Better Than Yesterday

Sixteen

10 weeks

Skye is awoken as her entire body is washed over with a cold sticky feeling she is all to familiar with. Sliding from the warm bed she pads to the bathroom, closing the door to try and not disturbed Calum in his sleep. As if it's become an instinct, her body convulses the second she's over the toilet bowl, the chlorine smell of the bleach water seeming to act as a trigger to the nausea already consuming her body.

"Shit." Calum is behind her within seconds, retying her bun tighter than it was before rubbing over her back softly.

"Sorry." She whispers, her head pressed against the cool porcelain as she tries to regain control of her stomach.

"That's the third time you've thrown up since we went to bed last night, baby." He frowns, watching as she leans over again, dry heaving into the bowl.

"If nothing else baby Hood is helping me get abs." She tried to joke.

"Skye, I'm serious." He frowns as she sits back finally, grabbing some toilet paper to wipe her mouth.

"It's normal, Cal. I promise. And it doesn't help that we were busy yesterday. I pushed myself more than I have in months. It's going to take a little toll on the level of sick I am for a couple days. I'm fine. Baby Hood is fine. I promise."

"I wish I could take it away from you. The sickness." He sighs.

"I don't. You make the real money in this marriage. If you were out of tour and performances for nine months we might actually be in trouble." She smirks up at him, her eyes showing with exhaustion though.

"Can I do anything to help?" He frowns.

"A shower sounds so fabulous. I feel icky and sweaty and sticky."

"Come on, mama, let's get you showered then." He nods, guiding her to her feet carefully before undressing her of his t-shirt and her underwear. Turning the water to warm but not too hot he lets her climb in before stripping the shorts he'd been wearing and stepping in behind her. Grabbing the soap she's brought he lathers up a washcloth and begins running it across her skin.

"You know," She sighs as he runs the cloth over her stomach, "since I haven't gained weight, but lost a few pounds. You can sort of feel and see the baby starting to grow right here." She smiles, resting her hand against the lowest part of her stomach.

Calum stops his washing to examine her claim, as someone who knows her body like a tattoo he's had for years he does see what she means, a slight difference in the way her stomach is structured to what he would call her normal. But it's not something anyone beyond himself or she would notice.

"Only a little bit." He chuckles, but can't help himself as he bends to one knee in front of her.

"Hi, baby. It's daddy here." He coos into her skin, "I love you so, so much. But I would really appreciate if you stopped making mama so sick. Okay?" He kisses across the small protrusion softly before standing back up, finishing washing Skye as she looks at him fondly.

"What?" He laughs as she is still watching him with the same soft smile as he applies soap to his own body.

"I just love you a whole fucking lot." She smiles, wrapping her arms over his shoulders, kissing him softly a couple of times.

"I love you too, Mrs. Hood." He grins, "You look like you need to cuddle in bed and take a little rest before we go find the punk princess and figure out our plan for the next seven months."

"I thought we were puddle jumping over to New Zealand for the next few days to relax at a private resort and enjoy being married to each other." She scrunches her forehead together.