Status: Haitus
What Do You Want From Me?
07
Delaney was nervous. Was freaked out the escalation of nervous? Ok, so she was freaked out. Panic and anxiety was running through her veins making any sort of rational thought or the ability to concentrate on even the simplest was impossible in this moment. She was cursing Jack Barakat for catching her in a weak moment.
Jack had gone back home the day after spontaneously showing up and discovering Delaney was pregnant. He had spent the rest of his time with her attempting to convince her to tell everyone that she was pregnant. She was stubborn though. In no universe did she believe it to be a good idea to tell everyone about her pregnancy, at least not yet. She wasn't ready for the questions, and she knew there would be a lot of questions. And she knew she couldn't answer most of them.
Jack was mostly understanding. He didn't agree. He didn't approve. But he also knew it wasn't his decision to make or his secret to spread. So he agreed to pretend that life was continuing on as normal, even though they both knew that life was not going to be normal anymore.
He talked to Delaney constantly, calling even more than he had previously. He'd walk into another room from wherever everyone else was to be able to talk to her privately. He always asked her how she was feeling, what she was eating, her general mood. He listened to everything she had to tell him, everything she worried about, every little complaint she had about anything, no matter how absurd anything she said sounded.
Everyone took notice of the more secretive, more frequent calls that Jack was sharing with Delaney, especially Alex. Both Delaney and Jack had insisted to him that there was nothing between them anymore, but what Alex was witnessing said more than what either of them was admitting to was happening. And while he would never tell anyone, never say it out loud, he didn't like the idea of Jack and Delaney getting back together.
Jack had noticed that Alex was pushing more about his phone calls with Delaney. Jack could tell the idea of Delaney and himself getting even closer was really putting Alex on edge. He felt bad. Whether Alex would admit it or not, he had fallen for Delaney sometime during the course of their hooking up. Jack could see it in Alex's actions and his words. He didn't want Jack to be with Delaney, because he wanted to be with Delaney.
And that's why Jack asked Delaney to pick them up from the airport. Which was the cause of all of Delaney's current anxiety.
She was standing in the airport, exhausted. Even though she was getting close to 5 months, and she was definitely showing at this point, the nausea had yet to cease, with no set schedule on when it came on. While she had managed to find some foods that seemed to be kinder to her body than others, she still struggled with managing day to day life with the constant sickness. Add in the weight gain and the unpredictable changing emotions, and Delaney felt like she was facing constant whiplash.
She had even argued with Jack about picking him up, because it would be more than obvious to everyone that Delaney was pregnant. And the brunette was quite alright with putting off explaining her current medical condition for as long as possible. She hadn't decided what she was going to tell everyone else. She didn't have any answers prepared for the questions that were bound to be asked. She wasn't ready for this at all.
Jack, however, had argued relentless with her. She was always the one to pick up Jack. Ever since they first started dating, Delaney had always picked up Jack when they returned from tour. She had even gone out of her way several times to make sure that she was the one to be there to pick up Jack. When they decided they were better as friends, Delaney made sure to be the one to pick up Jack at the airport the following tour, to ensure that they both knew that some things wouldn't change. Jack argued that nothing had changed in all those other pick ups, and nothing had changed now, and he wanted her there this time as she had been there all those other times.
So she had finally relented and agreed to be there for the pick up, as had become customary. However, the closer the day got, the worst her anxiety got, and the harder it became to shut off her brain. She couldn't stop the constant thoughts that were overwhelming her brain relentlessly. While she knew that meeting Jack at the airport meant more than most things between them, seeing Alex, stomach protruding and not knowing what to say once he saw her, well, that was almost enough to make her back out. But she didn't.
So here she stood, in a jacket that was already snug on her body now that her stomach had expanded, bouncing on the balls on her feet as she searched nervously for the boys that had grown to be her best friends. Her eyes were heavy, having not slept much of last night sick (more than likely from nerves than the baby if she is being honest). She wanted nothing more than to go home, curl up in bed, and pass out. Which she planned on doing as soon as possible. All she had to do was get Jack, take him home, and she could go to bed. If she was too tired, she could even steal his bed from him rather than going back home.
Her eyes scanned the crowd, looking for any familiar faces, and it wasn't long before her eyes caught sight of Jack, picking up pace the second that their eyes locked. She couldn't help the smile that stretched across her tired face, because it would always be a good sight to see Jack home safe and sound.
"Laney! You came!" He said as he approached her, being careful of her stomach as he reached down to pull her in for a firm hug. She chuckled, wrapping her arms around Jack in return, inhaling his scent. She calmed a bit instantly, because he just had that effect on her. He was her best friend, and just having him close again made everything a little bit less worrisome.
"Of course I came." She whispered in his ear as he hugged her. "I'd never miss picking you up." She said, pulling back with a small smile that he returned instantly.
"Woah Laney!" Zack said, as the rest of the group approached. It was obvious by his tone that Zack had already caught sight of her enlarged torso. "Got something to share with the rest of the class?"
"What are you talking about....woah" Rian claimed as he got closer, eyes widening as he looked at the pale brunette. "What the hell Laney?"
"Why are you all standing like statues? Is Laney here yet to pick us up?" Alex asked, staring at his phone as he stopped next to Rian. When no one answered, he looked up, his eyes bulging a bit at the sight of Delaney, stomach enlarged, with Jack holding on to her. "What the hell?"
Delaney lifted her hand a bit, giving a small wave to the boys. "Uh hey all. Welcome home?" She meant it more as a statement, but it came out as more of a question. With all eyes on her and her pregnant belling, she felt uncomfortable.
"You're pregnant?" Alex asked, his mouth going dry as he looked at the scene in front of him.
"Can we not do this right now?" She asked quietly, and if they hadn't been listening, they wouldn't have heard her over the rest of the noise in baggage claim. "I haven't really slept and I'm kinda starving. I just. I can't do this right here." She said kinda quietly, Jack rubbing her shoulder, arm still wrapped around her.
"Well, I guess let's go get food so that you can catch us up?" Rian suggested, and after a nervous glance. Delaney sighed and agreed.
This was not what she had planned for today at all.
Jack had gone back home the day after spontaneously showing up and discovering Delaney was pregnant. He had spent the rest of his time with her attempting to convince her to tell everyone that she was pregnant. She was stubborn though. In no universe did she believe it to be a good idea to tell everyone about her pregnancy, at least not yet. She wasn't ready for the questions, and she knew there would be a lot of questions. And she knew she couldn't answer most of them.
Jack was mostly understanding. He didn't agree. He didn't approve. But he also knew it wasn't his decision to make or his secret to spread. So he agreed to pretend that life was continuing on as normal, even though they both knew that life was not going to be normal anymore.
He talked to Delaney constantly, calling even more than he had previously. He'd walk into another room from wherever everyone else was to be able to talk to her privately. He always asked her how she was feeling, what she was eating, her general mood. He listened to everything she had to tell him, everything she worried about, every little complaint she had about anything, no matter how absurd anything she said sounded.
Everyone took notice of the more secretive, more frequent calls that Jack was sharing with Delaney, especially Alex. Both Delaney and Jack had insisted to him that there was nothing between them anymore, but what Alex was witnessing said more than what either of them was admitting to was happening. And while he would never tell anyone, never say it out loud, he didn't like the idea of Jack and Delaney getting back together.
Jack had noticed that Alex was pushing more about his phone calls with Delaney. Jack could tell the idea of Delaney and himself getting even closer was really putting Alex on edge. He felt bad. Whether Alex would admit it or not, he had fallen for Delaney sometime during the course of their hooking up. Jack could see it in Alex's actions and his words. He didn't want Jack to be with Delaney, because he wanted to be with Delaney.
And that's why Jack asked Delaney to pick them up from the airport. Which was the cause of all of Delaney's current anxiety.
She was standing in the airport, exhausted. Even though she was getting close to 5 months, and she was definitely showing at this point, the nausea had yet to cease, with no set schedule on when it came on. While she had managed to find some foods that seemed to be kinder to her body than others, she still struggled with managing day to day life with the constant sickness. Add in the weight gain and the unpredictable changing emotions, and Delaney felt like she was facing constant whiplash.
She had even argued with Jack about picking him up, because it would be more than obvious to everyone that Delaney was pregnant. And the brunette was quite alright with putting off explaining her current medical condition for as long as possible. She hadn't decided what she was going to tell everyone else. She didn't have any answers prepared for the questions that were bound to be asked. She wasn't ready for this at all.
Jack, however, had argued relentless with her. She was always the one to pick up Jack. Ever since they first started dating, Delaney had always picked up Jack when they returned from tour. She had even gone out of her way several times to make sure that she was the one to be there to pick up Jack. When they decided they were better as friends, Delaney made sure to be the one to pick up Jack at the airport the following tour, to ensure that they both knew that some things wouldn't change. Jack argued that nothing had changed in all those other pick ups, and nothing had changed now, and he wanted her there this time as she had been there all those other times.
So she had finally relented and agreed to be there for the pick up, as had become customary. However, the closer the day got, the worst her anxiety got, and the harder it became to shut off her brain. She couldn't stop the constant thoughts that were overwhelming her brain relentlessly. While she knew that meeting Jack at the airport meant more than most things between them, seeing Alex, stomach protruding and not knowing what to say once he saw her, well, that was almost enough to make her back out. But she didn't.
So here she stood, in a jacket that was already snug on her body now that her stomach had expanded, bouncing on the balls on her feet as she searched nervously for the boys that had grown to be her best friends. Her eyes were heavy, having not slept much of last night sick (more than likely from nerves than the baby if she is being honest). She wanted nothing more than to go home, curl up in bed, and pass out. Which she planned on doing as soon as possible. All she had to do was get Jack, take him home, and she could go to bed. If she was too tired, she could even steal his bed from him rather than going back home.
Her eyes scanned the crowd, looking for any familiar faces, and it wasn't long before her eyes caught sight of Jack, picking up pace the second that their eyes locked. She couldn't help the smile that stretched across her tired face, because it would always be a good sight to see Jack home safe and sound.
"Laney! You came!" He said as he approached her, being careful of her stomach as he reached down to pull her in for a firm hug. She chuckled, wrapping her arms around Jack in return, inhaling his scent. She calmed a bit instantly, because he just had that effect on her. He was her best friend, and just having him close again made everything a little bit less worrisome.
"Of course I came." She whispered in his ear as he hugged her. "I'd never miss picking you up." She said, pulling back with a small smile that he returned instantly.
"Woah Laney!" Zack said, as the rest of the group approached. It was obvious by his tone that Zack had already caught sight of her enlarged torso. "Got something to share with the rest of the class?"
"What are you talking about....woah" Rian claimed as he got closer, eyes widening as he looked at the pale brunette. "What the hell Laney?"
"Why are you all standing like statues? Is Laney here yet to pick us up?" Alex asked, staring at his phone as he stopped next to Rian. When no one answered, he looked up, his eyes bulging a bit at the sight of Delaney, stomach enlarged, with Jack holding on to her. "What the hell?"
Delaney lifted her hand a bit, giving a small wave to the boys. "Uh hey all. Welcome home?" She meant it more as a statement, but it came out as more of a question. With all eyes on her and her pregnant belling, she felt uncomfortable.
"You're pregnant?" Alex asked, his mouth going dry as he looked at the scene in front of him.
"Can we not do this right now?" She asked quietly, and if they hadn't been listening, they wouldn't have heard her over the rest of the noise in baggage claim. "I haven't really slept and I'm kinda starving. I just. I can't do this right here." She said kinda quietly, Jack rubbing her shoulder, arm still wrapped around her.
"Well, I guess let's go get food so that you can catch us up?" Rian suggested, and after a nervous glance. Delaney sighed and agreed.
This was not what she had planned for today at all.