Neal smiles brightly and presses a soft kiss to Alex’s lips.
“Thank you. Everything will be okay.”
“Just don’t ever talk like that again.”
Neal’s only response is to smile softly. He shifts around slightly and reaches behind him to grab hold of Desmond’s hand. He puts Desmond’s hand on top of his stomach and smiles brightly before settling down to sleep.
Alex shifts forward, pressing himself as close to Neal as he can get. He puts his hand on top of Neal’s stomach and presses his forehead against the side of Neal’s head.
“You’ll be okay. That’s what I’ll promise you. I promise that you will be okay and our babies will be okay and we’ll have the life we planned. I promise, Neal. I promise.”
***
Neal is surprised to wake up alone the next morning- he would have thought that at least one person would be here watching over him. He’s relieved to get a bit of time to himself, though, because it’s not something he’s had a lot of recently and it’s certainly not something he’s going to get much, if any, of in the upcoming days, weeks, months, years. He lies in bed for several minutes, just thinking about whatever comes into his mind, before eventually getting up and going downstairs. He goes into the kitchen because he can hear someone shuffling about in there. He stands in the doorway watching Desmond for a few seconds before walking over and taking hold of Desmond’s hand.
Desmond jumps a little when he feels Neal’s hand in his, but then he turns to the side and smiles softly at Neal.
“You can sleep a while longer if you wanted.”
“I don’t think I could. I’d rather be with you now anyway.” Neal shrugs lightly and smiles. “Where is Alex?”
“Oh. He was getting on my nerves so I sent him out for a training ride. One of us could use a distraction and he has the best excuse for it. It probably won’t be long before he’s back, though- you know what he’s like."
Neal laughs lightly and nods.
“Yes. He’s… special. Is everything done?”
“Yep. Bags are packed; although Alex will probably redo those when he gets home- you know he’ll think we did it wrong. I called the hospital and everything there is ready. I called our families and everyone is already awake and excited; Ollison even learned how to say ‘baby’ today so now Anna has two over-excited toddlers running around screaming about meeting their new brother and sister.”
“We should send flowers to apologise.”
“Already done.”
“You really did take care of everything.” Neal grins.
“Pretty much so now I’m cleaning because, you know, babies are messy so if we start off with a clean house there’s less work to do later. It’s not going well, though- I can’t remember where anything goes.”
“Maybe you’re the one that needs the distraction then, not…” Neal doesn’t get to finish that sentence before the distinctive sound of the front door being slammed open sounds out.
“Told you.”
Neal sticks his tongue out at Desmond before walking through to the living room just in time to see Alex rushing in.
“I forgot my… Oh, my god-you’re awake.” Alex rushes over to Neal. “Are you okay? Are the babies okay? Is everything okay?”
Neal frowns slightly.
“Did you know your hat is on backwards and you have odd shoes on?”
Alex doesn’t seem to have heard Neal. He leans in towards Neal.
“Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine.” Neal smiles and takes hold of Alex’s hand. “Desmond is taking very good care of me; you don’t need to worry.”
Alex looks as if he’s going to not believe Neal for a moment, but then he thinks the better of it. He looks down and frowns slightly.
“I am wearing odd shoes.” Alex’s head snaps up. “Did you pack your bags yet because I read this really great thing in one of the books about the best way to organize them.”
***
Alex has finally calmed down and is sat on the couch with Neal. Well, actually, Neal got so tired of Alex running around like a madman that he pouted until Alex relented and sat down with him.
“But what if…”
Neal grabs hold of Alex’s hand and squeezes it tightly.
“If you move, you’re not invited to the hospital.” Neal gives Alex a serious look.
“But I have to be there. You need me.”
“Only if you stop being so annoying.”
“But that’s what I do. I’ve spent the last nine months freaking out, remember?”
“Hey.” Neal points at Alex. “You said that, not me.”
“That… That’s not the point. The point is that worrying is what I do, especially after what you said last night.”
“I don’t…” Neal’s sentence stops abruptly when he hears a smashing from in the kitchen. “Desmond? Is everything okay?”
“Fine.”
Neal frowns heavily. He looks at Alex.
“Go and find out what’s going on.”
“But…”
“Go!” Neal points towards the kitchen.
Alex wisely decides not to argue anymore and gets up. He walks through to the kitchen and stops a few paces away from Desmond.
“What happened?”
“It’s fine. Everything’s fine.”
“Okay. So why does that cup no longer have a handle?” Alex nods to the broken cup on the counter in front of Desmond.
“It’s… Just… It doesn’t matter. Everything’s fine.”
“Well, you know, I don’t believe that so why don’t you just talk to me?”
“I don’t want to talk about it so we’re going to talk about it.”
“But you always say we should talk about everything and not keep secrets and…”
“Fine.” Desmond turns around. “You really wanna know?”
“Uh…” Alex is so taken aback by the angry? hurt? disappointed? look on Desmond’s face that it takes him several seconds to reply. “Yes?”
Desmond slowly shakes his head before walking over and grabbing hold of Alex’s arm. He pulls Alex back into the living room.
Neal looks up and frowns when he sees Desmond and Alex.
“What’s going on?”
Desmond looks at Neal for a second before returning his attention to Alex.
“Sit.” Desmond points to the couch.
Alex nods briefly and shuffles back over to the couch. It’s half instinct and half fear when he reaches out for Neal’s hand when he sits down.
Desmond stares at Neal and Alex for a few seconds and then he starts shouting. He shouts about their conversation last night for the content and for not telling him anything about it. He shouts about them leaving him out. He shouts about them not caring. He shouts about everything that he can think of, half of which he’s not even sure makes sense. He shouts until his throat hurts and he literally can’t shout anymore. He puts his hands on his hips and takes several deep breaths.
Neal stares at Desmond for a moment before speaking.
“Are you done?”
“No, I’m not… Yeah, I think I’m done.” Desmond looks down at the floor, the reality of what he’s just said hitting him. “I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s okay.”
“Neal.”
“No.” Neal shakes his head. “He’s right.” He looks up at Desmond. “Do you want to sit down because you know I can’t really get up now?”
Desmond laughs briefly and nods.
“Alex, move over.”
“But…”
Neal gives Alex another serious look and Alex doesn’t have much of a choice, but to move over.
Desmond walks over and sits down in the space between Neal and Alex.
Neal smiles softly and rests his head on Desmond’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to worry you.”
“That’s kinda bullshit, Neal, because, look- I’m worried now.”
“I know. I just w
anted for someone to be calm and collected. That was never going to be Alex.”
“Hey.” Alex folds his arms across his chest and glares. “Stop picking on me.”
“You said it yourself, Alex- you can’t do calm now. Worrying is fine, but I need calm too and that has to be you Desmond. I need for you to have a clear head and make sure that everything goes the way it’s supposed to and that everything is okay and to look after everyone. I need that.”
“I get it, Neal; I do, but do you really think I wouldn’t do that if I was worried? Don’t you think that being worried would even make me more determined to do all of that? And if it’s something serious like you worrying you’re gonna die then, yeah, actually, I do need to know that. I especially need to know if you’re worried that we’re not gonna look after the babies if anything ever…”
“I thought it would be easier if you didn’t know. Then you wouldn’t have any reason to worry and it would be okay.”
“Well, fine, okay, but just… This is the kinda stuff you’re not supposed to do. You don’t have to tell me every last little thing, but the big shit like this? I’m gonna need to know.”
“Okay.” Neal nods. He takes hold of Desmond’s hand and puts it on top of his stomach. He waits until he feels one of the babies kicking. “He wants you to know that I’m sorry.”
“What does he say about you two picking on me?” Alex folds his arms across his chest and pouts.
“He says that if you’d stop freaking out so much we wouldn’t have any reason to pick on you.” Neal grins.
Alex narrows his gaze.
Desmond just about manages to bite back his laughter. He’s still smiling when he turns to face Alex, though.
“I understand why you didn’t tell me- it was what Neal wanted and that’s so important right now, but no more secrets like that okay? Like you told him last night, we’re in this together and it doesn’t work if one of us isn’t there, isn’t involved.”
“Okay.” Alex nods. “I didn’t even like thinking about it so I didn’t want to keep talking about it, too.”
“I’m sorry,” Neal mutters.
“It’s okay. Just… Let’s not do that again. Keeping secrets, not talking, didn’t exactly help us in the past, did they? It’s more important now than ever that we work things out.” Desmond smiles softly and runs his hand over Neal’s stomach. “I want them to come into a world where we’re happy.”
“They will.” Neal nods definitively. “And they’ll be happy too. We’ll all get to see that soon. Today we have our family.”
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
“How long do we have left?”
Desmond smiles softly and touches a hand to Neal’s cheek.
“Just a few more minutes.”
Neal nods briefly. He turns to look out of the window for a few seconds before turning back towards Desmond and smiling brightly.
“I’m excited. I thought I would be nervous now, but I’m not at all. I just…” Neal puts a hand on top of his stomach. “I can’t wait to meet them and to see them and to hold them. I can’t wait to be a dad.”
“You’re going to be amazing. You already are for getting them here.” Desmond puts his hand next to Neal’s hand on top of Neal’s stomach.
Neal smiles at Desmond for a moment before speaking.
“Where is Alex?”
“Probably down in the theatre, telling the doctors how to sterilize it.”
Neal laughs softly.
“That’s our boy.”
Desmond smiles fondly.
“He just wants the best for you, to make sure you’re safe.”
“I know and I am glad for that. I just…”
“Do you want me to go find him?”
“Please.”
***
“Now, have you…”
“Alex, stop.”
“But I…”
“Stop.” Neal points at Alex. “The doctors know what they’re doing.”
“But…”
“Stop it, right now, or I will have them kick you out of here.” Neal gives Alex a serious look.
Alex thinks about protesting, but quickly decides that that would be an incredibly bad idea.
Desmond tries, he really tries, to suppress his laughter, but he fails.
“What are you laughing at?” Alex sits in the chair next to Neal’s bed and glares at Desmond.
“I always thought I was the only one who could get to you like that. Turns out Neal’s a lot stronger than we thought.”
“But I would never argue with Neal.”
“You argue with me all the time.”
“Not when you’re pregnant.”
“Oh, really? So you don’t remember…”
“Hey.” Desmond holds a hand up. “None of that right now- today is all about the happy things, remember?”
“I remember.” Alex nods slowly. He leans in towards Neal slightly. “I know I’m fussing a lot.”
“It’s okay. It’s nice that you’re so worried, but…”
“Oh, hey.” Alex jumps up and rushes over to the new doctor that’s just walked into the room. “Doctor… uh…” He frowns slightly because he can’t quite remember the doctor’s name. “Doctor… person, did you remember to…”
“Alex! What did I just tell you?” Neal folds his arms across his chest and scowls at Alex.
Alex slowly turns around to face Neal.
“Uh…”
Neal shakes his head and then looks over at the doctor.
“I’m sorry about him. We tried to tell him to stop worrying so much, but it’s very difficult to change his mind about things.”
“Well, you’ll be happy to know none of you have any more time to worry now- we’re about ready for you down there.”
“Oh.” Neal’s eyes widen slightly. “That’s…” He glances between Desmond and Alex. “That’s good. I’m ready for this too. Let’s go.”
***
“Can I watch?”
Desmond looks down at Neal and frowns slightly.
“Watch what?”
“This.” Neal points down towards the other end of the table, past the screen set up over his chest, towards the doctors hovering around the lower part of his body.
Desmond is a little taken aback by that.
“You want to watch them operating on you?”
“No.” Neal rolls his eyes. “I want to watch our children being born.”
“But that… You know they’re going to be cutting into your stomach, right?”
“Of course I know that. I want to watch.”
“I… I don’t think it’s a good idea. I don’t even know if you’re allowed.”
“Then make them change their minds.”
“Neal.” Desmond closes his eyes and sighs lightly. He opens his eyes again and looks down at Neal. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
Neal studies Desmond carefully for a moment.
“You don’t want to see this?”
“I don’t want to see you hurt, Neal. I can’t watch them cut your…”
Neal frowns slightly at Desmond for a moment before turning his head to the other side to look at Alex.
“Alex?”
“What?” Alex’s head snaps towards Neal. “What is it? What?”
“Oh, you’re no help.” Neal sighs heavily and then turns back to look at Desmond. “I won’t watch then, if it’d be that bad for you, but you better hope they’re recording it so I can watch it later.”
“I…” Desmond stares at Neal for a few seconds, wondering how on Earth anyone, let alone Neal, could possibly want to see that. He shakes away those questions and smiles softly at Neal. “Don’t worry about that- it’s all taken care of.” He’s expecting some kind of argument form Neal there so he’s mildly surprised by what Neal says next.
“Will you hold my hand?”
“Sure.” Desmond smiles brightly and takes hold of Neal’s hand.
Neal smiles gratefully at Desmond before turning to
wards Alex.
“Alex?” Neal just rolls his eyes when he sees that terrified look on Alex’s face. He reaches out and grabs hold of Alex’s hand.
“Oh.”
Desmond laughs at Alex’s shock at Neal holding his hand, but no one else seems to notice it.
Neal closes his eyes and just concentrates on breathing. He doesn’t know what’s going on around him, probably wouldn’t even if his eyes were open, but he knows that it’s getting close and there can’t be much time left before he meets his children.
“Oh, that tickles.”
“It tickles? It shouldn’t tickle- you shouldn’t feel anything.” Alex has barely moved off his chair before Neal is pulling him back down again.
“They said it was okay if I feel some pressure- that’s really all it is- so don’t go yelling at the doctors, okay?”
“But…”
“Alex.”
Alex sighs lightly and nods.
“And you’re not allowed to go anywhere- they’re going to be here soon.” Neal looks up at the ceiling. He tries not to imagine what the doctors are doing to him right now, tries not to match the pictures in his head to the vague sensations he feels in his lower half; instead, he tries to imagine the babies instead- what they’ll look like, what they’ll be like, if they’ll laugh or cry or… His eyes spring open- it’s happening now. He’s not sure how he knows, but he knows with absolute certainty. He doesn’t look up, he’s not sure he could manage it anyway, but he doesn’t need to see- there’s crying, so much crying, and it’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever heard. He opens his mouth to ask which baby that is, whether he has his son or his daughter first, but he can’t form the words.
Desmond leans in toward Neal slightly.
“Matthew.”
Neal smiles brightly. He looks up and sees that the doctors are holding this tiny little baby over the screen and that’s his son- he almost can’t believe that this day is finally here.
“I think Alex should hold him first.”
Alex doesn’t hear that. He doesn’t hear anything- he’s far too transfixed with the little baby who’s all pink and squirming and his. He blinks and then the doctors are there, putting the baby- Matthew, just Matthew, no middle name; he’s too small for a middle name- in his arms. He thinks the way he holds Matthew is more instinct than any actual knowledge, but whatever the reason he seems to be doing this right. He has no idea what to say- they’ve spent so long waiting for this very moment and he still can’t find the right words or even the right thoughts- so he just stares down at Matthew instead.
The Unexpected: An Mpreg Romance Page 12
