Sunshine steps out of the shower with a towel wrapped loosely around himself and shuffles into the bedroom where Cobalt was waiting for him with a fluffy bathrobe and a pair of slippers, as well as two mugs of hot tea "Feeling any better now? You said that hot showers usually help when your back hurts" The blue hedgehog asks his husband as he helps him put the slippers and bathrobe on, handing him one of the mugs after he was settled into bed.
"A little bit" Sunshine replies before taking a sip of his tea "The pain is duller now but it's still there, this is the first time it's done that. Do you think we should get everything ready in case it's the real thing this time?" He says, seeming a bit hesitant after the multiple false alarms they had panicked over in just the past week but still wanting to be prepared for their son's arrival. They had both agreed to opt for a home delivery since neither one of the hedgehogs were very comfortable with being stuck in a hospital bed surrounded by strangers, although they did have trusted help ready and waiting on speed dial in the event of any complications occurring. They were ready to welcome their son whenever he was ready to enter the world outside of Sunshine's body.
"That's not a bad idea, then we'll be prepared already so we won't have to worry about rushing to get everything ready and missing something important in the panic" Cobalt replies "All of the stuff should still be in the nursery closet, except the towels" He says as he cuddles up next to Sunshine and rests a hand on his husband's belly, gently smoothing down the soft fur as he rubbed it "I'm going to miss getting to see you like this, you look absolutely stunning" The blue hedgehog grins softly, his short tail wagging a bit when he notices the blush that spread across Sunshine's muzzle at the compliment. Sunshine buries his face against Cobalt's shoulder to hide his flustered expression, his body tensing up a moment later.
"A-Ah...Sonic..." The darker hedgehog whines in distress as he grabs onto his husband's arm, squeezing it tightly until the pain eventually began to ease up and his body relaxes "Go get the towels...a-and the other stuff...I don't think this is another false alarm, something feels different this time" He says nervously as he releases the blue hedgehog's arm from his grip and shifts to sit upright in bed so Cobalt can get up to retrieve the needed supplies from the nursery and bathroom "Bring the tarp too, I don't want to ruin our mattress..."
"I'm on it. Just try to relax while you still can, okay" Cobalt replies before giving Sunshine a kiss on the forehead then bolting off out of the bedroom and down the hall towards the nursery. Sunshine shifts position to sit at the edge of the bed with his legs hanging over the side and his hands resting on his stomach as he breathes deeply to calm his nerves before he eases himself off the bed to stand up and pace around the bedroom until Cobalt returns, keeping the soft bathrobe wrapped around his body to give himself something to focus on and help him relax. He buries his nose into the collar of the robe and inhales the lavender scented fabric softener, Cobalt must have added it to the laundry for him when the bathrobe was last washed. He loved that hedgehog so much.
"I think I got everything, how are you feeling now?" Cobalt says as he comes back into the bedroom, his arms full of towels, extra blankets, and a tarp, along with a bag filled with other necessary items like scissors and a couple bottles of water. The blue hedgehog sets everything at the foot of the bed and lays the tarp out over the sheets before placing the extra blankets on top of it to make it more comfortable for Sunshine to lay down "There we go, now all we have to do is wait until the little guy is ready" He gives the other hedgehog an anxious grin and holds his hands.
"I don't think we'll have to wait much longer, I can feel him moving around and he seems to be going down lower every time I feel him move" Sunshine explains as he holds the underside of his belly and subconsciously starts swaying where he stood to ease the discomfort that was building just above his pelvis and gradually shifting into his groin, causing the laboring hedgehog to stumble a bit as a sudden pressure makes itself known between his trembling legs. Cobalt holds onto his husband to steady him as he guides the darker hedgehog back to bed, helping him settle in among the pillows and blankets to keep him as comfortable as possible "Lay with me?" Sunshine asks, giving Cobalt a tired smile as he carefully turns over to lay on his side to make space for the blue hedgehog to join him in bed.
"Of course, let me know if anything feels different or if you just want more space" Cobalt replies as he lays down beside Sunshine and holds him close, receiving a nod in response from his husband as Sunshine rests his head against his chest and shuts his eyes with a soft yawn. Hopefully he would be able to get some decent rest before the hardest part began, he was already exhausted enough as it was. The blue hedgehog gently runs his fingers through his husband's quills to help him relax and hopefully fall asleep while he was still comfortable enough to do so.
Sunshine slept restlessly over the next few hours, tossing and turning more and more frequently as his contractions grew closer together until they seemed to be coming right on top of each other with little to no breaks in between them. The blue eyed hedgehog lets out a low groan as he rocked back and forth on all fours, his backside raised up while his face was buried into his sweat soaked pillow. He had moved into that position a few minutes ago since he found it to be more comfortable than any other position he had tried as the pressure and weight resting low in his pelvis became almost unbearable, something at the back of his mind now urging him to try and bear down against it. He grits his teeth and his groan rises into a growl as he gave into the urge and began his first attempt at pushing.
Cobalt gasps and scrambles to grab a towel from the stack at the foot of their bed once he realized what Sunshine was doing. He kneels on the bed behind his husband with the towel ready and waiting to receive their son "Good job, Sunny. Take it nice and easy so you don't wear yourself out too quickly...that's it, you're doing it. There you go, keep it up..." He mutters gentle assurances to the darker hedgehog as he kept an eye on his progress, waiting for any sign that he would have to intervene and help his husband and their hoglet.
Tears stung at the corners of Sunshine's eyes as he stopped pushing to catch his breath, his chest heaving as he panted softly and held his rock hard belly in his hands as he felt something shift within him and an intense pressure suddenly dropped down into his groin. He cries out and pushes hard against the burning sting that tore through his belly and settled between his legs as a noticeable bulge began to form there, causing his entrance to spread open ever so slightly to reveal a tiny sliver of what appeared to be a sac full of clear fluid for just a moment before it retreated back inside when he stopped pushing again. Cobalt takes a damp washcloth and waits for his husband to start pushing again, ready to clean up the mess that he knew would accompany the next contraction. A guttural moan from Sunshine signaled the beginning of another push and the reappearance of the amniotic sac mere seconds before it ruptured, sending warm fluid trickling out to soak Sunshine's crotch and legs. He gasps in shock and his focus wavers for a moment as what just happened dawned on him. His water just broke. It definitely wasn't a false alarm this time, he was truly in labor now "W-Was that my...?" He mumbles out softly, his mind racing with sudden fearful thoughts and doubts. Was he really ready for this? What if he messed up and something went wrong? What if he wasn't strong enough to bring his son into the world? What if-?
"Hey. It's okay, just focus on my voice and breathe through the pain until you're ready to try pushing again. Rest for a minute. Everything is okay, I'm right here with you" Cobalt's voice pulls Sunshine out of his panicked thoughts and grounds him back down in the moment as he gasps out a breath he hadn't noticed he had been holding, he pants softly as he noticed the feeling of a warm cloth rubbing his fur clean. It felt nice. Comforting. He was okay. He could do this.
"...ah...st-stay with me...ngh...n-need you here...please" Sunshine grunts out between breaths before another contraction forces him to bare down again, even harder than his previous attempts. Thankfully his efforts were finally yielding noticeable progress in the form of a furry lump that was beginning to emerge from his aching entrance, stretching him wide open around it's size.
"There he is...I-I can see him, Shadow! His head is right there!" Cobalt grins with tears in his eyes as he cheers his husband on, keeping the washcloth pressed gently against his tightly stretched skin and muscles to ease some of the burning sting and prevent him from tearing.
"I...I can feel him..." Sunshine replies softly, his voice rough from emotion and overuse. He shifts his legs a bit farther apart before taking a few deep breaths and pushing as hard as he can, causing the hoglet's head to squeeze free into Cobalt's waiting hand. The blue hedgehog uses his free hand to gently clean the hoglet's face with a small hand towel and carefully check to make sure his airways were clear before giving Sunshine the okay to continue pushing.
"Just a little bit more, Sunny. He's almost out, just a couple more pushes and he'll be in your arms. You can do this!" Cobalt assures Sunshine, carefully cradling their son's head in his hands. Sunshine nods weakly as he catches his breath, keeping his eyes squeezed shut until his vision stopped spinning and he felt steady enough to resume pushing. The baby's head and shoulders slowly start to turn and shift into the right position as he pushed and Cobalt very gently tugged one of the shoulders free, causing the other arm to follow and allowing the rest of the hoglet's body to finally slide out into his hands and began to cry out his first breaths "You did it, Shadow! It's over, our baby boy is finally here!" The blue hedgehog beams excitedly over the newborn's loud cries as he helps Sunshine lay down so the hoglet can be placed gently on his chest.
"He...he's here...?" Sunshine breathes out, feeling dazed and exhausted now that his efforts had finally paid off and his long struggle was over. His ears twitch and he looks down at the sudden weight that was laid carefully on his heaving chest, blinking a few times to clear his blurry vision as the ringing in his ears finally faded away so he could hear his newborn hoglet's cries "Ohhh it's okay, darling...Papa's got you...you're safe now...d-don't cry" He coos weakly as he rests a trembling hand on the hoglet's back to hold the little one more securely, delicately stroking the soft white fluff that covered the newborn's body. A tired smile crosses Sunshine's face as an overwhelming sense of love and the need to protect the tiny baby washes over him, bringing him to tears when Cobalt carefully pulls them into a gentle hug and peppers his face with light kisses as he whispers loving praises into his ear.
"I knew you could do it, Shadow. You're absolutely incredible, I love you and our little boy so much. He's perfect" Cobalt murmurs softly as he very carefully dries their wailing newborn's fur with a soft towel before draping a warm blanket over the two of them and making sure that Sunshine was comfortable as the darker hedgehog fights sleep so he could continue holding their son for as long as he could "Go to sleep, Sunny. You more than deserve it after what you just went through tonight, I'll take care of you both while you're recovering"
Sunshine nods in response as he finally lets his eyes shut and he almost instantly drifts off to sleep alongside his hoglet, his hand still resting protectively on the baby's back. Cobalt smiles and carefully climbs into bed beside his family to watch over them while they got some much needed rest after going through such a stressful night. He could sleep later, for now his husband and son needed him. Sleep could wait, right now all he wanted to do was take in the peaceful sight before him and commit every detail to memory. He wished this moment could last forever, for once the blue hedgehog was content staying still. For once he felt like he had finally reached what he had been chasing his entire life.
He finally felt like he was home where he belonged.
