the story of your life;

As soon as she felt his lips on hers, Kassie let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. The tears she had been holding back managed to squeeze themselves out and Kassie could help but pull away from the kiss, looking up into Alex's eyes as she spoke. "You wanna see the ultrasound?" She questioned, standing up and walking over to her purse. They had to decide when they were going to tell Rian. And what they were going to do when the tour started. They were going to be out until the end of December, which was only 3 weeks before her due date, there was no way she could do merch the entire time.

---

"Sounds good to me. As for the gift card I'd rather save it. I've got the money for this stuff and I'd rather keep it for a rainy day you know?" Rian explained, turning onto the shopping center where babies r us was located, unfortunately next door to a hot topic. Part of him feared being seen out with Whitney and Charley before they were ready but Charley needed to be safe at his house, so there was no other option. "You ready? I'm sure were going to get a few questions."

Whitney nodded her head, glancing at the Hot Topic. She took a deep breath and looked back at her baby girl for reassurance. "Whatever happens, happens. I have my man, and I have my baby. I already got the worst possible reaction from someone close to me, so a random stranger's opinion won't matter as much." She spoke, mostly for her own benefit. Whitney got out of the car and set about freeing Charley from her car seat while Rian got them a cart. She gave Charley about five or six kisses before getting her set in the little seat part and putting the diaper bag in the cart proper. "Okay, babe, let's go." Whitney spoke, giving him a smile.

--

Alex nodded his head eagerly, wiping Kassie's tears away. He waited patiently for her to get the ultrasound and hand it to him. And as cheesy as it sounded, Alex swore his fucking heart stopped when he laid eyes on the little speck that was his child. "Already beautiful, just like mom." He pulled Kassie into his lap and rested his head in the crook of her neck. "We'll figure everything out. I swear I'm going to do right by you and the baby." Alex craned his neck up and gave Kassie another kiss.

Kassie smiled, enjoying the moment before ruining it with the thought that was lingering on both of their minds. "You know we have to tell Rian... And the longer we wait the worse it'll be..." She trailed off, her fingers running through his hair.

---

Rian nodded, waiting as Whitney got Charley set up before leading the two into the store, walking alongside Whitney as she pushed the cart. "Alright momma. Where should be start?" Rian questioned, feeling slightly overwhelmed of everything on the store.

Alex nodded his head, relaxing slightly at the feel of Kassie’s fingers. “I know. Trust me, I know.” He bit his lip, trying to come up with a plan. “Let’s give him at least twenty four hours without more earth shattering news. And then we can go over tomorrow, sit down, and break the news. I’m assuming Whitney knows everything, so we have her in our corner.

—

“Hmm...” Whitney spoke, laughing slightly at the look on Rian’s face. She thought it was adorable. “Let’s get some of the table bumpers first. This one is laid out kinda similar to the one in Boston, so I’m pretty sure I know where they are.” She remembered the last time she’s been shopping in a Babies R Us. She was with Kassie, and she was scared out of her mind.

With a sigh and a nod, her hands dropped to her sides. Kassie stepped back, her heart inching into her throat slowly. "You're right... I just... I hate keeping things from him. It's bad enough i didn't tell him about Charley, and we've been lying for years about us. I can't imagine how he'll react when he finds out I'm pregnant."

---

Rian walked up and down the aisles, finally settling on the first item: a crib. Now he just had to get Whitney to agree. He didn't want to buy anything she didn't like as well. "Hey Whit, what do you think of this one? I think the grey will look amazing in the house and it's a 4 in 1. Charley will be able to grow with it."

Whitney looked over at the crib that Rian was trying to show her, and a smile grew on her face. "It's perfect! A bed that'll grow along with her would be perfect." She spoke, pushing Charley's hair out of her face.

--

Alex nodded his head. "Yeah, it's definitely not going to be pretty. But we need to tell him, sooner rather than later. Because the longer we wait, the angrier he's gonna get."

"Okay, what's next?" Rian questioned. He had completed his main objective and now he was completely at a loss. He was good with kids because of his nieces and nephews but actually raising one? Knowing what to buy for one? He was clueless - and that terrified him.

---

"Tomorrow... were telling him tomorrow Lex." Kassie stated with certainty. She stood quickly, feeling that oh so familiar feeling washing over her body. "This is gonna get old quick." she muttered before rushing towards the bathroom, dropping to her knees as she barely lifted the lid off the toilet in time.

"We need to grab her a high chair." Whitney spoke. She could sense that Rian was starting to freak out on the inside-- and she understood why. The first time Whitney had wandered into Babys R Us by herself, she nearly had a breakdown because she was so overwhelmed. "Hey," she spoke gently, grabbing Rian's hand and bringing it up to her lips. "It's gonna be okay. We got this."

--

Alex followed close behind Kassie, kneeling next to her and pulling her hair back so it was out of his face. "Tomorrow," he echoed, rubbing Kassie's back. Alex knew it was necessary, but it was still a pretty daunting task. The vocalist got up from his position and filled a dixie cup with water before handing it to Kassie. "Here you go, muffin." He mumbled.

Rian smiled softly at Whitney, squeezing her hand gently as the two walked around the store. His eyes fell on a high chair that he, for some reason, liked a lot more than the others. "Hey Whit, what to you think of this one? It matches the stuff we already have nicely."

---

Kassie rested her forehead against her arm, relaxing a moment before sitting up. She took the cup from Alex, sipping and swishing before she spit it out. "As happy as I am that we know why I'm throwing up, I can not wait until we get passed this." She stated, annoyance laced in every word.

Whitney nodded her head, an approving smile gracing her features. "I think it's cute! It goes with the colors we have in the kitchen." She spoke, helping Rian load the box into the cart. "So we pretty much have all of the big stuff save for the pack and play..." The purple haired momma spoke, running down the list in her brain and trying to figure out what else they had to purchase.

--

Alex nodded his head, gently rubbing Kassie's shoulders. "I know, babe. I don't imagine it's a picnic..." He kissed the top of her head. "Do you wanna go lay in bed? I can grab you some of my sweats so you can get comfy. You had a big day today." Concern laced his voice as he pushed Kassie's hair out of her face.

Kassie sighed, exhaustion washing over her. It had been a rather long day and, while it was still rather early, she wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and get the next 24 hours over with. "Yea, i think im gonna hop in the shower first though." She nodded, lightly smiling up at him. Alex was one of the most immature men she knew, but somehow she knew he would be a great dad.

---

"You know what, I actually saw a pack-n-play while we walked around that I liked I just wasn't sure that we needed one. Why don't we go get some of the safety stuff, baby gates and what not, and we can grab it on the way to the register." Rian suggested, remembering the pack-n-play he had seen that, ironically, matched the high chair he had picked.

Whitney nodded her head. "That sounds like a good idea." She looked down at her list to see what else they needed. "So we need the baby gate, some of those plug stopper things, and those things you put on the door knobs so she doesn't lock herself in the pantry or something." She spoke before stuffing her phone back in her wallet.

--

"Go ahead, I'm gonna go make the bed." Alex kissed Kassie's temple before heading back to the bedroom, straightening things up. He made the bed and put his dirty clothes in the hamper before flopping down on the mattress, scrolling through his phone while he waited for Kassie.

Rian wandered along the aisles, stopping every now and then to grab something that Whitney had listed off. As they neared the front of the store he had realized just how late it had gotten, he didn't think it was going to take this long to baby-proof his their home. After all the smaller item had been decided on, he circled back to the pack-n-play that matched to rest of the furniture. They needed to get home soon, before Charley got fussy.

---

Kassie stood in the shower, the steaming water beating down on her body as her mind wandered off. Her hand rested on her stomach, and all she could think about was how there was a baby growing inside of her. A baby that was made from the love she had for Alex, and part of her knew this was going to be an amazing experience. The other part of her was terrified that they weren't ready to be parents. After what felt like hours, Kassie turned the water off and stepped out of the shower, wrapping herself in a fluffy towel. After towel drying her hair and slipping on a pair of short yoga shorts and a white camisole, she finally made her way into the bedroom.

Whitney glanced down at her phone to check the time, and as if on cue Charley yawned and weakly rubbed her eyes. "I think someone's sleepy," she cooed, kissing her daughter's forehead. The purple haired female pushed the cart up to the register and helped Rian unload the items from the cart. She bit her lip, watching as the total climbed. As long as they had been together, it still made Whitney a little uncomfortable every time they made a big purchase like this. She had grown up relatively poor, so money was a precious resource to her.

--

Alex put down his phone and grinned at the sight of Kass. "Well, if it isn't the most beautiful woman in the world." He patted the spot next to him on the bed, scooting over so she had more room. "C'mere, you. Come cuddle." Once she sat next to him, Alex pressed a kiss to her temple and held her close. "I love you so much. And I already love little peanut head."

Rian watched as the price climbed, not really thinking anything of it. He had more than enough to cover the cost 5 times over. As he glanced back at Whitney, his card ready and waiting in his hand, his expression fell. He had forgotten how much large charges bothered her. Her family hadn't had a lot of money growing up, and it caused her to be a rather frugal woman. "Whit - its okay." He assured her, his voice low. "I've got this."

---

Kassie smiled to herself, snuggling into his side as she wrapped her arms around his torso. Her legs tangled themselves with his as she laid by his side. "Hey Lex..." she murmured, the thought bringing a smile for the first time today. "You're gonna be a daddy." She smiled as she looked up at him, her eyes expressing just how much she loved him.

Whitney nodded her head, relaxing slightly. This was something she would have to get used to again. If Rian was going to spoil Charley like he spoiled her (and Whitney knew that he would), she would be seeing this a lot more often. It wasn't just the two of them anymore. Once everything was all done and paid for, Whitney helped Rian load the items back into the cart and pushed it back to the car. She got Charley in her carseat while Rian loaded everything into the back before climbing into the passenger seat, a yawn leaving her lips. Whitney didn't realize how tired she was.

--

"And you're gonna be a mom-- let's hope the poor kid doesn't have my eyebrows." Alex laughed, kissing Kassie's temple. All of their problems could be dealt with tomorrow. Right now, they were just going to enjoy the night. Just the two of them. "That explains you puking up your waffles yesterday morning." He mused, playing with Kassie's hair.

"Come on. My girls both need some sleep." Rian smiled slightly as he returned from the cart return. He slipped into the drivers side and started the trek back to their home. "Hey Whit, why dont you two sleep in the bed while I put together her crib?" He suggested, glancing over at the purple haired girl, chuckling to himself at the sight.

---

Kassie nodded lightly, loving the feeling of his fingers running through her hair. "It explains a lot..." she mused, thinking of how she'd been acting the last few weeks. "Hey Lex... what about Jack?" She questioned, not willing to let her ex skunk haired bestie go

Whitney looked into the backseat where Charley was already falling asleep, her little eyelids growing heavy. “Are you sure you aren’t gonna want help?” She spoke. Even though she was still pretty tired, Whitney wanted to stay awake in case Rian needed her help at all.

—

Alex sighed, he had forgotten all about Jack. “He and I aren’t exactly speaking right now... we got into a huge fight after everyone left yesterday. He kinda figured everything out when he saw your car in the driveway. I mean, I know he’ll be happy for us but I’m not going to take disrespect like that in my house. We’re all adults for god’s sake.”

"I'm sure." Rian smiled, nodding slightly - his eyes fixated on the road. They flicked towards her quickly before going back to the road. "I can tell you're exhausted, it's been a long day. I can handle putting it together. That's what the dad is for." He joked

---

"Lex... you know I love you but we have to tell Jack about the baby after Rian. Hes been nothing but the best of friend to the both of us. Hes probably just hurt we didnt tell him." Kassie scolded softly, knowing how stubborn Alex could be when he was mad. "How would you feel if Jack had been dating someone for years and never confided it in you?"

Whitney smiled tiredly, squeezing Rian’s hand affectionately. The role of being a parent had only been thrust on him about twenty four hours ago, and he was embracing it whole heartedly. “Okay... do you wanna help me give her a bath and get her ready for bed?” She asked.

—

Alex nodded his head, listening as Kassie spoke. “You’re right... he just said a lot of things that I wasn’t all that happy to hear. Especially after all of the drama.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I actually had to throw him out last night.”