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

Chapter 195: I Want To Meet Them

“Twins?” Michael repeated incredulously, his glaring eyes expanding in wonder. “My niece and nephew are twins?”

Pleased by his brother’s unmistakable interest in his children, Gerard’s guard evaporated with the span of a smile. “Yeah, they’re twins. Lorenzo Davion Iero Way, and Venetia Adeline Iero Way.”

Leaning to the side to take a gander through the back window of his brother’s car for the two children he witnessed him walking out of the grocery store with, Michael inquired with an arched brow. “Is that them? In the car, I mean?”

Stiffening, Gerard’s light brown eyes snapped to his car where his sons Milo and Jovani sat buckled into their car seats, eating the treats they were given for their good behavior in the store. Michael had found out he had a niece and nephew and Gerard just confessed to that…but he never mentioned Lorenzo’s and Venetia’s two siblings and soon-to-be baby brother or sister. Wincing inwardly, Gerard gradually returned his eyes to his brother’s face and felt sick to his stomach for what he was about to report next. “No. That’s not them…actually, it’s…it’s their brothers.”

Michael had to do a double take before his jaw dropped at the cognizance of what his brother was meaning. His animosity at his brother’s secrecy resurfaced again. “Brothers!? As in…you have two more besides the fucking twins that I don’t know about too!?”

“Lower your voice, Mikey!” Gerard hissed at him, not wishing for his boys to hear and become spooked enough to cry. When his brother gave in by shutting his mouth, raised both hands in forfeit and began to pace in place, Gerard continued. “And yes, I have two more kids!”

Sighing loudly through his nose, Michael tackled to cool the fires of treachery inside him at not knowing he had a niece and nephew in the world…or nephews in this case. Jogging around in place, he shook off the remaining flames before facing his brother again. He was composed better than before but there was still a fire in him, it was the fire of innate determination to get HIS way now. “I wanna see them. Face to face, Gerard. No pictures. No words of description. I want to meet them right now.”

Taken aback by his command while at the same time his heart happily enlarged at it, Gerard knew his brother wouldn’t take no for an answer. And to be honest, he didn’t want to fight him on this. Michael was the uncle to his four kids soon-to-be five, more than anything both Ways wanted his involvement in their lives. Surveying his surroundings as if his disapproving husband was nearby spying, Gerard inquired. “Are you cooled down enough? Because I won’t let you see them if you’re gonna scare them.”

“I’m calm.” Michael promised him, making a wave of tranquility swaddled him in a cozy blanket.

Gerard gave him a nod before holding up a hand for him to wait where he was. Walking along to the side of the car, he opened the door to be greeted by a chocolate covered Jovani grinning up at him. Grabbing a hand wipe from the packet he kept in all his coats, he quickly wiped his little hands and then unbuckled him from his car seat. Carrying out on his hip to his brother, he lifted the young boy and extended him out to his brother with a proud smile. “This is Jovani Ellis Iero Way. He’s the third one after the twins.”

“Iero-Way, huh?” Michael recited, his eyes transfixed on the tiny child as he took hold of him and properly rested him on his hip too. He couldn’t tear his eyes away as he examined the baby-wipe scented child that was inspecting him just as meticulously.

“Yeah, Iero for Frank Iero. He and I got married right after Halloween.” Gerard reminded him of that sensitive news that he also kept from him too. “He’s my husband now.”

“Fucking asshole.” Michael grumbled with an eye roll, still riveted on Jovani.

“Watch your damn mouth, Mikey, you’re holding my kid.” Gerard cautioned him before going back to the car and retrieving Milo next who also was a mess due to his brother painting his face with his chocolate hands. Returning to his brother, he aided his younger sibling in accurately receiving another baby-wipe scented child next on his opposite arm. “And this is our newest, Milo Ivone Iero-Way.”

Michael inspected the next one just as intensively while Jovani got to playing with the string of his hood. “So what do you and your husband have going on here? Some kind of surrogacy plan?”

Assuming he was asking where these kids came from considering their parents were both males, Gerard opted not to tell him the truth yet. Frank’s womb was his own business to share, not his husband’s. “It’s kinda complicated, actually.”

“Kinda complicated.” Michael repeated before glancing at his brother suspiciously. “Is that also the reason you hadn’t told me about my niece and nephews, or was it because of your husband?”

Gerard nodded, giving him at least that. “I can’t lose Frankie, Mikey. He’s everything to me, you already know that.”

“I get it.” Michael sighed wearily. The two brothers huddled together to both marvel at the two little lives in his arms. Gerard went on and on about the two with such pride in his eyes it was hard for Michael not to care just as much. Laughing here and there, and reminiscing on their own brotherly history, the youngest Way decided to disclose something he swore he’d keep from his own brother as an act of revenge. “Masika is pregnant again.”

“She’s what?!” Gerard exclaimed in astonishment, barely able to contain himself from shouting it and scaring his own kids. His light brown eyes glistened with overjoyed tears he wouldn’t let himself shed as he grinned at his little brother with excitement. “I’m gonna be an Uncle again?”

“Yeah.” Michael answered nonchalantly though his eyes showed he was highly entertained by his brother’s feedback. “I’m glad you're happy about it.”

“Of course I’m happy about it!” Gerard gushed, thrilled by the likelihood of being an Uncle this time. “Aren’t you?”

“I am, I’m just…kinda scared at the same time. More scared actually.” Michael admitted with a shrug, aware that Milo was chewing on the other string of his hood. “I don’t know the first thing about being a dad, you know? The last thing I want is to mess all of this up like I did last time.”

“Hey, everything is going to be fine. You got me now.” Gerard promised his brother as he placed a steady comforting hand on his shoulder. When Michael looked him in the eye to see if he was serious, he went on. “If you need any guidance or just someone to talk to, you can reach me at any time of the day or night, okay? Like you, I want to do right too. I failed you once, Mikey, there won’t be a second time.”

“Thanks, Gee.” Michael appreciated before lowering his eyes to the two little ones in his arms. “So…when can I meet the other two? The twins.”

“About that…” Gerard drawled, nervously biting his lower lip.

Seeing his hesitation, Michael rolled his eyes with a sigh. “Great, here it comes.”

“Look, Mikey, I do want them to meet you, it's just…” Gerard stumbled a little, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously.

“Spill it, Gerard!” Michael snapped at him softly, not wanting to frighten the children in his arms. “We don’t got all day to beat around the bush. Be straight with me, I can take it.”

“I just don’t want to have to do it behind my husband’s back!” Gerard finally spelled it out for him. This matter might be something difficult for his brother to understand because nothing has ever held Gerard back from saying or doing what he wanted before, but things are different now. He was a happily married man and a devoted father, he wasn’t about to jeopardize that not even for his brother. “I’ve been struggling to figure out a way for days, man! I don’t know how I’m supposed to go about it.”

“I can just drop in on you two like I did today.” Michael jested with a grin. “If I keep it up every once and while I’m sure old Frankie will let up one of these days and let me see the kids.”

Not seeing that as a disastrous idea, Gerard agreed wholeheartedly with it, not having a superior solution. “Dude, I would actually appreciate that!”

Michael stared at his brother, expecting him to start laughing at him at any moment. When he didn’t, the younger of the two weighed further in on the idea. Perhaps him dropping in was what Frank needed. The two never got along in the past for good reasons. But if Michael had to kiss ass in order to get his brother back and see his niece and nephews regularly, then that’s just what he’ll have to do.