Give Me Your Heart

Staring at the door which stood ahead of him, Gerard closed his eyes for a moment, trying to work up the nerve to knock. It had been a few days, after he and Riley had had coffee, he had opted to take a few days to wrap his head around the idea that she was carrying their child, but he knew that he had to talk to her eventually, even if he wasn’t 100% about what he wanted to say, he knew that he had to say something. Taking a deep breath, he pushed himself forwards and carefully tapped on the door, waiting a few seconds before Riley pulled it open, her expression softening a little at the sight of him. “Gerard” she breathed “I…I wasn’t expecting you” she noted gently.

“I know” Gerard noted gently “But would you mind? I think we need to talk, don’t we?” he babbled.

Riley nodded her head before she stepped out of the doorway, allowing him to follow her inside and through to the familiar living room. It hadn’t changed much, the apartment was still largely the same as it had been when he had left it a few weeks previous, but still it felt a little strange to be back. He had assumed that he had set foot in it for the last time after he had left Riley asleep the morning after they’d agreed to break up. “Do you want anything to eat? I was just about to make myself some lunch” Riley noted.

Gerard, who’d been quietly admiring the familiar room, shook his head. “I’m fine, thanks” he noted gently.

Riley offered him a slightly dubious look before she nodded. “OK” she noted gently “What exactly do you want to talk about?” she posed as she moved to sit on the couch, folding her legs beneath her slightly.

Gerard snorted. “Really, Riley?” he quipped.

Riley shook her head a little. “Sorry” she murmured, fiddling with her watch “This is more than a little awkward, isn’t it?” she quipped.

Gerard nodded. The awkward atmosphere in the room was almost palpable.

“How’ve you been?” Riley posed softly. She knew that it wasn’t what he wanted to talk about, the way his eyes drifted down towards her stomach occasionally confided that he only had one thing on her mind, but Riley wanted to ease into it. She wanted to relax a little before they discussed the elephant in the room.

Gerard offered her a small frown before he moved to sit at her side, letting out a small nervous breath. “I’ve been OK” he noted gently “Things have been going along well with Barcelona and I am enjoying it” he enthused.

Riley nodded. “And your new girlfriend?” she posed.

Gerard stiffened a little, something which made Riley shake her head. “You thought I didn’t know?” she quipped.

“I didn’t envisage you kept up to date with the goings-on in my life” Gerard countered gently, his expression a little soft. It had caught him off guard, the idea that Riley knew about the woman he had been seeing, and he wanted to keep things vague. The last thing he wanted was to upset Riley by talking too much about the new woman in his life.

“I don’t” Riley quipped “But Cassidy saw a picture of the two of you out at dinner a couple of weeks ago and she brought it home to show it to me. I have no idea why, but your girlfriend, she’s very pretty” she babbled softly, a soft pink tint appearing on her cheeks.

Gerard looked at her for a second before he shook his head. “I want to be involved, Riley” he murmured softly, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen over them.

“You do?” Riley posed.

“That surprises you?” Gerard countered.

“A little” Riley admitted softly.

Gerard shook his head slightly. “I want to be around, Riley” he noted gently “This is my baby too and if you’re going to go ahead with it…”

“I am” Riley interjected softly.

Gerard nodded. “Then I am going to be here” he confirmed softly.

Riley offered him a slightly uncertain look before she nodded, quirking a shy smile. “You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that” she murmured softly.

Gerard shook his head, a slight grin pulling at the corner of his mouth. “You really thought I would duck out?” he pressed.

“The timing is not exactly fantastic” Riley quipped “And we’re not exactly comfortable being around one another right now, and that’s without mentioning your new girlfriend, I figured that it would be…”

“Riley” Gerard interjected gently “I don’t care how awkward it is, or how complicated things are, you and me are going to be parents and that is not something I am just going to shy away from, OK?” he posed, his hand moving to take hers, squeezing the smaller extremity gently.

Riley glanced down at their hands for a second before she shook her head. “We’re going to have a baby, Gerard” she murmured softly.

Gerard quirked a little smile at the sound of awe in her voice before he lifted her hand, pressing a soft kiss against the warm skin. “You know, I am going to be beside you every step right?” he murmured gently.

Riley, whose cheeks had turned a soft shade of pink, nodded. “I am glad that you will be” she noted softly.

Gerard offered her another soft smile before he looked down at her stomach, a sight that made Riley smile a little. “You can touch it, you know” she noted softly “There’s not much of a bump or anything, but if you wanted to…”

Riley’s words trailed off a little as Gerard stretched his hand out, settling it against the front of her shirt. “Hola, little one” he murmured softly “I know you’re still a while away from joining us, but me, and your madre, we’re going to do the best we can for you. You’re our little blob” he insisted gently.

“I’m only 7 weeks in” Riley reminded him softly “We’ve still got a long way to go” she added.

Gerard nodded his head gently. “I know” he noted gently “But I want them to know. We’re in this together” he added gently before he ducked his head, pressing a kiss to the front of her shirt.

Riley peeked down at him, a soft smile on her face before she shook her head quietly, not sure of what the next 7 and a half months held for the two of them.