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Oswald entered his suite in the mansion he had obtained back after Galavans death. His irritable expression that seemed to be a permanent addition to his face after every meeting as of late, faded away when he saw her sleeping form nestled on the couch. Her delicate features and curve of her body were gently illuminated by the ebbing fire. He smiled tiredly to himself and moved close to study her. He loved watching her sleep. She was always so peaceful and relaxed in slumber and Oswald wanted to commit those moments to memory.
He carefully sat down by the curve of her knees and drew the throw up over her body, pausing only to admire the soft swell of her belly. Sweet little unborn Oswald Jr. had been an unexpected surprise in their lives. It complicated everything, but Oswald pushed past his anxiety and worry to embrace it. He knew he unloaded many of his problems off on her and she bore them with grace and ease. However his concerns over being a father and their future would only weigh heavily on her. He knew exactly how much she worried. She was terrified of being a mother for the first time.
Oswald remembered the exact moment she told him with such clarity. He had come to join her for dinner and after it had been served she had shakily demanded that the staff leave their presence. A snap of his fingers and they dispersed, missing the breakdown of one of the strongest women Oswald knew. She had burst into panicked tears, her body struggling to remember how to breathe. Oswald in turn had rushed to her side and the call of his men was on the tip of his tongue when she had gripped his jacket and gasped out, “I’m pregnant.”
Oswald’s world stopped in that moment and his thoughts crumbled. Later he would describe it as shock, but right now it felt like his heart had given out and the air had been stolen from his lungs. Pregnant. This was not a word he had ever imagined himself to be confronted with by anyone.
“Say something. Please.” She begged him, innately sensing her beloved withdrawing into himself. Oswald could only stumble backwards into his chair. For a man with the ability to pull words at leisure to convince even the most stubborn to do his bidding, he could not find the words to convey his scattered thoughts.
He was imaging the future together. With her. He had imagined it before, but never like this. How blissful she would look staring down into the bundle of perfection. He would be perfect, Oswald knew, he would have her as his mother. Oswald frowned. But then again, that meant having him as a father.
“I don’t know what to do. This wasn’t planned. I never imagined….” even she was struggling with her own words, her tear stained face pleading with him. “There’s always abortion, or adoption..” she rushed through the options, never touching on the unsaid words of “keep it”. It made it too real, too tangible.
“No!” Oswald slammed his hand down forcefully against the table. The dishware shook, and the wine glasses shuddered their contents.. “If we aren’t raising our child, then no one is. We’re keeping him.”
Oswald brushed aside the negative thoughts. The ones that pulled and tugged at him. What if someone decided to use his family against him again? It had been a morbid relief in some ways that Galavan had taken his mother rather than his darling dove. He had always known one day he would say goodbye to his mother, but never had he expected it to be so soon nor so tragic. The criminals of the city used to have some morals, perhaps the Penguin ought to remind them of that.
“Do… do you truly mean it Oswald?” she asked softly, her hand gently gripping his forearm. He placed his own hand over it, covering hers in a caress. “Yes. It is after all little Oswald Cobblepot Jr in there.”
His little dove blushed and a quivering smile lit her face. “Could be a girl you know. If it is,” She paused, “I’d like to include your mother’s name. “
His eyes were filled with adoration for her. She was perfection. So strong, so beautiful, and all his.
The same adoration filled his eyes once again as she woke slightly when he tucked the blanket around her.
“Os?” she mumbled sleepily, reaching a hand out to him.
“I’m here, my dove.” he clasped her hand and leaned forward to gently kiss her brow.
“Stay with me.” she murmured, eyes still closed against the chance of fully waking.
“Always.” Oswald replied, carefully shifting her so he could sit on the couch her head resting in his lap. She sighed happily, returning her hand against her belly and drifting back to sleep.
“I could never let you go.” he admitted out loud under the cover of darkness. His words were enveloped in the silence of the night while his hands gently stroked through her hair until he too drifted into slumber.