Home Is Where the Heart Is

Alex wakes up how he does most days – to the sound of Jack getting ready around the room. The elder man sighs and rolls onto his back as his eyes open and then immediately shut from the bright sunlight. He’s a very light sleeper and his husband is a very loud person. They don’t quite match when Jack gets up first in the morning.

A swarm of butterflies take over Alex’s stomach as he laid there. Today is a really big day for him; because it’s the day he’s finally going to tell his parents that he is pregnant. They’d agreed to meet their son and son-in-law for breakfast at a cute little home style restaurant outside of town.

It doesn’t take Jack long to realize that Alex is awake. He smiles and bounces onto the end of the bed, crawling over until he hovers above the other man. Alex gives him a small, sleepy smile.

“G’morning, love,” Alex murmurs. His voice is thick and rough with languidness.

Jack leans down and pecks Alex’s lips. “Hello. You ready for today?”

Alex sits up when Jack sits back, rubbing his eyes. His hair is messy and all over the place and Jack grins at the adorable sight. He watches Alex as he goes over to the dresser and pulls out some clean briefs before slipping them onto his naked body. The two men had started sleeping naked on their honeymoon and it had just stuck.

Alex turns around and stretches. “As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess,” he says while finding some jeans and a t-shirt. Alex catches a glimpse of himself in the full length mirror and thinks about how in a few months he’d be wearing clothes fit for pregnancy. The thought isn’t too pleasing.

After going through his normal morning routine, Alex meets Jack downstairs. They’re supposed to meet the Gaskarth parents at 10, and it’s already 9:50, so they hurry to grab their jackets, phones, and wallets. Alex stumbles as he hastily pulls his shoes on. Thankfully, Jack catches his arm and pulls him close before he can fall.

“Careful,” Jack says calmly with one hand on Alex’s stomach. Alex nods and reminds himself sternly that he couldn’t be careless about how he moved anymore. He has a child to protect.

They go out and get in the car. Jack drives quickly to the restaurant while Alex holds his hand over the center console. It’s not a long drive and they make it with a minute to spare. Alex is relieved when they walk in on time, as he has a very punctual family.

Jack slides into the booth first and then Alex. They smile at the older couple, saying their hellos. Alex kisses his mom on the cheek and she grasps her son’s hand happily.

“Oh, it’s so good to see you both!” Isobel exclaims with a nod of agreement from her husband. They are both very loving and big on family. They’d always been close with Alex, especially after tragedy had shaken them years ago.

“It’s great to see you too, mom and dad,” Alex says while sipping the coffee that had just been poured for him by a waiter.

Jack smiles at all of them and picks up a menu to look through.

“Is there any special reason you called us out here today?” Peter asks curiously. Alex blushes slightly and shakes his head.

“No, I just wanted to see you! Do I have to have a reason?” he teases lightly. Everyone laughs quietly and fall silent as they look at their menus.

Alex reaches out and finds Jack’s hand underneath the table. He squeezes nervously. He doesn’t know why he’s so worried about telling his parents the big news, but he is. What if they’re not accepting of a male pregnancy? It had only recently become known with the rise of non-heterosexual couples.

Jack can sense his partner’s nerves. He rubs his thumb reassuringly over the smooth skin of the back of Alex’s hand. It calms Alex considerably.

Once they order, conversation picks up again. The four of them talk about everything from local news to celebrity mishaps to even the weather. But it’s not boring, because someone always has something to chime in with. Alex waits for the perfect time to make his announcement, but it doesn’t come quickly. The food gets there before he has a chance and then they’re all eating.

Alex really ins’t that hungry. He doesn’t know why, considering every pregnant woman and man he’s ever heard of has had an increased appetite. Worry must win over a baby’s hunger, apparently, though the young man does manage to get one small pancake and half a slice of bacon into his system before giving up and saying he’ll finish it later. He can see the crease in Jack’s eyebrows as he grows concern, so now he’s the one comforting his lover.

Picking at a thread on his shirt, Alex listens as his husband and parents talk. He was lucky to have his mother and father get along well with Jack. Honestly, when they’d been just dating, he’d been a bit concerned. The first time he’d brought Jack home, Alex hadn’t known what to expect. But Jack was as polite and charming as ever. He smiles when Jack has the elder Gaskarths laughing about something, even though he wasn’t listening close enough to know what.

Alex perks up, though, when his mom suddenly exclaims his name. At first he’s scared she knows somehow. Of course, he’s just paranoid.

“Alex! You remember the boy who used to live next door, David. Don’t you?”

The man nods his head, because of course he remembers his best neighborhood friend. The two had only been a year apart.

Isobel smiles warmly. “Well, I saw him yesterday at the grocery store. He was the one who saw me. I could hardly even recognize him! He’s gotten so tall and, well, I hadn’t seen him since he was about thirteen,” she began with a shake of her head. “Said he’s married now to a man in politics. They’re expecting a baby, too! She’s due in only a week! You should’ve seen his bump, dear. You would never have guessed David to be carrying a child!”

Alex can barely believe what he’s hearing. One, because he never would have pictured his old friend to be the one carrying, yes, but more importantly two – his mother seemed elated for David. That David was married to a man, and was pregnant.

Beside him, Jack is grinning madly. He looks at Alex with a look of unconcealed encouragement, squeezing his hand so hard Alex thinks it’s going to effing fall off.

Alex decides that it’s now or never. He might as well confess while they’re on the topic. He doesn’t think he’ll have the guts to do it any other time. Swallowing hard, he tries to look as serious as comfortable as possible.

“Mom, Dad… Jack and I have something to tell you…” Alex starts slowly. His heart is beating a thousand miles an hour. He thinks about how unfortunate it would be to go into cardiac arrest right now, pregnant and only in his twenties. Damn. But that’s how it feels.

Both Gaskarth parents nod and flash smiles at their son. It’s a silent way to tell him to go on. They’re definitely listening.

Alex goes pale. His throat seems to close up and his heart goes even faster, if that’s fucking humanly possible. Jack notices his face and hand slackening and immediately recognizes what’s going on.

“Alex,” he urges quietly and calmly. The elder doesn’t reply, but his breathing gets quicker. He stares straight ahead. Jack needs to take action quickly. He slides out of the booth and pulls Alex with by both of his hands, helping him stand clumsily. Jack excuses them without needing a confirmation and guides his husband away to work through the panic attack privately.

Ever since he’d been little Alex had experienced panic attacks. They happened randomly and without much warning whenever he’d begin to feel just a bit too overwhelmed, desperate, or anxious. They aren’t frequent occurrences, but when they happen it’s a couple minutes that Alex goes through a sort of trance. First is the statue like body and the irregular breaths. Next is the shaking and silent tearless sobs. That’s what is happening to Alex right now. He leans into Jack almost fully for support, his body just trembling. Jack stands helpless and stroke’s his darling’s hair, humming softly near his ear.

After a minute, Alex begins to calm down. But now he’s just shaken up. He looks at Jack with his eyes watering just a bit. Jack feels somewhat guilty that he hadn’t thought of this possibly happening. He could’ve – should’ve – talked to Alex before leaving about a possible spell.

“I’m sorry, Jay. I’m so sorry,” Alex mumbles. His face is pressed into Jack’s neck as he holds him close for comfort. Jack just slowly shakes his head.

“No, baby. Don’t apologize. You can’t help it.”

Alex sighs heavily as he pulls back, taking a couple deep breaths. “We should go back… Explain why I just freaked the fuck out,” he mumbles.

Jack gives a small smile and nods. He leads the way back to the table with Alex’s hand clutched importantly in his own. He’ll never let this man go.

-

The men are quick to offer a reason to why they had suddenly disappeared. It’s Alex who surprisingly gets right into it. With a deep breath and only a slight crease between his eyebrows, he blurts it out.

“I’m pregnant. Jack and I – we’re expecting.”

Alex’s mother’s face turns into one of pure shock. If wasn’t such an important moment for Alex, he probably would have laughed and scrambled for his phone. But now he feels like every second is chipping away at his confidence… Not to mention causing him to turn redder in the face from lack of oxygen.

Peter, on the other hand, doesn’t have a change in facial expression really. He actually looks about the same. Jack’s glancing between all three of his accompanies without anything to say. He doesn’t know what to do.

Finally, someone speaks up before Alex is ready to pass the fuck out.

“Oh. Oh my god. My baby is pregnant!” Isobel screeches. Half the restaurant perks up to glance over. Now Alex is left with his mouth gaping.

Mrs. Gaskarth’s eyes fill with tears quickly now. She leans across the table – and the food – and wraps her arms so tightly around Alex’s neck that Jack thinks she’ll choke him. She’s going on and on unintelligibly about her little grandchild. Alex’s face relaxes visibly.

Peter lays a hand on his wife’s arm gently, and she pulls back, a bit flustered and sheepish.

“I’m sorry, Lex, honey. I just can’t believe it. You’re having a baby! This is so exciting, isn’t it, Peter?!”

The man nods, smiling with compassion. “It truly is. Congratulations, boys.”

Jack watches his husband light up like a Christmas tree. His grin stretches from ear to ear, and Jack knows he himself is mirroring it all.

Alex talks excitedly with his parents about everything under the sun that has to do with the baby – names, sex, due date, all of it. It’s a great moment. It’s an amazing one. Jack chimes in as well and soon the four are all joyful. Alex feels his stomach doing flips. For a second he thinks with surprise that it’s the baby, but then reminds himself that it’s way too early for that. He’s just so damn happy.

“ – and we’ll babysit whenever you like. We’ll be honored,” Isobel promises, nodding and continuing on about something more. Alex tunes out a little and lays his head on Jack’s shoulder, fingers drawing innocent hearts into the other man’s thigh. He just wants to revel in what he has right now, here, with him. His wonderful husband and parents. Yeah, he and Jack definitely made the right choice today.