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In the last few weeks leading up to the delivery of your twins, you and your loving husband, Makoto, had planned everything down to the last detail. You both even made sure his best friend Haru could come by and feed the dog while you were at the hospital. Despite all your planning you didn't plan on two things. The first was the magnificent Valentine's Day dinner your amazing husband made for your last one as a twosome and the second, a freak snowstorm that barraged the small town of Iwatobi so late in the winter.
As you two diligently washed and dried the dishes in tandem as you did every night you looked out the kitchen window to see the first few flurries touch down. Makoto was busy scrubbing chocolate off a dessert plate when you sighed abruptly. He knew you were tired of sitting inside waiting for the snow to melt. It was almost as hard as waddling around town in heavy winter clothes in addition to carrying twins. He tried his best to keep your spirits up and his big green eyes never ceased to bring you joy. A flush of pink settled on your cheeks as you took the dessert plate from him to dry it. A small smile traveled between you two as a sign of recognition of your impending company squirming within you. Makoto set down the dish he was holding to place a large warm hand on your stomach. He could never get over the magic of the twins kicking even so far along. The day had been magic in itself. Waking up to roses and chocolate then spending the day exchanging little gifts and kisses. You loved these couples holidays and you both made sure to make your last real one the best.
Having surpassed your due date by a week this day went off without a hitch or hint of nerves. The sun was setting and the new snow was twinkling in the dim light. Makoto wrapped his arms around your shoulders and watched the snow fall.
"Let's get some rest." He said as you untied your apron.
Holding your hand firmly as he led you up the stairs to your bedroom, you couldn't help but think how nice this Valentine's Day was. As soon as you had your nightdress on your husband draped you in blankets and set about making you as comfortable as possible. Sleeping for three was hard enough when two did not want to sleep at all. With pillows piled on one side of you and Makoto lying on the other you were in a nest of love and comfort. You stayed that way surprisingly long until a loud thump woke you both. Swaying as you stood, you peered out the window to see massive drifts of snow lining the small street and weighing down tree branches. Panic set in as you ran to the phone to call all of your friends who still lived in town. Nagisa and Rei had just returned from holiday and had just gotten home when the snow really came down.
Haru, living only a few minutes away by foot, came to the conclusion that this was all due to global warming and that once it melted the water would be warm enough to swim in despite the time of year. Hearing from your friends made you feel better but you still groaned.
Makoto looked uneasy as he rose from his seat on the bed to stand beside you at the window. Your little mutt stirred in his bed in the corner. Nothing ever bothered him. Again panic struck but this time in a more physical form. A tight pain flooded your back and abdomen. You grabbed Makoto's hand and squeezed until the pain blew over. Frightened, you looked up at him with watery eyes. Before you could get a word out you raced to the bathroom. In the nick of time too as your water broke nearly soaking your nightgown and the floor. The clock on the counter said it was just past 2 AM and you knew you would not be making it to the hospital as planned with all this snow. Grabbing a towel and drying off you returned to your bedroom with a pale looking Makoto sitting before you.
"Are you okay?" He said as he lifted his gaze. You had trained him in the past nine months not to overreact to your every move, but this time he was taking it pretty hard.
"My water just broke and I think contractions have started." You replied, feeling sick to your stomach. With your minimal training in the nursing field you knew eating so soon before a big medical event like this was bound to end poorly. You could feel the large dinner and chocolates working their way back up. Fear had a grip on you but hadn't paralyzed you to the point where you couldn't run back to the bathroom to throw up.
Wiping your mouth, you slumped against the side of the tub as Makoto came in and wet a washcloth to put on your forehead, already beading with sweat. So much for your plan. With a knowing glance you both realized you would be having these babies at home during a snowstorm. Not knowing how to deal with the situation, Makoto called all his friends over to help. Rei had the training to properly deliver a baby if needed and Nagisa could comfort you better than anyone in a stressful situation. And Haru was invited mainly because Makoto didn't want his best friend to feel left out. Refusing to dirty your bed you had Makoto lay out blankets and towels in the living room as a makeshift delivery room.
Nagisa burst through the door first and ran straight for you.
"This is going to be the best day ever! Right, (y/n)?" He gushed as he took your hands and paced alongside you to distract from the pain.
Rei had followed Makoto into the kitchen and was rolling up his sleeves nervously as he directed him to boil water and sterilize shears. Makoto followed his every command despite his growing fear of his unborn childrens' fate. Moments later Haru entered the house. Taking off his snow covered boots and coat, he solemnly went into the living room to see you and Nagisa in what looked like a test of wills over whose hand would break first. It surprised you that Haru came right over and took Nagisa's place to take some of the strain off his brittle hands. You didn't say a word but Haru gave a small smile to reassure you. An hour had passed since your water broke and you weren't counting but according to Nagisa, who was still nursing his sore hands, your contractions were about five minutes apart.
Rei believed this to be moving along quite quickly. You and Makoto both paled at that. In a lull between contractions Rei had you lay down to check your dilation. You never would have thought you would be in this situation with one of your husband's friends but desperate times call for desperate measures. Moving along quickly things were. Rei announced you were already 8 cm dilated. Holding Makoto's hand for dear life you looked to Rei for instruction. Looking over his red frames with a spray of pink dusting his cheeks he cleared his throat and ordered you to bear down with all your might. Nagisa paced behind the sofa after catching a glimpse of the action and turning green. Haru ordered him out of your eye line as not to scare you. Makoto looked on nervously as your face went from pink to red to purple while you gave it your all.
After what felt like ages Rei let you rest. Your head was pounding which only added to the immense pressure and pain in your lower abdomen. Checking you again Rei commanded you to push hard to pass the shoulders of your first baby. The room was silent except for your cries of anguish and Nagisa's whimpering behind the couch. Haru shot him a dark glance while Makoto placed a cool damp cloth on your forehead. With Rei's instruction Haru and Nagisa went to fetch the bassinets from the nursery as you beared down again and a cry rang out from a squirming bundle of wrinkles.
You looked up to see tears rolling down Makoto's face and Nagisa almost falling down the stairs to see the new addition. Haru followed close behind and helped him place the bassinets nearby. Rei tied off the umbilical cord and instructed Makoto to cut it with the shears he sterilized. Unsure of what to do next you asked Haru to clean off the first baby and swaddle it in its crib much to Nagisa's displeasure. He did so willingly. It was a strange sight to everyone in the room. To see Haru holding a newborn so gently and cradling it with one hand as he bathed it with a cloth with the other. You felt calmness wash over you until Rei spoke up.
"The easy part is over, (y/n)." You looked at him suspiciously.
"Isn't it supposed to be the hard part is over?" You asked. He looked away almost sadly.
"The thing is, although my EMT training gave me the skills to deliver a baby it's not common practice to deliver twins except by C-section."
Your heart sank as he said that but it couldn't go far as another contraction arrived even more painful than the ones prior. Makoto whimpered as you gripped his hand suddenly.
"I don't think we have time to think about this." You said through heaving breaths.
Rei cracked his neck skillfully and set back to the job at hand. With your knees pulled almost to your chin you pushed and pushed as your second baby began to crown. The pain topped that of the first baby, which Haru was still holding and rocking gently. You couldn't look on for long as a bolt of pain shot up your spine. You thought you were about to black out but instead you saw a white light. Maybe the pain had killed you, you thought but a piercing scream filled your ears.
You thought it was the baby but it was Nagisa standing behind Rei looking at the motionless infant in his hands. The second baby's umbilical cord was wrapped twice around its neck. Makoto tried to shield your eyes but despite your fatigue you forced yourself into a sitting position. Tears sprang loose from your eyes as Rei untangled the cord. You could only look on and cry as he rubbed the baby's back and slapped it to shock some breath into it. Frantically, Rei ordered Nagisa to get hot water and his emergency EMT kit from the kitchen. After digging through the bag he found what he was looking for. A small handheld defibrillator. You had no idea those even existed but right now it was the only hope to save your baby. Rei placed the device over the infant's heart and clicked the trigger.
A small shock was followed by an even smaller whine. The infant's face turned from blue to a healthier pink. Your tears continued to fall but had changed from fearful to elated. After Nagisa selfishly whisked away the weaker of the twins to get cleaned up and swaddled, Makoto helped you into a clean nightdress. Rei had done his best to stitch up any tearing you had and cleaned up the bloody sheets in the laundry room. With Makoto by your side you eased into your bed. Your mutt lingered by your bedside as Haru and Nagisa gently carried their respective bassinets in so you could finally see your babies.
The first, the one Haru bonded with, was a boy. He had Makoto's dreamy eyes and your (h/c) hair in a tuft atop his head. Your brought it close to your nose and nuzzled him taking in the new baby smell. Nagisa was hanging over the side of your little girl's bassinet with teary eyes. Reluctantly you handed your son to Makoto to hold your little snow storm miracle. She had bright (e/c) eyes that looked directly at you as Nagisa set her in your arms. You were still gazing at them when Rei came in to join to group. You looked up at him with tears dripping down your cheeks. None of this would have been possible if not for him. Makoto's friends had their downsides but that night they were all there for you without complaint.
You and Makoto decided on the name Haruto for your son, nickname Haru since they bonded so well, and Reina for your daughter in honor of Rei for all he did for your family. It wasn't hard to see why no one slept for the rest of the night. Rei, Nagisa and Haru stayed over to help out until the snow cleared and you could safely be transported to the hospital with the babies to be examined by a doctor. Rei and Nagisa snuggled on the couch while the TV murmured in the background and Haru took to his task of feeding the dog as originally planned. You and Makoto sat almost silently with your two little Valentine's gifts nestled in their bassinets at the end of the bed. Makoto hugged you gently remembering the pain you suffered only hours before. You lightly kissed his cheek and looked back at your twins sleeping soundly.
For your last real couple's holiday this had definitely been the best.