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PART 1:
PART 2:
PART 3:
PART 4:
Pairing: Stef/Bri
Description: Angst Fic. Brian finds out he's going to become a father. How will the birth affect his relationship with Stefan??
"Original" link
PART 1:
“Uh huh... yep… okay. Yeah, sure, I’ll, ah...I’ll call you later. Bye.”
Brian hung up phone and stared blankly into space. Stef looked at him questioningly.
“Oh shit...”
“What’s wrong??” Stefan asked, but Brian didn’t seem to hear.
Stef stood up from the couch, walked over and shook Brian on gently the shoulder, “Bri, what’s wrong?”
“Hunh? ...Oh, wrong, nothing’s wrong ...I guess.”
“Well then what?”
“Stef, that was Helena...I’m going to be a father.”
***
Stefan fell backwards onto the bed and brought Brian tumbling on top of him. Their lips met with fervent desire as they rapidly began shedding layers.
Brian threw his top to the bedroom floor and pressed his bare chest against that of Stefan’s, relishing the heat and close contact. One couldn’t get enough of the other, their bodies were pressed tightly together and yet they ached to be closer still. Brian’s tongue swept through Stefan’s mouth in deep, explorative kisses. Only breaking momentarily to catch breath, there was a hunger and desperation in their actions.
“I want you inside of me,” Brian breathed into another heavy kiss.
Stefan’s hands trailed along Brian’s hips and over his faded denim jeans. He took hold of the waistband and was moments away from freeing Brian of their confines, when the phone next to the bed rang. Brian paused and looked from Stefan to the phone.
“Don’t even think about it,” Stefan growled playfully, nuzzling at Brian’s neck.
“I have to, what if it’s...”
Stefan sighed and slumped back against the pillows, relinquishing his hold on Brian.
“Hello? When? Yeah, okay, we...I’ll be there in 15 minutes.”
Brian hung up the phone and sat at the foot of the bed, in shock and thinking about what he was supposed to do next.
“The baby?” Stef offered.
“Yeah...a girl.” Brian breathed in amazement. “I, um, have to...get to the hospital.” Brian grabbed his shirt from the floor and began scouring the room for his keys.
Stef grabbed the keys from the bedside table and dangled them in display at Brian, “I think I’d better drive, you seem a bit overwhelmed.”
“Okay...thanks.”
Stefan gathered his shirt off the nearby chair and slid it over his head. He moved toward the middle of the room, breaking Brian’s line of sight, causing him to look Stefan in the eye.
“And, Brian…”
“Yeah?”
“Congratulations,” he smiled, before kissing the awestruck father lightly on the lips.
PART 2:
Once at the hospital Stefan stood out in the waiting room while Brian went in to see Helena and meet his first-born daughter. So soon after the birth they were only letting immediate family in, which was fine by Stefan; he wasn’t entirely sure how comfortable he would have been in that situation. Just being at the hospital was awkward enough.
He paced up to the doorway and peeked through the window to see Brian holding his baby girl for the first time. Brian’s face lit up, and his bright, blue eyes danced with a happiness that Stef had never seen from him before.
***
“Did you come here with Stef?” Helena asked.
Brian’s gaze was fixed on the tiny little girl in his hands, but momentarily diverted when he searched for an answer. He was hesitant and didn’t want to hurt her mother’s feelings.
“Ahh...yeah,” Brian replied nonchalantly.
“It’s okay Brian. We broke up almost eight months ago, you don’t have to hide things from me.”
“I know, I just wasn’t sure...” he trailed off.
“Brian, we’ve talked about this already,” Helena began and gestured to take the baby back from her father, “we broke up, and even though we have this adorable little girl, it would be wrong to get back together just because I got pregnant.”
Brian sat in the chair beside her hospital bed, and she lightly caressed his cheek. “You’re with Stefan now, and I...” Helena sighed, as she struggled to find the right words, it was hard to admit to your ex-lover and the father of your child that they should be with another person, and another man at that. “I know that he makes you happier than you’ve been in a long time.” Brian nodded. “And that’s all I need from you. I want you to be happy, not only for yourself, but for our daughter. Having two miserable parents living together isn’t going to help anyone.”
Brian looked deep into her eyes, noting the sincerity of her words. He smiled and kissed her gently on the lips, thanking her for understanding.
***
Piercing arrows shot through Stefan’s heart as he saw the scene unfold before him. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he didn’t have to. The look on Brian’s face said it all; he was in love, and he had a family now. Stef could never offer him anything like that, and it seemed to be exactly what Brian wanted…what he needed.
Where did he fit into the picture? It was only a matter of time before Helena and Brian got back together, he thought. Stefan didn’t want to be another obstacle in their way. They deserved to be happy, and he wanted them to be happy. Brian would have a hard enough time adjusting to fatherhood as it was; Stef decided he would make things easier on everyone and just remove himself from the equation.
He turned and walked down the hospital corridor, leaving Brian to start a new phase of his life.
PART 3:
It had been three days since the birth, Brian had been busy attending to all the things a new father must attend to and Stef...Stef had been busy, avoiding Brian. However today was the band meeting, which their manager had scheduled weeks ago. Attendance was compulsory.
Throughout the whole meeting Stefan sat quietly, not wanting to draw attention to himself, though this wasn’t particularly out of the ordinary. Brian had caught Stef staring in his direction a few times and would smile back, though as soon as their eyes met, Stef would divert his attention elsewhere.
Their manager began to wind up proceedings, “...And basically that’s it. Keep your cell phones with you and I’ll let you know if I find out anything more. So if no one has anything else to add?? ...Congratulations Brian, and I must be off!”
The room dispersed, except Stefan who was waiting for Brian to leave first, to avoid speaking on the way out. However his plan backfired as Brian too lingered back, hoping to talk with Stefan.
Stef shifted uncomfortably on the couch as Brian made his way over. He was unsure whether he should make some excuse to leave, or just sit it out. Brian sat down next to him...he had to stay.
“Hey stranger,” Brian greeted him, a friendly way of letting Stef know his absence was noted.
“Hey...pops,” Stefan smiled back, weakly.
“You left early the other night...from the hospital”
“Yeah, you were busy and I had some things to do, sooo...” Stefan trailed off.
“I called you…”
“I’ve been out.”
“And you haven’t been answering your cell...”
Stefan fidgeted and scratched the back of his neck; he hated lying to Brian. “Oh you have? Yeah, it hasn’t been working properly lately...I don’t know what’s wrong with it, I think...”
Brian rested his palm against Stefan’s thigh, telling him to stop. He moved closer and cupped the side of Stefan’s face. “What’s wrong? Have I done something?”
Stef wanted to take the easy option, another lie, to tell Brian he had to be somewhere, but the sincere and pleading look in his eyes demanded the truth.
“Brian, we can’t do this anymore.”
“What?”
“This,” Stefan emphasised, removing Brian’s palm from his face.
Brian looked at Stef, dejected. “What…why?”
“You have a family now. I saw you the other night Brian, how happy and perfect you looked together. You deserve to see where this can take you. I don’t want to be the reason holding you back.”
Brian looked shocked. “Stef, since when have I let anyone hold me back?! Including you. If I want to do something it’s for my own damn good reasons. Helena and I broke up months ago; it would be insane to think having a kid together could mend all our problems. Sure, maaaybe we could make things work for a while,” Stef dropped his head, not sure he wanted to hear anymore.
Brian continued, “…BUT, it wouldn’t last Stef. I’ve been there, I don’t need to go through it again, and this time there’s not just two people involved, but also my little girl. Having a shitty relationship with Helena isn’t going to help anyone. Things don’t have to change between us.” He said, resting loving a hand on Stefan’s knee. “…But life will change for me. I guess the choice is up to you whether you want to be a part of it, but that decision was made for me.”
Stefan sat in silence; even if he could speak he wasn’t sure he would know what to say. He opened his mouth, but was cut off by Brian; once he’d started pouring his heart out, clearly he couldn’t stop. It touched Stefan that he could be so open, and hurt him even more that he might have to give this up.
“Don’t say anything...just let me finish,” Brian offered and Stefan nodded in compliance. “When I found out that you had left the hospital, I was disappointed Stef. I wanted you to meet someone the other night. ...I was hoping she’d get to know you and...love you...like I do.”
Stefan was doing everything to stop himself from welling up. It was the first time that Brian had ever indicated their seemingly ‘casual’ relationship was anything deeper than just a friendship with additional casual sex.
Brian lifted Stefan’s chin so they were looking eye to eye.
“I’m going to be at the hospital around 6 tonight...maybe I’ll see you there?” He punctuated his question with tender kiss, and lingered longer than he probably should have; but knowing it could be their last, he savoured every moment.
PART 4:
Brian stood on the side of the glass window divide reserved for doting fathers and other family members cooing over their latest family addition. Luckily it was getting dark so Brian had the viewing area of the hospital nursery all to himself.
He glanced at his watch, 6:15pm... Stef wasn’t going to show. He looked through the glass at his sleeping bundle of joy. It was strange, the emotions she had brought out in him, who would have guessed it? Looking at her, he felt such happiness, a sense of accomplishment, and yet he knew there was still something missing in his life.
Just as he dazed off thinking about the future, two long, slender arms slinked their way around his waist.
“She’s gorgeous...just like her father,” came Stefan’s voice from behind.
Brian closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.
Stef leant closer to Brian’s ear, “She’s got the Molko hair too.”
Brian playfully elbowed Stefan in the ribs, “I’m not that fucking bald!”
Stefan stumbled back a few steps in mock pain. Turning to face Stef, Brian saw the old familiar smile return to his face.
“I think there’s someone who needs to meet you...wanna come with?”
“Sure,” Stef smiled and slung a welcome arm around Brian’s hip as he led the way.
Brian spoke to the on duty nurse, who then brought the little girl over and offered her to Brian, who in turn looked to Stef.
“Wanna hold her?” He asked, to which Stefan nodded hesitantly.
Stef cradled the baby in his arms and the nurse grinned. “You’re a natural already,” she chuckled, before wandering back to her station.
“Stefan, I’d like you to meet Alexandra; Alexa…or Lexi for short. Alexandra, this is Stefan.”
Stefan rocked the tiny, sleeping infant in his arms, “Pretty name. Where’d you get it?”
Brian looked at Stef and grinned, “Stefan Alexander Bo Olsdal.”
Mouth agape, Stefan was lost for words... “Bri…I…really??” Brian beamed and nodded in return.
Stefan chuckled, “What’s her last name then?”
“Now that was the hard part!” Brian spouted. “Molko, Berg, Molko-Berg, Berg-Molko…Olsdal-Molko” he added with a wink. “We’ve gone with Berg, it will just make the whole school and media thing easier on her in the long run, I hope.”
Hands full, Stefan rest his head against Brian’s to connect and just be near him.
Interrupting their quiet moment, Helena appeared at the nursery door. “Hi Stef, ...Brian.”
“Congratulations” Stefan offered, “…she’s beautiful.”
“Thanks. I just came to see if the she was ready to feed.” She gestured to Alexandra, who moved restlessly in Stefan’s arms, before picking her up.
“We were just about to get going anyway,” Brian said to excuse themself.
Helena sat in the nursing chair, “You boys heading out to the clubs?”
Brian smiled and looked to Stefan, “Nah, I’m starving. Feels like I haven’t eaten for three days.” Stefan grinned, picking up on Brian’s metaphor. “Think I’ll serve something up at my place and we’ll see where the night goes from there.”
He kissed Helena on the cheek and made his way down the hospital corridor with Stefan.
Once in the car park, they remembered each had arrived in separate cars and momentarily had to part.
“Thanks...for coming,” Brian said, hand clasped around Stefan’s, stroking it unconsciously.
“I had to,” Stefan replied simply. He wasn’t a verbose man, but he used his words well, and re-enforced them with the sincerity in his eyes.
“I’ll see you at my place?” Brian asked hopefully; his arms now wrapped snugly around Stefan’s waist.
Stefan leant down and captured Brian’s lips in an all consuming, lengthy kiss. He’d been holding back the need to take Brian in his arms for three whole days.
Parting and breathless, Brian nuzzled at Stefan and quipped, “I’ll take that a yes.”
THE END
