Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

If you were gonna get pregnant to begin with, Seth highly recommended having two lovers.

It meant that in the evenings after he’d hauled his 30-pounds-heavier body around all day and everything hurt, someone could rub his neck while another someone could gently massage his swollen feet.

It meant that while Dean ran to the grocery store to pick up the banana peppers and peanut butter that Seth suddenly couldn’t live without, Roman was still available to listen to him grumble about how his back hurt and his clothes didn’t fit, about how his belly itched and how scared he was to be a father.

It meant that Roman could run him a warm bath while Dean sat and patted his back and held his hair off his face while he vomited yet again.

Pregnancy hadn’t been kind to Seth, and he knew it was his own damn fault. The night he’d found out about the little parasite growing inside him, instead of feeling happy, Seth had cried. And cried and cried and cried some more. Dean and Roman were baffled; the three had always talked about having a child one day and they were anxious to be fathers. It wasn’t that Seth didn’t WANT to be a father. It was that he was terrified because he just didn’t know how. And he was pretty sure that his reaction cursed him.

He was scared, too, of all of the changes his body would make, and how in God’s name was he expected to push a small watermelon out of his ass when the time came? For awhile he secretly decided that he would beg for an elective c-section, until he went to childbirth class with Dean and learned that c-sections meant major surgery and a considerably longer recovery, and likely a lot more pain, while also causing greater risk to the baby. After that, Seth just resigned himself to his fate.

Seth had the worst case of morning sickness. Actually, all day sickness; it didn’t change to morning-only sickness until about the end of the fifth month, and by then he’d already had two separate hospital stays to replenish all of the fluids he lost from the constant vomiting.

For awhile, he could keep nothing down, especially in the beginning. They’d tried everything, too, from crackers to soup to plain broth to smoothies to...everything. In his first trimester he lost 15 pounds. Seth had wanted to have a fit, wonderful pregnancy. He’d read up and learned that by eliminating certain sets from his WOD, he could still Crossfit the entire time if he was careful. But the pukes prevented him from doing anything other than lay around.

The first time he was hospitalized he legit thought that both he and the baby were going to die. Roman and Dean had come home to find him with no vomit left, on his side on the floor dry heaving. He couldn’t stop; it kept up the whole ride to the hospital, where the nurses had to give him something to relax his esophagus to get it to quit. Once it did, he slept for half a day before waking up in a blind panic, certain that the baby must’ve suffered irreversible damage. Instead, Dean, who had stayed with him so Roman could go home and shower, pointed to the monitor beside him.

The baby’s heartbeat was a steady 149 beats per minute.

Seth burst into tears of relief.

They’d all learned a thing or two by the second time, which took place in the middle of the fourth month, and after Seth had gone a full 24 hours without keeping a single thing in his stomach, no one even needed to confirm the plan. Roman just scooped him up and carried him to the car and held him while Dean drove.
The second hospital stay was much shorter than the first, but by the time they got home Seth was feeling a lot better. That night he laid in bed on his left side, just like the doctor instructed him, taking long sips from the straw on a water bottle. As he listened to Roman’s soft snores behind him, he looked over at Dean, who was watching him with a tender smile on his face.

“I’m sorry,” Seth whispered. Dean’s smile faltered as he took Seth’s hand.

“For what?”

“For being such a pain in the ass. I suck at this.”

Dean leaned forward, resting his forehead against Seth’s.

“Don’t say that,” he murmured. “Don’t ever fucking say that. You got a baby in you. I hate you’re so sick all the time but it ain’t your fault, babe. Just how it is. This little thing is healthy because of you. You’re doing a great job. We’re proud of you, baby mama.”

Seth smiled, but tears still filled his eyes.

“I just want it healthy. That’s all. But I don’t see how it could be when all I can do is throw up.”

Dean kissed Seth’s cheek.

“Shhh. You heard the doctor. The baby is fine. Remember what she said? That your body will protect the baby? It’s you we gotta worry about. So Roman and me, we’re gonna pump you full of fluids and keep you off your feet, and help you as much as we can, since we can’t do this for you. It’s all gonna be great, babe. It’s all gonna be wonderful.”

Neither of them noticed that Roman had stopped snoring, until he grunted his agreement and splayed his hand out over Seth’s belly. He didn’t say anything, just rubbed softly and nuzzled his face into the back of Seth’s neck, but there were no words that would’ve been better right then anyway.

After the second hospital stay, it seemed to get better. Seth still woke up nauseated in the mornings and still threw up more often than not. But he began keeping crackers and ginger ale on the night table and when he woke up moaning and uncomfortable, Roman would offer him a saltine while Dean rubbed his back and shoulders and that helped a little.

His appetite slowly returned as the days progressed, his lovers remained attentive, and eventually Seth realized that he was no longer sick. By the time the third trimester rolled around, instead of constantly worrying, he was actually able to relax and enjoy the perks of being pregnant.

Sorta.

His body still ached; after 6 months of barely any physical activity he was too hopelessly out of shape to get back to a Crossfit box. But he, Dean, and Roman went for long, slow walks, and then Roman came home with a couple of prenatal yoga videos, and before long, Seth was hooked.

With his resurging appetite came cravings, some of which were normal but inconvenient, some of which were just plain ridiculous, but the combination of cravings and hormones meant that neither of his lovers was keen to deny him. Seth knew he was crying over dumb stuff, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. Roman and Dean didn’t even blink when he began requesting things like pizza with anchovies and mushrooms, popcorn with chocolate syrup drizzled on top, or celery dipped in mayonnaise. They did raise their eyes when Seth burst into tears one night and sobbed over the store not having kiwis (they weren’t in season anyway).

He was also pretty sure Dean was ready to sell him to the highest bidder one night when he returned home from the store with strawberry sorbet instead of raspberry, and Seth had thrown a giant fit that ended in him flinging his bowl to the floor and running sobbing into the living room, where he threw himself into Roman’s arms.

“Dude, what’ve you done to him?” Roman protectively wrapped his strong arms around Seth and began to softly stroke his arms and belly, but he had a smirk on his face. Dean just threw his hands up and left the room.

“I’m sorry,” Seth sniffled. “I’m so sorry. You guys must think I’m a giant brat.”

“Aww, nah, babe, we’ve always known you’re a giant brat,” Roman’s attempt at a joke just caused Seth to cry harder.

“Hey, now,” Roman murmured, voice now soft and soothing instead of playful. Seth buried his face into his boyfriend’s neck. “Shhh...Seth. Hey.”

“I can’t help it,” Seth moaned. He could feel Roman’s hand begin to gently rub up and down his spine and he melted a little.

“Baby, we know,” Ro soothed. “We know. We can’t understand but we’re trying, baby boy. But you gotta relax, huh? This ain’t permanent, baby. Soon enough you’re gonna get yourself back and then we can all go on with life. We love you.”

Seth sighed deeply and closed his eyes. Before long Roman effortlessly lifted him into his arms and carried him to bed, where Dean, only half awake, drew him close and whispered sweet words into his ear. Secure in the knowledge that he hadn’t completely screwed everything up, Seth fell into a deep sleep.

“What’re we gonna name this kid?” Dean asked one evening during Seth’s eighth month, as the three men relaxed in bed. Seth was feeling massive now, just about 34 weeks along, and while he was grateful for no more puking, he was really beginning to get uncomfortable.

“Dunno,” Roman replied. “Hard to say when we don’t know whether it’s a boy or a girl.”

It wasn’t that they hadn’t wanted to find out the sex of the baby, exactly. It wasn’t a necessity, because of course they’d keep him or her in their bedroom for the first few months anyway, and while they had a room picked out to be a nursery, they all figured painting could wait. This was good, because when they’d gone to the anatomy ultrasound, their little Nugget, as Dean liked to call the baby, had its legs crossed tight and there was no telling what was in between them. They tried a 4-D ultrasound several times, but the baby was stubborn even then and mostly laid with its back to the wand, so they got a few beautiful profiles, but no gender shots. After that, they gave up. The babe clearly didn’t want them to be anything but surprised, and since it just wasn’t that important to them, they let it go.

The other thing they didn’t know was who actually fathered the baby with Seth.

Seth had worried about this in the beginning, the same way he worried about everything, but both Dean and Roman maintained that it didn’t matter one bit.

“Kid’s gonna have three dads,” Dean had said. “We all share this bed. We’ll all share this responsibility.” And that was pretty much that.

The name discussion was much harder. They agreed on nothing. If it was a girl, Dean wanted something trendy like Madison or McKenzie, while Roman seemed to gravitate towards names that were sophisticated like Sabrina and Colette. Seth just wanted something classic and simple, but when he suggested Grace or Kate, his lovers shook their heads.

Boy names were worse. Roman hated almost everything anyone suggested and the only name Dean would even consider was Harley. And Seth didn’t have anything to throw out for consideration, because he couldn’t think of anything he actually liked to begin with.

Eventually they all agreed to make separate lists and wait to see what Nugget looked like, and they’d decide then.

Around that time they toured the local birth center, but before they went they filled out their birth plan. Seth didn’t want anything bizarre; his main concern was that he’d have options.

“Like...I don’t know what it’s gonna be like,” he told Roman and Dean. “I mean I know it’s gonna hurt like hell but I don’t know what I will or won’t be able to handle til it happens. So I don’t want to say no to an epidural, but I want to at least try without it first. But I DON’T want a bunch of people trying to get me to do it. I want everything to be as natural as possible as long as the baby is okay.”

Eventually they worked out a list of things that Seth wanted to make the delivery as comfortable as possible for all three of them. It included:

Seth would like to keep things as natural as possible for as long as the baby is doing well. Due to this, he does not want to be offered medication. He will ask if medication becomes something he needs, and Roman or Dean will communicate this to the staff. Seth also wishes to allow his labor to progress on its own, and does not wish to be offered any drugs to make it move faster, nor does he want to have his water broken.
Seth would like to be able to eat and drink throughout his labor, provided all is going well. Additionally, he wants to be allowed to bring his own snacks into the center with him.
Roman and Dean should be allowed to be present with Seth for the duration of his labor and delivery.
Should a c-section be necessary, Dean will accompany Seth into the operating room.
Seth would like to remain as mobile as possible during labor.
Seth would like to be given different, non-medication options for pain management during labor, including but not limited to a rocking chair, a yoga ball, aromatherapy, and water labor.
Seth, Roman, and Dean would like to be allowed skin-on-skin contact with the baby as immediately after delivery as possible.

Armed with a plan, at least an idea of what he wanted, made Seth feel relieved, and so they toured the birthing center with a sense of peace and calm. He was delighted to learn that every birthing suite came equipped with a real, comfortable bed and there was not a stirrup in sight. Every room also had a large tub with pulsing jets, a comfy pullout sofa so that Dean and Roman could rest, and a small refrigerator with a freezer. In short, it was everything Seth wanted. The center director, an extremely tall man named Colin Cassady, explained it all, after jovially exclaiming,

“Call me Cass!”

They checked it all out, with Cass going over the options available.

“What we really just want is to encourage an atmosphere of comfort, because childbirth can be chaotic,” Cass told them. “Of course there’s no way to predict how someone’s labor might go, their delivery either, but there are studies that show that allowing you to go through it by just listening to your body and what it tells you it needs, the complication rate drastically reduces. The nurses are trained to work with you, not against you and what’s natural for you. And then once baby is out, we encourage immediate bonding, including not cutting the cord immediately after delivery.”

“But...the cord can’t stay attached for long...right?” Dean had been reading up.

“When the baby comes out, it’s still attached,” Cass told them. “So while the baby learns to breathe out here, having the cord remain intact will help with regulating oxygen. We like to wait until everything settles and Seth is ready to deliver the placenta and then we’ll cut the cord and assuming everything is going great, the baby will never be separated from you. In fact, Seth, you’ll be able to hold your baby the entire time if you’re up to it. We’ll encourage the baby to go ahead and try to latch, although usually your milk supply doesn’t come in right away.”

“And my baby gets to stay in here with us?” Seth asked. Cass nodded.

“The last thing we want is to separate you guys. And weighing and measuring can wait until you’ve gotten to bond a little. You’ll even be able to bathe the baby right here in the room.”

“Wait...we get to do that...ourselves?” Roman questioned.

“If that’s something you want? Of course,” Cass replied. “A nurse will be happy to guide you, assist if you will, but it’s your baby. It’s crucial to the bonding process that he or she be out of our hands and in yours as much as possible.”

Seth left with happy tears in his eyes.

Five and a half weeks later, he was over it.

There was no part of him that didn’t ache. His feet were enormous, even though he spent most of his time in the living room recliner. He was constantly hungry but couldn’t eat much at once, so he snacked nearly all day. Roman and Dean took excellent care of him, but he was ready to be done. He wanted to hold his baby. He wanted his body back. He wanted to be able to sleep for more than 45 minutes without waking to pee. And he really missed his abs.

They began looking online for ways to get the ball rolling on their own.

Seth didn’t want to be induced anyway, but he’d seen his midwife that morning. Becky was an Irish woman with fiery orange hair who completely supported all of Seth’s views and desires, and he adored her. Nevertheless he was still a hair annoyed when she said,

“Well, we won’t induce ya yet because you’re not to your due date. I know you’re tired but ya gotta hang on a little longer. Baby could come tomorrow or could decide to wait a week yet.”

Never mind that all of her reasons were sound; his blood pressure was completely normal, his pee was perfect, and he was only slightly dilated, though Becky did reassure him that his cervix was beginning to thin. The baby, she said, was happy as a clam in there and would come out when he or she was ready. Seth wondered if he was ever going to last.

Leave it to Dean to notice sex before anything else on the list of things that might start labor. Seth glowered at him; he hardly felt sexy, not even a little, and as massive as he was, there was just no way.

“You and Roman can have sex all night long,” he snapped. “But leave me out of it.”

“Me and Roman having sex all night long sounds great to me,” Dean grinned evilly. “But that’s not gonna help you out at all.”

Seth pouted.

“You wouldn’t,” he grumbled.

“Well...babe, I mean, it’s been awhile,” Dean began. Roman hit him with a pillow.

“Calm down, baby, look,” Roman pointed to the computer screen. “Spicy food might help. Tomorrow for lunch I’m going to go get you some chicken curry from Thai House, huh? Hot as you can stand it. Then we’ll go for a nice long walk. Maybe go driving on a bumpy road. You want a massage?”

“You spoil him,” Dean pouted this time.

“Oh, like you don’t,” Roman shot back. “Besides, he’s been carrying our baby for 39 weeks and 4 days and he deserves to be pampered. Come here, baby.”

Roman pulled Seth close, so that he was laying back against him, and began rubbing lotion onto his taut belly. Seth sighed and closed his eyes. Then he heard Dean say,

“I know what he needs.”

Then Seth felt his shorts being worked down and before he even knew what was happening, Dean had taken his dick into his mouth.

Okay, so maybe sex was out of the question, but a blowjob definitely wasn’t.

Not that it helped. Spicy food just gave him terrible indigestion, walking made him swell, and when they tried driving out on a dirt road in the country, it was so bumpy that Seth pissed himself.

Seth woke up the morning of his due date feeling anxious but not really sure why. He’d been having Braxton Hicks contractions for about two weeks now, and they came and went, but they weren’t any different than they’d been all along. It was still early, and Roman and Dean were still asleep. Seth crept out of bed, as inconspicuously as he could get his clunky body to move, and went to the bathroom. That was always his first stop these days.

Clothes only served to rub his already itchy abdomen, so he stripped and then looked at himself in the mirror.

It was a miracle, of course, he knew that. Seth turned to the side and looked himself up and down. For almost 10 months, he’d grown a human inside his own body. His belly was stretched beyond recognition, but he didn’t have many stretch marks. He noticed that he seemed to be suddenly carrying lower; it was normal, he knew, but it certainly made his back ache even worse. With a sigh, he slowly slipped into some loose shorts and one of Roman’s old t-shirts and slipped downstairs.

He’d surprise them with breakfast, he decided.

The scent of bacon and waffles roused his two sleeping loves, who immediately came down and scolded him for being on his feet cooking, but were appreciative all the same.

“What do you want to do today, babe?” Dean asked Seth while they ate.

“Give birth,” Seth muttered. Dean smiled sympathetically.

“I know. I know, babe. That’s what I want too, it’ll make you feel better,” he wrapped his arms around Seth and pulled him close and began gently stroking up and down his spine.

“What can I do, babe? What can Roman and I do?”

Seth burst into tears.

“I don’t know,” he moaned into Dean’s neck. Roman put down the dish he was washing and came over and engulfed them both.

“Why don’t we all stay in today?” Roman suggested. “There’s nothing we really need right? Let’s just stay in and watch movies on the couch and just settle. We all need as much rest as we can get right? Before the baby comes?”

“I’m tired of resting,” Seth hiccuped. “I’m tired of all of it. I just want to sleep. Everybody says to get your sleep before the baby comes but nobody can tell me how to do that.”

“Baby...babe,” Dean murmured into his ear, soothing him, stroking his hair, while Roman said quietly,

“We’ve got you baby. It’s okay. We’re here and we’ve got you.”

Seth just wailed.

Awhile later, fit over, he and his lovers were still wrapped up in each other, but he was feeling considerably better. He sighed softly.

“Guys? I just...thank you. For everything. I know this hasn’t been easy for you either and I know I haven’t been the easiest to deal with and...and I really am excited to meet the baby and start the rest of our lives. Sometimes I’ve lost sight of that but I would never have made it this far without you. Both of you.”

Both his boys just smiled at him goofily.

Chapter Text

They ended up spending most of the day lazing around on the couch. In between snoozing on Roman, Seth folded the last of the baby’s clothes while Dean massaged his feet. At one point Roman got up and prepared homemade macaroni and cheese for dinner, and Seth thought it was amazing. They watched two movies, listened to countless songs, and essentially just relaxed together. By the end of the evening, Seth found that he was genuinely rested and feeling absolutely no shame over spending the entire day acting like a slug.

In fact…

With a sly smile, he began softly grinding his butt against Roman, waiting for his lover to notice. It didn’t take long.

“Oh yeah?” Roman murmured lazily into Seth’s ear. “You teasin’?”

Seth giggled.

“Well...nothing else has worked,” he said. Dean just grinned.

It was very possibly the most amazing sex Seth had ever had.

He had no idea everything would be extra-sensitive, and for awhile he was mentally kicking himself for not giving into Dean sooner, until complete euphoria took over and he couldn’t think anymore. He could hear, all of the glorious sounds made by him, by his lovers, even by the bed squeaking. And as it neared its end, Seth felt his entire body begin to tense, a familiar thing that typically preceded an intense orgasm. When he came it felt like he was soaring, and with a happy moan, he sank down into the bed.

Dean was kissing his lips and Roman was planting gentle kisses down his spine and slowly he came down from his high, entire body relaxing except---his belly.

Looking back, Seth would realize what was happening. His whole mid-section was clenched tight. It wasn’t exactly painful; it was like a charley horse minus the agony. It felt just like a Braxton-Hicks contraction, actually, only about 10 times stronger, and he began to panic, terrified that they’d harmed the baby until just as quickly as it started, it stopped.

Unaware he’d been holding his breath, Seth exhaled sharply, then sagged into the mattress.

“Seth? You good?” Dean asked, and Seth nodded.

“Yeah...yeah,” Seth murmured, sighing deeply. “That was great. That was the best.”

Lying between Dean and Roman, Seth felt himself dozing off, but was startled awake who knows how much later when the tightening in his abdomen happened again.

Still not painful, this feeling was every bit as intense as the first time, and it made Seth’s breath catch in his throat. He grunted and drew his legs up as much as he could. This was uncomfortable and he wanted to roll over or even get up, but he wasn’t moving anywhere too quickly. And once again, the cramp ended as quickly as it had started.

It happened four more times, waking Seth up, but he’d begun to be able to wiggle just enough to take the edge off so that he could doze back off. Then at about 4:30 in the morning, he woke to a completely different sensation.

Pain.

Searing through his lower back, bad enough to make him cry out and immediately begin to struggle to sit up.

Roman and Dean both woke in a panic, only aware of Seth’s agonized groans and whimpers, and Roman immediately scooped him onto his lap.

“What’s wrong? Seth? What is it?” Dean took his hands, rubbing them softly.

“Back. My back. My back hurts,” Seth moaned. “Need...gotta move.”

Slightly baffled, they helped him to the edge of the bed but the second he dangled his legs over the edge, tears sprang to his eyes.

“No...worse. This is worse. Help me,” he sobbed.

They lifted him to his feet and he felt some relief then, sagging into Roman, who wrapped his arms around him and just held him upright.

“Better? This better?” Roman soothed. Seth rested his head against his lover’s chest and nodded, trying to steady his breathing.

“Yes. Still hurts but this is way better,” he managed to mumble. Dean sat down on the edge of the bed and began to slowly massage Seth’s lower back. Seth sighed deeply.

“What do you think happened, baby? You sleep funny?” Roman asked him quietly, still just slowly swaying Seth back and forth.

“Dunno,” Seth sighed again. The pain had retreated to a dull ache, and the soft, slow motion combined with Dean’s gentle hands soothing his sore muscles was nearly lulling him to sleep right there on his feet.

“That’s it...just gotta breathe,” Roman’s voice was comforting, tender. “Let’s see if we can sit you back down, huh?”

Seth nodded, but the second his ass hit the bed, the awful pain was back and he let out a shriek.

“No, no, no, all wrong. Help...help…” It hurt so bad that he couldn’t string a coherent sentence together, yet again, the moment he was back on his feet and resting in Roman’s arms, the pain was reduced. Seth couldn’t think, didn’t know what was wrong, didn’t know what to really DO. So he muted himself, leaned on Roman, and listened to his lovers talk quietly.

“What do you think is wrong?”

“I don’t know,” came Dean’s murmured response. “Do you think we should call Becky?”

“Maybe...maybe let’s give it some time. I know his back’s been bothering him but it’s never been like this.”

Twice more over the next hour or so, Seth tried to sit back down and both times it was a disaster. Eventually the three men moved to the shower where he stood, still supported by Roman, under the warm water. This felt good, calming, and as he stood there burrowed against Roman’s chest, he was able to finally just relax.

The problem was, he couldn’t stay standing much longer. He was tired now. But the last thing he wanted to do was go back to the bed, terrified that the pain would come back. Both Roman and Dean seemed to sense this, and they helped him out of the shower and began toweling him dry tenderly.

“Listen, Seth, baby,” Dean murmured. “You feeling better?”

“Mmmm yes,” he whispered. “I just...am tired…”

“I know,” Seth could feel Dean’s hands massaging again as he spoke.

“You want to try and lay down? We can get your pillows all arranged and put a heat pack on your back.”

That sounded reasonable to Seth.

Lying on his side wasn’t as good as standing, but much better than sitting, and while Roman arranged pillows between Seth’s legs and arms and supporting his back, Dean applied a heat pack. It was heavenly. Roman went down to get some water and a bowl of fruit and for another hour or so, Seth drifted seemlessly between awake and asleep. He was uncomfortable, but not in unbearable pain anymore. And in his whole life, he’d never been more thankful for his boyfriends. No way would he make it on his own.

Once the clock showed a more reasonable hour, Dean called Becky, who agreed to stop over and just check on Seth. The baby had been wiggling and kicking, so Seth wasn’t too concerned about that, but what had he done to his back?

“No leaking? Your water seems intact. What’s the pain been like, Seth?” Becky asked. He explained, and she broke out into a smile.

“Okay...I hate to ask ya to do this, Seth, but I want ya to show me, okay? It’s worst when you’re in a sitting position?”

Seth nodded and shuddered; it’d been better for a bit now and he didn’t want to go there again, but if she knew what to do to make it stop completely.

They sat him up and he immediately melted down, moaning and begging and after about 30 seconds, Becky motioned to Roman to lift Seth into a standing position.

“Do you guys have a rocker?”

Once Seth was settled, reclined slightly, Becky coached him on how to rock slowly to help lessen the pressure and it worked. His midwife took his hands.

“Have you done much reading on back labor, Seth?”

It hit him then. Of course. Many deliveries began with back labor, which from what he’d read was painful but would abate as labor progressed but that...that meant…

“I’m in labor?” Seth breathed.

“Yeah...I think this is the beginning of labor. Have you had any contractions?”

Seth explained about the night before, the feeling that gripped and twisted is belly but didn’t really hurt, just wore him out.

“Yup,” Becky grinned. “It’s especially common in men. Seth, I think this might be it.”

“Should we go to the birth center?” Roman questioned. Seth had been wondering the same thing.

“Well...you could,” Becky mused. “But I’d think you’d be more comfortable at home for as long as ya can. I’ll check you here; I’ve got my bag.”

Roman helped Becky cover the bed in plastic, then a sheet, and then Dean eased him to his feet.

“What I need you to do is lie super still. Just like when I checked you at the office the other day,” Becky’s voice was calm and Seth tried to force himself to relax, but he couldn’t help the groan that escaped him at the pressure of being prodded.

Becky took her gloves off.

“You’re definitely making progress, Seth, but I don’t think the babe is in any big hurry either. I’d say you’re about 2 centimeters dilated but your cervix has thinned nicely. If you want to go to the birth center, I’ll tell Cass to go ahead and admit you, but I do think you’ll be more comfortable resting here.”

“I...don’t know,” he mumbled, rolling to his side and allowing Roman to rub his belly. “I don’t want to have the baby at home…”

“I know. I know this isn’t what ya want to hear but it’s still going to be awhile yet. I don’t think you’re going to give birth in the next hour. In fact I’d be surprised if it wasn’t more like 12-15 hours, though babies often have other ideas.”

“What...what would you do?” Seth wondered.

“I think your body will tell you when you’re truly getting closer. If it was me I’d stay here awhile yet. When the back labor subsides into contractions, then I’d think about coming in.”

Dean, Seth, and Roman all looked at one another, realization settling in. Their baby was finally coming.

Once Becky was gone, and Seth was still comfy rocking slowly, Roman pulled out their hospital bags. Dean sat next to Seth, softly stroking his hair.

“This is really happening,” Seth whispered.

“Sure is,” Dean replied. “How’s it feeling?”

“It’s like...like remember when you threw your back out last year and said you were having spasms?”

“Mmmm...yeah, that sucked,” Dean responded softly.

“It’s a little like that. Like my lower back is getting twisted. It’s throbbing. I can still feel it but this isn’t too bad. I don’t know why sitting upright and still is so awful.”

“Me neither,” Dean murmured.

“I’m scared,” Seth confessed and Dean squeezed his hand as Roman came to join them.

“Oh yeah?”

“It’s only going to hurt worse,” he whispered. “And it’s only just starting. What if...what if I can’t do this?”

Doubt hadn’t really plagued Seth before. Of course he’d questioned periodically over the course of his pregnancy whether he’d truly be able to perform this miracle, but he’d always known that in the end he’d do it. Now though, after feeling this pain, it occurred to him for the first time, really, that a c-section may well be in his future. And he voiced this to Roman and Dean. They exchanged glances.

“Listen, Seth, babe,” Dean began, then paused. Roman stepped in.

“We understand that a c-section isn’t what you want,” he murmured, rubbing Seth’s hands. “And Dean and I are going to do absolutely whatever you need us to do to help you get there without one. But...if it comes down to it and you have to have one, we aren’t going to love you any less. We’ll be there while it’s happening and we’ll be there to help you after. We’re going to give you whatever you need, no matter what it is or why you need it.”

Shortly after, a contraction hit Seth, and this one hurt. He rocked his way through it, but then decided he wanted to move around a little, so the three men walked around the upstairs of their home, including a visit to what would become the nursery. It already had a crib and furniture, as well as stacks of diapers and wipes and some unisex clothing. Once the babe was ready to move in, the rocker in their bedroom would go in there as well.

Another hour, a few more contractions, and Seth was already over this. It wasn’t the most miserable pain ever. In fact, it wasn’t even as bad as the back labor, but it was still exhausting. All he could do was alternate between walking and rocking. He wanted to sleep a little more, to allow his body to rest up before the big show really began, but the contractions were just strong enough to jolt him awake. Instead, he retired to the rocker again and asked Dean for his music and headphones.

It was a nice distraction for awhile, and Seth made it through several contractions until one hit him that was so intense, it took his breath away. He tried, God knew he did, to take it calmly, to not freak out. He was strong. He was tough. He could DO this.

A groan escaped him anyway.

Roman and Dean, who were lounging on the bed pretending not to watch Seth like a hawk, lest he want some privacy, leaped into action.

Dean took both of his hands and squeezed while Roman talked to him quietly.

“Take a deep breath, babe. That’s it. In through your nose and out through your mouth. Just like in class. And again. Good. Gooooddddd...is that better?”

Seth let out a soft whimper as the contraction eased and ebbed away, and he nodded.

“Yeah...yeah...help me up.”

They walked some more and after another agonizing squeezing of his torso, during which Dean held him upright between them, Seth decided he wanted back in the shower. The warmth and steam got him through two more contractions, each more intense than the last, before he burst into tears, sobbing on Roman’s shoulder.

“I don’t...I don’t wanna do this. It hurts,” he hiccupped.

“I know it hurts. I’m so sorry, babe. Seth. You can do this, though. I know you can. You’re stronger than either one of us, baby. I know it seems like it’s gonna last forever.”

Indeed, it did seem like it might last forever. It was nearing noon and had been roughly 7 hours since he’d woken up with the awful back pain, but somehow Seth knew it wasn’t near over. The squeezing in his belly was awful and intense, and happening pretty consistently every 10 minutes. Maybe he was making progress, but it was still going to take time.

And goddamn, he wanted time to speed up, as minutes later, his labor had him begging desperately.

“Please...please make it stop,” he whispered into Dean’s shoulder, trying not to bite his shirt. He didn’t see his lovers exchange looks, but he felt Roman’s hands massaging his back, felt Dean’s lips on his cheek, and heard Roman murmur,

“Think maybe we should go in, yeah? Becky said we could go a few hours ago. What do you think Seth?”

Seth could only nod as he sagged against Dean and attempted to catch his breath.

The car ride was a blur; he contracted twice, which was awful. He wasn’t excited about heading to the birth center either but there wasn’t much else to be done and Seth knew that. Despite his desire to do as much of his labor as he could on his own, with just Roman and Dean, nurses and other people floating around was a given. He hoped that whoever was around to assist him was at least kinda cool.

Turned out he needn’t have worried about that.

Apparently Becky had called ahead to let the center know he’d be coming sometime that day, because when he arrived, he was greeted warmly at the check in desk. The nurse wore yellow and purple scrubs and had her hair up in a high side ponytail, and although he was certain he’d never seen her before, she certainly seemed to recognize him.

“Hi, Seth! Good to see you here!” Her excitement would ordinarily be annoying but for some reason in this situation, he was glad for it.

“I’m Bayley,” she continued. “I’m going to be one of your nurses today. How are you?”

“G-good,” he replied just as that now familiar tightening began again. He panicked slightly, not sure who to turn to, not sure what to do, but then he felt Dean’s familiar arms engulf him, and he felt a not familiar but still comforting hand in the middle of his back. He moaned into Dean’s neck as Bayley rubbed between his shoulder blades. And he realized then that while the pain was getting worse instead of better, the fear was definitely easing. He had help. He’d be okay.

He breathed deeply and listened to Dean coach him quietly and when it was over, Bayley smiled at him.

“That was really good,” she said. “You handled that really well, Seth. It lasted about 50 seconds. Tell you what; let’s you and Dean and me go get you settled in your room. Cass will get you guys all checked in.”

Seth nodded.

The room was similarly different to the room they’d seen when they toured the center. It had a ridiculously comfortable-looking bed and it was decorated in shades of calming blue. There was a pullout sofa and a giant tub was already filled up and the water swirled gently from the jets. It was spacious, too. Seth wondered how many people brought an entire entourage to their delivery. He couldn’t imagine wanting anyone besides his lovers present for this intimate experience.

There was a dry erase board near the door of the room that had the date written on it, and underneath someone had written “Seth Rollins.” Below that, it read “Daytime Nurses: Bayley & Sasha.” No sooner had he begun to wonder who Sasha was than a woman with magenta hair pulled up in a bun knocked and then slipped into the room.

“Hey, Sash,” Bayley grinned. “This is Seth, and Dean, and Cass has Roman up front filling out the last of the forms.”

“Hi, guys,” Sasha’s smile was wide and genuine. “So this is your first baby huh?”

Seth nodded and Dean laughed. He sounded nervous, and for the first time Seth wondered just how much of a toll this whole process was going to take on his guys.

“First and last if you ask Seth, I’m sure,” Dean twitched a little, but then he took Seth’s hand. “You ladies, uh...gonna take care of him, yeah?”

“Oh, we’re gonna take such awesome care of him,” Bayley exclaimed, face lighting up. “You got the dream team right here.”

Sasha smiled too.

“Right now you’re the only one we’ve got in active labor, Seth. We have two patients who delivered yesterday who’ll be going home later on but you’ve pretty much got our undivided attention. You just let us know if there’s anything you need, okay? Even if it’s just, like, what do I do? That’s probably the number one question we get asked when a parent is in labor. It’s hard to know. But we’re here for you, okay?”

Seth nodded, then grimaced as a contraction took over. It was the worst one yet, and he’d been ill-prepared, seated on the bed while talking to his nurses, but once it began he couldn’t find the strength to stand up. Pain surged up his mid-section and down his back and legs, and he couldn’t help the wail that escaped him. He could hear Dean’s voice but it sounded far away.

As it slowly began to subside, he realized that Bayley and Sasha had sprung into action. He didn’t realize Roman had come into the room, but the next thing he knew he was leaning forward into his lover’s chest as Bayley coached Roman on how to drape his arms over Seth’s back. Meanwhile Sasha was holding one of his hands and looking at her watch.

“A little over a minute,” she said quietly. “How long since the last one?”

“About seven and a half minutes,” Bayley replied. “Good job, Seth. Good job, Daddy. You got this.”

They checked his progress (“between 4-5 centimeters,” Bayley crowed, “almost halfway there!”) and listened to the baby’s heart and took his temperature and blood pressure and measured his blood-oxygen level.

“Everything’s perfect,” Sasha assured them. “You’re laboring beautifully, Seth, seriously.”

“Good. That’s good...that’s...shiiiitttttt,” he muttered, contraction hitting mid sentence.

For an hour or so he and Roman and Dean walked, stopping for contractions and to let Seth rest. Neither Bayley nor Sasha stayed far away, but both seemed content to watch him from a distance and allow his lovers to do the majority of the coaching, only stepping in when they felt a little extra help was needed.

“Here,” Sasha approached while Seth was coming back down from the pain surge, holding a cup and placing a straw between his lips. “Drink. Gotta stay hydrated or your uterus just won’t work.” Seth drank gratefully, head never lifting from Dean’s shoulder. Then a thought hit him.

“But...what if I have to pee?”

Sasha’s smile was gentle, her eyes merry.

“Then you pee. That’s allowed.”

He found himself trusting both her and Bayley, confiding in Sasha, while Roman was in the bathroom and Dean had gone to get more ice, that his nerves were frayed.

“What scares you most?” Sasha had one of his feet up on her lap and was massaging it slowly, while Seth rocked back and forth in the chair that was in his room.

“I...dunno. That I won’t be able to do it? That I’ll make a huge ass of myself? That I’ll lose control and say things to Dean and Roman that I don’t mean? There’s just...a lot.”

“Yeah there is,” Sasha agreed. “But don’t worry, huh? They seem pretty in to you and here’s the reality. Less than 3% of deliveries that begin on their own end in a c-section. So the odds are drastically in your favor there. And as far as making an ass of yourself...listen. You yell, you scream, you swear, you do whatever you gotta do. Believe me when I tell you that you won’t do anything Bay and I haven’t seen before and once it’s over, all of that goes away. Seth, labor is hard. Delivery is hard. And if you can’t just lay there all still and quiet, well, guess what. Most people can’t and it’s fine. Nobody’s worried about it. You focus on the end result and let us help you along. There’s nothing to be afraid of. This is one of the most natural things in the world.”

He felt a little better.

On the next contraction he managed to articulate his desire to get into the labor tub, so as soon as it ended Dean and Roman helped him climb in. It was heavenly. The water changed everything; being submerged relieved a lot of the pressure. He could still feel the pain but the intensity waned and he even managed to doze a little.. His boyfriends took turns sitting in with him, holding him, offering him water and juice, and letting him change his position from time to time.

“I love you,” Roman murmured into his ear quietly. Seth was on his knees with his arms loosely around Roman’s neck, rocking slightly.

“I love you too,” he mumbled. “Wanna be done though.”

“I know. You’re doing so good, baby. Dean and me, we’re so fucking proud.”

Seth sighed deeply.

A few hours went by, and everything got closer together, with more pain and less rest as time flew on. Seth had been checked several times and had been hanging out at about 7 centimeters for a couple of hours when an anxious, disconcerted feeling washed over him.

The clock read 6:04. He was in the tub, resting on his side, leaning against Dean, and he couldn’t explain why but he wanted, no, needed to move.

“Up. I wanna get up,” he grunted. Dean, who had been lazily stroking his side, looked down at him.

“Sure. You okay?”

“Dunno,” Seth mumbled. “Just gotta get up.”

Roman was by his side in mere seconds, helping him stand and climb out of the tub. Neither nurse was present but Dean found towels in the bathroom.

“Ohhhhhhhh,” Seth breathed, a contraction rocking him to his core as Dean helped him dry off. “I wanna stop.”

“You...want to stop...labor?” Roman questioned uncertainly, exchanging a glance with Dean.

“Yeah...nah. Nah, nah, nah, can’t...I wanna stop,” tears were pouring down Seth’s face now, the pain at a fever pitch, and he couldn’t figure out why everything suddenly seemed wrong.

“It’s okay, babe,” Dean murmured. “You were comfortable in the tub; why don’t we get back in---”

“Nooooo, I don’t...I don’t...want…” It was hard to form a sentence and Seth sank down to the floor on his knees, leaning on his elbows on the bed. He could see Roman’s face transform into panic as he knelt down beside Seth and attempted to rub his back. Seth shied away.

“Don’t...don’t touch, just...stop. Make it stop. I can’t.”

“Go get someone,” Roman told Dean quietly before turning his attention back to his angsty boyfriend.

“I can’t make it stop, Seth. I’m so sorry. Just...babe, let us help you. Let us get you into the tub or on the bed or just...something. Tell me what I can do.”

“You make it s-s-stop,” Seth wailed, as Dean bolted back into the room with Bayley right behind him.

“...don’t know what happened,” he heard Dean explaining. “He was in the water all calm and then he just kinda started freaking out…”

Again Roman tried to soothe Seth’s back and again Seth demanded he not be touched. Dean looked helplessly at Bayley, who knelt down beside Seth on the ground.

“It’s been a long day, huh,” she murmured. Her voice was quiet, quiet enough that Seth had to slow his breathing down and really focus to hear her. He found that once he did, the anxiety lessened.

“I want to be done,” he whimpered. “I want this baby outta me.”

“I know,” Bayley took his cup and held the straw to his lips. He drank and drank; he hadn’t realized how thirsty he was.

“It’s so much,” she continued, slowly and gently helping him to his feet and onto the bed. You have some options. If you want I’ll explain them but if I’m tracking your progress right, you’re due for another contraction soon…”

She was right, and Seth felt his face contort and his body clench, and he bit back a scream.

“Hey, no, scream,” Bayley instructed. “Scream if you need to, it’s okay.”

He took a breath and let out a cry and he realized that she was right. Holding onto it wasn’t helping but letting some of it go made it just a little easier. Was this okay? Bayley said it was. Seth had never envisioned himself having a baby like THIS, but if it worked…

Sasha came in shortly after and laid a cold compress on his forehead, and Bayley pulled up a chair.

“So here’s what we can do. Seth, I know you’re tired. You are so close but it’s probably going to be a couple more hours and that’s so much to ask after you’ve been in labor for so long. So when I checked your progress your cervix isn’t completely dilated but it’s almost completely thinned out and that’s a great thing. We can break your water. That’s really all that’s keeping the baby from dropping that last little bit. I think if we do that, things will start moving faster. Or we can keep trying a little longer; the baby’s doing just fine.”

Seth could breathe again, and he processed this information. He knew Bayley wouldn’t suggest anything that could harm the baby, not really, and as tired as he was, he knew if he had to go much longer he’d have no energy left when it was time to push.

“What...what do you think?” Roman and Dean gathered close.

“It’s whatever you want but Seth, I think we should do it. I can’t really think of a reason not to, right?” Roman squeezed his hand.

“I agree,” Dean murmured. “Either way it’s gotta break. Might as well get things moving.”

Seth nodded.

“Okay. Okay,” he said. “Let’s do that.”

The worst part about it was that he had to lay completely still. A contraction began almost as soon as he was in position, and he groaned and whined while Roman and Dean held onto him and tried to help him focus.

“Breathe. In and out. It’s almost done,” Roman coached.

And then it was like someone took the cap off a gallon of water and just turned it over.

Fluid gushed out of Seth; all down his legs and onto the bed. It was gross. But as soon as he stood up so that he could move to the rocker to let Sasha clean up the bed, he could literally feel the baby shift down. And then the pressure got serious.

“Oh, God,” he moaned against Dean, panting like a puppy. “It’s...it’s worse. It’s so much worse. Why is it worse?”

“Because it’s getting to the end,” Bayley encouraged. “This is what we want, Seth. So close. What do you need? Try and focus and listen to your body.”

The contraction gripping him refused to end, but Seth didn’t even need to think about it; suddenly the next step seemed like the most normal thing in the world.

“I gotta push,” he moaned. Bayley just grinned.

Fluid was still leaking out of Seth as they transferred him back to the bed, but he couldn’t find it in him to care; he was getting ready to have his baby after all. He moaned deeply.

“What do I...how? I don’t know what to do,” he knew he was acting kind of like a wimp, but right then all he wanted was to feel like he was doing SOMETHING.

“Practice pushes,” Sasha said. “You can do this however feels right, and we can change positions at any time. This is whatever you need, honey.”

“Not on my back,” he immediately blurted out.

“Flat on your back is the worst,” Sasha agreed. “So let’s try on your side. But we’re not limited here. Roman and Dean are gonna help you. Everything’s gonna be just fine. I want you to breathe deeply and when you’re feeling it just push. There’s not really a wrong way.”

Seth did, and it was the most ridiculously wonderful, awful thing in the world. It HURT but at the same time it made him feel like he had at least the illusion of control for the first time more or less since he ever got pregnant in the first place. So he buried his face into Dean, braced himself against Roman, and let himself just do it.

“Good,” Sasha encouraged. “So good. You’re gonna have this baby in your arms in no time, Seth. If you’re still feeling it try again.”

He pushed twice more before stopping to rest, and when he did, he looked up to find that there were new people in the room, and one of them was the most peculiar little man he’d ever seen. In fact Seth wondered if he wasn’t hallucinating at first. The guy had two-toned hair, which he could hardly discriminate against, except his was blond on top and dark on bottom. The blond part was held in place on top of his head by a purple clip, and the brown pinned up against his head with a green one. His nose was pierced and his scrubs were leopard, and both of his hands and arms were tattooed.

“Hey, Seth,” the man said. “My name is Enzo Amore, and I am your night nurse. How you doin’?”

“I...I...oh shit,” he muttered as a new contraction took over.

“Try and push again,” Bayley coached. “Just like before.”

With a muffled yell, Seth pushed down again and again, it felt liberating, though it hurt like a sonofabitch. When it was over, Sasha snapped on gloves to check him again.

“Perfect 10!”

“Fuck yes!” Dean exclaimed. “You hear that, baby? It’s time! Nugget’s almost here.”

The other new person in the room turned out to be the second night nurse, a pretty blonde woman who identified herself as Carmella.

“But,” Seth whimpered to Sasha, panicking slightly at all of the newness and strangers right when he was getting ready to do the real work. “But you...I don’t want you to leave.”

“Seth, baby, it’s time for them to go home,” Roman began, but Sasha jumped in.

“Oh, screw that,” she exclaimed. “Seth, Enzo and Mella are awesome and they’re going to take really good care of you, but we don’t quit at the end. Bay and I won’t go anywhere until that baby is in your arms, okay?”

He couldn’t help but cry.

Suddenly he was surrounded by people but the room was still strangely quiet, as everyone seemed content to hang back and let him do what he needed to do. Becky arrived and assessed him and she was also in agreement that the baby was nearly ready to be born. When he got tired of laying, Enzo stepped in.

“You want back in the tub?” Seth shook his head, panting hard. As nice as the water sounded, the idea of getting up and climbing in was far too daunting this late in the game.

“Okay, so I’m gonna show you what was good for me,” Enzo explained, and Seth looked up at him.

“You’ve done this?”

“Yup. ‘Bout 8 months ago, me n’ Cass had a baby boy. You met Cass, right? Tall guy? Runs this place? Our kid was enormous and lookit me, right? So the best way for me to push was up on my knees but then I leaned forward into his chest. They said gravity helped me get him out.”

Seth smiled weakly.

“Okay. I’ll try…”

“Here we go,” Enzo’s hands were softer than Seth expected. “Up you get, and then I’m gonna help you turn around, and---”

A contraction cut him off.

“Fuckkkkkkkkk,” Seth wailed. He was on his knees wavering on the bed when Roman caught him and pulled him close.

“I’ve got you,” he murmured quietly, so that only Seth could hear. “I’ve got you. You can push if you want, babe, it’s okay. I’ve got you.”

He tried and could tell a difference right away. When it receded, they completed the transfer, until Roman was sitting with his legs stretched out and Seth was on his knees between them, arms draped around Roman’s neck and head resting on his shoulder. Enzo rested a hand on his back.

“Okay, now, Dean, come over here behind them and you’re gonna hold Seth’s hands and let him squeeze...yeah. That’s good. Seth, Becky’s coming back in but what I want you to go ahead and do is, on the next pain, we’re gonna start strong pushes. That means you’re gonna breathe in and then just push down as hard as you can for as long as you can until you need to breathe again and then you repeat it until the contraction goes down. Okay?”

Seth nodded and shifted his weight a little, and when he bore down he could feel it; the baby was moving.

“Yessssss,” he heard Enzo behind him and then he heard Becky.

“Great job, Seth,” his midwife coached. “Keep going.”

He did. He pushed and pushed and pushed some more, and it was exhausting and he was beginning to feel frustrated. Roman and Dean were wonderful, but Seth had no concept of time by this point, so he had no idea how long he’d been pushing or how close he really was. He just knew that he was tired. So tired, and he didn’t want to give up but he also didn’t know how much he had left. When he voiced this, he felt Roman squeeze him tighter and heard his voice in his ear.

“I don’t know how much longer I can do this,” he sobbed.

“I know,” Roman’s voice was soft and soothing, and then Seth heard Dean.

“Seth...I can see the top of the baby’s head,” Dean breathed.

“You...you can?” Seth sniffled. “Really?”

“Really,” Dean whispered. “You’re really doing it, baby, and there can’t possibly be much longer. Seth, you’re so strong, I know you’re so tired but baby...please, baby.”

“Just a little more,” Roman agreed. “We’ve got you baby. We’ve got you.”

Seth steeled his resolve, buried his face into Roman’s neck, and pushed with all his might, and this time, he felt a horrible burning sensation deep inside his birth canal, like he was on fire and burning from the inside out. He could feel something tear and it hurt so bad but he couldn’t stop now. He screamed into Roman, bearing down again and then he heard Becky.

“Seth, the baby’s head is out. Give me your hand.”

Dean helped him reach around behind himself and he felt something very foreign there.

“Oh God...oh God,” he whimpered. He looked up and was surprised to find Roman crying openly, and even Dean had tears welled up in his eyes.

“Okay, Seth. Small pushes now, okay? You’ve done the hardest part,” Becky said. “Mella, get Daddy Dean a pair of gloves. C’mere, Dean. You want to help deliver your baby?”

“I...I can...do that?” Dean sounded flabbergasted. “Guys? You...that okay?”

Seth nodded and he felt Roman nod as well and then everything just started moving really fast. He could hear Becky instructing Dean to rest his hand under the baby’s head and help guide the baby out as Seth pushed and little by little he could feel the baby sliding forth until...a shrill squeal pierced the air. Seth froze.

Their baby was here. Their...baby.

With his back to Dean, he couldn’t see him gently lift the babe up, turn it around to show Roman, but he could hear Roman’s weepy whisper in his ear.

“We got a girl, babe.”

Roman and Enzo helped Seth turn around and Dean immediately leaned forward to rest their daughter onto Seth’s chest and it was like time stood still. He was aware of Dean and Roman crying and Roman’s arms wrapping around him to cradle both him and their little girl close, Dean’s head resting on Roman’s shoulder to take the baby in. And Seth just couldn’t believe what he held there in his arms.

The baby was tiny, covered in gunk, wrinkled and red, and the most beautiful thing in the world. She had thick dark hair and eyes the color of the night sky and Seth wondered if they would stay that deep blue or if eventually they’d change to brown. A tiny button nose, pink lips, 10 fingers and 10 perfect little toes. She stopped squalling the second Dean laid her on Seth, and Becky had wrapped a towel around them.

“Skin to skin is so important,” she explained. “The baby feels your heart and learns your smell and is warm and cozy---all things she felt in the womb. If she gets this contact regularly, she learns very quickly that this means safe. Once Seth’s had some good solid time, and delivered the placenta, and the baby has tried to latch, we’ll let Roman and Dean have their turn too. Seth, you did wonderful. You’ve got a third degree tear that’s going to require stitches and your blood pressure is just a little low, but you’re overall doing very well.”

“But she...she’s okay?” Crazy to him that Becky could possibly be worried about him when here was his little girl.

“She’s perfect,” was Becky’s soft answer.

And finally, secure in that knowledge, he could turn his full attention to his daughter.

“Hi, baby girl,” he cooed. “Hello, princess. You’re gonna be the princess of the house, I promise that. I love you. I love you so much. The world is a scary place, little girl, but we’re gonna be all together and it’s all gonna be just fine.

Dean and Roman pressed kisses to Seth’s cheeks.

“You did it, baby,” Dean murmured, looking in awe at the baby in Seth’s arms. “She was in there and now she’s out here and you...you’re my hero.”

“I’m so proud of you, Seth,” Roman whispered, still teary. “I’m proud of you and proud of her.”

“But I never could’ve without you guys,” Seth confessed. “I’m just...guys…”

Tears began to fall down Seth’s cheeks again.

“She’s wonderful…”

They sat in silence for awhile, and although Enzo never left the room so he could keep an eye on Seth’s progress in delivering the placenta, he did keep his distance so the new fathers could examine their creation. Becky came back in and suggested they move Seth and baby girl to the recliner to rest so they could change the bed sheets and allow him to finish the birthing process. Eventually the umbilical cord stopped pulsing and the placenta worked its way out, and then Roman cut the cord. Baby girl had shimmied her way across Seth’s chest and was trying to mouth at his nipple, and Carmella showed him how to softly stroke her cheek to encourage her to open her mouth. It took her no time at all to latch on, and although Seth knew that this was only the beginning of nursing her, he still felt relieved that she’d already figured it out.

Placenta gone, Dean happily shed his shirt so that he could have a turn holding the baby directly against his skin and he was talking to her quietly when Roman helped Seth into the shower. Roman treated him so tenderly; the adrenaline was wearing off and Seth was beginning to understand exactly how much the past 24 hours had put his body through, but when he tried to fight back tears, Roman shed his clothes and climbed in with him and held him up while soaping him and washing his hair. Exhaustion hit Seth like a ton of bricks, and once he was dry and in comfy loose shorts, he was more than happy to stumble to the bed, though he found he couldn’t keep his eyes off of his lovers and his daughter.

Dean was telling the baby the story of the three little pigs, complete with sound effects, when he paused and looked up at Roman and Seth, who were gazing at them in adoration.

“So...what ARE we gonna name this kid?”

Chapter Text

The night their little girl was born, the three men slept at the birth center. Because Seth’s blood pressure was slightly on the low side, Becky wanted to monitor him just to be safe, but that was fine with them because they were all exhausted.

As Dean held their little one against his bare chest, he looked to Roman who was laying on the bed behind Seth, gently spooning him, and Roman smiled and kissed Seth’s neck.

“As far as I’m concerned, after all that? Seth can name her anything he wants.”

“Works for me,” Dean drawled and he slid his chair closer to the bed so that Seth could look at the baby.

“I…” he murmured, gazing at their beautiful daughter. “I think I want…”

He thought for a moment, going over in his mind all of the names he knew he liked and mentally comparing him to the baby in Dean’s arms. It had to be just the right name for his amazing little angel. And then it came to him.

“Claire Elisabeth,” he said quietly.

Roman and Dean exchanged glances and then grinned.

“I like it,” Dean said gruffly, eyes looking just slightly misty.

“Claire Elisabeth,” Roman agreed. “The perfect name for the perfect little princess.”

Mella, who had come in to check on them, smiled and picked up a dry erase marker.

‘Happy Birthday, Claire Elisabeth’ is what she wrote.

“Dean, let’s weigh her and measure her and get her in a diaper before she figures out how her bladder works.”

Seth laughed, then winced.

“Sore?” Mella asked?

He nodded.

“Okay. Lemme grab Enzo to help you get situated and I’ll help Dean with Claire.”

“Hey, no, let Rome have a turn,” Dean said with a smile. “I’ve got Seth. Here, brother.”

Dean gently passed Claire into Roman’s waiting arms, and when he did they all laughed; he completely dwarfed her and she nearly disappeared into the crook of his bicep.

“Hey, baby girl,” he purred. Seth tried to watch Mella and Roman give Claire her bath and get her stats, but it was hard. He was so exhausted and his abs ached horribly, and never mind the burning pain in his backside. He knew he needed to go to sleep, but he just couldn’t fathom not being present for all of his baby girl Claire’s first moments.

Enzo handed something to Dean.

“Here, help him get his shorts down a little and we’re gonna put this right here where she came out,” he explained.

A cold sensation hit him and it was amazing.

“What is that?”

“A pad soaked in aloe and then frozen. I kept one on me the entire first 24 hours ‘cuz Nico tore me stem to stern on his way out.

“Stem to...stern?” Seth wondered.

“Yeah...4th degree tear. Could almost see my tailbone. But uh...didn’t figure you’d want to hear about that before,” Enzo confessed.

“Yeah...glad you didn’t tell me,” Seth murmured.

“They really help though,” said Enzo. “This with a little heat on your lower back, some Tylenol and a good night’s sleep. You’ll be doing a whole lot better in the morning. And right now, just remember. It’s okay to hurt. Think about what you just did.”

“What are some things,” Dean mused, “that Roman and I can do for Seth when we do go home?”

“Whatever he wants you to,” Enzo immediately replied. “But in all seriousness, he’s gotta get plenty of rest but also needs to move around a bit. Just easy movements at first. Becky’s not gonna want him doing anything major for a good 6 weeks ‘til everything heals but it’s not gonna hurt to put the princess in the stroller and take short walks, maybe do some very, very light stretching. Probably want to eat a lot of high-fiber foods at first. A lot of parents who deliver feel really cold for the first several days to a week after delivery ‘cuz of all the blood you lose during and after. I’ll be honest, the first week ain’t easy because your hormones are outta whack and you and your baby are still getting to know each other and your milk is trying to drop and your body’s starting to heal. I know I cried a lot that first week. But Cass was awesome and after a week we got into a groove and now we got a routine and a baby that’s happy as a pig in shit 95% of the time.”

About then, Roman brought Claire, freshly bathed and diapered, back to the bed and laid her on Seth, then helped him wrap his arms around her.

“7 pounds, 9 ounces, baby boy. 19 inches, all fingers and toes in place. Mella says her heart sounds perfect. She’s just...she’s perfect. And it’s all because of you, Seth.”

He slept fitfully that night, every sound rousing him, sure that Claire needed him. Roman and Dean took turns napping with Seth and snuggling the baby, though, and Seth felt a certain measure of security knowing that they were handling things. Every so often he could feel one of them lay the newborn on his chest to nurse, but it was a blur of exhaustion and still a little bit of pain.

In the morning he didn’t feel a LOT better, but it was a start.

He was confused when he woke up; Dean was gone and Roman had pulled the rocker right up next to the bed so he could hold Claire in one arm and hold Seth’s hand with the other.

“Fuck,” Seth moaned. “Fuck, it hurts.”

“What hurts, baby?” Roman, instantly attentive, leaned in close.

“My ass, my ass hurts. Roman…”

“Shhhh...s’okay. Hang on, baby.”

Roman gently placed Claire in the tiny bassinet that Enzo had brought in the night before. She immediately began to wail and Roman stood between his sobbing lover and his sobbing daughter, clearly unsure of who to tend to first, tears forming in his eyes as well.

“Need a hand?” A now familiar voice came from the doorway and then Bayley popped her head in.

“You’re here,” Seth whimpered, relieved to see a familiar, trusted face. He was definitely NOT down with strangers caring for him right then.

“Yup. I’m here. Sasha’s here too, checking in a patient. What’s the matter, love? Having a bad time?”

“He’s hurting,” Roman said desperately. “He’s hurting and she’s crying and Dean’s getting us breakfast and I don’t know what to do first…”

“It isn’t going to hurt her to cry a little but I know what you mean,” Bayley said with a smile. “It’s okay, guys, I promise, this first bit is hard but you’ll be okay. Here. Roman, pick up that baby. You want a shower, Seth?”

Seth nodded, sniffling.

“I’m freezing,” he whimpered. “Enzo said that would happen but I’m just freezing…”

“And then we go and put a frozen pad on your butt,” Bayley was so patient, never patronizing, and as she helped Seth to the shower, Seth found he didn’t even care that a woman was helping him bathe.

He was just so cold, shaking like a leaf. Bayley took his temperature, which was normal, but he could hardly believe that. At first he didn’t even want to hold Claire, for fear of freezing her.

“It’ll be okay,” Bayley soothed. “We’ll wrap a blanket around you two and it’ll be fine. She’s probably kinda hungry though…”

As uncomfortable as he was feeling, weak and tired, he delighted in watching his daughter grab ahold of him and suck. He knew he still didn’t have enough milk yet which meant he would have to nurse her a whole lot more often, Claire gazed up at him while she was eating and it was the perfect opportunity to look into her eyes.

“I love you,” he murmured quietly as she nursed. “You’re the very best thing that every happened to us.”

True to her word, Bayley wrapped blankets around Seth and Claire, who nuzzled against him and was fast asleep in no time, and that was a feeling Seth knew he would cherish forever. Soon Dean returned with their breakfast, though Seth was surprised to find he wasn’t very hungry for the pancakes and bacon presented to him and instead just drank juice.

Dean and Roman exchanged worried glances.

With Claire sleeping soundly, Roman put her in her bassinet and this time she was content. So he and Dean crawled into bed with Seth, cradling him between them. He snuggled in, desperate for their warmth.

“Doing okay?” Dean murmured, planting soft kisses on Seth’s neck.

“I feel like a frozen fish stick,” he whispered. “But I don’t hurt so much right now. Guys...can you believe it? That she’s here?”

Dean giggled.

“I know. Roman’s already pricing pink paint for the nursery.”

“So proud of you, Seth,” Roman chimed in. “I already feel like I never want to let her out of my sight. Like she’s only 13 hours old, but I’m already thinking about like...taking her to Disney World. And reading bedtime stories, and building her a swing set in the back yard.”

“Hard not to,” Dean murmured, glancing over at the sleeping newborn. “I want her to have everything. Except boyfriends; no boyfriends. Not til we’re dead.”

“Agreed,” both Roman and Seth growled at the same time.

“Okay, babe,” Roman turned to Seth and drew him in close. “Baby’s out. Time for this daddy to have some skin-to-skin time of his own.”

Seth smiled and let Roman pull him into his arms. He couldn’t think of any place in the world he’d rather be just then, safe and warm in his lover’s embrace, his baby girl nearby with Dean watching over her. Finally, he was able to sleep.

He woke to news he didn’t want to hear---Becky wanted him to stay one more night.

“Your blood pressure is still just a little low, Seth, which is part of why you’re so cold. I don’t think it’s anything serious. Happens sometimes. But just to be on the safe side, I want to watch you tonight yet. Let you rest and keep on healing. Everything else looks really good.”

He sighed but didn’t argue; she knew what was best and he was so comfortable with everyone at the center that he didn’t truly mind staying a little longer. He was feeling a bit better, though he still didn’t feel GOOD. Still cold and he didn’t have an appetite at all, though fluids still went down okay. Seth snuggled with Claire and decided not to worry about it.

Everyone who came by admired her, including the pediatrician, a large, lengthy-bearded man named Dr. Wyatt. Baby Claire was fussy when he stopped in, and Seth was loathe to let him touch his child, but rather than try to take the baby to examine, he asked Roman to hold her while he listened to her heart and lungs and looked into her eyes.

“She looks great,” his voice was soft and smooth and slow, which clearly made Claire settle. “Nice and perky, eyes are bright. You’re doing a good job, Daddy. Keep up the great work.”

Later that afternoon Sasha stopped in holding a large cup with a straw sticking out.

“Think you can have a go at this?” Seth peered into it. It looked...chocolatey.

“What is it?”

“It’s a lactation smoothie. You’re gonna want to consume a lot of dairy right now to get your milk going and boost your supply. This one’s made with almond milk, chocolate, peanut butter, and bananas, but you can make them any way you like a smoothie and just substitute the juice with milk or soy or almond milk. Have a taste.”

Seth did, and it was yummy, and before long he’d downed the whole thing. Once he had something of more substance than clear liquids in his stomach, he found his appetite began to come back.

“P.F. Chang’s,” he demanded when Roman asked him later on what he’d like for dinner. “Lettuce wraps, fried rice, and honey chicken.”

Roman kissed him.

“Anything, baby. Anything you want. Gonna spoil the hell out of both of you for awhile. Beautiful you and beautiful Claire.”

While Roman went out to get food, Bayley sat in the rocker and held Claire so that Dean could help Seth with the shower. Everything still ached but he figured that it probably would for awhile, like Enzo had said, so he tried to just relax. And nothing soothed his sore body better than warm water. By the time he got out and Dean got him dried off, Roman had returned with dinner and Seth found himself ravenous.

This was definitely better. They ate and took turns passing Claire around, and Seth nursed her several times. His milk still hadn’t dropped, so she wasn’t getting much at a time, which meant she wanted to eat pretty much round the clock. His nipples were getting raw.

Seth slept much better that night than he had the first, barely waking to even feed Claire, grateful that Dean and Roman were willing to take turns bringing her to him and laying her on his chest. She always instinctively found where she needed to be without much guidance from him. Painful nipples or not, he wondered if it could possibly remain this easy.

The next day they went home.

It felt fantastic to rest in his own bed again, back where things looked and smelled familiar. Roman and Dean waited on him hand and foot, made him smoothies and snacks, and that night fixed a big pan of meatballs and mashed potatoes that a friend had dropped by. Roman assured Seth that they had a pretty full freezer, actually.

“We have great friends,” he said as they ate. “There’s some really good looking stuff in there now, and gifts for Claire are showing up left and right too. And I’ve got lots of messages asking about her. I know lots of people want to see her…”

“Not in person,” Seth murmured. “Not yet.”

They’d all agreed, late in his pregnancy, that they wanted to hold off on visitors at first. It wasn’t that they were terribly worried about germs or Claire getting sick, though that was always going to be a concern. In truth, what they all really wanted was some unsolicited bonding time with their baby.

Seth’s milk came in during the night, and he had no idea how he’d ever wondered how he’d know what was happening.

He woke up sweating, somehow both cold and burning hot, and it took him a moment to realize that his chest was sore and heavy and burning up. Dean, asleep next to him, woke up before Seth could even voice his discomfort.

“Whazzit so hot for? You turn on the heat, babe...ohhhhhhh.”

Apparently the difference was clear.

“Where’s Claire?” Seth panted, desperate for some relief.

“Relax, baby, she’s right here,” Roman’s voice came from the direction of the rocker. “I’ve got her, don’t worry.”

“See...need her to eat,” he groaned, and Roman laid Claire on Seth’s chest. She immediately began to root around with interest, and Roman and Dean both laughed at Seth’s long moan of relief when she latched on and began to suck. Her eyes went wide at this new taste and texture, and she ate with vigor. Once she was done, satiated for the first time in her short life, she fell fast asleep and stayed that way for three solid hours.

Enzo had been right when he said the first week would be tough; the three men had so much to learn, but they were together and Claire seemed to thrive. Still, Seth thought he’d never cried so many tears in his life as he did at first. There was a constant fear that they wouldn’t be able to make Claire happy, and it took him awhile to realize that among the three of them, someone could always help her. Dean became an expert at distracting her with stories and funny noises when she got changed or bathed. She didn’t like to be naked and cold, but he’d start talking to her in a silly voice or whistle or the like, and usually she’d stop so she could stare at her goofy daddy. When she was angsty for no clear reason at all, something in Roman’s low, soft voice soothed her, especially if he held her so that she could snuggle into his neck. And when she got sleepy, only Seth would do, as he cradled her close to him and rubbed her temple with his index finger, so that she would relax into him, surrounded by comfort, warmth, and the smell of his milk.

And damn, did that kid love her some milk.

Most of the time, after draining Seth out, Claire would pass out into what Dean lovingly began to call the Boobie Baby Coma. She’d go slack, and they would hold her and lift her arms and laugh when they fell back to her body, eyes just slits, mouth slightly agape.

They were all in love. And Claire was thriving.

At two weeks they visited Dr. Wyatt for her first well-baby appointment. He was delighted at her progress. She’d gained nearly 2 pounds since birth, was wide-eyed and alert, and relatively compliant. She didn’t even cry when Dean cradled her so that the nurse could prick her finger to get a blood sample (meanwhile Seth sobbed so hard in Roman’s arms that he practically hyperventilated).

Around the time Claire turned a month old, Roman, Dean, and Seth ordered several pizzas, packed up some drinks and desserts, and headed out to the birth center to visit with and thank all of the people who had done so much to help bring their daughter into the world safely. There were hugs all around and everyone squealed over Claire, who seemed to love all the attention.

“Do you guys ever put her down?” Bayley laughed as she bounced the baby on her shoulder. “She’s so precious, I don’t know how you could.”

The three men glanced at each other guiltily.

“Can’t spoil a baby, don’t worry about it,” Enzo chimed in. “Most important thing for her right now is to know that when she needs you, you’ve got her. It’s how they learn to trust. Soon enough she’s gonna be so consumed with the world around her that she won’t wanna be held and cuddled all the time so enjoy it now, even if it’s exhausting.”

“We’ve seen lots of babies come through here,” Sasha agreed, peering over Bayley’s shoulder at Claire and making fish lips at her. “This one’s gorgeous AND healthy. You guys are so good.”

“I just love her name,” Mella offered her two cents as well. “So classy and feminine but also strong. Just how she’ll grow up, I bet.”

Their words of praise made Seth beam.

Later that night he sat in his pajamas in the rocking chair in their bedroom and gazed around him.

Roman had fallen asleep on the bed, hair down and splayed out everywhere, and Dean was curled up in a ball with his head on Roman’s stomach, snoring slightly. Claire was out cold in Seth’s arms, and as he looked around at his family, all he could do was grin.

“Tell you what, Claire Elisabeth,” he murmured softly, wanting to talk to her but not keen to wake her up. “It won’t always be easy. And I can’t promise you that we’re never going to hurt your or make you mad. But I CAN promise that we’re always gonna love you, no matter what. We’re always gonna be here for you and each other. Through the good times and the bad. We were good as three. We were great, actually, but now we have four and we’re better than great. We’re exceptional.

“Having three dads will be tough, I know. But we’re going to do everything we can to make it easier. From the very beginning you were wanted and loved. As scared as I was when I first found out about you, and I’m not gonna lie, baby girl, it’s still scary, but I never ever regretted you. Never wished you weren’t coming. And now you’re here, all perfect and beautiful and strong. I never knew I could love like this, baby girl. Never knew my heart could feel so full.

“Sweet girl, it’s a long road ahead but we’ll make it. Us four, we’re gonna take on the world together. It may not be a perfect life, Claire Elisabeth. But it’s all ours.”