Trouble-Maker

"Baby," Ronnie groaned the next morning, "Wake up, you have work."

I was sleeping on his chest, my face pressed into the crook of his neck. "Go away," I whined, tiredness slipping into the tone of my voice.

Ronnie's chest rumbled as he chuckled. "I offered to take you home last night," he said, "I told you you'd regret it."

"Shut up with all your righteous B-S," I replied.

He laughed as I rolled off of him and stretched out on his blankets next to him. The cool air from the air-conditioner nipped at my bare skin as I climbed out of bed.

"I need a shower," I muttered, running my fingers through my matted hair, "I smell like a man."

Ronnie grinned and scooted to sit on the edge of the unruly bed. He wrapped his arms around my bare waist and smirked up at me. "You smell like me," he growled sensually, "That's the way it should be."

I looked down at him flatly. "You've been very primal lately," I noted, "What's with that?"

Ronnie shrugged his naked shoulders. "I just feel very protective."

I ran my fingers through his hair as he looked up to me, his head tilted back since I was standing right in front of him, completely nude from our actions the night before. "I think I'm going to visit Arch after work," I murmured, picturing the small child in my head, "Do you want to come?"

"I don't know what we have to do at the studio today," he said, his eyes distant as he thought, but his body entire in the moment as he traced circles on the small of my back. "What are you going to do when you see him?"

I thought about that for a second. The answer came to mind right away. "Hold him," I replied, "Console him. Tell him that I'll always be there when he needs me."

Ronnie's chocolate eyes moved up to look into my own. "But you can't always be there," he said, his eyes searching mine, "We're leaving in two weeks."

I let out a deep breath and closed my eyes. I didn't want to see him in that moment. I was so conflicted with happiness for him and fear for Arch. "What am I supposed to do?" I asked, tears prickling my eyes, "I can't just leave him."

Ronnie sighed and grabbed onto my hips. "You've been spending your whole life taking care of other people's children and now that you're finally free from it you want to start again? With a stranger's child?" he questioned, his voice confused but firm.

"You don't understand," I said quickly, "I've been watching this little boy everyday for a long time. I can't just let him go into the system!"

"So what are you saying, Att?" Ronnie questioned as he stood up and slipped past me towards his dresser so that he could pull on a pair of shorts. "Are you thinking about adopting him? You're twenty four years old!"

"And he's only four!"

Ronnie sighed when I raised my voice. He ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head. He was frustrated, I knew it. I climbed into some of his clothes and crossed my arms over my chest.

"I can't just pretend that I don't care about what happens to him," I said finally. "He's just a child."

Ronnie shook his head. "He's someone else's child, Att, you can't save him."

"Yes, I can," I said, "That's the thing, Baby, I can help him." I moved forward and rested my palms on Ronnie's thin hips.

"What about tour?" Ronnie questioned, "What about the rest of our lives together?"

My eyes were distraught. "What do you mean? We can still be together," I said firmly, panic rising in the pit of my stomach, replacing the need that I felt for food when I woke up. "Arch won't ruin what we have together, Ronnie."

Ronnie sighed. His eyes bore into mine. "I want my own children, Atticus. Someday I want to have a family. I don't want to take on someone else's."

"It's not like that," I said softly, "We could add him to our family right now."

"What family, Atticus?" Ronnie asked, stepping away from me, "We're a couple. We've only been dating a few months." He sighed like he was in pain and he shook his head constantly. "I love you," he said, "I love you with everything I have, but I can't adopt a little boy. My whole life is just... restarting," he said in a frantic, but calm, voice.

There were silent tears spilling out of my eyes. "Don't you want to help him?" I asked, "We can change his whole life."

Ronnie reached up and wiped a stray tear from my sun-kissed cheek. "I'm not having this conversation, Atti," he murmured, "I don't want to have to take care of a boy right now. I want to go on tour, play for thousands of people every day, and pass out on the bus in the early mornings." He ran his fingers through my hair. "I thought that was what you wanted, too."

"I did," I said, "I really did. But something came up, Ron, someone needs me."

Ronnie growled when he realized he wasn't getting through to me. "He doesn't need you, Atticus. He needs his mother! You're not his mom," Ronnie said in anguish, becoming more and more worried as more time passed without him changing my mind.

He looked into my eyes. "Please," he said, "Please just go on tour with me and the guys."

"Ronnie, I-"

"I need you to go with me, Atticus," he cut me off, his arms wrapping around my waist, "When we get back, we can find someone to take Arch, if his mother hasn't already."

"That's the entire summer," I said, looking up into his eyes that showed a mess of emotions swimming in them, "What's Arch going to do for the whole summer?"

"I'm not adopting him," Ronnie said firmly, "That's crazy."

"What are we supposed to do for him?"

Ronnie tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear. "Be there for him, Att, that's all you can do."

I sighed and closed my eyes. The image of the small boy sat in my mind like torture. "You're right," I said after a few minutes, "I don't know what I'm thinking. I'm not being rational."

Ronnie relaxed noticeably and leaned down to press his lips against my cheek. "I'm sorry, Att," he murmured, "I'll help you make sure he's fine."

I nodded my head and stood on the tips of my toes to wrap my arms around his neck. I knew that there wasn't a way for me to actually adopt Arch, and with my background, they'd never let me foster him. But I also knew that I had to do something. I had so much power in my court that there had to be some way of changing the little boy's situation.

"I love you," I said into Ronnie ear, "I'm sorry."

"You're just trying to change the world," Ronnie replied, "I love you, too."

"Will you visit him with me after work?" I asked, pulling back to look up into his gorgeous eyes.

Ronnie nodded. "Of course."

I kissed his lips, hating the odd feeling that had settled between us. Ronnie and I had been serious before, but nothing this life changing had ever threatened to come between us before. As I ended the kiss so that I could get ready for work, the strange air didn't fade.

"I need to get in the shower," I said to Ronnie, letting a small smile grace my lips, "Make me breakfast?"

Ronnie glared.

I laughed and grinned cheekily. "Please?" I asked again, "I'll make it everyday on the road."

Ronnie's glare lifted and he rushed forward to wrap his arms around my waist. "Deal," he said as he picked me off of the ground, "But the guys are going to want food, too."

I laughed. "You and your friends are such losers," I claimed loudly.

Ronnie grinned. "You know you love us."

I kissed his lips hard. "I love you."

Ronnie smiled and leaned down to touch our lips again. "I love you, too."