[shooshoo]

The train trip was supposed to be the final hurrah before Bailey gave birth to their baby. Flying wasn't safe so Sid had planned the train trip, figuring they could see the country and travel comfortably. The train had been fun so far. They were both really enjoying the time together and while Bailey had been uncomfortable the last few days, Sid thought it had been a successful trip so far. 

Sid sat down on the bed, rubbing Bailey's back. "Hey, babe. How's your back?"

[SimonBrownMpreg]

"It's all right. Mostly, it feels more like a pinched nerve than anything else."

Sid surprised him with the trip and Bailey thought it was a wonderful idea. He loved traveling. Sid was beyond thoughtful putting this trip together. Bailey already filled up one memory card with photos and was well on his way to filling up a second card. It was the perfect time of year with gorgeous weather and mild temperatures. Their car on the train was small, as one would expect, forcing them both to squeeze together on the double mattress. It would have been less crowded without Bailey's big belly in the way.

"We're coming up on the next stop soon, right?" Bailey smiled up at the much taller man. "Portland is going to be so much fun. Don't let me forget the camera."

[shooshoo]

"We are," Sid said, reaching for their bag. He rifled through the bag before holding up the camera. He grinned at Bailey happily, reaching over to tuck a lock of his hair behind his ear. "Smile for the camera."

Sid lifted up the camera, centering Bailey in the frame. It was pretty much impossible to not get Bailey's belly in the shot and Sid was so happy to see his gorgeous husband carrying their child.

He leaned forward to kiss him softly. "Want me to give you a back rub before we stop? We have time."

[SimonBrownMpreg]

Bailey rolled his eyes at first. He didn't fancy closeup photos of himself these days with his rounder cheeks and softer neck. Still, he was a good sport and smiled. It wasn't like Sid hadn't already filled an album back home with photos of Bailey progressing through his pregnancy. Although, Bailey would admit that he enjoyed how much thicker his auburn curls were and would miss them after the baby was born.

He pushed the wire frame glasses further up on his nose with a nod. "A back run sounds really nice, hun, thanks." Bailey rolled further onto his side, letting his belly rest on top of the little travel pillow he brought with him. His t-shirt was solid burgundy with grey mountains screen printed across the chest. His underbelly peeked out the bottom a bit and his navel poked out against the fabric.

"My only regret is that I won't get to try any of Portland's famous coffee."

[shooshoo]

"I promise that we'll bring some home," Sid said as he settled behind Bailey. He ran his fingers through Bailey's thick curls, massaging his scalp before working his way down Bailey's back. He pressed his palms against the small of his back where he knew Bailey was the sorest from the arch his heavy belly created when he walked. And they had been walking a lot. Luckily Bailey had been in great shape when he had conceived and had just modified his workouts to accommodate the pregnancy.

Sid slid Bailey's shirt up in the back, pressing his fingers firmly into the warm skin. He never got tired of taking care of Bailey, loved him all the more for carrying their baby. The train rumbled on and Sid saw Bailey's eyes drift shut and he smiled softly. A nap was definitely not a bad idea since Bailey had been up multiple times during the night.

[SimonBrownMpreg]

Sleep was hard to fight, especially in these final weeks. Bailey dozed off into more naps than he could count, and he always woke up finding a blanket draped over him and his glasses folded safely on the nearest table. Sid was the biggest softie, even if he didn't exactly look like one with his solid six-foot athletic frame. A physically fit lifestyle was one of the things that brought them together, though Sid was more the type to lift weights while Bailey enjoyed aerobics and cardio. They both couldn't resist a good beer crawl, either.

The whistle of the train woke up Bailey as it pulled into the station. He yawned and stretched, arching his belly outward and making a satisfied "Mmmmm-ahhh...!" sound. Chocolate brown eyes blinked a few times. Everything was blurry. "Hun, where'd you put my glasses?"

[shooshoo]

Sid looked up from his iPad, smiling at the sight of Bailey stretching and blinking owlishly. He picked up Bailey's glasses and slid them on his face before leaning down and kissing him softly.

"Good nap, love?" asked Sid. He ran his fingers through Bailey's hair, straightening it as best he could. Bailey's hair wasn't great at behaving.

[SimonBrownMpreg]

"As good as a nap can be on a moving train," Bailey replied with a chuckle. "Harper is ready for me to be up and moving around, though," he said and gave a pat to the side of his belly. Whenever Bailey tried settling down to rest, the baby took it as the perfect opportunity to kick and roll as much as possible. He sat up on the bed and then stuck out his feet, wiggling them at his husband. Putting on his own shoes was far too difficult with his big belly in the way. Finally, he held out his hands so Sid could pull him up into standing.

Off the train, Bailey waddled over to the kiosk, scanning the board for all the walking tours the city had available. "Oooh, Underground Portland seems like a good one. 'Expose the sins of Portland's past on this tour through Old Town and Chinatown! We show off the remains of the physical underground and expose the myths behind the legends of the so-called "Shanghai Tunnels."' We could get lots of interesting photos on that one." Bailey rubbed at his lower belly, trying to ease what felt like a cramp.

[shooshoo]

Sid looked at a few of the other walking tours, but that one definitely seemed the most interesting. Both of them loved learning about history and it was something they often did when they traveled. He tugged the backpack he carried on all of their excursions on and put an arm around Bailey's waist. He had the camera around his neck for the moment, but he knew that Bailey would take it from him as soon as they started to see interesting stuff. Sid's favorite subject was Bailey, not what they were looking at. Bailey would say it was a flaw, but Sid enjoyed looking at his husband.

"That one sounds the most interesting and it starts pretty soon," Sid said, pressing a kiss to the top of Bailey's head. "Is Harper kicking you again?"

[SimonBrownMpreg]

"Yeah, but I'm just sort of uncomfortable. Being pregnant has been great, but it's getting to be exhausting. I dunno how I'm going to do it for another two weeks."

Bailey slipped one hand into the back pocket of Sid's jeans and pointed down the street. "According to the map, the Merchant Hotel is a block down that way. The tour guide meets everyone there. Luckily, the tour is only a mile long, so hopefully my ankles won't swell up too much." They started walking and it wasn't long before Bailey did indeed pluck the camera from around his husband's neck to start taking pictures. Old Town was beautiful. "You know what, Sid? If we ever get tired of Los Angeles, we should think about moving to this area."

[shooshoo]

"I could deal with this," Sid agreed. It was beautiful and the weather was so much milder than in Los Angeles. Besides, Sid would follow Bailey anywhere. Granted they had to think about things like jobs and selling their home if they wanted to move, but Sid would be more than willing to do that if Bailey wanted to move.

Sid shortened his stride to match Bailey's slow pace, keeping a close eye on the way Bailey rubbed at his lower belly in between taking photos. When they got to the hotel, the tour guide was waiting along with a few other people. The tour guide welcomed them warily, casting his gaze to Bailey's round belly before letting them know that there was a lot of walking and some of the areas were a little cramped.

Sid bit his lip and looked at Bailey. "Do you still want to do this one?"

[SimonBrownMpreg]

Ah yes, this wasn't the first time Bailey's pregnant figure got in the way of him doing things. The day he had to give up driving himself around was especially difficult. He either had to wait for Sid to take him somewhere or call for an Uber to come get him. Brown eyes looked down at his large belly and then back up at his husband. "I want to at least try. If it gets too hard, you and I can always turn around and go back. We'll hit the parks and do some shopping if the tour doesn't work out. Are you okay with that?"

[shooshoo]

"Anything you want," Sid said honestly. He stepped closer to Bailey, looking back at the guide who just shrugged and started to walk and talk, telling them about Old Town.

Bailey was taking pictures and listening carefully as they walked. It was a slow enough pace that he didn't seem to be bothered by it much and Sid was grateful for that. He knew that Bailey had struggled a bit with a few of the other tours they had done on this trip and it had bothered him. Bailey often said he enjoyed being pregnant, but he didn't really like being so limited.

Sid felt Bailey stiffen a little against him, but he didn't say anything, just lifted the camera to take another picture. "Are you okay?" Sid whispered.

[SimonBrownMpreg]

Bailey rubbed at his lower belly again, but he also felt a sharp pain in his spine that came and went in waves. "I dunno, honestly. Maybe walking today wasn't such a good idea." Regardless, the couple followed the group down into the first of the tunnels. Bailey had to grip the railing on the way down the stairs. It was dark with a strong wet, musty smell. Small lights hung along the ceiling illuminating the path along underground.

Suddenly, Bailey felt something. One hand slapped against the stone wall and the other gripped Sid's forearm. "Hun, I think..." They heard a faint, brief splashing sound around their feet. "I need to go back to the train right now," he said, strongly emphasizing the last two words. "Sid, right now."

[shooshoo]

Sid grabbed Bailey's arm and started to help him back up the steps. His heart was pounding and he could hear blood rushing in his ears, but he had to keep his cool. He had to get Bailey back to the train and keep him calm.

The steps were rough and Bailey was panting by the end, Sid taking more and more of his weight. Once they were back above ground, Sid stopped and put his hands on Bailey's shoulder.

"Did your water just break?" asked Sid seriously. He tried to keep himself from trembling but he could see the noticeable tremor in his hands so Bailey had to notice it.

[SimonBrownMpreg]

"That's exactly what just happened." Surprisingly, because Sid was freaking out, it helped Bailey stay calm. One of them had to keep a level head, for goodness sake. The groin and seat of his pants were wet, the denim visibly darker where the water soaked through. "That stupid obstetrician promised us two more weeks. I have a bone to pick with her when we get home."

Another cramp moved through him, only now the young man knew it was really contractions. "I bet you I've been in labor since last night," he huffed. Bailey groaned quietly and leaned against a wall. His underbelly hung lower from beneath his shirt than it had a few hours ago. No wonder he'd been so uncomfortable there. "Sid, this baby is coming."

[shooshoo]

Sid took a few deep breathes, trying to calm himself. He pressed a hand to Bailey's belly and cupped his husband's cheek with the other. "What should we do? I'm sure we can get to a hospital. I mean, that's a good idea, right?"

Sid looked around, trying to figure out the best way to get to a hospital because this was so, SO not in their birth plan. They were supposed to be home and Bailey was supposed to be able to labor in their house with the music he had picked out and Sid was supposed to be able to keep him comfortable and instead they were in a strange city and they were living on a train for god sake!

The next thing Sid knew, he was sitting on the ground with his head pushed between his knees and Bailey was rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh god. Did I just pass out?"

[SimonBrownMpreg]

Bailey was about to answer when he saw Sid's hazel eyes roll back slightly. "Hun? Hun... Sid, oh shit!" Bailey was not prepared to catch his very large husband. Still, he put up his arms and caught the big lug mid-fall. Bailey groaned loudly from the combined effort of a contraction and getting Sid seated on the ground. It was a bit like playing with a rag doll; Sid sort of flopped around, but he moved his limbs as Bailey dictated.

When the big guy came around, the smaller man just smiled. "Kinda. Look, let's just head back to the train and we'll figure out what to do from there, all right? My contractions are still like, ten minutes apart, so we have plenty of time. I'd help you up, but... I don't want to make things worse."

[shooshoo]

"I'm so sorry," Sid said, scrambling back to his feet. He put his arm around Bailey's waist again, helping him back towards the train. He couldn't believe he had passed out. That was just so embarrassing.

The walk to the train seemed to take forever, but they finally got there and back into their car. Sid bent down to take off Bailey's shoes for him. His jeans were wet and Sid reached up to help Bailey get them off.

"We really should go to a hospital, don't you think?" asked Sid softly.

[SimonBrownMpreg]

"I dunno... Is this really so different than being at home? I mean, I know a train isn't a house and our bedroom isn't nearly this small, but... it's quiet, there's a bed, it's just us..." Bailey hissed softly when Sid took his shoes off for him. His ankles were so swollen that even his socks left imprints in the skin. The jeans slid off easily since the waistband was just elastic. There was still the matter of his wet black and grey plaid boxers, but at least they were comfortable.

Bailey's belly wobbled as the baby kicked, forcing a visible bump up beneath the strained skin. "Harper knows something's happening." He leaned back on his elbows with a quiet groan when another wave of pressure moved through him. "I'm not a fan of those."