The smile on Mikhail's muzzle almost hurt his face from how wide it was as he pulled into the driveway of the cabin.  Taking a quick look in the bags sitting in the passenger's seat, he nodded in approval.  Anyone else who may look would at first assume he was geared up for a romantic evening, what with the candles, scented oil (some for being poured into bathwater and some for massages), and other sensual delights in one of the bags.  In the other bag, one would also assume he did not want to go into the evening hungry, as this bag held a foot-long sub sandwich with almost every ingredient the shop had, including a few for which Mikhail could not remember the English words.  "Then again," the Saint Bernard mused, "pregnant women have very special needs to have a good night."  Taking the bags in hand and stepping out of the car, he added, "Wait, no, not just any pregnant woman: a woman eight months pregnant with her first baby...who definitely takes after its daddy...in other words my wife."  Chuckling, he walked up to the door, listening for activity inside.  Hearing the sound of the TV on and nodding at knowing he probably would not be noticed coming in, he eased the door open and sneaked inside, setting the bag containing the sensual pleasures in the coat closet: he had gone into town on the pretense that he wanted to buy something from a shop they had visited the other day, which was true, though he had not told her what it was.  He was able to bribe his wife with a promise that if she let him go he would come back with whatever kind of sandwich she wanted from the sub shop.  "Amy?  I return!" he called.

"In here, Mikky," she called back from the living room, "and kinda busy."

Now that Mikhail was inside, he recognized the sound coming from the TV: one of Amy's workout videos.  Gulping and taking a deep breath, he composed himself as best he could and headed to the living room, mentally reassuring himself, "This is good...I can use the bath stuff right away and not have to hide it."  "Hello, Amy.  How are you doing?" he asked as she came into view, and he almost had to bite his lip at the sight.

Amy was in front of the TV, doing one of her usual exercises: stepping to one side, then stepping to the other, and repeating these movements over and over.  The Doberman was panting quietly, the black parts of her fur a bit shiny from sweat, but she looked more as if she were having a good workout than wearing herself out.  Speaking of looks, she, having little reason to be modest in the privacy of the cabin, wore only a pair of shorts and a tank top, the former sufficiently stretchy to allow for her near-term body and the latter allowing most of her belly to show.  "Fine, Mikky, just fine," she replied, keeping her attention on the TV.  "You get my sandwich with everything?"

"You are fine, indeed," Mikhail dearly wanted to say, but simply said, "Da, honey, I come bearing dinner.  Lettuce, 'boll-og-na,' mustard, peppers, more peppers, eye of newt, wing of bat..." with a smile.

Amy rolled her eyes and sighed, looking over at him.  "Not funny...and for the hundredth time, it's pronounced 'baloney,' goofball.  Just set it on the table, I'll eat it when I'm done."

Nodding and putting the sandwich where she asked, the Saint Bernard took a seat on the couch, adding, "I thought pregnant women are not supposed to eat spicy food."

"That's just a stupid rumor.  Are you going to say no to me?" she asked in a tone Mikahil knew well by now: the one that meant, "I'm only kidding...mostly."

He held up his hands in submission.  "Of course not.  I do not have a death wish."

"Uggh, you are impossible, Mikhail," she grumbled.

Mikhail knew to hold his tongue now; it was best to just let her work off the anger.  Lying back and closing his eyes, he tried to think about something else to distract himself for a little while, so he could offer to run Amy a bath when she finished her exercises.  Still, he could not take his mind off her...the way her clothes perfectly showed off her curves and how her belly was too big for the tank top....  "No!  Okay, just...think about why we are here."

A friend of Mikhail's had suggested Mikhail and Amy go up to his family's cabin for several days.  Mikhail had at first politely declined, but after his friend said that he knew from experience how stressful pregnancy could be (for both the mother and father) and how good just getting away from it all for a little while was, Mikhail had to agree that some time off before the baby came sounded pretty good.  He was sure Amy needed the time to relax much more than he did: the two of them already had first-time-parent jitters, but Amy had to carry a heavier burden both in metaphor and in fact, as the baby was taking after him in terms of size and weight.

Their doctor assured them that while the baby was on the large side there was no reason to restrict her activities any more than would be necessary for any other pregnant woman.  Amy had taken that to heart and had kept exercising all through the pregnancy.  She had always stayed in shape, but now she followed her (steadily modified to account for her ever-growing passenger) exercise regimen almost religiously, rarely missing her usual times to exercise or failing to make up for a missed session later.  Mikhail had to admit he was proud of her dedication, and upon learning how good exercise was for pregnant women he had no intention of making her stop.  Still, as the Doberman's body changed, larger clothes were needed, and the numbers on the bathroom scale and the tape measure continued their inevitable climb, he had seen how discouraged she could feel.  The hormones and aches definitely did not help either, so she was glad to be able to come here and get away from the rest of the world (her enthusiasm had initially dulled quite a bit upon Mikhail joking that she looked big enough to pop at the cabin, like they were in a movie and that was the most predictable plot twist ever involving a pregnant woman, but after much apologizing on his part she changed her mind again).

The cabin was on the small side but the important thing was that it was isolated enough that Mikhail felt they could enjoy their time without anyone or anything bothering them, yet not so isolated that they felt cut off from the world.  Mikhail had rather enjoyed his brief wanderings about the surrounding forest with Amy; indeed, her slowed pace encouraged him to take everything in.  The breezes coming off a nearby lake also kept the temperature pleasantly cool for this time of year.  There was only one thing he felt was a bit missing: relaxation.  While Amy seemed to be in better spirits, he still felt a lot of bad vibes coming from her.  Even on vacation, when she did indeed relax more, she did not let up on trying to stay in shape (well, as much as could be expected).  With tomorrow being their last day here before going home, he was determined to ease her into spending it not doing a lick of exercise.

Well, truth be told, there was one other thing Mikhail felt was missing, and that was romance.  He and his wife were alone in a cabin, and soon expecting their first child.  Why shouldn't-

His train of thought was broken when he heard Amy grunt quietly.  Opening his eyes, he saw her standing still and looking down at her belly as she held it, which he could see twitching slightly.  "Amy?  Are you all right?" he asked, trying not to stare.

"Rrgh...Junior here's joining the workout," she said with a sigh.  "Stop it, my insides are not your punching bag!" she ordered the baby as if it could hear her.

Unable to keep from smirking, Mikhail stood up and moved to Amy's side, poking her belly gently.  "You better start listening to your mom or you are going to your room...oh wait, you already are," he teased, trying to coax a smile out of her.

She looked up at him as if asking if he were serious.  "That joke was almost as bad as having my kidneys boxed," she said drolly.

"Heheheh..." he chuckled nervously.  "Better get out of here."  Sniffing the air, he let out a slightly displeased groan.  "You have been exercising long enough...you need a bath.  How about I go and run one for you, and you just enjoy your sandwich until then?"

She shrugged.  "Fine...I'll just do my kegels and cool down.  You, get that bath ready."

"Can do.  Just let me get my shoes off," Mikhail chirped, quickly excusing himself.  Good thing that worked: the thought of her exercising those muscles would have made him lose his composure for sure if he had to stay...and if his behavior would not give away what he was thinking, his body would have, he quickly noticed.  Walking back to the coat closet and sliding his shoes off, he reached inside the closet and removed the hidden bag, heading into the bathroom and setting the bag down by the bathtub.  With a wide smile, he started running the water, making sure it would not be too warm so that Amy to soak in for as long as she wanted.  This was one pleasant surprise they had discovered at the cabin: while it also had a shower, the bathtub was more of a small hot tub than anything else, big enough for both of them to be in comfortably.  Reaching into the bag and pouring some of the bath oil into the water, he let out a happy, "Mmm," as the smell of flowers wafted into his nose.  The candles could wait for a little while, so he sat on the floor at the edge of the tub and let his mind wander again: now that he did not have to worry about Amy for a little while, he could think more amorous thoughts.

As nice as this trip was, one thing was almost constantly bothering him.  While in some ways he felt closer to his wife than ever, Mikhail and Amy's sex life since they found out they were expecting had been rather dry.  He would have already missed being able to be passionate with Amy, but as her pregnancy progressed, the longing only became more painful.  The lack of physical intimacy was not from any sort of belief that sex during pregnancy was bad for the baby; indeed, neither would listen to any such myths.  Rather, it was more Amy's increasing discomfort and frustration with her body that rarely left her in the mood for sex.  This left Mikhail to stew in a problem for which he had no easy answer: he had not yet learned the proper term for it, but pregnancy was a huge turn-on for him, and now his wife, who he already thought was the most beautiful woman in the world, was pregnant.

Ever since that day they confirmed their suspicions some seven months ago, he had been watching Amy like a hawk, and would barely have kept his hands off of her save for the fact that he quickly learned that while she was looking forward to their coming child as much as he was, she most certainly did not find what happened before that time beautiful.  He did not blame her for thinking differently: she had to deal with all the emotional weight of the situation (actually, even more than he did, as hormones soon taught him) as well as all the physical issues, after all, so if anyone had the right to think this was a trial, she did...but that did not make it easier on him either, in fact, in a way it made it harder on him as well.  As her pregnancy started to show, his longing for her grew as well, and with her athletic body he could easily take note of even the smallest change.  He constantly assured her she was still beautiful and did everything he could to ease her aches: he took her mood swings in stride, rubbed whatever muscles were sore, fetched whatever food she requested, and commented as little as possible on how big she was.

Therein was the conundrum: Mikhail found his wife more beautiful with each passing day, but she felt the opposite about herself.  Now, having daydreamed about this ever since they arrived, he was alone with her and had no better chance to fulfill one of his fondest wishes, and yet he was afraid to share that wish with the woman he loved most.  Even now he could not help debating with himself.  "There are much worse things to find beautiful than pregnancy.  I'm not some perverted stranger on the street: I'm her husband.  Really, even if she doesn't like it, what's the worst she would do?" one side of his mental argument told the other.  "I've seen how snappy she can be and I've heard how much she can complain.  If she thought I found her beautiful like this, imagine how awkward the rest of the pregnancy will be...and if I have more kids, and I know I want more.  I'd never live it down," the other side argued.  "Come on, she might look at me funny but I'm married to her: if I be honest with her, she'll at least talk about it."  "She'd still think I'm weird."  "Well, I'm getting a little tired of satisfying myself while thinking about her like I was some horny teenager."  "If she turned me down, I'd feel bad about doing even that."

Sighing at deciding his doubtful side was right and at feeling defeated again, he looked over his shoulder at the bathtub...better finish setting up.  "Fine...I'll keep it as just a bath, that's it."  Standing back up, he lowered the shades on the bathroom window and then took the candles from the bag and set them about the bathroom, pulling out a total of a dozen candles.  Reaching back into the bag, he pulled out a book of matches and started to light the candles.  He had lit four of them before a call of his name from the living room startled him enough that he dropped the match he was holding into the bath water.  Shaking his head and coming back to reality, he called back, "Da?"

"I'm...I need your help!" Amy's voice came.  She did not sound as if she were in trouble, as he picked up a more irritated than frightened tone in her voice.

"Coming!"  He tossed the matches onto the sink counter and hurried back to the living room, seeing Amy sitting on the floor in front of the TV.  Noticing the sandwich was already gone, he asked, "What happened, Amy?"

"Mmf...help me up," she grunted, holding out her arms.

Cocking an eyebrow, he walked over to her and asked, "Worn out?" as he took her hands.  He knew she could stand up by herself and she did not like people treating her as if she were now made of glass.

"The kid got me good right in the bladder, and I was trying to hold it in long enough...hup..." she grunted as she was pulled up, "to finish my workout, and if I stood up on my own...ugh, just get outta my way!"  She started to half-walk, half-shuffle towards the bathroom.

Cringing at the thought of what she was describing, Mikhail quickly remembered he was not finished setting up the bath yet.  "Wait, Amy, just hold on a minute!" he pleaded, following her.

"I can't wait, Mikky!" she snipped, giving him a look that dared him to try to stop her.

Freezing where he stood, he just nodded and looked away as she hurried out of sight.  "Great...well...okay, no problem.  I was almost done.  I'll just...have to change how I talk her into it," he thought.  After a short while, he heard the toilet flush and Amy call him from inside the bathroom, and he obediently walked in, putting on his most cheerful smile.

"What's all this?" Amy asked as she washed her hands.

Looking at the bathtub for a moment, he simply shrugged and replied, "A nice bath for my wife after she has been working hard?" as if she had asked as simple a question as what time it was.

She shook her head as she dried her hands and continued, "This is more than 'a nice bath.'  This is like something you'd do on our honeymoon...actually, I think you did."

Fidgeting a little but maintaining his composure, Mikhail tried to keep his thoughts clear with his reply of, "But I like to go the extra mile for you."

She studied him for a few seconds before smiling and nodding.  "Well...thank you," she said.

"You go ahead and get in, and I will finish lighting the candles, da?" he asked.

She took a step to stand in front of him, running her finger up his stomach to his chest and then circling it slowly, making him gulp.  "You can come in too...if you want..." she purred with mock innocence.

"...Good sign, but don't get eager."  "Do you want?" he purred back.

"I need someone to rub my back after that workout, and those candles aren't going to light themselves."  With a wink, Amy stepped back and gestured with her head towards the bathtub as she pulled her tank top up.

Mikhail took that as his cue to finish and eagerly went to work, already starting to feel frisky at the sight of Amy's tummy fully exposed.  "Gah, okay, think about something not sexy...at least until you're in the water.  Mm...dead bodies...slasher movies...old ladies...."

He heard Amy laugh quietly at seeing him bustle about.  "What's wrong, honey?  You've seen me naked," she cooed, and out of the corner of his eye he noticed Amy's bra on the floor.

"Whoa..." he thought, trying to push out the thought of how much larger that garment had become over the months.  "Just...trying to get first things taken care of first, dear," he replied, feeling his cheeks flush under his fur as he finished lighting the candles.

"Hahaha...oh, Mikky, you're like a big puppy sometimes," she chuckled.  With a flick of the light switch, she turned the lights off, leaving the bathroom lit only by the candles.  "Now...can you pleeease help me get my panties off?"

"Oh boy...just don't let your eyes or hands linger."  "Of course, Amy."  Setting the matches back on the counter, he turned to see Amy nude save for her panties, half-heartedly covering her chest with one arm and grinning up at him.  Smiling back, he leaned down behind her and slid the garment off.  "Ready now?"

She nodded, leaning back to kiss his cheek before they walked to the bathtub and he eased her down.  "Thanks, Mikky.  Now your turn," she said invitingly as she moved to lean against the far side of the bathtub and watch him.

Gulping again, Mikhail pulled off his shirt and set it aside before removing his pants.  He chuckled nervously when she could now see he had only been so successful in keeping his arousal at bay.

The Doberman raised an eyebrow as she looked at his crotch.  "Well well, someone has something on his mind...."

"Well, here I am, about to take a bath with my wife, while we are all alone out here...."  When she looked unconvinced, he added, "I swear, it has a mind of its own!"

"*snrk* Can't doubt that.  Now get in here, you big oaf."

Removing the last of his clothes and climbing in the bathtub, he turned off the water and sat next to her, putting an arm around her shoulders.  "Relaxed yet?"

She nodded, resting her head on his chest; sitting on his lap, her head was just a bit above chest-level with him.  "Getting there..." she said quietly, reaching for his hand and moving it to her belly.  "This one isn't though."

Smiling wider at feeling his child shifting about, Mikhail gently rubbed his palm across her belly.  "Hush in there...your mother has been working hard to stay healthy for you and needs to relax," he muttered.  He slid his hand a bit lower, rubbing under her belly button, which he had learned was one of the most sensitive parts of Amy's belly.

"Mmm," she murmured, nuzzling his chest, "that feels so nice...."

He leaned down and kissed the top of her head.  "My pleasure, Amy."  As he rubbed her belly, he calmed down as he heard her breathing slow as if she were drifting into a nap.  The movements of their child gradually slowed as well, and when they had dwindled to only an occasional nudge, he kissed the top of her head again and whispered, "Ready for that backrub?"  Amy nodded and turned to sit with her back facing him, and he begun rhythmically pressing his fingers into the small of her back.

"Ohhh, that's good...thank you, Mikky," she groaned.  "You're so good to me...and look what I do to you."

He shook his head as he continued his massage.  "It is you who is working so hard.  I am glad to help however I can."

"Oh come on.  You wait on me hand and foot, and I act like a total bitch," she argued.

Accustomed to watching her moods closely, Mikhail noticed her voice was starting to shift from pleased to upset.  "Uh oh...mood swing...."  "Amy, I do not hold anything against you, so you should not either."  He added his knuckles into the massage, rolling them along her back in the hopes that it would distract her.

She looked over her shoulder at him.  "You're a sweetie, but you can be honest with me.  Even if I'm doing all the hard work, that doesn't mean I can bitch at you like this is all your fault.  I'm...I'm sorry, Mikky," she said with a sniff.

"Okay, really turn on the charm."  He moved his hands from her back and rested them on her hips, still smiling at her.  "Amy, raising a baby is a two-person job, even before it is born.  That is why we say, 'We are pregnant,' not, 'I am pregnant,' or, 'My wife is pregnant.'"  He leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"But-" she began.

"Come on, Amy...smile!  We are here to relax and be happy!" he chirped.  "We can worry about that later.  Just be happy with me, da?"

Amy clenched her jaw, looking as if she were trying to maintain her somber composure, before she smiled and laughed softly.  "Okay..." she replied, reaching up and wiping her eyes.

He nodded and kissed her lips.  "Now, let us think about something happy.  How about baby names?" he suggested, resuming his backrub.

She sighed happily and leaned over a little so he could massage her easier, letting her head hang forward again.  "I still haven't decided on any."

Mikhail chuckled, asking, "You have not decided on any?  What about what I think?"

She shook her head.  "Eh, well, that's not what I mea-"

"I have been thinking, what if it is a girl, we name her after you?"

She shook her head again, replying, "You think I want kids making fun of her name like I had it?"

"But you have such a beautiful name.  Aameul...ooh, just the sound of it is so sexy and dangerous and...what is the word...mystery...mysterious."

Amy let out a soft, "Heh," followed by, "I'm just glad I can go by 'Amy.'  Of all the dumb luck, I had a couple of Dungeons and Dragons-playing parents...and what do they name their daughter after?  A demon lord.  No, Mikhail, we are not naming our daughter after anything from that game"

"It was worth a try," the Saint Bernard said simply.  "In that case, how about...Nikita?  Or maybe Natalya?  Or if he is a boy, Vladimir?"

She looked over her shoulder again with a raised eyebrow and bemused smile.  "Hon, you know we're going to raise it to know your side of culture, but...that might be going a bit far."

"Nooo, see, it is perfect.  Later, we can scare off boyfriends and girlfriends by saying we are Communists," he joked, sticking his tongue out at her.

She covered her muzzle to stifle a laugh.  "Heheh...yeah, yeah, that wouldn't be a bad idea...."

Looking around, Mikhail grabbed a washcloth from the side of the bathtub.  "And if that does not work, you can talk about how," he set the washcloth on top of his head and held down the sides as if it were supposed to be a babushka, continuing in imitation of Amy's voice with his Russian accent, "'in old country, we could not afford smokestacks, just smoke!'"

Amy burst into laughter at that, slapping the surface of the water and nearly doubling over.  "Haaahahaha!  Oh my God, Mikky, stop it!"

"'And when-'"

She held up a hand, whooping, "Seriously, stop it or I swear I'll go into labor!" before being overtaken with laughter again.

Mikhail obeyed, just smiling at her and watching.  "That's one mood swing prevented," he congratulated himself as he tossed the washcloth away.

She laughed for a good while before she slowly settled down and let out a sigh of, "Haaah...ohhh...you always can get a smile out of me...."

He nodded, beaming with pride.  "You are welcome, Amy."

"...C'mere, you."  She turned to face him and reached up to cup his face in her hands.  "Love you, Mikky," she murmured, pulling him down for a kiss.

"Mmm...wah."  He pulled back just enough to meet her gaze, running the backs of his fingers along her cheek.  "Love you too, Amy," he said softly before kissing her again.

Amy tilted her head to deepen the kiss, moving one of her arms around his neck and muttering, "Let me get closer," before she tried to move to sit sideways on his lap.  The bottom of her thigh bumped against something hard, which made Mikhail wince and grunt in pain.  "Oh, shit," she cursed as Mikhail backed away, "didn't know you were...."

"Rrrgh...careful with that, honey," he groaned, covering his crotch.  He had been trying so hard to keep Amy in good spirits he had not noticed he had gone from half mast to fully erect.  Having been so close to her in such a romantic setting had not helped either.  "Ugh, God...sorry, Amy."

"No, I'm sorry."  It was too dark to see under the water with the bathroom lit only by the candles, but she still looked down at his crotch apologetically.  "Heh, maybe I should...kiss it and make it better?" she joked hopefully.

"Haha...ow...no, I think I will be okay."  Mentally cursing his carelessness, he removed his hands and shook his head.  "You know I am strong enough for my wife to sit on me," he joked back with a wink.

She snickered and nodded.  "Okay...."  She looked away, adding, "Can't say I blame you.  It's hard enough for me to get around like this...I probably wouldn't even be good in bed anymore."

"What?  No, no, Amy, that is not what I meant," he protested.

She held up a hand.  "Really, Mikky, it's okay, I know my limits.  We haven't even had sex in a couple of months...if you don't think this is sexy, I wouldn't blame you," she insisted, gesturing with her head down to her belly.

Those words drove a spike of guilt into Mikhail's heart.  "Oh, Amy, I want you more with each passing day...but I'm scared of what you'd think."  Mikhail shook his head, reaching to rest his hands on Amy's shoulders.  "Amy, honey, you have never stopped being beautiful.  I just do not ask if I do not think you are in the mood."

She looked up at him, seeming unsure if he were telling the truth.  "Even so," she began, drifting back and bracing herself against the side of the bathtub to push herself to a stand.

Mikhail followed her, holding his arms out to reach for her if she lost her balance.  "Amy, please, be caref-"

"How could you...hup...really want me like this?" she asked, standing up fully and turning to face him.

He opened his mouth to reply, but it just hung open in an awed, "Uhhh...."  He could do nothing but take in the sight before him.  She was always on the athletic side, and her exercising had kept her comparatively toned, which made her heavily swollen midsection contrast with the rest of her body.  Her belly was so beautifully and perfectly round; even the small detail of her inverted belly button showed off how very pregnant she was, and she still had a month to go.  Her breasts had gone through almost as drastic a change, formerly small mounds on her chest befitting her build but now showing their readiness to feed their coming child.  Framing this vision of maternal beauty was the water dripping off her body, lit by the flickering candlelight.  This was like something out of his wildest dreams and it was right in front of him...but it was all real and for only him to admire.

Amy waited for him to answer, but his inability to answer was his answer.  "Mikky?  Don't you have...anything..." she began, trailing off as realization dawned.  "You...you do?"

Suddenly coming back to his senses, he sputtered, "I...uh...."  He tried to think of something to say but she had called him out without meaning to.  He could tell a half-truth well enough but when actually confronted he was a terrible liar.  "I...."  "Idiot.  She's got you now."  He closed his eyes and turned his head away in shame and finally replied with a quiet, "Yes."

He heard Amy lower herself to sit back down and move to sit next to him.  He flinched reflexively when he felt her hand on his shoulder.  "Mikhail, why didn't..." she said, at first sounding concerned but then sternly commanding, "look at me, Mikhail."  Opening his eyes and nervously looking at her, he saw the confusion on her face.  "Do you really like me like this?"

"...Now or never."  Taking a deep and shaky breath, he nodded.  "Yes...for a long time I have thought pregnant women are beautiful...even sexy.  I just...I do not know why, but I do."  After waiting a second for her to say anything, he continued, "I promise, Amy, I always found you beautiful, and I always will...but ever since we were expecting, I have watched every little change, and I cannot explain how beautiful you have become and are still becoming."  He could think of no more to say, so he just watched and waited for her reaction.

She was quiet for a few seconds, her brow furrowing in thought, before she asked, "Why have you been keeping it a secret, then?"

"To me pregnancy is beautiful, but I know many do not agree.  It is hard to talk about one's...what is the word...kinks, is it not?"  She nodded.  "I know to you pregnancy is very different than how it is to me because you have to be the one to go through it.  I was...afraid you would think that I like seeing you sore and uncomfortable and...yes."

Amy smiled slightly, sending a wave of relief through him.  "You're definitely right about how different it is for me...but still...Mikhail, we're married.  Hell, we're expecting our first, and I didn't do this by myself.  I'm the first person you should talk to about sex.  Besides, why would I think you like seeing me in pain?  Haven't you been doing so much to make this easy on me?  Haven't you always told me how beautiful I am when I need new clothes or when I cry about how fat I am?"  She moved the hand on his shoulder up to rub his cheek.

He gave her a small smile back.  "Okay, she hasn't kicked you out of the bedroom...."  "Yes...."

"I still don't...feel sexy, that's for damn sure, though."  She looked down at her body and frowned.  "You see it very differently from how I do, but I just don't understand how you can think this is sexy.  I mean, I'm fat and cranky and sore and I don't know how I'll get this kid out of me and my feet hurt and my breasts hurt and my back hurts and-"

Mikhail rested his finger under her chin and tilted her head back up to face him.  "Let me show you I am serious," he murmured, moving that hand to cup her cheek and leaning down to kiss her.  He heard her let out a surprised murmur down his throat, but she quickly relaxed and tilted her head to kiss him back.  He wrapped his free arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him so the side of her belly was slightly pressing into his stomach.  They both softly grunted and moaned as they kissed, Mikhail rubbing her cheek with one hand and the side of her belly with the other.  He moved her to sit sideways in his lap, wrapping both arms around her and rubbing whatever he could reach.  He inwardly smiled as he felt her breathing quicken slightly, knowing well the signs she was enjoying herself.  Slowly separating his mouth from hers, he smiled down at her, waiting for her reaction.

It took a few seconds before Amy could speak again, saying in a breathy voice, "We haven't kissed like that in months...."

He nodded and leaned down to give her a quick kiss on the lips.  "Still do not believe me?" he asked, fidgeting a little as he suddenly felt himself brushing against her legs.

She winked at him and moved so she could reach down to run her fingers along his length, making him fidget again.  "Well, someone's knocking on my door..." she said knowingly.

He flexed his hips slightly against her touch.  "Da...can I come in yet?" he quipped, unable to keep from snickering at the joke despite how careful he was trying to be.

She kept teasing him, smiling wider at seeing the reaction it elicited.  "What?  You want to make love to your oh-so-pregnant wife?" she purred.

He bit his lip as he tried not to flex against her too hard.  "D-Da...."

"You want her big, prrregnant body on top of you, under you, pressed against you, knowing it's all yours and you made it that way?" she asked, gripping him loosely.

"Mm...ah...I do not think you could be on the bottom anymo- AAH!" he yelped as she tightened her grip.  "Da, da, however you want!" he hastily added.

Amy's grin widened as she let him go.  "To be fair, you're right...but before I give you what you want, you have to do something for meee."

Mikhail whined quietly as her hand left his crotch, panting as he came back to his senses.  "Anything."

She leaned her head on his chest and looked up at him pleadingly.  "Make me feel beautiful?  Don't just tell me; show me."

"Haha...you just felt for yourself what you do to me, da?" he asked.

She shook her head.  "That's not enough...tell me everything you love about it."

"...Okay, then."  He turned her so she was sitting with her back to him and rested his hands on her belly, nuzzling the top of her head.  "First of all...it always makes me smile when I think of how I have a woman like you as my wife, and now as the mother of my child," he began, keeping his legs clamped tightly together so he would only be touching her with his hands and thus could concentrate on her.

She leaned against him and rested her hands on his.  "Yeah?"

"Da."  Feeling a slight nudge against one of his palms, he rubbed the spot gently.  "You work so hard to stay healthy both for you and the baby.  I am so proud of you...I only wish there were more I could do to help than cheer you on."

Amy turned her head to look up at him.  "Well...you could be the one to give birth, and I'll just carry it to term.  That's pretty fair," she suggested.

He chuckled.  "Heheh, I am not nearly as strong as you are.  I would be screaming for drugs as soon as labor started," he commented.

Her smile faded a little.  "I don't know...the doctor says that with how big it is I'm kinda likely to need a C-section, you know...at least you could-"

Mikhail leaned down and kissed her nose.  "As someone in an anime I watched once said, 'percentages are for poker.'  We both know what we want, and you have been working too hard to give up before you even try.  The doctor cannot put that on a chart or figure that out in a computer."  He smirked.  "Besides...you will never have a better chance to beat me up."

She giggled, replying, "Oh yeah," as she turned her head back and leaned against his chest.

"You are too strong to let that stand in your way.  Mm...strong indeed," he murmured, moving his hands off her belly to rub her thighs.  "I can feel your muscles...your exercising is already paying off.  I do not know why you are so worried about giving birth; with a body like this, that baby will come out like it was greased with butter."  Pulling his hands back so just his fingertips were touching her, he moved them up to her waist, and then up her sides, making her shiver slightly as his fingertips moved under her armpits to the top of her chest.

"T-Take it easy there, Mikky..." she mewled.

Feeling her breathing quicken again, he nodded.  "I promise I will be gentle."  He kept off her breasts at first, just tracing his fingertips around them and between them, making her squirm and pant in anticipation.  "I know you do not like this change, but I do."

Amy chuckled a bit nervously.  "'Course you do...all men like big boobs...."

"I am not saying I would turn them down, but why should you not be proud of them?"  Moving his fingertips back to the top of her breasts, he started to slide down them, making her gasp.  "They make you look even more like a pregnant goddess."

"Nn...'pregnant goddess'?  What kind of...mm..." she tried to protest, but her voice was soon reduced to pleased whimpers.

"You heard me," Mikhail said as his fingertips reached the ends of her breasts.  He kept them off her nipples, instead carefully cupping her breasts in his hands, lifting them a bit and making her groan softly.  "You will always be my goddess.  Now you are truly more beautiful than ever."

She raised one hand up to bite her finger lightly.  "That's the corniest...ggh...cheesiest..." she hissed, her breath coming faster.

Grinning widely, he alternately lowered and lifted her breasts.  "Your body seems to agree with me."  Brushing his thumb across one of her nipples, Amy gasped again.  "It is amazing how much your body has changed in eight months...now these are so deliciously full and ready to feed our child."  When Amy could not reply in words, only with pleased sounds, he continued his ministrations.  "And you know I loved your boobs before," he murmured as he gave them a soft squeeze, barely pressing his fingers in.  The cry it elicited from Amy made him ease up, thinking he had hurt her.  "Sorry, Amy...."

"M-More...please!" she begged.

Quietly sighing in relief, he did as she asked, continuing to gently and carefully play with her breasts, to her very vocal delight.  One of Amy's quirks he learned soon after they started having sex was that she could not stand quiet during sex: whether they were being gentle or rough, at least one of them should always be making some kind of noise, from talking dirty to telling the other how he or she felt to simple animalistic sounds, so if she was acting as she was now, it was a sure sign that whatever he was doing was working.  He rubbed his palms all over her breasts, squeezed them (quickly learning how hard was too hard when she cried more in pain than pleasure), and lightly pressed his fingers into her nipples, all while she twisted and turned on his lap...he was getting a little uncomfortable from having to keep his erection tucked between his legs.  "Now do you love your body, Amy?" he asked in a husky voice.

Amy nodded.  "Yeah...mm, getting there...."

"You know you still have a month to go...and then when the baby is born...they will get bigger from milk," he muttered.  "Can I still play with them then?"

She opened one eye to look up at him.  "What...you would still want to?"

He looked at her with mock sadness, easing up on playing with her breasts.  "Oh...I see."

She let out a loud whine at that.  "Don't stop!" she begged.

"Can I still give my sexy wife what she wants?"

"Fine, anything, just- MM!" she yelped as his hands resumed their work, this time much faster and more insistent.

"You've got her now...just a little more and you'll be ready to-" he started to think, interrupted when she suddenly gripped his thighs so strongly it hurt him a bit.  She went stiff in his arms, letting out a few long grunts through her clenched jaw.  His eyebrows rose in surprise as he recognized what just happened, slowing his breast play to a stop as she relaxed.  "You came just from this?"

"Ohhh...yeah..." she moaned, panting quietly before looking up at him.  "It's...kinda been a while.  Not as good as...real sex, but...yeah."

"Heh...well, I enjoyed that as well."  He leaned down to kiss her, moving his hands from her breasts down to her belly.  He chuckled as he felt the baby jabbing at his hands.

"Mmf...oof..." she grunted.  "Now you woke it up again...feels like it's trying to turn a somersault in there."

"Sorry, hon."  Keeping her held in his arms, he moved them so Amy was sitting on the steps leading into the tub and facing him, leaving most of her twitching belly above the water.  He leaned down and kissed the top of her belly where he could see what he was sure was the occasional bump from a foot (it was a strange sight for him, though he could not imagine what it was like for Amy).  "Shh...hush in there...this is time for Mommy and Daddy," he murmured into her belly.

She smiled and stroked his head, flinching again at a hard kick towards his face.  "Here," she began, moving up a step so the water came up to her knees, and then leaning back.  She guided his head down to the underside of her belly.  "I think its head is about...under...here," she said as she finished moving his head.

He gave the spot a kiss, softly saying things that were part English, part Russian, and part simple nonsense.  He felt the baby continue to try to move towards the source of the sound as he kept speaking to it.  Amy sighed happily and leaned back on her elbows, occasionally grunting at hard kicks to her insides.  Resting his palms on either side of her belly, he pressed them in gently, kissing her belly button.  "Hello in there," he said softly, kissing her belly button again as he felt the baby kick back.  "Calm down...I know it is cramped in there and you want to stretch out, but you will just have to wait another month."  Nuzzling the apex of her belly, he felt and heard Amy sigh again.  "Daddy has you, honey.  Just relax."  Sliding his head back down to the underside of her belly, he hummed a soft tune, feeling the baby move in response to his song.  As Mikhail felt the baby's movements slow back down, it suddenly occurred to him where exactly his muzzle was.  "Amy?" he asked as he moved his head up to rest his chin on her belly.

"Mm?"

"Ready for more?"

She opened one eye and craned her neck to look at him.  "More what?"

With a wink and a lewd chuckle, he dipped his head back down and nudged her legs apart, bumping his nose on the top of her crotch.  "This," he said, his voice half muffled by her belly.

She gasped and fidgeted on the step.  "After that...you'd really...give me more?"

"I told you I cannot get enough of your body.  I have done plenty with my hands...now it is time for a taste."  Leaning in with his tongue out, he let out an, "Aaah," before his nose bumped into her belly.  "Amy, can you move your hips forward?"

Amy shifted so she was sitting on the edge of the step, which only barely presented her sex to him.  "That's as far as I can go."

Trying again, he was able to trace his tongue around her nethers, earning another, louder gasp from his wife, but her belly was still in his way too much.  "Mm, hang on, this is not working," he said as he pulled back.  "Here, can we lie you on the edge of the tub?"

She sighed.  "You know it hurts when I lie on my back too long, especially on something hard."  Sitting up again, she looked away, her ears against her head.  "I'm sorry, Mikky...this...stupid thing just gets in the way."

"Amy, honey, it is all right.  We will just have to find what works."  He took her hands and pulled her back into the water, moving with her to the middle of the bathtub.  "Think of something...what about...yeah, you haven't done that in a while...."  "For instance...I know one thing we can still do," he murmured as he moved behind her, lowering them to sit on their shins.

She let out a worried whine as the movement caused his cock to brush against her rump.  "Mikky, you know I don't want to do anal."

"Good, because neither do I," he said, reaching to tuck himself between his thighs again; not very comfortable but if it would keep Amy happy it was worth it.  "I had...something else in mind."  He moved one hand to her cheek to turn her head to look up at him.

"What?" she asked, still looking a bit nervous.

He gave her a toothy grin as he raised his other hand up to his face, keeping his fingers in a fist except for his index and middle fingers, which were fully extended and slightly apart.  He snaked his tongue around and between the extended fingers, slurping intentionally noisily.  That was apparently all the answer she needed, her eyes widening.  Unclenching his fingers, he set his palm on her shoulder, keeping his index and middle fingers from touching her, and began to slowly run his palm down her arm.  She tried to move her head to watch, but he moved it back to look up at him; he felt her shudder with anticipation as his hand ran down her side, her hip, and her thigh.  Moving the hand on her face down to her chest to hold her against him, he reached his other hand under her thigh.  When she let out a sharp gasp at him reaching his destination, he asked, "How long has it been since I was in you, Amy...seven weeks...and four days?"

"Ahh...I...I don't know..." she panted, letting out a long, "Ohhhh," as he started tracing his fingers around her groin.

"Far too long."  Continuing to tease her by just tracing his fingers around her privates, he leaned down to kiss her ear, murmuring, "So I need to warm you up."

She grit her teeth and pleaded, "S-Stop it...I need it...bad...."

"Oh, you do, Amy.  You do."  He licked her ear but did not enter her yet.  "I have been a poor husband to you, Amy...I have pleasured myself while thinking of you so many times, when I should have told you the truth and shared that pleasure with you.  I have to pay back what I owe you."

Amy shook her head back and forth slowly as she panted and whimpered, trying to lower her body so he would enter her but the movement just caused him to pull his fingers away until she raised herself up again.  "Rrr, dammit, Mikhail!" she cried in both frustration and need.

Mikhail chuckled softly as he slid his index and middle fingers inside her just up to the first knuckle, running them in a slow circle.  The yelp she let out told him that what he was trying was working and working great.  "I can feel how ready you are, Amy...how much you want this," he purred, his other hand rubbing one of her breasts and drawing another cry from her.  "You want me to lay you down, hold you, kiss you, lick you, feel you...and I will do all of these things.  But first...."

"Oh, God...Mikhail...please, don't stop..." she gasped, gyrating her hips to try to ease him in deeper.

"Shh...do not worry, Amy...I will take care of you."  Letting his actions speak for him, he slid his fingers in deeper.  He kept carefully probing her sex and massaging her breast, keeping away from her most sensitive area for now to keep the wave of her orgasm slowly but steadily rising.  She panted faster and moved one arm behind his neck, the other taking a handful of the fur on his thigh; now she could only speak in animalistic whimpers and cries.  "That is my girl...give in and embrace the fact that you are still the woman of my dreams," he whispered, rubbing her nipple between his index finger and thumb.

She grit her jaw and, after a long string of strained gibberish and grunts, managed to grunt out, "All right, I believe it, just...MORE!"

"At your service, Amy."  Sliding his fingers in as far as they could go and drawing a sharp gasp from Amy, he started to slowly plunge them in and out of her.  He gently poked her most sensitive areas, spread and curled his fingers, added the tip of his thumb, whatever he could think of, while his other hand fondled her breast.  Amy writhed against him, her voice quickly rising from low moans to soft cries.  Mikhail leaned down and kissed around her ear and cheek, breathing huskily and growling quietly as if he were an animal readying his mate.  "Rrr...come for me...come hard," he commanded, thrusting faster.  Her face twisted in what Mikhail would think were pain if he did not know better, and her breathing came in fast, near-constant gasps...he knew she was close...he needed only to push her over the edge.  "Come on, Amy," he said more insistently, curling his fingers so they pressed against her clitoris, "I want to hear you scream!"

Scream she did: arching her head back, she let out a loud, shrill cry that made his ears ring as he felt her inner muscles flutter around his fingers, unable to even say his name as she gripped a handful of his hair in one hand and a handful of the fur on his thigh, digging her nails in hard enough to make him hope she had not broken the skin.  Mikhail kept up the pressure on her clitoris, holding her against him and letting her thrash in his arms.  She stayed on that pleasure high for a good while until Mikhail, hoping she would not pass out, withdrew his fingers from inside her, feeling her slowly relax in his arms as her voice lowered from a scream to a moan and finally into soft panting.  He slurped his fingers, smacking his lips (even though the water had washed away most of the taste) and nuzzling her cheek.  "Perfect," he said softly.

"Hahhh...hahhh...holy shit...Mikky..." she breathed, "that...."

"Say no more...just catch your breath," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her and moving with her to sit on the side of the tub again.  Turning her so she was sitting with one of her shoulders facing him, he held her close, leaning back as much as he could to let her rest her head on his chest.  She nuzzled against his fluffy bulk as he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her ears and the top of her head and rubbing the side of her belly.  "I love you, Aameul," he whispered.

"You too..." she said as her breathing became slower and calmer.

He waited patiently for her to catch her breath, continuing to hug, rub, kiss, and speak lovingly to her.  "Wow...I really did it...I told Amy how I felt and showed her I was serious...and she liked it!  I don't have to be shy anymore!  I can tell her how beautiful I think she is and she'll know I mean it!" he mentally congratulated himself.  "There's only a month left, if that...but there's so much time to make up for...mm, I wonder if I can get her to wear that thing for me...or even just a swimsuit, that'd be nice...or...yes...."  Leaning his head back to let Amy recover her thoughts, his own train of thought quickly changed track to him imagining Amy showing off her body for him.  Truly, she did not even have to dress up, per se: one way or another her body was shown off no matter what she wore, so if he had his way, he would see her in anything possible...and plenty of times in very little to nothing.  Oh, how he looked forward to fawning over her and not having to worry about what she thought.

Mikhail was broken out of his daydream when he noticed his erection was sandwiched between his stomach and Amy's thigh, and by now he was aching for his own release.  Almost panting with anticipation that he would finally be able to make love to his wife the way he wanted to, he leaned down and kissed her ear.  "Amy...ready for more?" he asked in a lustful tone.  "Ohhh, how I've been looking forward to this...at last...."  When she did not answer, he asked again, "Amy?"

She shifted slightly in his arms and nuzzled his chest, replying with a contented murmur of, "Mmmm."  Listening to her breathing, Mikhail felt his spirit sink a little (to say nothing of his lust) at realizing she had fallen asleep.

With a quiet sigh, Mikhail leaned his head back again to try to relax as well.  "Dammit, so close...but...Amy needs all the rest she can get.  The water'll get cold sooner or later and she'll wake up anyway...still...denied again..." he thought.  Smiling a little, he just enjoyed the feeling of his wife and unborn child in his arms as his lust cooled and his mind wandered to more peaceful thoughts.  His smile briefly changed to a smirk as he told himself, "Well...we have the whole day to ourselves tomorrow.  Hm...better remember to wash the sheets, and maybe more, before we leave the next day.  I'd hate for Paul to find some, hmhmhm, mysterious stains the next time he visits his cabin."