Snippet: Choice (girl!Pete/Mike, FRM, 500 words)
westingturtle asked for more from the world of Want It Anyway. You probably don't need to read that for this to make sense.
Warnings: Angst, discussion of abortion, men trying to dictate a woman's reproductive choices, yelling and insults.
Warnings: Angst, discussion of abortion, men trying to dictate a woman's reproductive choices, yelling and insults.
Peyton has spent a lot of time getting Patrick used to her, so it's not much of a fight to pull his arm around her and put his hand over her stomach when they're the first ones to practice. (Because she told him an earlier time than she told Andy and Joe.)
"Patrick," she says. "Patrick, Patrick, Patrick." Now that she's used to it, the miracle of life is making her kind of giddy.
"That's my name," he says. "Don't wear it out."
"Patrick," she says, "I'm going to have a baby."
Patrick doesn't fidget when she cuddles with him anymore, but now he goes even more still. Peyton puts her hand over his, pressing it to her stomach, willing him to feel how amazing it is that there's a person growing in her.
Patrick shoves her off of him.
Peyton stumbles, trying not to fall on her face. When she turns around, Patrick's glaring at her, hands clenched into fists at his sides.
"No," he says. "No, you are not having a fucking baby. You wanted this band, and we're all putting everything we have into it, and you are not ruining it with a baby."
"I'm not ruining anything. I'll have the baby and we'll keep touring."
Patrick throws his hands up in the air. "No, we will not just keep touring. You'll have a fucking baby to take care of. What are you going to do? Put the car seat in the van? And what about between now and then? We still have an album to finish."
"It'll work out! It'll be fine. I can play while pregnant."
"And what about after?"
"It'll work out!" She didn't tell him so he could bitch at her. "Everything will be fine."
Andy and Joe come in one after the other while Patrick turns the kind of red that makes Peyton wonder if he's just going to pop, like an overripe tomato.
"Tell them," Patrick says. "Tell them what you've done now."
Peyton turns her back on him. It's probably a stupid move, but now she doesn't have to look at him trying to ruin everything. "I'm going to have a baby."
"Oh, Jesus," Joe mutters. He's not even Christian.
"Peyton," Andy says.
"I'm pregnant and I'm having a baby and can we get to practice now?" Peyton makes the mistake of turning around, because that seems to make Patrick think it's his turn again.
"Are you fucking crazy? Do you really think you can do this?"
Peyton flinches, and turns back to Andy and Joe.
"Abortion is legal in this country for a reason," Andy says. "If you want kids, do it later, when we're not trying to make an album and live out of a van."
"No! Choice is legal in this country, and I choose to have this baby." Peyton takes a few unsteady breaths. "It'll be fine. Mike and I will work everything out."
"Oh, Peyton," Patrick says, "do not tell me Mike Carden is the father of your child. How fucking stupid are you?"
"I'm having this baby!" Peyton shouts at all of them, and at the baby too. It can know she fucking fought for it. "And we're making an album and going on tour and everything will be fine."
They don't get much done at practice that day.
Warnings: Angst, discussion of abortion, men trying to dictate a woman's reproductive choices, yelling and insults.
Warnings: Angst, discussion of abortion, men trying to dictate a woman's reproductive choices, yelling and insults.
Peyton has spent a lot of time getting Patrick used to her, so it's not much of a fight to pull his arm around her and put his hand over her stomach when they're the first ones to practice. (Because she told him an earlier time than she told Andy and Joe.)
"Patrick," she says. "Patrick, Patrick, Patrick." Now that she's used to it, the miracle of life is making her kind of giddy.
"That's my name," he says. "Don't wear it out."
"Patrick," she says, "I'm going to have a baby."
Patrick doesn't fidget when she cuddles with him anymore, but now he goes even more still. Peyton puts her hand over his, pressing it to her stomach, willing him to feel how amazing it is that there's a person growing in her.
Patrick shoves her off of him.
Peyton stumbles, trying not to fall on her face. When she turns around, Patrick's glaring at her, hands clenched into fists at his sides.
"No," he says. "No, you are not having a fucking baby. You wanted this band, and we're all putting everything we have into it, and you are not ruining it with a baby."
"I'm not ruining anything. I'll have the baby and we'll keep touring."
Patrick throws his hands up in the air. "No, we will not just keep touring. You'll have a fucking baby to take care of. What are you going to do? Put the car seat in the van? And what about between now and then? We still have an album to finish."
"It'll work out! It'll be fine. I can play while pregnant."
"And what about after?"
"It'll work out!" She didn't tell him so he could bitch at her. "Everything will be fine."
Andy and Joe come in one after the other while Patrick turns the kind of red that makes Peyton wonder if he's just going to pop, like an overripe tomato.
"Tell them," Patrick says. "Tell them what you've done now."
Peyton turns her back on him. It's probably a stupid move, but now she doesn't have to look at him trying to ruin everything. "I'm going to have a baby."
"Oh, Jesus," Joe mutters. He's not even Christian.
"Peyton," Andy says.
"I'm pregnant and I'm having a baby and can we get to practice now?" Peyton makes the mistake of turning around, because that seems to make Patrick think it's his turn again.
"Are you fucking crazy? Do you really think you can do this?"
Peyton flinches, and turns back to Andy and Joe.
"Abortion is legal in this country for a reason," Andy says. "If you want kids, do it later, when we're not trying to make an album and live out of a van."
"No! Choice is legal in this country, and I choose to have this baby." Peyton takes a few unsteady breaths. "It'll be fine. Mike and I will work everything out."
"Oh, Peyton," Patrick says, "do not tell me Mike Carden is the father of your child. How fucking stupid are you?"
"I'm having this baby!" Peyton shouts at all of them, and at the baby too. It can know she fucking fought for it. "And we're making an album and going on tour and everything will be fine."
They don't get much done at practice that day.