𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝘼𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚 | 𝙋𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙤𝙢 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙊𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙖

xxii. It Frightens Me

Months later...

Charlotte buried her face in her pillow and moaned. "Erik, deal with your child. It keeps kicking me."

"I'm sorry, love," Erik said, still half asleep as he reached over to rest his hand on her stomach. 

"You're carrying the child, I'm afraid I can't do much."

"Fine, but I'm blaming you for this," Charlotte groaned. "Ow."

"I apologize for getting you pregnant."

"Good," Charlotte sighed. "Let's go downstairs. I'm starving."

Erik nodded and slowly sat up in bed, helping Charlotte to do the same. "Do you want me to rub your back a little before we go?" he asked, rubbing his face to try and wake himself up.

"That can wait until later, but thank you. Our child is demanding food at the moment," Charlotte chuckled.

"Then we ought to satisfy that demand before they start kicking your even harder."

"I hardly think they can- ow! God," Charlotte winced, bracing herself on her husband's arm. "That was my rib."

Erik sighed, reaching over and resting his hand on her stomach. "I'm sorry, darling. I really wish there was more I could do," he said softly.

"It's fine, it's fine," Charlotte sighed. "Perhaps breakfast will make them stop."

"You said that yesterday and then they kept it up for a couple hours after that. Let's hope today is different."

"Maybe I'll just give birth. That would be nice."

"Yes, maybe today will be the day. Though I doubt 'nice' will be the word you'll use when it does happen," Erik said.

"Probably not, no," Charlotte sighed. "Someone just kill me now."

Erik adjusted his position so that he could sit behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, gently leaning her back until she was resting up against his chest. "Just take a deep breath, love. It will be fine," he said, kissing the top of her head.

"Okay," Charlotte nodded. "I love you. Thank you for being so wonderful and putting up with my moods."

"Of course. You're carrying my baby. I'll do whatever I can to help you. It's the least I can do, after all."

"Thank you," Charlotte smiled. "That means a lot."

"I love you," Erik said, dipping his head down to press a quick kiss to her neck.

"I love you more," Charlotte replied softly. "Now, can we please go have breakfast? It'll just be the two of us, since Papa took Gustave somewhere."

"Somewhere?" Erik asked with a chuckle.

"I don't remember," Charlotte laughed. "Give me a break. I've got more important things to think about, like pushing a human being out of my body."

"I know, I know, I'm only teasing you," Erik said as he gave her cheek a kiss. "I would think that the prospect of giving birth would take up much of your thoughts."

"More than you'd think," Charlotte nodded, getting to her feet and taking her husband's hand before they walked downstairs together.

"It's so quiet. It's bizarre," Erik said as he walked into the kitchen and filled the kettle with water to boil.

"It's nice," Charlotte replied with a smile. "God, I feel huge. I've forgotten what it's like not to be expanding."

"Expanding. Interesting word choice," Erik said, laughing quietly.