by Bella Bennet
Ned was having the most fun he'd ever had. Steve was fun, a great conversationalist, intelligent which was a given since he was a surgeon, and pleasant to be around when they were just reading or lounging on the weekend .
Ned put another handful of popcorn in his mouth. The movie they had been watching was on pause while Steve was in the bathroom. Everything was going so well that Ned wondered if something bad would happen. It wasn't like him to think things like this, but he had heard nothing from Steve about wedding repercussions and he was sure there had been some. He didn't want to bring it up though. If Steve needed help, or wanted to talk, then he could bring it up. Ned would not bring up a topic that was unpleasant and had more bad feelings for Steve than Ned .
Ned wondered what was going on with Steve though. He had been going to the bathroom a lot more. Steve shouldn't have diabetes as he was in perfect health and fit as Ned could attest to. He smiled as he chewed his popcorn, thinking back on the fun they had earlier that evening. Steve had wanted to try out some things he found online since Ned was so willing to try new things. Ned felt bad for the guy that he had had such shitty alphas before, but not everyone was as fun as he was. Plus, it's not like he wasn't getting anything out of the experimentation. He was getting laid and pleasing his omega at the same time. A big win in his book .
Ned paused mid chew and realized that he thought of Steve as his omega. He thought about it and realized he didn't feel scared or like running out the door. Ned was fine and rather pleased with the thought. He smiled even bigger and kept chewing. His omega. Steve, his omega. He liked the sound of that. He couldn't wait for Steve to get out here so he could bring up moving in together .
Ned looked at the clock and realized it had been about 20 minutes already. There was something going on here. Ned put the popcorn bowl down and went back down the hallway to the bathroom. He knocked on the door .
"Steve? Is everything ok in there ?"
He felt like he was too overprotective, that there was nothing wrong, that he was butting in and making Steve uncomfortable. He grimaced .
"I'm sorry, Steve. I was concerned because I noticed you had to go a lot and I thought maybe you were sick or something. I'm sorry to... butt in." He turned around to walk back to the living room, feeling like an idiot when he heard the door open. He turned back around and stopped at the look on Steve's face .
Steve looked pale, like he was sick, yet he also had a small smile, proud yet unsure. It was quite a mix of emotions playing across Steve's face. Something was going on. He took one of Steve's hands and held it, rubbing his thumb on the back of Steve's hand. Ned waited for Steve to say something. He had already asked what was wrong, so he would not say it again. Steve would pipe up when he was ready .
Steve ran his hand through his hair and then smiled at Ned shaking his head .
"Well, I have some news ."
Ned kept hold of Steve's hand and waited. And waited. Maybe he needed a push to get it out .
"I'm right here. Whatever is wrong, we'll get through it together ."
Steve laughed and put his hand on Ned's shoulder .
"Funny you should say... I've been running to the bathroom a lot because I've been nauseous ."
Ned just looked at Steve and kept rubbing his hand. It was probably more to calm Ned down than to help Steve out in any way. Steve laughed and closed his eyes. He opened them again and Ned was feeling relieved at the happy look in Steve's eyes. It couldn't be cancer or anything with a look like that .
"I took a pregnancy test. And another. And another. We're having a baby ."
What? Ned stopped everything and just stared at Steve. He only realized his mouth was open when his tongue was getting dry. And then he realized that he had left Steve hanging, on a pregnancy announcement. Oh God, that was not good .
"I'm just... speechless! Wow! Congratulations!" He wrapped Steve up in a big hug. He was still too shocked to be coherent at this point. Wow, a dad. He would be a dad. Wow .
He pulled back and looked at Steve. "How long have you known? Did you suspect today? Were you taking pregnancy tests tonight? Is that why you were going to the bathroom a lot? Are you ok? Are you happy? I mean I congratulated you but what if you're not happy ?"
Steve laughed and put a finger on Ned's lips to stop him from talking .
"I love you Ned. It may be too early for that declaration, but I've known it for a while now and your cute nonstop running at the mouth questions proved it. You were concerned for me, thinking of me first and not yourself. That's an alpha I want ."
Ned was so overcome that tears welled up in his eyes. He pulled Steve in for another tight hug. Ned rubbed his omega's back, rocking back and forth, laying his head against Steve's. He couldn't believe it. He would be a dad. What a day !
Ned pulled back again. "How far along are you? Can you tell this soon? When did you think you were pregnant ?"
Steve shut him up with a finger on his mouth again. Ned took that finger in his mouth and sucked. Heat flared in Steve's eyes and it matched the heat in Ned's eyes. Ned knew nothing hotter. His omega carrying his baby was a hell of an aphrodisiac. Ned felt like running outside, screaming to the world that he knocked up Steve. He giggled and then bent over laughing. It had to be due to the shock of the unexpected announcement from Steve .
"Are you ok there, Ned? You're punchy ."
Ned nodded his head and held up a hand. He'd get control over himself at some point. He took a few deeps breaths and then ran his hands through his hair .
"What a day. We need to celebrate. Are you up for celebrating ?"
Steve raised an eyebrow. "How were you thinking of celebrating? I won't drink any alcohol, and I'm nauseous right now so any fun times will have to be postponed ."
Ned wrapped Steve in a hug and then propelled him back to the living room .
"I think we can celebrate by having you cuddle up next to me, with the popcorn bowl and a nice hot cup of tea. I'll get that mint tea that you've been drinking. How does that sound ?"
"It sounds perfect. Thank you ."
Ned leaned over and gave Steve a slow, sensual kiss. His omega, pregnant with his child. Ned was bowled over with excitement. He would be a dad !
* * *
A t the hospital, Steve came out of the bathroom stall and washed his hands. He dried them, stood up straight and walked out the door like he hadn't just puked up his guts in there. No one else had been in the bathrooms each time he needed to puke this week, but he was afraid his luck would run out. He didn't know what the hospital policy was on pregnant doctors, especially surgeons who needed steady hands and needed not to be running out of the operating rooms puking. Steve would get back to his office and look it up .
Steve passed colleagues and nodded his head and smiled. He missed the post surgery rendezvous with Ned. Since he had been nauseous almost around the clock, they hadn't had sex. Steve didn't know about Ned, but he was missing it despite feeling the need to puke. He sighed and wondered how long this morning, night, around the clock sickness would last. Steve didn't enjoy this one bit .
He got to his office and sat down. Steve pulled another ginger ale out of his mini fridge and cracked it open. Ah. That felt wonderful. He felt so lucky to have such a good alpha in Ned. He kept Steve's fridge stocked with ginger ales. Steve had never seen him come in, but every day there were ginger ales like Steve had never even taken one out. Ned was good .
Steve took another sip and sat back. Time to find his hospital policy handbook and see what they said. He grabbed the binder off the shelves behind him and opened it up. Steve found the section marked pregnancy in the policy book and flipped to that section. He sat back and read. The language was boring legalese watered down for non lawyers, but it was still horrible and he wished there was an English translation. He was not going to Human Resources to just ask them what their policy
was. They would want to know who the dad was, and that would lead to some awkward silences or lies on his part. He was the worst liar ever, and he didn't want to get in trouble lying to HR. Steve sighed and wished everything would work out with no problems. That would be nice .
Ah, here it was. He was a surgeon so according to the policy, he could still practice as long as he wasn't experiencing any side effects that would make it dangerous for the patient. Steve's hands were still steady so that was good. Also he could sit down when operating so that would still be ok. As long as he could reach over his belly, he could still work. So it looked like he'd have to go on leave when his belly got too big. That sounded all good to him .
Relieved, Steve downed the rest of the ginger ale and made a 3 point shot right into the trash can. Things would be just fine. There was quick double knock at the door and then Ned peeked his head in .
"Are you busy ?"
Steve shook his head. "No, what's up ?"
"Nothing. I wanted to see my favorite omega ."
Ned came around the desk and leaned down for a quick kiss. Steve loved that Ned would pop in checking on him. He loved the feeling of Ned's arms on him, the musky woody scent that Ned always had. Steve felt comfortable and at peace every time he smelled it .
Ned pulled back and sat on the edge of Steve's desk. "How are you doing today? Has the nausea gone away yet ?"
Steve shook his head. "Not yet. I just puked again. Don't worry, I rinsed my mouth out with mouthwash ."
Ned grimaced and then tried to smile. It was ridiculous .
"I shouldn't be grossed out, I mean we swap fluids often, but there's something about puke that just... grosses me out ."
Steve laughed. "No problem. It grosses me out too. Thank God I'm not a nurse. I don't know how they deal with all of that crap. You couldn't pay me enough ."
"Me either. What do you think you'd feel up for with dinner? I could make chicken noodle soup or we could be at your place? We should do something about that, having two places is ridiculous ."
"I didn't want to push you into anything ."
Ned gave him a look. Steve shrugged and tried not to feel like he was a child in trouble .
"You couldn't push me into anything. We're having a child together. I love you. It's time we moved in ."
Steve smiled and chuckled. Ned did not beat around the bush. He was all straight forward, ready to get shit done. It was refreshing considering the bullshit he had to put up with when dealing with his mother. Emotional blackmail, guilt trips and made up sob stories didn't even cover it .
"Ok, let's talk more tonight about it. I'll meet you at your car. What time do you think you'll be done ?
Ned looked at his watch and then thought for a few seconds. "I think I can get out by 5:30. That sound good? I'll meet you at the car at 5:40 ."
Ned leaned over and gave Steve a quick peck and then walked out of the office. Steve sighed. One of these days, when he wasn't puking, he would get Ned to fuck him over his desk. He had always wanted to do that. Steve sighed and rubbed his stomach. First things first though, he had to get over this nausea. It was driving him up a wall .
Chapter 11
N ed put the dry pasta into the boiling water and then checked on the rest of the soup in the other pot. All looked good. He grabbed a spoon and took a taste. It need more spices and garlic for his taste, but it was probably fine for Steve. He didn't want to make Steve feel any worse. Ned put the spoon in the sink and dried his hands .
He turned around and looked at the now very crowded living room. They not only needed a bigger place, they needed to get a house together. They both had been in apartments, and with Ned's being bigger and closer to the hospital, they had Steve move in here .
Ned's bicycle was leaning against the wall in the living room. Video game consoles were surrounding the TV. It was a mess. A lot of boxes were still in Ned's garage. They didn't have to get everything moved out; they had a week left before Steve had to move out. But they both wanted it done as soon as possible. They didn't want to spend another second apart .
Ned wondered if any of his friend's knew a good real estate agent. They needed to find a bigger place to live sooner rather than later. Steve hadn't showed yet, but Ned wanted to be in a bigger place before he did. He didn't want Steve to hurt himself trying to lift and move boxes with a baby bump. He knew Steve would do it too. He wouldn't let anyone do all the work for him. He loved that about Steve, but it was hard to deal with when he was trying to protect Steve and the baby .
Steve came out of the bedroom tearing down a cardboard box .
"Well, that's another box done. I shoved my clothes in the empty drawers in your chest. There wasn't much room in your closet but I added what I could fit in there. We need to find a bigger place ."
Ned laughed. "That's what I was just thinking. We need to find one fast ."
Steve nodded his head and threw the cardboard box on the pile near the door .
"What's for dinner ?"
Steve walked over for a hug. Ned held him rocking back and forth, rubbing his back. He loved the feeling of holding someone that loved you back. It was the best feeling in the world. Steve's natural scent of nutmeg and holiday spices also made him feel at home .
"I'm making chicken noodle soup. Is that ok for dinner? Or should we order in ?"
Steve said nothing, he just laid his head down on Ned's shoulder .
"I could fall asleep standing up like this. I am so comfortable ."
Ned kissed Steve's head and kept rubbing his back. He knew that pregnancy caused tiredness, but Ned hadn't expected this much. They rocked back and forth for a while. Ned wasn't sure if Steve was still awake, and he was loath to move him to the couch and wake him up. So he just rocked around in a circle, like a middle school dance all over again. He smiled at that, wondering how cute Steve must have looked in middle school. Some kids looked good at that age, but Ned knew had hadn't been one of them. Braces, acne and glasses were not Ned's friend during that time .
He slowly moved to the couch but Steve woke up when Ned quit rocking them .
"I think I fell asleep ."
"I wasn't sure if you had or not. I was just going to move you to the couch, so you'd be more comfortable ."
Steve yawned and rubbed his eyes, then ran his hands down his face. "I should probably stay awake so I can sleep tonight. Did we ever figure out what we were doing for dinner ?"
Ned shook his head. Steve was so adorable with his hair sticking up on one side and still sleepy. "Let me tuck you in the couch and I'll bring you the chicken noodle soup off the stove ."
Steve yawned again and let himself get led over to the couch. Ned tucked him in with a blanket. His phone rang just then. Ned picked up his phone. He was getting a call from Henry .
"Hey, how are you doing ?"
"I'm doing great! I haven't seen you for a while, I've been busy with the new baby ."
Ned smiled, and he swore his chest puffed out as he thought of his own news. "Speaking of baby... my partner and I are expecting !"
"Ah, that's terrific! Congratulations! When are you due ?"
"Not sure yet, it's still in the very early stages. We've moved into my place and are looking for a bigger place. So if you hear of anything let me know ."
"Will do. I'm so happy for you, I can't believe it, another baby !"
Ned smiled and turned to stare at Steve on the couch. He had fallen asleep and was looking adorable .
"Yeah, I can't believe it either, but it's perfect." He felt so much love for Steve, he was surprised his heart wasn't bursting out of his chest .
"I was calling because David and I will have a small gathering at our place Saturday afternoon. We want you to be there. It starts at 3 PM
."
"Ok, I think we can make it. I'll check with Steve when he wakes up. Is it the standard BYOB ?"
"No, this is a little different. We'll supply everything. We just want you to show up and be there." That sounded... odd. Ned wondered what was going on. Was it a baptism, but didn't that happen in a church? Ned frowned trying to figure out, but he couldn't think of anything. Maybe a moving in celebration? New baby party ?
"No problem ."
"Great, see you then. I've got to go, more phone calls to make ."
Ned put the phone down and wondered if Henry and David were getting married Saturday. It would be just like Henry to have a small, informal wedding like that. He wouldn't want a huge event, just small with family. The more Ned thought about it, the more he realized he was probably right. He'd have to bring a gift, but a few days wasn't a big head start. He'd think of something .
* * *
S teve swigged more ginger ale and put the can in his locker space. He took off his dirty scrubs and threw them in the opening for soiled clothing. Lord he was glad he didn't have to do the laundry around here. How gross would that job be? He stepped in the shower and washed himself off. He hadn't felt horny after a surgery since he got pregnant. It's like his hormones took a nose dive since he was already knocked up, so why bother coming out to play. He snorted and knew it was a ridiculous analogy. He knew once you got pregnant your libido took a nose dive until the middle of the pregnancy .
He shut off the shower and toweled himself off. Steve was showing now, the baby bump was still small, but with his 6 pack of abs, it was apparent he was pregnant. He smiled and shook his head, still amazed at the turn of events. Steve found his alpha and got pregnant all thanks to his sister's wedding. He wondered if she would appreciate a thank you card. Steve laughed and decided that would be pushing it .
He got dressed in new scrubs, put his shoes on and headed out. Steve made his way up to his office and pulled off the sticky note on the door. His stomach dropped. Come see Bob M.? What in the hell? He couldn't think of any reason for this note. He knew Bob was in HR, but why leave a sticky note and not an email? Unless he knew Steve didn't go through his emails until after his work day ended and Bob had something that needed to be addressed sooner. Steve crumpled up the note and threw it in his trash can. Well, might as well go now since he had time .