i’m a dumb bitch who wrote long haired pregnant rhys because….i gotta have it.
Rhys first started putting his hair up about halfway through his pregnancy. Jack remembered the day he’d found a packet of colorful little ties on the bathroom counter and puzzled over their existence, only for Rhys to amble on it and pluck them out of his hand and use one to whip his hair up into a messy bun.
From there, his little collection had only grown, diversifying into fabric headbands and metallic hair clips to help keep the hair off his face and neck. Jack made his usual jokes—toned down just a bit considering Rhys’ current, very volatile emotions—but otherwise paid little mind to it. His mate’s formerly flawless beauty routine had taken a bit of a hit thanks to the pregnancy, and if Rhys wanted to cut out a bit of the hassle when it came to his hair Jack was more than happy to let him do it.
One day he arrived home a little early from work to find the house quiet but filled to the brim with Rhys’ scent. Jack cracked his shoulders, feeling his posture relax with the comforting atmosphere. He’d always felt a little antsy being too far away from Rhys ever since they’d bonded, but now with a pup on the way Jack couldn’t bear it for very long. Thankfully, as king of Hyperion, he had a decent amount of leeway when it came to setting his own schedule, and anything aggravating outside of that he could just dump onto Tim.
Jack toed off his shoes and shrugged his jacket onto the coatrack, disrobing the rest of his clothes as he went, heading towards the bedroom. He’d pick them up later—maybe—but right now all he wanted was to shower off them cuddle in beside his mate.
He nudged open the door to the bedroom, the full brunt of Rhys’ scent rolling over him so hard his knees nearly went weak. He pulled his teeth back against his lip, suppressing a moan as he scanned the room for his mate, eyes eventually settling on the lumpy mound of white comforters in the center of the bed. Of course—Rhys had been spending more and more time in his nest as he’d grown bigger and less willing to move.
Jack walked around to the side of the bed, smirking as he saw evidence his own clothes had been added to the pile. He moved towards the headboard, leaning forward to peer into the folds of the nest.
Oh.
Jack had caught Rhys napping quite a few times throughout the pregnancy. Growing a human was tiring work, after all, and he needed all the rest he could get. So finding his mate asleep wasn’t quite a shocker, but the sight of his hair down and undone threw Jack for a loop.
He hadn’t realized how much Rhys’ hair had grown in the past few months. Outside of the bath and shower where it hung plastered to his head and neck, Rhys almost always kept his hair up and back. Jack had grasped that it was getting longer and messier, but Rhys bundled it up in so many accessories it’d been hard to tell exactly. But with not a colorful hair clip nor sleek headband in sight Rhys’ hair was free to flow down against his neck and out over the pillow he’d stolen from Jack’s side of the bed.
Rhys slept peacefully, cradled in his nest with his hands folded over his belly. Blankets covered his body below the hips so Jack couldn’t tell if he was all the way naked, but his chest and belly were bare, showing off his plump curves and tender pink skin. But still Jack’s attention drew back to the hair, Rhys’ wavy amber locks glowing faintly in the light of the nightstand lamp.
Jack remembered commenting on Rhys’ pregnant glow before. He’d noticed the change in the omega’s skin and hair months back, commented on the softness in one of those endless compliment parades he trotted out whenever Rhys was bemoaning the less desirable changes in his body. But something about seeing Rhys’ hair this long got him even more fixated than before.
Jack sat down on the edge of the bed, as gently as he could muster as to not stir Rhys from his beauty sleep. He reached out, hand cupping the air around Rhys’ head before he finally settled his palm against it. Silky locks kissed his skin as he started to run his fingers through it, letting them slip through like delicate strands of fabric.
Damn. Jack marveled, watching the curls of hair fall back against the pillow. How’d he get so pretty?
He stopped when his fingers bumped against a small tangle of hair near the end of Rhys’ locks. He frowned and turned back towards the nightstand, grabbing a comb sitting near the edge. He picked out a couple of Rhys’ stray hairs, dropping them against the pillow before gently running the plastic teeth against the tangle. He worked the hair with as much care as he could muster, not wanting to rouse Rhys as he combed his locks out and let them fall back against his neck and shoulder.
Once finished, Jack placed the comb back on the nightstand and returned to petting Rhys’ hair. Eventually he slid into a reclining position, resting besides his omega as he respected the boundary of his nest. He’d learned well enough last time not to intrude without his mate’s permission. He had the angry, nipping bruise on his neck to prove it.
Rhys soon roused anyway, eyebrows twitching as he palmed his belly. Jack noted the movement beneath Rhys’ fingers, his own hand soon joining his mate’s to calm their pup down. Rhys’ eyes fluttered open at the added pressure, tilting his chin to the side to greet Jack with a sleepy smile. His hair slipped over his forehead in delicate strands as he snuggled against his pillow, contented scent wafting from within as he breathed.
“Hey.” Jack spoke first, his hand now crawling over Rhys’ own.
“…Hey,” Rhys mumbled after a moment, eyes half-open in sleepy slits. Jack’s heart lifted as he scooted over slightly, a clear sign to welcome the alpha into the nest. Jack promptly slid in, wrapping the blankets heavy with his mate’s scent around himself as he snuggled in close, head resting on the pillow next to Rhys.
“Like this look on you, sweetheart,” Jack whispered, his hand lifting off of Rhys’ belly to trail through his hair once more. He cradled one silky lock in palm, pressing it to his lips. Rhys chuckled, his voice low and soft from sleep.
“You don’t think it makes me look girly?”
“Pfft. You’re gorgeous no matter what, ‘kay?” The hair slipped from Jack’s hand as he moved to cradle the back of Rhys’ head. “Wear it however you want, babe. As long as I got something to pull when we’re getting frisky, I’m good.”
“Good thing I didn’t go through with jus shaving it all off, then,” Rhys teased as he snuggled in close to his alpha, letting Jack tuck his head beneath his chin. Jack chuffed against his scalp, pleased as he buried his nose in the silky, scented locks of his sweet, still-sleepy omega.
TheSpaceCoyote 