Rowen was nearing his final month. For a switch, it was Sage on pins and needles during the past few weeks. He looked terrible, but that hardly mattered. He would jump to Rowen's side whenever he heard him groan, or make any sound similar. Rowen, of course, found this amusing."Honestly, Sage, you gotta calm down. You act as if I'm gonna explode or something." He laughed one evening. Sage grimaced.
"I can't. I don't know what to do, how to react when you finally go into labor. I mean, you never did any of that breathing stuff, cause your birth will be different than a woman's, so no bothering with all that practice, but...what do you do? I mean, I don't know what I mean!!" Sage rambled. Rowen laughed.
"It's okay, sweetie. Mia's told me everything I need to know. Everything will be fine." Sage stuck his tongue out.
"Baby, I think you're the first jolly pregnant person I've ever known." Rowen rolled his eyes.
"I'm the first pregnant guy you've known, that's for sure. Maybe it's just guys handle these kind of things differently." Sage inhaled deeply, shutting his eyes.
"I can tell you right now, that's a definite negative, hun." Rowen winced, his hand reflectively jumping to his stomach. Sage's eyes widened and he jumped from his seat. Rowen breathed deeply, biting his lip.
"It's...okay. Just a quick kick. This baby is getting restless. Wants to come out and soon." Sage still hadn't calmed, but he seemed to be breathing again.
"Do you wanna lie down?" Rowen smirked.
"Everybody keeps telling me to lie down. Do you realize how difficult it is for me to get back up again?" Sage stared at Rowen a moment, then started chuckling. Rowen stuck his tongue out.
"I'm sorry, baby, but it is kinda funny. I wouldn’t want to be in your position, though." Rowen chuckled.
"I don't want to be in this position, either. My back is killing me. I can't wait until this whole thing is over and done with. I did enjoy those few moments when all I had to worry about was bonding with my widdle baby," Rowen smiled, lightly skimming his belly. "But I want this over with already. Who ever thought up nine months, anyway? That's too long for something like this." Sage smiled.
He stood from his spot in the den armchair and joined Rowen on the sofa. He waited for Rowen to shift comfortably, now laying/sitting in Sage's lap. Sage hugged Rowen tightly to his chest, encircling his arms just above Rowen's large tummy. He held Rowen's left hand, running his thumb over his fingers. Rowen smiled and gently grabbed onto Sage's left hand, admiring the band he himself had chosen only a couple months earlier; exactly one week after Sage had made his proposal. Sage kissed Rowen's cheek. Rowen gasped, and Sage went rigid, his eyes widening yet again.
"This kid'll be a good martial artist, I can tell." Sage breathed easier, understanding Rowen's statement. Rowen pulled Sage's hand towards his stomach, resting it just over his belly button. "Here, hold on. It'll happen again." Rowen hissed. Sage smiled and nuzzled Rowen's neck. His breath caught when he felt the strangest sensation; a kind of shudder under his hand. Rowen smiled.
"That keeps happening?" Rowen nodded. Sage smiled, kissing Rowen's neck. "It's a little strange...that's our child." Rowen grinned.
"Not that strange. But...I wish it would stop kicking so hard. I'm not made of padding." Sage chuckled.
"Don't start scolding our baby now, hun. Wait at least a year or two first." Rowen nodded, pouting. Sage kissed him again. A sudden knock on the den door brought both boys to their attention, though neither was too happy of the sudden intrusion.
Kento stood a little in the hall, a little in the den. He was distractedly scratching his temple, scowling.
"I'm sorry, bad timing." He murmured. Rowen rolled his eyes and grinned.
"Don't be silly, Kento. What do you need?" Kento bit his lip, glancing at Sage.
"I...need to talk to you, Rowen. Don't mean to be rude, man..." Sage nodded, understanding. He helped Rowen move a little and he slipped out from behind him. He kissed him quickly, smiled and headed for the door. He stopped in front of Kento, raising a finger.
"If he-" Sage started. Kento smiled softly, nodding.
"I know, I know. If anything happens, I'll call for you." Sage nodded and left, shutting the door behind him. When Kento was sure Sage had truly left, he quickly made his way over to the couch, slumping next to Rowen.
"What's wrong, Kento? Is it Cye?" Rowen asked, tilting his head. Kento bit his lip.
"It's been a little over a month...I know if he was, which I'm getting the strongest urge to say he is, he wouldn't actually start showing for a while. Damn it, he fainted dead away while getting dressed this morning! He doesn't know I know...his weight is fluctuating badly. I'm getting really scared, and he out right refuses to get himself checked." Kento sighed. Rowen frowned.
"Then...I think we have to inform Mia. I know you love Cye deeply, so I'm telling you right now, it won't be considered betrayal. I know you're putting up with his immature secrecy cause you don't want to hurt or embarrass him, but you know how dangerous it could be if he keeps living the lie that he's 'just fine'. Mia won't put up with it, but she needs to know about it first." Kento nodded.
"Of all people, Cye would have to be the last I would ever think that would have a problem with this. He was so sympathetic with you." Rowen raised an eyebrow. "He's been avoiding me, too. He only wants to be around me at night, and by then he doesn't want to talk."
"Tell you what, I'll talk with him, too. But, you got to remember, just because someone feels for you, doesn't mean they want to be in your shoes. He may have been sympathetic, but that doesn't mean he was ever considering having a kid himself." Kento bit his lip and nodded.
"I know..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Cye, can I talk to you?" Rowen asked softly, peering into the living room. Cye was sitting in the corner, by the window, watching a few cars drive by. He barely noticed Rowen's intrusion into his quiet sanctuary, but he nodded slowly. Rowen quietly made his way over to Cye, sitting uncomfortably on the raised brick platform of the fireplace. "Y'know...Kento has been telling me he's kinda worried about you." Cye frowned."What for? I'm not in any trouble. I'm just fine..." He murmured. Rowen smirked. "Denial, if I ever heard it." Rowen thought.
"Well, he says you haven't been talking to him. That you've kinda been avoiding him." Cye scowled. Rowen sighed. "Is that true? Are you ignoring him?" Cye shut his eyes.
"Can I tell you something, Row? Something I don't even want Kento to know about right now." Rowen bit his lip. "Here goes..." Rowen nodded.
"I, um...don’t know how..." Cye began. Rowen gently placed a hand on Cye's, enticing a small jump from the brunette.
"Cye, you can tell me anything. Believe me." Cye's eyes fluttered open and looked deep into Rowen's.
"Rowen." Cye murmured, his eyes turning downwards again. "I think I may be...you know..." Rowen's heartbeat quickened.
"Is that why you've been avoiding Kento?" Cye squeezed his eyes shut, and nodded slightly. Rowen smiled softly. "It's okay, you don't have to. You worried about what he might think?" Cye nodded again.
"He's gonna find out sooner or later, I know it. He might already have his suspicions." He inhaled sharply. Rowen shook his head.
"Just tell him. He might not react as badly as you-" Rowen's eyes suddenly went wide. He clutched his stomach, grunting low in his throat. Cye sprang to his feet, breathing fast.
"Oh my god, what's wrong?!" He asked. Rowen bit his lip hard. Hard enough for the fair pink skin of his lips to turn white, the smallest slit of bright red appearing under his teeth.
"G...et...Sage..." Rowen hissed. Cye stood dumbfounded a moment, his feet unsure of where they were headed. "Fuck, Cye-" Rowen cried out. Cye was off like a shot, jumping over the sofa like an Olympic hurdle.
"SAGE!!!" Cye shouted, barreling around the corner, smacking right into the blonde. Sage blinked, his eyes wide in shock.
"Cye, what's wrong?" Sage asked, placing his hands on the hyperventilating boy's shoulders. Cye shook his head and tried to breathe again.
"R-R-R-Rowen!!" Cye pointed towards the living room. It took half a second for it to click in Sage's head what Cye was talking about. He rushed past, bumping into the wall only once. He found Rowen on his knees by the couch, trying his damndest not to cry out.
"Baby, what's wrong?!" Sage breathed, wrapping Rowen's arms around his neck. Rowen tugged one of his arms back down to his stomach, clenching his other fist tight.
"I think...think it's...time..." Rowen heaved. Sage's eyes widened, his breath catching.
"It can't be! You aren't due for another month!" Rowen shook his head.
"Go...get Mia..." Sage turned and looked at Cye, still standing behind him, his mouth gaping open.
"Cye, get Mia! NOW!!" Sage yelled. Cye blinked, snapping back to reality. He fell backwards a step, jumping back to his feet and tearing through the house. Sage turned his head back to Rowen.
"Oohhh, fuuuck..." Rowen moaned. Sage shifted, trying to get Rowen to put his weight on him. He lifted Rowen slowly, the blue boy going limp in his arms.
"Rowen?! Hold on, baby..." Sage choked out, his eyes darting to the hallway, eagerly awaiting Mia. His heart skipped when he heard the light, but fast clicking of her house shoes.
"What's—holy, what happened?!" Mia shouted, her gaze fixated on Rowen, passed out in Sage's arms. Sage licked his lips, breathing heavily.
"He...he passed out. Mia, he said it might be time. Isn't...isn't he too early?" Sage murmured. Mia blinked, shaking her head.
"He'd be premature by two, maybe three weeks. He can't be ready yet." Sage scowled.
"Can we...take him to your office? I want an ultrasound done. Something, anything, just find out what's wrong!" He growled. Mia jumped.
"I-I'll go get my keys..." She muttered, backing away. She jogged to the kitchen, searching among the hooks for her own set of keys. Cye was just walking around the corner, his eyes worried. He looked over at Sage and Rowen, biting his lip.
"Sage..." Sage looked up at Cye and nodded.
"Cye, go get Ryo and Kento. I want them there for Rowen." Cye nodded slowly. He twisted around and ran up the stairs, stopping at his door first.
"Kento, get out of there and come downstairs. We're going to Mia's place. Rowen may just become a mom tonight." Cye choked and he ran to Ryo's door. There was a stunned silence, but then the door opened slightly. Kento stuck his head out into the hall, watching as Cye informed a visibly shocked Ryo of what he himself had just heard. He blinked and held out his arm, waiting for Cye to walk back past his door. As soon as his arm was in view, Kento snatched out and grabbed onto Cye.
"What did you just say? Rowen's...gonna..." Kento left it hanging. Cye leaned in quickly and kissed Kento, shocking the boy.
"Yes, now hurry it up, whatever you're doing. Sage wants all of us to go with." Kento blinked and nodded silently. Cye flashed a quick grin and jumped the stairs three at a time. Sage was just following Mia, Rowen hanging tightly in his grasp, outside to the van. Sage turned and saw Cye approaching.
"Do the others know?" Cye nodded. As proof, both Kento and Ryo could be heard rushing about upstairs, both trying to jump down the stairs at the same time. Sage nodded, stepping up into the back, laying Rowen as comfortably as he could. As soon as the other three were in, Sage looked up into Mia's eyes, reflected in the rear view mirror.
"Step on it!" She nodded and dropped her foot on the gas, gunning the engine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sage was silently thanking every deity he could think of. Mia's office building was more or less vacant, so no embarrassing, annoying spectators. He ran to the front of the double glass doors of the small medical facility, grabbing one of the few wheelchairs available. With Kento's help, he positioned Rowen as best they could. Mia rushed to the doors, throwing them wide and ushering the five inside."Where do we take him?" Ryo asked, looking around, panicked. Mia blinked, still a little stunned.
"Um...not the office...examining room." She muttered. Sage smirked, and pointed towards a long corridor heading left.
"Examination and surgical rooms are that way." Kento nodded and started wheeling Rowen in that direction. Mia appeared to have just caught up with reality and she ran ahead of the group. She skipped a number of doors, choosing the fourth along the right wall. She unlocked the door and flicked on the light, nodding distractedly.
"All right, in here. I'll do a quick ultrasound, see what's up. I'll need your guys' help, I don't wanna call in any nurses, for obvious reasons." Cye grimaced.
"Mia...you aren't a doctor yet..." Mia scowled, sighing.
"Duh, I know that, but there isn't a whole lot we can do about that right now. If that baby wants to come out tonight, I'll just hafta deliver it tonight." Cye furrowed his eyebrows, frowning. Kento laid a hand on Cye's shoulder, smiling.
"It's okay, love. I'm sure she knows what she's doing."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rowen was hooked up to a number of different monitors, each reading different numbers, none of which anyone but Mia really understood. Cye and Kento were sitting off to one side, watching Mia with apprehension. Ryo was hovering near Rowen's side, ready to assist in any way possible. Sage held Rowen's hand tightly, his breath catching every now and then.Mia had changed quickly into a green scrub gown, hesitating at further surgical preparation. She frowned at the screen to her left, which was transmitting a picture of the baby within Rowen's stomach. Sage's heart skipped at every one of Mia's reactions.
"What...what's wrong with him?" He asked. Mia bit her lip.
"He was right, this baby wants out and now." Sage's eyes widened and he suddenly found it quite difficult to breath. Mia noted his expression and smirked. "Don't worry, I've spent these months learning all I could about ectopic birthing. I can perform the caesarean section, no problem. I really will need everyone's help, though." Cye grimaced.
"Mia...none of us knows the first thing about-" Mia held up a hand, smiling.
"I know. Don't worry, I'll be handling the difficult stuff. All I'll need are gophers, really." Sage scowled, confused. Mia shook her head tersely. "Look, I'll explain on the way, but right now we have to get Rowen into an operating room. Quickly, let's unplug all this junk and get him back into the chair." Kento and Sage nodded in unison, quickly but carefully removing the sticky tabs placed on certain parts of Rowen's stomach, chest and neck. They hefted him carefully and gently set him back into the wheelchair.
"God, I hope we don't fuck this up." Ryo muttered to himself, trying to be quiet enough so Sage wouldn't hear him. Cye, however, heard and jabbed Ryo sharply in the back.
"You even think that again and I'll hurt you." Cye growled. Ryo winced.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The operating room sort of scared Sage, though he wasn't about to admit that. It was so sterile, so cold. He was seriously considering asking Mia if he could cover the table with a blanket or something, so Rowen would be a little more comfortable. Mia could almost read Sage's thoughts, and she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder."It's okay. I'm sure he'll be just fine." She said, handing Sage a green gown similar to hers. The other guys were already dressed in scrubs, waiting for Mia's instructions. Sage frowned, struggling slightly with the ties in the back. Kento stepped forward to help him. He smirked when he noticed Sage's hands were trembling, even when tried clenching them at his sides.
"Hey, it'll be okay, Sage. I know you'd probably feel a lot more comfortable with pros doing this, I understand." Sage shook his head tersely.
"N-no. It's o-okay. It's just..." Sage's face screwed up, and he was obviously trying as hard as he could to avoid crying. "M-Mia's gotta d-do this all by h-herself. W-we don't know anything, w-we're just g-gonna get in her way..." He couldn't stave off the tears now. Kento sighed and pulled Sage in for a quick hug.
"Shhh, I understand. Hey," Kento said, tilting Sage's chin up. "I can remember tons of times Mia had to depend on each and every one of us. Each time it was important, and each time her faith didn't falter. I think we all need to believe in her like that now." Sage blinked and nodded.
"Thanks...Kento." Sage said, pouting. Kento smiled.
"S'okay. C'mon," He said, motioning towards the double doors leading to the operating room. "We gotta get in there. Mia'll need our help." Sage bit his lip, swallowed hard and stepped forward through the doors.
Mia was prepping for the surgery, Cye helping her scrub up and slip on a pair of sterilized gloves. Ryo was helping position Rowen on the table, being careful not to disturb the nearby cart. Sage stepped quickly over to Mia, still a little frazzled.
"Mia...is...is Rowen going to wake up during the surgery?" Sage asked quietly. Mia looked up at him. He bit his lip, his breathing finally slowing that evening. "Um...along that, do you even know why he fainted?" Mia sighed.
"Sage...I'm sorry, but I think I want you to wait outside for this. I'll be fine with just Cye, Ryo and Kento. I want you to sit in the waiting room." Sage balked, shaking his head vehemently. Mia scowled. "Look, Sage..."
"No! I should be here, for Rowen." Sage snarled. Mia shook her head.
"I'm sorry, I just don't want you in here right now. It might not be a good idea for you to witness this." Sage squinted, quite angry. Mia rolled her eyes. "Look, Sage, there can sometimes be complications, especially during an ectopic birth. If something happens, I need to be able to think on my feet and with you there, it may throw me off."
Sage was stunned speechless, horrified. Mia looked at Cye with pleading eyes. Cye nodded.
"C'mon, Sage. Let's go outside." Sage was shaking his head, disbelieving. Cye looked back at Mia and mouthed something. Mia scowled, but nodded. Cye gently grabbed Sage's arm, dragging him out.
"C-Cye...you gotta let me back in there!" Sage pleaded. Cye shook his head.
"No, and I'm staying out here with you. It'll be okay, you just need to trust in Mia." Sage swallowed hard, his eyes still on the door. Cye's eyes grew hard and he more forcefully pulled Sage away from the operating room. "You are going to stay out here, and every now and then I'll go check on how they're doing. Now, sit." Cye said, pushing Sage into a chair. Sage frowned.
"Cye..." Cye shook his head.
"Hush, and pray, damn it."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"How's he doing?" Sage asked for the fiftieth time that night. Cye yawned and rubbed his eyes. He walked over to Sage and sat with him in a nearby chair."Still asleep, thankfully. Mia did not like having to anesthetize him, but it was for his own damn good. Shoulda known better than to wake up just as she was about to cut him." Cye snorted, shaking his head. Sage blinked, sighing. Cye smiled. "It's okay, she's almost done. It shouldn't take much longer now."
It hadn't been more than maybe a half hour since the beginning of the operation, but the minutes just seemed to drip by. Sage felt so helpless sitting there with Rowen unconscious and everything, but it was good to have Cye nearby. Every time Sage had almost broke down, Cye would gather him in his arms and hold him for a few minutes. Cye had taken only two breaks from his guard duty, but Sage had not made any attempts to run into the surgery.
Sage was sitting with his head in his hands. It was way past midnight, probably two, but he wasn't tired. His eyes might have been, but the rest of his body was racked with worry. Cye was slowly walking up the hallway again, two styrofoam cups of coffee in his hands. He smiled down at Sage and handed him a cup.
"Don't worry, I made sure to have Kento place one of the knives under the operating table." Sage looked up at Cye, puzzled. Cye took a sip of coffee and sat down, yawning. "Yeah, didn't you know? If you put a knife under the bed of a pregnant person during the birth, the labor pains will practically vanish." Sage shook his head.
"My god, Cye..." Sage snorted. Cye stuck his tongue out.
"Scoff now, but I'm sure Rowen appreciates it." Sage laughed, his shoulder shaking.
"Oh, that's not it. I appreciate it, too, for all it's worth. You've been one of the biggest helps during everything, even if you spout more old wives tales than my grandmother." Cye grinned. The alien sound of a quick crying broke the mood for the pair. Sage slipped in his chair, snapping back to reality and his cup of coffee.
"Oh my god..." He breathed, staring at the double doors a few feet away. Ryo strode through the doors at that moment, a look of disbelief masking his countenance.
"I don't..." Ryo muttered. Sage shot up from his seat, his cup forgotten on a short table. He grabbed Ryo sharply by his shoulders.
"What's going on? Is Rowen okay? Did it happen?" Sage gushed. Ryo blinked and tried to gather his wits about him.
"Y-yes...?" Ryo suggested. Sage shook his head.
"Wait...what?" Cye laughed and stood slowly.
"I think he means, yes, Rowen's fine and everything is taken care of." Sage turned his eyes back to Ryo. Ryo nodded, dazed. Sage suddenly found himself light headed and he fell backwards into Cye's arms. Cye grinned.
"Hey, you're a daddy, Sage!" Cye blinked a moment and looked over at Ryo. "Um...what kind of daddy is Sage?" Ryo sighed heavily, shaking his head. He understood what Cye meant; he wanted to know the sex.
"Oh...uh, girl..." Sage’s eyes widened.
"Oh my god..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rowen was beat. He never would have guessed actually giving birth was such a tiring experience. Then again, he was asleep during the most part of it. Regardless, he wasn't too happy when he heard a knock at the door. He, by Mia's severe insisting, was using a private overnight room. He lifted his head as best as he could, calling out that it was all right for whomever it was to enter.Sage opened the door, entered, though he appeared to be walking through a cloud. Rowen smiled broadly and lifted his arms, luring Sage into a hug. Sage gladly fell into it, squeezing Rowen tightly.
"Baby, why didn't you tell me we had a little girl?" Sage whispered into Rowen'’s ear. Rowen chuckled.
"Jus' wanted to have m'own lil' secret. Jus' for a lil' while." Sage smiled, shaking his head and pulling away from Rowen.
"Sure surprised the hell outta me. I'm guessing you have a name for her?" Rowen nodded lightly, yawning.
"Sophia." Sage blinked, tilting his head.
"Why Sophia?" Rowen dragged Sage back down, at least so he was kneeling next to him.
"Sophia is a Grecian name. It means 'wisdom'." Sage inhaled sharply, biting his lip.
"Rowen...that's beautiful." Sage leaned over and kissed Rowen lightly on the cheek. Rowen smiled and nuzzled Sage.
"Uh huh..." Rowen mumbled. Sage sighed, wrapping his arms around Rowen.
"I can't believe you actually did it, baby. We have a little girl, and it's all thanks to you." Rowen laughed weakly.
"Um, not entirely, sweetie. You helped, ya know." Sage chuckled.
"True. Y'know, it'll be kinda weird. A little girl in the house." Rowen shrugged as best as he could, lying down and being wrapped in Sage's arms and all. He yawned again and sighed happily.
"Well, maybe Cye'll have a little boy..." Sage's breath caught in his throat. He stared at Rowen, who was now trying to fall asleep.
"Did you...just say...Cye is..." Rowen smiled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So, how's Cye doing?" Rowen asked of Kento one fine afternoon, Sophia Ruth Date in his arms. She was being her usual fussy self, and Rowen was having one hell of a time getting her to sit still long enough for him to try to give her her bottle. Kento smiled and shrugged."He's being his usual self. He keeps asking me why the hell I would ever still want him, looking the way he does. He's unnecessarily worried that I'll go run off with some guy I'll meet somewhere. Don't exactly know where I'm supposed to meet him, I haven't been far from the house for the past two months." Rowen raised an eyebrow. He finally got Sophie to stop squirming and he lightly ran his fingers over her soft, baby blue locks. Kento snorted.
"I didn't fall for him 'cause he was cute. I mean, that helped, but it didn't catch my attention." Rowen smiled slyly.
"What did attract you, then?" Kento inhaled deeply.
"His-" A sudden slam of a door from somewhere upstairs caught the attention of the two chatting friends. They could hear Cye in the bathroom, that telltale horrid coughing sound following closely after the slam. Kento smiled up at the ceiling.
"His loveable, always optimistic attitude." Rowen chuckled.
