?”

Kara doesn’t respond. In a way, she is. As godmother, her duties require her to be the caregiver should anything happen to Lena and James, to love and cherish their child with all the fervor of a true parent. And yet she isn’t– this birth belongs uniquely to Lena and James.

No matter how much she wants to go and hold Lena’s hand.

“I just need to know it’s going well,” Kara says finally. She tucks her hands under her thighs to keep from fidgeting.

“You could always just–” Alex stops short when Kara glares sharply at her. Not only would it be an invasion of Lena’s privacy, it would violate that of every patient in the hospital. More, she would hear more than a life being born– she would hear deaths too, and pain, and anguish.

She’ll wait, like everyone else.

“Family for Luthor?”

All heads swivel to the nurse standing just inside the waiting room doors. As one, they rise, a veritable army of support– Winn, and Kara, and Alex, and Sam, and Ruby. If the nurse is surprised to see so many, she doesn’t show it. Her smile doesn’t falter as she beckons them closer.

“The parents are ready for visitors,” she says brightly. “If you’d like to come with me?”

She leads them through a maze of doors and corridors, each echoing with various stages of other labors. Kara keeps her eyes and ears focused on the nurse’s squeaking shoes, until they’re funneled into a private room full of light and tired parents.

James is the first to register their arrival with a grin. Lena drags sleepy eyes away from the bundle in her arms to offer a soft smile of her own. “Hey…”

She extends one hand towards Kara.

Kara closes the gap in an instant, and stares at the squinty features of a soft, doughy newborn. Tawny skin dimples and glistens as the baby almost fusses before settling back down. Kara has to grasp Lena’s hand to keep from reaching out to touch the shock of dark, tightly coiled hair.

“Meet Louis,” Lena murmurs, voice aglow with pride and deep, abiding love.

Kara jolts, gaze lifting to James. “You mean–?”

“After my dad, yeah.” Relief is etched into James smile. While Lena did the heavy pushing, the exhaustion is equally evident in James.

Unable to wipe the smile off her own face, Kara extends one finger towards Louis, letting him grasp it with all the might in his tiny, fragile fist.

“He’s beautiful.”

Ruby coos, and suddenly Kara is reminded of the rest of their audience. “Congratulations you guys,” Winn says, moving in for a long hug with James. “You did it.”

“Yeah we did.”

Lena leans against Kara’s side, blinks growing longer and heavier. “Kara…” she murmurs softly. Kara hums in acknowledgement. “I love him already.”

Only Lena seems surprised by this. Sam meets Kara’s glance with a knowing smile, hugging Ruby closer. Kara wants to scoop the bundle of baby into her arms, but puts her arm around Lena’s shoulder instead, squeezing oh so gently.

Lena’s breath grows ragged against her side. The weight against Kara’s shoulder grows heavier as Lena leans further into Kara’s hug.

“You three are going to have a life full of love, Lena.” She presses a kiss to Lena’s damp hair, then presses her cheek against the top of the sleepy head. “I am so, so happy for you.”

“Thank you for being here.”

Kara smiles, meeting James’ gaze. “That’s what friends are for.”

[chaosbcrne]

@blucpincushicn (x):

🌀   The speedster chases away his lingering nerves and the old but fond memories of exploring haunted mansions and castles with his team as he comes back to reality. How young then, he’d felt. Eyes wide and full of rebellious spirit, so much has changed since then. The last of his nostalgic thoughts slip away when Sonic’s focus returns back to the screen, ears raising back up at attention.

       Ah yes. Jack’s Lament had begun, Sonic noted with a tiny smile. He knew all these songs by heart, although this one was always one of his favorites. It was certainly quite the performance, even after all these years. It was simultaneously bouncy and dramatic, with a tune that was ever so catchy even if the mood was somber. Once again the blue blur was reminded by how much he enjoyed musical numbers.

      He has to resist the urge to hum along, in fact. Shoulders tremble a bit again while Sonic watches the animated character dance across the screen, the glow from the movie casting an otherwise gloomy wash on his azure painted fur. For a moment he even forgets his previously fluttering thoughts over his companion. The hero silently follows along to the song, easily reciting the lyrics from memory alone.

…But who here would ever understand? ♫ That the Pumpkin King with the skeleton grin, ♫ Would tire of his crown, if they only understood… ♫ He’d give it all up if he only could~ ♫

…Oh, there’s an empty place in my bones, ♫ That calls out for something unknown~ ♫ The fame and praise come year after year, ♫ Does nothing for these empty tears… ♫

     The music softened as the song came to a close, signaling that it was moving onto the next stretch of plot points. Sonic lets out a small sigh with a puff of visible fog, ears drooping slightly, gaze somewhat glossy and distant. What a classic.

     And of course, with the lament coming to an end, so did his focus on the movie. green eyes silently wander over back to Shadow, his train of thought once again delving back into sap territory.

     Sonic wouldn’t of anticipated the sudden shift in Shadow’s own attention as he’s suddenly met with that piercing ruby gaze and- oH

     Crap. CRAP. Look away, look away!!

     Sonic reacts a bit too slow, ears folding backwards and his fur all but poofing out on every inch of his azure coat as he tears his attention away from the agent. Oh no. Ohhh no. Shadow definitely saw that. Eye contact was made. Gaia damn it this is bad this is baaad-

    ❝ Huh? ❞ Is all he can respond with, the pitch in his tone a little higher than he intended. Glancing back, he watches Shadow rid himself of his jacket and lean over- what was he doing?!

It takes Sonic a second to register the cozy fabric being draped over his form, leaving him blinking several times before he realized what was happening. He unlocks his arms from around his knees and grabs onto the hems of the coat, staring in awe at the article of clothing he’d just acquired.

     Shadow gave me his coat??

     Oh. Oh dear. Sonic hadn’t even realized how chilly it’d gotten out. His body had been responding to it- come to think of the slight trembles of his shoulders, but he’d been so distracted by thoughts he hadn’t even picked up on the signals his body had been sending him. Was this why he was feeling so jumpy?? Surely his emotions had contributed to some of it, but…

    And clearly Shadow noticed. He’d noticed before Sonic even noticed. Gee… he really was just a mess tonight, wasn’t he? Still, it certainly didn’t stop the bloom of warmth and butterflies that took off in his chest as the faint scent of coffee hits his nose. Okay… Rein it in, Sonic. Keep it cool. Act normal. Pretend like you totally didn’t just get caught staring.

   ❝ H-heh… Y’know I’ve survived sub-zero temperatures way outside the stratosphere, right? ❞ The hedgehog teases quietly, shooting the agent an amused look as he stretches up and wriggles his arms into the sleeves of the coat so he could comfortably hug his knees again. It a good humored jab, certainly not one Sonic made intending to start anything. He further solidifies that point by continuing before Shadow can get a word in.

   ❝ …Thanks tho’. I appreciate it, I really do. Not a huge fan of the cold, if’m honest. ❞

It really was… kind of the agent. Not something Sonic would have expected, yet somehow he didn’t feel as surprised as he should be. After everything he’s witnessed from his companion tonight, the speedster honestly wouldn’t be surprised if Shadow leaned over and put his arm around Sonic and maybe tilted the hero’s face up with a hand, leaned down and-

      ……..Yeah okay, we’re not finishing that thought. Whatever happened to platonic?? Sonic was trying to be a good friend, not get caught up in…whatever that train of thought was leading to. He really needed to get a rein on his feelings tonight or he wasn’t gonna make any actual headway. Sonic didn’t wanna just be a sitting, stuttering duck the entire time.

     So, he thinks of a diversion, if only from his own stupid feelings as the movie led up to it’s next musical act.

     ❝ Hey… what’d you end up getting from the convenient store? ❞ Sonic whispers, completely pretending like he wasn’t using this as an excuse to glance at Shadow again. Not at all.

      Yeah, I was there for some of it, in case you forgot. The words never left his mouth for there were too many implications tied to them to consider in a moment’s notice. For one thing, he knew all too well the speedster had had countless adventures without him, and far be it from him to exaggerate his importance in those he did take part in. For another, none of the ones that applied here were among those Shadow was particularly proud of.

     The first time, the two of them were enemies, and the second, well - he didn’t remember. Not who Sonic was, not what had led up to that moment, not the last time he’d been there. And now that he did, it was even more conflicting to think back on.

     They hadn’t exactly been on the same side, that second time around - it had really been more of a... temporary partnership, along-for-the-ride kind of deal. Yet Sonic had never stopped being nice and encouraging, and most of all, he had tried to get him to remember. And he’d been the only one, out of everyone Shadow knew.

     Why ?

     The question died on his lips though, as Sonic quickly moved on to thank him for the coat, effectively pushing him off that specific train of thought. “Yeah...” he uttered slowly, forcing his mind to get back to the present time and place. “There’s a notable difference between living and surviving though, wouldn’t you say ?” The semi-rhetorical question was punctuated with a scoff - as if proving his point before Shadow had even voiced it, the speedster hadn’t wasted any time properly putting on the garment. It seemed it was even more welcome than the agent had guessed.

     “I can imagine,” he said with a widening grin, as an actual response to Sonic’s confided sensitivity to cold. “What with how little fur you’ve got growing there.” He just had to get a little jab in there, however objective. It made things feel a bit... less strange, and more like they usually were between them, he thought as he let his gaze linger maybe one too many second on the bundled up hedgehog. It was a pretty cute image...

     Chaos, stop being so weird, Shadow urged himself, snapping his attention away from Sonic and back to the screen a tad too suddenly to look natural. His heart had leaped a minute earlier when they’d unexpectedly made eye contact, and it still felt out of sorts now, after he thought he’d figured out such a perfect distraction. He leaned back some, planting his hands against the ground to try and quell this odd trembling that had overtaken them. And it wasn’t from the cold, that much he could tell.

     Maybe he was getting a little too friendly. Not by anyone else’s standards, for sure, but by his own - this was likely further than he had been planning on letting it go. Far out enough of his comfort zone that his own body was responding where his mind couldn’t, sending him signals that he was overdoing it. But then, why did this behavior come to him to naturally ?

     “Hm ?” Ears and head both turned to his companion as a reflex when he spoke up again. So much for paying attention, Shadow thought to himself, almost rolling his eyes. He’d been so caught up in his reflections he’d completely lost track of what was going on for a minute - both in the movie and right by his side. “Same as you,” he said after a brief delay, shifting his weight onto one hand so he could reach into his bag and pick out the snack in question with the other.

     Of course, it being a discount plastic bag, it just had to get hung up on the ring of his wrist and tumble over when he pulled his hand back, effectively revealing his other pick that he’d more or less forgotten about already. “Oh, and this,” he added, dropping the first item to pick up the bag of salted dried meat and bringing it up the other’s attention. “Some coworker got me addicted to this stuff. It’s not junk food enough to be forbidden on duty.”

     He let out another quiet laugh. It was the excuse he’d heard when no one made a fuss when said coworker had shown up with the snack in question, but he’d come to know better as time went by. It was just awful food all around for most people, too salty for some, too chewy for others, or too odd of a taste. It didn’t distract people like most other junk food did because no one wanted it. It was no surprise, in hindsight, that Shadow would develop a certain affection for it.

     Which led to an interesting question...

     “Wanna try ?” he offered in turn, ripping the bag open and handing it out to his rival with a weirdly curious expression on his face.