dinner and a surprise

Had he known she'd like to be carried back to the room, Romulus would have hoisted Lillith over his back in a heartbeat. Carrying her was easy, given their size difference, and he loved treating her like the goddess she was in his life. Either way, as soon as they'd entered the room, he'd been aware of the alabaster girl rushing to collapse on their bed as if she could hide away from their troubles within the pillows and blankets where they'd found so much passion and made so much love—amongst other things—together. He stared at Lillith where she lay on the bed, clutching one of the pillows to her chest while she gazed at him with those huge, doe-like garnet eyes that were as red as the wine he was drinking. In her eyes he saw that same nervousness, the same anxiety and fear. She was equally as freaked out as he was, if not more. Together they'd created the miracle of life, fulfilled their biological duty as living beings, furthered their bloodlines and spawned a new generation of wolves. Accident or otherwise, they had done something fantastic together.

Lillith repeated his words back to him, but this time, there was a trace of shocked joy in her voice, and perhaps a ghost of a smile on her lips. She murmured that she was going to be a mom, and then she buried tear-glistening eyes into the pillow again. Roman wasted no time in setting the bottle of wine down and marching over to the bed. He hoisted himself up onto the plush mattress and laid his larger body down beside hers, curling partially around her as if to protect her and their children. "And I'm going to be a dad," he spoke assent in equal parts dazed amazement. A wholly unprepared dad, but a dad nonetheless. The greatest thing an Armada could be. He wanted to be happy. He wanted this to be a moment of celebration for the both of them. But it had come so out of the blue and unplanned for, Roman was still struggling to process it. He'd always thought he'd be older and more ready when he finally had puppies, and so his brain was really fighting to grasp the reality of the situation.

Lifting a paw to touch Lillith ever so gently as if she were made of porcelain, Roman slowly ran his paw down from her shoulder, over her slim side and down the curve of her hip, following it until he was once again resting his paw pads over her womb. There was nothing there now—no telltale swell or movement inside—but he knew that his children were growing inside her belly. His sons and daughters. How many would they have of each? What would they name them? The more he pondered it, the more a stupefied grin slowly spread over his lips. "We're gonna have a family together, Lil," he spoke in a whisper no more audible than to the two of them. "You're gonna be the most amazing mom, and I'm gonna be the dopey clueless dad." He gave an incredulous chuckle, looking between her beautiful face and her stomach in between them. His smile faltered a little while he considered the alternative. They had options still. It was early in the pregnancy, and as a healer, he knew they had a choice to make.

Looking to Lillith with a grim seriousness on his features, Romulus asked, "Do you... want to keep them?" It was the great conflict for Roman, but if Lillith wasn't ready, he wasn't going to make her go through this just for him.

"Speech"