The Meaning of Life Part 33
During the reception, Heero and Duo greeted and thanked the Justices for making an appearance at their wedding.
Harris smirked, "Well, we had given Danielle and Trent specific orders to inform us of when the big day would be. Since we all know the history behind the event, we all wanted to be able to see it firsthand."
Not far from them, Vice-Foreign Minister Darlian was standing alongside his wife, step-daughter and Quatre. "Well, this was certainly a step in the right direction in the fight for gay marriages," the politician commented. "It is not a definite that anything will change, but it certainly is a light at the end of the tunnel."
Relena gestured to her two friends and smiled, "And I could not think of two people that deserved to be married more. Maybe, in time, the public at large will finally begin to appreciate that love is love."
Not far from them, Danny and Leslie were running about, laughing as they played a game of tag.
Chuckling, Dorothy scooped her daughter up while Zechs gathered his son. "All right, kiddos," the law director grinned. "Let's go get something to eat and you can run around all you want later." Hanging onto their parents, the little ones relented with bright smiles on their faces.
On their way to the food tables, they passed Solo and the other nekos. "They really could not have asked for a better day," Cassie stated. "I can't wait to see how their wedding pictures turn out." Jena and Andrew nodded their heads in agreement.
Moving along the food tables, Susan conversed with Danielle and Trent. "I already have the story in my head that I plan to write about this wedding," the journalist told her new friends. "And I will be sure to have the newlyweds read through it before my new editors even know that it exists."
While she had no reason to doubt the reporter, Danielle could not help but feel relieved to hear that. Still, she replied kindly, "I am certain that you will do them justice with your story. As groundbreaking as this event was, it will be a wonderful start to your new career."
Out on the back porch overlooking the garden, Sally leaned back against her boyfriend's chest as he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder. "You know," Wufei began, "I've been thinking more and more about this marriage stuff now that Heero's been made an honest man."
The braided doctor snickered and turned her head while raising an eyebrow. "Oh really?" she asked. "And here I thought that the 'M' word scared you."
Shrugging, the Chinese young man reached into his pocket to reveal a diamond ring.
Her eyes widening, Sally gasped as she watched the band being slipped onto her left ring finger. In the moonlight, the single stone shimmered brilliantly on her trembling hand.
"Actually, it doesn't seem such a frightening thing when you're with the right person," Wufei told her quietly. Clearing his throat, he squeezed his lover's waist tight against him as he whispered, "I'd be honored if you would be that person for me."
Unable to hold back the tears in her eyes, Sally quickly spun to throw her arms around his neck tightly. "Yes," she breathed in his ear. Pulling back, they sealed their commitment with a kiss.
Throughout the night, everyone gathered danced to the music playing in the living room, took their time to chat with one another and enjoyed the fine courses that were catered. Everything went as smoothly and normally as any wedding.
In the end, for what little time Heero and Duo had had to plan and get the big day together, they could not have had a better time if they had had months to prepare.
Everyone parted with embraces and warm wishes for the newlyweds before they retreated for their room for the evening.
Sighing deeply, the neko carefully lay himself down onto his back after shedding his kimono. Heero chuckled deeply as he stripped himself down. Lying himself beside his partner, he smiled warmly, "Hi, husband."
Duo's own lips tugged up in a wide smile as he replied in kind, "Hello, husband." Kissing the artist's lips, he promised, "Soon as I'm physically able, I plan on making up tenfold in making our marriage official."
With a shrug, Heero smirked, "No need to worry about that. I'm just happy that we're actually married." Reaching over, he took hold of his husband's left hand to admire their matching rings. In the dim light from the street lights outside, the bands sparkled brilliantly.
Purring quietly, the neko nuzzled the side of his face against a firm shoulder. "Love you," he whispered.
"Love you," the artist responded. Kissing the pouting lips, he rested a hand over his restless babies. Slowly sitting up, he placed three quick kisses on the swollen abdomen. "And all of you," he told his little ones softly.
Biting his lip, Duo rubbed his belly and acknowledged aloud, "Only a couple more weeks before we finally meet." Heero nodded and curled up as closely to his husband as he could while they settled themselves for a much needed rest.
It had been a crazy few days... weeks... months. And now a large part of their plans were finally seen through. What it took to get there had been physically and emotionally telling than either of them had been prepared for...
And it all had been worth every second.
* * * * * *
Life did not slow down by any means for the newlyweds over the course of the next couple of weeks. First and foremost, the c-section delivery was scheduled with Hilde for October 2nd, a little over two weeks out.
The doctor was more than happy with how the babies had developed and was backed in that by several experts that volunteered to offer their assistance. It was decided amongst the team that by the first week of October, the little ones would be at the same size as any human triplets to reach their full term.
Now having an actual date to when they would finally get to meet their babies, Heero and Duo were over the moon. Every day that passed, they counted down to when their family would be established.
In the meantime, with the completion of their home came the move in and all of the dozens of other details that included. Their parents oversaw the initial moving of items into the new estate to take a good part of the busy work off their shoulders.
Even through all of the commotion, the couple continued their studies from their new home once they were completely settled in. And just as they had been promised, their scholastic directors and professors had been more than accommodating in seeing that they did not fall behind in their classes.
Likewise, Duo's internship company was more than excited to have him back as soon as he was ready to return to work. After witnessing the neko during his own trial, they were already in talks of taking him on as a full-time lawyer of theirs once he graduated.
For all of the challenges that they had faced, everything was suddenly running more than smoothly for the parents-to-be... aside from a bad case of the neko going stir crazy on account of his bed rest.
Then, at long last, it was time for Heero and Duo to officially settle into their new home once all of their furniture had been moved in. On account of his order to stay at his parents', the cat-eared boy had yet to really see the finished product of where his family would live. To say that he was anxious was an understatement.
A few tears and embraces were exchanged between the couple and their families before they headed out to spend their first night in their own, new home. Scary as the whole thing was on one hand, it was extremely freeing and exciting on the other.
During the ride to the house, Duo was practically bouncing in the passenger seat. His tail swishing behind him, he bit his lip anxiously while his husband shook his head in amusement. "Hey, you've had these last few days to spend time in the place," the braided teenager reminded. "This is my first time to see it."
"I know," the artist chuckled. Reaching over, he squeezed a hand and commented, "You're just so damned cute when you're excited." A slight blush colored the pregnant neko's cheeks, but he smirked back and squeezed the hand in his own.
Finally, they rounded the last wooded bend before their little hill. Taking in the sight of their log home sitting atop, Duo gasped with wide violet eyes.
Blueprints of the home did very little justice for how their home looked in reality. On that particular sunny late-September day, there was not a cloud in the sky and the lake on the other side of the hill shimmered brilliantly to complete the picture.
Tall and warm, the house was a welcoming sight in the clearing where it sat. It was everything Duo had envisioned and so much more than that. "I-it's perfect," he breathed as his partner rolled their new family van into the driveway.
Smiling, Heero hummed an affirmative as he turned the vehicle off. Quickly, he stepped outside and all but ran to the passenger door. Opening it, he assisted his husband with removing his seatbelt. Carefully, the pair slowly made their way up the steps arm-in-arm.
When they reached the front door, the artist unlocked it and scooped a startled Duo up into his arms easily even with the added weight. "I always wanted to carry you across the threshold of our home," he stated when his lover looked like he was about to protest in worry of hurting him. "And I intend to do just that," he smirked.
Mouth closing, the neko just smiled lovingly and relented. Resting his head on a shoulder, he reached with his tail to turn the doorknob and nudge the door open.
Heero stepped inside with his precious bundle without so much as a hint of strain. From his perch, Duo's eyes widened anew as he took in the inside of their home.
The large entrance way was attached to the grand living room overlooking the lake. And from the living room was the opening to the shielded, wraparound porch.
Fully furnished, every room was as welcoming and warm as the outside of the estate. And every space was a different color theme fitting of its function. Vibrant reds, yellows and greens brightened the more active rooms. Meanwhile, peaceful blues, creams and purples calmed the bedrooms.
"I have a surprise for you and the babies," Heero announced softly. Blinking, Duo continued to hold onto his lover's neck as he was slowly taken upstairs. Reaching the closed door of the room that had been deemed the nursery, the Japanese youth lowered his husband and grinned, "Close your eyes."
An eyebrow raising, the neko smirked before taking a deep breath and complying. "Okay," he nodded firmly as his tail slid over his closed eyes to act as a blindfold.
Opening the door, the artist gently led his partner into the center of the room. Quietly taking in a deep breath, he announced, "You can look around now."
His tail slipping away, Duo opened his eyes only to gasp sharply as they widened and scanned the walls around them.
There was no mistaking the style of Heero's painting that made an entire theme in the room. There were green hills of flowers, a castle and other little details right out of a fairy tale. Along with that, there was a clear sunny day on one half of the room while the other had a peaceful starry night.
Last but certainly not least, on three of the walls was a large 'scroll' waiting to be filled with each baby's name above where their crib sat.
The entire scene took Duo's breath away when it was unveiled to him. Tears rolling from his eyes, he turned to wrap his arms tightly around his husband. "This is beautiful," he sniffled as he buried his face in a shoulder.
Swallowing past the lump in his throat, Heero kissed the top of Duo's braided head and whispered, "I was hoping you would like it."
Duo shook his head as he pulled back and corrected, "I love it." He took the time to turn around once more to take the whole scene in again. "I love it," he repeated in little more than a breath.
Later that evening, a bottle of non-alcoholic champagne was popped and poured in celebration of their first night in their own home.
* * * * * *
"How is it possible to have sore, swollen feet when I am off them most of the day?" Duo sighed several days later. Lying back on the living room recliner with his legs propped up with a light text book opened on his abdomen, he glared at the offensive appendages.
Chuckling deeply, Heero continued to type away at his laptop for his Art Culture midterm paper. "Well, maybe they're trying to remind you they're still there since you can't see them when you're standing." Without looking up, he ducked his head just in time to dodge the coaster that was thrown at him.
The neko snickered along with his husband as he shook his head in amusement and returned to his reading. Suddenly, he yelped out a startled mew when a stab of pain shot through his lower back. Eyes wide, he rubbed the sore area as Heero's head turned in his direction.
"Duo?" the artist asked in concern as he seemingly transported over to the recliner so quickly did he appear at his lover's side. Lightly rubbing the shoulder closest to him, he asked quietly, "What happened?"
Wincing, the braided teenager hissed at another throb. "I have these weird back spasms all of a sudden."
Pregnancy came with all kinds of pains. But there was something very different about this new bout. Just the look on Duo's face made it perfectly clear that this was very, very different from anything he had felt before.
Back straightening as tight as a pole, Heero's eyes widened further before he ran for the vid-phone. "That sounds like an early sign of contractions to me," he muttered to himself. With the c-section officially scheduled a week out, he supposed it was possible for his partner to experience an early labor.
Quickly dialing a number he now knew by heart, the artist waited as patiently as he could through a couple rings. "Come on," he whispered to himself. "Please be home." Meanwhile, Duo was adjusting himself to lower the leg rest so that he could shift to rub at his back more easily.
"Try not to rub to much," Heero was quick to warn. "Remember some massages and rubbing can speed up a delivery." Freezing at that, the neko removed his hand and gripped onto his tail instead.
After a fifth ring, the familiar voice on the other end greeted, "Hi, this is Hilde. Sorry I am not available to take your call." Groaning, the Japanese youth waited for the usual, "Please leave your name and number and I will return your call as soon as I can."
Nearly frantic, Heero said in a rush after the beep, "Hilde, this is Heero. Duo is experiencing some lower back pains that I need to have looked into. I'm taking him into Saint Michael's hospital now. If you get this message in time, please meet us there."
Disconnecting the call, the artist moved to his worried partner. His ears drooping heavily, Duo frowned through his discomfort, "I'm scared, 'Ro. I haven't felt pains like this before."
Lightly kissing the top of his braided head, Heero soothed, "I know. But we just have to keep calm. I'll help you to the van and make sure that someone will see you at the hospital right away."
Biting his lip, the neko nodded and slowly rose to his feet with his partner's help. As they reached the door, the artist grabbed the large bag of necessities that had been packed in waiting for a possible emergency like such as that moment.
After what seemed a brief eternity between the time the front door was locked and they stepped down from the porch, the pregnant teenager was belted into the passenger seat. Running to slide into the driver's side, Heero started the ignition and pulled out of the driveway.
Beads of sweat spotting his brow, Duo took his time breathing methodically. Reaching over to squeeze a hand and tail, the artist asked urgently, "How are you feeling?"
"Pain's still coming and going," his cat-eared husband answered through clenched teeth. When he felt a wet sensation, his violet eyes widened before he hesitantly reached below. "I... Oh my God... Heero..." his voice gasped.
Tearing his eyes from the road, the Japanese young man paled and nearly went stiff. The tips of Duo's fingers were wet with blood.
If there was not already concern up until then, there was utter terror at the sight of that.
His cobalt eyes narrowing in determination, Heero urged, "Hang on." Gripping the wheel, he focused back on his driving and slammed his foot down on the gas pedal.
TBC...
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