Lyllianna Winters Stone ♘ Lyanna Stark (catalyzed) wrote in dunhavenic, @ 2018-07-05 23:12:00 |
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Entry tags: | !log, * jamie, * terri, c: lyllianna stone, c: rhys stone |
WHO: Lyllianna Stone and Rhys Stone (with Lyanna and Ned Stark)
WHEN: July 5th, afternoon.
WHERE: The Stone Household.
SUMMARY: Endings and Beginnings - Lyllianna has dream with finality, but finds out some exciting news with Rhys.
WARNINGS: Death involving childbirth, infertility, pregnancy.
The hours blurred together in an endless night that gave way to a red sky morning. Lyanna had known that labor would be a test of her will, but nothing could have prepared her for the reality. There had been moments when she had nearly given up altogether. She had given instructions to Ser Arthur Dayne that under no circumstances was he allowed to save her life over the life of the babe. She had made him take an oath that if she were to fade, that the child would be taken far from this land and hidden away until they reached adulthood. On the old gods and the new, he had promised. Before any promises could be kept, there had been a commotion outside. He and the remaining guards disappeared, and though she heard faint shouting and the clash of swords, the only thing on her mind was her child. She screamed, agony ripping through her in great waves. The cry of an infant cut through the air, but it was drowned out by the fighting below. Even as her son was lain upon her chest, she could feel the strength leaving her body. She held him close, a sob catching in her throat as she pressed a kiss to his head, “Mama loves you,” she whispered, a tear slipping down her cheek, “I love you so much, my sweet boy. You are precious to me.” She took the blanket that was given and held it in shaking hands as she began to swaddle him snuggly in the cloth. The bed was already soaked in her blood, and she could feel her life leaving her body a little at a time. Somewhere along the way, something had gone wrong. She shouldn’t be bleeding anymore, but it would not stop. She ignored her own discomfort and focused on the dark eyes of the newborn cradled in her arms, and though a part of her heart ached for it, she was glad to see the dark hair atop his head. The Stark blood had run strong in him...he would be easier to hide. She ran a finger against his cheek, “You are of the dragon and the wolf. You have fire and ice running in your veins. May it protect you always.” She prayed to her gods, more devoutly dedicated to them than she had ever been in her youth. “Your grace...a soldier approaches,” one of her handmaids told her urgently, and she pressed one more kiss to his head, stifling a cry from her lips as she handed him to the older girl. “Hide him,” she instructed. The maid had gotten just far enough to tuck herself into a darkened corner of the room before the door burst open and in strode a familiar figure. She had not seen him since before she had run away from the Crossroads. She had thought it very likely that she would never see him again. If he was here, it meant that her guards left by Rhaegar were surely dead, and she felt a twinge of guilt in her heart. So much senseless death. So much suffering for a war that was built on a lie. The guards had been good to her. They had been dedicated friends to Rhaegar. She inwardly mourned their loss even as her heart rejoiced to see her brother, in spite of everything that had happened. “Ned?” “Lyanna,” he sounded worried, though she supposed he had been looking for her all this time. He had fallen for the lie just as much as anyone else. He wouldn’t believe her now, even if she tried to tell him the truth, and it was so hard to stay present as it was. She was already starting to lose feeling in her legs and her hands. Ned left his sword at the end of the bed and came closer to her, but her vision was a little spotty, “Is that you?” Even with him right in front of her, she wasn’t certain that he was real. Perhaps an apparition...a figment of her mind as she tried to pass onto the next stage of life, but if that were true, wouldn’t she be seeing her husband instead? She lifted a blood-soaked hand from her bed sheets, “Is that really you? You’re not a dream?” She smiled. She had told herself once that if she ever saw someone who had aided in Rhaegar’s death that she would cut them down, friend or foe, but right now, Ned didn’t look like the enemy to her. He just looked like her brother. He clasped her shaking hand in hers, but it felt strange, like the ghost of a touch. His other hand went to her hair, thumb gently soothing against her forehead, “No, I’m not a dream. I’m here. Right here.” He seemed to be trying not to look at the blood around her. Weakly, Lyanna squeezed his hand. “I’ve missed you, big brother,” she confessed, though it wasn’t meant to imply that she’d been there against her will. She had loved Rhaegar with every part of her soul, but seeing Ned in front of her also reminded her of what she had left behind. He had always been her closest sibling. He had always known her heart the best. It was that that seemed to break Ned just a little. She could see the tremble in his jaw, the threat of tears behind his eyes, “I’ve missed you, too.” “I want to be brave,” she admitted, throat tight, though she was losing more and more feeling. Her heart seemed to be slowing its beats within her chest. “You are,” he tried to assure her. But she bit back immediately, “I’m not.” At that, he finally looked at the sopping red sheets that were slung across her body, dripping slowing onto the stone floors. Her shift was marred and stained. She was the picture of death, and she knew it. There was no saving her from this, “I don’t want to die.” She might have, in the time leading up to today. Since hearing about Rhaegar’s death, all that she’d had to live for was her child, and now all of that was being taken from her. Now, he would grow up with neither of his parents. “You’re not going to die,” Ned insisted, and she could see the denial on his face even as she held her damp hand up to him, blood streaked across her palm. He turned instead to the maids, “Get her some water!” “No, no water, just listen --” “Is there a maester?” “Listen to me, Ned,” she made her voice as stern as she could despite her labored breathing and lack of strength, and it caught his attention as she put her hand against his shoulder. She had come to a rapid decision in the last few moments. Ser Arthur Dayne could no longer keep his promises to her, so her brother would have to. Ned was honorable. Ned would never do anything to hurt her, and he would know that this was the most important thing in the world to her. She never asked him for a promise unless it was dire. She never took such things lightly. Noting her struggle, he leaned forward, turning his ear close to her lips, and though she was crying still, she whispered, “His name is Aegon. If Robert finds out, he’ll kill him. You know he will. You have to protect him. Promise me, Ned.” She had heard tales of the Sack of King’s Landing. She knew the horrors that had happened there to Targaryen children...Rhaegar’s children. Her son was exactly that, and he would not be spared just by virtue of being her child if Robert Baratheon the Usurper were to find out about his existence, “Promise me.” Her tears were flowing in earnest now, a sob rising in her throat even as her son cried, his tiny wail filling the room. She rested back as Ned turned away from her and towards her newborn son. The maid took the cue and brought the bundled baby over to them, depositing him into the arms of her brother. “Promise me, Ned,” she repeated, hanging onto her strength with everything that she had. She needed to know that this baby was safe. She needed to know that her brother would find a way to keep and care for him, no matter the cost...that he would protect him with his life as he had done for her. Ned looked from Aegon to her, his eyes filled with sorrow, and she closed her eyes, every beat of her heart sluggish, “Promise me.” Her lips formed the words, and as her breath left her lungs, so did her strength. She welcomed the darkness like an old friend in that last moment. Her son was safe, and she was going to Rhaegar. She was going home. ~~ With a startled gasp, Lyllianna sat up from where she had slumped back onto her neatly made bed. Drawing air into her lungs seemed, at first, like a task...like she had forgotten how when that darkness had creeped into the edges of her vision. She frantically shook off the sleep, reaching down and patting herself, making sure that she was not soaked in warm blood as Lyanna had been. Mercifully, her clothes were pristine. She leaned forward, putting her head in her hands and taking a few deep breaths. Tears pricked at her eyes, but it wasn’t grief as it had been the last time the dreams had visited her. In fact, she was...relieved to know how Lyanna Stark’s story ended. She was relieved to know that Lyanna and Rhaegar’s son had been taken in by someone that she had trusted...and it solved a very important mystery about Ned’s unlikely infidelity. More than anything, though, she was relieved that she had not also woken up in blood. She could guess exactly why the dream had triggered. She had been contemplating taking a pregnancy test for the last day or so, her mind so bent on it that she had barely slept the night before. She must have dozed off as a result. Lyllia wasn’t ashamed to admit that she was scared she would just get another negative test, and that she should probably just get it over with. It was getting increasingly harder to bear that alone, though. Not that Rhys had ever asked her to take them alone. She had thought somehow that she’d been protecting him if she just...never said anything about them or never got his hopes up if he found out she had thought it might be true. She had noticed that she was late several days after she normally would have. While trying to conceive, she had been startlingly aware of her monthly schedule at all times. With the dreams of Rhaegar’s death looming over them and the dwelling on it afterwards, however, she had lost track. At first, she’d been so skeptical that she didn’t even bother thinking about testing. It would be a waste of a test, she told herself. She was more than likely just stressed from the dreams. But her period never came, and then she had started to feel...different. Sensitive to smell, increasingly fatigued, and now growing periodically nauseated, Lyllianna had to wonder if she wasn’t just feeling what she wanted to feel. Not that any of those symptoms were things most people would wish for, but she would take the symptoms with the condition if it meant they would have a child. It had been nearly two weeks since she had noticed her skipped cycle, and she knew that she shouldn’t wait anymore. Whatever the answer was, she and Rhys would handle it. Together. Just as they did everything else. She needed to do this sooner rather than later, and she definitely needed to tell him about the dream, too. The dream was closure in a way. She didn’t know if Lyanna would still visit her dreams or not, but she knew now that she had nothing left to fear from them. For a moment, she started to stand, but the dream had left her feeling weaker than normal...exhausted as though she had exerted every last bit of her energy. Shaking a little, she sat back down on the mattress and briefly caught sight of her reflection in the mirror. She looked paler than usual, though she was betting that it was some physical side effect of her brain trying to cope with what she had dreamt. Admitting defeat, she sighed and called out, “Rhys? Could you come to the bedroom?” It was the summer, which was generally Rhys's favorite time of the year. Oh, he loved winter, but it had much less to do with the weather and snow and everything to do with seeing his wife's reaction to it and almost living vicariously through her. Having spent the first half of his life in Louisiana, he often felt that he was built for the heat that came with summer. More than the weather, though, he enjoyed getting to spend more time with his kids with their being out of school. School being out also meant that he got to spend more time with his other kids -- the ones that came to the youth center on the regular. They always had an uptick of kids thanks to their parents needing somewhere for them to go and the center being a cheaper option than daycare or a babysitter. They had more classes and programs than ever, the activities ranging from academic to simply fun, depending on who Rhys and his event coordinator was able to secure. All of that added activity meant that it was harder than ever for Rhys to do the more boring parts of his job while at the center. Staying in his office when he could hear fun and excitement down the hallways almost guaranteed that he wouldn't be able to concentrate. The work had been starting to pile up on him so, the evening previous, he had gathered all his paperwork together and resigned himself to a day working from home. There were plenty of employees that would hold down the fort at the center, leaving him free to stay home, get caught up, and maybe even call it an early day and see there was anything he could do to help out Lyllia at the stables. He was in the middle of signing a document when Rhys heard Lyllia call for him. He finished the flourish of his name with a stroke of the pen, then set it and the paper aside to see what it was she needed. He paused just a moment to stretch his long limbs after sitting in a computer chair for too long and then made his way to their bedroom. "Hey, what's -- " His words fell away as he walked into the doorway, pausing just a moment when he saw Lyllia on the bed. Rhys was nothing if not attentive when it came to his wife and while he hadn't noticed some of the smaller changes in how she had been feeling outside of her being a bit more tired than usual (something he assumed was simply because of the time of year it was and more work needing to be done), right then he did notice just how pale she looked. "Lyllia," he murmured, hurrying forward and sitting on the bed next to her. He placed a gentle hand to her cheek before immediately trying to assess the issue so he could try to fix it. "What's wrong? Are you feeling all right? Can I get you something?" It didn’t take long for Rhys to come check on her, and she knew that it wouldn’t as long as he had heard her. She noted his halting question, and the worry in his voice when he hurried to her side. She pulled a small smile to her lips, hoping that it was reassuring as she tried to find the words to tell him everything. It was easier to start with Lyanna, perhaps, especially because she was the reason that her pallor was so off, “I’m all right, Rhys. I promise,” she paused a moment, but then supplied, “I was tired, so I guess I fell asleep. There was another dream about Lyanna.” That in itself usually didn’t cause her to be so weak and pale, however, and she knew that it wasn’t going to do either of them favors to dance around the topic, “When she went into labor, something went wrong. She delivered a healthy baby boy, but…” shaking her head softly, Lyllia could still hear that voice so much like her own ringing in her head, Promise me, Ned. “They couldn’t stop the bleeding. It’s not...it’s not as bad as when Rhaegar died, somehow. I just feel like my energy is drained.” Though she assured him that she was all right, Rhys's concern didn't leave his face -- especially once Lyllianna confirmed that she'd had another dream about Lyanna. His hand dropped from her face as she described the events she had seen, finding one of hers to squeeze her fingers gently. He remembered all too well when he'd seen Rhaegar's death. He remembered the physical pain that had lingered on his body and could suddenly understand just why she might look so weak in the moment. What he worried for her more, though, was how it might affect her mind. "I'm sorry you had to see that," he said, his voice quiet as he leaned in a bit closer to her. "I'm -- I'm sorry that she had to die at all." He paused, thinking over her words before he hedged, "But the baby... he was all right?" She nodded a little, knowing that seeing Lyanna’s death was nothing small. She probably should have been upset about it, but somehow, knowing that Aegon was going to be cared for...knowing that she wouldn’t have to walk the world with only half of her heart seemed like a strange sort of blessing. She smiled a little wider, tears pricking at her eyes even still, “Yeah. He was perfect, Rhys...just perfect. He had dark hair like her, so it would have been easier to hide him.” She reached out and took Rhys’ free hand in her own, holding onto it tightly, “Leaving him was the only part she was remorseful about, but...she knew he would be safe when she went. Her brother...Ned. He came to find her, and she made him promise to protect the baby. She was scared, but at the end...it was peaceful. Lyanna knew that even if Ned never understood that Rhaegar loved her, he wouldn’t let anything happen to her child.” She paused a moment and squeezed his hand, looking back up to meet his gaze, “She was ready to be with Rhaegar again on the other side of things. I’m glad to know what happened to her.” Rhys was quiet, letting the words come from Lyllianna and soaking them in. He wouldn't see Lyanna's death, just like she wouldn't see Rhaegar's -- but he also wouldn't even be told of her dying, feeling the pain that would undoubtedly hurt the prince more than the hammer. Even without actually seeing Rhaegar's reaction, Rhys was confident that he knew what it would be like; it wasn't hard to imagine just how devastated he would be were he to lose Lyllia. When she met his gaze, Rhys blew out a soft breath. Even knowing that Lyanna had accepted her death, he knew that Rhaegar would have wanted her to live. He would have wanted her and their son to escape, to be able to find some of the happiness and peace that they had been hoping for when they had first made their plans. Even if Rhys had been convinced it wouldn't end well for the two young people, he had allowed himself to be cautiously optimistic that they might have a happy ending for themselves. They hadn't, though. Leaning in, he pressed a gentle kiss to Lyllia's forehead, then pressed his own to hers. His eyes closed. "I don't know if we'll see them again," he murmured, "but at least we aren't left wondering." Closing her eyes for a moment, she just revelled in his closeness. She had clung to him a bit more tightly over the last few weeks. After feeling what it was like to experience that kind of loss, Lyllia had made a conscious effort to live presently in every moment. She hoped that they had better days ahead of them than the other couple. She hoped that they would grow old together and live a life full of laughter without regrets. Loving him was something she would never be sorry for, even if some people wanted her to be. “At least if we do dream of them, hopefully it will be of happier moments,” she offered, knowing that Lyanna’s life was not altogether bad. Certainly, she had experienced her trials, but her childhood had been pleasant. Her marriage to Rhaegar, despite what was happening in the world around them, had been filled with good memories up until the end. She was counting on the idea that if Lyanna returned to her again, it would be of simpler times. Briefly, she leaned in, closing the distance and pressing a kiss against his lips. She let herself linger there a moment, savoring it before she pulled back, her stomach knotted up with butterflies, “There is...something else. An us thing, not a dream thing. I missed a period, Rhys.” She wet her lips, even through her throat felt dry, “I didn’t notice it right away because it was right after the other dreams. I think what triggered this one is that I’ve been so bent on thinking about it. At first, I wasn’t going to take a test because I figured...you know. But I think I should...and I don’t think I should wait any longer.” Content to just be there for Lyllianna, Rhys gave her time and listened to her as she spoke. He had expected mourning of their dream selves and talking of the better dreams that they'd had about Rhaegar and Lyanna. What he hadn't expected -- and never could have imagined -- was her admission of being late. It wasn't the first time that he'd felt the surge of hope, though every time it did happen, it ended up being dashed. It wasn't her fault, of course, and never would be. It would happen when it would happen and he woudn't stop himself from simply hoping that that time would be when it would actually happen. After a brief pause where he pulled away, cupping her cheek again and looking her face over, Rhys spoke. "Okay," he said simply, a small smile forming at his lips. "Okay. Let's not wait." Lyllianna counted herself lucky that she could lean on him and rely on him when she didn’t feel strong enough on her own. She knew that he did the same thing sometimes, though it had felt like in the last year or so she had been the one doing a lot of the leaning. She loved him. It was astounding how sure she had felt of that the first time she had ever met him, and again re-meeting him years later, but now it just felt natural. She might not have recognized it for what it was all that time ago, but she was so familiar with it now that she knew. It had always been him for her, and whether the test was positive or negative, the life that they had built together was always going to be her choice. “Okay,” she repeated with a small smile, and a nod. After resting while they talked, she felt steadier as she got to her feet, her hand tangled in his. She had kept an arsenal of tests over time, but now she just kept a few around. It didn’t take long for her to procure a test and then complete it with little fanfare. She capped the test and set it on the counter, washing her hands. With some small amount of trepidation about the results, she turned to Rhys and tucked herself against his chest, wrapping her arms around him, “Three minutes. Then we know, one way or the other.” As he wrapped his arms around Lyllia, drawing her in and tipping his head forward to press a kiss to the top of her head, Rhys felt that hope bubble up inside him all over again. "Three minutes," he repeated after her, his cheek resting against her hair. "We'll know and then together we'll go from there." It was the only way he knew to assure her. She would always have him at her side and while Rhys knew that Lyllia knew that was true, he didn't shy away from reminding her. There was no denying that their path that brought them to this place had been dotted with decisions he knew could have been handled better, but it was difficult to be but so sorry when that journey had brought him here, to this moment as they waited for yet another pregnancy test to tell them their future. They still might have had their ups and downs, but Rhys knew that they would get through them as they did everything else -- together. She hummed an agreement, just letting herself enjoy the embrace and trying not to think too hard about the test on the counter. That was a difficult task, but it was better than just consistently getting her hopes up only to let them shatter. She was...tentatively hopeful, but the memories of all of the negative tests that had come before made her cautious. Even still, as she breathed him in and tried to calm her nerves with little success, Lyllia was silently counting down the minutes until it was finally the moment of truth, “Okay. Here we go…” By the time she went to reach for the pregnancy test, her hands were shaking a little. She bit the inside of her cheek as she picked it up and steeled herself as she looked down at the window. For a moment, she blinked, sure that something was wrong with her vision, but as her heart began to race she realized that it wasn’t that at all. There were just really two clear, vibrant lines. She had never seen two lines before. Tears sprang to her eyes immediately, suddenly brimming over with hope and joy that she hadn’t allowed herself to feel before even as she frantically turned it so that Rhys could see, “Oh my god. There’s two! It’s positive, Rhys! It’s...we’re...positive!” she was going through a hundred different emotions and sudden, urgent thoughts about what came next, but she reminded herself to enjoy this moment. This one, where they finally got the news that they had been so desperately hoping for. For a moment, everything stopped. Rhys had been delivered the news that he was going to be a father twice in his life. The first time was with a young woman he barely knew and had been shocking, the second was with the same woman, then his wife. Despite the complications and the state of his relationship with Elena at both points, he had been overjoyed to be given the news that he was going to be a father -- at least after the shock had worn off, in regards to Rose's appearance. This moment with Lyllia was no exception. As Lyllia's words sunk in and he leaned in, looking down at the positive result looking up at them on the test, a grin erupted across his mouth. They had been trying for what felt like forever, each month coming with disappointment, and that wait made the moment only that much sweeter. "Lylli." He met his wife's gaze, still smiling widely as he added, "It's positive." A moment later and his grin was gone, only because he was pressing his lips gently to hers. The waiting, the patience, it had all led to this moment. They were already a family under this roof, the two of them, the kids, and Brynn. But now they were going to expand it and his heart expanded at the very thought. Being a mother had been a dream of hers for a long time. She had always thought that she would like to be a mother, especially after taking on a very caring role for her nephew and niece despite not being that much older than them. Perhaps it was some part of her that was Lyanna that had always been there and she hadn’t known it. Or maybe it was just in her nature. Regardless, she had waited patiently for a long time, even when the waiting was difficult. She had been so excited when they had decided to start trying for children. Even though she knew the stress from the loss of her brother made things difficult at first, she had expected it to happen sooner. She had hoped and prayed and pleaded and searched for answers with doctors. She had known that other women had it a lot worse than she did, but she just wanted answers when there had been none. Lyllia still had no answer for why it took so long, but she would take care of herself. She would risk nothing. She loved his children, and she cared for them as though they were her own. They would always have their own mother, though. She was grateful for that. No child should ever be without their mother and Elena was a good one. She knew that things between them would probably always be tense for good reason, but they could mutually agree that they wanted what was best for the kids. For Rose and Ian, Lyllia thought they would always be a bonus to each other’s lives...family that they hadn’t expected to get. She knew that it would be a little different with her own child, though. She would not have to tip-toe around words or second guess her actions. Seeing his smile now seemed to make every difficult moment on this journey worth it. The broad smile dimpled his cheeks and crinkled his eyes at the edges. Her cheeks were damp with tears even as she smiled and pushed just a little onto her toes as he kissed her. She could have jumped around and spun in circles in her excitement, but instead, as she pulled away from the kiss, a gleeful laugh bubbled past her lips, “It’s really happening. I’m pregnant. We’re going to have a baby.” Even as she said it, the realization was strangely surreal. A laugh of his own spilled from Rhys's mouth as he leaned in and pressed several quick kisses to her face, over her cheeks and mouth. He knew that this would mean a lot of changes and that they would almost definitely be careful and cautious, between how long it had taken to finally fall pregnant and the fate of Lyanna being fresh in both their minds, but in that moment he could feel nothing but joy. They didn't know how far along Lyllianna was and he didn't even consider the possibility of this test being inaccurate. They had gone through too much, he felt. For this to be taken from them would be one thing too many. It couldn't be the case. In one swift movement, Rhys dropped to his knees in front of Lyllia, happy for the soft rugs that covered the tile floor. Though there was no indication that she was pregnant just by looking at her, he knew that would change. There was still a little person developing inside of her, one that was half him and half her. They had been waiting for this little person for so long now. They would have to keep waiting to truly meet them, but Rhys could be patient a little while more. At least this patience would walk hand in hand with excitement. Both of Rhys's hands rose to Lyllia's abdomen, his fingers gentle on her flat stomach. He felt a surge of emotion he hadn't expected, his eyes growing a bit watery as he smiled once more. Leaning in, he let his cheek press to her stomach and he released a breath. It had been a while since she had felt this kind of pure, untainted joy. She was generally a fairly happy person, but the last year had been full of trials and loss and the general unfairness of life. She had found happiness in little moments, but they’d often been colored even the tiniest bit by the circumstances going on around her that were outside of her control. Most of the time, she’d been able to push those things aside, but right now, not even the dreams lingering in the background of her mind could take this from her. They would have to be careful and prepared. It would call for some major changes in the way that Lyllia spent her days, but she had known that if she ever did get pregnant, that would be what it boiled down to. She was prepared and willing to do whatever it took to bring this baby safely into the world. As Rhys dropped to the floor in front of her, his large frame folding up with surprising grace, the laughter from the flurried kisses began to fade. Before he even touched her, Lyllia could feel the tears pressing behind her eyes. She knew that this wait had taken its toll on both of them. They had both wanted this baby desperately. She might have taken the brunt of it by virtue of her body being the one that seemingly betrayed her again and again, but Rhys had been there every step of the way. He had been unerringly optimistic even when she had just wanted to scream. He had kept her patient and his support had often been what held her together in the worst moments. As his hands touched her stomach where - someday soon - they would see changes as their baby grew, she lifted a hand to cover her mouth. There was a part of her that just wanted to collapse into sobs, a release of all of the frustration and sadness that she’d been holding onto for so long, but the tears that did come were from happiness instead. As he pressed his cheek to her stomach, she knew he wouldn’t hear anything, but maybe someday in the next few months he’d feel something. She was grateful that she had taken the test with him there this time. That way, she never really knew before he did. They found out together. She sniffled a little, her other hand going to play through his hair as he kept his cheek pressed there against her stomach, “I love you. I know we have a thousand things to do between now and next spring, but this is just...I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. I’ve been feeling…different, but I never let myself believe…” Rhys let his gaze rise, his chin tipping up as he kept his cheek pressed to Lyllia's stomach a moment longer while he looked up to her as she spoke. A small smile crept across his face, knowing that she was right. They would be starting from scratch with this whole baby business. They would need to buy clothes and toys and furniture and turn one of the rooms in the house into a nursery. They would get to buy books to let them know what to expect and also give them name after name to look at and debate over until they found the perfect one. They would have changes in their daily schedules, both now during the pregnancy and definitely after the birth. There was so much more that they had looming in their future thanks to this one huge, monumental, and fantastic change, but Rhys couldn't wait for it. He had been on this adventure before, but never with Lyllia and that made it all the more exciting. Turning his head, Rhys pressed a single kiss to Lyllia's abdomen before tipping his head back again to look up at her. He sat back on his heels, staying on the ground as he said, "We have a thousand things to do, but we have plenty of time to do it. We're partners in this, just like everything else. We'll find time for it all." Then her words sunk in, her mentioning that she was feeling different and his brows furrowed just a bit in an expression of concern. "Are you feeling okay right now? Do you need anything? Do you want to lay down again?" He was right, of course. They had plenty of time ahead of them as she didn’t think she could be that far along considering that she’d had a negative test just a few months ago. They had been partners in this life since even before he had left Elena, if they were to tell the truth. Perhaps they hadn’t known that they would end up married and having a child of their own together, but the two of them had been through a lot of good and bad moments together and they were only stronger for it. It was because they relied on one another that they were able to face trials head on and know that they would be all right on the other side. She noted when his features pinched a bit in concern, but she was quick to reassure him, “I feel fine. I’ve been really tired lately, though. I can smell everything, and I think I’m starting to feel a bit of the morning sickness because my stomach hasn’t been pleased with anything I’ve eaten in the last couple of weeks. That kind of different. So...not altogether bad. Just...pregnant. Right now, though? Right now I’m just happy. So, I think we should celebrate with ice cream and about a thousand kisses.” Rhys felt relief pool in him, though only just. He had a feeling that he'd be in a constant state of some sort of concern for his wife throughout the entirity of her pregnancy, but that wasn't too much of a shock. He had a hard enough time when she got the flu or just a cold. Still, he was familiar with those sorts of symptoms and was prepared to be as attentive a husband as ever. Pulling himself to his feet, Rhys didn't hesitate before he tugged Lyllia toward him, his arms slipping around her once more in a hug. Smiling, he pressed one quick kiss to the top of her head, then said, "Ice cream and a thousand kisses coming right up." |