I Really Need You Here, Yeah, I Need You, So Don't Leave.

************************************************************************************************************
************************************************************************
************************************

Ahren's POV

"Ahren! Slow down!" Melanie yells.

"Shit, not you!" I scream and I keep running, Joel not that far behind me. That is, until I smack into Caleb Shomo.

"Ahren? Are you okay?"

"Fucking hide me!" I whisper-yell. Caleb nods and we turn the corner, soon entering his bus.

"You want to tell me what that was all about?"

"Remember that party on Blessthefall's bus a month ago?"

"Yeah, you and Joel played tonsil hockey. Thank you for following through with Beau's dare. For some ungodly reason, seeing you and Joel gave Cody a boner, and we ended up sleeping together."

"You're welcome, I guess. Anyways, when you all cleared out of the lounge, I drunkenly told Joel I was in love with him, he said it back, and then we fucked. Caleb, I Iet my cousin's boyfriend fuck me while we were drunk and now I'm pregnant!"

"Well shit."

"I was running from Joel and Melanie intercepted me, but I ran from her too."

"SHOMO! I KNOW YOU'RE HIDING HIM!" Joel yells, banging on the bus door.

"I should talk to him, shouldn't I?'

"Well, you are carrying his child."

************************************************************************************************************
************************************************************************
************************************

Ahren's POV Still

"So, we're having a baby?"

"Yes." I reply, taking a sip of coffee. Decaf, because of the baby. I'm not a completely irresponsible human being. I know I can't do drugs, drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, or have a shit ton of caffeine while pregnant. Not that I do drugs in the first place, but still.

"Where does this leave us, exactly?"

"Joel, you're dating my cousin. I've already screwed up by having sex with her boyfriend and ending up getting pregnant from the whole ordeal. I'm not going to beg you to marry me right the hell now and I'm not going to blackmail you into leaving Mel for me."

"Do you have feelings for me?"

"We've already gone over this! If I do, they don't fucking matter!"

"I want a straight answer, 'Ren."

"Fine! But this answer isn't straight, because I'm not. I'm in love with you and you'll never love me back because you're nothing less than straight and dating my cousin Melanie who's a thousand times better than m-" Joel cuts me off by kissing me. "What the hell was that!?"

"Stop comparing yourself to Melanie. She is not better than you. I told her about what happened between you and I, and she broke up with me. She's on her way to the airport to catch a flight back to Gympie right now."

"Do you want me or not?" Joel looks at me like I'm crazy. "Birch! Get your mind out of the gutter!"

"I'm just joking, relax. Though, I wouldn't mind it if you did mean it like that. Ever since the day after that party, bits and pieces of what happened between us in Blessthefall's back lounge have been coming back to me. I've been dying to have you under me since then."

"Joel, what the hell are you getting on about? The only interest you've shown in men happened when you were drunk."

"I've been in love with you for quite some time. I just haven't admitted it to myself. But now, I know."

"You're in love with me? But you're straight and perfect and I'm a fucking ugly gay ass whale."

"If anyone here is perfect, it's you. There's nothing wrong with the fact that you're gay, you're actually hot and fucking adorable, not ugly, and you're rather skinny."

"You say that now, but in a few months, I'm going to be the size of a fucking whale."

"No, you're going to be adorable and gorgeous because you're carrying our child. Your impending weight gain will be a good thing."

"I suppose you're right. Now Joel. If you want me, then you can come get me. I need to go clear my head. And just remember, I don't fuck on the first date." I reply, throwing away my empty coffee cup and walking out of Starbucks.

************************************************************************************************************
************************************************************************
************************************

Joel's POV

"Shit." I mutter under my breath. He said he needs to go clear his head. The water. Whether it be a lake, pond, river, sea, or ocean, e always goes to the water when he's stressed. And lucky for both of us, we're about a five minute walk from Lake Huron. I'm thankful that Michigan has so many fucking lakes, because when Ahren can't find water, he turns to bottling up his emotions and eventually snapping.

************************************************************************************************************
************************************************************************
************************************

Ahren's POV

Joel most likely knows I'm here. He knows damn well that when I'm stressed, I sit on the banks of a body of water for an hour. As if on cue, Joel runs over to me. "Ahren!"

"You know I need at least an hour."

"I do, but this can't wait. It's very important."

"Fine. Shoot."

Joel gets down on one knee. What the hell!? "Ahren Stringer, will you do me the honor of being my boyfriend?"

"Only if you, Joel Birch, will be the father of our unborn child."

************************************************************************************************************
************************************************************************
************************************

Ahren's POV Still, Later That Night

"Christ, Joel." I moan as Joel's hips roll against mine. Thank god for hotel nights.

"Fuck."

"I thought you didn't do that on the first date?"

"With people who aren't you, yes. You've already impregnated me, and you don't sleep around so I know you're clean. Why not?"

"Fantastic." Joel says, grinning.

************************************************************************************************************
************************************************************************
************************************

Ahren's POV Still

"Ahren, wake up." Joel says, lightly shaking my shoulder.

"Mmph." I mumble.

"We have to head out to Cleveland. Get up."

"I'm dead."

"You better not be. I'd go insane."

"I'm tired and pregnant. Do I have to get up at this exact second?"

"While you were comatose, I managed to put clean clothes on both of us and pack our shit, which I already took down to the bus. All you have to do is stand in an elevator and walk into a bus."

"Meh. I'm going to stay here. This bed is my new baby daddy."

"I'm hurt!" Joel shouts, clutching his chest. I roll over and start fall asleep, and an attempt to get my ass down to the bus, Joel picks me up bridal style and carries me out of the room and into an elevator.

************************************************************************************************************
************************************************************************
************************************