A Storm's Gonna Come - Chapter 1
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: None.
Summary: Five years post-513. This story is anti-angst medication. Nothing bad ever happens here (that’s not completely true, but it’s definitely kept to a minimum).
A/N: A big, fat Thank You to silvaofhope who is an amazing beta! ETA: This is a repost of the chapter that was originally posted at bjfic. Just wanted to have them all here on my journal.
Disclaimer: I’ve read somewhere that, since disclaimers have no legal footing, they’re merely an expression of the author’s guilt. *hmmm* I don’t feel guilty.
Feedback: It’s my first series. So, yes, absolutely!
Present, September 2010
Brian dipped his head into the mass of blond locks spread over his chest, inhaling deeply the delicious scent. He shifted a little under the lightweight on his upper body. He breathed in the pristine fragrance one more time before lowering his head on the pillow and getting comfortable for the night, when he heard the indignant huffing sound beside him. He turned his head to the left, meeting blue eyes.
“Sunshine, are you jealous?” Brian asked with an amused smirk.
“No.” Justin stretched the ‘o’ and squinted his eyes, the subtext clearly screaming ‘What on earth gave you that idea?!’ Justin glared at him with a sullen expression, propped up on an elbow, “She loves you more.” He pouted his lips, fully aware that it made him look like a spoiled child.
Brian just laughed, amused. “It’s the Kinney charm. Works on all the Taylors. Without fail.”
Justin couldn’t help but grin. True.
Justin burrowed his head into the softness of his pillow, closed his eyes contently, ready to let sleep overtake him. He felt Brian move slightly beside him and opened his eyes again when Brian took his hand. Brian looked at him with a slightly wondrous look on his face and this small silent smile, as though he couldn’t quite believe what his life had led him to.
Brian gave Justin’s hand a soft squeeze and placed it, palm down, on his stomach, just under his heart, where Emma’s cheek was pressed against Brian’s skin. Brian let his own hand rest over Justin’s and, after another faint smile, finally allowed himself to fall asleep.
The day had been exhausting and Justin expected tomorrow to be emotionally draining as well, yet he lay awake. He couldn’t quite bring himself to stop watching the man in his bed. Brian looked peaceful and relaxed in his sleep. And Justin smiled at the thought of how much he had changed since the first night, when they met outside of Babylon. And smirked even more at the thought of how much Brian still was the same. The differences were subtle, and, Justin suspected, only apparent to him because he was so in tune with Brian’s mindset.
The most noticeable change was in the kind of energy that radiated off Brian. The haunted quality of it was gone almost completely, replaced by enthusiasm and determination, all overlain with a sense of the contentment of a person who has found his place. Occasionally, doubts would still re-emerge but in the big picture Brian was his rock, and Justin often found himself feeding off of Brian’s vitality, like when a piece he was working on would take on a life of its own and Justin would feel restless until it was finished.
Justin moved his fingers slightly. When Brian didn’t stir, he pulled his hand carefully from underneath Brian’s and caressed Emma’s cheek tenderly with one digit before slipping his hand under Brian’s again. He took in the image of his partner and daughter once more and couldn’t help whispering quietly into the dark, “Mine.” Letting his eyes rest on Emma’s hand balled into a tiny fist underneath her chin, Justin let his thoughts stray. What Justin remembered the most of that night was the rush.
❂ ❂ ❂
August 2009
It was only early evening but Brian and Justin were already in bed. They had come back from Spain mere hours before where Justin had had a solo exhibition in Barcelona. It wasn’t so much the jet lag than the exhaustion from a delayed flight, and the more intimate events following their arrival home, that knocked both of them out.
They didn’t even bother unpacking when the taxi pulled up to Britin, but left their luggage in the foyer, tiredly making it up the stairs before Justin fell face first into bed, almost fully clothed.
“You tired, little boy?” Brian asked seductively, but with a tired undertone to his normally energetic voice.
Justin lifted his head and squinted through his eyes, “Depends on what you have in mind, old man.” He gave Brian a mischievous grin and rolled over, so he was lying on his back. Justin watched as Brian crawled over him like a large cat, a predatory glance in his eyes.
Brian straddled Justin’s hips and pinned his hands down with one of his own. He lowered his head and licked across Justin’s full lips once. When Justin raised his head to intensify the kiss, Brian pulled back. With his free hand, Brian reached down to Justin’s crotch, gave it a light squeeze and opened first the jeans’ button then pulled down the zipper.
Brian reached inside Justin’s pants and pulled out his only half-hard member. Brian gave it a few firm strokes to bring it to full hardness and let go, leaving it erect and exposed between Justin’s opened fly. Justin groaned in protest.
Brian again lowered his head to bring his lips down on Justin’s, pushing his tongue roughly between Justin’s lips and teeth, but pulling back as soon as Justin started sucking on it. He nibbled on Justin’s lips but jerked his face sideways when Justin started to respond to the kiss. Justin was desperate. He couldn’t figure out what Brian’s game was. When Brian pressed his lips roughly on Justin’s again and thrust inside with his tongue, he thrust his still jeans clad hips against Justin’s exposed hardness.
Brian grinded his pelvis a few times against Justin’s cock, then pulled his hips back and thrust again, hard. All the time sucking fiercely on Justin’s lips. Justin wailed. The rough denim of Brian’s jeans on his very sensitive cock was pushing him fast towards the edge.
With his wrists still held firmly down by Brian’s hands, his lips occupied by Brian’s mouth, and his hips pinned down by Brian’s weight, Justin was unable to move or protest or even participate. Brian continued to rub his groin aggressively against Justin’s, alternating with sharp thrust. His senses completely enveloped in the smell, touch, and taste of Brian, Justin had no other choice but to race rapidly towards the abyss.
Justin cried into Brian’s open mouth when white, thick spurts of cum shot out of his dick and coated his shirt and exposed abdomen. Brian’s hips finally stopped moving and he let off of Justin’s now swollen and reddened lips. Justin panted heavily to catch his breath, his chest rising heavily.
When he thought, his brain caught up enough to form coherent questions, Justin tried to speak. But Brian suddenly let go of his wrists and pulled himself up, moved up on the bed, and straddled Justin’s shoulders. Keeping most of his weight on his knees, he quickly pulled open the buttons of his fly, sighing quietly in relief when his stiff cock sprang out from its confines. Brian pushed his straining erection roughly between Justin’s lips.
Justin tightened his lips around Brian’s shaft and waited for Brian to move, but Brian held still. He looked up and met Brian’s intent gaze. Still watching Brian’s expression, Justin raised his head slightly and began to move his lips up and down Brian’s rock hard cock. Brian reached behind Justin’s head and pushed another pillow underneath his head, to make Justin more comfortable.
Justin let his arms encircle Brian’s hips and pulled him further into his mouth. He pushed back the taller man’s hips when he felt Brian’s dick bump the back of his throat then pulled him closer again. Repeating the motion a few times, he finally let Brian slide almost completely from his mouth, grazing the shaft lightly with his teeth, eliciting a moan from the man above him. He wrapped his lips tightly just under the rim of Brian’s head and sucked lightly. Brian brought up his own hand, wetted a finger in his mouth and touched the digit to Justin’s swollen mouth, sweeping across the upper lip, where it wrapped around his shaft.
“I was going crazy watching your mouth during the flight. The way you’d bite down on your lip when you concentrate on a drawing. The last five hours, all I could think about was my cock between those lips, all hot, red, and swollen. God, Sunshine,-” Brian murmured.
Justin felt a shiver go down his spine and sucked vigorously on Brian’s head, then tongued his slit when Brian threw back his head in ecstasy. A primal groan broke free from somewhere deep within Brian’s chest as he came, shaking violently, filling Justin’s mouth with hot cum.
Brian let himself slide from Justin’s lips and fell sideways onto his pillow. He was deep asleep, even before the tremors stopped shaking his body. Justin let his eyes slide shut too.
He awoke with a start. It took him a moment to figure out what the annoying buzzing meant. Finally realizing it was the house phone’s vibrating alarm, he crawled over the still sleeping Brian, picked up, and sleepily murmured, “Hello?”
“Brian?” A very panicky voice panted. “Oh god, please… Brian? Justin?”
“Madeleine?” Justin asked, voice still groggy from sleep. Reality only slowly making its way through the haze to his brain.
“Justin? Oh, thank god. I’ve been trying to reach you for hours. I thought you were due back this morning. Cynthia told me your plane would land at 9 AM. I’ve been calling since-“ The voice suddenly broke, followed by heavy panting. And then an earsplitting scream.
Justin panicked, too. “Madeleine? Maddie?! Maddie, talk to me! What’s wrong? Maddie?” He screamed into the phone. The commotion woke Brian. He rolled over to face Justin and saw the horror and panic on his face.
“Sunshine? What is it?”
Justin realized that Brian was talking to him but was unable to pull his thoughts together for an answer.
“Justin?” Brian asked. He saw Justin pressing the phone tightly to his ear and reached for it. When Justin didn’t react, he grabbed it and pried his fingers carefully off. Taking the phone, he spoke into it, “What? What’s wrong?”
For a few seconds all that could be heard was heavy panting. Then a familiar voice huffed Brian’s name. Brian felt something coil in his gut and quickly glanced over to Justin who now sported a somewhat yellowish pallor. Brian pulled his thoughts together and focused on his breathing to stay calm.
“Madeleine? Are you alright?” He asked, forcing down his anxiety.
“I don’t know. I think so. But I’m scared. Brian, I’m scared,” the voice on the other end huffed.
“Tell me what happened. Where are you?” Brian managed to keep his voice calm.
“I’m in Allegheny General. I’ve been here since six o’clock this morning. You told me you’d be back in Pittsburgh at 9 AM at the latest. I’ve been calling since then. I couldn’t reach Cynthia. Oh god, Brian, I can’t do this. I really, really can’t.” The words came out all jumbled together, obviously pressed out between waves of pain.
“Are you alright? I know you’re in pain, but are you alright? Is everything ok?“
“They say, yes. Everything is fine so far, the doctors say.” She sounded a little calmer now, Brian thought. But still panicky. “This wasn’t supposed to happen yet. We had time, Brian. This isn’t supposed to happen yet.”
“Maddie. Listen to me. Listen carefully. Are you listening?”
“Yes.”
“Everything will be fine. Your doctors told you so, right? And they’re the best doctors in greater PA. They know what they’re talking about. You believe that, right? Are the babies ok, too?”
“Yes. But it’s too early.”
“I know you’re scared. It is scary. But Justin and I will be there soon, ok? We’ll leave right now. Try to relax, ok? We’ll be there as soon as we can. Can you try and relax?” Brian repeated again.
“I’ll try. But can you please hurry?” Her voice was faint.
“I promise to break every traffic law if need be. Don’t panic. It’s going to be alright.” Brian ensured, hoping that he’d be right.
Putting down the phone, he turned around to face Justin again, who sometime during the conversation clamped both his hands on the older man’s forearm with a fierce grip, cutting off his circulation.
“Sunshine?” Brian tried softly. As expected, Justin didn’t react. Brian pried Justin’s fingers off of his arm, grabbed his shoulders and shook him slightly. “Sunshine, listen to me. Get up, change into some fresh clothes and meet me downstairs in five minutes. You hear me?”
Justin nodded, “Yes.” He hesitated. Then, “Brian? We’re three weeks early.”
“I know. But she’s fine. The doctors say everything is alright. She’s scared because she’s been alone all day, in a hospital. We’ll need to get there, ok? So you go and get dressed, and I’ll go get the other stuff. Grab the keys to the ‘Vette and wait outside for me. Can you do that?” Brian asked.
“Ok.” Justin got up and turned towards the walk-in closet. He paused and looked at Brian once more. “It’s really happening?”
“It looks that way.”
“I’m gonna be a daddy, Brian.”
“I know,” Brian said with a soft grin. “Are you scared?”
“Shitless.”
Brian crossed the room and pressed his lips to Justin’s in a reassuring kiss. “It’s gonna be ok. You’ll be great, you’ll see.”
❂ ❂ ❂
Brian watched Justin disappear in the walk-in closet then quickly changed out of his crumpled trousers he had slept in into a fresh pair of jeans. He grabbed the phone and dialed a number while he went into the study and pulled open a hidden drawer in his desk.
“Mel?” He asked into the phone when the voice on the other end answered. “I think it’s happening.”
…
“Yes, I have the papers right here. I’ll take them with me.”
…
“Ok, then we’ll meet him there.”
…
“No, we don’t even know how long it will be. I’ll give you a call as soon as I can.”
…
“Yes. He’s freaking out a little. But he’ll be fine. We all will be.”
Brian finished the call and threw the phone down on the leather couch that stood to the left of his desk. Grabbing the thick folder he hurried out the door and almost collided with Justin.
“I’m not freaking out.” Justin told him sullenly.
Brian smiled. “Yes, you are, drama princess. But today you’re allowed.” He smiled at him reassuringly again, turned him around and guided him towards the front door, grabbing his cell phone and wallet from the table in the foyer.
The next few hours were a jumbled memory in Justin’s mind. He remembered making the usually half an hour long drive into Pittsburgh in less than 15 minutes. He remembered racing down hospital corridors - a scene very reminiscent on its very own. He remembered the short talk with Madeleine before she was wheeled out into an OR. He remembered pacing down the short hallway in front of the waiting room, because sitting still was just not possible. He also remembered the worried look on the nurse’s face when she appeared in the waiting room many hours later. Most clearly of all, however, he remembered Brian’s reaction. His whole posture straightened out, muscles tensed, facial expression unreadable. Brian reached towards Justin, put his arm across Justin’s shoulders and pressed the smaller body into his own.
Something was not right.
“Mr. Taylor, Mr. Kinney,” the nurse started, “the doctor will be outside in a few minutes and he’ll be able to tell you more, but I can already inform you that the mother is doing fine right now, but she’s still under the anesthesia. She should be awake soon. -“
“Anesthesia?” Brian interrupted. “She didn’t want any medication. She insisted on a natural birth.”
“Yes, Mr. Kinney. We’ve been informed of that. However, the monitors showed a slightly decreased heart rate of the smaller child -“
“Emma.” This time it was Justin who put his word in.
The nurse nodded, and continued, “As I was saying, Emma’s heart rate decreased and the doctor decided to get the babies out. The mother didn’t respond to the medication to induce a natural birth and agreed to a C-section. The babies were delivered about 20 minutes ago. Emma two minutes before her sister.” The nurse looked questioningly at Brian, then at Justin who in turn looked at Brian.
“Alex.” Brian supplied.
The nurse gave a slight smile and a nod. “Alex is perfectly fine. She’s in very good health, breathing strongly and complaining quite loudly. However, Emma needed special attention. She’s breathing on her own just fine. But the doctor is concerned with her slightly irregular heart rhythm. She’s been thoroughly examined and right now we’re awaiting the results. She’s been put in an incubator as a precaution. Hopefully, we will know more very soon. The doctor will be out to answer your questions in a short while.”
Brian nodded curtly, dismissing the nurse, and squeezed Justin’s body tighter. He felt Justin beginning to shake and had difficulties keeping it together himself.
They had known very early on that one of the girls was considerably smaller than her sister; however, as several doctors assured them, there had been no reason for worry. And now Brian was angry. Apparently, something had been wrong and he seethed that none of the doctors told them earlier. Also, he was concerned for Justin. He didn’t know how much longer he could keep it together. He had to keep it together, else Justin would fall apart. However, right now, he wished someone would tell him that everything would be okay.
Brian was irate. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. This was supposed to be a happy day. One they had prepared for. They weren’t supposed to be jet lagged, Maddie wasn’t supposed to have a C-section, and Emma wasn’t supposed to have heart problems. The uncertainty of the situation was eating away at Brian, and he kept glancing towards the entrance the nurse disappeared behind every few seconds.
Suddenly he felt Justin turn under his arm that was still draped around his shoulders. He pressed his whole body into Brian’s taller one and wrapped his arms around Brian’s middle, giving support and holding the taller man up. “It’s gonna be alright, Brian. You’ll see, everything will turn out just fine. Hang in there.”
Brian pressed his face into Justin’s hair, closed his eyes, and breathed deep.
Read Chapter 2
Warnings: None.
Summary: Five years post-513. This story is anti-angst medication. Nothing bad ever happens here (that’s not completely true, but it’s definitely kept to a minimum).
A/N: A big, fat Thank You to silvaofhope who is an amazing beta! ETA: This is a repost of the chapter that was originally posted at bjfic. Just wanted to have them all here on my journal.
Disclaimer: I’ve read somewhere that, since disclaimers have no legal footing, they’re merely an expression of the author’s guilt. *hmmm* I don’t feel guilty.
Feedback: It’s my first series. So, yes, absolutely!
Present, September 2010
Brian dipped his head into the mass of blond locks spread over his chest, inhaling deeply the delicious scent. He shifted a little under the lightweight on his upper body. He breathed in the pristine fragrance one more time before lowering his head on the pillow and getting comfortable for the night, when he heard the indignant huffing sound beside him. He turned his head to the left, meeting blue eyes.
“Sunshine, are you jealous?” Brian asked with an amused smirk.
“No.” Justin stretched the ‘o’ and squinted his eyes, the subtext clearly screaming ‘What on earth gave you that idea?!’ Justin glared at him with a sullen expression, propped up on an elbow, “She loves you more.” He pouted his lips, fully aware that it made him look like a spoiled child.
Brian just laughed, amused. “It’s the Kinney charm. Works on all the Taylors. Without fail.”
Justin couldn’t help but grin. True.
Justin burrowed his head into the softness of his pillow, closed his eyes contently, ready to let sleep overtake him. He felt Brian move slightly beside him and opened his eyes again when Brian took his hand. Brian looked at him with a slightly wondrous look on his face and this small silent smile, as though he couldn’t quite believe what his life had led him to.
Brian gave Justin’s hand a soft squeeze and placed it, palm down, on his stomach, just under his heart, where Emma’s cheek was pressed against Brian’s skin. Brian let his own hand rest over Justin’s and, after another faint smile, finally allowed himself to fall asleep.
The day had been exhausting and Justin expected tomorrow to be emotionally draining as well, yet he lay awake. He couldn’t quite bring himself to stop watching the man in his bed. Brian looked peaceful and relaxed in his sleep. And Justin smiled at the thought of how much he had changed since the first night, when they met outside of Babylon. And smirked even more at the thought of how much Brian still was the same. The differences were subtle, and, Justin suspected, only apparent to him because he was so in tune with Brian’s mindset.
The most noticeable change was in the kind of energy that radiated off Brian. The haunted quality of it was gone almost completely, replaced by enthusiasm and determination, all overlain with a sense of the contentment of a person who has found his place. Occasionally, doubts would still re-emerge but in the big picture Brian was his rock, and Justin often found himself feeding off of Brian’s vitality, like when a piece he was working on would take on a life of its own and Justin would feel restless until it was finished.
Justin moved his fingers slightly. When Brian didn’t stir, he pulled his hand carefully from underneath Brian’s and caressed Emma’s cheek tenderly with one digit before slipping his hand under Brian’s again. He took in the image of his partner and daughter once more and couldn’t help whispering quietly into the dark, “Mine.” Letting his eyes rest on Emma’s hand balled into a tiny fist underneath her chin, Justin let his thoughts stray. What Justin remembered the most of that night was the rush.
❂ ❂ ❂
August 2009
It was only early evening but Brian and Justin were already in bed. They had come back from Spain mere hours before where Justin had had a solo exhibition in Barcelona. It wasn’t so much the jet lag than the exhaustion from a delayed flight, and the more intimate events following their arrival home, that knocked both of them out.
They didn’t even bother unpacking when the taxi pulled up to Britin, but left their luggage in the foyer, tiredly making it up the stairs before Justin fell face first into bed, almost fully clothed.
“You tired, little boy?” Brian asked seductively, but with a tired undertone to his normally energetic voice.
Justin lifted his head and squinted through his eyes, “Depends on what you have in mind, old man.” He gave Brian a mischievous grin and rolled over, so he was lying on his back. Justin watched as Brian crawled over him like a large cat, a predatory glance in his eyes.
Brian straddled Justin’s hips and pinned his hands down with one of his own. He lowered his head and licked across Justin’s full lips once. When Justin raised his head to intensify the kiss, Brian pulled back. With his free hand, Brian reached down to Justin’s crotch, gave it a light squeeze and opened first the jeans’ button then pulled down the zipper.
Brian reached inside Justin’s pants and pulled out his only half-hard member. Brian gave it a few firm strokes to bring it to full hardness and let go, leaving it erect and exposed between Justin’s opened fly. Justin groaned in protest.
Brian again lowered his head to bring his lips down on Justin’s, pushing his tongue roughly between Justin’s lips and teeth, but pulling back as soon as Justin started sucking on it. He nibbled on Justin’s lips but jerked his face sideways when Justin started to respond to the kiss. Justin was desperate. He couldn’t figure out what Brian’s game was. When Brian pressed his lips roughly on Justin’s again and thrust inside with his tongue, he thrust his still jeans clad hips against Justin’s exposed hardness.
Brian grinded his pelvis a few times against Justin’s cock, then pulled his hips back and thrust again, hard. All the time sucking fiercely on Justin’s lips. Justin wailed. The rough denim of Brian’s jeans on his very sensitive cock was pushing him fast towards the edge.
With his wrists still held firmly down by Brian’s hands, his lips occupied by Brian’s mouth, and his hips pinned down by Brian’s weight, Justin was unable to move or protest or even participate. Brian continued to rub his groin aggressively against Justin’s, alternating with sharp thrust. His senses completely enveloped in the smell, touch, and taste of Brian, Justin had no other choice but to race rapidly towards the abyss.
Justin cried into Brian’s open mouth when white, thick spurts of cum shot out of his dick and coated his shirt and exposed abdomen. Brian’s hips finally stopped moving and he let off of Justin’s now swollen and reddened lips. Justin panted heavily to catch his breath, his chest rising heavily.
When he thought, his brain caught up enough to form coherent questions, Justin tried to speak. But Brian suddenly let go of his wrists and pulled himself up, moved up on the bed, and straddled Justin’s shoulders. Keeping most of his weight on his knees, he quickly pulled open the buttons of his fly, sighing quietly in relief when his stiff cock sprang out from its confines. Brian pushed his straining erection roughly between Justin’s lips.
Justin tightened his lips around Brian’s shaft and waited for Brian to move, but Brian held still. He looked up and met Brian’s intent gaze. Still watching Brian’s expression, Justin raised his head slightly and began to move his lips up and down Brian’s rock hard cock. Brian reached behind Justin’s head and pushed another pillow underneath his head, to make Justin more comfortable.
Justin let his arms encircle Brian’s hips and pulled him further into his mouth. He pushed back the taller man’s hips when he felt Brian’s dick bump the back of his throat then pulled him closer again. Repeating the motion a few times, he finally let Brian slide almost completely from his mouth, grazing the shaft lightly with his teeth, eliciting a moan from the man above him. He wrapped his lips tightly just under the rim of Brian’s head and sucked lightly. Brian brought up his own hand, wetted a finger in his mouth and touched the digit to Justin’s swollen mouth, sweeping across the upper lip, where it wrapped around his shaft.
“I was going crazy watching your mouth during the flight. The way you’d bite down on your lip when you concentrate on a drawing. The last five hours, all I could think about was my cock between those lips, all hot, red, and swollen. God, Sunshine,-” Brian murmured.
Justin felt a shiver go down his spine and sucked vigorously on Brian’s head, then tongued his slit when Brian threw back his head in ecstasy. A primal groan broke free from somewhere deep within Brian’s chest as he came, shaking violently, filling Justin’s mouth with hot cum.
Brian let himself slide from Justin’s lips and fell sideways onto his pillow. He was deep asleep, even before the tremors stopped shaking his body. Justin let his eyes slide shut too.
He awoke with a start. It took him a moment to figure out what the annoying buzzing meant. Finally realizing it was the house phone’s vibrating alarm, he crawled over the still sleeping Brian, picked up, and sleepily murmured, “Hello?”
“Brian?” A very panicky voice panted. “Oh god, please… Brian? Justin?”
“Madeleine?” Justin asked, voice still groggy from sleep. Reality only slowly making its way through the haze to his brain.
“Justin? Oh, thank god. I’ve been trying to reach you for hours. I thought you were due back this morning. Cynthia told me your plane would land at 9 AM. I’ve been calling since-“ The voice suddenly broke, followed by heavy panting. And then an earsplitting scream.
Justin panicked, too. “Madeleine? Maddie?! Maddie, talk to me! What’s wrong? Maddie?” He screamed into the phone. The commotion woke Brian. He rolled over to face Justin and saw the horror and panic on his face.
“Sunshine? What is it?”
Justin realized that Brian was talking to him but was unable to pull his thoughts together for an answer.
“Justin?” Brian asked. He saw Justin pressing the phone tightly to his ear and reached for it. When Justin didn’t react, he grabbed it and pried his fingers carefully off. Taking the phone, he spoke into it, “What? What’s wrong?”
For a few seconds all that could be heard was heavy panting. Then a familiar voice huffed Brian’s name. Brian felt something coil in his gut and quickly glanced over to Justin who now sported a somewhat yellowish pallor. Brian pulled his thoughts together and focused on his breathing to stay calm.
“Madeleine? Are you alright?” He asked, forcing down his anxiety.
“I don’t know. I think so. But I’m scared. Brian, I’m scared,” the voice on the other end huffed.
“Tell me what happened. Where are you?” Brian managed to keep his voice calm.
“I’m in Allegheny General. I’ve been here since six o’clock this morning. You told me you’d be back in Pittsburgh at 9 AM at the latest. I’ve been calling since then. I couldn’t reach Cynthia. Oh god, Brian, I can’t do this. I really, really can’t.” The words came out all jumbled together, obviously pressed out between waves of pain.
“Are you alright? I know you’re in pain, but are you alright? Is everything ok?“
“They say, yes. Everything is fine so far, the doctors say.” She sounded a little calmer now, Brian thought. But still panicky. “This wasn’t supposed to happen yet. We had time, Brian. This isn’t supposed to happen yet.”
“Maddie. Listen to me. Listen carefully. Are you listening?”
“Yes.”
“Everything will be fine. Your doctors told you so, right? And they’re the best doctors in greater PA. They know what they’re talking about. You believe that, right? Are the babies ok, too?”
“Yes. But it’s too early.”
“I know you’re scared. It is scary. But Justin and I will be there soon, ok? We’ll leave right now. Try to relax, ok? We’ll be there as soon as we can. Can you try and relax?” Brian repeated again.
“I’ll try. But can you please hurry?” Her voice was faint.
“I promise to break every traffic law if need be. Don’t panic. It’s going to be alright.” Brian ensured, hoping that he’d be right.
Putting down the phone, he turned around to face Justin again, who sometime during the conversation clamped both his hands on the older man’s forearm with a fierce grip, cutting off his circulation.
“Sunshine?” Brian tried softly. As expected, Justin didn’t react. Brian pried Justin’s fingers off of his arm, grabbed his shoulders and shook him slightly. “Sunshine, listen to me. Get up, change into some fresh clothes and meet me downstairs in five minutes. You hear me?”
Justin nodded, “Yes.” He hesitated. Then, “Brian? We’re three weeks early.”
“I know. But she’s fine. The doctors say everything is alright. She’s scared because she’s been alone all day, in a hospital. We’ll need to get there, ok? So you go and get dressed, and I’ll go get the other stuff. Grab the keys to the ‘Vette and wait outside for me. Can you do that?” Brian asked.
“Ok.” Justin got up and turned towards the walk-in closet. He paused and looked at Brian once more. “It’s really happening?”
“It looks that way.”
“I’m gonna be a daddy, Brian.”
“I know,” Brian said with a soft grin. “Are you scared?”
“Shitless.”
Brian crossed the room and pressed his lips to Justin’s in a reassuring kiss. “It’s gonna be ok. You’ll be great, you’ll see.”
❂ ❂ ❂
Brian watched Justin disappear in the walk-in closet then quickly changed out of his crumpled trousers he had slept in into a fresh pair of jeans. He grabbed the phone and dialed a number while he went into the study and pulled open a hidden drawer in his desk.
“Mel?” He asked into the phone when the voice on the other end answered. “I think it’s happening.”
…
“Yes, I have the papers right here. I’ll take them with me.”
…
“Ok, then we’ll meet him there.”
…
“No, we don’t even know how long it will be. I’ll give you a call as soon as I can.”
…
“Yes. He’s freaking out a little. But he’ll be fine. We all will be.”
Brian finished the call and threw the phone down on the leather couch that stood to the left of his desk. Grabbing the thick folder he hurried out the door and almost collided with Justin.
“I’m not freaking out.” Justin told him sullenly.
Brian smiled. “Yes, you are, drama princess. But today you’re allowed.” He smiled at him reassuringly again, turned him around and guided him towards the front door, grabbing his cell phone and wallet from the table in the foyer.
The next few hours were a jumbled memory in Justin’s mind. He remembered making the usually half an hour long drive into Pittsburgh in less than 15 minutes. He remembered racing down hospital corridors - a scene very reminiscent on its very own. He remembered the short talk with Madeleine before she was wheeled out into an OR. He remembered pacing down the short hallway in front of the waiting room, because sitting still was just not possible. He also remembered the worried look on the nurse’s face when she appeared in the waiting room many hours later. Most clearly of all, however, he remembered Brian’s reaction. His whole posture straightened out, muscles tensed, facial expression unreadable. Brian reached towards Justin, put his arm across Justin’s shoulders and pressed the smaller body into his own.
Something was not right.
“Mr. Taylor, Mr. Kinney,” the nurse started, “the doctor will be outside in a few minutes and he’ll be able to tell you more, but I can already inform you that the mother is doing fine right now, but she’s still under the anesthesia. She should be awake soon. -“
“Anesthesia?” Brian interrupted. “She didn’t want any medication. She insisted on a natural birth.”
“Yes, Mr. Kinney. We’ve been informed of that. However, the monitors showed a slightly decreased heart rate of the smaller child -“
“Emma.” This time it was Justin who put his word in.
The nurse nodded, and continued, “As I was saying, Emma’s heart rate decreased and the doctor decided to get the babies out. The mother didn’t respond to the medication to induce a natural birth and agreed to a C-section. The babies were delivered about 20 minutes ago. Emma two minutes before her sister.” The nurse looked questioningly at Brian, then at Justin who in turn looked at Brian.
“Alex.” Brian supplied.
The nurse gave a slight smile and a nod. “Alex is perfectly fine. She’s in very good health, breathing strongly and complaining quite loudly. However, Emma needed special attention. She’s breathing on her own just fine. But the doctor is concerned with her slightly irregular heart rhythm. She’s been thoroughly examined and right now we’re awaiting the results. She’s been put in an incubator as a precaution. Hopefully, we will know more very soon. The doctor will be out to answer your questions in a short while.”
Brian nodded curtly, dismissing the nurse, and squeezed Justin’s body tighter. He felt Justin beginning to shake and had difficulties keeping it together himself.
They had known very early on that one of the girls was considerably smaller than her sister; however, as several doctors assured them, there had been no reason for worry. And now Brian was angry. Apparently, something had been wrong and he seethed that none of the doctors told them earlier. Also, he was concerned for Justin. He didn’t know how much longer he could keep it together. He had to keep it together, else Justin would fall apart. However, right now, he wished someone would tell him that everything would be okay.
Brian was irate. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. This was supposed to be a happy day. One they had prepared for. They weren’t supposed to be jet lagged, Maddie wasn’t supposed to have a C-section, and Emma wasn’t supposed to have heart problems. The uncertainty of the situation was eating away at Brian, and he kept glancing towards the entrance the nurse disappeared behind every few seconds.
Suddenly he felt Justin turn under his arm that was still draped around his shoulders. He pressed his whole body into Brian’s taller one and wrapped his arms around Brian’s middle, giving support and holding the taller man up. “It’s gonna be alright, Brian. You’ll see, everything will turn out just fine. Hang in there.”
Brian pressed his face into Justin’s hair, closed his eyes, and breathed deep.
Read Chapter 2