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“Need anything?” Jay called out, apartment keys twirling in his hand.
“Nah. Just remember we need some milk!”
Jay blew Cole a kiss and left after a yelled “I love you.”
Cole smiles to himself as he refocuses on washing up.
Jay was so cute. He was so lucky! After four years together, Cole had proposed two months ago. So on top of protecting Ninjago from whatever new threats were popping up, they had a wedding to plan.
Arguably, it was simple. They were keeping it small, just close family and friends, nothing fancy.
Cole placed the last plate on the rack to dry out, ambling back into the living room, greeted with the sight of Jay’s jacket sprawled across the couch.
Of course he’d forgotten to bring it.
The jacket hadn’t always been Jay’s. The lightning ninja was also a bit of a thief, because this used to be Cole’s, before Jay got his shifty mittens all over it.
Not the first item of clothing Cole had found mysteriously missing from his section of the wardrobe and squashed into Jay’s side.
It was a nice jacket. Too broad around the shoulders for Jay, making him looked swamped whenever he wore it. But it was cute. Because it meant that Jay was his! Jay was wearing his clothes because they were together, really, properly together, and that’s what Cole had wanted for years.
So maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing that Jay had claimed it.
Still, it didn’t really deserve to be strewn across the couch like that.
Cole lifted it up, shaking out the creases slightly.
Some paper slipped out of the pocket.
Huh?
Cole leant down, and picked it up. His heart sped up a lot.
“How to deal with an unexpected pregnancy: a guide.”
Cole sat down heavily, having dropped the jacket onto the floor. He stared at the pamphlet.
Was Jay..?
No way. Surely he would’ve told Cole almost immediately, right?
Unless he thought that Cole didn’t want a kid...
Did he? Did he want kids?
“Fucking hell.” Cole mumbled under his breath.
Wait, wasn’t Jay on T? You can’t get pregnant if you’re on testosterone, right?
Or maybe you can?
Why the fuck else would Jay have a leaflet about pregnancy?
It didn’t make any sense.
None at all.
Cole leant his head back, opening the pamphlet cautiously.
Various information sections inside, although most notable was “how to tell the father” which had several highlights and scrawlings on it.
Fucking hell.
Okay. Jay is pregnant. Cole can handle this. He’s a good fiancé.
It hits him right then.
Cole is going to be a father.
Cole stuffed the leaflet back into the jacket pocket, and rubbed his hands against his temples.
Babies were so fucking expensive.
Did they have enough money to look after one? Any fancy wedding plans would have to be gotten rid of.
That’s alright. That wasn’t that big a deal to Cole.
What was a massive deal, however, is the fact that he is going to be a dad, and he found out through a leaflet, and does he tell Jay he knows?
Does he wait for Jay to tell him?
God, how would that conversation even go?
“Cole. I need to tell you something. I’m pregnant.”
“Yeah I know I saw the leaflet.”
Ugh.
Cole closed his eyes.
Does he want a baby?
He imagines Jay first. Jay with a growing stomach, pressing Cole’s hand against the bump to feel a kick. Then the baby. Crying as they enter the world, but simmering down when Jay cradles them. The baby is then passed to Cole, and grabs at his fingers. Then the baby is a child. Probably six or seven. Cole is teaching them how to ride a bike. Or they’re all on a picnic together in a park. They’ll get a bigger house, one near more trees, so they can walk in the woods as a family. Child becomes teen. More angsty, but Cole takes them to their first concert, cheers them on at graduation, helps them complete a resume. The teen is an adult. They visit every Sunday for dinner.
Cole doesn’t realise he’s smiling until he opens his eyes again.
Okay. He’s ready. He can do this. He’s here to support Jay.
Cole reads the whole leaflet then. He should probably brush up on pregnancy knowledge if he’s going to be with Jay through this. It was kind of interesting, now being armed with the knowledge that condoms don’t always work.
Jay didn’t take birth control because of his T. So obviously there was no failsafe.
Having finished, Cole put the brochure on the table and hung Jay’s jacket in the wardrobe, going to fix himself a drink as he waits for Jay to return home from grocery shopping, and figure out how he was going to tell Jay he knows.
Cole has decided on his method by the time the front door opened, Jay carrying two loaded bags on each arm. Hmm. Lifting heavy things can’t be too good for the baby.
“Hey sweetheart. Let me take those off you. Why don’t you put your feet up?”
That’s what pregnant people are supposed to do, right?
Jay quirked an eyebrow at him, but didn’t object, sprawling himself across the sofa.
“Fucking 50 bucks for all of that. The economy is going to shit.” Jay groaned. “And then when I was leaving, some people wanted pictures. Like, I appreciate we have fans, but can we really call ourselves ninja if the whole world pretty much knows who we are?”
Oh. That’s a point. How we’re they supposed to raise a child while saving Ninjago at the same time?
“Well, I think it’s mainly the ‘beating bad guys up’ section of ninja stuff that we’re best at. Tea?”
Cole wasn’t going to offer Jay the usual coffee, because he knew enough to know that you shouldn’t really have too much caffeine during a pregnancy.
“Yeah, sure, thanks. Two sugars, yeah?”
There was Jay’s sweet tooth. Would that become more prominent now that he was having a baby?
Cole took a seat next to Jay on the couch, both of their drinks in his hand.
“Thank you. You’re being so fluffy right now. What’s going on?”
Ah, was Jay starting to suspect that Cole knew what was happening?
“Nothing. Nothing at all. Anything exciting happen though? Any news you wanna tell me?”
Cole began employing his tactics.
“Uh... not really? A giraffe is becoming best buddies with a monkey, that’s been going around on my feed. Oh, and that town’s donation goal was reached so they can start rebuilding.”
Was this some kind of code, or..?
“Is that all?”
“Um... yeah.”
“Nothing personal? Nothing to do with us?”
“I’m pretty sure. Babe, you’re being weird. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m alright. You 100%?”
“Cole, cut it out, I don’t understand what’s going on.”
“Babe. It’s okay. I know.”
“You know? What? Cole, seriously, what bullshit are you spouting right now?”
“Jay. I know about the baby. I figured it out. It’s okay! I think we’re ready for this.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
Cole blinked at Jay. Really? Still playing this like nothing’s going on?
“Jay. You can stop pretending. Relax. I know you’re pregnant. It’s okay! I’m here to support you every step of the way.”
Jay screwed up hos brow.
“I’m not pregnant? Cole, you know I’m on T. I can’t get pregnant right now.”
“But... then why did you have a leaflet in your pocket?”
“Huh? Oh! That one. Cole, that’s for Denise. Remember when I introduced you to Denise? Friend from school? She doesn’t know how to react to getting pregnant out of the blue. You really thought it was mine?”
“Um.”
“Pfft. That’s why you took the bags! Known there was something up.”
Cole was quiet.
“Cole?”
“You’re really not pregnant?”
“No babe. I’m not.”
A lingering silence stretched its way between them.
“Are you telling me... you telling me you want one?”
“Well, I mean, I didn’t know I did until right now, but-”
“You want me to put my body through shit tons of turmoil, probably causing a boatload of dysphoria for me, and have a baby?”
Cole winced.
“That’s ballsy. That’s real fucking ballsy.”
“Sorry.”
“No, it’s alright. It’s fine. I just... Jesus I just wanted to get groceries.”
“I’m not going to force you to do anything. I love you. And if you don’t want to start a family, that’s okay.”
Jay nibbled his lip.
“I never said that.”
Cole got quiet, shoulders tensing.
“I never said I don’t want a family. I said I’d probably have some dysphoria.”
“I’m not giving you more dysphoria than you already deal with Jay. Inadvertently of not.”
“But that’s not fair, I want a baby with you.”
“What? But you just said..?”
“Cole. You are my light and my adviser. I would move mountains for you. And I want to give something back. For everything you’ve given me.”
“Jay. You being okay is more than enough repayment.”
“Listen, do you want a baby or not?”
“Yeah, obviously! But I’m not letting your mental health go downhill again. And if it means no baby to do that, then no baby.”
Jay say back, not saying anything for a while.
And then:
“We should throw the pamphlet away.”
“Yeah...”
“After all, our baby’s gonna be planned.”
“What? Jay!”
Jay grinned at Cole devilishly.
“I think we’ll go round this next cycle of T before I come off. But then, baby time!”
“You’re insane. I love you. Please be careful, you don’t have to do this.”
“Love you too. And I know I don’t have to. I want to. You’ve converted me.”
Cold flushed.
Six months had passed before Jay excitedly shoved the positive pregnancy test under Cole’s nose. And then everything had blurred.
Five weeks pregnant quickly became twelve, where Cole started sobbing at the loud thumping of their twins’ hearts. Then twenty, Jay cradling his stomach as Cole read a fairytale to the bump, where inside he’d found out his daughter and his son were growing. 22 weeks marked the first kick he could feel. 28, Jay’s chaotic baby shower that had ended in Kai and Lloyd wrestling. 30, the beginning of Cole’s paternity leave. Midnight, just as the 35th week started, Jay shook Cole awake, with a wobbly and quiet ‘I think they’re
coming.’ 31 hours after that, Cole watched as Jay squeezed out their son, followed by their daughter shortly afterwards. Another hour before Cole finally got to swaddle them in a blanket, and rock them against his chest. Four years marked the start of school, which was followed by Jay presenting Cole with a pamphlet, a familiar neon green.
“How to deal with an unexpected pregnancy: a guide.”
Cole grinned and pulled Jay into a tight embrace, pressing lips against his husband’s temple. He was ready for baby number three.