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The Pros and Cons of Loving
Part 6
Eric’s POV
Several Months Later…
“Are you sure they’re gonna… mind if I go?” I asked Aiden shyly.
“Eric, my grandma is like the nicest person you will ever meet.”
“I know… but I just… don’t want to like…” I trailed off.
“Come on. Everyone in my ‘family’ loves you.”
“Yeah but the only real family I’ve met is Mikey, Jenny, and their daughter.
“They’ll love you. Plus Nikki’s gong. She’s always good for a few laughs when you are nervous.” Aiden said, kissing me.
I kissed him back, then zipped up my bag of clothes. “Okay…”
Frank’s POV
“They are so cute, Frank! You and Gerard splitting up for five years was worth it just to see them two!” Mom cooed, coming into the kitchen. “And he’s such a sweetie. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard someone that quiet before.”
I nodded, sitting on Gerard’s lap. He wrapped his arms around me.
“That boy is so adorable. What’s the catch? What’s wrong with him? I know! He’s got three testicles, doesn’t he?”
“Mom!” I snapped. “Nothings wrong with him.”
“Frances, you and I both know. That boy is too perfect for there to not be a catch. Is he an illegal alien?”
“We can hear you!” Aiden called from the living room.
Kaylie then came in with a toddler from outside. “Hey everyone.”
I jumped up and hugged her as tight as I could.
“FRANK! YOU CAME!” she said excitedly.
“Hello sweetie.” I said, kneeling down by her two year old son.
“Cake momma.” He said, ignoring me and tugging at her pants leg.
“Hang on, babe.” Kaylie said.
“Noo momma. Please.”
“Baby, I said to hang on.” Kaylie said, scooping him up.
“Mommmmma.” He began to cry.
Mom got up, made a plate of cake, and took it to him. His eyes lit up and he reached for it.
“Mom, all he’s had is an apple and some milk today!” Kaylie snapped. “He needs to eat.”
“He can eat cake. Look at that face. Here, baby.” She handed him a fork.
“Frank, hold him.” Kaylie sighed, handing me her son and storming off with mom.
“Linda’s got the whole grand parenting thing down, huh?” Gerard laughed.
“She did that with Aiden too. Remember? He’d cry and she gave him whatever he wanted. Kinda like you, Bella, and horses.”
Kaylie and mom came back in.
“Adopted another emo kid, huh?” Kaylie asked, taking her son who had apparently forgotten about the cake because he began playing with her hair.
“His name is Eric.” I snapped.
“Wow, you’re already protective.” Kaylie laughed. “I guess they’re gonna be getting married?”
“Wanna bet?” Gerard asked excitedly.
“No!” Everyone at the table said.
“Aww, fine.” Gerard shrank down. “Ruin my fun.”
Aiden’s POV
“Dad, are me and Eric sharing a room?”
“Yeah, but the baby and Jason are going to be in there.”
The baby was Elizbeth’s one year old daughter.
Kinda funny Bella and me are grown (what, I’m almost grown… shove off.) and their kids are barely talking.
I mentally groaned, nodding. I walked in there and Grandpa was putting a crib up in the room, talking to Eric who had brought our bags up.
“Hey Grandpa.” I said. I knew he was my ‘step grandpa’ but he’d been around since I was little.
“Hello Aiden.” He said. “You have a very lovely boyfriend.”
I rolled my eyes. “You know it.”
He put the mattress in the crib.
“They think this will stop us from having sex.” I said to Eric after Grandpa left. “Funny thing is, we’ve never had sex. They should know that by how un-corrupted you are.”
Eric smiled, sitting on the bed. Kaylie came in with Jason, who was crying. She put him in the small made up bed on the ground.
“Quit crying, Jason.”
“I want daaaaaaaddy.” Jason cried.
Kaylie sighed. “Yeah, me too. But he isn’t here now, okay? So you have to smile, kiss mommy, be a good boy, and go to sleep.”
Jason sniffled. “When daddy come?”
“Daddy will be here tomorrow night, babe.” Kaylie said, sitting down by him.
His sniffles eventually faded. He laid down, closed his eyes, and was out within a minute.
Kaylie quietly stood up and smiled. “Good night boys.”
“Night.” I said.
“Night.” Eric whispered shyly.
“Liz is gonna bring the baby in soon, so if you’ll go to bed you’ve been warned.”
And with that she left, closing the door behind her.
“This used to be Dad’s bedroom.” I said, looking around it. “I wonder how many times they had sex on this bed… ew… no I don’t.”
Eric’s POV
Later That Night…
I hated sleeping in unfamiliar places. Usually if Aiden was with me though, I could sleep. Tonight was different however. Between the babies random noises, Jason’s snores, and a loud TV downstairs that Aiden’s grandpa Dan was watching, it was proving nearly impossible.
The door opened and I closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep. It was just Liz, though, checking on the baby.
I sighed and opened my eyes when the door closed again, looking at the alarm clock. It was two in the morning.
I rolled over in Aiden’s arms, trying to get comfortable. His arms went tighter around me.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Go back to sleep.” I whispered.
“Can’t sleep?” he asked.
“Not really…”
He yawned and sat up, then got up and walked towards the window. “It’s snowing.”
“Yeah?”
“Uh-huh.” He nodded. “Let’s go out.”
“We… this is another country. You don’t know where we are.”
He shrugged. “We’ll stay close. C’mon, I wanna play in the snow and who knows? In the morning it may all be gone.” He stuck his lower lip out. “Pleeeease?”
I sighed and stood up as well, pulling on my Chucks. “If we get lost, Aiden, I castrate you.” I whispered so I wouldn’t wake the kids.
Aiden rolled his eyes and opened the window. Cold air filled the room instantly.
“It’s too cold out.” I said.
Aiden picked up my jacket and handed it to me. “Here.”
“You’re cruel.” I said, taking the jacket and hopping out of the window. I helped him down and he pulled on his jacket. We walked around aimlessly, Aiden blowing out his breath. He was getting very frustrated, though, because he couldn’t turn the clouds into shapes.
Because everyone makes castles out of their breath, ya know?
Sometimes I worry about him.
Aiden’s POV
“Uh-oh. We’re lost.” I gasped.
Eric hit me. “Shut up. I can see the house.”
I grinned and pinned him to a tree, kissing him.
“The tree’s wet.” He whined.
“Get over it.” I teased, kissing him again.
He wrapped his arms around me, moaning into my lips.
I kissed down his neck and he arched into me, shuddering as I slid my hand into his jacket and ran a hand down his side. “Aiden.” he groaned.
“Hmm?” I asked, kissing down his neck.
“I love you.” He gasped out as I bit down.
“I love you too, baby.”
“We can’t make out in someone’s yard…” he said.
“Sure we can.” I said, kissing him roughly before sliding my tongue into his mouth.
His tongue collided with mine, his battling to work its way into my mouth. Eventually he won, sliding his tongue into my mouth.
He was shivering, but I couldn’t tell if it was from excitement or cold. I know we were just making out, but I was really excited about it for some reason. And I was kinda hard in the southern region if you catch my drift.
I pulled apart, not wanting to get carried away and scare him or make him think I was pressuring him into anything.
He was breathing hard, still shivering. I took my jacket off.
“No, Aiden. You’ll get sick.” He said.
“Take it.”
“No. Put it back on.”
“Take it.” he said, kissing my cheek. “I made you come out here, the least I can do is make you warm.”
“Aiden, I’ll never forgive myself if you get sick.” I said. “I have a jacket. Take it.”
“Mine is bigger.”
“Aiden, please… take it back.”
I took it from him, then put it on him again. “No. Keep it.” I kissed him. “You can warm me up when we get home.”
Frank’s POV
“Daddy…”
I opened my eyes. I was on the couch, sleeping with Gerard. “Aiden?”
“I don’t feel good.” Aiden said. “At all.”
I sat up. “Here, kneel down.”
“If I make sudden movements I’ll pass out.” He moaned.
“Gee, get up and let Aiden lay down.” I said, shaking Gerard.
He sat up, rubbing his eyes.
“He’s sick.”
“Oh.” Dad instantly moved to help me lay down.
“My head just hurts… we went out for a walk.” I coughed.
“At 7 in the morning?”
“No. Two.”
“Aiden, babe…” Dad put his hand on my forehead. “You’re a little hot. Do you want to lay down here or in bed?”
“Down here.” He moaned. “I don’t want to get Eric or the kids sick.”
Frank’s POV
I got Aiden some Tylenol quietly, so I wouldn’t wake anyone up. How on Earth… I swear, every year something happens to my baby right before Christmas. He always breaks a bone, a heart, gets sick… something always happens. The kid has the most rotten Christmas luck in the world.
I could hear him dryly coughing in the living room.
I came back in with him some medicine. “Just take this and get some rest. You’ll feel better when you wake up, alright?”
He nodded and took the medicine. It didn’t take long for him to fall asleep.
“Every goddamn year…” Gerard muttered. “It’s always something… Santa must hate us.”
“Poor kid can barely breathe.” I frowned. “And you’re making Santa jokes.”
“Well it’s true. Something always happens to the poor kid. I feel sorry for him, Frankie.”
“Well me too. He’s my baby.” I sighed, looking at Aiden. He coughed a little, then fell quiet.
“But I’m sure he’ll be better in the morning.” Gerard assured me. “This year will be different… you’ll see…”
Later That Day…
Eric’s POV
I felt awful. It was all my fault. I know we walked straight back here after Aiden gave me his jacket, but still…
I sat down on the floor by the couch, stroking his hair. His eyes opened and he blinked at me a few times.
“I’m sorry.” I whispered.
“It isn’t your fault. And I feel fine.” He said, wincing. He tried to sat up, then fell back onto the couch and shook his head. “Nevermind… shit that makes it worse.”
“What?”
“Nothing… I’m just a little dizzy. It’s probably from sleeping and sitting up so suddenly. No big deal.”
“Aiden…” I whimpered.
“What?” he attempted to mimic me, then began coughing really hard. Frank came in quickly. “I’m okay.” He coughed.
“I’ll get you some cough medicine in a few minutes. Gee and Dan ran out to get it. And Mom is making you some chicken noodle soup.” Frank said, kneeling down by him as well.
“God, you guys act like I’m terminally ill or something. It’s just a cold.” He coughed.
“That’s because its worse than a cold, Aiden. Listen to you!”
He tried to sit up again, then vomited right on me. His eyes widened. “I’m so sorry, Eric…”
“It’s okay.” I said. “Are you okay?”
He shook his head. “Not really. I’m really dizzy and it… it kinda hurts to breathe.”
“Like an asthma attack?” Frank asked.
“No… not that…” Aiden shook his head. “I dunno… I just…” he tried to sit up again, then vomited again, this time on the floor right by me.
“Eric, you can go change.” Frank said to me. “Aiden, you need to sit up.”
“Oh nooo. No, I am not throwing up again.” He moaned.
“Aiden, c’mon. Lying down is probably making it worse.”
“Dad, no…”
“Come on. You can lean on me until Eric gets down, then you can lean on him.”
He moaned. “I’ll wait until Eric gets back down…”
“When he gets down you are sitting up, Aiden, like it or not. We have to make you feel better.”
Eric came down in some jeans and a t-shirt, looking near tears. It was obvious he was blaming himself.
“Can he lean on you so he’s sitting up for a bit?” I asked.
“Yeah.” He nodded.
I helped Aiden sit up. He leaned over the side of the couch, gagging. At first, nothing came out. Then he threw up all over the place. Gerard and Dan came in.
“Getting it out, kid?” Dan asked kindly.
Aiden nodded, shuddered, and began vomiting again.
“I’ll clean it.” I assured Dan.
“You worry with your son. I’ve got it.” He said.
Eric sat down and, when Aiden was done vomiting, I leaned him against Eric.
“If you wanna sleep you can. I just want you sitting up okay. Maybe it’ll help you breathe.”
Aiden weakly nodded, curling into Eric.
“I’m so sorry.” Eric whispered, stroking his hair.
“It’s my fault… I wanted to walk. I forced you to take the jacket from me.” He coughed.
“I feel terrible, Aiden.” Eric said, looking near tears again.
“I’m okay.” Aiden muttered, his eyes closing. “Trust me.”
That Night…
Eric’s POV
They moved Aiden to the bed so he could hopefully get a good nights sleep. The kids wouldn’t be in there because they didn’t want them getting sick, but I was going to stay in bed with him and Frank was gonna sleep on the floor incase we needed an adult really quick.
Aiden was asleep instantly. Frank came in about five minutes after he fell asleep in his pajamas. There was a mattress and a pillow and blanket for him. He kissed Aiden’s forehead, then mine.
“It isn’t your fault you know. It’s his. He’s cursed.” He smiled at me. “Sleep tight, babe. He’s okay.”
I nodded, smiled and laid down. For once, it was me who wrapped my arms around Aiden. It was weird, but felt nice too. I liked how he curled into me, buried his head in my neck, and fit perfectly.
Within minutes, I was asleep as well.
Frank’s POV
“He can’t breathe, Gerard. At all.” I said hysterically.
It was two in the morning and Eric had woken me up, once again near tears.
“I know that!” Gerard snapped. “But you’re just scaring him freaking out, okay? Go get him some water and calm down.” He sat Aiden up and patted his back, telling him to calm down himself. Only he didn’t yell at Aiden like he did me.
I went and got water, quick as I could.
“What can I do?” Mom asked.
“Call an ambulance. He can’t breathe.” I said, rushing back. “Mom’s calling 911.”
“What?” Aiden gasped, then began coughing.
“You have to go to the hospital.”
“I-I feel better.” He coughed.
“You’re temperature is 103.9, Aiden. With the added degree that is 105… I’m sorry, but Aiden… we need to get you medicine.”
“I don’t want to go in an ambulance.” He moaned.
“Look,” Gerard said, rubbing his back. “Most likely we’re gonna go in there, they’ll give you some medicine, and we’ll come home. Then you can rest for the next few days and we’ll get back to Canada just in time for Christmas.”
Aiden nodded, leaning against Gerard.
“They’re here!” Mom called.
“Thank God.”
Several Months Later…
“Are you sure they’re gonna… mind if I go?” I asked Aiden shyly.
“Eric, my grandma is like the nicest person you will ever meet.”
“I know… but I just… don’t want to like…” I trailed off.
“Come on. Everyone in my ‘family’ loves you.”
“Yeah but the only real family I’ve met is Mikey, Jenny, and their daughter.
“They’ll love you. Plus Nikki’s gong. She’s always good for a few laughs when you are nervous.” Aiden said, kissing me.
I kissed him back, then zipped up my bag of clothes. “Okay…”
Frank’s POV
“They are so cute, Frank! You and Gerard splitting up for five years was worth it just to see them two!” Mom cooed, coming into the kitchen. “And he’s such a sweetie. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard someone that quiet before.”
I nodded, sitting on Gerard’s lap. He wrapped his arms around me.
“That boy is so adorable. What’s the catch? What’s wrong with him? I know! He’s got three testicles, doesn’t he?”
“Mom!” I snapped. “Nothings wrong with him.”
“Frances, you and I both know. That boy is too perfect for there to not be a catch. Is he an illegal alien?”
“We can hear you!” Aiden called from the living room.
Kaylie then came in with a toddler from outside. “Hey everyone.”
I jumped up and hugged her as tight as I could.
“FRANK! YOU CAME!” she said excitedly.
“Hello sweetie.” I said, kneeling down by her two year old son.
“Cake momma.” He said, ignoring me and tugging at her pants leg.
“Hang on, babe.” Kaylie said.
“Noo momma. Please.”
“Baby, I said to hang on.” Kaylie said, scooping him up.
“Mommmmma.” He began to cry.
Mom got up, made a plate of cake, and took it to him. His eyes lit up and he reached for it.
“Mom, all he’s had is an apple and some milk today!” Kaylie snapped. “He needs to eat.”
“He can eat cake. Look at that face. Here, baby.” She handed him a fork.
“Frank, hold him.” Kaylie sighed, handing me her son and storming off with mom.
“Linda’s got the whole grand parenting thing down, huh?” Gerard laughed.
“She did that with Aiden too. Remember? He’d cry and she gave him whatever he wanted. Kinda like you, Bella, and horses.”
Kaylie and mom came back in.
“Adopted another emo kid, huh?” Kaylie asked, taking her son who had apparently forgotten about the cake because he began playing with her hair.
“His name is Eric.” I snapped.
“Wow, you’re already protective.” Kaylie laughed. “I guess they’re gonna be getting married?”
“Wanna bet?” Gerard asked excitedly.
“No!” Everyone at the table said.
“Aww, fine.” Gerard shrank down. “Ruin my fun.”
Aiden’s POV
“Dad, are me and Eric sharing a room?”
“Yeah, but the baby and Jason are going to be in there.”
The baby was Elizbeth’s one year old daughter.
Kinda funny Bella and me are grown (what, I’m almost grown… shove off.) and their kids are barely talking.
I mentally groaned, nodding. I walked in there and Grandpa was putting a crib up in the room, talking to Eric who had brought our bags up.
“Hey Grandpa.” I said. I knew he was my ‘step grandpa’ but he’d been around since I was little.
“Hello Aiden.” He said. “You have a very lovely boyfriend.”
I rolled my eyes. “You know it.”
He put the mattress in the crib.
“They think this will stop us from having sex.” I said to Eric after Grandpa left. “Funny thing is, we’ve never had sex. They should know that by how un-corrupted you are.”
Eric smiled, sitting on the bed. Kaylie came in with Jason, who was crying. She put him in the small made up bed on the ground.
“Quit crying, Jason.”
“I want daaaaaaaddy.” Jason cried.
Kaylie sighed. “Yeah, me too. But he isn’t here now, okay? So you have to smile, kiss mommy, be a good boy, and go to sleep.”
Jason sniffled. “When daddy come?”
“Daddy will be here tomorrow night, babe.” Kaylie said, sitting down by him.
His sniffles eventually faded. He laid down, closed his eyes, and was out within a minute.
Kaylie quietly stood up and smiled. “Good night boys.”
“Night.” I said.
“Night.” Eric whispered shyly.
“Liz is gonna bring the baby in soon, so if you’ll go to bed you’ve been warned.”
And with that she left, closing the door behind her.
“This used to be Dad’s bedroom.” I said, looking around it. “I wonder how many times they had sex on this bed… ew… no I don’t.”
Eric’s POV
Later That Night…
I hated sleeping in unfamiliar places. Usually if Aiden was with me though, I could sleep. Tonight was different however. Between the babies random noises, Jason’s snores, and a loud TV downstairs that Aiden’s grandpa Dan was watching, it was proving nearly impossible.
The door opened and I closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep. It was just Liz, though, checking on the baby.
I sighed and opened my eyes when the door closed again, looking at the alarm clock. It was two in the morning.
I rolled over in Aiden’s arms, trying to get comfortable. His arms went tighter around me.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Go back to sleep.” I whispered.
“Can’t sleep?” he asked.
“Not really…”
He yawned and sat up, then got up and walked towards the window. “It’s snowing.”
“Yeah?”
“Uh-huh.” He nodded. “Let’s go out.”
“We… this is another country. You don’t know where we are.”
He shrugged. “We’ll stay close. C’mon, I wanna play in the snow and who knows? In the morning it may all be gone.” He stuck his lower lip out. “Pleeeease?”
I sighed and stood up as well, pulling on my Chucks. “If we get lost, Aiden, I castrate you.” I whispered so I wouldn’t wake the kids.
Aiden rolled his eyes and opened the window. Cold air filled the room instantly.
“It’s too cold out.” I said.
Aiden picked up my jacket and handed it to me. “Here.”
“You’re cruel.” I said, taking the jacket and hopping out of the window. I helped him down and he pulled on his jacket. We walked around aimlessly, Aiden blowing out his breath. He was getting very frustrated, though, because he couldn’t turn the clouds into shapes.
Because everyone makes castles out of their breath, ya know?
Sometimes I worry about him.
Aiden’s POV
“Uh-oh. We’re lost.” I gasped.
Eric hit me. “Shut up. I can see the house.”
I grinned and pinned him to a tree, kissing him.
“The tree’s wet.” He whined.
“Get over it.” I teased, kissing him again.
He wrapped his arms around me, moaning into my lips.
I kissed down his neck and he arched into me, shuddering as I slid my hand into his jacket and ran a hand down his side. “Aiden.” he groaned.
“Hmm?” I asked, kissing down his neck.
“I love you.” He gasped out as I bit down.
“I love you too, baby.”
“We can’t make out in someone’s yard…” he said.
“Sure we can.” I said, kissing him roughly before sliding my tongue into his mouth.
His tongue collided with mine, his battling to work its way into my mouth. Eventually he won, sliding his tongue into my mouth.
He was shivering, but I couldn’t tell if it was from excitement or cold. I know we were just making out, but I was really excited about it for some reason. And I was kinda hard in the southern region if you catch my drift.
I pulled apart, not wanting to get carried away and scare him or make him think I was pressuring him into anything.
He was breathing hard, still shivering. I took my jacket off.
“No, Aiden. You’ll get sick.” He said.
“Take it.”
“No. Put it back on.”
“Take it.” he said, kissing my cheek. “I made you come out here, the least I can do is make you warm.”
“Aiden, I’ll never forgive myself if you get sick.” I said. “I have a jacket. Take it.”
“Mine is bigger.”
“Aiden, please… take it back.”
I took it from him, then put it on him again. “No. Keep it.” I kissed him. “You can warm me up when we get home.”
Frank’s POV
“Daddy…”
I opened my eyes. I was on the couch, sleeping with Gerard. “Aiden?”
“I don’t feel good.” Aiden said. “At all.”
I sat up. “Here, kneel down.”
“If I make sudden movements I’ll pass out.” He moaned.
“Gee, get up and let Aiden lay down.” I said, shaking Gerard.
He sat up, rubbing his eyes.
“He’s sick.”
“Oh.” Dad instantly moved to help me lay down.
“My head just hurts… we went out for a walk.” I coughed.
“At 7 in the morning?”
“No. Two.”
“Aiden, babe…” Dad put his hand on my forehead. “You’re a little hot. Do you want to lay down here or in bed?”
“Down here.” He moaned. “I don’t want to get Eric or the kids sick.”
Frank’s POV
I got Aiden some Tylenol quietly, so I wouldn’t wake anyone up. How on Earth… I swear, every year something happens to my baby right before Christmas. He always breaks a bone, a heart, gets sick… something always happens. The kid has the most rotten Christmas luck in the world.
I could hear him dryly coughing in the living room.
I came back in with him some medicine. “Just take this and get some rest. You’ll feel better when you wake up, alright?”
He nodded and took the medicine. It didn’t take long for him to fall asleep.
“Every goddamn year…” Gerard muttered. “It’s always something… Santa must hate us.”
“Poor kid can barely breathe.” I frowned. “And you’re making Santa jokes.”
“Well it’s true. Something always happens to the poor kid. I feel sorry for him, Frankie.”
“Well me too. He’s my baby.” I sighed, looking at Aiden. He coughed a little, then fell quiet.
“But I’m sure he’ll be better in the morning.” Gerard assured me. “This year will be different… you’ll see…”
Later That Day…
Eric’s POV
I felt awful. It was all my fault. I know we walked straight back here after Aiden gave me his jacket, but still…
I sat down on the floor by the couch, stroking his hair. His eyes opened and he blinked at me a few times.
“I’m sorry.” I whispered.
“It isn’t your fault. And I feel fine.” He said, wincing. He tried to sat up, then fell back onto the couch and shook his head. “Nevermind… shit that makes it worse.”
“What?”
“Nothing… I’m just a little dizzy. It’s probably from sleeping and sitting up so suddenly. No big deal.”
“Aiden…” I whimpered.
“What?” he attempted to mimic me, then began coughing really hard. Frank came in quickly. “I’m okay.” He coughed.
“I’ll get you some cough medicine in a few minutes. Gee and Dan ran out to get it. And Mom is making you some chicken noodle soup.” Frank said, kneeling down by him as well.
“God, you guys act like I’m terminally ill or something. It’s just a cold.” He coughed.
“That’s because its worse than a cold, Aiden. Listen to you!”
He tried to sit up again, then vomited right on me. His eyes widened. “I’m so sorry, Eric…”
“It’s okay.” I said. “Are you okay?”
He shook his head. “Not really. I’m really dizzy and it… it kinda hurts to breathe.”
“Like an asthma attack?” Frank asked.
“No… not that…” Aiden shook his head. “I dunno… I just…” he tried to sit up again, then vomited again, this time on the floor right by me.
“Eric, you can go change.” Frank said to me. “Aiden, you need to sit up.”
“Oh nooo. No, I am not throwing up again.” He moaned.
“Aiden, c’mon. Lying down is probably making it worse.”
“Dad, no…”
“Come on. You can lean on me until Eric gets down, then you can lean on him.”
He moaned. “I’ll wait until Eric gets back down…”
“When he gets down you are sitting up, Aiden, like it or not. We have to make you feel better.”
Eric came down in some jeans and a t-shirt, looking near tears. It was obvious he was blaming himself.
“Can he lean on you so he’s sitting up for a bit?” I asked.
“Yeah.” He nodded.
I helped Aiden sit up. He leaned over the side of the couch, gagging. At first, nothing came out. Then he threw up all over the place. Gerard and Dan came in.
“Getting it out, kid?” Dan asked kindly.
Aiden nodded, shuddered, and began vomiting again.
“I’ll clean it.” I assured Dan.
“You worry with your son. I’ve got it.” He said.
Eric sat down and, when Aiden was done vomiting, I leaned him against Eric.
“If you wanna sleep you can. I just want you sitting up okay. Maybe it’ll help you breathe.”
Aiden weakly nodded, curling into Eric.
“I’m so sorry.” Eric whispered, stroking his hair.
“It’s my fault… I wanted to walk. I forced you to take the jacket from me.” He coughed.
“I feel terrible, Aiden.” Eric said, looking near tears again.
“I’m okay.” Aiden muttered, his eyes closing. “Trust me.”
That Night…
Eric’s POV
They moved Aiden to the bed so he could hopefully get a good nights sleep. The kids wouldn’t be in there because they didn’t want them getting sick, but I was going to stay in bed with him and Frank was gonna sleep on the floor incase we needed an adult really quick.
Aiden was asleep instantly. Frank came in about five minutes after he fell asleep in his pajamas. There was a mattress and a pillow and blanket for him. He kissed Aiden’s forehead, then mine.
“It isn’t your fault you know. It’s his. He’s cursed.” He smiled at me. “Sleep tight, babe. He’s okay.”
I nodded, smiled and laid down. For once, it was me who wrapped my arms around Aiden. It was weird, but felt nice too. I liked how he curled into me, buried his head in my neck, and fit perfectly.
Within minutes, I was asleep as well.
Frank’s POV
“He can’t breathe, Gerard. At all.” I said hysterically.
It was two in the morning and Eric had woken me up, once again near tears.
“I know that!” Gerard snapped. “But you’re just scaring him freaking out, okay? Go get him some water and calm down.” He sat Aiden up and patted his back, telling him to calm down himself. Only he didn’t yell at Aiden like he did me.
I went and got water, quick as I could.
“What can I do?” Mom asked.
“Call an ambulance. He can’t breathe.” I said, rushing back. “Mom’s calling 911.”
“What?” Aiden gasped, then began coughing.
“You have to go to the hospital.”
“I-I feel better.” He coughed.
“You’re temperature is 103.9, Aiden. With the added degree that is 105… I’m sorry, but Aiden… we need to get you medicine.”
“I don’t want to go in an ambulance.” He moaned.
“Look,” Gerard said, rubbing his back. “Most likely we’re gonna go in there, they’ll give you some medicine, and we’ll come home. Then you can rest for the next few days and we’ll get back to Canada just in time for Christmas.”
Aiden nodded, leaning against Gerard.
“They’re here!” Mom called.
“Thank God.”