One Last Kiss

Six months later, in the first week of December, Ash was sitting at the house he and his husband shared, as close to miserable as he’d been since before the morning sickness abated. He was now thirty-eight weeks pregnant with their baby, whom they’d found out was a little girl, and couldn’t really do much of anything. He’d toured with the band as much as he could until around nine weeks ago, which was when he made the decision to just stay home from future tours, thanks to his doctor’s advice.

As much as he’d looked forward to the Monster Energy Outbreak Tour, he’d realized after the rigors of Warped Tour 2013 started getting to him about halfway through that he wouldn’t be able to do it. Andy had been highly disappointed that he was going to have to stay home from such an awesome tour that they’d both looked forward to, but as he’d been saying all along, their health was more important to him than having fun.

Their baby girl kicked at him gently as he laid back in their recliner, trying to keep his swollen feet propped up so they wouldn’t hurt as bad. Without his lover there to give him foot rubs, he found that they were almost constantly hurting, as was his back from carrying around all that extra weight. His doctor said he’d only put on about twenty pounds since getting pregnant, which was just a few pounds shy of what she considered normal around twenty-five, so Ash was happy. It meant that he hadn’t gained too much weight, seeing as this would be hard enough to shed as it was, and their daughter was healthy.

“Ouch, Legacy,” Ash groaned, taking a kick to the rib as his stomach growled. “Mommy’s gonna find us something to eat as soon as he uses the bathroom.”

With a bit of a struggle, considering how big he’d gotten and that he had no one to help him up, he managed to sit the recliner up. He had to pause to catch his breath, especially after his unborn daughter kicked him in the ribs again, before he could get up. Barely making it to the bathroom before he pissed himself, he sighed as he relieved the pressure on his bladder. Every story his grama’d told him about being pregnant with his mother, and how miserable the dearly deceased woman was while pregnant with him, came back to mind as he gently caressed the growing orb. Even though he’d been miserable most of his pregnancy for one reason or another, he knew it was all worth it in the end when he got to see her beautiful face.

As he was waiting on water to boil for the spaghetti he was craving, his phone started playing the chorus to The Mortician’s Daughter, letting him know that his husband was calling. “Hey, Batman.”

“Hey, my Outlaw. Glad to see I didn’t wake you up,” Andy responded, chuckling. “Whatcha up to?”

“Just making dinner for me and Legacy,” he answered, smiling. His left hand rested on his belly, and he loved watching the setting sunlight glint off his wedding set.

“We finally finished the show and meet-and-greet a little while ago,” his lover said, sighing and groaning as he obviously sat down. “It was awesome, but nothing could make it better than if you were here.”

“I know,” Ash sighed. Sometimes he really hated being pregnant. “But we both know I couldn’t come and risk Legacy. She means too much to both of us.”

“Especially after that miscarriage you had last November,” he agreed.

“Yeah. We weren’t even trying then, not that we were this time, either. But that still tore me up,” the bassist told him.

“It tore me up just as much. Maybe more, since I had to see you so sad, sweetheart,” the younger man said.

“Aww. You’re so sweet to me,” he cooed, giggling.

“Well, it’s like…two o’ clock in the morning here.” Andy tried to stifle a yawn, but failed miserably. “I’ll talk to ya again later, okay?”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” he agreed.

“Call me if you need anything, especially if you go into labor,” his lover demanded. “You know I’ll be on the first flight home the second you tell me such a thing.”

“I will. Sleep good and sweet dreams, Batman,” Ash told him.

“Sleep good and have some sweet dreams yourself when you finally go to bed,” he answered.

Their following goodbye was a short, yet sweet one, but he still hated to let him go. If it weren’t for being so heavily pregnant with their daughter, he’d be in Berlin with his loving husband right now, not just in his arms, but doing what he loved most. Ash sighed as he ended the call and dumped the pasta into the pot of now-boiling water, wishing he could see him again soon.

* * *

That night, around two AM Pacific time, the poor bassist was dragged from the depths of sleep by an uncomfortable sensation that was more painful than anything he’d ever felt. He’d been woken up by what his doctor said were Braxton-Hicks contractions, even gone into false labor before, but this was far worse than those times. He gently rubbed his belly as he continued to lay on his side, breathing as evenly as he could through the pain, despite his daughter kicking him.

When the pain subsided enough to move around, Ash threw the covers off his legs and slowly rose to his swollen feet. He trudged into the bathroom to relieve his bladder, which was as full as it could be once again, as fast as he possibly could. His gait had widened as his hips did from his belly’s growth over the past few months, so he waddled like a duck now more often than not.

As he sat on the toilet a short while later, the uncomfortable tightening started in his lower back and worked its way around to his front once again, the pain getting worse as the contraction reached its peak. He flattened his palms against the walls next to the toilet as best he could, struggling to keep himself from falling off the can and hitting the floor. He let out a soft cry of pain, knowing that this was the real thing and that he had to call Sammi to come get him and take him to the hospital. She and Ella were on standby to do such a thing if the guys were on tour, and he knew that Ella’d had a big modeling gig that day and needed her rest.

Once the contraction ended and he could rise back to his feet, Ash started to stand up…until he both heard and felt a pop. Fluid poured out of his ass like a popped water balloon, and his eyes widened as he realized that his water’d just broken. When the fluid finally stopped pouring out of him, he reached under the bathroom counter with his toes to grab a pad to put in his boxers, just in case there was still a little left. That task done, he managed to rise to his feet, despite his residual pain, and pulled his shorts up. He had to get to his phone, which was on his nightstand, as quickly as he could since he knew he couldn’t drive like this.

“Ash? What’s wrong?” Sammi asked sleepily when she answered his call a few minutes later.

“S-Sammi, you need t-to c-come get m-me,” he stuttered. “My w-water broke a f-few m-minutes ago.”

“Have you started having contractions?” she asked, immediately wide awake.

“I was w-woken up b-by one,” the bassist admitted. “A-and I h-had a-another one right b-before my w-wat-er b-broke.”

“Have you called Andy yet?” was her next question.

“P-planning to o-once I g-get off th-the ph-phone with y-you,” Ash answered, groaning as another contraction started. “P-please…h-hurry. I-I’m sc-scared.”

“Shhh, shhh, shhh, Ash. It’s okay,” the wild child soothed him. “I’ll stay on the phone with you till I get there, then we can call Andy. It’ll be all right…everything’ll be all right.”

“Oh, my G-Godsmack.” He groaned again and tried to breathe as the contraction reached its peak. “Th-this h-hurts so b-bad. And I-I’m sc-scared because she’s t-two w-weeks early.”

“Dr. Hill told you that her coming anywhere from two to four week early was fine,” Sammi reminded him. He heard rustling in the background as she got dressed and collected her own essentials. “If she were coming any earlier than that, then we’d have a reason to be worried.”

“I j-just w-want Andy!” Ash panted as the contraction ended, allowing him to lay down on their bed.

“You want me to three-way him?” his friend asked, clearly concerned about him.

“P-please,” the bassist answered, trying to hold back tears.

“All right, gimme a sec.” The line seemingly went dead as she started the three-way call, but she was back within moments. “You still there, Ash?”

“Y-yeah,” he answered.

“What’s wrong, Outlaw?” He heard his lover’s sleepy voice, and it made him break down.

“He’s going into labor, Andy,” Sammi answered, apparently sensing that his body was gearing up for yet another contraction.

“I’m getting a flight home now,” Andy said, fully awake just as quick as their friend was. “How’re ya doing, sweetheart?”

“It h-hurts!” Ash cried, the contraction reaching its peak.

“Calm down, Ash. Deep breaths,” the wild child coached. “I just started my car, and I’m on my way now.”

“Th-thanks, S-Sammi,” he stuttered, trying to do as she’d said.

“Yeah, thanks, Sammi,” his lover agreed. “I dunno what I’d do without you there right now.”

“Think nothing of it, you two. After all, what are friends for?” she chuckled.

“Y-you have your k-key, r-right?” the bassist stuttered. “I c-can’t get u-up t-to unlock th-the d-door.”

“Yeah, I’ve got my key. That’s what you guys gave it to me for before the others headed overseas to finish out the tour,” his friend answered.

“Is it really that bad, Outlaw?” Andy asked, clearly grimacing.

“Y-yeah, it r-really is th-that b-bad,” he answered. “W-worse than m-my m-miscarriage.”

“Yikes. I remember how bad you were hurting then.” His lover paused for a moment. “How ’bout I sing to ya? That seemed to help then.”

“A-are you s-sure y-you c-can?” Ash asked, wincing as their daughter kicked. “Y-you j-just had a b-big sh-show last n-night.”

“I don’t give a damn if I’m spitting up blood right now,” the younger man insisted. “Keeping you calm and trying to help as much as I can from across an ocean is more important to me right now than whether my voice goes out or not.”

Unable to argue with that kind of logic, the bassist didn’t try to stop him again when he started singing Saviour, reminding him in his own way that he’d always be there for him. Hearing his lover’s voice singing that sweet melody, and Sammi’s joining in to sing the harmony line he usually sang, calmed him down enough to think somewhat straight. Sure, the pain was still pretty bad as the contractions kept coming, but now he had something else to focus on besides that.

It wasn’t long afterward that their friend announced she’d just pulled up outside their house, even though he’d heard her car and seen the headlights. Ash assumed she’d done that mainly for his lover’s sake, making sure he knew that she’d gotten there safely to get him and his bag. They decided to end the call until he got to the hospital and settled into the labor and delivery room, at which point one of them would call him back. Andy agreed, knowing that’d probably be the best time so that his sweetheart was settled, which would also give him time to get his stuff packed and book a flight back to LA.

Sammi quickly grabbed his bag and pillows, as well as his favorite Batman and Hello Kitty blankets, the former of which actually belonged to his husband. With that stuff in the car, she came back into the master bedroom and helped him from the bed after helping him get his shoes on. He had to stop halfway down the hall for a contraction, but she was more than patient and helped him retain his balance.

In the car, he breathed as deeply and evenly as he could, trying to not only control his pain, but make sure Legacy had enough oxygen. She seemed to be doing just fine, not really kicking him in the midst of a contraction as much as between them, and feeling her move within him was reassuring. Since she used the carpool lane, despite the time of night, it wasn’t long before Sammi pulled up outside the hospital and parked in the visitor’s lot. She reassured him that she was just going to get someone to help him out of the car, as well as find a way to get his things upstairs, and he nodded weakly. Another contraction was starting, and Ash couldn’t wait to not only see Andy again, but meet his beautiful baby girl.

Notes