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The scan is on Aaron’s bedside table and Robert smiles softly when his gaze falls to it.
He scrubs the towel in his hands through his hair as he closes the door to the en-suite behind him, pads his way across the room, and rounds the foot of the bed to take a seat on the edge of the mattress.
He squeezes the longer ends of his hair on the top of his head a bit with the towel to draw out some of the moisture, before lowering it and looking towards the washing basket against the wall. He screws it up into a ball and launches it at the basket, smirks when it lands perfectly inside.
He’s happy, so unbelievably happy – still feels on cloud nine after getting to see the tiny dot of their growing baby for the first time, the shades of black and grey and the quick flicker of their heartbeat on the screen. It’s exciting, so exciting, if still a little scary, but the fact that he gets to do this with Aaron properly this time, that they get to experience the whole insane, long and tiring journey together – fully – is enough to make any fears and worries worth it in the end.
“You alright?” Aaron’s voice says softly from behind him, and Robert twists at the waist to look at him, sees him stood in the doorway with a slight look of concern on his face. Robert nods and smiles, leans himself back into the mattress on one palm.
“Yeah Aaron, I’m fine.”
Aaron nods and steps further into the room, walks around the bed until he can crouch down in front of Robert and rest his palms warmly on the tops of his dressing gown covered thighs. “Not feelin’ sick again?”
“No.” Robert shakes his head and reaches out with his left hand to cup his palm against Aaron’s cheek, strokes his thumb back and forth in the light stubble on his jaw. “They’re givin’ me a break for now it seems.”
Aaron hums, pleased, and rubs his palms on Robert’s thighs. His eyes are blue and soft and Robert really does love him more every day.
“They both gone down alright?” He asks quietly, thumbing at the corner of Aaron’s mouth – Aaron hums again and presses a quick kiss to the pad of his wondering thumb.
“Yeah, both spark out now,” he says reassuringly, before tilting his head a little into Robert’s palm, an amused curl to his lips. “Jake spent 15 minutes tellin’ me about this cat he saw outside of nursery this mornin’ though, think he was tryin’ to angle at us getting him one.”
Robert snorts and shakes his head, curls his fingertips in the short hairs behind Aaron’s ear.
“Have to watch him with you, next thing you know I’ll be comin’ home and findin’ you and him with some mange ridden tabby you’ve co-opted from Paddy.”
Aaron makes a quiet noise and pulls a face, a wrinkle forming in the bridge of his nose like he is possibly considering it, and Robert huffs and pushes lightly at his cheek; Aaron laughs quietly as he looks up at Robert with bright eyes.
“He’ll forget all about it as soon as he knows he’s gettin’ a new brother or sister instead.” He replies gently, biting at the corner of his lip to fight back the beaming grin Robert can see threatening to break out on his face. Robert looks at him tenderly as Aaron reaches out for the tie of his dressing gown and pulls, the knot unravelling and allowing the fabric to drape open slightly over Robert’s naked body.
“He’ll be made up, same as we are.” He continues, glancing up at Robert’s face before edging forward; Robert parts his thighs so Aaron can settle in between them, leans back on both of his palms as Aaron reaches out to wrap one arm around his hips.
The small bump is obvious like this, a soft, rounded curve to his lower belly that still catches him by surprise when he sees it. He’s 9 weeks, their baby just the size of an olive, but there’s already the evidence here of their growing existence visible on his body – a visible existence that Robert has quickly realised is like catnip to Aaron.
His husband leans forward and places a soft, lingering kiss to his belly, gently strokes his fingers back and forth over the dimples in the small of Robert’s back as he does so. He nuzzles his nose against Robert’s skin before pressing his lips there once more, and Robert reaches out to curl his fingers through the back of Aaron’s hair, drags them slowly down to his nape.
“You’re incredible y’know?” Aaron says then, not much more than a whisper as he pulls back just enough to be able to rest his chin on Robert’s stomach, wraps both of his arms around Robert’s hips and squeezes him tight. His eyes are bright and adoring as he looks up at him, and he still makes Robert’s heart flutter even after all these years. “And I feel so lucky to have ya. For our kids to have ya.”
Robert swallows and slides his fingers around to Aaron’s jaw, presses his fingertips against his throat and feels his pulse beat there, strong and even.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you.” He replies, his voice shaking a little as he scans his eyes over Aaron’s face – takes in the new thin lines around his eyes, the fullness to his pink lips and the creases in his brow. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me y’know.”
“I am pretty great in’t I?” Aaron says then, a cheeky, teasing smile on his face; Robert huffs and rolls his eyes, can’t stop the grin from breaking out on his lips too.
“Yeah, yeah you are.” He answers, soft and serious. Aaron wets his lower lip, his own expression settling into something fond; he tilts his chin down and presses another kiss to Robert’s stomach, runs one palm back over his hip until he can cup the small bump and stroke his thumb carefully under Robert’s belly button.
“I love you. And I love this baby,” he says, and Robert can see the slight shine that has started to form again in his eyes. “You make me so happy Robert, I dunno what to do with it sometimes.”
Robert brings his other hand up to Aaron’s face and tilts his head back as he leans down, kisses him slow and wet, draws small circles into Aaron’s cheekbones as his husband sighs into his mouth and rubs his palm over his belly.
“I love you too.” Robert murmurs when they part, presses a chaste kiss to his lips as Aaron blinks his eyes open again. “Now get up here and come to bed with me soft lad, we’ve only got 7 more months until it’s sleepless nights and baby sick all over again.”