After nine months, Marinette is finally going into labor... and despite all the preparations that have been made... Adrien is having a mental breakdown. But it's all worth it in the end when he gets to meet the baby.

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Two words: absolute misery.

That was all Adrien felt as he paced back and forth in the hall outside of the bedroom where, behind that closed wooden door, Marinette was currently screaming at the top of her lungs, and he was the one having a mental breakdown—yet he wasn't even the one giving birth! Marinette's sisters were all just as anxious as he was too. Elizabeth, with a scared expression etched into her features, was leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, Krissy was biting her nails as she sat on the floor with her knees pulled up to her chest, and little Emily had her face buried in Krissy's lap, crying softly because she was just that innocent that she feared the worst. It didn't help that he could hear the pain in her cries, his hands itching to do something to help relieve her pain. It only made him more anxious knowing that there wasn't anything he could do to help, and that he wasn't even allowed in the room so that he could at least hold her hand and encourage her through the process. The maid servants had forbade it; insisting that he would only be in the way and that his 'weak stomach' wouldn't be of much help.

Adrien grunted to himself. He did not have a weak stomach.

Nonetheless, he was feeling incredibly miserable, though he figured he really had no room to complain considering his wife probably felt a hundred times worse. But he wanted to be by her side. He had told her before she had gone into labor that he would be. He'd been ready to hold her hand the entire way and whisper encouraging words every time she was told to push. But now Marinette was currently going through it all alone, and if it wasn't because he was told otherwise already, he would have knocked down the door.

"She will be okay." Elizabeth said, though her words did nothing to make him feel any better. It didn't even sound like she believed them herself. "Marinette is strong."

Adrien didn't disagree, but that didn't mean his worrying subsided. A million things could go wrong. A thousand scenarios that were already wracked in his mind began to list themselves against his will. What if Marinette had a miscarriage? What if the baby was a still born? What if the baby was born sick? What if the baby caused Marinette to have complications—complications that involved future pregnancies?

He tried to steady his breathing. Once again he was jumping to assumptions that Marinette would want to have more children. What if she didn't? What if Nathaniel's offspring was the only child he and Marinette would raise? Of course, the opportunity to be a father to someone was a blessing to Adrien nonetheless, but he also wanted children of his own blood. Children of his and Marinette's own blood. He wanted biological children too.

He wondered if Marinette did too.

The sound of a screaming babe broke him out of his thoughts, and Adrien instantly jumped in both fear and excitement. He was honestly about to tear down the door for himself, had it not been for one of the maid servants who opened it before he could, giving him a reassuring smile that concluded all had gone well. Adrien wasted no time in rushing inside, his grin wide the moment he spotted Marinette.

And the little bundle in her arms.

His heart stopped for what felt like an eternity. Marinette must've noticed his shock because when she turned her head to look at him, the smile she offered him was fond and welcoming, assuring him that he was more than welcome to take a closer look.

So he did. Slowly, Adrien made it over to her side.

He fell to his knees at the edge of the bed, his eyes slowly focused on the bundle.

Without a single word spoken between them, Marinette gently reached up to move some of the blanket out of the way. When the baby's scrunched up little face came into view, Adrien held his breath. The child looked exactly like Marinette, which had him grinning before he even realized it. The baby had her skin, fare in color and covered in freckles, and the hair on his head was dark and abundant. The child had her nose, her lips, chubby, flushed, little cheeks, and even the same cute, little pout Marinette tended to have whenever she got upset.

The baby looked just like its mother.

"It is a boy." Marinette whispered, and with that said, his eyes turned to finally find hers, still in awe at that they were sharing this moment together. Marinette seemed to have that same idea in mind, her smile having yet to fade as she poured all of her emotion into the look they shared with each other. "I want to name him Charles."

"You can name him whatever you want. That sounds like the perfect name for him." Adrien said instantly, assuring her that the name was entirely her decision—and he supported whatever she chose. "He is your son, after all."

"He is our son." Marinette said gently as she reached over to place her hand on top of his. Adrien's eyes slowly fell to their touching hands. With a soft smile of his own, he moved his hand so that he could interlace their fingers.

"Of course." His thumb ran over the top of her hand smoothly. "He is beautiful, Marinette."

"Of course he is, he looks just like me."

Adrien chuckled, glad that she seemed well enough and in good spirits to crack a joke. He leaned down to press a chaste kiss to her cheek. "You did a wonderful job, my love. I am so proud of you." He murmured against her skin.

"Thank you." Marinette leaned into his touch, her head lolling slowly lolling to the side as if she were falling asleep, which wouldn't be a surprise because he was sure she was tired after giving birth. She pressed her face into the crook of his neck, resting most of her weight on his shoulder, and he didn't mind. In fact, he shifted only so that it would be more comfortable for her—even if his feet fell asleep in the process. "You know..." She mumbled softly against his skin, her breath tickling his neck. "I have always considered myself to be a woman who could do anything she set her mind to, but a part of me was worried that I would not be able to do this."

"But you did." He mumbled back. "You did, and you did amazing. I wish they would have let me stay in the room with you. I wanted to be by your side."

"Oh you might want to reconsider that thought." Marinette chuckled tiredly, "I do not know if your stomach would have been able to handle the reality of childbirth."

Adrien grunted at that, his lips turning down into a pout. "Why does everyone keep insisting I have such a weak stomach?"

Marinette chuckled weakly, and he knew it was because she was tired. He turned his head to press a kiss to her forehead. "Get some sleep, love. You deserve it."

His wife hummed softly. "Will you lay beside me?"

She didn't have to ask him twice. Adrien stood to his feet and gently helped to scoot her over, the baby in her arms grunting in discontent at the movement, but remaining latched onto her breast as he nursed. Adrien then lifted the covers as he moved to lay beside her, throwing the covers back over her lower half and his own. As soon as he was settled beside her, Marinette moved to lean her head against his shoulder. His arm came around behind her to hold her.

He couldn't contain his fond smile as he watched the little boy in her arms.

He found himself closing his eyes as well when Marinette snuggled closer, simply enjoying the closeness he was able to share with her and their child. His smile never faltered, because having a family with the love of his life was all he could've ever dreamed of.

His smile only widened humorlessly when he heard voices outside of the room.

"How dare you tell me that I cannot see my great-nephew!"

He recognized that demanding voice anywhere. That was Aunt Lillian.

He chuckled to himself, his eyes turning up to the ceiling in the room.

If Aunt Lillian was already considering the child to be a part of her family, he had a pretty good feeling things would only look up from here on out.

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