Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Chimaera ❯ Chapter 98 ( Chapter 98 )

Chapter 98

 

After the excitement of the wedding and the departure of their various guests, life settled back into a more sedate routine. Heero returned to work after a few days off and Duo tried to deal with being at home with only Nurse Brown and Miracle for company during the day. He still did some paperwork for Preventer but not as much as before. Une had begun to decrease the workload as Duo's pregnancy progressed. In one way this pissed Duo off incredibly as he quite enjoyed sitting in front of the computer and planning out 'mission specs', not to mention researching for cases. To have that cut almost in half left him with time on his hands, time he didn't know how to occupy. Essentially Duo was bored.

 

And a bored Duo was trouble.

 

His latest trick was to see how many Crunchie bars he could scoff down or cups of coffee he could drink before Nurse Brown became suspicious and caught up with him. When he tired of that trick his attention turned to Barney, the Weiro. With Miracle's training having been successfully completed to date, Duo found a kinship with the bird and the three of them, Miracle, Barney and Duo could often be found sitting together in the lounge watching vids or reading. He'd begun to teach the bird new words in the hope that Barney would forget the other, less desirable part of his vocabulary; although some of the phrases and words could be questioned.

 

It didn't work.

 

Barney had the habit of coming out with the wrong words at the wrong time and Nurse Brown had nearly turned purple at the latest round of expletives.

 

Heero came home from work that day with a bunch of flowers and a new Weiro for the ever suffering nurse.

 

The flowers had been accepted graciously. The new bird named Fred came with the assurances that Duo and Heero would take good care of Barney when the nurse eventually left so she'd accepted the new bird to replace the other one. Needless to say, Fred spent most of his time in Nurse Brown's room. On the odd occasion that the new Weiro did join in with the main house, Nurse Brown had threatened to duct tape Duo's mouth if he should so much as utter any word that passed for cursing.

 

Running a hand over his swollen stomach, Duo addressed the child. "Not too much longer now, Sunshine. I bet you will be glad to get out of there. There isn't a whole lot of room for you to move about now," Duo smiled as he felt the baby move slightly. The kicks and punches to his long suffering internal organs had begun to decrease as the pregnancy progressed. He was now seven months pregnant and felt like a beached whale. How the hell Heero could still think he was sexy when his stomach protruded so far out that Duo had forgotten what his toes looked like, was beyond him. But Duo didn't see what Heero saw; Duo only saw a bloated man with shadows forming under his eyes from the constant tiredness.

 

Sally had said this was normal, he would feel tired because given his size it wasn't easy to find a comfortable position to sleep in. She hadn't been joking either, Duo mused. It was becoming increasingly difficult to find that elusive sleep. Lying on his back, his favorite position to sleep in, was practically impossible. The pressure from the baby became unbearable after a while and he had to move to another position. His side was about the best he could do but even that posed problems. When he had to get up to go to the toilet, which was quite often again now that the baby was settling down into his pelvis, he physically had to lever the bump as his legs wormed out of the bed. More often than not he would end up waking Heero who would immediately berate him for not having woken him before to assist.

 

Duo didn't want to keep disturbing Heero's sleep though, his husband had enough on his plate with work and Duo didn't want to add lack of sleep to those broad shoulders. Sleep depravation causes one to make mistakes and with Heero working for Preventer he couldn't afford to make mistakes.

 

Glancing at the clock he noted it was half past four. Heero would be home in an hour, Nurse Brown had gone to work and he was all alone for the moment. Sally would be calling by tonight to do another ultrasound scan and take a blood sample to see how his hormones were settling. He didn't mind the scans, they showed the baby's development and Duo never tired of seeing the small being on the screen, even if it was a little fuzzy. Now that the baby had developed and grown it was much easier to see on the scan.

 

"I suppose we should go and take a shower and get ready for Sally," he said softly to the baby. The baby gave a gentle kick as if to acknowledge the words. With a grunt, Duo began to work his way out of the chair, which was no mean feat. Supporting his stomach he managed to ease to the edge of the chair and grasp the table, using it to assist in his rising. Once standing he rubbed his lower back which had begun to ache again and turned to go and take that shower.

 

Miracle trotted at his heels, she wasn't about to let her master out of her sight. As Duo's pregnancy progressed so the dog became more and more attached to him. Heero said something about dogs having a sixth sense and that Miracle was only looking out for Duo. Duo guessed he could understand that and if it made Heero a little more settled to know that the dog was on 'duty' when he wasn't there Duo could live with it.

 

"No, you can't come into the shower with me, girl," chuckled Duo as he closed the door on the dog who promptly gave a whine and then flopped to the floor to await her master's return.

 

Stripping off his clothes, Duo took a good long look at himself in the mirror. His shoulders were still broad but his six pack had vanished. The skin of his belly was drawn tight over the bulge of the baby and Duo noticed a darkening line passing down his abdomen. He made a mental note to ask Sally about that. He turned the shower on and stepped under the spray, letting it run over him and soothe the tired muscles. Picking up the soap he began to cleanse himself, working over his arms and then shoulders, rinsing off under the water as he went. Working over his chest, Duo gave a gasp as he washed over a nipple and then stopped to look down. His face turned crimson as he studied his chest and then a low groan escaped his mouth. "Oh, fuck!"

 

To say he wasn't happy would be an understatement. Duo quickly finished washing himself and then stepped out of the shower for a closer look. Staring intently into the mirror he could now see that his nipples had changed color as well as swelling a touch. The area around them was also very tender and Duo wasn't sure if he could detect further swelling or not. Trying not to panic, he quickly dried himself off and went back into the bedroom to dress.

 

* * *

 

Heero found his husband brooding in the kitchen when he got home from work. Miracle jumped up from where she was lying at Duo's feet and greeted her other master with a soft whine. Heero carefully took stock of the situation. Something had to be up given how Duo was attacking the tub of Crunchie ice cream. He fondled the dog's head for a moment and looked into the liquid brown eyes. "What's up, Miracle?"

 

The dog licked his hand and looked at Duo, her tail wagging slowly and a despondent look on her face.

 

"That bad, huh?"

 

"Woof."

 

"Duo? Is everything all right?" asked Heero as he ventured in to drop his jacket on the back of a kitchen chair and his empty lunch box to the table.

 

Duo looked up and gave his lover a tight smile.

 

"Nothing wrong with the baby, is there? Are you feeling okay? Talk to me, Duo. Tell me what's wrong." Heero walked carefully to stand behind his lover and lowered his hands to massage the tense shoulders.

 

"Baby's fine," grated Duo.

 

"Then what is the matter? You're going to make yourself sick if you keep eating the ice cream like that." Heero moved to study the tub. "Fuck! How much have you eaten?"

 

Duo growled and grabbed the tub possessively. "Mine!"

 

Heero sighed. Judging by the remaining contents, Duo had eaten just over a half of the tub and didn't look like he was about to stop anytime soon. "I'm not going to take it off you, although I should. Sally won't be happy..."

 

"Fuck, Sally!" snarled Duo as he interrupted his husband.

 

"Duo! That's not nice."

 

"Don't fucking care!" Duo stabbed the spoon back into the tub of ice cream and brought a generous amount to his mouth, stuffing it inside.

 

"Duo? What the fuck is wrong with you?! You're not usually like this. What's happened?" Heero demanded. He managed to turn the chair and Duo around to look at him and noted the anger and misery in those violet eyes he adored. "Something's wrong, please tell me." Heero brushed his fingers lightly over Duo's cheek. "I can't fix it if I don't know what's wrong," he pleaded softly.

 

Duo looked up, tears fresh in his eyes. "Look at me, Heero. Take a good look at me and tell me what you see," he stated flatly. "And don't fucking lie."

 

Heero swallowed and crouched down. He was skating on thin ice here, he could tell. The wrong word would see his husband dissolve into either a screaming mess or worse, explode with anger. Heero was really confused though. He had no clue as to what was up with his partner. Carefully he let his eyes slide over his lover's form. "I see a man who is stunning, radiant even. Your skin is so soft to the touch, your hair gleams with health. I see the love you have for life in your eyes, the love you have for me in your belly." Heero paused and stroked a hand over Sunshine. "You're sensual, graceful and loving. Good looking with a gorgeous body."

 

"I'm fat."

 

"No, you're not."

 

"I'm a fucking stranded whale, Heero. I'm fat and ugly with this belly."

 

"Not to me, you aren't," Heero soothed. "I find you even more attractive carrying our child."

 

"Would you still find me attractive with boobs?"

 

"Nani?"

 

"Boobs, Heero. You know, breasts, as in the female bits?" Duo snapped and then lifted his loose T-shirt to expose his chest.

 

The light bulb went off in Heero's head. "So that's what this is all about," he began.

 

"I was taking my shower and when I was washing my chest I noticed I'm starting to develop breasts!" Duo wailed. "I'm a fucking man for crying out loud! I don't want breasts! Make them go away, Heero," he sobbed and leant forwards to place his head on Heero's shoulder.

 

Heero wrapped his arms around the sobbing form and did his best to console his husband. "Sally did say there was a chance you could develop some breast tissue, it all depended on the hormones in your system."

 

"I thought she was fucking joking!"

 

"Fuck off, fuck off," squawked Barney from where he was sitting on the back of a kitchen chair.

 

"You fuck off," retorted Duo.

 

"You fuck off," repeated the bird.

 

"Want Weiro pie for tea, Heero?" growled Duo with a glare at the bird.

 

"Ohh... tetchy," chattered Barney and promptly flew up to perch on top of the 'fridge.

 

"Duo, Sally will be here soon to do your ultrasound. We can get her to check your chest out at the same time. Maybe she can suggest something."

 

"Like what?" sniffled Duo.

 

"I don't know but I'm sure she will be able to think of something."

 

"Probably suggest I buy a size sixteen double D."

 

"Only a sixteen?" chuckled Heero. "I would have thought at least an eighteen," he teased.

 

"Not funny," snapped Duo and reached for a tissue to blow his nose.

 

"Duo? Do you mind if I take a closer look?" asked Heero as he inched forwards towards Duo's chest.

 

"Why not," mumbled Duo. "Might as well get in a good eyeful, you're going to be sharing a bed with a freak anyway."

 

Heero frowned but continued his appraisal. The tissue wasn't really all that much, just a slight swelling. Pretty much like what a young girl would have when she just started puberty, Heero assumed. His curiosity got the better of him and he reached out to brush his fingers lightly over the tissue and nipple. "Does it hurt?" he asked.

 

Duo shivered with the touch. "No, not really. It's tender but if you're gentle it doesn't hurt."

 

Unable to help himself, Heero brought his mouth close and quickly sucked a nipple inside. He swirled his tongue around and teased the small nub. He suckled lightly and then suddenly let go, backing away. "What the?" he said, his face looking bewildered.

 

"Heero? What's wrong?"

 

"I, I'm not sure." Heero pushed forwards again and took another close look at Duo's chest. "Well, I'll be..."

 

"What? What the fuck is going on?" demanded Duo.

 

Heero laughed. "You've got milk, Duo."

 

"Pardon?" Duo's voice came out in a whisper.

 

"Milk, Duo. I was enjoying a quick taste and when I sucked, some warm, sweet liquid entered my mouth. I wasn't sure what it was but looking at your breast now I can see the milk leaking out of your nipple."

 

*Thud*

 

"Duo? Duo? Duo, wake up." Heero found himself lying prone on the floor with his heavily pregnant husband sprawled across him.

 

Duo had fainted.

 

* * *

 

"Everything is looking fine with the baby, Duo, so you can relax. The head is starting to move down towards the pelvis a little now, that's normal. Over the course of the next two to three weeks the baby will start to lower itself and prepare for birth," said Sally as she ran the sound head over Duo's abdomen. On the monitor the screen showed the child lying on its side with its back towards them.

 

"Guess Sunshine doesn't want to say hello today," muttered Duo as he watched the monitor.

 

"Can you blame it?" replied Heero softly. "You did kind of squash it when you fainted."

 

"Sorry about that."

 

"No harm done. You're okay and so is Sunshine, that's all that matters," said Heero softly as he held his husband's hand and stroked his thumb over the back of it. "I'll admit, you did have me worried for a moment there." Duo gave Heero a small smile. "I didn't mean too. Guess it was the shock and all."

 

"I did warn you that there was a chance you would develop breasts, Duo," said Sally as she froze the picture to take the baby's measurements.

 

"I know, but I thought you were joking," replied Duo. "Guess you weren't."

 

"No, I wasn't. I will need to take a blood sample and see what's going on with your hormones. My guess is that you shouldn't develop anything more than what you have."

 

"That's a relief," muttered Duo.

 

"However…"

 

"Uh oh, something tells me I'm not going to like this." Duo turned to face the doctor.

 

"The milk that you have in there now is what we call Colostrum. It's very sweet and watery, less rich than proper breast milk but very important to the baby. What I'm hoping is that you will hold onto that Colostrum and once Sunshine is born you can feed the baby yourself for a couple of times and then switch the child over to formula. It would be beneficial to the baby if you could."

 

"Why do I suddenly feel like a cow?"

 

Heero laughed and Sally chuckled.

 

"It's highly unlikely you will grow full breasts, Duo, and even more unlikely that you will produce proper milk."

 

"I shouldn't have been able to fall pregnant either, but I managed to do that," growled Duo.

 

"And I love you for it," whispered Heero as he gave Duo a quick kiss of reassurance.

 

Ignoring the comments, Sally continued. "Once I have the results of your blood work I'd like to take another sample after a couple of days and compare the two. That way I can see if there is any increase to the hormone that stimulates milk production. Meanwhile, you keep an eye on your chest and if you should notice any change, such as size increase, you are to let me know immediately. If you can't get me then let Nurse Brown know and she will be able to contact me. Once I know what's going on with the hormones I can prescribe the appropriate drug to prevent any further development."

 

"There is a god after all," sighed Duo.

 

"Meanwhile, Heero..." Sally fixed the agent with her steely gaze. "You are to stay away from Duo's chest. No trying to sneak in any quick drinks, that Colostrum is for the baby and if you go sucking away on Duo's chest you will pinch it all and the baby will miss out, also the chances of Duo growing full on breasts and producing milk will increase." Sally knew this was highly unlikely but Heero and Duo didn't, that's what she was counting on.

 

Heero looked positively horrified and Duo blushed to the tips of his toes.

 

"I won't touch him there," replied Heero with a nod to the affirmative and turned his eyes away.

 

"Good. Okay, we are now at twenty-seven centimeters from crown to rump and weight approximately one point two five kilos," said Sally as she pushed a button on the machine to print out the still shots she'd taken of the baby inside. Once the shots were in her hand she passed them over to Heero and Duo and then cleaned up the braided man's stomach. The machine was returned to its place and Sally fetched a rubber tourniquet, needle syringe, phial and swab.

 

Seeing the items Duo offered up his arm and then concentrated on the pictures whilst Sally did her blood extraction. The needle stung a little as it went in but it was all done in a second or two.

 

"Bend the elbow and keep that elevated for a minute, Duo." Sally inserted the syringe into the phial and depressed the plunger, sending the rich, red fluid inside. She capped it and then wrote on the attached label before dropping the phial to the table where her bag waited. "Now, do you two have any further questions for me?"

 

"I've got one," said Duo as he remembered his earlier visit to the shower. "I noticed a dark line forming along my stomach. It wasn't there before. Do you know what it is and should I be worried about it?"

 

Sally took a quick look and smiled as she pulled the gown back down. "No, that's nothing to worry about. It's quite common. It's called a Linea Nigra and it signifies the division of your abdominal muscles which separate slightly to accommodate the growing uterus. It's vitally important that you be extra careful now when getting up from a lying position as you don't want to put any extra stress on those muscles than is absolutely necessary. You will find that it will fade and disappear not long after you've given birth."

 

"Ah, okay then." Duo made another note to look that up in the book that Nurse Brown had given them.

 

"Anything else?"

 

"No, I've got no further questions," said Duo. "You have anything, Heero?"

 

Heero shook his head. "No, I don't have any questions."

 

"Right. I'll be on my way then. I'll contact you and let you know what the blood test results are, meanwhile, rest and I'll be back in a couple of days to check you again and do another blood test."

 

"Thanks Sally," said Duo as he went to sit up, Heero assisting him.

 

"I'll see myself out. You look after him, Heero."

 

"Okay." Heero turned back to his husband and helped the pregnant man to stand whilst Sally left.

 

* * *

 

Four more days passed and Sally did a second blood test. She found the hormone levels slightly increased and so prescribed a drug in tablet form for Duo to take that would keep his prolactin and oxytocin [1] levels low enough that he wouldn't continue to grow in the breast area or produce milk.

 

Duo could have kissed the woman.

 

She also advised him to get further rest as his blood pressure was slightly elevated and she didn't want to risk any complications. Nurse Brown and Heero had been given strict instructions to keep a close eye on Duo's wrists and ankles. Should he show any signs of swelling in those areas Sally was to be contacted immediately.

 

Duo began to feel like an object under a microscope.

 

So pissed off was he at times that he turned on Heero one day and asked if his husband wished to follow him into the toilet and wipe his ass for him.

 

Heero backed off a little after that.

 

Another week passed and the pair were sorting through some nursery items in preparation for Sunshine's arrival when Nurse Brown appeared in the nursery.

 

"I think it's time we had a few lessons in caring for the baby," she announced.

 

"Aa."

 

"Okay. When would you like to start?" asked Duo as he placed a tiny singlet in the drawer.

 

"I'd say now is as good a time as any," replied the nurse and entered the nursery carrying a doll.

 

Heero had a funny feeling he was going to regret this.

 

~ * ~

 

tbc......

 

[1] Prolactin & Oxytocin: These are the hormones produced by the Pituitary gland and responsible for milk production (prolactin) and the 'letting down of the milk'. (oxytocin).

 

Ref: Conception, Pregnancy and Birth by Dr Miriam Stoppard.