Duke made a face. “Why were you reading a book like that?”
“Because it sounded like nothing I’d ever read before.” Nat buried his face in his hands. “So... the other guy had buns in his oven, right? Literally.” Nat waited for Duke to groan. “Except it wasn’t exactly buns, it was gingerbread babies. And when they were born, they didn’t get squeezed out—theyclimbed out of him.”
Duke looked incredulous. “Who would even write a book like that?”
“I don’t know! Some Anna Winecart person.”
Duke’s forehead furrowed. “I’m not sure I want to read that.”
“I read it so you don’t have to,” Nat said.
“Thank you,” Duke said dryly. He kept rubbing Nat’s belly, until somethingkicked.
Nat grunted. Duke’s eyes widened, just like the very first time he had felt their baby kick.
“Did you feel that?” Duke asked, sitting upright.
“No,” Nat said flatly, then laughed. “Of course I did!”
“Our baby.” Duke’s entire face went soft. He shuffled onto the floor and pressed his face against Nat’s belly, only for their baby to kick him in the mouth.
Duke grunted.
“Duke!” Nat squawked. “Youknewthere might be another kick!”
“That’s entirely my fault.” Duke was grinning, though. “That’s a feisty baby.”
“You just got kicked in the face!” Nat cried.
Duke shrugged. “Occupational hazard. Needs a bit more strength in that kick.”
Nat rolled his eyes so hard.
“I can only hope that my family doesn’t all want to be there during your labor.”
Nat squinted suspiciously. “They... want to be there? Oh, gods, they don’t want to watch the birth, do they?”
“I’ll draw a line at that,” Duke said firmly. “They might want to listen in though.”
“I’m not sure there’s much to listen to. It’s a lot of waiting.”
“Then they’ll probably grow bored and wander off,” Duke said.
“I hope so.”
They exchanged a look. Nat only felt calm and happiness. Over the past few months, Duke had given Nat everything he could think of—several more sets of comfortable clothes, his own credit card, piles upon piles of baby clothes and toys, lots of which Wanda had appropriated for herself.
It was a lot more than Nat had ever seen himself getting.
“I have something for you,” Duke said suddenly.
Nat blinked. “One of your trophies?”
It was Duke’s turn to roll his eyes. “No. Something else. Something much more valuable.”
“But you’ve already given me so much.”
Duke’s smile was all secretive and barely-concealed excitement. He scooped Nat off the couch and carried him upstairs to their bedroom. There, he set Nat gently on the bed, and retrieved something from their closet.
