“This is going into the freezer for you.” She clucked. “It’ll be just a while longer.”
“Seems like that’s forever away.” Ulric’s heart crashed against his ribs. The surgery would take place in a couple more hours; he was part-excited and part-nervous about it.
Over the last few months, he and Gage had been getting the house ready for their babies. They’d installed cribs and changing stations, they’d painted the nursery room walls and picked out baby clothes, and they’d gone over so many lists of names that Ulric had gone cross-eyed.
Ulric was glad they’d gotten all of those done weeks ago, because they could only waddle like a pair of ducks now. At least he’d been staying home—he preferred not being stared at.
Gage, on the other hand, had kept working at the gym for as long as he could. He’d told his supervisors, he’d told the gym regulars, and after the initial jokes and stares, he’d gone back to being a regular gym employee—it was rare that the gym regulars batted an eyelid at him anymore.
At thirty-seven weeks, Ulric felt as though he might pop soon; he was glad they’d scheduled the c-section sooner than later. They’d been massaging each other’s crampy feet, speaking against each other’s bellies in that 69-position, and the kicks felt like a gut-punch, more often than not.
But he was happy. They were carrying each other’s babies. And he loved seeing the excitement on Gage’s face every time Gage rubbed his own belly, or Ulric’s.
“Since you’re giving birth on the same day, are those twins?” Gage’s mom asked, pressing down the edges of the pie crust with a fork.
“We’re thinking of them as twins,” Gage said. “When they get older, they’ll get their cots pushed together in the middle of the nursery, but for now, they’ll just be sharing a single cot.”
His mom grinned. “That’s just adorable.”
“Sure is,” Ulric said. “We’re excited.”
Gage rubbed Ulric’s belly, grinning when his baby kicked. Then he brushed his swollen belly against Ulric’s—they couldn’t hug face-to-face anymore. For a while now, all their hugs had been from the side, or from the back. Not that Ulric minded, when Gage always gazed at him so warmly.
“I think we should get going,” Ulric said.
Gage fingered a small bump in his pocket that Ulric hadn’t noticed before. “Yeah, we should.”
Ulric made to reach for it. Gage swatted his hand away, his ears turning pink. Which only made Ulric more curious. “What’s that?”
“Just, ah. Just a bit of pocket lint.”
Gage’s mom laughed. “You sure are convincing, hon.”
Did she know what it was? Ulric frowned. Because it sure wasn’t some random lint.
“C’mon, time to meet our babies,” Gage said, turning Ulric toward the kitchen doorway. “Where’s Dad?”
Gage’s dad drove them to the hospital, overnight bags and all. Ulric thought it awkward that both he and Gage were sitting in the backseat, but Gage only snuggled up with him. “Unless we get to share a bed when we recover, this will be all the snuggles you’ll get for a while,” Gage said.
That was disappointing. “At least we’ll be able to spoon again when we get home.”
“Oh, yeah.” Gage grinned. “Can’t wait for that, too.”
They checked into the hospital, changing into gowns soon after. Gage sidled over to Ulric and lifted both their gowns, rubbing their bellies together.
“Gage,” Ulric hissed. They were naked from the waist down.
“Nothing they haven’t seen before, probably.” Gage pulled Ulric closer, their abdomens bumping awkwardly. Ulric shook his head.
“Here, before we head into the operating room,” Gage said. He hauled over his overnight bag and reached inside. “I have an important question.”
“We already decided on names.” Ulric scrunched up his forehead. Or was this a silly question like what ice cream they would have in bed when they got home?
But the look in Gage’s eyes—he really was serious about this. And he looked nervous, too. Ulric’s instincts rumbled. Why was Gage nervous? “Gage?”
“Probably the most important question I’ll ever ask you,” Gage whispered, his breath hitching. He took Ulric’s hand, folding their fingers together. Then he pressed something cool and circular against Ulric’s palm. Two somethings? “Love of my life, alpha of my heart, father of my children—”
“That’s way too cheesy, even for you,” Ulric blurted but he was getting an inkling where this was headed. His heart skipped.
Gage huffed. “Yeah, I brought cheese, too.” He reached into his overnight bag and pulled out a bottle of powdered parmesan. “Because this is going to be the cheesiest moment of our lives.”
Ulric groaned. “I can’t believe you. Gage, we’re here for a c-section and you brought a bottle of cheese.”
“At least I’m not sprinkling it on you.” Gage kissed Ulric’s knuckles. “But maybe we can do that at the wedding?”
Then he froze.
Ulric bit down his smile, but his heart was racing now. “What wedding?”
“The, uh.” Gage scowled. “Damn it.”
“Were you... going to propose?” Ulric couldn’t help smiling. He peeked between their hands—there were rings there. Gage had gotten them both rings. Simple steel bands with words engraved across their curved surface.
Ulric’s throat grew so tight, he couldn’t speak.
“Let’s just start from the beginning,” Gage muttered, mad at himself. “Ulric. Father of my children, love of my life, alpha of my heart, the most perfect person in the entire world—”
Ulric scooted close and kissed his cheek. He couldn’t let Gage do all of this himself. “Will you marry me?” Ulric asked.
Gage cracked a smile. “I’m never going to have the most perfect proposal, am I?”
But he folded their hands tightly together, leaning his forehead against Ulric’s.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s not perfect,” Ulric whispered. “You’re perfect to me.”
“Damn, babe,” Gage growled. “I love you.”
He kissed Ulric fiercely, so possessive that delight raced all the way to Ulric’s toes. So Ulric kissed him back, biting his lip, claiming his alpha’s mouth. Because he liked being possessive, too.
“Yes,” Ulric whispered. “I’ll marry you. It’ll be an honor, Gage.”
Gage’s eyes lit up; he growled and brushed his fingers through Ulric’s hair, cradling him
