NHL Imagines

Artemi Panarin (Chicago Blackhawks)

"That is not true!" Elina shouted at Niklas making all of us laugh.

I cradled my bump in my hands, a new habit I had formed. Artemi smiled at me and lightly traced the tips of his fingers around my bulging belly.

"How baby doing?" He asked.

"She's fine," I replied, placing my hand over his.

"How you doing?"

"I'm alright, too," I giggled "just a bit tired. I haven't really been able to sleep for the past couple days, but I'm hoping I'll be able to get some tonight. I'll need it. She's due sometime close. Hopefully she'll be born this week."

"It was quite hard for Viktor and I when I was pregnant. Constant throwing up, headaches, complaining from both of us, and lots and lots of food," Evgenia told me as she bounced Lev on her knee.

"It's been alright with us. I think," I nudged Artemi "I've had the weirdest cravings though and they are super unhealthy. Bananas and chocolate, pickles and peanut butter- which actually isn't as gross as it sounds-"

"I had that craving all the time while I was pregnant!" Elina interrupted.

"It's kind of weird," I scrunched my nose "but it tastes really good to me now. I'll probably hate pickles and peanut butter after this."

They all laughed and I settled further down onto the couch as we continued to talk about the team trip.

||30 minutes later||

All our guests got up and started to say their farewells. I felt a small pop-like sensation in my lower abdomen a few seconds prior to standing and didn't think much of it until Artemi pointed it out to me, but there was a wet spot on the couch.

"Did your water break?" His eyes were wide and I knew he was already going to start panicking.

"Elina! Evgenia!" I called to them. "My water broke!"

Everyone came back inside. Viktor grabbed my hospital bag from the closet in the hallway. Elina handed Theo over to Niklas and went to grab the keys. Artemi helped me out to the car and placed me in the backseat next to Elina before he ran to the drivers side. Viktor sat up front in the passenger seat. Evgenia and Niklas buckled Theo and Lev up and followed behind us in Elina's car. No one seemed to be in much of a hurry except Artemi and I.

"Why is no one panicking? Nearest hospital is forty-five minutes away," Artemi bit his lip.

"Are you having contractions?" Elina asked, turning towards me quickly.

I shook my head worriedly.

"Don't worry, honey. It took me more than nine hours to start birth. It's likely you won't give birth until tomorrow," Elina calmed me.

"It took Evgenia almost a day to have Lev. Like Elina said, you're not going to give birth as soon as you get to the hospital. All that crap in movies isn't true. It shows that you give birth like 20 minutes after your water breaks and it only takes like 30 minutes. None of that is true,"

I looked at Viktor, eyebrows raised.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing... It's just I never expected you to be helping me through birth," I laughed, breathlessly.

"Hey, just cause I wasn't the one to have the baby doesn't mean I wasn't there," he chuckled.

Artemi was quiet for most of the ride and I knew it was just his constant worrying. We stopped at a red light, so I carefully leaned over the seat.

"Artemi," I whispered to him "don't worry, okay? We'll get through this. I survived nine months of carrying our little girl and you dealt with me the whole time. I know we'll be okay."

He nodded and turned his head, gently brushing his lips against mine.

||At hospital||

Elina had been nice enough to check me in and, now, we were all waiting in my hospital room.

"You know you guys don't have to stay right? Who knows how long it will be before I start. I don't want Theo and Lev to have to sit here for 12 hours," I spoke softly, sleep already trying to overtake me.

"I'm alright," Elina said "I can't speak for everyone, but I want to be here for my best friend."

"Same here," Evgenia smiled.

I turned over to Viktor and Niklas. They were both sitting down, Lev and Theo on their laps, all asleep. I giggled and pointed towards them. Evgenia rolled her eyes and Elina laughed, taking her phone out and snapping a quick picture.

Elina woke Niklas up and told him to take Theo home, Evgenia doing the same with Viktor. He shook his head, trying to argue. They started bickering back and forth in Russian. Artemi let out a quiet laugh at something Evgenia said.

"She's my friend, too," he muttered "I want to be here for her and Artemi. He's been my best friend for five years."

Evgenia sighed. "Oh alright. Lev is asleep anyway, so I guess we're safe for now."

Niklas left with Theo, promising to return in the morning.

||7:55 a.m.||

I started my contractions sometime around two o'clock in the morning. The doctor had immediately given me some medication.Not two hours later, my labor began. At exactly 5:47 a.m., Tatjana Panarin was born.

"She beautiful," Artemi mumbled "just like mommy."

"She has your eyes. Beautiful just like yours," I smiled at him.

"Look at her," Niklas cooed as he entered with Theo.

Elina, Evgenia, Viktor and even Lev were standing over my bed, all looking directly at her. Lev's eyes were bright and he had a wide smile on his face. Theo giggled and made grabby hands at us.

"She looks so much like both of you. It's insane. She has his eyes, your nose, his hair color, and your face shape. She's a beautiful little baby," Elina said.

I lifted her to Artemi and he took her in his arms, cradling her against his chest. He rocked her gently and ran his hand over her head. She grabbed his pinky in her hand and held it near her. I saw a tear fall down his cheek and onto her blanket.

"She's already a daddy's girl,"

Requested by Brownie1207 :)