just friends
nico hischier x fem reader
word count: 10.9k (the longest fic i’ve ever written i’m so sorry)
warnings: unplanned pregnancy and mentions of unprotected sex, cursing, the word climax, a little angsty, if i forgot anything lmk.
note: i started this on september 1st, this actually took forever. ANYWAYS hope y’all enjoy lmk if you love it, if you hate it, any feedback in general is appreciated!! love y’all babes <3
+++
it was an accident.
you and nico had been in a casual friends with benefits relationship for about a year and a half, having known each other for three years in total, when it happened.
you and nico were being stupid one night. after a few too many drinks, and no condoms to be found anywhere in your apartment, you and nico fucked without protection.
you were on birth control and nico had pulled out, well he did halfway through his climax.
you didn’t think anything when you didn’t get your period the following month or the two months after that, you hadn’t had a period in four years thanks to your birth control.
for weeks you thought you were just bloated, maybe you had been eating too much lately. you were much hungrier these past couple of weeks, it made sense.
it wasn’t until you threw up eleven times in one week before ten in the morning that you grew suspicious and worried at the possibility of you being pregnant.
you stopped by the drug store on your way home from work and panic bought nine different pregnancy tests.
you drank seven things of water during the day and took no bathroom breaks in preparation for this moment, and you had never been so scared to get test results back.
positive. every single one of them.
you felt faint, like the walls of your tiny studio apartment were caving in on you.
you couldn’t have a baby, you couldn’t be a mother, it just couldn’t happen.
+++
the first thing you had to do was tell nico.
you and nico weren’t exclusive, and while he probably has his fair share of hookups, you did not. he was the only possible candidate for the father.
nico was currently three days into an eight day road trip, and as much as you wanted to just get it over with, you knew this is not the type of bombshell to be dropped via snapchat or imessage, considering you two only used imessage to play game pigeon and the nature of your saved snaps was not welcome to an “i’m pregnant and you’re the father” chat.
you decided to just text him that you needed to talk when he got back.
to: nico (hookup)
hey lmk when you’re back in newark, we need to talk.
from: nico (hookup)
oh?
from: nico (hookup)
everything okay?
to: nico (hookup)
not quite sure yet.
+++
five days later you found yourself at nico’s door, nine positive pregnancy tests in a ziploc bag in your purse. you were shaking, you don’t think you had ever been this nervous in your entire life.
nico opened up the door with a wide smile. you didn’t know what face you were making, but it was enough to make nico’s face fall and worry come through his tone of voice.
“y/n? what’s wrong?”
you didn’t even register his words, you just moved past him into his apartment and sat down on his couch.
“y/n?”
“i’m pregnant.”
the words fell out of your mouth before you could stop them.
nico sat there frozen on the loveseat as you pulled the pregnancy tests out of your purse.
around three minutes later you pulled your phone out and opened up some home makeover game, nico was still frozen.
“-oh and you’re the father but you probably already know that.”
+++
it was around four minutes later when nico finally opened up his mouth to speak.
“what are you going to do?”
his question made me a little angry, yes he wasn’t entirely at fault, but he could’ve at least taken
a little responsibility and said “we” instead of “you”.
“i don’t know yet, i have an appointment with an obgyn on saturday. i’ll learn about my options there.”
“what time?” nico asked, opening up his phone calendar.
“10:30.” you knew that nico had practice at that time because it was a game day. “you have practice, i’ll just let you know what i decide to do.”
“this is my child too, i want to be a part of the decision making.”
“well you’re not going to be the one taking care of them, i am.”
“what makes you think that? i mean obviously i will be on the road at times during the season, but when we’re on homestands and since we’ll be married we’ll have the off season together-”
“woah take a girl out to dinner before you propose nico.” you interrupted. “we aren’t getting married…”
“we’ve done a whole lot more than just dinner, and yes we are? how are we supposed to raise this baby together if we aren’t together.”
“have you ever heard of co-parenting? -also who says i’m keeping it, i haven’t made my decision yet.” you get up from your spot on his couch. “look i have to go, i’ll tell you about my appointment tomorrow.”
nico let out a heavy sigh. “don’t make any decisions without me.”
+++
“y/n?”
you looked up at the nurse who was holding the door open with their body and walked up to greet her, your knees slightly wobbling from the nerves running through you.
“please follow me into room two, i’m just gonna get your vitals.”
you stayed silent as she took your blood pressure and checked your reflexes, you had to take a moment to calm yourself down after you saw your weight, you had freaked out before you remembered that there was currently another being inside of you.
“alright your vitals look good.” the nurse spoke before exiting the room. “follow me into this room, you can go ahead and take a seat on the bed in the center of the room. the doctor should be in shortly.”
you nodded and thanked her before she exited and you took a look around the room, taking a few mirror selfies to send to the family group chat. you had told all of your immediate relatives over facetime on your way back from nico’s yesterday, the news was received better than you had planned so you couldn’t say anything about your mom’s comments on being a grandmother, she made it very clear she was on team “keep the baby and be a badass single mom in the city”.
you sat on the bed/chair thing, ripping the paper instantly as you tried to get comfortable.
you took your eyes off your phone as you heard a series of knocks.
“miss y/n?”
“yes, that’s me.”
“hi, i’m dr.swarn i’ll be assisting you today. is this your first ultrasound?” the middle aged woman asked.
“yes it is.”
“and do you know how far along you are?”
“i’m assuming three to four months…i just found out yesterday…”
“well we will find out today.” the doctor began getting the sonograph ready as you attempted to mentally prepare yourself. “-and i have to ask…the father, is he in the picture?”
“he is, but it’s complicated…we aren’t together.”
the doctor simply nodded before asking you to lift up your shirt and warning you that the gel might be cold.
after a few moments, a grainy black and white image showed up on the screen, dr. swarn pointing things out. “-and this is your baby! it is a couple weeks too early to figure out the gender, so i would estimate that you are about four months pregnant.”
you didn’t really focus on anything she said though, all your attention was on that tiny blob.
“do you want to hear the heartbeat?”
as dr.swarn began to turn up the volume the door swung open.
a very out of breath and sweaty nico stood in the door frame, bent over catching his breath.
“sorry i’m late!” nico walked up towards where you were lying on the table and smiled up at the doctor. “i’m the father.”
dr.swarn smiled at him before speaking. “well you made it just in time, we were just about to listen to the heartbeat.”
she had the screen turned towards her so nico had yet to see the baby.
“this is your baby-” dr.swarn turned the screen back towards you and nico. “and this is their heartbeat.”
it was like everything around you had disappeared and all you knew was the image of your baby and the sound of their heartbeat. nico grabbed your hand and effectively pulled you out of the trance you were in.
“would you like me to discuss your options with you?” dr.swarn asked, turning the heartbeat down.
“no, i’m keeping it.”
+++
you got a recording of the heartbeat and got a couple prints of the ultrasound before exiting the doctors office, nico getting the same things as you.
“so you’re actually gonna keep it?” nico asked once he had walked you to your car.
“yes i am, and i don’t expect you to be involved at all if you don’t want to…i can do this on my own.”
“well you won’t have to.” nico started. “move into my apartment.”
you sighed, but nico spoke again before you could. “look we don’t have to get married right away, just move in…we will see how things go from there.”
“nico- i’m not moving in with you, i am perfectly fine living in my apartment and so is the baby.” you didn’t mean for your tone to come off so harsh, well you did a little bit, but you didn’t want nico thinking that you would be getting together just because of your child together. “look nico, i know that you believe that to raise a child the mother and father need to be together but i don’t and i don’t want to be with someone just because people think we have to. i will not be having a shotgun wedding.”
“what is a shotgun wedding?”
“-it does matter. we are not getting together nico.” you got into the driver's seat of your car. “i don’t really know how this co-parenting shit works, and i’m assuming you don’t either so let’s just make sure to be patient with one another, okay?”
nico nodded before you said your goodbyes and drove off in the direction of your apartment.
+++
around two weeks later as you sat in your little cubicle your phone started ringing.
nico (hookup)
you sighed and saved the progress on your current project before picking up the phone.
“hello?”
“hey, are you home right now?”
“no, it’s two in the afternoon on a thursday. i’m at work.”
“oh i didn’t think you would work while pregnant…”
“i need to fund this child’s life somehow.”
there was an awkward silence for a few moments before you spoke up again.
“did you need something nico?”
“well i called to ask if you would like to come over for dinner tonight.”
“what are you making? because i don’t mean to sound rude, but this child doesn’t like anything i cook and you’re much worse than me.”
“hey i’m not that bad!” you both chuckle before nico speaks again. “is there anything you’re craving right now?”
“jiggly cheesecake and that gouda mac n cheese with sausage i got when we went to new york two years ago.”
“okay i can’t make any of that.”
“just make whatever you want, i’ll force it down if the baby doesn’t like it. what time should i come over?”
“5:30?”
“okay, i’ll just come straight from work.”
you said your goodbyes before you go back to your work.
+++
once the clock struck 4:45 you called it a day and headed out to your car before driving to nico’s apartment.
you knocked on the door, a tad bit confused because you heard multiple voices on the other side of the door, if it wasn’t for the welcome mat on the outside that you had forced nico to get you would’ve thought you were at the wrong door.
“hey.” nico opened the door, the voices only getting louder.
“hey…are other people joining us…?” you asked, looking around his apartment confused.
“yeah i probably should've mentioned-”
nico had begun to speak, but a voice that you knew as nico’s mother. “is y/n here!?” soon you saw her smiling faces coming towards you with open arms. “oh come here, it’s been too long sweetie!”
god bless your work bag that seemed to span to five feet because it was hiding your baby bump that was very noticeable in your blouse.
“hello mrs.hischier, how are you?” you asked politely, but you were really wanting to strangle nico right now.
“i’m great! luca and nina are here too!”
“oh that’s great! i’ll go see them in a second, i just need to talk to nico really quickly.”
you smiled as she walked away before turning to nico and gave him a swift slap on the backside of his head. “are you crazy!? did you just ambush a pregnancy announcement on me!?”
“look, i know this probably wasn’t the best way to approach this, but my family needs to know.”
“i am fully aware of that, but this is something that you plan out, not something you spring on a pregnant woman!”
“i’m sorry! just- let’s go into the living room, nina really misses you.”
you had met nico’s family multiple times before and were especially close with his sister nina, she was the only one who knew of you and nico’s odd relationship and was the number one supporter of you two getting together.
you walked out, your work bag still covering yourself as you greeted luca and nina, the later giving you a look that only made you nervous.
you made small talk with the family before nico announced that dinner was ready. thankfully nico had brought your plate to you, both you and the fetus were happy with the look and smell of the fettuccine alfredo, with sausage, that nico had made. “thank you.”
as much as you didn’t want to, you had to set your work bag that had been used as a bump shield on the floor to eat, you just hoped everyone was too distracted by the food in front of them to notice.
“so what was the news that you had to share? i assume it has to do with y/n?” mrs.hischier spoke excitedly, it was obvious she was hoping that you and nico had started dating.
“y/n is pregnant and i’m the father and we are keeping it, but we are not together.” nico spoke quickly, his head down as if he was a child being scolded.
“oh…”
it wasn’t the worst reaction that could’ve happened, but it definitely wasn’t the best one, but how good of a reaction could one get after they tell their mother they got their fuck buddy pregnant.
“we’re figuring this all out as we go, but i am very sorry mrs.hischier i understand this isn’t how one would usually want their son to become a father.” you apologized, your head was also down.
“i’m not angry, just shocked and a little bit disappointed in you nico…but everything happens for a reason so i fully support you two.” you and nico let out identical sighs as his mother revealed that she was not going to disown either of us.
+++
the rest of dinner went great, you even made plans for both yours and nico’s family to get together for a small gender reveal brunch before the hischier’s headed back to switzerland.
nina had called dibs on walking you out so you prepared yourself for the question you knew she was going to ask.
“are you absolutely, one hundred percent, serious when you say that you and nico are not together in any way, whatsoever, romantically?” nina asks, using too many synonyms for the word definitely.
“yes i am absolutely, one hundred percent, serious when i say that me and nico are not together in any way, whatsoever, romantically.” you reply, mocking her words.
she doesn’t seem too pleased by your answer and whines. “why? i want a sister and you are the only person i like, in general.”
“that is very sweet nina, but me and nico don’t like each other in that way. we’ve been…boinking for almost two years now. if either of us had feelings, i guarantee they would have been confessed by now and we probably would not be expecting a child out of wedlock in five months.”
nina let out an exaggerated sigh as you neared your car.
“me and nico are just friends, okay?” you spoke, getting into the driver’s seat.
“yeah friends who happen to boink on a weekly basis and are now expecting a child together.”
“i’ll see you at brunch on sunday nina.”
+++
“i’m team boy and girl!”
“mom i already told you we aren’t having twins.”
the sunday morning activities were supposed to be fun, and they were, but they were causing you a shit load of stress.
it seemed like everything nico was doing was aggravating you, and when nico and your little brother were in the same room it was a recipe for disaster. plus your mother wasn’t any help, she teamed up with nico’s mother and kept pressuring you to at least move in with nico, who you believe put them up to it.
“okay let’s just get this over with!” you yelled out, just wanting to figure out the gender so you could go home and have some much needed alone time.
nico came up next to you holding the envelope that contained the gender. “you ready mommy?”
“ew, don’t call me that.”
everyone had their phones out and began counting down as nico opened up the envelope.
“it’s a…GIRL!”
everyone’s cheers only furthered your headache, but you gave nico a smile and side hug before going over to your mother who ecstatically hugged you.
“a baby girl! i’m so happy for you y/n, my first grandbaby!”
you quickly said your goodbyes, not bothering to eat any of the food that was made or open any of the gifts that were brought.
were you being a rude, ungrateful, bitch for no reason? yes. but you were too exhausted to care or feel bad about nico’s constant dejected looks on his face throughout the morning.
+++
the second you got home you passed out on the floor of your apartment , god bless the pregnancy pillow your mother had delivered to you because you had a weird thing for sleeping on hardwood floors.
you woke up at three in the afternoon to a series of knocks at your door. you took a while to get up and once you did you regretted it because you saw nico looking very angry through the peephole.
you grabbed a sharpie and a sheet of paper towel and wrote the words “GO AWAY” in a very bold font before slipping it under the door.
the knocking silenced for a moment before it got louder, along with a call of your name.
“y/n. open the fucking door.” nico was seething.
you opened up the door. “what? i was sleeping.” you pointed to the pillow and blanket on the floor of your kitchen.
“on the floor?”
“yes- what do you need nico?”
“you left the party so quickly that you didn’t even get to open up your gifts, or acknowledge them.” nico gestured to the large bag of wrapped gifts that sat at his feet. “you actually left the party so early that the food wasn’t even served before you had said your goodbyes, which by the way thanks for not saying goodbye to me and thanks so much for the fake smile and side hug you gave me after we found out the gender of our child. that’s gonna be a real joy to look back on.”
you felt your headache coming back, you were starting to believe the sole cause was nico.
“seriously what was your problem this morning?” nico asked after a few moments of silence.
“my problem was that i didn’t even want this baby in the first place and i know for a fact i’m not going to be a good mother, and you! nico you are my problem, everything you did this morning seemed to piss me off and it’s probably just the pregnancy hormones making me easily irritable, but you were getting on my fucking nerves by breathing this morning.”
nico kicked the bag of gifts into your apartment in a fit. “well i’ll stop bothering you then.”
you knew you should’ve been a rational adult and went after him, but you weren’t, so you slammed the door and brought all the gifts to the living room so you could open them.
you smiled as you realized that all of the gifts were for you. your favorite candies and snacks, maternity clothes, and some prenatal care items that you probably should’ve started taking the second you found out you were pregnant, with the exception of one gift. it was from nico, you could tell by the poor wrapping job, you had been the one to wrap all of his christmas gifts ever since you met him except your own of course, those he always wrapped himself and they were a nightmare.
once you got his present unwrapped you found a boat load of mini devils gear. bibs, socks, a onesie, even a pair of noise canceling headphones. at the bottom of the box you found a very tiny devil’s jersey with the number thirteen on the back and a big patched “C” on the front. you teared up once you saw the big patched “DADDY” above the thirteen on the back and a matching bow headband with a small note.
i’m writing this before the reveal and i know we don’t know the sex yet, but i’m hoping for a girl and i know you are too. i hope the headband is a little good luck charm that baby girl judith is on the way. - nico.
you teared up at the note, especially at nico remembering the name you’ve always wanted to name your first daughter.
you quickly called nico, tears streaming down your face and nose all stuffy.
“hello?”
“come back up…please.”
“on my way.”
+++
you stood by the door waiting for nico to knock and once he did you immediately opened the door and nearly tackled him from the hug you gave him.
“i’m sorry.” you mumbled, still crying.
“i know, it’s okay.”
you walked into your apartment and sat on your couch next to nico. “you remembered my baby names.”
“how could i forget them?” nico stated.
“what would you have done if it was baby boy gannon instead of judith?” you asked, turning your head that was leaned on his shoulder up to look at him.
“turn the headband into a bowtie…?”
you laughed at him before your stomach growled loudly.
“what are you in the mood for?” nico asked immediately.
“canes, but that’s in the city and i don’t wanna make you go to new york.”
nico stood up after hearing your restaurant of choice. “c’mon, i’ll drive.”
+++
“how is it?”
“this is sex in a chicken tender nico, thank you for taking me here.”
nico laughed at your response before the both of you continued to eat a comfortable silence.
“hey tell your family that i’m sorry for how i was acting this morning, i am super grateful for them helping plan the reveal and to delay their flight to attend.”
“don’t worry, they understand that pregnancy emotions can be a lot, but i will still let them know.” nico said, making a mental note to text the family group chat.
“their gifts were very thoughtful too, how did nina know i like black licorice?”
“oh i let them know all your favorite things, that wasn’t alcohol.” nico shrugged as if it was no big deal.
you took a moment to process his answer, it wasn’t that weird for nico to know all of your favorite snacks and desserts, that’s what friends do…right?
+++
to: nico (hookup)
i have my sixth month checkup tomorrow at 10am, would you like to join?
from: nico (hookup)
yeah, do you wanna meet there or drive together?
to: nico (hookup)
could we drive together?
from: nico (hookup)
of course, i’ll pick you up at 9:30, we’ll stop by mcdonalds for breakfast. i know you love their sausage muffins.
you hadn’t seen nico since the day of the gender reveal party and when you went into the city together to get canes. of course you stayed in contact, but it was hard with both of your work schedules that often collided.
the next day nico was knocking on your door right at nine thirty in the morning, and you were still passed out. the pregnancy pillow and weighted blanket combo was not being your friend right now, though it was at 5am when the gremlin in your womb wouldn’t stop kicking. which she did for the first time earlier that day.
after about five minutes of nico knocking on your door with no response he began to fully panic, had you fallen down and couldn’t get up? were you dead in your bed? did you forget he was picking you up? so many things could’ve happened to you.
after a few moments of contemplating, nico decided that his only option was to break the door down. he began backing up a few steps and then running full force into your door, it took about seven tries for the door to fall to the ground.
the sound of the first impact of nico’s body was enough to wake you up. at the second impact you became aware of your surroundings, and at the third you thought someone was trying to break into your apartment.
you grabbed the closet weapon you could find, a meat pounder that you left on your kitchen counter last night, and got in position, ready to attack the person on the other side of the door.
once the door fell to the ground and the body fell on top of it, you got ready to swing.
“y/n!? are you alive!?”
“AHHH- nico!?” you froze your movements, the pounder hanging right above your head. “what are you doing here!?”
nico was still on the ground, also frozen as he tried to catch his breath. “ultrasound.”
you dropped your hands to your side as an ohhh played in your head. “i’m sorry i completely forgot. just give me a few moments and then we can leave.”
you turned around to enter your room before you froze and turned back around.
“i don’t have a front door…”
“i’ll text jack to come over and watch over the place and reattach it while we’re gone, the kid needs something to do this morning anyways.” nico said while pulling out his phone.
“does he know?”
“no, but he will…i’ve been meaning to ask you about telling the team anyways.”
“we can talk about it later , i need to get ready.”
you quickly got dressed, sporting a tight tank top, tight leggings, and a tight zip up. all tight because this baby had you gaining five pounds a minute. you huffed and puffed trying to get the tank top on. eventually you got it over your bump, but it was rising up and you were spilling out of it in too many places. deciding to just embrace the bummy look you threw on uggs, didn’t bother to put your contacts in, and left your hair in the rat's nest bun you’ve been wearing for the past five days since you were told to take a break from work by your boss, of course you had to faint in front of her.
“nico i need to get maternity clothes, i’m pretty sure these tanktop strings will snap if i raise my arm and don’t get me started on these leggings.”
“you’re huge…”
“thanks nico, you’re really helping out right now.” you joked, but deep down you were upset. you don’t tell a pregnant woman she is huge, especially if it’s your baby. “let’s go, we can’t be late.”
“jack is almost here, babe.” the nickname slipped out before nico could even process what he was saying.
“uhm…”
“yo nico what’s up…where is y/n’s door.” jack said while walking into your apartment.
“you’re standing on it.” you spoke. jack’s eye’s wandered to you and then to your belly, and then they got really wide. “hi jacklyn.”
“oh shit.”
“we can talk about this later, but me and nico really have to go because we’re already running late.”
you and nico quickly walked out, the later telling jack that you had a toolbox under your sink and to “go crazy.”
“no mcdonalds then huh?” nico asked as you got into his car.
“no, but i’ll be fine.”
+++
you weren’t fine.
you quickly got hangry and so did judith, nico seemed to be your punching for just about everything and even though he said he was fine, you could tell you hit home when you told him he needed to wax his eyebrows.
dr.swarn was completely fine with you guys being ten minutes late because she didn’t have anyone scheduled after you. the appointment went great except judith didn’t want to kick when nico felt your stomach, and of course nico’s hands were all dry and calloused which you hated feeling on your skin, and then after the ultrasound was over you guys rushed to mcdonalds because nico was determined to get you a damn sausage muffin, but of course you were two minutes past the cutoff for lunch and the teenager taking your order wouldn’t budge and you had to pretend like the cheeseburger didn’t come back up the second you got into the restroom. all you wanted to do is go home and be alone…and eat jalapeno poppers…and mozzarella sticks…
nico stopped at target to get what you wanted, and mac n cheese bites because he knew you’d love them.
you were pleasantly surprised when you arrived home to your door back on. luckily it had just separated itself from the hinges when nico tackled it to the ground, so it was an easy fix for jack.
once you stepped inside, nico quickly got to work, placing large portions of everything he bought in your airfryer. nico said it was crazy to buy a twenty size quart size air fryer and that you would never use it, but here he was being proven wrong.
you quickly changed out of the leggings and jacket, leaving the tank top on because you knew it would be just as much of a workout to get it off as it was to get it on and you threw on nico’s heart boxers he swears he wore as a joke, but you knew he picked them out at the store being one hundred percent serious.
“you two kids come sit down.” jack spoke loudly, as if he was your father.
“jack we are both older than you.” nico spoke sitting down in the spot next to you on your couch.
“doesn’t matter. you’re pregnant?”
you both nodded as jack pointed to you.
“-and you’re the father?”
you both nodded as jack pointed to nico.
“and you’re keeping it together as…”
“friends, just friends.”
“friends don’t have babies together.” jack gave you a skeptical look.
“they do now.” you stood up. “goodbye jack.”
+++
“i think it’s best if you two move in together, for both your safety y/n, and the babies.”
dr.swarn spoke before leaving you and nico in the room alone,
you were now seven months pregnant and you were constantly fainting, your boss had stopped allowing you to come into work and told you that you “needed rest” so you met her halfway and you now work from home.
nico was over one night after a game when he walked in on you passed out on the kitchen floor, but this time it wasn’t on purpose. he immediately began staying the night on your couch to make sure you were alright and as soon as you could he got you into dr.swarn’s office.
“i’m taking you home and we’re packing you up. i’ll text jack to come over with luke.” nico said as you exited the obgyn.
“you know i can help right? judith is fine-”
“-but you’re not fine! you told dr.swarn that you’ve been fainting since even before you got pregnant, and i didn’t know. why didn’t you tell me about all this?” nico interrupted you, obviously upset.
“because it’s not important!” you snapped back. “it doesn’t affect judith in anyway, so i don’t understand you’re so worried.”
“it’s important because it affects you. i am worried about you, and i’m allowed to be. now there is no more arguments, you will be moving in with me and ending your lease at your current place.”
“nico-”
“no, that is final.”
+++
for the rest of the day you sat and watched tv while the two hughes and nico packed up your apartment until they had to pack your tv, which you insisted they did last.
“the truck is all loaded up, we’re gonna drive it over to nico’s and he is going to drive you in your car.” jack spoke as you approached where the truck was parked on the side of the street.
you nodded as nico helped you into the car. you hated admitting it, but you were much larger than you were expecting to be at this time in your pregnancy.
+++
once you had made it to nico’s apartment you did the same thing you were doing before while the boys unpacked your stuff into the second bedroom, absolutely nothing.
you got up and waddled over to where the guys were all watching luke struggle to get the fitted sheet on your bed.
“can i please do something? anything?” you begged.
“yeah, go out and use my laptop to create a list of things you want as gifts at the baby shower, a registry because i know you want specific things for judith.” nico answered your begging.
“baby shower? i’m having a baby shower?” you had not been informed of this.
“yeah, all the guys on the team and their partners are gonna come, so are your friends and family, mine is coming too.” nico spoke like it was no big deal.
nico had told the guys about three weeks ago because they saw the ultrasound in his locker. which in response had you getting multiple text messages from some of the girls all sounding very similar to “i thought y’all were just friends?”
“when is this?” you asked, knowing you would need to get an outfit ready.
“next saturday, we have no game.” nico replied simply
“that’s in a week!” you shrieked, when you went maternity clothes shopping that did not involve any dresses.
“yeah, so you better get working on that list.”
+++
it only took you ten minutes to make the list because all you had to do was transfer it from a google doc, where it was already made but just titled as your shopping list, to a spreadsheet where people could claim a gift to give you, nico, and the baby.
it was a list with the basics. a stroller, breast pump, car seat (preferably one that went with the stroller), bed sheets, clothes, the essentials to keep a newborn alive, but you also had other things like decor for the nursery toys, and this bedside bassinet that your mother had been raving about since she saw it on facebook. you thanked god that your new room had a walk-in closet because that was going to be judith’s room. you weren’t even sure it was a closet because it was completely empty, no shelves or rods to hang anything on, it was more of a very small room, but it worked out better for you so you couldn’t complain.
you quickly went back to where the boys were, silently screaming as they made your bed completely wrong.
“please, oh please for the love of god, let me make my bed.” you begged nico, genuinely astonished that they had managed to put your pillows in the wrong order and put your comforter on inside out.
“i thought i told you to make your list?” nico said.
“i already finished. it was easy.” you said as you began stripping your bed of everything on it. “i just put down everything i already had on my shopping list…and then some because i know my friends are gonna wanna get me multiple things.”
you made sure to stare jack down as you put your comforter on the correct way before you placed your pillows in the correct order as well as the blankets at the end of your bed.
nico was quick to rush you back into the living room, turning on a movie for you to watch. you quickly got bored, which meant you quickly got hungry.
“nico!” you yelled out, needed your baby daddy to come to your rescue.
“yes honey?” nico approached where you were lying down, the two brothers laughing at their captain.
“i’m hungry.” you gave him a hopeful smile. “for taco bell…”
“you’re order still the same as it was last time?” nico didn’t even hesitate to grab his shoes and keys.
“yes, but if they have nacho fries please get those too.” you answered, nico had basically all of your fast food orders memorized by now.
“nico can i get some food too?” jack asked in a girly voice.
“please honey!” luke added.
“fuck off you two, go finish putting her clothes away.
+++
soon enough you had dragged nico out to go shopping for a dress for your baby shower. luke and jack had left shortly after nico arrived back home with your food and once you finished eating you got nico to drive you to the mall.
“ooh what about this one?” you pulled out a simple floral dress.
“it’s nice, but it’s only march. don’t you think it’ll be too cold for a tank top?” nico spoke, reminding you that it was still freezing cold in new jersey.
a few minutes later you approached where nico was sat in a chair with a dress you thought would be more appropriate.
“what about this? i love the pink.” it was basically a dupe of the skims long sleeve dress, but you didn’t really care. “we’ll have to find a polo that matches the color while we’re out.”
nico approved of the dress so you were quick to go to the checkout and buy the dress, excited about the event that was going to happen, after you pulled nico into the closest department store and found a polo that was close enough to the shade of pink of your dress.
“how are you gonna tell the media about…this whole thing?” you asked on the way home.
“what whole thing?” nico questioned, not exactly understanding what you meant.
“the fact that you knocked up some chick, who you are now living with to raise the baby, but you aren’t together with said chick.” you deadpanned, thinking of all the reactions you knew you were going to get from the hockey world. you could already see the “baby trapper” and “gold digger” comments and dms you would get.
“i didn’t knock up some chick, i knocked up my…friend?”
“yeah go with that, it sounded real believable nico.” you said sarcastically.
“look i don’t really know how to tell the world that i got my hook up/best friend pregnant because, as jack as told me multiple times, my pull out game is weak.” you laughed and agreed with jack that nico did in fact have a weak pull out game, the evidence was currently kicking you.
after a few moments of silence nico spoke up again. “alright what if we don’t mention our relationship at all. we just make an instagram post together of images of the ultrasounds and pics from the baby shower and tell everyone that we are expecting. we definitely won’t post the gender reveal video because you look like you were planning my death in it, but we just make the post and don’t comment on our relationship.”
you had to admit that it was a good idea, but you already knew that this would make everyone assume that you were dating. most people did already, which you understood. you wore playoff jackets with nico’s name and number, you attend team events and parties together, hell you went to the nhl awards with him and his family, and you are super close with his family, so you were never upset that people assumed your relationship status with nico because you did everything that the other girlfriends and wives did.
“i like that idea.”
+++
“alright this gift is from me and jack.” luke spoke as he handed you a gift.
you were a bit overwhelmed with the amount of people looking at you and just simply being in your home, but you knew that these people were here for you and at the end of the day you were getting a shit ton of gifts.
so far every single thing you had put on your list was gifted to you and now it was just things people thought you or the baby would like.
“oh you guys…i love it!” it was a wood wall decal of judith’s name and it matched the pink polkadot of her sheets.
“there is more under it.” jack spoke up.
you lifted up the large sign and saw a baby onesie in maize and blue that said “future wolverine.”
you and your friends started laughing at it.
“you guys do know that i went to ohio state right?”
you were met with a disgusted stare by the brothers, more specifically the youngest, only causing you to laugh harder, not noticing nico’s pissed off expression, the one he had on his face all day.
+++
you continued to open up gifts and thank everyone, nico was one writing duty so he wrote down each gift and who it was from so you could send them thank you cards later in the week.
once presents were done it was photo time. you took lots with your family and nico’s family, as well as some with your friends, and of course you had to keep the tradition going with the girls from the team and took a picture of everyone pointing at your belly.
you only took a couple with nico, as he had been oddly distant all day.
after everyone left you and nico began moving everything into judith’s nursery and setting things up.
“thank you for setting that up, i had a lot of fun.” you spoke up, interrupting the awkward silence that was looming around you two.
nico nodded as he finished building the crib, you were given the simple task of putting all the wipes and diapers in the changing table’s cabinet.
“so once we’re done do you want to make the instagram post? or were you wanting to wait until after judith was born to post?” it was awkward, nico was just sitting there once the crib was all set up. “...nico?”
you were met with silence, nico was staring at you, yet not speaking.
“okay what the hell is up with you today? you’ve been weird all day, the only time you were even interacting with me was during pictures.” you had snapped, getting aggravated by the swiss’ behavior today.
“it’s nothing i just…” nico started speaking, but trailed off quickly.
“are you having second thoughts about all of this?” you whispered, scared to say it too loudly, scared that it is the truth. “second thoughts about judith?”
nico’s head instantly shook. “no, of course not.”
“then what’s wrong?”
“it’s nothing, i’m just not feeling the greatest and i didn’t want to risk you getting sick so i tried to keep my distance from you…” nico lied.
earlier, when the party was first starting, nico had overheard your conversation with your friends about how you couldn’t wait to give birth so you can start going out on dates and having meaningless hookups, saying that you missed being a twenty two year old who could do twenty two year old things.
nico understood you had urges, hell he had his urges too. over the course of your pregnancy you and nico had the occasional…hang out, but ever since you moved it was happening once, sometimes twice, a day. he thought it meant something, he thought you guys were finally going somewhere, but it seemed like you just wanted to go back to how things were before, which would probably be impossible, you have a fucking kid togther.
nico had realized a year ago that he had feelings for you. the only reason he didn’t go full legal team on your ass when you told him you were pregnant was because of how desperately he had fallen for you.
“oh, well you could’ve just told me that earlier, i was worried that i had done something.” you said before an awkward silence settled in the room. “well could you put all the sheets and clothes we got today in the washer? i’m gonna start on thank you notes in the living room.”
you shook off the tension as you exited the small room, nico gathering everything that needed to be washed in a small basket before going into the laundry room.
+++
“i don’t like that, why don’t we just wait to post until she is born to post everything, have the caption just be judith? i think that's better than a three hundred word rant that could be summarized by i knocked up my friend.”
three weeks until you were due to pop and you and nico still hadn’t gone public with the pregnancy. of course the wag blogs found a way to get a hold of a picture of you and nico from earlier on in the pregnancy where people could only speculate whether or not you were with child or just had a large lunch and somehow it got out that you had moved in with nico, only furthering the rumors that had been going on for years that you and nico are more than just friends.
“okay. let’s wait until she comes to post, but i don’t like that caption, let’s keep thinking.” nico replied, the devil’s PR team email staring back at him. “they want us to publicize it before someone else does it for us.”
“well it’s a good thing i’m chained to this bed until i go into labor.” you joked, you were so big you could barely sit up let alone walk anywhere. “no one is going to find out, don’t worry. it will all be okay.”
+++
two weeks later you had been having contractions all day, but dr.swarn said to not go to the hospital until your water had broke because these contractions could’ve been directly connected to stress. considering that your pregnancy was exposed three days ago, you would say that you were pretty stressed out.
one of the girls, not even thinking, had posted a photo dump on instagram to celebrate the devil’s season ending and included one from your baby shower. nico, you, and unborn judith right in the center of it all. it was quickly taken down, but the damage had already been done and now all of nico’s and your social medias were being flooded by comments.
nico was currently at locker cleanout, and the meeting he had to have with the PR team to apologize for not listening to them and to set up a game plan to rescue him from whatever deepshit this was going to get him in was scheduled for right after.
you were laid down on the kitchen floor, your mother was somewhere in the living room timing your contractions. you were having a big contraction, holding onto the nearby chair leg for support, when you felt a gush of liquid puddle under you.
“MOM!?” you yelled out, your water had just broke.
“sweetie!? what’s going on- OH LORD!” your mother scrambled to get you on your feet as you cried out in pain. “let me get the bag!” you had never seen your mom run so fast, you would’ve laughed at her nearly tripping if it wasn’t for the child threatening the slip out at any moment.
you were assisted into the backseat of your mother’s car as she drove to the hospital.
“if you could step on it, that would be great i’m kinda-” your sarcastic comment was cut off by another contraction. “nico…oh my god nico! i need to call him!”
you fished around the packed bag until you got a grip on your phone, dialing up nico as quickly as possible.
“i’m sorry but the number you reached is not available. please leave a message at the sound of the beep.”
you groaned loudly, speaking into the phone.
“your child is currently in the process of being born, i’m at the hospital closest to the arena. please hurry.”
+++
you laid in the weirdly comfortable hospital bed, not yet fully dilated. it worked out in your favor because nico had yet to show up. you left a couple text messages and then a few more voicemails.
“i don’t know what the fuck your doing right now, but if judith is born before you get here your last name will not be on the birth certificate.” you said into the microphone, leaving the third voicemail of the day.
nico’s entire family was flying in next week and nico had made sure that he had all of next week off from any media or anything related to hockey so he could be there for the birth, but now judith was coming early and no one but your mother was here.
dr.swarn entered your hospital room again, she had arrived shortly after you because you had paged her the second you got into the car. “how are we doing momma?”
“not good, baby daddy is nowhere to be seen and i’m still not dilated enough to get this monster out of me.” you answered, setting your phone down beside you.
after a few moments dr.swarn smiled. “well i’m sorry about nico’s absence, but judith is ready to come out. you’re ready to push.”
+++
you don’t remember much, the epidural had kicked in.
you remember holding onto your mom’s hand so hard that she yelped in pain at one point.
you remember cursing nico for not only doing this to you, but not being there for you.
you remember crying, a lot, and you remember judith crying a lot too.
you remember holding judith for the first time. both of your tears stopped for just a moment as you had skin on skin contact.
you whimpered as they took her away for cleaning, but soon she was wrapped up and you were able to hold her again.
you remember the sound of footsteps and a thick swiss accent begging to be let into the room, continuously yelling that he was the father. your mother was quick to go into the hall and defend nico from the nurses saying he couldn’t go into the room, and as soon as nico saw you holding judith he began crying.
“y/n i am so so sorry, i was-”
“where the hell were you!? i just had to give birth to our daughter without the father there!” you scolded the man.
“i put my phone at the bottom of my bag during locker cleanout and didn’t even think to take it out before my meeting with management. i got here as fast as i could.” nico had to catch his breath while he spoke.
“i was all alone…” you teared up, all of your emotions catching up to you again.
“i know. i know baby and i’m so sorry.” nico said, coming to your side. “can i hold her?”
you were too distracted by nico calling you baby, well more specifically by the feeling in your stomach, to answer with words. you just nodded and handed judith over. “be careful, and make sure to support her head.”
you smiled at the sight of nico holding judith, tears in his eyes, quickly taking a picture.
“were you serious about my name not being on the birth certificate?”
+++
once everything had settled down and you and nico were finally given some alone time in the hospital room you began making calls.
your mom had already messaged your families group chat, informing them of judith’s birth and sending pictures, so now you just had to call nico’s family. first was his mother, you had wanted to call her before you went into labor but it was around midnight for her and you didn’t want to wake her up.
she was so happy to hear from you, and you had never heard such an excited scream in your life when you turned the camera onto where judith was currently sleeping in your arms, nico having moved to lay behind you in the bed, his chest being your pillow.
“oh you have to call nina next, she has been so excited to become an aunt!”
that’s exactly what you two did.
facetime nina was fun, she gave you some much needed comic relief and she didn’t make any comments on yours and nico’s relationship…while he was in the room.
the second nico stepped out of the room nina was quick to ask when the wedding was.
“never gonna happen. i don’t like nico like that, and he doesn’t like me like that.” you said while putting judith back in that plastic jail they call a crib. “we’re here to talk about my gorgeous daughter who looks a little too much like nico for my liking.”
“ouch.”
your head whipped around to see nico standing at the door. “your back early.” you were hoping he didn’t hear what you had said earlier. lately nico had been acting insanely weird everytime someone brought up your relationship with one another.
“the nurse was just outside, she’s gonna go finish the final paperwork and we’ll probably be out of here in the next hour.” nico said before turning back around. “i’m gonna go help out with the discharge papers.”
once he left you let out a groan. “nina why is your brother acting so weird?”
“what’s up with him?” she asked, curiously.
“ever since the baby shower he has just been…off. i don’t even know how to explain it.” you started off, beginning to pace around the room. “he is so distant, and really out of it. i would think it might just be with the upsetting ending of the season, but this has been going on since before the playoffs. he keeps saying that he is sick and doesn’t want to expose me to germs, but i live with him and i haven’t even heard him sneeze from allergies.”
“do you think, and i hate to ask this, that he is having regrets about…everything?”
you felt tears fill your eyes at her question. “yeah, i do. i asked him, and he denied it, but i can’t think of any other reason why he would distance himself from me and from judith.”
the lack of response from your friend on the phone was enough to make you start crying.
“i have my essentials packed up and my mom has a lawyer on speed dial just in case something happens…” you felt horrible having to admit this, especially to his sister. “i don’t want the lawyers, it’s my moms doing.” you felt guilty for what having a lawyer would be implying.
“-i’m not judging you. just make sure nico doesn’t find out, i have a feeling he won’t be a fan of you even having a bag packed.” nina cut you off. “look i have to go, just keep me updated.”
you assured her you would before saying your goodbyes.
+++
“hey you just have to sign the discharge papers and the birth certificate, then we can leave.” nico said, entering the hospital room you had been in for the past couple of hours.
it had been around twenty minutes since you said goodbye to nina, deciding to finish phone calls tomorrow and instead spend your time crying while holding your crying newborn, best way to bond right?
“okay.” you sniffled. “could you put judith in her carseat? i’m gonna change.”
bond right?
“okay.” you sniffled. “could you put judith in her carseat? i’m gonna change.”
nico nodded and picked judith up from the hospital’s crib, holding her close to his chest and staring at her in awe. he couldn’t believe that this precious little girl was his.
“i’m always going to love and protect you, no matter what. your mother too. someday we’ll be a happy family, the three of us, hopeful gannon will join us sometime soon…” nico trailed off. “daddy loves you and he loves mommy too, you’re the two most important women in my life now, don’t you ever forget that…your mommy does a lot.”
nico couldn’t finish his peptalk, or whatever one would call the conversation with his daughter, because you had stepped out of the bathroom changed and ready to go. “are you okay?” it was obvious that you were crying, you don’t know why you were even trying to hid it.
“i’m fine, just emotional…just gave birth ya know.” you tried to laugh it off.
nico didn’t believe it. “we’ll talk when we get home.”
+++
“why have you been acting so weird-”
“i overheard what you said-”
you and nico spoke at the same time, nico gesturing for you to go first.
“you overheard!?” you were convinced you were breaking a sweat from how panicked you had become in an instant. “look nico, the lawyer was my mother’s idea a-and i haven’t even actually talked to them yet, my mother just has them on retainer.”
“wait, what!?” nico stared at you with a look that scared you. “i was talking about what you said at your baby shower. you have a lawyer!? do you have all your things packed too so you’re ready to leave me and take judith with you!?” your silence only made nico angrier. “oh my god you do have your shit packed.”
“j-just the essentials…” you stuttered out.
“yeah because that makes a difference.” nico had distanced himself from you. “i cannot believe this.”
“i only did that stuff because for the past month it's seemed like the last thing you wanted was to be in mine and judith’s life!” your loud voices woke judith up, her loud wails only making the room more tense. you picked her up and tried to soothe her as you spoke to nico. “i’m only gonna ask you one more time nico, do you regret being with me and deciding to be in judith’s life?”
“no. i do not regret it y/n.” nico spoke sternly.
“then why the hell are you treating us this way?”
“because i am in love with you.”
your eyes widened in shock and you nearly lost your grip on judith from the whiplash that seemed to go through your body.
“you…what!?”
it was essentially a stare down between the two of you, it was so uncomfortable in the room that even judith shut her mouth.
“i have for a year now, probably longer, a-and i thought that judith would finally be my way into your heart. i thought that me being there for you, and for our daughter, would make you love me too.” nico’s tone of voice was one of a kicked puppy.
“what are you doing?” you asked, not pleased with what he was throwing onto you. “why are you telling me this?”
“i just needed you to know.” nico whispered his response, not expecting that reaction.
“so you’ve been in love with me for a year now?” nico nodded at your question. “so how does that add up to you treating me like some gold digging whore who got pregnant on purpose for the past month?”
“i’m not-” nico let out a heavy sigh. “at your baby shower you said you couldn’t wait for everything to get back to how it was before the pregnancy.”
“yeah, so?”
“so!? you’ve basically been counting down the days until you’re able to fuck someone else, while i’ve been doing everything in my power to prove myself to you that i am worthy of being more than just the guy you fuck when no one else is available.” nico grew angry, if this was a cartoon steam would be coming out of his ears.
“i didn’t ask for you to do that nico! i was happy with how things were before judith, is it so wrong to want that back?” you were equally as angry. who was he to make you feel guilty about not being in love with him?
“yes it is! you are a mother now y/n, you are not allowed to be irresponsible anymore. you have to take care of two lives now-”
“are you not going to be helping me!?” you interrupted nico.
“when i can, yes i will, but i have a job that keeps me away a lot.”
you rolled your eyes at his words. “you are not allowed to dictate my love life just because you knocked me up.”
you didn’t know if you should be thankful or agitated that judith decided to start crying at that moment, but either way you started your slight bouncing movements back up to try and settle my daughter, as odd as it was to use that term in a real scenario, and tried to find those parental instincts everyone was always talking about.
“she’s probably hungry.”
“i didn’t ask you…but thank you i will try that.”
+++
the first night with judith was rough. as much as nico wanted to, he couldn’t leave you alone and retreat off to the hughes’, both because if his mother found out, and she would, he might as well get his obituary ready in advance and he just could not handle the torture the brothers would put him through.
it was like your daughter had a sixth sense for when you were just about to fall asleep, choosing those exact moments to cry out for something. you never knew what she wanted, always going through the same order of “milk, diaper change, pacifier, cuddles, burping, scenery change, and clothing change” until one of them worked.
nico slept on the couch, it was close enough to your room where if judith began to cry he would hear it and wake up. he was going to stay in your room with you and judith, but after the blowup of him confessing his feelings and you borderline rejecting him things it got a bit awkward. still now, almost twenty four hours later you and nico hadn’t had a proper conversation let alone spoken about what had happened.
you were on the phone with nina for a while, then your mother, then nina and your mother, both of them giving you their advice but following it up with “just listen to your heart.”, so it was all canceled out in your mind.
you turned to your newborn, who was staring at you from her little bed next to yours. “judith what am i supposed to do? your daddy, the one with the funny voice, is so amazing and sweet. he treats me like a princess, so why am i struggling so much to figure out what i want with him?”
judith stared at you with those large brown eyes, a small look of adoration on her face.
“i love you.” you whispered to her. “-and i love your father too.”
you sat up in bed, eyes widening at your revelation. you love nico.
“oh judith, thank you for listening to your mommy!”
you hopped out of bed, rushing into the living room. “nico! nico! nico! nic-”
“what!? what's wrong!? is judith alright!?” nico basically jumped off of the couch, worried that something had happened.
“she’s fine, everything is fine…well not everything it’s just.” you took a moment to look at nico, the lighting was horrible yet he still looked amazing. “i love you too nico.”
there was a silence that followed, it wasn’t awkward or filled with tension, just a calm silence.
you blinked and then suddenly nico’s lips were on yours.
the sound of judith’s cries separated your lips and caused you both to race to your bedroom.
spoiler alert: nothing was wrong with judith, she was just crying to cry.
nico’s arms were wrapped around you and were holding you into his chest as you both laughed.
“so what now? are we dating? getting married?” you asked, leaning your head against nico’s shoulder.
“as much as i would love to get married right now, we’ll start with dating…so will you be my girlfriend?” nico asked, mumbling against your head and giving light kisses every now and then.
“yes, i will be your girlfriend.”
“yes!”
you laughed at his response, judith held in both of your arms. “let’s go to bed, she’s finally asleep.”
+++
nicohischeir and y/nonfilm
nicohischier me, my girlfriend, and our beautiful babygirl. welcome to the world judith.
view all 17 comments
jackhughes god father mode activated😎
y/nonfilm …who said you were the god father?
ninahischier best day ever!! i got a niece and a sister 🩷🩷
njdevils baby hischier alert‼️
comments on this post have been limited
+++
note: i 100% HATE this ending (the whole thing actually) it’s so rushed and just bleh, but i have literally been working on this for 71 days. SEVENTY ONE DAYS. college has been kicking my ass lately so i haven’t been very focused on writing anything. but i hope y’all still like this PLEASE DON’T LET IT FLOP i’ll cry. okay love y’all babes BYEEEE!!!
507 notes
·
View notes