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If there was one thought that kept Henry Kamau going in life, it was this: family above all else. It got him through a lot of tough times. It had gotten him, his mother, and his sister through their father's abrupt departure from their lives, and brought the three of them closer together, for one, and good riddance to the bastard. It had gotten them through high school; when you were both a species as uncommon as hippopotami and bigger than everyone in your grade, it painted a target on your back. And it would, hopefully, get Henry through this.

Henry's story was not an uncommon one. Being a recent college graduate that was struggling to find work may have been a cliche, but life doesn't have to be original in order to be frustrating. He'd relocated because he'd hoped the job market would be much better here than in the off-the-beaten-path town they'd grown up in, and Helen had been all too happy to let Henry stay in her spare room. What were sisters for, after all?

Unfortunately, what was supposed to be "a month or two, three at the most" had turned into a year and a half, as job after job had turned Henry down. There had always been excuses, of course, when they could be bothered to get back to him. He was a "poor fit" for the job, though he was sure that a lot of times that they meant physically, even if they couldn't out and say it. When you were six and a half feet tall and weighed almost 400 pounds, the world was never quite sized to fit you.

Because of course people cared how big you were when you worked at a friggin' electronics store. Henry grumbled all the way home, sulking in the most isolated seat he could find on the bus as he took the ride of shame. If somebody gave him crap for taking up two seats today of all days, he was going to bite somebody's head off.

The worst part of it was, he knew his sister would be understanding. She always was. He'd managed to pick up the odd freelance job here or there, so that he didn't have to feel like a total moocher (just, y'know, most of one), but they never produced enough to live off of, much less find a place of his own in this economy.

Henry looked down at himself. It was almost impossible to find clothes that both fit well and looked good for him, so he'd done the best he could with a dress shirt , jacket, and slacks. He'd even worn a tie! He felt really good about the tie. And now he was just a sad sack in a tie.

He got off at the bus stop that was, fortunately, only about two blocks from his sister's place. Maybe he'd take the long way around, just to blow off some steam. But no. No use delaying the inevitable.

And so it was with a heavy heart that he unlocked the door and made his way inside. There was a wonderful smell throughout the house and a slightly off-key song filling the air, and Henry smiled despite himself. It was hard to feel too sorry for himself when Helen was making doro wat.

"I'm home!" he called, hanging up his jacket as he made his way to the kitchen, where his sister and her wife would no doubt be.

People tended to be surprised when they saw Henry. He was a big guy, after all, and you didn't see many hippos in this part of the world. But Helen, on the other hand, never failed to turn heads. People were always surprised to learn that Henry was below average for his species.

Helen stood even taller and wider than him, and she'd be an imposing figure if she wasn't such a sweetheart. She was built like a refrigerator, with a barrel chest, a big belly, and thick limbs. The first thing people tended to notice when they came into her house was her display case, packed full with trophies and accolades from the various strongman competitions and similar where she made her name. Henry's personal favorite picture was the one of her pulling a school bus. But of course, the only thing stronger than Helen's muscles was her heart, as Henry was fond of telling her whenever he wanted to make her blush.

She sang to herself as she tended to the enormous cooking pot. As much as Henry wanted to get on with his life, he would definitely miss her cooking when he did. She was wearing her typical casual attire of a long floral sundress, which was complimented by a hideous "KISS THE COOK" apron that she absolutely refused to get rid of.

The zebra woman sitting nearby, contentedly sipping tea from a mug, couldn't be more Helen's opposite. Helen's wife, Ziva, was long and lanky, with a perpetually meek disposition. She was averse to confrontation, anxious around new people, and often called on Henry or Helen to kill scary bugs for her. She was currently working on getting her degree to become a CPA. At least, until she strapped a helmet on.

Ziva tended to blush when Helen told the story of how they met, which involved her catching the zebra after she was body checked into the stands by an enormous crocodile woman at a roller derby match. Caught up in the spur of the moment, she had kissed Helen right there and then before getting right back in the rink to get her revenge. When the helmet went on, she became Killer Zee, and her personality did a complete 180. Henry went to all of her bouts, and he still couldn't believe it was the same woman.

Both of them looked up when Henry entered the kitchen.

"Henny!" she called out boisterous, a name that only she was allowed to use. "How did it... oh."

Her features fell when she saw his face. Henry sighed as he pulled up a chair.

"Food first, Hella," he said with a sigh. "Talk later."

He was shortly served a generous portion of perfectly-stewed meat and vegetables, with homemade flatbread, to boot. Helen may not have been a five-star chef, but she could do comfort food like nobody else. She had quite correctly surmised that if he had gotten the job, he deserved a good meal, and if he didn't, he would need one.

After he had felt sufficiently comforted by his food, the three of them retired to the living room. (But not before Helen had prepared Henry a cup of his favorite spiced rooibos, of course.)

"So do you want to talk about it?" she said, peering at him over the rim of her mug.

"There's not much to talk about," he said, shrugging. "Lots of candidates, wanting to make sure we get the right person for the job, competitive market, blah blah blah... basically, don't call us, we'll call you. And they've made it pretty clear that they're not going to call me."

"I'm really sorry to hear that, Henry," said Ziva. "It must be so disheartening."

"Eh, same shit, different day," said Henry, waving her off.

"Language, Henny!"

"Sorry, mom," said Henry, with a roll of his eyes. "Honestly, it is what it is. I don't want to talk about it anymore. I'd much rather hear how things have been going for you. Any good news on your end?"

The look that passed between Helen and Ziva indicated quite strongly to Henry that there was not, and he felt sorry for bringing it up almost immediately.

"Unfortunately, BabyQuest has hit something of a snag," said Helen, her form deflating somewhat. Ziva sighed and gave Helen's shoulder a squeeze.

When Helen and Ziva announced that they wanted to have a baby, Henry had been positively ecstatic. Helen had a lot of love to give, and he just knew that this baby would be showered in it every single day.

The plan had been for Ziva to carry the baby, since the extreme requirements of Helen's lifestyle meant that it would be impractical, if not downright irresponsible, for her to get pregnant. The three of them were able to live quite comfortably off of the proceeds of Helen's competitions and exhibitions, so it simply wasn't an option for her to be unable to work for the duration of a pregnancy.

Unfortunately, there were some other issues that had arisen. After the initial wave of tests and examinations, it was discovered that Ziva would be at extremely high risk for the pregnancy due to a combination of complicated genetic factors that Henry had a hard time parsing. And while Ziva might have been willing to take that risk, Helen most certainly was not.

Adoption was considered, of course, but it was never as simple as finding a baby that needed a home. There was a lot of red tape involved, and it would be likely they could be caught up in it for years.

"So it looks like our only option at this point is surrogacy," said Helen, looking into her cup. "And that's what I've been looking into. But unfortunately..."

"It is an extremely expensive process," said Ziva. "We were prepared to shoulder the expense of having the baby, but to compound all of that... it seems likely that we would need to take out a loan."

A brief look passed between Henry and Helen. The first thing that Helen had done when she'd landed her first major contract was pay off a number of their mother's longstanding debts. It was not a situation they ever wanted to find their family in ever again.

"So maybe this is just... not the right time," said Helen, shrugging her shoulders. "Perhaps this is just the universe's way of telling me that I'm not ready yet."

Henry could practically hear Helen's heart breaking as she spoke the words. Ever since they were little, Helen had wanted to have her own family, and it hurt him to see her like this. He looked down into his mug, wishing there was something he could do to help.

...But there was, wasn't there?

No. He couldn't possibly. ...Could he?

He looked back up at Helen. His sister, who had taken him in when he was under threat of eviction without a moment's hesitation. Who always made sure that he had a hot home-cooked meal to come home to after a long day of fruitless job searches. Who was always there with a shoulder to cry on and a warm hug when everything was just too overwhelming.

And Henry knew, in that moment, that there was nothing he wouldn't do for his sister. Absolutely nothing.

"...What if you knew someone who would do it for free?"

Both Helen and Ziva's heads perked straight up. They gave Henry a strange look, as if not quite picking up his meaning.

It clicked for Helen first. "Henry!" she said, hand over her heart. "You know that I would never in a million years ask you to do something like that for me!"

"You're not asking," said Henry firmly. "I'm offering. It would work, wouldn't it? I'd have to go off my hormones for a few months first, but after that..."

"I mean, yes, but I still could never-"

Henry got up, walked over to Helen, and put his hands on hers.

"Hella, if it wasn't for you, I'd be living in some shoebox apartment right now, if not somewhere worse," said Henry. "You house me. You feed me. You even let me mooch off your WebFilmz account. All without asking for a single thing in return."

"Of course I wouldn't!" said Helen, squeezing his hand. "We're family! Family helps each-other!"

"You're my family too," said Henry, looking his sister dead in the eye. "After everything you've done for me... let me do this for you. Let me carry your baby."

Helen sniffled for a moment, her eyes teary. Then she sprang up and pulled Henry into a bone-crushing hug, lifting him off his feet in the process. What came out of her mouth next, between intense sobs, was a mess of emotional gibberish, but Henry was pretty sure he could make out a "thank you" in there somewhere.

That was it, then. He was going to be doing this. He was going to get pregnant.

Boy, was that something he'd never thought would happen.

~*~

Going off of the hormones was rough. Having his first menstrual cycle since the age of 14 had thrown him for a bit of a loop. The fertility boosters he was taking didn't help. But he was committed to this. It was for his sister. For his family. And no amount of discomfort could possibly throw him off of that.

And some months later, he found himself in an examination room, waiting idly on the biggest table they could drag out, playing a mindless game on his phone while he waited for somebody to come and pump him full of baby. It had happened faster than Henry had thought. As it turned out, Helen and Ziva had already found a donor. Helen had gone in to have some eggs extracted the week prior, and by some stroke of fortune, they'd managed to find another hippo in the donor registry, which meant that, barring some kind of freak one in a billion genetic mutation, Henry could be carrying a baby hippo to term.

This was going to be one heck of a ride.

There was a tap on the door. To his surprise, it wasn't a nurse, but Helen.

"I thought they said you couldn't come back here," said Henry.

"People say a lot of things," said Helen, smiling at him as she pulled up a chair. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," said Henry. Seeing the look Helen was giving him, he added, "Well, y'know, aside from being an anxious mess. But that barely counts for anything, right?"

"Henny."

"I'm still going through with it, you don't have to worry about that."

"I'm not worried about it," said Helen, squeezing his shoulder. "I'm just worried about you."

"I know you are, you big lug," he said, giving her a playful shove. "It's just... weird. I spent all of my formative years asserting my manhood as loudly and aggressively as I possibly could, and here I am getting pregnant. Kind of funny how that turned out."

"I don't think it's funny at all," said Helen, giving Henry an affectionate pat on the nose. "Henry, you're stepping up and having my baby for me. If you ask me, it takes a real man to make an offer like that. Don't you ever forget that."

Henry laughed, pulling his sister into a hug. "I love you, Hella," he said.

"You too, you big lug. I'd better get going before I get thrown out. Hang in there."

~*~

Time went by, as time was wont to do, and there was a tension in the air in the weeks that followed. Then, one morning, Helen and Ziva were waiting by the bathroom door. Ziva was very anxiously knitting while Helen was fidgeting with a very well worn grip exerciser.

Time stood still as the door opened up and Henry stepped out. All eyes were on him.

He smirked, holding up the little plastic stick, proudly showing off two blue lines.

And Henry was once again pulled into an enormous group hug, before Helen ran off. She was happy, which could only mean that she had cooking to do.

And Henry was happy, too. He had been nervous going into this, but weirdly enough, now that he knew it was all happening, all of that evaporated.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.

~*~

The early months weren't so bad. Henry barely even got any morning sickness, which was something that he had been worried about. But as he got closer to the midway point of the pregnancy, things took a bit of a turn.

If there was one thing that everyone knew about hippos, it was that they were big. And it was true. They were stereotyped as being gluttonous, and there was a grain of truth in that; those enormous frames needed a lot of caloric intake to stay healthy. And it started early.

The thing about Henry that surprised people, since people in the places where he had lived didn't commonly meet many hippos, was that he was a bit below average size. Helen was much closer to the norm. What this meant for him was that by the time he had gotten halfway through the fourth month of his pregnancy, he'd already had a sizable bump. His ultrasound technician had been surprised to see that he was only carrying one.

Put simply, his baby was growing fast and his body was having trouble keeping up. Before long, he was plagued by myriad aches and pains on a near daily basis. Sometimes he could barely bring himself to get out of bed.

So he spent most of his days plopped down on the sofa, watching TV. He was working his way through the back seasons of some kind of baking competition, and was currently watching a very frazzled snow leopard woman struggle to make choux pastry.

"Good evening, Henry."

He looked up and saw Ziva, who was still wearing her derby clothes. He'd forgotten that she'd had a bout tonight. The days had kind of been blurring together.

"Evening," he said, giving her a wave. "How did it go?"

"I was thrown several feet into the air by a very angry crocodile," said Ziva, sitting down on the other end of the couch. "Gen-Zilla has made an enemy for life this day."

"She'll rue the day she crossed you," said Henry, holding up his hand for a high five and regretting it as Ziva reciprocated.

"Where's Hella?"

"She went back out to pick up pizza," said Ziva, nodding. "But just as well, I wanted to speak with you for a moment."

"Hmm? What's up?"

"I can't help but notice that you've been having a bit of a rough time lately."

Henry let out a bitter laugh.

"Yes, well. Your sister regularly lifts things that weigh twice as much as she does and I strap wheels to my feet and get pushed around for fun. We know a thing or two about pain."

"So how do you deal with it?"

"By making someone else deal with it." Ziva handed him a business card. Henry looked it over and read it.

"Magic Hands Chiropractic and Massage Therapy?"

"We've been patrons for years," said Ziva. "They specialize in large species. And as it happens, they have a specialist in prenatal massage on staff. Your sister was going back and forth on recommending it because she didn't want to embarrass you. But you know what I say?"

Ziva leaned in closer and smirked at him, a little bit of Killer Zee slipping back out. "Get over it. Being in pain sucks. Go get taken care of."

Henry let out a much more genuine laugh.

"And don't worry about the cost, it's on us," she said, waving him off before he could protest further. "We've got your back."

"I'm glad somebody does, because it's killing me," said Henry. "Thank you, Ziva."

"We're the ones who should be thanking you. Now scoot over, I want to see if her choux collapses."

"Oh, that choux is definitely going to collapse."

~*~

Magic Hands was exactly what Henry had expected from the very flowery storefront. It was decorated in wall-to-wall soft pastel colors, with pictures of flowers and landscapes and waterfalls and people doing yoga on the walls while relaxing music was piped in. The receptionist was a stout capybara woman with a lot of piercings who looked like she sold healing crystals as a side hustle.

He tried not to feel too uncomfortable in the waiting room. The nice thing about being a big guy was that, even as his pregnancy advanced, it would be easy enough to play it off as just some extra weight, at least so far. He was already used to the occasional aside glance when he was the biggest person in a room, which was frequently the case. Although, as it happened, that was not so in Magic Hands. Here, he barely stood out among the clientele. He was seated between a dour-looking elephant and a rather fidgety giraffe.

He was currently busying himself idly skimming the place's intro pamphlet, as he got comfortable for a seat that was, for once, tailored to someone of his weight. He was halfway through the spiel about how hard it was to be a plus-sized person in an ill-fitting world when a voice got his attention.

"Miss Kamau?"

Henry tried and failed to contain a groan as he stood up. "It's Mr. Kamau, thank you," he said, looking up at the speaker. His annoyance melted away somewhat when he saw who it was.

It was a hippo woman. About his age, or maybe a little older, not as tall but a bit wider, with curvy hips and a soft belly. She was wearing light blue scrubs and had a name tag that read "Halia", and to her credit, she looked slightly mortified.

"I am so sorry, Mr. Kamau," she said quickly. "Um, if you would please come this way?"

Henry nodded, following her out of the waiting room and into the back, where she led him into one of the massage rooms.

"I really am very sorry," she said, as she closed the door behind him. "I just assumed, given my specialty... but that's no excuse! I shouldn't make assumptions!"

"It's okay, really," said Henry, giving her a nod. "All things considered, I don't blame you. I'm something of a rarity."

"We do get all sorts here at Magic Hands," said Halia. "Pachyderms, ungulates, the occasional pinniped... but I have to admit, you're my first pregnant man."

"Happy to be a new experience, then," said Henry. "This is a new experience for me, too. I mean, not just the being pregnant, but going to a place like this."

"You're in for a treat, then," said Halia, brightening up. "I'll make those aches and pains just melt away for you. If you would just get up on the table? You can take your shirt off, if you're comfortable with that."

Henry did so. He was wearing a sweater that had a lot of give to it, and it was fairly easy to pull off. As he did so, he took a moment to regard himself. He was getting bigger every day, and the relative flatness of his chest made his belly stand out even more.

The table was, Henry had to assume, fairly standard-issue. It was reinforced to support a lot of extra weight, and there was a large divot in the middle for his belly to comfortably rest in. As Henry settled down, he let out a long sigh.

"Everything okay, Mr. Kamau?"

"Henry's fine, thank you. And yeah, actually. This is the most comfortable I've been in weeks."

"Glad to hear it. Are there any scents you're particularly fond of?"

"Hmm?" Henry looked up and saw Halia standing by a cabinet full of massage oils in a rainbow of shades. He thought for a moment. "I've always liked vanilla," he said.

"Good choice," she said, selecting a little golden bottle. "Do you want any music?"

"No, thanks."

"Then just relax and let me take care of you, Henry."

Henry wasn't sure what to expect, so he did as she instructed. He shivered a bit when he felt her oiled-up hands touch his bare back, but as she spread the oil around, a pleasant tingling began to sink into his muscles.

"That's kind of interesting," murmured Henry, more to himself than to her. "So what's supposed to- oof!"

And then she went to work, and all Henry knew was bliss. The name of the establishment was not lightly chosen, it would seem. Her touch hurt a bit at first and Henry couldn't stop from crying out as she worked her fingers into his back, but it felt amazing. Her hands pressed into his thick skin and pressed sweet relief directly into his muscles.

When their time was up, Henry was swimming in euphoria.

"How are you feeling, Henry?"

"Wstjbf."

"I'll take that as a compliment," said Halia, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "You can take it easy for a moment if you'd like, I don't have another client for an hour."

"Thank you," murmured Henry, as he felt himself sink back down to earth. "That might just be the best thing I've ever experienced."

"We'll have to see if I can keep this level of quality up for your next session, then."

Henry looked up in surprise. "Next?"

"Were you not told?" said Halia. "You had a membership paid in advance. You're all set for a massage every two weeks for the next four months. You'll be very well taken care of."

Henry collapsed back onto the bench. He was going to stop and get his sister a fruit basket or something on the way home.

~*~

Fortunately, it turned out that Halia could, in fact, keep her usual level of quality up. Soon, Henry's back pain became a distant memory, and he had Halia to thank for it. He marked the days on his calendar, and found himself looking forward to them more than anything else. Not just because of the pain relief - which was nice, of course - but because he was looking forward to seeing Halia again. She was... nice. Very nice. He wasn't sure if she was like that for all of her clients, or if he was just reading too much into it, but they were spending more and more time before and after each massage session just talking. Occasionally even during.

"So you're the only - oof - prenatal massage specialist here?" asked Henry, during one particularly intense rubdown. He was about halfway into month five now, and the baby had recently undergone another growth spurt. He was starting to get used to it.

"Well, it's very specialized, you know," said Halia, as she started to go hard on the tricky spots. "And we're already specialists. Different people have different needs, you know? The techniques I'm using for you would have been far too rough for, to give an example, a large primate or equine."

"I guess that makes sense. How did you get into doing something so niche?"

"Oh, I originally wanted to be an OB nurse, but I just didn't have the disposition for it. Massage therapy is much more my speed."

"An OB nurse?" said Henry, perking his head up slightly. "Do I detect a theme here?"

Halia giggled at that. "You caught me," she said. "Would you believe me if I told you if I was also in training to be a doula?"

"Okay, there is definitely a theme here. Do you mind asking how that happened?"

"It probably all started when I delivered my niece."

That made Henry do a double-take. He groaned as his neck snapped around.

"Hey, careful there, I'm still working," said Halia, rubbing Henry's neck a little. "I was ten years old at the time. My aunt lived with us at the time, and she would babysit me while my parents worked. So long story short, a big blizzard hit while it was just me and my aunt in the house, and wouldn't you know it, that's when she went into labor. The roads were so bad that nobody could get to the house, so I got on the phone with her doctor and she talked me through the whole thing."

Henry turned much more slowly to look up at Halia. "That sounds scary," he said.

"That's what I thought at first," said Halia, nodding. "But my aunt was already freaking out, so I did my best to keep her calm. And when her baby came into the world right into my hands, I just knew that this was what I wanted to do with my life, somehow. Being pregnant is hard enough on a person as it is. People who have babies need people in their lives to help make it easier."

"You're amazing," said Henry, before he could stop himself. He could see Halia start to blush.

"I don't know about that," she said. "I just do the best I can where I can, you know?"

"Well, I know about it." And since his traitorous mouth was already on a roll, he then added, "Do you want to go get a coffee or something?"

Halia froze in place for a moment, her hands pausing in mid-rub. Henry felt mortified.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"I've got one more client after you. If you can wait an hour or so, I'd love to."

Henry's heart did a leap of joy.

"But don't actually get a coffee," Halia added. "Caffeine is bad for the baby, you know."

~*~

Henry ended up getting a boba tea.

There was a cafe nearby that Halia recommended; it was a favorite post-massage hangout spot of Magic Hands patrons, and since the staff knew a good opportunity when they saw it, it was fitted out with chairs and sofas suitable for people of a larger persuasion.

Henry and Halia made small talk at first, but inevitably, one thing pulled all conversation toward it, like a gravity well.

"I mean, yeah, maybe I wasn't really thinking when I volunteered for this," said Henry, giving his belly a pat. "Even when I was little, I always knew what I was, so there was never a time in my life when I thought this was something that could happen to me. And I'm not gonna tell you that it isn't weird or anything, because it's super weird. I'm a pregnant man! That's weird!"

"It's not that weird," said Halia, as she sipped her iced latte. Henry gave her a sly look. She sighed. "Okay, maybe it's a little weird. But it shouldn't be!"

"Maybe not, but we're not quite there yet," said Henry, flashing her a smirk. "It's definitely weird for me, anyway. Everything I knew about pregnancy prior to a few months ago, I learned about from TV. The only really helpful thing I learned is to maybe avoid elevators around month nine."

Halia laughed now. "For what it's worth, you seem to be handling it well."

"That's thanks to you, really. When I really started feeling the pregnancy, I can't recall the last time I felt so uncomfortable in my own skin. It was like-"

Henry cut himself off mid-tirade, putting a hand to his middle.

"Henry? Are you okay?" said Halia, concern coloring her features.

"No, I'm fine, it's just... wow, yeah. I think that was a kick."

Halia gasped, holding a hand up to her mouth as she barely contained a squee of delight.

"You want to feel?" said Henry. He had a feeling that she really wanted to, but was too polite to ask.

"Are you sure it's okay?"

"I mean, now would be a really weird time for me to start feeling bad about you putting your hands on me, hmm?"

"Hah! I guess that's a fair point."

Henry lifted up his shirt, just enough to reveal the tight bump that it barely concealed. Halia laid one gentle hand on his belly, and Henry guided it to the spot where he had felt the movement.

"Wait for it, wait for it... aha, there we go."

"Oh wow!" said Halia, her cheeks turning pink. "They're really moving!"

"Y-yeah... they really are," said Henry, feeling himself blush as well. This was the first time he'd let anyone besides Helen or Ziva touch his belly. Helen had almost passed out from sheer joy the first time she felt the baby move.

"Thank you for letting me do that," said Halia. "It was amazing. And... for inviting me here, really."

"Thank you for accepting," said Henry, nodding. "I wasn't sure if it would be weird, dating a client."

Halia smirked at him. "Oh? So you're saying it's a date, then?"

"What? Well, um, I guess... I mean, if you... as long as... um..."

Halia quickly darted forward and kissed Henry on the snout, cutting off his stammering.

"Honestly, it's never come up before," said Halia, giving him a playful smile. "All of my other clients have been women, after all. I'm willing to just take things as they come and see where they go."

Henry gave his heart a moment to steady itself. It was hard when she was smiling like that at him. "Does that mean you'd be interested in another date, then?"

Halia giggled. "You're bold, I'll give you that. Did you have something in mind?"

"...Do you like roller derby?"

~*~

Halia, as it happened, had never been to a roller derby bout before. Henry had never seriously dated anybody before, so he wasn't sure if it was a bit too much for a second date. Perhaps this was the sort of thing that would have been best reserved for a third or fourth. He certainly didn't know the etiquette. He did, however, get discount tickets to every game that the team Ziva played on (the Big Beautiful Warriors), and it was usually a good time. Normally he'd be sitting closer to the front, but all things considered, he wanted to be well out of range of any wayward projectiles and/or players.

It was shaping up to be a heck of a match, too. The BBWs were up against their long-time archnemeses, the Thunder Thighs, and they had pulled out all the stops.

"I have to admit," said Halia, as watched a series of green and gold blurs go around the rink, "I'm still kind of fuzzy on how the game actually works."

"Can I tell you a secret?" said Henry, who was proudly displaying Ziva's team colors with a neon green XXXL shirt. "So am I. Ziva's tried to explain it a few times but my eyes just glaze over every time. I just cheer when her team hits someone and boo when they get hit."

Halia burst out laughing. "That's certainly one way to do it," she said.

They watched appreciatively as Ziva put on a burst of speed, zipping between a stocky armadillo and a lanky gorilla, only to find herself shoved out of the way by a gold-clad bear, sending her to her knees. From his position, they could see Ziva snarl with rage as she righted herself and took off after the bear with murder in her eyes.

"Is she going to be okay?" said Halia, wincing as she watched Ziva jump a woman twice her size.

"I'd worry more about the other girl."

After the bout, Henry and Halia made their way out just in time to catch up with Ziva, who was getting ointment dabbed onto a black eye by Helen.

"Good evening, Henry," she said, all smiles despite her injury. "Did you see me out there? Trouble Bruin didn't know what hit her."

"I'm pretty sure she knew that you hit her, dear," said Helen. She looked 'round to greet Henry, but hesitated when she saw Halia.

"Oh, hello there," said Helen. "Henry, who's your friend?"

Henry felt his cheeks color once again. He had been so excited to take Halia out that he had completely forgotten that this would mean introducing her to his family. Well, there was nothing for it now. "This is Halia," he said, gesturing to her. "She's, um... my masseuse."

"You must be Helen!" said Halia, offering her a hand. "Henry's told me so much about you!"

"Oh, so you're who I have to thank for my brother not moping around the house!" said Helen, taking the hand and pulling Halia into an intense hug. She let out a yeep of surprise.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" said Helen, quickly relinquishing her. "Are you not a hugger?"

"No, it's fine," said Halia quickly. "That was just... a lot of hug. I don't think I've ever felt that safe and secure in my entire life."

"She does have that effect on people," said Ziva, nodding sagely.

"We'll catch up later," said Henry. "We were just going to go grab some dinner."

"Like heck you are!" said Helen, folding her arms. "Come on back to the house, I'll make both of you a big dinner."

Halia looked over to Henry. "I mean, if it's okay with you?" she said.

Henry certainly had not expected his family to get involved in... well, in whatever he and Halia had. He wasn't quite sure what that was yet. Was it too soon? It was probably too soon. But it didn't feel like it was too soon. It felt right, somehow.

And besides, what kind of monster would he be if he denied someone the opportunity to get fed by Helen?

"I mean, it's this or fast food, so," said Henry, grinning at his sister.

"Oh, don't you even joke about that!" said Helen. "You are not feeding that garbage to my baby, thank you very much!"

~*~

Dinner was, of course, excellent. Helen may not have been expecting to have to feed an extra mouth, but she never let that stop her. In no time at all, she'd put together a very generous serving of curry and made sure everyone got their fill. After dinner, Henry and Halia found themselves out on the front porch, each rubbing their own belly, though for very different reasons.

"I haven't been fed like that since I moved out of my mother's house," she said, letting out a blissful sigh. "Your sister is amazing."

"She really is," said Henry, nodding along. "That's why I'm doing this for her. Yeah, it's weird for me. But there's nothing I wouldn't do for her. She's family."

Halia smiled, then leaned in and gave Henry a soft kiss.

"You're a great guy, Henry," she said. "I'm glad I got to meet you."

Henry felt his knees go weak. "Me... me too," he stammered. "You're not so bad yourself."

"You have such a way with words."

Henry relaxed as they both laughed.

"So, um... do you want to do something again sometime?"

"I think I'd like to do a lot of things with you," said Halia, and she gave his hand a squeeze. "If that's okay with you, of course."

"And you're okay with... all of this?" He gestured all-encompassingly at his body.

"All of this is the best thing about you, you big goof," she said, giving him a light sock on the arm. "I'll see you at your next massage, and after that... well, we'll see what happens after that, hmm?"

And as she departed, Henry thought about how much he was looking forward to seeing what happened after that.

~*~

From that point on, Henry and Halia made a point of seeing each-other even outside of their usual massage appointments. They were officially, as Helen was fond of saying, an item.

This was a new experience for Henry on multiple levels. He hadn't made many friends in school, and the few people he was close to lived too far away to keep in touch with on the regular. He had been too shy to even think about dating. And now here he was. And Halia was, quite frankly, amazing. She may not have shared his interest in obscure comic books but she was more than happy to listen when he got excited about them. He had never been much of a music enthusiast (his tastes were pretty mainstream), but hearing Halia go off about the strange European electronica that made up her collection had been an education, and she was very forgiving of him when he couldn't quite get as into it as she was.

And sure enough, as the months went on, they got closer and closer together. For most of his life, Henry's only confidant was his sister, but he felt like he could share anything with Halia. And he did.

"This is incredible," she said, holding up the sheet of translucent plastic up to the light.

"I know, right?' said Henry, as he pulled his shirt back on. "That's my niece!"

Both of them beamed at the ultrasound that Henry had just gotten the day before, looking up at the blurred shape with awe.

"...Is it just me, or does she look kind of like a duck if you turn it this way?"

"I was thinking the same thing, but I didn't want to say anything to Helen."

They shared a laugh at that as Helen slipped the image back into its envelope.

"She's gotten so big, too," she said, putting both hands on Henry's belly. He had long since given up on finding shirts that fit him properly. He had more or less resigned himself to wearing nothing but sweat pants for the third trimester, but a line had to be drawn somewhere. He was definitely pregnant, and there was no longer any mistaking it.

"Don't have to tell me that," said Henry, placing his hand over Halia's. "I was a twelve-pound baby and Helen was over fifteen. That's big even by hippo standards."

Halia let out a whistle. "Good luck," she said. "Speaking of which, if you don't mind my asking, have you given any thought to... um, well..."

"...Honestly, I've been trying not to think about it too much," he said. "Helen's trying to convince me to have it at home. I'm not so sure, honestly."

"For what it's worth, I think you should do that if it's an option," said Halia. "It's going to be hard enough without a bunch of people you don't know poking and prodding at you."

"I definitely don't want to think about that right now," said Henry. He still had about six weeks to go, and while that wasn't a lot of time in which to not think about it, it was enough. "Do you have any more clients today?"

"You were my last," said Halia, grinning. "I shuffled my schedule a bit so that I could knock off early. Mrs. Edgerton isn't going to go into labor tomorrow, so I think she'll be fine."

"Hopefully she'll forgive me someday," said Henry, trying to hide how flattered he was by the consideration. "So what do you want to do tonight? Did that new artsy sci-fi movie you were looking forward to come out yet?"

"Actually..."

Halia reached out and gave Henry's hand a squeeze. "I was thinking maybe we could go to my place tonight and spend the night in."

Henry looked up and saw the look in her eyes, and suddenly, artsy scifi was the last thing on his mind.

"...I think I'd like that," he said, as he very quickly grabbed his phone and let Helen know that he wouldn't be home that evening.

~*~

Halia's apartment was quite cozy, but Henry was hard-pressed to pay any heed to the decor, as the two of them made their way to her bedroom. Like most large species, she had a big bed, and since it was always best to err on the side of caution when it came to this sort of thing, it was more than sturdy enough to comfortably support the two of them. Possibly Halia's could have handled three, although Henry wasn't that adventurous.

Henry fidgeted nervously in her bedroom while Halia showered, thinking about what was about to happen. It had been awhile since he was intimate with anybody, and there was always some apprehension there. On the other hand, she had already seen 90% of his body, so it wasn't like there were any surprises there.

Henry heard a throat being cleared, and he looked up to see Halia toweling herself off. She had eschewed a bathrobe, and stood before him wearing nothing but a smile.

Halia was a bit shorter than Henry, and she was built more thickly than he was. Or, he should say, more thickly than he had been. Her belly wide and soft, its curvy folds draping down over her thick hips, and her breasts hung low and full, topped with enticingly plump nipples.

"You're gorgeous," said Henry, absolutely breathless.

"Thank you," she said, her cheeks flushing. "It's your turn now."

"I feel like I'm cheating here," said Henry, as he tugged off his shirt. "You've seen me naked."

"That was when you were a client," said Halia, as she seated herself on the bed. "I've never seen my boyfriend naked. It's different."

Henry laughed as he wiggled out of his pants and underwear. It took a bit of doing, as his belly had thrown off his balance somewhat, but he managed eventually.

"Oh wow," said Halia, her voice soft and breathless. "Have you ever looked at yourself like this? I mean, really looked at yourself?"

She gestured behind Henry, at a full-length mirror that was set into her closet door, and Henry... looked at himself, really looked at himself, for the first time since he'd gotten pregnant.

And what he saw there was... him. Yes, he was pregnant. Very pregnant. Even though he still had a month and a half to go, if he had been carrying anything but a baby hippo, he'd look ready to drop. But it was still him, every inch. Just a lot more of him.

He smiled at himself. "You know, I don't look half-bad."

"Not half-bad at all," said Halia, wrapping her arms around his chest and kissing the back of his neck. "Before we start, are there any, um... ground rules or anything you want to set up? I've, um... "

"...Never been with someone like me before?" said Henry, smiling. "It's okay. Thank you for asking, but I'm comfortable with my body. All of it. What feels good for you will feel good for me."

"I can work with that," said Halia, smirking at him. "Lie down on the bed. People in your delicate condition should be resting, after all. And let me make you feel good."

Henry got himself comfortable at the foot of the bed and spread his legs, and Halia got herself comfortable between him.

"Oh wow," she said, reaching out and gently stroking him with a single finger. "You're super wet already..."

"I said you were sexy, didn't I?" said Henry, shivering lightly at the touch.

"Well, it's nice to feel appreciated. And your...?"

"My dick."

She nodded. "Your dick is so stiff, too." She pinched it between two fingers and began to gently stroke. Henry planted his hands on the bed and gasped. "That's good," he said, panting. "That's really good... squeeze a little harder, please... and put a finger inside...!"

There were three things Henry knew about Halia from his time getting massages from her: She was very attentive to people's needs. She was good at picking up on body language. And she was very, very good with her hands. Henry cried out as he felt one of her fingers slip into his snatch, gripping the sheets in order to keep from moving around too much, and just when he thought she was done driving him wild, he felt her tongue replace the fingers on his dick.

It was the first time in nearly two years when he'd felt the touch of anything but his vibrator down there, and he was but a man. He grit his teeth and groaned as he climaxed hard, feeling it through the whole of his body.

"Somebody's sensitive," said Halia, patting his thigh.

"I blame pregnancy hormones," said Henry, smirking at her. "Your turn, then? A gentleman always returns the favor."

"You could do that, yes," said Halia, peering up over his belly like the sun rising over a mountain. "Or... you could fuck me?"

Henry did a double-take, both at the suggestion and at his first time hearing Halia use any language more vulgar than 'aw, butts'.

"Hold on for a sec," she said, sliding off of the bed and making her way to the closet, rooting around in it for a bit before pulling out an unmarked box.

"It was really weird buying this," she said, not looking Henry in the eye as she spoke. "And I wasn't sure if it was even something you would be interested in. And I'll fully understand if you're not. But..."

Unable to go on, she thrust the package toward Henry. He accepted it and opened it up. Inside was a small harness made of soft leather, sized to fit a large mammal, and a modestly-sized silicon phallus, along with the necessary linkages to fit them together.

"I didn't want to be too presumptuous, but I thought that you might like-"

She was cut off as Henry put a finger to her mouth.

"This is the best gift that anyone's ever given me," he said, smiling wide.

It took a little bit of finagling to get it on and adjusted properly, especially with Henry's midsection being a concern, but between the two of them, they eventually managed something more or less workable, and then there was Halia, face-down on the bed with her lucious rear high in the air.

"I'm ready for you," she panted, wiggling from side to side.

Henry felt any remaining nervousness evaporate before the force that was how damn sexy Halia looked right now. With a confidence the likes of which he hadn't felt in years, he firmly grasped Halia's hips and, with a couple of false starts and a little bit of a helping hand from Halia herself, plunged into her. The first little gasp she let out as he entered her was music to his ears.

Wherever she had gotten the strap from, she had clearly spared no expense. The harness was comfortable, the dildo sat firmly in place, and best of all, it was arranged in such a way that he could feel a little nub rubbing pleasantly against his dick with every motion. It didn't take him long to get into it, feeling his body and Halia's rub together with every motion.

"You're so good, Henry," said Halia, her voice airy and breathless. "Please... fuck me harder!"

Hearing her dirty talk made his heart race, and he was powerless to do anything but comply, changing up his angle of approach as he pounded her faster and faster, listening to her gasp and moan, feeling her shudder.

"Nnn... you feel so good, Henry! You're... nngh... fucking me so good... oooh~!"

It was hard to keep up a steady rhythm as he felt Halia began to tense up, but he did just that as she began to climax, shudders running through her whole body, and Henry floated on a cloud of ecstatic delight as he rode it out.

Not long after, the two lay side by side in bed, Halia with her head on Henry's chest as she ran her hand over his belly.

"So I was thinking," said Henry.

Halia opened one sleepy eye as Henry spoke. "Hmm?"

"I think I do want to have the baby at home, if that's an option. And when it happens... I want you to be there, too."

Now her other eye opened, as she was jolted fully to wakefulness. "W-what? Are you sure?"

"I'm super sure," said Henry. "You said you were training to do this sort of thing, right?"

"Well, yes, but it's not like I'm licensed yet or anything!"

Henry shook his head. "I don't care about that. I just want you to be there. I'm sure Helen will be okay with it, and if she's not, well, it's not her body that a baby's going to be coming out of, she can deal with it."

Halia smiled and pulled Henry closer to her. "Henry, it would be an honor and a pleasure to help deliver your baby."

"Welp, there's another one for the list of sentences I never thought I'd hear, so thanks for that."

~*~

As the time drew nearer, Helen began preparing for Henry's upcoming birth. The house was well-stocked with extra linens, medical supplies, and, of course, snacks. Helen's extra large hot tub was scrubbed and sterilized so that Henry could slip in if he felt it (though without the hot, of course). And Henry had carefully packed a bug-out bag, in case something went pear-shaped and they needed to go to the hospital after all. And then, all that was left was to wait.

And wait.

"I don't know what you expected," said Helen, offering her brother the bag of kale chips. "We're hippos, Henny. Stubborn. We move when we feel like moving and not a minute earlier."

"Yeah, yeah," said Henry, accepting a handful of the crunchy greens. He'd hated kale for most of his life, but the baby couldn't get enough of it, little weirdo that she was.

The two of them sat on the sofa, watching a familiar snow leopard do her best to salvage a chocolate souffle.

"How are you feeling?" said Helen, looking back over at her brother, who was lounging in a large bathrobe and nothing else. He was a week past his due date and modesty had taken a backseat to comfort at this point.

"Swollen, cranky, and putting up with a constant stream of low-grade cramps, but what else is new?" said Henry, shrugging at her.

"Are you nervous?"

"Not as nervous as you, by the looks of things," said Henry, shooting a glance to his suddenly very guilty-looking sister.

"I can't help it!" she said, throwing up her hands. "Any day now I could be holding our baby!"

"You mean your baby," said Henry, giving his belly a poke. "This space is just a rental, after all."

Helen reached over and gave Henry's hand a squeeze. "Henny, you are a part of this baby's family as much as any of us are, and don't you forget that," she said, a determined look in her eyes. "And if you think she's not going to grow up knowing about the amazing thing that her uncle did for her, then boy, you are sorely mistaken!"

"Shut up, Hella, no fair preying on me when I'm emotional," said Henry, pulling his sister close for a hug. "Love you, you big oaf, you."

"Love you too, you swollen blimp, you."

Brother and sister shared a laugh. Said laugh turned into a groan as Henry leaned back and rubbed his belly.

"Henny? What's happening?"

"I feel something," he groaned. "Something that really needs to come out!"

Helen gasped and got to her feet, ready to dash off at a moment's notice, when Henry opened his mouth wide and let out a deep, sonorous belch.

Helen gave him an unamused look as he burst out laughing once again, this time alone.

"That wasn't funny," said Helen, folding her arms and huffing.

"It was pretty funny, dear," said Ziva, arriving from the kitchen with a big bowl of popcorn. "Scoot over, I want to see if that souffle is going to collapse."

"Oh, it's definitely going to collapse."

~*~

As it happened, there was nothing particularly dramatic about the onset of Henry's labor. After a couple of false starts, he knew for sure that it was showtime as his water broke one morning while he was taking a shower. The first thing he did - after toweling off, of course - was call Halia.

She must have been waiting for the call, because she arrived less than an hour later. As everyone was as prepared as they were going to be, Helen did what she always did when she was nervous. That is to say, she cooked.

Henry was, for his part, trying to stay calm, moving from one room to the next and trying to stay in his head long enough to time contractions.

Currently he was spread-eagled on this bed, counting the lines on the wooden ceiling above him as he waited for the next contraction.

"Are you feeling okay?"

He looked up and saw Halia approaching him with a water bottle. He accepted it gratefully, draining it in a single gulp.

"The last couple were only four minutes apart," he said. "And the last time you checked me, I was at seven centimeters."

"It shouldn't be much longer now," said Halia, putting a hand on Henry's hips. "It's okay to be nervous."

"I'm not, weirdly enough," said Henry. "I spent the last nine months dreading this moment, and now that it's here, well... I mean, it hurts like hell, don't get me wrong, but I also feel weirdly, like... fired up?"

Halia smiled at that. "Fired up, you say?"

"Helen once told me about how she hypes herself up for a big competition," she said. "She said she'll think about what she's about to go and do and talk herself up. Look in the mirror and tell herself how she's the biggest badass in the world, and how she's ready to go suplex a boulder or rip a tree in half or whatever like nobody's ever done before."

"That sounds like your sister, yeah."

"And I just keep thinking to myself... 'hell yeah, you're gonna go out there and you're gonna give birth like a friggin' champion!'"

Halia chuckled and gave him a pat on the back. "Sadly, I don't think they give medals for that yet, but if they did, I'm sure you'd be a frontrunner."

"Thanks, I think. Help me up, would you?"

Halia gave Henry's arm a tug as he pulled himself into a sitting position, groaning as he did so. He looked down at himself and winced.

"That one felt really big," he said, spreading his legs apart. "Can you check me again?"

Halia quickly withdrew some alcohol from a pocket and sanitized her hands, before setting herself between Henry's legs and performing the examination. This had been the least fun part of the whole process for him so far, though he had a feeling that it was about to become a runner-up.

"Nine centimeters," said Halia. "I think you'd better decide where you want this to happen and get settled in. It won't be much longer."

Henry nodded. Even before she'd said anything, he'd had a feeling that this was the case. Not for any particular reason. He just knew.

Alright there, you little squirt, he thought, giving his tight belly a little stroke. You ready to make your dramatic entrance?

~*~

Between Helen's profession and Ziva's hobby, the two ended up with a lot of muscle cramps, and when it came to caring for their bodies, they didn't take any half measures. That was why they had sprung for a hot tub that could have comfortably supported a whole family of hippos.

Henry was certainly thankful for it as he settled in. He hadn't originally planned on giving birth in the tub, but something about being in water just spoke to something primal within him.

Though the jets nor the heat were on, for obvious reasons, it was still pleasantly warm, and the water took a lot of weight off of his body. And just in time, it seemed. He barely had time to settle in before he started feeling contractions again.

Helen was on one side of him and Halia was on the other, while Ziva stood across from him, manning Helen's phone on a tripod. He had been a bit hesitant about that part, but Helen had asked nicely, and he couldn't say no to her.

And in any case, the camera was the last thing on his mind as he felt a sharp pressure within him, crying out to be relieved.

"Ffffuck!" he groaned, squeezing the hands that held his. "I think it's happening!"

"You've got this, Henny," said Helen, clasping him on the shoulder.

Henry leaned into her and grit his teeth as he started to push with the next contraction, and he felt a whole lot of things, all at once. All the pain and pressure concentrated itself into a single point inside of him, and he could feel that point begin to move through his body.

"Fffffuck," he groaned. "She's so big! She's gonna split me apart!"

"No she's not," said Halia, rubbing Henry assuringly. "You've been preparing for this. You can do it."

Another pain. Another push. A sensation of movement within him, slow and difficult. Far too slow for Henry's liking.

"I can't do this," he said. "I'm not strong like you, Hella, I can't do this...!"

"Like heck you can't!" said Helen. "Henry, I may be able to pull busses around, but as far as I'm concerned, you're tougher than I'll ever be! Now come on and push!"

Henry pulled his sister and his girlfriend closer to him as he pushed once again, feeling himself stretch open as his niece threatened to emerge. Everything from the waist down was a blur of pain.

"What's happening?" he said, craning his head. "I can't see anything... is she coming?"

"Hang in there, I've got you," said Halia. She stood up straight, kicked off her shoes, and before anyone could dissuade her, she climbed right into the tub with Henry, getting down between his legs.

"She's starting to crown, Henry!" said Halia, eyes alight with excitement. "Give me your hand!"

Henry did so, and Halia guided it to the baby's emerging head. Henry let out a breath as he felt his fingertips lightly brush across the smooth, wrinkly skin.

"That's... that's a baby," he said, panting. "That is an entire baby! I am having a baby!"

"You sure are!" said Halia. "Come on, not much longer! You can do this!"

Henry felt a surge of adrenaline as the enormity of what he was doing came over him. He didn't know how long it was going to last, so he decided to make the best of it. He spread his legs wide, grit his teeth, and pushed. He could feel Helen rubbing his shoulders, hear Halia gently encouraging him, and feel his lower regions burning as he felt the baby stretch, stretch, stretch him open with her emergence...

Halia gasped, and he felt himself snap back to reality. Looking down, he saw her slowly lifting a squirming baby hippo out of the water.

"Oh my god," said Henry, gasping for breath. "She's... so chubby."

"She's perfect," said Helen, her eyes welling up with tears as Halia passed the baby into Henry's waiting arms.

"She's your problem now, Hella," said Henry, smiling up at his sister as she admired the two of them.

"She sure is," said Helen, reaching down to gently stroke the newborn hippo's head. "Hey there, little Henrietta. Welcome to the world."

Henry did a double-take as he heard the baby's name. "You can't just-"

"Can and did," said Helen, beaming. "Ziva and I decided it months ago. I told you, Henny. She's never going to forget what her uncle did for her."

Henry sighed, sinking deeper into the water as everyone fussed over him. That was family for you.

Half an hour later, Henry was recuperating on the couch. Ziva was finishing dinner, and Helen was - thanks to some fancy supplements and some processes which Henry had no desire to hear about - contentedly nursing her daughter. And Halia sat right beside Henry, holding his hand as the two of them watched a very anxious leopard await final judgment on her panna cotta. (Which, remarkably, did not collapse.)

None of this was quite where he had expected to be. But he could work with what he had. He was sure there would be challenges going forward, but after something like this, most of them would pale in comparison.

And he now knew, more so than ever before, that there was nothing he couldn't do as long as his family had his back.