Author's Note: this chapter and the next one are based on episode 4x07 "Midnight Clear". I obviously am using my own dialogue and story but it follows that plotline of the night of Calvin's birthday.
"Ugh!", I stomp around the apartment in an annoyed huff.
"Should I dare ask what's wrong?", Cappie gives me a joking look. "Or… why you're half naked?"
I glare at him and cross my arms. We're in our living room, Cappie sitting on the couch watching football, me walking in from my bedroom trying desperately to find a handheld mirror. I'm only in a tank top and underwear, shaver in hand and annoyed out of my mind.
"I can't even do basic tasks anymore because of this baby Cap! That's what's wrong!", I shout at him.
"Okay…", Cappie overts his eyes away from the game now, realizing how frustrated I am. "Then that's when you have to ask me for help. What can I do?"
"Can you get this baby out of me right now so I can go out with our friends tonight past 10pm and be able to have one measly drink?", I look at him, arms crossed to see his blank stare. "No I didn't think so!"
It was Calvin's birthday tonight at Rusty and Dale's apartment and I was trying to get ready, to make myself presentable. But it was hard to feel like my usual self when I had gotten even bigger than last week.
"Well um…", Cappie thinks to himself. "I probably can't do that for you tonight, but maybe in a few more weeks we can try to get the baby out the same way she got in".
He smirks at me now, looking devious, alluding to the fact that sex can bring on labour if you're overdue.
I give him a glare for playing around with me in my most agitated state but then sigh, aware of how crazy I'm being right now. Even though I feel like I'm well within my right to be.
"I'm sorry", I sigh then and sit down on the couch beside him with a groan.
"It's okay", I hear him laugh slightly, scooting over to me and I feel his arms try to wrap around me.
"No it's not!", I argue, swatting away his touch. "I can't even shave my legs because my belly is so big I can't see most of them, nor can I even stretch down to get to my legs!"
"Okay well that I can help you with", he gives me a grin and takes the shaver from my hands.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah of course, that's what I'm here for", He nods.
"Okay", I accept this with a nod and get up off the couch. "Will you come in the shower with me then?"
"Will I come in the shower with you?", He scoffs sarcastically. "Um do you know who you're talking to?"
I narrow my eyes at him as he stands up to follow me eagerly and I turn back around to point my finger at him.
"It's not gonna be what you think okay? If I have shower sex at almost 32 weeks pregnant I'll probably slip and hurt myself and the baby", I give him a look.
"Don't worry, I was just kidding. Only sex on dry land", Cappie laughs. "Now let's get your legs shaved. I'm taking this very seriously".
I look at his expression and let myself laugh then, finally getting out of my irritable and annoyed state.
"Alright let's go".
I wait for the water to get hot, taking my tank top off over my head and then shimmying out of my underwear. I turn around to see Cappie gawking at me but then he promptly goes back to undressing once he realizes I've noticed.
I get in first, the warm water hitting my skin, warming me up while the weather has been freezing here in Cyprus lately. In fact, it was a full on blizzard out there tonight. Cappie gets in after me shivering slightly.
"You know showering with someone, while hot, is also kind of overrated because one of us is always gonna be standing here freezing to death", Cappie comments and I laugh.
I soap up my leg, and rest my foot on the side of the tub.
"Okay, go to town", I tell him and he gives me a mischievous look, amused by this, and he lifts my leg up slightly, holding my foot and starting to shave from my ankle up.
He gets closer and closer to me as he gets further up my thigh, making eye contact when he does and this was the last thing I expected to be intimate but somehow it is.
"Um okay, other leg now", I say, trying to snap myself out of it. This shower was meant to be functional, not turn me on.
Cappie does the same with that one, getting every single spot, going meticulously up my leg.
"Done", Cap nods when he's finished, giving me a smirk.
"Thanks", I smile genuinely at him for the help. "I just have to wash my hair now".
"Why don't I help you with that too?", He shrugs giving me a smile and I'm slightly taken aback but nod, giving in to it.
"Okay", I giggle and hand him my shampoo.
"Strawberry and vanilla scented", he reads the packaging. "That's why you always smell so yummy".
I scoff to myself then.
"Okay turn around", Cappie instructs me with a smirk.
I follow his orders, my back to him now so he can lather my hair up with shampoo.
I feel him massage it into my scalp, making me melt against him, relaxing me after my freakout.
I barely even notice when he instructs me to turn the other way so he can help me wash it out.
But I do as he says, turning back now so I'm facing him. Even though he's half focusing on running his hands through my hair, getting the shampoo out, his gaze doesn't move from my eyes. My heart beats faster in my chest, the hot steam around us making me slightly dizzy.
He steps closer to me, intensifying the way my whole body tingles with anticipation.
My eyes land on his lips then and I can tell he knows what I feel because the corners of his lips twitch up into a smile and he takes this opportunity to lean down to kiss me. Warm water runs through our kiss, as I lean up on my tip toes slightly so I can intensify the kiss. I wrap my arms around his neck as my breasts meet his chest, both our bodies warm and wet.
"Hey so…", He begins breathily when we pull away from each other.
I turn the shower off quickly then, only breaking our gaze for a quick moment to look behind me to do so and then I look back up at him.
"Let's go to my bedroom", I say confidently, nodding.
He scoffs then, grinning, I think a little surprised by me.
"You read my mind".
"So you seem like you're in a better mood now", Cappie looks over to me with a smirk as I catch my breath, my hair and body still pretty wet with water.
We were both laying on our backs on top my bed, having just spent way too much of our getting ready time doing things I surely wouldn't be able to explain to our friends as an excuse for why we're late.
I give him a look with a roll of my eyes and then get up, grabbing my pink robe from the hook on my door.
"I am", I look back at him as I tie the robe. "Thanks for helping me out. Even if… my bed is going to have to air dry the whole time we're gone".
"Yeah we only got a chance to grab one towel", Cappie snickers to himself then, sitting up on my bed, the towel over him.
"I have to blow dry my hair and then find anything in my closet remotely cute that will fit over this", I sigh, gesturing down to my bump.
Cap gets out of bed now, towel pulled around him.
"Trust me, you'll look cute in anything", he gives me a grin.
"Mmm but you're the only person who will think that", I giggle as he kisses my cheek and then goes off to his room to get changed.
I dry and flat iron my hair and then start trying different things on in my closet to see what makes me look the least like a whale.
"I'm ready when you are Case", Cappie pokes his head in, donned in a plaid buttoned up shirt and dark jeans, his usual outfit he didn't even have to think about.
"Yeah of course you are, all you have to do is lazily button a few buttons up and find any old jeans you have laying around", I sigh in frustration.
"Case", Cappie laughs then. "Our friends know you're pregnant, it's not like you have to try to hide it with your clothes or anything. Or that you could even if you wanted to".
"I know that", I sigh. "I just want to still feel like me. I can't wear any of my cute outfits anymore".
"I know, but you will again", Cap offers me an empathetic look.
"Hopefully", I nod with a sigh.
"I think you'd look beautiful even if you just want to go in your robe", Cappie jokes with a smile.
I give him a look then and scoff, laughing slightly, his effort making me thankful for him even if he was just saying it to get me out the door.
"Thanks Cap", I say genuinely and then pick up a beige skirt off the floor that looks like it could maybe stretch to accommodate my belly.
"No problem, I'm just gonna go see if we have any chips to bring or anything", Cappie says and then continues to mutter under his breath as he walks away. "If you haven't already eaten every bag in the cupboard".
"I heard that!", I shout out to him with a huff.
Ugh. Guys just didn't get it.
I decide to settle on pairing a light yellow sweater with the skirt and tights and then add a cute necklace.
I grab my purse and my pink felt jacket that wouldn't even button over my bump so I just have to leave it open.
"Alright I'm ready", I walk out into the living room and attempt to pull some boots on my feet, which is harder than I could've ever thought it would be, having to stretch over my belly. I really wished that I could just wear my slippers.
"And see? You look great", Cappie smirks as he comes over to steady me so I don't fall while trying to get one of my boots on. "And I found some sour cream and onion chips".
I turn up my nose at that.
"Ew", I groan, my stomach turning at just the thought of them.
"I don't like them either missy, but you ate all the good ones", He laughs and I shake my head at him, a smile forming on my face unrelentingly.
"Alright let's fob them off on Rusty and Dale", I joke.
"Exactly".
"Casey!", Ash calls to me excitedly when me and Cappie walk in.
"Hey!", I go over to her and we hug, Cappie following along behind me.
"What took you guys so long?", Ash asks, hands on her hips. "I started to think you wouldn't get here".
"Well we almost didn't if Cappie didn't help me shave my legs", I groan.
Ash gives us a grossed out look, her face turning confused.
"Yeah maybe I don't wanna know".
"Yeah you probably don't", Cappie grins deviously and I hit his arm.
"Cappie", Dale comes over to us then. "And Casey, hello, you're looking even bigger than the last time I saw you at the baby shower".
"Well…", I fake smile. "Unfortunately I'll probably just get even bigger".
"Which I can tell you're handling really well", Rusty jokes with me sarcastically.
"Until you know what its like to have trouble getting up from a seated position, roll around all night in uncomfortable positions, and struggle to even get your shoes on, I don't want to hear it!", I put my finger up, giving them a laugh. "I mean I couldn't even do my coat up!"
I gesture down to my coat with a sigh.
"But…", Ash smiles at me and squeezes me into her side. "You're making us a new best friend so it's all worth it. It's the first ZBZ baby we've had! I mean, I know me and you aren't actives anymore, but I like to think we still sort of are".
"Yeah I'm so happy I get to take one for the team", I groan sarcastically.
"She's probably also the first KT baby", Cappie ponders to himself and then looks at Rusty. "Or more likely just the first one that's paternity has actually been acknowledged".
We laugh then at Cappie's joke and Rusty takes me and Cappie's coats to go hang up.
"Here Dale", Cap grins. "Brought you some chips".
Dale looks over the bag and then scoffs.
"Trying to get rid of the ones in your cupboard that nobody likes?", Dale adjusts his glasses, seeing right through us.
"Hey it was either this or stale sour keys that Case had a craving for one night and then never touched again", Cappie jokes.
"So Casey", Dale gives me a smile, ignoring Cappie. "Has the baby dropped yet? Getting closer to full term means the baby's head is probably going to start pushing on your cervix".
"Yeah uh… as fun as it is to talk about my cervix with you Dale", I scoff. "I don't think so, but… I'll make sure to keep you updated".
"You should, I have a lot of knowledge about the pregnancy process in mammals", Dale says, serious.
"Yeah well Casey's not a cow on your farm Dale", Cappie laughs.
"Oh sorry, are you feeling touchy because I'm talking about your girlfriend's cervix?", Dale gives Cappie a playful glare. "Because I didn't think she was your girlfriend".
"Casey!", Rebecca walks over to me then, thankfully saving me and Cappie from this awkward conversation. "I need your help".
"Okay", I nod and then feel her looking me up and down.
"Oh wow you really got even bigger", She seems surprised. "Anyways, I need you to ask you… something in private".
"Okay…", I agree, a little suspicious about what it is Rebecca is suddenly being so secretive about.
"Well Dale, want to go play some beer pong or something? Not that you'll win, but it'll give you good practice. We can leave the girls alone to talk", Cap suggests.
"Well we don't have any alcohol here at the moment. Since Heath was in charge of that and he's stuck in the blizzard. But like I always say, we don't need nefarious substances to have a good time. How about a good old game of friendly Jenga?", Dale challenges Cap.
"Sure. But I can't promise it'll be friendly", Cappie scoffs and the two walk away together.
"So..?", I look to Rebecca. "What's up?"
"Well since you dated Evan before… I thought coming to you for advice about us was well within my rights", Rebecca says as we speak quietly.
"Ugh god really?", I groan.
"Casey! C'mon, I listen to your gross pregnancy problems", Rebecca puts her hands on her hips.
"Um last time I told you anything about my pregnancy you told me that you didn't want to hear about it and then simulated fake barfing", I raise my eyebrow at her.
"Well I didn't need to hear about how you can't even see your own toes now", Rebecca groans. "I mean it's kind of the consequences of you own actions for not using protection".
I give her a glare then.
"Sorry that was uncalled for. I'll listen to any of your complaints about your fat toes, leaky boobs, and trouble sleeping in exchange for your advice, alright?", She whines.
"I don't have leaky boobs", I give her an offended look. "I mean… I might soon but not yet. But… you know what, sure. What's the problem?"
"Well it's late November now so me and Evan have almost made it through a full semester of him being in law school, but… I feel like sometimes he's pulling away from me", She frowns. "What was the first indication that things were going downhill when you were dating him?"
"Well", I think to myself. "He cheated on me with you".
"Right", her face contorts into an awkward look. "I guess this might be awkward to talk about".
"No, no it's fine Rebecca. I guess… I guess maybe things were going downhill before that. Our relationship was just like 90% for the Greek system. We mutually benefited from it. So when he cheated on me I was more hurt that people would find out about us not being the perfect couple than the fact that he'd actually cheated", I sigh, thinking about it. "And the fact that I so willingly took any chance to jump into bed with Cappie right after to get back at him probably says all you need to know about our relationship".
I laugh slightly and then see her downcast face.
"But Becs… we never meshed like you guys do. He's tried way harder to keep your relationship afloat than he ever did with me and I think that's because he knows he's found someone that truly understands him", I give her a smile and she can't help but blush at my words. "You really love him, don't you?"
"I don't want to", she shakes her head. "I don't want to get so involved that I care this much but… I do. And if he wants to break up with me then it would kill me. And I hate that because I don't think I've ever felt that ever. In fact, I've never been the dumpee".
"Well for the record, I don't think he's going to dump you", I comfort her. "Just… have a conversation with him. I'm sure law school is really hard on him and he's moved on from the Greek system so he might not relate to that part of your life anymore but that doesn't mean you can't work it out".
"Okay", she nods. "Thanks, I'm glad we talked about this. If you… need to complain about one of your gross pregnancy symptoms in return I'll listen".
"You don't have to give me anything in return Becs. Plus pregnancy is…", I put my hand on my belly, searching for the word. "Beautiful. Sometimes… I guess".
Me and Rebecca laugh then as Ash comes over to us.
"So Ash, still no guys on the horizon?", Rebecca asks her.
"Nope", Ash shrugs and I share a look with her, me being the only one that knows about her and Rusty.
"That sucks", Rebecca frowns. "But you know what sucks even more? This party".
"Hey I'm just happy that if I can't drink now none of you can either", I laugh.
"Yeah this does kind of suck", Ash laughs. "Calvin literally just offered me soda water with vanilla extract, that's how desperate we are".
We laugh then.
"Well by the way you guys walked in here it seems like you and Cappie made up then", Ash gives me a look.
"Again, we were never fighting", I remind her.
"She ran out on him during sex because he scared her by talking about commitment", Ash explains to Rebecca.
"Ash!", I whine. "And it wasn't during. It was after!"
"Cappie lobbying that hard for a commitment?", Rebecca scoffs. "He must… care about you and this whole baby thing a lot".
I give them both a look, crossing my arms with a pursed smile that says my lips are sealed on the subject.
"I better go say happy birthday to Calvin", I say, evading the questions the two of them have.
I look around the room to see him slumped on the couch with Rusty, both looking pretty bored.
"Hey Calvin, happy birthday!"
"Oh thanks Casey", He smiles at me half heartedly. "Thanks for coming, sorry this party kinda… sucks".
"I'm having a good time", I shrug. "I can't drink or do much anyways plus I didn't have to travel in the snow to get here".
"Yeah that's true", he laughs. "How's everything with the baby? Rusty's excited to be an uncle".
Rusty and him share a smile.
"Yeah everything's good so far, only like a month and a half left which is… scary, but also I just want to get her out already so I'm kinda counting down the days", I laugh.
"Nice, well I think we'll have cake in a bit", Calvin smiles.
"Yes", I moan. "That's music to my ears. Please tell me it's chocolate".
"Yeah I think it is actually", Calvin and Rusty laugh at me.
"Thank god!"
I see Cappie and Dale across the room then, Cappie looking triumphant as Dale makes the Jenga tower fall over.
"Ha! Suck it Kettlesmell!", Cap taunts Dale jokingly.
"Yeah kinda crazy that that guy right there is gonna be a dad in 8 weeks", Calvin scoffs sarcastically, giving me and Rusty a smile.
"Yeah", I nod with a shake of my head. "Believe me, the irony is not lost on me. How's Heath? Does it sound like he's not gonna make it back anytime soon?"
"Yeah", Calvin sighs sadly. "He went the wrong way to the liquor store and is completely stuck on the bridge after an accident shut it down and the snow isn't helping".
"Sorry Cal", I frown.
"Laura and Abby already left so… if anyone else wants to I won't take it personally", Calvin laughs.
"No, no way", I say strongly. "C'mon! We can still turn this thing around".
Calvin and Rusty both give me a look at the same time as if on cue.
Cappie and Dale walk over to the three of us then.
"Still no Heath?", Cappie asks.
"Nope it doesn't look like he'll be making it back here before midnight. I was just telling Rusty and Casey that we could just call it a night", Cal sighs.
"C'mon man, it's your birthday! We can… turn this thing around", Cappie tries to be motivating.
"That's what I said!", I agree.
"Oh c'mon, the most wild thing the two of you do now on Friday nights is stay up till 11pm eating Taco Bell in bed", Rusty jokes with us.
"One, don't knock Taco Bell", Cap grins. "And two, we do tons of wild stuff. We just don't tell you about it".
Rusty looks at us for a moment maybe piecing together Cappie's words.
"Ew I'm not gonna even try to think about what that might mean", Rusty grimaces.
"I'm talking about playing board games. Jeez get your head out of the gutter Spitter", Cappie laughs.
"Games!", I suggest. "That's it, why don't we play some games?"
"Well I already schooled Dale at Jenga", Cappie grins at Dale, who's sat on the couch just as bored as everyone else here.
"And that's the only game we own", Rusty gives us a sigh.
"Oh c'mon, it's like you guys have never been a girl in junior high! I'm talking about truth or dare! Would you rather! Kiss or tell!", I list off.
"Did someone say kiss or tell?", I hear Rebecca's voice behind me.
"Yeah!", I try to motivate everyone's sluggish selves.
"I love that game, I used to play it at boarding school. It's classic drama and mischief. Right up my alley", Rebecca grins evilly. "But I can't be sober for it".
"Well are you gonna somehow make liquor just magically appear?", Ash questions.
"No, I'm saying…", Rebecca grins then, an idea going off in her head. "Let's go to Doblers".
"Rebecca", Evan groans. "Really? You're gonna walk all the way to Doblers in the snow? It won't even be open".
"Well Cappie works there", Rebecca suggests.
"Yeah no way. I'm not getting fired", Cappie laughs. "If we use anyone's keys it's gotta be Ashleighs'".
No one knew but Ash had just gotten a part time job at Doblers and sometimes worked alongside Cappie, much to her chagrin. She didn't want anyone to know and had successfully been able to avoid running into anyone she knew well the past week she'd been working there. She told me but that was it.
"Cappie!", Ash gives him a look, annoyed.
"You're working at Doblers?", Rebecca's amused. "Wow you must really be hard up".
"Well not all of us have rich parents Rebecca", Ash crosses her arms at her and Evan.
"Hey don't look at me!", Evan puts his hands up.
"And don't knock Doblers", Cappie says. "It's a decent job, and the discount is not so bad either. I'm sorry I let it spill though Ashleigh".
"Ugh it's fine", Ash sighs. "People were gonna find out anyways. Besides I hate it so much I might quit".
I look at Cappie then, the two of us sharing a look, scoffing.
Ash, while an amazing friend, wasn't always the best at sticking things out when they got tough.
"Perfect, we can use your keys before you inevitably get fired!", Rebecca grins. "What do you say Cal?"
"Well", Calvin thinks to himself. "It would be better than this".
"Me and Casey are probably gonna have to bail though", Cap states as though it should be obvious.
"What, why?", I veer around to him.
"Uh because you're almost 32 weeks pregnant", Cappie scoffs like it's crystal clear why we can't go.
"I can still go to a bar", I shrug, not wanting to have to sit something out because I'm pregnant.
"We can barely use our cars on the roads which means we're gonna have to walk there, and it's late, and dark, and freezing, and slippery", Cappie lists off all the many reasons like he's my overbearing dad. "You could slip Case. Not to mention you have to stay warm".
"Aw too bad", Rebecca fakes disappointment. "Anyways, everyone else wanna go?"
"Cappie", I whine, going over to stand near him.
"I'm not gonna tell you you can't do something", Cappie explains. "But I feel like it's better for us to just stay in tonight, then we won't have to worry".
"What if…", I think to myself. "I walk super safely and hold onto you the entire time so if I slip on ice you can catch me before I fall?"
He looks at me then, still uncomfortable with the whole thing, but then sighs, not usually able to say no to me.
"Alright I guess it's only like a twenty minute walk", Cappie groans, giving in. He gives me a slight semblance of a smile at the way I excitedly jump up into his arms. "And if the roads are better by the time we leave I can go get the car and pick you up".
"That means you can't drink though", I raise my eyebrow at him.
"That's fine", He shrugs.
"Who are you and what have you done with Cappie?", Rusty laughs at him.
"It's like Jekyll and Hyde", Evan adds with a scoff.
"Hey I think it's nice. Good job Cap, saying no to peer pressure", Dale smiles and pats Cap on the back.
"Yeah okay Dale", Cappie snickers and holds me close to him.
"Okay so let's get our jackets and finally get this party started!", Rebecca leads charge as we look around at each other, everyone I think surprised by the leap we're taking.