Chapter Text
Luo Binghe paced.
Paced some more.
Nearly ran into his father and came close to punching him, just for the sake of it.
"Now son."
"Don't 'now son' me. How long does this take?" A wail beyond the door made him turn, about to slam his way in. Except Mu Qingfang stopped him. "Damnit, what's wrong in there?"
"Nothing. It's a painful experience. Everyone is doing their best and there's nothing you can do."
More wails, enough to silence every demon for miles if this were the Demon World. "I want this over."
"It'll be all right...."
He wished he could believe that. He couldn't. He went back to pacing.
It took another hour of screaming, howling and curses before silence fell. Those curses were the most unnerving part of all, because they were - each and every one - aimed at Luo Binghe and his reproductive organs. Not that he blamed them one bit. He should never have agreed to this. Everything was fine before now.
When silence fell he nearly panicked again. Nearly rushed through the door. Again Mu Qingfang stopped him. "Wait. Give them a moment."
The silence seemed to last forever. Then, at last, it was broken by small, weaker, cries. Little tiny cries from little tiny throats. "Is it... done? Is it... can I?"
The door opened and Su Xiyan peeked out. "Come in, son, and meet your children. A girl and a boy, both healthy." When her husband tried to follow she pushed him back. "No. You let them have their time and a good long rest. You'll get your chance to spoil them later."
Luo slipped past his arguing parents and pushed through a grove of bamboo that'd sprung up inside the little courtyard beyond. Yingying came out to meet him, carrying two small bundles. "Here they are, A-Luo."
They looked very much alike, with only a demon mark on the one to show their heritage. "That one's the boy."
"What about...."
"Come along. You'll see."
Yingying led him through to a little clearing where two beds and two exhausted mothers waited. "We should name mine Shenwei," Hauling said as soon as she saw him. "He's going to be a powerful sorcerer, I can just tell."
How that name followed was something Luo Binghe would have to ask later. He kissed her. "He already has a powerful set of lungs. They both do."
While Hualing chuckled, accepting her son back into her arms and setting him to suckle, Luo Binghe turned to the girl's mother and handed her her daughter. "What about you?"
Haitang smiled, "I was thinking something like Yexing. We had an ancestress with that name. She was a great warrior." She turned her eyes on the pale and sweat soaked man sitting on the ground between them. "Isn't that right, brother?"
"I remember. She conquered several kingdoms, didn't she?" Qingqiu wiped his face and smiled up at Luo Binghe. "I heard you panicking out there. You know I'd never let any of my sister-wives come to harm."
"It was just so noisy."
"It was," Qingqiu agreed. "Giving birth is an amazingly complicated and painful process and I'm quite happy not to be capable of it. Despite your father's fondest wishes."
Hualing sniffed. "It's your fault it happened at all."
"And you shared our pain, brother, so you can't pretend you weren't involved."
"Hmph." Qingqiu scoffed. "That's right, put it all on the junior-most consort."
Luo Binghe helped his First Consort stand. Kissed him. "They aren't wrong. If your peculiar mix of yin and yang didn't satiate Xin Mo so thoroughly, I probably wouldn't have any children at all. Now I have two. And more to come if they're wanted."
Another scoff. "My dear, you are the most stubborn creature in this world and any other. When you put your mind to it, you get what you want. If you want children, even without me, you'll have as many as you could possibly desire."
Quite likely he was right. But Luo Binghe was perfectly happy to have things the way they were. Not everything in his world had to be solved with his Xin Mo sword, after all.
Some things took more time, effort and dedication. But in the end, he thought it was worth it.