Summary: Killian likes Robin. Robin likes Killian. They don’t think the other one is interested, though, even after spending a night together. But it seems that life has other plans for them when they both come out of the encounter pregnant. Maybe this was just the bump (well, baby bumps) they needed to get together. And starting a relationship while pregnant…well, that’s gonna be an adventure.
rated T | 3.5k | part 1 | part 2 | AO3
A/N: The (hopefully thrilling) conclusion the story that sprawled from a prompt that @killianjonesownsmyheart1 sent to @sancocnutclub. I can’t wait for you to see the art she’s done for this—it’s so sweet!
When Killian burst through the door of the bar not 10 minutes later, Will was getting Robin through another contraction; Robin hoped he hadn’t broken his friend’s hand with how hard he was squeezing. The next thing he saw when he opened his eyes after it was Killian, kneeling down in front of him. “You ready for this, Daddy?”
“As much as I’ll ever be, Papa.”
“Let’s go have a baby, then,” he said, grinning, and placed his hand on Robin’s stomach. Will helped Killian stand, and then Killian helped Robin up, placing a kiss on his temple. “Just don’t let your water break in my car, eh?”
“I’ll try,” he chuckled back.
The trip to the hospital was a blur, and so was everything that happened once they got there. But eventually, he found himself in a bed, strapped to all sorts of things, with Killian holding his hand in the chair next to him.
“Breathe, love—just breathe,” he calmly said through each contraction, never letting his grip against Robin’s fade. Robin tried to be careful when he caught Killian wincing as his contractions got closer together, but he only had so much control when his midsection felt like it was both collapsing on itself and about to explode.
Finally—blessedly—Victor said the best words he’d heard since he arrived at the hospital. “Let’s get you to delivery; it’s time.”
“You’ve got this,” Killian murmured as he stood and pressed a kiss to Robin’s temple. “I’ll catch up to you,” he added, smiling, as they started to wheel Robin out.
“Maybe if you hustle, you’ll be next,” Robin quipped back over his shoulder.
Robin couldn’t see the half smile Killian gave as he was taken to Delivery—but Victor did.
“ARE you next, Killian?” he asked quietly, giving him a visual once over.
“I’ll be fine; worry about Robin,” Killian said, waving him off, just as another contraction took hold. They were still decently far apart, he thought—no cause for concern just yet. He had to be there for Robin and their other child first—he had to.
He started to waddle out of the room to follow his love, but he’d barely reached the door when Victor stopped him.
“At least let me get you a wheelchair?” the doctor offered.
Killian sighed; that did sound better, or at least faster. “Alright.”
Any relief he had a moving to the next stage of labor quickly dissipated—Robin found that pushing was several times more arduous. But once Killian arrived back at his side, he knew he could get through it.
“You’re doing brilliant, love—you can do it; keep going.” A constant stream of affirmations left Killian’s lips and kept him going, even when he was sure the baby was stuck.
“Almost there, Robin—just a couple more pushes,” Victor called out from what was probably a gruesome scene, if the sight matched what it felt like.
Killian was practically leaning on the bed next to him. “So close; we’re so close, love,” he murmured.
And in no time at all—or a seemingly endless moment—there it was. There he was—their son.
“It’s a boy!” Victor declared, and brought the slimy, squirming infant up to Robin’s chest. “Congratulations, Daddy.”
Oh, he was perfect. His lungs certainly worked fine, as his screaming indicated, and he had a fine mess of dark hair paired with a darling face. But he soon calmed once he realized he was in his father’s arms. “He’s beautiful,” was all Robin could say.
“Just like you, love—you were brilliant,” Killian said, pressing a kiss to Robin’s head and then their son’s. “I’m so proud of you.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you,” Robin replied, finally looking up at the man he loved—and finally sure enough to say it. “I lo—love? What’s wrong?”
The elation on Killian’s face quickly morphed to pain and he hunched in on himself.
“Killian, what is it?” His hormones were still a mess from birth—he was not ready to deal with whatever was going on.
After another painstakingly long moment, Killian relaxed and stood up, but his expression was still strained. “I...I think...it looks like...my water just broke.”
Robin felt his jaw go slack. It had been a possibility, but one he really hadn’t considered—they were seriously about to give birth in succession?
In the background, he heard Victor go “Goddammit, Killian,” and start giving orders, but Robin tuned the rest out and grabbed Killian’s hand.
“Why didn’t you say something?”
“You were my priority. Both of you. I had...I had to look out for you.”
“Well, now it’s my turn to look out for you, okay?”
The chivalrous side of Killian wanted to protest, but his body—or, rather, the thing that was currently trying to escape it—was louder.
“Alright, But not until you’re done here.”
After watching what Robin has just gone through, paired with his own increasingly strong contractions, his nerves were building. But Robin’s hand was still steady in his, even as the doctors took the baby and started to wrap things up on his end.
Another contraction hit and it was Robin’s turn to coach him now. “Breathe now, in and out—that’s perfect, darling.” In truth, Killian was still getting used to having someone take care of him. Looking after himself or someone else came naturally; being that vulnerable himself was taking some getting used to.
He couldn't help but collapse in the wheelchair after the contraction passed, his legs giving out after so long on his feet at Robin’s side.
“Okay, someone get him to an exam room, stat,” Victor’s voice shouted, and then he was in front of Killian. “I’ll get Robin to you soon, I promise; but we’ve gotta get going on you now, okay?”
Killian threw a worried glance at Robin, who gave him a reassuring look and nod. “I’ll be right there.”
“Alright; let's do this.” He didn’t sound confident, but he didn’t have much choice, did he?
Robin felt...he had no idea, really. Excited, drained, relieved, empty, tired—so tired. He felt one part of his heart follow his son out to the nursery and the other go with Killian, so he wasn’t quite sure what he was left with as the doctors sorted out his afterbirth care.
A large part of him just wanted to sleep. But the rest of him, desperate to be there for Killian like he’d been there for him, wouldn’t even consider it. That said, he knew he wasn’t capable of being at his side in the same way. “What am I gonna do, Victor?” he had to ask.
“Well, where would you rate your pain, on a scale of 1 to 10?”
“About 8.23, but decreasing.”
“Alright. We’ll get you on some mild painkillers and then someone is finding you the comfiest, tallest chair they can get. And then we do this all again. You ready?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Good enough.”
Killian barely even saw the face of whoever was wheeling him into the room Robin had been in earlier, but thanked them as they helped him into the empty bed on the other side of the room; he wondered now if Victor had done that on purpose.
For a minute, it was just him and the baby, still moving around inside even as it was about to truly enter the world. “Not much longer now, love,” he murmured, holding his belly tight. He had to admit, he was going to miss that part a bit—having the baby so close. But that was pretty much the only thing he’d miss.
Another contraction hit; they were less than five minutes apart now, but growing closer together quickly. He knew he still had time, but he hoped Robin, or at least Victor, would come in soon.
A knock on the door sounded, and the visitor didn’t wait for an invitation in—Regina. He’d nearly forgotten that he’d called her when they arrived. “Hey, what’s going on? Where’s Robin?”
Killian tried to sit up a bit, but his belly blocked him, so he just relaxed; that was probably better for him anyway. “He’s fine; they’re finishing him up now. It’s a boy,” he said reverently.
“I have a nephew?” Regina whispered, tears coming to her eyes. “Oh, that’s so exciting!” she added, giving Killian a cautious hug. She wiped her eyes when she pulled back. “Hopefully we don’t have to wait too much longer on this one, then; did Victor make you lie down after refusing to leave Robin’s side?”
“Er, something like that,” he replied, scratching nervously behind his ear. “Actually, I’m—”
“Alright, let’s see how far you’re dilated. Hey, Regina,” Victor said nonchalantly as he barged in.
Regina gasped as Victor started his exam. “Oh my god—you’re in labor, too?”
“It would appear so.”
Regina’s excited squealing hurt his ears, but didn’t seem to bother Victor. “Well, you’re not gonna be in here long; maybe another couple hours to go,” he announced. “I’m off to take a power nap; see you soon.” He turned and left promptly after his assessment, muttering something about overtime and vacation days.
“Ahh, this is so exciting! Is there anything I can do for you? Does Robin know? Oh my god, I can’t—I just can’t.”
“Calm down, sis,” he told her, almost chuckling (except that kind of hurt at the moment). “Just...take a seat and let me hold your hand when the next contraction rolls around.”
“I can do that,” she said softly, pulling a chair closer to his bedside.
She got him through a few more before Robin was wheeled back into the room. The bed was barely locked into place before he was trying to get out of it, but the nurses had to press him back down.
“How are you doing?” he settled on asking.
“As best as can be expected when your contractions are barely 4 minutes apart. You?”
“I’ll be better with some pain relief...and when I can hold your hand.”
Killian blushed at the declaration, which was only furthered by Regina’s comment of “You two are freaking adorable.” Thankfully, someone helped Robin into the wheelchair shortly after and moved him to Killian’s bedside.
Again, Robin’s hand found his, and almost all was right with the world; he desperately wanted to hold his son, and he knew Robin did, too, but his love never left his side—not until Victor declared that it was time.
“I’m right behind you,” Robin assured him, and they went and did this all over again.
Regina took the handles of Robin’s wheelchair and followed behind Killian as quick as they could, until they reached the door of the delivery room.
“You’ll take care of him, right?” she asked, sounding uncharacteristically nervous.
“You know I will, Regina. But will you do me a favor?”
“Of course.”
“Go check on my son?” He was still getting used to saying that; every time continued to fill him with joy.
“With pleasure,” she answered, grinning. “Now go on—meet the next one.”
Being back in the delivery room but in the other spot was giving Killian the oddest sense of deja vu. Especially once Robin arrived, and his encouragements sounded so similar to the ones Killian had just been giving him.
But the constant pain from his abdomen and pelvis made sure he stayed focused on the present; god, it hurt so much—how much longer?
“Okay, Killian: start pushing.”
“Gladly,” he retorted, though he couldn’t say that felt any better. Only knowing what would come at the end was any motivation.
It seemed like he was pushing forever; had it been this long for Robin? He had no clue, but Robin didn’t waver. “You’re doing brilliantly, darling; keep it up.”
After what felt like an eternity, finally, the pressure released, and Killian could do nothing but fall back against the pillows. Another cry filled the air, just hours after the last, and then the babe who had spent so much time wriggling on the inside was now squirming in the cold air.
“Congratulations, Papa—it’s a girl.”
Killian’s arms immediately went around her when Victor placed her on his chest and oh, she was perfect. Big blue eyes, ten fingers and toes, and the sweetest face he’d ever seen. He wasted no time in pressing his lips to her head, not caring that she still needed to be cleaned—she was still the most beautiful thing he’d since...well, since their son.
“You did it, Killian. You did amazing.” He felt more than saw Robin’s lips against his cheek, and may have swooned when he did the same to their daughter. (Or maybe everything was catching up to him; it was hard to say.)
“Thank you, love—there’s no way I would have gotten through it without you.”
“Not even Hades himself could have kept me.”
Killian used his free hand to grab Robin’s scrub top and pull him down for a proper kiss. Though it may have been too soon for that, given that they both came out of it a bit lightheaded.
But he didn’t care. This was the man he loved, and after the day they’d had, no one could keep them apart any more. “I lo—”
“Okay, I hate to break up the sweet moment,” Victor interrupted, to Killian’s chagrin. “But that one is almost asleep on his feet,” he said, pointing at Robin, then at Killian, “and this one still has a bit to go.”
“I’m fine; I’ll stay for the rest,” Robin insisted, then comically yawned.
“Go, love; I’ll be fine,” Killian assured him. “I’ll see you in a bit?”
“O...okay.”
One nurse wheeled Robin away and another took the baby to clean her up. Killian finally let out an exhale that he hadn’t realized he’d been holding as everyone else got him sorted. It was mindboggling how much his life had changed in the past 6 hours, but he almost couldn’t contain his elation, and a few happy tears slipped down his cheeks.
When everything was done, Victor came back into view. “Thanks, mate, for everything today,” Killian told him, suddenly aware of how drained he was. “We owe you.”
“Your insurance company owes me; your thanks are all I need from you. And maybe for you guys to be less stubborn.”
“No promises there,” he quipped back.
“I know. But can you do one thing for me?”
“What’s that?”
“Next time you guys get knocked up, maybe spread it out a bit?”
Laughing hurt, but he couldn’t help it. “We’ll see.”
Regina was still in the room when Robin came back. “Well?” she asked, on her feet immediately.
“It’s a girl,” he answered, smiling sleepily.
Regina grinned back. “Oh, that’s perfect. How’s Killian?”
“He’ll be back in a bit, and he’ll be able to answer better than I can. But if it was anything like me a few hours ago, then he probably won’t know either.”
“That makes sense,” she replied. “And your beautiful son is just fine.”
“Good,” he sighed as he was helped back into the bed, then asked one of the nurses, “When can I see him again?”
“We’ll have both babies moved in here soon,” she promised. “Rest up first, though.”
But he didn’t want to; he wanted to hold his babies close and learn everything about them.
“Listen to her,” Regina warned him, fully aware of how his mind worked. “Go to sleep; I’ll keep an eye on everything.”
“Wake me when Killian’s back,” he said, but sleep quickly claimed him.
Killian didn’t remember much once the doctor had cleared him; he must have passed out on the way back to their room. But when he finally came to, it was to a whimpering baby and someone squeezing his hand.
He blearily blinked his eyes and looked around at the unfamiliar walls, and then the last day or so slammed into him: they were parents now.
The first place he looked was at his hand; Robin’s was holding it. Someone had shoved their beds together when he got back in the room, apparently, and lowered the rails that would otherwise separate them. He suspected it was Regina, presently asleep on the room’s couch.
He followed the arm up to look over at Robin, who had the fussing babe in his other arm—their son, judging from the blue hat and the bit of hair sticking out from under it. Robin was talking to the boy with the happiest, softest expression, and he was sure he’d never seen anything more perfect.
Until a second tiny voice rang out in the room, from Killian’s other side; his little girl lay there in a clear plastic bassinet, and some foreign instinct told him she was feeling left out.
“Don’t worry, little one—Papa is here,” he murmured, letting go of Robin’s hand and reaching for her, carefully scooping her out of the crib and bringing her close to his chest. She quieted almost instantly and started gazing around the room from under the brim of the pink hat that matched her brother’s.
“Good morning, darlings,” Robin said from his side of everything. “How do you feel?”
“Better than ever,” Killian said, surprised at how watery his voice was. Apparently, his emotions were still ready to swing on a whim.
“Really? Because I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck,” Robin quipped, but was staring at him and smiling when Killian finally took his gaze off his—no, their—daughter.
“Well, yes, there’s that. But when I look at these faces, I don’t really mind.”
“No, I can’t say I do.”
They settled into a peaceful quiet for a while, just studying the babe in their arms, and then finally swapping. Holding his son for the first time was almost as emotional as with his daughter—he was so different, yet he could see some of the similarities. And oh, he was so perfect.
“She’s so perfect,” Robin echoed. “I still can’t believe they’re ours.”
“Same,” Killian said, completely entranced. When he finally managed to take his eyes off the sweet boy, it was only to watch Robin with their daughter—but Robin was doing the same thing.
Their eyes met, and they chuckled a little, but there was only one thing Killian could think of to say at that moment.
“I love you.”
Robin’s heart stuttered for the millionth time in the last day. He knew Killian loved him—he’d shown it a million times over in the past hours, weeks, months. But to hear it was something special.
“I love you, too.”
Killian let out a half-smile, half sob at that, and reached for Robin’s hand, tugging it to his lips to press a kiss on it. Robin pulled back their joined hands to do the same, not trusting his sore abs to move the distance to Killian’s face—especially not with such precious cargo between them.
“I tried to tell you earlier,” Killian started.
“Me, too. But then someone had to get dramatic and go into labor.”
Killian rolled his eyes. “As if I could control it.”
“See, I’m not so sure,” Robin continued to tease, and would have more if Victor hadn’t come in, waking Regina in the process.
He quickly examined them and the babies, confirming that everything was going well. “Now, if I recall, there was one more competition you two had—biggest baby?”
“Aye,” Killian confirmed.
“Spit it out, mate.”
“First: names?” he asked, gesturing between the infants.
Robin and Killian met the other’s gaze again and nodded. They’d picked out front-runner names before all this, so they knew exactly what to say.
“This one,” Killian introduced, “is Roland Liam.”
“And I’ve got Alice Regina.”
Victor gave them a rare genuine smile, then turned to Regina, who was smiling through tears; they hadn’t told her about the names yet, and that reaction was exactly why. “Where does the betting pool stand on weight?” Victor asked her.
“Robin has the edge, but not by much,” she said, sniffling.
Victor nodded, and then gave the stats. “Roland Liam: 7 pounds, 10 ounces; 20 inches long.” He placed an updated label on the empty crib before walking over to the other one. “And Alice Regina: same length, but...7 pounds, 14 ounces.”
could you possibly do another smut fic with killian having sex with a guy? Or maybe a threesome fic with him and emma and a nameless guy?
I have a secret hard-on for Captain Hood. In fact, this is something that @idoltina and I texted about for like a week last year and we each went “I’m not writing it, you’re writing it” for at least two days but now I guess I’m writing it. Who’s up for a college sports AU?
(anyway this is my first actual real slash fic, be kind for I only know what not to do. many thanks to @bookstoreromantic for giving this a once over and telling me how soccer works)
It felt like they’d known one another forever. They moved together on the field with ease, passing without thinking, sensing where the other was – just knowing they would be there with the assist. They stayed up late in the common area, going over plays and devising new ones, finishing each other’s thoughts late into the evening until someone inevitably reminded them about morning drills and the need for sleep. When one had a bad day, the other knew and was often the first to drag him out for a pint and some mindless entertainment to cheer him up. They had similar pre-game rituals, sat next to each other on roadies, and their teammates were surprised when one was seen without the other. They laughed and took the piss out of each other like the oldest of mates, but Killian and Robin had only been playing together since their first year at uni – sorry, freshman year.
(Killian still had some trouble wrapping his mind around the linguistic differences between American and British English. At least he’d known better than to ask to borrow someone’s rubber in the middle of class.)
Regardless, he’d certainly heard of Robin Locksley before decamping to America and Robin had heard of Killian Jones; the amateur competitive football world was small back home and everyone knew who was being scouted by the leagues and by the universities. Locksley was good, a striker with the makings of an excellent skipper one day. They’d never played against one another, but everyone kept tabs on the big names.
(No one had ever thought to mention how ruddy fit Locksley was. Oh, he’d noticed at first – beautiful people drew his eye in that way – but he’d had a few other dalliances before realizing just how bloody fucked he was when it came to Robin Locksley. It was during a rain delay that Killian had realized he was absolutely fucked when it came to Robin. They’d gotten caught in a downpour during warm-up drills and everyone had gotten soaked through, but Killian had zeroed in on how Robin’s kit clung to his well-defined muscles and the water ran down his chiseled jaw and bloody fuck he was well and truly fucked.. He’d also decided then that an artist should capture Rob’s beauty in marble, like the Greeks. Though it wouldn’t capture the way the sun glinted off his hair and made it shine, or the way his cheeks dimpled when he laughed, or the cold fury in his eyes when another player committed an unnecessary slide tackle and injured one of their teammates.)
The fact that they’d both been scouted for this small university’s football team – rather, soccer, as the Americans stubbornly continued calling it – just happened to be a twist of fate.
A rather cruel one, if he was going to be melodramatic about it – which he was apparently rather adept at, according to Swan.
Swan was his roommate, a lacrosse player with a mean right hook, a passion for grilled cheese, an old Volkswagen Beetle that he was constantly trying to keep running for her, and a penchant for throwing her pre-law books at him when he was in one of his “melodramatic moods”. And yes, Emma Swan was a girl – woman, as she and her friend Snow were fond of reminding him.
The university’s rather liberal policy of gender neutral residence halls had ended up quite in his favor, despite the book-throwing. While even he could admit that Swan was a striking example of womanhood, his tastes ran more towards the men. And sharing a room with another man had always run hit-or-miss for him in the past. Swan hadn’t even batted an eye that first year, offhandedly mentioned an ex-girlfriend named Lily, and then asked if his practice schedule was as grueling as hers.
They’d been the best of friends ever since.
“If I have to hear you sigh over Robin’s quads one more time, I’m banishing you to the lounge for the night,” she grumbled, highlighting something in a textbook.
“They’re just so–”
“Perfect, so I’ve heard. Just ask him out already.”
“I had to wait fifteen minutes before I could shower,” Killian said, flopping back on the futon with one of his lit texts. “Bloody git took forever.”
“Scandalous,” she remarked, her voice dry. “Can’t even shower together. Oh wait, yes you can, because half the LAX team is gay and we have no problem.”
“Women don’t have knobs, bit different,” he retorted.
He could practically hear her rolling her eyes. “There is nothing sexy about a locker room, Jones. Quit being a – a, what is it you always call Will?”
“Bellend,” he deadpanned.
“Right, that. Stop being a bellend and just say something. And don’t give me another speech about ruining the team ‘vibes’.” She actually used air quotes, the sarcasm dripping from her tongue. “If nothing else, you have to learn to keep personal shit off the playing field. Or use it as fuel during a game.”
Killian sighed, resting his book on his face. She was right, he knew she was right, but when it came to actually admitting his own feelings, he was the biggest chickenshit – one of Swan’s delightful Americanisms that had rubbed off on him.
He just didn’t know how Rob would react.
It wasn’t as if his teammates didn’t know about his sexuality; as Swan had said, coming out to his mates hadn’t ruined any of the team’s closeness. Locksley had clapped his shoulder, thanked him for his trust and honesty, and assured him that the team would do their best to return that trust and honesty.
Well, that was all very well and good when stating a general interest in men and women, but in Killian’s experience, men who had no interest in other men tended to react… poorly.
To put it mildly.
“Rob’s not like that.” Swan’s quiet voice broke through his thoughts.
“What, are you a mind reader now, love?”
She snorted. “No, that’s you. I just recognize that silence.”
“Come here.”
She did, dragging her textbook with her and settling against his side on the futon. She could be a pain in his arse sometimes, but she also knew the value of physical contact; he was, admittedly, more free in his general affection towards friends, but he counted himself lucky to be one of the small handful of people that Swan regularly showed any sort of affection towards.
“I’ll bring it up tomorrow,” Killian said quietly.
Swan made a noise as if she didn’t entirely believe him, and truth be told he didn’t entirely believe himself, but it was said and it would be enough for her to hold him to it. “I have a test tomorrow,” she told him, settling more comfortably into the crook of his arm.
He breathed a laugh and pulled her in closer, picking his own book back up to get some reading done before he was too inconsolable to think of studying.
Perhaps Swan was right about his inclination towards the melodramatic.
His body may have been at practice, but his head clearly wasn’t. He was passable at drills, but he was easily distracted during the scrimmage and it did not go unnoticed.
“Jones,” Robin called.
His skip’s voice cut through the locker room chatter. Killian paused only after securing a towel around his own hips, ready to half-drown himself in the showers after that abysmal practice. “Aye, mate?”
Robin made his way through their teammates, giving Killian a critical once-over before speaking. “You alright?” he asked, dropping his voice now.
Killian glanced up, then away, irritated at himself for a multitude of reasons now. “Aye. Long night. Sorry, skip, I’ll get right tomorrow.”
Robin was silent for a moment, then reached out and clapped Killian’s shoulder. Killian had to fight the urge to lean into it, to show how the familiar gesture affected him as he stood there half-naked in the bloody locker room. “Shower up, we’ll go for a pint and a chat,” Robin ordered and turned before it could be argued.
Killian stared after his friend’s retreating back, taking a long moment to compose himself and adjust the towel a bit before grabbing his caddy and stalking off to the showers.
The hot water and soap didn’t make him feel anything other than clean of sweat and grass stains. Try as he might, letting the water beat against his skin did nothing to relieve the guilt of giving less than his best or the anxiety gnawing at his gut at the conversation to come.
After he dressed, he went out into the hall to find Robin waiting for him. Wordlessly, they fell into step together, practice bags slung over their shoulders and hands shoved into their pockets. He followed Robin’s lead as they left the training facility and went down the street to their favorite dive bar – fairly empty at this hour, which would make Robin’s scolding easier to hear.
They ordered, and after the waitress brought their pints, they each took a long drink as Robin regarded Killian thoughtfully over the rim. “So,” he said, setting his glass down. “Something’s eating at you. And don’t give me any nonsense about everything being fine or I’ll go talk to Emma and she’ll tell me what’s really going on with you.”
Killian winced, setting his own glass down. Swan absolutely would, if for no other reason than she was an abysmal liar. “That’s a low blow, Locksley.”
“Aye, but you’re a right stubborn bastard when you put your mind to it, so my hand is forced. You’ve never played so badly, not in all the years I’ve known you. Even after the mess with that lass Milah and then your disastrous rebound with Jefferson.”
Those had been easier to handle – after Milah left, there had been nothing for him but throwing himself into the game, leaving everything on the pitch until he was spent, an empty shell left for Swan to care for, making sure he ate and had a decent night’s rest. Jefferson had been an angry affair, both of them lost and angry and winding up hurting the other more. But it had only led to more fuel, something like a dam breaking in Killian’s soul that flooded his body with pain and rage and powering his game until he was left with only quiet and acceptance inside.
But this, this situation held more at stake.
Swan’s voice was in his head, telling him she’d hold him to his statement yesterday, but he reasoned that if such a confession went poorly he would have nowhere to turn. He’d left his feelings out on the pitch after Milah, after Jefferson, but the pitch was where Robin was. Robin was his friend, his teammate, his skipper.
Robin kept things grounded with the rest of Killian’s world had fallen apart.
Killian took a long pull from his glass, stalling for time. Thankfully, their food arrived, and both young men were too well-mannered to talk and eat at the same time – Robin’s family descended from some stuffy upper class lot, Killian’s mum drilling the mantra of “manners maketh man” into his head as a lad. During a lull, he finally said, “All twisted around about someone, s’all.”
His burger sat heavy like lead in his stomach, watching Robin’s face. Robin’s eyebrow lifted. “Enough to ruin your football? Don’t tell me it’s Emma.”
Killian tried not to laugh. Swan was gorgeous, but it wasn’t meant to be. “Roommates are off-limits, remember? Or have you and Regina started sharing a bed as well as a room?”
Robin’s cheeks pinked and he stabbed a chip into the ketchup. “I should bloody well think not… Very well then, who are they?”
His mouth felt dry, no matter how much of his beer he drank – indeed, he drained the glass and still felt parched. The waitress came and got him a refill and Killian stopped himself from guzzling it down lest he hurry along his buzz. He hardly thought a drunken confession of attraction would make things any better. “It’s… complicated,” he finally said. “Telling them, it would change a great many things that I’m loathe to give up.”
He met Robin’s gaze then, willing him to understand the words he wasn’t saying, but he knew it often took a straight answer for things to sink in. Robin’s blank look confirmed that. Killian swallowed hard, then said, “I value our friendship too much, Rob, to allow my personal feelings to get in the way if it makes you uncomfortable. I apologize if this admission alters the way you think of me –”
Robin’s eyes widened and Killian shut up fast; Robin was a good man, but he’d known plenty of men who turned on a dime at the thought of a man desiring them. “Bloody hell, me?” Killian’s mouth opened wordlessly, an icicle of fear slicing down his back as he tried to figure out whether he should run for it now or go down swinging. Robin blinked, shaking his head. “Well. I have to admit, Jones, this is a surprise, but I can’t say I’m not flattered.”
It was Killian’s turn to blink, his emotions a complete jumble. “You’re not…”
Robin met his gaze. “Killian, don’t be a tosser, I’m not upset.”
“Well, you don’t go shouting about your conquests in the locker room, so I couldn’t be sure if it would be received well or not.”
Robin grinned. “No, we’ll leave that to Will. As it happens, I suppose it’s never really mattered to me.”
“Oh.”
“Indeed.”
There was a long pause and Killian fought the urge to gulp half his beer to fill the silence. His fingers must have twitched towards his pint, though, because Robin started to grin. “So, is this a date, then, or should we do one proper another time?”
Killian stared, flabbergasted. “One - what? And two, are you seriously asking me out right now?”
“Well, you should probably be the one to do the asking, but you seem – for the first time in your life, I might add – at a loss for words.”
“Rob, don’t indulge me if you’re not serious about this.”
“Who says I’m not?”
“You’re being awfully flippant.”
“I’m not getting on one knee, if that’s what you want.”
Killian felt his ears burning and he wasn’t sure what the cause of it was: embarrassment or anger, possibly a mix of the two. “Look, just forget it,” he said, balling up his napkin and tossing it on the table. He dug in his back pocket for his wallet, trying to look anywhere but at Robin; but when Killian opened the tri-fold to look for cash, he stilled when Robin’s hand covered his.
“I’m sorry,” he said, and Killian looked up to see a soft, earnest look on his face that matched his voice. “I thought – well, occasionally humor helps to ease tension, and I see now that it was a mistake.”
“Too bloody right,” Killian muttered.
Robin’s hand was warm, an odd but nice mix of calluses and softness against his own skin. Killian called up every ounce of courage he had, then turned his hand over to clasp Robin’s. His friend looked surprised at the gesture, perhaps a little unsure of how to handle it, but seemed neither disgusted nor displeased. “We’ve got a match Saturday afternoon, but how about after dinner we ditch the team and take in a movie?”
There were normally team dinners after matches, so it made sense – no need to alert anyone of anything new developing. And Killian and Robin normally went out after matches, though normally with Emma or Regina and their friends (they’d agreed that both of their roommates were useful in separate situations: Emma might not be a wild party girl but her LAX teammates knew how to celebrate a victory, while Regina and her group knew the perfect way to drown out any anger at a loss)
“Alright,” Killian said. Then, feeling bolder and remembering Robin’s remark about humor, added, “Though just so you know, I don’t put out on the first date.”
Robin blinked and Killian thought his joke may have missed the mark, then Rob started to laugh. “You’re probably a bloody awful kisser anyway.”
He thought about proving him wrong right then and there – he’d received approximately zero complaints about his technique, thank you very much – but in all honesty Killian was too busy trying to hide the fact that he was now very much staring at Robin’s mouth, wondering how he kissed and what the combined sensations of their beards might feel like.
Swan, bless her, did her best not to gloat when he told her what had happened later that night.
Though given the fact that he couldn’t stop grinning, he probably wouldn’t have minded a bit of gloating anyway.
Their style of play didn’t falter and Killian’s ability returned now that he was free of the stress of any difficult conversations. He’d been out with Robin before and though he fundamentally knew this was different, part of him wasn’t able to truly understand that this was a date and not just two friends out on the town. Perhaps that’s why he could keep his head on straight over the next few days, even managing to score a goal and assist on two others to help win the match on Saturday.
It wasn’t until after the team dinner that Robin caught his gaze and gave him a meaningful look.
That’s when the waves of butterflies hit.
They took Robin’s truck – Killian had never gotten the hang of driving on the wrong side of the road and happily allowed others to chauffeur him around – and headed out to the shopping mall on the far side of town. There was a theater there that gave student discounts. Knowing their teammates, no one would be out that way celebrating, and it wasn’t likely that they’d run into Emma (the LAX team was on a retreat for the weekend) or Regina (who had an organic chemistry exam on Monday and had threatened to set anyone who disturbed her on fire).
Killian had found that there was always an odd moment concerning who paid when on a date with a man, but it seemed that Robin had already thought of that. “You get tickets, I’ll buy snacks?” he asked as they jumped out of the truck.
“Sounds good to me.”
They wound up eating most of the popcorn halfway through previews, making snide comments to the other about trailers for this overblown blockbuster or that lackluster comedy. By the time the lights went out, Killian was feeling more relaxed, though it still felt decidedly more like friends hanging out rather than a date.
About forty-five minutes in, he decided to make it feel like a date.
It took another fifteen minutes to build the courage to do it, sneaking glances at the armrest that lay between them and Robin’s arm casually resting on it.
He felt Robin still when Killian took his hand, and almost withdrew, but then Robin’s fingers laced with his and Killian’s heart soared.
He couldn’t remember the rest of the movie if he tried.
They were quiet as they left, Robin’s hands casually tucked in his pockets. There weren’t many people leaving the theater at the same time, so Killian pretended to stumble, bumping their shoulders together and making Robin laugh. He nudged back and it turned into a little game, shoving one another until Robin finally just threw his arm around Killian’s shoulders. It was almost a headlock, and to anyone observing it would appear so, but he recognized it for what it was.
Maybe Robin understood the value of physical contact, too.
“So,” Robin said as he pulled up to Killian’s dorm a while later.
“Yeah.”
“That was nice.” Killian scoffed and Robin grinned. “Right, you have a better adjective?”
“I had a good time,” Killian said, his voice pitching high at the end, silently asking if Robin felt the same.
Robin smiled and reached over the center console to take Killian’s hand again. “I did too. Though perhaps next time we not dine with our teammates beforehand?”
“Is there a next time?”
“I’d like there to be.”
They stared at one another for a long moment until Killian smiled. “Alright. Next week?”
They had two more dates before the championship tournament hit, and Killian didn’t like to admit how it frustrated him to put whatever this was between them on hold for the sake of the game. At the same time, he knew it was more important to focus on winning, that there would be more time in the off-season, but he was frustrated all the same.
More because Robin seemed to hide behind his skipper mask, even when it was just the two of them discussing plays after a scrimmage.
He missed his friend. Or his… whatever this was.
They won the next game, solidifying their place in the quarterfinals, but only by the skin of their teeth. Everyone was frustrated after the game, Robin snapped at everyone in the locker room, and Killian’s own frustrations at his own poor play combined with his personal frustrations towards Robin. He managed to hold his tongue until everyone else had gone, finally lashing out, “It’s enough that we’re aware of our own mistakes, mate, there’s no need to be a prick to us all on top of it!”
“I’m skipper, Killian, it’s my damn job to be a prick when you all deserve it!”
“And whose job is it to put you in your place when you’re being an unjust prick?!”
“Not yours, that’s for certain! Take it up with the manager if you have a problem with my skipping!”
Killian fumed. “It’s not enough to know your team isn’t happy with their treatment? You stubborn arse, we selected you and we can damn well take that away. We know we won by the skin of our teeth, we know we need to do better next match, and trust me when I say we’re all going to be beating ourselves up over these mistakes until the next time we can go out there and prove we can do better than before.”
“It’s not enough,” Robin said, scowling.
“What should we do, Robin, become gods? Invest in a Time-Turner? Because the only way we can fix what already happened is to–”
Anything else he might have had to say was abruptly cut off, his ability to speak lost as Robin surged towards him, gripped his shoulders, and fused their mouths together.
If Killian had any lingering doubts about Robin’s intentions – if he was merely indulging Killian’s crush or humoring him so as not to cause any alienation or hurt feelings – they vanished. Hands moved slowly, from clutching to embracing, fingers tentatively twining in hair. They both were in need of a haircut, too superstitious about it at this stage in the game, but something deep and primal in Killian’s bones liked being able to twist his fingers through Robin’s hair as his tongue traced the seam of his lips and begged for entrance.
He hadn’t any expectations for what kissing Robin Locksley would be like, hadn’t allowed himself to think that far ahead or get his hopes up. But even in his wildest fantasies he couldn’t have imagined this – there was a soft urgency to his kiss, unsaid words pushed into actions and touches and the soft glide of their tongues, and Killian could feel Robin’s restraint, how much he was holding back, his inability to lose control in this moment and give in to the feeling.
He vowed to work on that.
Both were breathless when they parted, only enough to get air. Their foreheads touched and Killian almost chuckled when Robin’s mustache tickled his lip. He liked this – really liked this – the feeling of Robin’s arms around him and their bodies pressed chest to thigh. Though, he did try to angle his hips away, feeling his cheeks heat up as he realized Robin could surely feel his erection pressed against his thigh.
But if Killian wasn’t mistaken, and he’d bet a lot that he wasn’t, Robin wasn’t feeling very calm after that himself.
“Bad form,” Killian said finally, giving in and resting his head on Robin’s shoulder. It was a bit awkward, as Robin was actually a bit shorter, but he liked it anyway.
“Are you really commenting on my technique?” Robin asked, sounding both amused and exasperated.
“No,” Killian said with a laugh. “Bad form for shutting me up in the middle of a tirade. As for the actual kissing, that’s a solid eight out of ten.”
“I’m going to regret asking how one scores a perfect ten, aren’t I?”
Killian only grinned.
It was a hard loss.
The weeks leading up to the finals had been good ones. Robin had eased up a little, leaving any discipline discussions up to their manager and refocusing his energies on team morale. He’d confessed to Killian that part of his outburst had been fueled by his nerves about advancing their relationship.
Killian, in turn, was too stunned about Robin defining this as a real relationship to comment.
Little touches had helped. Lingering shoulder claps or gentle touches when they thought no one was looking. Spending time together after practices also helped; Swan knew enough that they could hang out in Killian’s room without much fuss, but Robin wasn’t sure about Regina’s reaction just yet. If anyone asked, they were studying together. If anyone took a closer look, they’d notice Killian’s hand on Robin’s thigh, or the casual way Robin’s arm slung around Killian’s shoulders.
Well, maybe one didn’t need to look too much closer.
Still, playing the last few matches with that kind of support, that kind of assurance, helped. They’d entered the final match with their heads held high – all of them, everyone on the team – but losing in the championship would sting regardless of their pre-game morale.
Losing 5-0 basically annihilated whatever morale they had left.
The team was slow to leave the locker room. Robin had no rousing speeches or kind words – in fact, he had no words at all. No one spoke, the silence dulled only by the steady hiss of the showers and punctuated by the occasional slam of a locker. Everyone trickled out in ones and twos, their heads decidedly less high than they’d been earlier that morning, until only Killian remained in the main room.
Sometimes he did this, lingering in the locker room, letting himself feel whatever emotions he felt after a match without worry that anyone would see. Today he sat with his head in his hands, going over every play in his mind and trying to find what he could have done differently, what plays they could have made instead.
He heard both Robin and Swan in his mind, telling him not to do this to himself, that he knew better.
Well, he did know better, but it was all he could bloody think about.
Disgusted with himself, Killian stripped off his grass-stained jersey and shorts, tossing his dirty uniform into a bag to be washed and grabbing his towel and shower things; everyone else would be back at the hotel by now and he’d join them later, but right now he had to wash off the stink of failure.
It appeared he wasn’t alone in thinking that.
He hadn’t noticed the water still running, but there was a lone occupant in the communal showers: Robin. Killian tried to think back to the last time he’d seen him and concluded that his boyfriend had probably been trying to literally drown his misery for at least three quarters of an hour.
Boyfriend. That was still strange.
Killian dropped his things in the partition, then stepped into the steam. “Rob.”
Robin turned slightly and Killian’s heart broke all over again at the self-loathing and anguish on his face. It mirrored his own feelings, but actually seeing it made him push them away and focus on trying to make Robin feel better. Or at least stop looking like he’d never feel happiness again.
As Killian went to hug him, it dimly registered that not only was this the first time in several years that he was seeing Robin naked, it was the first time they were even touching one another in an intimate way without clothes. And there was nothing sexy about it. And that was perfectly fine.
They didn’t speak, the water beating down on both of them and keeping them warm as Killian held Robin close; and it wasn’t as if he disliked the way that Robin clung to him, he just wished it were for any other reason than misery. And he really had no idea how to make it better.
“You’re going to prune,” he finally said, voice barely audible over the hiss of the water. Robin only nodded, tucking himself under Killian’s chin. “Did you wash at all?” This time Robin shook his head.
Well, that was easily taken care of. Killian eased back to grab his things, then set to work.
He always found value in casual displays of affection. Whether it was hugging friends or letting Swan sleep on his lap when they watched telly or now gently washing Robin’s hair, Killian knew that simple touch, simple gestures of care, warmth, and safety were so scarce these days that the extra effort was appreciated by anyone on the receiving end.
He raked his fingers through Robin’s hair, massaging the shampoo in and scrubbing out the sweat and lingering feelings of defeat. Robin’s eyes were closed and slowly his features relaxed, following Killian’s gentle lead to tip his head back under the spray to wash away the soap suds. Then came the body wash and Killian was hesitant as he lathered up his hands and spread them across Robin’s chest. It was then that Robin opened his eyes, meeting Killian’s hesitant gaze with his own. “Can you handle it?” Killian asked.
“Yes, I think so,” Robin said; it was hard to hear him over the sound of running water, his voice hoarse from shouting on the pitch and likely from the emotions that kept him shut away in his self-imposed confinement.
Killian nodded and stepped back, going to scrub his own hair while Robin got the soap.
He sighed as he stepped into the spray, scrubbing his fingers against his scalp and inwardly bemoaning the fact that he desperately needed a haircut. With finals coming up he’d be hard pressed to find time to get it done, though perhaps he’d ask if one of Swan’s teammates knew how to cut hair.
“Killian.”
He jerked up, wiping water out of his face as Robin took a step towards him. Their lips met and Killian grunted in surprise, hands automatically moving to cup Robin’s head and circle his waist. “Make me forget,” Robin whispered against his lips. “Make me feel good, Killian, please.”
His cock swelled at the words and nudged Robin’s. Killian swallowed hard, pulling back only enough to look his boyfriend in the eyes. “Are you sure?”
He didn’t want this to be something Robin regretted, this large of a step in their relationship brought on only by the urge to expunge negative feelings. But by God, did he want to.
Robin gave a small nod. “Yes.”
Killian surged forward, their lips crashing together and making Robin stumble back slightly. They turned so that Robin was practically pinned against the wall but for Killian’s hand reaching down to grip his ass. They both groaned, Robin’s hips jerking up as Killian kneaded and squeezed the firm muscle. Killian moved quickly, kissing a path down his jaw and gently biting the thick cords of Robin’s neck before reaching the juncture. He bit a little more hard, then sucked. Laving his tongue against the skin, desperate to mark him in some primal need to stake his claim, and squeezed Robin’s ass in time with his sucks. Killian pulled back with a slight popping sound, then dropped to his knees, ignoring the hard tile as his free hand traced the muscled lines of Robin’s stomach. Even over the water, Killian heard Robin suck in a breath when his hand reached his cock; glancing up, Killian saw he was being watched with an intense expression and hooded eyes. “You like this?” he asked, running gentle fingers over Robin’s cock before wrapping his hand around it.
He gave it an experimental pump, watching Robin’s eyes flutter shut and his head fall back against the wall. “Ah, ah,” Killian scolded, getting used to the feel of Robin’s cock and moving his hand in firm, even strokes. “Watch me.”
With that, Killian leaned forward and flicked his tongue against the head. He heard Robin groan as he tasted the salty precum leaking from the tip, then wrapped his lips around the head.
Robin’s hand fisted itself in Killian’s hair as he promptly put every other blowjob he’d ever given to shame. His tongue swirled around the head and traced the fat vein pulsing along the side of the shaft. Robin’s cries echoed through the room, his hips jerking in Killian’s hold and forcing his cock further down Killian’s throat. He only gagged the first time, not expecting it, but relaxed and tried to keep a stronger hold on Robin as he continued.
When one hand went to fondle Robin’s balls, that seemed to be the breaking point. Killian eagerly swallowed his release as Robin came with another shout, only wincing slightly as the hold on his hair tightened. Only when he’d licked the last of it away did Killian sit back on his haunches, looking up to see the results.
Robin slumped against the wall, head tilted back as he caught his breath. As his eyes opened, Killian grinned. “Get up here,” Robin practically growled, taking the offered hand and hauling him up.
Something had snapped in him; Killian felt it as Robin’s kisses became fiercer, more possessive. Killian groaned deep in his throat as Robin practically shoved him back against the wall, his mouth tracing a similar path that Killian’s had done earlier, though Robin paid attention to different areas of his body. Robin nibbled his ears before nipping his way down Killian’s neck; his hands weren’t idle either, running down Killian’s sides and kneading his ass in a decidedly greedy manner. Killian shuddered as Robin’s fingers danced along his thighs, wondering what it might feel like to be pinned to the wall and properly fucked – but that would have to be another time, when they were prepared and not trying to distract each other.
As he mused, Robin slowly dipped down, pausing briefly to pay attention to Killian’s nipples and nose through the thick, wet hair covering his chest. (One of the many things Killian appreciated was that Robin was nowhere near as hairy as he was; only one of them needed to be part-wolf.) His breath hitched as Robin ran his tongue along his abs, tracing a path down to Killian’s aching cock and wasting absolutely no time at all before wrapping his lips around the head.
Killian would have to take a moment later, when he wasn’t about to collapse from pleasure and when he wasn’t trying to contain screams, to appreciate that as both of them were uncircumcised, both knew exactly how to handle the other’s cock. It was a marvel, and one he would put into appreciative words.
Later.
Eventually.
When his boyfriend wasn’t going down on him so earnestly, one hand playing with his balls and the other teasing Killian’s ass and making him want to melt into a puddle of goo.
He tried so hard not to rut his hips, not to fuck Robin’s mouth, but God he couldn’t help it. He did his best to keep his thrusts shallow, but then the goddamn son of a bitch sucked hard and Killian’s body jerked involuntarily; he felt the head of his cock brush the back of Robin’s throat and almost came right then.
He decided to copy Robin’s earlier move and threaded his fingers through Robin’s hair; he silently urged him to move faster, desperate for more and half-wild from the need to come. Robin obliged, his tongue swirling and his teeth ever-so-slightly grazing along the shaft and Killian vaguely tasted blood from biting his lip too hard to keep from crying out.
He didn’t remember an orgasm that powerful before, his hips rutting and rutting into Robin’s willing mouth as he came down his throat. He sagged when it was over, when he was finally spent, and released Robin’s hair to let him up. Killian fell gratefully into Robin’s kiss, both of them more relaxed and their touches more tender, less frantic than before. “Water’s getting cold,” Robin said softly, cupping Killian’s face briefly before tracing the line of his jaw.
“Someone interrupted my wash,” Killian said, his weak joke earning a grin in response.
Robin ducked out first, letting Killian scrub himself, though he was a bit more reluctant to wash away the feeling of Robin’s lips over his body. It was a consolation to realize they could do it all over again another time, with more time and more preparation and less chance of someone walking in on them in a somewhat public locker room.
Nothing sexy about locker rooms, he thought, Swan’s words from several months ago coming to mind, we’ll see about that. He wasn’t one to kiss and tell, but he’d give a mild update to Swan when they returned.
Perhaps. Or perhaps he’d keep this new, warm feeling in his chest to himself for a while longer. His own private happiness to keep the demons of defeat away.
Or perhaps it was a private happiness to be shared by two people; Robin’s face when Killian went to change was a complete 180 from before, soft and with a glow that matched the one Killian felt.
They kept sneaking glances at each other as they dressed, smiling when their eyes met. When Killian’s head popped through the opening of his shirt, Robin was there, moving to gently cup the back of Killian’s head and touch their foreheads together. “Thank you,” he said softly.
“Anytime,” Killian replied. “Really.”
That made Robin laugh. “Next time let’s be a bit more private, though, eh?”
They slung their bags over their shoulders and Robin took Killian’s hand as they left the facility. Killian gave it a squeeze, a reassurance that it would be okay – and it would, they both knew it. Their shower dalliance bled away most of the poison but some of the sullenness would return.
Summary: Killian likes Robin. Robin likes Killian. They don’t think the other one is interested, though, even after spending a night together. But it seems that life has other plans for them when they both come out of the encounter pregnant. Maybe this was just the bump (well, baby bumps) they needed to get together. And starting a relationship while pregnant…well, that’s gonna be an adventure.
rated T | 4k | AO3
A/N: Continuing the story that sprawled from a prompt that @killianjonesownsmyheart1 sent to @sancocnutclub. I can’t wait for you to see the art she’s done for this—it’s so sweet!
Embarking on a relationship when both parties were mere months from giving birth was definitely a unique adventure, but despite its challenges, they couldn’t be happier.
Killian spent that first night at Robin’s, where they were finally able to be the balm to each other’s out-of-control libido, and fell asleep with the other’s bump under hand. The next morning brought some of the awkwardness of the morning that followed their first tryst, but either Killian felt bolder, or he could blame it on the hormones—he put an end to that by kissing Robin softly, once on the lips, and then on the curve of his stomach. Granny gave them a curious smile when they walked into the diner later that morning (after another round or two) but said nothing.
Things started a bit slow, as they always do—neither one sure which lines to cross when, given the weight of the situation (quite literally; Killian had just stopped looking at the scale, even though he knew he was supposed to get heavier and was glad that it meant his nausea was abating). And yet, they still managed to spend each evening together, unless Robin was working—in which case they met for lunch, or breakfast, or something. Now that they’d truly crossed a bridge when it came to togetherness, Killian found he couldn’t go too long without being near Robin, and the feeling seemed to be mutual.
Regina, smug older sister that she was, exclaimed “Called it!” when they finally broke the news to her of their relationship a couple weeks later. “I thought I saw you two disappear into that room that night.” Thankfully, she didn’t lord it over them long, and quickly shifted into overbearing aunt mode (“Someone has to!” she argued.)
It only took a few weeks of alternating whose place they crashed at—and for Killian to quickly realize how empty his bed felt without Robin in it, despite the increasing number of pillows he needed to support his growing bump—before they decided to just move into Killian’s; it was larger, and closer to Robin’s bar. And they knew they’d want to be together after the babies came; why not start now?
Of course, regardless the fact that Robin’s feelings toward Killian were growing in proportion to his waistline, moving in together was its own obstacle.
The physical ones were overcome with the help of friends and family—Regina, Will, and his girlfriend Belle—given that, at 28 weeks and entering their third trimesters, neither guy could lift a ton (though they helped where they could).
He did feel a fair bit of trepidation when the first box left his apartment, and then even more when he closed the door on the now-empty space for the last time. It wasn’t that he had many fond memories there or anything, except for maybe a few great parties. (Though the most memorable had been at Regina’s and he’d be damned if he ever let her move.)
It was just the finality of literally closing one door and opening another—another that led to a currently empty room in Killian’s, with nought more than some boxes, a couple dressers waiting to be assembled, and a few outfits hanging in the closet.
“You alright, love?” Killian’s voice brought Robin out of his thoughts as his boyfriend came up to his side, resting a hand on his lower back. His brow was furrowed with concern when Robin looked up.
“Aye, darling—I will be. It’s just...all becoming a little more real.”
Killian smirked, cutting a dimple into his thick ginger scruff (that, thanks to pregnancy, now got ridiculously long if he went without shaving so much as a day—and he loved it). “I know the feeling. But if you think it’s too soon, or you’re having second thoughts…” he started, trailing off. Robin could guess at the out Killian was giving him, but the fact that he was offering just cemented his decision.
“Not at all. Let’s get get a move on.”
He locked the door, grabbed Killian’s hand, and headed off onto their next adventure.
Which apparently was the mental side of moving in together: not just findinging space for Robin’s stuff in the mix, but just living with another person—and another person’s habits—when he was so used to being on his own for so long.
Killian’s Navy background showed itself in the neat arrangement of his closet and drawers, the kitchen cabinets, even under the bathroom sink. It was easy for Robin to find a home for everything but maintaining it would be harder, he knew. (Though perhaps, once he got to the nesting stage, it might get a bit easier—until the babies arrived and inevitably threw everything into chaos.)
The other aspect of that was seeing a side of the other they’d never seen before, whether it was just in the quiet moments during the day, or seeing the glimpses of each other’s past. Killian cast a very curious eye to the collection of medals Robin brought from his amateur archery days, and Robin quite liked the look of those leather pants Killian dug out of the closet while making room for Robin’s stuff, even if Killian swore they’d never fit him again.
“Then we’ll just have to find you new ones,” Robin decided, while promptly pouncing on Killian. He got to do that now whenever he wanted, and that just might have been one of the biggest perks. Try as he might, he had a very hard time keeping his hands of Killian and that beautiful bump. God, he was gorgeous.
Given that this was such an unconventional situation—for a couple to both be expectant, especially from the same encounter—they were foregoing most of the conventional pregnancy traditions. No book would truly be able to provide guidance and classes could only take them so far. But the one thing Robin insisted on was tracking their bellies.
He put up a piece of paper on the wall of the nursery, and each Sunday, they took turns tracing the outline of the other’s stomach. Just looking in the mirror every day, it was hard to notice the changes; having a visual representation of it was something special. He was curious to see if the outlines would cross paths—the paper was only so wide. But mostly, he loved the chance to trace the curve of Killian’s belly and feel their child moving inside.
Killian tried to tease him about it, but it was always half-hearted—and he couldn’t say much when he spent just as long tracing and loving on Robin’s bump.
“I just still can’t believe all this is real sometimes,” he murmured, palm resting over where Robin’s baby was kicking.
Robin was doing the same with Killian’s child. “I know, darling—me too.”
As fate would have it, they’d already been going to the same doctor, so Robin shifted his appointments to directly follow Killian’s. Regina had gone to the first one with Killian, but he’d been on his own for the next few; having someone with him—more specifically, the father and his partner—made the experience all the greater, and he could tell Robin felt the same. Stepping into the role of expectant father when he himself was also expecting was a unique role to be in, but he loved it—even if he was running the risk of dehydration again after their first shared appointment, from crying over not one but two sonograms.
But now, he now had someone else to look after him. Not that he was incapable of taking care of himself, obviously—he was rather used to it, both in the pregnancy and in life—but it was nice having someone to rub his back when he went toe-to-toe with the toilet at 3 am, and to make sure he was getting enough liquids. And he was more than happy to massage Robin’s swollen ankles after a long shift at work.
They discovered that they somehow had all the same cravings, so they were now on a first-name basis with Leroy at the market. Dill pickle chips (and all other varieties), pistachio ice cream, anchovies on pizza—all the weirdest combinations, but at least they didn’t have to worry about grossing the other out. They also desperately craved beer, but, alas, couldn’t partake. (Though they did develop an appetite for sarsaparilla.)
It was the kind of partnership he’d always wanted to have. It was nothing like he’d imagined, to be sure, and he often wished the tiny being inside him would stop interrupting them in one way or another (whether it was because of nausea, hunger, kicking, or just the fact that his baby bump physically interrupted their intimate times). But they just...clicked. It wasn’t a chore to be together—it was the most natural thing in the world.
Killian’s insecurities still tended to flare up, of course, but Robin always knew how to set him at ease. Somewhere around 34 weeks in his pregnancy, Killian flopped down on the bed, exasperated. He was just trying to get dressed for work, but his paternity trousers wouldn’t fit over his hips today and none of his shirts would button, straining against the ball that was now his stomach (don’t even get him started on the stretch marks). His ankles had caught up to Robin’s in the swollen department, but it didn’t much matter as he couldn’t see them anyways. And the baby was happily kicking and punching his bladder almost constantly, so even though he’d just used the facilities, he felt the urge to go again.
He felt huge, cumbersome, and ugly. There was no way Robin wanted him for him anymore; despite all he did, surely he was just sticking it out for the children. Killian turned his gaze to his still-sleeping partner, looking like the perfect image of pregnancy and not like the whale that Killian surely resembled. And they still had nearly two months to go. What would he look like then?
Killian was always prone to dramatics, but even more so now, especially as he threw himself backwards on the mattress and let the tears come.
He tried his best to keep it quiet and wallow in his misery alone, but it didn’t take long for the mattress to shift and for Robin to appear above him.
“Killian, what’s wrong? Is it the baby?” His brow was furrowed with worry as he stroked Killian’s cheeks, attempting to dry the tears.
“No, the baby’s fine—it’s me. I’m enormous and hideous and I don’t know how you can even stand to look at me.” He turned his head and threw an arm over his eyes; if Robin was going to take this chance to leave, he didn’t want to see it.
“What the bloody hell are you talking about?”
“Just...look at me, Robin.”
“Yeah, I’m looking right now. Have you seen me lately? I think there’s a similarity.”
“No, there’s not. You have exactly two stretch marks and all your clothes fit.”
“I have seventeen stretch marks, for your information, and if my clothes fit, that’s because I went out and bought massive shirts as soon as I got the positive test. As you well know, my own clothes haven’t seen the light of day in months and probably never will again.”
Killian just scoffed. “There’s no need to placate me, love. Just leave me be.”
“Hey.” Robin’s voice sounded almost angry; he’d never heard him like that before, and had to hazard a look, peeking out from under his arm. “I know you’ve got your vanity all wounded at the moment, but if you think that my attraction to you was just based on appearances, then you’re sorely mistaken, Killian Jones. You’re caring, sweet, talented, funny, and all I’ve ever wanted in a partner. And if anything, this,” he continued to rant, placing his hand on the apex of Killian’s belly, “has just made me all the more attracted to you physically—or have you already forgotten the other night in the shower?”
Killian immediately blushed at the memory, the details flooding his mind without thought: the hot water only adding to the steam between them; Robin’s careful, wandering hands exploring every inch of his body, even the extra ones; how Killian was barely able to keep any sort of control once Robin took his length in his mouth, forcing Killian to brace one arm on the wall and the other around his belly; and eagerly returning the favor as the shower continued to rain down on them.
That night was more the norm than the exception, even with libido gradually being replaced by fatigue as they got closer to the end of their pregnancies. But seeing Robin round with his child was truly arousing, even if they were continually working out the best ways to be intimate with their growing bumps. Even now, when Robin was shirtless and wearing pajama pants, it was doing all sorts of things to Killian.
“Judging by what’s going on in your underwear, I can tell you’re remembering,” Robin went on, smirking now. “Come here,” he beckoned, holding out his hands to Killian, and he took them. With surprisingly little effort, Robin pulled him up to sitting, then held his gaze. “This is what we’re going to do: you’re going to call off work today, and we’re going to head out to go shopping and find some clothes that flatter your wonderful, delectable form—especially with that photoshoot your sister is insisting on coming up.” Killian chuckled through his tears; they’d turned down her offer of a baby shower but, typical Regina, she wouldn’t take no for an answer on a dual paternity shoot. “We might even slip a massage in there, because lord knows we could both use one. But first,” he added, leaning in, “I’m going to show you again just how much I adore you, and I won’t stop until I know you believe me. How does that sound?”
Killian sniffled and grinned in response, only just realizing that his tears had become happy ones. He squeezed Robin’s hand and answered, “That sounds perfect.”
Other than the rough days—which they both had—Robin had no true complaints as their pregnancies progressed. And how could he? He had a stable job, a solid relationship, and all signs pointed to two healthy babies.
Well, okay, he had one complaint—the ridiculous paternity photo shoot. Even if he was dressed comfortably and had Killian at his side, he still thought it was just a tad silly.
“You’ll be so glad to have the pictures later!” Regina insisted that morning as she drove them out to the park they’d be shoot at.
“You better be right,” Robin threw back, both of them ignoring the string of muttered curses from Killian.
A few hours later, he hated to say it, but she had been right. Oh, they had done all the cheesy poses first—back-to-back, bump-to-bump, the silly hearts on the belly ones—but then split off to do their own shoots, to which Killian had vehemently protested.
“You’d best believe that I’ll be returning this favor should you ever have children, Regina,” he’d complained.
“I would fully expect you to,” she casually tossed back and continued to direct (and possibly flirt with) the photographer, Mal.
Robin didn’t know if it was the light, or the setting, or the realization that they were merely weeks away from having their whole lives changed, but something different struck him that day as he watched his beautiful boyfriend posing with their unborn child. He’d been thinking it for a while, but had been scared to actually say the word when they were both already on constant emotional roller coasters—who only knew what that could have done to Killian.
But as he felt his heart rate pick up as he just watched the gorgeous scene before him, the life within seemed to pick up on the feeling and start kicking up a storm.
“I know, my darling,” he whispered to his bump, placing a hand over where his child was moving most. “I love him, too.”
Killian would never admit it, but he was kind of glad Regina had forced this photo shoot on them. It would certainly be a good keepsake of this strange and exciting time in their lives, and it was a gorgeous spring day—perfect to be outside.
Maybe it was the sun, or the warm breeze, or the scent of the blooming flowers giving everything an ethereal feel, but as he watched Robin pose for his own shoot while resting on a bench nearby, a sudden, simple thought overtook him: “I love him.”
He did. He truly did. There was no one else he wanted to go on this journey with—no one else he could ever imagine sharing a life with. He knew the road ahead was going to have bumps (though hopefully none like the ones they were currently sporting, at least not for a while), but he knew that they could overcome them—together.
As if reading his thoughts, his baby started to wriggle like crazy. “Is that an agreement, love?” he murmured to his belly, then smiled as the movement intensified. “I thought so.”
The closer the due date got, the more they traded off being nervous and excited. A healthy combination of both reigned at their 38-week appointment.
To date, they’d been having their own little contests of sorts—like who would gain the most weight (Killian, once the nausea finally passed), whose feet would change the most (Robin’s, evidenced by the fact that he was wearing Killian’s larger shoes), whose belly would drop first (they both happened on the same day), or who could last longest before crying during Disney movies (a draw again). They were waiting to see who would have the largest belly circumference, who would go into labor first, and who would have the biggest baby, but hopefully the doctor would give some indications as to who might win those.
As they suspected, Killian outnumbered Robin in girth by a few inches—yet estimates put Robin’s baby slightly ahead in weight, if only by a few ounces. “I’m sure mine will catch up,” Killian commented matter-of-factly. “There has to be some reason my belly is larger; he or she is just saving up for a last-minute sprint.”
“Oh, is that it? It has nothing to do with the mega-stuffed Oreos you discovered last week?” Robin quipped playfully.
“Oi! You love them, too!”
As far as who might win the race to finish line, though, the doctor couldn’t say. “You’re both dilated a couple centimeters, so you’ll probably go a bit before the due date, but it’s impossible to know who will be first.”
“If you were betting, who would you put money on?” Robin asked. Their doctor, Victor, was also a close friend and was well aware of the pool Regina had going.
“Both of you, if she’d let me.”
After dinner with Regina (who was displeased to find out the inconclusivity of Victor’s assessment but was happy to inform them that Killian had the edge in the pool) and marking the belly progress in the now-furnished nursery (the lines started crossing a few weeks ago), they were relaxing at home on the couch, sharing a sarsaparilla. They sat hip-to-hip and were leaning into each other (or just weighing down the middle of the couch so that they fell towards one another), enough so that their bumps were connected, too. The babies were squirming and seemed to be fighting each other, even though they were in separate wombs. But feeling his other child press against his belly was a singular experience Robin wouldn’t trade for the world, even if it meant the one inside him was constantly hitting his kidneys.
“I can’t tell if they’re going to love each other or hate each other,” Killian assessed, watching the almost alien-like movement within their bellies.
“Probably both,” Robin answered as his baby seemed to do a somersault. “They’re definitely going to be partners in crime, though.”
“Do you wish we’d found out the genders?” Killian tucked his head onto Robin’s shoulder as he asked, then rested his palm on the top of his stomach.
“No; I’m happy with it being a surprise. The rest of this was; may as well continue it.”
“That’s fair.” Killian grew quiet, but Robin could tell he was lost in thought.
“What is it, darling?”
“It’s nothing, just…” He trailed off, but then seemed to find the words he needed. “I know at the beginning of all this, I said I didn’t want to be together just for the babies. But now, I don’t think I can picture this any other way. Maybe they were meant to bring us together; to bring down our walls.” He swallowed, and then continued. “Regardless, I’m so happy to be doing this, and with you, and I can’t wait for whatever comes our way.”
Robin had no words; anything he would have said would just be a repeat of Killian’s. So he just reached over, lifted Killian’s chin off his shoulder, and kissed him passionately. And then again. And again, shifting in his place because he couldn’t easily straddle his boyfriend.
“Not that I’m complaining,” Killian finally panted when they paused for breath, “but what does that mean?”
“It means I feel the exact same way,” Robin breathed back. “And that I have an idea for another challenge.”
“What’s that, love?”
He smirked. “You know how there are...ways...of bringing on labor? Spicy foods, exercise, certain kinds of stimulation,” he explained, reaching for Killian’s chest and grazing his sensitive nipple through the thin cotton of his shirt.
Killian shivered in response. “Aye, I see what you’re saying love. Not just a race to the end, but see who can get the other one there?”
“Something like that.”
“You’re on.”
Though nothing came of their activities that night—other than plenty of giggles as they both maneuvered their bellies around each other—they weren’t discouraged in the slightest. The next morning became a contest to see who could withstand the most jalapenos and sriracha on their eggs. An afternoon stroll had them seeing who could walk the farthest without needing a rest. And they enjoyed some of the most pleasurable evenings they could remember—until they passed out from exhaustion, of course.
Robin was reminiscing on the previous night—when his view of Killian was blocked by his bump but his nerves were exceedingly aware of him and what he was doing—while leaning against the bar during a lull on his last night of work. He’d insisted on sticking it out until he couldn’t, and while he couldn’t move with much speed, he could still mix drinks just fine. But that didn’t stop his coworkers from hovering.
They were nearby, having their own conversation, as he was reclined with a hand on his bump. But suddenly, his entire stomach clenched under his palm. He was well-acquainted with the feeling of Braxton-Hicks contractions—they’d been intermittent all day—but this was considerably stronger, drawing a brief moan from him.
“Robin? You alright?” Will asked, in front of him in an instant.
“Ask me that again in 10 minutes,” he answered after taking a deep breath.
“Do I need to call Killian?”
“Not just yet.”
He tried to get comfortable again when nothing else immediately followed, and was in the middle of mixing a shot when another one hit, making him drop the glass and reach for the edge of the bar.
Will was at his side. “It’s only been 8 minutes, mate; want me to call Killian now?”
Robin could only nod. “Yeah. It’s time. And tell him that I won this one.”
After he got the call from Will, Killian had never driven faster in his life; his old Chevelle had no idea what was going on. But the child within him seemed to, and was kicking something fierce against the steering wheel. As anxious as Killian was for Robin, it seemed this little one was eager for its sibling to arrive.
He just hoped this one would stay put long enough—and prayed that it was just false labor he’d felt on the way out to the car.
No matter what, his world was going to change over the next several hours.
thanks for reading!!! tagging @sherlockianwhovian @ashley-knightingale @jennjenn615 @wyntereyez @superadam54
Summary: Killian likes Robin. Robin likes Killian. They don't think the other one is interested, though, even after spending a night together. But it seems that life has other plans for them when they both come out of the encounter pregnant. Maybe this was just the bump (well, baby bumps) they needed to get together. And starting a relationship while pregnant...well, that's gonna be an adventure.
rated T | 4.2k | AO3
A/N: This sprawled from a prompt that @killianjonesownsmyheart1 sent to @sancocnutclub—she and I are teaming up on this project! (Art to follow!) But it kind of spiraled out and away from me. I've never written for this pairing before but apparently, I have a lot to say about them! Hope it’s what you were looking for, darling, and stay tuned for the rest to come in the next week or so!
To say that Killian Jones had a crush on Robin Locksley was something of an understatement.
In truth, he’d probably been half in love since he first laid eyes on the man, some two years ago at a party at his sister Regina’s house. Robin’s laughing blue eyes had immediately drawn Killian’s attention and his charming sense of humor sealed the deal.
They became good friends over time, but Killian never pushed for more than that; he knew Robin was an ex of Regina’s, and while he didn’t rightly care what his sister thought or said about the matter, he was fairly sure that Robin just wasn’t interested.
So, tonight, when they were the last ones at the party and completely drunk, the fact that Robin had decided making out would be a fun pastime was more than he could believe.
And when they spent the rest of the night making love—multiple times, in multiple positions—he thought he must be dreaming.
But when he awoke the next day feeling sore in all the right places, sprawled on a mattress with a familiar dirty blond head beside him, he was more than happy to realize it’d actually happened.
And Robin’s ensuing nonchalant attitude about the previous night also brought him crashing back to reality: it was just a one-night fling.
So he swallowed his pride and played along, acting as casual as possible while redressing and wishing his memories of the event were a little less hazy.
They went back to their normal, easy friendship after that, though maybe with a bit more avoidance than usual on Killian’s end. It was just easier that way.
Until the day several weeks later when Robin called him in a panic, blurting out “I’m pregnant.”
To say that Robin had a thing for Killian would also be a gross underestimation.
He’d been longing to bury his fingers in the other man’s shaggy dark locks and kiss his supple lips since they first met, but there was no way his ex-girlfriend’s brother would ever cast him a second glance—not in that way, at least. But the first time Killian sang and threw a wide, dimpled grin Robin’s way, he was a goner.
He was mildly ashamed that he required booze to make a move, but he didn’t regret it in the slightest, or their passionate night together. Until morning arrived and he hadn’t a clue how to act, so he played it safe—like it wasn’t all that earth-shattering. (Which it most definitely was.)
Killian did the same, so Robin took that as his answer and moved on. Life somehow went back to normal, as if his world hadn’t been shifted on its axis that night—more than he realized, really. He found himself staying a bit farther away from Killian, and their whole circle of friends, for a while, just so he couldn’t be reminded of what he was missing.
Then he got sick, and truly couldn’t hang out. Or keep food down, or see an adorable animal without crying. It wasn’t until he found himself wandering aimlessly in the diaper aisle of the store that he realized what was going on—and made a beeline for the pharmacy section.
Some hours later, a little white stick confirmed it: he was pregnant. And it was Killian’s.
He was waiting for the answer on the other end of the phone before he’d even realized he’d dialed it. But what else was he to do but call Killian right away? At the very least, he deserved to know he’d fathered a child; but maybe something else could come of it.
“Hello?” Killian finally answered, tentatively.
“Killian, hi, I…” Oh bloody hell, what was he supposed to say? Out with it, he supposed. “Um, I’m pregnant.”
A long silenced followed his revelation, during which he was sure his heart was going to beat straight out of his chest. Finally, Killian said, “You’re...you’re what?”
“I’m...yeah. Pregnant. I just found out.”
“I...I see.”
Anxiety quickly turned to anger. “That’s all? You just...see?” How was that his only reaction? Or were Robin’s emotions already running haywire?
“I...I’m at work right now, Robin. I can’t talk about this right now. I just...I can’t.” And he hung up without another word.
Robin stared at the now-black screen for a long, long moment, letting the weight of Killian’s statement settle in. He knew Killian well enough to know what he was saying: he couldn’t just talk then—he couldn’t do this. At all.
Everything he thought he knew about Killian was suddenly turned on its head. He thought he was a man of honor, driven by love—he saw the way he doted on Regina, and knew how much they both missed their older brother. Killian was soft and caring. So this? This didn’t make any sense.
But if that was what he wanted, then fine. Robin was more than capable of doing this on his own.
He tossed his phone to the side and instead, placed his hand over his stomach, where he now knew life was growing. “I promise you, little one—nothing and no one’s gonna hurt you, ever.”
Killian stared blankly at his computer screen for a long, long time after hanging up on Robin. His heart had jumped when he saw who was calling, and then it crashed through the floor once Robin had told him the news.
He didn’t want Killian. He just wanted his baby to have a father. And Killian didn’t know if he could handle just being a baby daddy.
Oh, bloody hell—he was a father. He’d sworn he’d never abandon a child like his own father had done them, and here he was about to do the same.
No—he wasn’t his father. But he had too much self-respect to not be with someone out of love.
He’d be there for his kid, but he couldn’t commit to Robin if it wasn’t mutual.
Still, though—he was going to be a father. He was...oh, he was going to be sick.
He made a beeline through his office to the bathroom, where the remnants of his lunch made an unexpected reappearance. Robin’s announcement had definitely left him feeling off, so he called out the rest of the day—there was nothing pressing in the GPS system world where they couldn’t do without him for a few hours—and headed home to try to wrap his head around the situation and figure out what to do. (And work up the nerve to call Robin back.)
Except by the time he got home, all he wanted to figure out was what the bottom of a rum bottle looked like. (He knew, of course—that was how they ended up in this position in the first place—but it still seemed like the best option.)
However, that wouldn’t stay down, either. Nor would the pizza he had delivered. Maybe he was more upset by this than he realized. Or maybe he was just getting sick.
Thank God it was Friday.
The rest of the weekend passed in something of a fog, though at least it wasn’t liquor-induced. He spent the whole time traveling between his bed and the toilet, losing whatever he managed to get down. By the time Sunday evening arrived, he felt like death warmed over.
He was passed out near the toilet when Regina found him that night. “Killian! Killian, what’s wrong?” she worried, gently shaking him awake.
“Jus’ don’ feel good…’m fine,” he slurred while lying badly.
“Fine people aren’t unconscious in their bathrooms. Are you hungover?” She sniffed the air around him as if to answer her own question.
“No...no rum. Couldn’t keep it down.” Even in his hazy state, he could tell that his voice sounded awful.
Regina gave him a concerned gaze before standing up. “Come on; I’m taking you to the ER.”
He was too weak to protest, so just let her help him up and out to her car. He caught a whiff of the Chinese takeout she’d brought for dinner and it took all his efforts to not be sick again—not like there was anything to come up at this point.
He was vaguely aware of the ride to the hospital and being taken into the back. Regina knew the answers to all his medical questions anyway, so once he was in a bed, he let sleep take him away again.
Until he sat bolt upright out of a dead sleep sometime later. Regina was reading something on her phone in the chair next to his bed, and a tugging on his arm drew his attention; he was hooked up to an IV.
His movement drew Regina’s attention. “How you feeling?” She asked, setting her phone aside.
“Better,” he murmured, falling back into the pillows. “Thanks for bringing me here. What’d they say?”
Regina was smirking; what the hell did that mean? “Well, you were severely dehydrated,” she started. “Do you know why?”
The way she said it made it seem like he should know, but he hadn’t a clue. “I imagine I picked up a stomach bug.”
“You could say that,” she continued, coming to his side. “Killian...you’re pregnant.”
Regina was smiling, but Killian wondered if she was going mad. “What did you say?”
“You heard right,” she confirmed, placing her hand over his midsection. “You’re having a baby, Killian!”
He swallowed deep; he was pregnant too? His gaze turned to his stomach, where his hand rested next to his sister’s. “I’m...I’m…” He couldn’t even say it.
“Yeah,” she said softly. “Are...aren’t you excited?”
“I...don’t know if that’s the word I’d use just yet.” Terrified, scared, confused, disbelieving—all seemed to fit better.
“Oh, come on—you’re gonna be amazing,” she assured him. “I don’t mean to pry, but can I ask: who’s the other father?”
And then it hit him: Oh, fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. They were both pregnant? How on earth was he supposed to tell Robin that?
He couldn’t. Not without it seeming like the very thing Robin tried to do to him.
Fuck.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he muttered, looking away from Regina.
“Huh,” she said, pulling her hand back. “It’s funny; Robin’s pregnant, too, and he told me the same thing.”
Bloody fuck.
Regina made sure he got home okay, with doctors instructions on how to avoid any further ER trips, but then he was alone again.
But he wasn’t, not really.
Curled up on the couch, he set his hand on his stomach, now all too aware of what was happening inside him. “I promise you, love, you’ll never have to worry about being alone; I’ll stay with you as long as I can.”
Robin’s calls and texts to Killian continued to go unanswered, so after a couple weeks, he gave up. He knew a rejection when he saw one, and while it went against everything he thought he knew about his crush, he had to let it go and move on. It wasn’t just about him anymore.
A fact that was blatantly shoved in his face rather quickly, when his jeans stopped fitting properly. He rushed to the bathroom and stood sideways to the mirror, and that’s when he saw it: an ever so slight bump. “Hello there, darling,” he cooed, tracing the small curve. He was nearly late to work, he spent so long staring at it. It became a recurring problem as his stomach expanded week after week.
Thankfully, once the initial nausea passed, everything about the pregnancy went smooth. His doctor said everything was normal at his appointments, he had plenty of energy, and he had a great support system, save for the one person he was still missing. (He knew he shouldn’t, but he could at least blame that on hormones.)
But it was so hard to not ask after Killian during his weekly lunch dates with Regina, who was already referring to herself as the baby’s aunt—something he didn’t dare to confirm or deny.
And when his ankles were swollen after a day on his feet manning the bar at his pub, he longed for someone at his side to massage them, even if Will, one of his employees, had stepped up to make sure he got regular breaks.
Neither of them, however, could do anything to help him deal with the overactive libido that also came with pregnancy. He definitely had to handle that part on his own, and he couldn’t help it if the memory of a certain someone beneath him—someone with piercing blue eyes and shaggy dark hair—came to mind when he was chasing his own release.
After coming down from the high of orgasm, he’d lie awake, staring at the ceiling and trying to shake thoughts of Killian from his mind. But it was no use. The heart wanted what it wanted. Maybe he’d just have to work up the nerve to confront Killian...but he wasn’t sure he could take that kind of rejection again.
Eventually, he’d either drift off, or be kept up further by the wriggling, kicking thing inside him. It was fascinating, really, feeling the tiny babe moving around and exploring its surroundings, minimal as they were. By the time he hit 24 weeks, he’d definitely outgrown most of his clothes, save for his baggiest shirts and sweats, and it was quite clear he was expecting. But he knew that he and his child were far from done growing, and honestly, he was kind of thrilled for it.
And desperately wished his child’s father could experience some of this, too.
The one true complaint he had regarded his child’s desire for the oddest foods at the oddest hours. He knew the potato chip addiction he’d cultivated over the past several weeks did nothing to help the swollen ankle problem, but the kid wanted what it wanted. And tonight, at 11:42 pm, it wanted dill pickle-flavored crisps.
With no other options, Robin hauled himself back out of bed, tossed on some clothes, and headed out to the 24-hour market down the street. The clerk there was starting to recognize him, and gave a curt nod when Robin entered and made a beeline for the snack aisle.
The closer he got, the more the baby started kicking up a storm. He massaged his belly as he searched for what he needed, murmuring, “I know, I know, darling—Daddy’s looking for them.”
Finally, his eyes fell on the package and he reached for them, but his hand collided with another as he grabbed for the bag.
Wait—he knew the rings on those fingers.
Shocked, he pulled back and looked up, and there he was: Killian, looking equally jarred.
And, as Robin’s eyes drifted down, equally as pregnant.
Killian was excited to be a father, as complicated as the situation was, but being pregnant...well, he was less enthused about that.
Maybe if he had that classic pregnancy glow about him, he’d be a little more excited about the experience. Maybe if he wasn’t constantly exhausted. Maybe if he didn’t have to visit the toilet after every meal just to lose most of it.
“The sicker you are, the healthier the baby,” Granny assured him as she handed over his take-out order at her diner (grilled cheese with anchovies and apples; for some reason, that was the only thing that would stay down).
“Then this kid will be immune to everything,” he tossed back.
He didn’t have to make any more visits to the ER, thankfully, but it was some time before he actually put on any weight like he was supposed to. That, combined with the fact that his family carried everything out in front of them, meant that his child made its presence known far sooner than average.
In a weird way, it was pretty cool. He loved to trace his bump and sing to it whenever he got the chance, and the day he started feeling kicks in response to his voice, he broke down sobbing, and not just because of his roller coaster emotions.
Other than Regina, this baby would be his only family. Their parents were gone, and their older brother had died a while ago. So to bring another person into the world to share his love with was more than a little overwhelming. It was impossible for him to hide the happy tears whenever Regina got excited about feeling her niece or nephew moving around.
Regina oddly never brought Robin up in their conversations, which had to be a conscious decision on her part, given how close the two still were. But Killian was also cautious to not enquire, lest Regina suspect anything—even though the more his pregnancy progressed, the more curious he was about Robin’s.
Was he this sick, too? How was the baby? Was he showing as much? What was he craving? Did he miss him?
Well, Killian was pretty sure he knew the answer to that one. The first couple weeks after his ER trip, Killian hadn’t been very good about communicating with anyone other than his boss and sister; it was something of a blur. So he knew he’d missed messages from Robin, but he took the fact they’d stopped coming as a sign.
And yet, the longing didn’t abate. He still wanted Robin. Memories of their shared night replayed vividly in his dreams, along with other fantasies that woke him aroused and panting. Even just the thought of his laugh, his voice, his companionship made Killian want to drive over to his place.
One night, at around the 6-month mark, such thoughts were flooding his brain to the same speedy tempo his child was keeping as it kicked within. But it was too late to do anything about it...and he was craving something salty. So he instead drove over to the only shop open past midnight, waved a hello at the clerk, and wandered around in search of a snack.
He had to stop a few times to massage the site of a particularly rough jab from his belly’s inhabitant. “Calm down, love; I’m still searching.” His reassurance didn’t do much good.
Until he found himself in the chip aisle and set eyes on them: dill pickle crisps. His mouth watered instantly and he made a grab for the bag—at the same time another hand did.
Killian instinctively pulled back and was about to apologize, but his jaw dropped when he saw Robin staring back at him with a shell-shocked expression.
“Bloody hell,” Robin finally murmured. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Killian sighed and rolled his eyes at the greeting. “It’s lovely to see you too again, mate,” he answered somewhat cheekily. Like it or not, they probably needed to have a conversation. “Let’s...can we get the crisps and then go somewhere to chat?”
“Yeah, that’s...that’s a good plan,” Robin agreed, unable to take his gaze from Killian’s belly. Suddenly self-conscious, Killian covered it (well, as much as he could) with his hand.
“Come on.”
Robin could really only stare as Killian grabbed the chips from the shelf and started back down the aisle, then had to jog to keep up with him. It was still sinking in—Killian was pregnant, too. Apparently from the same encounter. For a moment, he thought it was awfully smug of him to assume the child was his, but Killian’s response didn’t refute the theory.
Wordlessly, he joined Killian at the counter as he paid for the chips and they both ignored the leery grin the clerk was giving them, glancing between the two of them.
“I ship it,” the usually grumpy man said as he handed Killian his change. Killian just arched an expressive eyebrow at him, grabbed the coins, and headed out.
Robin trotted after, following Killian to his car. “I, uh,” Killian stammered, adorably scratching that spot behind his ear his fingers seemed drawn to when he was nervous. “I can drive us over to your place, if you want.”
“I...yeah, that works.” The ensuing car ride was both awkward and somehow perfect. The weight of the coming conversation hung over them, but at the same time, when Robin closed his eyes, it wasn’t hard to imagine this as a normal occurrence—just two men in love, sating their cravings together. (There had to be some significance to the fact that they had both gone for the same thing, right?)
In no time at all, though, Killian was parked in front of Robin’s apartment building and they were getting out. And then he led them up to his place, directing Killian to the couch, where he joined a moment later with a glass of water for each of them. Killian had already dug into the chips, so Robin took a handful and sat on the sofa next to him.
“So.”
“So.”
Neither was sure who should go first. But just when Robin was about to speak again, Killian started.
“Look, I’m sorry I never returned your calls. And I’m sorry I shot everything down in the first place. It was part due to the shock of your news, and then the shock of my own. But I…” He trailed off, staring at the coffee table, and took a deep breath before continuing. “The thing is, I don’t want to just be together because of the baby. Well, babies,” he corrected, resting his large hand on his round stomach, and Robin was thinking that he’d never seen anything more beautiful. He looked back up and stared intensely at Robin. “I like you, quite a bit and for quite some time. That night we shared together...I treasure it. But I don’t want to be together just because we were too drunk to use condoms. I want to be together because you like me, too.”
Robin sniffled. He hadn’t even realized how emotional he was getting over Killian’s declaration, but given how long he’d been waiting to hear words like that, who could blame him? It wasn’t until his baby gave a sharp jolt to his ribs that he realized Killian was waiting for a response; it was as if the baby was trying to urge him on, or just somehow knew that was its father.
“Killian, I get it,” he started, voice more watery than he’d like. “If it had been the other way around, I probably would have done the same thing. I know I’ve never been very forthright with my feelings, but…” Now it was his turn to breathe, even if Killian had done the hard part of this conversation. “I like you, too. A lot. And I wanted to be with you long before these babies came around.”
Emotional declarations clearly were not made to be done while pregnant, because now Killian was the one with tears brimming his eyes. (Those beautiful blue eyes...he hoped at least one of their kids inherited those.) “D’you mean it? You’re not just saying it because of...this?” Killian asked, gesturing between their midsections.
Robin shifted over, eliminating the gap that had been between them. “Why do you think I made a move on you that night? I wasn’t that drunk, but I definitely used the alcohol as help. I’ve liked you for years; I just never thought you’d look at me that way.”
Killian reached up and cupped Robin’s face. “Darling, I’ve always looked at you that way.” And then he surged forward and claimed Robin’s lips with his.
Robin didn’t hesitate a moment in responding in kind, his hands immediately finding their way into Killian’s (longer, thicker) hair. As incredible as their shared night had been, this was a million times more special—this time, there were no barriers or inhibitions. It was just them and their feelings for each other and the thrill of what lay ahead.
They were just starting to get lost in the kiss when another stabbing kick struck him hard, making him jump back. “Really? You just had to interrupt, didn’t you?” he playfully scolded his belly, massaging the now-sore spot high on his stomach.
But when he looked up, Killian was doing the same thing in the same spot. “It’s like they knew,” he chuckled, cradling his belly and glancing over at Robin’s.
It was almost instinctive—Robin was moving before he realized what he was doing, and his free hand was hovering over Killian’s bump. “Can I…?” he asked, suddenly hesitating; he hated when people (usually drunk customers) tried to make a grab at him.
“Only if I can, too,” Killian replied, grinning.
It did feel a little weird at first, having another person’s hand on his belly (well, other than Regina, which he had to assume was the same case for Killian). And it was equally odd feeling a kicking babe that was inside someone else.
But when those first taps hit his palm from within Killian—and he could feel the simultaneous ones against Killian’s hand—he couldn’t hold back the happy tears anymore.
“Daddy’s here, little one.” “Your Papa is right here, love.” They spoke at the same time to the other’s belly, then dissolved into laughter right away.
“Well, at least we won’t be fighting about that,” Robin quipped. “Papa?”
Killian shrugged and blushed. “It’s what my mum called her father.”
“It’s perfect. You’re going to be a brilliant papa.”
“And you’ll be an amazing daddy.”
thanks for reading! tagging a few friends @sherlockianwhovian @ashley-knightingale @jennjenn615 @wyntereyez @superadam54