Archive of Our Own ^omega

Chapter Text

“I don’t want to go,” Ben murmurs, resting against Gwil’s chest, and Gwil smiles, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of Ben’s head.

“Yes, you do, love,” Gwil says. “You love uni.”

“The baby’s going to come,” Ben whines, “and I’m going to miss it.”

“I doubt you’ll miss it,” Gwil says. “Two hour train ride? That would be a pretty quick labour. Though, it is her third, so, you never know.”

Ben pulls back, looking up at Gwil with a frown. “That’s not helping, Gwil,” he says, and Gwil laughs, wrapping his arms around Ben, pulling him back in.

It’s Sunday night; Gwil and Ben had come in from Aber on Friday, as usual, and had spent the weekend helping Rami and Joe make sure that they were absolutely, finally ready, and hoping that the baby would come. But there was no word from Poppy, and so Ben spent most of Sunday afternoon debating whether or not he was going back to Aber to wait. He felt guilty leaving, the possibility that he could miss the birth hanging over his head, but the other three had all assured him that it would be fine, and that he can’t just go around missing all his classes all the time.

So he and Gwil are at Euston station, saying goodbye, because although Ben has actual assignments and work to be done, and needs to pick up the girls from Brian, Gwil’s decided to stay back in London just to be an extra set of hands in case the baby does come during the week.

“I can come with you, if you’d like,” Gwil says. “I know I offered to stay but I certainly don’t have to.”

“No, you should,” Ben says. “One of us should. I’ll be alright.” He leans up, giving Gwil a kiss. “After all, if I fail all my courses—”

“I don’t think you’re in danger of that,” Gwil says, “but I would certainly feel better knowing that…” He shrugs. “That you weren’t going to be in any trouble or miss anything important.”

“I know,” Ben says. He sighs, and glances over at his train. “I’m going to go.”

“Alright, love,” Gwil says, giving Ben a kiss. “Say hello to the girls for me, and let me know when you’re home.”

“I will,” Ben says. He runs his hand down Gwil’s arm, taking his hand in his, and they just stand there together for a moment, until Gwil leans in, kissing his forehead again.

“I love you,” Gwil murmurs, and Ben nods.

“I love you too,” Ben says, squeezing Gwil’s hand before he steps back. “I guess if— I’ll see you on Friday if nothing happens by then.”

Gwil smiles. “I suppose so,” he says. “And if something does happen, I’ll let you know.”

Ben nods. “I’m just going to have the train schedule tattooed on my arm,” he says, “that way I won’t be late.”

“Brilliant idea,” Gwil says. “Eilidh would love that.”

Ben smiles, and shifts on his feet. “Okay,” he says, giving Gwil a quick kiss, “I really do have to go this time.”

“Okay,” Gwil says. “I wouldn’t want you to miss your train.”

“Tell them goodbye for me,” Ben says, reluctantly pulling away from Gwil. “I love you.”

Gwil smiles and waves. “I love you too,” he says. “I’ll see you soon!” Gwil calls out after him, and Ben glances back, waving his arm, before he looks down at his feet, climbing onto the train. Gwil stands there for a few moments, watching, half-expecting Ben to pop back out and hurry over, saying that he’ll just speak to his supervisor, but he doesn’t. Gwil keeps waiting, and then his mobile dings with a notification, and he takes it out of his pocket.

I can see you, you know, don’t be such a bloody weirdo. YES I’m on the train xx

Gwil laughs loudly at that, typing out a quick whatever you say, love, see you soon xx, before he puts his phone back in his pocket, shaking his head with amusement as he turns, heading back towards the underground.

“Ben?” Joe calls out from the living room, and Gwil frowns.

“No, sorry!” he calls back, reaching down to untie his boots, pulling them off. “Just me!”

“Oh, that’s surprising,” Joe says, and he pushes himself up on the sofa, watching Gwil walk down the hallway. “I didn’t think you’d manage to get rid of him.”

“Well, I wasn’t trying to get rid of him,” Gwil says, smiling as he walks into the living room. “I’m trying to ensure that out of the two of us, at least one of us can get a job.”

“Oh, don’t be silly,” Rami says, shifting on the sofa, still watching the television. “You’re absolutely employable.”

“Wow,” Gwil says, settling into his chair, “employable.”

“High praise coming from Rami tonight,” Joe says, reaching over to pat Rami on the leg. “Now do me, now do me.”

“Knock it off,” Rami says, but then he smiles at Joe and leans in to give him a quick kiss, shifting to settle against his side. “What’s for supper?” Rami asks.

“That depends,” Joe says, “what are you making us?” He winks at Gwil, and Gwil smiles back.

“I can,” Rami shrugs. “What do we have?”

“Don’t you want to order in?” Joe whines, and Gwil chuckles.

“I expect there will be lots of ordering in when the baby comes,” Gwil says.

“Nope,” Joe says, “for ease of grocery shopping, I’m switching to the baby’s diet. They eat formula, Daddy eats formula.”

“Oh god,” Rami mutters, shaking his head.

“I cannot wait for when we get to the baby food stage,” Joe says. “I fucking love applesauce.”

Rami looks down at his fingernails, ignoring Joe, and Joe just grins, leaning in to press a kiss to his temple.

“Well, let me whip something up,” Gwil says, pushing himself up.

“No!” Rami says, looking up. “I’ll do it.” He climbs up off the sofa, and Joe sighs, watching Rami and Gwil walk towards the kitchen together. “I do hope Ben was alright going home alone,” he says.

“I’m sure he is,” Gwil says. “I think he’s mostly worried he’ll miss the birth. Not me.”

Rami grins. “I’m sure he’ll miss you too,” he says. “Although, he’s probably not wrong to be worried. The baby could come at any moment.” He walks into the kitchen, heading to one of the cupboards, reaching in to grab a box of pasta. “This alright?” he asks, showing the box to Gwil, and Gwil nods.

“I’ll put together a side,” he says, and he goes over to the refrigerator. “Are you worried?” he asks.

“I don’t know,” Rami says. “I don’t know anything about— about IVF or— anything, really.”

“Well,” Gwil says, “you know some things.”

“Not about due dates, I don’t,” Rami says. “As I’m sure you can imagine, that wasn’t a particular worry of mine when I was younger.”

Gwil laughs loudly at that, and Rami grins. “No, nor mine,” Gwil says, still smiling. “That’s— no, you’re right, I suppose. Well. There’s really not much you can do. We’ll wait, and see what happens. Do you want a warm salad on the side, or something more crisp?”

Rami opens his mouth to answer, and then they both jump when Joe slaps his hand on the wall, bouncing into the kitchen. “What’s going on?” Rami asks quickly. “Is it the baby? Are they coming?”

“Huh?” Joe frowns. “Oh, no! I just heard laughter and started to feel left out.”

“Joe,” Gwil says, “warm salad or or something crisp and crunchy?”

“What’s the main? Ooh, pasta,” Joe says. “Uh, warm, is good. It is March, and freezing, so. Warm is good. What can I help with?”

“Chop some garlic?” Gwil asks.

“Sure,” Joe says, opening the refrigerator. “So what’s so funny?” he asks.

“Oh, nothing,” Gwil says. “Rami was just regaling me with tales of all the women he used to bed.”

Rami’s mouth falls open, and Joe snorts, looking over at him. “Yeah,” Joe says, “that would be funny.”

“Oh, shut up,” Rami says, lightly pushing Joe’s arm, and Joe laughs. “I could’ve, you know.”

“I’m not— I’m sure!” Joe says. “You’re handsome as fuck, there’s not a single doubt in mind that you could have found a woman to sleep with you. Multiple women. But you didn’t.”

“We were discussing due dates,” Gwil says, and Joe nods.

“Yeah, I buy that more,” Joe says, and Gwil laughs, while Rami just shakes his head. “I mean, yeah, IVF narrows down conception, but hey, babies are babies. They don’t care. They’ll come when they come.”

“Soon, though,” Rami says, and Joe nods, wrapping his arms around Rami, shifting on his feet.

“Very soon,” Joe says softly, kissing Rami’s neck. “Excited?”

Rami nods eagerly, snuggling against Joe. They stand there together for a few moments as Gwil keeps moving around the kitchen, grabbing a knife and cutting board, and then Joe opens his arms up.

“Come here, big guy,” Joe says, “get in here. We’re celebrating.”

“Alright,” Gwil says, putting the knife down, and he lets Joe pull him in as well. “Thank you,” he says, “this is lovely.”

Joe groans as he squeezes Gwil tightly, and wiggles against him. “Thanks for staying,” he says.

“Of course,” Gwil says, patting Joe on the back. “Ben would’ve.”

“Oh, I know!” Joe says, stepping back. “I didn’t mean that. I just meant— god, if Ben thought I was badmouthing him, I…no good. Don’t spread that rumour, Gwil!”

Gwil laughs, turning back to the counter. “I would never,” he says.

“I just mean,” Joe says, “we appreciate it. When Poppy calls, we might be all— argh! You know. And if something happens, and it all goes quickly, it’s good to know that at least one of you guys will be here.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Gwil says. “We might have to wait on the pasta a moment,” he says, looking at Rami, “this is going to take a bit of time in the oven.”

“Okay,” Rami says, pushing himself up onto the counter, watching Gwil.

“Geez, Rami,” Joe says, “make yourself right at home.”

“I have, thanks,” Rami says, giving him a cheeky smile, and Joe smiles. “Besides,” Rami says, kicking his foot out, nudging at Joe’s leg, “weren’t you supposed to be chopping garlic?”

“Ugh,” Joe says, rolling his eyes. “I’m torn between not doing it, just to annoy you, or doing it to help Gwil.”

“Help Gwil,” Rami says.

“I would make out alright,” Gwil says, “if annoying Rami is more important.”

Joe peers over Gwil’s shoulder. “See? He’s making out alright with that eggplant. Garlic isn’t even the main ingredient, he’s fine.”

“Aubergine,” Rami says.

“Ha, no,” Joe says, shaking his head. “I refuse to get involved with that.”

“Eggplant doesn’t even make sense!” Rami exclaims. “They don’t look like eggs.”

“They do!” Joe says, taking out his phone, going to Google. “Before they’re ripe, they look like eggs.”

“Aubergine is better,” Rami says, looking away from Joe’s phone, even as Joe puts it in his face. “No, no! I don’t want to see it, you’re wrong.”

“Want to live in denial,” Joe says. “It’s not just a river in Egypt!” He grins at Rami. “That works so much better with you than anyone else I’ve ever known.”

“It’s a stupid joke,” Rami says, but he’s trying not to smile. “Please be a dear and chop some garlic for Gwil before we starve.”

“Oh, sure,” Joe says, patting his stomach, “because I was at risk of that. Sorry to annoy you, Gwil.”

“Oh, I’m alright,” Gwil says, smiling at Joe as he continues to chop. “I’m quite used to it by now.”

Rami chuckles, and Joe just shakes his head, narrowing his eyes as he grabs another cutting board. “Maybe I’m not happy you stayed,” Joe says, and Gwil laughs.

Ben bites down on his lip, trying to stifle his yawn as he unlocks the door to his building. He steps inside, and then shivers as a bit as he closes the door behind him before he knocks on Brian’s door. Ben hears footsteps inside, and then he smiles when Brian unlocks the door, opening it up.

“Hello!” Brian says happily, and Ben’s smile grows as it always does when he’s around Brian. “Welcome back to town.”

“Thank you,” Ben says, and Brian steps aside.

“Come in, come in,” he says, glancing out into the hallway. “No Gwil?” he asks.

Ben shakes his head. “No, he’s staying in London,” he says. “Just in case.”

“That makes sense,” Brian says. “And you’re back for your courses? Oh, of course, the girls! You don’t need to talk to me. Girls!”

Ben smiles. “I— were they alright?”

“Heaven, as usual,” Brian says.

“Good,” Ben says. “Oh, Blossom!” he exclaims, kneeling down, holding his hand out to Peaseblossom, who walks over, sniffing him, flinching back a bit. “I’m sorry, yes, I pet Augie while I was away. I know.”

Brian smiles, watching Ben with Blossom, and then he looks down at his watch. “Have you eaten yet?” he asks.

“Huh?” Ben asks, looking up. “Oh, no,” he says, “not yet. I was planning on just…whatever’s upstairs. Gwil’s the cook,” he says, a bit sheepish, though he knows Brian has already figured that out.

“Well, if you’d like to stay for a bit,” Brian says, “I have plenty of leftovers from earlier!”

“Oh, I don’t want to intrude or anything,” Ben says, shifting on his feet. “Uh…what did you make?”

“Sweet potatoes stuffed with macaroni and cheese,” Brian says. “Vegan, of course,” he says, winking at Ben.

“Oh god, that sounds good,” Ben says. “Uh, yeah, if it’s not too much— sure, that would be great.”

“Alright!” Brian says, clapping his hands together. “I’ll go pour us some drinks!”

Ben grins, and shrugs off his jacket, reaching down to untie his trainers. “Oh, Mussy, hello girl! Hi. Hi. Did you miss me?” He stands up, picking up Mussy, snuggling her to his chest. “I missed you,” he says, kissing her on the nose. “Did you eat? Were you good? Let’s go, girl, Brian is feeding Daddy.” He gives her a couple more kisses and then sets her down, walking over to the kitchen to help.

A sharp noise cuts into Rami’s dream, and for a few moments, his brain can’t tell what’s real and what’s not, it just blends into the imagery. But then Rami jolts awake, and he blinks, trying to recognize the sound. It’s not either of their alarms, it’s—

“Joe,” Rami says harshly, reaching over to shake Joe’s arm.

“Mm.”

“Your mobile!”

“Yeah in a minute,” Joe mumbles, rolling over onto his stomach, and Rami just stares at him, until everything registers with Joe and he reaches out, grabbing his phone off the nightstand. “Hello?” he asks. “Hey, Poppy,” he says, and he pushes himself up, looking over at Rami. “How’s it going?”

“What’s happening?” Rami asks, reaching out to Joe, and Joe just raises a finger, trying to still listen to Poppy.

“Uh, five minutes apart?” Joe asks. “That’s…okay. So you’re going now?”

“She’s in labour?” Rami asks loudly, and Joe looks at him, nodding. “Oh my god!” Rami exclaims, and then Joe covers his ear and Rami makes a face, mouthing sorry at him.

“Okay, we’ll meet you there,” Joe says. “Uh, uh— I don’t know what to say anymore, we should’ve practiced this part more.”

Rami climbs out of bed, and hurries over to the wardrobe, grabbing some clothes to wear.

“Okay,” Joe says. “Be safe, we’ll see you there. Hold it in until we get there, okay?” Rami glances over at him, and then Joe ends the call, tossing his phone onto the bed. “She’s having a baby!” Joe exclaims, awkwardly stumbling off the bed as he hurries over to Rami, throwing his arms around him, pulling him into a kiss. “I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you.”

“I love you too,” Rami says, cupping Joe’s cheeks in his hands, smiling at him. “I— is she alright?”

Joe nods. “Sounds okay to me! I— don’t know much about it, you know, she’s the expert, but if she’s going to the hospital, I say we trust her! I— oh my god, what time is it? Is it after midnight? What’s the date?”

“March 3,” Rami says.

“I…is that a good day?” Joe asks.

Rami smiles, and kisses Joe. “It is now,” he says.

“Just don’t let me Google it,” Joe says, “god, it’s probably like…oh man, I bet something bad happened today.”

“Joe!” Rami says sharply. “Don’t say that. It’s our baby’s birthday! Oh— Ben!”

“Oh shit,” Joe says. “Oh fuck. Okay. Uh, I’ll handle Ben, you— Gwil!”

“Gwil!” Rami exclaims.

“I’m going to go to the bathroom!” Joe says. “We’re not ready at all! Why did we go to bed?” He gives Rami another quick kiss and then hurries to the bathroom, and Rami looks around, contemplating messaging Nelly, getting dressed, and his footsteps stutter a couple times as he tries to decide, and eventually he just darts out of the room, crossing the hall. Rami bounces up and down on his feet, knocking on the door in time with his movements, and then finally he just opens it up, peeking his head in.

“I was on my way,” Gwil says, standing right beside the door, reaching his hand out to the door knob. “I— the baby?”

Rami nods eagerly, bouncing some more. “The baby!” he exclaims, and he bounces up again, wrapping his arms around Gwil, pulling him down into a hug.

“Is everything alright?” Gwil asks. “What did she say? Are they going—”

Rami nods, pulling back. “They are! We’re going to meet them there. Joe’s in the bathroom. I know, it’s early, you don’t have to come, but—”

“Of course I’m coming!” Gwil says. “I—” He reaches up, scratching at his beard. “How long do we have? Do I have time— change, brush my teeth, all that?”

Rami nods. “We’re going to get a taxi, though,” he says. “When you’re getting ready, can you call Ben? Joe said he would message him too, but I’m not sure if he’s answered yet.”

“Alright,” Gwil says, “of course. I— what do we need, what do we bring? What happens?”

“We have a bag!” Rami says. “You just— yourself— the baby! The baby is coming! Gwil! I’m going to be a father today!”

“I know!” Gwil says, and he wraps his arms around Rami again, holding him close. “I’m very happy. I love you. I— it’s coming!”

“It’s coming!” Rami exclaims, pulling back. “I have to— change, dressed, oh my god. Gwil! I’m going to be a father.”

“I know,” Gwil says again, softer this time, gently resting his hands on Rami’s shoulders. “I know,” he says. “And you’re going to be brilliant at it, alright?” Rami nods. “You and Joe have been fathers, for months now. You’ve just been waiting for the baby.”

Rami nods again. “I— they’re coming. I— oh god, what if something goes wrong?”

“Nothing will go wrong,” Gwil says, squeezing Rami’s shoulders. “I promise. They know what they’re doing, and Poppy’s an expert by now. It will be fine.” He leans in, kissing Rami on the forehead. “Go get ready, alright?”

“Alright,” Rami says. “I— a baby.” He clutches his hands to his chest. “I’m going to get to hold my baby.”

“Not if you don’t get dressed!” Gwil says, playfully kicking his foot out at Rami. “Go!”

“Okay, okay!” Rami says, hurrying back into his bedroom. He quickly gets dressed, jumping as he tugs on his socks, and then he bursts into the bathroom.

Joe clutches at his chest in surprise, inhaling some toothpaste, and Rami wraps his arms around him, bouncing up and down as Joe coughs. “Okay, okay,” Joe says, voice rough, “please don’t kill me before I even get to meet our kid.”

“I’m sorry,” Rami says, and he pulls back, but keeps bouncing up and down, and flaps his hands a few times before he reaches out, grabbing onto his toothbrush. He looks over at Joe, and Joe’s just smiling at him, toothpaste foam all over his mouth. “A baby,” Rami says, and Joe nods, leaning forward to spit into the sink.

“I know,” Joe says. “Did you get Gwil up?” Rami nods as he starts brushing his teeth. “Ben’s asleep, to be expected.”

Rami spits. “Oh no,” he says sadly. “I— what terrible timing,” he says. “And he was just here.”

“It’s okay,” Joe says. “Hey, don’t worry. Ben’s going to be fine. We’re going to be fine. We’re going to be parents, right?”

Rami nods, smiling at Joe. “We are,” he says, and he starts brushing his teeth again.

By the time they’re all dressed and downstairs, ready to go, it’s only been maybe about twenty minutes since Poppy called, but Rami and Joe can’t stop moving about impatiently as they wait for their taxi. They head outside, and Rami stands on the edge of the sidewalk, constantly looking left, and then right, and then left again, waiting for the car to drive up. Gwil’s the only one who seems even sort of calm, but even he’s got a massive smile plastered to his face, watching Joe and Rami.

When the taxi finally pulls up, Rami and Joe basically explode into the backseat, throwing open the doors and hurriedly climbing in. “St Thomas’, please,” Joe says. “The hospital. Our baby is at the hospital.”

“Not yet!” Rami says. “But they’re on the way!” Rami and Joe grin at each other, hugging each other in the backseat, and Gwil just climbs in next to the driver, smiling politely at him.

“Do you know where that one is?” Gwil asks. “Westminster Bridge. Thank you. Not sure where the parking is, but North Wing, if you can get us there.”

The drive is only about ten minutes this early in the morning, and Rami and Joe climb out of the car just as quickly as they got in, leaving Gwil to politely thank the driver and pay, glancing in the back to make sure that Rami and Joe didn’t leave anything behind. The three of them take the lift up to the seventh floor. The area they were expecting to go do is closed due to the late— or early— hour, so they go to the part of the birth centre that is open all hours.

“Hello,” Rami says, leaning against the counter, and then he thinks that maybe that’s not allowed so he jumps back a bit. “My name is Rami Malek-Mazzello, and I believe that my baby is being delivered here right now?”

“Our surrogate, Poppy O’Gorman, called us,” Joe says. “She said she was on her way. But— uh— we were supposed to go the other—”

“She’s being assessed by a midwife,” the receptionist replies.

“Oh,” Rami says, looking at Joe.

“Are you also one of the fathers?” the receptionist asks, looking past Rami and Joe to Gwil, and Gwil raises his hand to his chest in surprise.

“Uh, me?” Gwil asks. “No, sorry. Just— these two. I’m…an uncle.”

“We don’t usually have so many waiting people at once,” the receptionist says. “Given the circumstances, the two fathers can go in, if Ms. O’Gorman says yes, but we don’t usually allow so many people in there.”

“That’s alright,” Gwil says. “I am— is there anywhere I can wait?”

The receptionist directs Gwil to a small room down the hall, and Gwil smiles at Rami and Joe. “I’ll be there,” he says. “Let me know when you need me.” He waves and walks down the hallway, taking out his mobile to message Ben again, and then the receptionist goes down the hallway to check on Poppy. A few moments later, she pops back out, and waves Joe and Rami down.

“Thank you,” Rami says, and he and Joe walk down the hallway to the assessment room, knocking gently before they pop their heads in.

“Hello!” Poppy says cheerily from the bed, and Joe eagerly waves back as he and Rami walk into the room.

“How are you feeling?” Rami asks, heading over to give her a quick hug, and Joe does the same.

“Alright,” Poppy says.

“Are you in labour?” Rami asks. “Hi, Dáire.”

“Hello,” Dáire says, waving over at them both from where he’s sat by the window.

“We’re just discussing that now,” Poppy says, looking at the midwife.

“What does that mean?” Joe asks.

“My contractions are only about four minutes apart,” Poppy says, “and they usually don’t admit you until they’re at least three.”

“Oh,” Rami says, sounding a bit deflated. “So…you’re going to go home?”

“That’s what we’re discussing,” the midwife says.

“I think the drive back home just to turn around and come back here sounds terribly boring,” Poppy says. “So I may just wander the halls, pop ‘round to the garden room, until they pick up the pace or I dilate a bit more.”

“How many centimetres?” Joe asks.

“Three,” Poppy says. “And they want me at four.”

“Oh, that’s nothing,” Joe says. “Get out there, run some laps, let’s shake this baby loose!” Dáire looks at Joe with a smile, and Joe grins back.

“Is everything alright so far though?” Rami asks. “Nothing’s wrong?”

“Everything seems fine,” the midwife says.

“How much longer will it take?” Rami asks. “For the baby?”

“That’s impossible to say,” the midwife replies. “But from where she is now, I’d wager at least another four hours, and probably more.”

“Oh my god,” Joe says, and then he makes a bit of a face. “Sorry, Poppy,” he says. “Not to like, discourage you or anything. That’s just— okay, another four hours? No, that’s cool.”

“So what can we do now?” Rami asks. “Just wait?”

“Just wait,” Poppy says. “Or, as Joe put it, I’m going to get out there and run some laps to shake this baby loose.”

“You don’t have to take his advice,” Rami says, “he knows nothing about delivering babies.”

“Are Ben and Gwil here?” Poppy asks.

“Gwil is,” Rami says. “Ben’s in Wales.”

“Oh!” Poppy says. “Well. Never mind then. No laps. This baby can’t go anywhere until Ben’s here.”

Joe smiles. “I’m sure he’ll appreciate that,” he says. “But also, do whatever you gotta do.”

“I think I want a tea,” Poppy says, looking at Dáire. “Where can we go that’s open right now? Bar Italia?”

“Why don’t you stay here with the lads?” Dáire asks, “and I’ll go find you something.”

“But I also want something sweet,” Poppy says, and Dáire smiles, standing up and walking over to her, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “You just don’t want me delivering in the car,” she says, and Dáire smiles.

“I certainly do not,” Dáire says. “Lads? Shall I get you anything?” he asks.

“Maybe you should take Gwil with you,” Joe says. “He knows our orders.”

“Joe!” Rami says sharply, and Joe just smiles.

“You can’t get annoyed with me today, babe,” Joe says. “We’re having a baby.”

“Yes, well,” Rami murmurs. “Fine. Take Gwil.”

“Alright!” Dáire says, and he heads out to go find Gwil.

“What do you want to do now?” Rami asks, looking at Poppy.

“Help me stand up and let’s go see for a walk,” Poppy says, lifting her arms up for Rami and Joe to take.

Ben’s alarm goes off and he jumps with it, then groans. He reaches over to his nightstand, grabbing his mobile to hit stop, and then he sits up a bit, yawning. He sets his alarm early enough that he can still spend a few minutes in bed, checking social media or texting with Rami and Joe before he has to drag himself out and get ready.

Ben rubs his eyes, which widen when he sees all the notifications he has. Missed calls, text messages, voicemails. “Shit shit shit shit shit shit,” Ben says, and he ignores the calls and the voicemails because he hates listening to voicemails, but he goes to his messages. Joe, Rami, Gwil— they’ve all individually texted him, and texted him in their various group chats as well.

Bennnnnnnnnnnnnn. Ben my baby is coming. Ben. Ben. Why do you sleep with your phone off. Ben. bEN BEN BEN BEN BEN BEN BEN MY BABY IS COMING YOU’RE GONNA MISS IT YOU BEAUTIFUL DUMB PERSON WAKE UP IT’S TIME TO WAKE UP IT’S TIME TO WAKE UP IM GOING TO KEEP DOING THIS UNTIL I HEAR FROM YOUUUUUUUUUUUU

Hi Ben, we’re going to meet Poppy and Dáire. I do hope that you’ll wake up soon, but I know that it’s quite early. I’m sure it will all be alright. I’m excited for you to come back! I’m going to have a baby later today! Hopefully :) See you soon, love you! I’m going to be a father! I hope the train schedule is the same today as usual.

Well love, I do sort of regret letting you get on the train. Though I suppose if you had stayed the baby wouldn’t have come until Saturday. We’re in hospital, nothing has happened as of yet. Please don’t feel guilty, love, I’m sure you’ll feel terrible when you read this. Please ring me when you wake up. Thinking of you xx

Ben hits Gwil’s name and then calls him, starting to gnaw down on his thumb until Gwil answers.

“Well, hello, love!” Gwil says cheerily. “How’d you sleep?”

“Gwil,” Ben says, voice rough and trembling, “please— did I miss it? Is— what’s going on, did the baby come? Oh, please Gwil, tell me that I didn’t—”

“Everything is fine,” Gwil says, “but no, you haven’t missed a thing yet, we’re still waiting.”

“You are?” Ben asks in surprise. “I— how long has it been?”

“We’ve been here for, let me see,” Gwil says. “Oh, four hours now. How soon can you get here?”

“I would’ve just missed the seven-thirty train,” Ben says. “The next one isn’t until nine-thirty.”

“That’s alright,” Gwil says.

“It’s too late,” Ben says, sounding frantic. “I’m going to be too late, I’m going to miss it.”

“Everything is going to be fine,” Gwil says.

“I won’t be there—” Ben blows out a breath, and then sniffles. “I— by the time I get off the train to the hospital, it will be— twelve? Twelve-thirty? That’s a long time. I’m going to miss it.”

“Ben, love,” Gwil says gently, “we aren’t going to be in the delivery room regardless. So what if you’re not here at the exact moment the baby is born? Were you expecting to cut the cord?”

Ben wants to find that annoying, but he knows Gwil’s right. “I know,” he says quietly. “I just…if something happens I need to be there for Joe.”

“I know,” Gwil says. “But nothing will happen, and you’ll get to the meet the baby today regardless. So! Are you alright or do you need to keep talking to me?”

“I don’t know, I can’t think.” Ben reaches up, messing up his hair, groaning. “Fucking hell.”

“You’re alright,” Gwil says. “Can I remind you that you need to email your supervisor and your professors?”

“Right,” Ben says. “Thank you.”

“Also, don’t forget a bag,” Gwil says. “And when you take the girls back downstairs to Brian’s, can you please give him a key? My plants will need watering.”

“Uh-huh, sure,” Ben says. “The key.”

“Then just grab some breakfast, something warm to drink, and catch the 9:30 to London. That sounds like an alright morning to me.”

Ben lets out a small laugh, shaking his head. “I’m sorry,” he says. “I— my best mate is having a baby and I’m the one who’s anxious. Are Rami and Joe okay?”

“They’re brilliant,” Gwil says. “A bit impatient, but I think that’s to be expected. They’re sort of taking turns, in with Poppy, out here with me, pacing around, who knows where they are. I’m not sure they’re if answering their mobiles right now or not, but I’ll tell them you’re up and on the way.”

“Are you okay?” Ben asks.

“Yes, love,” Gwil says, and Ben can hear the smile in his voice. “I’m as chuffed as anything. Going to be meet a whole new person today, how often can you say that?”

Ben smiles. “Not very often,” he says. He glances at the time. “I’m going to start getting ready,” he says. “I’ll let you know when I’m on the train.”

“Okay,” Gwil says, “good lad.”

Ben makes a quiet noise at that, and reaches up, messing with his hair a bit more, contemplating a shower. “Okay,” he says. “I love you. I love them.”

“We all love you too,” Gwil says. “See you in a few hours.”

“Okay, bye.”

“Goodbye, love.”

Ben ends the call and sits there for a moment long, still a bit stunned just with the idea— the baby. How nervous and excited Rami and Joe must be. Ben looks down at Mustardseed, sleeping at the foot of the bed. “Hey, girl,” he says. “Today is a very exciting day.”

Ben climbs out of bed, getting dressed in something comfortable and warm, with a couple layers, since he doesn’t know what the temperature will be like in the waiting room. He grabs his small bag that he literally just brought home from London, and he takes out the clothes he’d meant to put into the wash, and repacks it.

“Mussy,” Ben says, looking over at her. “We’ve got to get you back downstairs. Come on, come here.” He scratches his fingernails against his thigh, but Mustardseed doesn’t move, so Ben sighs, and walks over to the bed, picking her up. He grabs his spare key, sliding it into his pocket, and then he goes into the second bedroom, finding Peaseblossom asleep in the baby’s crib. “Hi, Blossom,” he says. smiling down at her. “Funny I should find you in here.”

Ben manages to wrangle both of the cats downstairs, leading them with the treat bag he keeps shaking, and then he gently knocks on Brian’s door. He knows he’s awake— well, he knows that Brian is usually up quite early, but he still feels guilty.

Brian opens the door, smiling at Ben. “Hello,” he says. “Pleasure seeing you again so soon.”

“Good morning,” Ben says, and he looks down as Peaseblossom runs by his feet into Brian’s flat. “I really hope we’re not bothering you.”

“Hardly,” Brian says. “Is everything alright?” he asks.

“The baby is on the way,” Ben says.

“No!” Brian exclaims with a grin. “Well, I’ll be. So soon? Were they waiting until you left the country?”

“Sure seems like it,” Ben says. “Poppy went into labour this morning, so I’m going to catch the next train and head to London.”

“Wonderful news,” Brian says.

“Can you watch the girls?” Ben asks. “I know it’s a lot to ask, again. I’m not sure how long we’ll be gone this time—”

“Not to worry,” Brian says.

“Maybe a week?” Ben continues. “I don’t know.” He takes the key out of his pocket, handing it over to Brian. “Gwil’s asked that you water his plants. I assume he’s given you some instructions?”

“I think I have his notes around here somewhere,” Brian says, glancing over his shoulder.

“If the girls get to be too much,” Ben says, “you can put them back in the flat on their own, they’ll be fine.”

“We’ll all be fine,” Brian says.

“And thank you,” Ben says. “You’re a real lifesaver, I— I swear it won’t always be like this, I know it seems like we’re never here for them—”

“Heavens,” Brian says. “You’re alright. I think you’re just a bit stressed.”

“I’m very nervous,” Ben says, and Brian smiles, nodding.

“You go on ahead,” Brian says. “We’ll all be fine here. I don’t mind one bit.”

“Thank you,” Ben says again, leaning in to give Brian a quick hug. “We really appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome,” Brian says. “Just send along my congratulations and let me know the good news!”

“I will,” Ben says. “Bye, girls,” he waves. “We love you, we’ll be back soon. Bye. Be good! Daddy loves you!”

“Bye, Ben,” Brian says, waving at him, and Ben waves back, glancing back at Brian’s flat as he heads up the stairs.

“Four centimetres,” the midwife says to Poppy. “Still.”

Poppy looks over at Rami and Joe. “A bit slower this time, then,” she says, giving them a smile.

“That’s okay,” Joe says quickly. “We’re not going anywhere.”

“And it’s still only early,” Rami says. “That’s— as long as you’re okay, and you’re comfortable, we’re alright.”

After Poppy, Rami, and Joe had walked around the hospital for a bit, and Dáire and Gwil had come back with drinks for them all, the midwife had checked Poppy again, and found that she’d dilated to four centimetres, and she was admitted. Her room is small but nice, with a large window taking up most of one wall, and bright floral wallpaper on the others. It has its own ensuite bathroom, a chair that Dáire has pulled up alongside the bed to sit with Poppy, and a sofa that Joe and Rami are currently curled up together on. Gwil sort of moves back and forth between the waiting area, the garden room, and occasionally popping in just to check on them and ask if they need anything— the hospital usually only allows for two birthing partners, but made an obvious exception for their situation. But still, Gwil might be pushing it, and he knows that he’s not really there for Poppy anyway, he’s there if Rami and Joe need him. And he brought a book with him that morning.

“Do you want a glass of water?” Dáire asks.

“Thank you,” Poppy says softly, giving Dáire a smile. She looks over at Joe and Rami. “He’s supposed to remind me to drink,” she says. “Stay hydrated."

“Right,” Rami says, looking at Joe, wondering if Joe feels as absolutely useless right now as he does. Rami looks at his watch, and then gives Poppy a small smile. It’s been about five hours since she actually got admitted, and there’s been almost no progress since then. Which— Rami doesn’t blame anybody or anything, he was just expecting a baby by now. Or at least, to be a lot closer to having one. And he and Joe can both tell that Poppy isn’t comfortable, and he feels awful watching her shift around, trying to get pressure off her back.

“Anything we can do?” Joe asks. “I— know that’s probably…no. But we can— food. If you want a book. Anybody we need to call?”

“I think this is it,” Poppy says, waving her hands around the room. “Not much to it.”

“Have you thought about the pool room?” the midwife asks.

“A water birth?” Rami asks. “Is that— safer?”

“For pain relief first,” the midwife says. “Hydrotherapy.”

Poppy groans, smiling. “That doesn’t sound too bad,” she says. “Though, I think I’ll try the ball first.”

“Drink first,” Dáire says, handing her the glass of water. “Last thing this place needs is you bouncing all over the place and spilling your water.”

Poppy chuckles and takes a sip of water, humming softly to herself. “I bet this isn’t nearly as interesting as you thought it would be, huh?”

Rami and Joe glance at each other, unsure of what to say, and Dáire laughs. “It’s alright, lads,” he says, taking his seat by the bed again. “This one is particularly boring.”

“What were the first two like?” Rami asks.

“Well, with Aoife, I think it was…” Poppy looks at Dáire. “We got admitted around six-thirty in the morning, and she was here by ten.”

“Wow,” Joe says, glancing at his watch. “Well. Not the case today.”

“No,” Poppy says, taking another sip of water. “Though, I think I was admitted a bit later.”

“Poppy slept through most of the labour,” Dáire says, and Poppy smiles. “Six-thirty is just when she woke up, but Aoife was already on the way.”

“Headstrong,” Joe says, and Dáire nods. “Well. This is a bad sign, you know.”

“Joe,” Rami says, shifting uncomfortably. “Don’t say that.”

“They’re going to be so stubborn,” Joe continues, and he looks at Rami. “Never gonna be on time. Gonna have to drag them out of bed, kicking and screaming.” He smiles, and leans in, kissing Rami’s temple. “That last part they must get from Ben.”

Rami rolls his eyes and he smiles faintly.

“It’s gonna be fine,” Joe says, whispering into Rami’s ear, and Rami nods. Joe pulls back, looking back over at Poppy and Dáire. “So,” he says, “I did some googling.”

“Always helpful,” Dáire says. “What’s the news today?”

“March 3 makes the baby a Pisces,” Joe says. “Do you guys follow astrology at all?”

Dáire shakes his head, and Poppy shrugs. “Other than when I’m reading Cosmo at the hair salon, no,” Poppy says, then she straightens up a bit. “I bet there’s one around here.”

“I bet you could just read it online,” Dáire says, taking out his phone, typing. “Cosmo daily horoscopes,” he says softly. “Do you want to know your baby’s sex horoscope?” he asks, looking up.

“Oh god no,” Rami says, at the same time that Joe nods eagerly, “yes.”

“Oh, it has a weekly horoscope,” Dáire says. “Pisces… Are there shared values between you and your friends, Pisces? The Mars-Pluto square on Thursday wants you to find the ideals you and your crew have in common so you understand where your relationship is going. Uranus turns retrograde in your communication sector on Saturday, helping you speak even more articulate and brilliantly!” Dáire looks up, glancing back and forth between Poppy, and Rami and Joe. “Thoughts?”

“I think I understand all those words separately,” Rami says, looking at Joe. “You don’t care about astrology,” he says.

“No,” Joe says, “but maybe our kid will! You don’t know. Ooh,” Joe says, snapping his fingers. “Are there Egyptian horoscopes?”

“Oh, yes,” Poppy says eagerly,, “Dáire, google that.”

“Are you sure we’re not bothering you?” Rami asks.

“Not at all,” Poppy says, “it distracts from the pain. What does it say, Dáire?”

“It says your baby is born under Osiris,” Dáire says.

“Good or bad, babe?” Joe asks.

“He’s the god of fertility,” Rami says, “so…”

“Well, that can’t hurt!” Poppy smiles. “What else is on Cosmo, Dáire? Read to me.”

“Do you want seven alcoholic drinks ranked by their effects on skin,” Dáire reads from his phone, “or eight best mascaras to rival your lash lift?”

“Oh god,” Poppy says, holding her hand out, “give it here, I’ll find something.” She scrolls quickly, then smiles, handing the phone back over to Dáire. “There you go,” she says, “help take my mind off things.”

“Twenty-five random fun facts to have on hand at your next dinner party,” Dáire reads, then glances over at Rami and Joe. “The miracle of childbirth, lads,” he says. “This is it. Pick a number one and twenty-five.”

“Twenty,” Joe says. “Our wedding day.” Rami smiles, snuggling against Joe’s side.

“The probability of a blue lobster existing is widely touted as being one in two million,” Dáire reads. “Bright blue lobsters are so-coloured because of a genetic abnormality that causes them to produce more of a certain protein than others."

“Great,” Joe says softly “a blue lobster baby.” Joe reaches up to play with Rami’s curls as Poppy picks another number. “Soon,” Joe whispers to Rami, and Rami just nods, reaching up to tiredly rub at his eyes.

The lift doors open and Ben hurries out, but then takes a deep breath, calming himself down. Anxious and excited or not, running around a maternity ward is a bad look. He considers going to reception, but considering he has absolutely zero connection to Poppy, he can’t imagine they’ll be giving out room numbers. Ben glances around, and then leans against the wall, trying to make himself look as small as possible, and types out a message.

I’m at the lift on the 7th floor, if you’re here can you come meet me?

A few moments later, Ben looks over when he hears his name, and he grins at Gwil, walking down the hall to greet him. “Am I an uncle yet?” Ben asks, wrapping his arms around Gwil’s waist, snuggling against him.

“Not yet,” Gwil says, squeezing Ben tightly.

“Really?” Ben asks, pulling back in surprise. “I thought for sure I— how long’s it been?” He glances at his watch. “Wow. I thought things went quicker than this.”

“Sometimes they do,” Gwil shrugs, “sometimes they don’t. I’m a bit surprised as well, considering it’s baby number three, but…” He smiles at Ben, and then leans in, kissing him. “I’m very chuffed to see you again so soon.”

Ben smiles back. “Really?” he asks. “You missed me already?”

“Of course I did, love,” Gwil murmurs, hugging Ben again. “How was the train?”

Ben chuckles softly, nuzzling against Gwil’s chest. “About as interesting as it was yesterday,” he says.

“And the girls?” Gwil asks, pulling back.

“With Brian,” Ben says. “And other than the severe abandonment issues, I’m sure they’re well.”

“Good,” Gwil says. “Want to see if we can sneak into Poppy’s room for a tick?” he asks.

“Are we allowed?” Ben asks. “That’s a lot of people.”

Gwil shrugs. “I pop my head in every once in awhile,” he says, “nobody’s stopped me yet.”

“Okay,” Ben says, and he takes Gwil’s hand, letting Gwil lead him to the birth centre, past reception with a smile and a wave, and down the hall. The door is partly open anyway, but Gwil knocks on the doorframe and then pushes it open a bit further.

“Hello?” Gwil asks gently. “I’ve found another visitor.”

“Ben!” Joe exclaims, hurrying over to the door, wrapping his arms around Ben, pulling him into the room. “You made it!”

“Yes,” Ben says, hugging Joe tightly. “Sorry for the delay.”

“That’s alright,” Joe shrugs, pulling back to look at him. “We’ve got our own delays in here.”

“I heard,” Ben says, looking past Joe to where Poppy is balanced on a large rubber ball, hands resting on her stomach. “Hi Poppy,” he says, waving. “Dáire.”

“Bonjour,” Poppy says, gently bouncing.

Rami walks over to them, hugging Ben as well.

“How are you?” Ben asks softly. “Are you okay?”

“Tired,” Rami says.

“I bet,” Ben says. “What’s…what can I do, how can I help?”

Rami shrugs, and pulls back. “I don’t know,” he says. “We’re just…waiting.”

“Do they have any idea how much longer?” Ben asks.

Rami looks at Joe, and shakes his head. “We’re pretty much at the same spot we were at…eight hours ago,” he says, glancing at his watch.

“Back when they said it would be at least four more hours,” Joe says. “So.”

“Four more hours then,” Ben says.

“At least,” Rami says.

“That makes for a long day,” Ben says. “God, and I was scared I’d be so late the baby’d be out and about, making mates already.”

“Why don’t we take a break?” Gwil asks softly. “Go get something to eat?”

“We don’t want to leave,” Joe says. “If something happens…” He trails off, not wanting to finish the thought, even though it’s one that he and Rami have both been having.

“How far can you go?” Gwil asks. “If Ben and I go get something, bring it back.”

“That might be okay,” Rami says. “But you two don’t have to stay. I— certainly, if you’d rather wait at the flat, I’m— we’re fine with that. We could be here awhile longer, I don’t want you to—”

“Well, I slept in,” Ben says, “and then napped on the train.”

Joe grins. “Of course you did.”

“And I’ll just sleep well tonight,” Gwil says. “Don’t worry about me.”

“We’ll go grab something and bring it back,” Ben says. “We could find something to sit?”

“Okay,” Rami nods.

“What about you two?” Gwil asks, looking over at Poppy and Dáire. “Ben and I are going to grab a bite to eat, can we sneak you in anything?”

“I’m just eating whatever light lunch they make me here,” Poppy says, “but thank you.”

“Fish and chips would be bloody amazing right now,” Dáire says, and then he looks at Poppy. “But maybe just a salad. A really good one.”

“Sure thing,” Gwil says, smiling. “With fish and chips on it?”

“Do they make those?” Dáire asks. “Yes, please.”

Ben takes Rami’s hands in his, squeezing them gently. “We’ll be back soon,” he says, and he leans in, kissing Rami’s cheek. “Everything will be alright. It’s those Mazzello genes, you know. Everything things needs to be so over-the-top and dramatic.”

“Rude,” Joe says.

“But the baby’s fine,” Ben says, and then he swallows hard. “The baby is fine, right? I— they’re monitoring them, I assume.”

Rami nods. “They’re not sure the baby’s in the right position yet,” he says. “So.”

“Oh,” Ben says, nodding. “That’s…well. We’re in hospital, so, these are the experts. Everything is okay. There’s still a lot of day left. I’m sure the baby will come.” He steps back from Rami, and gives Joe a hug. “Text me, yeah?”

“Of course,” Joe says.

“Bye,” Gwil says, hugging Rami. “Be well. Everything’s fine.” He kisses Rami’s cheek. “We’ll be back. Sure we can’t get anything for you, Poppy?”

“No,” Poppy says, “I’ve got to be healthy. But thank you.”

“Alright then,” Gwil says, taking Ben’s hand again, and they walk out of the room. Ben and Gwil head outside, the sky a bit grey, but otherwise the weather is fine. There is a fish and chips place about ten minutes from the hospital, so they walk over there, and pick up something for Dáire, figuring that he probably deserves it too, why not. On the way back, they stop into a jerk chicken place, and get four orders, and head back into the hospital. Gwil decides they should eat in the garden room, since it’s empty, and he sets up shop in there, while Ben heads back to Poppy’s room with Dáire’s fish and chips.

“Seriously?” Poppy asks. “Wow.”

“Thank you,” Dáire says, grinning at Ben.

“We ordered him extra chips,” Ben says in a dramatic whisper, giving Poppy a wink. “Just in case.”

“Dáire, sit with me on the bed,” Poppy says, patting the spot next to her.

“We’ll be back,” Rami says. “If you need us—”

“You’ll hear me screaming, I’m sure,” Poppy says.

“And we have your number,” Dáire says.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Rami asks.

“I’m fine,” Poppy says gently. “If we go anywhere, we’ll let you know.”

“Maybe back to the pool,” Dáire says, and Poppy nods.

“Come on,” Joe says, and he takes Rami’s hand, walking with Ben down the hallway, back to the garden room.

“Hello again,” Gwil says, standing up and giving Rami a hug, and Rami smiles, resting against him. “How are you?”

Rami just sighs, and doesn’t want to let him go, so they stand there together for a few more moments while Ben and Joe get their food and get comfortable in their seats, and then Gwil pulls back, walking over to Joe.

“Don’t think I forgot about you,” Gwil says, leaning down to kiss the top of Joe’s head, playfully ruffling his hair. “How are you?”

“Well,” Joe says, opening his drink, “uh. What’s a word for like…really excited, but also disappointed? Whatever that is, it’s me.”

Gwil nods, sitting down next to Ben, and he hands Rami his drink and his food, and Rami walks over, sitting down next to Joe. “What about you?” Gwil asks, looking at Rami.

“The same, I suppose,” Rami says. “I don’t know.”

“Have you called anyone?” Ben asks. “I— your mum? Or Nelly? Oh, Brian sends his congratulations, I almost forgot.”

Joe nods. “Well, thank you to him. And yeah, we called my mom this morning on the way to the hospital. Except in New York it was still last night, and so…she was expecting a grand-baby when she woke up.”

“I spoke to Nelly too,” Rami says. “But it seems…well, that we were both sort of early in our predictions.”

“That's fine, though,” Ben says. “That happens. It’s— a whole new person, that takes time. Right?” Ben looks back and forth between them all, and nobody says anything, so Ben just sighs. He looks out the window, over the river at Big Ben, and then across the bridge at the London Eye. “Did you pick this place just based on the view?” he asks, glancing over at Joe, who’s currently shovelling his food into his mouth.

“Well, no,” Joe says, taking a drink and swallowing hard. “But it doesn’t hurt.” He takes another drink. “Poppy’s given birth here before. And Rami wouldn’t let us go with my first choice.”

“Which was?” Gwil asks.

“The Lindo Wing,” Joe says. Gwil just shrugs, shaking his head a bit. “It’s where all the celebrities and royalty give birth,” Joe says. “But no. It’s good enough for Queen Catherine but it’s not good enough for us? Okay.”

“Wow, Rami,” Ben says. “You think your baby’s better than Prince George?”

“I didn’t say that,” Rami says, looking at Joe. “I— this hospital is perfectly lovely. We’re not royalty.”

“Close enough,” Gwil says, smiling. “We do have our George Cross.”

“Oh, yes!” Joe exclaims. “Rami Malek-Mazzello GC. You know, I bet if we shook the tree loose, we could get you guys an OBE. Maybe even a knighthood, huh? Then we’d be good enough for the Lindo Wing.”

Rami just sighs and shakes his head, not even choosing to address it.

“This place is pretty posh,” Ben says. “I mean, it’s got a bloody garden room. And two pools.”

“Poppy’s room is quite nice,” Gwil nods, taking a bite of his chicken. “Do you two get a room?” he asks, pointing his fork at Joe and Rami. “I just realized, you can’t be sleeping with Poppy and Dáire. Or— sorry, where will the baby be staying?”

“We have a room,” Rami says. “Well, we will.” He pokes at his food, frowning. “Assuming everything goes well.”

“Don’t say that,” Ben says. “I— everything is going well, right? She’s fine, I— Poppy would know if she wasn’t fine. Someone would say.”

Rami shrugs, and Joe shifts a bit closer to him, but Rami doesn’t say anything, just keeps poking at his food with his fork.

“I know it’s been a long day,” Gwil says carefully, watching Rami, “but…nothing’s gone wrong. It’s just a bit slower than expected. And as we all said, babies are unpredictable.”

“We’re not worried, are we?” Joe says to Rami. “I…it’s okay.”

“It just doesn’t seem to be going well,” Rami says. “Are you honestly not nervous?” he asks, looking up at Joe.

“I—” Joe’s mouth hangs open a bit, and he glances over at Ben and Gwil. “I…” Joe shifts in his seat. “Yeah,” he says. “Of course I am. I— we’ve been up for—” he glances at his watch. “Like, what, ten hours? I thought we’d have a baby by now. But I was going to be nervous regardless, you know. I don’t know.” He sighs. “Everything’s okay though, okay?” He shifts his food on his lap, reaching out to rest his hand on Rami’s leg. “Nothing’s gone wrong, right? It’s just slow. That’s okay. They would tell us if something was wrong.”

Rami blinks a couple times and then nods, taking another small bite.

Ben and Gwil look at each other, both a bit unsure of what to say. “Uh,” Ben starts, gently clearing his throat, “what sorts of…plants are these?” he asks, looking around the garden room.

“That’s a kentia palm,” Gwil says, and Ben nods, taking another bite. “Is there anything we can do?” Gwil asks, looking over at Rami and Joe. “I don’t know what, but please, don’t hesitate. We’re here.”

“I know,” Rami says, “thank you. Maybe I— I just— maybe I just expected it to be different. It’s okay. Just…slow, like Joe said.”

“Plus we’re just tired,” Joe says. “That’s…but you know, today will be a long day, and we’ll have a baby by the end of it. That’s pretty great, right?” he asks, nudging Rami’s arm. “We have a baby on the way. Poppy’s in labour. We’re going to be fathers today.”

Rami can’t help but smile at that, and he nods. “We are,” he says. “Finally. I— after it all.”

“You two have known each other less than three years, and you’re having a baby today,” Ben says. “Frankly, I think you moved too fast.”

“Oh shut up,” Joe says, and Rami laughs.

“Where were the two of you three years ago?” Gwil asks, looking back and forth between Joe and Ben.

“I was…” Joe trails off, thinking. “In March, I'd gone to New York for Noah’s birthday, but I don’t think I left this early in the month. Probably just…here, working.” He smiles. “With my best friend.”

Ben smiles, looking down at his food. “Yes,” he says, “and I was here, working with my best mate. Counting down the days until he left for New York.”

“Geez Ben, you’re fucking rude today,” Joe says with a grin on his face. “And I love it. Don’t be any nicer to me because I’m about to have a baby.”

“I would never,” Ben says, and he just grins right back.

After lunch, they clean up their garbage, and Rami and Joe head back to Poppy’s room, Gwil and Ben deciding to stay in the garden room a bit longer. Joe knocks on the door and looks in, smiling at Poppy.

“Any babies?” he asks, and Poppy shakes her head.

“Not here, anyway,” she says, and Joe gives her a small smile, glancing over at Rami. “I hope you weren’t expecting multiples.”

“Have they said anything?” Rami asks.

Poppy matches Joe’s small smile, and gently shakes her head again. “No,” she says. “Still…” She pats her stomach. “They’re still in there.”

“Okay,” Rami says, and he sits down on the sofa, while Joe slowly walks around, looking out the window.

“How are Ben and Gwil?” Poppy asks.

“They’re okay,” Joe says, glancing over at her. “Uh…we were in the garden room.”

“Oh, we should go to the garden room,” Poppy says, looking at Dáire.

“I thought we were going back to the pool,” Dáire says.

“We can go to both,” Poppy says. “Maybe we should leave, go to the cinema.”

“Pop,” Dáire says.

“If we saw something scary maybe the baby would just—” Poppy snaps her fingers. “Right out of there.”

“How’s Aoife?” Rami asks, looking over at them. “Have you spoken to her?”

“She’s still at school,” Poppy says. “Though not for long, soon she’ll be asking Nana why she can’t come to the hospital to visit Mummy.”

“You can call her,” Joe says. “FaceTime during the labour. Whatever you want.”

Poppy laughs, and then groans a bit, taking a couple deep breaths. “Maybe your mother would like us to FaceTime her,” she says after a few moments, and Rami smiles.

“I’m sure she would,” Joe says. “Please don’t offer her that option.”

“Are they all flying in soon?” Dáire asks.

“Mom is,” Joe says. “In a couple days. But the kids are all in school for another three weeks or something, so they’ll come then.”

“The baby will have to get a wee passport,” Dáire says. “Christmas in New York.”

“Baby passport photos are hilarious,” Joe says. “None of them can hold their heads up and all babies look the same. How can anybody honestly say, no, that’s not the little bald man in this photo?”

Dáire grins, and Poppy chuckles softly, before groaning again. “Okay?” Dáire asks. “You want to go to the pool now?” he asks.

“Maybe,” Poppy says. “Just for a bit. You know, I hear that aromatherapy and massage can do wonders.”

“Well, get in there, Dáire,” Joe says, “or I will.”

“Do you want me to get the midwife?” Dáire asks. “I think she just stepped out to get a bite to eat.”

“I can wait,” Poppy says, groaning as she starts to push herself up. “Just get me on the ball, help me breathe.”

Rami watches as Dáire helps Poppy get off the bed while Joe pushes the ball over to her, watching as she carefully sits down.

“Anything we can do to help?” Joe asks.

“Want to hunt down a deck of cards for us?” Poppy asks. “Or find me literally anything to do?”

“If nothing else, I can send Ben out to go buy some,” Joe says.

Poppy groans, gently bouncing up and down on the ball. “That sounds brilliant,” she says, and Joe nods, heading out of the room.

“Poppy,” Rami says. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” Poppy says, rolling back and forth a bit as Dáire kneels on the floor, rubbing her lower back. “Just sore. In labour and all.”

Rami watches her for a moment longer, and slowly pushes himself up, walking over to her and sitting down on the floor in front of her. “Can I help?” he asks, offering her his hands. “You can squeeze them as hard as you want, they won’t break.”

Poppy smiles, and takes Rami’s hands, using them to brace herself. “Hard to believe you were an engineer,” she says. “These hands have never seen a day of work in their life.”

Rami grins up at her. “I’ve been on sabbatical for awhile,” he says.

“True,” Poppy says, rolling back and forth a bit. “Never dreamed I’d be delivering a baby for one of the Mercury Twenty.”

“Never really dreamed I’d be having a baby,” Rami says, “so I guess that makes two of us.”

“Are you excited?” Poppy asks.

“Very much,” Rami says.

“Kids are brilliant,” Dáire says. “And this one’s going to be a good one.”

“Thank you,” Rami says. “Do you plan on having more? Uh, of your own, I mean.”

“Dáire?” Poppy asks.

“Don’t ask me,” Dáire says. “Your body, your choice.”

“We’d like one more,” Poppy says, “but that might be a ways off. Who knows.”

“This one isn’t going as well as you’d like,” Rami says.

“The pregnancy was fine,” Poppy says, smiling. “This has just been a long day. I don’t regret it one bit.”

Rami smiles in relief, and then looks over when the door opens.

Joe comes back into the room, hands full. “Ben and Gwil are off to buy cards,” he says. “And I grabbed every magazine I could find.”

“Oh god, more Cosmo,” Dáire says, and Poppy laughs.

“I also told them to bring back as many treats as they could find along the way,” Joe says. “So, I’m not sure what’s coming, but I asked for a hot chocolate.”

“Oh, that sounds lovely,” Rami says.

Joe sits down on the floor along with the rest of them, spreading out the magazines. “We’ve got GQ, National Geographic, Hello, Reader’s Digest, and Derbyshire Life.”

“Quite the selection,” Dáire says. “What the bloody hell is Derbyshire Life?”

Joe opens the magazine, flipping through it. “The art of dry stone walling the Derbyshire countryside,” he reads out.

Dáire snorts a bit with laughter, trying to hide it as he keeps rubbing Poppy’s back.

“Fine,” Poppy groans. “Something to do until we go to the pool.”

“We’re that desperate?” Joe asks, and Poppy nods. “Okay,” he says, starting to read.

Joe keeps reading while Poppy keeps breathing, and Ben and Gwil come in for a quick visit, bringing the promised treats and cards. They all take a walk around the birth centre and the hallways of the hospital, stopping in the garden room again for Gwil to distract Poppy from the pain with some plant talk, while Joe takes the opportunity to call home with an update. Or lack thereof.

Dáire and their midwife take Poppy into the hydrotherapy pool, and Ben, Gwil, Rami, and Joe go outside for some fresh air and a quick walk around Westminster to stretch their legs. There’s a park near the hospital, and they sit together for a bit, Rami resting his eyes, leaning against Gwil’s arm, and Joe curled up against Ben.

“Imagine how well you’ll sleep when the baby finally comes,” Ben says.

“Really, Ben?” Joe asks, lifting his head up. “Really? Because babies are known for sleeping so well. I’m not going to sleep for the next year.”

Ben just looks at Joe, a blank, unimpressed look on his face.

“Sorry,” Joe says, and he snuggles back against Ben. “You’re right, thank you.”

“Besides,” Gwil says, “we’ll be there to help out at night. We’ll make sure you sleep.”

“Can you make the baby come?” Rami asks.

“Yeah, Gwil,” Joe says, “do your…biology thing.”

Gwil chuckles, looking at Ben, who just rolls his eyes. “And what biology thing is that?” he asks.

“You remember,” Ben says. “Joe thought studying plants meant you knew who would make the better father.”

“What?” Rami asks,.

“Oh yes, I remember,” Gwil says. “When Joe thought that he and could Rami could just— how did he phrase it, love?”

“I think he said jerk into a cup together,” Ben says, and Gwil laughs.

“That’s it,” Gwil says. “Jerk into a cup together.”

“When was this?” Rami asks, lifting his head. “What?”

“That was— ignore them,” Joe says. “You guys suck.”

“When was this?” Rami asks again, looking at Ben.

“Awhile ago,” Ben says. “Before you were married or anything like that.”

“Thank god,” Rami says. “I wouldn’t have said gone through with it, otherwise.”

Gwil and Ben both laugh, and Joe just groans, burying his face in Ben’s chest, and Ben wraps his arm around him, playing with Joe’s hair. “You’re alright,” Ben says softly. “We’ll stop now. And he’s not going anywhere now.”

“Promise,” Rami says, leaning over to press a kiss to Joe’s shoulder. “Even if you are so very odd.”

“Waiting until the day your baby is born to leave would be interesting,” Gwil says, “I can’t say I’d approve.”

“At this rate, the baby’s not coming until next year,” Joe says, “so Rami has plenty of time to get away.”

“The baby is coming,” Ben says, “I promise.”

“But when?” Joe asks, and Ben just sighs.

“I don’t know,” he admits quietly, and he looks over at Gwil and Rami, who both have sad looks on their face as well.

They go back to the hospital, Ben and Gwil heading back into the waiting room again, and Joe and Rami head to Poppy’s room, hoping for good news and getting none. It’s not bad news either, but despite the walking and the pool, Poppy hasn’t progressed any further.

Rami and Joe sit with them awhile, until Poppy decides she wants to have a bit of a nap, relaxing to quiet music, so Rami and Joe leave again, visiting Ben and Gwil, going outside to get another drink, and then eventually finding their way back to the garden room.

Rami sighs, pressing his forehead to the glass, watching the lights of the London Eye across the bridge. He raises his hand to the window as well, gently tracing his finger over the wheel. Joe stands next to him, and Rami glances at his reflection in the window. “It’s beautiful at night,” Rami says softly, and Joe makes a quiet noise, nodding.

“It’s beautiful all the time,” Joe says, “but…yeah, I like the lights.”

“Well,” Rami says, “it’s not the nicest in the day.”

“What are you talking about?” Joe says. “Do you know what happened on that thing? On a perfectly lovely afternoon?”

Rami smiles, briefly closing his eyes, nodding. “I do,” he says.

“See?” Joe asks, wrapping his arms around Rami’s waist, resting his chin on Rami’s shoulder. “I’m glad you didn’t let me pick the other hospital,” he says. “This view is impossible to beat.”

“And that afternoon was amazing,” Rami says, and Joe grins.

“Oh, was it?” Joe asks. “Why, what else did we do?”

“Shut up,” Rami murmurs. He looks back out at the Eye, and then closes his eyes again.

“Please don’t be scared,” Joe says.

“I’m…” Rami swallows hard.

“Because honestly,” Joe says, “I’m trying to keep it together, but if we both fall apart, I don’t know, I…”

“No, it’s not that,” Rami says, opening his eyes again, turning in Joe’s arms. “I’m just thinking.”

“About what?” Joe asks.

Rami shrugs, leaning back against the window. “Us. I…I don’t know. It’s hard to—” He waves his hand up by his throat. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Joe says. “Forever and always. I’ve been clinging to you since day one, you’re not getting rid of me now.”

“I don’t want to,” Rami says softly. “I just…I’m tired, and I want to go home.”

“I know,” Joe says. “It’s been a long day.” He cups Rami’s face in his hands, kissing his forehead. “Do you want to leave?” he asks.

“No,” Rami says, “but yes. I— I don’t know. I don’t feel well.”

“You’re stressed out, and you’re tired,” Joe says. “I…I don’t know. I— they can’t— we can’t stay up all night. At a certain point, we’ll have to go to bed, right?”

“I don’t know,” Rami says, rubbing his eyes. “It’s barely six, and I feel dead on my feet.”

“Maybe they can give us our room finally,” Joe says, “and we can nap too? Would that be okay?”

“I feel awful that Ben and Gwil are still here,” Rami says, starting to rock back and forth on his feet. “They’re just…sitting.”

“They’re big boys,” Joe says, pulling Rami back into a hug. “They can go to our place if they want.”

“We made Ben come all the way here—”

“It’s okay,” Joe says, rubbing Rami’s back. “You’re just…we need to breathe, right?”

Rami nods, still moving on his feet. “I— are you— I’m sorry that I’m not letting you be upset, you should be able to—”

“It’s okay,” Joe says again. “Shh, shh, okay.” They stand there for a few more moments until Rami’s movements cease and he takes a deep breath, snuggling against Joe. “You wanna go back?” Joe asks. “See what’s going on?”

“I’m assuming not much,” Rami says, but he pulls away from Joe anyway, and they start to walk towards the door. Rami stops suddenly, glancing back at the window.

“What?” Joe asks.

“Nothing,” Rami says. “Just want to remember. That was a nice afternoon.”

Joe smiles. “I think you just said it was amazing.”

“It was okay,” Rami says, and Joe gasps in shock, and Rami laughs.

“Okay?” Joe echoes. “Uh— if I remember your noises from that day and night—”

“Joe, we’re in a hospital,” Rami says.

“I think it was pretty frigging great,” Joe continues. “So. I mean, I loved it. It’s not every day you get to deflower the most gorgeous guy on the planet.”

“It better not be,” Rami says, and he kisses Joe. “But don’t say deflower.” They walk back to Poppy’s room, gently knocking before walking in, and they stop in the doorway, surprised by an additional person inside.

“This is Dr. Lloyd,” Poppy says, “the obstetrician.” Rami and Joe glance at each other, unsure, before Joe steps forward, walking over to shake Dr. Lloyd’s hand.

“Hello,” Dr. Lloyd says, and she smiles at Joe and Rami, reaching out to Rami as well. “So you’re the fathers,” she says.

Rami nods. “Yes,” he says. “What’s…wrong?”

“We’re talking about next steps,” Dr. Lloyd says. “Do you want to sit?”

“I’ll stand,” Rami says, and Joe just nods, staying by Rami, holding his hand.

“So,” Dr. Lloyd says. “Obviously, this day has gone on a bit longer than I think anybody was expecting or hoping for. I know that your plan was for a birth with a midwife.” She looks around at the four of them, and then gives Poppy a small smile. “What’s happening here is what we call a prolonged labour.”

“Well,” Joe says, reaching up to scratch at his head, “yeah, the name fits.”

“What causes it?” Rami asks.

“Sometimes it’s unknown,” Dr. Lloyd says, “but based on what we’re observing, the baby is still not in the correct position, and doesn’t seem to want to move for us. Poppy’s not dilating anymore, and her contractions aren’t strong enough for the baby to progress any further.”

“I’ll take half the blame then,” Poppy jokes, and Rami looks down at his feet.

“So what we do?” Joe asks.

“At this point, in my professional opinion,” Dr. Lloyd says, “I would suggest a C-section.”

Rami’s eyes widen and he looks up. “I— really?” he asks. “Aren’t those dangerous?” he asks.

“Well, they’ve come pretty far in the last hundred years,” Poppy says. “Sorry, probably not funny.”

“It’s not a decision to make lightly,” Dr. Lloyd says. “We don’t offer elective C-sections where there are no concerns about the health of the mother or the baby.”

“So, you’re concerned about their health then,” Joe says. “They’re…sick.”

“Prolonged labour can be dangerous,” Dr. Lloyd says. “Increased chance of infection, for both of them. There’s risk of reduced oxygen or injury to the baby. Of course, C-sections come with their own set of risks, and the recovery time is a lot longer.”

“But…” Poppy shifts on the bed. “Well.” She reaches up, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. “I don’t know what to say,” she says, looking over at Dáire. Dáire just shrugs, and shakes his head a bit.

“We also, of course, respect your right to informed refusal,” Dr. Lloyd says. “I can only offer my opinion, and answer any questions. Being forced into a C-section can be quite traumatic as well.”

“Oh, well,” Poppy says, “I don’t…”

“At this point, it’s not an emergency,” Dr. Lloyd says. “It would be more preventative than anything. And I can’t guarantee how your labour will progress from here.”

“So, I could deliver,” Poppy says.

“You could,” Dr. Lloyd nods.

“Or I could stay here for another day with nothing happening,” Poppy says.

“Also true.”

“Brilliant,” Poppy mutters, looking over at Dáire, who just offers her a small smile. “And it’s my decision.”

Dr. Lloyd nods. “That’s the important part, yes.”

“It’s not my baby though,” Poppy says. “At all."

“I know,” Dr. Lloyd says. “That doesn't change anything here.”

Poppy puts her lips together, and blows. “Wow. Well.” She drums her hands on her stomach. “What happens if I say yes?” she asks. “When does it happen?”

Dr. Lloyd glances at her watch. “Probably in about an hour. And they take about another hour.”

“Can I think about it?” Poppy asks. “For a few minutes? I think the four of us need to have a chat.”

“Certainly,” Dr. Lloyd says. “I can come back.”

“Thank you,” Poppy says, and she smiles, watching Dr. Lloyd walk out of the room.

“Oh my god,” Rami says, and his knees start to shake to the point that Joe wraps his arm around his waist, holding him up. “Poppy, I— I am so sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Poppy says, “nothing to apologize for.” She looks over at Dáire. “Thoughts?”

“God,” Dáire says, shaking his head, scrubbing his hand over his face. “I have no idea.”

“Well, it’s always a possibility, right?” Poppy says. “Like, that’s a possibility. Regardless. Get pregnant, might need a C-section.” She drums her fingertips on her stomach. “Not ideal. Weeks of recovery.”

“You don’t have to do it,” Rami says. “That’s— it’s dangerous, Poppy. Please. I— whatever, I…it’s your choice.”

Poppy rolls her shoulders, and sighs, looking at Dáire. “It certainly wasn’t like this when Aoife was born.”

“Think we’d’ve been scared off from this if it had been,” Dáire says, and Poppy smiles.

“Joe,” Poppy says, looking over at him. “You’ve been quiet. What are your thoughts?”

Joe swallows hard, and glances at Rami. “I…just want you to do what feels best for you,” he says. “I don’t know how it feels. And I don’t want to choose and…I’m really sorry you’re going through this on our behalf, though.”

“Dáire,” Poppy says. “Lovely. What do you think?”

“I’m not going to say I like it,” Dáire says. “It’s major surgery.”

“Oh!” Poppy says suddenly, looking at Joe and Rami. “It’s surgery.”

“Yes?” Joe says hesitantly. “Sorry, did you not…know that?”

“No, of course I did,” Poppy says, “I just mean…it’s surgery. You— Dáire could come in, but you two…wouldn’t be there.”

“Oh,” Rami says, and he blinks a couple times. “I…well.” He looks at Joe. “That’s…”

“Huh,” Joe says. “Right. Yeah. I mean, well…I mean. If the options are— I— I’d rather miss the birth than have you or the baby get sick, so that’s…right?” he says, looking at Rami.

“Of course,” Rami says. “Please, do what you’re comfortable with. You’re the one who’s been— well, it’s been over fifteen hours at this point.”

“You know how you feel, Pop,” Dáire says. “You know what’s going on in there. Do you want to wait it out? Or go for it?”

“Honestly?” Poppy says.

“No,” Dáire says sarcastically, “lie to us.”

“I sort of just want it…over,” Poppy says. “I don’t— if I knew that waiting would work, I’d say sure, fine, let’s keep going. I don’t mind being in labour. But being in labour for another however long and I might still end up needing a C-section? Well, let’s just skip to it then.”

“You’re sure?” Dáire asks.

“I think so,” Poppy says. “I…it feels different than the other two. I feel like nothing’s happening, we’re just…stuck. I feel like I could go sit in the pool for another week and still be pregnant.”

“Okay,” Dáire says.

“But you are right,” Poppy says. “It is a major surgery. Recovery will be different.”

“Yeah,” Dáire says softly. “But you know I can take the time off work, and we have help with Aoife. So. Still up to you, Pop. I’ll be there either way.”

“Even though you’ll probably have to help me go wee?” Poppy asks, and Dáire laughs.

“Especially,” Dáire says. “Sorry, lads,” he says, “getting a bit randy over here.”

“Are you two okay?” Poppy asks, looking over at them.

“Sure,” Joe says softy, but his voice is rough, and Rami doesn’t say anything at all.

“If I do it, you’ll have your baby in two hours,” Poppy says. “So. I don’t know much, but I know I’m sure as hell not pushing them out that quickly.”

“Whatever you feel is best, Poppy,” Rami says. “I promise.”

“I feel this is best,” Poppy says, and she nods. “Yes, I— yes. Yeah. Wow. Alright.” She blows out a breath. “Imagine,” she says, “if we’d’ve known, we could have slept in this morning.”

“Wasn’t really my main concern, but thank you,” Dáire says.

“Should we tell Ben and Gwil?” Joe asks Rami softly, and Rami just shrugs, shaking his head.

“I don’t…probably,” Rami says. “They’re probably tired too.”

“Is it okay if we tell them?” Joe asks, looking at Poppy.

“Sure,” Poppy says, “I’m sure they’ll hear about it regardless. Don’t worry, I’ll still be here when you get back.”

Joe and Rami leave Poppy’s room and head down the hallway, both with their heads down, watching their feet practically shuffle down to the small waiting room, which Joe feels like Gwil and Ben should probably just move into at this point.

“Love,” Gwil says, nudging Ben, who looks half-asleep, but jerks his head up.

“Hi!” Ben says, straightening up when he sees Joe and Rami. “I— oh. You look…” Ben swallows hard.

“How are things going?” Gwil asks, trying to sound positive.

Rami blows out a breath, and Joe swallows hard.

“Oh,” Ben says. “What’s, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing yet,” Rami says. “Poppy’s going to have surgery.”

“A C-section?” Gwil asks in surprise, and Rami nods. “Wow, I— really?”

Joe nods. “The doctor recommended it, and Poppy agrees, so.”

“So what does that mean?” Ben asks. “I— when?”

“In an hour or so, I guess,” Joe says. “So. The baby could be here soon.”

“Wow,” Ben says, and he slowly stands up, walking over to Joe, pulling him into a hug. “That’s good news,” he says.

“Yeah,” Joe says, squeezing Ben tightly, holding him close. “Sure.”

Rami walks over to Gwil, and sits down heavily next to him, resting his head on Gwil’s arm.

“And what do you think?” Gwil asks softly.

“I just want her to do what’s best,” Rami says. “I can’t imagine how tired she is.”

“I’m sure the baby’s not too impressed right now either,” Gwil says, and Rami makes a quiet noise.

“I suppose not,” Rami says. “We won’t be there, though.”

“I’m sorry,” Gwil says, and Rami nods.

“Anything you need,” Ben says, stepping back, glancing at Rami and looking back at Joe. “We’re here. Whatever it is.”

“I don’t think there’s a lot you can do here, Benny,” Joe says. “But thanks.”

“I can listen if you want to be upset or nervous,” Ben says. “I’m good at it when I need to be.”

“I know,” Joe says, and he hugs Ben again. “I mean, we’re in a hospital, right? They do this every day, I bet. You know?”

“I would think so, yes,” Ben says. “And they’re probably pretty good at it too. They are the experts, after all. I know that’s rough for you all, not being the smartest person in the room.”

“Whatever,” Joe says, smiling and shifting on his feet.

“So,” Gwil says, “should we go? Or do you think we’ll be able to sneak a peek at the baby tonight?”

“Would you stay?” Rami asks. “I know it’s been a long day, but—”

“Of course we will,” Gwil says, smiling. “I was just offering to be polite. Ben and I are staying until we see the baby or until we get kicked out, whichever comes first.”

Ben smiles, shaking his head. “I don’t think I agreed to that,” he says.

“I made the decision for us,” Gwil says.

“Ah,” Ben says.

“You like that, don’t you?” Joe asks, and Ben elbows him in the ribs. “Ow!” Joe exclaims dramatically, wrapping his arm around his chest. “Mean!”

“Whatever,” Ben says, shaking his head. “But yes, of course, we'll stay.”

“Thank you,” Rami says, and he sighs. “I…if you’re alright, I think I’d like to go back, and wait with Poppy.”

“Of course,” Gwil says, and he gives Rami a quick hug. “You know where we are.”

“We’ll be here,” Ben says, hugging Joe again. “Don’t come back until you’re a father.”

“Try not to,” Joe says. “Okay. See you guys soon then. Well…sometime, anyway.”

“Love you both,” Rami says, and he stands up, taking Joe’s hand, walking back to Poppy’s room.

Ben blows out a breath, and sits back down beside Gwil, resting his hand on Gwil’s leg.

“They’re alright,” Gwil says, wrapping his arm around Ben’s shoulders, pulling him in close, and Ben nods, snuggling against him.

Rami nervously watches the time, realizing that it’s almost time for the nurses to come and get Poppy ready to leave for the operating room. His stomach twists anxiously, and he blows out a breath, reaching up, wiping at his eyes. He glances over at Joe, who looks about as sad and worried as Rami feels, and then Rami looks back at Poppy. “Poppy? Can I just…before you go in,” he asks. “Say something to the baby?”

Poppy smiles at him, nodding. “Of course,” she says. “You too, Joe, get in here.”

Rami walks over to the bed, and crouches down beside it. “Can I?” he asks, lifting his hand up, and Poppy nods again. He gently rests his hand on her stomach, and then leans in. “You’re on your way, habibi,” he says softly. “Just a bit longer, I promise. Daddy and and I will be here waiting for you. I’m sure it’s all very strange, and I wish we could be there to see you first thing, but it won’t be long, I promise. Be good.” He presses a kiss to Poppy’s stomach through her gown, and then looks over at Joe, holding out his hand.

Joe walks over to Poppy’s bed as well, taking Rami’s hand as he sits down on the edge of the bed next to her. “Hey, slugger,” Joe says, and Rami looks at him. “What?”

“Is that what you’re going to call them?” Rami asks, standing up.

“I’m trying it out,” Joe says, “we’ll see. Who knows what I’ll think when I’ll meet them. Because I will meet you. In just a bit. An hour, maybe. Isn’t that something?” He leans down, gently resting his ear on Poppy’s stomach. “I’ve waited so long to meet you,” Joe whispers, closing his eyes. “Not just today, but for months, and years. A lot longer than you even know. You’re almost here. I don’t know why you’re so scared to come out, but I promise it won’t be so bad. We’re nice people out here.”

Rami rests his hand on Joe’s shoulder, gently squeezing him there, trying to comfort him.

“I can’t wait to see you,” Joe whispers, kissing Poppy’s stomach as well before he lifts his head back up, looking at Poppy. “Thanks for letting us get all over you.”

“It’s alright,” Poppy says, “I’m used to it. It’s your baby, I get it.”

“Thank you for doing this,” Joe says, eyes filling with tears, and he quickly blinks them away. “Be safe, Poppy, okay?”

Poppy smiles, nodding. “I’ll do my best.”

“I’ve got her,” Dáire says, smiling at Joe and Rami as he well, but he looks a bit more nervous. “We’re doing alright, aren’t we, Pop?”

“I’m not worried at all,” Poppy says. “My sister had a C-section, no problems at all.”

“That’s because her baby had a massive head,” Dáire says, holding his hands apart to show just how big. “Seriously, that lad was— he was a big one. Almost a stone.”

“Oh god,” Rami says, raising his hand to his mouth, and Joe’s eyes widen.

“Dáire, would you stop scaring them,” Poppy says, and Dáire just smiles. “Though— if this baby weighs a bloody stone, I’m glad I’m not pushing them out.”

“Aren’t you tired?” Rami asks. “You must be, it’s been such a long day.”

“I’m sure I’ll sleep well tonight,” Poppy says. “Probably tomorrow as well. And for however long they keep me medicated.” She smiles, giving them a wink. “Everything’s going to be alright,” she says, patting her stomach.

One of the nurses walks into the room, and Joe reaches out, touching Rami’s arm. “We should go, babe,” he says softly. “Let them do…whatever they gotta do.”

Rami nods, and then leans down, giving Poppy a quick hug. “Thank you for everything, Poppy,” he says softly. “Please be safe.”

“I will be,” Poppy says, patting Rami’s back. “I’m just excited to get them out of me! I always forget how annoying it is to have to pee all the time.”

Joe laughs, and takes Rami’s hand. “Thank you, Poppy,” he says. “Dáire, see you in a bit.”

“We’ll be here,” Dáire says, waving, and then he reaches out, taking Poppy’s hand. “She’s going to be a lot skinnier the next time you see her.”

Poppy laughs, and the nurse smiles over at her as well. “Well, let’s do this!” she says. “I’m awfully tired of being labour.” She waves at Rami and Joe as they walk out of the room, and Rami looks over at Joe, whose smile fades, and he pulls Rami into a hug, kissing his temple.

“I just want it to be okay,” Rami says softly, and Joe nods.

“Yeah,” he breathes out, “me too.” Joe swallows hard, his stomach starting to twist nervously.

Rami can’t sit still, he keeps flitting about the room, from the bed, to the the chair, popping up to look out the window. He taps his fingers against the window, and then turns around, starting to pace back and forth some more. They were finally given their room to wait in while the baby is being delivered, and Rami’s glad that at least they have their privacy for what feels like a breakdown.

Joe just watches, sitting in his chair, looking rather relaxed except for the way he’s gripping the arms of his chair. He knows better than to tell Rami to calm down— A: he won’t, and B: that’s just not how Rami operates. Even if Rami sits down, he’ll just keep bouncing his feet up and down. So Joe just lets him keep walking around, though he is a bit worried that Rami’s going to get dizzy at some point, from the way he spins round and round. Joe does keep glancing at his watch, and wonders if he should be texting anyone, but really, there’s no update. What’s he supposed to say? Hey Ben, still in this room.

Rami looks over at Joe, his mouth open as if to speak, but then he just shakes his head, looking down at his hands, the way he’s got his fingers twisted together.

“Yes?” Joe asks, hoping that he can prompt Rami into speaking.

“Nothing,” Rami says, shaking his head, his voice so shaky and breathy that Joe can barely hear him. “Just…nothing.”

“Okay,” Joe nods.

“I’m sorry,” Rami says quickly. “You must be so nervous too, it’s not just me, I— it’s our baby, and I just— I just can’t sit still, I can’t calm down, I don’t know—”

“Hey,” Joe says, reaching his hand out to grasp onto Rami’s as he moves by him, forcing Rami to stop, at least for a moment. “There’s nothing to apologize for. This is…” He nods. “Yeah. It’s scary stuff.”

“It is, right?” Rami asks, letting out a shaky breath. “It’s not just me?”

“No,” Joe says gently, squeezing Rami’s hand, “it’s definitely not just you.”

“The baby’s alright?” Rami says, sounding unsure.

“Yeah, they are,” Joe says. “Everything’s going to be okay.” He smiles up at Rami. “I mean, this is our baby. And we are awesome, so our baby is going to be awesome.”

Rami looks at Joe, and gives him a small smile. But then he immediately bursts into tears and pulls his hand away from Joe before he starts to pace again.

Joe nods, starting to cry as well because how could he not, and then he pushes himself up, walking over to Rami, wrapping his arms around him, pressing his chest to Rami’s back.

“Please don’t,” Rami says, “I— I can’t be still.”

“I know,” Joe murmurs, nuzzling against the back of Rami’s neck, getting it wet with tears. “So I’m just going to move with you, okay? I’m right here.”

Rami nods, and he takes a few steps, and Joe snuggles against him, moving with him. Rami tries focusing on taking deep breaths, and Joe hums softly to him. “What if something happens?” Rami asks.

“Nothing’s going to happen,” Joe says, sniffling. “This is okay. We just gotta wait a few more minutes and we’ll get them to meet them.”

“I—” Rami lets out a quiet noise of distress, reaching down to rest his hands on Joe’s, fingers digging into him. “Are you scared? I’m so scared.”

“Me too,” Joe nods. “But we’ve got each other, right? And Ben and Gwil, right out there in the waiting room.”

“Right,” Rami nods, and he leads them over to the window, looking outside. “It’s so dark already. Is that a bad sign?”

“No,” Joe says, shaking his head. “It’s a sign that this has been a long day, and it’s almost over soon, and we’re going to meet our baby in just a bit.” He kisses Rami neck, then looks outside as well. “Remember, the Eye is prettier at night. That’s a good sign. Everything is okay,” Joe whispers. “I promise.”

“Okay,” Rami says, voice breaking a bit, and he takes a deep breath, resting back against Joe’s chest, letting his eyes close for a few moments.

They’re still standing there when they hear the door open, and they both quickly turn around, anxious about whatever they’re about to hear. They both hope that it’s good, but know that it could be bad. This could be very bad.

“Hello,” the first nurse says, holding the door open for the other nurse behind her, the one carefully pushing the bassinet. “How are we holding up in here?” she asks, looking over at Rami and Joe.

Joe and Rami are both silent, staring at the nurses, watching as the man pushes the bassinet over to the side of the bed as the baby inside quietly whimpers. Joe’s mouth falls open, and he looks at Rami, who looks about as shocked as he feels, and Joe looks back at the nurses. There’s a baby— their baby, presumably. He hopes, anyway. A real baby. A real, new person that’s theirs, and is a part of both of them. And it’s just…there. Waiting for Rami and Joe to officially say hello.

“Do you want to meet your baby?” the man asks, with a thick Scottish accent, and Joe just blinks, while Rami nods dumbly. “We usually recommend skin-to-skin with a newborn,” he continues. “Have you discussed that?”

“Ye— yes,” Rami says finally, and he takes a small step forward. “I— that’s our baby? Really, is— that’s ours? I— Joey, there’s a baby here.”

Joe just nods. “I…there is. I think it’s ours.”

“It most certainly is,” the woman says sweetly, walking over to them. “Did you know what you were expecting?” she asks.

Rami shakes his head. “No, it was a surprise,” he says. “I…we didn’t want…to know. What is it?” he asks.

The woman looks down at the baby in the bassinet. “Well,” she says, “let me be the first to tell you, that this is your son.”

Rami gasps softly, looking at the bassinet. “Really?” he asks. “A— our son?”

“A boy,” Joe says, and his shoulders start shaking as he raises his hand to his mouth, starting to cry again. “I have— I’m a dad, I— okay, I have a son now.” He nods, reaching up to wipe at his face. “I— what do we do?” Joe asks, starting to feel a bit frazzled. “I’m— I’m sorry, I thought I’d be— uh. Uhhhh— oh my god, is Poppy okay? Is she okay? I—”

“Poppy is fine,” the woman says. “She’s doing really well, her husband is with her. She’s okay. She’s recovering. We brought him here as soon as we could.”

“Joey,” Rami says, looking at him, “we have a son.”

“We have a son,” Joe says, nodding, more tears filling his eyes. “I— holy shit.” Joe lets out a laugh, and keeps crying, looking back at the bassinet. “What…that’s pretty cool, I— yeah. Okay. A boy. Wow.”

Rami grins and then looks back at the nurse, who’s standing by the bassinet, watching them both expectantly. “What— sorry, what do we do?” Rami asks.

“It’s alright,” the man says, giving them both a smile. “It’s a bit to take in, isn’t it. But if you want to do skin-to-skin, you can take off your shirts and sit down, then we can put him on your chest.”

“Okay,” Rami nods, and he pulls his shirt off, setting it down, and then he takes off his trainers before he climbs up onto the bed, followed by Joe, who snuggles next to him.

“Okay,” the nurse says, and he reaches into the bassinet, picking up the baby. “Who wants to hold him first?” he asks.

“Him,” Joe says, and Rami looks at him, eyes wide, and Joe just nods. “You, okay?”

“Okay,” Rami says, and he looks back at the nurse, holding his arms out as the baby is gently placed in them. Rami gasps a bit, looking down at the baby, and he settles back against the bed, just staring down at him. “He’s so little,” Rami says softly. “Hi, hi habibi.”

“Do you know what an Apgar test is?” the woman asks, sitting down in the chair next to the bed, looking at Joe.

“I think so,” Joe says, tearing his eyes away from Rami and the baby. “Uh, sorry. Yes. Did you do it already?”

“We did,” she says, “we do it twice. So, it’s a scale of one to ten, and on the first test he got a six, okay?”

“Is that bad?” Joe asks.

“It’s not bad, but it is a bit low,” she says. “A slightly lower score on the first test is common with babies who were delivered via C-section. But we tested him again right before we brought him here, and he improved. So that’s better.”

“Okay,” Joe says, and he looks back down at the baby, more tears spilling over his cheeks. “So he’s okay.”

“He’s very good,” she says, and she stands back up.

“He’s so red,” Rami says, “his eyes are puffy, is that alright?”

“Absolutely,” she says.

“Okay,” Rami says, and he sniffles. “I— neither of us have children, so this is…”

“It’s okay,” the man says.

“What do we do?” Joe asks, looking at him. “I— what do we do?”

“For now, just keep holding him,” he says. “We’re not going too far yet.”

“Okay,” Joe says. “Do we just hold him?”

“That’s it for now,” the nurse says. “For at least an hour, maybe two. He’ll probably want to feed in the first hour as well. We’ll be here to help with that. You won’t be alone tonight.”

“Once he feeds,” the woman says, “we’ll weigh him, and measure him, and then he’ll probably fall right to sleep.”

“Do you have anyone here?” the man asks. “Waiting for you?”

Joe nods, reaching out to trace his finger down the baby’s arm. “We do,” he says. “But they can wait.” He sniffles, smiling at the baby. “Just us for now.” He leans in, gingerly lifting the baby’s little hand up to his mouth, giving him a tiny kiss. “Soon, everyone will want all your attention, so we have to keep you to ourselves for a little while longer, okay?”

“If you’d like,” the man says, “we can just let them know that the baby is safely here, and everyone’s alright.”

Rami looks up, blinking away some tears. “Can you not tell them it’s a boy?” he asks. “I want it to be a surprise when they first meet him.”

The man smiles. “Certainly. Who am I looking for?”

“Ben and Gwil,” Rami says, looking back at the baby.

“Ben will be the blond guy who’s practically gnawed his thumb off by now,” Joe says and Rami laughs, nodding. “But they’re also the only ones in the room, so.”

“Alright,” the man says, smiling, and he walks out of the room.

“What do we do?” Joe asks again, looking over at the nurse. “Is this really…it? We just hold him? He’s okay?”

“He’s brilliant,” she says.

“What time was he born at?” Rami asks, gently tracing his finger over the baby’s nose, wondering if he has Joe’s.

“8:33,” she replies, and Joe glances down at his watch.

After a moment, Rami makes a quiet noise. “That’s lucky,” he murmurs.

Joe smiles. “Is it?” he asks. “How do you know?”

“March 3rd,” Rami says, “that’s three-three.”

“Okay…” Joe says hesitantly.

“2042,” Rami continues. “And that equals eight.” He looks over at Joe, smiling. “His time of birth equals his birthdate.”

“I…” Joe blinks a couple times. “Okay,” he says. “I don’t know anything about numbers but I’ll take it.”

“I just think that’s neat,” Rami says softly, looking back down at the baby. “Don’t you, habibi?” He leans down, nuzzling his nose against the baby’s, smiling at him. “I’m your baba,” he says. Rami’s bottom lip trembles and he carefully reaches out, brushing his fingers against the baby’s dark brown hair. “And this is your daddy, and we already love you so, so much.”

Joe shifts closer, wrapping his arm around Rami’s waist, and he leans down, pressing a kiss to the baby’s forehead, taking a deep breath. “Look at you,” Joe says softly. “Hi, baby.” He straightens up, resting his head on Rami’s shoulder, looking down at his son.

“Joey,” Rami says, looking at him. “What’s his name?”

Joe lifts his head up, smiling at Rami. “Come on, babe,” he says. “You know his name.”

“Really?” Rami asks. “You’re sure?”

“Of course I am,” Joe says, and he leans in, giving Rami a gentle kiss before looking back down at the baby in awe.

Rami’s lip trembles some more, and his tears spill over his cheeks. “Hi, Sami,” Rami says softly. “We’re your parents.”

Joe bites down on his lip, trying to contain his grin, but he can’t. “Nice to meet you, Sami,” he whispers.