Chapter Text
This was a disaster. Predictable, but yet a total and upmost disaster. With the rate you spend your days naked and coitally engaged and the amounts of time you neglected a condom—lesson learned: always wrap it before you tap it—you could’ve known you’d end up pregnant.
You had been going over your head on how you were going to tell this to said bed partner. You weren’t even in a relationship with Hank. You met at work, as you were in charge of the archives. You always shared a laugh, some jokes and you constantly telling him you cannot keep giving him cases, but in the end you caved and did give him the case he wanted.
It started with an innocent kiss after he brought you home from a bar. It ended in multiple weekly rendezvous sans clothing.
You decided it would be for the best to tell him. Sure, getting pregnant wasn’t on your to do list for the next few years, but realizing you were pregnant with a little bean, made you smile, made you happy.
And you felt like you deserved a little happiness.
There was just one thing you were kinda scared about and that was his response. He’s quite a few years your senior, he already lost his adult kid.
Would he be happy about the news of this little baby?
That night, after lots of pondering over the situation, you stopped in front of his place, knocking on his door. Saying you were nervous, was a gross understatement. Your legs were restless, your hands were clenched to fists.
The door opened and you were met with Hank, who smiled at the sight of you. ‘There you are. I was planning on calling you.’
You smiled slightly, though you were kinda shocked too. ‘Oh, okay?’
‘Come on in,’ he said with a smile. ‘You’re just in time.’
‘In time for what?’
‘Dinner.’
‘Dinner?’ you parroted. Never had he invited you over for dinner. It always happened naturally, you staying over for dinner, lunch or breakfast. But specifically inviting you? That’s a first. ‘Sounds good.’
He stepped to the side and pressed a kiss on your temple. ’You look good.’
You started to fear the worst. He was falling for you and wanted the two of you to move on in a relationship. A kid this soon in a relationship isn’t good. No, this is dreadful.
You took off your coat and made your way inside, even more nervous than you already were.
Dinner was sweet. Hank, per usual, offered you some wine, but you politely declined. It was a little weird, but you said you had felt a little off all day—which wasn’t exactly a lie—and he simply nodded, as he took a sip from his scotch.
‘You okay?’ he asked. ‘You look worried.’
No need to postpone the moment any longer. This was it. The moment you had to tell him. ‘I need to tell you something, but I’m afraid you might become mad at me.’
‘I would never,’ he told you and you knew he was right. While he lost his temper more than once with suspects and other officers, he never did with you. He even said a few times already: he cares about you. A whole lot.
‘Promise?’
‘I promise.’
It’s now or never. ‘I’m pregnant,’ you blurted out.
It stayed quiet. Gosh, this silence was killing you. Your heart pounded in your chest, to a point where you weren’t so sure if it was heartburn or a soon-to-become heart attack.
‘Hank?’
‘You’re pregnant?’ his low and raspy voice asked you.
You nodded. ‘I am. I’m so sorry.’
‘Don’t apologize,’ he told you. ‘This is nothing for you to apologize over. It’s just… I’m thinking.’
‘About.’
‘How we’re going to handle this.’
‘We?’
‘Yeah, we. It takes two people to get pregnant and I’d like it for two people—meaning us—to work out.’
‘Okay?’ You started to play with your hands and shook your head in disbelief. ‘It’s really gonna be us together?’
‘Yes,’ he said. ‘It’s just I’m torn of asking you to move in with me or to do the parenting thing from a distance.’
He wasn’t appalled by the idea of you pregnant? ‘What? I don’t even know what to say.’
Hank slid off the chair and made his way over to you at the other side of the table. He sat down next to you and wrapped an arm around you. ‘You thought I’d show you the door?’
‘Maybe.’
Hank gave you a kiss on your cheek and said: ‘We’re in this together.’
‘You sure?’ you asked. ‘I mean, it’s diapers, late nights and a lot of crying. And then we haven’t even gotten started about me being pregnant, which I’m sure won’t be pretty.’
He laughed. ‘It’s hard work, but kids are always hard work. I… I’d love for us to become parents. Together.’
You smiled. ‘Yes, together.’
‘Before that all can happen though, we need to reestablish our relationship.’
You frowned. ‘Do we have to?’
‘At least you gotta be my girlfriend, since you’re already the mother of our child.’ He smiled and kissed you, properly this time. ‘We’ll make it work.’
‘You sure?’ you asked. ‘Because now is the time to back out, okay?’
He shook his head. ‘No backing out for me,’ he told you. ‘Not in a million years.’