When Jack told me to grab my bathing suit, I thought he was nuts! It was 40 degrees outside and snowing for Christ’s sake; who would want to go swimming? Then, he told me we would be attending an heated, indoor swimming pool. The idea sounded lovely: warmth, playing in a pool, and just being with Jack in general. I knew our winter break together would be good, but I didn’t know it would be this good. He was already doing some much. I was worried that he had much more expensive things to come because with Jack, it was always a surprise.

I went upstairs to look through what I brought. I brought a few tees, a couple pairs of jeans, and a pair of silky basketball shorts that I wear to bed when I am dealing with pesky hot flashes. Since it was the dead of winter, I didn’t have a bathing suit. The shorts would have to do. I stripped of all my clothes and began to put on my new outfit. I put on the shorts in replacement to my boxers. I then threw on a Coldplay shirt. It was pretty big because I purposely bought it oversized to fit over my enlarged tummy. The bigger I got, though, the snugger the tee got. Finally, the best part of getting changed arrived: the skinny jeans.

I had gotten chubbier during this pregnancy, I won’t lie. My thighs got thicker along with my face and arms. Of course, I still believed that I could fit into my skinny jeans with my thunder thighs, so each day, I would go through the five minute struggle of pulling the skin tight material over my legs.

I picked up the pair of skinnies I was going to attempt to wear today. They were rippled American flag ones that were black and gray. I sat down on the bed and pushed my feet through the leg holes until the popped out of the ends like a rabbit from a hole. Then, I began to wiggle the jeans up my legs. It was easy until I got my thighs. Instantly, the material began to remain at the beginning of my thighs, and they refused to go up any further. “C’mon…” I grunted in my struggle. I continued to pull at the jeans to get them over my legs, and they continuously refused. “Bloody hell, c’mon!” I growled. I laid back against the bed and lifted my legs up in the air. I wiggled my hips all around to see if it would, somehow, strengthen my arms to pull these stupid jeans over my legs completely.

The more I did my little wiggle dance, the jeans were slowly starting to cooperate with me. The material worked itself up my thighs until finally, the jeans were hugging my legs in a tight, suffocating squeeze. I levered my legs down to have them dangling off the bed. Once my legs cleared my sight, I could see Jack leaning against the door frame with tears down his face and his hand covering his mouth. He wasn’t crying; he was hysterically laughing. Had he been watching me that entire time?! “How long have you been bloody standing there!” I asked in a gasp slash shout. Jack wiped his tears, wheezing from the hysterics he was previously in.

“I was standing there for that entire escapade.” Jack said with a strangled voice. I glared at him, crossing my arms.

“I don’t like you very much today, Barakat. I hope you know that.” Jack rolled his eyes playfully, walked over to me, and wrapped his arms around my neck. I pushed our noses together, scrunching mine up a tad. “Meanie.” I giggled. Jack pet my cheek, kissing my forehead gently.

“You love me and my meanie self.”

“True, but now, for watching me go through such a struggle, no sex for a whole year.” I laughed at my punishment. Jack cocked a brow.

“Oh, trust me, I’ll manage.” he challenged. I laughed, crossing my arms.

“In your dreams, Jacky.”

---

The indoor pool was at a rec center in town. When we arrived, it was packed with families and elderly individuals who wanted a nice, warm break. I felt sort of uncomfortable walking in because instantly, I got stares. Mostly the elderly folk who had no idea what male pregnancy was since it was discovered so late in their lives, and when they saw me, they were disgusted. I had on a hoodie since it was cold, but the stares made me tug it closer to me. I was beginning to feel embarrassed. “Jack?” I peeked up, frowning. Jack looked down.

“Yes, angel?” Jack replied as we headed to the men’s locker room. Jack opened the door for me, and I waddled in and sat down on a bench. Jack was getting changed into his bathing equipment when I spoke up with,

“Do I need to go swimming? I mean, I’m comfortable just watching you swim.” My tone was saddened, and I knew Jack could hear it because he turned around with worry in his eyes.

“Why the sudden mood change? You were happy when we got here.” I looked down in humiliation. I rubbed a gentle thumb along the curve of my stomach.

“They’re staring at me, Jack…” I felt tears prick the backs of my eyes. I didn’t know this would hurt me so much, but it did. I didn’t like being looked at or made fun -- it hurt. Jack knelt down to be level with me.

“Angel,” he whispered, “do not let them bother you, okay? Don’t. They just don’t understand.” Jack rubbed the tears from my eyes, still looking into them with his own. However, the tears continued to dribble from my eyes.

“I don’t want to swim, Jack. They’re going to stare at my stomach and laugh.” I hiccuped. Jack sighed at my words. He rubbed my arm soothingly.

“Why don’t you not take your shirt off, then? I’ll stick by you the entire time, m’dear. You don’t have to take your shirt off if you don’t want people to see your stomach.” His offer did sound better. I mean, I really did want to swim aside from whining to Jack. I nodded my head, and a small smile formed on my face. “That sounds better, doesn’t it?”

“It really does…” I whispered.

“Then, come on! Let’s go, sweetie!” Jack proceeded to help me out of my hoodie and and skinny jeans which left me in my tee and basketball shorts. The shirt was baggy enough to hide most of my bump; I was internally grateful for that. Jack walked me out of the locker room and out to the pool area. The same people who stared at me upon arrival watched me walk out of the locker room. A mother even had the nerve to pull her daughter from the area I was stepping into as I stepped in the pool. It made me slow down because of uneasiness. However, Jack wrapped his arms around my enlarged waist and pull me into the water.

The water embraced my body is a chilled hug. I shivered and goosebumps sprinkled my pale skin. I kept close to Jack as if his body would keep me warm; his body temperature was dropping just as much as mine. I kept close to the edge of the pool since mostly everyone was in the core. I didn’t want to be around those people -- I was an alien to them. Jack stood more out to the core, hands out to me. “C’mon, my teal boy,” he urged, “come here with me.” I shook my head shyly like a five year old afraid of a little water. I scanned the perimeter of the pool again to see no one’s eyes left me.

Panic began to rush through my body, and I felt tears in my eyes. Jack hurried over to me, holding my face. “Alex, look at me, what’s wrong?” he whispered. I looked him as I began to sob.

“They won’t stop looking, Jack. I-I want to go home.” Jack looked at me with such a disappointed expression.

“What did I tell you in the locker room, Alex?”

“I know what you said, but it is making me feel so fucking stupid! I am being looked at like I am some mutant from another planet, and I fucking hate it. I want to go home!” Jack sighed, looking around to see exactly what I was talking about. He looked back at me.

“You really want to go home? You don’t want to have our lunch date?” Jack asked with a pout. I sighed, looking down at the baby blue water surrounding us.

“Can we have it at the park or something? Somewhere where no one will be looking at me funny.” I looked back up at him with hopeful eyes. Jack gave me a small smile.

“Like, a picnic? That sounds pretty nice, actually.” Now, I was smiling. “Come on, mama. Let’s go dry off and go to the park.”

---

“Jack, stop!” I giggled as Jack continued to throw wheat bread crumbs at my face. He was laying on his back across the towel -- that was supposed to be for the pool -- why I had my back against the tree we were beside. I had my sandwich resting on the peak of my stomach, and it was barely eaten. Jack was blushing up at me.

“What if I don’t want to stop, my teal boy?” he asked as he picked off more ammo from his sandwich. I cocked a brow.

“I won’t give you sex for two years, instead of the one year I gave you this morning.” I giggled. Jack gasped playfully, placing a hand above his heart.

“You monster!” I continue to giggle while watching Jack get off of his back, crawl over to me, and tickle my sides. I sucked in a sharp breath when his fingers tickled my sensitive sides.

“Jack, stop! Come on, knock it off!” I wailed. I kicked my legs, trying to break free. Jack bit his tongue outside his mouth, watching me go in a frenzy. “Please, baby! I’ll give you sex! I’ll give you sex!” Soon, Jack stopped his tickles. He looked into my eyes, and his whole demeanor changed. Instead of being playful, he was very serious. I looked at him perplexed. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No, there is, um, something I wanted to ask you.” he said softly. He proceeded to wrap his arms around my waist and pull me closer. Oh my God, was he proposing to me? I looked at him with widening eyes.

“J-Jack, if -” Jack interrupted me by putting his fingers to my lips.

“Sh.” Jack continued to speak, “I wanted to ask you, Alexander William Gaskarth, if you would do me the honor of being my new housemate. Will you move in with me?” I gasped. Jack wanted me to move in with him? This was so sudden! “I know this is sudden, but… I want you and Phoenix to be apart of my life. I found my forever, and that’s you guys, Alex.” I let out a sob.

“Of course, I’ll move in with you, Jack.” I whispered. I then leaned in and mushed our lips together lovingly. I pulled away after minutes passed, tears covering my cheeks. “I think I found my forever, too, Jack. I am so in love with you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” Even Jack had tears in his eyes and down his cheeks which made me sob harder.

“I love you so much, Alexander William Gaskarth.”

“I love you the most, Jack Bassam Barakat.”

Notes

so, here's my (crappy) update. i have been feeling absolutely shitty lately, and it doesn't help that i was diagnosed with stuff my therapist yesterday that i wasn't expecting. won't get into detail about that but yeah.

soon shit is going to hit the fan in this story (Bree and I have planned a lot) so prepare your anuses, ovaries, testicles or whatever you want to prepare.

anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter. floor's all to bree right now.

xoxo krys