Ratonhnhaké:ton "Connor" (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
mohawk_tomahawk) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
museboxingring2014-03-11 12:32 am
mohawk_tomahawk) wrote in museboxingring2014-03-11 12:32 am
To be born from two worlds
Eirik was late in her pregnancy.
As it got closer and closer, the anxiety became worse and worse. He remembered when he first heard she was pregnant. Over and over, he repeated to himself, "fatherhood". Or rather, "parenthood". This was something Eirik and Connor made, because they loved and trusted each other.
This was a time Connor couldn't even guess would have happened in his near future, even far beyond being with Eirik.
He was about to be a father, to a child.
What did Connor know about fatherhood? Nothing? Do people ever know how unless if it happened, probably not.
To be honest, it was hard to not think about Haytham and the kind of father he was.
Everything aside, he didn't want to be that father; more than anything.
Which brought them to present day. Connor would have gently suggested for Eirik to take a leave to the Homestead. Just to clear her head and have her relax and surround herself with simple hospitality and clean, quiet air. Where she could wake to the roosters and birds rustling through the forest trees as opposed to nosy peers by the thousands. Call it protective, because maybe it was. Connor had gotten advice after advice from Warren, Prudence, and Lyle White about the issue. Of course, they knew Connor would take this measure, being the overly gentle soul he was. After all, he helped Warren and Prudence with starting their family life, they wanted to give back; without using those words. Connor only focus was on being on the Homestead, helping Eirik. Nothing else.
Oils and other supplies were given to them frequently since Eirik started staying. Connor had just stopped his own errands around the Homestead for the day to notice the goods at the door. A shake of his head and a warm smile later, he picked them up and opened the door. Time to get dinner started.
NO, STOP SCREAMING. OR SCREAM WITH JOY. ONE OR THE OTHER.
Contractions themselves were waves of pain. If pain were seeable, she would have described it as an ocean tide, though the only ocean she'd ever seen was in Carcino from what she could recall. To be fair, however, there was little she could properly recall with the current situation. Nothing seemed as important either.
"My brother... should be here," she found herself murmuring, wondering what he was doing that kept him from visiting. Aside from running the whole that was Renais. "He would want to," Eirik forlornly continued, and it was less that he was her brother and more that he was her twin.
They shared their mother together for nine months and were nigh inseparable when they were younger. Everywhere Ephraim was, Eirik wanted to be, too. There was no one in the world she was closer to and for her, not having Ephraim around was akin to missing a part of herself. One could survive without the other on shorter terms, but trying to live apart affected Eirik more than she truly wanted to admit.
And surely Renais suffered for it, too.
Hands with well-kept nails clutched the pillow, inched for her ocean-like hair, and she tried not to tense too much. But she kept breathing through it all, even with the way her very skin glowed and the way her hair stuck to her face, matted, and hardly beautiful.
"...If this... keeps up," the pain, she implied, "...I want my husband." When he was available. When he was calm. When she knew everything was going to be okay. When nothing would go wrong.
SCREAM WITH JOY
Warren must have understood that as he entered the scene on the outside. "W-Warren," Connor simply spoke. "I believe...I believe Eirik is in labor inside. Dr. White and Diana are there."
What was wrong with this scene then, Warren wondered.
"She said they would call me if they needed me."
Warren really didn't need to say anything else, as suddenly Diana would open the manor door. "Connor," and that was all she needed to say, as Connor would then quickly move through the doors. Warren would then leave quickly, intrigued at the result, obviously. If they were having the baby, he was going to let people know.
At the manor, Connor was focused on Eirik, Eirik, Eirik, get to Eirik. They could practically feel his steps from the other room if White and Eirik paid attention at all to that. Not saying a word to any of them, he sat back down next to Eirik, who looked like she was going through hell.
Still not talking, and not leaving again. It took only a couple syllables from Diana, and he was here, regretting leaving at all.
YES GOOD. I ACCEPT DIS.
When he rejoined her side, she did nothing to hide how relieved she felt. Her hand released her pillow and she offered it to him, still breathing and practically forcing the air out the way Dr. White had coaxed her to. Diana, too. The pre-labour lessons had helped. Eirik wasn't completely out of the loop and she knew what to do to keep herself calm. Everything else was just dependent on time and the baby had its own schedule. She only hoped it wasn't going to take too long. Not because she had any other plans (as she didn't); simply because she knew something that took too long could mean there was something wrong. With her, and it wasn't unheard of for complications in pregnancies to result in the deaths of mothers, babies, or both.
It had been a reasonably secret nightmare she held to herself as she carried her baby to full-term.
"...I'm thankful... for you," she murmured to him gently as she waited for him to take her hand. "In Renais, it isn't permitted for the man to be with his woman, but I keep having to remind myself that this... is not Renais. I want you here with me always, through all things. With all of my love, respect, and fidelity."
Re: YES GOOD. I ACCEPT DIS.
He moved some of her matted, sweaty hair to reveal her cheek to kiss it tenderly. With as much tenderness, he responded with, "I would have not abide by those rules anyway."
It was an effort to make her feel better, with his own sense of "humor". Yeah, when he had none to speak of. But he had learned to soften more and more as he lived with her. Well it got Diana to make a snort.
Soon, she got some more supplies ready for Dr. White because, "Eirik, keep breathing, I'm seeing something."
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And sometimes he could be more decisive than she and she needed that.
"Of course not," she managed to say to him as carefully as she could muster. "I'm hardly surprised." She wasn't at all. Connor was going to do whatever it was he believed he should do, regardless of what she said. Something akin to a wild animal and she could not tame him. She didn't want to.
Her attention turned onto Diana and Dr. White once more with a subtle nod. "Finally."
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Their baby.
Connor kept his grip on Eirik's hand still, speaking up with support, "Finally," he repeated.
Connor agreed, and continued with, "Almost, Eirik. You are almost there. Never give up. I shall not give up on you."
With whatever happened after he said that, it felt like hours when it was only a few minutes. Connor's gaze never left Eirik, she was who he was most focused on. The suddenly, his heart stopped when he heard a noise.
The small wail of a baby, who was just born and welcomed to their lives.
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Everything was for the baby. Eirik wanted everything to be for the baby. Every hour of indescribable pain. Every moment Eirik thought she'd just have to stop and wait. There was no waiting when babies were involved. Not really. They did as they were willed to do and while Eirik could have tried to keep it inside of her a bit longer, the body was going to do what it needed to do and when it was a baby's time, not even the diplomatically silver tongue of the princess could keep it at bay.
The first cry spelled relief for many reasons. A baby crying sounded most natural, though in Eirik's head it sounded so much more far off than it truly was. It was the first sound that coerced her to relent her unforgiving grasp on Connor's hand. He had been her strength. She should have known it all along. Her blue eyes found Connor's of brown and for many moments, she said nothing. Simply relished in the very sound and in how he looked. Her husband. Her glorious husband. And for him, a glorious child.
And then, "...Remind me, my darling, my heart, that while the pathway to parenthood may be enjoyable, the delivery is not. Should we wish for another." And she imagined they both would at some point.
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Connor found himself taking an arm around her shoulders to gently embrace her. Ever since he found her and courted her, life had given him joy after joy. Now, he had the joy of parenthood and he didn't want to waste that feeling on anything. Who would waste it, who would be so heartless to? When the woman you grew to love, who had shown you light, became the light, suddenly bore a child. Thus, beginning a family. He didn't think of anything else, the Creed even taking a step backwards. Being the Duke also went to the back of his mind.
The child and his wife were all that mattered.
He became amused, and even chuckled. "In a hurry, are you? You were so impatient before you went into labor. Patience. If we were to do this again, I would hope we would be experienced enough to have any to spare."
The very thought of having this feeling again could make a man drunk with joy, but he couldn't even talk of that now. What of the child they just had?
Dr. White finished his business and soon enough gave them the news, "You two are the fine parents of a baby girl. Both of you...you should be so proud."
Diana followed, with the new bundle in a blanket, still giving soft wails. As a mother herself, Diana couldn't help but look at the child like any mother would.
Then Connor became impatient.
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What had Eirik been hoping for? Tradition told her a boy. Earnest feelings told her a boy. But she was happy. Boy or girl didn't matter quite so much. If Connor was happy, that was an added bonus.
Lyle's words went in one ear and stuck around, but Eirik's thoughts were mostly on the girl. Her daughter. Her and Connor's daughter. A daughter. A child. Their child. Her gaze moved off of Connor and onto Diana who held their bundle of joy.
If she'd had more strength, she could have pulled her blankets aside and moved to take her. Yet she couldn't. "I want to see," she said directly, trying not to sound so completely tired. She wanted to hold, too. To bring her daughter right up against her. But she knew something about patience.
Sort of.
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He wanted this to happen more than anything, as long as it meant they could hold their little girl.
Yes, a girl. A woman could keep hold of the family line, could be a leader, could do great things within his people. His people may not have been around, but she could carry the lineage of two cultures.
A patriarch and a matriarch, two different cultures.
She could very well be the most well rounded individual, and yet now, she was a small bundle in a soft blanket. Her eyes shut, not yet ready to see the world that her parents could give her.
Yes, Connor will give her everything, he had decided. Fatherhood seeped into his veins, then suddenly he wanted to give her his whole heart. He could see her grow into a fine woman, free to do what she wished.
Just think, he hadn't even seen her yet.
He held out his large arm toward Dr. White and Diana, then spoke, "...Is it alright?"
A smile from both, and they passed over their offspring. Gently, Dr. White laid her between the both of them so she would get support from both of their arms. Connor's arms felt strong with pride, but he was so gentle he could hardly feel their presence. He wanted to be as gentle as a feather.
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And with one hand, she reached over to draw blanket from the face, to seek out a much smaller hand that likely could barely wrap its entirety around a single forefinger. One could only imagine how long it'd take for her to get a grasp about her father's. Just the mere thought made Eirik's lips upturn into a smooth curve.
"She has your face," Eirik observed quietly. "Your structure. My nose. My mouth. Your... eyes, I imagine, if she ever lets us see them," which was supposed to be some very gentle motherly coaxing if there ever was some. "Books do say that life is miraculous, but I was not prepared for just how much it was."
She was delighted, beyond comprehensive speech, to put it lightly. Although Connor's question did beckon her to look over to Doctor White and Diana expectantly. She'd heard neither of them claim something to be wrong with her or the little one, after all.
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Connor couldn't possibly smile more, it felt. He watched the little thing, he watched her open and close her tiny hands and he watched her slowly nod off to sleep in her newly made parents' arms.
"Books cannot tell you everything," he said to her softly, and that statement was from experience. But he didn't want to end it there at all.
"She is beautiful," he continued, "Just like her mother."
Connor didn't care if that was corny, he meant it. He said what he meant at all times.
Dr. White spoke after him, smiling as well, "She is in perfect heath too, and she's in good hands. I can tell." He couldn't be happier for the couple, and neither can Diana; nor the growing number of people outside the manor door, curious if a newborn was inside of it, courtesy of Warren.
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"She is beautiful. Just like her mother."
"You think I am beautiful," she teased Connor with plain written affection in her expression. "Not right now, I'm not." More teasing.
She looked back between Doctor White and Diana with a nod. "Thank you. For your help, your kindness. For everything." Eying Connor once more, her eyebrows rose, "Do you want to hold her?"
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But he wasn't even in the mood to argue a darn thing, even with affection. Because all he had on his person was pure love and tenderness. So he looked at Eirik with loving eyes, and giving her another kiss on the head.
Dr. White smiled at them both, "I am a doctor, and a doctor who cares quite a bit about the townsfolk here. I'm just glad to be of use."
Connor took a second in memory lane to remember the Dr. White from back then suffering from horrible, false slander. Dr. White's reputation was now in good hands after that whole ordeal, and it seemed to have made his life turn for the best. His humbleness was subtle, but so was Connor's most of the time. The two were all happier for it all, and Connor found no trouble in helping him. To Dr. White, helping Connor with his first born was the least he could do.
And Connor was the happiest man these days, with his wonderful wife and now his child. The moment he was asked about holding the baby, did he want to hold her?
Of course he did, did he need to say anything? Connor gently held out his arms to hold his little girl. His beautiful little girl.
While that was happening, a voice came up. "Doctor," Diana spoke as she looked out the window. "We've attracted a number of eyes."
Or rather, Connor did. On accident, of course.
...Warren.
"Honestly, this is not a show!" White softly exclaimed, just so he wouldn't disturb the baby and her parents too much with noise. He turned to them for a moment, and reassured them. "My assistant and I will handle them, kindly. It should be alright to leave you two alone for some privacy. We won't be far, let us know if you need anything."
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Instead, her expression softened and without much in the way of argument, she offered up their daughter. And in doing so, it created an overprotective bond of tension. She didn't want to be far from her, but at times she would have to be. After all of the time and effort that went into birthing children, Eirik never wanted to let hers go.
But she didn't say any of that. She'd save those words for another day and another time when it was only the two of them.
Once Connor had her, Eirik turned her attention onto Lyle and gave him a succinct little nod. "Thank you again," was what she managed to get out before he and Diana went to quiet the rest of the Homestead.
"You are causing an uproar," she said to their daughter. "Although it was likely your father."