freetogoodhome | We stand in awe, we've created life

We stand in awe, we've created life

Characters: Norman Jayden and Ethan Mars
Fandom: Heavy Rain
Rating: PG (may rise to R if they decide to do the do)
Summary: It's Norman's birthday, and after Shaun's gone to bed Ethan has a surprise of his own for his lover. (set in mpregniverse)

Norman had been reluctant to acquiesce to Ethan's request to let him cook dinner just because it was Norman's birthday, but while Ethan's nose had remained sensitive, his stomach seemed to have toughened up over the last few weeks, and dinner was delicious and a hit with everyone. Norman didn't think 36 was that big of a deal - he'd already vowed to Ethan a couple of days in advance that any birthday plans would be returned upon him tenfold on Ethan's own 40th in less than a month. But it turned out that his fears were unfounded, the evening was a quiet one with just the three of them, and the only way you could have known it was someone's birthday was by the cake and ice cream they had for dessert.

As a result, Norman was in high spirits as he loaded the dishes that had been soaking since dinner into the dishwasher while Ethan put Shaun to bed.

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Ethan quietly closed Shaun's door behind him, smiling at his boy's curled form beneath his blankets. Normally he wouldn't let Shaun eat all that sugar so late at night but birthdays were an exception.

He padded his way to Norman's side in the kitchen as he finished cleaning up. Ethan leaned against the counter and watched his lover with a peaceful sort of adoration. The truth was, there was a nice little present he had saved for him- well, two, actually. One was wrapped up and held in his hand behind his back.

"You ready for your real presents, birthday boy?" Ethan's voice was low and quiet, his tone and words not meant for Shaun's ears.

Norman noticed Ethan's presence next to him, but the only acknowledgment he gave as Ethan watched him in silence was a quiet hum and a widening of the smile on his face. Finally, as he closed the dishwasher and turned the dial, Ethan spoke, and Norman turned to his lover, leaning against the counter himself.

"Depends on what kind of presents it is," he said, going in for a gentle peck on the lips. "I told you not to go to any trouble on my account." His own voice was kept low as well. He couldn't help but notice the radiance that just sort of effused Ethan's person lately - he'd thought the Glow was a myth, but damn Ethan was proving him wrong on that. And there was a certain promise in the low tone of Ethan's voice that intrigued Norman into wanting to know more.

They had been living together for around half a year now so they were pretty familiar with being around each other. Ethan actually felt a little odd when Norman wasn't around, like he was an extension of himself to some degree. Never mind that he was carrying a part of his lover with him now.

"No present for you could ever cause me trouble." Damn but Ethan couldn't stop smiling. He'd been doing a lot more of that lately, especially since his stomach seemed to have settled.

"Here," he whispered and leaned in to return that brief kiss as he slid the small package into Norman's hand. It was a white box not quite the size of his hand, tied together with a red ribbon. Nestled inside were those requested wallet-sized copies of all his ultrasounds up to this point. At the bottom there was also a color photo of Norman, Shaun, and himself on the vacation they'd taken before he'd felt "sick."

Norman felt his ears burn a little at Ethan's earnest statement. He'd never had a partner really half as devoted as Ethan (or who he was half as devoted to, for that matter), and even after six months he was still sometimes surprised when Ethan said things like that.

"You're gonna make me blush," he said, but his accent muddled it to a bashful "Yuh gunna make me blush" in the decreasing space between their lips before his asked-for kiss was granted. His eyebrows raised when he felt the unyielding corners of the little box pressed into his palm, but his fingers closed and when the kiss broke he looked down at the little white package. His fingers toyed with the red ribbon like he was trying to curb the childlike desire to just go for it, but that part won out nonetheless and he pulled the ribbon until the bow gave and he could take the lid off.

His touch was delicate but his fingers trembled a little as he took the pictures from the box and carefully examined each one. There was no word to describe the warmth that welled in his chest at the sight of the little body curled on the grainy ultrasound photos, but the dam holding back the flood of emotion threatened to break when he saw the picture of him, Ethan, and Shaun. He let out a quiet laugh.

"I've got something to show off to everyone who'll give me five minutes," he murmured lightly, and meant it, looking up at Ethan with pride and gratitude in his eyes. Two years ago he had given up on ever having a family of his own, and here he was with a caring lover, a great (practically) stepson, and a new baby on the way. The thought of how much had changed for the better made a lump rise in his throat. "Thank you, Ethan..."

Ethan just smiled confidently at that and gave an affectionate rub to Norman's upper arm.

"Oh, yeah? You're cute when you blush, Norman," he told him straight out. And really, he was. Norman was especially attractive to Ethan in moments like this.

Complimenting Norman in an intimate manner was something that was difficult for Ethan at first, not certain what might be interpreted as insulting or just odd. It didn't take too long for it to come naturally, however, and Norman had been quite receptive.

Ethan's bright blue eyes watched Norman as he looked at his present now, never straying from his face. He was relieved he liked it and a pleasant feeling warmed his chest when he heard that laugh.

"Only five?" he joked and came up to his lover's side, leaning against him and putting an arm around his back. "You're welcome."

He focused his gaze on the photos finally and pointed to the color one. "You remember this day?" His voice was getting quieter as he continued, "The way we celebrated the night before we left. It seems to check out, Norman. I think that's the day I conceived."

Norman decided to cut off further compliments with a kiss instead of further protest, gently pressing his lips to Ethan's in the universal affectionate gesture of sshhh honey shhhh. When he pulled away his ears were burning beet red, but he smiled.

He could feel Ethan's eyes on him as he went through the pictures, and that only drove it home more the full gravity of the gift. The pictures were just the physical representation of the real gift - a family. It was the best gift he could receive. He leaned a little into the arm around his back.

"At minimum," he replied. "But I've got to get some work done," he added lightly. He followed Ethan's attention back to the photos, and especially the color one. "How could I forget?" he asked, his own voice dropping low to match Ethan's. And then the gravity of what Ethan said next sunk in, and his eyes widened. "...Are you sure?" was the only question he could think of to ask. Which, admittedly, was a valid question, since they did...have a lot of sex. But wow, if Ethan was right, that was... Really romantic, actually. (Not that that night hadn't been romantic enough as it was.)

Ethan was effectively silenced by Norman's lips but it didn't take away the satisfied look on his face. It wasn't his fault it was so easy to embarrass Norman, after all.

"Well, I'm no doctor but it just seems... right," Ethan admitted. "But I guess we'll never know for sure."

Four months ago really was about the last time their sexual intimacy was regular and frequent. Ethan knew that Norman was feeling it since he himself was and he was the one who hadn't even felt up to it most of the time since then.

Ethan brought a hand up to his own chest and scratched an itch up near his collarbone.

"I have one more present for you too," he spoke, leaning in close to Norman's ear. "Let me show you in the bedroom."

It wasn't Norman's fault that even after about six months, intimacy was still like a foreign language in which he wasn't quite yet fluent. He would let Ethan have his satisfied look, though, with a sheepish smile on his own face.

"No, you're right," Norman said, sensing Ethan drawing back from his earlier conviction and deciding to not let him get away. He slipped his own arm around Ethan's lower back, under Ethan's arm, his fingers curling lightly around Ethan's hip. "It does seem right."

Norman hadn't been affected by the dry spell as much as Ethan might've thought - after all, before their relationship became sexual he hadn't gotten any (or even been interested, really) in two years at least. A few months of infrequent but still awesome sex romps barely registered as a dry spell so much as it was just giving him more to look forward to next time.

That said, the warm breath and the promise held in Ethan's voice in his ear sent a chill down his spine. "Oh?" he asked in a low voice, deciding to play innocent. "Can I get a hint on the way?"

Likewise, Ethan thought much more of Norman's sexual skills than Norman seemed to. Norman's hands and voice in particular had quite a record of affecting him.

When that arm came around him Ethan wanted little more than to press in against Norman and find his lips again. Doing so, however, might ruin his last surprise. He held back, mouth slightly open to accommodate his way his breathing was picking up. Norman's arm was warm and tempting around him.

"Sometimes I still can't believe this is happening," he confessed though still with a bit of a smile.

Then he felt that shiver and boy was it time to get to the bedroom and fast.

Ethan really did not want to give much of a hint and ruin the surprise but for all he knew Norman may have already noticed. It didn't seem like him, though, to notice that and not comment. Ethan began to withdraw from him and tug on his arm.

"It's hiding in plain sight," he told him just before turning around and leading the way.

Norman was a master at noticing little details (or so he liked to think), and one thing that definitely didn't evade his notice was the way that Ethan's breathing picked up a little in response to the arm around him.

"Me either," he replied to the confession, with a light smile himself.

He lamented the loss of the warm body at his side, but his desire to wrap his arms around Ethan and pull him back for more nuzzles and kisses was curbed by the hand on his arm pulling him toward the bedroom.

The hint was curious. It didn't really lead to the same conclusion that he had already drawn about what the surprise might be, unless Ethan was referring to the signs of his arousal, in which case he was doing a pretty poor job of hiding them. Norman elected to stay silent and thoughtful as they crossed the apartment to the bedroom, but he did slide his hand down Ethan's back lightly to slip into the back pocket of his "mom jeans" (as the forgiving-waisted denim pants - a pair that Ethan already owned but hardly wore before now - were lovingly referred to) and cup his behind with a mischievous squeeze.

At least it was certain that Norman was better at picking out fine details than the lieutenant. If he weren't, Ethan was pretty sure he'd still be a single man with a broken family right now.

Ethan noticed how Norman's fingers twitched in that way they usually did when he wanted to touch him. It did the older man a lot of good to see that he was still desirable, particularly in light of his current condition.

As if Ethan could have hidden it when Norman turned him on. When he himself had begun to notice the effect the other man was having on him he panicked just a little, wondering if his budding feelings were inappropriate or even completely incompatible with anything that Norman would have wanted. It had started out a little rough, Ethan finding himself accidentally giving voice to thoughts that he both did and did not mean to share.

But now that they were not only living together but also expecting a child together, what point was there in hiding anything? Aside from a hopefully pleasant surprise, of course.

Ethan really should have expected that playful touch to his ass but he jumped all the same.

"Norman," he attempted to chastise him with a loud whisper. It ended up sounding more aroused than bothered, however. Ethan half-turned and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.

"Sit on the bed for me, love. And close your eyes."

Oh don't talk older like you're some kind of cradle robber, four years is nothing to the big picture. Norman didn't know about his little tell when he just wanted nothing more than to not take his hands, let alone his eyes off of his lover. But if he had known, there was no point in trying to hide it.

His smile quickly turned into a cheeky grin when he was caught red-handed with his hand in Ethan's pocket, withdrawing it with a laugh when he was chastised. He was just a fraction too slow to intercept the kiss with his lips, so he followed Ethan and planted a peck on his lips instead.

"Only for you," Norman replied gently, meaning Ethan was one of the few people in the world he trusted with his eyes closed. Old habits died hard and all. His fingers twitched again as he went to do as asked, his hands on the sheet on either side of him and his face tilted up to present his closed eyes and trusting smile for his lover's approval. "Should I be worried about what kind of a surprise this is?" he asked lightly.

It was certainly better than any kind of residual trembling from his drug addiction. It really wasn't so bad having Norman addicted to Ethan instead.

Ethan loved the sound of Norman's laughter. The somewhat high-pitched sound was rather infectious once you got him going and never failed to bring a smile to Ethan's face. The pursuit of his lips made him want to sneak into Norman's arms and kiss him silly, to hear that little sound he'd make when he felt his stubble.

But not just yet. Ethan watched his lover do as he asked and the ease with which he did it sent a wave of warmth beneath his belt.

He closed the door quietly and switched on the lamp at their bedside to cast a soft light. Ethan failed to resist the urge to cup Norman's cheek in his hand for just a moment.

"No, you're going to like it," he answered with a hint of amusement. Once he drew his hand back, Ethan stood sideways in front of Norman, feeling this was the easiest way to tell the difference. He reached down and took one of his lover's hands in his own and carefully brought it up to rest on his stomach, just below his chest. Ethan's hand guided it down slowly over the soft cotton of his shirt, letting Norman feel the much more noticeable way his belly curved outward now.

Ethan was starting to show and that was the real present he wanted to share.

"Open your eyes," he whispered, now willing to have Norman get the full effect.

To Norman, who couldn't grow a beard to save his life, his lover's stubble - even fainter as it was now that Ethan was pregnant - was more of a turn-on than he had expected. He had never had a gay panic when the relationship was slowly becoming more than just friendly, it was the lapse in professionalism and all the personal reasons why Norman hadn't wanted to involve someone else in his life that held him back at first. Not to mention, Norman didn't want to be responsible for making Ethan question his sexuality.

Norman waited (not exactly patiently) for Ethan, following the sound of Ethan moving from the door, to the bedside table, but the gentle hand brushing his cheek startled him because his senses had been focused on the soft light seeping through his eyelids. He smiled at the contact and leaned into the hand, feeling its loss when Ethan stepped back. The warm hands guiding his own were the first thing Norman noticed, but the second was the warmth seeping through the soft cotton, the taut skin underneath. He felt the curve under his hand, but it wasn't until he was allowed to open his eyes that he realized the full gravity of it.

He was speechless, his hand remaining on Ethan's belly where it was left. He had objectively noticed Ethan getting bigger, but the change had been so gradual that he hadn't realized it. He sucked in a breath, and when he spoke he sounded a little awed.

"So this was what you meant by hiding in plain sight." He shifted his hand and lifted the other to get Ethan a bit closer, close enough that Norman could lean forward and press a kiss to Ethan's belly.

In the end Norman was indeed responsible for that but certainly at this point it didn't really matter. Man or woman, Ethan would have fallen for Norman either way.

He carefully watched Norman as he took in what he was offering his senses. That hand was almost uncharacteristically still on his stomach once he opened his eyes and Ethan didn't realize that he was holding his breath.

There was nothing that could have kept Ethan from coming closer to him at that moment. He turned to face him fully and felt a slew of good emotions flow through him at Norman's voice and the gentle touch of his lips through his shirt.

"Did you notice?" It wasn't as if Norman had been keeping his hands off of him- he hadn't been very good at that even when he wasn't pregnant. As for Ethan, even he could miss a couple of changes now and then, though (and Ethan wasn't ready to admit this) it could have been the beginning signs of having pregnancy brain.

Deciding that he would prefer Norman's hands and lips directly touching his skin, Ethan pulled off his shirt, taking special care as it passed by his sensitive nipples. Ethan was reaching that stage where he was comfortable again with his body and the way it looked though he wasn't quite feeling sexy just yet. Still, Norman seemed pretty interested and Ethan was more than willing to indulge him.

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We stand in awe, we've created life

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