Outside Work We... •[TNN One-shots]•

No... Please No •|| WINTUMN + ARRI ||•

Prompt: Something goes wrong when Autumn gives birth.

[TW: !! MENTIONS OF DEATH !!]
(READ WITH CAUTION!!)

The sterile scent of the hospital filled the air, and the quiet beeping of machines was the only sound Winter could focus on. He gripped Autumn's hand, his knuckles white, his face pale as he watched her in pain. Her breathing was ragged, but she held on, her eyes locked on his.

"It's okay, Autumn. Just breathe. You're doing great," Winter murmured, his voice gentle but strained.

But it was becoming harder for him to keep the optimism in his voice. Her face was flushed, beads of sweat forming on her forehead, and her grip on his hand tightened with each wave of pain. Her eyes searched his, a mixture of fear and exhaustion in them.

"Winter," she gasped, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm scared. I don't know if I can do this..."

"Yes, you can," he replied softly, brushing her hair away from her face. "You're so strong, Autumn. You've got this. We're almost there."

But in the back of his mind, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. The doctors were moving around the room quickly now, their faces more focused than before.

"What's happening?" Winter asked, his voice shaky, his hand instinctively gripping Autumn's even harder.

"We need to get her ready for a C-section. There’s some complications," the doctor said, and Winter’s heart skipped a beat. "We're doing everything we can, but we need to move quickly."

Autumn's breathing became more erratic as the room filled with medical staff. Winter’s world started to blur. He couldn’t lose her. Not now. Not when they were so close to welcoming their daughter.

The last thing he heard before everything went silent was Autumn’s voice, soft but clear. "Winter... if... if something happens... I want her to be named Ivy... please... promise me."

He squeezed her hand, his throat tight with emotion. "I promise," he whispered, his eyes filled with tears. "I love you, Autumn. You’re gonna be fine. I promise."

But those were the last words they exchanged. The next moments were a blur of flashing lights, the steady sound of the machines, and frantic voices. And then, there was a terrifying silence.

Winter’s heart pounded in his chest as the doctors worked, but the seconds felt like hours. He couldn’t breathe. His world was slowly starting to collapse around him.

Finally, the doctor turned to him, her face grim.

"I’m so sorry," she said quietly. "We did everything we could. She... she didn't make it."

Winter’s legs buckled beneath him, and he collapsed onto the nearby chair, his eyes wide in disbelief. He couldn’t process the words. He couldn’t accept it.

Autumn was gone.

°•°•°--**--°•°•°

Arri had been waiting outside the room, pacing back and forth in nervous anticipation. She had been so excited, so hopeful that she would finally meet her little sister. But when Winter came out of the delivery room with a pink bundle in his arms, his face pale and his eyes empty, Arri knew something was wrong.

"Winter?" she asked softly, her voice trembling. "Is... is Mom okay?"

Winter's heart broke in that moment. How was he supposed to explain this to Arri? How could he possibly tell her that her mother— Autumn— was gone?

He took a deep breath, his voice cracking as he whispered, "Your mom... she didn’t make it, Arri."

Arri’s face fell, her hands trembling as she tried to process the words. "What? No... no... she was fine! She was okay... wasn’t she?"

Winter nodded, his tears falling freely now. "She was... she was perfect. She was so strong... but things went wrong, baby. I'm so sorry."

Arri shook her head violently, the tears spilling from her eyes. "No, no! She can’t be gone! I... I was waiting to see her... She was supposed to be fine! Where is she?"

Winter closed his eyes, taking a shaky breath. "I know, sweetheart. I know... But... we did everything we could. Your mom was so brave. And she... she said she wanted you to know something." He paused, feeling the weight of his next words.

"She said if it was a girl... she wanted her name to be Ivy," Winter whispered, his voice breaking as he gestured to the bundle in his arms. "Her name’s Ivy."

Arri's sobs were loud now, uncontrollable as she collapsed into her father’s arms. Winter held her tightly, his own tears blending with hers. They both cried together, the world feeling impossibly heavy.

°•°•°--**--°•°•°

Later, when the silence of the hospital room fell upon Winter, he sat next to Arri’s side, the tiny bundle in her arms. He and Autumn's daughter. Their Ivy. He looked down at her, and though his heart ached with grief, there was a flicker of something else—love. A promise. He would keep Autumn’s memory alive. He would raise Ivy, tell her about the mother she would never meet, and honor her name every single day.

And when the time came, he would tell her that her mother loved her, that Autumn had fought so hard, that she had named her— Ivy Autumn Fortune-Knight.

And that love would live on.

[A/N: Sorry(?) I guess. I'm not saying I want this to happen okay? I want Autumn to deliver that baby safe and sound.]