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The fluorescent lights in the Bonesborough Clinic and Infirmary waiting room were blinding compared to the darkness outside at this time of night. Augustus Tholomule-Porter nervously tapped his fingers against the side of his scroll and checked the current time - 4:17 in the morning.
As he bounced his leg against the tile floor, his palisman, Emmiline, crawled up his arm to sit on his shoulder and gave him a worried look. “It’s fine , Emmy,” he reassured her, pocketing his scroll. “Matt will be back soon.” The little blue chameleon raised an eyebrow before chirping and resting her head in the crook of Gus’s neck, closing her eyes.
Gus sighed to himself, getting up from his seat to pace by the door in anticipation. A few hours earlier, they had been awoken by a crow phone sent by the clinic - informing them that their surrogate had been in labor for several hours (evidently the staff had tried to reach them several times that same night) and their daughter could be born at any time. Naturally, this news sent both Matt and Gus into a frenzy as, while still half asleep, they rushed to throw on whatever sweatpants and tshirts they found first and head out the door as fast as possible.
(In Gus’s case, this meant a light blue shirt with his name emblazoned across the front that had been a birthday gift from his brother-in-law Steve so many years ago he couldn’t quite remember - which was essentially a crop top at this point.)
Now a couple hours later, their daughter was supposed to arrive in a matter of minutes according to the healers’ last update - which would have been exciting news if not for the fact that a few minutes prior, Gus remembered they left their baby bag at the house and Matt volunteered to go back and get it (since Gus looked rather like he might fall off his staff if he tried to fly). Now, Gus was praying to every higher being he knew of (dead Titan included) that his husband would make it back before their baby girl made her appearance, nearly pacing a hole into the floor.
Several minutes and worried looks from the front desk staff later, the double doors to the waiting room swung open all of a sudden. There stood Matt catching his breath, one hand on his staff and the other clenching the bag of baby clothes and supplies they had packed together a week prior. Gus had never in his life been so happy to see him, rushing to meet him at the door as Matt vanished his staff. “Matty, oh my Titan, thank goodness you’re back-”
“Whoa, did something happen while I was gone?” the shorter man inquired anxiously.
Gus opened his mouth to explain the situation, but he didn’t manage to say any of the words jumbling around in his brain before a healer opened the door behind them and called their names.
“Augustus and Matt? I have some great news,” they said, smiling wide. Both men whipped around, wide-eyed as they waited for the next words out of the witch’s mouth. “Would you like to come meet your daughter?”
Matt gasped audibly, nearly dropping the bag. Next to him, Gus raised a hand to his mouth, his previous anxiety draining from his body. They rushed to follow the healer into the clinic hallway, eventually stopping at a doorway. Matt reached for Gus’s hand, squeezing it tight before they entered the room.
Another healer was standing inside next to a bassinet, and she turned around as she heard them approaching, holding a tiny bundle in her arms and smiling. Matt DID drop the bag now and covered his mouth with his hands, already feeling the prick of tears in the corners of his eyes at the sight. “Hi dads, this is your daughter,” the healer cooed, gently placing the bundle in Gus’s arms. Gus choked out a sound that was a cross between a laugh and a sob, staring down at the most precious creature he had ever seen in his life.
She had warm, dark skin, almost the same tone as Gus, and tight little curls that peeked out from the tiny pink knit hat covering her head to keep it warm. She opened her mouth in the tiniest yawn either of them had ever seen, and as Matt ran a gentle finger across her cheek, he felt the tears start flowing.
“Hi, baby girl,” Gus whispered, bouncing her the slightest bit in his arms as the three of them stood so close. “You are so loved, do you know that?”
Matt put his arm around his husband, grinning wide through the tears. “Titan, she’s so tiny . Are they supposed to be that small?”
Gus shot him a look (he was on the verge of tears himself) and rolled his eyes before returning his attention to their daughter, rocking her back and forth. They just stood there for a second, breath taken away as they stared down at the tiny baby in Gus’s arms.
“What do you think, babe, does she look like a Serenity to you?” Matt whispered, remembering that name had been Gus’s favorite of the list they came up with over a month prior.
“Yeah,” Gus breathed, smiling at his husband. “I think it’s perfect for her. Our little Cici,” he added, heart so full of love he thought it might burst. “Do you want a turn holding her?” He nodded, stepping back the tiniest bit so Gus could readjust and hand their daughter to him.
Carefully, Matt took the small bundle into his arms. Near-immediately, she started to wail, screaming louder than what seemed possible for such tiny lungs. He held onto her, but looked around with a panicked look in his eyes. “What’s wrong? Why is she crying? Did I do something wrong??”
Gus winced before resting a hand on Matt’s back, reaching over to gently rub their daughter’s stomach. “It’s okay, honey, babies cry. She’s probably just tired and confused with everything happening. She did a lot of work to get here this morning, didn’t you baby?” He cooed at their still screaming daughter.
“Your husband’s right, Mr. Tholomule-Porter,” one of the healers still in the room said, putting their hand on Matt’s shoulder. “Babies cry a lot and it’s rarely ever anything you’ve done wrong. But, if you’re worried, skin to skin contact can help parents and their new babies bond.”
Matt nodded, doing his best to rock and console Cici. Her cries calmed down enough for him to hand her back to Gus for a second. He pulled off his shirt and sat down in the nearby chair, arms extended for Gus to gently place Cici in his arms again. He held her close against his chest, and all of a sudden her cries stopped and she yawned again. Matt smiled and tried to hold back a fresh wave of new tears (failing miserably). Her little arm broke loose out of her swaddle, a tiny pink mittened-hand resting on Matt’s bare chest. Titan, she was so small, so precious. Matt barely knew her and already loved her more than almost anything in the world.
Matt glanced up and met Gus’s eyes, noticing they shone with unshed tears. Oh, how he loved them both. Their little family, the three of them against the world. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, allowing himself to relax a little after all the stress he felt all night. Gus seemed to remember something and started rummaging around in the bag at his feet before at last pulling out the camera Willow had given them at the baby shower and taking a picture of his husband and daughter, Matt looking tired but strangely angelic in this rare moment.
Matt’s eyes blinked open at the camera noise, grinning at Gus’s sheepish face at having disturbed them. “Titan, I can’t wait for everyone to meet her,” he commented, returning his gaze to little Cici.
Gus’s face softened and he pulled up a chair next to Matt, taking a seat and brushing their daughter’s curls to the side before leaning in to kiss her forehead. “Yeah, me either. I already messaged Dad and Steve and the old squad group chat to let everyone know - though I should probably send an update that she’s here,” he added, summoning his scroll and opening said group chat.
“Ten snails says Steve gets here first,” Matt grinned. “He’s been waiting ages to claim his Uncle Steve title, no way he’s missing the chance to meet her as soon as possible.”
Gus smirked as he responded. “No way, are you kidding me? Steve likes to sleep in unless he gets dragged out of bed by Katya or the kids. I bet it’s gonna be Willow and Hunter. They’re always waking up at 7 in the morning or some shit for no reason.”
Matt shuddered. “Oh titan, you’re right. I rescind that bet on account of them being freaks who like to get up early on purpose.” Gus rolled his eyes good-naturedly.
Now that most of the anticipation and anxiety had worn off, tiredness was beginning to catch up with Matt as he turned to look up at his husband. Gus had put his scroll away, staring lovingly at the bundle in Matt’s arms like he couldn’t believe she was real and finally here.
“Baby, come closer,” Matt breathed, and Gus scooted in, turning to press his forehead against Matt’s as he leaned in close. He wrapped an arm around Matt’s shoulders, stroking his warm skin with his thumb. Matt hummed, his eyes closing in the quiet bliss of the moment.
Cici hiccuped, causing both dads to look down at her, but she was sound asleep against Matt’s chest.
“Hey Gus,” Matt grinned, meeting his husband’s eyes again.
“Yeah, babe?”
“We’re dads. We have a baby!”
Gus could only nod his head, still in disbelief of it all. “We’re dads.”
He met Matt’s gaze, reading his thoughts as he leaned in for a kiss. He pressed his lips to Matt’s before pulling back and resting his head against Matt’s shoulder, both of them continuing to stare lovingly at their perfect, precious baby girl.
