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He was exhausted by the time the bell rang. The kids, both middle and high school age, had given him trouble today. Well, mostly the middle schoolers, high schoolers were easier to please than these brats. He wouldn't say that out loud however.

Yawning, Hugo Vega tried to keep it together long enough to shout things about the homework and their assignments being due soon at the flood of kids that suddenly leapt from their desks and do their daily attempt of reenacting the Romans running from Pompeii in 79 A.D. before the chaos around him settled again and he sighed.

First day back from Winter break was always the hardest with students.

Even harder when you were in your late 40’s and heavily pregnant.

Grunting, Hugo palmed his desk as he moved from it and over to one of his classroom windows as fast as possible right now, where he could see the parents dashing in, picking their child out of a horde of others and running them off, most likely to either an activity outside of school, or home before traffic jammed the main roads.

Maple Bay might have been small to some, but it still had big city problems.

Chuckling at the sight, he looked down with a smile to the bump that tried in vain to tear the buttons of his waistcoat as he spoke gently. “You know, before I became a full time teacher, I used to do that with Ernest too. I’ll most likely do the same with you before long, but I’d rather wait on you to decide first.”

He looked up thoughtfully again, shaking his head as nerves shot though him. “He’s coming home today you know, your brother. He’s been spending the break with his Daddy, but...he hasn’t seen me like this yet.”

It wasn’t like he hadn’t told Ernest that he was pregnant. Honestly, the tearaway wanted to go and beat up whoever did it in the first place, as they hadn't stuck around. (He almost let him too.)

But he wasn’t looking like a pregnant man, at least, not yet, when he left to go be with Corben for the Summer.

Since then, the little one is not so little anymore and has made their presence known in a very large way. In a couple more weeks, he’ll be a father again.

It’s a scary prospect.

Taking a breath in (well, sort of, breathing space is hard to find nowadays), he cupped the bump and smiled, feeling a foot or fist kick out at him. ‘

Already practicing wrestling moves, huh?’ He thought to himself, smoothing a hand over the small bump before it disappeared, making him snap out of his bubble and look at the clock with a sigh.

He needs to start packing up as Ernest’s trains gets in at 4 and it’s already 3:20.

With the months of Summer, it was a lot easier to do things in the time you needed them to be done, but as his body changed and the bump got larger than he’d ever seen Corben with Ernest (He would have carried Ernest himself if he had the choice, but Corben was the one to get pregnant after they married), tasks were becoming much harder than before.

The picking up of chairs to flip over desks, the packing of his suitcase to go home, reaching up to get his coat and hat...it exhausted him to the point he had to sit down again for a few minutes before he got up to leave.

Hopefully Ernest would be less critical of him then he was of himself at the moment.

Thankfully, the elevator was working again and he wouldn’t have to climb the bastard stairs again like this morning when he had his first class and almost passed out getting to the top with his belongings.

Before long, he was finally in his car and pulling out of the parking lot of the school as fast as he could, wincing as the bump dug into the steering wheel.

He could fix that at the station or any other old time. Ernest was more important.

It was about a 30 minute drive from the school to the main train station, usually it was a lot less than that, but even after leaving later than normal, there was still a lot of traffic on the roads as he pulled into the waiting bay, twiddling his thumbs.

It didn’t have to wait as long as he predicted, as the train that pulled out revealed his only son, the 14 year old dragging an orange suitcase behind them that almost matched his trademark orange hoodie he seemed to wear all the time.

Hiding a smile, Hugo thanked whatever deity was looking over him that he didn't move to the passenger side or get out to wave Ernest down as the boy seemed to have spotted him at some point and was already at the window, knocking.

Unlocking the doors with a thumbs up, he watches as Ernest shoves his suitcase into the small back seat (now with the recent edition of a baby carrier) before opening the passenger side door and settling in. “Dad.”

“Ernest.” He greets him as always before they pull out of the waiting bay and back into the main road. He can see Ernest look back at the baby career out of the corner of his eye before trying to peer inconspicuously at his coat covered stomach.

Huffing though his nose, Hugo just shook his head before speaking. “How was your father?”

“Same as always.” Ernest answers a lot slower than normal, but he knows it’s just because he never likes talking about ‘Fun Dad’ with him. “Still pretty cool, for an old man. He let me drive his car the other day.”

“Well, you need the practice, so that was good of him.” It was true. Hugo condoned many things that Corden dished out as he knew Ernest was growing up. He didn’t have to like everything he did to their son, but he would just deal with it.

When this child decided to come, it would be different. A lot different.

“He asked about you.” Ernest suddenly says and it takes all his willpower not to swerve off the road in shock and surprise, before he coughs. “Oh, really?”

“Yeah. It was really weird. I told him about the...baby.” He tested the waters with the word and Hugo bit his tongue as he kept speaking. “Plus the stuff before it, got real quiet after that.”

“Ah.” That’s all he could say in response, nodding. They had never really wanted to break their marriage off. They had been separated for years, but the divorce had only happened about a year or so ago.

“Well, even though he’s more fun than I will ever be, he has his moments.”

“Hm.” Ernest just nodded back in response, the drive lapsing into silence until they pulled into the driveway of their house, the car barely turning off before Ernest was already getting out.

Sighing, Hugo himself opened the door to get out of the car himself, but found himself unable to move. Looking down, he sighed.

He’d forgotten to move the steering wheel and was stuck thanks to the bump wedged too tightly in the wheel.

Grunting, he tried to force himself out, but the action hurt and he felt the baby fussing under the skin. Plus it made him worn out in the first few seconds, as any activity did lately, so he had to stop to catch his breath. He didn’t expect to see Ernest at his side till he rounded the corner and spoke. “You okay, Dad?”

Sighing and pinching his nose, he shook his head. He might be a proud man, but he needs help with this one.

“No, seems that your brother or sister has gotten me stuck. I’m sorry. Think you can spare me a minute and help me out?”

Ernest says nothing and it’s only when he looks at him does he realize his eyes are looking directly at the bump, wide eyed.

Only for a moment, however, as he snaps back to normal Ernest and offers him a hand with a grumble.

Taking it gratefully, he pulls himself from his predicament with a loud “Ouch.” and rubbed his stomach in large circles to ease the pain, grabbing his suitcase from the back.

It seems that Ernest had taken his suitcase inside as he usually takes it, but it’s absent from the back seat.

Huffing, he moved from the now locked car to the door, following Ernest inside and peeling off his coat to escape the heat, seeing Ernest staring out the corner of his eye as he hangs it up along with his case in the hallway before he falls into his armchair, groaning in relief and eyes closed, taking his shoes off with a few shakes to expose his aching feet.

This relief only lasts a few moments before a shadow falls over him and he cracks his eye open to see Ernest staring down at him a little hesitant, before speaking. “I’m not going to bite Ernest and neither are they.”

Startled, Ernest shuffles back, but instead of going back to sleep like he’d been planning before dinner, Hugo sits up as best he can to watch his son carefully.

Ernest looks towards the stairs like he wants to leave, but looks back down at the bump once again.

“Is it...supposed to be that big?”

Sighing, Hugo nodded. “A little, yes. You were much smaller on your father, but not all babies are as big as they are right now.”

He ran a hand over the curve. “This one’s just being more stubborn than you were to my knowledge.”

Ernest chuckles, seeming quite proud of that, but it’s only fleeing as he normal grimace comes back again. “Cool.”

There is silence for a few moments and Hugo is about ready to fall back asleep again when Ernest suddenly asks “Can I...you know, touch it?” and despite it being so awkward for both, Hugo slowly nods after a moment.

“Sure, don’t know if you feel anything.”

Reaching out slowly, Ernest presses a tentative hand to the sphere attached to his elder father and waits.

Thankfully, one of Maple Bay’s good graces is a rather hefty sex ed program that teaches pretty much everything needed, so Ernest isn’t too freaked out, but he jumps back as soon as the baby lands him a hard left hook.

Holding his hand, he stands there for about five seconds out of sheer shock before his hand darts back to his stomach again, feeling a second punch or kick and chuckling.

Hugo too, chuckles in response, before relaxing back and letting Ernest poke and prod at him as much as he pleases.

He may pay for it later, when the baby’s all awake for the night thanks to Ernest pressing down on them, but he wouldn’t trade this moment for the world.

Not even for a limited edition of Catcher in the Rye.

Description
He was exhausted by the time the bell rang. The kids, both middle and high school age, had given him trouble today. Well, mostly the middle schoolers, high schoolers were easier to please than these brats. He wouldn't say that out loud however.

Yawning, Hugo Vega tried to keep it together long enough to shout things about the homework and their assignments being due soon at the flood of kids that suddenly leapt from their desks and do their daily attempt of reenacting the Romans running from Pompeii in 79 A.D. before the chaos around him settled again and he sighed.

First day back from Winter break was always the hardest with students.

Even harder when you were in your late 40’s and heavily pregnant.

Grunting, Hugo palmed his desk as he moved from it and over to one of his classroom windows as fast as possible right now, where he could see the parents dashing in, picking their child out of a horde of others and running them off, most likely to either an activity outside of school, or home before traffic jammed the main roads.

Maple Bay might have been small to some, but it still had big city problems.

Chuckling at the sight, he looked down with a smile to the bump that tried in vain to tear the buttons of his waistcoat as he spoke gently. “You know, before I became a full time teacher, I used to do that with Ernest too. I’ll most likely do the same with you before long, but I’d rather wait on you to decide first.”

He looked up thoughtfully again, shaking his head as nerves shot though him. “He’s coming home today you know, your brother. He’s been spending the break with his Daddy, but...he hasn’t seen me like this yet.”

It wasn’t like he hadn’t told Ernest that he was pregnant. Honestly, the tearaway wanted to go and beat up whoever did it in the first place, as they hadn't stuck around. (He almost let him too.)

But he wasn’t looking like a pregnant man, at least, not yet, when he left to go be with Corben for the Summer.

Since then, the little one is not so little anymore and has made their presence known in a very large way. In a couple more weeks, he’ll be a father again.

It’s a scary prospect.

Taking a breath in (well, sort of, breathing space is hard to find nowadays), he cupped the bump and smiled, feeling a foot or fist kick out at him. ‘

Already practicing wrestling moves, huh?’ He thought to himself, smoothing a hand over the small bump before it disappeared, making him snap out of his bubble and look at the clock with a sigh.

He needs to start packing up as Ernest’s trains gets in at 4 and it’s already 3:20.

With the months of Summer, it was a lot easier to do things in the time you needed them to be done, but as his body changed and the bump got larger than he’d ever seen Corben with Ernest (He would have carried Ernest himself if he had the choice, but Corben was the one to get pregnant after they married), tasks were becoming much harder than before.

The picking up of chairs to flip over desks, the packing of his suitcase to go home, reaching up to get his coat and hat...it exhausted him to the point he had to sit down again for a few minutes before he got up to leave.

Hopefully Ernest would be less critical of him then he was of himself at the moment.

Thankfully, the elevator was working again and he wouldn’t have to climb the bastard stairs again like this morning when he had his first class and almost passed out getting to the top with his belongings.

Before long, he was finally in his car and pulling out of the parking lot of the school as fast as he could, wincing as the bump dug into the steering wheel.

He could fix that at the station or any other old time. Ernest was more important.

It was about a 30 minute drive from the school to the main train station, usually it was a lot less than that, but even after leaving later than normal, there was still a lot of traffic on the roads as he pulled into the waiting bay, twiddling his thumbs.

It didn’t have to wait as long as he predicted, as the train that pulled out revealed his only son, the 14 year old dragging an orange suitcase behind them that almost matched his trademark orange hoodie he seemed to wear all the time.

Hiding a smile, Hugo thanked whatever deity was looking over him that he didn't move to the passenger side or get out to wave Ernest down as the boy seemed to have spotted him at some point and was already at the window, knocking.

Unlocking the doors with a thumbs up, he watches as Ernest shoves his suitcase into the small back seat (now with the recent edition of a baby carrier) before opening the passenger side door and settling in. “Dad.”

“Ernest.” He greets him as always before they pull out of the waiting bay and back into the main road. He can see Ernest look back at the baby career out of the corner of his eye before trying to peer inconspicuously at his coat covered stomach.

Huffing though his nose, Hugo just shook his head before speaking. “How was your father?”

“Same as always.” Ernest answers a lot slower than normal, but he knows it’s just because he never likes talking about ‘Fun Dad’ with him. “Still pretty cool, for an old man. He let me drive his car the other day.”

“Well, you need the practice, so that was good of him.” It was true. Hugo condoned many things that Corden dished out as he knew Ernest was growing up. He didn’t have to like everything he did to their son, but he would just deal with it.

When this child decided to come, it would be different. A lot different.

“He asked about you.” Ernest suddenly says and it takes all his willpower not to swerve off the road in shock and surprise, before he coughs. “Oh, really?”

“Yeah. It was really weird. I told him about the...baby.” He tested the waters with the word and Hugo bit his tongue as he kept speaking. “Plus the stuff before it, got real quiet after that.”

“Ah.” That’s all he could say in response, nodding. They had never really wanted to break their marriage off. They had been separated for years, but the divorce had only happened about a year or so ago.

“Well, even though he’s more fun than I will ever be, he has his moments.”

“Hm.” Ernest just nodded back in response, the drive lapsing into silence until they pulled into the driveway of their house, the car barely turning off before Ernest was already getting out.

Sighing, Hugo himself opened the door to get out of the car himself, but found himself unable to move. Looking down, he sighed.

He’d forgotten to move the steering wheel and was stuck thanks to the bump wedged too tightly in the wheel.

Grunting, he tried to force himself out, but the action hurt and he felt the baby fussing under the skin. Plus it made him worn out in the first few seconds, as any activity did lately, so he had to stop to catch his breath. He didn’t expect to see Ernest at his side till he rounded the corner and spoke. “You okay, Dad?”

Sighing and pinching his nose, he shook his head. He might be a proud man, but he needs help with this one.

“No, seems that your brother or sister has gotten me stuck. I’m sorry. Think you can spare me a minute and help me out?”

Ernest says nothing and it’s only when he looks at him does he realize his eyes are looking directly at the bump, wide eyed.

Only for a moment, however, as he snaps back to normal Ernest and offers him a hand with a grumble.

Taking it gratefully, he pulls himself from his predicament with a loud “Ouch.” and rubbed his stomach in large circles to ease the pain, grabbing his suitcase from the back.

It seems that Ernest had taken his suitcase inside as he usually takes it, but it’s absent from the back seat.

Huffing, he moved from the now locked car to the door, following Ernest inside and peeling off his coat to escape the heat, seeing Ernest staring out the corner of his eye as he hangs it up along with his case in the hallway before he falls into his armchair, groaning in relief and eyes closed, taking his shoes off with a few shakes to expose his aching feet.

This relief only lasts a few moments before a shadow falls over him and he cracks his eye open to see Ernest staring down at him a little hesitant, before speaking. “I’m not going to bite Ernest and neither are they.”

Startled, Ernest shuffles back, but instead of going back to sleep like he’d been planning before dinner, Hugo sits up as best he can to watch his son carefully.

Ernest looks towards the stairs like he wants to leave, but looks back down at the bump once again.

“Is it...supposed to be that big?”

Sighing, Hugo nodded. “A little, yes. You were much smaller on your father, but not all babies are as big as they are right now.”

He ran a hand over the curve. “This one’s just being more stubborn than you were to my knowledge.”

Ernest chuckles, seeming quite proud of that, but it’s only fleeing as he normal grimace comes back again. “Cool.”

There is silence for a few moments and Hugo is about ready to fall back asleep again when Ernest suddenly asks “Can I...you know, touch it?” and despite it being so awkward for both, Hugo slowly nods after a moment.

“Sure, don’t know if you feel anything.”

Reaching out slowly, Ernest presses a tentative hand to the sphere attached to his elder father and waits.

Thankfully, one of Maple Bay’s good graces is a rather hefty sex ed program that teaches pretty much everything needed, so Ernest isn’t too freaked out, but he jumps back as soon as the baby lands him a hard left hook.

Holding his hand, he stands there for about five seconds out of sheer shock before his hand darts back to his stomach again, feeling a second punch or kick and chuckling.

Hugo too, chuckles in response, before relaxing back and letting Ernest poke and prod at him as much as he pleases.

He may pay for it later, when the baby’s all awake for the night thanks to Ernest pressing down on them, but he wouldn’t trade this moment for the world.

Not even for a limited edition of Catcher in the Rye.