The Lieutenant 🪖

THIRTY

The sound of Axels shed door opening woke me up from my nap. I sat up and rubbed the tired out of my eyes.

Today, after boot camp Axel promised to tell Nate, Caitlin, Holly and Nicole that I didn't really leave, that I've been here all along and that I am, in fact pregnant with his baby.

Wow, that was going to be a hard pill for them to swallow but I wasn't nervous, I was excited.

Nate was the first to walk in, his eyes roamed Axels shed in awe, then he spotted me.

Nicole, Holly and Caitlin screamed when they walked and immediately ran to hug me.

"Woah!" Axel said in his demanding Lieutenant voice. "Back up." Their feet halted and their mouths quieted.

"I can't believe you're here! You're really here!" Nicole squealed excitedly from a distance.

"Stand to attention soldiers!" Axel yelled.

The four of them stood in a uniformed line, standing straight with a salute to their heads.

"Axel—" I stood up, dropping the blanket that covered me and the four of them broke their stance to look down at my stomach.

They were completely and utterly shell shocked.

"Woah! You're pregnant." Caitlin worded slowly.

"What?!" Nate yelled in surprise.

"With him?" Holly asked.

"What?!" Nate yelled again.

"You didn't tell them?" I asked, but Axel stood straight and commanding. He looked ahead and didn't show any response or emotion on his face.

"Girl or boy?" Nicole asked.

"Boy." I confirmed.

She glanced at Axel, checking him out.

"Damn, that boy is gonna be super hot."

"Wh-" Nate started.

"Don't say it again." I warned.

Nate started to walk up to me.

"Back the hell up Thompson!" Axel snapped and I face palmed myself.

"You have the demon spawn inside of you?" He whispered to me, not at all inconspicuous. I glanced axel, I could tell he was a little hurt by that comment but he remained in his Lieutenant stance.

"Do you guys want a beer?" I waddled over to the fridge and got out a few bottles. My friends all glanced at Axel, as if seeking out his permission.

"Did I tell you that you could break attention soldiers?" They all stood tall, again resting their hands on their foreheads.

Axel sized them up one at a time, checking over their uniforms and posture. I felt myself blushing, he was being so professional when I just wanted him to be social.

"Is this really necessary, I mean—"

"You approach Williams with care, slow and precise steps only. You do not touch the stomach. You do not cause harm to mother or child in any way. Do you understand soldiers?"

"Sir yes sir!" They replied in unison.

"At ease." He took himself to the side of the room, a place where he could watch over our whole encounter but not really be involved.

My friends, feeling ridiculously awkward now sat down around me and looked at one another, lost on a conversation starter.

"So... how have you been?" I asked, side glancing at Axel who policed us like he was policing the cafeteria. I handed them all a beer but nobody drunk from it.