nathaniel - The Second First

Having never been parents before, they eagerly awaited the arrival of their first child.

Even though they were staying at home, the beautiful view of the swimming pool was visible from the bedroom, thanks to the shimmer of the bright midday sunlight reflecting off the water’s surface. The lovely weather seemed to encourage everyone to approach their daily activities with a little more enthusiasm, and Nicholas was no exception. Today, Nicholas had dedicated his time to being there for Benjamin, his partner, who was now 40 weeks pregnant. According to Dr. Bennett, the obstetrician overseeing Benjamin’s pregnancy, he was expected to give birth sometime this week.

The daytime television programmes did not interest Nicholas in the slightest. He had been busy stroking Benjamin’s prominent baby bump for a while now, occasionally planting kisses on his cheek. “My sweetheart is just too adorable.” His hand moved to the lower part of Benjamin’s belly, rubbing it gently and affectionately.

“Babe, that’s more than the fifteenth time you’ve called me adorable since we woke up this morning,” Benjamin remarked with a soft chuckle.

“That’s your own fault. Who told you to be this adorable? And now that you’re so heavily pregnant, you’re a thousand times cuter.” Nicholas chuckled too, stealing a kiss on his boyfriend’s right cheek.

Instead of returning the compliment, Benjamin gave Nicholas’s cheek a gentle pinch. “So, if I weren’t pregnant, I wouldn’t be cute?” he teased. He giggled before wrapping his arms tightly around Nicholas. “Our baby will be here soon, huh? I can’t wait to meet her.” After several years together, Nicholas and Benjamin were about to become a little family of their own with the arrival of their baby girl. Since this was Benjamin’s first pregnancy, Nicholas had been extra attentive, wanting to make sure his partner had everything he needed from the beginning of the pregnancy right through to the delivery.

Nicholas burst out laughing. Benjamin had always been adorable, but today, Nicholas felt that his partner’s cuteness had reached an entirely new level. “You’re always so sweet, always so cute,” he added, using an affectionate nickname for Benjamin. Agreeing with Benjamin, Nicholas nodded gently while holding the hand of the man who was so heavily pregnant. “Me too. I can’t wait to welcome our little baby into our lives.” He planted another kiss on Benjamin’s cheek. “Thank you for carrying our first child, babe. It must be hard for you.”

Benjamin shook his head gently. “I’m happy I get to carry our baby, sweetheart.” Just like Nicholas, Benjamin had deliberately given his partner a special nickname, one originally derived from Nicholas’s full name.

A sweet smile spread across Nicholas’s face at Benjamin’s answer. He was incredibly grateful to have found his partner, and even more so to be able to have a child with him. From the very beginning of their relationship, Nicholas had wanted to build a little family with Benjamin. He was certain he wanted that only with Benjamin, especially since they were both mature enough to start a family. Nicholas’s eyes drifted towards Benjamin’s round belly, reminding him of their baby’s expected arrival date. “Babe, when did the doctor say our baby would be born?” he asked, his hand busy stroking Benjamin’s belly, which had grown larger than a watermelon. Nicholas then leaned down to plant a kiss on it. “My baby is just too precious.”

“Hmm, if I remember correctly, Dr. Bennett said sometime this week.” The doctor had given them a date, but Benjamin couldn’t remember it. He tried to recall it before giving up and scratching his head, even though it didn’t itch. “I forgot the exact date, babe.” He flashed Nicholas a bright smile, hoping his partner wouldn’t get mad at him. Though, even after thinking about it over and over, it was nearly impossible to imagine Nicholas getting angry with Benjamin over something like that. In fact, the chances of Nicholas getting angry with him over anything at all were incredibly slim. “I actually didn’t try too hard to remember the date on purpose,” Benjamin added, holding Nicholas’s hand as it continued to stroke his prominent baby bump. “That way, it’ll be a surprise!”

Benjamin’s answer immediately sent Nicholas into a fit of laughter. “Hahahaha! So the surprise will be a special gift for both of us, huh?” He took Benjamin’s hand and gently kissed the back of it.

“Exactly!” Benjamin replied with an enthusiastic nod. “Babe, hold on a second,” he said, shifting his position. After releasing his embrace around Nicholas, he got out of bed. “I need to use the bathroom first. My stomach’s hurting a little.” He walked slowly, holding his prominent belly, and declined Nicholas’s offer to help since he could still walk normally on his own. A few minutes passed. Just after using the bathroom, he began to feel a little uncomfortable in his abdomen.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Nicholas asked, noticing the change in Benjamin’s expression. His partner had never been particularly good at hiding his feelings, so Nicholas could easily spot the slight panic washing over him. He noticed that Benjamin was walking more cautiously and holding his belly more carefully as he came out of the bathroom. His gut told him that Benjamin had just experienced his first contraction. He got out of bed and walked towards Benjamin to check on him.

However, Benjamin immediately stopped him from coming any closer. “Don’t go anywhere, Nicky!” He didn’t want Nicholas to panic over the first contraction he’d just felt. After swallowing nervously, he gently rubbed his belly. “I just had a contraction,” he said quietly. “So I’m a little scared now. But don’t panic, okay? If you panic, I’ll end up crying.”

After hearing his partner explain what was happening, Nicholas decided to grab the bag containing everything they had prepared for their baby’s arrival.

Benjamin took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a moment, then looked at Nicholas as he walked towards the closet. “Nicky, don’t panic!” He was still rubbing his belly, nervously waiting for the next contraction, which would actually take quite some time to arrive. “Don’t move yet!” he called out, even though Nicholas had stopped and was standing still with the hospital bag in his hand.

“Sweetheart...” Nicholas called, hoping to calm him down.

“Don’t panic!” Benjamin interrupted, already overwhelmed by his own anxiety and confusion.

“But, babe, you’re the one who—”

“Wait a second!” Benjamin steadied his breathing, trying to calm down even as panic continued to overwhelm him. He let out a soft chuckle, then carefully walked over to Nicholas. He wrapped his arms around the older man’s arm and rested his cheek against his shoulder. “Hehe, my sweetheart. Shall we go to the hospital?”

Nicholas laughed warmly. Allowing his partner to cling to his arm, he gently kissed the top of Benjamin’s head. “Hmm, let’s get going.” For a moment, he considered telling Benjamin that they should start timing his contractions, but decided against it because he didn’t want to make him panic. After waiting for Benjamin and helping his beloved pregnant partner change clothes, Nicholas took his hand and led him to the car. They then set off for the nearby hospital.

As a devoted father-to-be who wanted to be prepared for anything, Nicholas had booked a delivery room at the hospital well in advance, just in case their little bundle of love was ready to enter the world sooner than expected. Once they arrived, Nicholas guided Benjamin inside and asked the nurse on duty to help escort his beloved to the delivery room.

Nervousness made Benjamin’s heart pound so hard that it felt as though it might leap right out of his chest. He looked around, taking in the nurses and Dr. Bennett, the obstetrician who had been overseeing his pregnancy. He also noticed several pieces of equipment that he assumed would be used during the delivery. The moment Nicholas entered the delivery room after finishing the admission paperwork, Benjamin’s face instinctively broke into a smile. He felt much calmer and safer with his partner by his side.

“Sweetheart,” Nicholas murmured gently, taking Benjamin’s hand and softly stroking it as he lay on the delivery bed. He kissed the back of Benjamin’s hand several times before leaning in to whisper in his ear. “It’s okay, babe. I’m right here with you. For you and our baby.” Nicholas knew all too well how easily his partner could panic over even the smallest things, and now Benjamin was facing one of the biggest moments of their lives. He sat right beside the bed, gently stroking the hand of his heavily pregnant partner, which he held firmly in his own.

Another contraction came, making Benjamin wince softly at the pain in his abdomen. He turned his head towards Nicholas and squeezed his partner’s hand rather tightly.

“Hurts, doesn’t it, sweetheart?” Nicholas asked, even though he already knew the answer. Before Benjamin could respond, he pressed a gentle kiss to the lips of the man experiencing the contraction. He let the kiss linger for a few moments, hoping it would help Benjamin feel a little calmer. “You’re doing amazing, babe. You’re going to give birth to the cutest little baby,” he said, a sweet smile spreading across his face. “Breathe, sweetheart. Take slow breaths, okay? Just listen to what the doctor says.” He gently stroked Benjamin’s head, repeatedly pressing kisses to the man he loved so dearly as he prepared to give birth to their child.

Benjamin, who would normally crack jokes to hide his nervousness, could now only groan whenever another wave of contractions hit. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

“Mr. Benjamin, would you like to try walking around for a bit?” Dr. Bennett suggested to the anxious couple, who were also growing increasingly impatient to meet their first child. “Moving around can sometimes help labour progress.”

Benjamin answered with a slight nod. Nicholas immediately sprang into action, helping his partner get off the delivery bed before guiding him around the room. He kept one arm wrapped firmly but carefully around Benjamin’s body. He gently rubbed Benjamin’s prominent baby bump and kissed his sweet face. “It’s okay, sweetheart. Hurting, huh? Here, let me share some of that pain with you,” Nicholas murmured, holding Benjamin’s hand and letting him squeeze it whenever another contraction struck. “I love you. Hang in there, my sweet Ben,” he added softly.

“This hurts so much.” Benjamin let out a sigh, squeezing Nicholas’s hand tightly as his partner held on to his. Meanwhile, his prominent baby bump showed no signs of feeling any better, despite Nicholas’s loving strokes and gentle caresses. He tried to regulate his breathing as he walked around the bed where he would soon give birth. “Ssshh, sweetheart,” he whimpered. At times like this, he couldn’t help feeling as though he was putting Nicholas through so much trouble, even though it was highly unlikely that his partner would ever see it that way. More than anything, he just hoped the delivery would go smoothly without any significant complications. His belly felt heavier, and his legs were growing increasingly sore. “Doctor, can I get back on the bed now? I can’t keep walking anymore.”

Dr. Bennett nodded, giving Benjamin permission to return to the delivery bed. Of course, Nicholas and one of the nurses on duty helped him back onto it.

Benjamin let out a strained sigh, frustrated as he struggled to endure the increasingly unbearable pain in his abdomen. He held Nicholas’s hand tightly while Dr. Bennett checked how far his cervix had dilated. His eyes met Nicholas’s, and a faint smile appeared on both their faces, as though they were silently reassuring each other that everything would be all right. When Dr. Bennett announced that Benjamin was fully dilated, there was no avoiding it anymore. He would have to go through the delivery. “Sweetheart,” he called softly to Nicholas.

“Yes, sweetheart?” Nicholas answered. “I’m right here. Take a deep breath, okay? Everything is going to be fine. Our baby will be here soon, right?” he added, trying to reassure Benjamin. One hand rested on his partner’s belly, stroking it gently and lovingly. It felt as though only yesterday he had received the news that Benjamin was pregnant. Yet months had already passed, and within a matter of hours, he might finally get to welcome their little one into the world. He looked at Benjamin, feeling both worried and a little guilty seeing his beloved partner suffer so much. “You can do this, Ben.”

Benjamin took a deep breath, keeping his eyes on Nicholas as he waited for Dr. Bennett’s instructions. “Mmmhh, it hurts.”

“Mr. Benjamin, you can start pushing now. Take a deep breath, then push slowly,” Dr. Bennett instructed. He gently positioned Benjamin’s legs apart before applying a little pressure to his abdomen to assist with the delivery. He could see how nervous his patient was, perhaps even frightened, since this was his first time giving birth. He then signalled to Nicholas to keep Benjamin calm.

“Come on, sweetheart. You can do this, Ben.” Nicholas gently stroked Benjamin’s hand and kissed his beloved partner on the forehead. Less than a second later, his hand was squeezed tightly as Benjamin began pushing to deliver their baby. He whispered words of encouragement, occasionally kissing Benjamin’s cheek. He was terribly worried, but he didn’t want Benjamin to notice, knowing that it might make his partner panic, or worse, grow even more anxious, since he was so easily unsettled by things like that.

Benjamin could feel their baby moving lower inside him as he pushed, making her way towards and through the birth canal. “NNNNNGHHHH!” he groaned loudly, squeezing Nicholas’s hand to cope with the pain he was feeling down below. He pushed again, feeling the opening of his birth canal stretching around the baby’s head, which had been ready to enter the world for hours. “Sweetheart,” Benjamin murmured, calling Nicholas softly as he looked into his face, “I’m scared.” Looking down at his own prominent belly, still covered by his hospital gown, and at Dr. Bennett’s masked face, Benjamin tried to chase away the fear and worry filling his mind. He took another deep breath, exhaled, and pushed again. “AAARGHHHH! It hurts, Doctor!” The baby’s head began pressing against the opening of Benjamin’s birth canal. Though it happened gradually, he still felt an overwhelming, burning pain in his lower body. His eyes squeezed shut, and both his legs trembled violently from the contractions and the agonizing process of the baby’s head emerging through the birth canal. Benjamin winced and released Nicholas’s hand so he could rub his own belly. He cried out in pain, yet continued trying to push whenever another contraction hit. “UNNNGHHHH! HAAAHHH, it hurts so much, sweetheart,” he sobbed to Nicholas. Benjamin had read dozens of articles and watched countless educational videos about childbirth, but none of that could simply lessen his pain and anxiety, let alone make them disappear.

Standing right beside his partner as he struggled to give birth, Nicholas understood that his role was to offer as much support as he possibly could. He placed one hand on Benjamin’s large belly and the other on his hair, gently brushing it back from his face. Whenever Benjamin complained about the pain, Nicholas could only nod to show that he understood before kissing the pregnant man’s forehead and whispering words he hoped would help him feel a little calmer. “I know, sweetheart. I know it must hurt so much.” Seeing the pain etched across Benjamin’s face was almost unbearable for Nicholas. He wished their baby’s delivery could be over soon so Benjamin wouldn’t have to suffer any longer. At the same time, however, he understood that they both had to go through this process to begin their own happy little family.

Dr. Bennett noticed that the baby’s head, which had briefly appeared, slipped back inside when Benjamin stopped pushing. However, he didn’t want to frighten the young man. Rather than telling Benjamin directly what had happened, he chose to offer some more encouraging words instead. “Good job, Benjamin. Push again, this time a little harder,” Dr. Bennett instructed. “Take a deep breath, then push.”

Benjamin followed Dr. Bennett’s instructions carefully, taking a deep breath while Nicholas breathed alongside him. “WHOOOO, HAAAHHH, UNNNGHHHH!” Benjamin groaned immediately after inhaling. His hand squeezed Nicholas’s tightly again, even harder than before. Slowly, the baby’s head pushed forward, stretching Benjamin’s birth canal wider. “MMMMMHHHH, IT HURTS!” He felt an intense, burning pain in his lower body. Both his legs trembled as he continued trying to push, determined to deliver the child he and Nicholas had conceived together.

“Shhh, it’s okay, sweetheart. You’re doing amazing. Just a little more, okay?” Nicholas whispered right into Benjamin’s ear, trying to soothe him. His hand felt as though it might break under the force of his partner’s grip, but he figured that was nothing compared to whatever Benjamin was going through. He wasn’t the one experiencing the pain of childbirth, so his priority was making sure Benjamin felt safe and comfortable. “Baby, don’t be naughty with Daddy, okay? Daddy’s working so hard to bring you into the world right now,” he said, gently rubbing Benjamin’s large belly. He placed more kisses on Benjamin’s forehead and cheek, hoping they would ease his anxiety and fear.

Nicholas’s words couldn’t magically make Benjamin’s pain disappear. Still, they helped him feel a little more comfortable and confident about getting through the labor he was enduring. “WHEEEWWW, UNNGHHHH, PLEASE, DOCTOR! AAAAAARGGHHH!” He let out a loud groan as the baby’s head pressed against his opening, forcing the narrow passage to stretch to its widest point.

Dr. Bennett quickly stepped in to help Benjamin, carefully holding the edges of his opening to make sure the baby’s head didn’t slip back inside. “Push again, Benjamin. The head is almost out.”

“UNNNNGGHHHHHH!” Benjamin pushed with all his strength. His body was already drenched in sweat, and the burning, stretching pressure down below no longer seemed enough to hold him back. With one final, powerful push, he successfully delivered the baby’s head completely through his birth canal. He was panting heavily, his gaze fixed on his partner, whom he caught smiling tenderly through his tears. They had spent hours in the delivery room. Benjamin’s struggle would soon be rewarded.

“Benjamin, the head is out,” Dr. Bennett announced, busy cleaning the baby’s face with the help of one of the attending nurses. “When you feel the next contraction, we’ll push again, all right?”

Once again, Nicholas couldn’t resist showering Benjamin’s face with kisses. He kissed his nose, forehead, both cheeks, and the lips of the man he loved most. “You’re amazing, sweetheart. Come on, just a little more.” The smile never left Nicholas’s face. If anything, it grew brighter at the thought that he would soon be holding the baby they had been waiting months to meet.

Not long afterward, Benjamin felt another contraction in his abdomen and instinctively began pushing again. “NNNNNGHHHH!” This time, he felt a little calmer than before. He was relieved that the most difficult part of childbirth was behind him. The baby’s head and body had turned to align with Benjamin’s birth canal. Having grown accustomed to the contractions that came at regular intervals, Benjamin was able to prepare himself and regulate his breathing. Although his entire body felt as though it had been put through the wringer, he trusted that the delivery would go smoothly to the very end, thanks to Nicholas, who remained faithfully by his side.

As he wrapped an arm around Benjamin’s shoulders while his partner fought with all his strength, Nicholas deliberately let him squeeze his hand as hard as he needed to, giving him an outlet for his pain. “Take a deep breath, then push again. Give it everything you’ve got, sweetheart. Just a little more, and we’ll get to meet our baby.”

“MMMMMHHHH, AAAAARGGHHHHHH!”

“Just a little more, Benjamin. Take a deep breath, then push as hard as you can.” The baby’s shoulders had nearly emerged several times, only to slip back inside whenever Benjamin took a breath and stopped pushing.

Benjamin’s left hand squeezed Nicholas’s tightly, while his right hand rubbed the lower part of his own large belly. He tried to regulate his breathing and focus on delivering the little girl who had grown, been nurtured, and lived so comfortably inside his womb all this time. He no longer felt pain as intensely as before, whether because the pain itself had eased or because he had grown accustomed to the many sensations his body had experienced throughout labor. Hearing the words of encouragement from both Dr. Bennett and Nicholas, Benjamin chose not to speak much, saving all his energy for pushing. Even so, he could still respond to them with a smile and a nod. Benjamin took a deep breath, then pushed again with all his might. “MMMPHHH, UNNNGGHHHHH! AAAAAARGGHHHHH!”

Within seconds, the cries of their newborn filled the delivery room. Nicholas wrapped his arms around Benjamin and showered his face with kisses. “Thank you so much, sweetheart. Our baby is finally here. You’re the best to me. I love you so much,” he said, unable to hold back his emotions. He smiled broadly as he stroked his partner’s hair, his chest nearly bursting with pride and happiness.

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. I love you, too,” Benjamin replied in a somewhat faint voice, having exhausted nearly all his energy giving birth. He gently held and caressed Nicholas’s hand, pressing kisses to each of his knuckles. “Actually, let me take that back. I mean, I love you more.”