dare you to move [birth]

Despite his anxiousness, Maverick was kept calm by Venom's steadiness despite the tremendous pain she was currently going through. His mate's composure even while dealing with the most difficult process a fae could endure awed and amazed the rogue, and when she assured him that she would let him know if she needed a healer, he realized just why this incredible woman had been chosen to lead the Ashen Empire. Venom was a tour de force, an island steady amidst a hurricane. Nothing fazed her, nothing bowled her over. She remained calm and in control at all times. It served to reassure the nervous Maverick, and when she asked that it be just the two of them to share this incredible milestone together, he could only reach his paw up to take one of hers in his own. "Then we'll do this together—just us," he replied, nuzzling into the back of Venom's neck, deftly avoiding the prickly quills hidden in her scruff. "I've got your back, Ven." And he always would. Always.

While Venom went through periods of relaxation and writhing, Maverick would hold his fiancée safely to his larger body, letting her recline into him as she needed. He wasn't going anywhere; there was nowhere else he would dare to be right now. The wolf he loved the most was giving birth to his children—their family! He would be here and be present for every moment of it. Watching Venom work her way through the pain twisted Mav's heart for he hated to see her in agony, but he knew it was an unavoidable consequence of the love they had created. This was not new to the seasoned mother, nor was it an experience that didn't happen on a daily basis. But still, listening to Venom groan and cry out in pain made Mav wish he could bear some of the pain for her. Her cries came more frequently as her contractions quickened until finally with a muffled shout, Venom gave birth to their first child. Maverick felt Venom's body tense, ripple, then relax. Then the soft whining cries of their child could be heard.

The sound immediately short-circuited the dire brute's brain. In his mind he knew exactly what the sound was, but to know it and to experience it were two very different things. Emotions he'd never known existed surged forth, his heart swelling in his chest while he lifted his head to watch Venom retrieve and clean their eldest child. Teal eyes widened when he saw the little wolf pup nursing at Venom's stomach and tears rose to glisten in the corners of his eyes. That was his pup; his child that he had created with his beloved Empress. Maverick was a father. A breathless, incredulous chuckle escaped the stunned man's lips and a wide grin spread slowly over his features. He couldn't tell if the child was a boy or a girl yet, but it didn't matter. Only one thing truly mattered, and he voiced it with all the joy in his heart. "Ven... We're parents!" he exclaimed in a hushed yet ecstatic whisper. Mav's heart felt so full that he feared it might burst! But he couldn't allow himself to get too worked up just yet. Venom was clearly not done birthing their family, and more pups would be on their way soon.

"Venom & Maverick"