You will come of age with our young nation

by Beanenigma

Summary:

The enormity of what Bryce was saying hit him just then. A father. He was going to be a parent, like his mother had been to him. He would hold his child up in the air and tell them to flap their wings to encourage the right muscles to form. And he’d brush their wings until all the fluff came out and help them through the itch when it was time for the flying feathers to grow at last.
He’d never, in his wildest dreams, let himself imagine that.
But now he could see it. A baby with Bryce’s red hair and slightly pointed ears and wings like his, running through the house after Syrinx and playing under the tables at the library. He could see mornings in the playground and game nights at his in-laws. And he could tuck his child in at night knowing they’d never have to give up any of their power. That no one would make them afraid, would threaten their freedom, their safety. That he could make it so. That his mate would make it so.

Chapter 1

There was something bothering Hunt Athalar and he couldn’t put his finger on what it was.

Usually, very little got to him in these early mornings, when his mate was still fast asleep in his arms, her scent all over him from another late night of earth-shattering sex. There, nothing could reach him. But this feeling had been building up for the last few days now, that something was out of place. 

Noticing he was awake, Syrinx moved from the spot between Hunt’s and Bryce’s legs to press his snout against Hunt’s back to nudge him out of bed. The angel chuckled and tried pushing the chimera away, but it was no use. Nothing got in the way of Syrinx and his bacon. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming.” Kissing Bryce’s forehead, he sat up. The chimera immediately jumped off the bed, running to the kitchen making growls of delight. 

Hunt chuckled again. It had been years and yet he felt like he’d never get tired of it. The normality of it all. The homeyness. Having a routine that never felt stifling. That he looked forward to. 

There was already someone in his kitchen when he got there, rooting through the fridge. 

“We’re not your grocery store, Danaan,” Hunt said as a greeting, dumping the kibble Syrinx was sure to ignore down on the chimera’s bowl. 

Ruhn pulled back with a slice of cheese hanging from his mouth and a carton of milk in his hand. 

“You married my sister. Least you can do for me is let me borrow some milk.” 

“And apparently, coffee machine too,” Hunt said, pointing at the working machine. “Get me some bacon and eggs while you’re at it.” 

Ruhn put the ingredients on the table and kept working on the coffee as Hunt friend the bacon, then the eggs. This wasn’t uncommon, though Ruhn knew it was a risk to come up there that early in the morning. 

“Lidia still out?” Hunt asked, paying Syrinx the bacon tax. 

Ruhn nodded. 

“Her and the kids are flying pegasi back in Avallen while I’m stuck here babysitting the senators. Lucky bastards.” 

“Well, at least you get breakfast on the house,” Hunt teased, placing three plates down. 

“Bryce not up yet? Usually the smell of coffee does it,” Ruhn commented, sitting down to eat. 

“Let her sleep.” 

Worrying too outright got him called an alphahole, so he tried not to be obvious about it. But Bryce was always working. At the library or Avallen or the Senate or the Aux or even the Theatre… letting her sleep was the only way he found to slow her down, at least a bit. 

She had been looking more tired than usual the past few weeks. 

“I’m awake!” Bryce assured them from her room down the hall. The light snoring that followed showed them it wasn’t quite so. 

The boys finished their meal in companiable silence and Ruhn thanked him and said good-bye once he was done with the dishes. They’d meet later at the Aux meeting anyway. Finally, once Hunt finished the rest of the clean-up and Syrinx was already anxiously waiting for his walk by the door, Bryce emerged from their room, stretching her arms and yawning. 

“Ruhn still here?” 

“Nope. Gone. He wanted to wait for you, but he got bored.” 

Hunt took her in his arms and she rubbed her bed-warm face against his chest, breathing him in. 

“Too bad. Poor thing is a wreck when Lidia’s not home. At least we’re not that bad, are we?” 

“We’re worse,” he said with a smile. 

Bryce huffed.

“You’re probably right. Why don’t you put on a sexy little pair of shorts while I finish this and we’ll go for our R-U-N?” 

Syrinx squinted, as if he could feel they were discussing the upcoming walk. 

“I can take him if you want. Why don’t you stay in and rest a bit more?” 

She shook her head and sighed. 

“Need to get back into training. All of this other stuff happening got me slacking and it’s going all down to my hips. I feel huge.” 

“You’re perfect.” 

She smiled lazily, climbing into the stool by the kitchen island, opening her legs so he could fit between them. Her arms went around his waist. 

“Say it again?” 

Hunt leaned down to kiss her temple, her cheek, her neck. 

“You’re perfect, Bryce Quinlan,” he murmured against her skin, hands hitching up his t-shirt that she used as a sleepshirt. She was pantyless and her scent hi him all at once and he had to keep himself from moaning. Instead, his hands cupped her ass. “Each day more.” 

Her smile turned languid as she melted against his arms. 

“While staying home does sound nice, I also want to make a run for pads. My cycle is due any day now. Hence being bloated. And sleepy, I think.” 

“Is it?” He asked, trying to gauge when her last one had been. Though it had been bad painwise, she’d become a horndog and they’d made a mess out of the sheets. Had to get new ones. 

“Should be. And though I find the thought of the Umbra Mortis buying me pads hilarious , I’m very particular about them.” 

“I know.” He kissed her one more time, just because he could. Because he was here, in this future, with her and they were talking about buying pads. 

“Alright. I’ll go change. See you in a bit.” 

She smiled innocently as he turned around to leave, but did not let him go too far without a slap to the ass and a devilish giggle. 

Hunt just shook his head. He was a lucky bastard indeed. 

 

They changed. They ran. They made a stop for pads and chocolate and milk (Ruhn had finished theirs). Syrinx made friends with a grumpy griffin and they had to carry him a part of the way back so the griffin and her owner could go home. 

They showered (together) for longer than strictly necessary and then changed. Mornings at the library were calm, with just the usual crowds of professors that came every other day, eager for the knowledge these ancient books had. Most of the excitement came from the sprites getting into discussions about who should be with who in the new reality show they were obsessed with that week. 

Hunt and Bryce left them in charge for lunch, then headed to the Aux meeting. 

“Are you okay?” Bryce asked as they walked, hand in hand. People still stared even now, but he’d gotten used to it over the years. It was hardly ever a malicious stare now. It was mostly curiosity. What did the Fae Queen who ended all monarchies and the Umbra Mortis talked about on their way to their errands? 

“Me? Yeah. Why?” 

“You seem worried. Did something happen with Ruhn this morning?” 

He shook his head. 

“Not really. It’s just… I’ve been getting this weird feeling the past couple of days. Like I’m forgetting something… or ignoring something I shouldn’t.”

“That’s called anxiety, Athalar,” she teased, but there was worry in her eyes. 

“I guess it might be.” 

Anxiety hadn’t been a problem for him in a long time. During his career, he’d managed it alright. Once he was with Bryce, it got worse, especially after all they’d been through. He’d never had this much to lose before. But nothing had triggered it in a long time.

“Do… you want to talk about?” Bryce asked. 

“Not sure there’s anything to talk about. Like I said, I’m not sure where it’s coming from. It’s more of a feeling than a thought.” 

She nodded and squeezed his hand, a silent promise that she was there if he needed her. And he knew. By Urd, he knew, and he was so so thankful to have her. 

 

Ruhn was in his second coffee of the day when they met him just outside of the conference room. 

“Hey, how did it go on the senate vote?” Bryce asked as a greeting.

Ruhn’s face told them all about it. Hunt chuckled. 

“They didn’t hit each other with rocks and branches, so we’re making great strides towards peace. Are you sure you can’t just suck it up and be queen?” 

“Sorry, that ship has sailed,” Bryce shrugged and hugged him before going inside the room. 

Hunt was about to follow her when he noticed the look on Ruhn’s face. He was looking after Bryce, his brow furrowed. 

“What?” Hunt asked him. 

He looked at Hunt like he forgot he was there and blinked. 

“Does anyone else know yet?” He said, lowering his voice. 

“Know what?” Hunt pressed. 

Ruhn quieted, his eyebrows rising a bit. 

“You don’t know.” 

“Danaan, speak, I swear to…” 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to—” 

Ithan Holstrom chose this moment to walk in, clap both of them on the shoulder and lead them inside the room, asking if they saw the sunball game of the previous night. 

 

“Stop glaring at my brother, you’re being weird,” Bryce murmured to him halfway through the meeting, while Hypaxia was presenting the advancements they had managed to do with clearing the water sources of the parasite. 

“He’s being weird,” Hunt snapped back, though his brother-in-law seemed to be doing his very best to not be looking at them. 

It seemed, however, like he was the only one. Flynn, Declan and Ithan all kept looking at Bryce from time to time, as if looking for something. Should he be looking too? He turned to her, with his gut twisting inside of him. Does anyone else know yet? You don’t know . What didn’t he know? Was something wrong? Was she in danger? 

He put a piece of her hair behind her ear and let his hand rest on her shoulder. With her eyes trained on Hypaxia, her hand came to rest on top of his. She seemed fine. Healthy. Even if she had been tired, it was probably her cycle, like she said. 

Look, Ruhn said in his mind, when Hunt went back to glaring at him. I’m not trained for what to do in this situation. Usually I’d just let this run its course until you find out on your own, but because people will probably start noticing and it’s better for you to stay ahead of the game, just talk to Hypaxia before you leave, alright?

Is she sick? He shot back right away, before the connection could be cut. 

No. Nothing of the sort. Just talk to Hypaxia. She’ll be nicer about it than me. 

 

Once the meeting was finally over – Hunt thought he might rip his own skin off while Ithan talked about the wolves and the training of their new powers – the others quickly vacated the room, probably alerted by Ruhn. Bryce closed down her notebook and was ready to get up when Hypaxia stopped her. 

“Bryce, Hunt… would you two come with me to the lab? There’s something I’d like to run by you if that’s okay.” 

Bryce checked her watch. 

“We have dinner at my parents tonight… But I think we have an hour to spare.”

“That’ll be more than enough.” 

They followed her out of the room, then out of the building. Her lab wasn’t far from there. Redner Industries had allowed her a large space in their new facility and she’d been more than happy to have a lab away from her House. Somewhere she could go where the bickering of reapers and vampires wouldn’t follow. 

As they walked, Hunt kept his eyes on Bryce, even if she kept catching him and raising her eyebrow as if to ask what is with you today? 

They went through the turnstiles and up the elevator, getting down on a floor he didn’t recognize. 

“This isn’t your lab,” Hunt said. 

“No. This one will be better suited for today. This way.” Hypaxia led them through a hallway filled with labs and turned into what seemed like white sterile exam room. She indicated a couple of chairs on one side of the table and sat on the other, turning on the computer. “Your brother asked me to take a look at you.” 

“Ruhn?” Bryce asked, sitting down. Hunt remained behind her chair, arms crossed. In the small room, he felt crowded and uncomfortable. She sighed and shook her head. “You know he means well, but these boys are just obsessed. I feel fine.” 

“He said your scent seems to have shifted. Now, there’s a couple of things that could have caused it…” 

Hunt looked down at his mate, breathing in. Yes, that was it! That was what was bothering him! Her scent had changed. It had happened so slowly and he’d been so immersed in it he hadn’t noticed it. Could it be bad? Could his inability to figure it out have hurt her? All the others seemed to have noticed earlier today. You don’t know, Ruhn had said, looking surprised. People will probably start noticing and it’s better for you to stay ahead of the game.

“Well… it’s possible,” Bryce said. He jumped back into the conversation, wondering what he’d lost. His hands were over her shoulders, her hands over them. “Would it be detectable by scent already?” 

“Maybe in a world before the antidote, no. But now we’re still figuring out what people are able to do. If you want to find out, we can just do a blood test and know for sure.” 

“Yes,” Hunt said, though Bryce hesitated. She looked up at him, biting the inside of her mouth. “It’s better to know, isn’t it?” 

“I guess…” She murmured. Finally, she nodded to Hypaxia. 

 

The whole affair took a couple of minutes. One vial of blood and they were good to go. 

“I’ll text you the results if you’re in a rush,” the witch said. “They should be ready within the hour. If it’s not that, we’ll explore other options.” 

And five minutes later they were standing outside, hand in hand and the sun felt a little too bright, the people a bit too loud and the world a bit too empty. 

“Fly home?” Hunt offered. Bryce seemed lost in thought, so she nodded and let him pick her up and take off into the sky. She kept her arms around his neck and her eyes were lost in the horizon. 

He touched down on their rooftop area and put her down, but she didn’t move. They stood there for a moment. He held her face between his hands and kissed her. She closed her eyes, but he could feel her heart wasn’t in it. Hunt pulled back, waiting. 

“It’s just a lot, isn’t it?” She murmured. “One minute, you’re buying pads, the other…” 

“Breathe,” he told her. 

Bryce nodded and took a deep breath.

“Right. You’re right. Let’s just wait for the result.” 

She turned to go inside. But before he could follow her, she turned back, looking up at him. 

“Would you be too disappointed if… if it isn’t?” She bit the tip of her thumb and he was probably crazy to think it was cute she was so worried. It was rare for something to affect her this much. 

“No, I won’t be disappointed. I just want you to be alright.” he said, placing her wine red hair behind her slightly pointed ears. “Will you be disappointed?” 

She took another deep breath and shrugged. 

“Maybe?” She giggled. “I think a little, yeah.” 

“Never knew you’d be so excited for it.” 

“Neither did I.” She looked around at the city they’d watched change before their eyes. That they’d enacted change upon. That they worked everyday to make it better for the people that would succeed them. “It just… it’d feel right, wouldn’t it? If we did all of this and now we’ll get to…” 

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Both of them froze. They stood there, looking into each other’s eyes, barely breathing in what might be the last minute before they knew. 

“You look at it,” Bryce whispered. 

Hunt fished the phone out of her back pocket. He didn’t even have to unlock the phone. Over the home screen that showed them at the last sunball match they’d attended, was Hypaxia’s text, clear for the whole world to see. 

The test is positive. You are pregnant. 

Chapter 2

They stand, shell-shocked, holding each other, until the sun comes down over the horizon. 

“Should we cancel with your parents?” Hunt whispers. 

“Shit. My parents.” Bryce finally starts moving, walking inside the apartment. She looks around as if she’d never been there until she finds the bedroom and starts rummaging through her closet to find something to wear. When Hunt comes to find her, she’s pacing in front of the full-length mirror. “Should I tell them? They won’t be able to sniff it on me, right? So, in theory, I could…” 

Hunt sat down on the bed. He was still hung up on the fact he hadn’t been able to scent it. That was, he had , he just didn’t know that scent had meant pregnant . He hadn’t exactly had any experience with pregnant women before. 

“Do you… want to hide it from them?” 

She huffed, pulling out her pants and shirt and trying on a dress. 

“No? Maybe! You know how mom gets. I don’t want her to find out from someone else if people are scenting it on me. What if they want to move here until…” She looked at herself in the mirror and shook her head, taking the dress off and going for another. “Or worse, what if they want us to move there? I can’t go to Nidaros. I have things to do here. I’m gonna get sick without all the air pollution…” 

Bryce looked at the new outfit again. Much like the last one, she looked fantastic, but she took it out anyway and let out a frustrated growl. Hunt got up and stopped her frantic searching, holding her hands and bringing them to his lips. 

“Bryce. Breathe.” 

She did. Once. Then twice. She looked at herself in the mirror in her underwear and her hand came to rest right under her belly before she looked at him. 

“We’re having a baby, ” she murmured. 

“I know,” he said, letting a smile take over his face.

“A full-on child. With thoughts. And opinions,” she continued, as if he hadn’t heard her the first time.

“I know.” 

“Oh, Urd, I hope they like pegasi, or it will break my heart.” 

His arms went around her waist and hers did the same around his. He could hear her heart thundering inside her chest. Hunt kissed the top of her head, hugging her a little tighter. 

“Get dressed. I’ll tell your mom we’ll be a little late. Tell her. She’ll know what to say. She’s been where you’ve been.” He held her face in his and was surprised to find tears in her eyes. “Are you okay?” 

She nodded, sniffing. 

“Just freaking out a bit. How are you hanging on?” 

Hunt could do nothing but smile. 

“I think I need a reality check to get this giddy smile off my face. Maybe I won’t feel that way once I hear all the crying and change all those diapers, but right now…” 

Bryce smiled too, her look turning dreamily. 

“Are you happy, then?” 

He nodded, hugging her closer and slowly shifting them in place like they were slow dancing to no music. 

“So happy.” 

She laughed and he could have bathed in the sound. 

“Well… I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about it.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah.”  

They fell silent for a moment. 

“And what did you think about it?” Hunt asked, fingers rubbing circles around her waist. 

“That our baby will have wings,” she said, biting her lower lip. “And you’ll teach them how to fly.” 

The enormity of what she was saying hit him just then. A father. He was going to be a parent, like his mother had been to him. He would hold his child up in the air and tell them to flap their wings to encourage the right muscles to form. And he’d brush their wings until all the fluff came out and help them through the itch when it was time for the flying feathers to grow at last. 

He’d never, in his wildest dreams, let himself imagine that.

But now he could see it. A baby with Bryce’s red hair and slightly pointed ears and wings like his, running through the house after Syrinx and playing under the tables at the library. He could see mornings in the playground and game nights at his in-laws. And he could tuck his child in at night knowing they’d never have to give up any of their power. That no one would make them afraid, would threaten their freedom, their safety. That he could make it so. That his mate would make it so. 

“Oh, no. No, don’t cry or I’ll start too…” Bryce said, her voice already trembling as she rushed to kiss his tears away from his face. He giggled through the wave of emotion and she laughed too and they must look absolutely insane: her half naked, him crying and the both of them laughing. She put her arms around his neck, hugging him tight. “I never thought I’d get to a place where I’d feel safe to do this. To want to do this. I thought… with all my father did to my mom, that I’d never be able to trust someone like this. But you… you make me feel like this is natural. You know?” 

He nodded against her neck, holding her close. 

“I love you… so much, Bryce.” He said, working through the knot in his throat. “Thank you for… all the gifts you’ve given me. And now for this one and all the ones that will come with it. I’ll… I’ll always do my best to be worthy of them.” 

Bryce kissed his cheek, his temple, his nose until he had to laugh again. 

“You already are, sweetheart.” 

 

They could only hope their faces were no longer swollen when they showed up at Ember Quinlan’s door two hours late. 

She was not happy about the incident, complaining about the food being cold as they walked inside and analyzing them under a watchful eye.

“What was the hold up after all?” She asked as they took off their scarves and hats and hung them next to the door.

“After dinner,” Bryce promised, squeezing her mom’s hand and walking further inside the house. 

Ember turned to Hunt, hands on her hips, demanding an explanation. 

“It will be worth the wait,” he promised. 

She sighed, hugging him sideways. He was quick to return the hug. After all these years, he’d gotten used to the Quinlan household’s easy love and physical touches. 

“As long as it’s not another mandatory vacation to another dimension,” she teased, walking further inside the house. “Although Nesta and Cassian were never late for dinner, so… I’m just saying.” 

He laughed as he followed his mother-in-law inside. 

 

Cooper was asking a million questions a minute about the sunball game from the previous night, which didn’t let Hunt snoop in Bryce’s conversation with her mother most of the night. Though nothing felt different about it outright. Bryce asked about what was happening out here, Ember told her bits of gossip about her old high-school friends, about the city council and about the clients she got at the pottery studio. 

Now he knew though, he could see how his mate was introspective all through the night. Though she was smiling and nodding all through the night at the right moments, her look was distant, as if she was still inside their room, dancing with him in front of the mirror. 

Or maybe he was just projecting. 

There was so much to figure out still. So many questions he wanted to ask. Did they have to change their diet? Their routine? Could she keep teleporting? Could they keep flying together? What about magic usage? The alternative to first light were so new… could any of them be dangerous to the baby? Could they have sex during the pregnancy? 

“You two are very quiet tonight,” Randall said once Cooper finally stopped grilling him and started showing Bryce his pictures of the last match she’d missed. He wanted her to tell Ithan he had gotten the same number he used to play as on purpose. “Anything to do with the delay earlier today?”.  

Hunt nodded. 

“There are… news. I’m waiting for Bryce to find the right time.” 

Randall, ever the fighter, rose an eyebrow. 

“Anything we should be ready for?”

Hunt smiled. Now he saw what Ruhn was trying to tell him that morning, but couldn’t find the words to do. 

“Yes. But not in the way that you think.” 

 

Once they ate and Hunt helped with the dishes under strong reprimands from Ember to just leave it there!, they all moved to the living room couches. Bryce asked her mom not to turn the TV just yet. 

“You’re not leaving already, are you?” Ember said, carefully. 

“No. We just… have something to share…” Bryce answered, holding his hand. “The reason why we were late today was because we got some news that we were… digesting before coming.” 

Ember and Randall traded a look and Cooper just looked at them expectedly. 

“I’m… pregnant,” she said, as matter-of-factly as she could. “We… just found out. Today. I haven’t even looked at what the entire e-mail says yet because I’m so nervous but… there it is.” 

The room was frozen for a minute. Hunt feared, if only for a second, that the news wouldn’t be well received. 

Then, the house erupted in cheers. And Ember was crying and hugging Bryce, then Bryce was crying. Randall was hugging Hunt and then he was hugging Bryce and Ember and Cooper was hugging him. At some point, they were all hugging Bryce together and Hunt knew he shouldn’t have worried. 

It was still so new and so fragile and there was so much they still needed to figure out… but they had their family. And that was more than enough. 

Notes:

I was waiting for a comment to post the second chapter but uh
here it is anyway

Chapter 3

“Do we want to know the sex?” 

Bryce asked when they were lying in their bed at night. Syrinx was snoring in his usual spot between their legs. 

“I’d like to know,” Hunt replied. 

“Trick question. Of course we do. I hate surprises.” She took a deep breath and tapped her fingers over her belly, then thought better of it and pulled her hand away. “They’ll probably be huge if you’re any indication.” 

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” he said, smiling. 

“I wonder if I can have a natural birth if it’s that big. Not a big fan of medwitches cutting me open, but if that’s what it takes…” 

Hunt took her hand and intertwined their fingers, bringing it to his face. 

“I’ll be with you every step of the way, I promise. No unnecessary cutting.” 

Bryce sighed. 

“You make me the nicest promises.” 

He chuckled, moving over so she could lay on his chest. She fit there perfectly and closed her eyes. 

“We’ll probably have to tell your brother officially.” 

“Or… we let him suffer for not telling me he was scenting it in me like a normal person,” she said with a diabolical smile. 

“He tried to tell me, I think.” His free hand traveled through her hair. “He was surprised I didn’t know… I guess I didn’t recognize the scent in you. I rarely have been near pregnant women for too long.” 

There was more to it than that. He’d never had a family. Sisters, cousins, aunts. Even his friends had always been soldiers, warriors, slaves, unable to just… lay like this. Love like this. 

What if there was more he would miss because he was built the way he was? 

“So we let him suffer only for a little bit,” Bryce decided. “You did feel something was up. You just couldn’t name it. You’ll get it next time.” 

He chuckled, raising one eyebrow. 

“Oh, there will be other times?” 

“Probably. Mom said babies call other babies. I bet on Sathia and Tharion to be next. Those two fuck like bunnies.” 

He laughed and hugged her closer, burying his nose on her hair. He closed his eyes, allowing himself to dream of himself, his mate and his child. 

 

The next morning, Hunt woke up the same way he always did. The same way he had the previous day. He got up, he fed Syrinx, he got breakfast ready. And still, everything seemed different. There was a golden glow over Lunathion that he wasn’t completely sure had been there the day before. 

In less than a year, his life would change forever. Their lives would change forever.

Bryce woke up to the smell of the coffee and went to find him in the kitchen, stretching. 

“What, my brother isn’t here eating our bacon?” She shook her head. “Perhaps we have punished him too harshly.” 

He chuckled, passing her a cup. She breathed the coffee in, her foot petting Syrinx, who was hard at work on eating from his dish. 

“So what’s the plan?” He asked her.

Bryce tapped her nail on the tip of her cup. 

“Don’t know… still thinking about it. I wish this wasn’t such a big deal.” 

He knew what she meant. If they were a normal couple, it would be their choice to come out with the news or not. But he was the Umbra Mortis and she was the Super Powerful and Special Magic Starborn Princess even after all their hard work to put that behind them. And if their family could already scent it on them, it was possible other people would be too and the word would be out soon. 

Then the gossip would begin, which was annoying, but bearable. What really made him worry was what people would do with this information. Even after all these years, there would be people who would use this moment to try and hurt them. For what they were, for the change they helped bring about. 

That idea sent the alphahole in him seriously considering moving to Nidaros and hiding in a shack in the woods somewhere, but he knew those thoughts wouldn’t be welcomed. 

“Ideally,” she said taking a sip out of her coffee. He’d done it as she liked it: sweet, full of milk and syrup, to the point it was unrecognizeable as coffee “we would wait until it was a little later to make an address. The test results show it's still the first trimester. Most people wait just in case… something happens. Fae pregnancies are delicate, so… that’s not uncommon. But that’s not our case.”

Both because they couldn’t wait because someone would notice, but also because there was a lot of other genetics in the mix that they weren’t sure how they would interact. 

“So…?” He encouraged. 

“So… we’ll tell our friends… and… ugh, don’t give me that smug face!”

“I’m not smug. Who’s smug?” He smiled, shaking his head. 

Bryce rubbed at the bridge of her nose. 

“I already regret this. But maybe I should stay put for a while. Just so we can control the narrative. If no one can scent me, then word won’t get out before we’re ready for it.”

He touched her hand that held her cup. 

“I know it will be hard for you, but you can work from home for the most part. And what can’t be done from here can wait. What’s that thing Hypaxia says?” 

Bryce smiled and fixed her posture as if to mimic the witch’s. 

“A queen is never late. All the others are early.” 

They laughed together. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out, quickly replying to a text. 

“Ruhn’s coming up,” she announced. 

“Punishment over?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“For now,” she agreed, digging into her breakfast. 

A couple of minutes later there was a knock at the door – a rare occasion indeed. 

“Come in!” Bryce called. 

Ruhn walked in slowly, looking from one to the other with his arms crossed in feigned normality. 

“So…” He cleared his throat. “What’s up?” 

“Drop the act,” Hunt said, leaning on the counter. “You were right.” 

Ruhn’s expression relaxed into one of wonder and he looked at Bryce. 

“Really? Is it true?” 

She nodded, getting down from her stool and they met halfway for a tight hug. Hunt looked away, thinking how important this was. How this meant a new generation of their family, the first that wouldn’t grow under the heavy weight of royal expectations both of them had and all of the others before them. 

“Bryce…” he heard Ruhn say. 

“I’m naming it Einar.” 

Like a record scratch in the beautiful moment, Ruhn pushed her away instantly. It was enough to make Hunt explode into laughter. Bryce was sure to follow and Ruhn joined in when he figured out they were kidding. 

Punishment enacted indeed. 

 

The croissants arrived about twenty minutes before the girls. 

Bryce had left the door open and was waiting for them in the rooftop area. She thought that might give her at least a minute before…

“Is that why you’ve been missing work?” Was Fury’s greeting, sitting on the deck chair next to her. 

“Aw, you still keep tabs on me?” Bryce asked, placing both hands over her chest.

“It’s her love language,” Juniper assured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before going to join her fiancée on the chair. “She’s gone full spy mode on why you wanted to hang out here tonight.”

“Can’t I want a girls night in?” One of Bryce’s eyebrows quirked up. 

“In the middle of the week? After you missed work? With a box of those?” Fury pointed at the box of croissants in her hands. Danika’s favorites. “I hardly call it full spy mode. It’s just common sense.” 

She thought better than to ask how she knew her order in advance. Juniper smiled and touched her leg. 

“Come on. Spill it. End her suffering already.” 

Bryce rolled her eyes. 

“She knew the moment she walked in here. She’s just teasing.” Even with the fresh air outside, she wouldn’t have missed it.

“Yes, but we’re your friends, so we want to hear it from you,” Fury said with a smile that told her that yes , she already knew. Vanir took the fun out of everything. 

“Hunt and I are having a baby,” she said, putting the box aside. 

“Oh, my gods!” Juniper jumped to her chair to wrap her up in a hug, a probable sign that she was able to at least surprise one person with her news. Fury joined eventually and Bryce held them close, wishing there was someone else in this hug. Sending the love she felt in their arms out into the universe so that Danika could hear. 

You’re gone but I’m still here, she thought, bringing tears to her own eyes that her friends helped dry. They opened the box and shared the chocolate croissants and laughed long into the night . I’m still going and I’m going to have a good life, because you knew I could do it, even when I didn’t see it yet. 

 

Bryce didn’t know what to do with her time. 

She had been home a week and she was already going insane. Working from home might be effective, but it was also boring. She liked the library. She liked being out there. On the field, on the street, on the senate. She would’ve even liked fucking Avallen if that was all she could have. They even had phones and cameras now. Maybe one day they’d get internet. 

One step at a time, though. 

Hunt was out being her legs. Going where she needed to go and delivering her orders if they were needed. That was the worst, honestly. If she was going to have down time, she’d rather have it with him (especially since every website had assured her that getting freaky would not harm the baby). She kept shooting him risky texts, but he knew better than to open them in public. Smart angel. 

Missing her dancing class was the most painful, though. She let the teacher know in advance and promised she wouldn’t miss it if it wasn’t important, but she felt bad anyway. She practiced by herself in the indoor gym they’d built on the rooftop area, but it just wasn’t the same. Her heart wasn’t on it. 

It was a weird thing, knowing. 

She hadn’t felt any different before. And now, everything that happened made her wonder if it was because of the baby. If she was feeling them now. She wanted to. At least to make this all worth it. The idea of having to wait months to know more about them, to watch them grow… She was sure she was going to go mad with anticipation.

So… something had to be done. It was time for the cat to get out of the bag. Her friends and family were all aware. Now she could start thinking about the world. 

Ideally, she would wait until the end of the first trimester, like she’d said. But there would be no way she would survive two more months like this. 

She wasn’t sure what would be best. Just make a post on social media like celebrities did? Ignore any and all questions about it and all the hateful comments she still got about dismantling the age old systems. Maybe a nice, tasteful interview with a nice magazine instead. She liked a human one that did these deep dives into political figures and had a kick ass photographer. It would have to be one of the two because she was literally a minute away from going for a walk just in case some paparazzi caught a whiff of her and broke the news already so she could go back to her normal life. 

After a couple of hours of entertaining such thoughts and a couple more browsing through baby stuff online (too soon, she decided), she set her sights on making dinner with the stereo blasting pop music, like she used to do back in college. That was where Hunt found her, singing her lungs out into a wooden spoon while waiting for her sauce to thicken. 

Hunt cleared his throat and when she turned around, he waved with one hand, holding his phone, recording, with the other. She signed for him to turn the thing off and waved him closer in time with the beat. 

“Barefoot and pregnant waiting for my big alpha male to come home from work? Oh, if college Bryce could see me now…” She said, looping her arms around his neck. 

“I like to think I would have won her over too,” Hunt said with a cocky grin, hugging her waist and pulling her over his feet so they could sway from one way to the other, completely ignoring the music. 

“College Bryce would have sent your Umbra Mortis ass running for cover.” 

He shook his head, frowning. 

“No, I mean… If I was just me and I was in college with you.” 

She bit her lower lip, thinking. 

“No, you’d still be an alphahole. Possibly a sunball player?” He nodded, admitting the possibility. Nowadays, every so often, him and Ithan got some boys together for a friendly match. “Even worse. Connor would have eaten you alive if he even suspected you had a crush on me.”

“I think I could take him.” 

“It’s cute that you’d try,” she said, leaning in for a kiss he was more than happy to provide her with.

Notes:

Heeey, thanks to everyone who left their comments <3 I loved reading through them!

Chapter 4

Notes:

time for some angst already? ok ok here you go

They set up an appointment with a specialized medwitch that Hypaxia recommended. It was all pretty standard. Expected. Bean shapes on screen, barely visible, lots of measurements, lots of recommendations. 

Hearing the heartbeat had been the apex of that visit. They just listened in silence, hands clasped together. They were also silent on the way back to the apartment and late into the night.

“What are you thinking about?” Hunt asked when they were going to bed. 

“Nothing,” Bryce answered, settling under the covers as he sat down. “Nothing at all. Isn’t that weird?” 

“Bone-chilling,” he agreed, pulling her close. 

She settled with her head on his shoulder, pressing her face against the side of his neck. That might be her favorite place in the world. 

“What are you thinking about?” She asked, tracing patterns on his bare chest. 

“We should probably get a car. I can’t fly you two everywhere forever.”

“Hmm,” Bryce mused. “I can teleport us if you’re not around.” 

“You know what I mean.” 

She nodded. 

“So practical, this mate of mine. Alright. Consider it done. What else?” 

He shrugged. 

“Car seat, of course.”

“Of course,” she agreed. “Helmets too?” 

One of his eyebrows rose. 

“You’re making fun of me.” 

“Only a little bit,” she conceded. “She’s the size of a raspberry. I think we have time to think about car seats.” 

“Oh, we’re going with she?”

“I’m manifesting,” she shrugged. “But I’m good with both. Do you have a preference?” 

He was silent for a while, staring at the ceiling in concentration. Bryce reached out to smooth the line between his eyebrows. 

“It’s okay if you do. Most parents do. I won’t tell her when she’s born.” 

Hunt looked at her, raising one eyebrow and nodding. 

“I do think of a boy when I think of him. Not sure why.” 

“Looks like we have a classic case of a mini-me competition. Who will win?” 

He smiled at her, leaning over for a kiss. Her hand glided down his chest, responding automatically. Her leg went over his legs, pulling him closer. 

“We’ll win either way,” he told her between kisses.

“I like winning,” she said, her voice low. 

“Oh, I know.” 

 

Though she had been sleeping late, Bryce wouldn’t have thought someone could have so many naps in a day. Even in the worst days of the war, she didn’t remember being so tired. Sitting anywhere remotely comfortable resulted in the most body intensive naps she had ever taken her entire life. Sometimes, she wasn’t even comfortable. Or sitting. 

So staying home became a good thing. 

Eventually, they settled on an interview with the human magazine she’d had in mind. They had it in their apartment and even if she appreciated finally getting into full glam for something again, she could not wait for the reporter to leave so she could fall asleep again. 

The interview was nice, if a little personal. They were asked what were their plans for the future. If family was going to be the focus from now on or if they would return to usual work with the library and the political acts. What this fresh start meant for them. If there was anything they wished could be different about this moment. She took the time to ask people to be normal about this, which made the interviewer laugh. She definitely knew what Bryce was talking about. 

They scheduled the day the interview would roll out and posted on her social media account hours before and then turned off her phone. At home, everything remained the same. Hunt didn’t go to work that day. He stayed home and they made a picnic in the living room, which proved to be a bad idea because Syrinx thought it was a “eat everything you’re not allowed to” day and almost had to be taken to a vet. 

Their baby made the midday news the next day, which they didn’t like. That made Hunt hesitant about her coming back to work, but she was adamant. She was getting mad at home – when she was awake for it. 

A week later, she was back, but it quickly became apparent things weren’t the same. For one, people were not normal about it. Everyone had a word of congratulation. People who’d never been to the library were coming now and overwhelming the staff. The last thing they wanted was a crowd too close to their precious archive, so they had to start limiting guests, which Bryce hated to have to do because that’s not what libraries were supposed to do. It wasn’t what she wanted hers to run like. 

Being at work was a challenge on itself because of the aforementioned nap problem. Her office was, unfortunately, catered to her taste and it included many reading nooks that were entirely too comfortable and were easily converted into nap spots. Her days weren’t very productive anyway. 

Going to and from work, however, became the absolute worst. All of her physical conditioning seemed to have gone down the drain and a couple of blocks of walking got her winded. They asked their medwitch about it and she said it was normal. Something about the hormone levels altering. 

Worst, however, were the other obligations that had nothing to do with her usual work. Political appearances, dinners, consultations. The fae ex-royals seemed to be meaner than usual now, throwing comments up and down about the dissolution of great lines. And because they were elected now, she couldn’t just strip them of their titles. Pity. 

So that was that. Staying home was the worst because she knew she was needed places and that work would pile up. But getting out was also the worst because she kept wishing to be home and able to rest without everyone staring .

 

“Not going to lie,” Bryce said a couple of weeks later, when they came home from a particularly hard dinner with the Conservative Party. She’d texted Marc on the way home, asking him to sue one of the fae ladies who she’d heard calling her unborn child a mongrel. Even if it had made her want to cry and leave the party – and turned her mate a little more alphahole than usual –, she was actually sort of glad it had happened, just so she didn’t have to be physically there anymore. “I kind of hate being pregnant.” 

“Yeah?” Hunt asked, standing behind her as she was sitting on her vanity, taking off her earrings. His hands went around her shoulders, carefully working the knots that formed there. 

“Yeah. I thought it would only get bad by the end. But as it turns out, it’s a bad fest all around.” 

She started to dedicate herself to removing her makeup, though it was hard to concentrate with his massage being so nice. 

“Well… you have an insane schedule. And now you’re making an entirely new person. You might be the Super Powerful and Special Magic Starborn Princess, but even you are not invincible.”

Bryce squinted at him in the mirror. 

“You’re supposed to give me compliments and say I’m doing alright.” 

He kissed the top of her head. 

“You’re doing alright. But if you’re tired, rest. I can hold the fort while you do. Let me do this for you.” 

She placed her hands over his, leaning her head on his arm. 

“It’s hard. I don’t like stepping out the moment I get pregnant. My life isn’t over because I’m becoming a mom. That’s not the message I want to send.” 

“Your life isn’t a message”, he said, serious. “Slow down for now. The medwitch said things should settle by the end of the first trimester. We’re halfway there already. Once it does, you can gauge how much you can still do.” 

“ Can ”, she moaned. “I can do anything. Everything!” 

“Except slowing down,” he teased, helping her up and out of her dress and into her nightgown. She was already half asleep by then and yawned the entire time. 

 

It was the middle of the night when Hunt felt Bryce pull away from him. He made a sound of protest low in his throat and she kissed the side of his neck and murmured either “I’ll be right back” or “alphahole” in a reassuring tone, so he just turned to the side when light escaped the bathroom from under the closed door. 

Then time took on that weird shape it does in the wee hours of the night. He wasn’t sure how long she was gone: it felt like forever and, at the same time, no time at all. Then, Hunt heard her moan in pain. When his eyes opened, he wasn’t sure if it had just happened or if he had fallen asleep again after hearing it.

“Bryce?” He called, sitting up. 

 The door opened and the light from the bathroom spilled on top of him. He was already on his feet. He could scent the blood in her.

“Something’s wrong,” she said the next second, when his arms were around her, when he was scanning her for injury. Her hand was on her belly, rubbing. “I’m bleeding.”

“Do you want to go somewhere or do you want me to get someone here?” He asked, wishing he could make his voice softer, instead of sounding murderous. If something was happening, if this was taken from them, from her…

She looked up at him, looking unsure for the first time in a long time. 

“I don’t know,” Bryce said. 

He knew she was thinking about what people would say if they showed up in a hospital after less than a month of announcing their pregnancy. And if it turned out for the worst, it would be out before they even got the chance to process… 

But at the same time, finding someone willing to come here in the middle of the night would take too long. And that he wouldn’t risk it. People could talk until their mouths fell off. Bryce came first.

Hunt pulled back and walked to the closet, grabbing her a coat. He carefully wrapped her up in it and kissed her forehead. 

“I’ll fly us there,” he promised. 

“Ok,” she whispered. 

 

Waiting was excruciating. And there was so much of it. 

Even if they were taken in the moment they had touched down and the medwitches had caught wind of who they were, equipment had to be moved, machines had to be readied, the doctor had to come to them. 

It was, after all, the middle of the night. 

They were sitting in their night clothes and coats in the small exam room. Bryce looked pale in the bright white lights, her hand still around her middle, the other gripping his firmly. He wished he could do more. Stop this, make sure they would be safe no matter what. He wished it so bad he had to keep blinking to keep his eyes clear of tears. 

Tears. How long had it been since he was so stressed he cried? He couldn’t even remember. When the world was about to end, it didn’t feel so hopeless as these few minutes they were waiting. 

Finally, they were able to do an exam.

And everything was fine. 

The medwitch explained some level of bleeding and cramping was normal. They heard their baby’s heartbeat again and this time, it felt different. Sweeter somehow. He let out an audible sigh and Bryce just ran her hand through his hair, eyes glued to the screen. She understood how he felt.

They were home within the hour with cramp medication and the suggestion of staying off her feet and resting. Neither managed to sleep. 

Notes:

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