Unfixable

Future Plans

"Pregnant?" Nines winced at the volume, and almost clapped his hand over Gavin's mouth, despite the fact they were alone. Hopefully, no one in the hall outside was paying them any mind. He rested his hands over his face with a groan. That was pretty much the worst thing that could have happened. Alright, the worst thing next to a terminal disease, phcking Christ! It wouldn't be a big thing if she was actually married to Elijah with a high level of certainty it was his. The problem was, she'd slept with Connor around the same time. On top of that, she wasn't married! She had no security!

"She is undecided on whether to tell Elijah or Connor at this point, but it seems she intends to keep it, whatever the case." Gavin wasn't sure whether that was good or bad. From his own experience, he could say he'd been pretty happy not knowing where he came from. He'd had about seventeen blissful years of ignorance before finding out. He was pretty sure the kid would be happy if it was adopted early and never found out. If it didn't get adopted, it would be a rough ride. Gavin knew he'd been lucky that his father had found out and took him on after his mother died. He assumed she was dead, anyway. No one had bothered to enlighten him beyond Elijah's mother calling her a whore.

"What do you think would be better?" That was a potentially loaded question. Nines wasn't sure whether he was asking from a sense of loyalty to his brother, or what would be best for Chloe and the child. Of course, Nines loved his brother and wanted to see him happy. He also liked Elijah and didn't wish to see his life torn apart. Gavin likely had similar feelings towards Connor. All three were good people, but they'd found themselves in a sticky situation through a mixture of neglect, love, and foolishness. Nines sighed from his place on the edge of the bed.

"I'm not sure...Both sides have merit. She's already engaged to Elijah, and he has the monetary funds to offer her stability. They have a strong relationship that's already lasted many years. The problems will come after the birth if the child doesn't share a resemblance." Gavin nodded along as he leaned back against the propped up pillows. "Connor loves her dearly, and I've no doubt he'd make a wonderful father and a loving husband. The issue is that, with the war, there's a high probability that Connor won't return to marry her before the birth, and it may not be his child. He can offer her security, of course, but there's no way of knowing how far this budding romance will take them." Gavin agreed with that, too. Elijah was his brother. Even before patching things up, he'd held a certain amount of loyalty to him. However, he liked Connor too. He wasn't a bad guy, just young, dumb, and in love. He could lay it all on Chloe, but he didn't blame her, either. She'd been horribly neglected over the past year. Most other women would have kicked Elijah to the curb months ago.

"Phck, I hate that you're right." It would be so fucking easy if there was clearly one person in this dynamic they could wholly blame, but there really wasn't. All of them were good and honest people, and all of them were in love, whichever way it split. It sucked that at least one of them had to get hurt in all this. "Whatever happens, I want to make sure Chloe's taken care of..." Whether that was before or after the birth, he didn't care. Phck it, I'll marry her myself if I have to! Nines smiled at his words.

"I knew that you would." He fully supported that. He hadn't known her as long as Gavin, but he liked her very much and would happily accept her as a sister-in-law, however it happened. Gavin seemed thoughtful as he toyed with the ring on his finger. Nines smiled as he reached across and took his hand. His chest swelled knowing that Gavin liked wearing it. He'd barely stopped fiddling with it since he'd put it on. Whenever he was bored or drifting in thought, he twisted and fingered it.

"We should go into town in a few days and buy some baby shit." Nines chuckled at Gavin's eagerness, though he knew he'd deny that he was anything close to eager. It was a nice idea, though they'd have to hide it away until Chloe decided what to do. They could hardly explain it away as being for them. The need for supplies wasn't immediate, however, it would be wise to get them in early. Should we buy so much here, though? How permanent is this residence? The war didn't look set to end just yet, but there were whispers. The British naval blockade was working. Enemy forces had started to flag in certain areas. Nines had no idea of Elijah's plans in the long run, though he knew Connor would likely return to their father's home for a time. "The phck are you looking at me like that for?" Gavin's brow creased in suspicion at the softness in his eyes.