Where You Belong

Three weeks had passed since meeting up with all of my friends again. We were closer now than we ever had been before, though things between us hadn't changed much. The boys had just released a self titled album not too long ago. I'd always kept up with the band throughout the years during which I was gone, so I knew it wouldn't be long before they scheduled a tour.

I was sure that the band was holding off from touring until Zack's health improved. And it was, though only a little bit. Since I'd been back, the guys had often suggested that I spend more time with Zack. I knew they thought that it would help because I understood him better than anyone else, and I knew they were right because the second I'd left Jimmy's and Leana's, Zack went and locked himself in one of their guest rooms for days. No one could get him out of there until I came a couple of days later.

I didn't mind looking after my friend. He'd always been there for me when I was younger, whenever someone had hurt my feelings or pissed me off. If I ever had a problem, Zack was the one who talked Matt, Brian, and Michelle out of kicking some major ass for me. He'd been there when I went through all of my little bullshit high school relationships, and now that he needed me, I made sure that I was there for him.

We often met for lunch. Sometimes he'd come over to my parents' house, where my mother would pull him into the kitchen to feed him anything his little heart could desire, and my father would pull him in front of the TV and hand him a beer as they both watched baseball. I could tell he enjoyed that, at least to some degree, no matter how quiet he stayed.

Other days, he wasn't feeling so social. Those were the days when he'd wake up in tears and either show up in the middle of the night, or call me to come over to his house. Again, I didn't mind doing that. I was up at all times during the night with my bouts of morning sickness, so it wasn't as if I was losing any sleep over comforting him. Those days he could do nothing but cry and hug me so hard I'd be scared that I'd burst.

I was now fourteen weeks into my pregnancy. While I'd miraculously kept the morning sickness from everyone else and especially Zack in the past week or so, there were other symptoms that were beginning to become more noticeable. My backaches were much more frequent, along with my daily trips to the bathroom. It also didn't help that my breasts had begun to swell and were tender to the touch, often leaving me in tears throughout the day.

Fucking hormones.

"Fuck," I hissed as I sat up from my bed. I'd been up for the majority of the night emptying my stomach, so once things finally started settling down, I was able to go lay down. But now it was almost eleven in the morning, and I was meeting Zack at his house for lunch at noon.

"What is it, honey?" My mother murmured from the other side of my bed. The morning sickness had been brutal on me last night, and my mother had stayed in my room all throughout the night in order to keep an eye on me.

"Boobs," I answered simply, though it came out in a growl, and she burst out laughing. I turned and glared at her, placing my hands on my hips, "Yeah, Mommy, you just go ahead and laugh at my misery," I grumbled irritably, stomping into the bathroom to use the toilet.

Once I'd finished, I went ahead and took a bath so that I could get ready for the day. I'd started taking baths instead of showers about a week or so ago once my breasts started getting tender. The water from the showerhead didn't feel too good, so now I'd resorted to baths and soaking a good three or four times a day.

I could only imagine what my parents' water bill would look like by the end of the month.

"Fuck, shit, fuck," I cursed as I slowly sunk down into the bathtub, willing myself not to cry. My backaches had only intensified since I'd first found out I was pregnant, and now, it often hurt to sit up. My mom had scheduled an appointment with a local chiropractor for next week, but I didn't think I'd even be able to make it to fucking tomorrow.

I allowed myself to just soak and not move for quite some time. I knew I didn't have much time to waste if I wanted to be at Zack's on time, but today was one of my more difficult days of pregnancy. After a good half hour, the water began getting cold, so I slowly started bathing. I finished up my bath ten minutes after that before standing and getting a towel to dry myself off with.

"Brittany," my mother called from somewhere downstairs, "You're gonna be late getting to Zack's!" she reminded me.

"Dammit, I know that!" I snapped, stomping back into my room and over to my closet before I began ripping articles of clothing off the hangers, trying to decide what to wear. "You don't think I know that? I'm trying to get dressed as fast as I can because I know he'll worry if I'm late, but I can't take it! My back is killing me, and my nipples hurt. And I'm turning into a whale! I'm doing the best I fucking can, okay?"

Yeah. Today was not a good day for me at all.

"Brittany, you are not a whale," my mother sighed, coming into the room with a glass of chocolate milk that I'd been craving, "You've barely gained the five pounds you're supposed to have."

"That's five pounds too many!" I stomped my foot defiantly with a roll of my eyes. She snorted, and I turned to glare at her. She didn't seem fazed by my attitude.

"You're supposed to gain weight, honey, and you've barely gained anything compared to what you will gain, trust me," she chuckled, handing me the glass.

I frowned at it and then pouted at her, "Bendy straw?"

She rolled her eyes and set the cup down, walking out of the room, "Spoiled brat." she muttered as she walked downstairs, causing me to giggle loudly.

"Ah, she's officially hit the mood swing stage, huh?" I heard my father ask her from downstairs. I narrowed my eyes and growled to myself, throwing the hanger I'd been holding onto the ground.

"I do not have mood swings, Daddy! How dare you--"

"Little girl, you better fix that tone of voice and get dressed right now! I'm not gon' hear anymore about this, you hear me?" my mother interjected from downstairs. I heard a light thud and my father groan in pain.

"Black mothers," I rolled my eyes, walking back over to my closet. "So fucking bossy."

I tossed my towel and found a pair of underwear to put on. I grabbed the matching bra but then decided against it, due to the serious swelling going on with my breasts. With a sigh, I pulled a lilac colored tank top on, as well as a pair of jean shorts. I stepped into a pair of flip flops and threw my hair up into a sloppy bun, allowing my bangs to hang in my face. I brushed my teeth and washed my face, not bothering to put any makeup on.

Once I was dressed, I grabbed my phone and my keys, along with another cake that I'd baked while I was up this morning and couldn't sleep. My mom ended up pouring my chocolate milk into a plastic cup so that I could take it along with me, only this time she included a hot pink bendy straw that I'd requested. I smiled and waved at Brian Sr., who was out working on an old car in his garage on my way to my car.

The drive to Zack's took roughly ten minutes or so, but maybe that's because my speedometer was way past the normal speed limit. It was a miracle that I didn't get pulled over or hurt anyone, but I was a woman on a mission. The second I pulled up, I ran straight to Zack's door and barged in, tossing my car keys at him and mentioning the cake I'd brought on my way to the bathroom.

Once I'd relieved myself, I washed up and met Zack in the kitchen, where he'd already cut a piece of the spice cake I'd baked for him. I watched as he hastily tossed his slice onto a small plate and took a bite, his eyes immediately fluttering shut as he groaned with happiness. My giggle alerted him to my presence, and with a small smile, he set down his fork and opened his arms. I grinned back and walked into his embrace, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"How you doin', Baker?" I asked with a smile, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. He seemed to smile at that, pulling me closer to him as his hand pressed against my lower back, while the other held onto my right hip. We stood that way for a long time, just as we always did, before he pulled away enough so that I could look at him.

"I'm feeling better," he murmured, pulling me in for another hug. I chuckled and hugged him back, giving his back a soft pat. In the past week, he'd taken to eating more and smiling every now and then. It was an improvement, even if it wasn't much. He still wasn't getting much sleep at night and got emotional fairly easy, but I was in the same boat as he, and was often there with him during those times. "You look good, Britt."

"Thanks," I smiled softly, "Though I honestly feel like shit."

"Why?" he cocked an eyebrow, pulling me to sit on his left leg while he continued eating the cake. He finished the large slice in record time, and I couldn't help but to smile, "I know you probably feel tired still from that bug you had, but..."

"But what?" I asked curiously, wanting to know what was going through his mind. He motioned towards the cake and with a laugh, I cut him another slice.

"I don't know how to explain it, there's just this...this aura about you, I guess," he answered unsurely with a shrugged of his shoulders. He finished his slice and pushed the plate away before pulling me fully onto his lap, allowing me to sit sideways on his legs as I watched him with curiosity.

"Aura?"

"Mmhmm," he nodded with a small smile, his hands wrapped around my waist so I wouldn't fall, "I can tell you're tired, but at the same time, you just have this...I don't know, this kinda glow type thing goin' on."

I knew what he was trying to say once he'd mentioned that. People often said that pregnant women had some kind of unexplainable "glow" about them that drew people's attention.

"Oh," I answered slowly, wanting to choose my words carefully, "I'm glad you seem to think I look okay, cause I honestly don't feel it."

Zack frowned when I said this, his right hand coming up and lightly massaging my back. It was as if my prayers had been answered with all the backaches I'd been having. I sighed softly in content, "Wow, that feels incredible." I muttered, attempting to keep my raging hormones in check. Zack laughed at my behavior.

"So, what's going on that's got you feeling so bad?" he asked in his quiet voice, now using both hands to work through my muscles. I couldn't help but to groan as his fingers pressed against a knot in my lower back, causing his brows to raise, "C'mon, you can tell me in here."

He patted my hip, which was his way of telling me to stand up. I did as he asked, watching as he too hopped off the bar stool, and followed him into one of the many rooms in his house. I'd never been in this room before; it was painted in dark colors and looked to be a small library of sorts. Books upon books were stacked up on several bookcases he'd had installed in the room. There was a desk and lamp on one side of the room, along with a long table where brandy glasses were stacked. The windows were covered with dark curtains, allowing no sunlight in the room, and there was a couch and chaise on the other side of the room.

"What's this room?" I asked him quietly, sensing just how much he'd done to give this room a quiet, calming feel. I watched as he shrugged lightly, leaning against the desk as he pointed to the couch. It was covered in a soft material with matching pillows. I knew I was in heaven the second I laid on it.

"Just a place where I can come and think and relax, I guess. No one ever really comes in here because there's nothing of popular interest in this room, so I know I'm never bothered when I come here," he answered quietly, staring off as he answered my question.

"Oh," I nodded, "I like it. I can see how it can be peaceful to you."

At that, Zack smiled, walking over to where I was on the couch, "Lay on your stomach."

I did as he asked, knowing that even though I couldn't always read his mind, I trusted him completely. I put one pillow under my head and the other on my stomach to keep from causing any discomfort to the baby. I turned my head to the side so that I could see what he was doing, and smiled when I saw him kneel on the floor next to me.

"Zee, what are you doing?" I asked, but quickly found out when his hands went to work on my aching back, "How'd you know?" I asked through a breathy sigh, causing him to chuckle lightly.

"You were walking funny again," he noted, leaning over me and pressing his fingers against the tense spots on my back. "So, what's been going on?" he asked attentively.

"Oh, y'know, PMS stuff," I answered quickly, knowing he would ask about my odd behavior. "Back hurts, boobs hurt, stomach feels gross, tired, horny, cranky. The usual." I nearly moaned as he worked on one of the tight knots in my lower back.

"I see," he laughed, causing me to grin. He hadn't laughed much at all since I'd been back, and it was good to know that he was slowly enjoying himself again. "It's never been this bad for you during that time of the month, though," he pointed out.

"Well--Mmm, things change," I groaned, causing him to laugh again. "That's the pain of being a girl."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were pregnant," he mumbled softly, with an edge to his voice as his hands continued to glide across my back.

I froze and looked at him with wide eyes.