Dee blinked. “Excuse me; run that by me again.” He gave Ryo a soft smile, patting the clearly stressed out teen on the head. He and Ryo were alone in the centers waiting room. JJ, Drake and Diana had left to go get everyone something to eat, while they waited for news on Ryo’s mother.
Ryo sighed, “Mom’s all preggy and she never told me.” Ryo pouted. “They didn’t think I was strong enough to live with the news that she could be at risk. . . That the baby could be at risk when it’s born.” Ryo crossed his arms.
“Why would the baby be at risk?” Dee asked, scared for Ryo’s mother and new sibling.
“Mom’s always been a small person. She has a weak heart and just doesn’t have what it takes to birth a baby. . . At least that’s what dad told me.” Ryo looked down. “I’m really scared.” He whispered.
Dee’s heart clenched. “Shh,” he glanced around, making sure nobody was watching, and then wrapped an arm around Ryo, pulling him to his chest, “I’m sure she’ll come through. She may have a weak heart, but the woman I saw was a very strong person. If anyone can make it through a difficult birth, it’s your mother.”
Ryo smiled, burying his face against Dee’s chest. “I hope you’re right.”
Dee sighed, glad that Ryo didn’t seem to care being in his arms like this, even when they were in a public place like this. He tightened his hold on Ryo, running his fingers over the little tuffs of hair Ryo had on his mostly bald head.
Ryo pulled away from Dee, his face flushed.
“What?” Dee blinked. “I do something wrong?”
“N-no,” Ryo stuttered.
“Then why do you look so red?” Dee asked.
“Mmm. . . Y-you were touching my. . .”
“Oh. . .” Dee smiled. “You’re self-conscious about having your head touched, right?”
“Mmm,” Ryo nodded. “It’s ugly. . . I don’t like people touching. . .”
Dee snorted, “It is not; just because you’re mostly bald, doesn’t mean you’re ugly. . . Or your head’s ugly.”
Smiling, Dee pulled Ryo back to him, kissing Ryo right on the top of his head. “I see nothing ugly.”
Ryo’s eyes widened, a hand automatically going to his head. Dee smiled, making Ryo’s stomach do summersaults.
“I. . . T-thank you.” Ryo glanced down, hands in his lap.
“This looks awful suspicious,” a teasing voice spoke up, making Ryo and Dee jump.
“JJ,” Drake playfully smacked his boyfriend on the arm. “Be nice.”
“We weren’t doing anything,” Dee muttered, rolling his eyes. Look at where we are, Dee wanted to say.
“Course not,” Diana said, handing Ryo a sandwich. She smiled. “It’s safe for you to eat. Not loaded with fat like Dee’s . . . the pig.” She said, as JJ handed Dee a sandwich stuffed with meat, cheese and other fattening toppings.
Ryo smiled, happy Diana had remembered he had diabetes, when he had forgotten to remind her and the others as they left to go get them something to eat.
Dee pouted. “I am not a pig.” He grinned, stuffing half the sandwich in his mouth.
Everyone cracked up, then hushed, remembering where they were.
---
“Ryo,” Dee whispered, giving the teen a light nudge. Ryo was sound asleep, lying against Dee’s shoulder. Standing over Dee and Ryo was Ryo’s father, Koji.
“Nother ten minutes, dad.” Ryo mumbled, snuggling closer to Dee. Dee blushed, looking at Koji.
“You’re going to have to try harder then that, Dee; Ryo’s the hardest to wake up.”
Koji looked exhausted, but not like a man would if his wife were on a death bed. This gave Dee some hope that everything was okay.
“Ryo.” Dee said, louder.
Ryo mumbled something, hugging Dee’s waist.
Dee blinked, looking up at Koji. “I think he called me Teddy.”
Koji’s face broke in a smile, “Ah, Ryo did have a teddy bear once. . . Guess you remind him of it.”
Dee blushed, shaking his head. “Ryo wake up; get out of your dream, I’m not a teddy bear.” ‘Though I do love this snuggling. . . Hehe, good thing Mr. Maclean is so understanding. Probably has no idea that I’m gay and corrupting his son. . .’
Ryo blinked, one eye popping open. When the teen saw how close he was to Dee, how he was holding Dee, Ryo bolted away from him, his face turning blood red.
He then noticed Koji. “D-dad. . .” Ryo stuttered, his face growing even redder.
Koji smiled, “Ryo, lucky Dee’s such a good friend. You were one step from drooling on him.”
Ryo slapped a hand over his face, his heart beating a mile a minute. “I was not.” Ryo insisted.
Dee chuckled, “well, my neck is a little wet.” He teased.
“My. . . My lips were not touching your neck!” Ryo blushed.
Koji set down next to Ryo, “he’s teasing. . . Ryo, your mother. . .”
“Oh Mom!” Ryo bolted up. “Is e-everything okay?”
“Calm down,” Koji said, worriedly looking at Ryo.
“I’m fine! I’m not sick!” Ryo blinked back tears. “Stop treating me like glass! Mom is the one. . . You should be. . . Mom!”
Koji went over to Ryo, pulling him into a hug, “I know, I know.”
Dee sighed, looking down. Was everything okay?
Diana, JJ and Drake were still asleep on the floor, undisturbed by everything that was going on.
It was night now at the center, and even though Ryo had said he’d be fine waiting on his own, Dee, Diana, JJ and Drake had refuse to leave him.
“Your mother is fine. She’s asleep right now, but out of the woods.” Koji smiled, sitting Ryo back down.
Ryo smiled, blinking his tears away. “Really?”
“Yeah. Boy was she a trooper. Her heart barely had the get go to push the baby through her body, but something. . . God gave her enough strength to hold out.” Koji smiled.
“The. . . Baby?” Ryo whispered. The baby would be three months early.
Koji glanced down. “She’s a three month preemie. One pound, five ounces.”
“A sister?” Ryo whispered.
“Mm,” Koji nodded. “She’s hooked up to a monitor, that’s doing her breathing for her. Her lungs aren’t fully developed yet. She has to stay at the hospital, until she’s bigger.”
“Bu-but she’ll live, right? She’ll be okay?”
Koji shrugged, “nobody can say. It’s all really up to her and God.”
Ryo nodded, “I understand. Okay.” He blew out a big puff of air, standing up. “Can we see her?”
---
“Aww,” Diana whispered, nose against the glass. “So many babies; which one?” she asked.
Koji pointed to the baby closest to where Diana was. The baby was hooked to many tubes; her eyes were closed, and she was bundled in a pink blanket.
“She’s so small.” Ryo put his hand on the glass separating everyone from the babies.
Koji nodded, swallowing a lump in his throat. “She is.”
A nurse dressed in a sterilized smock, gloves, goggles and a face mask walked over to the baby, gently picking her up, careful of her tubes.
She held her up for everyone to look at, a small smile noticeable through her clear mask.
Ryo’s heart melted. “She looks so cute.”
Dee glanced at Koji out of the corner of his eyes, seeing he was clearly not paying attention to him and the others; his eyes were glued to the baby. He walked over to Ryo, pulling him into a quick hug. “She looks like a fighter.” he said into Ryo’s ear.
Ryo blushed.
“Yeah,” JJ pumped his fist; Drake hushed him, reminding him where they were. JJ blushed, looking down at his feet. He mumbled a sorry toward Koji, but the man hadn’t even noticed his outburst.
“Dad,” Ryo gently pulled away from Dee, walking over to his dad. “Have you named her yet?” He asked, watching as the nurse placed the baby back into her bed.
“Yes.” Koji looked away from his daughter. “Anna-Sophia.”
Ryo blinked. “Huh? You couldn’t stick with one name? You had to give her two. . . And it’s not even Japanese.”
Koji grinned, thumping Ryo on the nose. “Hush you. We quite like the name, Japanese or not.”
“Anna-Sophia. . .” Ryo tried out the name, finding it rolled right off his tongue. It was easy to say and very pretty. Anna by itself was too plain for a beautiful baby like Anna-Sophia, and Sophia was too old sounding, but put the two names together and. . . It just worked.
Ryo smiled, “I like it too.”
---
“Deeeee!” Ryo yelled, running over to Dee. He smiled up at Dee, a small blush on his cheeks. He gave a small giggle, completely confusing Dee.
“What?” Dee blinked.
“It’s been three weeks since Anna-Sophia’s been in the hospital. Dad told me that she’s been taken off those breathing machine thingies. She can use her own lungs now!” Ryo beamed. “Isn’t that great!?”
Dee smiled, hugging Ryo, ruffling his baby fine hair that now completely covered his head. “Yes, that’s great.”
Ryo blushed, pulling away from Dee. He tapped a finger to his lips, looking like he was thinking about something.
“You know, Dee, remember when you asked me if you could kiss me. . . Then we almost did, but then we were interrupted? We’ve sorta been acting like nothing happened. . . What with everything that’s been going on with my family. . . I understand you’ve been giving me space and all, but. . . Umm,” Ryo looked down.
“I really do like you.” Ryo whispered. “I didn’t just say I did. . . I’ve had a lot of time to think. . . And I know. . .”
Blushing, Ryo looked up at Dee, “can we try that kiss again?”
Dee’s heart flipped flopped. “You really mean it?” he asked, barely above a whisper.
Ryo nodded, “yes.” He said, stepping closer to Dee.
Dee looked around, “now?”
“Nobody is around.”
“B-but, we’re on school grounds,” Dee blushed.
Ryo shrugged, “I don’t care. Kids here already avoid me. Why should I care if they see us? They already know you’re gay, right?”
“Yeah.”
“So, are you going to kiss me or not?”
Dee smirked, stepping closer to Ryo. He reached down, cupping his chin in his hands, tilting Ryo’s head up.
Ryo blushed, his eyes fluttering closed. Dee smiled, taking in everything about Ryo’s face, before slowly lowering his lips onto the older teen’s.
A/N Please review! Yes! A kiss!
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