Sharing the Vagabond 》Desna x OC x Eska

Chapter Twelve: Parturition

One afternoon when Kaida was especially frustrated by her inability to induce labor, she decided to walk down to the Spirit Portal, hoping that the adorable little spirits there would brighten her mood, and maybe the walk would help. Eska volunteered to accompany her, and although Desna still wasn't fond of spirits, he was bored, so he went along as well. Ultimately, he was thankful he had, because after Kaida had sat with the spirits for a while and enjoyed the serene atmosphere of the Spirit Oasis before deciding to leave, her face paled and her eyes widened when she stood up from the seat of ice that Eska had made for her.

"What is it?" Desna inquired, the first to notice how her expression had changed. He walked over to her and took her hand, as Eska took the other, having been the one to help her stand.

"I think my water broke," Kaida said softly, and a few of the tiny spirits let out noises of excitement in response, evidently somehow understanding her words and what they meant.

"What makes you think that?" Eska asked.

"Some fluid rushed down my legs when I stood, and it hasn't yet stopped. Your mother said that was what my waters breaking would feel like, and – oh." Kaida was abruptly cut off by a sharp pain through her abdomen and lower back, which prompted her to squeeze her spouses' hands slightly. Desna and Eska shared a look, and Eska could see the panic in her brother's eyes. Truthfully, Eska had expected it, knowing he wouldn't know how to handle seeing Kaida in pain. She wasn't necessarily confident she'd handle it well either, but she'd asked their mother and the healers a billion questions about what to do exactly when Kaida went into labor, so she felt more prepared.

"Desna, go notify our mother and the healers that it is time for the babies to arrive. I'll get Kaida to the birthing suite that the healers prepared," Eska instructed, and Desna nodded, still looking stupefied. He pressed a quick kiss to Kaida's temple before creating a sheet of ice beneath his feet, which he used to propel himself back up to the palace, moving far faster than Eska had ever seen him travel. Once the contraction had ended, Eska transported herself and Kaida in the same fashion, albeit not at the break-neck speed that Desna had gone.

Although they had all readied themselves for the birth to the best of their abilities, not a single one of them felt the slightest bit prepared when it was actually happening. As expected, Desna was a nervous wreck the entire time, worried for his wife and the babies, and heartbroken that she was in such horrible pain and there was nothing he could do to fix it. Ultimately, he remained mostly quiet throughout the labor, unless Kaida stated that she needed him or his mother suggested something for him to do to help ease Kaida's pain, but he never left her side. Eska was far more hands-on, offering occasional words of encouragement and positivity, keeping an ice-covered hand on Kaida's forehead or the back of her neck to cool her down, playing with Kaida's hair to distract and soothe her – anything she could think of to help, she was doing it or saying it without a moment's hesitation. Malina was very helpful as well, periodically telling her daughter-in-law that she was doing an excellent job and reminding her that it would all be worth it in the end.

Malina was right, of course.

By the following morning, the Northern Water Tribe had gained two heirs. Identical, just like their parents, both with the same dark brown hair and olive-toned skin, although their eyes were gold like their mother's, instead of icy blue. A couple of hours before the sun rose, the boy became the first to enter the world, his irate and confused wail contrasting his mother's attempts to catch her breath while sobbing and his father's silent, bewildered crying. In awe, Desna had smiled through his tears as he reached out and allowed the boy's tiny fist to grasp his finger, and neither of them let go of the other. Next came the girl, wailing as well, but she caused some chaos in her wake when Kaida passed out shortly after the baby was laid on her chest. Desna and Eska had panicked, both crying over the mix of joy and worry as they held their respective babies, but the healer was quick to remedy Kaida's blood loss and deliver the placenta, before assuring the Chiefs that she would be fine once she rested.

Not long after the morning sunrise began to illuminate the room, Kaida awoke to the sound of soft singing, and it was so beautiful that she momentarily thought she was still dreaming. When her eyes fluttered open, she saw Eska in a chair beside the bed, her feet propped up on the mattress and her knees bent so that she could look upon the baby in her lap. She was singing something that could have only been a Northern Water Tribe lullaby, gently stroking the baby's face and admiring her child. When Eska spared a glance at Kaida and saw that she was awake, her smile was positively luminescent, and a sigh of relief escaped her.

"Don't you dare ever scare me like that again," Eska declared, but it was clearly an empty threat, because her tone held warmth and love.

"I'll do my best," Kaida replied with a grin, then her gaze fell to the infant in Eska's lap. "Is our baby a girl, or did I dream that?"

"It is a girl. You fell unconscious right after the healer announced it," Eska stated, then stood, set the baby down gently, helped Kaida into a sitting position, and placed the baby in her wife's arms before sitting next to her on the bed. "She is perfect."

"She is," Kaida murmured, then placed a kiss onto the baby's forehead. "How is my son?"

"He's fine. He's spent the past hour snoring in tandem with his father," Eska answered with a roll of her eyes, then gestured to the far side of the room, where Desna laid on the couch with a tiny infant on his chest, swaddled in navy blue. Both of Desna's hands were on the baby's back, securing him in place, undoubtedly as safe as could be considering the fact that Desna never moved a muscle once he was unconscious. Just when Kaida opened her mouth to say something, identical snores fell from both of their lips – albeit Desna's considerably louder than the tiny baby's rendition – and her words were replaced with a soft chuckle.

Without Kaida even having to ask, Eska walked over to her brother and attempted to retrieve the baby from him – but Desna's arm darted out and grabbed her wrist as soon as she tried to move his hand, already highly protective of his child, even unconsciously. Eska didn't even flinch, and when Desna realized it was only her, he dropped both of his hands to his sides, allowing Eska to gently take his son and walk over to Kaida, laying the boy in the crook of her free arm. When Desna realized what Eska had done and that Kaida was awake, he quickly stood and walked over to sit beside his wife, as Eska mirrored him, sitting on her other side. They both wrapped their arms around her shoulders and admired the babies in her arms.

"I love you," Kaida stated, looking at each of them with a smile after she said it. Simultaneously, they each kissed her temple, before responding in unison.

"And we love you."