Happy, Happy Birthday, Baby

chapter 2

Happy, Happy Birthday, Baby Part 2 (Synacky): 

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"Baby...baby, please. Please, calm down," Zacky coaxed at the continuing sniffles and jerky breaths coming from his husband. "Baby, calm down. You're gonna have a panic attack."

"Calm down?!?! Calm down?!?! How am I supposed to calm down when you insinuated you weren't gonna be coming home?" Brian sobbed.

The sound broke Zacky's heart. He really hadn't meant to make Brian think that he wasn't coming home, but Zacky was a realist and he knew of the horrible possibilities he faced all day, every day that he was in the unforgiving terrain of Afghanistan.

The war had ripped Zacky away from Brian and their children but he'd be damned if it made him into a sad statistic. He would do anything and everything to get back to the safe and loving arms of his family. Right at this particular moment, though, he had to make sure his husband didn't end up passing out.

"Brian? Brian, baby, listen to me. You need to breathe. You're gonna pass out."

Brian began gasping between sobs and that truly scared Zacky. If he was there with Brian, he could take his hand into his and force him to breathe. This would be the first time he'd try to talk his husband out of a panic attack with more than 8,000 miles between them.

"C'mon, baby. Breathe in...and out. In...and out."

Brian's breathing slowed as he listened to Zacky's soft voice as he continued to talk him through breathing in and then out. After a minute or two, he was nowhere near passing out or hyperventilating.

"Brian?"

"Mmhhmm?"

"I'm so sorry that I upset you. That I scared you. I wasn't insinuating that I wasn't coming home to you. I would never do that to you. I'm sorry that I upset you and scared you. That wasn't my intention at all. That is never my intention when I call home, baby," Zacky said softly.

"I-I kn-know." Brian wiped the tears from his face in total frustration and then took a deep, albeit shaky, breath. "I-I'm s-sorry, Zee."

"Babe, you have nothing to be sorry for. Nothing."

"We shouldn't be arguing," Brian said firmly, more to himself than to Zacky.

"I know, Bri. That isn't why I called. I called you because I miss you."

"I know that. I miss you, too, Zacky."

Zacky grinned, a playful sparkle flitting in his bright green eyes. "Besides, I think we argue so much better in person."

"Ya think so?"

"Well, I know we make up A LOT better in person," Zacky smirked.

Brian snorted and then started laughing. "You are such a PERVERT."

Zacky grinned, eyes continuing to sparkle. "And YOU aren't?"

"I never said that, baby," Brian whispered huskily.

Zacky laughed, instantly stopping when he looked at his watch and rolled his eyes. "Brian?" he started softly, and if he was totally honest with himself, a little nervously.

"Yeah?" Brian asked with a small sniffle.

Zacky nibbled on his bottom lip where one of his snakebite piercings would normally be when he's at home and just being Zacky Baker-Haner, Brian's husband and Phoenix and Liberty's father, and not 1st Lieutenant Zachary Baker-Haner, a proud member of the United States Marine Corps.

"I don't have much time left on this call, baby. I have to go out on patrol in a little while."

Brian felt his heart stop, flutter back into a frantic rhythm and then plummet all the way down to the very tips of his toes. He looked at the clock in the SUV's dashboard. It was almost 4:00 in the afternoon on a bright, sunny California day. He quickly did the math of the time difference with Afghanistan and felt like he was going to either throw up or pass out or both when he realized what time the 12 1/2 hour difference would make it where Zacky currently was.

"Isn't it 4:30 in the morning over there?"

Zacky glanced at the watch on his right wrist and then sighed. "Yeah, about. Why?"

"Are you...are you seriously asking me that?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't wanna know, Brian."

"It's almost 4:30...in the morning...in a fuckin' WAR zone."

"Baby, I'm well-armed and well-protected."

"You can still get hurt. You can still..." Brian started to work himself up.

"STOP IT, Brian! Just...STOP IT!" Zacky snapped.

Brian went completely silent. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open a little in total shock at Zacky snapping at him in the way that he just had. He blinked slowly, trying to keep from feeling sorry for himself and breaking out into another sobfest. He hadn't wanted their conversation to go badly and he was blaming himself because that's exactly where it was headed and doing it quickly, like an unmanned runaway train.

Zacky sighed, rubbed a hand across his forehead and then pinched the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes. "Brian," he started softly. "I'm sorry for going off on you like that. I really am. But I have to stay focused on my jop right now so that I can do it properly. I know that you're worried about me and I appreciate that more than you'll ever know. I really do, but I don't need that at the forefront of my mind.

"I know, and I'm sorry, baby. Can you forgive me...please?"

"There's nothing to be sorry for, Brian. I know that it's really hard for you and for the kids. All I wanna think about when I'm out on patrol is doing my job so that I can come home to you and Nix and Bertie, which I WILL do. You have my word on that, and you know that I never go back on my word to you, baby."

"Good, because I am definitely holding you to your word, Zacky. If you don't come back home..."

"Brian, come on. Don't go there."

"No, wait. I have to say this before it drives me to the brink."

"All right. Go on," Zacky relented.

"If you don't come home, then I WILL bring you back and kill you myself...with my bare hands. And ya know that I don't really wanna do that."

Zacky rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know. I don't expect anything less from  you, baby."

"As long as we're on the same page about that, then everything will be just fine."

Zacky looked up and noticed Matt smirking at him from across the room. Again, he rolled his eyes and then let out a disgusted sigh.

"Bri?"

"Yeah, Zee?"

Zacky closed his eyes and braced himself for the reaction that Brian will undoubtedly have. "I have to go now."

Brian nibbled on his bottom lip, battling the tears threatening to fall. "Oh."

"I'll try and give you a call later so I can talk to the kids. Okay?"

"O-okay. I...I love you, Zacky."

"I love you, too, Brian," Zacky smiled. "Bye, baby."

"B-bye," Brian stammered as he swallowed the lump in his throat. When he heard the dial tone, he hung up himself and then let the tears fall unimpeded.