Hi all! I honestly don't know where this came from. I was craving some domestic Bechloe pregnancy/first child fluff, so I started writing a few drabbles and it kinda (understatement) got out of hands. Sequel is almost done and will be up soon. I really need a life.
Enjoy!
Funny how life turns out, Beca thinks as she drives home from work that day. The sun is just setting as she drives over the bridge outside Monterrey; she briefly takes in the view, wondering when and how the life she's currently leading became hers; successful producer, multiple Grammy winner, and most importantly, wife of Chloe Beale (well, Mitchell, now). She still has to pinch herself once in a while to make sure she's isn't living in one of her made-up fantasies.
"Baby, I'm home!" Beca calls out as she does every night, discards her shoes by the door and drops her keys into the bowl before padding to the main room. There's no sign of Chloe anywhere. "Chlo?"
"In the bathroom!" She hears her wife's voice drift down the hall and spins on her heels to take that direction.
"What's going on?" she asks curiously, taking in the scene before her. Chloe is sat on the tile floor, knees tucked to her chest, her phone laid next to her. She notices a stick on the counter and her breath itches in her throat. "Are you-"
"I don't know," Chloe cuts her off, shaking her head as she looks down at her phone. "Two minutes."
"Oh," Beca's eyes widen and she moves out of her daze to slide down next to Chloe. Beca grasps her hand and kisses the back of it.
"I felt sick this morning and yesterday's but I don't want to get my hopes up."
Beca nods understandingly, "I know."
They have been trying to get pregnant for the last six months, but Chloe's tests have all come out negative. The treatment takes a toll on Chloe and they have decided it would be their last try for a while.
The beeping phone breaks their bubble; Chloe gasps and twists her head to look at Beca, bottom lip trapped behind her teeth.
"Should we look?" Chloe asks, eyes flitting up to the counter where a life-changing event might be lying.
Beca laughs, "Unless you want to see if you gradually get bigger over the next few months, yeah, I think we should take a look."
"I'm scared."
Beca nuzzles her temple before pressing a quick kiss to it. She's scared, too. "We'll look together, okay?"
Beca's stomach muscles strain as she reaches up to grab the stick in her trembling hand. The atmosphere in the room is thick; Beca looks at Chloe one last time before flipping the stick over. Two pink lines are clearly defined in the white circle and Beca doesn't know if her breath is knocked out of her by the force of Chloe's embrace or by the fact that she's just found out she's going to become a mother.
The squeal escaping Chloe's mouth brings her back down to earth and she manages a watery laugh, tears rapidly filling her eyes.
"Beca," Chloe whispers as a few tears topple down her own cheeks. Beca reaches up to cup Chloe's jaw, thumb stroking over her smooth skin. "We're having a baby."
And that's enough to make Beca choke on a sob, and she presses her lips to Chloe in a full, languid kiss that lasts longer then intended. She doesn't know how long they remain there, sitting on the cold and uncomfortable tile of their bathroom floor. But it doesn't really matter, they are too wrapped up in their own little bubble of happiness to care.
"Happy birthday," Chloe says when they eventually part, bright blue eyes twinkling in happiness. Frankly, it slipped Beca's mind that birthday is today. She's never been big on celebrating hers, but she knows she'll remember this one her entire life.
/
"Beca?" she hears at some point during the night when talking should not be allowed. She grumbles something incoherent, and remains on her side. A finger taps her shoulder repeatedly, "Are you awake?"
"Mmm," she hums, before heaving out a sigh through her nose. Her eyes blink open to find the alarm clock glaring its ugly numbers at her. 5 am. She has to be in the studio in two hours and a half and could really use another hour of sleep.
"I can't sleep," Chloe's hissed murmur makes her groan and roll onto her back.
"Difficult to sleep when you talk," she hisses back, managing to find Chloe's glinting eyes in the partly dark room. A finger jabbing her in the ribs makes her yelp. "Chloe!"
"You're mean," Beca can't see it but she can tell Chloe is pouting. "You're not allowed to be mean when I'm carrying your baby."
Oh boy. Beca has the feeling the nine months to come will be filled with a lot of emotional blackmail. It won't change much though, for she's already whipped when it comes to her wife. Beca reaches over and switches on the bedside table lamp.
"Sorry," she whispers, turning onto her side to face Chloe and nestling her head on her propped-up hand while letting the other one drift down until it's resting on Chloe's stomach out of habit. She realizes there's now a tiny human being growing in there, and smiles fondly as her thumb strokes back and forth just below Chloe's navel. She fights a yawn, blinking the sleepiness away. "What are you thinking about?"
"We're having a baby," Chloe whispers loudly, and Beca can hear the smile in her tone. Eventually she caves in and smiles, too. "There are a lot of things to be thinking about."
Beca chuckles, "I know," a yawn escapes her mouth this time, "But does it have to be at five am on a week day?"
"Sorry, I just…" Chloe pauses, covering Beca's hand with hers. "My mind is kinda reeling. I think we should keep it to ourselves for a little bit. Maybe until the three-month-mark?"
"Sure, whatever you're comfortable with."
"I might tell my parents in a couple weeks, though," Chloe admits a few seconds later, and twists her head to look at Beca. "What about your dad?"
Beca finds herself now wide awake. "Oh god, I need to build up to that one," she groans, dropping her forehead to Chloe's shoulder. "I think I might want to wait until he is in college before I tell my dad."
"He?"
"Or she. But I have a feeling it's a boy."
Chloe giggles, nuzzling her hair. "Do you now?"
"Yeah. I mean, a girl is fine, too. I'll be happy with whichever as long as the baby is healthy."
There's a squeeze to her hand; Chloe's way to agree with her without having to voice it.
"I think it's a girl."
"Wanna bet on it?"
There's a loud gasp that echoes in the room. "Beca!" A slap is delivered to her forearm and Beca laughs, biting Chloe's neck lightly. "We will not make money off our child!"
"Stop being so dramatic, Beale. It's not like I said I wanted to enter him or her in a beauty pageant to win some dough. I'm talking about twenty bucks that our child won't even have to know about. You very well know that once the Bellas are aware we're expecting, they'll have all sorts of bets going on. Sex, weight, delivery date, hair color…"
"Oh god, you're right." Beca feels Chloe's fingers tap on her own, and knows she's considering it, "Alright, twenty bucks. I can't believe we're doing this."
"By the way," Chloe says after a moment of silence during which Beca had started to fall back asleep, "You called me Beale. It's Mitchell, now."
"Slip of the tongue," Beca explains. "I might still not believe I managed to land such a hot chick."
"Smooth." Chloe murmurs, angling her head down to kiss Beca quickly as she rolls on her side. "I can't sleep," She repeats, "Tell me about your day."
"Oh, so, now because you can't sleep means I'm not allowed to, either?" Beca teases, running her hand up and down Chloe's side.
Chloe clicks her tongue, "Exactly."
"Didn't know my wife was so high-maintenance."
Chloe gasps, and grabs on Beca's shoulders to push her onto her back, swiftly rolling on top of her a second later, straddling her hips. She flips her hair over one shoulder and Beca gets awe-struck by how attractive her wife is, "Take that back."
A wicked glint flashes in Beca's eye as she lets Chloe pin her hands over her head. A groan escapes her mouth, "Damn, didn't know you were into BDSM, babe. Three years of marriage and you still manage to surprise me."
Chloe rolls her eyes and leans down to kiss her, "You're incorrigible."
Beca's hands grip Chloe's hips in a loose hold once they are realeased, and she wiggles her eyebrows, "Then perhaps you should punish me, Mrs. Mitchell."
She loves using that name, and from the way her wife's eyes darken, Chloe likes it, too.
"You know," Beca resumes, "I have a really nice method to relieve some stress."
"You're such a horn-dog," Chloe replies, shaking her head down at Beca, mouth slightly agape.
"I'm not talking about sex," Beca says, feigning offence. "Jeez, Chlo, get your mind out of the gutter."
Chloe chuckles, "Says the woman who was propositioning me to bondage five seconds ago."
"So that's a definite no-no, then?" Beca asks with a cocked eyebrow, because, well, who knows when that window will open again.
To her utter disappointment, Chloe doesn't provide an answer to her question. "What's your method then?"
"Take your top off and lie on your stomach," she requests, tapping Chloe's thighs lightly to get her to move off her. Chloe is the one to quirk an eyebrow at that, but does as she is told. She lifts her shirt over her head without moving from her spot, and smirks mischievously at the way Beca's eyes swiftly drop to her chest. Beca lets out a strangled noise as Chloe rolls off her to lie on her stomach. "Tease."
"Well, I did follow your requests per their order."
Beca groans and gets out of bed to walk to the bathroom to grab their set of massaging oils. She sits down next to Chloe, opting for the safer position over straddling her backside. She doesn't want to put any pressure on her stomach even if their kid is probably no bigger than a peanut as of now.
Beca rubs her hands together and presses the palm of her hand at the base of Chloe's spine, dragging it all the way to her neck. Small noises escape Chloe's mouth, only increasing in volume when Beca starts to knead her shoulders.
"Damn, and I thought you were loud during sex," Beca muses, making Chloe reach blindly behind her to slap her butt. A few minutes later, Chloe's breathing evens out, and Beca leans over to press a kiss to the back of her neck, before drifting off to sleep as well.
/
Beca comes home the next day, arms straining from carrying the four grocery bags up from the car. She lifts them with a grunt to set them down on the kitchen island.
"Are there more in the car?" Chloe asks from her spot on the couch.
"Yeah," she says breathlessly, and watches Chloe set her book down and get up, moving towards the front door. "What are you doing?"
Chloe pauses mid-stride, spinning back around to face her wife with a questioning look, "Getting the bags?"
Beca frowns and shakes her head as she walks towards Chloe, "You shouldn't lift anything too heavy."
Chloe rolls her eyes and crosses her arms over her chest. "Unless you bought several sets of dumbbells, I'll be fine," she says with a determined look. "I'm pregnant, not injured."
Beca grumbles something along the lines of Chloe being stubborn and follows the ginger out to the vehicle, making sure to give her the lightest bags.
"What's this?" Chloe asks once they got everything out of the car and into the house. She's peaking inside the Barns & Nobles bag.
"Oh, I picked a couple books on my way home."
Chloe raises an eyebrow and fishes into the bag, pulling the books out one by one. Her eyes grow gradually wide as the pile on the kitchen table gets higher and higher. Beca only wanted to get the infamous What To Expect When Expecting book, but when she found herself in the pregnancy and childhood section, she was assaulted by how many types of books on pregnancy alone there were. In the end, she spent nearly an hour in the section, figuring it could be wise to get some books on childhood as well.
"A couple?" Chloe asks as she eyes the pile skeptically. Beca flushes scarlet when Chloe picks up the book titled Sex During Pregnancy, Everything You Need to Know. She was already mortified setting that book in front of the cashier earlier and isn't sure she can take any more teasing.
"What?" Beca squeaks, the tips of her ears suddenly catching fire. "I don't want to hurt the baby when we… you know."
She feels like a teenager. And Chloe's mocking gaze isn't helping her one bit.
"Oh my gosh, you're adorable."
"Chlo," she whines, stomping her foot.
"I love that you got stuff to document yourself on the pregnancy and early age-" she stops mid-sentence when she catches sight of another book. She holds the Guide to Understand Teenager Brains up to Beca, who can only shrug, "I just think you might have gone a little bit over the top?"
"What, it was on sale."
/
Beca looks down at the tray sitting on the kitchen table, checking that every item is on there; butter, jam, toast, fried eggs, two plates, two cups of coffee, one decaf and one regular. Satisfied with her work, she lifts the tray up and pads up the stairs to the master bedroom.
She pushes the door open with her foot and strides in, setting the tray on the bedside table before climbing into bed where Chloe is still sound asleep. Beca lies behind her and drapes an arm over her midsection. She leans in to pepper a series of featherlight kisses on Chloe's neck and collarbone, until Chloe's breathing lightens.
"Good morning," she whispers into the redhead's ear. "I brought breakfast."
Chloe looks over her shoulder, eyes still clouded with sleep. Beca loves how beautiful she looks in the mornings, especially now that she's graced with that pregnancy glow. "You did?"
Chloe rolls onto her back, but her happy smile is quickly wiped away by a frown and a second later, a gag. She pushes Beca off and scrambles out of bed, barely making it to the en-suite bathroom before she throws up in the toilet. Beca's eyes widen, before she trails after her.
"Aw, baby," She murmurs, sitting on the floor next to Chloe, hand settling between her shoulder blades.
"Go away," Chloe strangles out, before she gags yet again. "The eggs."
"Huh?"
"Smell." Is the only word Chloe manages to utter out before she's back to vomiting. Realization dawns in Beca's eyes.
"Oh, shit."
She pushes herself to her feet and moves quickly to open the window to their bedroom before she carries the tray back into the kitchen.
When Chloe makes it downstairs, there's a bit more color to her face than before and she manages a wary smile as she fetches herself a glass and fills it with tap water.
"Sorry," Beca says sheepishly.
Chloe shrugs, taking a sip of water. "You didn't know. I didn't know either. I love eggs."
"You're probably bound to hate things you usually like and vice versa."
Chloe laughs, nodding, "I just hope I'm not going to be one of those pregnant women who eat pickles with their ice-cream."
Now Beca wants to gag. Who would ever want to mix those two?
"If you are, just remind me not to kiss you right after that."
/
"Beca!" There's no doubt the hushed voice belongs to her wife, but Beca chooses to ignore it for the time being. The light being switched on takes away all hope for a lay-in. "It's Christmas."
"Sweet Jesus," Beca mumbles and covers her eyes with the back of her arm, shielding them from the glowing sun that is her wife. "It's also fucking six am, Beale."
"It's eight." Chloe says, tone too chipper for eight am on a holiday. It still amazes her that their relationship ethic works given the fact that Chloe is a morning person and Beca could stay in until midday if given the opportunity. When Beca doesn't reply, Chloe pounces on her, straddling her hips.
"Still too fucking early," Beca is still trying to adjust to the light, "Oh god, our kid is gonna be terrible at Christmas, isn't he? If he takes after you, which we both know he will."
"Probably. You'll have no one on your side, babe." She rolls her hips once, "C'mon, Bec, presents?"
Chloe sticks her bottom lip out, batting her eyelashes a few times. Beca risks a peak from between her fingers and rolls her eyes.
"Y'know, one day those puppy dog eyes of yours won't work anymore if you use them too often; their power starts to wear off."
Chloe is smirking above her, and Beca lets out a resigned sigh as she runs her hands over the smooth skin of Chloe's bare thighs. It's past mid-December and quite chilly, but Chloe has turned into a walking furnace ever since getting pregnant, so she forwent her pajamas bottoms weeks ago.
"Is that so?" Chloe asks challengingly, flipping her hair over one shoulder (she perfectly knows Beca can't resist that killer move) as she lowers herself again, hands on each side of Beca's head. Chloe's tone dropped down an octave, and it sends a spike of arousal down Beca's pine as her hips buck up on their own accord to meet Chloe's. "So what you're saying is that if one does or says something too often it won't have the same effect after some time?"
She grins wickedly when Beca's breathing itches, and Beca knows she's done for. Still, she persists, "Precisely. It's like if I told you I love you fifty times a day, the fiftieth time won't be as special as the first because you would grow tired of hearing it."
"Hm," Chloe hums, pointer finger tapping over her pursed lips. "Then I guess we should stop having sex every single day to, y'know, keep the passion alive."
She adds a smirk and a wiggle of the eyebrows at that, and Beca's mouth hangs open, unable to form words as she frowns.
Check, mate.
"I did not think this through. Can we forget about the whole conversation?"
Chloe winks at her, "Sure babe. If! We open presents right now."
"Fine. Get off, then." Beca says, jolting her hips.
"I thought we were opening presents first?" Chloe says with the most innocent eyes, dragging her finger over her own lips. She opens her mouth just wide enough to bite the tip, and Beca growls beneath her.
"And our friends believe I'm the wicked one."
Chloe laughs and bends down to give Beca a good morning kiss, which turns into a ten-minute lazy make-out session, until Chloe is too excited to wait any longer and demands that the gifts be opened.
/
Beca wonders if pregnancy hormones are ever going to kick in. So far, Chloe has been acting completely normal. She's just hit eight weeks, and apart from a few spells of morning sickness and that definite glow, nobody would ever suspect she's knocked up.
That is, until Beca's album release party held at their house. Everything is going amazing, until one of Beca's dancer gets a bit flirty and handsy with Beca.
"Baby, can I talk to you for a sec?" Chloe's voice is too sweet to be normal, which prompts Beca to cut her eyes up to Chloe, only to find her glaring at the dancer.
She sets her drink down and gulps, "Sure."
Chloe grasps her hand and leads her to the nearest empty room with a door. A strangled squeak leaves her throat when Chloe backs her up against said door once it has shut, and kisses her like there's no tomorrow. It's aggressive though, a battle of pushing and pulling, and Beca can't hold back a gasp when Chloe drags her teeth a bit too harshly over her bottom lip.
"Jesus," the brunette breathes out, eyes wide. Chloe's own eyes are a shade darker than usual, and Beca feels something snap in the pit of her stomach. "What's gotten into you?" Then she catches up with her brain. Who cares what's gotten into Chloe, this is fucking hot. "Not that I'm complaining."
"She was all over you," Chloe's voice is dripping with lust, and Beca can't keep her hips from meeting Chloe's. Chloe starts a trail of wet open-mouthed kisses down Beca's neck and chest, while her hands roam all over; gripping her hips, squeezing her ass, tugging her hair. "But you're mine."
Chloe's words make Beca's mind go blank, and when Chloe's fingers work on the button of her pants, hand slipping inside them a second later, it fills with stars.
Beca decides, after she's come undone twice, that she definitely digs jealous Chloe.
/
"Chloe, we're going to be late," Beca shouts, eyes flicking from her watch to the stairs. "Chlo?"
She's not prepared for what she finds when she walks into the master bedroom; Chloe is sat on the floor, clad in a bra and underwear, a heap of clothing surrounding her.
"What's up babe?" she asks cautiously, trying very hard not to give in to the smile tugging at her lips at Chloe's expression. She crouches down in front of her wife.
"None of my jeans fit," Chloe answers, sticking her bottom lip out in a pout, and Beca briefly thinks that if their child gets that trait, she won't ever be able to tell them no. Chloe then looks down at her chest and presses her breasts together, "My bras are too small, too."
Beca gets momentarily distracted by that; Chloe's boobs have almost doubled in size and well, she won't lie, it's awesome.
"I'm sorry," Beca says gently, tilting her head to the side. "How about we go shopping after the doctor's appointment?"
"You wouldn't mind?" Chloe asks, orbs twinkling as she looks at Beca. Beca hates shopping and malls with a passion, but well, she's kind of hopeless when it comes to refusing something Chloe wants. And if there's one kind of shopping she digs, it's gotta be lingerie.
"Of course not," She leans in and kisses Chloe quickly. "We can even go baby clothes shopping, too."
"Oh my gosh, we totally should!"
Beca's goal is achieved; her wife is smiling again. She's glad her afternoon has been cleared, for she has this feeling the expedition to the mall might last that long.
"If I get this fat I think I might kill myself," Chloe comments, both pointer fingers hooked in the waistband of a pair of hideous pregnancy pants, eyeing it suspiciously as she stretches it to its maximum width. "You're not going to find me attractive anymore in a few months' time."
"Psh," Beca rolls her eyes, arm looping around Chloe's waist to pull her flush against her, "Not possible. Especially not with these going on," She adds, adverting her eyes down to Chloe's cleavage. "By the way, when are we getting to the lingerie section? That's all I'm here for."
Chloe pushes her away and continues to rack through the jeans section while shaking her head with a playful expression, "You're helpless."
"Helplessly in love with my wife and her body?" Beca lifts up both hands, palms outwards, shrugging her shoulders, "I plead guilty."
"Oh my god," Chloe makes a noise low in her throat, before she inhales sharply. Beca watches the shift happen; how Chloe's eyes turn from playful to hooded in a second. "If you don't stop right now I might just drag you into a dressing room and make you shut up."
"Hell yeah. Sign me up."
She's being cocky about it, but next thing she knows, Chloe is grabbing whatever item is the closest and tugging her towards the back of the store.
Hot sex in a dressing-room? Check.
They stroll into the children section a good while later, after nearly going bankrupt in the lingerie section (they got other stuff than pregnancy stuff, duh).
"Why does everything have to be blue or pink?" Chloe voices, a frown etched on her face, "I'm telling you now, our daughter won't be wearing pink."
"Sure, babe. It's going to be a boy anyway, so," Beca says absent-mindedly, shuffling through some onesies. The newborn size ones are so small, it's ridiculous, and slightly worrying that something this small will be in her care in less than six months. Beca feels a wave of nausea hit her out of nowhere and she puts the onesie she's been holding back in its original spot before she gets sick.
"You okay?" Naturally, Chloe notices her change in demeanor.
"I'm fine, just thinking about stuff," she replies. Stuff like dropping her own baby, or not knowing why he's crying. A cool onesie manages to lighten her mood, "Hey, check this out."
She holds it up for Chloe to read out loud, "My Mommies rock," Chloe smiles fondly, "I didn't know this store was LGBTQ friendly."
"Yeah, they have the same one for dads, too."
"We should get it," Chloe says, "Oh! We should take a picture of it for the announcement to the girls!"
"Good idea," Beca says, dropping the onesie in their shopping basket. She adds one with a green dinosaur, too, because it's too awesome not to.
"Oh my gosh, this one is too cute," Chloe gushes, holding up a whale onesie that says, 'Whale, hello there'.
Beca wants to fast forward the next six months to put it on her baby right now. It's kind of funny yet terrifying how she switched from a near fainting state to a bouncing-off-the-walls in excitement one. "Totally, add it to the pile."
In the end, they get nearly everything clothe and toy-related that day, spending almost two hours in the store gushing over onesies, blankets and plush animals. They stop for a smoothie later and Beca takes the opportunity to take a picture of the onesie. Chloe's has just had her three-month-check-up and that was their agreed timeline before they told the Bellas.
"Ready for the storm?" She asks Chloe with a smirk, before pressing send to the Bella group chat.
Beca Mitchell: Baby Mitchell, coming August 20th, 2020 [inserts picture]
Both Beca and Chloe's phones chime exactly eight seconds later, and Beca rolls her eyes before she picks up the device. She's barely read the first message that a pop-up tells her she has four unread messages below.
Emily "Legacy" Junk: O-EM-ACA-GEE! You guys!
Ashley: Congratulations! Do you know what it is yet?
Jessica: Awww! Congrats girls! 😊
Cynthia Rose: About damn time! So happy for you guys.
Fat Amy: I sure hope the kid takes after Chloe's personality.
Beca Mitchell: Hey!
Chloe (Beale) Mitchell: We don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet! Not for another month. Beca thinks it's a boy and I bet on girl.
Stacie Conrad: Yay, did you do the turkey baster thing?God, that kid's going to be so handsome with those genes. 😉
Chloe (Beale) Mitchell: Thanks!
Beca Mitchell: Stop hitting on my wife, Conrad.
Fat Amy: I call dibs on godmother!
Beca sighs and sets her phone down, meeting Chloe's amused gaze. "So it begins."
Fat Amy: I can teach the kid how to fight a kangaroo with their bare hands.
Beca Mitchell: Is that the argument you choose to convince us to make you the godmother? Then no.
Fat Amy: That kid's life is gonna be so boring.
Chloe (Beale) Mitchell: I'll loosen her up a little, no worries.
Aubrey Swanson: Congrats you guys! Though I already knew
Stacie Conrad: How is pregnancy treating you, Chloe?
Chloe (Beale) Mitchell: My boobs have gotten huge, but otherwise, can't complain.
Beca Mitchell: Yeah, I'm not complaining about that either. ;)
Aubrey Swanson: Ew, TMI.
Stacie Conrad: How huge are we talking? Send a pic!
Beca almost knocks the phone out of Chloe's hand before the redhead can consider taking a picture. She'd rather keep her wife's boobs to herself, thank you very much.
Beca Mitchell: Seriously Stace, GTFO.
Stacie Conrad: Ha! I so love busting your balls, midget.
Florencia Fuentes: ¡Felicidades!
Chloe (Beale) Mitchell: Thanks, you guys. We'll keep you posted! Xx
"Well, that went well," Beca says, setting her phone down next to her on the table. She plays with her straw for a while before she asks, "You're not… gonna send Stacie a picture of your breasts, are you?"
"What? Beca, of course not," Chloe gives her a lopsided smile, "Are you jealous?"
"No, I'm not jealous. I just don't want Stacie to ogle over those," she says, gesturing to Chloe's chest. Her cleavage is particularly generous today and Beca stops in her tracks, much like she did an hour earlier.
"You mean like you're doing right now?" Chloe asks, eyebrow quirking.
"Can't help it," Beca whispers, finally snapping out of her daze before she starts drooling over the table.
"Well, Stacie's straight, so I don't know why you're worried."
Beca gives her a look, "Yeah, well, you've turned a straight girl gay before, so…"
Chloe hums, lips closing around her straw as she stares at Beca through her eyelashes.
Beca is brought back to their first night together after the Worlds. That experimentation thing really took a turn on her sexuality.
"One of my best accomplishments."
Beca shakes her head at her, but leans in to kiss her wife, just because she wants to, "You're such a dork. But I'm glad you did."
"Yeah?" Chloe asks with a wink.
"Yeah. I can't really tell you how much I love being your wife."
Beca winces internally; she's prepared for an emotional storm, but Chloe's eyes dangerously darken instead. Next thing she knows, the brunette is being pulled to Chloe by the collar and into a kiss that sends tingles all the way down to the tip of her toes; a kiss that's definitely not family-mall material.
"Take me home."
/
"How are we doing today?" Dr. Johnson asks as she steps into the room. Beca has been bouncing on the balls of her feet the entire morning leading to the appointment. She feels like she's just chugged three cans of coke, her entire body buzzing in excitement.
"Very well, thank you." Chloe answers for them both.
The doctor reads her chart and smiles at them. "Alright, 20 weeks… hormones kicking in yet?"
"No."
"Yes."
They both answer at the same time and Chloe cuts her eyes to her wife to glare at her. The doctor seems to hold back her laughter as she watches the exchange.
Beca looks at her in bewilderment, "Chlo, you've been horny and very emotional lately. Often at the same time."
Chloe ended up full on bawling after they made love the other day, and Beca panicked for a good twenty seconds, thinking she had hurt her. It was kind of terrifying. Not that Beca admitted it out loud. She'd like to keep sleeping in the same bed as Chloe's, thank you very much.
Chloe's jaw drops at Beca for sharing too many details. "Beca!"
The doctor chuckles and rolls the ultrasound machine closer to the bed before perching herself on a stool.
"Alright, let's see that baby," As always, the room turns silence while the couple waits to hear their baby's heartbeat. When the steady swoosh swoosh fills the room, Beca's beaming grin matches her wife's. The doctor rolls the wand around and clicks a few buttons on the board. "Looks healthy and developing normally. Did you want to know the sex? Your baby is in ideal position."
"Yes, please," Chloe says, and Beca reaches over to hold her hand.
"Looks like you're having a little boy," Dr. Johnson says with a smile, eyes set on the screen. "Congratulations."
"A boy?" Beca's voice suddenly dies in her throat, eyes stinging with emotion. She would be having the same reaction if it was a girl, too, but knowing the sex of their baby suddenly turns this whole parenting thing very real.
"We're having a boy," Chloe's watery tone brings her back to the room, and Beca smiles, leaning in to kiss Chloe's softly.
When she pulls away, she grins cheekily and makes a beckoning motion with her hand, "Alright, pay up, Beale."
"Beca!"
/
"How about Jackson?"
"Eh," Beca shrugs, looking up at her wife. The ride home from the doctors was spent brainstorming names and it continued on when they got to their house. At some point, Chloe sat down on the couch, tired from being on her feet all day, and Beca laid down on the surface, head resting on Chloe's thighs. "I like it but I don't love it."
"Michael?"
"Michael Mitchell?" Beca scrunches up her nose, "That might be a mouthful. Good stage name, though."
"You're right," Chlo says, fingers drifting to Beca's head and scratching along her scalp. "Noah?"
Beca shakes her head, lids drooping, "Too trendy." She thinks for a while, "Philip?"
Chloe frowns down at her, "Beca, do you really want our child to be bullied?"
Beca laughs and kisses Chloe's stomach for good measure, to apologize to their unborn baby for even considering naming him Philip. "Jeez, I'm kidding."
It's silent for a while, the radio set on low being the only background noise. Chloe has started to hum to the song, eyes closed and fingers stilling in Beca's hair.
"What about Oliver? Ollie for short."
Chloe eyes pop open and she stares down at Beca, a beaming smile stretching her lips. Beca instantly knows it's the one. "I… I love it."
"Yeah?" Beca smiles, and rolls onto her side until she's facing Chloe's belly, "Hey, how do ya feel about the name Oliver, little man? You like it?" She glances at Chloe, who's clearly fighting tears. She chuckles and grabs Chloe's hand, dropping a kiss inside her palm. "I guess that's settled then, huh?"
/
"Morning," Beca mumbles sleepily as she staggers into the kitchen. It's only eight am, and even after all these years living together, Beca struggles to understand how her wife can be so energetic this early in the morning. Especially on Sundays.
Chloe looks her up and down and laughs, "Did you fall out of bed, Bec?"
Beca scratches her hair as she makes a beeline to the counter to pour herself a coffee. "I woke up and you were gone and I was missing you."
She takes a sip and instantly feels more awake. Setting the cup down, Beca walks to Chloe and gives her a proper morning kiss.
"Happy first Mother's Day," Chloe whispers, hands setting on Beca's hips. Beca smiles softly, her own hands drifting up to rest on both sides of Chloe's stomach.
"Happy Mother's Day, Chlo. To many more."
"I made something," Chloe says when they lean away from each other, reaching behind her for a book. The cover is mint green, and displays the words 'Hello World' in a loopy font. A grey elephant takes half the cover, the name Ollie written in the shape of an arch above it.
Beca opens it, vision already slightly blurry. To her surprise, Oliver's sonogram picture is not on it. It's left blank, presumably for his first picture when he's born. She flips the second page, and finds it already filled with pictures, a timeline depicting she and Chloe's relationship; their first win, graduation, a candid one of them asleep on the couch, snapped by Stacie if she recalls correctly, and one from their wedding three years ago.
She recognizes Chloe's handwriting below each picture. She flips to the next page, this time displaying the first sonogram picture.
"I love it," Beca says with a shaky breath, running her fingers over the photo before glancing up at her wife. "I love you."
Chloe wraps her arms around Beca in a tight embrace, "And I, you."
/
When Chloe hits the six-month-mark, Beca picks up the habit of reading to their baby. She wants her son to become as familiar as possible to her voice, so she's been reading her entire collection of Roald Dahl tales to Chloe's stomach.
She comes home one day to find Chloe listening to music, headphones on her ears, while another pair is pressed against her belly.
She tells Beca she's playing him some of her soft mixes, the ones she usually ends her sets with, stating that he should already be music-educated to the best sounds when he comes out.
Goddamn tears fill Beca's eyes before she can hold them back, and Chloe gives her coy smile, before telling her that the next song on the playlist is their performance at the Worlds.
/
There are a couple nights during Chloe's seventh month of pregnancy where Beca comes home late, tied to artists' deadlines to meet. She's also pulling double the work to be able to take Chloe's last month off and another month after the birth.
She's met with quite the sight when she walks into the master bedroom around midnight. Chloe is fast asleep, laid on her side with a pillow wedged under her stomach, two under her head, one between her knees and two behind her back, while she hugs another one against her front.
As if sensing Beca's presence, Chloe's eyes blink open and she gives Beca a lazy smile.
"Hi," the redhead whispers as Beca kneels beside the bed to kiss her.
"Did you try to build a pillow fort?" Beca asks, trying very hard not to crack up but failing.
"No, I just couldn't get comfortable. This kinda works," Chloe explains, eyeing her construction.
"Alright, and where should I sleep?" Beca asks, quirking an eyebrow; the whole set-up takes three-quarters of their king size mattress.
"Oh," Chloe lets out. Beca tries not to take any offence that her wife didn't think about this. "If you agree to spoon me I might not need the two pillows behind me."
Beca laughs and stands back up, "I'll accept that bargain, just give me a few minutes."
She washes up, trades her working clothes for a simple white tee and climbs onto the bed, careful not to destroy Chloe's masterpiece. After tossing the two cushions over her shoulder, Beca settles against her wife, arms reaching as far as it can around her large bump.
She feels Chloe sigh and relax against her front, "Much better."
Beca scoffs, "I should hope so."
"I might kick you out at some point, I'm already hot."
Beca feigns an offended gasp, "Again? I already slept on the couch two days ago!" Then, she grumbles, "I should press charges against our son for the treatment you inflicted me during the pregnancy."
"Well I offered to go, but you wouldn't let me."
"Like I would let my seven-month-pregnant wife go sleep on the couch, c'mon. You knew I wouldn't let you when you said it."
Chloe asks, twisting her head as far as she can over her shoulder to look at Beca. "Oops, guilty."
"You're lucky I love you," Beca says, rubbing her hand back and forth over her belly.
"I love you, too."
"Oh, no, I was talking to the baby. But I guess you're alright, too."
"Ass."
"Chlo, language!"
/
"Ugh, I give up," Beca grumbles with a huff, dropping the screwdriver onto the wooden floor. Different parts of the wooden crib she's supposed to be assembling lie in front of her. She is a grown woman, she should be able to put a goddamn crib together. But right now, Beca feels like she's just been defeated by a piece of furniture. Ugh, those Swedish people making it sound easy when it clearly isn't.
She's starting to wonder if she can't just super glue the whole thing together and see how long it lasts, but somehow, she doubts Chloe will roll with that.
She has been working her ass off to get the nursery ready for when Chloe comes back from her annual school teacher's camp thingy (a bunch of bonding activities, and yoga, lots of yoga from what she's gathered) but her lack of manual skills might throw the whole thing off. So she gives in after another half-hour of pulling her hair out, and calls Jesse, whom of course, gets the whole thing up in under thirty minutes.
"I kinda hate you right now," She mumbles when Jesse admires his handy work. "But I'm also very grateful for your help."
She hands him a beer, which he gladly accepts as he sits down to lean back against the wall next to Beca.
He laughs, "Don't be jealous. I nearly had a melt-down when I had to set the crib up for Alison. Aubrey was crying because she thought nothing would be ready in time."
Beca reflects on the fact that Chloe is super chill about the whole thing. Living with a pregnant Aubrey would be a nightmare. She remembers Jesse's late calls where he complained about Aubrey's hormones and how she was awful to him. The only thing Chloe's hormones have done so far is increase their sex ratio and Chloe's bra size, so Beca can't complain.
"Thanks for the help, Jesse," She eyes the freshly painted room and smiles to her best friend, "I think we're about ready to welcome the little man."
Jesse grins and bumps her shoulder with his fist, "You excited?"
"Excited, scared out of my mind… the line is thin."
"I get it. I was scared shitless when Aubrey went into labor. But then when I held Ali for the first time, it was like being overwhelmed with love and devotion for someone you just met."
Beca nods, feeling like she's already there. She clears her throat when it clogs up with emotion, "Dude, this is some sappy shit."
Jesse chuckles, resting his head back against the newly assembled crib, "Get used to it, you're in for a lot of sappiness."
When Chloe gets home two days later, Beca is bouncing off the walls, eager to show Chloe her surprise. The nursery has been off limits to the redhead for the last month, and Chloe hasn't even tried to take a peak.
So Beca barely tells Chloe hello when she walks through the door, taking her hand instead to tug her up the stairs. She stops in front of the shut door, on which is displayed the name Ollie in animal letters. The O is an otter, the first L a llama, the second one a lion, the I an iguana and the final letter n Elephant. Chloe's eyes get clouded with tears at that, and Beca laughs.
"Babe, keep some tears for the real surprise," with that, she opens the door and steps aside, letting Chloe get sucked into the room. Her jaw drops, eyes running over the four walls; three of them are painted in the mint green color they chose a few weeks ago, while the last one stirs towards a light beige.
Beca painted a tree with colorful leaves on the light-colored wall, surrounded by four animals; an owl, a giraffe, and elephant and a bear. The opposite wall has Ollie's name displayed in beige wooden letters, just above the crib. A matching-wood cupboard and changing table are tucked against the third wall.
Chloe's eyes widen when she spots her parents' rocking chair in the far corner. Beca asked them if they could have it delivered, as she knew Chloe loves it. It was sent along with a hand knitted green and beige blanket made by Chloe's mom, who made sure to embroider Ollie's name in one of the corners.
"Beca…" Chloe's voice wavers, letting her fingers run over the blanket. She sits down in the rocking chair and looks at Beca in awe. Beca pushes off the doorway to walk to her wife, sitting on the arm of the chair, arm draping over Chloe's shoulders. "I don't know what to say, this is amazing."
"We still have to decide what accessories to add, but the essential is here."
"It's perfect," Chloe says, reaching up to wipe her cheeks dry. "You're kinda perfect, you know that?"
"Eh, doesn't hurt to be reminded," she lightly teases, before leaning down to kiss Chloe's temple, hand drifting down to set on Chloe's stomach. "I'm glad you're home. I've missed you guys. One week is too long."
Beca feels Chloe's hand cover her own, "We've missed you, too."
/
Beca grumbles as she hears Chloe toss and turn for what feels like the umpteenth time since they settled into bed.
"Chlo?" she calls out in the darkened room, "What's wrong?"
"I can't get comfortable," Chloe whines, rolling onto her side with a sigh. "Your son is having a soccer tournament in there."
"Oh it's my son now, is it?"
"Whenever he's keeping me awake, yeah."
Beca chuckles and turns on her side as well. Her hand feels for Chloe's belly, recoiling when there's a hard tap against its palm. "Whoa."
"Told you."
"He's a fierce one," Beca whispers in awe. Feeling her son move inside Chloe's belly will never get old. Shuffling down until she's level with Chloe's stomach, Beca lifts up Chloe's shirt and presses a kiss just below her navel. "What's up, little man? You're keeping us all awake here, so you better speak up, dude."
The movements that can be observed beneath Chloe's skin are as mesmerizing as they are creepy.
"It's like you have an alien inside of you," Beca states, unblinking. Chloe delivers a slap to her arm.
"Gee, thanks," Chloe says, before wincing to a particularly blunt kick. Beca definitely saw the outline of a foot on Chloe's stomach. "You got him all excited now. You know how he reacts to your voice."
"Sorry," Beca says sheepishly. "Can I do anything to make you more comfortable?"
"Not really," Chloe replies. "Could you maybe sing? I like the sound of your voice and I think it might settle him down, too."
"Okay," Beca thinks for a minute and rolls onto her back, folding her hands across her stomach, "Don't you know I love you more than life itself. Don't you know that you're my pride, and I would not have you walking through this world, without me by your side. Go to sleep my little man. Don't you weep my little man."
"Did you just sing a metal song to our unborn son?"
Beca twists her head up to find a puzzled expression on Chloe's face, "Yeah? Well, a soft version of it. I figured he should be exposed to every kind of music. We both know Aubrey will try to rope him into singing show tunes, so I'm getting a head start. If he comes home from their house one day belting out I Saw the Sign, I swear to god-"
"Language," Chloe says sternly, giving Beca a pointed look.
"Right, sorry," she waits for a couple seconds, eyes trained on Chloe's belly to capture any activity or footprint. "Has he settled down?"
"Yeah, I think so. Thank you."
"Goodnight Ollie," Beca murmurs, kissing Chloe's stomach again, "I love you."
She shuffles back up, taking the time to kiss Chloe, too. "Goodnight Chloe, I love you," she pauses, "Hey, your names rhyme."
"We love you too, goofy."
/
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Beca says skeptically, eyeing the stability ball Chloe's perched on suspiciously. Nothing about it looks stable.
"Yes," Chloe says with a bright smile, dressed in shorts and a tank top that doesn't quite cover her belly. Her red hair sits at the top of her head in a messy bun and Beca seriously wonders how so much adorableness can be accommodated in just one person. "It prepares the pelvis for labor."
Beca gulps, "Sometimes I forget you're gonna have to push out a human out of your body."
Beca can nearly see the switch getting flipped inside Chloe's brain. Her features go from chirpy to terrified in a snap of the fingers, Chloe's face blanching instantly.
"Oh my god," Beca was just about to make fun of her, but the seriousness of Chloe's distress makes itself known when her wife starts to hyperventilate and become less and less stable on the ball. "I can't do this."
Beca's eyes widen and she immediately leaps off the couch where she has been lounging, making quick strides to grasp Chloe's hands and steady her. "Chloe, breathe, baby."
"I-I can't-" It comes out strangled and ragged from the lack of proper breathing and Beca seriously starts to freak out. She bends in the knees and wraps an arm around Chloe's waist, helping her off the ball and to the couch.
"It's okay, look at me," she cups Chloe's cheek and forces her to meet her eyes. "Breathe, alright? Don't try to talk, just breathe like I'm doing now."
Beca starts to breathe in the same mantra they have been taught in Lamaze classes and keeps doing so until she is certain Chloe isn't going to faint from lack of oxygen.
"Beca," Chloe whines just before she gets into a crying fit that has Beca's shirt soaked through in a matter of thirty seconds. Beca doesn't really know what to do or say; it's not like she can tell Chloe it won't hurt, because there's no way pushing something this big through your lady parts is a pleasant experience.
"Yes, it might be hard and it will hurt," she says, running her hand up and down Chloe's back in soothing circles, "But I'm not worried for a second. You're the strongest person I know, Chlo, and I don't have a doubt in the world that you will pass this with flying colors. And remember that I will be right there beside you and all these efforts will end in us finally meeting our son. How cool is that?"
She feels Chloe laugh against her before she pulls away, already wiping her cheeks clear of any tears as she nods her head, "It's pretty cool."
"Yeah," Beca says with a beaming smile, her heartbeat thumping hard against her ribs at the mere thought of meeting her son. She cups Chloe's jaw and leans in to give her a long kiss. "You've got this."
/
"Baby," Chloe whispers, shaking Beca.
"What?" Beca jolts up, eyes wide, "Baby?! Is he coming? How far apart are the contractions?"
She's halfway out of the bed, trying to remember if she put the car seat in the car, and if she hasn't forgotten to put anything essential in the hospital bag.
"Beca, no," Chloe grabs her arm and she stills, twisting her head to try and see Chloe in the darkness. "Sorry, I didn't mean that. The baby isn't coming."
"Oh," Beca settles back down, clutching her pounding heart. She exhales deeply and swallows. "What is it, then?"
Chloe is fiddling with Beca's fingers, looking down at the bedspread, "I'm craving something."
Beca tries to think where she's left her wallet and car keys. Come to think of it, she is relieved the baby is not coming because can't be sure of the whereabouts of those items. However, she's certain Chloe would not find the joke funny if she really were in labor. From tomorrow, she's leaving them in a strategic place by the door.
"Okay, what do you need?" She's ready to go get the weirdest combination of junk food at the 24/7 down the block if that's what Chloe wants.
Chloe bites down on her bottom lip and Beca call tell how mischievous her eyes get despite the darkness, "You."
"Huh?"
"Well, your fingers, or your mouth," Chloe states bluntly, without a shame in the world, and Beca swallows again, feeling a familiar fire ignite in the pit of her stomach, "I'm really, really horny and well…" she motions toward her bulging belly, "I can't reach. I'm sorry."
"Fuck, don't be," Beca's voice drops an octave, bleeding with desire, "Your wish is my command."
/
That summer is the hottest ever recorded in LA. When she hits eight months, Chloe is miserable. She stays cooped up in the house most of the day, AC cranked up until it's almost freezing (Beca has started to wear a sweater while Chloe sticks to tank tops that barely cover her belly, no pants at all whatsoever), and she only gets out of the house for her walk -well, it's more of a waddle, not that Beca would ever, ever use that word out loud- well after ten pm.
Beca comes home from work to find Chloe sprawled out on their kind size bed, clad in only a sports bra and underwear as she watches re-runs of One Tree Hill.
"Well hello," Beca greets, stopping in the doorway and crossing her arms over her chest, eyebrow arched in amusement, "I take it your day was productive?"
The glare Chloe sends her is enough to make her regret ever making that joke. "I'm nesting, Beca."
"I'm kidding," she says, approaching the bed. She kneels and places a kiss on Chloe's stomach. "Hi little man," then she kisses her wife, "Hi Chlo."
Chloe accepts the kiss, pouting as soon as Beca pulls away. "I'm hot."
"Wanna tell me something I don't know?" she asks with a smirk, her comment producing a giggle from Chloe's mouth. She kisses the tip of Chloe's nose and stands up to shed her jeans, and climbs onto the bed to settle next to her.
Chloe's deadly stare stops her in her tracks, "What do you think you're doing?"
"I'm, uh, lying down next to you?"
"Nuh huh, I'm too hot."
Beca laughs, both eyebrows raised, "Are you serious?"
Chloe seems to be debating it, "Just… not too close, okay?" She requests, wrinkling her nose. "I feel gross."
Beca tilts her head, before she leans in to kiss her wife, "You look stunning, babe." As soon as the words are out, Chloe's face crumples as her own twists in panic. "No, no, no. No crying today, sweetie."
"Today?" Chloe manages through a sob. "Are you insinuating I cry too much?"
Beca should really consider stopping putting her goddamn foot into her mouth once in a while. Or taking a trip until the end of the pregnancy, if Chloe doesn't decide to kick her out of the house before that.
"I'm sorry, that's not what I meant," Beca says patiently, brushing Chloe's sticky hair away from her neck. "I just don't like to see you crying, that's all."
Chloe calms down considerably fast, compared to other recent meltdowns.
"You're sweet," she sighs and rests her head over Beca's shoulder, the mandatory distance to keep from over-heating apparently forgotten. Beca stifles a laugh, because Chloe's hormones have been on a roll lately. Just the day before, she's witnessed Chloe going from sad, to cheery, to horny in the span of two minutes.
"Wanna watch this with me?" Chloe asks, motioning toward the screen where Brooke and Peyton are arguing, presumably over Lucas, because when are they not.
"Not even a little bit," she says, because it's true. She hates teenager TV shows with a passion, but Chloe loves them and well, she loves Chloe. "But I want to lie here with you, so… we can watch whatever you want."
"Aw." There's another round of tears steadily filling Chloe's eyes but she manages to blink them away, much to Beca's relief.
The brunette sighs, absent-mindedly rubbing her hand over Chloe's belly. She smiles when she feels the distinctive swoosh of their son moving in there.
"Not even born and he's already being corrupted to watch girly shows."
Chloe pinches her arm and she yelps, moving away from her wife to glare at her. "If I leave it up to you, he'll be watching The Shining or Silence of the Lambs before he's even three."
Well, thrillers are the only type of movies that Beca finds enjoyable.
"Those are good movies," Beca says with a shrug. "And it'll be a good alternative to whatever rom-com shit Aubrey or Stacie make him watch."
Chloe hums in a way that tells Beca she doesn't agree but doesn't have the energy to argue. She shuffles even closer to Beca, well, as close as she can, given the barrier between them, and is silent for a while, until, "I want ice-cream."
"Alright," Beca agrees, moving to get up, but Choe tightens her hold on her.
"Wait, where are you going?"
Beca laughs, settling back against the pillows, "Well, unless I'm not aware, we don't have a servant in this house, and the ice cream won't come by itself from the freezer."
Chloe frowns intensifies, "Okay, no. Just stay. I still prefer you over some ice cream."
Beca scoffs, "Wow, I'm flattered."
Chloe's eyes are teasing when they meet Beca's. "You should be."
/
"Ugh," Chloe whines, dropping onto the couch with a huff. They have just come back from a walk around the block to try and get labor started. Their little man is taking his time to show up. The due date was three days ago, and they have tried pretty much everything to speed things up; eating spicy food, drinking herbal tea, and sex. But Oliver seems to be very comfortable where he is right now and it doesn't look like he's in a rush to come out.
"I'm sorry it's so hot babe," Beca says in compassion, watching as Chloe maneuvers as best as she can to find a comfortable position. Beca hands her an icy glass of water.
"I'm so ready not to be pregnant anymore," Chloe says with a huff, rubbing her hand over her swollen stomach.
Beca's phone chimes in her back pocket, and she pulls it out to find a text from Aubrey displayed on the screen.
Anything yet?
No... I promise you'll be the first to know.
Sorry. How's Chloe holding up?
Beca chances a look toward her wife; Chloe is slumped over the couch, forearm thrown over her eyes, skin glistening and breathing labored from the heat. But apart from a few complaints here and there, Chloe has been amazingly calm and patient.
Like a champ. Ready for this to be over, though.
I bet. I'll call her later.
"Can you tell your son to come out, please?" Chloe's strained voice pulls Beca's attention away from her phone. She's struggling to lie down on her side and Beca moves a pillow to arrange it behind her back.
Beca takes a seat on the floor, level with Chloe's belly and leans back against the couch.
"Alright lil' man, what's up?" She reaches over and rubs her thumb across the swollen bump. "Too comfortable to come out, huh? Just to let you know, you're already three days late and your mommy and I are anxious to meet you. I personally cannot wait to see if you get your mommy's red hair or not. I hope you do, cause redheads are quite irresistible; I would know."
Beca feels Chloe squeeze her shoulder and smiles at her wife.
"Anyway, I was wondering what the hold-up is? Because your brand new bedroom is finished, your mommy's milk-makers are full and ready to go," There's a light slap to Beca's arm but Chloe can't hold back a laugh. "And I can't wait to hold you. So, y'know, whenever, dude."
She concludes her monologue to Chloe's stomach by pressing a kiss to it, before climbing onto the couch and sliding Chloe's feet into her lap.
"Quite the pep talk, Bec," Chloe comments with a teasing smile.
"Yeah, I'm good at those. I sold him the dream here, so I reckon he'll be on the move by tomorrow."
Chloe rubs her belly and hums in agreement, "I sure hope you're right."
Beca starts to rub Chloe's sole, pressing her thumb in strategic places. Chloe lets out a moan and closes her eyes, and Beca feels the strain leave her body.
"God, I love you," the redhead says, dropping her head over the arm of the couch. Beca chuckles and kneads harder. "You're literally my hero right now."
"Anything to make you feel better, babe," Beca says, "You are carrying our baby after all, it's only fair I make you a bit more comfortable."
Chloe lifts her head, looking at Beca through her half-shut eyelids, "I'm so glad to be doing this with you."
And Beca feels exactly the same way a few hours later.
"Chloe," Beca whispers well into the night. She hates waking Chloe up for this, but her brain has been going in circle for the last few hours. The closer they get to meeting Oliver, the warier she's become. "Are you awake?"
"Yeah," Chloe turns on her back, and with some difficulty, rolls onto her side to face Beca. Her hand finds Beca's cheek. "What's wrong?"
Beca sighs and reaches over to turn on the lamp on the bedside table. She blinks several times to adjust to the sudden flood of light and shuffles closer to Chloe, until she feels her growing bump right against her.
"I'm freaking out."
"About the baby?"
She nods, "What if I suck at this?" she asks, nibbling on her bottom lip. "I'm not a natural like you are… what if I don't know how to stop him from crying or what if I drop him or-"
Chloe giggles and shakes her head at her, but Beca fails to see what's so funny about her near meltdown. "Babe, you are not going to drop him." Chloe assures her, "So what if you're not a natural. I won't have anything down either from the moment he's born, you know. We'll learn step by step. And we're bound to make some minor mistakes, but that's okay."
"Yeah…"
"You're going to be an amazing mom, even if you don't believe it just yet."
Beca doesn't say anything, preferring to kiss Chloe on the lips to show her gratitude. Chloe hums and grabs her hand, letting it rest on the lower left side of her stomach. Beca's eyes start to sting; feeling their son kicking always pulls at her heartstrings.
"I think he agrees, too."
Beca lets out a long breath and nods feeling a little bit more at peace. As scary as it feels to be about to become a mom, everything seems less so if Chloe is by her side.
She manages to fall asleep within a few minutes later, only to be rudely awoken mere hours later.
"Beca," Beca feels a finger tap her shoulder repeatedly. It's annoying. "Beca, wake up."
"What is it?" she grumbles, wondering why in the world Chloe is trying to wake her up in the middle of the night. Then her brain slowly catches up; Chloe could go into labor any minute, and her eyes snap open.
"I think my water just broke."
Talk about one wake-up call.
Beca feels her breath catch in her throat and she sits up calmly as to not frighten Chloe, although her heart is already hammering in her chest. She's imagined this moment over and over again in her head, but the panic that grips her insides is surreal.
She reaches over and flips the light switch, eyes blinking to adjust. She remembers reading in the book that they shouldn't necessarily rush to the hospital even if the water breaks; it depends on the contraction frequency, if there are any. "Do you have any contractions?"
Chloe nods, "Just one."
"When was it?"
Chloe's blue orbs flick to the clock, "Five minutes ag- ah!" She's suddenly gripping her stomach, jaw setting and eyes screwing shut.
"Another one?" Beca asks, setting her hand over Chloe's belly. It's rock hard under her palm.
Chloe nods and blindly reaches for Beca's other hand, squeezing it in a vice grip. Beca bites the inside of her cheek to keep from gasping from the force of Chloe's hold.
"Breathe, baby, just like we learned," she says, voice low and incredibly calm. Chloe breathes out, and Beca feels the tension leave her stomach. "Okay, we should go to the hospital."
Chloe nods several times, eyes unsettled, "Yeah," As soon as the word is out, Beca springs off the bed, putting on her sweatpants at the speed of light. She rounds the bed and helps Chloe up to her feet. Chloe's step falters when they reach the front door of the house though. "Beca, I'm scared."
Beca herself is close to fainting, but she pushes the feeling of sickness back down. She has rarely seen Chloe looking so pale, so she takes the time to cup her wife's face and kiss her forehead, despite the fact that her brain is screaming at her to get this show on the road or she'll end up being the one to deliver their son on their entry floor.
"You'll be amazing. And I'll be there the whole time, okay? We're in this together. We've got this."
Another contraction hits Chloe and she groans, placing both arms over Beca's shoulders as she leans forward, hips swaying back and forth through the pain. Beca kisses her forehead, not really knowing what she should do, except talking to Chloe through it.
Chloe blows out a breath and straightens. "Okay."
The life-changing situation suddenly dawns on Beca, and she smiles, eyes getting misty. "We're having a baby."
"Yeah," Chloe says with a laugh, "Too late to backtrack now."
They share a loving kiss, probably longer than it should be given the fact that Chloe's contractions are so close apart.
"Alright," Beca whispers when she pulls away, "Let's get this show on the road."
/
Everything goes very fast, too fast for Beca's liking, when they get to the hospital. She barely has time to braid Chloe's hair back before their doctor and three midwives walk into the room.
"Alright Chloe," Dr. Johnson greets warmly. "Ready to have a baby?"
"Do I have a choice?" She asks, breath still labored from her last contraction. The doctor chuckles and places her feet onto the stirrups. Beca grabs the wet cloth from the bowl next to her and pads Chloe's forehead with it, receiving a grateful smile from her wife.
"Well, he may be late, but now he sure is in a rush to get here. You're 10 cm dilated, Chloe." The doctor says as she snaps her gloves off. The cloth Beca is holding falls back into the bowl with a splash as her eyes grow to the size of saucers.
"Are you serious?"
The older woman simply nods and smiles, and Beca staggers a little bit. "I'll go and get some scrubs on, then we'll get this show on the road."
"You're not going to faint, are you?" Chloe asks, barking a laugh. Her wife is about to give birth and she's laughing. At her, Beca might add.
"Holy crap," Beca takes a huge gush of air in, but it gets stuck in the middle of her throat, failing to reach her airways as tiny spots begin to cloud her vision.
"Bec, c'mere," Chloe beckons with a wave of her hand, and Beca gets momentarily distracted by how beautiful the redhead looks right about now. She's absolutely glowing, and the gentle smile on her lips, added to her twinkling blue eyes work like an anchor on Beca. The brunette feels her heartbeat slow back down to a normal rhythm as Chloe grasps her hand and presses a quick kiss across her knuckles. "You are as pale as a ghost. I need you to breathe; I have to be focused on this and I know I won't if you get sick."
Beca nods and closes her eyes briefly, managing to push the nausea away. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Chloe says with a smile, "Just… let's have this baby, okay?"
She says in a tone that suggests delivering the baby will be a piece of cake, and it amazes Beca how they have been able to reassure one another throughout the pregnancy.
Beca leans in to capture Chloe's lips in a full kiss. "I can't wait."
Chloe is about to reply something but instead grimaces, grabbing Beca's hand as another contraction hits her. "Oh god, I need to push!"
"You can," the doctor tells her as she rolls her stool at the foot of the bed. Beca didn't even notice she was back. "Don't resist the urge."
Time slows down after that; Chloe pushes with all her might with every contraction, but little progress is made. Beca expected to meet their baby within the next five minutes, but he seems to be quite the tease already.
After another contraction, Chloe falls back against the pillows in exhaustion. "I can't do this. I don't know what we were thinking."
"Yes, you can, baby," Beca encourages, pressing quick kisses to Chloe's temple before resting her forehead against the spot, "You're so strong, just a few more pushes and we'll meet our little man."
This seems to give Chloe the extra strength she needs for the last push. A string of curses leaves her mouth, and Beca wants to comment on how she'll have to put at least ten bucks in the swear jar, but somehow, right now doesn't seem to be the appropriate moment.
Beca hears herself gasping when a cry fills the bubbling room and her eyes double in size as the doctor places their newborn onto Chloe's chest.
Her son.
"Oh my gosh," Chloe cries, voice wavering as she gathers him up against her, resting her lips against his forehead. "He's so tiny!"
"Yeah."
That's all Beca can muster as she takes in the new addition to the Mitchell Family, blinking twice in slow succession. He's very pink, slimy looking and wrinkled and doesn't sound very happy to be here, but Beca feels her heart expand, trying to fit in all the love she has for Chloe already, and the equal amount, if not more, for this little guy that she's just met.
That's the crazy thing about all this; she's just met him, yet she feels like she would give him the world if she could.
Chloe is struggling to lower her hospital gown, and Beca snaps into motion to help her when she realizes what she's doing. The brunette remembers reading in one of the ten books she's read about the pregnancy that skin-to-skin contact is supposed to be soothing after birth.
As soon as he's pressed against Chloe's chest, Oliver's cries subside to tiny gurgling sounds. Beca shares a smile with Chloe and reaches up to wipe the tears away from her own face.
"We have a baby," Beca whispers, tone laced with awe and bewilderment. Chloe's eyes fill with happy tears, too, and Beca closes the gap between them to press a full kiss to her lips. She rests her forehead against Chloe's, both too wrapped up in their own bubble of happiness to care about the hustle and bustle going on around them. "You did so good. You are incredible. I love you."
"I love you, too," Chloe murmurs, eyes locking with Beca briefly before they flicker back to their son. "I can't believe he's here."
"Me either," she brushes the back of her finger along his cheek and presses a kiss to his forehead, "Welcome to the world, Ollie."
I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it. Thoughts are always appreciated!