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“Phil! You need to sit down. You can’t just get up and walk around.”
“I can do as I please Techno. I need to get this finished before I even think about laying down.”
“You’re in labour! The nest can wait.”
“If the nest isn’t perfect then neither will the birth. Now shut up and get me more blankets.”
Techno huffed from Phil’s request, opting to follow his orders if it meant he’ll sit down faster. It didn’t help that Phil chose to put the nest in the most cramped place possible. Not cramped for the birdman per say, but Techno could barely squeeze himself in the entryway of the walk-in closet.
Phil had constructed a makeshift barrier just inside the doors. He’d piled heavy boxes and chests full of materials that could hold up blankets and pillows to his desire. The huge Piglin could fit into the closet normally but with all the extra nesting materials, he’d be forced into the corner to give Phil enough space.
He tried to reason with Phil that he needs to make it bigger for both of them to lay down comfortably but Phil had refused. Claiming it wouldn’t feel safe enough for him or the newborn. Even now when Phil went into labour, he’s still rearranging the nest to be perfect. Having to stop every 20 or so minutes because of contractions only slowed the building speed and got Phil more irritated.
Techno returned quickly with more blankets and found Phil clutching one of his old, worn shirts. It probably reeked of the Piglin after decades of wear. Finding Phil smelling him while heavily pregnant soothed some part of Techno’s instinct. Having a mate that trusted and relied on him enough to start a family, Techno smiled at the thought of it and seeing it in person only made it better.
“I got the blankets you ordered me to find.”
“Good. Place them in the corner over there. I’ll get to them when I can time this contraction.”
“They sped up in the two minutes I was gone?”
“Pretty sure. I think it’s down to 21 minutes in between, and lasting nearly 30 seconds.”
“Won’t be too long now. I’ve been waiting months to meet this little guy,” Techno cooed while caressing Phil’s swollen stomach. Phil grabbed ahold of the hand on his stomach and brought it up to his face, giving it a gentle kiss.
“I can’t wait either.” He said before the two sat in silence, counting the minutes until the next contraction. Techno was alerted when Phil clutched onto his hand tighter and pushed his face into the piglin’s soft chest.
“That’s 21 minutes, just as you predicted.” it took a few more seconds more Phil to gain himself back from the pain and pant heavily again soft fur
“24 seconds of contractions but they’re getting more intense. I’m surprised my water hasn’t broken from just how much it hurts.”
“Honestly, I forgot your water was meant to break.” Techno chuckled, pulled Phil into his lap on a sidewards angle and started to massage his hips. “Piglin births are always fast and easy. Giving birth to clutches of 5 or 6 piglets.”
“If you’ve put more than 1 baby in me then I’m turning you into bacon,” Phil huffed. He ragdolled himself to have his back against Techno’s chest, allowing his sore muscles to be pampered. His wings and tail feathers were squished and sticking out in awkward places but it was worth it.
“Relax Phil. We don’t even know if the baby’s going to be a piglin. They could be a full blooded elytrian.”
“Your piglin genes are gonna be too strong for the little guy to look like me.”
“What do you mean? Theseus is going to be more bird than pig.”
“Hey hey! Don’t go naming them just yet. We’re not gonna name them a Greek name either. Your naming skills are awful.”
“What do you mean? My naming skills are 10/10”
“Uh huh- sure. I’m sure Floof, Steve and Carl are the best of names.”
“Better than naming a bird Brian.”
“I didn’t even name Brian, chat bugged me until I-” Phil cut himself off with a whimper. Techno held him mate gently through the contraction, he opted to look at the clock wedged in between hanging clothes to help figure out the time now.
“It’s still 21 minutes in between.”
Phil didn’t respond to techno, instead focusing on the pain that was building in between his legs. The second it washed away he was able to catch his breath. He opened his mouth to try and respond to Techno before a popping sensation distracted him. A heavy stream of liquid spilt on Phil and Techno’s lap, pooling onto the blankets beneath them.
“Was that your water breaking?”
“Seems like it. The time between contractions is gonna speed up now.”
“Little guy seems eager to come out now.”
“Ha ha-” Phil semi laughed. “Help me get out of these robes and move the soaked blankets. I don’t want to be rolling around in my own fluids while I give birth.”
Techno helped Phil onto a dry area of the nest and removed the soiled ones. He tossed them out through the entry of the nest to deal with later and grabbed the ones he brought in earlier to replace. Phil was making small grunting noises as he failed to remove his own robes, blaming his swollen body that prevented easy removal.
Techno soon helped the elytrian after fixing the nest and carefully removed his robes. He stripped himself of everything but his underwear, having realised his own pants had been soaked with the blankets. He grabbed a towel from one of the many chests Phil used to help build up the nest and wiped down Phil from any more amniotic fluid.
The two cuddled against each other again and resumed with Techno massaging aching hips and muscles. Phil’s hands would wander from rubbing his swollen abdomen to clenching onto Techno’s large hoofed hands. He was always careful of his talons but when contractions hit, he’d dig his overly sharp claws into his husband’s hand until the pain resided.
The time between contractions had only dwindled by minutes. Reaching from 21 minutes to 16 minutes. The intensity of each one had increased by tenfold. Phil could barely breathe when the pain hit him. He tried to force out light pants but would end up catching his breath like he’d been winded.
Techno helped guide him through breathing exercises and demonstrate by making Phil feel his chest rise and fall. Phil would copy the piglin as best he could before falling victim to pain and having to start again. It was a slow and long process with the couple just having to wait until Phil’s contractions were only minutes apart.
It took hours for the contractions to get close enough. Techno did his best to keep Phil breathing and on track. He gave words of encouragement and moved him around when needed. When the contractions were close enough, Phil asked to be placed down on the nest to start preparing himself to push.
Phil decided to semi lay against a section of the nest he planned out. It resembled more of a chair made of pillows and blankets than a bed or futon. Although there was a king sized mattress underneath the entire nest, laying down would likely lead to the birth being longer and possibly more painful.
Being able to sit upright would be best thanks to the help of gravity. It would also allow Techno better access to holding the baby and checking dilation. Speaking of checking dilation, Phil was due to have it checked. The time between contractions was closing in on 3 minutes.
Techno was forced to shift down into his smaller human form. His massive hooves wouldn’t be able to reach up and check Phil’s dilation. His huge piglin form slowly shifted down until nearly all of his piglin features were gone. He shook his head like a dog to get used to the unfamiliar feeling and immediately went back to attending Phil.
Phil attempted to get comfortable but nothing felt right to the elytrian. He motioned for Techno to help adjust him to a better position. His tail was pulled to the side and away, his wings were carefully laid out against the blankets. Not quite folded, not quite open. Pillows were placed in amongst his thighs and lower hips for comfort.
“I’m gonna check your progress.” Techno calmly said. He reached down to caress Phil’s inner thigh.
“Just get it done and over with.” Phil prepared himself, feeling the mild discomfort as Techno checked his dilation. It only lasted for a few seconds but Phil disliked it nonetheless.
“You’re about 7 centimetres. It won’t be too long until you need to start pushing.”
Phil nodded at Techno’s words, focusing on breathing through another contraction. Having them so close together made it harder to recover.
“I don’t think I can sit like this for long. It feels like the baby is resting on my spine. I have to lean forward.”
“Let me grab a table or something for you to lean on. I don't want to ruin the nest you worked so hard for.
Phil whined at the mention of the nest being ruined. He scanned around the room for something to help.
“There should be an empty chest behind that pile of pillows. Place it over here and cover it with pillows.”
Techno followed his mates orders to a tea. He grabbed the chest without disturbing the nest and placed it by Phil. He piled together pillows and blankets and helped Phil place himself on the soft cushioning. The elytrian adjusted just a few minor things before settling.
“Anything else you need my Angel?”
Phil groaned and swayed his hips left and right. This contraction was the worst by far. The need to push was probably just around the corner.
“I just need you. I’m gonna start pushing with the next contraction.”
Techno hummed at his husband’s request. He shifted back to his piglin form and pressed himself against Phil’s back, careful not to put any weight on him. His humming turned into a low rumble, closer to a purr than a hum. His soft fur kept Phil warm and surrounded by his mate’s scent.
Techno ran his hands up and down Phil’s sides, pressing against some tighter muscles here and there to help him relax. He scanned the room to keep note of things he’ll need. Fresh towels, water bottles, snacks, healing potions, the clock to keep time, baby blankets, even a mirror.
It wasn’t long before the contraction hit. Techno could hear the grunts and heavy pants from Phil. It was silent apart from the noises Phil was making, it was as if time had stopped for the couple.
Seconds passed slowly until the contraction ended. Phil nearly ragdolled from the strain of pushing to sudden relief. He pushed back into Techno’s chest, panting. Phil barely had any time to recover before he was pushing again. He chose to put less strength into his push and instead focus on keeping himself steady.
It was a slow and cautious process but Phil was able to keep pushing without having to worry about going lightheaded. Techno remained behind him throughout it, keeping a gentle but firm hold on Phil. He’d check occasionally on the progress before encouraging Phil to continue.
The two were eager to meet the new one already. They’d spent months preparing and panicking over them that it didn’t feel real that they’re arrival was so close. Techno had spent countless hours building and preparing the nursery. Phil had most of the design work but the two agreed to leave it open to redesign depending on the species of the baby.
Each species had their own needs and requirements. If the baby turned out more piglin, the room would need to have heaters and coarser beddings. If the baby became more elytrian, the room would be the complete opposite. Needing soft blankets and nests materials for growing wings and lofted furniture.
When the couple first discovered the pregnancy. They had been trying for some time without any progress but weren’t surprised when Phil came back positive. Preparing for the baby began immediately with research and plans being conducted over the many months it took for Phil to finally go into labour.
Watching Phil go through the pain of morning sickness, mood swings, cravings, emotional outbursts, growing pains, and many, many more side effects people go through with pregnancy. It broke Techno’s heart watching his mate suffer through something he couldn’t help with. Watching Phil struggle to birth and bring their child into life hurt Techno, something he caused and wanted.
“It’s close, Techno. I can feel it. Hand- Hand me the mirror,” Phil panted out, breaking Techno from his thoughts. He must have gone into his own head and lost track of time. He reached for the mirror that was stashed away with the other supplies. He positioned the mirror as such so Phil could see his own baby.
Phil looked down towards the mirror, awkwardly trying to look over his stomach. Looking carefully, through the blood and amniotic fluid, he could see a faint opening where the crown of his baby’s head was. He burst into tears on the realisation. That was his baby. The baby he and Techno had created together. The baby he carried for 9 months. The baby that he was birthing as they speak.
“They’re gorgeous Techno. I want to see them already. I want to know if they have a cute little snout or tiny wings.” Phil sobbed. His bird instincts were going wild over the thought of finally having his chick in his arms.
“I know Angel. I know. We won’t be able to see them until you push them out. You're so close to seeing them.”
Phil nodded and wiped away his tears. His baby was so close and he wasn’t giving up yet. He waited for the next contraction before continuing with pushing. A burning sensation crept through his legs. He could feel the pressure of the baby passing through him, stretching his insides.
“I can feel the baby’s head now. Just a few more pushes and the head should be free.”
Chirps and warbles came from elytrian. The pain and excitement overtook his rational thinking. His eyes flickered down to the mirror beneath to watch the progress. His baby is almost there. He barely remembers feeling the head pop out. A buildup of pain and what felt like fire between his legs to a heavy weight slipping free.
Techno was careful to hold the baby’s head, supporting it through the awkward pass. He checked for any cord around the neck and found nothing.
“There’s no cord. You’re clear to continue. You’re up to the toughest part now Angel.”
Phil whines from Techno’s words. So close. So close to seeing his baby. He reached down, following along Techno’s arm to feel the top of his baby’s head. Through blood and other fluids he could feel the tiny wisps of hair and fluffy ears. His baby was right there, halfway out into the world.
The feeling of his baby being so close brought more determination. He adjusted his knees to be further apart and clutched onto Techno for support. He took deep heavy breaths before the next contraction hit him. Phil made it through steady pushing before a strike of pain shot up through his spine.
Phil hissed in pain and adjusted himself again to see if it was just the pain of pushing out the shoulders. He waited for the next contraction before the same pain sprung up. Phil cried out in pain, gesturing to Techno.
“Somethings wrong. Techno! Something’s wrong with the baby. I think they’re stuck. They’re stuck Techno,” Phil cried out. Tears were building up and spilling down his face.
“It’s alright Phil. I’m gonna check but I need you to lay down. Can you do that for me Angel?”
Phil burst out in ‘okays’ and plea’s. Something was definitely wrong, the pain kept growing even if Phil wasn’t pushing. He cooed for Techno to help him down. Techno held onto Phil with one hand while supporting the baby’s head with the other. It was a rough and fast paced landing but Phil was able to lay down on his back.
Techno shifted back down into his human form for better access and got to work. He grabbed clean towels from the side to wipe down the excess blood and fluids and gently check around the entrance. He could see the baby clearly, but at this angle he could notice the brown hairs and fluffy ears that Phil must have felt earlier.
Seeing as the baby had no piglin features on their head, Techno assumed that there would be more elytrian features across the body. The ears resembled more featherlike and Techno hoped his suspensions were true. He wanted the baby to resemble Phil more.
“I’m going to reach my fingers in to check if anything is stuck. It’s going to feel uncomfortable but it’ll help ease the pain.”
Phil responded in copious noises and plea’s for Techno to hurry up. The piglin hurried his movement and reached inside Phil, having a finger or two poking around the smooth body of the baby. He could feel a soft chest and shoulders but when he reached around to the back, he could feel a tiny extra set of limbs.
Techno gasped at the realisation of what he was feeling.
Their baby- the baby that Phil and Techno had created together, will be born with wings. Tiny little wings that will grow to fit its body. Wings that Phil will have to teach them to use. Tiny wings that were caught just at the edge of Phil’s vaginal walls.
The limbs were stuck in a way that was slowly tearing Phil’s insides. Phil won’t be able to push the baby out without causing more tearing in the process. Techno focused himself on trying to free the limbs, slowly pushing and sliding the featherless limbs along until it popped free with the head.
Techno was able to free the first limb up easy enough. The second one was causing a problem. It’s what caused the most amount of the tear and prevented the entire baby from being able to be pushed out. Techno quickly tried to manoeuvre the wing so it would less pain but everytime it moved, Phil would hiss and cry from the pain.
“I won’t be able to get the baby unstuck. You’re gonna have to push while I hold them in place. You’re gonna tear but it’ll be worth it. Our baby is so close, Phil. I’m holding them so gently in my hands as I speak.”
Phil pants through the explanation, listening carefully when the promise of his baby was so close. He focused on Techno’s guided hands as the baby was able to push through again. The pain was getting to Phil. The energy and effort was draining from his body but he wanted to meet his baby.
Phil continued to push, despite the immense amount of pain that his body was put through. Techno eased him as each contraction hit, sliding the baby’s shoulders out and pressed the remaining wing tight against the little one’s body to slip with it. The rest slipped out with ease and Techno was now holding his newborn in his arms.
He gawked at the tiny thing in his arms before he remembered the procedure. Techno held the baby in one arm while he used the other to rub careful circles on their chest, glancing at the clock to note the time.. It took a few seconds for the baby to respond but they eventually let out small wales and whimpers.
Phil looked towards the new sound, seeing Techno holding their baby. He looked stunning. His dishevelled pink hair from shifting to his human form, the blood caking his arms and chest from the newborn. The baby looked absolutely tiny in his arms, he could imagine what they would look like in Techno’s piglin form.
Techno noticed his mate watching him, seeing the tiny baby in his arms. He smiled down towards Phil and grabbed the towels he brought over prior, wiping the baby from blood and amniotic fluids. The baby fussed and wiggled in his arms at the odd feelings but Techno finished quickly and passed them down onto Phil’s chest.
“We’ve got a little chick, Phil. A little boy too.”
“They’re perfect Techno. He’s perfect,” Phil cooed, watching as his son settled down on top of him. Months of waiting for this moment. The moment of holding his child. Phil could touch and feel the warmth of the person he created, feel his tiny hands and talons. Feel the tiny, featherless wings on his son’s back.
“He’s so small. So small I could barely see him in your arms. What are we gonna name him?”
“I think that's for you to decide Phil. You went through so much pain to bring him here. You should be the one to name him.” Techno humbled the poor elytrian, giving him time to think over while he cleaned up the mess made.
He shifted back towards his piglin form for comfort and grabbed towels and the healing potion. The placenta would be forced to come out in the next few minutes but Techno wanted Phil to be relieved of most of the pain. He poured the healing potion onto a spare towel and dabbed it onto some of the worse wounds and tears, stopping any major blood flows. Phil would probably have to recover from blood loss over the coming days.
“I’m going out to grab the med kit. You got some bad tears from the little guy. The blood flow should stop by the time I come back.”
“That’s alright mate. I’ll be here with our son.”
The two smiled from the use of that word. Techno gave a snouted kiss to Phil before heading out the nest. Phil remained inside, cuddling his child. He couldn’t stop stroking the little guy, finally happy to have him out in the world instead of cramped inside of his womb.
“You’ve given me a hard time. Months of pregnancy full of morning sickness and weird cravings. You gave Techno and I many scares before you decided to come out.”
Phil chuckled at the memory with Techno worrying over him. The piglin was more worried about Phil than he was of himself. It took ours for the brute to calm down enough for Phil to tell him it was a false alarm.
“I was so convinced you would be a piglin I didn’t think of any elytrian names. Maybe you seem more like a Hugo? Or what about.. Sebastian?”
The baby fussed at Phil’s name suggesting, digging his face further into his father’s chest and crying.
“Definitely not Sebsatian then. What about something more traditional? Dave is a good name. I call everything Dave. Naming my own son Dave seems ironic. William is close to a traditional name.”
The newborn stopped fussing for a second, tilting his head to look up. Phil watched as his son’s eyes opened for the first time, giant deep brown eyes stared back at Phil’s blue ones. They looked almost identical to Techno’s without the red tinge.
“You like William?” Phil asked, bringing a finger to caress his baby’s cheek. His son let out a small chirp and reached to take the finger in his mouth. “Hungry, aren’t you? You need to wait baby. I want Techno back before I can feed you.”
“You don’t need to wait for me,” Techno called as he entered the nest, placing the med kit off to the side. “You decided on the little guy’s name?”
“I have. He almost named himself. He liked the name William.” Phil chirped back to his son, allowing him to temporarily suck on the knuckle of his talon.
“William.” Techno tested the name, liking how it sounded. “It sounds very similar to a traditional piglin name now that I think about it. Wimboar. It’s meant to mean a brave heart through struggle.”
Their son chirped louder from the new name. He dropped Phil’s finger to chirp and coo at his parents. The two responded with their own noises.
“I guess he likes Wimboar even more. We can combine the same to be Wilbur.”
“It sounds beautiful Phil. Is it alright if I hold him? I need to cut the umbilical cord before the placenta arrives. I’ll clean the nest once I’m done and let you rest.”
“That sounds wonderful Techno. I can’t thank you enough for helping me through this.”
The piglin rumbled from his mate’s praise, nudging his snout against Phil’s cheek as a clear thank you. Techno lifted up Wilbur and settled him in his fur. Wilbur chirped at the soft and different feeling. Techno continued his deep hums and purrs to calm the chick down.
He was careful to adjust Wilbur in a way he could access the cord, clamping it off before grabbing medical scissors from the med kit. The curt was swift and simple. Taping off Wilbur’s bellybutton to prevent anything from getting into the open wound.
The couple were once again together in peaceful silence waiting for contractions to hit. The difference was this one wasn’t full of anxious waiting and anticipation. This time it was full of love and peace from the arrival of the new family member.
Phil waited patiently for the placenta to be removed. It came out much faster than he thought it would and definitely much faster than Wilbur did. Techno was quick to dispose of it, deciding that eating it would be the best method.
“That’s disgusting Techno.” Phil comments. Techno huffed at the elytrian’s grossed out face.
“I’m not letting a good source of nutrients waste away. It’s not like you were gonna eat it. Now get up, WIlbur will need to be fed now.”
Techno helped Phil crawl over the nest into a more dry spot, avoiding the pool of blood or other fluids surrounding them. Phil was propped up slightly on the wall of the nest, just sitting upright enough to be considered sitting but allowing Techno to access between his legs to prepare stitches.
Wilbur was handed back to Phil and immediately attached himself to one of his nipples. Phil warbled at the strange feeling but gave Wilbur peace as he fed. Techno got back to the medkit and prepared the stitching needle.
He shifted back into human first to be smaller and got down to stitching tears within Phil. The blood flow had already stopped thanks to the healing potion but proper medical attention was needed. The two had done countless stitches for one another. Being in wars does that.
Techno was done with the stitching quickly and opted to clean the nest up. Dried blood would stink up the place and hide any scents the couple would want to register with the baby. Techno grabbed ahold of all the dirtied blankets he could manage and dropped them down by the others he disposed of to deal with soon.
The piglin returned to the nest quickly and found Phil dozing off. Wilbur was still firmly attached to his chest and feasting away. Techno chuckled at the sight, allowing Phil this peace to himself. He cuddled in beside them, pulling them against his now piglin form.
“Don-don’t worry about me Techno. I’m still - *Yawn* - awake.”
“Get some rest Phil. It’s going to take more than an hour for you to fully recover. I can look after Wilbur while you sleep.”
Phil let himself slump over his husband, exhausting catching up to him.
“I love you Techno,” He mumbled before passing out.
“I love you too Phil.”
The piglin watched Phil rest for a short while, keeping an eye on Wilbur at the same time. The chick would immediately pass from after being fed and Techno would be able to measure and weigh him appropriately. Techno grabbed a notebook and pencil he stashed away earlier and remembered to write down the time he mentally noted.
He wrote down the time Wilbur was born directly underneath a time stamp that was previously written. It was the time that Phil first suspected he started going into labour the day prior. That totalled 19 hours of labour with only 7 of them being active labour. He wrote down additional notes of what happened during the birth.
Techno continued writing down notes, adding details here and there when he remembered. He went on until the quiet suckling sound stopped and Wilbur went to sleep. The piglin was careful to sit back by Phil and released Wilbur from his grasp. The newborn was tiny in his hands, barely fitting across the length of both his hands.
Wilbur fused slightly from being disturbed, flailing his arms. Techno gave a purring sound to settle the baby, placing him on one of the many oversized pillows for warmth. Wilbur gave a tiny chirp and fell back asleep. The piglin left the nest again, grabbing needed stuff here and there so he could take down more notes of Wilbur.
He grabbed a measuring tape, weight system and nappy towels. Returning to the nest was quick and quiet, placing all the stuff off to the side and Techno checked on Wilbur. His son was still sleeping away on the pillow. Techno was careful to grab the measuring tape and take down notes of Wilbur’s diameters and lengths.
There was fussing here and there but Wilbur remained asleep for most of the ordeal. He only made a small cry when Techno had to stretch out his legs to full length. Techno noticed how his feet had no claws to them. He made a mental note to ask Phil about that later. There were other noticeable things about Wilbur.
His ears, underneath the tiny fuzz of feathers, was pointed. They resembled human or elf ears compared to a piglin or elytrian’s. His wings looked close to chicken wings and Techno held back a laugh from that. Something that concerned Techno, was the lack of tail or even tail bump.
Phil had told Techno about how his tail feathers work. They weren’t directly growing from his tail bone like Techno’s was. Instead there was a small bump that Phil could easily wiggly and control the feathers. Although he’s never seen the bump bould, Techno assumed it would be visible on a newborn.
Techno made another mental note to ask Phil about that as well. There were many more things to learn about Elytrians now. Techno smiled from picturing Phil lecturing him about the proper care attention WIlbur will need. He’d probably get side tracked and start talking about how he grew up.
Techno let himself get lost in thought. Auto piloting the rest of the measurements and writing down notes. He finished up without any hurry and attended to his sleeping husband. He cleaned up and wiped away any more dry blood or sweat and adjusted him to lay down more comfortably over the pillows.
Phil’s wings would need to be preened the moment he wakes up. Feathers were displaced and crushed throughout and Techno knew it brought a lot of discomfort. The piglin did his best to realign and fix some of the feathers he could access but he wouldn’t be able to help Phil without full access.
More blankets and pillows surrounded Phil as Techno slowly tucked him in, keeping most the pillows around his hips. Once Phil looked sufficiently surrounded from fluff, Techno grabbed Wilbur and placed him back on his father’s chest for body warmth. A final baby blanket was placed over the two to ensure they would be warm.
Techno admired his work and loving family, giving the two a snouted kiss. He crawled in beside as best he could in the cramped space and wrapped an arm underneath the pillows where Phil’s head layed. He snuggled closer, careful not to ruin the fort he’s made, and draped a hand over to cradle Wilbur. Techno gave a snort into Phil’s hair and fell asleep with his family.