Pairing: Namjoon x reader (fluff)
Warnings: Pregnancy, Birth, and all the icky bodily fluids that come along with it.
Summary: Your due date has come and gone. Namjoon’s excited and you’re uncomfortable, but you’re both equally as impatient to meet your little girl.
This will be a series of drabbles I intend to post over the next few days, detailing the labour, birth, and early postnatal period. Expect a lot of fluff ♡♡
Part One / Part Two / Part Three / Part Four
“Three centimetres? How can I only be three?!” you’re hissing as soon as the midwife exits the room, quietly closing the door behind her. “I’ve been contracting for hours.” Namjoon gives you a helpless shrug from where he’s sat across the other side of the room on a soft wipe-clean couch, a pillow held across his lap as he watches you pace to and fro in nothing but your t-shirt and undies. “How can it hurt this much and I’m only three fucking centimetres dilated?!”
“You’re still in ‘latent phase’, baby. You just gotta push past this bit and then things will really start moving,” Namjoon says, clearly aiming for encouragement but only succeeding in irritating you. You point a finger towards him, halting in the middle of the room, and you notice him visibly shrink back, drawing the pillow tighter towards him.
“I swear to god, when we get home I’m gonna ram those books right up your backside, one by one,” you threaten, and it’s a good job the lights are so low or he’d be able to make out the murderous expression on your face, too. “In fact, why don’t you go tell the midwife we don’t need her, seeing as you’re such an experrroohhh god damn it!” Cutting yourself off as you feel another contraction coming, you quickly shuffle your way over the nearest piece of furniture to brace yourself on.
There’s a slatted wooden cot pushed up against the wall, ready and waiting for your little arrival with crisp white sheets and soft lilac blankets, and it’s that that you grab a hold of, curling your fingers tight around its sides. Right now, just getting through the labour and birth seems such an insurmountable task that it almost feels like you’ll never actually bring her out into the world, let alone this perfect little bed.
You huff and pant your way through the contraction, eyes tightly closed as your hips sway from side to side, trying to relieve the pressure. You can just about make out the music past the sound of your heavy breaths, the same playlist playing now as it had been back home, and focusing on that helps you get through it, trying to sing lyrics in your head rather than think about the pain.
Namjoon had prepared these tracks months in advance, compiling an almost infinite list of all yours and his favourite songs and put them all on USB. He’d even remixed some of them into something a little more gentle, more suitable for this particular moment, even though he’s already had more than enough work on his plate. You’re so lucky to have him…
The contraction may have faded, but now it’s another feeling that rises up and overwhelms you as you lean over and rest your head on your forearms, choking back a sob. Namjoon’s up and out of his seat in seconds, discarding his pillow and approaching you with no regard for his own safety, startled by the sight of your shoulders heaving with emotion.
“Baby, please don’t cry,” he murmurs, gingerly touching your back and rubbing it through your t-shirt. You can’t see him, tear-filled eyes peering down at the floor, but you know he’ll be wearing that same expression of concern he’s been adopting since this began. “It’ll be ok. This is all gonna be worth it, I promise.” You straighten up, letting go of the cot and flinging your arms around Namjoon’s neck, burying your face in his chest as you cry for the second time tonight.
“I’m sorry,” you cry miserably, one of his large hands cupping the back of your head whilst the other settles in the small of your back, rocking you both from side to side, “I’m being such a bitch and I know you’re only trying to help but I’m so tired Joonie, and it hurts so much. I don’t know how I’m going to do this.” Sobbing again, a fresh bout of tears springing from your eyes, Namjoon gently leans back and touches your chin to make you look up at him and see the soft smile on his face.
“Have a little more faith in yourself,” he tells you, rubbing the moisture from your cheeks with the sofa pad of his thumb, “You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever known; if you can put up with me everyday then this’ll be a piece of cake.” You smile weakly as you try to blink away the tears that remain, feeling your spirits bolster in response to your husband’s words of praise. He continues, “And as for being a bitch - don’t worry about it. I’ll just make sure you make it up to me later.”
Namjoon’s smile becomes so mischievous at that that you can’t help but bark out a laugh, pressing your forehead to his shoulder and then looking back up just in time to cherish his dimples right before they disappear. You sniff, still chuckling as you dab your runny nose on his t-shirt. Isn’t it great, being married?
His expression turns serious again, hands finding their way to your hips as you gaze up into his eyes.
“Just let me help you, baby. Let me look after you.” You run your fingertips over the soft, short hairs at the nape of Namjoon’s neck, feeling your chest swell with affection. “You’re only gonna tire yourself out more, fighting me as well.”
“Ok,” you agree, smiling timidly before leaning onto your tiptoes to press your lips against his. It’s a little difficult with your bump in the way, but you manage, and as Namjoon kisses you back, hands cupping your backside, you feel your little girl start to kick again on the inside. It’s like she’s trying to tell you to knock it off, already embarrassed at the open affection her mum and dad have for each other.
“Another one?” Namjoon asks against your mouth when you abruptly end the kiss, inhaling sharply.
“Another one,” you confirm through gritted teeth, leaning your forehead against his collarbone. He starts to place soft kisses against your hair as it builds, following the motion of your body as you sway and rubbing the base of your spine with one hand as the other holds you tight, supporting you. Somehow, with your husband’s arms around you it all seems so much more manageable, his warmth and presence soothing you as he encourages you through it.
A few hours later, and the midwife - who had been more or less leaving you two to your own devices - gives you some good news. She smiles as she finishes her examination, covering you up with the sheet and pulling off her gloves.
“Do you want to know how many centimeters?” she asks, readying the handheld doppler to listen to your little girl’s heartbeat. You glance at Namjoon who’s sat by your side, your hand held tightly in his, and he gives you an encouraging smile.
“Is it more than three?” you ask nervously, watching as she presses the probe to the left side of your abdomen. A second later you hear your baby’s heart, galloping away like a horse - or maybe a train? Who knows - and Kassie laughs, nodding her head.
“You’re definitely more than three.” Laughing in relief you let your head flop back into the pillow, squeezing Namjoon’s hand tight.
“She sound ok in there?” he asks, nodding towards the doppler, and the midwife nods in turn.
“That’s my girl,” Namjoon beams as Kassie turns the device off and rises from the couch, her blonde ponytail bobbing behind her. It really should be illegal for someone so pretty to look after women during this process - she must look like aphrodite right now compared to you. Not that your husband seems to notice; he’s all eyes for you as he gently helps you to sit up and hands your underwear back, a clean pad already in place. He really is too good to you.
“That’s my girl,” he repeats with a wink as he stands, pulling you with him. After all these years, how on earth does that still make your insides flutter?
“So what’s the plan now?” you ask Kassie as she washes her hands, lanyard around her neck dangling and tapping on the side of the sink. You were about to start putting your underwear back on but a brewing contraction means you have to abandon the task, wrapping your arms around Namjoon’s neck instead, your black knickers hanging down his back.
“It’s just a matter of waiting, really,” she replies, unphased by the way you’re groaning through the pain. She must get it a lot, you suppose. “But I’ll be staying with you from now on.” You feel her walk over to your side, her small hand coming to rest on your upper back whilst Namjoon rubs the lower. It’s funny how reassuring Kassie’s presence is, even though you only met a few hours ago.
You turn your head as your stomach softens again, peeking at her through one eye as you catch your breath.
“Would you like to get in the pool now?” she offers sweetly, hand coming to rest on your shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze. Knowing how much the bath had helped you right at the beginning, you can think of absolutely nothing better than that right now and you eagerly nod, pulling yourself off of Namjoon and already starting to strip from your clothes.
