Because The Night

Three

Silence weighted the cave's damp air as the two men froze in moments of suspended, awkward reacquaintance. Until the unstoppable tide of new life took the reins and the omega braced his forehead back against the cool limestone walls to breathe - cheeks puffed - through a contraction.

And suddenly Mew remembered his profession and calling, remembered what his responsibilities were - what he was there to do, no matter the personal circumstances, no matter how powerfully his head throbbed with messages he couldn't yet decipher.

Deep breaths, ironic mirroring. Systematic and methodical: Setting his equipment bag down, he pulled out a padded mat, to be stretched out along the most even section of cave flooring.

Then he turned to the omega - approaching, yet making sure to maintain a safe, respectful distance between, from where he spoke out in a gentle yet authoritative voice:

"Omega, my name is Mew. I'm a paramedic and I'm here to help you - forget everything else. Phone connections are down but my colleagues will arrive behind me shortly. You have nothing to fear from me, I'm only here to assist you and the baby that's ready to be born"

Fuck, why did his heart trapeze that way when the younger man turned to re-introduce brown eyes to darker brown again? Why did the tip of his tongue run over the edges of his curiously sharpened teeth? Why did his hands instinctively reach towards the omega's stomach as he registered it for the first time? Flexing to cradle the sizeable bump that strained against the zip of a cagoule.

But no. No.

"What's your name?", Mew managed at last.

"It's...Gulf", the other replied softly, eyes averted down towards the floor.

"Gulf. Ok Gulf, let me explain what we need to do. I know you're scared, but I'm going to help you through this, ok? I need you to lie down here on the mat so that I can examine you" - he saw the omega begin to shake his head vehemently, once again - "I'm sorry but I really have to. It will only take a moment, and then we will know how far along your labour is and what pain relief I can give you while we wait for the ambulance. Is that ok? Can we do that now?"

A moment of inner conflict, and then - to Mew's unbridled relief - the younger man was unzipping and removing his coat to reveal a long, cerise, knitted jumper beneath, lowering himself down onto the mat - snarling a low warning at Mew when he reached out to try to assist.

"You need me to take these off right?", he jerked his head in gesture towards his jeans.

A nod of confirmation from the elder - who promptly busied with prepping and sterilising his equipment as the patient rid himself of his lower clothing.

"Ok Gulf, I'm going to examine you now, I need to check how many centimetres dilated you are and whether your waters have broken yet. It may feel a little uncomfortable but I will try to be quick, ok?"

A hummed reply from the omega as another contraction hit, causing him to squeeze his eyes tightly shut, fingers scrabbling against the scree of the ground as he panted - Mew waiting for the wave of pain to subside before kneeling down to position himself between the patient's legs to begin.

He reached out to touch Gulf's knee, meaning to urge both legs open a little wider, but as his gloved hand touched the caramel skin of the man below, both jerked away with a yelp:

"Hoy!"

They stared at one another...

"You felt that?" Mew implored, wide-eyed.

A tentative nod from Gulf - he had.

A rush of tingling warmth from the site of contact, clouds of pheromones leaping and spiralling about the cave, floral cherry blossom and the freshness of deep sea waters merging to frolic their joyous reunion.