then ~ RUEL FANFIC~

Alira's POV

No one moves or says anything. I'm not as shocked or upset as I thought I'd be. If anything I'm relieved that I finally know.

"Well." I sigh. "Yay. I'm pregnant."

"What do we do now?" Asks Coco.

I shrug. "I don't know, I thought you would."

Ruel puts his hand on my back. "Are you... are you ok?" 

"Yeah."

"Really?"

"Uh huh. Really. I wouldn't know how else to feel."

It's hard to believe that in a few months there'll be a child developing inside me. I subconsciously put my hand on my stomach. 

"This wasn't how I expected to spend my time in Sydney." I mutter.

Coco smirks. "I'm going to drive home and get Sylvie. I'll let you tell her."

Coco leaves and then it's me and Ruel alone in the bathroom. We stand in silence for a minute or so, me leaning in the bench looking at the floor, him sitting on the edge of the bath. 

"You're going to have a child." He mutters. "That's crazy. Like, crazy cool. You're going to be a mum."

"You sure sound more excited than I am."

"Of course I'm excited!"

"Don't be. I'm only two weeks along, we need to go to the doctor and get it checked properly. Wait for 12 weeks until you get excited."

"Ok, ok, I will. Why twelve weeks?"

"First twelve weeks are when anything could go wrong. You know, miscarriage, stuff like that, not uncommon."

He can't help but keep smiling. "Alright, and then after that?

"Things can still go wrong, but it's less likely."

"Ok. So it's been, what, a week? 11 weeks go go. That's nothing."

"That's like a fifth of the year, Ruel."

"I know! But we can wait, just chill, and before you know it you'll be pregnant. Properly pregnant."

I laugh. His excitement about it all makes me feel a lot better.

————

11 weeks pass faster than expected, like he said. Through this time we tell only Sylvie, and see the doctor a few times. Book in for a 12 week scan, which everyone's excited for.

Everything seems fine. I get sick when I drink water too fast, which according to google is pretty normal. 

On a Thursday afternoon we go for the twelve week scan. Me, Coco and Ruel. 

We enter the waiting room and fill out a form.

"Only two of you can go into the room to watch the ultrasound." Says a strict nurse, eyeing us rudely.

"You two go." Mutters Coco. "I'll just wait in here."

We're led through into a small, dark room with a bed, chair and a few screens.

Ruel sits down and i lay on the bed. We're left alone for a few minutes as the doctor who'll be doing the scan bustles out of the room to get something. 

"You excited?" He whispers.

"Not as much as you, apparently."

The doctor comes back in. Does a quick blood test which hurts like hell, feels my stomach and rubs a cold gel on it. She pulls out a little instrument that's basically an oversized ballpoint pen without ink and rubs it on my stomach.

One of the screens comes to life, and although the picture isn't clear at all, and moves slowly, we both know what it is.

"There you go." Says the nurse quietly. Her amazement after probably doing this thousands of times has not diminished.

I look away and face Ruel. He's smiling more sincerely than I've ever seen and there's tears rolling down his face. 

"Stop crying, you're going to make me cry." I plead. But I'm already crying too.

The nurse switches off the ultrasound and does some other tests.

"From what I can see, everything looks normal. One baby, not sure of the gender yet, due on the 28th of October-"

"Day before my birthday." Mutters ruel.

"But baby looks healthy, and fine. There'll be lots more tests to come of course and I can't guarantee everything but so far so good."

I smile and sit back up again. It feels more real now. I'm terrified. Now I have to tell dad. And everyone.

We go out to Coco and I think she senses my emotions because she hugs me. Tight.

"What did they say?" She whispers in my ear.

"Baby's all good. Healthy. Normal."

"Did you see it?"

"Yeah."

She squeezes my shoulders. 

Back home I go to my room and call dad. I don't know what to say so I tearfully explain everything. We both just cry and talk about it. When I finish the call and say bye I just lie in bed, too exhausted to turn on the light in the growing darkness.

Someone knocks on my door.

"Come in." 

The door opens and it's Ruel. He comes and sits on the bed next to me.

"You wanna talk about anything?" He asks quietly.

"No."

"You want me to get anything?"

"No."

"Alira, what's the matter-"

"I'm fine! I'm fine, ok. Hormones. Stress."

He sighs. "Is there anything, absolutely anything that I can do for you."

I take a deep breath and think. What do I want? What do I wish? I wish I was at our old house. With mum. Making dinner. Going to bed early, ready for school tomorrow. But it's not like that.

"Just... just stay here." I whisper.

"I will. Go to sleep."

I think of refusing but before I can I do fall asleep.