Surprise, Surprise

"Congratulations, Mr. Yuy! It's a girl!" A nurse beamed. Suddenly, he found himself holding a tiny wad of pink blankets.

"Meet your daughter, Mr. Yuy." Another nurse offered with a smile, quickly turning her attention back to his weary wife.

He stood there, wide-eyed and shell shocked in the quiet hospital room as the world around him fell away. Relena had wanted the baby's sex to be a surprise, but he had always been sure they'd have a son. A boy. He knew boys. He could deal with boys. But a girl?

"I don't know if I'm...prepared for this, baby girl." He whispered to the little bundle.

He was even at a loss for a name!

Heero gazed down at the child in his arms. Red, somewhat wrinkled, and a little puffy, in addition to sporting a very familiar looking tuft of chestnut hair. He noted the latter with a strange swelling in his chest. He was awed at how anything could be so...tiny. He was afraid one wrong look would break her.

She was squirming gently in his arms and she was stronger than he had ever expected something so small could be. He ran what seemed an enormous looking finger across her chubby cheek and over her fluffy brown hair – his hair – he thought. He had given it to her after all. He wondered what else he had given the tiny girl he was holding.

He could see Relena's nose, dainty and cute, and his eyes framed above it. Heero realized he couldn't wait for her to open them so he could find out just exactly what shade of blue they might be. Her tiny little baby hand found his and she gripped at his finger, making a few strange baby noises at the same time.

Strange, but maybe kind of cute.

Heero couldn't tear his eyes away from the squishy tangle of pink blankets and baby in his arms. She scrunched up Relena's pretty little nose and let out a soft baby snuffle that set his heart to racing. How could she already be so perfect? All the hesitations he'd felt earlier were dispelled in an instant. This child was part of him, he helped make her, and here she was, brand new and impossibly breathtaking. He was love-struck. It was incredible and terrifying all at once.

Heero had never counted on the future; never thought he'd be here, in a hospital room with his wife, holding their child, in awe of how wonderful he felt in this moment. Now, he couldn't see himself anywhere else. His daughter, his daughter, yawned and squirmed around a little more before falling soundly back to sleep in her suddenly smitten father's embrace.

"I don't think he even heard you come in." Relena whispered, a smile lighting her otherwise exhausted face.

"I think he's in love," Hilde laughed from her place near Relena's bed. Duo stood just behind them, chuckling at his friend. Heero finally tore his eyes away from his baby and looked up at his wife and friends.

"It's a girl." He whispered proudly. They had never seen such a huge, dopey looking grin plastered on his face, but somehow it looked like it belonged there. And it was a good thing, because Duo had a feeling they would be seeing a lot more of it in the coming days.