I don't know what this is.
Axl was pissed.
No. He was way beyond pissed. He wanted to punch someone in their fucking throat.
Axl he had a kid at home. A kid and a pregnant— very pregnant— husband, so you can only guess how furious Axl was when he found out.
His boss had been guilting Axl into working overtime most nights for the past two months and he was just now finding out that he wasn't getting paid half of what he should have.
And Axl was a nice person, he never much said 'No' to anyone and for some reason since the age of 7 he's always felt immensely guilty, so he tried his best to stay on people's good side and keep them happy.
And what's worse, the snow outside was coming down hard. In that moment Axl vaguely remembered passing by the living room TV this morning and hearing a news anchor say something along the lines of, 'severe snow storm'.
Christmas was in two days and he and Saul, his husband, haven't been shopping.
Well, at least Axl hasn't been.
Mostly because he's been at work with the car and Saul was too pregnant to go out on his own.
He growled, climbing into his car and slamming the door shut behind him as he tossed his bag in the backseat.
He laid his head on the wheel, breathing shakily.
A few seconds later there was a knock on the window and Axl jumped, lifting his head from the steering wheel to glare at his disturbance.
The glare instantly waned when he saw his best friend wave innocently at him. Axl chuckled humorlessly and unlocked the doors, letting Duff climb into the passenger seat and close the door.
"What's got ya down, man?" The blonde sighed in relief as the warm heat of the car hit him.
"Boss is fuckin' me over. I'm scared for my family, Duff." Axl's voice shook.
Duff's smiles fell as he realized that something was really wrong.
"Hey....hey, calm down. You can talk to me, you know that." Duff immediately hopped in the mother-hen boat and started paddling.
He comforted Axl to the best of his abilities.
"Duff, I'm scared and pissed. All I want is to provide for my family and keep them happy and I can't even do that." Axl sighed, shakily, willing those tears to stay in his eyes.
"Well, what about those nightclub gigs you were doing? They paid a lot. I can get Michelle to let you perform down there for Christmas...just later in the day so you can spend time with your family."
"I dunno, Duff. Isn't it a bit much?"
"Axl, those people down at the clubs love you, your voice and your overall exuberance up on that stage. They'd pay loads to see that."
"You really think so?" Axl peered up at the blonde who nodded.
Axl smiled and they both sat in comfortable silence until Axl's phone rang, sounding throughout the car and making Axl jump.
Damn Bluetooth.
Duff laughed as Axl answered the phone. "Hey, baby, how soon are you gonna be home?" Saul answered the phone with a giggle.
"Hiii, Daddyyy!" Five year old Harley chimes in the background.
Axl chuckled when Duff went, "God, I can't wait to hear that when I get home."
Steven only just got pregnant a few months ago with their second, and definitely not last, child.
"Hey, angel.... you being good for mama?" Axl switched his car into drive.
"Yes! Hurry, we have surprise for you!" Harley giggles.
"Harley! That's a secret." Saul hissed before he laughed.
Axl smiled softly, "I'll be home soon. Just got off. I'm gonna drop Duff at his house and I'll see you guys soon, alright?"
"Okay, love you." Saul says wistfully. Axl's heart leapt joyfully. "Love you too, baby."
"Love you three!" Harley yelled in the background. Saul chuckled before the call ended.
"You two are what I aspire to be." Duff says softly as he looked out the window.
"Speaking of, how are you and Steve-O?" Axl asked, keeping his eyes on the road.
"Good, he's just sick a lot." Duff smiles. "We can't wait for little Mae to be born. For a three year old, Grace is so excited."
"You named it already? How do you know it's even a girl?"
"I just know." He shrugged smugly. "And I may have eavesdropped while we were at the hospital."
Axl just shook his head with a hearty laugh.
———
When he parked his car in the driveway, Axl sighed, resting his head against the back of his seat.
He didn't know how he was gonna break the news to Saul that his boss was screwing him over. He'd told the man that everything had been fine at work.
"Fuck." Axl groaned.
He sighed before grabbing his work bag from the backseat and reluctantly leaving the inviting warmth of his car. Shutting the door and locking it, Axl took in a moment to look over the snow piling up on the sidewalks and the unforgiving wind that whipped harshly around him, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand.
Majority of the houses in the neighborhood were decorated, including theirs — which Axl would have been more stupefied by is his fingers weren't frozen fingers and his nose washed running.
Saul had continuously begged, since October, for Axl to decorate this year since he was pregnant and couldn't climb the stairs without taking one at a time.
Being pregnant drove Saul crazy, but Axl just thought he was adorable and would happily continue getting Saul pregnant.
Axl found himself frowning as he neared the front door of his house. He retrieved his keys from his coat pocket and unlocked the door, quietly entering the house and closing the door behind him.
Axl shed his boots, coat and bag at the door as he heard talking coming from the kitchen. Multiple voices.
"Babe?" Axl called out, padding to the kitchen.
His brows furrowed as he leaned against the archway and saw Saul's mom, Ola, Albion, Amy, and Stuart bustling around his kitchen, happily chatting over each other, so loud that they hadn't heard Axl come in.
That is until Saul briefly glanced away from his activity and smiles big. "Hey, honey." He smiles over his shoulder, going back to helping his mother make a pie.
Just then, did he took a look at his surroundings. The house was decorated glamorously.
Well, it was decorated well before, but now there was more, better-looking decorations about and it looked like a hallmark movie threw up in their house.
The tree was tall and beautiful red, white, and gold with stacks of presents underneath — when had they gone shopping?
The air smelled of ginger, pinewood, and...Christmas.
"Babe....what is...?" Axl looked around the house.
"Mom helped. Do you like it?" Saul finally gave his attention to his husband as Ola placed the pie in the oven. Axl sighed and rubbed his temples.
"Saul, can we talk? Alone?"
Amy and Stuart stopped talking and Ola places a hand on her hip as Ash raises his eyebrows and looks away, drinking his hot cocoa.
Saul slowly nodded, taking careful steps toward Axl before the redhead is gently pulling him out of the kitchen.
"Babe, what the fuck?" Axl whispered once they were a safe distance away from the kitchen.
"What's wrong?" The younger stared up with confusion dancing in those large brown eyes.
"I thought we agreed on your mom not spending money on us. We're not a charity case and we're not in need."
"Ax, it's just Christmas decorations. She wanted to help decorate this year since she was out of town for the first two years of Harley's life and she couldn't make it last year because of the storm."
Seattle winters were harsh.
Axl pinched the bridge of his nose and he took a deep breath before looking back at Saul.
"I know your family has a lot of money and all, but we don't need it. We're not gonna sit here and let your mom throw money in our faces just because she can."
"She's not throwing money in our faces. She just wants to spend this Christmas with us. And thanks to this," He pointed at his belly that was currently on the last leg of pregnancy, "I can't go to work. And I know you work hard enough already, but we can't just live back to back off of your paychecks."
"The fuck are you saying, Saul?" He crosses his arms, eyes narrowing dangerously at the man.
Saul sighed. "I'm saying that since you hate the job so much, go and do what you've always wanted to do." He steps closer. "Everyone loves your voice, Axl. I love your voice. I want the world to hear it like Harley and me hear it every night." Saul gently lays a hand on Axl's cheek.
"And then what? Just live off of those shitty gig checks? And what else? Your fucking art job? What does that contribute to?"
"It's helping to keep up what your lawyer job should be holding for us, Axl."
"I'm fucking trying, okay Saul? You play in fucking finger-paint with kids for 8 hours. I have to work hard ever day, from dusk 'til dawn, living off of coffee, okay? We all don't have stupidly easy, carefree jobs like yours." Axl sniped.
Saul drew back in disbelief and his eyes swelled with tears.
Axl's whole angry mood came crumbling down at that look and his features softened.
"Baby—" Axl tried to grab his hand.
"Don't." Saul steps back, smacking his hand away. "Don't touch me."
Saul took a deep breath and wiped away his tears. "You finally got it off your chest. Congratulations." He turned and left Axl standing in the hall.
"Fuck." Axl growled, running his hands through long copper strands as he glared at the wall.
"Daddy?"
Axl looked to the top of the stairs and saw Harley, who had tears falling from his large hazel eyes.
Axl felt his heart break. Literally.
"Oh, god. I'm sorry, Harls. Come here." Axl sighed, holding out his arms. Harley wasted no time coming down the stairs and jumping in his father's arms.
"I'm sorry, punk." Axl hugged the kid tightly, laying a gentle kiss on his forehead and his large mop of brunette curls.
Harley had been like an exact replica of Saul when he was a young child, only with chubbier cheeks.
"Papa's sad." Harley sniffled.
"I know. I'll talk to him. I'm just feeling really down lately." Axl pulled back to wipe the tears off of Harley's face. "But that wasn't an excuse for me to be so mena to him."
"Please don't fight on Christmas. That's all I want."
Axl just felt his whole being melt and fall through the floor. He didn't know or even think that his and Saul's 'quiet arguments' in their bedroom could even be heard or understood by the child.
"I'm so sorry, little man. If it makes you any better, I will apologize to Pap, okay?"
He nodded, wiping his tears like a big boy. Axl smiled.
"Go on and play." Axl patted the child's bottom, ushering him down the hall to his play room before he took a deep breath and went back to the kitchen.
They all were talking again, but this time Saul was giving short replies as he was making some kind of icing for the cookies that Ola was now laying out on a tray to cool so they could be decorated.
"Harley!" Saul calls, lifting his head and shaking his curls out of his face.
He frowned when he saw Axl.
"What, Axl?" Saul growled, mixing the icing a little more harshly than he should have.
"Yes, papa?" Harley appeared at Axl's side.
"Go get Joie so you guys can help decorate the cookies." Saul smiled.
"Yay!" Harley squealed before his legs disappeared under him as he darted down the hall. I chuckled.
Joie was Amy's little guy. He was only a year and a half older than Harley, but they were the best of friends.
"You okay, child?" Ola asked Axl, taking the mixing spoon from Saul before he took someone's eye out with it.
"Yeah. I....yeah." Axl shrugged.
Saul crosses his arms and glares at Axl.
Axl and Saul stared back and forth trading sorrowful gazes with heated glares.
"I'm....I'm sorry, babe." Axl pushes his hair back and out of his face. That didn't work because his hair jumped right back in its place.
"I didn't mean to say what I said, and your job is fucking awesome and you're so fucking talented and great with those kids. I know I'd go insane if that was my job."
"I shouldn't blame anything or anyone else for my behavior because I was wrong and you just wanted everyone to be together and happy for Christmas. And I love you for that."
Ola smiled, taking this as a sign that they should give the two some privacy. She led Ash, Amy, and Stuart out of the kitchen, and Axl continued his apology speech.
"I should also apologize to your mom too because you were right— you always are. She was just trying to help and I made her out to be something she wasn't. I'm glad your mom is gonna be spending the holidays with us and I will do my best to not act hostile with your family around."
Just then, Saul jumped a little, muscles tensing as he looked down, laying a hand on his belly. He looked back up with wide, frantic eyes, but Axl continued talking.
He hadn't noticed the sudden change in his husband's demeanor.
The pains had been going on for the past two days but Saul just brushed it off as nothing, but now it wasn't 'just nothing'.
"And I would help you cook, if it's all the same, but you don't let me because you're scared I'll burn down the house. Jokes on you, I've been watching those cooking channels."
"Axl..."
The redhead continued rambling on. "And I'll keep Harley away from the tree. Weren't we supposed to get him a dog?" The redhead whispered the last part.
"Axl..." Saul breathes shakily.
"Babe, hold on, I'm not done—"
"Williams Bruce Rose, your child is preparing to come out of me right now, so if you don't move your ass, I will pluck your eyes out!!" Saul snapped, slamming one fist into the marble countertop as the other went to cradle his belly.
"Now?!" Axl's eyes widened.
"Now!!"
"Shit!! Ames, Stu, I need some help!" Axl rushed over to his husband, catching him in his arms before he could collapse to the floor.
Axl's siblings, plus Ola and Ash rushed into the kitchen as Saul panted into Axl's shirt, clutching his arm in a death grip.
"His water broke." Axl's voice shook as he looked down at the large puddle on the floor and the substance dripping down his significant other's shaking legs.
"I dunno what to do."
"Didn't you help with Harley?" Stuart asked.
"I passed out!" Axl whined pathetically. "The head was— and his hole— it was all bloody and—" Saul yelled in pain and half annoyance, cutting off Axl's disgusted rambling.
"We have to do it here." Amy says, coming over to Saul and pressing her fingers between his shaky thighs.
"Hey! No need to violate my husband." Axl barked at her, watching in horror as she retracted her wet hand and wiped it on a dish cloth.
That's going in the trash, Axl thought.
"Shut the fuck up Axl. He's not that far dilated yet, but he's getting there. Get him upstairs." Amy informed.
Axl blinked dumbly, "Uh, the car's outside."
"There's a blizzard, bro. Roads are blocked." Stuart shook his head.
"And that baby's coming now." Ola said, as she walked around the house, she and Ash gathering up things.
Axl sighed and nodded.
"Oh, this is the best early Christmas gift I've ever received!" Ola smiled happily as she told Ash what to grab.
Ash gasped. "That's what you said about my homemade picture frame from second grade."
"Can we please cut the talking!" Saul growled irritably.
"Daddy?" A small voice squeaked.
The bustle of the kitchen halted to a stop as everyone looked to see Harley staring ahead with a worried expression.
"Daddy, is Papa hurt?" The child asks.
"No, baby. No, I'm okay." Saul says through heavy breaths. "Just— mmph!" Saul pressed his lips tightly together at a harsh pain that shot through his belly and clutched Axl's arm tightly.
"It's okay, baby. Just breathe." Axl soothed, rubbing a hand over Saul's belly.
"Stu, can you watch the kids?" Amy asks as she helped Axl walk Saul to the living room where they were laying a plastic sheet over the sofa cushions the two had never used, though they were told to by their doctor because they never knew quite when Saul's water would break or if he would have an involuntary bathroom accident.
While they did this, Axl held Saul from behind, hands smoothly rubbing his belly as they gently rocked back and forth. Axl hummed a light tune he'd written for Saul years ago and calmed him through steady breaths as Saul's head had fallen back onto Axl's shoulder.
"Ash can you go grab at least three pillows?" Amy asked, smiling in contentment as she watched how carefully and lovingly Axl handled his husband.
Axl whispered sweet nothings in Saul's ear and held him tightly, just to remind the younger man that he was there. "Wanna lay down, princess?" He whispered against his lover's ear. Saul only nodded as a whimper clogged his throat.
Axl looked at Ola who was smiling at them in adorn.
"Is it okay if I...??" Ola was already nodding, helping Axl move Saul to the sofa. Amy took the pillows from Ash, propping two up behind Saul and one under his legs.
Saul's head fell back in a pained cry and his mid-back curls that he'd neglected to cut were fanned out around his head like a beautiful curly halo.
He even looked beautiful in labor.
How the fuck did Axl get so lucky?
"Ax..." He whimpered, grabbing at as much of the plastic sheets as he could, legs shaking and falling apart.
"I'm here, baby. I'm right here, princess." Axl rushed to his aid, pressing a kiss to his hot forehead.
"You're okay." Axl assures, smoothing damp curls from Saul's face.
"Amy, got get some towels and latex gloves. This time, Axl is helping deliver this baby." Ola says, beginning to pull Saul's night pants off as she smiles at Axl.
Axl pouted. "But it's...icky." He whined.
"It's childbirth. It's gonna be gross, but that's normal." Amy says as she came back with said towels and latex gloves.
"Please don't make me." Axl whined. Ash laughed.
"Be a man, Ax. You got him pregnant and now he's having your baby. You're in way too deep now. No pun intended." Ash says as he begins to tie back his brother's hair.
Growing up, Ash was always so fond of art, much like his older brother, but his heart was always set on being some type of doctor.
At the moment, he so currently in his last year of medical school, studying to be an OBGYN, so if anyone here knew what they were doing, it was most likely him or Ola.
"Ax...please..." Saul breathed heavily, letting his head rest into the pillows behind him.
"How far apart are his contractions?" Amy asked, propping up his legs with a pillow.
" 10-12 minutes. Do you guys happen to have any face masks?" Ash asked.
"No."
Ash nods, letting his mother pull his hair out of his face.
"Oh god! Jesus fucking—" Saul screamed and nearly drained the blood from Axl's hand. In turn, Axl yelped like a bitch.
"Hey, Ax! We let ourselves— OH GOD, MY EYES!!" They heard a pitiful, womanly scream from the door.
"Duff, calm the fuck down." A calmer voice snapped.
"What is this?! A 'Come Look at the Child Coming from My Son's Ass' party?!" Ola scoffed, standing between Saul's legs to save him some dignity.
"Sorry, ma'am. We just wanted to stop by and drop off our gifts for them, but we didn't...we didn't know." Duff pouted.
"Ooh, is he going into labor?! Duff look! He's in labor!" Stevie giggles, hopping as much as he could as he cradled his own belly.
"I can see, sweetheart." Duff said, face becoming pale.
"Okay, you two," Amy started, as Saul let out another painful combination of a scream and a moan. "Out you go."
Steven pouted.
"I'm gonna be cheering you on! Push that baby out!" Steven cheered as Amy gently pushed the two blondes out of the room.
"Baby!" Saul cried. "She's coming!"
Ola just chuckled as she went to the dresser to find a dry pair of shorts for her son to wear. "Not yet, Saul. It's just the contraction."
Axl nodded, keeping his own crying to a minimum. Saul was squeezing the life from his hands.
"Wait, It's a she?!" Ola perked up with a big smile after she'd successfully gotten Saul covered with a blanket.
Saul had went into labor earlier than he thought. He was going to tell them the baby's gender on Christmas, but his plans were foiled because his child apparently was an attention higher and just had to show up before the Day of Christ.
"This is not like what I remembered!"
"I know, baby. Just breathe." Axl says softly, trying to calm him down and rubbing soothing circles over his clothed belly.
"What if we did it in the bathtub?" Axl randomly asks, making everyone give him weird looks.
"I still would have gotten pregnant." Saul says, carefully sitting up on his elbows.
"No, not that, baby," A red hue lingered on Axl's cheeks for a few seconds. "I'm talking about giving birth. I mean, our tub is big enough."
"Or, yknow, Harley has that kiddie pool. That's pretty big." Amy says.
"What are you guys on about?" Saul whined.
"I think the pool would be a better alternative. The sofa is pretty expensive." Ash says.
"Why the pool? An empty pool would hurt her when she comes out." Saul says.
"Don't worry, sweetheart. Ash and Stu, go clean and fill the pool, Axl, you lift Saul when it's time, and Amy you help me gather everything we'll need." Ola says.
Saul whined, "We have to move? I don't feel like it!"
"I know you don't, baby." Axl wrapped a towel around his husband's waist quickly, without hurting him.
"Ready princess?" Axl smiled softly after a few moments of securing the towel.
Saul just stared at him for a moment before carefully sitting up and laying a hand on his cheek. Saul winced, biting down hard on his bottom lip as another contraction made his arms tense. Axl gently caressed his hand, calming him through it until he opened his eyes again.
"I love you." He said, voice lower than a whisper. But Axl heard him. And his heart did flips. He don't know how many, but it was quite a lot. Axl pressed his forehead to Saul's and their eyes slipped shut.
"I love you too, princess."
Saul smiled, pressing their lips together in a soft, passionate kiss. After a few moments, they pulled apart and rested our foreheads together again.
"As sweet as this is, and I hate to break it up, we have a baby to deliver." Ola's voice sounded throughout the room. Saul slowly lifted his head and pouted.
"Now?"
"Yes, baby." Ola chuckled, taking long strides across the room to help get Saul into Axl's arms.
Saul wasn't as heavy as you might think he was.
"You ready?" Axl asked for the second time that day.
Saul nodded, locking his arms around Axl's shoulder and stuffed his face in the crook of his husband's neck.
Unfortunately, for Saul, the ride was over just as fast as it started. He pouted as he was placed on his swollen feet.
"Ow!" He whined. Axl panicked.
"Oh, my god, baby, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?!"
Saul giggles, making everyone look at him. "I'm fine honey....just swollen ankles."
Then his knees just about gave out on him as another contraction wracked his body. Luckily, Axl caught him.
"I'm gonna go watch the kids now." Stuart says, knowing his presence was no longer required as Ola nodded and he made his way down the hall to keep Harley and Joie away from the ruckus that was about to go down. Duff almost immediately followed him, not wanting to see any of the welcoming of the baby girl.
Stevie, however, stayed, sitting cross legged on the floor by the kiddie pool and watching Axl and Saul interact with a big smile.
"Is the baby going to be okay?" Saul asked as he dipped his foot into the water, furrowing his eyebrows when he felt the warmth of it.
"The baby will be fine. The temperature is just for your comfort. We don't want you giving birth in icy cold water." Ash answered.
"Amy, go call the doctor and please tell her that Saul is in labor." Ash orders. Amy nods, taking off towards Axl's study down the hall, turning out the light on the way.
Saul was happy about that. The lights were overstimulating him.
Sitting on his knees behind Saul, Axl hugged his torso and rested his chin on Saul's shoulder as the two gently rocked from side to side.
He'd barely acknowledged the fact that Ash and Stu had managed to find some plastic tarp to lay down on the hardwood floors so the water wouldn't mess the floor up.
And as Ola laid a hand on Saul's knee, Ash constantly checked the clock on the wall, and Axl sung softly to his husband, time seemed to stand still for them — for the child that was entering this world.
Ash retrieved some contraption from somewhere— he'd probably brought it with his luggage because he knew something was bound to happen— and laid the cold end of it on Saul's belly, making the younger jump at the sudden cool feeling.
"The heart rate is good." He said, before putting the thing around his neck like the TV doctors (Axl later found out that it was called a Sonoline B Fetal Doppler, used to monitor and hear the baby's heartbeat).
Saul squeezes his lover's hand as the contractions become closer. It was almost time and Saul was terrified. More than anyone. Yeah, he'd been through this before, but he hadn't been pregnant in four and a half years.
"Fuck!" Saul's bottom lip trembled. Axl kisses his shoulder.
It was time. Another little Rose was being added to the family now — depending on how long it takes Saul to push.
She was coming now.
"Ready to get in the water?" Axl hummed, making the younger nod.
Axl almost laughed. They were almost 30 and have two kids. Their lives are coming together right before their eyes— whether they liked it or not.
Ash left the room for a moment as Ola and Axl helped Saul into the water, where he sat on his knees and continued rocking as it soothes him and calmed his nerves.
"I've come with a therapy buddy!" Ash smiles as he entered the dimly lit living room with Harley at his side.
Saul instantly smiles. "Baby!"
"Papa!" Harley smiles, approaching the pool.
"Hey, baby." Saul hugged his waist, resting his head on the child's small chest.
"Hi, papa." Harley smoothed the curls on Saul's head.
"Ax...Axl, she's coming..." Saul whimpered, sniffling into Harley's RTRNR onesie. "I know, sweetheart." Axl hummed, grabbing a flashlight for Ash and Ola, cause it was really about to happen.
He was about to have another kid.
"I'm here, Papa...." Harley said softly, peering at Axl. Saul's arms dropped into the water and he wailed in pain, but Harley never let him go, keeping his small arms around his papa's shoulders.
"Fuck! Fuck! I'm so sorry, Harls!" Saul sobbed, as he was than situated to being propped up on his back.
"Baby, c'mon, deep breaths. Just breathe with me." Axl rubbed his hand along Saul's thigh, taking deep inhales and exhales.
Saul did the same, shaking stray curls from his face.
"Ah! Oh, god!" Saul sobbed, legs spreading wider, using his hands as leverage to keep himself up as he wailed in pain, his Megadeth tee sticking to his chest from the water. He could not care less. He was already in enough pain, he couldn't care for a wet shirt.
A pained scream tore from Saul's throat, which made both Harley, Steven, and Axl jump, but left everyone else unperturbed.
"Is it time? Does he start pushing now?" Axl asks.
"He pushes when his body tells him to." Ola calmy reassures Axl. She knew how anxious he was because Anthony had been the same with the birth of Saul.
They never found out Saul was a positive blood type until he was around 17 and had managed to fuck around and get knocked up.
Needless to say, he was grounded, the baby was aborted, and he had a long and awkward conversation about sex and pregnancy with his parents.
Ash is lucky, Saul had thought when it was revealed that the younger was a negative blood type and couldn't carry sperm.
"Mom...mom.." Saul whimpered. Ola was at his side in no time, holding his hand tightly. "I'm right here, Saul."
"I have to push. I have to." His eyes opened, brown glazed over with tears and a glint of pain striking his soft features.
"Well you push then baby." Ola nodded as Ash and Amy took place at the end of the pool and Axl almost just said fuck it, and sat right beside his husband, who smiled as his head fell back onto his chest.
"Come on, baby. You can do this. You're so strong." Axl soothes. Saul let out a soft cry and nodded, knees instinctively coming up higher as he began pushing — gently, at first.
"That's it." Axl coaxed him, calming him enough to let him take a breather. "Don't rush it. Just let it happen, baby." Axl said lowly, letting one hand rub soothing circles in his lower back.
Saul let out a long, drawn out moan that turn into a yell as he began pushing again, this time for thirty seconds before he stopped to do the breathing exercises the couple had practiced with their doctor months prior.
He began pushing again, after a moment, and squeezed his eyes shut. He pushed for quite a while before he stopped again, breathing heavily.
After a long while of silence as Saul pushed, Ash brightened, a smile consuming his usually lax features.
"Oh, I can see the head!" He says, holding up Saul's shaking thigh so it wouldn't fall.
"The head?" Saul panted, tired and dazed.
He wasn't on any medication so he was feeling everything . They'd have to get some for him after.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door— how many more people were gonna come?!
It must've been Axl's second cousin from his mom's side of the family. He had called him when Axl was on his way home to notify him that he was getting off his plane.
Mick visited every year since Axl moved to Seattle. He lived down in LA, but never went a year without seeing his annoying redheaded cousin.
Nobody but Steven seemed to hear the knock, so he carefully stumbled to his feet and waddled to the front door, swinging it open and being hit with a hard gust of cold air that almost knocked him off of his little feet.
He looked up at the dark figure, and cocked his head to the side.
"Hi, I'm Steven!" He smiled.
"Mick." The man says before walking in. Steven hurriedly shut the door.
"Sir, I don't think you should go in the—"
Mick was already in the living room and Saul was screaming his lungs out. Mick was not fazed at all.
"Fuck! Oh, shit! Ax!" "I'm here, sweetheart." Axl grabs his hand. Saul nods and began pushing again.
"The head's out!" Amy exclaims happily.
"I wanna see!" Harley went over to sit beside his aunt. His eyes widened in excitement as he spotted his sister's head.
"Cmon, papa! You can do it!" Harley urges when Saul stopped to take a few breaths.
But then, he pushed, and pushed, and pushed.
And he almost passed out...until he heard the wonderful cries of his baby girl and he let himself open his bleary eyes as her small body was laid upon his chest and a wet blanket(which Ola had wet in the water) was placed over her.
Saul held her as tears fell from his eyes.
Caliya Maye Rose.
....