Nikolaj pulled Gwen up, taking her face in his hands. "You're pregnant?"
She nodded quickly, trying to contain the whimpering cries and sniffles still coming out of her.
"Really pregnant? There's... there's a baby in there?" He lowered a hand to her stomach, his eyes wide and awestruck.
She couldn't help but smile through the tears. "Yes, Nikolaj." She rested her hand on top of his. "I'm afraid I'm not very good at keeping secrets from you." Except one.
"So is... this why you were gone so often?" His brows knitted together in wishful thought.
"Some of the time, yes. I'd been seeing my doctor once a week for checkups. A few times I needed a quiet place to cry on the phone to my mother." She huffed out a laugh, wiping her cheeks with the back of her free hand.
"And the rest of the time..?"
She grimaced. "Promise you won't be upset?"
His brows furrowed. "I'll consider."
"I was looking at houses without you." She looked down at their hands. "I wanted to surprise you with a nice place. I think I've found the right one."
Nik lifted her chin and kissed her passionately. "You're perfect. Maybe you can take me to see it when we get home?"
She nodded quickly in agreement. "Of course."
A moment of silence. Gwen could practically see the cogs working in Nik's head, he had a lot to take in, a lot to be thinking about all at once.
"How... how are you feeling?" After finding the first question, he found the others in rapid succession. "Have you been sick? Are they healthy? How far along are you? Have you seen any pictures of them yet? Am I the only one that knows? How long do you think it'll be before anyone in the public knows?"
Gwen quickly put a hand over his mouth. "Nik, honey, slow down. I've been just fine, not sick, just absolutely exhausted. The baby and I are perfectly healthy, yes I have pictures of them. As for how far along, almost seven weeks, likely from the week we spent in this very city after the premiere." She smiled, thinking back on that rather passion filled week. "Only you, my mother, and my doctor know. And I don't want to worry about telling anyone else for a long time. Maybe we'll wait until I'm showing, I'll have less to explain."
They shared a short laugh before Nik pulled her tightly into his arms. "I'm mostly just glad that you're okay." He laid them back on the carpeted floor, keeping her flush against his chest.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you right away. If I'm being truthful, I would have liked to wait even longer. Until we were in the clear, less of a risk..."
He nodded in understanding. "That's logical. Though I wish you would have told me sooner. Gwen, this is big. We're having a baby. We just told people about us ... How are we going to tell them this?"
"I'd really been thinking about simply posting a picture on social media and shutting off my phone for a whole 24 hours."
He chuckled softly, rubbing her back in slow circles. "Not the worst idea." A beat passed. "Would people still think that Giles is the father?"
Her chest tightened and what air was in her lungs quickly depleted. God no, I'm not admitting to sleeping with him now, of all times. She forced air into her lungs, letting it out slowly.
"They might... But Nikolaj, people have been suspecting that we've been sleeping together since we started sleeping together."
He pulled her tighter to him, letting out a deep belly laugh. "I guess you're right there. Posting a picture wouldn't be the worst idea. We should hold off for as long as we can, until you're visibly showing. We still haven't announced that we're even together."
"These fans aren't stupid Nik. You got divorced and we've been spending nearly every moment we can together, they must have figured it out weeks ago."
Gwen rubbed his chest, her hand moving in slow soothing strokes. It was more to calm herself than to comfort Nik, though she was certain it made him feel at peace. She shut her eyes and breathed him in, the tensity between them gone, now replaced with nothing but love and content. Slowly, Nik's hand inched back to her stomach as they laid arm in arm.
His voice came softly, tenderly. "I know it's too early... but do you think it'll be a boy or a girl?"
She smiled softly. "I've had this aching feeling that it's a girl."
"It'd be nice to have a boy, it'd be a change in pace for me."
Oh my god he has to tell his children.
Gwen sat up on her elbows. "When are you going to tell your girls? Are you going to tell Nukaka?"
"I have a feeling the girls would do it for me before I got the chance."
"Doesn't that worry you? If she wanted, she could tell someone... it'd be on social media before we could even think to stop it."
Nik nodded slowly, the wheels turning in his head. "Maybe they can wait like everyone else."
"I'm leaving that up to you, I have to tell Giles' soon. He'll need to keep modifying my dresses." She chewed at the inside of her lip anxiously. "Hopefully not often enough for people to notice."
"They won't. We won't address anything until you're ready." He sat up and placed a firm kiss on her cheek. "I love you."
"I love you, too, Nikolaj."
He grinned, placing a hand on her stomach. "I love you too, little one."
She rolled her eyes with a smile. "Are you going to talk to them all the time now?"
"Absolutely, I'll read to them, teach them Danish, sing to them."
"Please don't sing to it."
"If I don't, will you?" Nik asked with a hopeful twinge. She simply raised her brow at him. "I thought not, so it'll be my job."
He happily rearranged himself, laying his head in her lap. He grasped her closest hand and laced their fingers together across his chest. Gwen only gave an amused smile as he settled against her legs, leaning back on her free hand.
It was then that he turned his head and placed a gentle kiss on her stomach.
That's when it started to feel real. They were really having a baby - and he was excited, thank god.
They're going to have a baby. Holy Shit.
