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Azura sighed.
Currently she was resting on her futon, hazel eyes following her husband as he flitted around their room, grunting as he pushed their dresser closer to the bed. Since the moment she had told Ryoma that she was pregnant, he’d been overjoyed. Overjoyed, and protective. Stupidly protective. It had only worsened when the couple had been given the news that she was with twins, Ryoma’s husbandly doting becoming more assertive and insistant with each passing day. While Azura had to admit she loved the pampering he gave her, the lengths Ryoma would go to try and fix every little inconvenience of her pregnancy was nearly as tiring as the pregnancy itself.
Today at breakfast had been the catalyst for the events she was watching currently.
She, Ryoma, and her in-laws had been chatting, Hinoka mentioning how much she hated having to walk around with a lame ankle after a pegasi in-training had thrown her. Trying to make a small joke, Azura had brought up the fact that it wore her out even getting from the bed to the dresser, one she now deeply regretted. Now, as a well-meaning attempt to combat the “issue”, Ryoma had taken it upon himself to rearrange the furniture of their room.
“Dear,” she called, Ryoma at her side in a second, his ability to be at her side in the blink of an eye had only gotten faster as the months passed. Azura had just reached her third trimester mark a week or so ago, and Ryoma had seemingly attached himself to her-even more than normal-only ever a few feet away, if not with his arm circling her waist to keep her near. She took his hands, hers so slim and pale compared to his calloused and tan ones, and gave a soft squeeze.
“I thought I told you that you needn’t do this…”
Ryoma merely grunted before giving Azura’s hands a gentle squeeze in return, his dark eyes finding the floor for a split second before meeting hers again.
“You did, but I must insist otherwise.” He spoke quietly, his thumbs now running circles on the backs of her hands, “It’s for yours and the babies’ safety.”
“Ryoma, a few feet from the bed to the dresser isn’t going to harm anyone.”
“I…”
Azura can see the slight bashfulness her husband displays is briefly cast over by something else, the normal confidence in his eyes dimming for a moment. While she was originally going to lightly reprimand him, she can tell something else is lurking in his mind.
“Ryoma dear…?”
“Hm?”
“What’s troubling you?” She takes one of her hands from his grasp and brings it to her husband’s jaw, letting her thumb run down the side of his face.
“It's…” She can see his mouth and eyes work to say “nothing” or “not a big deal”, but she stops him before he can get there.
“Please? You remember what I promised you, yes? That I’d come to you with my troubles? My burdens?” She pauses for a moment, feeling her eyes mist over the memory, the memory of him coming to talk to her while the rest of the Hoshidans would shun her presence. The way he would personally come check on her after a battle when no one else would. His insistence that she not shoulder her pain alone. Swallowing the knot in her throat before she can get swept by her emotions, she continues,
“So isn’t it time I do the same for you?”
Ryoma’s jaw tightens briefly beneath her thumb before releasing, his shoulders following suit. For a few moments he says nothing, his eyes closed in contemplation, Azura waiting patiently.
He finally inhales deeply, “I’m just worried. As you know, Mother’s health was never the greatest, and with each of her pregnancies she only got worse.” Ryoma’s Adam's apple bobs as he swallows, eyes focused on the swell of Azura’s stomach.
Ryoma continues,”I know you are not her, and that the healers have voiced no major concerns, but I still can only think of Mother. I won’t have it happen to you. I can’t.”
Azura can only nod as she listens, her memories of the late Hoshidan queen flooding her mind. She had only met her a few times, the most prominent memory of the Queen when Azura had been brought before her and Ryoma after she’d been kidnapped as revenge for Nohr’s assassination of King Sumeragi. Queen Mikoto had been pregnant with Princess Sakura, and even from her confinement at Ft. Jinya could hear stories of the Queen’s dwindling health after the princess had been born.
Taking her hand from Ryoma’s face, Azura grabs his open hand and guides it to her belly. His fingers fan as his hand makes contact, and Azura closes her fingers around his wrist, the couple sitting in silence for a few moments as they both process what’s been said.
After a couple beats of silence, Azura breaks it quietly.
“I’m not going anywhere. I promise.” She feels a soft smile turn on her lips,”Just promise the same?”
Finally, it's his turn to smile as his thumb begins to caress her stomach. “I’d do no less, my love.”
He brings their still entwined hands to his lips, kissing her knuckle, his smile growing into the goofy grin he reserves for her.
“But I have to say, I think the dresser looks quite good where I moved it.”
As they share a laugh, the babies kick.