Long days and nights of performances had become routine, Giles and Nikolaj would take turns cooking or ordering in food for the three, sometimes four, sometimes two of them. They would spend free hours responding to emails, catching up on television shows, and they continued to search for a home. Unfortunately, the one Gwendoline had found wasn't for them after all - so the hunt carried on. Giles was in the works of crafting a... slightly larger gown for Gwen - he insisted it wouldn't be used any time soon, but she could see right through him.
Well fed and exhausted, both Nik and Gwen were settling into bed. He turned to her and propped his head on his fist. "Gwen?"
She raised her brows at him, though her eyes remained closed. "Yes?"
"When can I meet your family?"
Her eyes flew open before narrowing at him. "Why?"
He gave a short laugh. "We're having a baby together. We're, well we're going to spend our lives together, right? Don't you think it's important that I meet them?"
"I-I don't...- I do! But I don't know." She sighed and laid on her back, staring up at the ceiling. God, we could make a list of all the reasons meeting them would be an awful idea.
"It doesn't have to be any time soon." He assured her, resting his hand on top of her stomach. "Just before peanut gets here."
She groaned. "Can't you just meet in the delivery room? Just bypass all the pleasantries and judgement and get straight to the family part?"
"Is that really what you want?"
She raised her brows again, glancing at him. "It does sound quite nice."
Nik wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him. "How much does your mother know about me? About us? When you mentioned you were pregnant, you... you did say they were mine, didn't you?"
"Of course." She lied. The hot blush that crept up her neck gave her away.
"Gwendoline!"
"I'm sorry! The last time I called I simply said we didn't know yet!"
"But she knows we've been sleeping together."
"I told her we were seeing one another after you divorced Nukaka. That's," she sighed softly. "That's when I started taking you more seriously. She knows we were together before then - trust me, I've gotten lecture after lecture on why it was a horrid idea."
"And you told her it was okay because I was ridiculously handsome and great in bed." He laughed to himself, planting a kiss on her head.
Smiling in content, she closed her eyes and laid her cheek to his chest. "Obviously."
He laughed for another moment before pausing. "Did you really?"
She nodded against him. "I did. Told her you were the best sex I'd ever had."
His brows furrowed together, looking down only to be met with the top of her head. "You told your mother I was your best lay?"
Gwen groaned and shifted positions, now laying half on top of him with her palms flat on his chest, her chin on the back of her hand. She stared at him drowsily. "I'm pregnant with your child and we're moving in together, do you really need the ego boost?"
"N-No, I just, I'm shocked. Shocked that you'd tell her things like that. I'd never mention such a thing to my mother."
"And that's a discussion for a different day." She forced a smile before returning to her side of the bed, taking the blankets with her.
Nikolaj took a moment of pause while he gathered his thoughts. "Why don't you want me to meet them?"
"Darling, I do, I just worry..." She chewed the inside of her cheek. "My mother is a bit unpredictable."
He buried his cheek into her shoulder. "Unpredictable like you?"
She could feel his smile and couldn't help but smile too. "Yeah, you could say that. She's never been one to ask me many questions, she can read me like a book. But everyone I ever brought home was practically begging to leave by the time she was done with them." She scoffed.
"Well luckily for you, I don't think I'm much like any other man you've brought home to your mother." His hand slid from her side down to her stomach, toying with the fabric bunched there. "We'll be okay. I'm not going anywhere, no matter how badly it goes. I'm here for you and I'm here for Peanut."
Resting her hand on top of his, she nodded - mostly in reassurance to herself. He's here to stay. He's not leaving. He loves you. "We really need to not call them Peanut for too long, before you know it it's going on the birth certificate."
"I'll be sure to think of some Danish names you'll hate." He grinned.
"I'll listen to each and every one-"
"And decline them all in a typical Gwen fashion." He planted a kiss to her freckled skin.
"What on earth does that mean?" She flipped over so they were face to face, their noses brushing against one another.
Nik threw his hands up dramatically, putting on his best impression of her. "Well I just don't think-!"
She slapped a hand over his mouth. "You're just awful."
His lips curved upward beneath her hand.
"You're not wrong though." She replaced her hand with her lips, kissing him gently.
He happily kissed her again. "We'll think of something soon. But for now, they'll stay Peanut."
"It'll have to do." She cuddled back into him and shut her eyes.
"I have a feeling your mother will like it."
She hummed in agreement. "When do you want to meet her?"
"Hopefully shortly after you agree to marry me."
It took a long moment before it finally sunk in. Gwen's eyes shot back open and she sprung up. Her heart began to race almost as quickly as her mind was, her eyes searching his for insincerity and she was met with nothing but loving adoration. All she could manage to squeak out was a meek "what?"
(A/N: And after 42 whole ass chapters in one night, I'll leave you with a gentle cliffhanger that I plan to get around to sometime this weekend, I've already got a decent head start on it.
Please don't be afraid to comment/inbox/email me with any comments, questions, or concerns! I love feedback and I'm always looking to better my work or write in the favor of the people! I want to know what you're thinking, lovelies!
Have a good night, babies.)
