Growing Together

PickRome: I'll Be There pt.2

He had never underestimated his own abilities until now. For one, his belly in itself was the obstacle keeping him from climbing the shelves and reaching those delicious Sour Cream & Onion Lay's chips. Before, he wouldn't think twice before climbing that shelf and grabbing his snack, but the worry of 'what if' kept him well planted on the ground and not even daring to consider it. He didn't want to risk hurting himself, not when he had been extra careful these couple of months.

'I'll just ask P'Oh...' Rome had ended up deciding about to turn away from the shelf, but that's when he noticed a hand reaching past him and bringing the chips down for him. A wide smile had raised onto his face as he lifted his hands to grab the bag. "Thank you so much!" Rome had said wrapping his arms around the chips in such a happy embrace as he turned to meet the face of the person. However, the smile he had on his face had seized when he noticed Pick standing there instead of a stranger.

"I finally caught you alone," Pick said leaning his arms against the shelf to barricade Rome. He has spent so many weeks just trying to catch him alone without his bodyguard. He had never thought it would have been in the middle of the market when he wasn't really trying to find him. In fact, he had been here because the guys were having a party at Forth's and they had asked him to pick up some ice for the booze, but when he had seen Rome walk down the aisle all alone he had left his friends' side in a rush.

"I don't want to talk to you," Rome had said bringing the bag of chips up to cover his view of Pick. For one, seeing him so suddenly looking like that had Rome's cheeks heating up as the color rushed to them.

"Well, that's too bad, because I want to talk to you," Pick said grabbing onto Rome's arm to lower it down so that he wasn't staring at the bag. He had taken a step closer towards Rome, almost having his forehead touching against his. He was close enough that he could feel the ends of his hair tickle his forehead. "Just please listen to what I have to say." Pick said softening his tone in a small plea.

"Just what do you think you're doing in the middle of the store?" P'Oh said grabbing Pick by the shoulder and pulling him away from Rome. The look on his face said it all. He was not happy to have Pick there with Rome at all. It was no different from the look he gave Porsche whenever he came around to his house to see his sister. It was that look of a protective brother ready to fight off someone he thought was not worthy of his sibling.

Pick had only fixed his shirt as he scoffed, "I should have known you'd be here too. It's the weekend, P' don't bodyguards take the weekends off?"

"We don't. Neither do assholes, from the look of it," P'Oh said as he grabbed Rome's hand and pulled him towards him, "Let's go, Rome."

"P'..." Rome had begun to say but only to cut himself off when Pick had grabbed onto his hand too.

"Rome's not going anywhere. We have a pending conversation, so back off Oh." Pick said tugging a little on Rome's arm, enough to force the smaller male to step towards him.

P'Oh's brows had only furrowed as he turned back towards Pick as he held Rome's hand a little tighter. "Rome doesn't want to talk to you! Why can't you get that through your thick skull?! You've done more than enough so just let him be!"

Even if those words were true, Pick couldn't help but get angry hearing them come from P'Oh. "That has nothing to do with you! It's between me and Rome, so butt out of it!"

"Ow! Let go of me, you two are hurting me!" Rome had ended up whining when the two had tightened their grips on his wrists. His eyes had gotten watery from the two's mishandling. He knew that they hated each other so much—even since before Emma and he had met them. He just didn't think it'd be to this extent that they'd take it out on him.

"Rome, I'm sorry/I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it," Both Pick and P'Oh had let out losing the heat in their voice as they let go of him and became the most worrywart version of themselves, as they tried their best to nurse at his wrists. "Does it still hurt?" Pick asked gently letting his thumb trail over the reddening handprint on Rome's wrist.

"You should have let him go when I said so. All you do is hurt him," P'Oh said pulling Rome's hand from Pick's hand.

Before Pick could even get mad and start again with P'Oh, Rome had quickly pulled his arms from him and said, "P'! I want to talk to Pick, alone." The silence and the look of uncertainty and obvious disapproval in P'Oh's eyes had Rome letting out a small "Please, P'."

At that, P'Oh had only let out a sigh before he was bringing his hand up to cup Rome's cheek—which made Pick's brows furrow at the intimate touch. "You and Em are too soft on these idiots," He whispered to him before he was saying, "Fine, you win." And when he had turned to look at Pick, that gentle gaze had hardened as he whispered to him, "I better not hear that you made him cry, or I'll break your legs." He didn't want Rome to hear his threat but he wanted Pick to know that he should watch himself.

Pick had only scoffed as P'Oh had pushed past him. He really hated that guy's guts, but turning his eyes towards Rome he felt himself calming down from the rising anger within him. His hand had reached towards his, "Come on, We should talk somewhere else." He said gently tugging him to get out of the store.

"W-wait, P'Pick! My chips, I need to pay for them!" Rome had let out not budging from his spot even though Pick had tried to tug him along.

***

They had gone back to pay for the chips—at least Pick had—before he had taken them out towards his car. Pick had driven them out towards the quiet park that they had often driven through before. It felt rather nostalgic seeing the playground through the window. It wasn't until the quiet rumbling of the car had seized that Rome had turned back towards Pick.

"Rome...I'm really sorry for being a coward," Pick said shifting in his seat so that he could face Rome. "I'm sorry it took this long to admit it to you, but I'm saying it now. I'm sorry I've been an idiot, that I got jealous of Din," Pick said not being able to hide just how angry just saying his name made him, and if it wasn't for the fact that Rome had leaned into his touch he probably would have only fumed further. Pick had ended up shaking his head to get rid of Din out of his head, while his hand moved down to push the bag of chips out of the way. Even they were starting to bug him with how much Rome was trying his best to use them as a shield.

Rome had tried to grab the chips to keep them where they were but it was no use, Pick had moved them far from his reach that all he could do was cower away from him when he got closer to him. "Stop..." He said holding his hands out to keep him at bay. He had felt so comfortable for a moment, but the moment that bag had left his side he had felt his worries and insecurities come crawling into his chest. He had always wanted Pick to say this to him, but the thing was things were complicated now. "I forgive you, P'Pick...but I can't."

"Yes, you can..." Pick said moving Rome's hand up to his lips and pressing a gentle kiss to his fingertips before he was moving them out of his way, "I want to be with you. I want us to be together, officially."

"You'll change your mind... You always do," Rome said feeling his voice break. How could he feel so happy and so sad at the same time? Pick wanted to be with him, but that didn't mean he would want the baby.

"You think I'll leave you alone again because of this?" Pick asked with a frown as he placed his hand gently on the curve of Rome's belly. "Have I really hurt you that deep that you think so little of me?" He had chuckled a little but it wasn't from joy, it was a sad and forced smile he had put on. "Rome...I wanted to be there sooner, but you kept hiding behind P'Oh..."

"Y-You knew?" Rome couldn't help but choke out as the tears had begun to trail down his own cheeks. When Pick had only nod had Rome gripping onto Pick's hand. His voice had hitched in a sob as he let out a quiet 'I'm sorry'.

Pick had only turned his hand in Rome's grip so that he could properly hold his hand, "You think I wouldn't have noticed something was different? I've been chasing you for weeks, I'd be stupid not to have noticed that the boy I love was pregnant."

"Y-You love me?" Rome had sobbed at him with tear staining cheeks, eyes getting puffy from crying.

He wasn't sure how others would have reacted to seeing Rome looking at them like that, but Pick only felt his heart melt. His hands had moved up to whip his face clean, "I do," Pick said quietly as he leaned in to kiss his forehead. "I hope you know I'm not asking you to be my boyfriend, but my wife."

Well, that didn't do anything to stop Rome from crying at all.