Liking You Never Came Easy

"Hey guys, I think I'm going to go look for Syn. Matt will you come with me?" I pouted.

Matt gave me a warm, reassuring smile that made his eyes glimmer. "Sure thing, sweetheart."

I crawled out of Matt's strong and warm embrace and slipped off of the couch, or well, I tried to get up off of the couch by myself. It becomes quite difficult to get up off of furniture when you have a stomach that's the size of a basketball, seeing this Matt pulled me up off of the couch. I smiled gratefully at him and we got ready to leave. Matt tossed his sweatshirt at me and I caught it.

"It's cold out there, and I figure that there is only one place Syn will be."

Zacky stood up from his crouched position in the corner and cleared his throat. "He's probably at the park, under the jungle gym."

"Under the jungle gym? Well, I never would have guessed to look there. Come on Tyler, let's go."

We walked silently down the corridors of the luxurious boarding school and stepped outside of the building. A rush of cold air burst into my face as we walked down the crowded sidewalk, littered with business men, mothers with their children, dogs and any other people that were out wandering the streets. The early spring air blew tendrils of my hair in sporadic directions, a shiver ran down my spine and I pulled Matt's sweatshirt even tighter around my body.

"Are you cold?"

I nodded my head, "yeah I am, just a little."

"Here." Matt placed his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into him. I sighed and lowered my head onto his shoulder, "Matt, what's going to happen to us?"

He looked down at me with sympathetic eyes, "I really don't know Tyler, I really don't know. I'm the least of your worries though, I've had a scare like this once before. It all worked out in the end, turns out that the baby wasn't even mine and she was just using it as an excuse to tie me down to her. I know you would never do that, you're too caring and kind-hearted." He grinned down at me and continued talking, "Syn's going to need some time to think things through, not just the fact that you're pregnant with either his child or mine, but also why he's been acting like such an idiot lately. I mean, honestly, did you see that girl that he's been dating this week? She was great at the strip club but I don't see how he could actually start a relationship with that, she was all over you and you're a chick. Granted, it was kind of hot but that is completely beside the point; she's way too fast for love"

"Unfortunately for her, I don't swing that way anyway, especially with sluts."

Matt laughed, "I just think that he's going through a really confusing time. He was a mess after you left, he didn't sleep or eat for days. He sat in your bed all day and just cried and drank. We were all a mess, Zacky was pretty bad too but nowhere near as bad as Syn. I-"

He was about to say something else when I cut him off, "sorry to cut you off but I see a park up ahead, do you think he went to that one?"

"Syn's never been much of a rolling stone, he casually meanders around but he never strays too far from home. I'd say that's where we'll find him."

Matt and I walked down the road and onto the path that lead up, through the park. My body shook with nervousness but I tried to brush the bad thoughts away. I bowed my head in shame as we walked closer to the jungle gym. Eyes transfixed on my beat up shoes, I slowed my pace to a crawl and kicked at the rock-covered ground. Matt soothingly rubbed my back and whispered words of encouragement into my ear, as we neared closer and closer to our destination. We stopped just outside of the jungle gym and I took a deep breath, exhaling slowly, desperately trying to mustar up a grain of courage within myself.

I snapped my gaze from my shoes up to Matt's warm eyes. "Go on Hun, he won't hurt you and if he does I'm right here. I'll kick his ass."

"Well, it's now or never..." I was about to make my way underneath the jungle gym when the blonde girl from back in the room emmerged from under it. She was yelling curse words at someone and I could barely make out a male's voice. That voice belonged to Syn, it had to. I strained to hear what he was saying and I could faintly make out the last sentence he said to the blonde. 'I'm sorry Cassie, I just can't lead you on anymore. I can't be with you, it's not right for either of us. You're a great girl and any guy would be lucky to have you but I love her, she might be having my child and if it is mine then I want to be there for her. For them.' The blonde, who I had come to know as Cassie, shot me a glare and stormed out of the park.

I quietly and cautiously approached the jungle gym. I peered underneath the wooden structure and my eyes met Syn's tear-filled brown orbs. I carefully slipped underneath, as to not hit my stomach and sat Indian-style across from Syn.

"Brian, we need to talk about this. I know you're unhappy but you need to know that I didn't plan this, any of this. I only left because I couldn't bare to tell you that I had cheated on you with Matt. I felt like a cheap whore and after I found out that I was pregnant it became increasingly hard to come back and tell both of you about the baby. I know I must have hurt you and you most likely hate me now, but you've got to believe that those were not my intentions."

Syn rose a hand up to my face and gently caressed my cheek. He pulled me onto his lap and wrapped his arms around my body, enveloping me in a hug. It was only then that I'd realized how much I had really missed him, missed being in his arms, being around him in general. I deeply inhaled his scent and it put me at ease.

"Tyler." Syn whispered in a hoarse tone. "I don't hate you, I never have and never will. I was hurt, yes. Heart broken actually but I was never really mad at you, I was mad at myself. I was a wreck for the first few months you were gone, I stayed in bed and just drank my days away. The guys became really concerned and Matt decided to sit down and have a talk with me. He made me feel a bit better and instead of turning to the bottle again I tried to move on. I picked up Cassie and denied to myself the feelings that I had for you. The feelings I still have. I'm so in love with you Tyler."

"I love you too Brian, I never stopped. It was so hard to stay away from you for five months. I never want to be away from you again."

"Nor I you." He bent down and gently kissed my lips. How I'd missed his hugs and kisses.

"Do you think that I could touch your stomach?"

"Of course you can, hun." I pulled his arm down and placed it on my tummy. He gently rubbed his hand back and forth over the big bump and smiled.

"Wow, she kicked, I felt her kick! How cool is that? I hope she's mine but even if she's not mine and she ends up being Matt's baby, I know that he'll take good care of her. He's like a brother to me and I will never leave you no matter how this turns out."

"I know Brian, I hope she's yours too but even if she's not I'll still be happy, a bit disappointed but not angry. Matt's a great guy, he's been like a brother to me and I know that he will definitely take care of this baby in any way he can, if it end's up being his."

Syn nodded in agreement and sniffed, "I think that we should head back now, it's getting kind of dark outside and the cliuds are starting to roll in. I think we're in for another rain storm."

"Good idea." Syn crawled out from udner the jungle gym and bent down, I grabbed his outstretched hand and he gently hoisted me up. I dusted off my pants and rose to my feet.

Matt was laying down on the yellow slide, waiting for us. A smile plastered across his face. "So, what's the verdict? Are you guys back together for good this time?"

Syn and I exchanged glances and nodded simultaneously. Matt jumped up from the slide and gave each of us a tight hug, "thank God!"

"Matt, I realize that you're happy but you really need to watch what you're doing with those muscles. Can't breathe." I choked out.

Matt blushed and slowly let go of me. "Sorry about that, I get carried away sometimes, I forget just how strong I am." He smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head.

Syn and I started to laugh uncontrollably at Matt's embarrassment and soont here after, he joined in as well. Once the rounds of laughter died down it became quiet and Syn said, "we really should be heading back now. It's going to pour buckets soon."

Matt and I nodded in agreement and we resumed the journey back home. I was so thankful when we finally reached the school, Syn was right. The minute after we left the park, huge sheets of rain began to cascade down from the sky. I couldn't run so we were forced to speed walk. We ran up the stairs to the room Syn and I shared and burst through the door. We were soaked to the bone and freezing from the cold. Johnny grabbed some blankets from the cupboard and hurried over to us. He covered us up and ushered us to the couch. Jimmy frantically searched for some dry clothes and brought them over.

"Tyler, you go get changed first. We don't need you getting sick with a baby on the way."

I got up from my spot on the couch, leaving the blanket behind. I quickly changed into the plain black t-shirt and plaid pajama pants. I laughed at the thought that these pants had once bagged off of me and now they were a perfect fit. I left the bathroom and when I walked into the living room, both Syn and Matt had changed already. I ventured over to the couch and plunked down on Syn's lap. I tilted my head back, resting it in the crook of his neck. Syn ran a caring hand through my hair and I smiled. The mixture of his steady heartbeat, the rise and fall of his chest and the warmth that his body brought to me, lulling me into a peaceful realm of sleep.