Feb'21 - First Dates (FIC) (Patreon)

gosh sorry this took so long to finish! i was just not in the headspace to write for so long. so forgive me if this isnt my best work! but here we go, the written prompt for febs rewards!

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It had taken Connor much longer than he was willing to admit to find something to wear that still fit and didn’t look terrible. At nine months pregnant, he was kicking himself for ever thinking of trying to date during his pregnancy. He was doing his best to try to find someone willing to look him in the eye instead of ogling his belly for the duration of the date, and he had high hopes for tonight’s date.

He’d prepared Ryan beforehand, telling him candidly about being pregnant and the troubles he’d had before. They’d shared plenty of enjoyable conversations over the weeks on the dating app he'd signed up for back when his ex up and left after he told them he was keeping the baby. Now, finally, they had agreed to meet at a nice restaurant and have dinner while getting to know each other more, and Connor was desperately hoping the night went well. He didn’t think he’d make it on any more dates after this one, already so close to his due date as it was.

He made it to the restaurant just a little later than he meant to, having struggled to get dressed and needing to catch his breath every so often along the way, and finally having had to park his car in an inconveniently far spot thanks to the restaurant's popular location. After all his effort he finally made it inside, happy to hear that his date was already waiting for him. The waitress led Connor to a table where Ryan stood up to greet him, leaving Conner wildly impressed that he looked even better in person.

“Hey, sorry to make you wait, I’m a little slow these days,” Conner laughed awkwardly, patting his heavy belly. It had dropped a few days prior, and only felt heavier by the day.

“Don’t worry about it, it’s worth the wait,” Ryan smiled at him, both of them taking a seat at the table and reaching for the menus.

“So. have you eaten here before?” Connor asked, trying to catch his breath still while also trying to shake off the anxious jitter in his body.

“No, but I’ve heard good things about this place so I’ve always wanted to try it out,” Ryan said, “Didn’t have any trouble finding it, did you?”

“Only when trying to find a parking spot, really street parking was such a mistake,” Connor groaned, rubbing his temple at the resurgence of stress from driving around the block in circles looking for a spot to park. “I don’t usually try to flex my pregnancy struggles, but seriously, they couldn’t have made the parking slightly more accessible?”

Ryan gave him an apologetic smile, and nodded. “Sorry about that, I didn’t think of that when I booked the place.”

“No, no, it’s not your fault,” Connor smiled, “Don’t even worry about it.”

They sat reading and chatting over the menu for a while, Connor absently running his hand along the tight curve of his stomach, feeling the restless stirring of his baby inside but trying to not let it bother him. His hurried jog to the restaurant had left the baby restless and active, and he struggled to school his expression every time a sharp pain rocketed up his spine, not wanting to alarm his date by his frustrated passenger.

Though as time passed it became harder and harder to ignore the increasingly painful jabs he felt in his stomach, the baby would twist and kick inside him and then his stomach would clench up painfully, forcing him to bite his tongue and pretend that nothing was wrong until the pain passed and the baby resumed kicking at his womb again.

They ordered their meals, and continued to chat, getting to know each other like, where they worked and basic facts about each other. Ryan seemed sweet, never pushing Connor too far into uncomfortable conversations, and only looking slightly confused anytime Connor hissed at another sharp pain when it caught him off guard before he laughed it off as just a pregnant thing.

Their meals were brought out, and even though it smelled and looked delicious, Connor could only force himself to swallow small bites of it, his stomach roiling and clenching too much for him to eat anymore without fear of it returning on him.

“Sorry, sometimes I don’t get to decide when I’m hungry, this little monster does instead,” Connor gave a weary sigh, placing a hand atop his bump and leaning back in his seat. His eyebrows knit with a frown and he closed his eyes as he felt his stomach clench again, pain swelling inside him as he breathed steadily through his nose.

“Must be tough having someone else dictate your life like that, but don’t force yourself to eat just because of me or anything,” Ryan said, but Connor was barely listening now.

His stomach is squeezing tighter and tighter than it has all night, and Connor bit down on his lip to prevent any pained noises from escaping him. He bared through it as best he could, waiting for it to pass, when suddenly a hot liquid burst from between his thighs, the pressure in his belly instantly shifting as he felt his underwear and pants soak through instantly as his water broke.

It took all his strength to not cry out just then, mind racing with confusion and shock as he realised what the hell was happening right now. He hadn’t planned for this, hadn’t expected to go into labor on the one night he had something to do. He thought about calling the date early and hobbling to his car to drive himself to the hospital, but his legs were already shaking as it was and remembering how far away he had to park made the trek sound like taking a hike up a mountain.

He heard his name being called and suddenly snapped himself out of his panicked thoughts, looking up to see Ryan’s confused and worried face looking at him.

“Connor? You alright?” Ryan asked slowly, looking over at him with gentle concern.

“Fine! I’m fine, sorry, baby is just a little restless tonight…” Connor quickly covered up, and instantly regretted it when pain surges through him again. Why the hell was he trying to cover up the fact that he’s in labor?

“Will you be alright? Do you want to call it a night here?” Ryan said, looking even more sweet and concerned than Connor could take right now.

He shook his head quickly, “No, no, I’m totally fine! Sorry, I really should have thought through this whole dating while pregnant thing a lot better…”

Connor couldn’t even imagine forcing himself to stand right now, with amniotic fluid dripping down his calves and into his shoes, with his whole lower body shivering with pain and exhaustion. He wouldn’t make it two seconds before collapsing in pain, and he’s not even sure how he’s managed to go this long without crying.

He really didn’t want to be doing this to Ryan either, he seemed like such a nice guy, and the thought of putting him through such a horrible first date was so mortifyingly embarrassing it kept Connor’s lip shut tight as he felt another contraction, because that’s what was happening, roll through him painfully.

Connor managed to keep up with small conversation, but he could feel himself sweating as Ryan kept giving him nervous looks that said he knew something was terribly wrong but was too polite to say it in wake of Connor insisting he’s fine.

Ryan was saying something when Connor’s eyebrows just about shot off his face at the sudden shift inside him. He has no idea what his plan was supposed to be when he was just sitting here in labor and doing nothing about it, but the sudden sinking pressure of his baby pressing down on him stills shocked him to his core. He somehow had completely forgotten the part where labor ended with giving birth, and giving birth meant actively pushing a baby out of you.

He was so acutely aware of the large round shape lodged in his birth canal, just on the cusp of threatening to force his lips open, that it was like everything around him turned into white noise momentarily. He took one deep steadying breath before trying to shake out of it, forcing himself to focus on Ryan again, who in turn was giving Connor another deeply concerned look.

“...Are you really OK?” He asked for the umpteenth time that night, as Connor nodded too vigorously at the question, just managing to make a small noise of approval.

“...Look, I don’t know much about what’s going on, but you really don’t look like you’re doing alright, and you seem like a sweet guy and I’d love to get to know you, but I don’t think tonight is doing us any favors,” Ryan sighed wearily, “Maybe we can try again some other day.”

Connor was just opening his mouth to say something, he’s not even sure what he was going to say, but instead he feels a significant shift inside him. The moment he moves it’s like a dam breaking all over again, and he feels the crown of his baby’s head slide past his lips and into his ruined underwear. He can’t contain the loud breathy moan that escapes him when it happens, the sudden shocking stretch that hits him leaving him breathless and shaking as he grips the table for support as his legs spread automatically to accommodate the head now resting partially outside of him.

“What?! What was that?” Ryan says, confusion becoming hysteric as he looks at Connor like he’s grown another head, which isn’t all that far from the truth.

“I- I’m sorry,” Connor pants, tears welling in his eyes as he tries to steady his breathing and not immediately continue pushing, “Can you call an ambulance?”

He just manages to see Ryan’s confused and terrified expression as he doubles over, but he hasn’t got the time or energy to worry about him anymore. Connor’s hands fumble hastily with the waist of his pants, quickly undoing them and pushing them down his thighs in a frenzy before his hands are between his legs cupping the head of his baby before he grunts loudly and pushes.

He can feel the head sliding into his hand more as he does, gently supporting the baby as he groans louder, pushing as hard as he can. He knows people have to be watching him, they’re in a packed restaurant in a busy part of town, but he couldn’t even stop to care with the immense need to push taking control of his body.

He grunted and moaned, feeling the stretch as the baby inched out of him until finally with an exhausted shout he feels the baby slide free of him completely, into his waiting hands before he scoops them to his chest, panting heavily as his baby wails against him, tiny fists flailing about.

He takes in the sight of them, admiring their small, scrunched face as they cry and cry before he smiles a weary smile at Ryan, who seems thoroughly shocked, and asks, “Did you call an ambulance?”