RP LOG with timemaychange | Feeling better
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Mel couldn't believe it. She'd managed to keep her breakfast down, and even get through a shower without feeling like she was about to fall over. It felt like a miracle. Her hair was washed and she no longer felt like she smelt like a toilet, or had that icky grimy feel over her skin. She wasn't completely better, but there was definitely an improvement. Just like Nathan seemed to have taken a turn for the better. She found him sitting on the edge of the bed when she came out of the bathroom wrapped up in his bathrobe and pushed her wet, dark locks back from her face as she smiled and dropped down beside him.
Mel's arms slid around his waist and she kissed his cheek before nuzzling in against the crook of his neck. If there was one thing she did like about the whole having an official boyfriend it was that she got to touch him whenever she wanted. And the thing she liked about them both getting better was that she didn't have to worry about pulling away so one of them could go and throw up. "Mm..." she moaned softly. "I like smelling like strawberries again."
Nathan was actually amused that this was the first time in a good few days that he could tolerate her arms around his middle. His stomach had been so sore and tender that it got to the point that cuddling was just a no-no. He had been sitting on the side of the bed indulging in how good it felt not to feel horribly sick, and not to feel like if he moved, bodily fluids would start pouring out of all directions again. It had been a crap few days, to say the least. They got through it somehow, but it was mostly just a fact of doing what they had to do to try and not aggravate feeling ill. By the time it peaked, lying in bed with a bucket was the best option. He still didn't feel 100%, but it was definitely much of an improvement to what it had been. He mostly just felt tired and weak, and although he had stopped throwing up, his stomach was still a little upset and he was keeping close to the bathroom as much as he could. He tucked his arm around her shoulders and rested his chin on her head. "I like not throwing up," he decided, "or being stuck on the toilet for an hour straight. Or gagging on orange juice."
"Or needing to scrub and de-germ the kitchen sink about fifty times. And being able to touch you without being in pain." Mel's grip shifted a little so she could touch her fingers to his chest, watching as she tugged at the fabric of his t-shirt. "I like just being with you."
Nathan was sure he must have lost some weight from being so ill. The shirt didn't feel half as snug on him as it did, but then he had probably stretched it so much in all the uncomfortable rolling over and over he had done when his stomach was aching. "I'm glad to hear that. I think the last few days would pretty much make or break a relationship," he noted, smirking. "It's not been all that pretty."
Mel shook her head. "No, it really hasn't been. I'm glad it's made the relationship. It has, hasn't it?" Mel asked as she shifted to look at him, her eyes searching his face. Mel herself had definitely lost some weight, and she was more than conscious of it given how slender she was in the first place. It made her want to get out and start eating as many burgers as she could get her hands on. Assuming she'd keep them down.
Nathan smiled tiredly back at her and nodded. "I think we did okay. I know neither of has have probably been in the best moods or felt sexy at all, but we didn't run screaming into the night, so that's got to be something, right? And your brother came to visit, and he didn't make killing me the first thing on his agenda, so that's got to be something else, doesn't it?" He couldn't help sounding that hopeful as he said it, and found himself slightly bracing himself for her answer. "I could hear voices when I woke up that evening. I just assumed it was your brother."
Mel bit her lip and looked away briefly. It was true that Matt hadn't made killing Nathan a priority, but she still wasn't sure if Nate was off the hook. "Um, well, yeah... He just knew it sucks to be sick. He was also, um... He's angry he never got to meet you before I told him about the test, and the pregnancy, and the whole being in love thing. I think he's just hurt because me and Randy don't really seem to tell him much these days, but at least he got to meet Randy's boyfriend. You know?"
"Well... yeah... okay. You think that's consolation, though? Like, it's okay he met Randy's boyfriend, so it covers all this that he's missed out on? I don't mean to be a prick, but I can see his point. It's only been recently that Peter was even officially Randy's boyfriend. I don't think it's really the same situation, especially if you've gone to your brother in the past. And this one time you could probably actually really use his support and you don't even ask him for it?" Nathan nodded. "I'd be feeling stung too."
"But I did ask him!" Mel exclaimed as she started to wriggle in her spot. "I did! I mean, I get it, too. And I'm not saying that he's wrong, or you're wrong, or anyone's a prick. I know I hurt him, but I told him, and I asked, and he's still stung. I think he's in shock because of the three weeks thing. That it was so short a time, and he still missed everything. But he didn't really miss anything. I told him pretty much straight after. When we knew for sure."
"Three weeks is a long time when it's your brother," Nathan pointed out with a small shrug. "Someone you probably see most days, or at least talk on the phone. Like you do Randy. And I get that you're probably closer to Randy by default, but maybe he just feels like he didn't get a chance to protect you? I think maybe if it was my little sister telling me she was pregnant after three weeks, I'd really, really wanna kill the guy."
Mel nodded slowly as she curled back into Nate, and rest her head on his shoulder. "I know, and I would. I just got caught up in stuff, which sounds really lame now. I just never meant for him to feel left out with anything. I mean, he's my big brother. No one's like Matty. No one ever will be. And I just... apologise in advance for when you do finally meet him and maybe does kill you a little bit."
Nathan pressed his lips together and nodded. "I'm kind of expecting it. I just wish there was some way I could reassure him. I'm not professing this is going to be easy, or it's all going to be hearts and roses. At the end of the day, we've made a mistake, a big one, and we have to try and deal with that the best way we can. The best way in general and the best way for our consciences. If I could rewind and do it all again, I would make sure your family trusted me and were okay with me being with you before any of this even happened. But that doesn't mean I'm upset it's happened. It was a shock, a huge damn shock, and I still can't believe it, but it's a pretty amazing one."
Mel stilled against him, falling quiet for a long moment as she absorbed what Nathan had said, and ran it through her mind a couple times. She kept pausing on the final comment, and eventually pulled away from him so she could really look at his face. Her hands were resting loosely on him, and she raised her eyebrows a little. "You really believe that it's a pretty amazing mistake? I mean, shock."
Nathan looked at her uncertainly, wavering a little now. "Well, yeah... why wouldn't I? Is that a bad thing?" he asked and started to bite on his lip. He knew that she was the pregnant one here, and was going to be facing some pretty intense times, but the whole issue hadn't been very far from his mind since she took that test, despite feeling as sick as he had been. His mind had kept going back to that, and wavering between how much he missed Caleb, because this was one of those times he probably would have run to his brother for help. It was why he needed to go to Connecticut.
Mel shook her head as she gave him a huge, relieved smile. "No, it's not. Because I've kinda been thinking the same thing, but I was too scared to say. I didn't know if it was just me. I mean, it's full on, and it's pretty major, but it's definitely pretty amazing, too. I wasn't sure if you'd think I was a freak, or not for thinking that." She gave his leg a squeeze, and let out a rush of air. "I'm just glad to hear you thinking the same thing."
Nathan nodded, smiling. "Yeah, I am. I mean, I might have the odd moment of panic as I try to wrap my head around it logistically, but I wasn't lying all those times I said I would love to have kids. It's just a bit unconventional. Well, maybe not even that unconventional in this day and age, you know? At least we know when we did it, and that it was a special moment to us. Not all parents who have accidents can say that." He gave her hand a squeeze. "But you need to make it up to your brother. He's there for you. Trust me, I know what it's like not to have a big brother to run to when things hurt."
"So you were the youngest? Me too," Mel replied with a soft smile. She reached up to push her fingers through his hair, and leaned in to kiss the corner of his mouth softly. "I wasn't lying, either. I want kids. And now that we're going to have one, it's pretty cool. The logistics really are a head fuck, but I think I could handle staying at home with them. I think Matty's worried I'd be throwing my life away, but I don't know... Maybe this is why I could never find a job I really loved? I was meant to wind up here. I don't even know how to start making it up to him. I just feel like I've disappointed him so much."
"He's just in shock," Nathan assured her, brushing his fingers through her hair and threading the soft curls around his thumb. "He'll come around, we just need to let the dust settle. He wants the best for you, and this probably isn't everyone's cup of tea. You know, you could always start your own florist business, work from home. Maybe even just do things like weddings or functions. Or going into a business of all those awesome gift baskets where they use balloons and ribbons like flower arrangements. It's not like you wouldn't be able to get some business."
"I know, and I'm sure it would make him more at ease too if he could just meet you. Make him understand you're not some sister rapist." Mel felt a thrill go through her as he played with her hair, still not sure she'd ever get over the nerves and excitement that came with the small little touches and caresses. She couldn't deny that she enjoyed being on the receiving end of these kinds of attentions. She pressed her lips together as she thought over his suggestion. "Maybe you're onto something there. I'm just not sure I have enough money to start something up. I guess it would depend on what I'm starting up, though. Maybe if I was buying the materials as they orders came in it would be okay. And a website wouldn't really cost that much if I did it that way... I might need to look into some options. You wouldn't mind since the business would be here? I mean, eventually. We have to look at the moving in thing again."
Nathan shrugged a little again. "I've got some cash. It would probably help you get off the ground. Plus, I have a garage out there that is basically just full of shit I need to unpack. I haven't parked my car in there once since I moved in. You could always convert that into a work space. I don't think it would cost that much. I mean, the option is there if you want it. I know it's probably feeling rushed again and all that, but there are options. Plus, I know I work long hours, but I'm not always at work. I'll be around when I can to help out, as much as I can. It's something for you to think about."
Mel bit her lip, and moved so she could perch herself in his lap and give herself a little more height to kiss him. It felt like ages since they'd kissed. Any mouth action had been off the menu just like the hugging had been. "I knew there was a reason I loved you. You seriously have an awesome brain as well as good looks, and a really, really amazing body. And I know you do have times when you're not busy at work, but I don't want you thinking I'll be complaining about it. I won't. And it'd be cool to be able to convert the garage." She looked at him, her eyes widening as she gasped. "Oh my god! I'm having a baby, and I'm talking about converting a garage... I've never had that. Holy shit!"
Nathan raised his eyebrows and laughed. "Hopefully that's a good thing," he said and gave her a soft squeeze. "Is it a good thing?" he asked.
Mel nodded as she giggled, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Yeah, it's a good thing. I still can't believe I met you, let alone any of this happened. Thank you for everything, Nate."
"I'm admittedly a little drained from the whole thing. It feels like a rollercoaster that was over a lot quicker than you anticipated. I mean, I love it. I love you. But I think my body needs to catch up with my brain. They haven't been on the same page this last week. I do just wish we could have gone about it a little better with your family. Was Randy okay with it? We haven't had much of a chance to talk about it in general, but we can do that now," Nathan assured her with a smile.
"Yeah, she was okay with it. She's ready to become an awesome aunty, and back us up. It was a shock for her, but she's my sister and my best friend, and she just stepped up to the plate. I wish it could have gone better, too. We just need to fix things with Matty at least. And maybe my folks, but he thinks they'll be okay with it." Mel rubbed her hand against Nate's back as she hugged him. "Hopefully we'll recover from the rollercoaster at some point. When do you have to go back to work?"
Nathan nodded. "Wednesday, if I'm feeling up to it. But I was thinking about driving back home on the weekend to see my family... and stuff. I thought maybe you could come along, if you wanted to. If it's too soon, I'll get it, but I do need to tell them. I always promised I would tell my Mom if anything dramatic ever happened to me. I've never really been the sort to keep secrets from her. I feel like I'll be able to get my head around it all better once I talk to her. I hope your parents are okay... it's going to suck considering they've never met me. I hope they don't hate me too," he fretted.
"Your mom's never met me either, so I hope she doesn't hate me," Mel said in a hushed tone. "And I'd really like to come if you're sure you want me to go. I was telling Randy about it being something you wanted to do once we knew, but then you never really mentioned it again, and I wasn't sure. Because I would like to go. I don't want you to keep secrets from her, so you definitely need to go. I don't think my parents will hate you. Not once they meet you. If you want to meet them. I'll just tell them first."
Nathan bit down on the corner of his lip. "It's just a bit hard. I've been feeling that gap... the reason I want to go is to visit Cal's grave. I still kinda talk to him when I need to. I know it seems weird and probably a little mental, but it helps. I still feel like he's there somewhere, listening to me ballsing up. I'd love for you to come and see where I grew up, and meet my family. My Mom and my grandparents will love you, I know they will. They just want me happy, and I am. They do also know how much I love kids. I'm not so sure they'll be all that shocked," he added with a laugh. "Maybe you could find out if they want to kill me first, so I can get a head start on an escape plan."
Mel kissed him briefly. "I'm sorry you're feeling the gap, but I more than understand. I'd lend you Randy anytime you wanted a twin chat if I thought it would help. You need to do whatever you need to do. It's not mental at all. I'm sure he is there, but he's supporting you somehow. He's not minding the ballsing up. Not shocked, huh? Well, that's a start. And if you're sure that they'll love me, then I won't sit around being all scared and nervous. Maybe still a little nervous," she added as she held her fingers up to indicate a small amount of space. "Hey, you can't escape without me!"
Nathan laughed and nodded. "I understand the nerves. I will say that you don't have to be, but I understand. There's nothing really too confronting about them. I think you'll love them too," he said with a hopeful smile. "Hey, if your family want to kill me, I think it might be vital! I've not exactly made the best first impression, have I? Getting their youngest pregnant."
She joined in his laughter, and already felt her stomach start to flip at the idea of meeting his family. "I think I'll love them, too, but it's your mom! And I've managed to steal her baby boy's sperm." Mel touched her fingers to his lips and shook her head. "Yeah, but you still want to stick by me, and you want to see this through. You haven't bolted."
Nathan held up his hand. "Oh wait just a minute. I don't remember any stealing going on that night. I think I knew exactly where my sperm was going," he laughed, shaking his head. "It wouldn't have been any other way. There was never a chance I was going to bolt. We both did this, we should both deal with it together."
"Mm... well, so did I. And I didn't exactly want it not to be going there. Therefore there was some stealing." She smiled at him, and brushed her fingers down the side of his face affectionately. "I really do love you, Nathan Mitchell."
"I love you," Nathan returned and then offered a hint of a cheeky smile. "Do you feel up to making out a bit? I'll be gentle," he promised, tickling her side softly.
Mel couldn't help but giggle as she tried to evade his tickling, and failed. "Yeah, I think I can maybe manage it. I mean, if it's doctor's orders, I can't really say no."
Word Count | 3,448
Mel couldn't believe it. She'd managed to keep her breakfast down, and even get through a shower without feeling like she was about to fall over. It felt like a miracle. Her hair was washed and she no longer felt like she smelt like a toilet, or had that icky grimy feel over her skin. She wasn't completely better, but there was definitely an improvement. Just like Nathan seemed to have taken a turn for the better. She found him sitting on the edge of the bed when she came out of the bathroom wrapped up in his bathrobe and pushed her wet, dark locks back from her face as she smiled and dropped down beside him.
Mel's arms slid around his waist and she kissed his cheek before nuzzling in against the crook of his neck. If there was one thing she did like about the whole having an official boyfriend it was that she got to touch him whenever she wanted. And the thing she liked about them both getting better was that she didn't have to worry about pulling away so one of them could go and throw up. "Mm..." she moaned softly. "I like smelling like strawberries again."
Nathan was actually amused that this was the first time in a good few days that he could tolerate her arms around his middle. His stomach had been so sore and tender that it got to the point that cuddling was just a no-no. He had been sitting on the side of the bed indulging in how good it felt not to feel horribly sick, and not to feel like if he moved, bodily fluids would start pouring out of all directions again. It had been a crap few days, to say the least. They got through it somehow, but it was mostly just a fact of doing what they had to do to try and not aggravate feeling ill. By the time it peaked, lying in bed with a bucket was the best option. He still didn't feel 100%, but it was definitely much of an improvement to what it had been. He mostly just felt tired and weak, and although he had stopped throwing up, his stomach was still a little upset and he was keeping close to the bathroom as much as he could. He tucked his arm around her shoulders and rested his chin on her head. "I like not throwing up," he decided, "or being stuck on the toilet for an hour straight. Or gagging on orange juice."
"Or needing to scrub and de-germ the kitchen sink about fifty times. And being able to touch you without being in pain." Mel's grip shifted a little so she could touch her fingers to his chest, watching as she tugged at the fabric of his t-shirt. "I like just being with you."
Nathan was sure he must have lost some weight from being so ill. The shirt didn't feel half as snug on him as it did, but then he had probably stretched it so much in all the uncomfortable rolling over and over he had done when his stomach was aching. "I'm glad to hear that. I think the last few days would pretty much make or break a relationship," he noted, smirking. "It's not been all that pretty."
Mel shook her head. "No, it really hasn't been. I'm glad it's made the relationship. It has, hasn't it?" Mel asked as she shifted to look at him, her eyes searching his face. Mel herself had definitely lost some weight, and she was more than conscious of it given how slender she was in the first place. It made her want to get out and start eating as many burgers as she could get her hands on. Assuming she'd keep them down.
Nathan smiled tiredly back at her and nodded. "I think we did okay. I know neither of has have probably been in the best moods or felt sexy at all, but we didn't run screaming into the night, so that's got to be something, right? And your brother came to visit, and he didn't make killing me the first thing on his agenda, so that's got to be something else, doesn't it?" He couldn't help sounding that hopeful as he said it, and found himself slightly bracing himself for her answer. "I could hear voices when I woke up that evening. I just assumed it was your brother."
Mel bit her lip and looked away briefly. It was true that Matt hadn't made killing Nathan a priority, but she still wasn't sure if Nate was off the hook. "Um, well, yeah... He just knew it sucks to be sick. He was also, um... He's angry he never got to meet you before I told him about the test, and the pregnancy, and the whole being in love thing. I think he's just hurt because me and Randy don't really seem to tell him much these days, but at least he got to meet Randy's boyfriend. You know?"
"Well... yeah... okay. You think that's consolation, though? Like, it's okay he met Randy's boyfriend, so it covers all this that he's missed out on? I don't mean to be a prick, but I can see his point. It's only been recently that Peter was even officially Randy's boyfriend. I don't think it's really the same situation, especially if you've gone to your brother in the past. And this one time you could probably actually really use his support and you don't even ask him for it?" Nathan nodded. "I'd be feeling stung too."
"But I did ask him!" Mel exclaimed as she started to wriggle in her spot. "I did! I mean, I get it, too. And I'm not saying that he's wrong, or you're wrong, or anyone's a prick. I know I hurt him, but I told him, and I asked, and he's still stung. I think he's in shock because of the three weeks thing. That it was so short a time, and he still missed everything. But he didn't really miss anything. I told him pretty much straight after. When we knew for sure."
"Three weeks is a long time when it's your brother," Nathan pointed out with a small shrug. "Someone you probably see most days, or at least talk on the phone. Like you do Randy. And I get that you're probably closer to Randy by default, but maybe he just feels like he didn't get a chance to protect you? I think maybe if it was my little sister telling me she was pregnant after three weeks, I'd really, really wanna kill the guy."
Mel nodded slowly as she curled back into Nate, and rest her head on his shoulder. "I know, and I would. I just got caught up in stuff, which sounds really lame now. I just never meant for him to feel left out with anything. I mean, he's my big brother. No one's like Matty. No one ever will be. And I just... apologise in advance for when you do finally meet him and maybe does kill you a little bit."
Nathan pressed his lips together and nodded. "I'm kind of expecting it. I just wish there was some way I could reassure him. I'm not professing this is going to be easy, or it's all going to be hearts and roses. At the end of the day, we've made a mistake, a big one, and we have to try and deal with that the best way we can. The best way in general and the best way for our consciences. If I could rewind and do it all again, I would make sure your family trusted me and were okay with me being with you before any of this even happened. But that doesn't mean I'm upset it's happened. It was a shock, a huge damn shock, and I still can't believe it, but it's a pretty amazing one."
Mel stilled against him, falling quiet for a long moment as she absorbed what Nathan had said, and ran it through her mind a couple times. She kept pausing on the final comment, and eventually pulled away from him so she could really look at his face. Her hands were resting loosely on him, and she raised her eyebrows a little. "You really believe that it's a pretty amazing mistake? I mean, shock."
Nathan looked at her uncertainly, wavering a little now. "Well, yeah... why wouldn't I? Is that a bad thing?" he asked and started to bite on his lip. He knew that she was the pregnant one here, and was going to be facing some pretty intense times, but the whole issue hadn't been very far from his mind since she took that test, despite feeling as sick as he had been. His mind had kept going back to that, and wavering between how much he missed Caleb, because this was one of those times he probably would have run to his brother for help. It was why he needed to go to Connecticut.
Mel shook her head as she gave him a huge, relieved smile. "No, it's not. Because I've kinda been thinking the same thing, but I was too scared to say. I didn't know if it was just me. I mean, it's full on, and it's pretty major, but it's definitely pretty amazing, too. I wasn't sure if you'd think I was a freak, or not for thinking that." She gave his leg a squeeze, and let out a rush of air. "I'm just glad to hear you thinking the same thing."
Nathan nodded, smiling. "Yeah, I am. I mean, I might have the odd moment of panic as I try to wrap my head around it logistically, but I wasn't lying all those times I said I would love to have kids. It's just a bit unconventional. Well, maybe not even that unconventional in this day and age, you know? At least we know when we did it, and that it was a special moment to us. Not all parents who have accidents can say that." He gave her hand a squeeze. "But you need to make it up to your brother. He's there for you. Trust me, I know what it's like not to have a big brother to run to when things hurt."
"So you were the youngest? Me too," Mel replied with a soft smile. She reached up to push her fingers through his hair, and leaned in to kiss the corner of his mouth softly. "I wasn't lying, either. I want kids. And now that we're going to have one, it's pretty cool. The logistics really are a head fuck, but I think I could handle staying at home with them. I think Matty's worried I'd be throwing my life away, but I don't know... Maybe this is why I could never find a job I really loved? I was meant to wind up here. I don't even know how to start making it up to him. I just feel like I've disappointed him so much."
"He's just in shock," Nathan assured her, brushing his fingers through her hair and threading the soft curls around his thumb. "He'll come around, we just need to let the dust settle. He wants the best for you, and this probably isn't everyone's cup of tea. You know, you could always start your own florist business, work from home. Maybe even just do things like weddings or functions. Or going into a business of all those awesome gift baskets where they use balloons and ribbons like flower arrangements. It's not like you wouldn't be able to get some business."
"I know, and I'm sure it would make him more at ease too if he could just meet you. Make him understand you're not some sister rapist." Mel felt a thrill go through her as he played with her hair, still not sure she'd ever get over the nerves and excitement that came with the small little touches and caresses. She couldn't deny that she enjoyed being on the receiving end of these kinds of attentions. She pressed her lips together as she thought over his suggestion. "Maybe you're onto something there. I'm just not sure I have enough money to start something up. I guess it would depend on what I'm starting up, though. Maybe if I was buying the materials as they orders came in it would be okay. And a website wouldn't really cost that much if I did it that way... I might need to look into some options. You wouldn't mind since the business would be here? I mean, eventually. We have to look at the moving in thing again."
Nathan shrugged a little again. "I've got some cash. It would probably help you get off the ground. Plus, I have a garage out there that is basically just full of shit I need to unpack. I haven't parked my car in there once since I moved in. You could always convert that into a work space. I don't think it would cost that much. I mean, the option is there if you want it. I know it's probably feeling rushed again and all that, but there are options. Plus, I know I work long hours, but I'm not always at work. I'll be around when I can to help out, as much as I can. It's something for you to think about."
Mel bit her lip, and moved so she could perch herself in his lap and give herself a little more height to kiss him. It felt like ages since they'd kissed. Any mouth action had been off the menu just like the hugging had been. "I knew there was a reason I loved you. You seriously have an awesome brain as well as good looks, and a really, really amazing body. And I know you do have times when you're not busy at work, but I don't want you thinking I'll be complaining about it. I won't. And it'd be cool to be able to convert the garage." She looked at him, her eyes widening as she gasped. "Oh my god! I'm having a baby, and I'm talking about converting a garage... I've never had that. Holy shit!"
Nathan raised his eyebrows and laughed. "Hopefully that's a good thing," he said and gave her a soft squeeze. "Is it a good thing?" he asked.
Mel nodded as she giggled, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Yeah, it's a good thing. I still can't believe I met you, let alone any of this happened. Thank you for everything, Nate."
"I'm admittedly a little drained from the whole thing. It feels like a rollercoaster that was over a lot quicker than you anticipated. I mean, I love it. I love you. But I think my body needs to catch up with my brain. They haven't been on the same page this last week. I do just wish we could have gone about it a little better with your family. Was Randy okay with it? We haven't had much of a chance to talk about it in general, but we can do that now," Nathan assured her with a smile.
"Yeah, she was okay with it. She's ready to become an awesome aunty, and back us up. It was a shock for her, but she's my sister and my best friend, and she just stepped up to the plate. I wish it could have gone better, too. We just need to fix things with Matty at least. And maybe my folks, but he thinks they'll be okay with it." Mel rubbed her hand against Nate's back as she hugged him. "Hopefully we'll recover from the rollercoaster at some point. When do you have to go back to work?"
Nathan nodded. "Wednesday, if I'm feeling up to it. But I was thinking about driving back home on the weekend to see my family... and stuff. I thought maybe you could come along, if you wanted to. If it's too soon, I'll get it, but I do need to tell them. I always promised I would tell my Mom if anything dramatic ever happened to me. I've never really been the sort to keep secrets from her. I feel like I'll be able to get my head around it all better once I talk to her. I hope your parents are okay... it's going to suck considering they've never met me. I hope they don't hate me too," he fretted.
"Your mom's never met me either, so I hope she doesn't hate me," Mel said in a hushed tone. "And I'd really like to come if you're sure you want me to go. I was telling Randy about it being something you wanted to do once we knew, but then you never really mentioned it again, and I wasn't sure. Because I would like to go. I don't want you to keep secrets from her, so you definitely need to go. I don't think my parents will hate you. Not once they meet you. If you want to meet them. I'll just tell them first."
Nathan bit down on the corner of his lip. "It's just a bit hard. I've been feeling that gap... the reason I want to go is to visit Cal's grave. I still kinda talk to him when I need to. I know it seems weird and probably a little mental, but it helps. I still feel like he's there somewhere, listening to me ballsing up. I'd love for you to come and see where I grew up, and meet my family. My Mom and my grandparents will love you, I know they will. They just want me happy, and I am. They do also know how much I love kids. I'm not so sure they'll be all that shocked," he added with a laugh. "Maybe you could find out if they want to kill me first, so I can get a head start on an escape plan."
Mel kissed him briefly. "I'm sorry you're feeling the gap, but I more than understand. I'd lend you Randy anytime you wanted a twin chat if I thought it would help. You need to do whatever you need to do. It's not mental at all. I'm sure he is there, but he's supporting you somehow. He's not minding the ballsing up. Not shocked, huh? Well, that's a start. And if you're sure that they'll love me, then I won't sit around being all scared and nervous. Maybe still a little nervous," she added as she held her fingers up to indicate a small amount of space. "Hey, you can't escape without me!"
Nathan laughed and nodded. "I understand the nerves. I will say that you don't have to be, but I understand. There's nothing really too confronting about them. I think you'll love them too," he said with a hopeful smile. "Hey, if your family want to kill me, I think it might be vital! I've not exactly made the best first impression, have I? Getting their youngest pregnant."
She joined in his laughter, and already felt her stomach start to flip at the idea of meeting his family. "I think I'll love them, too, but it's your mom! And I've managed to steal her baby boy's sperm." Mel touched her fingers to his lips and shook her head. "Yeah, but you still want to stick by me, and you want to see this through. You haven't bolted."
Nathan held up his hand. "Oh wait just a minute. I don't remember any stealing going on that night. I think I knew exactly where my sperm was going," he laughed, shaking his head. "It wouldn't have been any other way. There was never a chance I was going to bolt. We both did this, we should both deal with it together."
"Mm... well, so did I. And I didn't exactly want it not to be going there. Therefore there was some stealing." She smiled at him, and brushed her fingers down the side of his face affectionately. "I really do love you, Nathan Mitchell."
"I love you," Nathan returned and then offered a hint of a cheeky smile. "Do you feel up to making out a bit? I'll be gentle," he promised, tickling her side softly.
Mel couldn't help but giggle as she tried to evade his tickling, and failed. "Yeah, I think I can maybe manage it. I mean, if it's doctor's orders, I can't really say no."
Word Count | 3,448