Guys My Age ~ Christopher Velez

Permanent

A mess.

Christopher Bryant Vélez Muñoz had become a complete and utter mess in the two hours that the love of his life had been gone for. He hadn't sat down once for the first hour and a half, instead choosing to pace the hallway like a madman. It wasn't until Zabdiel grabbed him and quite literally forced him into a chair with help from Erick, Richard, and Joel that he sat down. The whole group had come to the hospital after Erick texted them, including the girls. Richard and Alyson had also been on Facetime with PRETTYMUCH for the past hour.

"Chris, she's going to be okay," Jade assured him, gently rubbing his upper back in a comforting manner. "They both will be," Joel's eyes flickered to his wife's stomach where a little bump had formed, knowing he'd be just as inconsolable if this was happening to him. Zabdiel was seated on the other side of Christopher, silent crying mimicking from both boys. Everyone knew Zabdiel was an emotional person, but to see Christopher cry? It was a surprise to everyone in the entire group.

"The family of Zobeida Vélez?"

A middle-aged man in a pair of blue scrubs stood before them, a clipboard in his hands. Standing up instantly, everyone glanced at Christopher in confusion as to Zoe's last name. "It's, uh, De Jesus, actually." Erick voiced what everyone was thinking, the doctor before them frowning and looking back down at the papers. "Huh, she told us it was Vélez." Christopher could feel his heart resume beating when he realized she had been okay enough to actually speak. "She's okay, then?"

He croaked out, clearing his throat from lack of vocal use. "Zobeida and the baby? They're okay?" Christopher stared the doctor down with red-rimmed eyes, dried tear tracks marking his cheeks. Dr. Thomas, as it read on his nametag, gazing around at the small crowd of people surrounding him. "Are they okay?" Christopher's voice cracked halfway through his sentence, Zabdiel reaching out to grasp his shoulder.

"She went into preterm labor, that's what the pain was from." Eyes flickering down, Christopher suddenly noticed a small patch of blood on the bottom of Dr. Thomas's scrub pants. He paled, shifting one of his feet back for support for fear that he might pass out. "We managed to stop the contractions and bleeding, but it's still very touch and go." Dr. Thomas spoke, easing some of the tension from the group. Apart from Christopher, Erick, and Zabdiel that is. "To try and ensure that the fetus won't arrive early, we're putting her on bed rest. She'll be staying here for the next month,"

Christopher exhaled sharply, Zabdiel turning away so he could wipe at a few stray tears. "Can we see her?" He didn't care that he was crying tears of relief in front of a complete stranger, Christopher just wanted to see his girlfriend. "Please?" Dr. Thomas's sharply angled face softened for a small second, looking at Christopher and Zabdiel. "Yes, but only one at a time. For the next hour, at least." Zabdiel pushed Christopher in the direction of the doctor, nodding for him to go first.

Under any other circumstance, Christopher would've made sure Zoe had seen her brother first. But right now he wanted to be just a little bit selfish. "Follow me," Christopher did so without hesitation, the two men coming to a stop in front of a wooden door with the number 306 next to it. "Go ahead, and push the call button if you need anyone." Dr. Thomas backed away with a small, encouraging smile and a polite nod. Christopher stared at the door for a solid millisecond before gently throwing it open.

He drew in a breath at the sight before him, attentively stepping into the room. Zoe laid in a hospital gown, her skin considerably paler than the last time he'd seen her. An IV rest in her right hand, hooked up to two different bags of what he assumed was medicine. The bed she was tucked into was elevated slightly at an awkward angle with her feet up in the air. When he saw how tightly she was tucked in Christopher instantly wanted to loosen them, knowing she absolutely despised being constricted.

"Are you just going to stand there like a creep or are you going to come see me?"

Zoe's voice came out rugged like the jagged edges of a broken shard of glass, scaring the daylights out of him. Christopher then realized her eyes were open and trained on him, exhaustion evident in her beautiful brown irises. Choking out a harsh gust of air, he was across the surprisingly spacious room and by her side in just a few strides. Saltwater glistened in her eyes, shakily reaching out her weakened limbs in his direction.

"No, don't move," Christopher clasped her much smaller hand in between both of his, holding it over her chest. He didn't notice the tears streaming down his face until they landed on her sheets, not bringing himself to remove his grip on her to wipe them away. "You scared me, Zobeida," Christopher admitted, kneeling beside her bed. His lips ghosted over her shoulder, deeply inhaling the scent of roses on her skin that somehow managed to overpower the stench of antiseptic.

"I know, I'm sorry," She apologized helplessly, caressing his cheek with her free hand. Zoe ran her fingers through Christopher's hair, letting him cry into her neck. "I love you so much, Christopher. I'm not trying to leave anytime soon," Christopher kissed her jawline, softly trailing his way to her lips. He hesitated a second too long, Zoe pushing him down to her by the back of his head. She melted against his lips, the short kiss bringing some emotion back into Christopher's body.

"So, you told the doctors your last name was Vélez?" Christopher questioned after several seconds of silence, pulling back some so he wasn't hovering over her. Zoe flushed a light shade of pink, assuming he was teasing her. She rolled her eyes, looking off in the opposite direction. However, what she didn't notice was how he reached into his pocket and shifted onto one knee instead of two. "Amor?" Zoe hummed, lolling her head back to face him. Her jaw dropped open at the sight of a little black box in his hands with a diamond ring in the center, his face as serious as she'd ever seen.

"How about we make that permanent?"