𝙿𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚎 *𝙻𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚡

*The nursery*

*Requests: CH8502022 asked for a one-shot of married angst between Lucas and Max while she is pregnant and obviously hormonal. Enjoy!

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Max waddled through the house, her belly large and her patience thin. It was the eighth month of her pregnancy, and the discomfort was becoming unbearable. Nesting instincts clashed with exhaustion, leaving her feeling constantly on edge. As she folded tiny clothes in the nursery, Lucas entered, a pile of paperwork and his computer in his hands.

"Hey, babe, have you seen my—" Max glanced up, the tension in her shoulders evident as she continued folding tiny onesies. She took a deep breath, attempting to quell the storm of emotions bubbling within her. "No. I haven't seen your charger." Lucas paused, his expression a mix of confusion and concern.

"Oh okay... Is everything okay?" "It's like you never listen!" Max's voice quivered with frustration, her words cutting through the air and surprising Lucas with their intensity. He furrowed his brow, sensing the brewing storm. "It's this room, Lucas!" Max gestured around the nursery.

"I've been telling you for weeks about this. Why can't you understand how important it is for me to have it ready?" Lucas blinked, the gravity of her words sinking in. He shuffled the papers in his hand, trying to find the right response. "I've been swamped, Max. Work's been—"

"But this is important too! Our baby is going to be here quicker than you think, and I can't handle this chaos anymore!" Max's voice trembled, her emotions amplified by the pregnancy hormones. "I know, I know," Lucas tried to reason, his tone gentle. "But can't this wait a little longer?" "No, it actually can't wait!" Max's frustration bubbled over.

Tears welled in her eyes, the exhaustion and urgency colliding. "I'm the one carrying this baby, dealing with all the discomfort. Can't you just do one thing with me?" Lucas sighed, feeling the weight of her emotions bearing down on him. "I'm trying, Max. I am." "Well, it doesn't feel like it." Max huffed. "It's always about your work." Max's voice cracked, her words laced with a mix of hurt and frustration.

"You're never here when I need you!" Max placed a hand on her large stomach, "For us," Lucas's shoulders sagged, the hurt evident in his eyes. "I'm doing this for us, Max. I'm trying to provide a good life here!" Max buried her face in her hands, overwhelmed by a wave of emotions. "I don't need things, Lucas! I need you!"

The room fell into an uneasy silence, both of them grappling with the intensity of the moment. Max slumped onto a nearby chair, her emotions raw and exhaustion evident. Lucas froze for a moment, his heart aching as Max swatted his hand away, her pain vivid in the air between them.

He took a step back, feeling a pang of helplessness. "I'm sorry, Max. I'm here, I just... I'm trying to.. I don't know, I'm sorry." Max looked up, tears streaming down her face. "I know, I just wanted to do this together, for the baby," she whispered, the vulnerability and longing in her voice breaking through the tension.

Lucas's gaze softened as he watched her, regret pooling in his eyes. "Max, I want that too. I want to be there for you, for us." Max wiped her tears, her exhaustion was evident in the way her head slumped. "But it feels like we're drifting apart, and I don't know how to fix it." Lucas took a deep breath, a smile creeping onto his face.

Max was a softie after all. "Max, I love you so much." Max looked up, her eyes searching his for some sign of reassurance. "I know you do. So do I. I'm sorry for exploding. It's just that everything feels overwhelming now." Lucas closed the gap between them, kneeling in front of her, his hands reaching out tentatively.

"I'm sorry too. I want to support you, but sometimes I don't know how." Max met his gaze, her hand gently finding his. "Well, I guess I haven't exactly been myself lately." He nodded, relief flooding him at the touch of her hand. "You got that right. Still, that's not an excuse for how you've been feeling. I'll do better, I promise."

They sat together for a while longer, the tension diffusing, replaced by a renewed sense of calm. Amidst the chaos of impending parenthood, they found peace in their shared commitment to weathering the oncoming storm of raising a living human being together.

As they continued to decorate and prepare the nursery, together this time, a sense of reassurance settled between the couple. They knew that although challenges most definitely lay ahead, their bond would serve as their guiding light through the journey of parenthood.

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