One Last Kiss

Three months later, in mid-May, Black Veil Brides had finished off the third leg of their Church of the Wild Ones Tour, which had gotten a bit behind schedule. They’d taken time off between the Kerrang! Tour and the second leg of the tour they’d just finished so that their frontman and bassist could make their marriage official. At the time they’d picked their wedding date, the tour hadn’t been nailed down, and they both refused to change the date of such a special moment in their lives because of the tour. Sure, the fans wished the shows had gone on as they’d been told they would, but they were still happy for them.

Now Ash was just glad to be back home until they embarked on Warped Tour 2013, an experience they hadn’t had since 2011 right after the release of Set the World on Fire. He and his new husband had been viewing houses online on their days off and had finally agreed on one, but they still had yet to view it in person. Aside from the stresses of touring and house hunting, he wasn’t feeling too great.

Since he didn’t want to worry Andy, he’d done everything he could to hide how sick and tired he was. Thankfully, ginger ale seemed to do wonders for his almost constant upset stomach, and the exhaustion he just blew off on pushing himself too hard. The younger man had given him a couple of skeptical looks from time to time, but decided to trust his word since he knew his body better. That didn’t stop him from worrying about the bassist by any means, and while he was grateful to know that he cared, it was a bit annoying.

“Ugh,” he groaned, sprawled out on their bed. His husband had already gotten up and dressed, and was currently working on breakfast. “I can’t keep this up for much longer.”

Ash already knew that, once again, he was carrying the younger man’s child within him, and the thought never failed to bring a smile to his face. Considering that he was pretty sure he conceived in early March, while they were on the second leg of the Church of the Wild Ones Tour, he was pretty sure he was about two months pregnant. To those who didn’t know his habits or didn’t pay close enough attention, they couldn’t tell that he was slightly bloated, but he could. It was getting harder and harder to get the fly of his jeans closed, and he knew it wouldn’t be long before he had to give up skinny jeans and jeans altogether.

“You okay, Ash?” Andy asked, having walked into the bedroom.

“I’m fine. Just feeling a little bloated,” he answered, grimacing as he rubbed his belly.

“You’ve been feeling bad for about a month now,” the younger man said, sitting down on the edge of the bed by his knees. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Ash answered, trying to curb his temper as a mood swing started.

“Sweetheart, you’ve been sick lately, overly tired, and now you’re moodier than normal. Is there something you’re not telling me?” he asked, cocking a brow at him.

Seeing that he wasn’t winning this and couldn’t hide it any longer, he rolled onto his side to sit up. He didn’t want to lay face-down any longer, even though he wasn’t really showing, for fear that it would cause him to miscarry again. The bassist sat himself up and reached into the drawer of his nightstand, where he’d hidden the images from the ultrasound he’d gotten to confirm his pregnancy the week before. He hadn’t quite gotten to the point he wanted to be at when he told Andy, but it was now or never.

“Ashes?” he asked uncertainly.

“You’re right; there is something I’ve been hiding from you.” The bassist took a deep breath as he held the pictures to his chest. “Keep in mind that I’ve hidden this for a reason; not because I never wanted to say anything, but because I wanted to be sure before I did.”

The younger man cocked his brow again, and he sighed as he handed him the images. “What are these?” he asked, taking a look at them.

“Ultrasound images,” Ash answered.

“Of what?” He really sounded confused.

He had to take a moment before he started explaining it. When he finished, Andy turned wide, icy-blue eyes up to him.

“Well?” the bassist asked, sounding scared and nervous.

“You’re really pregnant?” Andy countered, a grin suddenly splitting his face.

“Yes. I went to my OB/GYN last week because I was pretty sure I was,” he answered, nodding. “I wanted it confirmed before I said anything, and I actually wanted to wait longer.”

“Why’s that? Were you scared that I wasn’t going to want the baby?”

“No, it wasn’t that.” Ash shook his head vigorously. “I remember how much you wanted the baby we lost, and that’s just it. Miscarriage rates can be pretty high during the first twelve weeks or so, which is the first trimester of pregnancy. Considering that I had a stress-induced miscarriage back in November, I just wanted to be damn sure I wouldn’t miscarry as soon as I opened my mouth this time.”

“So how far along are you?” his lover asked excitedly.

“Nine weeks, according to Dr. Lang,” the bassist answered, grinning. “Not quite as far along as I wanted to be before I told you, but close enough, I guess.”

Excited beyond belief, Andy had to lay the ultrasound images aside so he didn’t crush them in his fist, then took his sweetheart into his arms. He gently connected their lips in a sweet but passionate kiss, but that wasn’t enough for the hormonal man. He felt himself twitch and grow, moaning into the kiss his lover gave him as his heightened hormone levels made him want him in the ultimate way once again.

“I’m sorry, mio deviante,” the frontman groaned, resting their foreheads together after ending the kiss. “As much as I’d love to show you my love again, we don’t have time right now.”

Ash whined as his head fell back, exposing his neck for anything he wanted to do to it.

“I know, I know; you don’t like going out unsated,” he said, holding him close.

“Damn straight,” the bassist moaned into his shoulder, where he hid his face. “But my libido has other ideas. This pregnancy is going to be the death of me!”

“Oh, I doubt that,” Andy chuckled, gently kissing him again. “Let’s find you some jeans that fit, shall we?”

“It’s not like I’ve got any other choice,” he grumbled, gently rubbing his belly.

The younger man chuckled softly as he rose from the bed and grabbed his sweetheart’s hands. On a count of three, he gently helped him sit up, seeing his slight baby bump even better now. He grinned at him as he knelt down between his thighs, his hands cupping his hips, and leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to said bump. This made Ash blush furiously, but he still cupped the back of his head before making him get up.

Once on his feet, he went over to their closet to rifle through it, hoping to find a pair of jeans that wouldn’t compress his belly too much. He somehow managed to find a pair that were looser than he normally wore, surprised to find that he’d already grown enough to make them a bit snug at his waist. Andy even grimaced a bit as he watched him tug the crotch down, complaining that they were going to murder his balls if he didn’t. It was obvious that, not only was he going to grow in the belly and waist like a woman, his crotch was going to grow, as well. He almost wondered if he was going to develop breasts, too.

When he was finally dressed, Ash had him give him a hand up, then they finally headed to the dining room to scarf down their breakfast. He wasn’t able to eat quite as much as he usually would, his morning sickness kicking in enough to make him feel nauseous yet again. His lover was quick to grab him the trash can the moment he turned green, kneeling beside him as he reached up to rub his back and hold his hair out of the way. He spoke softly, trying to comfort him until he felt better, but knowing there wasn’t much he could do to help him.

“Feel better, Outlaw?” Andy asked when he leaned against the back of his chair.

“A little,” he answered, his entire body shaking. “This morning sickness is killer!”

“So that’s why you’ve been so sick?” his lover asked, sounding concerned.

“Mmm hmm. It’s part of pregnancy, but damned if I feel like I’m not eating enough for the baby,” he answered, nodding.

“Maybe we should talk to your doctor at your next appointment, see if there’s something other than ginger ale we can try,” the frontman suggested.

“Already did. Unless I start losing weight or get dehydrated, there’s not much she can do.” He smiled at his husband weakly. “It’s the thought that counts, though.”

“Well, you stay where you’re at. I’ll get the dishes loaded in the dishwasher and pack you a bit of a snack for while we’re gone.” He quickly rose to his full height, bending slightly to kiss the top of his head.

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Ash agreed. “Just make sure it’s something dry, like crackers.”

“I’m guessing your doctor suggest that?” the younger man asked curiously, gathering their dishes.

“Yeah. She said dry things like crackers and toast could help with the morning sickness.” He nodded. “Believe it or not, she was right.”

Andy chuckled as he took the dishes into the kitchen, quickly loading them into the dishwasher as he’d said he was going to do before starting it. That task done, he quickly grabbed a Ziploc bag to put his sweetheart’s snack in, making sure he put plenty of crackers in it. Being unable to hold much of anything down had to suck, and probably made him hungrier than normal because of that, and that wasn’t including the increased hunger just from, technically speaking, eating for two.

With the older man’s snack packed up, he grabbed a few cans of ginger ale to take with them, as well. Not only did he need to stay as hydrated as possible, he’d already told him that the stuff helped with his nausea a bit. Clearly not as much as either of them would’ve liked by a long shot, but it was better than nothing, especially as far as Ash was concerned.

The younger man let his husband lean on him as he locked the front door to their apartment, gently kissing his forehead as they turned and started for the stairs. Andy knew without a doubt that his pregnancy wasn’t going to be easy, if only because men weren’t supposed to have the ability to carry children, but that wasn’t going to be the only hard part. Being parents while part of a band like they were was going to make the experience even harder, but then again, it would make them treasure it that much more. Still, he’d love his sweetheart until their time on Earth ended, whether they had children together or not.

* * *

Six hours later, the exhausted couple were finally done dealing with the Realtor about the house they’d chosen from all of the ones they’d looked at online. A one-story humble abode in a neighborhood known as Northridge, which was just Northeast of another neighborhood notorious for drug abuse back in the eighties, Van Nuys. It was a beautiful house that more than met their needs in an equally beautiful neighborhood that wasn’t quite as rural and private as they would’ve liked, but it was good enough.

After viewing every aspect of the house, right down to the old-world-styled kitchen, dining room, and den, as well as the outdoor bar and pool bordered by a sandpit to give it a beach-like feel, they decided it was perfect. They were unconcerned that the price tag on it was a whopping $769,000, especially since they were both born-negotiators and talked the sellers down to $700,000 even before it was all over.

While they were sitting in the Realtor’s office to fill out the paperwork, Ash had laid over on the couch they sat on and put his head in his husband’s lap. His lover was busy filling out the paperwork and knew he didn’t feel good, either, so he didn’t bother him. It was only when he started to rise so he could give the paperwork back to the Realtor that he realized the older man had fallen asleep, but it was a good thing. He hadn’t been sleeping quite right ever since his morning sickness started acting up, and although at a time most would consider abnormal, at least he was getting some rest.

“You get everything filled out, Mr. Biersack?” the Realtor, Shelley, asked as she came over to him instead.

“Pretty sure I did,” he answered, nodding.

“What about your husband?” she asked, concerned about the other man as she gestured to him.

“He filled out what he needed to before he stretched out,” Andy chuckled. “He hasn’t really been sleeping right lately because of his insomnia.”

“Yikes, that sucks.” The woman grimaced before looking back to the paperwork. “I know how it feels to be an insomniac. It’s not fun when one has to get up early in the morning for work.”

“Well, we’re in a band, so our schedule is constantly changing,” the younger man explained, gently caressing his sweetheart’s hair. “When we’re in the studio, we’ve gotta be up at the crack of dawn to jam and track. On tour, things vary from day-to-day, depending on whether we’ve got shows, meet-and-greets, interviews, or the highly-desired day off.”

“What band are you guys in?” Shelley asked curiously.

“Black Veil Brides,” he answered, pride and confidence lacing his voice.

“I thought I recognized you two,” she chuckled. “My baby sister started listening to you guys when your debut album came out and turned me into a fan, too.”

“One of the few fans that doesn’t try to mob us,” he chuckled.

“Mmm,” Ash moaned softly, nuzzling his leg as he squirmed for a moment.

“Shhh. It’s okay, sweetheart,” Andy murmured, leaning down to kiss his temple.

“Ugh.” He slowly pushed himself up, splaying a hand across his midsection once he was upright. “Can you tell me where your bathroom is?”

Shelley quickly gave him directions, gasping when he ran down the hall like his ass was on fire. “Is he okay?” she asked.

“I’m not sure,” the younger man lied. “I’m gonna go check on him while you’re going over that.”

Nodding, the Realtor turned her attention back to the paperwork they’d turned in while he ran down the hall after his husband. In the bathroom, he found him in the handicap stall, on his knees in front of the toilet as he heaved so violently not even Hollywood could recreate it. Andy dropped to his knees beside him, quickly grabbing his hair in one hand while using the other to rub slow, soothing circles on his back.

A few minutes later, Ash finally leaned back against him, his breathing quick and shallow as he began to shake as bad as he had after breakfast that morning. He splayed his hand over his belly right where their child grew under his heart, almost as if trying to protect it from the heaving. The younger man gently kissed his temple as he reached up to flush the toilet, ignoring the acidic scent as he waited for his sweetheart to feel well enough to stand up. Once he did, he helped him up and over to the sink, where he rinsed his mouth out, before they headed back to Shelley’s office.

“Feeling better, Ashley?” she asked, glancing up at them.

“A little,” the bassist answered. “I’ve got a nasty headache, and if they get bad enough, that happens.”

Andy knew that’d happened in the past and played along with it, not wanting to give away his secret since men weren’t known for getting pregnant.

“Well, I just finished up the paperwork. Since you guys could afford to buy the house outright, you don’t have to worry about financing or anything like that,” Shelley told them, turning to file away the paperwork. “Here’s the keys to it, so enjoy your new home. And I hope you feel better soon.”

“Thanks, Shelley,” Ash said, smiling weakly. “I hope I do, too.”

“Yeah, thanks,” his lover agreed. “We’ll get outta your hair now.”

“You guys are welcome to drop by if you have issues, or just wanna chat,” she said, returning their smiles. “But you guys have a good day.”

“You, too,” Andy answered, picking his husband up baby-style.

The bassist wrapped his arms around his neck, his legs around his waist, and held on as he carried him out of the building and back to his car. He rested his head on his shoulder like a little kid would when they felt bad, and considering how bad he must feel from the morning sickness and exhaustion, his lover didn’t blame him. At the car, he quickly got him settled in the passenger’s seat, immediately handing him his baggie of crackers and another can of ginger ale.

Ash gave him a tired smile as he began to nibble on one of the crackers, trying not to eat too much too fast so he didn’t upset his iffy stomach again. The younger man rounded the car and climbed behind the wheel, stomping the clutch and brake as he used one hand to close the door, the other to turn the key. Once they were both strapped in, he put the car in gear and made sure to take off slowly and gently.

While they were glad to be married, have a baby on the way, and finally have an actual house, they were both tired and in need of rest. Andy was concerned about his sweetheart and his health, knowing that pregnancy wasn’t easy on a woman, but was likely harder on a man. He planned to put him to bed for a nap when they got back to the apartment they’d soon be moving out of, knowing that the short nap he’d had in Shelley’s office wasn’t nearly enough. The younger man just hoped his morning sickness slacked off and he started getting more rest soon, and vowed to do everything he could to help him.

Notes