It was dead quiet when you woke up. No thunder, no weird noise, just that pain. A deep, pulling ache low in your stomach that had you sucking in a breath through clenched teeth.

You sat up slowly, shifting the blanket off. And yep… there it was again. Stronger than the false alarms. Way stronger.

Next to you, Ash stirred. His hand had been resting on your stomach. It always somehow ended up there when you slept. And as you moved, he tensed up.

“You okay ?” His voice was low and rough from sleep, but instantly alerted. His eyes snapped open and locked on you.

You winced again, letting out a sound of pain, clenching the sheets.

He was already sitting up, the blanket sliding off his bare chest. “Hey, talk to me.” he said in his usual strict voice.

“They feel different…the contractions, they feel stronger…” you mumbled before exhaling.

Ash didn’t waste time asking more. He stood up, ran a hand through his hair, and grabbed the small lamp, turning it on low. “Alright. We’re not jumping to conclusions. Breathe through the next few. We’ll time ‘em. You’re not doing this alone.”

You nodded, teeth gritted. Another contraction was already building. You groaned, folding forward slightly.

Ash was at your side in two seconds. “Hey. Breathe. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Don’t fight it.”

You tried. He crouched down in front of you, still only dressed in sweatpants, one hand steady on your knee. He was there. Solid. Sharp focus in his eyes like he was scanning for danger. Always alerted.

“Let’s get you on the ball,” he said, standing up and already dragging it over without waiting for your response. “You bounce, I’ll count.”

He helped you to sit on the ball and he stood next to you so you could hold onto him for balance, legs spread wide to help ease the pressure.

You were focused on getting through the next contraction. And he timed the contraction, watching you like a hawk, holding your hand. You were used to this version of Ash by now. He didn’t panic. He didn’t coddle. He handled it. All of it.

You swallowed hard, blinking away the sudden sting of tears. He didn’t even have to say ‘I’ve got you’. It was in everything he did. The way he watched you. The way he stayed close. The way his whole body tensed every time you flinched in pain, like he’d take it for me if he could.

Another contraction hit and you moaned in pain, rocking a little on the ball.

Ash didn’t say anything. He just moved in front of you, crouching down to be at eye level with you. He rested his big hands on your thighs, gently squeezing them as he looked at you.