Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Crim was not someone who got sick often. In fact, Alessio could count on one hand the amount of times he’d seen his boss visibly ill. So it stood out as strange when he awoke early one morning to find Crim’s side of the bed cold, and the door to their adjoining bathroom shut.

Alessio approached the bathroom, hearing the classic sounds of vomiting from within. He rapped on the door with the back of his hand. “Are you alright in there sir?”

There was a long pause, and then a slurred attempt at speech. Alessio opened the door to find Crim hunched over the toilet, looking completely disoriented and miserable. He smiled vaguely when his bodyguard entered, but quickly turned to retch once again.

Crouching, Alessio found a washcloth and gently cleaned Crim’s face before feeling his forehead. Hmm, no fever. Crim allowed himself to be sat up, handling like a limp rag doll.

“How long have you been in here like this?” Alessio asked.

Crim groaned, looking exhausted. “I dunno. A couple hours? I think it’s from the fish last night.”

“Then this would be my fault.” Alessio said, a wave of shame washing over him. “I inspected the meat before the chef began, and it appeared to be fresh and of good quality. I apologize-”

Crim waved him off, face turning a strange green color at the mention of the fish. “It’s f-fine. Just stop talking about it.”

“Alright. May I instead suggest you go back to bed then?” Alessio asked gently.

Rubbing his eyes, Crim couldn’t hold back a yawn. “What time is it?”

“Four am.”

Crim nodded. “Fine. I’m still getting up at seven like normal though.”

The mafia boss did not, in fact, get up at seven. And if it was due to Alessio turning off his alarm rather than Crim forgetting to set one- well, that was one little white lie Alessio was willing to tell.

Chapter Text

It had been a week now of this bizarre sickness, and Alessio was trying not to let his anxiousness show. Crim had been stumbling out of bed early each morning like clockwork and puking his guts out, yet by the afternoon he’d be fine and working as usual.

Alessio thought about suggesting a doctor, but he wasn’t sure what the reaction would be. Crim could fight like a hellcat even after several nights of illness, and Alessio never wanted to be on the receiving end of that rage.

Then the sickness got worse.

What had been confined to the mornings turned into all day. Eating and drinking like normal turned into eating less and less, unable to keep almost anything down. He was snappy with his men, and far quieter with Alessio. The already thin imp was starting to lose weight as well, and Alessio couldn’t help but feel a pang of worry when he saw Crim’s suit fitting noticeably looser.

Nearly three weeks in, Crim was so weak that he was clearly exhausted just walking to his office. Alessio followed closer than usual, concerned that every sway and wobble may turn into a fall. Crim made it nearly three quarters of the way there before he turned to Alessio. “Do you think…”

Alessio saw Crim’s eyes roll into the back of his skull and quickly scooped him up, carrying his unconscious boss back to his bedroom while barking into his radio, “Call the doctor, the don’s ill.”

By the time Alessio had gotten Crim laid onto his bed, the imp was starting to stir. “Mmph. What?”

“You fainted. I have a doctor on the way.” Alessio explained. Crim sighed, allowing a pillow to be placed behind him so he could be propped up a little. “I know you don’t like them, but I can’t sit here and watch you die.”

It wasn’t long before a doctor arrived. Her name was Dr. Rossi, one the mafia often used; she was a middle aged imp who could stitch a wound just as easily as she could keep a secret, which is to say extremely well. She smiled and shook Crim’s hand, bright eyes already inspecting his pale face. “Hi there. Looks like you’re not feeling too well, mind telling me about it?”

Crim shrugged, and she turned to Alessio. “I’m sure you’ve paid attention.”

Nodding, Alessio described everything he could remember from the last three weeks. Dr. Rossi listened attentively, nodding as she considered everything. “Hm. Well thank you. I’m going to do a physical exam and we’ll go from there.”

Crim looked irritated, but a look from Alessio encouraged him to acquiesce. “Fine.”

Dr. Rossi started with general things, listening to Crim’s heartbeat and taking his blood pressure. She then moved her stethoscope to listen over Crim’s middle before removing it and resting her fingers gently on his skin. “Tell me if this is uncomfortable or painful, okay?”

She pressed down on Crim’s middle, steadily moving down towards his hips. Once she reached his lower abdomen around the bladder region, Crim winced. “There, just a bit.”

Sitting on Crim’s opposite side, Alessio snuck his hand under some rumpled sheets to hold his hand. It must really be uncomfortable if Crim was readily admitting to it like that.

Dr. Rossi nodded and pulled some sort of machine out of her bag. “Just one last bit, I need to look at your insides.”

She slid his shirt up and powered on the machine before smearing gel across his lower abdomen, placing the wand part of the machine and moving it around as she looked at a little screen. After a few minutes of moving the wand around and inspecting whatever she saw, the wand was removed and she handed Crim a wipe for his middle.

Once everything was put away and cleaned up, she smiled at Crim and Alessio. “You’re pregnant.”

Chapter Text

Alessio felt like his mind was floating away from his body. Dr. Rossi had explained it as male imps occasionally being capable of pregnancy, most never realizing as the chances of it happening were so slim. She had given Crim medication for his extreme morning sickness and recommended rest. She had also gently explained that they could terminate, but a decision would have to be made before Crim reached three months, as it would grow in such a way that removing it after that stage could kill him. Currently, she estimated him to be two months and three weeks along. One week to decide…

“Fuckin’ hell, huh?” Crim muttered. He was curled up in his blankets, turned on his side towards Alessio and staring into space.

Alessio nodded. “Yeah. How are you feeling about all this?”

He was answered with a shrug. “Dunno. My first instinct is to scrape it out so I can stop feeling like shit. But I…”

“You’re thinking of keeping it?” Alessio couldn’t help but feel a spark of something undefinable. He’d been surprised when Crim hadn’t demanded to get rid of it immediately, and even more surprised at his own instinctual response to want the child.

Another shrug. “Well we’re doing a lot better on money now. And I don’t hate the idea of a kid running around again. Plus they could take over when I die.”

Alessio nodded, and Crim shifted to look at him. “Are you okay with all of this? You’d be in a lot more danger, having a kid with me.”

“I will support whatever will make you happy. I don’t mind the idea of having a kid either. But it is your choice, and I’ll be here for you no matter what you decide.” Alessio moved closer and let Crim’s head rest in his lap. “How about you take the week to think on it and let me know?”

He could feel Crim nod, the imp closing his eyes and quickly falling asleep.

Chapter Text

The medicine Dr. Rossi had given helped a lot, and Crim started to feel a lot better within a few days. Alessio was relieved to see his lover’s energy and appetite return, and he was resuming business as usual.

They kept the pregnancy a secret, and Crim hadn’t brought it up since the night they found out. Sometimes Alessio would catch him glancing down at himself, deep in thought with his face pinched.

Six days after the discovery, Alessio found Crim sitting outside their room on the balcony. He was wearing just a bathrobe, watching the sun rise in the distance.

“You know what the hardest part of this week has been?”

Alessio shook his head, and Crim chuckled. “I want a cigar so damn bad. This is the longest I’ve gone without one in years. But I don’t want to fuck up the kid before they’re even here.”

Feeling a cautious surge of joy, Alessio waited. Did this mean they were keeping it?

As if he could read his mind, Crim nodded. “Yeah, I want to keep it.”

Alessio couldn’t hold back a grin, and tried to hide it behind his cup of coffee. But a sideways glance revealed Crim’s own small smile.

Chapter Text

A month later, Crim’s crew stumbles back through the door or his mansion, returning from a successful hit on another crime family. Crim himself had joined in- from the sidelines and not the front of the fighting at Alessio’s insistence- but still got enough action to wipe blood from his hands alongside his men.

Crim shed his suit jacket as soon as he and Alessio got back to their room. “I need a fucking shower, I’m pretty sure I got entrails in my hair.” Crim growled. He looked exhausted, and Alessio immediately started the hot water.

When Crim came in, he was already naked. “Are you joining?”

Alessio nodded, and stepped into the shower moments after Crim. “You do have entrails in your hair.” He took some scented conditioner and worked it gently into his boss’s hair, separating the gore out with his fingers.

He noticed after a few minutes that Crim was purring, completely relaxed under Alessio’s touch. The shark let his hands rove, traveling along Crim’s skin until they reached the imp’s waist, where he noticed a change. Under his fingers, Crim’s middle felt slightly rounded. “That’s new.”

Crim nodded, looking down at Alessio’s hand against his belly. “I hadn’t really noticed.” He blinked, seemingly realizing something. “Shit. I won’t be able to hide it forever.”

With a soft chuckle, Alessio drew him close. “Did you actually think you could?”

“Shut up.” Crimson grumbled, but there was no heat in his words.

Truthfully, he had just done his best to avoid thinking about it in the last few weeks, at least thinking too deeply about how the kid was growing inside of him. He liked kids, had loved caring for Moxxie until he got older and… difficult. That was still a sore spot he refused to reckon with. Maybe it would be different this time around. It was a bit too late to let himself have doubts anyway.

The shower eventually ran cold, and the two stepped out together. As Crim began to towel off, Alessio bent and began kissing down his neck from behind. “I love you.” Alessio whispered.

Crim shivered, and let his towel drop. “We just got clean.”

“Do you want to stop?” Alessio nibbled at him gently.

Crim leaned into the sensation, twisting to catch the shark in a kiss. “Hell no.”

The pair managed to make it to bed, where Alessio continued kissing down Crimson’s body, planting one on the middle of his new belly before continuing downwards. “How do you want me?”

Crimson purred, wrapping his tail around Alessio’s waist. “I want you inside me- both of your dicks.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to hurt you.” Alessio questioned softly.

With a roll of his eyes, Crim began to grind his hips up against the shark bodyguard. “I’m not suddenly made of glass. It’s okay to fuck me Ale.”

Alessio acquiesced with a grin. “As you command.”

Chapter Text

It felt like he reached five months in the blink of an eye. Crim’s middle had grown significantly within the last few weeks, starting to push out into a more clearly defined round belly. He’d been able to hide it fairly well with his normal clothes pretty easily- until today.

“Ready for your meeting with the Colombo Family?” Alessio called out, approaching his and Crim’s room with two mugs of tea. It was Earl Grey, something Crim had favored recently. He got no response, so he tapped on the door before entering. “Everything okay?”

Crim stood in front of a full length mirror on the opposite side of the bed. He was cursing a blue streak and Alessio realized the problem; Crim was yanking the fly of his pants together, but the button wouldn’t go into its loop. Alessio was surprised those pants had survived this far into the imp’s pregnancy, but not that Crim had been too stubborn to plan for his weight gain before this happened.

With an affectionate sigh, Alessio went to the closet and handed some folded clothes to Crim. “I knew this would happen sooner or later.”

Crim unfolded the pants, noting that they looked just like his normal ones, but far stretchier and with some sort of additional fabric on the waist. “Are these- are these maternity pants? Like for chicks?”

“They are. I looked into simply sizing up your normal wardrobe, but any options would have become ill fitting and uncomfortable for you very quickly.” Alessio explained, and Crim nodded. The idea of wearing pants meant for women was somewhat embarrassing, but poorly fitting clothes would be far worse. And as he put them on, Crim did have to admit to himself that it felt much easier now without his waistband digging into his skin.

Along with the pants, Alessio had given him a shirt; it was nearly identical to his normal one, but structured a bit differently, clearly designed to fit his new belly as well. Crim put his suit jacket on over and left it unbuttoned; all together, the ensemble looked like a more relaxed version of his normal stuff. To his relief, it helped minimize his belly; he wasn’t exactly ready for this to be public knowledge.

“Alright, well how do I look?” Crim asked.

Alessio smiled and kissed his hand. “As handsome as always.”

Chapter Text

The Colombo Family were one of the few other mafia groups worth Crimson’s personal attention. To refuse an invitation from them without a very, very good excuse was the equivalent of signing your own death warrant. Crimson just hoped they had a real reason to drag him out of his home, and not just something that could have been a letter- last time they had demanded a meeting it was just to invite him to one of their family member’s weddings.

The Colombo mansion was similar to Crim’s, but with a deep maroon and natural wood combined theming. The head of the family, Giovanni, met him at the door with a wide exaggerated smile and strongly gripped handshake. Alessio was given no more than a nod, but was permitted to step into Giovanni’s office just behind Crimson. He wouldn’t have let Crim go alone of course, but it was a good sign that he had no trouble staying at Crim’s side.

Alcohol was served, and Crim politely pretended to sip his. Don Giovanni got right to business, talking about a hit he wanted to do next month on another one of the families, hoping to take over some prime territory in this ring. Normally Crim would be thrilled, but today the proposition sent a worm of anxiety squirming around in his chest,

“Well, I can send you any number of men to assist, but I’m afraid that I won’t be able to join myself.” Crim made his voice assertive yet just the right amount of apologetic, well aware that there would be no way he could do this hit when he’d be six months pregnant.

Giovanni’s confident smile faltered. “Come on, why not?. Sending some men is great, but you an’ me charging in together is a powerful image. Sends a message that we ain’t to be messed with.”

“Trust me I’d love to,” Crimson replied, “But I got cancer. I’m supposed to get surgery next month.” A medical excuse was one of the few things Crimson could think of that couldn’t be easily disproved, and Giovanni was more likely to acquiesce to.

There was a pause, and then Giovanni nodded solemnly. “Ah, cancer. Well I’m sorry to hear that, it’s a real shame. I thought you’d just gotten fat but seems you do have an excuse.”

Crimson’s right eye twitched. Fat? He took a slow, deep breath as Giovanni continued to blather on. He couldn’t risk picking a fight over the insult, yet it cut surprisingly deep. He wasn’t fat, just pregnant. Still, a hot, itchy feeling was starting to crawl over his skin, and he wanted nothing more than to run away and hide somewhere.

The meeting wrapped not long after, and Crimson was relieved to get in the car and go. One of his other men drove, allowing Alessio to sit in the back with him, and in that space of general privacy Crim leaned against his bodyguard. There was a sliding divide between them and Crim’s driver, and Alessio pushed it closed. “How are you feeling?”

“My ankles fucking ache, and I feel like a useless fatass.”

To Crim’s horror, his eyes began to sting as Alessio wrapped an arm around him. He rubbed his face angrily, determined not to cry. The hell was this? He hadn’t let anyone make him cry since he was a kid. It got even harder to control when Alessio kissed his head and pulled him in even closer. “It’s okay to be upset. Do you want to talk about it?”

Crimson shrugged. “I- I don’t know. I just felt real shitty in my own skin all of a sudden, and I hate it. Felt like he was laughing at me, and then I thought of the clothes stuff from this morning… It’s stupid, but I can’t help feeling all fat and gross now.”

“You’re not fat or gross, just pregnant.” Alessio replied. “There’s no harm in a little fat anyway. Your body is going through a lot, change is okay.”

Crim nodded, eyes half-closed as his partner started to stroke his hair. “You really don’t hate it?”

Alessio shook his head. “No. I could never hate how you look. You’re giving me a child, Crim- one of the greatest gifts you can ever give.” He chuckled, “If I’m honest, it’s all I can do to keep my hands off of you recently.”

This made Crim turn his head to look up at him, a smile threatening to spread on his face. “Well nobody can see us in here.”

Chapter Text

Two weeks later, Alessio was playing pool with some of Crim’s other men. Just as he was starting to win, Crimson marched in. “Ale, stay here. The rest of you- get out.”

The others filed out quickly, and Alessio watched the crime boss, confused. Crim’s face was unreadable, and he motioned for Alessio to sit down. “Is something wrong?”

Crim shook his head and grabbed Alessio’s hand. “No. Just- I wanna know if you can feel it.”

Alessio let his hand be placed over Crimson’s belly. He didn’t have to wait long before there was a tiny nudge, right against his palm. “It’s kicking!”

“Yeah.” Crim replied, and the baby kicked again. “It’s been moving for a little while now, but today’s the first day I noticed a real kick.”

“It’s getting stronger. Only a few months left until we get to meet them.” Since they were alone, Alessio helped Crim settle on his lap, holding him close. “Have you thought of any names yet?”

“Eh, kinda. I can’t find any I love yet, just a bunch that I kinda like.” Crimson replied. “Maybe Alicia for a girl, or Oliver for a boy, but of course we don’t know what it is yet.”

Alessio nodded. “I like those ideas. Speaking of not knowing, Dr. Rossi is coming for your checkup in a couple weeks- do you want to find out then?”

“Hmm, maybe. Do you want to know?” Crimson mused.

“I was going to leave it up to you. It would help narrow down names at least if we do find out.” Alessio answered.

Crimson nodded. “That’s true.

Alessio’s hand stayed on his partner’s middle, feeling a little thrill every time the baby nudged at him.

-------------------

The appointment with Dr. Rossi came up fast. She greeted Crim and Alessio just as she had done at every monthly appointment so far before letting herself in. She quickly settled in the usual routine, including taking Crimson’s blood pressure and doing an ultrasound.

“Baby’s looking healthy developmentally! They are on the smaller side considering parental genetics though. It’s nothing to worry too much about, but I’d like to encourage you to eat more and perhaps take a break from work as much as you possibly can.” Dr. Rossi explained.

Crimson raised an eyebrow at her. “Small? Kid feels like its crushing my insides half the time. And I can’t just stop working, I’m a Don!”

“I understand,” Dr. Rossi replied, “But I would like you to try. It’s better to alleviate a concern before it becomes a problem, and if you keep working at the rate you currently are, it could turn into a problem. I don’t want to have to put you on bed rest in a month to make sure you’re strong enough to give birth.”

A glance at Alessio told Crimson that if she did, it would be enforced. “Ugh, fine. I’ll figure something out.”

Dr. Rossi smiled. “Good. that increased rest should lessen the dizzy spells you mentioned- eating more will help with that too. The back pain and swelling you’ve mentioned is normal for this stage-”

“Let me guess, rest will help that too.” Crimson interjected, and she nodded.

“Yes. I know it’s not what you are wanting to hear, but I promise that if you follow my advice you will feel better. And you’re almost to the third trimester, so it’s not long now.”

Before she left, she handed Crimson a small printout from the ultrasound, along with a little envelope. “There’s a paper in there with the sex, if you and Alessio would like to know.”

Alessio thanked her and escorted her out before returning to Crimson, who was waiting with the envelope. He held it out, and Alessio took it. The shark took a moment to open it, taking a deep breath, hands shaking from anticipation.

“It’s a girl!”

Chapter Text

Nearly a month later, Alessio woke up sometime in the middle of the night. He reached out for Crimson- only to find an empty spot. A glance at the bathroom showed no light under the door, and the bodyguard got up. Crim’s water glass was still on the nightstand, so he wasn’t refilling that.

Alessio padded over to the kitchen, but there was no sign of Crimson there. He wasn’t in the office or dining room either, and Alessio took a deep breath to calm the small rise of panic. A seven months pregnant imp who complained about his hips aching every time he waddled more than a few yards couldn’t have gone far.

Finally Alessio checked the nursery- and released the tension in his shoulders when he saw Crimson sitting in the middle of the room. He appeared to be reorganizing baby clothes, and smiled sheepishly when he saw the shark in the doorway. “Sorry Ale. I couldn’t sleep.”

“I’ll admit it scared me a little when I couldn’t find you right away. Should’ve known to look in here first.” Alessio crouched, looking at the tiny onesies and socks scattered on the floor. “Haven’t you reorganized all of this about five times already?”

Crimson nodded, fiddling with a sock. “Yes, but it’s like my brain keeps insisting its not right, and I can’t just not fix it.”

“Can I help?” Alessio asked. He’d done the heavy lifting for the nursery, but Crimson had been in charge of all the details, like where everything went and how everything was put away.

“Yeah actually would you mind-” Crimson winced apologetically, “I know it’s gross but could you make me ice cream with pickles?”

Alessio gave him a quick kiss before standing. “Of course I can.”

The dish was indeed gross, but Alessio didn’t mind. Crimson had been obsessed with pickles for almost a month now, and Alessio had somewhat adjusted. The one thing he couldn’t stand was the horrible pickles-chocolate sauce-spam sandwich from last week. It was great to see Crimson eating more and not caring so much about appearances, so Alessio hadn’t said anything about it; yet he wasn’t too upset when it made Crimson sick and he swore to never eat it again.

When he returned, Crimson took the bowl with a happy noise. “Thanks. I’ve been wanting some for ages.”

Alessio cocked his head. “Then why didn’t you have some earlier?”

Looking embarrassed, Crimson mumbled, “I sat on the floor and then realized I couldn’t stand up again on my own.”

Alessio chuckled, shaking his head. “Do you need help now?”

“Mmhmm, after I finish this.” Crimson replied. He was still focused on organizing, carefully avoiding getting any ice cream or pickle on the little baby clothes. “Do you think these will even fit? The kid feels huge and it’s still got two months in here.”

Alessio looked at the onesies and shrugged. “Dr. Rossi did say that the baby’ll be a bit bigger than full imps because it’s half me. But we did figure that in when I bought those, so it should be fine. We can always just get more if they don’t fit anyway.”

With a nod, Crimson set down his now empty bowl. “How’s about you help me put these away and we can go back to bed?”

As always, Alessio was happy to help.

Chapter Text

Well, today fuckin’ sucked.

Crimson had woken up with with an ache in his spine- and a gun in his face.

The gun’s owner was none other than Giovanni, the Don barking a laugh as he stared at him. “Well whatcha know boys, he is knocked up. And with another guy he’s not even married to.”

Crimson made an angry chittering noise. “The fuck are you doing here?”

He felt Alessio tense beside him as the gun was pressed against his belly. “A little digging told me one of the most powerful Dons in this ring would currently be… defenseless. I figure why not take ya, wait until you pop like a fuckin’ water balloon, and use the kid to make you one of my most loyal bitches?” He laughed again as Crimson’s blood ran cold.

When Giovanni shifted the angle of his gun, only for a moment, Alessio struck.

The strong shark grabbed the gun barrel, forcing it towards the ceiling before it went off. “Crimson run-”

Alessio was cut off by one of Giovanni’s men pistol whipping him across the back of the head, making him collapse onto the floor beside the bed. “No!” Crimson reached for him, only for a cold needle to be shoved into the back of his neck. “Ale…”

The world faded to darkness, and Crimson could do nothing as Giovanni’s men continued to beat Alessio’s unconscious form.

Once the two men were out cold, Don Giovanni placed Crimson into the back of his car. His men followed, dragging Alessio. “Boss! What should we do with this one?”

The boss considered for a moment before laughing. “Take him to pride. I want him to know that I have his precious Don, and there’s nothing he can do about it.”

Chapter Text

The bloody shark collapsing through IMP’s doors could hardly be recognized, he was so bruised and swollen. The first one to recognize him was Moxxie’s who’s eyes widened as he drew a gun, ducking into the hall to see if the bodyguard was being followed before kneeling beside him.

“It’s Alessio, my dad’s guard.” He explained to Loona. “Get Blitzo.”

As Loona left to find her dad, Millie brought over the company’s first aid kit. She helped Moxxie turn the shark onto his side as he began to come to, coughing and spitting blood while trying to sit up. “Woah, just take it easy for a minute- you’re really bleeding.” Millie said.

Alessio waved her worried hands away, managing to sit up on his own. “Crim- Moxxie, your dad’s been kidnapped. Don Giovanni took ‘im.” He spit out a tooth. “I need your help, I can’t save him alone and everyone else is dead. His men dumped me in this ring to make sure I couldn’t make it back in time to track him down, must not have realized you live here.”

“Why should I help that piece of shit-” Moxxie began, but stopped when the one eye Alessio could open focused on him with burning, desperate intensity.

“He’s pregnant.”

Moxxie blinked. “What- are you fucking with me?”

“No. He’s almost full term, and it’s mine.” Alessio fumbled with his breast pocket, struggling with a couple of clearly broken fingers, and pulled out a picture- the ultrasound. “It’s a girl.”

Moxxie barely had time to process before Alessio grabbed his hand, starting to collapse once more but struggling to stay conscious. “You hate ‘im, and I understand. He’s far from perfect and hurt ya bad. But I love him and our baby, I can’t lose ‘em. Please help me.”

The shark’s grip slackened and he passed out again just as Loona returned, Blitzo hot on her heels. Millie quickly filled them in as Moxxie started doing what he could for Alessio’s injuries. The man had been nearly beaten to death; it was a shock that he’d made it all the way to IMP.

Blitzo had an uncharacteristically serious expression as he turned to Moxxie. “It’s your call on this one. I’ll support whatever you decide Mox.”

Mind racing, Moxxie looked at Alessio’s barely recognizable face. The shark had always been kind to him. He wanted Crimson to rot, but… Alessio didn’t deserve to lose his baby. Learning that his dad was into guys and also pregnant in a matter of minutes was definitely going to take some processing. But right now, regardless of his dad being involved, Moxxie knew what the right thing to do was.

“Let’s go.”

Chapter Text

Crimson lost track of time, chained up in the corner of a cold, dark cell beneath Giovanni’s manor. He hadn’t reacted well to whatever they’d drugged him with, reduced to being sweaty, achy, and nauseously hurling into a bucket.

Alessio was probably dead. Crim wouldn’t let himself cry; there would be time for mourning later, when he found a way to escape these sick fucks. They couldn’t be allowed to see a shred of weakness, no matter how much the loss felt like a sharp, fanged black hole tearing his chest apart from the inside. Ale had been the one man he’d been so sure he’d never lose.

Another wave of pain started in his spine, moving down as it wrapped around his belly like a vise. That was the other, much more urgent problem; he was almost certainly in labor. The only good part of it was that he was only a couple of weeks out from his due date, so the kid should be okay. So much for having Dr. Rossi on speed dial…

Crimson found himself tearing up. Their daughter would never get to meet Alessio. Tears rolled down his cheeks before he could stop them, and Crim curled up as much as possible to hide his face.

Something rapped metallically against the bars of his cell, and Crim wiped his face and looked up in a flash. Giovanni stood smirking at him, obviously gloating. “How’s mommy doing in there? Sad because you look like you swallowed a bowling ball?” His voice dripped with mockery and fake concern, obviously enjoying Crimson’s suffering.

He got no response and rolled his eyes. “Your little bastard’s daddy is dead, Crim. Nobody is coming to save you. And I am going to absolutely relish hearing you scream when that thing starts tearing you open.”

Giovanni cackled, and Crimson ignored his continued insults in favor of keeping his face blank through another contraction. Thankfully they weren’t yet close together, but without a watch he had no way of tracking them.

A sudden pause in Giovanni’s blathering as Crim’s contraction faded made him still. Something was happening upstairs, screams and crashing noises-

And then a gunshot.

Chapter Text

The plan to sneak in and make their way to Crim’s likely holding place had, of course, completely fallen apart five seconds in. Now it was chaos, with Blitzo and Millie handling most of the guards and covering Moxxie’s back as he searched. Loona had stayed with the van only after Blitzo begged her not to go into a mafia shoot up, and she only ended up agreeing in order to make Alessio stay in the van instead of running in as well. He’d still been trying to load a gun and had vehemently refused to go to the hospital, even though he was still bleeding.

Despite his justified bad feelings towards his father, seeing Alessio that badly hurt had scared Moxxie. Giovanni was notorious for violence, but that poor shark had barely been recognizable.

But that wasn’t important right now. Finding Crimson and getting him out was the goal; the complicated mess of emotions and adrenaline settled in Moxxie’s gut could be sorted out later.

Moxxie reached the basement doors just as Giovanni burst out of them. He was flung backwards by the bigger imp, and nearly got a bullet to the face before Millie’s ax sunk into the Don’s stomach. Trusting his wife to handle it Moxxie ran past the now screaming imp, charging down into the cold underground area.

It took only seconds to find Crimson, and Moxxie dashed over. The first thing he noticed was his father’s belly, obviously massively swollen- Alessio clearly hadn’t been lying. Crimson had one hand resting on the side of it, staring open mouthed at his son. “Moxxie? The hell are- mmmhh.”

He made a pained noise, breathing hard for a moment before recovering. Moxxie swore and found the end of Crimson’s chain; they were going to need to get out of here quickly. “Alessio told me you were kidnapped. And about the baby.”

Crimson’s eyes brightened immediately. “Ah, so he’s alive then. Thank fuck…” he swiped at his eyes and then watched as Moxxie successfully picked the lock on his chain. “Where is he?”

“We made him stay outside in the van, he’s pretty bashed up.”

Throwing the chain into an opposite corner, Moxxie extended his hand. “Can you walk?”

Crimson nodded and used Moxxie’s hand to pull himself to his feet. Leaning on Moxxie, the two made it only a few steps before Crimson froze. In a flash he grabbed one of Moxxie’s sidearms off of his belt and fired it towards the stairwell door. A member of Don Giovanni’s men had appeared there and now slumped forward, dead, only to be replaced by another. In a moment of panic Crimson shoved his son to the floor. A sudden burst of pain punched him in the shoulder just as Moxxie fired with another gun, the henchman falling dead like his friend.

A hand to his shoulder came away black with blood, and Crim groaned. Of all the times to get fucking shot…

“That was a stupid thing to do.” Moxxie got up and pulled Crimson back to his feet, expression unreadable as he inspected his father’s shoulder. “Clean entry and exit wound, doesn’t look like it hit anything vital at least.”

It had indeed been a very stupid thing to do, but Crim would be damned before he ever let his kid get shot right in front of him. “I’d rather not go up without ya and risk your wife murdering me.”

Crimson handed the gun back, and the two imps continued heading out of the basement cells, stepping carefully over the corpses on the floor.

The pair reached the top of the stairs just in time to see Millie hacking Don Giovanni’s head off as Blitzo dispatched the last two lackeys. Millie kicked the head and cackled as it smacked into a painting before turning to give Moxxie a warm smile. “We got ‘em baby! And looks like you found your pa.”

Chapter Text

As the group made their way outside, Alessio stumbled out of the van. As soon as he saw Crimson he limped as fast as he could to them, Crim breaking away from Moxxie to meet him halfway. The shark embraced him as tightly as he dared, and Crimson could feel tears falling into his hair. “You got shot? I should have been there to protect you, I’m so sorry.”

“I’m okay, it’s not your fault. I think I’m actually in better shape than you are right now.” Crimson reassured, and added in a whisper, “I think the baby’s coming though.”

Alessio’s eyes widened. “Really? We should go to the hospital then.”

“No, I want to have her at home like we planned. Just call Dr. Rossi.” Crimson held his lover’s gaze until the shark relented, and the group got into the van.

Alessio borrowed Moxxie’s phone, his own having been smashed, and called made the call. As he filled her in on everything that was happening, Crimson found himself and Moxxie, sitting beside each other, to be in an awkward sort of tense silence.

“Look son, I- I’ll stop buggin’ you after this. You’ve more than earned your space, and I… shit, I dunno what to say. Just think about coming around and saying hi to your kid sister every once in awhile, okay?”

It took Moxxie a long moment to reply, long enough that Crimson thought he was being ignored.

“I won’t promise anything, but I won’t say no either. Just give me some time.”

That was better than an outright no, and he could accept that. Crimson nodded, and leaned against Ale, closing his eyes.

Chapter Text

Dr. Rossi made it to the house before the van pulled up, and she looked concerned when she saw Alessio carrying Crimson inside. Her eyes grew even more alarmed when she saw the makeshift bandage over Crimson’s bullet wound, and she ran to open her medical bag as Alessio set Crimson down in bed, barely making it before collapsing in a chair alongside him.

When the doctor returned, Crimson gestured to Alessio. “See to him first.”

Dr. Rossi and Alessio both objected at once, and Crimson shouted, “You got the shit beat out of you, dammit!”

“And you got shot while you’re actively in labor!” Alessio exclaimed.

The two stared at each other for a moment before Dr. Rossi stepped in. “Let’s all calm down, the stress isn’t good for the baby. Alessio, go shower- at least rinse off. While you’re doing that I can stitch Crimson’s shoulder and take a look at how he’s progressing.” She turned to address Crimson as Alessio ducked into the bathroom.

“Him being clean will let me more easily see what wounds are going to be concerning. We’ll probably be waiting a few more hours until you’re close to delivery, so I’ll have plenty of time to treat him. Quite honestly you are very lucky that I’m not calling an ambulance right now.”

Crimson nodded, in too much pain to argue, and Dr. Rossi relaxed slightly. “Good. Now let’s take care of that shoulder.”

Even showering as fast as he could, by the time Alessio was out, his lover was fast asleep. Crimson’s face twitched in pain every once in awhile, but he otherwise remained asleep as Alessio sat back in his chair beside the bed. “Is he alright?”

Dr. Rossi nodded. “He’s actually progressing pretty normally, everything considered. He’s lost a good bit of blood, but I managed to get him to drink some fluids- that and the sleep should help. I would still prefer that the both of you go to the hospital, but Crimson is doing as well as he can be.”

Her gaze tracked down Alessio’s body, lips thinning as she noted his numerous injuries. “Does anything feel broken besides your fingers?”

Alessio shrugged. “I’m sure that some of my ribs are cracked, but they don’t feel too serious.”

“Hm. How do you feel overall?”

Knowing better than to lie, Alessio answered honestly. “I’m bruised to hell and my skull feels like it’s going to split open. I’ve definitely got a missing tooth, and my left eye won’t open. Honestly, I feel like dog shit.”

“Alright.” Dr. Rossi’s tone was soothing as she replied, “That sounds like a nasty concussion, plus some things that could use icing and meds. With that in mind, I’ll stop badgering you about the hospital. Do you know why he’s so opposed to going?”

Alessio pressed the offered bag of ice against his bad eye and allowed Dr. Rossi to give him a shot of pain medication. “He doesn’t like looking weak in front of other people.” Alessio found Crim’s hand with his own that wasn’t holding the bag of ice and began massaging it with his thumb. “The last time we had to go he was in his twenties. He fell off a roof and broke his leg real bad. We tried to handle it here but he got an infection. The hospital treated him like shit, and on top of that his dad came and screamed at him for failing the job. Beat the tar out of him once we got back.”

Dr. Rossi was quiet for a minute, focusing on splinting Alessio’s fingers. “I wish that he hadn’t gone through that. I can understand his reluctance much more now. I promise you, I will do my best to ensure that he has the baby here- I won’t call an ambulance unless I think he or the baby are in serious danger.”

Alessio gave her an appreciate look. “Thank you.”

Chapter Text

A strong cramping wave of pain dragged Crimson from his sleep, and for a brief second he was seized with terror, his half awake mind somehow convinced he was back in that basement cell. He must have made some noise, as Alessio was there in an instant, strong arms wrapping around him like a shield from the world. “Hey, hey, it’s just me.”

Slowly, Crimson calmed and realized he’d been digging his nails into Alessio’s arms. “Shit, sorry-” He froze; the sheets were wet beneath him. Had he pissed himself and not realized?

Alessio noticed the mortified pause, and then what had caused it. “Looks like your water broke.”

Oh, right. Crimson didn’t have time to acknowledge him before another contraction hit. This one felt deeper, stronger, and it left tears in Crim’s eyes. “This hurts so much more than I expected.”

“I’m sorry. I wish I could do something about it. Right now, I’m going to move you into a chair and take the sheets okay? And Dr. Rossi is sterilizing things right now- are you going to be alright alone for a moment while I get her?”

After Crimson nodded, Alessio moved him to a cushioned armchair in the corner, making sure he was comfortable before dipping out of the room with the sheets.

The baby kicked, and Crimson put a hand over the spot. “You better be worth it.” There was another kick as if in response, and Crimson found himself smiling until another contraction made him curl over his belly. It was starting to feel like a bowling ball was being rammed between his hips.

Alessio rushed in soon after with fresh sheets and towels, followed closely by Dr. Rossi. The shark gave Crimson a long kiss before pulling back, eyes bright. “Let’s meet our daughter.”

several hours later, Crimson was settled on his knees and gripping Alessio for support, exhausted from pushing. He was covered in sweat, only managing to stay upright due to Alessio's unwavering presence. His whole body felt like it was burning as the baby crowned; with some more encouragement from Alessio, Crimson pushed again; once, twice- and the baby slipped free.

Dr. Rossi quickly cleaned the baby, and the tiny girl began to cry as Alessio eased Crimson down onto his back. The doctor placed her on Crimson’s chest and Alessio lay curled around them, taking in the new addition to his family.

The baby wrapped her little hand around Alessio’s finger, and even exhausted as he was, Crimson managed to smile at the sight. “My little Alicia.”

Alicia was close in coloring to Alessio, with a long tail similar to his as well. She had no horns yet, but perhaps when she did they would be more imp-like. Her face shape was almost identical to Crimson’s, with a shock of black imp hair covering her head. When her eyes opened, they looked like Alessio's, but with a hint of yellow almost like a burnt sunset.

For Crimson and Alessio, she was the most perfect baby in the world.