by Aria Grace
While other passengers are moaning and groaning about the situation, I’m absolutely ecstatic. I’m going back home. I took reasonable efforts to get to the conference, but no one can argue about a weather warning. Now I can hold my men tonight and won’t miss out on a single minute of lovemaking with them.
Even though the ride is rough, I manage to close my eyes and drift into a contented sleep, knowing I’m just a few hours away from being with my guys. These are the moments when I can truly appreciate flying business class and being in the front row of the plane. There’s plenty of legroom as I dream sexy dreams.
The second the plane touches down in my home airport at just after two, I turn my phone back on and check my messages. My heart almost stops when I hear Collin’s frantic voice. “Seth said they’re in a warehouse. Sean talked them into some photoshoot but when he walked in he saw the other guys chained up. I couldn’t understand everything but he gave me the address to some abandoned warehouse on 82 near the airport. I’m on my way now with the police, but I wanted to let you know what’s going on. I love you, Gunnar. And I’m gonna go get our boy.”
The message ends and I feel like my world has just ended too. Sean’s in trouble and I can’t help him. I unclip my seatbelt and ring for a flight attendant. “I need to get off the plane. It’s an emergency.”
“We’re almost at the gate, sir.” The woman strapped to the jump seat across from me seems annoyed at having her magazine interrupted, but she isn’t exactly snapping at me.
I take a deep breath and count to three. “Of course.” There have been stories all over the news lately about overzealous air marshals and cranky flight attendants restraining aggressive passengers and detaining them for hours. I can’t risk being detained for a second longer than necessary, so I pull out my phone and call Collin, hoping he has some news.
“Gunnar.” He sounds frantic, which doesn’t make me feel any better. “I’m so sorry.”
“What happened, Collin?” I wrap an arm around my stomach and lean forward. “Is he okay?”
“I don’t know yet.” I can hear the emotion in Collin’s voice and I hate that I’m not there to comfort him. “I’m still about ten minutes out. I left as soon as I talked to Seth but… God, what if I’m too late?”
“Did you call the police?” I glance out the window and see that we’re just about to connect to the jet bridge. The flight attendant is standing but glares at me to remind me that I need to stay seated.
“Seth called them as soon as he hung up with me.” Collin’s voice cracks before he clears his throat. “I just don’t understand why Sean would do this. Why wouldn’t he tell us what was going on?”
“I don’t know, love.” I try to regulate my breathing, so I can help Collin regulate his. “But we’ll find out. Right now, we just have to make sure he’s safe.” The door opens, and the flight attendant gives me a nod. “I’m getting off the plane now. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“Wait, what?” Collin’s voice is stronger now, even though it’s laced with new confusion. “Where are you?”
“Back home. There were weather issues, so we were diverted back. I’m on my way.”
* * *
Even though there seems to be an unmistakable bond leading me to exactly where Sean is, I’m still afraid I’ll miss the place as I race down Highway 82. But the mass of flashing lights and first responders make it impossible to miss. I barely slow down as I turn into the parking lot, desperate to find Sean and his brother safely waiting for me.
Collin’s work truck is parked sideways next to a fire truck so I pull in behind him and jump out of the car. It only takes a few seconds before I see Collin sitting on the edge of an ambulance with Sean wrapped in a blanket in his arms.
“Oh god.” I wrap my arms around both men, thankful they’re okay. “What happened?”
Sean leans against my shoulder and sobs. “I’m so sorry, Gunnar. I didn’t know what he wanted. He said it was just a photoshoot for extra credit and some money. I didn’t want to worry you, but I should have known it wasn’t safe.”
I lift Sean into my arms and sit next to Collin. “Shh, baby, it’s okay. We’re here now.”
One glance at Collin is enough to clearly see the horror still in his eyes. Collin reaches for the edge of the blanket and pulls it back far enough for me to see that Sean is naked beneath it.
Fuck!
I close my eyes and rest my forehead on Sean’s temple. “Baby, what did they do to you?”
Sean sobs again but shakes his head. “Nothing, I swear.” He pulls back enough so he can look at both of us. “They tried to… They would have but the police came in time.” Sean closes his eyes and drops his head into his palms. “I’m so sorry. I would have killed myself if they’d taken what is yours. Only yours.”
Collin heaves out a heavy breath as he cuddles closer against us. “It’s okay, baby. You’re only ours. Now and forever.” He slips a finger under Sean’s chin and forces him to look him in the eye. “No matter what happened today, you’re still only ours. Do you understand that?”
Sean takes a stuttering breath but nods. “Yes.”
“But we’re so fucking glad they didn’t touch you.” I press my lips to his temple and hold there. “Because I’d have to fucking kill them all.”
“I love you, guys.” Sean takes a deep breath and leans heavily on me while reaching for Collin’s neck. “And no more surprises. I promise.”
“Sounds good to me.” I lean forward to give Collin a kiss, knowing he needs comfort and reassurance that we’re all okay as much as Sean does.
“After this last one…”
Collin and I both turn to Sean, afraid to hear what he has to say.
“The paramedic who did the initial exam said my heartbeat sounded funny…there was an echo or something strange, so he ran a few tests.”
“Oh god, baby.” I hold him and Collin tighter against my side. “What’s wrong?”
Sean takes a deep breath then whispers quiet enough that only Collin and I can hear him. “I’m pregnant.”
It takes a few seconds for the words to sink in but as soon as I do, emotion I didn’t realize was bottled up inside me comes flooding out. “Thank god.” I pull both men into my arms, almost crushing them in my excitement over what this means for our little family. “I thought you were going to say something bad was going on with you.”
Sean chuckles and the tension in his tight little body finally dissipates. “I wasn’t sure if it was a bad thing.”
I look at him in confusion, wondering what he could mean. Then I turn to Collin, realizing he might have other opinions about the situation. “Babe, what do you think? Are you okay with this?”
Collin’s shocked expression turns to surprised joy. “I’m so okay with it.” He presses a gentle kiss to Sean’s lips then rests his palm on the blanket above Sean’s belly. “I didn’t expect this so soon, but I’ve been dreaming about what our kids would look like since I met you guys. Now I guess I’ll be finding out in nine months.”
67
Collin – Nine Months Later
I’m deep in my REM cycle when Gunnar gently pushes my shoulder. I stir myself awake, half in and out of consciousness. “What time is it?”
“It’s three in the morning. I think Sean’s in labor.”
Those words are enough to snap my mind into focus as I feel my adrenaline begin to spike. “What? It’s time?”
“I’m not sure… Maybe.” He flips on the lamp next to the bed. “He’s been up for a few hours and complaining about back pains.”
“Why didn’t you wake me?”
“We didn’t want to bother you if it turned out to just be Braxton-Hicks.” I know exactly what Gunnar means, and in the same situation, I probably wouldn’t have woken him either if the roles were reversed.
Sean’s been having false labor pains for three weeks now. I don’t think it’s uncommon for omegas to have more complicated births, especially when it’s their first.
But it’s all just statistics and possibilities when it’s someone else’s omega. But now that it’s ours, Gunnar and I both have been keeping a close eye on Sean for the past nine months. Making sure he’s perfectly healthy has been our top priority.
“I think we should get him to the hospital. I’d rather be safe than sorry, you know.”
I nod in agreement. “Let me just throw something on and I’ll be ready to go.”
“Oh my god,” Gunnar says. “I can’t believe we’re about to have a baby.”
His joy is only matched by my own as I run around the room and quickly slip on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. “Okay, I’m ready,” I say as I grab my keys off the side table in the den. “Let’s go.”
Sean looks both frightened and relieved that he’s finally on his way to deliver our precious bundle. We get him into my truck before I tear out of the drive. “You don’t have to rush. I’m not even sure if this baby is ready to come out,” Sean says between forced breaths.
“Baby, I’m not taking any chances.” I race through town, thankful it’s early morning and not many cops are around. I must run through five red lights before we get to the hospital. Gunnar hops out and lifts Sean into his arms to carry him into the emergency room while I go park the truck.
My good parking karma is in force and I find a spot near the front. As soon as I get inside, I quickly find Sean in a wheelchair and Gunnar with a nurse, filling out some paperwork.
Just when I think we’re in the clear, Sean cries out. His voice sounds like he’s in so much pain that I wish I could do anything to take it away from him.
The on-call obstetrician comes out to meet us after being paged by the nurse at the check-in station. She looks at Sean and then at the two of us, a huge smile crossing her features. “Hello! I’m Dr. Harper. Looks like we’re ready to have a baby.”
“God, I hope so,” Sean mumbles before yelling out again.
“Alright, let’s get you back here. Who’s the father?”
Gunnar and I look between each other. “Um, technically, we don’t know,” Gunnar responds.
“We’re…together… Agh!” Sean is barely able to get the words out before a violent contraction hits him.
The doctor takes a quick look at all three of us and then motions for us to follow her. A new nurse approaches and takes over the wheelchair as Gunnar and I both follow dutifully behind. The nurses and doctor work swiftly, getting Sean into a birthing room and onto a bed. Soft music is playing in the background and the lights in the room are dimmer than they were out in the hallway.
“Sean, I need you to put your legs up in these stirrups. I want to see how far along you are.” Dr. Harper helps Sean move his legs into position and a nurse drapes a cloth over his lap so he has a bit of privacy. Both Gunnar and I flank him, each taking a hand and letting Sean squeeze as hard as he needs to as each contraction comes.
Dr. Harper is quiet for several moments as she works in silent coordination with the nurses. Sean buckles down again, gripping my hand with more strength than I thought he could ever muster. “You can do this, Sean. We love you, baby.”
“Yes, we do.” Gunnar presses a kiss to his hand. “And we both know you’re stronger than this.”
Sean glances between the two of us, giving us a mixed look of love and hate for doing this to him.
“Hmmm.” Dr. Harper finally breaks her silence. “Sean, how far along are you?”
“Thirty-six weeks.” His voice is strained.
“Well, I’m afraid you’re not dilating like I’d expect to see. How long have you been having contractions?”
Gunnar speaks up. “For about three hours now.”
“Let me get the ultrasound.” A nurse quickly follows Dr. Harper’s command and grabs a machine from the corner of the room. Once it’s wheeled over, Dr. Harper grabs a tube of jelly as the nurse turns on the machine.
“Is anything wrong?” I ask, trying to keep the edge of fear out of my voice for my men’s sake.
“I just want to check on things…” She takes the wand the nurse hands her and moves it toward the glop of jelly on Sean’s belly. The screen next to her comes to life, but I’m not sure what she’s looking for other than the baby’s position. My heart sinks at the thought of our baby possibly facing the wrong direction or having the umbilical cord wrapped around its neck.
“Just as I suspected.” She passes the wand back to the nurse. “Dads, I’m afraid I’m going to need you to stay here while we take Sean up to surgery.”
“Surgery?” Gunnar questions. “What’s wrong? Are Sean and the baby okay?”
“Yes,” Dr. Harper responds. “But Sean needs to have a C-section if we’re going to get these babies out safely.”
“Babies?” Gunnar and I ask in unison.
“Yes.” Dr. Harper nods. “Didn’t you know? You’re having twins.”
Twins. I must have heard her wrong. How could we be having twins?
“No, we didn’t…” Gunnar looks as shocked as I feel. “How could they not know?”
“It’s rare, but it happens. What we need to focus on now is helping Sean with this birth.” She turns to the nurses. “Let’s get him up to the operating room. Call the blood bank and have them ready with five units.”
Gunnar and I look down at Sean, who seems oblivious to everything other than the pain he’s feeling right now. “Sean, love, they’re going to take you to a different room to have the babies, okay? We’ll be right here when you’re done.”
A look of panic stretches across his face, but Dr. Harper steps in. “We’re going to take good care of you, Sean. I promise.”
He nods slowly as both Gunnar and I lean in to kiss his forehead before the nurses roll him out of the room.
The room we’re standing in is quiet for at least five minutes before either of us speaks.
“Twins…” Gunnar says, almost in disbelief.
“Twins,” I say in agreement.
When he looks at me, a smile is plastered on his face. I stride over to him and take one of the two men I love into my arms. “We’re going to be fathers.” I press his lips to mine, giving him a passionate kiss that provides the outlet we both need to release the excitement and nervousness built up inside us.
An hour later, we’re both pacing the room, worried about Sean and the status of our babies when a light tap sounds on the door. Before we can say anything, it opens and a male nurse walks into the room. “Gunnar and Collin?”
“Yes.” We both answer at the same time.
He smiles briefly. “Everything was textbook. Sean and the babies are doing fine.”
“They’re all…”
“Healthy?” Gunnar finishes for me.
“Yes,” the nurse says with an assuring nod. “Dad, daughter, and son are all perfect.”
My eyes become wide when he announces that we have a little boy and a little girl. “A son and a daughter…” I still feel as if I’m in a state of shock.
“Yes, sir. They’ll bring Sean back here within the hour. Would you like to meet your son and daughter now?”
We both nod emphatically before following the man into the hallway and down several corridors. He leads us up to a windowed enclosure where rows of babies are being cared for by several nurses. The man points toward the front two children at the leftmost corner of the room.
“Those two are yours.”
As soon as I see them, I fall instantly in love with the two babies sharing a bassinet. One is swaddled in pink and the other in blue. Our little girl has my nose, while our little boy’s chin favors Gunnar. The boy has brown hair, just like his daddy. And the girl is blond like Sean.
It’s like they’re a perfect combination of all three of us.
That doesn’t make sense, but nothing ever makes sense with us.
It just is.
We stand at the window, staring at our precious gifts from the heavens. Nearly an hour passes before the young nurse comes back. “Sean is back in his room, if you’d like to see hi
m. We’ll bring the babies into the room in just a few minutes.”
After taking one last glance at our babies, Gunnar and I head back to find Sean. He’s awake when we step into the room, and his eyes light up when he sees us. “Hey,” he whispers.
“Hey, baby,” I say, stepping over to him and wrapping my arms around him. “You did so good. We told you you would.”
“Have you seen them?” he asks as I step back and let Gunnar embrace him.
“We have, and they’re absolutely perfect.” Gunnar gives him a huge grin.
“They?”
It’s then that we realize Sean doesn’t remember the conversations we had earlier when he was in distress. “Yes, love,” I say. “We have twins.”
At that moment, a knock on the door grabs our attention and a small bassinet is rolled in by one of the nurses. Sean has the same look in his eyes that we did when we first saw them. It’s the same look I remember having when I first saw him and Gunnar that day so many months ago.
It’s a look of instant love.
Epilogue
Sean
“Babe, are you okay? Can I get you anything?” Gunnar’s voice pulls me from the nap I’ve been dozing in and out of for the past several minutes.
“I’m okay, Gunnar. I promise.”
“What is it?” Collin’s head pokes through the door next to Gunnar’s. “Is he alright?”
“I’m fine. You guys are taking way better care of me than I’ve ever had before. I promise. I’m okay.”
Collin smiles sweetly. “We’re sorry,” he says before nudging Gunnar in the side. “Aren’t we, babe?”
“Yeah, we’ll let you get some sleep.” Gunnar turns to leave but then spins right back around. “How about I grab you something to snack on later? I could get some of those chocolate banana muffins from Café Om you love so much.”
I nod sleepily. “That would be good. Thank you.” When I yawn, Collin pulls Gunnar from the room as the two of them turn off the light and shut the door.
Drifting back to sleep isn’t hard to do. Even though I’ve been released from the hospital for over a week now, the pregnancy and then the complications during the delivery have me taking a lot longer to heal than we originally had hoped.