Adoration

It started with a joke. A laughing ramble brought on by booze and the high of excitement that came with those backwards carnivals. It wasn’t their usual Friday night. Normally they’d all catch up at Johnny’s Bar and Grill, have a few drinks and a couple of games of pool. The night, or early morning, always ended with the stumble of limbs, the tear of clothes and the breathless screams brought on by hard fucking. Every Friday night, the neighbors knew to expect those high praising cries, they’d given up on telling the young couple to keep it down as they soon found it was next to impossible to shut the pretty brunette up, even threats did nothing to keep the shouts down.

No one took the drunken blathering seriously, just chuckled and drank and made more jests at the brunette’s expense. Had they known the real damage their words could, and would cause, they probably wouldn’t have even brought it up, but none of them even suspected a thing when they shoved each other around and carried on as they dared each other into seeing the so called fortune teller. None of them believed in that shit.

But they really should have.

One by one they had their palms read, had their futures and lives told and explained and being as drunk as they were, none of them really paid any attention. Save one, and he did not like what she said to him at all. Who did she think she was telling him he’d do nothing but push everything good in his life away? Who was she to tell him he’d die alone with no one beside him, with no one to love him simply by the choices of others? She was no one, and he told her as much with a careless swipe of his hand that sent the cards between them flying to the floor. No one stopped him as he stormed from the tent; they just watched him leave before they turned back to the woman and apologized as they helped her clean up the mess he had made.

She cared nothing for the spilled cards, she simply cupped her wrinkled hands around the fine chiseled features of the biggest man there and smiled. None of them said anything as she spoke, all but the one trapped in her hypnotic stare closing their ears to her words. She told him he would be faced with a choice, a difficult decision that could very well destroy his life, and the lives of others, if he chose poorly. With a sad smile, she nodded and told him to go to his mate, told him that he’d need him more than anything in the coming months.

And as they all silently left, none of them turned to see the witch smile knowingly before disappearing in a shimmer of smoke and power.


Ever since that fateful Friday night, when the air was cool and the sky crystal clear, the booze having worn off as they’d wandered away from the fortune telling woman with their hands in their pockets and their heads low, everything was different. Having found his sensitive and easily distressed partner, his perfectly clear skin tainted by tears and his silky smooth strands tangled from gripping in desperation, the bulky, muscle ripped male had wrapped him up in his strong embrace and comforted him as best he could.

Weeks passed since the eventful night with the witch, her true identity unknown to them as they went in with secret wishes and dreams. None of them knew her palm and tarot readings were nothing but a cover up for her to see what each desired most. As the time washed away and their memories of her faded, one by one their dreams were eventuated, no matter how small or eccentric.

The tallest and most erratic of the group found himself followed home by a family of ducklings, each more cute than the last, and each looking to him as their mother. He found the bond he longed for and named each with a name he felt suited each different personality. His ducklings were his family and he adored the hell out of the fluffy little things.

The shortest of the group, while knowing he wanted to be taller, was quite happy within his own skin. He didn’t ever hope to be taller because it wouldn’t be who he was inside. He secretly longed for a girlfriend that he could take home to his parents, who would instantly adore and accept her, someone who wasn’t just interested in him for his money; or his friends. His dream came true when he least expected it, when he was simply out to buy milk, his hair messy and his face unshaven; his clothes weren’t clean and he looked like he hadn’t showered or slept in a while, but when he bumped into her and milk went everywhere, just one look was all either of them needed to know it wasn’t just coincident. And the very next month he took her home to meet his family and she fit in better than even he did.

The green eyed rhythmist wanted nothing more than to be left alone. Ever since he was a teen, he was the subject of mockery from the school bullies and while most believed it was meant to finish with the ending of school, his bully followed him around like a taunting ghost, a personal demon. His bully was, and always had been, inside himself. He wanted to be more confident, he wanted it to be real, he wanted to believe in himself, not just pretend like he did. His dream was given when he was faced with his outer demons, the ones who shoved him around and made him doubt and hate himself. He found the confidence he needed to fight back with his words instead of his fists. He was not the loose cannon he was in high school, he was proud and he smiled his brightest as he walked away with his head held high.

Having seen such great things happen to his closest friends, his brothers, the emotional brunette couldn’t understand why he wasn’t having the same luck. Everyone was so happy, they had what they’d always wanted and he didn’t. He began to believe his dreams were too unrealistic, too unattainable; he began to lose hope and with the loss of his optimism came depression.

Everyone began to see the difference in his demeanor. He shut everyone out, closed himself off and spent all his days at home, staring out at the sky just wishing he didn’t want such impossible things. The days blurred into weeks and no one knew what to do to help him. He was pushing them away, just as the fortune teller had warned.

With each passing of the days, he grew more and more sick. Everyone suspected it was from the depression but with him not talking to them, they couldn’t tell, couldn’t help. It was only months later that the problems started to pile up and force became the only way they could get through to him. And having pushed him from his tiny cave of seclusion, the one who loved him the most saw his very own warning come into play.

He never meant to shove him so hard, never meant to force him so much that he’d stumble and fall, his body sprawling and his clothes riding up to flash a hint of his very own secret. A muscle ticked in his square jaw as he stared down at the impossible swell of his partner’s belly. The brunette could do nothing but wrap his arms around himself and hold on tight to the dream he never wanted to end.

Just as the witch warned, he was faced with a choice that would not only change his life, but the life of others; and just as she’d warned, the one pregnant and afraid stared down the path that was shoved upon him, a path where he’d be alone forever.

He couldn’t form words as he held himself tight and watched his bulky lover walk out on him.

How could his dream be so unwanted by the other? How could he walk out on him when he needed him the most? For the first time in Brian’s life, he really did feel alone. He couldn’t count the hours he stayed on the floor, staring at the heavy door that slammed shut between him and his heart.

Nor could he count the weeks that passed with no word from his baby’s father.

He grew bigger with each passing day, his whole body changing, his skin glowing, or so his friends had told him. He couldn’t hide his smile whenever he caught a glimpse of his ever growing belly in a mirror, but even with his joy over his pregnancy, he was never happy. How could he be happy without his heart?

Brian struggled along, looked after himself and his unborn child as best he could, but no matter how much he wanted the baby, he never could stop the dark whispers that told him it was his fault, his dream, his baby’s fault, that Matt had walked away. The depression came back, but this time everyone knew why.

Brian was getting huge, a fact his best friend Jimmy constantly reminded him of. And he couldn’t lie, he was getting huge. He could barely walk, his movements always so damn amusing to the blue eyed giant and constantly compared to the waddle of a penguin or a duck. Brian didn’t appreciate the comments, but he never stopped them.

His back was constantly hurting under the weight, his feet always aching and leaving him waddling even worse than before. He couldn’t count the times he’d begged one of his friends to carry him around, or at least give him a massage. He hardly slept soundly anymore, convinced his baby was the devil due to its ever constant need to kick and punch and sleep right on his bladder. Brian looked like crap, even if everyone said he still looked radiant. The truth was, he didn’t feel good at all. He felt empty, broken, unwanted and unattractive.

Brian felt abandoned, and it was killing him slowly.


Wandering down the street towards his apartment, Brian winced and rubbed his free hand over his stomach as his baby kicked him rather harshly in the ribs. He was weighed down by the sheer size of his stomach and the bag full of unnecessarily needed chocolate. Brian hadn’t really been much of a sweet tooth, he ate it sure, but he could happily live without it, but now? Brian was a fiend, he was addicted to the stuff, chocolate mainly, but he had a scary obsession with cake mixture too.

He knew it was bad enough that if he drove himself to the store every time he’d gain way too much weight to be considered healthy, but even if he wanted to drive, even with the fact that it was snowing outside, Brian couldn’t fit behind the wheel of his car if he wanted to, his stomach was way too big. So he dealt with his obsession and kept himself healthy by hiking the several blocks to his favorite supplier. It took longer than usual but it was worth it, at least to him and his greedy baby anyway, his friends maintained that he was insane.

Inhaling the cool air, his hand smoothing circles over his belly through his jacket pocket, Brian looked around for a moment with a smile on his face as snow gently floated down around him. Spotting the bench not too far away from him, Brian wandered over to it and brushed the snow away before he sat down and hugged his massive torso. Finally having the chance to rest, Brian whined softly and lifted his hips, his eyes rolling closed as he groaned at the pop of cartilage along his aching back.

If there was one thing Brian hated about being pregnant, it was how much pain the extra weight put him through.

He pouted and slumped as best he could as he watched couples wander passed him, all happy smiles and giggling joy. He used to have that, used to be the bubbly, often over excited one in the relationship that made sure to walk close to his man and hold onto tightly, but he didn’t have anyone anymore, he was all alone. Sniffling at the way the thoughts made him feel, the tears choking him as he remembered just how devastated he’d been watching Matt walk away; Brian shoved up from the bench as best he could and continued on his journey home.

It was getting colder, darker, the heavier fall of snow forcing him to drag on his kittenish beanie, its corners knitted into cute little kitty ears. He was close to home, if he could even call it that, when he wandered past the open door of his local Domino's. It took one perfectly timed inhale for the baby in his stomach to make its new demands known; chocolate was not what it wanted anymore, it wanted pizza, and so did Brian. So he turned in a circle on his heel to head into the store and not fifteen minutes later he was walking out with three pizzas and enough garlic mayo to sink a battle ship.

Brian felt, in moments like these, that his baby was taking advantage of him.

Hugging the boxes to his chest, Brian smiled softly at the way his child showed its gratitude by sending butterflies through his whole body with a few simple shifts of its position. Brian was always grateful to have the hostage situation his bladder found itself in relaxed a little, his kid was going to be a professional at getting exactly what it wanted out of someone.

Giggling to himself at the thought, Brian shifted the pizzas to his hip to fish out his keys as he climbed the few stairs to the front door and opened it up before kicking it closed and setting the boxes on the side table by the door. Normally he’d at least make it to the kitchen before he stuffed his face but Brian was starving, so he ignored the urge to get a plate and just ripped one of the boxes open, smothered half the damn thing in garlic sauce and ate like a ravenous tiger.

That was, until he noticed the flicker of light in the mirror and very nearly wet himself.

He spun around, hugging his over-sized slice of double bacon cheeseburger pizza to his chest, whether to protect himself or the food, he wasn’t sure, but his heart stammered in his ribcage and he didn’t think he even remembered how to speak at the sight of the little table set up just on the other side of the small entry way. How he’d missed it when he’d opened the door, he’d never know, but he had, and he would blame the food if anyone questioned him.

He shook the thought off and took a shy step forward, his eyes scanning everywhere wildly before they again settled on the table and its single, long stemmed rose that rested across its marbled top. Picking it up, Brian lifted it to his nose and inhaled softly, the corners of his lips lifting into a small smile at the beautiful perfume the flower held. Looking down to see the small card face down, Brian lifted a quizzical brow and grinned as he snatched it up, he just assumed it was from Jimmy in attempts to cheer him up but he only found a single line of elegantly printed words.

Let fantasy lead you there.

Scrunching up his face in confusion, Brian couldn’t contain the frightened squeal, couldn’t stop the way he clutched at his chest and stomach to make sure he was okay at the sound of a high pitched whinny. Staring wide eyed for a few moments to make sure he was still actually alive, Brian slowly inched closer to the window before he peeked out, and squealed and hid away again when another of the beckoning calls graced his ears. How Brian’s water didn’t break at the loud knock on his door, he wasn’t sure, but he was grateful it didn’t because that would have been awkward for the person on the other side of the wood.

A few minutes passed before Brian finally gained the sense and courage to open the door and what he found had his brows furrowing. He was not at all expecting a man dressed to the nines. Brian was completely dumbfounded, but the man just smiled warmly and inclined his head after he took off his impeccably cleaned top hat.

“Master Haner Jr?”

“Uh,” gaping like a fish out of water, Brian looked around before he blushed and nodded, “yeah, that’s me, um, can I help you?”

“Your ride awaits you sir,” he bowed out of the way and gave Brian a full view of the horse drawn carriage parked right out front of his front steps.

“I, uh, think you have the wrong place, I didn’t order a,” Brian paused and inspected it more closely. Well, it did look pretty awesome, maybe just a little ride-no, no it’s someone else’s, it wouldn’t be right-but then again.

“Sir?” Brian was dragged from his musings of whether or not to use the thing even if it were for someone else. He smiled shyly, his cheeks bright with color as he shook his head and rubbed his belly absentmindedly to soothe his kicking child.

“There must be some sort of mistake; the only things I order are food and seriously adorable baby onesies,” he trailed off before he covered his face and sighed, “I’m sorry if someone’s given you wrong directions or put you up to this but I have three pizzas to eat and if I don’t get to it now, my unusually kind offspring will start kicking my insides, or worse, start making lists of what parts to carve out and sell on the black market.”

“That’s a little grim sir,”

“Tell that to the baby that’s already broken three of my ribs just so it could get a better angle to beat my bladder like a drum kit,” sighing, Brian pouted before he picked up one of the boxes and looked it over before holding it out, “pizza?”

“I think you best sate the beast within, now come along, bring your dinner with you and at least enjoy the nice ride, it’s already paid for so you may as well take advantage.”

Looking the man over as he nibbled on a new piece of pizza, Brian mulled it over for a second before he snatched up the boxes, and the bag of chocolates as an afterthought. Locking up and following the grinning old man down to the carriage, Brian couldn’t hide his embarrassment at climbing into the plush seating, his aching body instantly melting into the velvet covered cushions. Too bad to the person he was ripping off, he hadn’t planted his sore body on anything so soft in, well, ever.

He braced himself as the horses started their slow trot down the street, the clip-clop of their shooed hoofs slowly lulling Brian to sleep until one hard kick to the ribs from his unhappy and hungry baby had him sitting up quickly, startled and whining at the pain as the pizza boxes went everywhere. He hissed as he rubbed his chest before he looked down at his overly rounded stomach with a scowl.

“I gave you half a pizza. Couldn’t you at least let me nap a little? Do you have any idea how heavy you are? It’s tiring carrying you around all day, my feet swell, my back hurts, my knees feel like they’re going to snap in half and let’s not even mention the bones you’ve busted,” Brian glared for a few more moments before he sighed and rubbed soothing circles over his stretched skin as his baby rolled and settled in a more comfortable position for both of them, “you know I love you unconditionally, nothing will ever change that little one, I’m just scared. I’m so scared you won’t like me when you see me, and because I have no doubt you’ll be just like your daddy.”

Brian sniffled and fell silent for several moments as he sat back and let the world pass him by. He never said the words he wanted to, never expressed his feelings but as if his baby knew his thoughts, it kicked him softly, just enough for him to feel the hit against his hand before it settled back into its cushy ball to rest.

‘Yeah, I miss him too,’

The world outside the little doors of the carriage grew dark as time passed and snow grew just a little thicker. Everything Brian could lay his eyes on looked beautiful, mystical and, on the contrary, warm. He adored winter and he couldn’t wait to have his baby as soon as possible, just so they could spend Christmas together. As much as the thought of spending it without his child’s father chilled Brian’s heart, he knew it wasn’t anything he could change. Brian just had to do the best he could with what he had, even if it was a crummy apartment with a noisy neighbor and a loud water system.

Shifting to pick up one of the boxes of pizza, Brian set it on his lap and ate as he looked out the window and drew little hearts all over his tummy with his finger tip. Slowly but surely, the metropolitan of apartment complexes and business’ disappeared and gave away to suburbia, and just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone again until they were on the out skirts of the city and starting into the rural.

Brian looked around himself nervously, his heart picking up its pace as he shuffled in his seat to get closer to the door. Even at the slow speed they were going, he couldn’t throw himself out, that was not an option at all. Cringing at the thought, Brian hugged his stomach to reassure his fluttering baby that everything would be okay, that no matter what, Brian would protect them both as best he could.

Brian nearly screamed when the carriage stopped, his mind racing to try and recollect the horses ever slowing down. Brian scrambled away from the door and pushed into the corner of the carriage as it rocked under the coachman’s shifting weight. He listened to the tired footsteps on what sounded like gravel and waited for the old man to make a grab for him. Brian wasn’t stupid, he’d seen movies and TV shows, he’d heard stories of pregnant people being kidnapped for their babies before being murdered and the child being sold to some Malibu family with more bank than brain. Well not Brian, he wasn’t going to be a walking, talking, breathing human incubator.

And when the door opened, Brian shouted and chucked his wallet at the man.

“Take it, just please don’t sell me to some baby smuggler!”

Staring at the wallet as it fell to the floor after having hit him in the chest, the man flicked his gaze up before he smiled softly and stepped aside, “sir, I have no interest in such deplorable things. You and your baby are quiet safe.”

Peeking through his fingers, Brian blushed and sat up, “really? You aren’t kidnapping me?”

“Good heavens no,” the man gasped, his face paling before he shook his head and picked up the wallet to set on the seat, “as strange as it is for me to see a man in such a delicate condition, I wouldn’t ever wish him harm. You have just as much right to a safe and healthy pregnancy as any woman. Now come, we’ve both places to be.”

“I’m sorry,” Brian whispered as he picked up all the pizza boxes, shoved his wallet back in his pocket and climbed out of the carriage. He sniffled softly and looked down at his belly, “it’s not easy, being this way and being alone, especially not with an overactive imagination. I didn’t mean to offend you at all,”

“No offense taken, it’s best to be on your guard, no matter how fanciful your guard is, than not on it at all. People tend to take advantage of the trusting. Now here, I was promised to give this to you, read it, follow it but do it now, I’d hate for any of us to catch our deaths out here,”

“How can I make it up to you for being so rude?”

“You’ve no need, really,”

“No please, it’d make me feel better,” when the man shook his head and denied him again, Brian sighed before he smiled softly and held out one of the untouched pizzas, “it’s late and I’m assuming you haven’t eaten a thing, take this,”

“No, no, I couldn’t take anyone’s food from them, least of all someone eating for two,”

“Sir, I’ve already had two, I think we can deal with not having a third, and besides, I hate this topping combination,” giggling as the old man took the box with a quizzical look on his face, Brian shook his head and continued, “I always buy it, but then I remember I can’t eat it, it makes me nauseous. I’d rather you eat it than starve and it being thrown out.”

“Well thank you, you’re most kind,”

“Just appreciative that you’re not the kind to sell me away for an extra few million,”

“A few million?”

At the shocked look on the man’s face, Brian grinned and started on his way quickly, “too late now, should have been a creep when you had the chance,”

“Have a good evening sir, and best of luck with your baby,”

“Thank you,” Brian smiled and waved, his mood lifted as he walked through the light snow and pulled the card from his pocket. Peeling the little sticker from its front, he opened it and studied the swirling letters.

‘Follow the pixies,’

Frowning, Brian tapped the card to his lips a few times before he spotted the tall stems of vivid blue flowers, “blue pixie Verbascum! Oh how pretty!”

He ignored how feminine he sounded and settled for wandering forward hurriedly to look at the flowers more closely. His mother, and grandmother before her, was a florist and had always made it her mission to educate him in the names of all the different flowers, something his grandfather often blamed for his current sexuality. Brian grinned at the memories of his family as he touched his fingers to the flowers and decided to pick one before he lifted it to his nose and turned to follow the scattering of vibrant colors.

Brian had always wanted a garden with blue pixies spattering all over, growing tall and bright and bringing such a wonderful feeling to his home. But of course, living in an apartment, Brian was never going to have his dream home or his blue pixies. They needed space and light and love and Brian was lucky to get any sun in his apartment, let alone space.

Sighing sadly at the thought, Brian sniffled and set the flower on top of the boxes he still held against his side. In his depressive mood, Brian never even noticed the little path spill into a beautiful garden, filled to the brim with bright and happy flora, from Lamb’s Ears and Alyssum edging the path to Foxglove and Amaranth mingling with Calanthe and Dianthus. Scarlet O’Hara Bougainvillea spilled over the tops of the white picket spirals while white Datura and blushing red Roses intertwined and spiraled up and through and over the arches of aged steel that canopied the path every few meters.

Were Brian to have looked up, he might have fallen in love with the garden and never made it to the intended destination.

Sniffling softly against the chill, Brian looked up at the gentle twinkle of lights and gasped at the sight of the little cottage surrounded by nature and draped in softly sparkling icicle fairy lights. It was as if the home, with its lit up windows and its pale brick walls, its quaint veranda topped off with a romantic swinging love seat that over looked the garden, had been pulled right from his very dreams. It was exactly how he’d pictured it as he’d grown up, exactly how he’d always wanted his home to be. Brian didn’t want suburbia, he didn’t want the city life with its hustle and bustle and constant, artificial daylight, he wanted this, seclusion, tranquility, he wanted safe and sound, a place he could truly call a home; Brian just wanted a peaceful place where he could raise his children with the man he loved and someday grow old with.

But, feeling the ache of a broken heart in his chest, Brian remembered that he didn’t have his man, so his dream home was only half as warm as it should have been.

He wandered through the rest of the garden, admiring the sheer beauty of it all before he stepped up onto the porch and sat to rest on the love seat suspended from the roof. He set the boxes aside and wrapped his arms around his belly before he looked up, and noticed the little stone fairy resting beside a pot full of Poinsettia and spilling over Ivy. He stood and wandered over to the fairy before he bent and grinned as he found another card, this one looped and pierced with ribbon that twirled down and held an elegantly tarnished old key. He studied the key for a moment before he looked at the note.

Find my home.

Not even caring for the pizza’s, Brian hurried to the nearest door and tried the key. It took him three more doors before he found the right one and unlocked it with a good, heavy thunk. The door opened on well-oiled hinges, barely making a sound at all as he stepped inside and closed it behind him. Closing his eyes as he smiled, Brian took a moment to gather the feel of the house. It was good and warm, peaceful and welcoming, everything he wanted. It smelled of apple pie and pine with a soft hint of smoky wood from a fire place and something he couldn’t be sure of but thought might have been cologne. Brian decided instantly that he loved it.

When he turned and opened his eyes, he found another note waiting for him and he snatched it up like a greedy child and read its words impatiently.

Find the place where words fall like rain.

Frowning, Brian looked around before he shrugged and wandered to his right. He didn’t really mind that at first he didn’t find the right hall, it was enough for him that he found a gorgeous kitchen, its benches wide and strong and a place he could picture all his future children fighting over who got what before he snatched it up and ate it himself to stop the arguments. Giggling at the images, Brian turned back and started for the other hall before he stopped with a start as he turned into the corridor and found its ceiling raining an ocean of note tipped ribbons. He spared a glance at his card from the front door before he stepped forward and gingerly reached for one of the tags. He gave a gentle tug and the ribbon was freed from its bonds and fluttered down to hang now from the note as it rested in his long fingers.

Beautiful.

Blinking several times in confusion, Brian grabbed another note and pulled its ribbon free before he read it, his brow furrowing deeper as one after another he read the little cards until his hand was utterly full and ribbon spilled from between his fingers in waves.

Alluring. Admirable. Adorable. Ambrosial. Angelic. Breathtaking. Captivating. Charming. Dazzling. Delicate. Delicious. Delightful. Desirable. Divine. Enchanting. Enticing. Ethereal. Exquisite. Fascinating. Gorgeous. Handsome. Heavenly. Lovely. Majestic. Magnificent. Perfect. Precious. Pretty. Radiant. Sexy. Stunning.

Brian studied each as they went on and on, shaking his head as he remembered the few times he’d actually stopped to study himself in the mirror. Maybe he was all of those things, once upon time, but now, he wasn’t so sure. He didn’t feel like any of those. He felt empty and broken, unwanted, unloved, undesirable and invisible. Brian was hollow and he felt like the tags were somehow mocking him. He sniffled and swallowed back the tears as he slowly reached up to pick another of the tags.

Home.

Brian stared, his mind wiped blank for a moment before he snatched another.

Comfort.

He whined and stuffed all the complimenting ones into his pants pocket before he hurriedly grabbed the remaining tags and studied each, “courage, hope, heart, warmth,”

Breaking off, Brian leaned his back against the wall and let the cards hang from his fingers by their ribbons as he cried into his hands. He didn’t know why it was affecting him so badly, he didn’t know if it were just the words or the soothing smell of the house, the garden outside or just his hormones, but having everything thrown on him so rapidly, almost playing on his kitten like curiosity, was just too much for him to take without breaking down, at least a little.

He didn’t know how long he cried for, but he was thankful his knees didn’t buckle and send him to the floor where he’d no doubt stay for hours, sobbing away his time over the things he didn’t have but so desperately wanted. It’s not fair, he thought bitterly but he wiped it away along with his tears and sniffled away the resentment he felt for being the one forced on to such a shitty life path. Brushing the last of his tears from his cheeks, Brian straightened and wandered further down the hall, purposely pushing past the remaining notes. He didn’t know why he picked up the one that fell, but when he did, when he read the word family, he wanted to punch something, or someone. Right in the face too.

He didn’t have any family, not of his own. He was going to be a single parent to a kid that would no doubt grow up to hate him and then he’d be completely alone.

“Not if I buy a million cats I won’t be!” He growled bitterly as he chucked the tag away with all his might. When it fluttered not a few feet away from him, he glared at it and barely resisted the urge to pick it up and throw it again; barely. He left it on the floor and stomped away, his brow pinched and his swirling chocolate eyes narrowed.

When he found another of the directional cards, he swiftly yanked it from its resting place and read over it with a scowl.

Warmth keeps us going, find where it grows in every possible way.

Lifting a brow as he studied it, Brian pursed his lips, “air-conditioning?”

And as quickly as he had the thought, he banished it and mentally slapped himself over the face before he continued on the path in hopes of finding a fireplace. He was silent as he wandered the halls, taking in each aged feature with keen appreciation before he stopped at the mouth that lead to what looked to be the living room. He looked down at the card for a moment in thought, “warmth that keeps us going and grows in every way. Maybe it’s not literal heat, but more warmth of the heart…”

He trailed off before he hastily turned and rushed back through the hall and towards the other hall he hadn’t gone down. He opened each and every door, poking his head inside before he’d close the door again and run to the next. By the time he found the last room, he threw it open with a panting breath and stepped into the quiet and moon lit room.

It was painted what appeared to be pale silver, the carpet a dusky and complimentary purple. Stepping further into the room, Brian ran his fingertips over the dark wood cabinet, it’s doors expertly carved with woodland scenes and secured with old brass locks to keep curious hands away from things not to be played with. Brian twisted each key, opened the left door and whimpered, his breath catching in his lungs at the sight of neatly ironed and folded onesies. His onesies. He picked one up carefully and lifted it to his lips, his eyes closed as he softly inhaled before he pulled it back to look over it with a clucky smile.

He set it back, just as neat and organized as he found it before he closed the ornate door and opened the other where he found a multitude of baby care products from an army of pacifiers and bottles to a stack of super soft and adorable bibs with duckies and kittens on them. By the time Brian closed the door he was so choked up that when he turned to find a beautifully elegant, handcrafted crib, lined with pale sheets and set under an adorable baby mobile consisting of kittens chasing balls of yarn and each other, he couldn’t stop the tears or the sobs from escaping.

He ran one hand over the crib, his eyes closed as he pictured his little baby sleeping nestled in its silky soft blankets, while his other hand smoothed circles over his belly to soothe his interested and overactive baby. It was then, when he was silent in his thoughts, he noticed that heavy presence of someone else in the room, someone who he knew was watching him intently but no matter how hard he tried, he didn’t feel threatened, in an odd way he felt safe, secure; Brian felt warm and he knew then and there it wasn’t anyone who was going to hurt him or his baby. Even when most would have run screaming, he trusted his feelings because they were always right, so he stayed silent and waited for them to make the first move. He didn’t have to wait long.

“You look radiant Brian.”

And of all the people, Brian thought, why the hell did it have to be him.

“Don’t compliment me now when once upon a time you ran from the sight of me like this.”

“I made a mistake, the worst mistake of my life. I never should have left you like that, not when you needed me the most. I wanted to go back to you but I just,” his husky voice broke off with a torn sigh before he started again, his tenor deep and soft, soothing, “I wasn’t worthy of you, of your baby,”

“Our baby,” Brian corrected gently, his eyes filling with tears he didn’t want to fall but had no way of stopping.

“Our baby,” he repeated warmly and the sound of such admiration in his tone had the tears in Brian’s eyes spilling over instantly. “I wasn’t worthy of our baby, of you, because I walked away instead of holding you and telling you how much I love you.”

“Love?”

“Yes, love. I still love you Brian, I’m in love with you and I never stopped.”

Yanking up the baby pillow angrily, Brian whirled around and chucked it into the shadows where he knew the voice was coming from, “you selfish bastard! Do you have any idea how fucking miserable I’ve been? Did you even care or were you just ignoring it by pretending you didn’t deserve me? I needed you Matty, so fucking bad and you were never there! You weren’t there.”

“I made a mistake in leaving you Bri, I never should have but I can’t take it back. I know it sounds stupid but it’s exactly how I felt. When I saw your stomach, when I knew there was a baby growing there, my baby, I didn’t know what to do. It’s impossible, the odds are astronomical and to see that baby swell, to know you were that tiny blip of a chance,” he sighed and sat forward in the sturdy rocking chair he’d waited hours in, “I ran and I knew the second I closed that door between us that I’d lost any right to go back without earning it.”

“You left me alone, to go through everything alone because you felt you didn’t earn being with me?” Brian cried out, his frustration causing a headache to claw its way up his skull to latch its throbbing fingers into his temples, “I waited hours, days, weeks, month’s for you! You missed everything! And for what? What would ever make it okay Matt? What could ever be worth missing every single little development?”

“This.” Matt answered simply, his eyes burning as he studied Brian’s body and admired every single changed detail. Even seeing only the parts the moon illuminated, Matt saw enough to decide pregnancy looked good on Brian, very good. “When I knew I couldn’t just walk back in and expect you to act like I hadn’t walked out, I went looking for my redemption and I found this place. It wasn’t for sale at the time but the little old lady who took care of its deeds said there was something in my eyes that told her this was to be my home. I couldn’t place her but she felt familiar. She told me this place was a strong home and that it would support my family and become the warmth I’d always dreamed of. She told me it wasn’t just a place I needed but that it would be the home of dreams for another and I knew straight away, before she even said anything, just by looking at the view from the road, it was you. All over it was you Brian.

“She showed me everything and even though at the time the rooms were aged and covered in dust, some places seriously needed some remodeling while others needed to be completely rebuilt, every corner screamed you,” he stood slowly and stepped from the dark corner just enough to let the moon spill over his face. Even if he looked a little older, a little too tired, Brian still felt his body heat rise and his knees go weak over just how handsome he was. “I needed to prove myself worthy of you, not just to you, but to myself. I let you down Brian, I broke you and hurt you and I can never truly change that but I want to try, I want to spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I stayed away from you so that I could make myself worthy of you, of your heart, your love and worthy of our child and the children I someday hope to fill this house with. I stayed away so I could come back to you with the dream you always wanted as a teenager, maybe even before then.”

Brian studied the room for a moment, recalled the rooms before and the halls, the brief glimpse of living room he’d seen and the kitchen before he returned his gaze and his mind to Matthew, who stood patiently waiting with his pleading honey eyes trained on Brian’s. Seeing everything Matt had accomplished, knowing how hard it must have been for him to stay away just so he could get this finished for him, for them, it made Brian’s heart tear just a little more, and with the hurt, came the tears, “why would you ever feel you weren’t worthy of me Matt? Was it something I did?”

Hearing the emotion and the pain in his voice, Matt crossed the room and wrapped his arms around his trembling partner. He took in every different feature, the way Brian’s skin glowed, the way he felt under Matt’s hands, the way his beautifully full stomach pushed heavy against Matt’s middle and kept them apart but warmly connected. He stayed silent for a moment before he pulled back to stare down at Brian’s belly as he pressed his hands on either side and closed his eyes. Feeling the strong kick of his child, Matt dropped to his knees and pressed his ear to Brian’s skin and listened to the sound of shifting life. It was enthralling, enchanting, it made him hate that he’d ever been scared of something so innocent.

Pulling back to lift up his shirt, he pressed his lips to Brian’s stretched skin and hummed softly before he smoothed his hands back to hold Brian in place by his hips so that he could converse silently with their talkative baby, “he feels so strong,”

“I don’t know if he’s a he or a she, I told them not to tell me.”

“No, it’s a boy,” Matt smiled and pressed his ear against Brian’s stomach once more, grinning wide at the strong kick that tapped his face and let him know the child knew he was there, let him know that it knew who he was and recognized his importance to the both of them, “he’s my son, I can feel it, I just know it.”

“Oh yeah? What if it’s a girl?”

“Brian, girl’s in my family line don’t breed this big, and neither grow this big on your side either,” he quirked a brow, waiting for the argument, but when he got nothing, he grinned and rubbed his hands up Brian’s sides, “he’s all Sanders.”

“I feel like I should be insulted somehow,”

“Don’t be, you’re beautiful,” Matt shook his head and stood so that he could wrap his arms around Brian’s hips and drag him close, their baby cradled between them, “has anyone told you that you wear pregnancy well?”

“Johnny agrees with you, Jimmy says I waddle like a duck and maintains our kid’s going to have a fat head that’s going to ruin me and Zacky’s just sick of having to rub my feet all the time.”

“I want to be angry for him touching you but I can’t be when I wasn’t there to do it myself. I’m so sorry Brian, I wanted nothing more than to go back to you, to be there with you and hold you, to keep you safe and reassure you when you felt insecure. I wanted to protect and nurture you, make sure you had all the chocolate you needed so you never had to risk the world to sate your cravings. More than anything I wanted to be able to feel you beside me, sleeping peacefully after making love with me,” he paused for a moment to press his lips to Brian’s forehead and stopped himself from chuckling at Brian’s dark blush, “I wanted nothing more than to come back but I needed to do this. I needed to provide and step up and I wasn’t ready to face you and what I’d done to you with nothing to offer you.”

“Matty I never needed anything but you. I don’t need fancy things or a gorgeous house with a cute little garden outside or a kitchen that’s just dying to be used and bedrooms with lots of space to move things around, and” he trailed off when Matt’s brow curved up highly, his smirk just as impossible, “I just need you Matt, wherever you are, however we are, I’ll always only ever need you.”

“And I only need you baby, but our children need a home and while the apartment is okay for us, cramped, but sufficient, it’s no place to raise a family,” he pressed his lips to Brian’s and hummed his delight as Brian kissed him back. He swayed them gently, his hands smoothing around Brian’s hips to press on his lower back. When he pressed a little harder to drag Brian closer, Brian whined and pushed back, pulling from the kiss to bury his face in Matt’s neck as he whimpered about backaches, “you won’t be in so much pain anymore baby, I have a proper posture-pedic bed for us now, it’ll give you the support you need.”

“Oh thank god, that piece of crap back in the apartment is doing diddly squat for my back.”

“It used to be fine,” Matt muttered before chuckling huskily at Brian’s glare.

“It was fine until you impregnated me with your over-sized progeny, this kid weighs a ton!”

Sighing, Matt smoothed his hands over Brian’s stomach and stared down at him, “I guess I should have warned you that I’d breed big, but I never thought we’d be that lucky.”

“Just be grateful it’s not you in my shoes, this kid has a tendency to beat the crap out of me.”

“What do you mean?” Matt frowned and dropped to his knees, “you’ve dropped, you have to be close now,”

“I mean he’s going to grow up to be a kick boxer. I’ve had more broken bones during this pregnancy than I have in my entire life. He’s impatient and fussy and indecisive and he’s an expert at getting what he wants.”

“Sounds like someone I know,” Matt mumbled before laughing out loud when Brian clubbed him on the head and whined as he cradled his hand.

“I’m going to ignore that,” glaring, Brian closed his arms over his chest tightly before he hissed softly and dropped his arms a little in discomfort. Looking up at him worriedly, Matt stood quickly and lifted Brian’s top, against his protests, to inspect what was wrong. His gaze spotted the bruise on Brian’s side, over his ribs before his eyes flicked to Brian’s puffy chest and swollen nipples. Blushing, Brian shied away and tried to pull his shirt back down but Matt held him still as he lightly rubbed the pad of his thumb over the darkened nub and dragged a gasping mewl from Brian’s lips.

“You’re so sensitive here,”

Blush intensifying, Brian slapped Matt’s hands away and dragged his shirt down as he hugged himself. It wasn’t for several seconds of staring at Matt that Brian realized Matt wasn’t looking at him, but his thumb and the glistening moister there. Mortified, Brian quickly touched his chest and paled at the spreading wet that warmed his palms and forced tears to his eyes, “oh my god, I’m so sorry.”

“Hey, don’t cry baby, it’s alright,” wrapping his arms around Brian, Matt rocked him gently and cradled his head in the curve of his neck. He smoothed his hand up and down Brian’s shuddering back while he calmed him and pressed his lips to his shaggy hair, “baby it’s natural, your bodies just getting ready for when the baby's here and you have to nurture and feed him, it’s nothing to be ashamed or upset about,”

“I leaked on you Matt!” Brian whined and sobbed harder as he clung to Matt’s middle in desperation.

Shaking his head and biting back his soft chuckles, Matt held him tighter and sighed softly, “if I were the type of man to get grossed out by something so maternal, I would never be deserving of you. I’m not like that Brian, I’ve kept up as much as possible with what your body is going through, what it will go through because I want to be prepared and supportive. I wasn’t there for this child Brian, but I’ll be there for every other one that follows. I’m ready for this Brian, I made sure I was so that I could come back to you completely able and ready to be the man of this home, to protect and nurture you, while you nurture and bare my children,”

“That sounds incredibly creepy,”

“Thinking of it now, yes, it does. It sounded far less creepy in my head,” Matt laughed and shook his head as he pulled Brian back so that he could wipe away the tears streaking his cheeks, “no matter what Brian, I’m here now and I’m ready.”

“Ready for more babies,” Brian trailed off nervously.

“Of course, I’ve always wanted a big family Brian,”

“What if I can’t get pregnant again?”

“I’ve taken this into consideration and sought out all the medical advice I could. Nothing’s saying you’re a one baby wonder. So far as I can tell, you can have all the babies either of us wants.”

“Well what if I don’t fall pregnant again, like I still can but it just doesn’t happen?”

Seeing the raised brow, the crossed arms and the smirk on his angelic face, Matt grinned and rubbed his hands up Brian’s sides before he reached back and slapped and grabbed a handful of Brian’s backside. The pregnant brunettes startled gasp caused a deep laugh to rumble up Matt’s throat before he stifled it by kissing Brian deeply. A few moments passed before he pulled away breathlessly, Brian’s cheeks flushed and his eyes closed, “you’ll fall pregnant again Brian, I know you will.”

Still lost in the stupor of Matt’s drugging kisses, Brian relied on his partner’s strong arms to keep him from falling to the ground in a heap of delirious mush, “how can you be sure?”

“You’re at your fertile peak in the first few months after birth. The way I see it, we get you pregnant after you have this little one and our chances are heightened.”

“Don’t you think that’s a little soon?”

“Six weeks is the recommended wait,” Matt answered quickly before he chuckled softly and looked down, “sorry, I’m getting ahead of myself.”

Watch the way Matt’s shoulders slumped, the way disappointed pain washed over his saddened features, Brian smiled warmly and took Matt’s hand to press to his stomach, “don’t be sorry for wanting what you do Matty,”

“I just,” he sighed and pulled Brian into his arms so that he could press his lips to his temple and feel their baby between them, “ever since I knew what a child was, where it came from and the wonder it was, I wanted that, I’ve always wanted a big family. I’ve always marveled at the thought of coming home from work to find my partner cooking away in the kitchen, all smiles with toddlers bouncing around, babbling happily while another grows inside, all snug and warm. Every time I walk through this house, I can picture everything I’ve always wanted, and every time I see these images, you’re always there, always cheerful and so, so beautiful. I don’t want anyone else Brian, I don’t want those dreams to be with anyone but you. That night, so damn long ago it feels like years in the past, when that fortune teller pissed you off,”

“Oh please, don’t even get me started on her. If I ever see her again, I’ll scratch her eyes out, after I’ve given her a good clear view of my beautiful baby,”

Chuckling, Matt ruffled Brian's hair and pressed his lips to his forehead, “that night she told me I’d be faced with a difficult choice, one that could very well destroy my life, and the lives of others if I chose poorly.”

“Matt, Jesus, you don’t believe her do you? She could have been huffing Sharpies and reading fortune cookies for all we know!”

“But don’t you see Brian? I did get faced with a difficult decision, I did choose poorly and it tore us both apart. My choices pushed you into depression, who knows how bad it could have gotten if you didn’t have any form of support. My choices forced me away from my soul mate and made me empty inside, I felt so fucking broken without you there to hold and all I had to comfort myself with was the hopes that this home would be worthy of you, that I would be worthy of you. I chose so fucking bad that day Brian and I’m so sorry for putting you through that, for making you live by yourself, for making you go through every beautiful change by yourself. I should have been there but I wasn’t and I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you.”

“Matty,” Brian started softly as he lifted his hands to cup Matt’s face. He stared up at him, took in every feature that the moon touched. He felt his heart break as the tears slipped from Matt’s honey eyes, felt his chest grow tight as Matt covered his hands with his own and bowed his head to try and hide his weaknesses.

“I wasn’t strong enough Bri, I let you down.”

Brian leaned up, as best he could with the weight of their child, and pulled Matt down to rest against his chest, soggy shirt or not. He cooed softly to him as he smoothed his fingers through his hair and calmed Matt’s tears, “do you know why I was so angry when she told me my fortune Matty? It wasn’t because of the things she said to me, wasn’t because of the way she said them or that I possibly deep down inside believed them. It wasn’t even really that I was scared they were true and that I would push everyone away and die alone. I hated what she said because it meant I wouldn’t have you, it meant I wouldn’t get to call you mine anymore or have a family with you, grow old with you. What she predicted flashed before my eyes and I hated it so much I couldn’t stand the thought of not having you but Matty, fortunes aren’t set in stone. She sees our futures while we’re on that path, she can’t predict changes, she can’t predict choices we make.”

“But she predicted what choice I would make,”

“She predicted the events you would be faced with and gave you the outcomes to the paths Matty. It was never set in stone that you would walk away. There was a chance you wouldn’t but let’s face it baby, how many men would stick around, even if they did eventually come back, when they found out their boyfriend was pregnant?” Brian shook his head and held Matt all the tighter, “she told me I would push away everything good in my life but Matty I’m not. I won’t do it. I could be angry at you now for walking away, I could hate you and deny you the right to see your child, push away everything good in my life. But I won’t. She told me what would happen as a guide of what not to do and I’m not going to do it. I’m going to hold you and love you and never let you go. I’ll be the mommy to how ever many babies you want and I’ll be happy every step of the way because I love you Matt, I adore and cherish you and holding a grudge is only going to ruin me and destroy my-our baby. I won’t push you away Matt, I’ll only ever pull you closer because you’re it for me, you’re my heart and my soul and there won’t ever be anyone else, she was fucking right about that.”

“Marry me Brian.”

“What?” Startled, Brian choked on his breath and gaped like a fish out of water as Matt pulled from his arms and straightened, “if you’re joking Matt, or if you’re not being serious,”

“How could I look at you, so vibrant and beautiful and full of life, full of my child, and not want to make you my husband?” Matt shook his head and shoved his hand into his pocket before he pulled out a dainty velvet pouch. He tapped it in his palm a few times before he opened it and tipped out a delicate, beautifully crafted and polished ring that he then held up nimbly. As Brian stared at the ring, eyes wide and jaw slack, Matt’s gaze studied Brian’s, “I’ve held onto this ring for so long it burned a hole into my soul. It belonged to my grandmother and I know it’s odd for me to offer you the world while holding up a ring previously belonging to a woman, but she told me before she died that one of these days I’d find someone so perfect for me that my heart would sing whenever I was around them, that everything bad would be okay so long as I had them in my life and that this ring wouldn’t feel heavy and lost anymore. It needs love Brian, as silly as it sounds, it needs a home and for so long I’ve wanted its home to be you, just as you’re my home, in every way possible. When I offer you this ring, I’m offering you with it myself and everything I am, nothing but a flawed and weak man who adores you more than anything. I can’t promise to be perfect, I can’t promise that I won’t get scared sometimes, all I can promise you is that I will always love you, utterly and wholeheartedly, unquestionably and unwaveringly. You’re it for me Brian and I don’t want to spend one more second not having you by my side completely. I’m old fashioned Brian, I want it all with you, home and hearth, a good strong armful of kids that’ll adore you just as much as I do and I want it all with you, no one else. Please Brian, I know I’ve made mistakes and I’m not perfect, but can you find it in your heart to love me anyway and be my better half, will you marry me?”

Brian, by the time Matt dropped down on one knee and looked up at him so hopefully, was crying his eyes out. His hands were bunched over his heart, his face hot with emotion as he snuffled loudly and brushed furiously at his tears. When he finally managed to push words passed the ball in his throat, he croaked and shook from nerves, “I’m not perfect either Matty, I’m sensitive and clingy, I get jealous of every damn thing and I’m demandingly insatiable. I take longer than a girl in the bathroom and I always eat whatever is labeled yours simply because it’s not meant to be touched by me. I’m sneaky and I’m not afraid to do whatever I have to do to get what I want, which I guess really is where our baby gets it from. I sleep all the time and I steal all the blankets and still manage to sleep all over you. I wear your clothes and use all your things without replacing them when they run out, I never tell you when I unwittingly cause your computer to crash because of viruses I’ve stupidly put on there because of watching porn, I watch porn when I should be going to you and I’m almost always disappointed when you don’t come home and welcome me by ripping your clothes off and asking me if I’ve been bad. I’m a terrible liar but I do it anyway and when you catch me out I just bend over something and make you lose your train of thought because I know it works. I’m a horrible boyfriend Matty and I don’t know why the hell you’d want to marry me at all,”

“I want to marry you because instead of just saying yes and jumping into my arms like how it’s written in text books, you’re the one guy who would get so emotional about me proposing you’d unload every single little fault of your own just so that I know exactly what I’m getting myself into. Everything you’ve just admitted to is exactly the reason I want to marry you. Only you would admit to those things, only you would make damn sure it was exactly what I wanted and this just makes me love you more. I knew Brian, all along about everything you just mentioned, I just never said anything because it was too satisfying and amusing to watch you think you were so damn sneaky. Why would I turn down fucking you on the kitchen table just to be angry over freezing my computer on some slutty guy getting rammed by several others? I know you Brian, I know everything about you and I love you because of it.”

“I guess neither of us is perfect then, huh?”

“No, we’re not perfect, but we’re perfect for each other.” Matt stood and smiled warmly, his eyes staring down into Brian expectantly, “can you settle for someone like me Brian? Can you settle for what I can provide, can you love me even when it gets tough and I’m being a big jerk about stupid shit, can you look at me and love me anyway? Can you call me husband and never regret being mine forever?”

“No Matty,” Brian smiled and shook his head as he touched his fingers to Matt’s lips. As Matt’s whole world visibly crushed before him, Brian leaned up and pressed his lips to Matt’s and threaded their fingers, trapping the ring between their palms, “I won’t settle for anything Matty, because I don’t have to. You’re my heart, my soul, you’re my everything and I would be no one without you there Matthew. Every good thing in my life has happened because of you. I know what real, true, honest love is because of you and I know that without you, I’m just a ghost. No one sees me the way you do Matty, no one puts up with my crap the way you do and no one loves me the way you do. So no, I can’t marry you thinking it’s the best I can do, I won’t settle, but I will marry you because you’re everything I need in my life and nothing short of my whole world.”

It took Matt a few moments of confused frowning before it all sank in and caused a wide grin to light up his whole face. His dimples popped brightly as he leaned over Brian and kissed him passionately before he pulled away to slip the mysteriously, perfectly fitting band of commitment onto Brian’s long fingered hand. Surrounded by a nursery lit up by the moon and filled with emotional dreams and a future neither of them could wait for, Matt wrapped his arms tightly around Brian and lifted him off the ground to spin him as they kissed. He never expected it when Brian pulled away with a startled yelp that died off into an embarrassed, blush fueled stammer,

“I've got no fucking dignity left! First my tits leak all over us and now I’m pissing myself.”

“Brian,” staring wide eyed, Matt gulped and inhaled sharply, “get in the car and keep calm,”

“Like hell, I need a shower! This place has a shower right?” He didn’t even get to the door before he froze and instantly grabbed his stomach, “oh my god Matt,”

“It’s okay, just stay calm, we’ll get you to the hospital and it’ll all be-”

“Stay calm? Don’t tell me to stay calm Matt this is all your fault!” Brian shouted as he whirled around on Matt with an angry scowl. The second he saw Matt’s face, his hands shot up to cover his eyes as he burst into tears, “I’m going to be ruined! Your baby’s fat head is going to ruin me and you’re not going to want me anymore and I peed all over the carpet and I have breast milk staining my shirt and this just ruined everything!”

“Brian,” Matt laughed softly as he took the few steps to his distressed fiancée and wrapped his arms around him as he sobbed, “I have never loved you more than I do in this very second Brian. Now let’s get you to the hospital so we can have a baby,”

“We? Don’t you mean me? You just get to stand there and be ridiculously good looking while I do all the work.” Brian pouted, but he clung tightly to Matt as he chuckled and lifted him up into his arms, cradled close in bridal style. “And Matt, if this is a shotgun proposal, I’ll make sure my next water breaks over something you love.”

“So you mean you’ll do it all over yourself again?”

“I’m spitting in your apple pie when I learn how to make it.”

“God, the things you say to me,” Matt grinned as he carried Brian to his car and set him in the front seat before he ran back inside to grab a blanket and the bag he’d had packed for this very moment. He returned to the car, after locking up, and chucked the bag in the back seat as he handed Brian the blanket and helped him wrap it around himself. When he was behind the wheel and reversing out of the driveway, he felt Brian’s gaze on him and found his chocolate eyes full of fear and apprehension. He chucked it in drive and sped off down the road before he reached over and took Brian’s hand, smiling softly at the feel of the ring on his finger, “it’ll be okay Brian,”

“I know Matty, with you there, I know it will be.”

“I’ll be right there every step of the way Bri,” he replied as he lifted Brian’s hand to his lips and kissed the back of his knuckles gingerly.

“Matthew,”

“Mmm?”

“I love you too.”

And speeding off towards the bright city lights, towards the hospital where they would start the very first expansion to their new family, neither of them knew of the little old lady that wandered through their garden, her pale hair flowing softly down her back to be blown around by the gentle breeze. They didn’t see her wave her hand to open the locks, didn’t see her wander the halls of their home or walk towards the room that would be their baby’s nursery. They never knew she looked the room, the house, the land over appreciatively, admiringly. Just as they never saw her smile or heard her mirthful words as she stepped from the house and disappeared in a softly sparkling wave of mist;