ALL ABOARD THE BABY TRAIN!!!!
Let’s do Kaze and Saizo to start! The ninja bros!!
Kaze: He had been doting on you day and night like he’d never doted before. As the baby grew with each passing day, it was impossible for him to contain his excitement.
You were taking the next big step in life together; the woman of his dreams was due any moment with his precious baby. He could hardly believe he had become so blessed.
But when you started going into labor, the doting had turned into a borderline panic. Kaze was pacing back and forth outside the bedroom, waiting for some word if you were alright or not.
So far, ten hours into the process, he had yet to hear a thing from the clerics. It was driving the normally patient and gentle man absolutely mad with worry.
Surely he’d have heard something by now, right?
“Peace, Kaze.” Ryoma, who was sat outside the delivery room along with everyone else. “She will be fine.”
“Thank you, milord. I…I know that, I just…wish that I could be in there with her. I can’t imagine what she’s going through right now.” Kaze said softly, eyes glued to the door before his pacing resumed.
The Hoshidan siblings were all waiting anxiously for news, with your Nohrian siblings soon to join them all once matters outside the Outrealm were handled.
Kaze was glad they were here, but at the same time, a part of him wished it was just the two of them. He knew you wouldn’t want them to see you exhausted and ragged after delivery, seeing as they all tended to worry about you almost as much as he did.
“If it makes you feel any better, none of us are allowed into the delivery room. Even when Shiro was born, I was kept out; and I’m the High Prince of Hoshido.” Ryoma added under his breath, clearly displeased.
“You can rewrite the laws if you wanted to, y’know. You’re literally the only one with that power.”
“No way!” Hinoka jumped in, “Do you have any idea how insanely stressful birth is?! And it’s gross, and hard, and emotions are everywhere- it’s like a whirlwind of pain and panic! If my husband was in there while I was trying to have a baby, I’d probably rip his head off! If you make that a law that husbands can be in the room, I’m gonna start a war”
“We’re already at war,” Sakura said softly, “A-and I don’t think that it’s s-such a bad idea.”
“That’s because you’re a soft, sweet little angel.” Hinoka sighed, patting her head. “Once you have a baby, you’ll understand.”
“Please don’t talk about our little sister having a baby..she’s still so young…” Takumi covered his face with his hands, “You don’t need to taint her with the reality of the world.”
“She’s not a toddler, Takumi. Stop being such a wuss!”
Kaze was thankful for the distraction, considering the worry was eating him alive. Just before it got too far, though, the doors suddenly opened.
The whole crew of them looked up at the Outrealm midwife, who looked quite pleased.
“The princess has given birth to a healthy baby girl, Your Highnesses.”
Kaze’s heart skipped a beat, and all of them gasped.
“A girl!!” Sakura exclaimed.
“Another little princess,” Ryoma grinned, “Prince Xander will be pleased.”
“We’re all pleased!” Hinoka laughed before grabbing Kaze’s shoulders, “Go on! Go see your little family! The sooner you get to say hi, the sooner we all get to, too!”
“Y-yes…yes, of course!” Kaze managed, breathless, before he hurried in behind the midwife. Sure enough, the ninja was striding to your side. You were lying down in bed, resting quietly until you felt Kaze’s hand touch your hair.
“Corrin? …Corrin, are you alright?” He called to you gently, drawing your eyes up to his. You smiled at him brightly, offering a tired laugh.
“I’m great. I-I’m wonderful,” You looked up at him, letting him take your hands into his. “We have a little girl.”
“We do,” He nodded, tears already impossible to fight away. He laughed, the sound broken in a good way. “Have you held her?”
“Not yet,” You tilted your head towards the foot of the bed, “They’re cleaning her up now.”
Kaze eased onto the bed beside you, following the direction and finding a group of clerics huddled around a table nearby. He squeezed your shoulders, swallowing hard. His baby was over there.
His and Corrin’s firstborn daughter.
“Want to hold her?” You asked, but quickly he shook his head, looking almost bewildered.
“No, not until you hold her! You...you worked so hard. I couldn’t possibly hold her before you do!”
It was only a few more minutes before the swaddled bundle was gently placed in your arms, finding the sweet little girl grumbling and whining without the touch of her mother. It’d been so warm and dark, and then all of a sudden everything was bright and she was freezing- without a clue to what happened, she was rightfully pissed.
“Oh…you’re cute when you’re angry, aren’t you?” You say softly, your voice a quiet murmur. The same voice you used to speak with her when she was still growing, kicking about and keeping you up late at night.
Kaze could hardly breathe, seeing the sweet little face nestled in the blankets. A tuft of green hair had already grown on her head; no doubt that was his baby.
“She’s beautiful.” He whispered, cradling her head from where she laid on your chest. “She’s so, so beautiful, Corrin.”
“She already looks so much like you; I think we’ll have another green ninja on our hands.”
“We mustn’t decide that for her; she’s a princess, isn’t she? If she wishes to live a life as a pampered young royal, I would never make her live otherwise. The way of the ninja is difficult…and seeing how she is now, I…I don’t want her to lift a finger for the rest of her life.”
“She’s not even an hour old yet, dear.” You giggled, seeing the fire already blazing in his eyes. “Not even I was ‘pampered’ when I was a princess. You’d want to spoil her?”
“Can you blame me?” He huffed, a calloused finger brushing along his daughter’s cheek.
“No,” You leaned into Kaze’s chest, snuggling into him. “I certainly don’t blame you at all.”
“Hmm,” He beamed, kissing your forehead. “What shall we name her?”
“You know, I had hundreds of names planned out since we found out you were pregnant, but now…now I can’t think of a single one that suits her”
Kaze paused, staring at you. It had come out so easily, he was bewildered. But you had yet to tear your gaze from your little one, who cooed and wriggled in her blankets, trying to get closer to her mother’s voice.
Kaze nodded, the lump in his throat nearly escaping at a sob. “I love it.”
He curled into the bed with a smile, drawing his two girls into his embrace. You held the baby between you, freeing one hand just long enough to brush away the tears running down Kaze’s face.
Saizo: He had managed to break in about three times, until Ryoma ordered him to sit the hells down outside and wait for word. Kaze had been the one to haul him out each time.
The flaming ninja was falling apart at the seams; every time he’d gone in, you had begged them to let him stay. You were scared, feeling unimaginable pain, and you were in worse shape than he ever could have imagined.
Saizo was desperate to get to you. He couldn’t just sit and wait.
But, according to every single person around him…that was all he could do (aside from breaking in and getting tossed out again).
“She’s not okay.” He huffed, pacing back and forth as aggressively as humanly possible. “She needs me in there, milord!”
“I know.” Ryoma looked tense, taking hold of his retainer, forcing him to pause. “I’m sorry, but you have to wait a little longer.”
“You have to!” Hinoka snapped at him, her arms crossed tight over her chest. Camilla, who was sitting and tapping her foot anxiously to the floor, nodded in agreement.
“We all want to break in, dear…but you must wait. It would only upset her and distract the healers again.”
He hated how right they were.
A little longer turned into an hour, and then two hours. Three hours.
He nearly blew up the doors when the clerics informed him nothing had changed yet. It was a hard labor, and you’d already been in it for the last 17 hours.
Fortunately…rather, finally…there was a change.
Saizo’s manic pacing screeched to a halt. He froze and stared at the doors, capturing the royal siblings’ attention.
“What?!” Hinoka shot up, eyes wide, “Y-you can hear it?!”
They all tried to hear it, but between the walls and the heavy oak doors, there was nothing to be heard without the trained skills of a ninja. Saizo strode to the doors to rip them open, but the clerics beat him to it.
Namely Elise, who flung them open with a sparkling smile.
“A boy!” Sakura echoed behind her, the two young princesses flushed and covered in blood and sweat. It was alarming, but more importantly, the princess was okay.
Saizo confirmed it for himself.
He had rushed past both the women and hurried to the bed. The chair was flung to the bedside and Saizo was settled in beside you, quickly checking all your vitals.
You were clearly drained, weak and tired, but you were stable. Still breathing, heartbeat steady…you were okay.
Saizo perked up when you called him, finding your eyes had slid open just a crack. He quickly cupped your cheek, holding your face tenderly.
“I’m here. You’re alright?”
“Good. …Good.” He managed to breathe out for the first time in months…particularly the last few moments.
You laughed when the blush rose to his face, and he shook his head, quickly looking about the room.
“I was far more worried about your health.” He said, “Forgive me, I didn’t mean to minimize the importance of our son’s…”
You watched as he trailed off, seeing how he seemed to realize that he was coming to terms with the fact that the words “our son” had just come out of his mouth.
That he was actually a father, now.
“Saizo the Sixth is healthy; a good weight, good length… strong pair of lungs, too.”
“I heard him through the doors.” Saizo nodded, finally spotting the edge of a blanket in the arms of the midwife. He sat up much straighter, watching silently as she brought the baby over with a bright smile.
“Milady, your son.” She presented the baby to you, holding out the little one for you to take. Saizo could only watch when the scrunched, round face of his little son was pressed to your chest.
You inhaled sharply, emotions overwhelming you as you felt his warmth for the first time.
“Hello, little one…my little Saizo.”
He mumbled and squeaked, squirming just so in your arms. You laughed softly, stroking his back comfortingly.
“You’re not sure what to think of being out here all of a sudden, hm?”
“Seems so.” Saizo remarked, all but straining himself to get a proper look at his baby. You grinned, motioning for him to join him on the bedside. “No, Corrin- you need your rest. I shouldn’t intrude.”
“Your his father; you’re more than welcome to join me.”
Saizo nodded silently, awkwardly coming rising from the chair to sit beside you. He steadied himself and put his arm around you so as not to jostle his family.
The little one squeaked when he felt a shift, making both his parents smile.
“He senses changes quite adeptly.”
“A prodigy.” A smile softened Saizo’s face, your crimson guardian all but fawning over his little one. “He has his father’s abilities- I can feel it.”
“I suppose his training will start early?”
“He will start when he is ready.” Saizo said, pausing when you gently shifted the baby so that Saizo could hold him. The moment the baby fell into his arms, his heart all but exploded. He squeezed the little one close, his vision suddenly misty when the baby turned towards him. “Which…seems like it will not be soon. He is…so small.”
“Not for long. We should enjoy it while we can.” You tell him, resting your head against his arm, watching the little Saizo coo and babble in his father’s arms.
It was no question that Saizo had never been so full of love and joy than he had been in that very moment. Surrounded by his family, with a new little life joining the ranks of the great Saizo line. He held you close, swearing he’d never let you go. Of that, there would be no doubt.
