Take Me By The Hand

Chapter Fifty-Three

One...

Two...

Three...

Three? How many fucking people are on top of me? I can feel someone's hand on my stomach, another hand pressed into my own, and there's what I think is a foot under my ass. There's also a dead weight on my left arm and something twisted around my ankles.

I don't want to open my eyes, but my bladder is fighting with me, and after a few long minutes, it wins the battle and I'm opening my eyes. It useless attempting to scramble off of the bed and not wake anyone. Peering around me, I see that it was Gerard's hand on my stomach, reaching around from where he lies behind me, while Mikey's fingers are twisted tightly around my own, his lanky frame strewn across my arm. It's Josh's body tangled around my feet and shoving his leg under my butt, his hand fisted in the hem of my shirt.

I groan, poking at Josh first with my toes, causing him to wiggle slightly, squirming away, and ultimately flailing comically for a dramatic second before plummeting to the floor. The noise pulls Gerard awake and he stirs behind me.

Josh's head appears at the end of the bed, his blue eyes huge with panic. "What the hell was that for?" He croaks.

I offer a mostly apologetic shrug as I struggle to disentangle my limbs from the Ways. Gerard, now conscious, lets me go easily, but Mikey's hand seems to involuntarily tighten around mine. I sigh and jab a finger into his side. He groans, making this weird horse-sounding noise, and twists away, joining Josh on the floor. Mikey's head comes up a second later with narrowed eyes and a grumbled, "Motherfucker..." before something visibly occurs to him and his hazel eyes are alight with what I think is concern. I don't have time to dissect his expression though, because my bladder is on the verge of exploding. I step over Mikey and race to the bathroom.

I try to avoid my own reflection as I wash my hands, but it's hard when I barely recognize myself as the person staring back. My stomach is huge. Not even the shirt I'm wearing hides the fact that it looks like I'm smuggling a watermelon under my clothes. I frown. What happens once the babies are out? Will the skin just deflate and sag there, all baggy and gross? Or will it just snap back into place like Mr. Fantastic's? Hell, I'm a pregnant guy. I deserve some cool superpowers, I think.

As soon as I emerge from the bathroom, I'm bombarded with two suffocating arms as they wrap around my shoulders, my face immediately pressed into someone's chest.

I take a deep breath. As random as the hug is, I allow my arms to settle around Mikey's thin waist, reveling in the feeling that seems to surround the seemingly simple gesture. I shift a little so my head is tucked under his chin instead of crammed into his chest. I feel his heart beating against my ear and close my eyes.

"I should have been here," Mikey mumbles. His voice cracks a little. I've known Mikey for years and I know his excellent composure abilities-- I've only seen him cry once in his life-- and now I feel him shaking as he hugs me closer. I tighten my own grasp. "I should have fucking been here." It sounds like he's berating himself and I try to shake my head, argue and tell him that there's nothing he could have done, but he's sniffling and pushing on. "What the hell kind of best friend am I, huh? I can't even be here when you need me. I should have been here, Frankie. I'm so sorry."

I'm shaking my head again, pulling back to look up at Mikey. His eyes are red and I feel a pang of guilt. "Mikes, no. Look at me; I'm fine. Okay? I'm alive. I'm walking. No more bleeding. It doesn't hurt. I'm okay."

"And last night?" Mikey insists. His lower lip trembles and it makes my heart ache. "Were you okay last night?"

I can't lie to him, and in all honesty I wanted him there and he wasn't. But I bite my tongue, glancing over to where Gerard and Josh watch us silently. Resigned, I shake my head. "No," I admit. "I was fucking terrified. But I don't blame you, Mikes. There is nothing you could have done to stop it." Grabbing his hand, I move it so his palm is resting on my baby bump. He doesn't look happy still, but he looks less pained. I smile a little. "But since you weren't here, you didn't hear the good news."