Your Name Hurts / Criston Cole / Vaera Targaryen

18. Littlest Love

"What's it like?" Vaera questioned. Alicent stared back at her confused. "Childbirth." Vaera clarified. Aemond, her newest half sibling slept contently in his crib, all bundled up. 

"Its painful and messy." Alicent offered turning back to her stitches. She was making something, a dragon maybe, nope not a dragon, a flower, she peered over but Alicent glared back at her. 

"But whats it like?" Vaera questioned. 

"You will be pushing out a babe soon enough," Alicent reminded her nodding to her stomach. Vaera ran a hand over her stomach. 

"I know but... you did it three times, surely you have some... words of advice for your daughter?" Vaera offered hopefully.

"I don't." Alicent corrected. Vaera nodded heading out, she didnt know why she bothered, Rhaenyra and Alicent both were moody and didnt care about her. When Vaera was younger Alicent and Rhaenyra were thick as thieves and never wanted vaera to play with them then when they were fighting Vaera got her sister back. Now it seemed they hated each other and Vaera, leaving vaera alone. She slumped back to her chambers hoping to see Criston there but he wasnt. 

A heavy sigh filled her, her shoulders rising and falling before she fell back onto the bed. There was a knock on the door and Harwin came in peering around before his eyes settled on Vaera. 

"Harwin," Vaera coed. "You havent abandoned me after all." 

"Never." harwin assured sitting on the trunk at the base of the bed. "Whats going through your head gorgeous?" 

"I want my mama." vaera admitted sitting up. "I'm about to become a mother and I want her here." Harwin wiped at her tears giving her a comforting hug. 

"She's always looking out for you." Harwin remarked. 

"I know but I want her here, I want to see her, to hug her, for her to tell me its going to be okay." Vaera whimpered. 

"It's going to be okay, Vaera." Harwin assured. 

"What if its not?" Vaera countered, Criston stopped at the open deep hesitating when he heard Harwin. "My mother died in childbirth, what if I-"

"You cant think the worst little love." Harwin corrected. "You have to focus on the good, you are strong, you are brave, you are healthy, you are young... is Cole treating you alright?" 

"Criston is perfect." Vaera assured. "I'm excited to have this baby, I am." She assured. "But I'm also really nervous." 

"It's understandable." Harwin agreed. 

"I want Nyra to stop being moody, I want her to take her head out of her ass and be my sister again.  I want Alicent to remember what it's like to be scared and see that I'm scared and just help me the fuck out." Vaera declared through an exasperated breath. 

"Criston," Vaera whispered hearing the floor creek. 

"Hey love." Criston agreed. 

"I'm scared." She admitted. "I have been harboring this baby inside me for moons and not I'm expected to push it out into the world, its like shoving out part of my soul, my heart into the world." Criston sat beside her, kissing her gently and Harwin got up moving towards the door. He missed his chance with her and that was a damn shame because Vaera was a special woman. 

"I dont want to push my heart into this messed up world where sisters are jerks and Queens dont care about their step children." Vaera went on and Criston chuckled wrapping his arms around her. "Don't laugh I'm serious."

"I know you are little love." Criston whispered kissing her head again. "I'm scared to become a dad too." 

"You are?" 

"I am." Criston agreed. "But we have each other. You and me against the world." 

"I dont want to be against the world, I want the world to be on my side." Vaera corrected. 

"You and me, little love... we are having a littlest love." Criston remarked kissing her stomach she giggled out. 

"Our littlest love." 

+

"You're doing great," Criston kept saying. He had one arm over her shoulders and a hand in hers, cringing when she squeezed.

"You're a goddess, love. Isn't she a goddess?" he asked the maesters and nurses in the room. They all eagerly nodded, half mooning over the sexy Criston Cole. Vaera didn't blame them. She was a sweaty mess, and hair in a messy bun, while he looked devastating in his crisp shirt, the sleeves rolled up and that handsome sex on a stick vibes just by breathing.

She went to go push again, the nurse counting down for her. When she said one, but Vaera fell back on the bed, breathing hard. Criston took a cold washcloth and wiped her forehead. She had only been pushing for a little while, but it'd been a long day, and she was so tired.

"Come on, little love. You can push harder than that," he joked.

"I will have Aegon murder you," Vaera growled out through clenched teeth.

"Totally kidding. That was sufficient pushing." Criston assured when she continued to glare, he rushed to correct again. "It was the best pushing I've ever seen. You're the pushing queen."

The nurse told her it was time to push again, and the doctor announced the baby was crowning. Only a few more pushes. In the middle of a push, she saw her loving and doting husband trying to look past her legs, and she released a hand to slap it over his eyes.

"Don't you dare look down there," she almost shouted. If it felt like a slaughter house she was sure it didnt look pretty. His eyes shot to the ceiling, but a smile stretched his lips, distracting her from the pain. No one wanted to see the massacre that was her cunt right now.

After one more push, their heads pressed together, both their eyes squeezed shut, the most beautiful sound in the world filled the room. Their baby's first cry.

Then Vaera sobbed out, it was over. She shook in Cristons arms.

"It's done, he's here." Vaera whispered.

"He?" Criston questioned looking to the maester.

"She's right my lord, it's a boy."

"A boy." Criston repeated. They held up the baby like he was the golden one. He wailed out but Criston reached for him. "Vaera he's perfect, just like you." Criston whispered kissing her forehead. 

"Princess, we got another one in there." 

"What!" Vaera whined out. 

"I'm going to need you to keep pushing." 

"I thought it was over." Vaera whimpered. 

"Should have known better," Criston remarked. "You have always been a little thing." her stomach did look huge, all stomach it seemed. Vaera waddled, she didnt walk, she waddled and now she was having twins. They would be the best of friends, they would never know pain, vaera would protect them. She pushed again thinking of all the wonderful things in this world, like her husband, like her father, sunsets and sunrises, swimming in the ocean- another push- roses, flying on calypso, - another push- Cookies. All the damn cookies. 

"Congratulations Princess. It's a girl."