Sternenstaub und Abendfeuer

18. New Life

"San," Seonghwa pressed out. Despite preparing for so long, he was scared. It was painful, and he feared something might go wrong and hurt his little one.

The seraph lowered Seonghwa onto the bed in the sick ward, shrouding him in comfort. Two nurses already flitted about to prepare bowls and rags.

When Seonghwa's hand clutched to San's sleeve, unwilling to part, the seraph took it to cradle it in his.

"Don't be afraid, my peerless paramour. You will do so well," San assured him. He sat by Seonghwa's side to press a kiss to his forehead. As Seonghwa's anchor to hold on to, he watched as the nurses set up their equipment.

A moment later, the healer came striding in. She flashed Seonghwa a smile.

"Is it time, Your Highness?"

Seonghwa nodded with a huff.

"His water already doused my thighs."

"Then it's starting. Try to relax. This will take a moment." She hurried with the rest as Seonghwa clutched to San, terrified even when he knew he was in excellent hands. The seraph soothed him with never-ending caresses.

One by one, his other husbands filtered inside. Yunho struggled to keep Buddy in the corridor so he wouldn't knock into anything important and Wooyoung's cheeks were flushed from running around. Ultimately, Seungyoun kept Buddy by his side and Mingi walked into a desk instead when he fumbled his way to the bed.

Seonghwa's heart swelled at the sight of their anxious faces. Hongjoong had arrived in a hurry but bore a satchel with potions. One of them, he fed Seonghwa right away to ease the cramps.

At ease now that they were with him, Seonghwa smiled at them. Yunho fretted as he was supposed to help somehow, but the nurses took everything from him.

"So, the baby wants out now," Jongho contemplated as he studied Seonghwa's round belly. "I knew this would become a problem."

"It's not a problem," Seonghwa snickered, blissfully distracted by them. The potion worked and spread serenity through his limbs.

"Humans carry their children the same way. Once they want out, the mothers suffer pain for long hours. I don't want to see you like that. I heard you can get hurt really badly," Yunho whimpered. He hovered by Seonghwa's other flank now, holding his hand, since there wasn't much else to do. By Seonghwa's head, Yeosang plucked the pins from his hair so he could settle. He gathered them in trembling hands, nervous like the rest.

"I didn't know there would be that much pain involved... Now I understand why San didn't want it to happen," Jongho commented. He tried to fit against the wall, broad mass in the way of everyone else.

Seonghwa shook his head.

"This pain is endurable, and life gets born from it. Don't worry, Yunho. Elves don't suffer as much, and men are more flexible down there."

Apprehensive, Yunho watched as the nurses levered Seonghwa's body, propping his legs up on a wooden stand and hiking his dress over his stomach. He was bare to the room but unashamed and, with his eternal beauty, there was no reason to.

"Give him some water, please," a nurse asked the assembled husbands. Wooyoung was the quickest, feeding it to Seonghwa. He groaned at a throb in his lower back and his baby wriggled as if in response.

Soon, he promised through the link of their souls. Soon they could meet.

Seonghwa gulped down some water and Mingi's warm hands kneaded into his sides and back as he relaxed into the sheets. He could feel his body changing with the cramps, opening to accommodate his son in his search for light. Though the tugs were unpleasant, he didn't feel as if he were dying.