A Tight-Knit Family // Falsettos AU

Nausea

Mendel

"So how's labour?" I ask Trina. 

"It's fun," she replies with sarcasm. She's getting into a later stage, so I doubt she's that thrilled with having a conversation. 

"Does it hurt?" 

"Mendel, it hurt since we were playing Never Have I Ever on the floor of our bedroom." 

"Oh, yeah. The ellipsis cramps. I really liked that, by the way," I tell her. 

"I kind of stole it from 'I'm Bo Yo'," she admits. 

"It doesn't matter. You're still perfect." 

My girlfriend smiles, despite her current state. "You're too sweet." 

Marvin and Whizzer re-enter the room then. "Um... am I walking in on something?" Marvin asks. 

"We were only being nice to each other," I shoot back. "Bet you don't know what that's like in a relationship." 

"Where were you?" Trina changes the subject, breathlessly. 

"We were getting snacks at the vending machines," Marvin tells her. "I was hungry, I missed breakfast." 

"So did the rest of us. Here, could I have something?" I ask politely. 

He pulls away. "You haven't been very nice to me." 

I sigh and sit back down in that one chair. 

Whizzer

The next few hours go by quickly. The nurse finally returns, and a doctor comes in eventually. All the while, I'm sitting against the wall with the Lay's chips that I bought. 

Mendel is tapping his finger on his other hand. "I think it's coming soon..." he says, not really to anyone. Maybe to everyone, or himself. 

"I know," I answer from the other side of the room. "I'm getting nervous." 

"Sir, I heard your name at Princeton, I was seeking an accelerated course of study—" Marvin begins, but stops when he sees the look on my face. 

"I'm actually very nervous, but you're quoting song lyrics at a time like this?" I say slowly. 

"Sorry."

"No, it's fine, I guess." I shoot Mendel a look. "Maybe it's only 'kind' of fine." 

"Jesus Christ, Whizzer. I'm sorry." He rolls his eyes. 

"That's enough, guys," says Marvin. 

"That's enough, all of you!" Trina tells us with annoyance. "I'm having a baby! Shut up!" 

I don't take offense to this. I just do as I'm asked. 

After more time, I eventually leave the room, just for a while. I realize that I don't need to be in there the whole time. I don't even know if I want to witness the birth. I mean, that won't make me any less of a parent, right? 

Marvin comes out after me (similarly to the closet). "What's up?" he asks. 

"I wanted to give them some space," I shrug. 

"Yeah, that's a good idea. So what should we do?" 

I realize something. "We need to get Charlotte and Cordelia over here, don't we?! They're the godparents, after all." 

Marvin hesitates. "I don't think the nurse wants six people in the delivery room, excluding her and the doctor." 

"Well, not in the room, of course! Just here." 

"Sure, why not?" he agrees. "I'll call them." 

"No, I will! It'll help to affirm my status as a father," I offer, already scrolling through my contacts. 

"Good point." Marvin sits down on a bench in the hallway. I sit next to him. 

While we're waiting for the lesbians from next door to arrive, Mendel opens the door, which isn't too far from the bench. "Hey, guys? If you want to be here for the birth, I suggest..." He motions inside the room with his head. 

"Oh, my God." I stand up. "It's happening?" 

"I'll just stay here, thanks." Marvin is still sitting. He looks nauseous. 

"Come on!" I prompt, grabbing him by the hand. "It won't be too bad, I'm sure. You'll love it!" 

Once we enter the room (without Marvin), I accidentally get a view of the baby's hair. I look away quickly. 

"What's wrong?" Mendel asks me. "It's not, like, a spoiler." 

"No, it's just kind of gross. I hate seeing bloody heads." 

"You act like you're speaking from experience." 

"I am." 

He sits back down in that one chair, grabbing his girlfriend's hand to help her through. I feel kind of awkward, so I step out to see Marvin. He's on the bench, playing Dash Tag on his phone. 

"Are the godmothers here yet?" I look around. 

"Not yet. That I know of, at least. And we'd have to travel all the way back down to check the lobby for them," he responds. 

"Oh, that's okay. I saw the hair, by the way." 

He knows what I mean, somehow. "What colour was it?" 

"Well, I couldn't tell, but it'll probably be brown." 

"Good point," he says, for the second time today. 

After a while of waiting, I just step back into the hospital room to see the progress. Marvin follows, despite himself. Okay, right now it's in the possible worst stage. You know the part where they pull the baby out? 

(Author's Note: this needs to stop I do not want this to be graphic)

"Oh, my God," says Marvin. "It's a baby. Like, I mean, I knew that, but still. It's real." 

"Yeah." I'm standing there in shock. 

They wash off the baby and give it to Trina. She seems to have calmed down by now, despite just having been in labour. 

Mendel is looking in awe at our child. "I can't believe this is really happening." 

"Me neither," Trina puts in. She looks at me and Marvin. "Oh, nice of you to join us." 

"Can I see it?" 

"Of course!" 

Yep, my life changed at this very moment. And that means I'm a parent.