Shade

This whole day has come and gone in a flash.

The morning was normal, plus some unnecessary worrying from Farley. The worrying is what made the day fly by. I told her worrying was never good because of the baby, but she kept on rambling. This made me worry as well. After about an hour of her ranting about how she lost the recruits to Volo Samos and had yet another betrayal from blowtorch, she had started complaining about her stomach pain.

That was what triggered me.

She went from wincing to having to hold onto something every few minutes, then not being able to walk.

That was when I put my foot down and went to get someone to see if Farley and the baby were okay. I found some newblood that had some experience in pregnancy, an older lady, and she said she could help.

Then I heard Farley yell my name.

I ran to her, and she had told me that her water broke.

I 4 hours ago didn't know what that meant. The lady-Serena told me that it meant, in a nutshell, that the baby was coming.

Then I started getting stressed out.

Serena had gotten Farley ready and checked on the baby. Serena said that for a 6-month baby, the baby was a big one. She said that was comforting since Farley would be delivering today.

I never knew that this would be happening, nor did Farley.

Serena explained to me what was going on, something about contractions and dilating. I didn't understand all the female parts and still don't. I didn't want a lecture on female anatomy.

After about an hour of moaning from Farley, and consistent check-ins from Serena. She had said that once she was 10 centimeters dilatated, she'd be ready to have the baby. Without an ultrasound, Serena said this would be difficult.

Farley hadn't said much, she was focused on counting her contractions and getting the baby out of her.

Then she was fully dilatated, and time to have the baby.

I stayed close, encouraging Farley as much as I could until she told me to shut up and do something useful.

I tried not to laugh at how snappy she is when angry.

The screaming from her became bearable since we were all used to it. But the later screams seemed weaker like she was running out of energy.

Serena took that more seriously than I did. She rushed out of the room to grab something. I didn't hear a baby cry, so I was as confused as a chicken without a head.

I looked at Farley, who was going in and out of consciousness, back then I didn't know she was, but now I know.

I had the courage to look at what was happening to her, and that's when I saw the pools of blood coming out of her.

I called for Serena, and she came instantly. Farley was unresponsive. Serena was cursing under her breath. She explained that her tissue was ripping, and she judged the measurement wrong.

Farley wasn't ready, but the baby was.

That's when I wasn't fretting for just one life, but two. Serena was able to grab the baby and get it out safely.

She was beautiful, minus the fact that she was covered in slime and blood.

Her cries filled the room, Serena introduced me to her, then said that people would be contacting a professional to look after Farley and the baby.

Thank goodness Farley and I discussed names.

Serena asked me if she had a name. Clara Farley-Barrow.

That was about a half-hour ago.

Farley has stopped bleeding, but she is still knocked out.

Serena still has Clara, and I trust Serena.

At least they are both alive and somewhat well.

Mare

Maven has been laying his head on my stomach for an hour now. He claims he can talk to the baby with brainwaves and some weird radio signal.

I'm not falling for that any time soon.

We haven't really talked much, just sitting here doing nothing is enough for me.

He said he wanted to discuss something, but he never brought it up. I decided to run my fingers through his hair to see if that will get something out of him.

My patience only lasts so long.

"Your hair isn't overly oiled today," I comment his hair, a touchy topic for him on a typical Tuesday.

"It is not overly oiled," A defense mechanism that is pointless, his hair is overly oiled. "And I forgot to gel it this morning."

I can hear the childish pout in his voice. I smile at the small victory I claim. "You should keep it like this, it's soft."

He scoffs in my opinion, making this game more fun.

"It doesn't look as manly now, it just looks, bland," Maven tries to come up with a good reason to gel his hair with whatever expensive and chemical-infused product he uses.

"You should keep it like this," I protest. "Besides, the toxicity of your head might harm the baby."

He rolls his head up to look at me. He gives me a suspicious and somewhat annoyed grimace. I stifle in my laughter from the childish face I am currently being given.

"You look ridiculous,"

"Yeah! Since my hair isn't properly done!" Maven exclaims in protest. I can't hold in my laughter, so I let out a low rumble of a laugh.

"Your hair is perfect just as it is," I encourage; essentially, my positive words of affirmation won't do any good since I can guarantee that he will argue.

"No, it's not, it is messy and unkept, no, it's ugly," Maven pouts.

"Really? I like it like your hair like that,"

Maven looks up at me with a more playful look, with the corner of his lips curled upwards and a hungry look in his eyes.

He gets off from my stomach and goes fully atop of me, pinning me down.

Oh, God.

"Really? I was never one to think you could disobey me like this?" He looks down at me with utmost pleasure. I long to make myself look small when he looks at me like this, talks to me like this.

He leans into me and puts his mouth by my ear. "I do believe that this behavior deserves some very pleasurable punishment."

I shiver at his words. I can feel my body groan in an empty need. A need that I can't attend to.

"Maven," I push myself up in the space between his head and the headboard. "We can't do this now and you know it."

As I pull my legs to my body, Maven leans back onto his knees and gives me a pouty puppy face. "Why not, my love?"

"I don't think it is wise for us to be," I clear my throat at the thought. "Doing that while I am carrying a child." I blush furiously at my words. Maven's face of begging and disappointment fades into his resting face as he thinks about my statement.

"Yeah, I guess you are right, again," Maven says solemnly. I give myself praise for the fact that I was right. And that Maven so gladly admitted it.

"Besides, why don't we talk about something a little more positive," I take a glance at my stomach.

Maven's face lights up a bit. "But isn't us having romantic relations positive?"

My face flushes a bright red as I purse my lips. His attempt to grasp his hunger makes me remember all the times we have done that, how great it makes me feel, how Maven-

"Yes, that is positive, in its own ways, but what I am talking about is the baby," I say with a high pitch in my voice. Maven gives me a playful smirk.

"Yeah, that is more positive," He scootches toward me. "What about it did you have in mind?"

"I have this strange urge to discuss names," I blurt.

"Really? It's only been a day since-," Maven chuckles while he speaks.

"I know," I cut him off. "But, I mean, I don't know I feel like it."

My fiancé nods and looks down to think.

"If it's a boy, can we name him Maven?"

I give him a serious look. I should have expected this narcissus recommendation to come out of his mouth. But really?

I raise my brow.

"Maven Merandus Calore the 2nd sounds very royal,"

"And it sounds taken," I grab a pillow and smack it across his face. Maven shakes his head and ruffles his hair back into its resting spot before speaking again.

"So, I take it that's a no," He asks meekly.

I only stare at him firmly, arms crossed, brow raised.

"Okay fine," He pouts. I win again.

"Any other suggestions?"

Maven thinks again, hopefully, something other than Maven Merandus Calore the 3rd.

"Thomas is a nice name,"

I think about it. Thomas Calore does sound intriguing.

"It's better than Maven," I demand bluntly. Maven just sighs. "Girl names?"

He thinks again. "What about Ruby?"

I look at him in the eye, examining if he is taking this seriously or not.

"Ruby means red, red for House Calore?"

It does make sense. Maybe Maven does have a brain.

"Luna is nice too since we always enjoy looking out at the moon," I suggest.

"Both of those are nice," Maven says with a smile on his face. "Amy other suggestions?"

I think, since he gave me something to pry up, I think I might do the same.

"What about Tiberius?"

His face goes from content to appalled.

"Really? That's how desperate you are? God no. We already have seven of them, we don't need eight,"

I immediately start laughing at how annoyed my joke makes him.

"I'm serious! Tiberius is the most common name in the Calore line, we don't need another one."

I have to refrain from how hilarious this is.

"Mavey, I was kidding," I put my arm on his shoulder and scoot closer to him.

His face goes from appalled to numb.

"Oh," His façade turns into a shade of flushed silver. "I didn't- I thought-,"

I chuckle lightly and caress the side of his face. "Hey, Mavey, it's okay, I was just teasing you."

Maven smiles at me before he grabs my cheek and pulls me closer.

He kisses my forehead softly, then rests his forehead on mine, sighs deeply.

"I love you too much to stay mad at you,"

I chuckle again as I run my fingers through his hair.

"But seriously, don't name our baby Tiberius,"

Another chuckle out of me, barely a chuckle before Maven smiles and kisses my lips gently, but hungrily. His hand travels to the small of my back, pulling me even closer. Then it travels up even higher, up to my spine, up to my neck, until he pulls my neck closer to him, pulling me even closer.

His tongue slides into my mouth, which I gladly provided him entrance, as he effortlessly laid me down again, and crawls on top of me.

Right back to where we started.

His kisses moved from my lips to my neck, then my collarbone, down to my breasts, then to my stomach. I must interrupt him before he goes any further.

"Maven," I moan out quietly. "What did I just tell you?"

He growls darkly. "You know I am never one to listen, my love."

His nickname only is making my want for him worse.

He goes back to kissing me slowly with a demanding need, back from my stomach, then right to my collarbone and neck, marking it everywhere.

I can't deny myself at how good his lips feel against my skin, how good it feels to know how much he wants me, how oddly satisfying it is when he licks my neck like this-

A soft, but dark and hungry moan escapes my lips before I can stop it.

Maven stops dead when he hears my wordless plea. He hovers above me, his hands beside my shoulders.

"Admit it, my love, you want me," His words are sugarcoated with cockiness like he is bragging.

Due to my current condition, I do not want to admit that I want him.

"No?" Maven licks his lips. "Well, then I guess I will have to change that."

He goes back to marking my collarbone, making every suck and lick long and drawn out. I purse my lips shut as my eyes roll into the back of my sockets.

Dammit, why does he feel so good?

He doesn't earn a beg out of me. Yet. He moves lower, more towards my sensitive spots and my breasts. His free hand travels to my back, making his arch from his warm touch.

He still doesn't get what he wanted out of me, both of us determined for what we want.

His hand moves from my back to my inner thighs, making it even harder for me to not moan out anything. Then his hand moves upwards as his lips move closer to my breasts, and his hands closer to my sweet spot, closer to-

"Please," I mutter out my beg. He stops again, his hand resting between my pressing thighs as he moves his head up again.

"What was that, now?" Maven coos. I open my eyes and see how bright gray his face is, how longing his eyes are. I stay silent.

"Did you just beg?" Maven purrs. I want to arch my back and beg for him at his words, but I refrain.

His whole body rumbles in protest. "No? Well, I heard that with my own ears, but maybe I will hear it again if I just," He moves his hand up my thighs, the side of his hand brushing against my clothed womanhood.

"Maven-," I groan, arching my back and tilting my head.

I can hear his grunt of approval as his finger slowly grazes and a straight line down my wet sensitive spots, making a moan come rushing out of me before I can stop it.

"Please," I beg.

"Please what? My love, you have to tell me what you want so I can give it to you," He says as he moves his hand to the top of my undergarment. He uses a swift finger motion to get a finger onto my skin.

Another shaky moan.

"What is it that you want?"

"You," A weak, but a powerful response.

"What was that my love?"

"I want you," I breathe out. "Please."

I look him in the eye, those beautiful, bright blue eyes that I fell in love with.

He smiles darkly at the moaning, wet mess he has made me.

"M-Maven, I already told you. W-we can't- the baby-," I mutter before I am cut off by Maven shushing me.

"My love, I will be gentle,"

"B-but-,"

He shushes me again, making me and my insides go mad. He lowers his head to my ear.

"I will be gentle, my love," He licks the rim of my ear in between words. "I promise, just say you want me, and I am yours."

As he licks my ear and I contemplate my options.

Now is not the time to be thinking about my options.

He won't really hurt the baby, will he? I mean, I am so early that the baby is-

He licks and sucks on my weak spot behind my ear, making moans escape out of my mouth before I can stop them.

"I want you, please, Maven, I-," I stop my begging when he meets my eyes above me. A longing grin shows on his face. He leans down to kiss me on the lips. He shoves his tongue in my mouth before I can protest. His kiss is so deep that I could-

His lips leave mine. "Good girl."

In a flash, my undergarment leaves my wet, cold womanhood bare, earning an empty moan out of me.

He continues to work my mouth as his hand travels to my bare weakness quickly, warming it up instantly. He slides a finger in me as soon as he can, making my knees bend and my back arch as I moan into his mouth.

I use my hands to unbuckle his belt, I use my feet to slide his black pants off as I hastily kick them off to the side. I feel his back, then move to his toned abs and my hand gets curious and travels lower to his boxers.

I feel his hard and huge bulge, which makes Maven moan in my mouth, sending ripples of vibrations through me.

I remove his boxers, quickly, too quickly for my liking.

Maven's finger starts to move, coiling in me. I remove my hand from his member to his hair, pulling him even closer to me. He slides in a second finger, making me drip and long for him even more.

He removes his lips from mine and gasps for air, as do I.

I look at him for a quick second, and he is as gorgeous as I remembered him.

"Please," I whisper. He kisses me again, a smile on his lips before he removes his finger and glides himself into me.

Then I was gone.

The whole room was a chamber of moans and love. Each pump is better than the last.

Neither of us lasted very long, I exploded a bit before he did, moaning his name endlessly as I did, he did the same for me shortly afterward.

After we had both calmed down, Maven flopped over onto his side of our bed, breathing heavily.

"Was that worth it?"

I giggle weakly as I roll over to face him. "Yes, it was."

He hugged me softly, his heartbeat ringing as he pulled my head to his bare chest.

"I love you," He murmurs.

"I love you too, Mavey,"