22. Caspian

Chapter 22

Caspian

" D imitri?" I called out. My One had gone quiet in the cabin, and I didn't know why. I was officially halfway through my pregnancy, and we were going to our scan this morning with Dr. King. Now if I could find the other father of our child so we could go.

When I still didn't get a response, I pushed magic out to search for him. I located him in the dining room. That was odd, because we had already had breakfast, and I had cleaned up everything. I walked back that way, curious if he'd simply not heard me. He was a dragon though, and I swore that man heard every little noise. How had he not heard me?

"Dimitri?" I called out again as I approached the dining room. When I arrived at the doorway, I stopped and took in what I was looking at. Standing there was my sexy and amazing dragon with a smile on his face. He was beside the table, which had been transformed. It was normally completely clear, but now it had several vases full of flowers, and there was a huge plate piled high with…my eyes widened. "Are those cinnamon rolls?"

"Ja. They are your favorite, but you never have them."

My mouth opened a bit at the sight of those things. They were huge. They had a layer of frosting on them that looked absolutely delicious. I looked up at Dimitri. "I can't. I want to, so much, but I'm already getting fat."

Dimitri's smile dropped instantly, and he was coming around the table toward me. "You are not fat. You could never be." Dimitri reached me and without a thought pulled me into his arms. "You are pregnant. You are creating a whole new life. Our son. You can have your cinnamon rolls if you wish. Especially after everything you had to go through in the beginning of this pregnancy."

I wanted to agree and give in, but I couldn't. I glanced down at my no-so-small bump and shook my head. "I already can't see my feet, Dimitri. I would love nothing more than to indulge, but I'm going to be huge if I gain much more weight." The thought of wearing my pre-pregnancy clothing was long gone. I lived in sweats and oversized shirts now. Sure, I could use magic and have some amazingly fitted pregnancy clothing, but why? I spent my days lounging around the house, trying not to be bored while Dimitri was doing his enforcer thing. At least the rotation of assignments to Italy had stopped.

"You can have a cinnamon roll. We will talk to Dr. King about this. I do not like that you are forbidding yourself from having things because you are concerned about your weight."

Immediately I felt bad. Dimitri had done something incredibly nice and sweet, and I basically said no, you shouldn't have."

"Dimitri, I apologize. Would you eat one with me?" I asked. "You went to effort, and I've invalidated it. I'm so sorry."

Dimitri leaned in and gave me a slow kiss. "I will always eat a cinnamon roll with you. But do not feel you have to limit yourself because you have gained weight." Dimitri placed his hand on my stomach. I felt the baby kick and smiled. When I met Dimitri's eyes, he was smiling while looking down at my stomach between us. He'd been able to feel the baby for a few weeks now, and we often spent evenings on the couch, or lounging in bed with Dimitri's hand resting on my rounded stomach.

"How about we have a cinnamon roll, and then go to our scan?" I asked. "You went to all this trouble." I looked back at the table. "How did you get so many flowers here? Not that I don't love them, because I do."

"It is Valentine's Day," Dimitri told me. "I should get you flowers and sweets, no?"

It took a moment for me to pull my gaze away from the roses, lilies, and tulips. They were all beautiful. "What?" I asked absently. Then what he'd said seemed to compute in my brain. "Dimitri," I said, chuckling. "You do not need to use a human holiday in order to get me flowers or sweets. I'm not complaining though, I absolutely love them," I told him. "I've not put flowers out in the cabin as of yet because you didn't have flowers anywhere when I met you. I looked, and didn't see any in your memories. I thought perhaps their scent bothered you." I knew he was sensitive to some scents, but wasn't exactly sure if it was in a negative way.

"I like flowers," Dimitri kissed me again. "We will have more flowers in the cabin. They brighten the rooms. I wish for you to make any and all changes you want. This is your home. Make it yours."

I smiled. "It's ours." I looked around the room. "I have made changes. This dining room set was chosen together. You had a tiny one before."

"But the flowers. I have made the mistake of not getting you flowers before now. I will get you flowers. Often."

"Where did you get the flowers? There isn't a flower shop here on the mountain, and they weren't here when we ate just a bit ago."

Dimitri smiled. "No. I had help. I did go yesterday during my lunch break. Benjamin helped me by keeping them at his place. Then I messaged him this morning after we finished eating and you were upstairs just now. He helped get the flowers here. The cinnamon rolls as well." I smiled and shook my head. "It was the only way I could surprise you with them."

I leaned in and kissed Dimitri. "I love it. You are an amazing One, and it really makes me feel cherished that you did this for me. If we hurry, we will have time to eat a cinnamon roll before our scan. Did you want coffee with yours?"

"Ja."

Dimitri and I sat at the table, and once I got a closer look at the sweets, I really wanted to kick myself at considering not indulging. He was right, of course. I wasn't fat. I was pregnant. I was half through my pregnancy now, and still trying to adjust. Would I ever get used to carrying another life inside me? Possibly. I needed to talk to Papa about some things.

Dimitri handed me a plate with a giant cinnamon roll on it, and I wondered for a moment if I'd be able to eat the entire thing. Now that it was sitting right in front of me, I could smell it, and my mouth started to water in anticipation. I picked up the fork, and took a small bite. I closed my eyes and moaned when the warm treat hit my tongue. It was soft and had the perfect amount of cinnamon gooeyness in it. The frosting was cream cheese, and I couldn't stop from dancing in my chair. It was perfect.

When I swallowed and opened my eyes, I found Dimitri staring at me. "I am glad you are enjoying your treat."

"I'm an idiot," I said as I pulled the plate a little closer. "When my stomach sorted itself out, I should have started eating more things I love. I focused too much on eating only healthy foods."

"All things in moderation," Dimitri said. I nodded in agreement. When I glanced down at his plate, I saw that his cinnamon roll was almost gone. I needed to step up my game, and dove in. I managed to get several more bites in while Dimitri finished his and drank the cup of coffee I'd magicked up for him.

I gave up trying to finish it though. I just didn't have the same appetite that Dimitri did, and we'd eaten breakfast not long ago.

"I can't." I said and pushed my plate away.

"It is all right. It makes me very happy that you ate any of it. I do not like that you deny yourself. What if our baby wanted a cinnamon roll?"

I looked over at Dimitri and snorted. He was absolutely serious, and it was just adorable. "Then our baby will get a cinnamon roll," I told him. "If he's old enough." I felt full, perhaps a bit too full, but it didn't take much for me to feel that way anymore. "We need to go," I said. "We're going to be late if we don't hurry."

"You can use magic to get us there, can you not?"

I nodded. "Then we can go that way. We will not be late. If you still wish to have a walk, we can walk home."

"I thought you had to go to work after? It's Wednesday." He wasn't going out on assignments at the moment since the trail to locate Marco had died. He was simply nowhere to be found.

"I am not working today. My only task is to see that you get to your scan and then spend the day with you while we decide what we wish to do for the baby's room."

I grinned. I had so few days where I got to spend the entire day with Dimitri, and I wasn't going to complain about not having an extra one with him in the middle of the week.

"Then we should go," I told him as I stood. Dimitri hurried to touch the back of my chair to steady it. Once I was fully upright, he reached for my hand. With our fingers laced together, I thought about the clinic that was over behind the council building. We were standing outside it in a blink, and Dimitri immediately reached for the door with his free hand. I entered, only too happy to get out of the cold. It was February, and even the air felt frozen. Add in two feet of snow, and the mountain was beautiful, but bitterly cold.

"Good morning."

We looked up at the greeting and found Todd. He looked…frazzled.

"Hello Todd. How are you doing today?" I asked as we approached him. Dimitri was still beside me, his hand still holding mine.

"Do you know anything about computers?" He asked. There was such a hopeful look in his eyes. "I don't know what I did." He turned the monitor around and showed that it was a rainbow of colors.

"Oh my. Did you spill something on the computer?" I asked. Todd shook his head. "Drop it?" Another shake.

I flicked my fingers toward the monitor and when it went from the rainbow to what looked like a schedule, I grinned. Todd turned the monitor back around his way, and I watched as his eyes widened and then became watery.

"Todd, did you ever…oh, you did. Good job," Dr. King said. "I don't know how you fixed it, but good job."

Todd opened his mouth, but Dimitri cut him off. "We apologize for being a bit late," Dimitri said. "I finally got Caspian to eat a cinnamon roll."

"Cinnamon roll, huh?" Dr. King said. "Well, that sounds like a treat. Are you ready for your scan?"

I winked at Todd, hoping he understood that it didn't matter how the computer got fixed, just that it did. I knew he had struggled a great deal when it came to working his position. He was replacing Cecil, who had been Dr. King's last office manager, but had decided that he was going to spend the next few years at home with their little ones. Not that I blamed him. I had every intention on not returning to work in any capacity for at least a decade. Of course, I said that now. Give me a year or two and I might be singing a different tune.

I followed Dr. King down the hallway, turning into the second room on the right. It had a cozy looking bed in it that I went directly to and climbed on. It was already in an upright position, so I found myself in what I would describe as an oversized lounger.

"How have you been feeling? I know you were experiencing pregnancy illness in the very beginning. Somewhat severe at that." Dr. King glanced at Dimitri who had sat in the chair that was beside the exam bed. "But your One has mentioned having a cinnamon roll. Is that completely gone then?"

"Yes. He surprised me with them this morning. They're my favorite, but I've not had one since before I met Dimitri."

Dr. King's expression changed. "Why is that? If they are your favorite, why would you deny having them? Do they not sit well in your stomach?"

I sighed. "No, that's not it." I placed my hands on my bump. Well, my pregnant stomach because it was a lot more than just a bump. "I feel fat most days, and I've been focusing on eating healthy things. Cinnamon rolls are anything but healthy."

"Ah. Yes, well, you are growing an entire new person. A dragon at that." Dr. King looked at Dimitri. "Were you a small baby?"

Dimitri snorted. "No. None of us were. My mother is a fox shifter, and is tiny. It has been said that she swore she would not let our father touch her again, yet I have six siblings. The last two were even twins. They were the smallest, but only because they are twins."

Dr. King nodded, then focused on me. "You will have a large baby. You are carrying a dragon baby, and I have never seen one that was small. I say eat that cinnamon roll, because you are going to gain a larger stomach and more weight. The baby will appreciate the healthy food, but daddies who are creating and carrying babies need to have treats for all of their hard work."

I couldn't help but smile. He wasn't wrong. "I know what you say is true. I'm still trying to come to terms with having a baby I think?" I reached for Dimitri's hand and gave it a squeeze once he took mine. When he brought it to his mouth and kissed it, I smiled over at him. "I love being the one carrying our baby, but it's been difficult to get used to it completely."

"Perfectly normal. Perhaps seeing your baby again will help?" Dr. King suggested.

I nodded, and that was all it took for the table to start reclining. It didn't lay flat, but reclined enough that I found myself staring up toward the ceiling. The room lights dimmed, and then there was our baby. He was in the air in front of us, and my heart melted.

"There he is," Dr. King said. "Still a dragon, still having a male one at that. His development is exactly as expected for the gestational age." The image above us zoomed in on the tiny toes. Dimitri squeezed my hand. "His feet are fully developed, and although they are still small, he himself is not. His size is a bit larger than most other babies for his gestational age."

"I thought you said he was where he should be?" I asked.

"For development, yes. His organ development is where it should be." Dr. King offered a sympathetic smile. "Your baby is large, Caspian. Dimitri isn't exactly a small man." I looked over at my One. "So we're going to have huge babies?"

Dimitri shrugged. "It is most likely. But my mother did it, and you are so much bigger than she is. You will be a pro at it."

I couldn't help but chuckle. What else could I do? I was destined to have large dragon babies for my One apparently. Dimitri wasn't wrong though. His mother was tiny. Especially compared to me even. And she had given birth to three dragon babies.

"If I am to have large dragon babies, so be it," I said. "Do you think I'll go to my due date?" I asked. "I know it's still three months away, but I thought I would ask."

Dr. King nodded. "It is hard to tell. If you were carrying twins, I would say that without a doubt you would deliver early. You are carrying only one baby though. Sometimes larger babies come early, sometimes they can be stubborn and make their parents wait to meet them."

I turned back to Dimitri and shook my head. "Our son," I said. "Why do I think he's going to be a stubborn one and make us wait until the very end to meet him?"

Dimitri's eyes widened. "I am not overly stubborn. He must get that from you." He sat there; his face completely expressionless. Slowly a smile crept in though.

"You are probably correct." Dimitri raised an eyebrow at me. I rolled my eyes. "Fine. You're right. I'm the more stubborn of the two of us."

Dr. King chuckling drew my attention. "Overall, he looks great," Dr. King said. "Aside from him being on the larger side, he's doing well. Continue eating healthy, but be sure to put some treats in there. You deserve it," he told me.

Dimitri squeezed my hand. I turned back to him and found him giving me a look. I sighed. "I'll eat treats. But I like fruit and salads as well."

"There is nothing wrong with that," Dimitri told me. "But I miss cookies," he told me. Immediately I felt bad.

"You can have cookies."

"I still do. There are cookies, pies, cakes, all sorts of things at the council in the cafeteria. But I used to have them as snacks before bed sometimes. I do not go to the bakery anymore because you do not like to have them in the house."

I winced. "I'm sorry. I promise I won't say anything again. We can stop at the bakery on our way home. Does that work?" I would make him a large batch of cookies as soon as we got home as well. Dimitri nodded at me.

Dr. King cleared his throat. When I looked back at him, he was holding a strip of paper. I knew it had adorable pictures of our baby on it.

"Do either of you have questions?" He asked.

I shook my head before looking at Dimitri. "He is fine?" Dimitri asked. "I worry about my mate, and want him to be healthy and all right."

Dr. King smiled. "Your mate is perfectly healthy, Dimitri. So is your son."

Dimitri nodded. I felt something through our bond, and when I focused on it, I realized it was him relaxing. How had I missed that he was concerned?

"Same story as last time. Sex is okay until it is uncomfortable. Call if you have sudden gushes of fluid or pain. If the baby stops moving, try coffee or something else to make him active. Sometimes coffee works, sometimes patients say having sex with their alpha does the trick." Dr. King shook his head. "I do not care how you go about it as long as it doesn't harm either of you. If you cannot get the baby to move, call me." Dr. King glanced at a tablet he'd picked up. "I wish to see you in a month, if you don't have any other questions or issues before then."

"A month?" Dimitri asked.

"It is just routine. I want to check the baby's size at that time. We'll check the development then as well. That's all. Nothing to worry about, honestly."

I sat up and turned toward my One. "Are you ready to go to the bakery?" I asked, hoping I could distract him.

"Ja." Dimitri took my free hand to help me off of the bed. Once I was on my own two feet, we followed Dr. King out of the exam room. Todd wasn't behind the counter when we arrived back at the waiting area, and Dr. King sighed.

"He's probably in the bathroom. Would you like me to make your appointment or do you want to call back?"

I grinned. "I'll call back. Todd tries, and I know he does."

Dr. King's expression softened. "He does. I was spoiled by Cecil. He was a natural. Todd…he's not the best with computers. He's good at other things though. The break room is incredibly organized, and we've not run out of anything since he's been here."

"Occasionally, it just takes longer for some to figure out how they fit in places," I said. Dr. King nodded slowly. I gave Dimitri's hand a squeeze, and he stepped away, taking me with him. I hoped that Todd worked out. He seemed like he enjoyed his job well enough, even if he did struggle with some aspects of it. "What type of cookies do you think you want?" I asked Dimitri. His smile was contagious and I couldn't help but mirror it. I wasn't too worried about the extra calories for a day. I knew my dragon would be more than happy and willing to help me work them off later.