This chapter is set immediately after the previous one.


Chris had prepared himself to some extent for the difficulties that his first time with Jem would present, but he hadn't expected it to be quite so awkward. There was a lot of talking involved and Chris had to do most of the moving around to make up for Jem being unable to, which was a little bit strange to get used to. Despite all the clumsy fumbling around, their first time together felt right: perfect, even.

Afterwards, Chris and Jem lay in bed, side-by-side, caught up in their own thoughts.

"You were right" Chris finally murmured

"I know" Jem replied casually, then looked confused, "Wait, what are you referring to?"

Chris chuckled, "When you said that being with you isn't all that different compared to other guys" he reminded him, "Apart from having a more… active role"

Jem scoffed, "Good to know you've been with enough guys to make that comparison"

"I didn't mean it like that-" Chris began earnestly

"I know you didn't, I was just kidding" Jem assured him, then hesitated, "But if you don't mind me asking, how many guys have you been with?"

"Do you mean boyfriends or guys I've slept with?" Chris clarified

"Is there that much of a difference?" Jem asked

"For me there is" Chris responded slowly, "I went through a bit of a rough patch a couple of years ago and I turned to casual hook-ups to deal with it"

"What kind of a 'rough patch'?" Jem enquired

"My boyfriend at the time, Hudson, was arrested for manslaughter" Chris began, "And even though I promised that I'd stand by him, he completely cut me off, even after he got bail he refused to take my calls or acknowledge me. Then I started hooking up with random guys so that I wouldn't have to deal with how I really felt."

"Ah" Jem breathed, which was followed by a long silence

Chris exhaled, "I don't blame you for judging me, I've done enough of that in my time"

"I'm not judging you" Jem argued softly, "In fact, I've done something similar in the past"

"Really?" Chris questioned in surprise

"In High School I was bullied a lot" Jem revealed, "I guess I was an easy target, being in a wheelchair, being gay and having a brother with a social impairment. I couldn't talk to anyone about it, so I turned to alcohol. I did quite a bit of damage, but my dad made me realise that I needed help and I was able to deal with it before it was too late. Now apart from the odd glass of wine on special occasions, I avoid alcohol like the plague"

"Wow" Chris breathed, feeling guilty about bringing wine on their first date despite it being Lucy's idea, "I'll remember not to have alcohol around you anymore then" he murmured before rolling onto his side to look at him properly and linking their fingers together, "I'm sorry you had to go through all of that"

"Ditto, but I guess it's worth it now anyway" he replied happily, then kissed his hand, "Actually, you never answered my question, how many guys have there been? Boyfriends, I mean"

"Not including you, I've had four" Chris answered

"And how long have you been 'out'?" Jem enquired

Chris did the maths, "About four and a half years" he replied, "What about you?"

"Three other boyfriends in nearly nine years" Jem answered, "So have all of your relationships ended as dramatically as the ones with Nate and Hudson?" he asked, then cringed, "Sorry, that sounded really insensitive, you don't have to answer that"

"No, I don't mind" Chris assured him, "I'm actually more surprised that you're interested"

Jem smiled, "Well it's you, and I'm very interested in you"

"The feeling's mutual" Chris agreed softly – echoing Jem's words from earlier – before kissing him tenderly, then chuckled at a particular memory as he pulled away, "Actually, the weirdest break-up I've ever had was definitely with my third boyfriend, Will"

Jem grinned in curiosity at Chris confession, "What happened?"

"A dog happened" Chris deadpanned

Jem pulled a face, "That sounds… weird"

"It was" Chris replied, "He was creepily obsessed with his dog, one of the most badly behaved that I've ever met. His dog attacked Kyle's dog, Bossy, but he refused to take responsibility for it and our relationship came to a grinding halt"

Jem bit his lip to stop himself from laughing, "Sorry"

Chris shrugged, almost embarrassed at how devastated he had been at the time, "It was no loss really, we were only together for about a week. Even calling him a 'boyfriend' was a stretch"

"Well that's all good news for me then" Jem smirked before kissing him again, "Hang on, who was your first boyfriend?"

Chris let out a deep breath, "Aidan, an older – more experienced – guy" he replied, "He was a nurse who took care of me during one of my stays in the Hospital but my insecurities about our relationship broke us up, as did Aidan keeping secrets from me later on"

"You mean you weren't comfortable with your sexuality?" Jem questioned

Chris pulled a face, "Not exactly, I was fine with him in public but I didn't want to rock the boat with my dad because things were still weird between us back then" he explained, "So I hid my relationship with Aidan from him but kept telling Aidan that I would tell him about us, and eventually he couldn't take the lies anymore"

Jem nodded slowly, "I get it, as an older guy he'd want to be open about your relationship" he mused, "But you had issues with your dad, so it must have felt like you were stuck between a rock and a hard place"

Chris smiled, "Yeah, that's definitely what it felt like" he breathed, and there was a lingering pause before he sat up, "Hang on, I think I've got an idea for your new job"

"What?" Jem asked as he held his hands out to Chris

"Have you ever considered being a counsellor?" Chris asked as he helped Jem to sit up against the pillows, "You've got a lot of life experience, you're empathetic and you're one of the strongest, most inspirational people I've ever known"

Jem smiled softly at Chris before reaching out towards him and pulling him into a deep kiss.

"What was that for?" Chris breathed after they finally pulled apart

"For the compliments, and for the job idea" Jem replied, "I actually studied Psychology in High School and did quite well, but I studied sports and business after I left instead"

"So it's something that you're interested in?" Chris asked

Jem nodded immediately, "Definitely, it's just a case of figuring out how I'm supposed to do it"

Chris considered this, "Yeah, I guess you've got a lot going on so I'm not sure whether you'd consider University as an option" he muttered

Jem sighed, "You know what? Tomorrow, I'm gonna spend the afternoon looking into different pathways and see which one works best for me"

Chris smiled, "Good idea" he agreed, "I'd offer to help, but Lucy has an appointment at the Hospital tomorrow afternoon and I promised I'd go with her"

"That's fine, I think I can use the internet by myself" Jem quipped, "Is it just a routine check-up?"

Chris nodded, "Lucy needs to be monitored more closely than other expecting mothers because of the spinal muscular atrophy" he explained, starting to worry about the appointment. Spending time with Jem had taken his mind off of it for a while, but the anxiety had flared up again once he had started thinking about it.

Jem sensed Chris' nervousness and held his hand, "It'll be fine, try not to panic" he assured him before kissing him again. As Chris melted into the kiss, he hoped that Jem was right.

xxx

Chris didn't manage to warn Lucy that there was a member of staff approaching her in the queue for drinks as she turned around with a paper cup of herbal tea in her hands. He grimaced as they collided and the warm liquid practically burst out of the cup, though fortunately she and the man both managed to escape unscathed. They both apologised simultaneously, and although he was standing quite a distance away, Chris could still see and hear them relatively well and didn't miss the vibes between them.

"Let me buy you another drink" the handsome American offered once he had finished his string of apologies

Lucy shook her head, "It's fine, honestly" she replied

"No it's not" the guy responded, "I insist, what did you have?"

Lucy held his gaze and realised that he wouldn't give in, "Peppermint tea, thanks"

The doctor nodded and ordered another peppermint tea and a long black coffee before moving along the queue with Lucy. Chris couldn't hide his smile at the clichéd turn of events. The guy that Lucy was talking to didn't look much older than her and he couldn't see a ring on any of his fingers, which was a good sign for a possible romance with Lucy.

Lucy looked surprised by the man's choice of drink, "Wow, long day?"

The man nodded, "I was up at the crack of dawn and I've got an all-nighter as well so I need to keep my energy up" he replied flatly, "This is the first break I've had all day"

Lucy sucked in a breath, "That sounds rough" she murmured, "Which department are you in?"

"The children's ward" he replied, "I'm a paediatrician"

Lucy smiled, "That's so cool"

The guy nodded, "Thanks, I think so too" he replied jokingly as he extended his hand towards her, "I'm Greg, by the way"

Lucy shook his hand politely, "I'm Lucy" she responded, "So you like working with kids then?"

"Yeah, I do" he replied, "My own kids are all grown up now so it's nice to still be able to care for children"

Lucy nodded in understanding and Greg gave her a quick glance up and down, "So what are you here for? Nothing serious, I hope"

Lucy chuckled, "It's our baby-" she began as she placed a hand on her protruding belly.

Greg looked confused, "'Our baby'?" he repeated

Lucy pointed to where Chris was standing, and the younger man gave a small wave.

"Oh" Greg breathed, and even Chris could tell that he seemed disappointed

Lucy giggled uncertainly at his reaction, "Yeah, she's got spinal muscular atrophy so we have to have more check-ups than usual" she explained

Greg nodded sombrely, "I'm sorry to hear that" he murmured before clearing his throat, "But it's amazing being a parent, you're gonna love it and so is your partner"

Lucy burst into laughter, which puzzled Greg, "Oh, we're not together" she snickered, "We're just friends, but we live together and are having a baby together" she told him slowly, wondering if this was too much information to be sharing with a stranger

Greg nodded slowly, "So you're like Ross and Rachel from 'Friends' then?" he questioned

Lucy considered this, "Well if Ross was gay and half Rachel's age, then yeah"

Greg chuckled, "Wow, that seems like an… interesting situation"

Lucy nodded awkwardly and suddenly became quite shy, "Sorry, that got way too personal way too quickly"

Greg shook his head, "No, it's fine" he assured her, "I'm used to hearing people's personal stories within minutes of meeting them"

Lucy smiled, "Yeah, I guess you would be" she replied as she received her new drink, "Did you want to join us while you're on your break?"

Greg reached for his drink and glanced at Chris, who was still watching their interaction with much amusement, "Are you sure?"

Lucy nodded, "Yeah, our appointment's not for a while yet, unless you've got other plans"

Greg wasn't about to turn down the opportunity to get to know this gorgeous blond woman better, even if he had to sit with the baby-daddy, "No, I don't" he assured her, "Thanks, that sounds good"

Lucy smiled and led him over to Chris, who had just managed to suppress his smug grin and made a mental note to tease Lucy about Greg as soon as he could.

xxx

Greg was still trying to get his head around the situation with Chris and Lucy, even after he returned to his shift. The younger man had seemed friendly enough, though Greg was puzzled by how people like Chris and Lucy could strike up a friendship so close that they would agree to have a child together. Despite the odd situation, Greg was undoubtedly attracted to the woman and wanted to get to know her better. He had never been more reluctant to return to work than when he was talking to Lucy, but unfortunately he had patients to see. Lucy was disappointed when he stood up to leave and suggested that they swap numbers so that they could keep in touch. Greg agreed enthusiastically and noticed Chris' smug expression, but decided not to question it as they exchanged phone numbers.

Once Greg had returned to work, Chris leant towards Lucy, "So do you fancy him or do you fancy him?" he joked

Lucy prodded him, "Shut up!" she hissed, "He's a nice guy, that's all"

"Sure, pretend that there's nothing more to it" Chris quipped

Lucy shrugged, "There's not"

Chris sighed, "Lucy, we're not twelve, it's not gross to like boys" he pointed out before muttering, "Even though I spent a long time telling myself that it is"

Lucy pinched his cheek, "Poor Christos" she murmured playfully, "But it's just not worth thinking about romance right now"

"Why not?" Chris agued, "Because you're pregnant? Pregnant women are entitled to romance, you know. Everyone is"

Lucy considered this and Chris squeezed her hand, "Look, the timing of this is really weird, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't take the chance while you've got it" he pointed out

"So what should I do?" Lucy asked

"Invite him over to ours for a meal or something" Chris suggested, "Make it as casual as possible and use it as an opportunity to get to know him better"

Lucy mulled this over and Chris grinned, "I'll invite Jem over, and we can stop any awkward silences and size Greg up to make sure that he's good enough for you"

"'Good enough' for me?" Lucy repeated, "It's not like my standards are sky high"

"There'd be nothing wrong with it if they were" Chris countered, "You shouldn't settle for less than you deserve, especially with what's going on at the moment"

Lucy smiled at him softly, "Thank you, I really appreciate it"

"You don't have to thank me" Chris assured her, "It's my duty as your baby-daddy. Which is also why you need to set your standards high, because any guy you date has to be ok with this whole situation"

"If he's not, then he's not worth my time" Lucy agreed before glancing at her watch, "Actually, we should be heading to our appointment"

Chris nodded and stood up, "Look, no matter who we're dating, we'll always put Anne first, right?" he clarified

"Absolutely" Lucy replied, "She's the priority"

Chris squeezed her hand again as they left the cafeteria to go to their appointment. As they had expected, it was just a routine check-up and everything was progressing at the normal rate, so they both felt a sense of relief as they left the hospital shortly afterwards. Lucy felt guilty that her head was occupied with thoughts of Greg despite what she and Chris had agreed on earlier. For Lucy to have finally met someone who she felt a connection with and could be good for her was a great feeling, but it couldn't have come at a more awkward time. She felt complete uncertainty later on as she contacted Greg to make arrangements for a meal with him, but she knew that she needed to take a leap of faith, and hoped that things would work out.


Thanks for reading! Apologies if this chapter seems a bit disjointed; I was trying to cover quite a lot of different ideas to maintain the movement. Anyway, the next chapter will be up in due course: I have a vague plan for the next few chapters, but if anyone wants to contribute their ideas for other points in the story, don't hesitate to let me know. In the meantime, reviews are always welcome!