This story was requested by LittleMissyMolly, and let me say at the beginning that it did my heart good to write this fluff. It's always a good thing to write fluff, of course, so it's no surprise that I feel giddy and happy right now. It's on the shorter side, but I hope you enjoy!

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22nd of Morning Star, 4E 204

In the middle of the night, I woke to see that Ylva was not in bed with me. I furrowed my brow in confusion. At three months pregnant, she would not have just gotten up and walked out of Jorrvaskr. Where would she have gone?

Frowning, I sat up in bed, grabbing the candlestick off the nightstand beside me. I kicked the woolen blanket off my body, preparing to stand up, when a soft voice cut through the darkness of the room.

"Why are you getting up?" asked Ylva from the far corner.

Thank the gods she was still in our room. Sighing in relief, I put the candlestick down and tiptoed towards her voice. She was sitting in her rocking chair, made for her by none other than Eorlund. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I saw the hand she stroked over the slight but visible curve of her belly, the bags under her eyes, and the slick tears on her cheeks.

Seeing her tears made my heart ache for her. "Dear one, why are you crying?"

"I don't know how to be a mother. How am I supposed to raise our baby?"

Clucking my tongue, I knelt down beside her and gently kissed her nose. "Ylva, you'll make a fine mother. How could you be anything less than amazing?"

She sniffled and shook her head. "Vilkas, why am I so emotional? I never cry this much. I don't understand."

"You're carrying a child. Your hormones are going crazy right now."

"I'm always tired. I eat too much. I feel like a bloated mammoth—"

I pressed a finger to her lips. "Ylva, stop that right now. Come back to bed. You'll feel so much better in the morning."

"My back hurts. I can't sleep." She took in a sharp, shaky breath. "I'm so tired."

With a sigh, I slipped my arms underneath her knees and behind her shoulders, lifting her out of the rocking chair. "I don't know why you're so worried about your weight, my love. You weigh so little even now."

That got a laugh out of her. "You're such a flatterer."

I returned her laugh and nuzzled my nose against hers. "Ah, my dear, it's not flattery if it's the truth." I carried her to our bed, setting her onto the mattress as gently as possible. "Remember to get some sleep. I promise everything will be better in the morning." I laid the blankets over her before crawling in on my side.

Ylva snuggled into me, burying herself under my arm. "How do you know everything will be better?"

"Because nothing lasts forever, Ylva. In just a few months, you'll have our baby, and all will be well." I closed my eyes, settling into the bed once more.

All was silent for a few minutes, then Ylva's hand traced over my bare chest. "Vilkas?"

I opened my eyes and turned to face her. "What is it?"

In the darkness, I was barely able to make out her smile. "You're going to be a wonderful father."

I smiled back, kissing her forehead. "I certainly hope so. Now go to sleep."

She giggled softly. "Yes, sir. I love you, Vilkas."

I held her close as she pressed her body into mine, her head resting on my chest, my hand on her back. "I love you, too, Ylva."

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Thanks to Liz_Danly and LittleMissyMolly, I have more than enough requests to keep me busy at the moment, but that doesn't mean I won't accept more! I love getting requests and would absolutely love to hear from you! Feel free to ask for anything, and I promise I'll do what I can with it!

Love and sweetrolls!
~WG 💙