Snap!

~

“That one's nice!” Simone stated, pointing at a pale blue crib.

Bill wiggled his nose in thought, but shook his head a moment later. “Too lacy. I don't like it.”

“That's the twenty-seventh crib we've looked at in the past ten minutes, Bill! Just pick one so we can move on to highchairs!”

“I don't really like any of them...” he admitted. Meanwhile, Gordon groaned and let his head smack against the nearby wall. He really hated shopping, but he really, really hated baby shopping.

“Let's just go to Home Depot.” he stated.

“I AM NOT HAVING MY BABIES SLEEP IN FLOWER POTS, DAD!” Bill shrieked.

“I wasn't suggesting that! Though it would make my life a lot easier...” he muttered. “How about I just build the cribs? It'll be faster than dealing with your indecisive nature.”

Bill's eyes lit up and he nodded furiously, waddling over to hug his father. “YOU'RE THE BEST! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!”

“Love you too, Bill. Just make it quick with the rest.”

The teen opened his mouth to speak, but his phone went off interrupting him. “Hello?”

“Hey, Bill.”

Bill smiled, immediately recognizing the voice. “Hi.” he beamed.

“You sound happy.” Yu chuckled, wiping down the glass case beneath the cash register that displayed different forms of body jewelry.

“I am.”

“Any specific reason?”

“Mm...shopping with my parents for baby stuff. I think my dad's head is about to explode. He honestly hates shopping more than you.”

“I don't hate it...not completely anyway. Who was the one that always stood outside the changing rooms, catching all the stuff you threw over the door?”

Bill giggled lightly, tucking a piece of hair behind his ear. “You. But you complained the whole time, so it doesn't count.”

“What doesn't count? Who are you talking to, Bill?” Simone asked.

“Yu.” he shrugged absentmindedly, then proceeded to laugh at Yu's next comment. Both Simone and Gordon froze, pulling their attention from browsing the highchairs.

“What!?” they chorused, making Bill jump and almost drop his phone.

“Um...I gotta go...” he mumbled into the phone.

“Oh...okay. Um...I'll call you on my break later I guess...” Yu replied, a small frown encasing his lips.

“Right. Bye.” Bill snapped his phone shut and then turned to stare at his parents as innocently as he could. “What?”

“Was that Yu?”

“Yes...”

“Why the hell are you talking to that bastard!?” Gordon shouted.

“We talked yesterday at school. We-”

“Oh please tell me you didn't do anything.” Simone begged, putting her hands together as if she were about to pray.

“What!? NO! Mom, are you forgetting that I have a boyfriend?!”

Her eyes lit up immediately. “Oh yeah! Strify! The sweet, cute, didn't-knock-you-up-one! He's my favorite!”

“...I've only ever had two boyfriends...” Bill said, quirking a brow at his mother.

“He's still my favorite! But back on point here, why were you talking to Yu? And why were you giggling!?”

Bill shrugged, tucking his phone back into his pocket. He pulled out the red envelope from his bag, biting his lip before explaining. “He's paying-”

“Paying you off to get an abortion!? That little son of a-”

“DAD, SHUT UP FOR TWO SECONDS! That's what I thought at first too, but he's not. He's paying child support. He may not be declaring his love for me and promising to raise the twins with me, but it's a step up from where we were. It proves he cares.” he explained, clenching the envelope between his fingers in a loving grip.

“Cares about paying you off...” Gordon mumbled angrily, grunting when Simone punched his forearm.

“It sure does. Now, let's get some paint for the baby room!” she cheered, grabbing the cart's handles and running off with amazing speed. A few seconds later there was a loud crash and a lot of spilled baby food...but at least she changed the subject.

~

Bill moaned lowly, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his desk as he ran his hands through his hair. He'd gotten little to no sleep the night before, and he could already feel bile rising in his throat. He swallowed hard, knocking his breakfast back down into his stomach.

A small noise was made when a bottle of sprite landed in front of him. He lifted his head from his hands, brows furrowing when he saw Yu setting a small pack of saltine crackers beside the bottle. Bill smiled thankfully at the older boy as he wrapped his fingers around the neck of the bottle. Yu gave him a weak smile in return.

“Yu, baby!” a very annoying, high pitched voice squeaked, a girl with a bust heavier than her IQ skipping over and latching onto Yu's arm. “Ew...why are you talking to this loser? Isn't he that whore that was dumb enough to cheat on you?”

“I-”

Bill's eyes met Yu's, waiting for his reply. His hand tightened around the sprite bottle, hoping for something nice to be said.

“Y-Yeah. Don't know what I was thinking. Why bother speaking to a whore who doesn't know how to use a condom?” he smirked, wrapping and arm around the girl.

Bill frowned, ducking his head away from the hurtful comments. For the most part, he was used to his classmates' comments, but the ones from Yu always hurt the most.

Guilt flashed through Yu's eyes, but it was easily taken away when the girl whispered a very nice suggestion in his ear involving a janitor's closet, and very little clothing. “I'll meet you there in five.” he whispered, kissing the shell of her ear before he scurried off giggling.

Yu turned to Bill, who was hunched over his desk, flicking the edge of the cracker's wrapper with his nails. “I'm sorry, Bill.” he whispered, making sure no one heard.

“If you were really sorry, you'd stop making fun of me to cover up your own mistake.” he mumbled, pushing the food to the corner of his desk before laying his head down.

“Bill...don't be like that.”

“Be like what? An over emotional pregnant whore? According to you and everyone else, that's exactly what I am, so why shouldn't I act the part?”

“I...- never mind. I'll...call you tonight...or something.” Yu sighed.

“Yeah, you do that.” Bill muttered, biting into one of the crackers.

~

“I just don't know what to do, Kiro. I'm trying to be helpful! I'm trying to help him and the baby, but I...ugh.” Yu groaned, smacking the side of the register.

“Him and the babies you mean? Look Yu...you aren't gonna earn trust or forgiveness over night. If Bill ever chooses to forgive you, it's not gonna be any time soon. You'll have to work for it. Best thing to start with...is to stop with all the pregnant jokes and insults.” Kiro replied, slipping his hands into his back pockets.

“You think I want to call him all those things? You know I don't, Kiro. You know me. You know I'm a nice guy.”

Kiro pursed his lips. “I've honestly been questioning that the past few months, Yu.”

“Kiro-”

“Yu please. Two years. Two years you were with Bill. Everyone was surprised when it lasted a week. How do you go from treating him like a princess...to treating him like scum on the bottom of your shoe?”

“I have to. And you're the only person that knows why aside from myself.”

Kiro sighed, biting his lip momentarily. “Maybe that's the problem.” he stated.

“What do you mean that's the problem?” Yu asked.

“I think...I think you should tell Bill why you can't be a dad...”

Yu's jaw set tight, tongue stud caught angrily between his teeth. “No.”

“But-”

“No, Kiro. Bill can't know.” he said, shaking his head.

“It's your only chance at having him forgive you!”

“He can't know. He won't. Never. I'd rather slit my own throat than have him find out.”

“...sometimes I fear you'll actually do that...” Kiro whispered.

“And sometimes I wish I would.” The jingle of the door's chime caught there attention in a second, both faking a smile at Bill as he walked into the small parlor.

“Hey, Kiro.” he stated, waving lightly at the blonde.

“Hey, Bill. I'll...leave you both to it...” he smiled, trotting off to one of the backrooms.

“So um...what are you doing here?”

“Well, I forgot to ask you at school...so I came here to do it.”

“Ask me what?”

“...if you wanted to come with me somewhere...?”

“Sure. Where?”

“I have my prenatal class in about fifteen minutes. If we leave now...we can still make it before it starts.” Bill replied, an arm wrapped around his stomach.

“Oh...”

“Oh? What's oh?”

“I...didn't realize that's where-”

“So you aren't gonna...-”

“Bill, I'm sorry. I have work to do.”

Bill frowned, stepping closer to the counter. “But you just said you would come until I said-” he cut off, whimpering so quietly that it was barely audible when he reached for Yu's arm and the older boy yanked it away. But Yu heard it, and he turned his gaze away so he wouldn't see the hurt look in Bill's eyes.

“I know...but...I just remembered that I have to restock the new barbells.”

Bill blinked a few times, both standing in a very uncomfortable silence to the point that Bill couldn't take it. “Whatever.”

Yu's head snapped up. That wasn't what he'd expected Bill to say. “What?”

“Whatever. I may be twenty-two weeks pregnant, but I am not stupid. I've said it before. If you don't wanna come, just say so, but don't you dare lie to me.” Bill stated, teeth clenched in a painful manner. “Lies are all I've been given. And I refuse to accept any more. It's at the community center if you change your mind. The people there are less judgmental than you think.”

“...do you need a ride?”

“Strify drove. How do you think I got here? I asked him first, since he is my boyfriend, but he still told me to ask you before he agreed.”

“Right...boyfriend...” Yu sighed, grinding his teeth as Bill left the shop and climbed into one of the cars outside.

~