đđđđ omg thumper is finally here!!!!!
Daryl passing out was low key funny because yes he can do a lot but heâs never seen a woman give birth before. But he was so sweet to her.
I just love this series so much!
Blood Ties Chapter 29
Series Masterlist
Warnings: Slightly graphic depictions of labor and childbirth
A/N: Maybe a cliffhanger. Maybe not. You'll have to read to find out! ;) Daryl is definitely ooc in this. I'm sorry, I tried to get as close as I could to how he might react. Also, the saying he uses is one we use in the south that means "how is that relevant?" You'll know it when you read it, lol.
âAbout 4cm now. Progressing nicely.â Hershel informed, wiping his hands on a cloth that Carol had provided.Â
Rick and T-Dog were out doing yet another night run in the van. It was also low on fuel but the map showed another town close by. Fuel, gloves, and other necessities were on the list. Glenn was on watch with Daryl for backup if anything happened. It wasnât an ideal situation but it couldnât be helped.
Thumper was calling the shots at that point.Â
Before the men had left, Daryl had confiscated all the blankets except for those that were for Lori and Carl. When Glenn began to complain, one look from the anxiety-driven archer had brought the young man very close to hiding behind Rick. While some blankets were used for your comfort, others were fashioned into a tent-like structure over the bare branches of a decently sized bush. You needed some sense of privacy.Â
Carol and Lori had dug through the maternity clothes that hadnât been lost on the road and found a button up dress. It was comfortable and made things much easier than leggings.Â
After your immediate needs had been met, Daryl then perched himself just beside your shoulder and hadnât moved since.Â
âSâthe number weâre aiminâ for?â He asked with frustration lacing his tone, making sure the blankets were back over you and tucked tight to keep you warm. He had been muttering to himself how he wished he had made time to read the rest of the books. Daryl was not a man that liked being in the dark on anything. It made him feel helpless, as you had learned over the last several months.Â
âShe needs to be at 10cm and the baby needs to be in the correct position before she can push.â The old man positioned the ear tubes of the stethoscope before pressing it against several spots on your belly. âHeart beat is strong. Everything is looking good.â
You had remained quiet until that moment. âDo I justâI donât knowâlay here?â
âWalking encourages the cervix to dilate and soften. Once you dilate a little further, the contractions will likely be stronger, whether painful or not.â The calmness that man practiced really made you want to strangle him with that stethoscope. âMake sure you donât go alone, andââ
âShe ainât.â Daryl snapped.Â
Hershel shot him an admonishing look. âAs I was saying, take breaks. Sleep when you can. Iâll check you periodically. Youâll need to keep timing the contractions, son.â Daryl nodded. âSip small amounts of water, no food. Keep me informed of any changes. And as unpleasant as it may sound, if you feel the pressure and urge as if you may need to have a bowel movement, call for me immediately.â
You, as well as Daryl, reared back, lips curling.Â
âThe fuck that gotta do with the priceâa fish?â The archer queried, not so nicely.Â
âSettle down. The pressure from the babyâs head moving into the birth canal can feel similar to that.â Shaking his head, Hershel shuffled his way out of your tiny tent.Â
Finally alone, you turned onto your side and scooted your upper body toward Daryl. He stretched out his legs so you could rest on his thigh.Â
âGet some rest.â His hand wiggled beneath the blanket and rubbed up and down the length of your upper arm, but moved to your belly when another contraction took over. Without prompting, he slid his warm palm around to your lower back and applied the least bit of pressure, rubbing small circles. You buried your face into his thigh to ride it out, but you had to admit the light massaging helped, if only a little.Â
âYouâre supposed to beââ You were panting when you rolled your head to remind him, but found the watch already lifted to eye level, his gaze shifting from it to your stomach.Â
âSleep if ya can. I got this.â His brow was furrowed in concentration, your heart swelling and warm. Any worry you had entertained of him running when things got real, just gone in an instant. He was there. He was there.Â
âIâll try.â You whispered, the pain finally an afterthought. You felt him slide his hand back to the side of your stomach before you let yourself succumb to exhaustion.Â
âSorry, Sunshine. Doc says up, so up ya get.â
You let Daryl take your dead weight and pull you up by a grip beneath your arms, making it as difficult as possible so you might get to stay in your warm little nest. You were still at 4cm. Hershel had said you had to start walking to help labor progress.Â
âThis isnât fair.â You whined, rubbing your back once you were upright. The pain that accompanied each contraction had lessened but was still ever present. âCanât you walk and I dilate?â
Daryl snorted. âDonât think thatâs how it works.â He placed a careful hand on the small of your back and kept your pace, slow as it was.Â
âOkay, then how about if it gets worse, I kick you in the balls and punch you in the kidneys so you can participate properly?â You were only half joking.Â
âIf it gets ya through this, I guess.â The archer shrugged. You regarded him with a skeptical brow arched.Â
âYouâd really let me do that?â
âHell nah, but sâthe thought that counts or some shit like that, right?â He didnât even try to dodge the smack you aimed at his shoulder.Â
âYouâre hilarious.â You deadpanned, even as you leaned into him while you strolled in circles around the perimeter. The moonlight caught the watch in his right hand, his finger tapping against the casing. Bless him, he was taking his role of supportive partner very seriously. You gasped when the next contraction came, stopping to bend slightly and breathe through it while Daryl secured an arm around you and flipped open the watch.Â
When it was clear you werenât falling, he slid his hand to the middle of your back and massaged the length of your spine using gentle pressure from the heel of his palm. He never said muchâif anythingâduring the episodes themselves, but kept you informed of the timing of each one.Â
âOh, goddamnit, this one sucks.â You managed through clenched teeth. You swayed slightly when it was over, grasping blindly for the man next to you.Â
âThirteen minutes since the lastâun. A minute, twelve.â He was slow and careful when turning you back toward camp. âLetâs getcha back to Hershel.âÂ
You shook your head. âOne last loop, then we can go back.â Daryl didnât say anything but you felt him tense. âIâm sure. Theyâre just getting a little more painful in the stomach, less in the back.âÂ
He still hesitated. âAlright. One more.â
Hershel stepped into your path before you started the second loop, allowing Daryl to fill him in on the last contraction.Â
âDo one more. Rest. And then again.â The old man ordered curtly.Â
Once he had vanished back toward the small fire, you mocked his words. âRest and then again.â Daryl shook his head beside you. âI mean seriously, how much help can walking actually be?â
âFuuuuuck!â You were digging your fingers into the blankets below you, swatting away Carolâs hand when she tried to dab your face with a piece of cloth. Daryl was sitting beside, wide-eyed and lost, the watch forgotten by his leg. Hershel was between your knees, sporting his medical gloves that had been brought back by Rick and T-Dog.Â
The archer cleared his throat. âShe alright?âÂ
âDo I look alright, Daryl?!â You hissed, making an admirable attempt at breathing the way Carol was instructing. The contraction finally ended and you fell back onto the folded blankets. âIâm sorry.â You found his worried blue eyes easily and fumbled for his hand.Â
âSâokay.â He whispered, rubbing your knuckles with his thumb.Â
âSheâs at 6cm. We can still time the contractions but I think she may need your attention more than that watch does now.â Hershel reached for the item and placed it in his pocket once Daryl handed it over. âKeep moving but stay closer, no more perimeter walks.â
Daryl nodded, you whimpered.Â
âIâll be back soon to check again. If weâre lucky, things will move a little faster now that youâre in active labor.â Hershel left the tent while Carol fixed your dress.Â
âI know it hurts, but you two will have little Thumper in your arms in just a matter of hours.â She smoothed your hair and tucked it behind your ears. âYouâre doing great.â
âI donât feel like Iâm doing great.â You murmured, ducking your head almost bashfully. âIâm really sorry I snapped at you, Daryl. It justâwell, it hurts and itâs hard to think.â
âAinât mad.â He tried for a half smile but it was weak. âBetter than gettinâ kicked in the balls, I reckon.â You laughed and squeezed his hand. âGuess we oughtta getcha up again.â
âIâll help.â Carol offered. You could see that a refusal was on the tip of Darylâs tongue but he never voiced it. With Carol under one arm and Daryl under the other, you were pulled upright.Â
Your body already felt wrung out and sore, and the epic finale hadnât even begun. Still, you allowed Carol to pass you off to Daryl.Â
âWe movinâ on? Be better to find a house or somethinâ.â He looped an arm around your back, following as you shuffled your way around.Â
Carol shrugged, not touching you but keeping up with your small strides. âBoth vehicles have fuel but Hershel isnât sure we should move her. He thinks the baby will come soon and she needs to be kept in one place.â
You groaned, letting your head fall back in frustration. âShe is right here. And if my opinion matters, Iâd rather notââ The contraction came on strong, halting you suddenly with your hand fisting into the lower part of Darylâs vest. The archer stepped around in front of you, rough but gentle hands grasping your wrists to guide your arms to his shoulders.Â
âTry to breathe. Sometimes humming or even moaning helps, like an outlet.â Carol advised while rubbing your back.Â
Your head fell forward against Darylâs chest, a deep but quiet moan muffled against the firm muscle beyond his shirt. His hands had fallen to your hips, his body followed you as you swayed back and forth. The episodes were growing more intense, coming closer together and lasting longer. It wasnât difficult to surmise that things would be growing more difficult to handle.Â
âAinât nothinâ we can do for âer?â Daryl asked quietly above you, each word blowing his warm breath over the top of your head. Carol must have answered in the negative because his fingers flexed against your hips.Â
The skin of your belly was pulled so tightly that you swore it would tear open, the muscles feeling as if they would pulse right out of the gaping hole your torn flesh would leave.Â
âShit.â You whimpered, your voice finding its way back during the last dregs of pain. You almost didnât register warm hands gliding up and down your sides, a smaller hand on your back. âI donât want to have the baby here.â You argued weakly. âItâs too open. Things will be too chaotic, too loud.â
âI know, Sunshine, but the doc saysââ
âI donât want to risk Thumper here in the open, Daryl. Withâwith walkers or people.â With enough strength having returned after the pain, you lifted your head, eyes pleading. âPlease.â
The archer was visibly upset. He was just as vulnerable as you were at that moment, torn between what he felt was right and what Hershel said was for the best. His tongue wet his bottom lip before he pulled it in between his teeth, looking to Carol for guidance.Â
âCould lay down the seats in the van. Use the back.â He suggested. Plentyâa room anâ if we need to move fastââ
âI donât think thatâs unreasonable.â Carol agreed, rubbing your back in a few soft strokes before beginning to move away. âIâll go talk to Hershel. You two keep walking.â
You watched her go, turning your gaze up to Daryl when he shifted back to your side to urge you along. âGotta keep movinâ.â You groaned, dragging your feet with your head falling back in frustration.Â
You were in the middle of a contraction, when you heard it. A snarl, a raspy growl much too close. You were already clinging to Daryl and breathing through the pain that was readying your body for Thumperâs arrival, but youâd have to let him go. He had to protect the baby. And to do that, he had to protect you.Â
But he didnât move. He was nearly vibrating, rigid beneath your hands on his shoulders. He was just as scared as you were, even more so. He knew he could take the walker but that would mean letting you go. He needed to protect you but he wanted to support you. He had told you he'd never let you fall and you knew he had meant it.
âGo.â Your hands slid from his shoulders, down his chest before they released him completely to clutch your belly.
His boots disappeared from your view of the ground but you couldnât focus after that. The pain was growing in intensity, immobilizing you with your lips tightly pressed to withhold the cries that vibrated behind your teeth for release. You couldnât, you just couldnât make a sound. Youâd attract more, endanger everyone. Youâd endanger Thumper. Daryl.Â
There were scuffles. More snarls. Tears were threatening your waterline. Pain was coursing through you like a serpent, slithering around each muscle and tendon and pulling them tight. You felt disappointment and guilt over all the agony when your mouth fell open with a guttural moan, your will to cut off the scream that begged to follow barely holding true.Â
âDâDaryl.â You cried out. And he was there, hands on your face, your biceps, your belly.Â
âMâhere. Mâhere. Gotta move, though.â He swept you up with the slightest strained noise. âGonna getcha to the van. Gonna find somewhere safe for ya.â The pain was fading. You could focus on the dark blood on his face, the dirt and grime.Â
âHerd?â You whispered.Â
âAinât your fault.â His expression emanated fear and stress. âThe hatch.â Someone was with him. The small hands that opened the back of the van and spread out the blankets, those were Carolâs. She sat a pile of smaller blankets and squares of fabric toward the indents on the floor where the seats had been stowed.Â
âGet as many in the truck as you can! In the cab and the bed!â Rick was calling out at the same time that Hershel climbed into the van. Daryl was careful when he placed you inside, climbing over you before pulling you further in to make room for Hershel and Carol.Â
Through your haze of exhaustion, you saw Rick climb in the driver's seat and Maggie beside him. That meant that five others had to somehow fit into the truck.Â
âIs everyone okay?â You asked, eyes pleading with Daryl for an honest answer.Â
âYeah, theyâre all good.â He nodded, smoothing a hand over your hair.Â
The van was moving, though you didnât realize when it had started. Hershel was between your knees when another contraction came. It felt like only moments had passed since the last one. In the safety of the van, though you couldnât be bothered to consider that, you bowed forward with a scream. Daryl gingerly worked your fingers loose from the blanket to take your hand.Â
âSheâs at 9cm. This baby is coming soon.â Hershel didnât move this time, he and Carol began sorting things that you couldnât see. Panting, you leaned to the side, knowing Daryl would be there. His arm wrapped around your shoulders and squeezed.Â
âWhatââ He swallowed audibly. âTell me what I need to do.âÂ
âJust be with her.â Carol poured some water from a bottle onto a piece of fabric and passed it across you for Daryl to take. âWipe her face, put it behind her neck.â
The archerâs hand was trembling fiercely when you felt the blessed cool cloth touch your forehead. The moan that left you was not one of pain but utter relief. âOh, thatâs nice.â You breathed. Your skin was on fire, every cell of your being felt twisted and wrong. But that trembling cloth wiping at your face grounded you, centered you around what your body was preparing to do.Â
You were so close to being a mother.Â
But that didnât stop the scream that ripped from your throat when the next contraction tore through you. You sat up, propped on your elbows with your eyes screwed shut. Tears leaked from the corners, the wailing cutting off into wretched sobs when you felt Darylâs forehead fall against the crown of your head, his mantra of mâsorry mâsorry mâsorry shattering you into a million shards.Â
You couldnât tell him it was okay. You couldnât remind him why you hurt. You couldnât reassure him that he was the one you wanted and you were more than happy to do this with him. For him. You didnât have the breath.Â
âDonât push, Y/N. Not yet.â Hershelâs tone was even but not cruel, his gloved hands on your knees.Â
âIt fucking burns!â You shrieked, squeezing Darylâs hand until you were certain you felt the bones shift. The contraction let up, the fiery sensation dulling but ever present.Â
âWhatâs happeninâ?â Daryl sounded breathless. Terrified. You were still catching your breath when you looked up at him. His tan skin was white as a sheet, no color in his lips. His blue eyes were brighter than youâd ever seen them. From tears or fear, you couldnât be sure.Â
âThe babyâs in the right position. Y/N, itâll be time to push soon. Itâll be very important for you to listen to everything I say. Can you do that?â Hershel wasnât looking at you, between moving around things Carol was handing to him and keeping a constant eye on your progress. Distantly, you wondered why it was Carol at his side and not Maggie. Maybe because you were close with Carol? For your comfort?Â
âYeah. Yeah, I can.â You turned your attention back to Daryl when his grip on your hand loosened slightly. He swayed, the pallor of his skin growing more concerning. âDaryl?â
The archer shook his head almost violently. âMâgood.â
âOkay, I justâoh, fuck, already!?â You grit your teeth as your stomach tightened, a visible shift beneath the fabric of your dress.Â
âMaggie, can you climb back here?â Hershel requested calmly. His eldest said nothing but maneuvered her way into the back and on your opposite side. âI fear we may lose Daryl at any moment and Y/N will need support.â
âAinât goinâ nowhere.â Daryl snapped but it was a weak effort. He inhaled deeply and began squeezing your hand to keep you from dislocating his fingers.Â
âHere.â Carol passed him an opened bottle of water. âDrink a few sips. Youâre white as a ghost.â
You were barely aware of everything happening around you, shaking almost violently to refrain from bearing down until Hershel told you to do so. It was bordering on excruciating.Â
âJesus Christ, it feels like youâre holding a flamethrower to my fucking pussy!âÂ
Hershel sighed while Maggie and Carol chuckled and Daryl snorted out a quiet nice, Y/N.Â
âItâs just the birth canal stretching to make room for the baby.â The veterinarian explained coolly.Â
âJust?â You mocked. âJust, he says while itâs myâoh Jesus fuck!â With all the presence of mind you could summon, you managed not to start screaming at Daryl for putting you in that position. You knew that beyond the pain and fear, you wanted Thumper in your arms more than anything in that fucked up world.Â
âOkay, Y/N,â Hershel patted your bare knees just at the tail end of the contraction to ensure he had your attention. You had fallen back against Maggie while Daryl held the cool cloth against the back of your neck. His hand was vibrating your skull to the point that you nearly asked him to move away. âYouâre ready. On the next contraction, you need to push.â
âGod, your calm voice makes me want to kick you in the teeth.â You didnât mean itâmostly. Hershel must have known that because he chuckled. You could feel the next contraction already building when the van lurched to a stop, throwing everyone in it.Â
âWe got a herd in front of us!â Rick called from the front.Â
âGo âround it! Turn âround! Just keep âem off us!â Daryl yelled as the pain peaked. âFuck!â He bellowed when your hand began to shake with how hard you squeezed his own.Â
âPush!â Hershel shouted over the bumps and jerks of the van doing whatever Rick had deemed best. âGood, good!â He began to countdown from ten while you screamed.
You were being torn open. Thumper was going to rip you in half on their way out. Your throat was raw, surely bleeding from your wails. When the old man reached one, you fell back against Maggie but Darylâs hand was there too.Â
âMaggie, Daryl, hold behind her knees. Help support her legs. Itâll keep her hips open.â Both moved forward, taking you with them to sit you up a little straighter. Daryl had to release your hand to hold you and your leg. The archer hissed with the pressure against his abused palm. âPerfect. Alright, Y/N. A nice, strong push this time.â
You almost snarled. âLast one wasnât good enough?â
âEasy, Sunshine.â You felt Daryl's lips against your temple and yearned to keep them there.Â
âIâm sorry, Hershel.â Once again, the man simply smiled. Lori had told you that childbirth in the movies was often dramatized but so far, you werenât seeing the truth in that statement. When the contraction reached a crescendo, you leaned forward while Maggie and Daryl held your legs steady. The pain was extraordinary. You almost wished you could see what was happening, but any train of thought was derailed with Hershelâs next words.
âThe baby is crowning!âÂ
Gasping, you swallowed hard, glancing at Darylâwho had a front row seat to what was happeningâand then back to Hershel. âCrowning?â
âThe head will be out soon.âÂ
âAll this and we donât even have the head out?!â You screeched, just as your stomach rippled into a rigid mound and you were pushing again. This pain was different. Thumper was definitely ripping you apart. âFuck, fuck, fuck! It burns!â
âSâthatââ Daryl cleared his throat and swallowed, swaying on the spot. âSâthat normal?â
âPerfectly normal.â Hershel glanced up at the archer, back down, and then up again. âCarol.â He neednât say anything else. The other woman was moving to grab the back of your leg and let Daryl fall against her so he didnât smack his head on the side of the van.
You were completely unaware, your entire focus centered on the inferno between your legs. There was no way any woman would willingly do this unmedicated. Never in your life had you wanted drugs more than you did in that moment. Thumper. Thumper, Thumper. You chanted internally, even as your vocal chords vibrated harshly with your screams. And just as you thought you would lose consciousness from the pain, it lessened. It hadnât disappeared but comparatively, you would take that over the prior.Â
âThe head is out!âÂ
Panting, you smiled but then fell into confusion when you saw Carol beside your leg and Daryl slumped against her. âDaryl? Daryl?!â You shifted but Maggie held you still. âIs he okay?â
âHeâs fine.â Hershel chuckled.Â
âWho knew a man that could gut a walker without batting an eye couldnât watch his babyâs head come out?â Carol smiled but began to act, jerking her shoulder to jar the archer. âDaryl. Daryl, wake up. You donât want to miss this.â He stirred and started to lean back. âThink you can take a look without losing it again?â
âShuddup.â He shook his head hard, grunting. His hand was the first thing to move, sliding beneath Carolâs to take hold of your leg. Then he was looking at you. âMâsorry. That wasâfuck, mâa pussy.â Maggie was moving your hand and pulling you forward as you watched your partner.Â
Then your fingers were touching a soft, albeit slimy, head.Â
You gasped. âDaryl.â
The man gulped, but then sat up on his knees a little. You watched the fear and apprehension melt away into awe, his jaw loosening, eyebrows rising, and eyes beginning to shine. âSâthatââ
âThatâs Thumper.â You were able to say before Hershel announced your miniscule break was over. He didnât need to say a word, your body was already letting you know. Darylâs hold felt stronger now and he was watching with an awestruck intensity that just made your heart want to explode even as you rode out the waves of agony. You were going to be a little family.
Then, out of the blue, you could feel something was different, wrong.
âHerâHershelâOw, fuckââ You fingers clawed at Darylâs chest, his wet eyes going wide with concern. The contraction ended and you were gasping and swallowing convulsively, feeling nauseous regardless of your lack of food. Darylâs eyes were darting back and forth between you and the old man. âDaryl, somethingâsomethingâs wrong.â You could tell the baby had not moved an inch during the pushing, but not only that, it felt like they had actually pulled back toward your opening.Â
âI know.â Hershelâs voice had lost the calm and was taking on an emergent edge. âThe baby is stuck.â
Panic flashed over Darylâs face in the form of anger. âThe fuck ya mean stuck?!â
Still trying to catch your breath, sweat dripping into your eyes, you thought for certain Daryl was going to jump across your leg and attack the old man. Thankfully, he remained at your side. Trembling and breath stuttering, but he wasnât moving.Â
âShoulder dystocia. The baby is turned in such a way that the shoulders canât fit through the pelvis. Carol, I will need your help, please.â You were already on the edge of the next contraction when Hershel nearly barked âY/N, donât push.â
âWhat the fuckâre ya doinâ?â Daryl snapped, leaning over your leg to investigate. So many emotions were battling for dominance in his expression that you couldnât even begin to imagine how he was feeling.
âDaryl, please.â You pleaded, trying your hardest not to sob. For once, you cared nothing about being self-reliant or what the group thought of you and how much you needed Daryl. As you fought through the pain and against your bodyâs natural insistence to push, you just cried. Daryl kept a hand below your knee, too afraid to move unless Hershel gave the okay, but he leaned as far as he could to hold you without influencing your position.
âSâokay, Sunshine. Sâgonna be okay.â
âY/N, listen to me. I can feel the shoulder.â Now, the veterinarianâs tone was just downright frightening. âMaggie and Daryl are going to pull your legs back on the next contraction. Iâm going to apply some pressure above your pubic bone. Itâs not going to be pleasant, but if Iâm correct, the head should come and then the baby. I need you to push with all you have, do you understand?â
You pressed your cheek further into Darylâs chest and nodded, hiccuping through ragged, exhausted breaths. When the contraction began to tear through you, Maggie and Daryl reacted immediately, pulling your legs toward your belly while you curled inward with a guttural scream. Hershel pressed into the area just above your pubic bone, the pressure only compounding the whirlwind of pain you were already caught in. And then it was over and you let the two supporters take your weight.
The van rocked again, but was ignored. Hershel looked at Carol gravely and shook his head.Â
âSâthat âbout?â Daryl hissed, trying hard for your sake not to lose his cool.
âIt didnât work.â Before Daryl could speak, the old man continued. âWeâre going to try one more time. If it doesnât work, there are a couple of other things we can try but time is of the essence. The baby isnât getting the oxygen they need like this.â
âWhatever ya gotta do. Just take careâa bothâa âem.âÂ
Hershel nodded. âAlright, same thing, Y/N. A big, big push for me.â
You shook your head, exhausted. âI canât.â You whispered, your eyelids heavy as hope attempted to flee and you accepted that once again, the world would take from you. It would take from Daryl. âIâm so tired.â You felt movement beneath your left leg and then Darylâs hand was grasping your chin, firm but gentle.Â
âHey. Cut that shit out.â He wasnât angry. He was using the same tone youâd heard him use when he had told Thumper to cut you some slack. When he had started communicating with the baby. âYaâve gone through hell anâ back for this anâ I ainât lettinâ ya quit at the goddamn finish line, ya hear me?â
âIâm tired, Daryl.â Your face screwed up in pain as the next contraction began to build.
âNu uh. Ya ainât gonna bust into my life anâ fuck up my world six ways from Sunday, make me love ya anâ this kid, anâ then just give up. Sâyou anâ me anâ Thumper. Sâwhat ya said!â
You blinked at him, slowly starting to sit up.
âIâve seen ya be a badass before, Sunshine.â Your breaths were coming faster, the contraction nearly on top of you, but you only had eyes for Daryl. âBe a fuckinâ badass now.â His hand left your face and went back to your leg, pulling it toward you at the same time Maggie moved the right one.Â
You screamed so loud that you were certain the rocks and bumps of the van were due to your wails alone. Something shifted, you felt it and it hurt. You were on fire and aching at the same time. When the contraction ended, you still felt painfully stretched and bruised and uncomfortable. âDidâdid it work?â You panted, grasping desperately for Darylâs shirt.
âThe head is out, the shoulders are turned. One more big push, Y/N. Just one more.â
You breathed harshly through your nose, trying to amp yourself up. Maggie and Carol were throwing encouragement your way, but you didnât hear them. You only felt Daryâs breath against your ear, his stubbled cheek rubbing against your skin.
He whispered, only for you to hear. âI love ya.â Kissing your temple, he moved back to his spot and when you looked at him, exhausted and crying, the corner of his mouth twitched and he nodded.
You could do this.
When the next contraction ripped through you, the world went silent. It was only you and the pain, white hot and all consuming. You were indeed being torn in half but if it meant Thumper would take that first breath, would open those little eyes to see the worldâfucked up or notâthen you would gladly be wrenched into pieces.Â
The moment the baby slipped free of you, you felt the emptiness. You still hurt, but the worst of the pain was suddenly absent. Sound and sight came back to you in an onslaught that had you sucking in a breath like your lungs had been starved.Â
âIsâHershel, the baby?â You asked, trying to move as Daryl and Maggie lowered your legs. The archer was leaning across your knee. You couldnât even tell if he was breathing, but his eyes were wide and darting.Â
âDocââ
The ferocious first cries of the distraught newborn echoed throughout the van. Maggie had moved behind you to keep you sitting up while Daryl had staggered backward and fallen on his ass against the interior wall, eyes on the little thing that Hershel was looking over intently. Maggie reached over your shoulder and began unbuttoning your dress, whispering in your ear as she moved.
âThe baby needs to nurse, bond with you on your skin and itâll help when you have to push out the placenta, okay?â You blinked at her, concerned. âItâs okay. Itâs nothing like what you just went through. One or two small pushes and itâs out.ââ You nodded robotically, watching Hershel maneuver some sort of tape around a slimy cord.
Thumper was not happy. They were probably cold and that thought made your heart ache. Your baby should never be uncomfortable. Daryl was slowly, clumsily making his way toward you, but wasnât taking his eyes off the baby. When he was sitting beside you, Hershel finally leaned over you and placed the squirming, slippery baby on your chest.
âCongratulations. You have a daughter.â
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As one of the Christmas presents, your Alpha promises to fulfill one of your fantasies, or introduce you to a kink you secretly wanted to try. What is it and how he's going about it? Does he surprise you with it? Or did you plan to make a special night of it?
Okay, not an alpha, but...
well...
I couldn't get this idea out of my head...
Fandom: Chris Evans Characters
Title: Make Her Glow
Characters/Pairings: soft dark!Mafia!Andy Barber x female!reader
Word Count: 986
Content Warnings: bondage, established coerced marriage, breeding kink
Logistical Notes: I think technically this is ... going to be a collection now. Sequel to I'm Your Man and a moment from their honeymoon. I just can't resist this Andy (and neither can you, dear reader).
â Masterlist | Aspen's Ask Box | Field Guide to the Forest
The domestic elements were incredibly important to Andy. He knew they were vital to building a happy, long-lasting relationship between husband and wife, and he wanted nothing less than that for both of you. Putting up the Christmas tree had been something heâd insisted on doing together, just the two of you, the day after Thanksgiving.
Heâd driven the pair of you to the nicest tree lot, walked around holding your hand until he knew the two of you had found a tree you truly liked, then paid to have it delivered to your home after lunch. He had you direct the delivery men to put it exactly where you wanted it. He had helped you string it with lights, then decorate with garland and ornaments. You were still guarded â he had broken down many, but not all, of your walls, but it had been a good day.
But by far the most valuable thing from putting up the tree together had been the lights. He saw sheer, unadulterated delight shine through your eyes the first time they lit up. It was the passion heâd seen on your face so frequently during the first weeks he knew you â itâs what made him know he had to have you, and he loved seeing it again.
Each night, you had very easily let him hold you on the couch, all the other lights off, and sit together in the glow from the white lights of the tree. He had pulled so much more out of you each of those nights â memories, wants, dreams, worries.
He always knew you would work.
He knew you knew the two of your would work.
The soft glow of those lights had made you impossibly softer and warmer to him, and he fucking loved it.
But he hadnât exploited that knowledge until tonight.
Having finally sent all the house guests home, you were turning off all the lights, and about to collapse onto the couch, but he intercepted you a step away from your destination, and tugged you gently upstairs. You knew not to fight him.
He knows you donât want to fight him; youâre only holding onto small pieces of resisting him because heâs slowly been disarming every last piece of you, making you more and more vulnerable to becoming completely swept away by him.
He closes the bedroom door and then leads you to the bed. He slowly unzips your simple but beautiful party dress from behind, and you shrug it down your shoulders. He presses a kiss between your shoulder blades, and you canât suppress a shiver. Then he unclasps your bra, and you let that fall to the floor, too. He slides a finger into the waistband of your lacey underwear on either side of your hips and pulls them gently down. You step out of them without direction.
He spanks you, just once, but it elicits the short, gasping moan he loves to draw from you.
âUp on the bed now,â he instructs.
âYes, Andy,â your voice is soft, and you crawl up obediently.
âOn your back in the middle of the mattress.â
As you move into place, you watch him, and he reaches for a box he left under the bed a few hours earlier.
Andy places the box on the bedside table, and first pulls out a thick, forest green satin ribbon.
He climbs up on the bed next to you. âHold up your hands, wrists together for me.â
Despite everything else up to this point, heâs never physically bound you before.
Although he can see the evidence of your breathing speed up with the rise and fall of your chest, heâs incredibly pleased that you do exactly as he says, surrendering without a fuss. He wraps the ribbon around your wrists and forearms, then strokes your cheek. âSuch a good girl for me.â
He moves back to the box, pulls out one end of the string, plugs it into the socket, and you gasp as a full string of white lights comes to life. Andy smiles and turns off the rest of the lights in the room.
Ten minutes later when heâs wrapped the lights around your arms â right over where the ribbons were first placed because he did want to protect your precious skin from being uncomfortable â and then bound you up to the headboard, where he strung the rest of the lights back and forth between the bedposts, and emerges naked from the large master closet, he fully appreciates the warm glow of the lights just as you have the lights from the tree. He more than gets it now.
Joining you once more on the bed, he runs his hands up your thighs, then guides them open and kneels between them.
âYouâre so pretty like this, wife.â
Youâre wet for him. Waiting for him.
âYou want one more Christmas gift?â he asks, his eyes moving up your body to meet your eyes.
You let out a small, whimpered, âYes,â and he smiles again. âPlease,â you add.
âAnd I think itâs time we start really working on one more gift for me,â he says. He moves one hand to your hip and places the other solidly over your womb. âIâm done waiting to see you growing with my child, and itâs too perfect that youâre ovulating.â
Your eyes widen and your mouth opens just a little.
He smirks. âYou think I really wouldnât know something like that? Well, if youâre going to act dumb, Iâll just oblige and fuck you dumb. But, goddamn, you should know how perfect and beautiful you look for me just like this. Glowing under these lights? Perfection."
He leans down to kiss you. His lips move against yours, easily, he licks into your mouth, and you moan. He doesn't relent until you're breathless, and arching up beneath him.
"Now letâs make it so you glow for another reason.â
â Masterlist | Aspen's Ask Box | Field Guide to the Forest
I make no apologies for this.
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Prepare For Takeoff
Title: Prepare For Takeoff
Characters/Pairings: soft dark!Mafia!Andy Barber x female!reader Word Count: 1.5k
Content Warnings: vaginal fingering, dubious existing engagement
Logistical Notes: Another piece early in the days of the I'm Your Man AU.
Author Note: I started this AU when I was at an airport, and my recent trip had me thinking of these two again, and it had me wishing I were Andy's to spoil.
â Masterlist | Aspen's Ask Box | Field Guide to the Forest
While you arenât used to being chauffeured to every aspect of your life (nor did you want to get used to it, the driver and vehicle yet another element that Andy insisted on in the new life he inserted you into), you know a security checkpoint where your driver had to stop and speak to someone else is not part of the typical route back to the palatial Barber Estate. You sit up straighter in your seat, looking first to the men in the front, but neither of them give anything away, your bodyguard Shepâs face is the same stoic expression as ever, and your driver Mark only glances into the rear view mirror to meet your eyes briefly.
Your brows furrow and you look out the window. You can only see large white buildings on either side of the SUV, and the overwhelmingly industrial feel has you at a loss for guessing the where and why of your location.
That is until you reach the end of the building and the car pulls around the corner. Now you see these large white industrial walls make up the sides of a row of aircraft hangars. While your jaw doesnât drop, your mouth opens slightly. The jaw dropping moments as a character in the life of Andy Barber are so frequent, but you are starting to control your reactions a bit more.
The SUV pulls up smoothly to the side of a private jet, sleek and black, the late afternoon sun shining off its metal sides. Mark stops the vehicle, and as Shep opens your door, you are not surprised to see you are stepping out exactly onto a long, blue carpet that leads from the SUV to the bottom of a set of white stairs. At the top of them, Andy emerges from the plane, nodding to you. You smooth down the front of your clothing and glare up at him.
âWhat is this?â You call up loudly.
âYou know what it is.â
âWhere are we going?â
âAway for the weekend. Now, donât be difficult, sweetheart, youâre going to love this.â
You feel a sting in your eyes but quickly blink it away.
You hate this because you know he is right.
Yet again he will undoubtedly give you exactly what you want and go beyond what you could even imagine for it, but because he wants to, not because you want any of it.
That is the constant curse in this relationship.
Everything you want, but all your choices stolen from you before you can make them.
You concentrate on taking deep breaths as you ascend the staircase, mustering the strength that you will need for this. You have to armor yourself against his charm and his cunning. Every moment with him is dangerous.
âI thought it was time to take you away, make you forget the everyday. I know youâve been under a lot of stress.â
You blink, open your mouth, then shut it again. He is the source of the stress, but you donât trust what would happen if you said that.
He smirks, then sweeps you into a kiss that immediately sends tingles all through your body, from where his lips press insistently against yours, tongue teasing into your mouth, to the hand he plants possessively onto you hip and the other on your back, pressing you flush against him, down to your toes, legs feeling unstable as he takes your breath away. You are helpless but to cling to his shoulders and kiss him back, because your traitorous body willingly surrenders to him, damn near craves him.
He finally lets you breathe again when you tap against his chest and turn your head, gasping for air.
He kisses your cheek, then your neck just beneath your ear.
Getting your breath back, you give a small huff. âSo, what? I donât even get to pack? You just have whatever I need for the flight and when we get wherever weâre going, Iâll just arrive to a closet full of new clothes and accessories?â
âNaturally.â You can feel his smirk against your skin for a moment before he bites at your delicate flesh.
âThis is insane.â You push away from him and step through the open door of the jet.
âItâs not insane,â he says, stalking close behind you.
The interior of the plane is sleek, minimal, but the flavor of the furniture and decor evoke the same feeling as the common spaces of his estate with lush leather and dark wood.
The fact that thereâs furnitureâŠ
âItâs not normal.â
Hand to your back, Andy ushers you further into the plane. âYouâre never going to be subjected to normal again in your life.â
âBut what if I liked normal?â
He sits on a leather loveseat and pulls you down immediately next to him, nearly in his lap. He counters, âYou liked needing to get to the airport early, check your bags or haul them through security with your three-ounces-or-less limit on liquids, take off your shoes, and trek through the terminals to your gate?â
You sigh and look straight ahead.
He chuckles and beckons over a gentleman who offers a tray of drinks.
âBourbon or champagne?â
âThank you,â Andy says, and takes a glass of the dark bourbon.
âNo, thank you,â you decline.
âThe captain says we are clear for take off on your word, Mr. Barber.â
Andy nods. âWheels up then. Weâll take dinner in ninety minutes. You can leave us until that point.â
âCall if you need anything, sir.â
You hear the click of a door as the man disappears. Andy takes a slow drink, then presses the glass to your lips, forcing you to take a sip before he sets the glass aside.
You feel the jet begin to move and then turn toward the runway.
âYou deserve more than normal,â Andy says, eyes on you, returning to your conversation from moments before.
âAndyâŠâ you hedge.
âI will whisk you away anywhere in the world. Iâll give you everything you want. Youâre mine to spoil. Youâre going to live a beautiful life with me.â
âAndy,â you start again, but unsure how to counter.
He growls your name and yanks you abruptly into his lap. He cuts any argument you were about to launch into by biting at your lower lip and grinding you down onto his hard bulge.
You whimper and throw your head back.
Andy assaults your bared neck with heated kisses. He knows heâll have you a pliant mess for him to slake his lust in a matter of moments.
You know it, too.
And you know heâll overwhelm you with pleasure of your own, never a selfish lover even though every other bit of him is selfish.
His fingers slip under the fabric covering your core without hesitation, and he strokes your labia, gathering more and more of your arousal as the plane picks up speed. Slow strokes back and forth, back and forth. The pad of his forefinger circles your clit and you bite back a whimper.
âMmm, you know I love those noises you make.â He circles your bundle of nerves again, this time with his thumb, letting two of his fingers dip just slightly into your slick channel. âGive me what I want,â he coos, coaxing with another circle, and another, and you finally break, moaning openly for him.
âThatâs it, sweetheart, let me know how good I make you feel.â
He pumps his fingers full into the knuckle now, and not like anyone else youâd ever been with intimately before. Itâs only been a few weeks, but Andy has taken every opportunity to become a master of your body and coax and command pleasure out of every inch of you. He knows just how much pressure to apply when fucking you with his fingers, and he pushes into that spongy spot at the front of you walls insistently, repeatedly as the jet leaves the ground, making you cry out and shake on an abrupt orgasm.
You sink forward, hanging your head on his shoulder, but itâs only the first orgasm he plans to ply from your body on this flight. He draws your left hand to his mouth, and hums as he places a kiss first against the band of your engagement ring on your finger and then into your palm, before trailing his lips to your wrist. He eases you down to the floor, and you lay back and watch as he shucks off his pants above you before descending down to sheath himself inside you next, demanding more.
And as he fucks you there, then on another of the chairs, then takes you back to the sleeping quarters for yet more, you bend to his will and his demands and his lust, overcome with everything he is and everything he makes you feel, lost in the complexity of what heâs confined you into. His spoiled and ruined sweetheart.
â Masterlist | Aspen's Ask Box | Field Guide to the Forest
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