Warnings// labour, birth, emergency c section, a little cursing.
A/n, this was requested by anonymous from my dms:)
A/n, also please let me know if i wrote something wrong since English is not my first language also its my first time actually trying to make my fics appearance a little more flattering:) so i hope it looks good i might expiriment more
The hospital room smelled of antiseptic and warm cotton, the lights dimmed just enough to keep it from feeling clinical. You sat on the edge of the delivery bed, knees drawn up slightly, leaning forward into Katsukiâs chest. Your fingers were locked around the front of his black tank top, knuckles white, but your voice stayed soft, almost apologetic, every time a contraction rolled through you.
âIâm okay,â you whispered against his collarbone, even though your breath hitched and tears slipped free. âIâm sorry, it just⌠hurts more this time.â
Katsukiâs arms were steady around you, one palm spread between your shoulder blades, the other cradling the back of your head. His heart hammered so hard you could feel it through his ribs. âDonât apologize, idiot,â he muttered into your hair, voice low so only you could hear. âJust breathe. Iâve got you.â
Mitsuki stood at the foot of the bed, arms crossed, watching the monitor like she could intimidate it into behaving. Every time the line spiked, her eyes flicked to you, then to her son, then back to you. She hadnât said much since theyâd wheeled you in; the woman who usually filled every room with noise had gone quiet the moment she saw how calmly you were trying to carry the pain.
Another contraction crested. Your whole body curled inward; a broken whimper escaped before you could stop it. Katsukiâs grip tightened.
âShh, baby, I know. I know.â His voice cracked on the last word, just barely.
The nurseâMidori, her name tag read checked the monitor and gave you a gentle smile. âYouâre doing beautifully. Letâs get you on your back for the next one, okay? We need to see how far along we are.â
You nodded, even though the idea of moving felt impossible. Katsuki helped you ease back, never letting go of your hand. Your legs trembled violently as the nurses guided them into the stirrups. You tried to laugh, a tiny watery sound. âSorry Iâm shaking so much.â
âDonât be,â Midori said firmly. âBodies do what they need to do.â
Katsuki climbed halfway onto the bed so you could grip his forearm instead of the railing. His other hand brushed damp hair from your forehead. âLook at me,â he ordered quietly. You did. Crimson eyes, fierce and terrified all at once. âYouâre the strongest damn person I know. Youâve got this.â
You wanted to tell him you werenât strong, that you were scared, that it felt like you were being split in two, but another contraction hit and all that came out was a high, wounded sound. You bore down when they told you to, face scrunched, lips pouted in pain, tears streaming sideways into your hair.
âGood, goodâagain, sweetheart, big push.â
You pushed until your vision blurred at the edges. And again. And again.
Midoriâs brows drew together. She glanced at the second nurse, then down again. Her voice stayed calm, but something shifted in it. âOkay, honey, relax for me just a second.â
Katsuki stiffened. âWhatâs wrong?â
Midori met his eyesâprofessional, steady. âBabyâs in perfect position, heart rateâs strong, but her pelvic opening is⌠narrower than we usually see for the babyâs head circumference. Even with how much sheâs dilated, weâre not getting the descent we need.â
Your heart stuttered. You felt Katsukiâs fingers spasm around yours.
âMeaning?â he growled.
âMeaning we may need to assist. We can try a few more positions, maybe the vacuum, but if she doesnât progress in the next twenty minutes, weâll take her for a c-section. Itâs safer for both of them.â
The word c-section punched the air out of your lungs. You started trembling harder, not from the contraction this time. âIâIâm trying so hard,â you choked out. âIâm sorry, Iâm tryingââ
âHey.â Katsuki cupped your face with both hands, forcing you to look at him. His palms were hot, grounding. âListen to me. You are not failing. You hear me? Youâve been in labor for fourteen goddamn hours and you havenât screamed once. You are incredible. If they need to do the surgery, we do the surgery. Our kid just needs to get here safe. Thatâs it. Thatâs the only thing that matters.â
Your lip wobbled. âBut I wantedââ
âI know what you wanted.â He pressed his forehead to yours. âI wanted it too. But I want you alive more. Both of you.â
Mitsuki stepped closer, resting a careful hand on your shin. âHeâs right, sweetheart. Youâve done everything right. Sometimes babies are just stubborn little assholes. Takes after their father.â
That surprised a wet laugh out of you.
They tried everything. They had you on your side, then on hands and knees, then back in the stirrups with Katsuki and Mitsuki pulling your legs toward your chest while you pushed until you saw stars. Every time the monitor beeped too fast, Katsuki whispered praises against your temple like a prayer.
âAlmost, baby, youâre so closeâfuck, youâre amazingââ
But the head still wouldnât crown.
Finally, Midori looked at the obstetrician whoâd come in. They spoke in low voices. Decision made.
âWeâre taking her now,â the doctor said gently. âKatsuki, you can stay with her until the doors.â
Everything blurred after that. The bed rolling fast down the corridor, Katsuki jogging beside you still holding your hand, his scrub cap crooked because heâd yanked it on without looking. You were crying openly now, but quietly, the way youâd been doing all day.
âIâm scared,â you whispered.
âI know.â He squeezed your fingers so hard it shouldâve hurt, but it didnât. âIâm right here. Not going anywhere.â
They paused outside the OR doors. A nurse started to wheel you through.
Katsuki leaned over you, eyes shining suspiciously. âListen to me,â he said fiercely. âYou did everything. You fought like hell. Iâm so fucking proud of you. Both of you are gonna be fine, you understand me?â
He kissed youâhard, desperate, tasting like salt and terror and loveâthen let them take you.
The spinal block was cold. The drape went up. You stared at the ceiling lights until someone squeezed your hand and you realized Katsuki was beside you now, in full scrubs, eyes red-rimmed above his mask.
âHi,â you croaked back, and started crying again.
Less than eight minutes later, a thin, indignant wail split the air.
The doctor lifted a tiny, perfect bundle over the drape. Your daughter was so smallâfive pounds exactly, the nurse would tell you laterâthat it felt impossible sheâd caused all this chaos. Her little fists flailed, shock of ash-blond hair sticking up exactly like her fatherâs.
Katsuki made a sound like heâd been punched in the chest.
âSheâs⌠sheâs so little,â you sobbed, half-laughing, half-hysterical. âShe didnât evenâsheâs tinyâhow did she not fit?â
The pediatrician chuckled as she dried the baby off. âSometimes the angles are just wrong, sweetheart. Heads are hard. You did great.â
They placed her on your chest, all slippery and warm and impossibly light. She rooted immediately, mouth open, letting out furious kitten noises.
Katsukiâs hand hovered, shaking, then settled over her entire backâhis palm nearly covered her whole torso.
âHey, little gremlin,â he whispered, voice wrecked. âTook you long enough.â
You looked at the two of themâyour furious, perfect, ridiculously small daughter and the boy whoâd growled at the universe since the day you met him, now crying silently over both of youâand thought your heart might actually burst.
He didnât even argue. Just leaned over and kissed your temple, then the babyâs damp hair, then your lips, soft and slow.
âThank you,â he murmured against your skin. âFor fighting for her. For fighting for us.â
You were sore, exhausted, stitched and shaking and higher than youâd ever been in your life.
But you smiled, turned your face into his neck, and whispered back the only thing that mattered.
The recovery room was quiet except for the soft beeping of monitors and the occasional squeak of shoes in the hallway. You were propped up in bed, still pale, eyes heavy-lidded from the anesthesia and the morphine drip, but awake enough to watch the door like it was the only thing keeping you tethered to the world.
Katsuki sat on the edge of the bed, one arm braced behind your shoulders, the other cradling your daughter against his bare chest (skin-to-skin, the nurse had said). The baby was swaddled in a pink-and-white blanket, but her tiny face peeked out, scrunched and red, a shock of spiky blond hair sticking up in every direction. Every few seconds her mouth would open in a silent, furious yawn, and Katsukiâs eyes would flick down to her like he still couldnât believe she was real.
There was a soft knock. The door cracked open, and Mitsukiâs head appeared first, eyes already glassy. Masaru followed a step behind, hands clasped in front of him, looking like he wasnât sure he was allowed to breathe too loud.
Mitsukiâs gaze went straight to the bundle in Katsukiâs arms. Her hand flew to her mouth.
âOh my God,â she whispered, voice cracking on the second word. âKatsuki, move, let me see her.â
Katsuki didnât snarl like he normally would have. He just carefully shifted the baby higher against his shoulder, protective, possessive, and turned so his parents could see her face.
Mitsuki took one step, then another, then stopped like sheâd hit an invisible wall. Tears spilled over instantly.
âSheâs⌠sheâs so small,â she choked out. âLook at her little handsâoh my God, Katsuki, she has your eyebrows.â
Masaru came up beside his wife, resting a gentle hand on her back. His glasses were fogged. He didnât even bother wiping them.
âSheâs perfect,â he said quietly, voice thick. âAbsolutely perfect.â
Katsukiâs throat worked. He glanced at you first (checking, always checking), and you gave him the tiniest nod, exhausted but smiling.
âGo on,â you rasped. âLet them hold her.â
He hesitated another second, then slowly, carefully, stood up from the bed. Mitsukiâs hands were already out, trembling.
âSupport her headâMom, I swear to Godââ
âI raised you, you little shit, I know how to hold a baby,â Mitsuki hissed, but it came out wet and wobbly. The second Katsuki transferred the tiny weight into her arms, Mitsukiâs face crumpled completely. She sank into the nearest chair like her knees had given out.
âHi, baby,â she whispered to the newborn, voice breaking in half. âHi, sweetheart. Iâm your grandma. Youâre so beautiful I canât evenâoh God, Masaru, look at her.â
Masaru leaned over his wifeâs shoulder, one finger gently tracing the babyâs cheek. The infant blinked, squinted, then let out a furious squeak and scrunched her face exactly like Katsuki did when he was annoyed.
Mitsuki barked out a laugh that turned into a sob. âThatâs your fatherâs glare, right there. Sheâs two hours old and already done with everyoneâs bullshit.â
You laughedâweak, pained, but realâand Katsukiâs hand found yours immediately, squeezing.
Masaru reached out, hesitant. âMay IâŚ?â
Mitsuki carefully passed the baby over. Masaru took her like she was made of spun glass, cradling her in the crook of his arm. His eyes were shining behind his glasses.
âHello, little one,â he murmured. âYou gave your mama quite the adventure, didnât you?â
The baby rooted against his shirt, tiny mouth opening and closing. Masaruâs smile wobbled.
âSheâs⌠sheâs lighter than I expected,â he said softly. âAfter everything they said about her not fittingâŚâ He shook his head, marveling. âSheâs so small. And yet she fought so hard to get here.â
Katsukiâs jaw clenched. He looked away, blinking rapidly.
Mitsuki stood up and moved to your bedside. She didnât ask; she just carefully sat on the edge of the bed and pulled youâtubes and allâinto the gentlest hug sheâd ever given anyone.
âYou did it,â she whispered against your hair, fierce and shaking. âYou brought her here. Iâm so proud of you I could burst.â
You started crying again, silent and overwhelmed, clinging to her with the arm that didnât have an IV in it.
Masaru rocked the baby slowly, humming something soft under his breath. After a minute, he looked up at his son.
âYouâre a father,â Masaru said simply, voice full of wonder. âLook what you made. Look what the two of you made.â
Katsuki swallowed hard. He leaned over and pressed his forehead to the top of his daughterâs head, breathing her in, then reached back to lace his fingers with yours again.
âYeah,â he rasped. âI see her.â
Mitsuki kissed the top of your head, then stood so Masaru could bring the baby back to you. He laid her carefully in your arms, and the second her weight settled against your chest, everythingâthe pain, the fear, the long terrifying hoursâfaded into background noise.
Your daughter sighed, a tiny, content sound, and tucked her face under your chin.
In the quiet, Mitsuki wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand and muttered, âWell, shit. There goes my reputation as a hard-ass.â
And for the first time in nearly twenty-four hours, Katsuki laughedârough, stunned, and utterly in love.
Credits for divider⥠@steviebbboi
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