I'm the Last One That You'll Ever Remember

Chapter 135: Homesick for New Jersey

The following afternoon, Frank relaxed in his backyard on his patio couch flipping through photographs of baby items on his cellphone that he was arranging to invest for baby #4...not that there felt like there was a sole child within his already humongous belly. It was more like 3. Cringing on the horror of having three newborns at once, Frank was roused out of that dreadful thought by tiny fists belonging to Jasiah patting on his knees. Glancing down, he monitored the baby standing between his legs beaming up at him with an open mouth grin that didn't hold that many teeth. Jasiah giggled when his mother spotted him, and began to thump his fists on Frank's knees again, so he would play the game they sometimes played when he was captured between his parents legs. Frank was meant to tighten his legs against Jasiah's sides and raise him up off the ground at a harmless height. Jasiah, being easily satisfied, would revel with excitement and screech in laughter. Smiling down at his youngest, Frank cooed at him. “You wanna go up again, honey? Is that it? Is that what you want?”

“Mommy!” Jasiah strongly squawked in answer, before prattling off. He briefly snagged the attention of his daddy who was by the new castle fort play set he had set up for the kids, portraying a big bad monster hunting after Lorenzo, arranged as Iron Man, and Venetia, adorned as Snow White.

“Okay, but you better hold on tight. You ready? Here we gooo!” Frank hoisted his son a few inches off the ground, making him detonate into giggles as he fastened to his knees and peeped from between them to the decorative concrete patio below. Not being able to resist laughing too, Frank kept him suspended for only a minute longer before descending him back down. “Yay, that was so much fun, wasn't it, Jasiah? You like that?”

Having taken a break from hunting after the kids, Gerard made his way over to his lover and youngest son. “What's going on over here?” Sailing down, he flung Jasiah up into the air from between Frank's legs and captured him safely back into his grip when he descended. Laughing down at his giggling son, he took a seat beside Frank on the couch and tipped over to plunder a smooch from his smiling lips. “Sounds like you two were having a blast.”

“Jasiah's always having a blast. Lucky for us he's easily entertained.” Frank commended, reaching out to tickle Jasiah's stomach and made him squeal again. It was a useful diversion from Gerard noticing the pink flush in his cheeks from his kiss. He had to admit he treasured the fact that Gerard was publicly kissing him now in front of their children, even though it was something he wouldn't have ever allowed him to do before when he was divided between keeping him close and at bay all at the same time. His family was definitely feeling more whole these days, and it was such a blessing to wake up to every morning that Frank couldn't keep himself from grinning about it all day. Everything felt complete! His life was splendid, his children incredible, his baby daddy wonderful...all except for his morning sickness that was beginning to make him wish he could quit eating for the rest of his life! “Gerard, can I talk to you about something? It's kinda important.”

Gerard urgently became perceptive, his light brown eyes browsing from Frank's protruding belly to his distressed hazel eyes. “What is it? Are you feeling okay? The bab-”

“Slow down, Gee! The baby is fine, I swear.” Frank injected with an adoring smile. His hazel eyes hovered to keep a vigilant eye on the twins as they bounced here, and ascended there on their new outdoor castle fort play set. “It's actually about me, and feeling...well, homesick for New Jersey and my family there.”

“Go on.” Unwinding back in his seat decked in a decorative cardboard cutouts of different reptilian spikes and claws to help look the part for his kids' approval, Gerard accompanied Frank's gaze to the twins as Jasiah's mouth honed in on one of his claw and began to gnaw on it. “There's more to it than just missing your family, isn't there?”

“Yeah, well...” Frank initiated before voting to go back to the beginning, his hands drifting to his protruding belly. “I've been pregnant twice thus far with three of our kids, and I'm pregnant again with our fourth. Each time I had a C-Section, it was always done in my daddy's hospital with him performing the procedure with my other family members in the room. I've never given birth not surrounded by family and this time...”

“You'll be giving birth alone with an unfamiliar doctor and staff without your family in the room with you.” Gerard completed for him, plucking the claw from Jasiah's mouth to give him another one to mess with since he'd ripped the tip off the first one with his chubby fingers.

“Exactly! And I'm not too comfortable with that idea, so...I've been thinking about moving back to New Jersey.” Frank disclosed, his eyes overseeing Lorenzo jump from the fort at a pinnacle that was almost too great for his age. “I just...really want to go home.”

“I thought this was home.” Gerard whispered, tensing at how daring Lorenzo was starting to get with all the jumping. Leaning forward in his seat, he hailed out to them. “YOU TWO BE CAREFUL OVER THERE! DON'T JUMP FROM THAT HIGH OR YOU'LL GET HURT!”

Appreciating his baby daddy's protectiveness over their litter, Frank carried on with their conversation as he settled a hand on Gerard's thigh. “I know, Gee, but right now I just really need to get back home to New Jersey with my family for this baby's birth”

“I don't want you to go...” Gerard grumbled softly, feeling greedy for needing Frank to remain at his side now that they were reunited again. He understood what he was saying, but he didn't want them to have to separate in the process. “Neither me nor the kids want to be without you, Frankie.”

“You won't have to, because I want you all to come with me, dummy!” Frank chuckled at him, massaging his thigh. “And that means you too.”

"Me!?” Gerard nearly gasped in bewilderment, his magnified eyes snapping to his lover. “You want me to go back to New Jersey with you?”

“Of course, I do, Gerard. New Jersey is home, family is home, and you're a part of that now.” Frank simplified. “Washington is cool and everything, but...the only reason I'm here was to get away from you, and that clearly didn't work, so I might as well go back home.”

Gerard nodded, still speechless that he'd rather keep him close as well. Feeling like he made such an immense advancement in their relationship, he began to evaluate the lack of improvement he had with the Ieros. “Perhaps you should call your family first and let them know you'll be coming to see them soon.”

“I'd prefer to just drop on by unannounced.” Frank shrugged with a smile. “My mommy would sure love that!”

“Frankie, I'm serious, you should call them.” Gerard restated more strictly, his body tensing again when he turned his head and witnessed Venetia almost tripping. “Especially if you're serious about inviting me to go along too. You know how your dad feels about me.”

“Alright alright, I'll call them.” Frank relinquished, picking up his phone. “But as punishment for not letting me get my way, you're gonna have to sit here and listen in on the conversation.”

“I don-” Gerard began.

“C'mon, Gee, it won't be that bad. Daddy can't be callous towards you forever, I mean I'm an adult and I can make my own decisions.” Frank pointed out as he scanned through his contacts list.

“I guess you're right.” Gerard murmured to himself, conceding that dealing with the man over the phone was way easier than dealing with him face to face. The last time they were in the same room together was when he was trying to get it on with his son, and he wasn't too overjoyed about that. “If we go to New Jersey you know there won't be getting rid of me, right? You can't just think you can drop me there and set off to another state again. I'll find you.”

Rolling his eyes at Gerard's teasing, Frank arched a brow at him in protest. Ordinarily he wouldn't be so forward with his feelings, in fact there was a time he'd sooner die than convey what he was about to divulge right now. “Gerard, I love you. You already weren't going anywhere without me.”

Gerard grinned at him in triumph before leaning down to plunder a more ardent kiss from him. He only had time to hoist Jasiah over his head when a pair of twins came crashing into them, giggling. “Mommy, Daddy! Come pay wit us! Pwease!!!”

“You want mommy to play too? Well, we're gonna have to see what Mr. Bossy Pants has to say about that since he keeps directing me around.” Frank rapidly looked to Gerard, putting him on the spot. “Do I have your permission to play with my kids today, or will I be benched again for being pregnant?”

“Absolutely, just so long as you take it easy.” Gerard granted before letting out a monstrous roar to initiate the start of the game. All three kids began to scream with joy, two of them taking off and the last one kicking his legs with excitement to join in. Setting him on his feet, the couple gave the kids a minute to reach the fort safely before rushing over to join in on the game.”