Work Text:
He'd been banned from going to work since he was due any day now, and going into labour during a trial would be...undesirable, to say the least. But he'd been handling trials and paperwork up till then - it wasn't as if the pregnancy made him incapable of working. Paperwork was much the same as always, except he'd embarrassingly found himself falling asleep over it more than once. But for the trials, the most irritating part was that since he found himself having to pee more frequently, he had to call for recesses more often.
He also couldn't handle anything that was too long because of the backache that would set in after sitting for an extended period. Having the judge stand up to pace around while proceedings were ongoing would be disruptive to say the least. Wriothesley, knowing how important it was to him, hadn't made any attempt to stop him. He'd only asked him to keep it reasonable, meaning no more constant late nights and early mornings, and absolutely no working overtime throughout the night. Neuvillette had found it easier to do than he'd expected, eventually even agreeing to work shorter hours when he found himself quickly fatigued by mid-afternoon.
Wriothesley would pop in for short visits when he could, coaxing him to take a break. Those visits often ended with Neuvillette dozing off, his head comfortably situated in his husband's lap. It wasn't convenient for him to leave the Fortress too often, but he did appreciate that his husband made the effort to express his concern regardless. Wriothesley would often ask if he had any cravings, knowing he still felt awkward in voicing them sometimes. He'd then try to make him things he could bring to work, and task the Melusines to make sure he actually ate it. They helped to make sure that he didn't skip any meals and stayed hydrated.
Another lesson learnt had been this – to ensure that after he woke up, he actually stayed awake. There was once when Wriothesley had left their home earlier, giving him a goodbye kiss before taking his leave. He'd intended to rest on the couch briefly before heading out himself, but had ended up dozing off. He'd been woken up by the Melusines, who had rushed over to check on him when they realised he hadn't yet shown up at the office. Thankfully, there hadn't been any trial scheduled for that morning.
Currently, he had a nagging ache in his lower back since late last night that hadn't gone away, and he'd woken up restless. So he'd gone out, hoping some fresh air would help. It had perhaps not been his smartest decision, since he'd started having contractions around midway to town. He'd sat on a bench for a while, hoping they would pass with some rest. But they'd only been getting more intense, and given their regularity, he was strongly inclined to think they were in fact, the real thing. Which left him in somewhat of a conundrum. It was still early, only a little while past dawn.
He preferred to head out earlier, since it was less crowded and the temperature more ideal. His house was also on the edge of town, chosen precisely for its isolated location. Neither of which posed an issue usually, but given the current situation, meant he had some difficulty getting help. The Melusines weren't scheduled to start their patrol yet, and normal people were probably still asleep in bed. Perhaps those buying or selling groceries from the market would already be up, but the market was located at the opposite side of town from where he was. Another contraction washed over him as he contemplated, and a voice interrupted the silence.
“Monsieur Neuvillette, could I offer my assistance? You appear to be in distress.”
Clearly picking up on the fact that Neuvillette wasn't in a position to reply just yet, he continued, “To put us on even ground, since I am already aware of your identity, I will introduce myself. My name is Zhongli, and I am from Liyue. Now that we are not complete strangers, for a start, I would like to offer you my hand to grip. No need to worry about exerting too much strength, I assure you I am more durable than I look.”
He then held his hand out, a silent offer that Neuvillette hesitated over but decided to take. The man didn't appear malicious, and the offer had been earnestly made. After he took Zhongli's hand, the man brought it to his chest. His intentions were immediately obvious when he deliberately inhaled and exhaled slowly, prompting Neuvillette to follow his pace.
He was aware of the proper techniques, but had let it fall to the wayside in his distraction. Zhongli's steadiness was reassuring. He didn't seem like a doctor, but he clearly knew what to do. He had a feeling anyone else coming across their Chief Justice in labour would have been panicking. He'd probably end up having to calm them down instead of the other way around.
“So, here are your options. We can wait here together until my husband shows up, he can probably carry you where you need to go. Or he could get someone for you, if you're not comfortable with that. Alternatively, if you'd rather not wait, I can leave now and try to get some help. I would offer to carry you myself, but I've been expressly forbidden from lifting anything heavy.”
He put his palm over his belly in illustration of his last statement, and Neuvillette realised with a start that Zhongli was also expecting. He hadn't noticed the slight swell until it was pointed out, partly due to the cutting of his robes, but he also didn't appear to be too far along.
“Stay. Please.”
Neuvillette flushed, not having intended to immediately blurt out his response, but the idea of being left alone now rankled. The human contact soothed his instincts. He'd experienced quite a few bouts of false contractions, but those had happened when he'd either been in his office or at home. Both were familiar places in which he felt safe, but the same could not be said for his current location. It was an open area, which was more ideal for catching someone's attention. Granted, he did need assistance, but the thought of the townspeople bearing witness to his vulnerability grated on him.
Zhongli acquiesced easily, lightly squeezing his hand as a seeming reminder of his presence.
“Alright. Shall we talk about our respective partners as a means of passing the time? Childe – that is, my husband – should be here in likely 15 to 30 minutes. I had a craving earlier, so he went to try to fulfill it. I doubt most Liyue dishes are available here though, so chances are he'd end up trying to cook it himself. I keep telling him I'm going to get fat, but he insists the baby needs the energy.”
His tone was unmistakably fond, and it made Neuvillette curious to know more.
“How far along are you?”
“Mmm, probably around 3 months? He was ecstatic when he found out. I do feel a little bad though. He loves to spar, you see, but once he found out I was pregnant he immediately stopped asking me to, because he was worried he'd accidentally hurt me or the baby. As for the pregnancy, we hadn't specifically been trying, but we'd both agreed it was something we wanted. I haven't really been in a position for it until recently. Having seen how he dotes on his siblings, I thought he'd be a good father too. He likes to tell me how lucky he is that he found me, but I really think it's the other way round. That it is the biggest blessing of my life to have met him.”
He got oddly choked up towards the end, and this time it was Neuvillette's turn to silently squeeze his hand in support.
“Sorry, hormones, you know. I'm not usually this sentimental, but even before we got married, I've been told I get ridiculously sappy about Childe. So needless to say, the situation has not improved. He blushes most adorably when I lavish him with compliments, which is really additional incentive. Now, enough of my rambling, would you tell me something about your partner?”
Neuvillette started slowly, he'd never really been requested to talk about Wriothesley because well...he didn't really have many people he talked to. If Lumine had asked, perhaps, but she'd already left Fontaine by the time they got together. She didn't really seem the sort to pry, anyhow, more likely Paimon would be the one bursting with questions.
“I almost feel like your husband and mine might get along. Wriothesley perhaps does not enjoy sparring as much as your Childe seems to, but he definitely stays in shape by exercising a lot. Boxing, mostly. We don't spar together, but he does like to look for me after he finishes his workouts, because well...”
He trailed off, realizing he'd almost shared too much information about their sex life with someone he'd only just met. The damage had probably been done in terms of what he'd implied. But well, they were both pregnant, it wasn't as if neither of them knew how a baby was made. He quickly got back on track.
“I think people have certain preconceptions of him, either from his reputation or his build. That's not all bad, sometimes they get intimidated enough that he doesn't actually need to resort to fighting. I've never been worried that he would hurt me. He's never used violence as a first resort, only when it's necessary in his course of work. He's not someone who enjoys inflicting pain on others. He's also more observant than people assume. He took the initiative to get me new clothes to wear when he noticed my existing ones were becoming uncomfortably snug around my belly. Neither of us are very eloquent, but he makes sure I never doubt his feelings for me through his gestures.”
He'd just finished what he was saying when Zhongli's husband showed up. Not that he recognized him, but the way Zhongli lit up made his identity fairly obvious.
“Baobei! There you are. You made a new friend?”
His tone was quizzical but not accusatory, perhaps wondering on the reason behind their linked hands. His next contraction came on right then, conveniently illustrating the explanation Zhongli was providing about why his help was needed. He agreed to let Childe carry him in the end, despite not being entirely comfortable with the idea. But Zhongli had promised to keep hold of his hand throughout, and he thought that he preferred it over the alternative.