Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“You're doing great, Mura..” Sozonius whispered to his spouse, rubbing their back as they buried their face into the side of the bed. 

They had been in that position a while, finding being on their knees hanging onto the edge of the bed most comfortable for the predicament they were in. Ichor soaked their bandages, having already been changed twice before. It was worrying, they were losing ichor relatively quickly. They were also struggling to stay lucid, falling into delusions of their previous godhood before the pain would bring them back to reality. 

Astaroth entered the room after stepping away for a moment, a fresh bowl of water and camellias for their wound. Kallamar was not far behind, clean blankets and bandages in his arms. 

“Shamura, can I check your dilation please?” Astaroth placed the bowl on the ground, moving carefully to not startle the spider. They had already lashed out multiple times, the scratches and cuts on all three support live proof. 

Shamura lifted their head a bit, side eyeing the midwife. Sozo resumed rubbing their back with one hand, taking a cloth and wiping some ichor from their face with another. “She's just trying to help, love.” Sozo reassured, though he feared it would be a few hours longer until they could deliver their egg. It had already been thirteen hours, the past four have been the worst. 

Shamura made a groaning noise, turning their head to lean into Sozos touch, intertwining their fingers with Sozo’s. The ant gently placed a kiss to the side of their face, continuing to wipe away ichor and sweat. 

Astaroth took this as a yes, Kallamar taking a seat next to Sozo on the opposite side of his wife. Just in case they decided Astaroth's face would look nice with another gouged out eye. 

Astaroth did her thing, moving as gently as she could. After a moment it seemed she hit a sore spot, the laboring spider throwing their head back and letting out a loud hiss. Sozo and Kallamar quickly grabbed their shoulders, keeping them from moving any further while Astaroth retreated. She stood, using a cloth to clean off her hands. Sozo whispered reassurances to his spouse while Shamura mumbled absolute nonsense. 

“You alright, Ash?” Kallamar asked, a hand on his siblings' back. 

“Mhm. They didn't get me. It seems they're about ready, just another centimeter to go..” She said, preparing a clean cloth with a mix of menicite and herb oil to help with the pain. It didn't last very long, nor was it very strong, but it was better than nothing. 

“How long will that take?” Sozonius asked, squeezing Shamura's hand tightly as they buried their face back into the blankets. Their body shook as a contraction pulsed through their body. 

“Maybe a few minutes, if we're lucky. It can take hours but..” Astaroth was interrupted by Kallamar. 

“We don't have hours. The longer they lose ichor the weaker they'll become. And we risk the egg dying the longer it remains in the birth canal.” The squid wasn't trying to hide his concern. There was really no point in trying to. 

Sozo swallowed hard, his own concern threatening to show. He tried to hide it, though, feeling like he needed to be strong for Shamura. The ant squeezed his spouse's hand again, moving some damp fluff away from their visible eyes. 

“Sozo..” Shamura mumbled, propping themself up a bit, using the edge of the bed and their upper pair of arms to keep their head up. “It's heavy.”

“Oh, my love. I know. I'm so sorry. You're doing so well, though.” He reassured. “We'll have our egg soon. We've been preparing for it for months, and this is it. Then we just need to wait for our baby to grow and hatch. Won't it be wonderful to see them develop?” He asked, whispering into their ear. He only paused for a moment when Shamura let out a pained moan, a soft popping sound came from them, followed by a quiet splash.

“Sooner than you thought.” Kallamar said, moving to the side for Astaroth. 

“Hold this to their face gently. It should help numb their body a bit.” Astaroth instructed Sozo, handing the cloth over. Kallamar laid down a few towels and blankets, soaking up the fluid and ichor that had pooled on the floor. 

Sozonius held the cloth gently to their face as instructed, leaving room for them to breathe. Their body relaxed a little after a few more contractions. Hopefully it would be enough to help them get through pushing. The ant pulled the cloth away as he noticed them loosen, taking their hands in his. 

“Almost there, my beloved.” He pressed a gentle kiss to their forehead, not minding the ichor. 

“Do you feel the need to push, Shamura?” Astaroth asked, preparing a blanket for the egg. 

The spider panted softly, blinking a few times as if trying to come out of a daze. “mhm.” Shamura responded, swallowing hard as their whole body pounded. They couldn't think clearly, nor keep a thought long enough to process it. They did, however, know they were terrified. 

“Good. When the next contraction comes, I need you to push, okay?” The jellyfish instructed, Shamura humming in response. Their head was pounding like it had just been bashed in, the worst pain they had felt in a long time. Not to mention the burning in their core down between their legs. 

They squeezed their husbands hands tight, shouting in pain and effort as they began the first of what would become many pushes. Two hours worth in fact. They had to change position a few times, and Astaroth had to manually rotate the egg into the correct position. They were a mess, ichor staining the sheets, Sozos hands aching and cracking. Still he let them hold on and squeeze as tight as they needed to, whispering sweet nothings to them during the small moments of rest they got. He didn't respond as they shouted obscenities at him, though. 

Finally, they pushed for the last time, egg being handed off to Kallamar so Astaroth could focus on Shamura. They needed stitches for a massive tear, something Astaroth got right on doing. The pain of the stitches was nothing though. They finally relaxed fully as all the pressure they felt released. They were still in pain, sure, but not nearly as much as before. 

“You did it, Mura! You did wonderful!” Sozo was grinning ear to ear, happy the event was over and they finally had their egg. Shamura glanced over at Sozonius, offering him a tired smile before closing their eyes. 

They rested in silence for a few moments, letting some of the fuzziness in their head clear. They were able to finally think coherently, comprehend what they just went through. They smiled, sighing softly in relief and pride. They had managed to deliver their egg successfully, something they had feared they wouldn't be able to do. Some part of them was still worried, now about their egg and if it was healthy, but they were too tired to fret. Instead, they realized how hungry they were. 

“Sozonius..” They mumbled, taking his hand gently. It was much nicer than the previous squeezing. 

“Yes, my love?” Sozo asked.

Shamura paused, opening their eyes lazily and watching Astaroth as they finished and cleaned their bottom half of ichor and other fluids. As she got up and headed into the other room to check on the egg, Shamura turned their eyes back to Sozo. 

“I love you, but I really want to devour your flesh right now. If you could please get me something to eat before I give into the urge, I would appreciate it.” Shamura gave him another smile. 

It was a good sign they wanted to eat, and a very good sign they were able to speak coherently. Sozo chuckled nervously, not really wanting to be eaten by his postpartum spouse. 

“Of course, my dear.” Sozo pulled his hand away and got off the bed, exiting the room to see Astaroth and Kallamar examining the egg over the nest. 

It was a transparent white, though he could swear there was a small violet tint to it. Inside he could make out the outline of the interior membranes and yolk. The ant moved closer, Astaroth finally noticing his presence. 

“It's perfectly healthy and fertile. A little small, but that's to be expected. They had another two weeks to go.” Astaroth explained, letting Sozo come to the side to look. 

Kallamar pointed out a black dot, in the shape of a crescent and no larger than a grape. “That's the baby. And in four months it will be nearly as large as the egg itself.” Kallamar was obviously very excited. 

Sozos eyes lit up as he realized his and Shamuras baby was really in there. They were going to be parents. They got over the first hurdle, now they were in the home stretch. Sixteen more weeks and they would have a baby. 

“I'd like to come and check on it weekly. The first few weeks of being outside the womb is truly crucial. Anything wrong with the temperature, humidity or Lamb forbid it's mishandled can cause it to become unviable.” Astaroth explained, a look of pure terror coming over Sozos face momentarily. 

“Alright.. that's fine.” Sozo swallowed. 

“She doesn't mean to frighten you! The chances of it going bad are low. Just keep the windows closed and don't hold it without one of us present.” Kallamar reassured his brother-in-law. He was sure they would not be opening the window anytime soon, as it was mid february and freezing, but holding it.. He could see them wanting to. 

Sozo nodded. “Okay.. um, Shamura wants something to eat. Is there something specific I should grab?” Sozo asked. 

Astaroth spoke almost right away. “Calcium, Protein and Iron are what they really need right now. So meat and greens.” She said, grabbing some new sheets for the bed.  

With that, Sozo was off. He got them the best meal he could, thanks to Heket. Meat with bone broth and roasted greens. Once he returned, Kallamar and Astaroth had mostly cleaned up, the sheets had been changed, and Shamura (with fresh bandages) was holding their egg under Kallamars supervision. 

The ant paused to watch for a moment, admiring his spouse's glowing beauty in the evening light. He couldn’t wait to see them holding their baby, a gentle look in their eyes as they cradled them close. For now, the spider looked at their egg with beaming pride and curiosity. A finger rested on the delicate shell, tiny form inside unmoving. 

Shamura turned their head toward him, that beautiful soft smile he loved so much on their face. Sozo made his way over, Shamura passing the egg back to their brother and taking the food from their husband. “Thank you, my love.” Shamura said, immediately shoving food into their mouth as soon as they were finished speaking. 

“Of course, my dear.” He said, happy they seemed to have bounced back so quickly. He did expect it to be hard for them to move and get around for the next few weeks, though. 

Kallamar offered Sozo the egg, its shell becoming much more solid as it got used to the environment. He took it into his arms, it felt very light, surprisingly. It was only five pounds at the most. He watched the tiny shape in the egg for a few minutes, but nothing really changed. Maybe in a few weeks they would get to see their little one begin to move. 

“Thank you for all your help, Kallamar.” Sozo said, handing the egg back to be put back into its nest. 

The squid nodded. “Of course. It was my absolute pleasure. I'll be back in the morning with Heket to bring food and supplies. Astaroth already explained that Shamura is not to be walking or doing any strenuous activity for the next few days.” He said, bidding them farewell as he left with the egg. Sozo peaked his head out the door just to make sure it was put back in the nest before returning to Shamura. 

“How are you feeling?” Sozo asked, taking the empty bowl from Shamura and placing it to the side. 

“Sore. My whole body aches and I feel my internal organs shifting. But besides that I'm well. I'm happy we have a perfect egg. I was concerned I wasn't doing enough for it.” Shamura explained, shifting a little to lean into their husband. 

“I'm sorry, my love. You did really good though. I'm so proud of you.” He said, pressing a gentle kiss to their lips. “You just focus on resting now. You must be exhausted.” Sozo gently caressed their face, getting a gentle hum from the spider. 

“Of course I am. But I want you to rest with me.” Shamura responded, knowing Sozo was likely also exhausted from caring for them and staying at their side this whole time. They pressed some soft kisses to his hands, tickling his palms with the soft fluff on their face. 

“Are you sure? I don't want to cause you any discomfort. What if I roll into you or.. something..” Sozo turned a little pink, Shamura letting out a giggle. 

“I'm going to be uncomfortable either way. I just pushed an egg the size of a cantaloupe out of my guts, only to be told that it's a little small. So I demand you cuddle and rest with me for putting me through that.” Shamura demanded, voice playful but look as serious as a plague. 

The ant smiled, unable to deny the request. He helped Shamura lay down Before getting under the covers himself, loosely wrapping his arms around his spouse. They let out a few soft clicks akin to a cat purring, nuzzling their head underneath his chin. 

The tarantula was quickly asleep, Sozo playing with some of their fluff and listening to their soft snores as he daydreamed about what their little one would be like. He wasn't planning on telling them but he already was hoping for a girl.

Chapter Text

Shamura was refusing to get out of bed, which was rather understandable. It had been a terrible few days for both of them.

Melonie was the greatest blessing they could ask for. From the moment she was born she brightened both of their lives, filling their days with different challenges and joys. But as she grew and reached the age of four, they began to long for another little one. They missed when Melonie was little and could be cradled in their arms. So they decided to try for another. It.. didn't work out to say the least.

Melonie had spent most of the week with her aunt and uncles, pretty much from Tuesday morning to Thursday night so her parents had a little time to themselves. However, just as Sozo predicted when he went to pick her up, she rushed into the living room to see a now empty nest of cotton and spider silk. 

“Papa? Where is the egg?” She asked, large eyes gazing up at him in curiosity and concern. She was smart enough to tell something had happened that made her father sad. 

Sozo scrunched his face a little, trying not to burst into tears right there. Still, he knew Mel would need some sort of answer. Even if he and Shamura weren't ready to talk about it, they had to tell her something. He took a moment to compose himself before answering, kneeling down to her level. 

“It wasn't going to hatch. So.. we had to bury it in the garden.” He explained, offering his young daughter a forced smile. She tilted her head slightly, very clearly getting a bit upset herself. 

“Why wasn't it gonna hatch? You said there was a baby in it.” She asked. 

Sozonius pulled Melonie into his arms, keeping her head pinned under his chin to prevent her from seeing his tears. The spiderling grabbed onto her fathers shirt with all four hands on instinct, hearing his shaky breathing as her ear pressed up against his chest. He held her tight, trying to disguise his breaking voice. 

“There was.. and then there wasn't. Sometimes these things just happen.” Sozo said, letting out a sniffle. He rubbed his cheek into the soft fluff on Melonie’s head, feeling her antennae twitch as she let out a sniffle of her own. 

“That's not fair.” Melonie sniffled once more, rubbing her face into her fathers shirt. Sozo began to rub her back gently, readjusting briefly so she sat more comfortably in his lap. 

“It's not. Life isn't fair sometimes. But it will be okay.” He reassured both Melonie and himself. Everything would be okay with time, but it was okay to be sad now as well. 

Sozo let Melonie cry in his arms for a few minutes, letting his own tears dry as he focused on comforting his four year old. She didn't need to be learning about loss and death this early. But then again, they lived in the lands of the god of death. 

He pulled away from Melonie after a few minutes, holding her face gently with his hands and carefully wiping the tears away from her face with his thumbs. It was a little difficult to accomplish with her six eyes, but he was sure to clear each of the tears. He gave her a smile, this one more genuine than before. The pain and sadness was still there, of course, but remembering he still had his daughter to dote on and his beloved spouse who blessed him with her helped ease it a little. 

“We still have each other. It will continue to just be us three for a little bit. That means you get your Pama and I all to yourself.” Sozo pressed a kiss to her cheek, followed by a raspberry, making Melonie squeal and laugh. 

“Papa! Stop!” She cried out in a laugh, her father starting to tickle her and press more kisses to her face. He only stopped when he remembered Shamura may be sleeping. It was too late though, Melonie had already let out a few loud squeals. 

“There. No more tears today. You're too cute to be sad.” He fixed some of her fluff he messed up before standing, feeling some of his joints pop as he stood. Guess the golden skull necklace didn't stop that part of aging. It must have something to do with being a dad. Melonie giggled, smiling up at her father. She briefly looked back at the nest, smile fading slightly. 

“Where's Pama?” She asked, still having more questions about the egg and nest but knowing it wasn't a good time to really ask them. Being as curious as she was made her quickly learn that sometimes situations weren't good for asking questions, unless you want to make someone upset. 

“Ah.. They're in bed. They're very sad right now too.” Sozo sighed, not really sure what to do for them at the moment. He did, however, get an idea. 

Maybe being reminded of what they still had like he was would help a little. 

“Do you wanna go see Pama? I'm sure they would love to see you. You'll just need to be a bit gentle and not ask much, okay?” Sozo suggested, quickly getting a nod from Melonie. 

He picked her up, walking her to their bedroom door. He placed a finger to his lips briefly. “Make sure to be quiet. They might be sleeping.” He told her, getting another nod and a quiet giggle. 

With that he slowly opened the door, observing Shamura reading in bed. Their eyes were very obviously puffy from lack of sleep and crying, and they were clearly having trouble focusing on the book. They were really just trying to distract themself, finding it difficult to take their mind off it. 

“Mura, I brought you something.” Sozo hummed playfully, snapping the spider out of their thoughts. They turned their head, smiling gently as their eyes landed on their daughter. 

“Hi Pama.” Melonie said, her sweet little voice like music to their ears. 

“Hi, my darling.” Shamura said, taking Melonie into their arms when Sozo got close enough. 

Sozonius sat on the bed, admiring his spouse and daughter as they embraced. Melonie snuggled into her Pama, immediately closing her eyes as she listened to their heartbeat. Shamura kissed the top of her head, before turning a planting a kiss to their husbands lips. 

“Thank you.” They hummed, getting another kiss in return. 

“Of course. I thought you might like to see her after everything. And she wanted to see you, right Mellie?” Sozo asked, Melonie opening her eyes and nodding her head. 

“I missed you. Daddy told me you were sad and I don't want you to be sad.” She rose on her knees, placing her upper pair of hands on Shamura's cheeks and booping their noses together. It made Shamura laugh softly. 

“I missed you too. How can I be sad when you and your papa are here?” They asked, rubbing their noses together with another soft laugh. 

Shamura scooped Melonie up into their arms, pressing several kisses to Melonies face and making her squeal. Sozo quickly joined in, giving her some kisses of his own. She was a ball of giggles by the time the couple stopped, their daughter in both their arms. They cuddled into each other, managing to truly smile out of happiness for the first time in what felt like forever. 

“You know. I think she's the greatest blessing I could have asked for.” Shamura said to Sozo quietly. 

Melonie returned to snuggling, perfectly content in her parents arms. They were lucky to have such a calm and sweet little girl. If the Lamb and Narinder tried something like this with their son, he'd be wiggling and kicking to get free. 

“I think she's twice the blessing I could have ever asked for. I know we really wanted it to work out.. but I'll be happy even if she's our only child.” Sozo said, a little nervous that it was too soon to say such a thing. 

Shamura gave him a soft look, gently stroking the fur on Melonie’s head. They took a moment to speak, laying their head on their husbands shoulder. The family was completely intertwined in each other's arms. 

“Me too. I just.. wish I could have done more. I should have done more.” They sniffled softly, both Melonie and Sozo tightening their grip around them. 

“Oh, Mura. You did all you could. It's not your fault, okay? We have the most beautiful daughter because of your efforts.” Sozo squeezed one of Shamura's hands, kissing them deeply after a moment. 

Shamura let themself shed a few quiet tears, getting quickly wiped away by Sozonius. They were still sad, of course, but they also felt so lucky. The former bishop of war had really created something special for themself. They didn't deserve it one bit, but they were going to fight to keep it. 

“I love you so much.” Shamura smiled softly at Sozonius, gently resting their foreheads together. Melonie had curled up in their arms, having fallen asleep listening to her parents' quiet voices. 

“I love you, too.” Sozo kissed them once more before they returned to snuggling. They stayed that way for a while, until Melonie woke and complained about being hungry. For the first time in days, the family went together to get dinner.