Vash is close to giving birth.
His stomach isn’t as big as a human’s despite having twins, likely because he’s a Plant. Luida had said everything looked okay when she did a scan, saying he was due soon.
He knows it’s getting close when feathers start to cover his entire body and wings sprout everywhere, making him forgo wearing clothes except his wedding ring. Everyone around him is anxious. They do their best to hide it from him, but Vash can sense it. His haywire Plant mind is sensitive more than usual. Nicholas is, of course, the most anxious. Or maybe Vash is very receptive to his emotions.
Meryl and Milly are over at the orphanage for support. Milly had helped her mom and aunt through this process, so the extra hands were welcomed. Vash can sense they are both excited and nervous. Luida is also going to be here in a day or two, seeing as he’s close to the end of his pregnancy.
Vash hides under the bedsheets, alone for the time being since Nicholas stepped out to help Miss Melanie with an errand. He tosses and turns on the bed in frustration. The orphanage is noisy with emotions and his body is sore. He hasn’t had a good night's sleep during the past week, suffocating under the pressure of his feathers, anxiety, being under everyone’s attention—
His body spasms. He needs to find a quiet place.
Wrapping a sheet around his frame, he gathers the extra blankets piled on his bed and scurries out of the room, his mind taking him somewhere quiet. He approaches a set of stairs at the back of the building and climbs up, reaching the attic. Vash drops the blankets in a corner and arranges them this way and that. He finds extra sheets and pillows in one of the attic’s drawers and uses them for his nest. Finishing preparing, Vash settles in the middle and drapes one of the blankets over him. His lower body contracts again.
Vash closes his eyes and prepares to meet his saplings.
Nicholas is going to rip his hair out.
Vash is missing.
He was only gone for two hours to run an errand with Livio, going to town to get supplies for his unborn kids.
Vash looked like he needed some space, so he didn’t think too much about leaving him alone for a bit. His husband was moody from the high emotions running rampant throughout the orphanage, making him brood in their room. He had complained about the stress rubbing off on him and the best thing Nicholas can give him is some peace and quiet.
Now Vash is gone. He’s going to gray from stress if he hasn't already.
Everyone is looking for Vash, checking rooms, the building’s perimeter, the roof—nothing.
“Do you think he went into town?” Miss Melanie asks. She’s just as stressed as he is.
“No, he wouldn’t,” Nicholas responds. To put it lightly, Vash is a feathered mess for him to be comfortable walking around like a human thoma even if he could hide downy appendages under layers of clothing. He doesn’t roam around the orphanage as much since he started growing feathers that wouldn’t fade away.
“Why is he hiding?!” Meryl groans.
“Reminds me of the cats I had at home. They hide before they give birth,” Milly chirps.
That doesn’t help Nicholas’ stress levels.
Meryl squints at Milly, contemplating about something before her face lights up. “What’s the most secluded place in the orphanage?”
Nicholas rubs his face in frustration. “I don’t know.”
Both Livio and Melanie think more about it for him.
A few seconds later, Melanie gasps. “The attic!”
Nicholas’ eyes widen before he runs off, heading towards the other end of the orphanage where the stairs to the attic sit. He races up the stairs and sure enough, there’s a pile of blankets and pillows at the far corner that weren’t there before. Nicholas strides towards it.
“Vash! What're you—” he cuts himself off at the sight before him.
Vash’s skin is completely masked with feathers, but that's not what he’s staring at. He stares at the two small creatures next to him. Vash is preoccupied with licking—grooming the feathers of one of them. They have tiny feathers and wings like Vash.
Oh my god.
Those are his twins—their kids.
Nicholas is startled out of his daze when he hears Meryl. “Wolfwood, is he there?” she calls, climbing up the stairs.
That has Vash turning his head, sitting up and alert for somebody who isn’t Nicholas.
“Yeah,” Nicholas answers. “Give me a bit. Tell Melanie to get the stuff ready. Milly was right.”
Meryl hides her gasp before descending the stairs, leaving them alone.
With Meryl gone, Vash settles back into the blankets and returns to tending the twins. Nicholas approaches the nest and carefully lies on the blankets next to Vash with the twins between them. He watches Vash lick the back of one of them, holding them in his palm before gently laying them on the blanket next to their sibling. Then, Vash grabs his wrist, bringing his hand towards their children. Nicholas touches their soft bodies with a hand. One fidgets and stretches while the other sleeps. They’re tiny but alive and well.
Nicholas uses the same hand to cup Vash’s face. Vash nuzzles into his palm, purring happily. Nicholas’ heart swells.
“My angel.” Nicholas kisses the feathers on Vash’s forehead.
Vash hums, looking at him with tired eyes before closing them. He holds Nicholas’ wrist and falls asleep.
Nicholas lets out a breath. He needs to bring Vash to their room and make sure he’s okay.
He grabs one of the blankets from the nest and scoops up the twins, bundling them up. God, they’re so tiny. Vash doesn’t make any movement as Nicholas quickly strides to the top of the stairs. “Meryl?” he calls.
Milly pokes her head at the bottom of the stairs. “It’s me. Miss Melanie is here too.”
Nicholas walks a few steps down while Milly meets him halfway. He holds out the bundle in his arms. “Can you bring the little ones to their crib? I need to get Vash.”
Milly looks at the twins. Her eyes water when she sees them. “Oh my god, they’re so cute,” she whispers.
Nicholas manages a crooked smile. “Yeah, they are, aren't they?”
Milly leaves and Nicholas heads back to Vash’s side. He lifts the blanket by Vash's legs, holding his breath to brace himself before seeing if there’s any damage. Looking down, there’s some blood and fluid, but nothing for him to worry about regarding Vash's health. Nothing is simple when it comes to Vash, but thank god this was.
Nicholas wraps an unconscious Vash in a blanket and lifts him. Vash's short breaths hit his neck as he rushes downstairs to get to their room. Upon entering, Milly and Miss Melanie are there waiting for him. The baby crib stands next to their bed.
Nicholas lays Vash on the bed. Melanie is right beside him.
“How is he?” Melanie asks.
“I think he’s fine. He fell asleep shortly after I found him.”
Vash did look exhausted.
Melanie nods before unwrapping the blanket covering Vash's body. She's unfazed seeing all the feathers, only focusing on checking if the birth went okay as Nicholas did a few minutes ago.
“Nothing to worry about here,” Melanie tells him.
She grabs a wet cloth and cleans Vash’s skin and feathers before removing the soiled blanket underneath. Nicholas helps move the blanket off and discard it on the floor. They pull clean bedsheets over Vash and tuck it up to his chin.
“We need to wake him up.”
Nicholas turns to her. “What?”
Melanie’s brows are pinched. “We have to know if anything hurts.”
Nicholas looks at Vash's sleeping face. He sits on the bed and drags the back of his hand across Vash’s cheek. “Vash.”
No response. Nicholas’ throat seizes.
He’s okay, right?
Nicholas pets Vash’s hair as he checks his pulse. It’s still beating, but it's weak. Or maybe that’s the anxiety talking. “Spikey, wake up.”
There's still no response or movement.
They don't need to wake him up yet, do they? There wasn't a lot of blood to cause concern. But Nicholas has read complications can arise that need medical attention even if nothing bad appears on the outside and sometimes lead to—
A small whine pulls him out of his thoughts.
Everyone turns to the source of the noise: it’s coming from the crib. The twins are making mewing sounds that sound like cries.
The bed rustles and Nicholas jumps to find Vash awake, eyes half-lidded as he stretches an arm to reach for his kids.
“Please,” Vash rasps.
Milly reacts first, gathering the twins with a blanket and handing them to Vash, laying them on his chest. They stop whining once they are next to their mother. Vash holds them close with a hand on their backs and closes his eyes again.
“Vash,” Nicholas murmurs, cupping his face.
Vash hums, leaning into his palm.
“We—I need to know if you're in pain.”
“I'm fine.” Vash opens his eyes to gaze at him. “Nothing hurts. Just tired.”
After Vash confirms he's okay, Milly and Melanie leave the room to give them space.
Nicholas smiles wobbly. “That’s good to hear.”
Vash smiles back.
One of the twins starts crying. Vash turns to lie on his side, making it easier for them to feed. Nicholas lays down next to them. He brings his hand back to touch Vash’s face who closes his eyes as he drags his fingers across the feathers along his cheek and temple. Vash purrs anew.
“Sorry I left,” Vash murmurs, face pinching as he bites his lip. The twins start to fuss from his emotions. “I—”
Nicholas hushes him. “Later.”
Vash listens, settling down. He stares at Nicholas with tired eyes. “Can you come closer?”
Nicholas shuffles, being mindful of the twins as he moves close enough for their noses to touch. Vash leans forward to nose his cheek before nuzzling his face there. Nicholas cards his fingers into Vash’s hair.
“Nick, we did it.” Vash tears fall on Nicholas’ face as his breath fans his face.
“Yeah, we did,” Nicholas whispers, peppering kisses along Vash’s skin as his own tears mix with his.
After the tears are gone, Vash falls asleep to rest. Nicholas settles the twins on top of him so Vash can latch on to his side as he sleeps. The twins are small enough for Nicholas to leave them on his chest without issue just as Vash did. He touches one of their heads, feeling the softness of the feathers. Their eyes are closed as he pets them. The only movement from them is their chest rising. One leans into his finger, searching for more of his touch.
They’re so small.
Vash moves closer to his side, burying his face into his neck. One of his white tendrils wraps around his arm in his sleep. Nicholas presses a kiss on his head before he gets comfortable on the bed with three Plants attached to him. Two saplings and an overgrown one Nicholas thinks.
They welcome the twins to their home.