Paint Me Blue [bxb; mpreg]

Epilogue

Reese looks down at the baby in his arms suckling soundly on his nipple as he eats.  His cheeks are chubby and red, heart shaped lips pink and button nose upturned.  The baby coos and gurgles, clearly enjoying his meal as he drinks up.

Payton steps into the nursery quietly.  He looks a bit shy at the scene, watching their baby River eat hungrily from Reese.

Just three weeks ago they had graduated high school and they thought they'd lost River after being born prematurely.  Everything felt like a dream, like a really bad dream when River was taken to NICU.

But now he's big and getting stronger each day, little hand curled into a fist on Reese's bare chest.

"Hey," Payton smiles.

"Hey, yourself," Reese smiles brightly.

He looks good, healthy.  The anguish and fear of losing River replaced with contentment at having the little body in his arms, warm and heavy.

Payton leans down to kiss River's head before kissing Reese's plump lips.

"You hungry?" He asks.

Reese snorts, gently dislodging River from his nipple and making the baby scrunch up his face and cry in anger.

"Sorry, buddy," Payton apologizes, helping Reese rearrange the small bundle.

River snuffles, nuzzling against Reese's breast and resuming his eating.

"Okay, so he's hungry," Payton chuckles.

"You would think I'm starving him," Reese smiles, more careful not to piss of their baby boy as he huffs a small laugh.

"Clearly," Payton agrees, "I brought some food.  Well... actually someone else did."

"Benji?  He does know he's already god-father right?  He doesn't need to bribe me with food anymore."

"No, I mean River's grandparents," Payton continues, evasively.

"Emma and Elijah?  They said they were gonna be late tonight," Reese frowns.

"No," Payton sighs, "I mean your parents."

Reese looks at Payton, expecting the older teen to say, "just kidding!"

But he's not joking and this isn't a prank.

"They were at graduation and I tried to tell them politely to fudge off," Payton continues, "but they're a bit adamant."

"I'm not... I don't want to see them."

"I know, sweetheart, but-"

"No buts," Reese frowns, "I was here all along, why did it take so darn long for them to come around?  Why now?"

"I know and I'll tell them if you want me to," Payton agrees, "but one day, in the future, if River asks, don't keep him away."

"That'll be his decision," Reese nods, "but until then it's mine.  And I refuse to see them, I refuse to expose our son to the people who never wanted him, to the people who told me to get rid of him."

Payton kisses away his tears and does just that.

He turns them away and closes the door with a breath of relief.

When he returns to the nursery, he finds Reese still in the rocking chair dozing off.

Baby River is fast asleep, little mouth slack with milk smeared across his chin and cheek.

He carefully takes the bundle and carries him to the mahogany crib next to the little white teddy bear before picking up Reese effortlessly and setting him to bed.

Reese curls in Payton's arms.

And Payton misses the way Reese's belly filled out with their baby and pressed against him.

But at this moment, regardless of the nostalgia and sadness that their baby isn't between them anymore, he's more than happy to be where he is.

Their baby boy fast asleep in his little crib as his exhausted daddy sleeps in his arms.

Regardless of the ups and downs they've faced and will no doubt continue to face, he's proud to call Reese his, because Reese is the strongest person he knows.

Despite society wanting to paint him pink.

He grabbed the brush and screamed at the top of his lungs to paint him blue.

Because he's who he is and nothing and no one can define him as something he isn't and doesn't want to be.  Not the dysphoria and depression, not the pressure of conforming to society's standard, not his breasts or the stretch marks that scream otherwise.

Reese is himself.

Reese is blue.

The End.