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Her boyfriends would never be mad at her. She knew that. Especially over something she had no control over. However. That didnt make it any easier.
Emma leaned over her bathroom counter sighing as her sixth pregnancy test came back as positive.
She was happy. Truly. She really was. She had been begging for a baby for years now…though…she never actually thought about what she’d do if she actually ‘got pregnant’.
She was snapped out of thought when she heard a knock on the door. “Hey Emma! You okay in there? You’ve been in there for nearly an hour”
Norman
The cool headed one
She knew she could probably tell him anything and he’d never raise his voice at her. Hell. Was it even possible for him to be genuinely mad at her?…
“Emma I swear to god if you don’t respond I’m gonna bust down this fucking door”
Ray
The quick to judgement one
He probably wouldn’t necessarily be mad either. Overwhelmed and stressed definitely. But mad? Never. Not at her. Not for this
“Ray would you chill out. There’s absolutely no reason to bust down the door” Norman sighed putting a hand on his shoulder
“No reason!? Hell for all we know, Emma could’ve flushed herself down the toilet!” Ray glared smacking Normans hand off of his shoulder.
Ray didn’t want to be touched right now. Understood.
“You know that’s literally impossible right?”
“It’s Emma. It wouldn’t surprise me”
Emma chuckled slightly at their little banter outside the door. Whipping away her tears before she responded.
“I’m okay you guys. Be out in a bit okay?”
She tried to respond in her usual happy hour lucky tone…but it came out more as a stuffed up sob. Shit. How long had she been crying?
“Emma….” Norman’s response was barely audible unlike Ray’s
“Emma are you crying right now?! Alone!? Unlock the door Emma! Please….”
She didn’t want it to happen like this…but to be honest. She had no idea how she wanted it to happen at all so she took a deep breath and went to go unlock the door immediately falling into her boyfriends arms with uncontrollable sobs.
“Woah, woah, woah, shhhhhh it’s okay honey. It’s okay” Norman said as he started petting her head gently
“What happened? Did someone hurt you? Cause if so I swear to god I’ll fucking kill them if it’s the last thing I-“
“I’m pregnant” Emma cut Ray off and the room fell silent. No crying. No comment. Nothing.
“W-what?..” Norman was first to break the awkward silence
“I-I’m pregnant….I’m sorry…I-“
“Woah wait. Stop. Why are you apologizing? Isn’t this what you wanted? What we wanted?” Ray pulled away to look at her face.
Emma quickly averted her gaze “I-I thought so…but…now I’m not so sure…I mean. I want the child. I really do. But…”
“But you don’t think it’s fair. Do you?” Norman interrupted
“Cause it’s not! You both deserve to be the biological dad. Not just one of you! I-it isn’t fair!”
“Hey. We’ve talked about this Em. This should be a celebration! Especially for you! You’re gonna be a mom!” Norman smiled brightly trying to cheer her up
“Yeah…but only one of you will be the dad…the other…”
“Will also be the dad. We will raise the child together! It will be OUR child. As in the three of us. Okay? So wipe those tears away! This is amazing!”
Emma smiled softly and nodded a bit.
“Yeah…yeah you’re right. I don’t know what I was thinking” she said wiping her tears away
“Why don’t you go and get changed. Then we can all go out to eat and celebrate!” Norman suggested
“Okay!” Emma responded finally back to her cheerful self before running off.
Norman looked over at Ray who hadn’t said more than a sentence the entire time and was looking down.
“Hey…you okay?” Norman stepped infront of him gently brushing the hair in his face behind his ear so he could see his whole face and was immediately heartbroken at the tears begging to form in his eyes “Ray….”
“We both knows it’s your kid….” He responded softly before walking off to get ready leaving Norman alone.
————
That night they had all gone out to eat like Norman had said as well as go to a nearby Target to look at some baby supplies and calculate prices. They arrived back home around 1am which was wayyyy past Emma’s bedtime so she decided to go to bed as soon as they got home. Ray however wasn’t in the mood for sleeping just yet. Which wasn’t necessarily surprising. He was quite the night owl. Typically Norman would stay up with him in the living room either reading or just making small talk until Ray tired himself out. But tonight was different. Norman found Ray sitting outside on the balcony doing nothing but looking up at the sky. If it had been under better circumstances he would’ve found the view absolutely beautiful. The moons light beautifully reflecting off of Rays features surrounded by stars and the light glow of city lights adorning his body. But tonight? Tonight was different. The only thing Norman was able to focus on were the bright tears falling down Rays cheeks and the broken expression that covered his face like a mask.
Norman gently opened the door to the balcony sitting in the chair next to him taking hold of Rays hand. Ray made no attempt to wipe the tears from his face, nor put on a fake emotion to hide his real one.
It wasn’t an awkward silence by any means. It was peaceful but also with a hint of pain embroiling the edges.
“I’m sorry….” Norman was first to speak a word
“Don’t be. Not your fault. Not her fault. Not anyones fault.” Ray looked down
“It’s hurting you” Norman spoke the obvious…but it needed to be said
“…yeah. You’re right. But it’s not like it’s the first thing that’s ever hurt me. I have a feeling it won’t be the last either”
That statement absolutely killed Norman.
“Look…I’m happy. For you. For Emma”
“For yourself?” Norman asked
“For myself? I’m scared. I’m scared I won’t be the father figure the child needs. Hell. I’m scared I’ll fail. I’m scared the pregnancy won’t go well. I’m scared….well I’ll scared I’ll lose you two”
“Ray….”
“Oh come on. You know it’s yours. There’s no way it could be mine. I haven’t fucked her in what? Almost a year?”
Norman sat there a bit stunned at how obvious he was saying it. But he wasn’t wrong…
“A child creates a strong bond between two people. A bond….I won’t be apart of…”
“So your scared that we’re gonna throw you out?”
Ray flinched at the statement
“We would never. I can promise you that. This child is as much yours as it is mine. Who cares about genes Ray? We’re all in this together”
Ray looked up at him shocked
“You know…I’m scared to…of all the drugs they put in me at LAMBDA. I’m scared that they’ll inter our child. I’m terrified of putting our child through that…” Norman looked down as tears began to form in his own eyes.
“But…the cure…”
“Didn’t necessarily take everything out of my blood Ray. It healed me yes. That means I’m not dying. Doesn’t mean I don’t still have small traces left behind in my DNA. Plus…like you said. I’m scared to be a father. I don’t know how to go about it. Truly I don’t.”
“You keep saying our child….”
“That’s because it is our child Ray. It’s mine, yours and Emma’s. Okay?”
“Yeah…yeah you’re right. Thank you…” Ray responded in a soft quiet voice
“Don’t meantion it” Norman said with a small smile “So. Ready to go back inside?”
“I’d like to get my mind off of this first if that okay?” Ray looked back down
“Of course that’s okay. Want me to help?”
“Help?”
“Get your mind off of it. Want me to help?” Norman replied with a soft smirk
Ray looked up at him questioningly “I mean. I guess. What did you have in mind”
Norman got up and went to sit on Ray’s lap connecting their lips softly. Ray blushed at the sudden realization of what he meant
“N-now!? Here?”
“That a problem?” Norman questioned beginning to kiss down his neck
“Inside maybe?” Ray blushed even brighter at the feeling of his boyfriends soft lips making their way down his neck
“Would you feel more comfortable inside darling?” Norman asked genuinely curious. After all this was for Ray. The last thing he wanted was for him to feel uncomfortable
Ray nodded softly “please…”
Norman smiled against his neck and nodded before pulling away and picking Ray up carrying him back inside and throwing him down on the couch “I’m topping tonight sweetheart. It’ll help you relax and get your mind off of things for a bit okay?” Ray responded with a nod. “Good. Then just sit back, relax and let me take care of you for tonight” “Y-you don’t have to..” “I want to. You deserve it love” “Promise?” “Promise”
————
Nine months went by quickly. The three of them had the time of their lives picking out babies supplies and getting the nursery ready. They had all agreed on keeping the gender a secret until birth so they hadn’t yet picked out a name.
Currently Norman and Ray were seated next to Emma who was going threw a great deal of pain. The occasional screaming was enough to make Ray sick. It didn’t seem to have much effect on Norman. Ray figured it was because of his many years spent at LAMBDA that he had grown so used to the screaming that it had little to no affect on him.
He couldn’t be more wrong. It was killing Norman from the inside. Norman tried his best to comfort his girlfriend and wrap a reassuring arms around his boyfriend. But it was destroying him. Every scream. Every flinch. Every tear. The only thing that kept him sane was the thought of meeting their child and that they had actually made it this far without complications.
The actual birth had been no cup of tea. Norman held a sobbing Ray to his chest letting a few tears of his own spill. Neither one able to stand the unending screams from their girlfriend.
It went on for what seemed like eternity until finally it all stopped and the room filling with the crying of a newborn.
The nurses took to baby over to clean it up and wrap it up in cloth before saying “Congratulations on your new baby girl! Which of you will have the pleasure of holding her first?”
“He will” Norman spoke
Ray looked to him confused “M-me?..but-“
Ray was cut off by the nurse laying the baby down gently into his arms and he was utterly shocked at the child’s appearance. Her eyes were from Norman. No doubt about it. The beautiful light blue eyes that adorned the features of his boyfriend also put into his daughter. God did it feel good. HIS daughter. But what shocked Ray the most
“Ray….she has….black hair! Look Ray! Raven black! Just like yours!” Norman smiled brightly
“H-how is that even possible?…” Ray looked down at the child in awe. She was a perfect mix of the three of them. Norman’s eyes. Rays hair. Emma’s..well gender. It wouldn’t surprise him in the slightest if she also had Emma’s smile.
“Can I hold her?” Norman asked gently. Ray nodded handing her off to him.
Once Emma caught her breath Norman handed the child off to her “she’s beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous. What should we name her?”
“I like the name Avery myself” Ray spoke up
“Avery? That’s cute” Norman said with a soft smile “what do you think Em?”
“Avery. A beautiful name for a beautiful girl”
Ray smiled “What about a middle name?”
“Um it’s okay if you two aren’t comfortable with it…but I was thinking…Isabella Grace. Since we don’t have a last name I thought to middle names would be fitting…” Emma said softly knowing she just opened some painful doors “it’s okay if you two aren’t comfortable-“
“No. No i think it’s beautiful Em. How bout you Ray?” Norman asked knowing it would more than likely hit Ray the hardest; using his mothers name and all not to mention the house where he almost….well you know.
“ I um…honestly? I really like it. It’s fitting” Ray responded gently
Nodding, Norman looked back up to Emma with a smile.
Emma looked down at their beautiful newborn “Welcome to the world Avery Isabella Grace”