Fic: The Waiting Game (2/4)
Title: The Waiting Game
Rating: PG
Pairing: France/England
Warning: AU, Human Names, Slash
Summary: It isn't easy waiting for a baby, especially when you've been trying to adopt for nearly two years. (De-anon from the hetalia_kink meme.)
Part 1
Part 2
Arthur knew two things right away before he even bothered to look at his cell phone. First, he instantly knew that the text message he had received was from Francis, because Francis was the only one who ever sent him texts anymore. Second, he was certain that it was an emergency, because texting in the middle of a work day just wasn't typical of him.
He looked around the office, scouting the area just to be sure that no supervisor or office busybody was lurking nearby before reaching into his pocket and digging out his mobile. Sure enough, his suspicions were confirmed and Arthur soon found himself staring at a message from Francis instructing Arthur to call him right away. He weighed his options, contemplating briefly whether he should call Francis immediately or wait until his lunch break. Deciding that waiting another hour would be too long and that his current task could be put off for a moment or two, Arthur chose to punch in Francis's number and see what was so urgent.
The phone rang only once before Francis picked up and Arthur was starting to get the feeling that this was a genuine emergency. "Arthur," Francis began by way of greeting. His voice was tinged with a strange blend of panic, fear, and excitement and Arthur's ears instantly perked up at the sound. "I just got a call from Tino."
His heart did a funny sort of jitter in the center of his chest and Arthur had a feeling he knew where this was going. "And?" he whispered, prompting Francis to move through the dramatic pause he had created.
"We... we may have a match," he said breathlessly. "Bertie... she wants us, but..."
"But?"
"Twins."
Arthur blinked as he pulled the phone away from his ear in order to give it a good frown before placing it back against his cheek. "Twins?"
"Twins," Francis breathed. "Bertie went to the doctor... she's having twins."
The full weight of the word hit him then and Arthur was suddenly very grateful that he was sitting, because he was certain his knees no longer worked. "Twins," he said again. "Twins... as in two babies?"
"Oui. Yes. Two."
"Well... do we know what they are? I mean... are they boys or girls or... one of each?"
"I do not know. Bertie did not say."
They were both silent for a moment and Arthur simply didn't know what to say or think.
"Arthur," Francis began slowly, hesitantly. "Twins... it is a bit much, is it not?"
Arthur was relieved to hear Francis say those words first, because it was exactly what he was thinking. It had been little more than three weeks since they had met with Mrs. Jones and Alberta and in that time Arthur had felt certain that the mother and daughter had either forgotten all about them or simply were no longer considering the couple as potential parents. Now here they were in the position they had waited nearly two years to find themselves in, yet... Twins.
"Two babies," Arthur said simply. "We'd have to buy two of everything."
"Do we have enough room for two children?" Francis asked thoughtfully. "They could share the nursery when they are little, but..."
"They're going to get bigger," he finished for him. The only other spare room in their house was the den and Arthur doubted that the small, windowless space would make a very good bedroom.
"We cannot say no," Francis said at last. "We waited so long for this day... We cannot say no."
"But can we afford two children?" Arthur countered. He knew deep inside that rejecting the Joneses offer would be wrong, because these babies needed a home and they still wanted a child, but the idea of becoming parents for the first time and dealing with twins seemed far too daunting. "Do you really want all that work? Two sets of diapers to change, two mouths to feed, two babies crying away at all hours of the night... it seems like a lot for two people who have never taken care of children before."
"Yes, but," Francis said and stopped right there. Arthur could practically see the thoughtful look on his face, the reluctant gleam in his eyes, and the way he was no doubt shaking his head slowly as if to shift his thoughts about. "I have to get back to work," he said after a moment.
"Right. Me too I suppose."
"We do not need to give an answer right away," he went on. "Let us think about it for a few days."
"Yes, that sounds good."
They exchanged goodbyes before hanging up and Arthur found his head trapped in a heavy fog.
--
Arthur didn't know where his mind was the rest of the day, but it was certainly nowhere near him. He hadn't been able to focus on his work or even his lunch that day and drove home in a complete daze. Try as he might Arthur simply couldn't quite wrap his mind around the idea of having twins. The prospect of juggling two babies was enough to make his knees shake and his teeth chatter, because Arthur felt certain that the two of them would need every ounce of strength they had just to manage one baby.
At the same time, it would seem incredibly selfish and stupid of them to reject Alberta's offer. They had been waiting for a year and nine months to have someone say they wanted to give them a child and clearly this little girl was the only one who liked them enough to do just that.
He sighed as he drove ever closer to his house only to see that there were two other cars crowding his driveway. He shuddered at the sight, recognizing them as belonging to Francis's friends, Antonio and Gilbert. Wonderful, Arthur thought bitterly as he pulled up along the curb. He hadn't exactly been looking forward to returning home and discussing the baby situation with Francis, but the idea of dealing with his husband's friends wasn't any more appealing.
Yet Arthur knew that this was possibly an opportunity to put off the subject of adoption, for a little while at least, and he supposed that was good enough.
He turned off the engine and waited for a moment, briefly wondering how long he could sit out in the car staring at nothing and avoiding coming inside. After nearly ten minutes of doing nothing more than gazing out the windshield and gripping the steering wheel, Arthur decided that he had put off facing Francis's friends for long enough and made to gather his things before heading inside.
Trudging along the stone walkway, Arthur found himself grumbling sullenly to no one in particular as he dug around his pockets in search of his house keys. The muffled sound of familiar voices was already audible by the time his key had slipped into the lock and the words "Don't do it" were the first things to greet his ears when he stepped through the door.
"Having one baby is hard enough," he heard Gilbert say from somewhere deep in the house (likely the living room). "Having two babies is gonna be nothing short of a nightmare. I say you should pass."
"But Gilbert, if they walk away now it may be another two years before they come this close to a match," Antonio was saying. "I say take the chance. This was meant to be, I know it!"
He had made his way deep enough into the house to see the two men lounging on the couch with a few drinks set upon the coffee table in front of them. Francis was standing just a foot away with a glass of wine cradled in his hands as he shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. "You both make a good point," Francis said with a heavy sigh as he gently swirled the wine in his glass. "It is just..." He stopped there and instead began to sip at his drink.
Arthur took the opportunity to make his presence known by clearing his throat louder than necessary. It had the desired effect and all three men turned to stare at him.
"Oh, Arthur," Francis smiled as he walked up to him and gave his cheek a quick peck. "I did not hear you come in."
Arthur grunted softly, both in response to Francis's kiss and the lukewarm greetings from Antonio and Gilbert. "Francis," he began softly as he pointedly grabbed Francis by the elbow. "Can I see you in the kitchen?"
Francis nodded and allowed himself to be lead into the small kitchen.
"Please don't tell me you told your friends about the babies," Arthur half whispered half groaned as soon as they were alone.
"Of course I told them," Francis whispered back.
"Why?" he practically hissed.
"Because talking to them helps me to think."
"This is a private matter between the two of us! We're trying to decide whether or not to have a baby. You can't just bounce ideas off your drinking buddies as if we were picking out a new sofa."
Francis gave a heavy tsk and rolled his eyes at Arthur's indignant words. "As usual you are overreacting."
"And as usual you aren't taking my feelings into account," he huffed. "Look, I just don't want too many people to know about this. It just seems... impractical to go around telling everyone about the situation and having them put their two cents in when we're the ones who have the final say in the matter. So promise me you won't tell anyone else."
Arthur watched as Francis's eyes began to sink towards the ground before he took a long sip from his glass and Arthur knew right away that more damage had been done since their phone call that morning.
"Who else did you tell?" Arthur asked wearily.
"I... may have called my mother."
"Of course," he groaned, throwing his arms into the air to emphasize his frustration. "Of course you did, because God forbid we make a move without first getting Madame Bonnefoy's approval."
"Maman has every right to know about this!" Francis countered. "After all, these could be her grandchildren."
"Oh Francis, don't you see? This is a slippery slope. First you tell your mother and then she tells my mother and once Mummy finds out she'll be sure to tell my brothers and then we'll have both our families calling us at all hours of the day and night trying to tell us which way to go on the matter!"
"Arthur you are being ridiculous."
"No, I'm acting as the voice of reason, as usual." He sighed, shaking his head as he pushed his way towards the refrigerator in order to retrieve a bottle of water. "I think I'm going to head out for a run," he said at length, feeling somewhat defeated as he walked out of the kitchen and towards their bedroom.
--
His jog did nothing to clear his mind as Arthur still found himself feeling incredibly annoyed and conflicted upon his return home. Even the discovery that Antonio and Gilbert had departed for the evening did nothing to lighten his mood. It was disappointing to say the least, since Arthur usually found that he did his best thinking during a good long run, but apparently the issue of whether or not to bring two children into his home was too much even for a few laps around the block.
The rest of the night felt fairly routine. He jumped into the shower in order to wash off the sweat and odor clinging to his body, before sitting down for a warm meal with Francis. All the while, his head was still swirling with thoughts of the day's development, yet he and Francis continued not to verbalize on the matter. That was, of course, until they had settled down for bed that night.
"Francis," he began softly as soon as his husband's head had hit the pillow. On an average night Arthur would have spent the last hours of the day working on his needle point while Francis flipped through the pages of a book or a fashion magazine. Tonight, neither one of them seemed interested in taking part in such hobbies and instead lay quietly side by side beneath the sheets, the lights from the bedside tables still illuminating the room and keeping them from sleep. "How long do you think we can consider this before we need to give Tino and the Joneses an answer?"
"I do not know," Francis whispered as he turned onto his side and pressed himself against Arthur. "A few days, I suppose."
Arthur hummed as he continued to gaze up at the ceiling. "I think we should take no more than three days to give a response," he decided. "I think that would be a reasonable length of time."
Francis nodded, a gesture that Arthur felt more than saw as his head bobbed against his chest and his fingers began to curl around the fabric of Arthur's shirt. The smell of his shampoo flooded Arthur's nostrils and his hot breath could be felt even through the fabric of his t-shirt. It was all very soothing and Arthur actually felt his mind drifting away despite the heavy thoughts pressing down on it.
"Arthur," Francis whispered into his chest, his fingers gripping down on him so tightly that Arthur thought for certain the fabric of his shirt would rip. "I think... I want to have the babies."
He didn't know whether the tightness in his throat was from fear or anger, but he felt certain that the room had gotten very warm and that breathing had suddenly become a bit difficult. "And when did you decide this?"
Somehow he actually heard Francis swallow as he tucked his head further down Arthur's chest. "The second Tino called me," he admitted. "I just... I suppose I was trying to talk myself out of it, but... but I want them."
"Francis," Arthur began slowly as he gently nudged his husband away from him. "I know that it's been a while since we started all of this, but..." He groaned as he pushed himself off of the mattress and maneuvered himself into a sitting position. "I don't think you're making this decision logically."
"I think you are right," Francis said as he followed Arthur's lead and sat up against the pillows. "I think I am saying this because my heart is telling me to. And I think that I do not care. I want to have those babies, Arthur. I want them to be ours."
"But... but..." Arthur sputtered uselessly and, really, it was too late to be having this sort of discussion. "We cannot afford this," he said finally. "Simply put there is absolutely no way that we would be able to afford having two babies! We balanced our budget already and we saw that we'd barely be making due with one child and now you want to have two? Do you know what this could do to us? To our careers? You don't want to be an assistant in that tiny museum forever. And I don't want to be editing junk at that joke of a magazine for the rest of my life. If we want to move up in the world, if we want to make a decent living for our future children, then we'd have to take things slowly."
"I cannot believe that you are saying this," Francis huffed as he pushed the sheets aside and slipped out of bed. "You of all people! You are the one who suggested that we have children in the first place and now suddenly, two years later, we are moving too quickly?"
"Where are you going?" Arthur nearly groaned as he watched Francis grab a pillow and a blanket in his arms.
"I am going to sleep in my nursery," he said as he stormed out the door.
"Brilliant!" Arthur shouted after him. "Spend the night breathing in paint fumes. You'll wake up in the morning even loopier than you already are!"
His only answer was the sound of a door slamming shut and Arthur settled in to spend the rest of the night sleeping on a cold, empty bed.
--
The next morning Francis and Arthur parted ways without as much as a muttered "good morning" and the tense atmosphere at home made the whole day feel bleak and heavy. He wasn't able to focus on his work at all that day -- not that he ever focused on it for very long -- and merely found himself glaring at his computer screen and wondering how on earth Francis had been able to make up his mind so quickly. Try as he might, Arthur kept finding his head swirling around and around, because the moment he felt certain they shouldn't take in the children a gnawing guilt set in on his heart. Yet when he decided that adopting the twins would be the right choice, his head would throb painfully at the reminder of the oncoming financial burden. For the first time in his life he wished he was a creature of pure emotion and passion like Francis or at least one of cold logic, because possessing some of both simply wasn't working anymore.
The sound of paper slamming down on his desk was the only thing that alerted him to the time -- three fifteen already -- and the fact that Yao was currently standing beside him with an expression that was half exhausted and half curious. "Oh boy, something bad happened," Yao began solemnly. "What is it now? Another rejection?"
"No, nothing like that," he said with every intention of saying no more.
He did in fact succeed in remaining silent after that, but Yao, as usual, did not budge from his spot and only made to drum his fingers against the half wall of his cubicle as he waited impatiently for Arthur to continue. Apparently the man knew him far better than either one of them wanted to admit.
"Our case worker at the agency called," he explained with a heavy sigh. "Apparently this teenage girl that we spoke to wants us to adopt her baby."
"That's good!" Yao said and offered Arthur's shoulder a quick nudge. "Why aren't you happy?"
"Because it turns out she's having twins."
"So?"
Arthur swiveled around in his chair in order to glare up at Yao, who only continued to give him a dull sort of look. "So?" he repeated, still in shock at the apathetic remark. "So that's twins! As in two babies?"
"Oh poor you," Yao droned sarcastically. "You and husband have two babies. Big deal. I have three babies and my wife walked out on me. You want to trade places?"
"Yes, well, it's not as if you had all three children at the same time," he countered sullenly.
"Three is three," Yao stated flatly.
"And two is two," Arthur returned with a heavy sigh as he turned back to face his computer. "It just seems like too much for two people who've never had children before. I don't think we're ready for it."
"I can tell you now there is no 'ready' for baby. Doesn't matter if it's one or two or three, a baby is a baby and all babies are wild and unpredictable."
Arthur wanted to nod but he fought against it, because a few seemingly reasonable comments delivered in the middle of the work day wasn't going to spontaneously cause him to make up his mind on the matter. As far as Arthur was concerned no one was going to make this decision for him and he would come to the conclusion of whether or not to adopt the twins on his own.
"I have a lot of work to do," he said wearily as he straightened in his seat and stared with a bit more urgency at the words displayed on the monitor in front of him. He listened as Yao gave a pointed groan before turning to walk away.
--
Arthur would have liked to have said that the next day was an uneventful one, but he couldn't because as he made his way from the ground floor of his office building and towards the car lot he began to feel his phone vibrating in his pocket. He reached inside and picked up without glancing at the screen, because he was tired due in large part to lack of sleep. Francis was still stubbornly sleeping in the unfinished nursery and Arthur found that being left alone to his thoughts at night only helped to make matters worse and already he missed the luxury of having Francis's warm back and steady shoulders to press up against in order to help him forget the world.
As it was, Francis wasn't willing to let himself be available for the position of Arthur's pillow and in his groggy state Arthur didn't see anything wrong with answering a call without looking at his display screen. Of course, it was only seconds after he muttered a defeated "Hello" that he realized his mistake.
"Artie," he heard a familiar voice bark into his ear, the sound of which was enough to make him shudder and come to a steady halt just behind the trunk of his car.
"Wallace," he said, fighting back the urge to groan as he dug into his pocket to fish out his key. "What do I owe the displeasure?"
"My phone," another voice chimed in and Arthur felt his fingers go momentarily numb as his keys slipped out of his grasp.
"Dylan?" Arthur almost moaned as he crouched down to the ground in order to retrieve his fallen car keys. "Dear God, Liam's there as well, isn't he? I know he wouldn't pass up an opportunity to berate me."
"He is," Wallace put in. "But he's in the loo."
"Serves him right for calling me a moony eyed sap."
"Right, well, is there any particular reason for this call?" Arthur sighed as he straightened up in order to unlock his door.
"We were just talking about your little problem," Dylan explained.
"We think that you're cracked for not jumping at that offer," Wallace put in.
At that moment Arthur didn't bother to hide the long groan welling up in his throat as he all but collapsed into the seat of his car. "And just how on earth did you hear about that?"
"Mummy told us," the two chimed and Arthur suddenly had the urge to text Francis just to say "I told you so."
"Well I'm glad to hear that the three of you enjoy sitting around and discussing how much of an idiot you think I am, but..."
"You were waiting for almost two years to have a baby," Dylan jumped in suddenly, "now you're getting two babes in one go and you decide to drag your feet about it."
"I always knew Francis married the wrong brother," Wallace grumbled.
"You two aren't looking at the big picture," Arthur sighed as he slumped back deeper into the cushions of his seat. "Francis and I can't afford to have two babies."
"Yes you can," Wallace assured him. "You've always been careful with money Artie."
"And when you really want something, you make sure you're able to get it, even if you by all rights shouldn't have it."
"Like Francis."
Arthur huffed and groaned and felt very much like bashing his head against his steering wheel, but settled for letting out a exasperated "you don't understand," because they didn't. His brothers couldn't possibly understand what he was going through, because neither of them were married or had any children and Arthur didn't relish the idea of taking advice from them, especially on this matter.
Something that sounded very vaguely like a muffled voice was heard on the other end of the line and Dylan soon dissolved into pointless snickering. "Sorry Artie, have to go," Wallace announced. "Think about what we said."
"I won't," he promised, before ending the call and starting his engine.
--
When he arrived at home, it was to the smell of fresh paint once again and as he walked down the hallway to peek into the nursery he saw that Francis was currently in the middle of repainting the trim. Apparently "Egg Shell" was out and this new brighter shade had been chosen to replace it. Arthur briefly considered stepping into the room to lend a hand or learn the name of the newest paint purchase, but decided against either. Francis was still giving him the silent treatment and he didn't quite feel up to being ignored that evening. Instead he went into their bedroom and slipped into his exercise clothes.
Arthur took a moment to guzzle a few cups of water before giving his legs a good stretch and heading outside to jog around the neighborhood.
He knew this would happen, knew it before Francis had ever even invited his friends over that he'd soon be swept away in a flood of unwanted advice and well meaning suggestions. In the back of his mind he knew he was being stubborn for not listening to any of it, but he simply couldn't bring himself to commit to such a life changing decision based on guidance given from people who didn't have any real experience on the matter.
Maybe that's my answer, he thought as his feet continued to pound away on the pavement. Maybe if I can't decide it means that I'm not meant for this.
Arthur bit back the groan welling up in his throat as he began to feel more dejected with each step he took. The sun was setting quickly and the world was turning to a heavy orange. His shirt was already soaked with a thick layer of sweat and his breathing was starting to get a bit heavy, but somehow he still felt reluctant to head back home.
It was only as his tired eyes swept across the sun bathed neighborhood that he caught a glimpse of a somewhat unfamiliar sight: a young woman jogging along the opposite side of the street while pushing a prim. On any other day, Arthur would have ignored the sight, yet at that moment he couldn't quite tear his gaze away from the fact that there were two identical babies sitting in the carriage that she was currently pushing. His eyes kept flicking between the young mother and the sidewalk curving in front of him and after a few minutes of silent debate, Arthur actually found himself sprinting across the vacant street in order to fall in step beside her.
"Excuse me," Arthur said as he roughly pulled his ear bud out of his left ear. The young woman turned to glance at him, an expression somewhere between confused and startled settling on her features. "I know this is a bit strange, me coming up to you out of the blue like this, but, well, I just wanted to ask you a question."
The young woman quirked an eyebrow at him, before turning her eyes back towards the path in front of her. She didn't speed away or drop back so Arthur took her silence to mean she'd be willing to listen.
"Was it difficult?" he asked. "Having twins, that is."
"Excuse me?" she all but sputtered indignantly. Her body went a bit ridged as if she were contemplating breaking out into a full on sprint and Arthur would have found the whole thing humorous if it weren't so damn embarrassing.
"Let me explain," he put in quickly. "My partner and I are considering adopting twins and I've been having a bit of trouble coming to a decision on the matter and, well, since you have experience with raising twins..."
The woman nodded a long, the gesture causing her pony tail to bob even more than it already was, and for a moment Arthur had to wonder whether or not she was actually listening. Yet when her body began to relax and her pace started to slow, Arthur realized that she was actually considering his words. "Well, it is a bit difficult at first," she said thoughtfully. "I mean, two babies! It's a lot of work and my husband and I were pretty dogged. We hardly slept for the first couple of nights."
Arthur felt his throat tighten and his flushed skin pale slightly, yet he still managed to offer her a polite nod.
"But, you know, it was worth it in the end," she told him, smiling down at the prim rolling along in front of her. Arthur bent his head forward in order to take a peek inside the carriage. He saw that there were twin girls sitting inside the stroller designed to fit two. The one in the back was fast asleep, her little head lolling to the side as her sleepy fingers clutched loosely to a rag doll. In the front seat, the chubby little babe was wide awake and occupying herself by studying the tips of her fingers and toes. "I was scared to death at the idea of having kids," the young woman went on, "but, as clichéd as it sounds, I just can't imagine what life would be like without them now."
He smiled down at the sweet little bundles occupying the prim and in a strange sort of way Arthur could understand what she had meant.
--
After he came in from his run that evening, Arthur went straight to the shower, where he scrubbed off every bit of sweat from his body. There was no warm dinner waiting for him at home that night. Francis never cooked when he was angry and Arthur supposed that it was his way of trying to use starvation in order to break him. However, there were plenty of enough leftovers in the refrigerator, so Arthur warmed them in the oven and ate around the burned bits.
He wasn't at all surprised when Francis didn't join him for dinner as he hadn't bothered to eat with him for the past few days either, choosing instead to spend most of his time holed up in the nursery. As soon as he was finished eating his meal, Arthur scrapped the charred bits of food into the trash bin before heading into the back of the house.
Arthur pushed the door open and found his husband hard at work painting, only this time he wasn't busy with broad brush strokes on the walls or fixing the trimming along the floor. From what he could tell, Francis was currently designing some sort of mural and Arthur had to wonder what had inspired such a thing.
"A bit late to be painting, don't you think?" Arthur noted as he walked over to the window in order to lift it a few inches.
The night breeze was warm and sweet compared to the stuffy fume induced air within the little room and the sound of crickets chirping and the fan humming was the only noise to be heard. He wasn't exactly shocked that Francis was still insisting on giving him the silent treatment and Arthur only gave a cluck of his tongue as he went to turn the fan's speed a few notches higher.
"I know you're still mad at me," Arthur sighed as he stared at the still sealed off crib waiting to be unpacked and assembled. "But I wanted to talk. I've been doing a lot of thinking and... well..."
Francis didn't completely turn around, but his hand did still briefly mid-stroke and he glanced over his shoulder in Arthur's direction, acknowledging his presence for the first time that evening. That alone was enough to make Arthur feel somewhat satisfied and he continued.
"I don't think I wanted everything to be 'perfect,'" he explained, "but I did want it to be simple, clear." He sighed as he ran the tips of his fingers along the box's glossy covering, gathering a thin layer of dust onto his hand in the process. "I suppose I realized that these things don't have clear answers or simple decisions. Not for me at least. I can't make choices as quickly or as blindly as you can."
Even without glancing at him Arthur could tell that Francis's lips had twisted into a sneer as his eyes narrowed bitterly at the half hidden insult. "Well, no one expects you to be me," Francis whispered simply before returning to his painting.
"No. I suppose not," he relented thoughtfully. Silence settled upon the room again as England continued to wipe the dust from the box, making the image of a pristine white crib in a room filled with toys and matching furniture that much clearer. "I do like this crib, though," he said at last. "It's sturdy, simple, and I'm sure it'll be big enough for two."
He didn't know when Francis had put his paint and brushes away, but he crossed the room and engulfed him in a tight hug so quickly that Arthur felt certain it had all happened in the blink of an eye. "Oh Arthur," Francis breathed as he pressed firm kisses up and down Arthur's cheek. "Oh Arthur! Tell me you are serious. Tell me you are not joking."
"Of course I'm being serious you nit wit," Arthur chided gently as he slung an arm around Francis's waist in order to pull him that much closer. "As if I would ever joke about such things."
"Then... we are going to be parents?" There were tears glistening in Francis's eyes, thick and wobbly and they made his blue eyes seem so much wider. "We are going to have our babies?"
A tightness formed in the middle of his own throat and somehow hearing the words from Francis's lips made the whole thing seem that much realer. Arthur nodded, feeling wetness dripping from his eyes even as he bit back the emotions churning inside him. Francis sobbed, kissed his lips and buried his face in his shoulder. The tears were flowing freely as Arthur pressed his lips against Francis's ear before wrapping both of his arms tightly around his husband and burying his nose against his shoulder.
"Our babies," he managed to choke out.
"Our babies," Francis all but swooned before pulling away from him with a twinkle in his eyes. "Oh Arthur, mon amour, let us make love. Right here!"
"Francis, that's disgusting!" he cried out, batting his hands away from him. "Our children will be crawling on these floors."
"Oh you are still no fun at all," Francis tsked before grasping Arthur by the hand and pulling him towards the door. "Fine, we shall go to our bedroom then."
Part 3
Rating: PG
Pairing: France/England
Warning: AU, Human Names, Slash
Summary: It isn't easy waiting for a baby, especially when you've been trying to adopt for nearly two years. (De-anon from the hetalia_kink meme.)
Part 1
Part 2
Arthur knew two things right away before he even bothered to look at his cell phone. First, he instantly knew that the text message he had received was from Francis, because Francis was the only one who ever sent him texts anymore. Second, he was certain that it was an emergency, because texting in the middle of a work day just wasn't typical of him.
He looked around the office, scouting the area just to be sure that no supervisor or office busybody was lurking nearby before reaching into his pocket and digging out his mobile. Sure enough, his suspicions were confirmed and Arthur soon found himself staring at a message from Francis instructing Arthur to call him right away. He weighed his options, contemplating briefly whether he should call Francis immediately or wait until his lunch break. Deciding that waiting another hour would be too long and that his current task could be put off for a moment or two, Arthur chose to punch in Francis's number and see what was so urgent.
The phone rang only once before Francis picked up and Arthur was starting to get the feeling that this was a genuine emergency. "Arthur," Francis began by way of greeting. His voice was tinged with a strange blend of panic, fear, and excitement and Arthur's ears instantly perked up at the sound. "I just got a call from Tino."
His heart did a funny sort of jitter in the center of his chest and Arthur had a feeling he knew where this was going. "And?" he whispered, prompting Francis to move through the dramatic pause he had created.
"We... we may have a match," he said breathlessly. "Bertie... she wants us, but..."
"But?"
"Twins."
Arthur blinked as he pulled the phone away from his ear in order to give it a good frown before placing it back against his cheek. "Twins?"
"Twins," Francis breathed. "Bertie went to the doctor... she's having twins."
The full weight of the word hit him then and Arthur was suddenly very grateful that he was sitting, because he was certain his knees no longer worked. "Twins," he said again. "Twins... as in two babies?"
"Oui. Yes. Two."
"Well... do we know what they are? I mean... are they boys or girls or... one of each?"
"I do not know. Bertie did not say."
They were both silent for a moment and Arthur simply didn't know what to say or think.
"Arthur," Francis began slowly, hesitantly. "Twins... it is a bit much, is it not?"
Arthur was relieved to hear Francis say those words first, because it was exactly what he was thinking. It had been little more than three weeks since they had met with Mrs. Jones and Alberta and in that time Arthur had felt certain that the mother and daughter had either forgotten all about them or simply were no longer considering the couple as potential parents. Now here they were in the position they had waited nearly two years to find themselves in, yet... Twins.
"Two babies," Arthur said simply. "We'd have to buy two of everything."
"Do we have enough room for two children?" Francis asked thoughtfully. "They could share the nursery when they are little, but..."
"They're going to get bigger," he finished for him. The only other spare room in their house was the den and Arthur doubted that the small, windowless space would make a very good bedroom.
"We cannot say no," Francis said at last. "We waited so long for this day... We cannot say no."
"But can we afford two children?" Arthur countered. He knew deep inside that rejecting the Joneses offer would be wrong, because these babies needed a home and they still wanted a child, but the idea of becoming parents for the first time and dealing with twins seemed far too daunting. "Do you really want all that work? Two sets of diapers to change, two mouths to feed, two babies crying away at all hours of the night... it seems like a lot for two people who have never taken care of children before."
"Yes, but," Francis said and stopped right there. Arthur could practically see the thoughtful look on his face, the reluctant gleam in his eyes, and the way he was no doubt shaking his head slowly as if to shift his thoughts about. "I have to get back to work," he said after a moment.
"Right. Me too I suppose."
"We do not need to give an answer right away," he went on. "Let us think about it for a few days."
"Yes, that sounds good."
They exchanged goodbyes before hanging up and Arthur found his head trapped in a heavy fog.
--
Arthur didn't know where his mind was the rest of the day, but it was certainly nowhere near him. He hadn't been able to focus on his work or even his lunch that day and drove home in a complete daze. Try as he might Arthur simply couldn't quite wrap his mind around the idea of having twins. The prospect of juggling two babies was enough to make his knees shake and his teeth chatter, because Arthur felt certain that the two of them would need every ounce of strength they had just to manage one baby.
At the same time, it would seem incredibly selfish and stupid of them to reject Alberta's offer. They had been waiting for a year and nine months to have someone say they wanted to give them a child and clearly this little girl was the only one who liked them enough to do just that.
He sighed as he drove ever closer to his house only to see that there were two other cars crowding his driveway. He shuddered at the sight, recognizing them as belonging to Francis's friends, Antonio and Gilbert. Wonderful, Arthur thought bitterly as he pulled up along the curb. He hadn't exactly been looking forward to returning home and discussing the baby situation with Francis, but the idea of dealing with his husband's friends wasn't any more appealing.
Yet Arthur knew that this was possibly an opportunity to put off the subject of adoption, for a little while at least, and he supposed that was good enough.
He turned off the engine and waited for a moment, briefly wondering how long he could sit out in the car staring at nothing and avoiding coming inside. After nearly ten minutes of doing nothing more than gazing out the windshield and gripping the steering wheel, Arthur decided that he had put off facing Francis's friends for long enough and made to gather his things before heading inside.
Trudging along the stone walkway, Arthur found himself grumbling sullenly to no one in particular as he dug around his pockets in search of his house keys. The muffled sound of familiar voices was already audible by the time his key had slipped into the lock and the words "Don't do it" were the first things to greet his ears when he stepped through the door.
"Having one baby is hard enough," he heard Gilbert say from somewhere deep in the house (likely the living room). "Having two babies is gonna be nothing short of a nightmare. I say you should pass."
"But Gilbert, if they walk away now it may be another two years before they come this close to a match," Antonio was saying. "I say take the chance. This was meant to be, I know it!"
He had made his way deep enough into the house to see the two men lounging on the couch with a few drinks set upon the coffee table in front of them. Francis was standing just a foot away with a glass of wine cradled in his hands as he shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. "You both make a good point," Francis said with a heavy sigh as he gently swirled the wine in his glass. "It is just..." He stopped there and instead began to sip at his drink.
Arthur took the opportunity to make his presence known by clearing his throat louder than necessary. It had the desired effect and all three men turned to stare at him.
"Oh, Arthur," Francis smiled as he walked up to him and gave his cheek a quick peck. "I did not hear you come in."
Arthur grunted softly, both in response to Francis's kiss and the lukewarm greetings from Antonio and Gilbert. "Francis," he began softly as he pointedly grabbed Francis by the elbow. "Can I see you in the kitchen?"
Francis nodded and allowed himself to be lead into the small kitchen.
"Please don't tell me you told your friends about the babies," Arthur half whispered half groaned as soon as they were alone.
"Of course I told them," Francis whispered back.
"Why?" he practically hissed.
"Because talking to them helps me to think."
"This is a private matter between the two of us! We're trying to decide whether or not to have a baby. You can't just bounce ideas off your drinking buddies as if we were picking out a new sofa."
Francis gave a heavy tsk and rolled his eyes at Arthur's indignant words. "As usual you are overreacting."
"And as usual you aren't taking my feelings into account," he huffed. "Look, I just don't want too many people to know about this. It just seems... impractical to go around telling everyone about the situation and having them put their two cents in when we're the ones who have the final say in the matter. So promise me you won't tell anyone else."
Arthur watched as Francis's eyes began to sink towards the ground before he took a long sip from his glass and Arthur knew right away that more damage had been done since their phone call that morning.
"Who else did you tell?" Arthur asked wearily.
"I... may have called my mother."
"Of course," he groaned, throwing his arms into the air to emphasize his frustration. "Of course you did, because God forbid we make a move without first getting Madame Bonnefoy's approval."
"Maman has every right to know about this!" Francis countered. "After all, these could be her grandchildren."
"Oh Francis, don't you see? This is a slippery slope. First you tell your mother and then she tells my mother and once Mummy finds out she'll be sure to tell my brothers and then we'll have both our families calling us at all hours of the day and night trying to tell us which way to go on the matter!"
"Arthur you are being ridiculous."
"No, I'm acting as the voice of reason, as usual." He sighed, shaking his head as he pushed his way towards the refrigerator in order to retrieve a bottle of water. "I think I'm going to head out for a run," he said at length, feeling somewhat defeated as he walked out of the kitchen and towards their bedroom.
--
His jog did nothing to clear his mind as Arthur still found himself feeling incredibly annoyed and conflicted upon his return home. Even the discovery that Antonio and Gilbert had departed for the evening did nothing to lighten his mood. It was disappointing to say the least, since Arthur usually found that he did his best thinking during a good long run, but apparently the issue of whether or not to bring two children into his home was too much even for a few laps around the block.
The rest of the night felt fairly routine. He jumped into the shower in order to wash off the sweat and odor clinging to his body, before sitting down for a warm meal with Francis. All the while, his head was still swirling with thoughts of the day's development, yet he and Francis continued not to verbalize on the matter. That was, of course, until they had settled down for bed that night.
"Francis," he began softly as soon as his husband's head had hit the pillow. On an average night Arthur would have spent the last hours of the day working on his needle point while Francis flipped through the pages of a book or a fashion magazine. Tonight, neither one of them seemed interested in taking part in such hobbies and instead lay quietly side by side beneath the sheets, the lights from the bedside tables still illuminating the room and keeping them from sleep. "How long do you think we can consider this before we need to give Tino and the Joneses an answer?"
"I do not know," Francis whispered as he turned onto his side and pressed himself against Arthur. "A few days, I suppose."
Arthur hummed as he continued to gaze up at the ceiling. "I think we should take no more than three days to give a response," he decided. "I think that would be a reasonable length of time."
Francis nodded, a gesture that Arthur felt more than saw as his head bobbed against his chest and his fingers began to curl around the fabric of Arthur's shirt. The smell of his shampoo flooded Arthur's nostrils and his hot breath could be felt even through the fabric of his t-shirt. It was all very soothing and Arthur actually felt his mind drifting away despite the heavy thoughts pressing down on it.
"Arthur," Francis whispered into his chest, his fingers gripping down on him so tightly that Arthur thought for certain the fabric of his shirt would rip. "I think... I want to have the babies."
He didn't know whether the tightness in his throat was from fear or anger, but he felt certain that the room had gotten very warm and that breathing had suddenly become a bit difficult. "And when did you decide this?"
Somehow he actually heard Francis swallow as he tucked his head further down Arthur's chest. "The second Tino called me," he admitted. "I just... I suppose I was trying to talk myself out of it, but... but I want them."
"Francis," Arthur began slowly as he gently nudged his husband away from him. "I know that it's been a while since we started all of this, but..." He groaned as he pushed himself off of the mattress and maneuvered himself into a sitting position. "I don't think you're making this decision logically."
"I think you are right," Francis said as he followed Arthur's lead and sat up against the pillows. "I think I am saying this because my heart is telling me to. And I think that I do not care. I want to have those babies, Arthur. I want them to be ours."
"But... but..." Arthur sputtered uselessly and, really, it was too late to be having this sort of discussion. "We cannot afford this," he said finally. "Simply put there is absolutely no way that we would be able to afford having two babies! We balanced our budget already and we saw that we'd barely be making due with one child and now you want to have two? Do you know what this could do to us? To our careers? You don't want to be an assistant in that tiny museum forever. And I don't want to be editing junk at that joke of a magazine for the rest of my life. If we want to move up in the world, if we want to make a decent living for our future children, then we'd have to take things slowly."
"I cannot believe that you are saying this," Francis huffed as he pushed the sheets aside and slipped out of bed. "You of all people! You are the one who suggested that we have children in the first place and now suddenly, two years later, we are moving too quickly?"
"Where are you going?" Arthur nearly groaned as he watched Francis grab a pillow and a blanket in his arms.
"I am going to sleep in my nursery," he said as he stormed out the door.
"Brilliant!" Arthur shouted after him. "Spend the night breathing in paint fumes. You'll wake up in the morning even loopier than you already are!"
His only answer was the sound of a door slamming shut and Arthur settled in to spend the rest of the night sleeping on a cold, empty bed.
--
The next morning Francis and Arthur parted ways without as much as a muttered "good morning" and the tense atmosphere at home made the whole day feel bleak and heavy. He wasn't able to focus on his work at all that day -- not that he ever focused on it for very long -- and merely found himself glaring at his computer screen and wondering how on earth Francis had been able to make up his mind so quickly. Try as he might, Arthur kept finding his head swirling around and around, because the moment he felt certain they shouldn't take in the children a gnawing guilt set in on his heart. Yet when he decided that adopting the twins would be the right choice, his head would throb painfully at the reminder of the oncoming financial burden. For the first time in his life he wished he was a creature of pure emotion and passion like Francis or at least one of cold logic, because possessing some of both simply wasn't working anymore.
The sound of paper slamming down on his desk was the only thing that alerted him to the time -- three fifteen already -- and the fact that Yao was currently standing beside him with an expression that was half exhausted and half curious. "Oh boy, something bad happened," Yao began solemnly. "What is it now? Another rejection?"
"No, nothing like that," he said with every intention of saying no more.
He did in fact succeed in remaining silent after that, but Yao, as usual, did not budge from his spot and only made to drum his fingers against the half wall of his cubicle as he waited impatiently for Arthur to continue. Apparently the man knew him far better than either one of them wanted to admit.
"Our case worker at the agency called," he explained with a heavy sigh. "Apparently this teenage girl that we spoke to wants us to adopt her baby."
"That's good!" Yao said and offered Arthur's shoulder a quick nudge. "Why aren't you happy?"
"Because it turns out she's having twins."
"So?"
Arthur swiveled around in his chair in order to glare up at Yao, who only continued to give him a dull sort of look. "So?" he repeated, still in shock at the apathetic remark. "So that's twins! As in two babies?"
"Oh poor you," Yao droned sarcastically. "You and husband have two babies. Big deal. I have three babies and my wife walked out on me. You want to trade places?"
"Yes, well, it's not as if you had all three children at the same time," he countered sullenly.
"Three is three," Yao stated flatly.
"And two is two," Arthur returned with a heavy sigh as he turned back to face his computer. "It just seems like too much for two people who've never had children before. I don't think we're ready for it."
"I can tell you now there is no 'ready' for baby. Doesn't matter if it's one or two or three, a baby is a baby and all babies are wild and unpredictable."
Arthur wanted to nod but he fought against it, because a few seemingly reasonable comments delivered in the middle of the work day wasn't going to spontaneously cause him to make up his mind on the matter. As far as Arthur was concerned no one was going to make this decision for him and he would come to the conclusion of whether or not to adopt the twins on his own.
"I have a lot of work to do," he said wearily as he straightened in his seat and stared with a bit more urgency at the words displayed on the monitor in front of him. He listened as Yao gave a pointed groan before turning to walk away.
--
Arthur would have liked to have said that the next day was an uneventful one, but he couldn't because as he made his way from the ground floor of his office building and towards the car lot he began to feel his phone vibrating in his pocket. He reached inside and picked up without glancing at the screen, because he was tired due in large part to lack of sleep. Francis was still stubbornly sleeping in the unfinished nursery and Arthur found that being left alone to his thoughts at night only helped to make matters worse and already he missed the luxury of having Francis's warm back and steady shoulders to press up against in order to help him forget the world.
As it was, Francis wasn't willing to let himself be available for the position of Arthur's pillow and in his groggy state Arthur didn't see anything wrong with answering a call without looking at his display screen. Of course, it was only seconds after he muttered a defeated "Hello" that he realized his mistake.
"Artie," he heard a familiar voice bark into his ear, the sound of which was enough to make him shudder and come to a steady halt just behind the trunk of his car.
"Wallace," he said, fighting back the urge to groan as he dug into his pocket to fish out his key. "What do I owe the displeasure?"
"My phone," another voice chimed in and Arthur felt his fingers go momentarily numb as his keys slipped out of his grasp.
"Dylan?" Arthur almost moaned as he crouched down to the ground in order to retrieve his fallen car keys. "Dear God, Liam's there as well, isn't he? I know he wouldn't pass up an opportunity to berate me."
"He is," Wallace put in. "But he's in the loo."
"Serves him right for calling me a moony eyed sap."
"Right, well, is there any particular reason for this call?" Arthur sighed as he straightened up in order to unlock his door.
"We were just talking about your little problem," Dylan explained.
"We think that you're cracked for not jumping at that offer," Wallace put in.
At that moment Arthur didn't bother to hide the long groan welling up in his throat as he all but collapsed into the seat of his car. "And just how on earth did you hear about that?"
"Mummy told us," the two chimed and Arthur suddenly had the urge to text Francis just to say "I told you so."
"Well I'm glad to hear that the three of you enjoy sitting around and discussing how much of an idiot you think I am, but..."
"You were waiting for almost two years to have a baby," Dylan jumped in suddenly, "now you're getting two babes in one go and you decide to drag your feet about it."
"I always knew Francis married the wrong brother," Wallace grumbled.
"You two aren't looking at the big picture," Arthur sighed as he slumped back deeper into the cushions of his seat. "Francis and I can't afford to have two babies."
"Yes you can," Wallace assured him. "You've always been careful with money Artie."
"And when you really want something, you make sure you're able to get it, even if you by all rights shouldn't have it."
"Like Francis."
Arthur huffed and groaned and felt very much like bashing his head against his steering wheel, but settled for letting out a exasperated "you don't understand," because they didn't. His brothers couldn't possibly understand what he was going through, because neither of them were married or had any children and Arthur didn't relish the idea of taking advice from them, especially on this matter.
Something that sounded very vaguely like a muffled voice was heard on the other end of the line and Dylan soon dissolved into pointless snickering. "Sorry Artie, have to go," Wallace announced. "Think about what we said."
"I won't," he promised, before ending the call and starting his engine.
--
When he arrived at home, it was to the smell of fresh paint once again and as he walked down the hallway to peek into the nursery he saw that Francis was currently in the middle of repainting the trim. Apparently "Egg Shell" was out and this new brighter shade had been chosen to replace it. Arthur briefly considered stepping into the room to lend a hand or learn the name of the newest paint purchase, but decided against either. Francis was still giving him the silent treatment and he didn't quite feel up to being ignored that evening. Instead he went into their bedroom and slipped into his exercise clothes.
Arthur took a moment to guzzle a few cups of water before giving his legs a good stretch and heading outside to jog around the neighborhood.
He knew this would happen, knew it before Francis had ever even invited his friends over that he'd soon be swept away in a flood of unwanted advice and well meaning suggestions. In the back of his mind he knew he was being stubborn for not listening to any of it, but he simply couldn't bring himself to commit to such a life changing decision based on guidance given from people who didn't have any real experience on the matter.
Maybe that's my answer, he thought as his feet continued to pound away on the pavement. Maybe if I can't decide it means that I'm not meant for this.
Arthur bit back the groan welling up in his throat as he began to feel more dejected with each step he took. The sun was setting quickly and the world was turning to a heavy orange. His shirt was already soaked with a thick layer of sweat and his breathing was starting to get a bit heavy, but somehow he still felt reluctant to head back home.
It was only as his tired eyes swept across the sun bathed neighborhood that he caught a glimpse of a somewhat unfamiliar sight: a young woman jogging along the opposite side of the street while pushing a prim. On any other day, Arthur would have ignored the sight, yet at that moment he couldn't quite tear his gaze away from the fact that there were two identical babies sitting in the carriage that she was currently pushing. His eyes kept flicking between the young mother and the sidewalk curving in front of him and after a few minutes of silent debate, Arthur actually found himself sprinting across the vacant street in order to fall in step beside her.
"Excuse me," Arthur said as he roughly pulled his ear bud out of his left ear. The young woman turned to glance at him, an expression somewhere between confused and startled settling on her features. "I know this is a bit strange, me coming up to you out of the blue like this, but, well, I just wanted to ask you a question."
The young woman quirked an eyebrow at him, before turning her eyes back towards the path in front of her. She didn't speed away or drop back so Arthur took her silence to mean she'd be willing to listen.
"Was it difficult?" he asked. "Having twins, that is."
"Excuse me?" she all but sputtered indignantly. Her body went a bit ridged as if she were contemplating breaking out into a full on sprint and Arthur would have found the whole thing humorous if it weren't so damn embarrassing.
"Let me explain," he put in quickly. "My partner and I are considering adopting twins and I've been having a bit of trouble coming to a decision on the matter and, well, since you have experience with raising twins..."
The woman nodded a long, the gesture causing her pony tail to bob even more than it already was, and for a moment Arthur had to wonder whether or not she was actually listening. Yet when her body began to relax and her pace started to slow, Arthur realized that she was actually considering his words. "Well, it is a bit difficult at first," she said thoughtfully. "I mean, two babies! It's a lot of work and my husband and I were pretty dogged. We hardly slept for the first couple of nights."
Arthur felt his throat tighten and his flushed skin pale slightly, yet he still managed to offer her a polite nod.
"But, you know, it was worth it in the end," she told him, smiling down at the prim rolling along in front of her. Arthur bent his head forward in order to take a peek inside the carriage. He saw that there were twin girls sitting inside the stroller designed to fit two. The one in the back was fast asleep, her little head lolling to the side as her sleepy fingers clutched loosely to a rag doll. In the front seat, the chubby little babe was wide awake and occupying herself by studying the tips of her fingers and toes. "I was scared to death at the idea of having kids," the young woman went on, "but, as clichéd as it sounds, I just can't imagine what life would be like without them now."
He smiled down at the sweet little bundles occupying the prim and in a strange sort of way Arthur could understand what she had meant.
--
After he came in from his run that evening, Arthur went straight to the shower, where he scrubbed off every bit of sweat from his body. There was no warm dinner waiting for him at home that night. Francis never cooked when he was angry and Arthur supposed that it was his way of trying to use starvation in order to break him. However, there were plenty of enough leftovers in the refrigerator, so Arthur warmed them in the oven and ate around the burned bits.
He wasn't at all surprised when Francis didn't join him for dinner as he hadn't bothered to eat with him for the past few days either, choosing instead to spend most of his time holed up in the nursery. As soon as he was finished eating his meal, Arthur scrapped the charred bits of food into the trash bin before heading into the back of the house.
Arthur pushed the door open and found his husband hard at work painting, only this time he wasn't busy with broad brush strokes on the walls or fixing the trimming along the floor. From what he could tell, Francis was currently designing some sort of mural and Arthur had to wonder what had inspired such a thing.
"A bit late to be painting, don't you think?" Arthur noted as he walked over to the window in order to lift it a few inches.
The night breeze was warm and sweet compared to the stuffy fume induced air within the little room and the sound of crickets chirping and the fan humming was the only noise to be heard. He wasn't exactly shocked that Francis was still insisting on giving him the silent treatment and Arthur only gave a cluck of his tongue as he went to turn the fan's speed a few notches higher.
"I know you're still mad at me," Arthur sighed as he stared at the still sealed off crib waiting to be unpacked and assembled. "But I wanted to talk. I've been doing a lot of thinking and... well..."
Francis didn't completely turn around, but his hand did still briefly mid-stroke and he glanced over his shoulder in Arthur's direction, acknowledging his presence for the first time that evening. That alone was enough to make Arthur feel somewhat satisfied and he continued.
"I don't think I wanted everything to be 'perfect,'" he explained, "but I did want it to be simple, clear." He sighed as he ran the tips of his fingers along the box's glossy covering, gathering a thin layer of dust onto his hand in the process. "I suppose I realized that these things don't have clear answers or simple decisions. Not for me at least. I can't make choices as quickly or as blindly as you can."
Even without glancing at him Arthur could tell that Francis's lips had twisted into a sneer as his eyes narrowed bitterly at the half hidden insult. "Well, no one expects you to be me," Francis whispered simply before returning to his painting.
"No. I suppose not," he relented thoughtfully. Silence settled upon the room again as England continued to wipe the dust from the box, making the image of a pristine white crib in a room filled with toys and matching furniture that much clearer. "I do like this crib, though," he said at last. "It's sturdy, simple, and I'm sure it'll be big enough for two."
He didn't know when Francis had put his paint and brushes away, but he crossed the room and engulfed him in a tight hug so quickly that Arthur felt certain it had all happened in the blink of an eye. "Oh Arthur," Francis breathed as he pressed firm kisses up and down Arthur's cheek. "Oh Arthur! Tell me you are serious. Tell me you are not joking."
"Of course I'm being serious you nit wit," Arthur chided gently as he slung an arm around Francis's waist in order to pull him that much closer. "As if I would ever joke about such things."
"Then... we are going to be parents?" There were tears glistening in Francis's eyes, thick and wobbly and they made his blue eyes seem so much wider. "We are going to have our babies?"
A tightness formed in the middle of his own throat and somehow hearing the words from Francis's lips made the whole thing seem that much realer. Arthur nodded, feeling wetness dripping from his eyes even as he bit back the emotions churning inside him. Francis sobbed, kissed his lips and buried his face in his shoulder. The tears were flowing freely as Arthur pressed his lips against Francis's ear before wrapping both of his arms tightly around his husband and burying his nose against his shoulder.
"Our babies," he managed to choke out.
"Our babies," Francis all but swooned before pulling away from him with a twinkle in his eyes. "Oh Arthur, mon amour, let us make love. Right here!"
"Francis, that's disgusting!" he cried out, batting his hands away from him. "Our children will be crawling on these floors."
"Oh you are still no fun at all," Francis tsked before grasping Arthur by the hand and pulling him towards the door. "Fine, we shall go to our bedroom then."
Part 3