Together Again

Just a short month later, Ash and the twins were back at their home in Strawberry Plains. He was still deciding on whether or not to move back to LA, if only so the girls could spend more time with their father, and Christmas break for them had ended. They had to come back so they could go back to school, as he refused to uproot them in the middle of the school year.

Andy understood his train of thought, agreeing that moving over the summer would likely be best for all of them. Even though he missed his sweetheart and daughters, as evidenced every time he called them, he wanted what was best for Legacy and Magick. He might not’ve known he was a father and started playing the role until recently, but he was proving to the older man that he was capable of doing so. More than capable, actually, when he sat and really thought about it.

So when he woke up three days before his own birthday to a roiling stomach, Ash knew immediately what was wrong. It was too eerily similar to when he’d first gotten pregnant with the twins, and besides, the timing fit perfectly. They’d gotten to LA on December twentieth, he and Andy had had a morning romp the next morning, and now he was sick.

The only explanation he could come up with was that the condom had broken and, because he was at his fertile point in a cycle, he’d conceived again. He didn’t blame his lover for such a thing happening in the least; it was a freak occurrence that happened all the time, even back when they were younger. Like his first pregnancy, the timing could’ve been a bit better, but he wasn’t going to bitch at him for it. Besides, he’d forgotten to warn him that he was fertile, and it wasn’t like either of them had any control over keeping the condom intact and safe to use.

“Bye, girls,” he said as the twins left for school a short time later.

“Bye, Mama. Have a good day,” they chorused, waving as they left.

As soon as he saw their car pull out of the driveway, he called his OB/GYN to set up an appointment. Dr. Davis was curious as to how he knew if he hadn’t taken a pregnancy test yet, and he told her exactly what he’d been thinking so far. The similarities to now and when he got pregnant the first time were too similar, and the timing was absolutely perfect.

“All right, Ashley. C’mon in since I’ve got an open appointment in half an hour,” she told him.

“Thanks, Dr. Davis, since it’s so short-notice,” Ash answered, sighing softly.

Once the phone call to his doctor had been ended, he threw on a pair of sweats and a loose T-shirt before slipping on a pair of sneakers. His stomach still felt a bit iffy, and he grabbed a can of ginger ale on his way out the door. He’d wanted to have another baby for so long, but he’d have preferred the pregnancy be a planned one. In other words, whether Andy was the father again or not, he’d have preferred he and his chosen partner actually want him to conceive rather than it be such a surprise like the twins.

* * *

In his car after the appointment, Ash was still absorbing the news he’d gotten. Not only had he been right about being pregnant again, but like the first time, he was carrying twins. The rogue thought that it must be Andy’s fault that kept happening made him chuckle as he finally started his car, but he knew this was serious.

His lover was all the way across the country and, as far as he knew, working on yet more new music with the guys. He doubted the younger man would be able to come back East to be his moral—and possible physical—support till he finally delivered. Not only that, but if it wasn’t safe for him to fly when school let out, that’d really put a kink in any moving plans he made. He didn’t want to try flying with two newborns, and one could fly only up to a certain point in their pregnancy before they were denied for everyone’s safety.

By the time he got back home, he knew that he couldn’t keep such news from Andy. Even though he knew it was only seven in the morning in LA, he felt like he needed to go ahead and call him now. If he didn’t do so now, he doubted he’d have the courage to do so later, and that’s what’d kept them separated for nearly two decades. Taking a deep breath, he tapped the screen of his phone over the younger man’s contact, praying he answered and that he wasn’t too cranky if he did. He knew that he hadn’t liked being woken up at the crack of dawn when they were younger, but this was important.

Growling as he got his voice mail, Ash decided to simply leave him a message, begging him to call him back as soon as he could. As he ended the call and sighed, he knew that was the best he could do for right now. Laying his phone on the counter, he rifled through his fridge to figure out what, besides crackers, he could even attempt eating. Morning sickness was such a bitch, he now remembered.

“Oh,” he gasped, his ringing phone startling him a short time later. Judging by the ring tone that was playing, it was his lover. “Hello?”

“Morning, Outlaw,” Andy greeted him. “Sorry I missed your call; I was in the shower. What’s up?”

“You mean besides my ceiling and anxiety level?” he asked, drumming his fingers on the counter in front of him.

“Oh, boy…” the younger man breathed. “This can’t be good…”

“Depends on…” Cut off by his roiling stomach, his eyes widened. “Andy, gimme a minute…”

Ash heard his boyfriend start to ask what was wrong as he pulled his phone away from his ear and stepped onto the back deck. Within moments, it was laying on the rail as he leaned over it, his stomach rejecting the yogurt he’d tried eating almost violently. He cursed up a storm as he struggled to catch his breath a few minutes later, no longer heaving now that he had nothing left.

“Ashley, are you okay?” his lover asked as soon as he picked up his phone.

“Ugh… I fucking hate vomiting,” the older man groaned, slumping into a patio chair.

“What’s wrong? You know I’ll come out there and help you if I need to,” Andy said, immediately concerned.

“There’s really no easy way to put this, Batman…I’m pregnant,” he told him bluntly.

“The condom must’ve broken,” the younger man said. “I’m guessing you took a pregnancy test already?”

“Actually, no. The symptoms were too similar to when I got pregnant with the girls, so I went straight to my doctor,” Ash answered. “Turns out, I’m having twins again.”

“How is that possible?” he asked, shocked.

“Well, if I didn’t know any better, I’d swear it was your way of making me miserable,” the older man chuckled. “It’s probably just luck-of-the-draw, though.”

“Fuck the guys, and the record company,” Andy said. “I’ll be out there in Strawberry Plains to help you soon, considering that these babies are just as much mine as they are yours.”

“How’re you gonna get out here so quick on such short notice?” he asked curiously.

“Private jet, Outlaw,” his lover chuckled. “One of the perks of being in a band for so long since I had nothing better to spend my money on.”

“I guess that’s true enough,” the older man conceded, laughing.

They soon ended their phone call, knowing it was best if they wanted to see each other sooner. Not only that, but Ash still wasn’t feeling his best, even though he was no longer heaving his guts out. One of the worst things about pregnancy, aside from the morning sickness and kicks to the bladder, was constantly feeling drained.

After getting off the phone with his lover, he went back inside and attempted finding something to eat again. Clearly yogurt was a no-go while he was still suffering morning sickness, but he didn’t want to live off of crackers and toast. Considering that the girls’ pediatrician had told him about the BRAT diet when they came down with a stomach bug when they were two, he decided to try eating a banana. He doubted applesauce would stay down any better than the yogurt, and he didn’t really like it, anyway.

Sighing as he crawled back into bed a short time later, Ash couldn’t help but wonder if his lover was happy about this or not. Andy hadn’t really shown any emotion other than shock when he’d told him, but maybe he just needed time to process the information. He hadn’t been there throughout the girls’ childhood, so maybe he’d be excited this time around. The only way he’d find out, though, was when he got here in a few hours.

Notes