To Build A Home

Chapter 12- Downhill From Here

Krolia had barely been able to keep her eyes open all afternoon. Every ounce of her wanted to follow instincts and take long, frequent naps. She was beginning to grow angered by the constant urge to sleep.
The only thing that kept her awake, was the need to eat, and her contradicting 'nesting' needs.
As of yesterday, Steven was officially off work for the next four months. He had made a deal with the chief, and thus was able to spend the next three months at home with the love of his life to help her through the last few weeks of her third trimester. And on a more exciting note, he would be home to help with the first month and a half of parenting.
"You are allowed to sleep." Steven informed Krolia, kneeling down beside where she was sitting at the kitchen table.
Sitting is a rather simplistic way of putting it. She was, in actually, slouching in her chair, leaning over as much as her stomach would allow, with her head and forearms rested on the table.
"No..." She mumbled, sounding half asleep already. "I can't. I get to anxious about the set up of our baby's room."
Steven nodded slowly, kissing her cheek, "I assure you," he began, "the room is in perfect condition."
"You know that won't help. Useless nesting instincts had to come at the worst time!"
"I don't think they're useless."
"Everything is either useless or absolutely shit for me right now..."
"Watch it, Krolia," he warned, "if you start cussing again I'm going to have to give you some sort of punishment."
Krolia rolled her eyes, flipping him of, "fuck you, Steven. You know how uncomfortable I am right now."
Silence.
Utter silence.
"I didn't mean to say that..." She apologized. "It slipped out..."
"Please tone it down from now on. You know I don't like the idea of you using that language or tone around our kid. Quite frankly I don't like you using it at all."
"I know! But I'm really not in the right mindset to tell right from wrong."
Steven rubbed her hand soothingly, "I understand... But when you are in the 'right mindset' please do consider what I've said."
"Sure thing." She placed her hands firmly down on the table, preparing her tired muscles to make an attempt to stand up. "I'm going to check on the nursery. It's a much calmer place than the kitchen."
After a lot of effort, and a considerable amount of help from Steven, Krolia found her balance on her own two feet. Her weakened strength and very round stomach made a normally simplistic mobility action nearly impossible. Even so, Krolia pushed herself to move about as much as possible without passing out.
Of course, Steven stayed right by her side wherever she went. Just a few days earlier, she had ignored her instinctive need to rest for far too long. As a result, she more or less so collapsed. Thankfully, she had been leaning on Steven at the time, and sustained zero injuries. This lucky turn of events, however, was only more reason as to why Steven followed her around so closely.
   It took the two almost three whole minutes to get up the stairs. Krolia could tell her body wanted her to lie down, to do nothing but sleep and rest.
"See," he told her as the two stepped inside the newly finished nursery. "Everything is just how you left it. Clean and organized."
Krolia let out a long, exhausted moan, immediately sitting in the rocking chair by the window.
Steven crouched down in front of her with a small sigh as he took her hands in his own. "Please, Krolia. Try and sleep. You know it's best for both you and our child."
"I don't know if I can..." she admitted, her voice low and quiet. "Every time I drift off to sleep, something in me freaks out about this room being unfinished."
"But it's finished. You can see it, can't you?"
Krolia only nodded. There was no denying how tired she felt. It didn't matter that she had gotten fourteen hours of sleep last night, nor that she had already had three naps throughout the day. Her instincts and hormones were forcing her to sleep. Energy conservation was her body's way of preparing for the quickly arriving baby. It happened to all Galra, but hit first time mothers much harder than others.
   "Do you want to sleep?"
   Krolia only nodded. She did want to sleep. She also knew she couldn't escape the hormonal urges much longer. Plus, it was much better for her to nap than for her to faint or pass out.
"Alright... Here's what we're gonna do..." Steven wrapped his arms around Krolia's back, slowly lifting her out of the chair. "I'm going to stay in here with you, you're going to relax, and sleep." He leaned his back against the wall, letting Krolia lean back on him.
"That sounds like a good plan...." She mutter, curling up—as much as she could—in his lap. "But why is this any different from me sleeping anywhere else?"
   "Because I'll be right here with you. That's comforting, right?"
   "Mhm..." Krolia nodded, adjusting her position to one she could sleep in. Once she was reasonably comfortable, she gave in to the instincts she had. Within minutes, she was out. Sleeping like a baby. Her head was rested on her lover's shoulder, both hands resting on her stomach.
Occasionally, she would flinch or wince at the feeling of their child moving. Steven, after dealing with these happenings for five months, simply placed a hand on her abdomen, moving it along the round surface as gently as he could until Krolia was relaxed once more.
She looked at peace when she slept. No worries or fears to upset her, no needs or feelings to distract her.
   That being said, she only ever felt this at peace when she was curled up next to Steven. The two of them both knew this all to well.