Chapter Text
November arrived, and Ness completed 33 weeks, already being 8 months pregnant. Project Blue Lock would end in two weeks, on the exact day Ness would turn 35. The bags were already starting to be packed, the farewells were happening little by little, looking at those who had shared the same "house" for months and saying goodbye was difficult. No one thought they would feel sadness in their last days in Blue Lock, everyone thought they would jump for joy and run out of that prison as soon as possible. They still had two weeks, but for those who had been there from the beginning, two weeks compared to a year they had been there was a short time. The last interview before the end was scheduled for that day, with two interviewers, one of them being the one who was in the interview where Ness announced the pregnancy.
"How do you feel about the end of Project Blue Lock?" the female interviewer asked.
"I think we all want to go home for good, but at the same time we're going to miss being together," Isagi replied.
“I'll miss being with you guys, but I won't miss waking up early every day.” Nagi huffs.
“Much less you guys taking my things!” Raichi shouts.
“Ness, the last time I saw you, you couldn't even tell you were pregnant, but now your belly is huge. What was it like being pregnant in Blue Lock?” The male interviewer asks.
“I'm 8 months along and it was crazy at first, but it was incredible to have everyone's support and help here.” Ness tries not to get emotional.
“This baby is practically ours too.” Lorenzo jokes.
“I think it's absurd for Ness to take him away.” Reo joins in the joke.
“You guys have become a family.” The interviewer says.
“Exactly.” Ness agrees.
“Off the field we're a family, on the field it's a different story.” Sae says and everyone agrees.
“A lovely family, as long as there's no football involved.” Bachira laughs.
“And we plan to stay in touch.” Chigiri says.
In the last week, when Ness is 34 weeks old, the players prepare a different Blue Lock TV. They show their farewells, a painting they made on Ness's belly, a large board full of messages for Kian, last training sessions, writing letters to each other, last photos, exchanging numbers, and a farewell message to the fans.
The end is sad, but necessary. They leave Blue Lock on November 16th, with the promise to meet again and that Ness and Kaiser would always send news about Kian. Rin promised he would go to Germany when Kian was born, Alexis couldn't say no, because he wanted Rin there.
At the airport, the players from other countries said goodbye. Lorenzo and Charles said they would see each other soon. Ness said goodbye to Sae when the flight to Germany was called. Inside the plane, with Michael sitting next to him, he saw a Japanese man who should have been on the flight from Spain sitting in front of him.
"Sae? Weren't you going to Spain?" Ness noticed that Kaiser knew about the plan, because the blond man had a small smile on his face.
"I'm going to spend a few weeks in Germany, I have a friend who hasn't even started preparing his son's room and I need to help him, as well as provide support at the end of the pregnancy." Sae rolled his eyes, but Ness knew he was joking.
Ness cried for part of the flight, but calmed down and smiled as if he had received the best news in the world, and at that moment it was.
The next three weeks were spent with Ness, Sae, and Kaiser preparing Kian's room. Choosing furniture, buying clothes, painting walls, positioning the painting made by the players, packing the maternity bag, and having the last check-ups. Sae was practically forced by Ness to stay in the guest room, refusing to leave Sae in a hotel.
In the early morning of December 12th, two days before Ness turned 39 weeks pregnant, he woke up feeling a liquid on his legs and realized his water had broken.
“Micha.” He shook the blond man sleeping next to him. “My water broke.” He said calmly.
“What?” Kaiser jumped up in shock. “But there are still two weeks until 40 weeks.”
“One week and two days.” Ness corrected as he got out of bed. “He's impatient.”
Kaiser was still in bed, startled, while Ness cleaned himself up and changed out of his pajamas.
“Are you going to stay there or get ready and grab the bags?” Kaiser wondered if Ness was really in labor, judging by his calm demeanor.
Sae woke up to the noise Kaiser made as he gathered the necessary things to go to the maternity ward.
“What happened?” Itoshi was half asleep.
“Lexi went into labor.” Kaiser moved quickly around the house.
“What? Is he okay?”
“I'd say even better than us.”
“Could you two talk on the way to the hospital?” Ness appeared at the door.
Neither of them wasted any time. Soon the three of them were in the car heading to the maternity ward.
“Sae, call Rin to let him know.” Ness was starting to feel contractions, but he was still calm. “Damn it, I'll have to change the sheets when I get back.”
“You're in labor and you're worried about sheets?” Kaiser laughed at Ness's comment.
“I'm trying not to think about a baby coming out of me in the next few hours.” Ness laughs, trying to lighten the mood.
“I'll let Rin know.” Sae says, looking at Ness beside him in the back seat. “Is it hurting a lot?”
“No, for now it's more anxiety than actual pain.” Alexis had to stop taking her anxiety medication during her pregnancy.
“That's good, isn't it?” Sae asks.
“I don't know, I've never given birth before.” Ness tenses his shoulders. “You two will stay by my side throughout the entire delivery, right?”
“Absolutely.” Kaiser keeps his eyes on the road, preferring to drive calmly, since the situation was still calm.
“Maybe because of the lack of kinship they'll kick me out of the room, but I'll try my best to stay.” Sae holds Ness's hand.
Sae doesn't like physical contact, but he knows Alexis does, so this small action was Sae's way of expressing that Alexis is important to him. They arrived at the hospital, and it was there, on December 12th, that Ness's pregnancy came to an end, bringing sweet Kian into the world.