Lily's POV

I would consider myself pretty strong. I can handle a lot of pain at once without complaining--at least outwardly. So despite all of the stories I heard from friends and family who gave birth, I thought it was something I could handle. I didn't expect it to be easy by any means, but I remember feeling pretty reassured that I'd be able to get through it relatively flawlessly when I first found out I was pregnant. Hell, I even told my parents I wanted to do a natural birth because how painful could being in labor actually be?

All I'll say now is that I'm glad I let Jaehyun talk me into keeping the drugs as an option. I could handle the swollen feet, the back pain, the constant peeing, and even the fact that none of my regular clothes would fit by the end of the second trimester, but as soon as I went into labor, I knew I was in for more pain than I had ever experienced before.

It felt like I was laying there for hours, impatiently waiting until I was dilated enough to start the actual birthing part. Dad and Jisung came and went pretty often since he still had to work and dad had to temporarily step back into his active alpha role since I had officially started my maternity leave. But appa was there with me for the majority of it, sitting with me and holding my hand and telling me about random stories he remembered from my childhood as they came into his mind. He talked a lot about memories during those days and because we all knew why, none of us tried to stop him. 

"Do you remember when you told us you were taking a year off? I tried not to show it, but I was shocked. I had already started picturing moving you into your dorm and imagining you being the most popular person on campus. It was pretty upsetting."

"Let's be real, I was never cut out for--OW FUCK--for higher education," I replied, wincing right in the midst of talking as a contraction shot through me and I twisted my body slightly. "I barely graduated with passing marks."

"Yeah, but college and high school are different. You could have done well, I'm sure." He was still flipping through a magazine he brought in from the waiting room when I turned my head in his direction, and I watched as he lifted the page to his nose and sniffed. "Woah, this smells nice. Smells like something your dad would wear," he commented, not-so-discretely tearing the cologne sample off the page and setting it aside. 

"Do you regret not going to college?" I asked him while the contractions had stopped for a moment. 

He looked up from the magazine and sighed thoughtfully. "Sometimes, but then I think about everything I would have missed out on, so I think there isn't much to regret," he said, looking at me as he answered. "I think every step we take leads us where we're meant to go. I didn't believe in that much at first, but your dad is pretty convincing." I chuckled and, of course, another contraction came and replaced every other feeling with pain. Appa closed the magazine and set it down on the windowsill before walking over to me. "Do you need more epidural? It has been over an hour since you lost got it."

I shook my head. "No, I'm--GODDAMN IT--I'm fine." I had already given up on my original intentions, so I at least wanted to try and push through as much pain as possible. He laughed softly at me and then grabbed the wet rag out of the bowl on the side table. "I think my favorite trip was the first one...to Japan," I said as he started dabbing the cool, damp cloth against my forehead. "I remember feeling so free, like I could do whatever I wanted. I miss that feeling sometimes."

"That's understandable. I miss my younger days too, even back before your dad turned me sometimes," he said, feeling the coolness spread as he touched the sides of my face with the rag. "I think it's only natural to want to go back occasionally, especially when you're in a lot of pain."

"You don't fucking say--oh, good fricking lord." I contorted my body again as more pain hit me, and I heard appa let out another laugh as he put the rag back in the bowl of water. 

"Aren't you glad you met Jisung?" he teased as he picked up the whole bowl and took it over to the sink across the room, probably to dump the water out and refill it with colder water. 

I rolled my eyes hard. "Maybe dad was onto something by being so disapproving at first," I said, getting another loud laugh from him. 

"Oh, but I remember how happy you were when you introduced us to him," appa countered as he glanced back at me. "One of the only other times I remember seeing your eyes sparkle so much was when we first taught you and Jae to hunt. I could tell right away that you loved him." He smiled and faced the sink again, but I could see his face in the mirror still. "It reminded me of how I felt when I first realized I loved your dad."

"And here you are, however many years later, taking cologne samples out of magazines for him and still crushing on him like a teenage boy," I said back in a teasing voice despite finding it endearing. He sarcastically laughed at me as he carried a fresh, half full bowl of water back over to my bedside and set it down. "But did you seriously think you'd end up like this with him? Like even before you knew he was a werewolf?"

He pursed his lips thoughtfully but ended up shaking his head. "I didn't know for sure, but I certainly hoped we'd be able to stay together for a long time. I didn't exactly believe in soulmates back then, not that I'm sure I do now either. I just think sometimes the stars align and tell your heart before your head fully gets the message."

I didn't say anything back for a while. "I never thought I'd end up imprinting on someone like Jisung, let alone pregnant with his children," I said. "He's so different from me, a bit nerdy and soft-spoken...but when we first saw each other, something just...clicked?"

He hummed and nodded. "That's usually how imprinting works," he said, and I chuckled lightly, closing my eyes and fighting through a milder contraction. "I didn't think you'd end up with a man at all honestly."

My eyes widened. "What? You expected me to bring home a girlfriend?"

He gave me a wide-eyed look back. "Well, can you blame me? You told me about all of the girls you hooked up with in Europe."

"Yes, keywords being hooked up, not imprinted on. Besides, when have I ever labeled my sexuality?"

"That's not the point. The point is that I would have been happy with whoever you brought home as long as they treated you right," he said, majorly backtracking. "I just didn't think there was a high chance it would be a guy, that's all."

"Appa!!" 

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry, I'll stop." He laughed and motioned with his hands for me to calm down. 

"Seriously, I think you're giving me more contractions--GOD FUCKING DAMN IT THIS HURTS," I said, whining through the pain of yet another contraction. He smiled softly and patted my hand.

"I think it's time for more epidural."

🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

A few hours later, dad came in, giving appa a chance to go home and freshen up for a while because he had been there since I first came in that morning. 

"You're getting there, a few more centimeters and we'll be in the clear to start the delivery," Dr. Kwon said after she finished taking some things down on the paper attached to her clipboard. She slid it back into the pocket on the end of the bed and smiled at me. "You sure you don't know want your brother to do this?"

"Absolutely not. He's only allowed in here until after it's all over," I said, answering seriously despite knowing she was joking. 

"I'll pass along the message," she said through her laughter. "Just ring if you need more epidural or if your contractions start to get closer together. I'll be nearby." I nodded, basking in being pain-free for a while thanks to the fresh dose of medication I just got. She left the room after that, carefully closing the door behind her. 

"In the home stretch, princess," dad said, gently rubbing my head a few times before he pulled a chair closer to my bedside. He made himself comfortable in it and picked up the magazine appa had abandoned earlier that day. Before he was able to open it, he noticed the cologne sample on the table and picked it up to smell it. "Huh, that smells nice. What kind is this?"

"Don't bother," I said as he started looking for the name. "Appa set that aside earlier as a reminder to get it for you."

He raised his eyebrows. "Oh yeah?"

I nodded. "I witnessed the whole thing."

He laughed softly and smiled down at it. "How sweet," he said, adding in a few additional giggles at the end. "Speaking of nice gestures, have you spoken to your husband today? Does he know you're in labor?"

I grinned and rolled my eyes. "Yes, appa called him on the ride over here. He said he was taking the first train back. He should be here soon," I said. The contractions were still happening, but the epidural was still working its way through me, so they didn't hurt as badly. He looked up at the clock on one of the walls and hummed shortly, nodding just once before looking back down at the magazine. "I thought you guys were over your beef or whatever the problem was? That was the whole reason he wanted to do a formal, mafia-style sit-down meeting with you before he proposed."

"I never said we had beef," he replied in denial but not meeting my eyes as he shook his head. "I like him about as much as it's possible for me to like him as your father. When your babies grow up, possibly bring home some stranger who says they're in love with them, you'll understand what I mean. A father's protective nature never dies, princess, not even when he does." 

He was grinning widely and cheekily at me now, and I couldn't help but laugh. "No wonder everyone was so surprised you were well-behaved at the wedding."

"Oh, you mean the best worst day of my life?"

I laughed. "Oh, please. You're so dramatic. You didn't even let yourself cry once, not in front of me anyway."

"Of course, I didn't! It was your guys' day, not mine. I saved all that for later. Besides, if I started crying, then you would have started crying and I know how much you hate crying, so you're welcome." I laughed at that and he just grinned back at me in response. 

As the minutes passed and the contractions started happening closer and closer together, I found myself looking at the clock now, hoping that Jisung would burst through the door soon because I wasn't sure how much longer I'd be able to hold out. Dad had already called for Dr. Kwon by the time he did show up, red in the face and totally out of breath. 

"I didn't...miss anything...did I?" he said, doing his best to speak between breaths. 

"No, you're just in time. We're starting to prep her for delivery," Dr. Kwon answered as she briefly turned to him and smiled. Dad took that as his cue and started for the door. 

"Good luck," he said to Jisung, very obviously holding in a laugh, as he patted him on the shoulder. "We'll be right out here, sweetie. You got this." He was talking to me now and even gave me a thumbs-up while smiling cutely. On any other day, I would have found it amusing, but as it turns out, being in a lot of pain severely influences your mood. 

"Sorry, I was almost late. The train was delayed and then of course the station was busy and there was traffic on the way here and--"

I held a hand up in his face, signaling for him to stop. "I highly advise you to stop talking before I actually rip out your vocal cords," I said, smiling bitterly and painfully. 

He nodded immediately. "Yeah, okay, I'll shut up."

For the next hour or two, the pain did anything but cease as I pushed and pushed until finally, the twins--Joon and Syaoran--had arrived, apart in age only by minutes. Dr. Kwon finished up with me while a couple of the nurses cleaned up the boys off to the side. My parents and Jaehyun came in the room after Jisuing and I had some time alone with them.

I could tell dad got a little emotional when I announced Joon's name.

"Oh, they're so precious," appa cooed in adoration, full attention on the babies he and dad were cradling in their arms. "We're always available for babysitting whenever you want."

"As long as it's not more than two at once," dad added in shortly after. 

"Don't worry. We already got the surprise two-for-one deal, I think I'm done with this whole giving birth thing," I replied, getting a laugh from everyone in the room. I smiled up at Jisung when I felt him hold my hand.

Out of all the steps I could have taken, I'm glad the ones I chose led me here.