Closed Only A Little Life Changing

[Shane Ackley]

Shane had been working odd jobs since graduation, doing internships that paid nothing once or twice a week and few things that did pay. It wasn’t too necessary for him to be getting jobs that did pay with his aunt and uncle, but Shane was looking to be more independent and have some money for himself that he had earned. A rather more recent occurrence. He was chilling out between one job and the next, with a newspaper spread out in front of him. This apartment was nice but it was a little expensive if he wanted to pay his own way. Of course he wouldn’t have Annika but she’d been a bit distant the last couple of weeks. They had partied hard at his graduation and perhaps she was still recovering or was just busy. If he missed her he wasn’t going to admit it. ​

 

[Annika Corrins]

Annika hadn't been feeling well for a little while, and at first she'd thought she was just hungover. But when after three weeks her period hadn't started, she'd gone out and gotten a pregnancy test. She didn't think it was possible- she was usually careful. But she had to admit that she and Shane had been a bit more reckless lately.

She'd almost been expecting it, but her stomach dropped as she saw the positive results. Well... this was going to be interesting. After a few days to process it (and eating a lot of ice cream) Annika had walked over to Shane's apartment. She knew it had been a minute since they'd seen each other, but apparently she'd been processing that at least her life was about to change.

Annika slipped on one of her more comfortable sundresses. She would need to find another place to stay, perhaps. She loved her current apartment, but it was one bedroom, and at least once the baby was a little older they'd need their own space, their own rooms. She stepped in front of his door, knocking softly. "Shawn, it's me, let me in."

 

[Shane Ackley]

It had been a little while since he'd heard the soft knocking and Annika's voice calling to him but he got up from where he was an went to the door. He opened it and invited her in with a grand sweep of his arm. "Come on in," he told her with a smile. They were friends, and his only real friend. Perhaps it was an odd relationship even as friends, but it worked for him, he'd never been much of a strings guy. Her neither too and he was sure this would be about some inane, some party or something she wanted his help with. ​

 

[Annika Corrins]

Annika was almost relieved when he answered the door, walking in and trying to keep her head high. She didn't want to beat around the bush, so once she'd walked in a bit she turned to face him. "Shawn, I'm pregnant and it's yours." She told him bluntly. "Judging from the timing it was that last party." She took a deep breath, trying to hide her trembling hands. "I know how it sounds, but I won't apologize for having standards and not sleeping around with boring men when you were handsome and available instead."

She was rambling a bit, staring at him without really seeing him. "I'm going to keep it and you can do what you want but I thought you should know, I don't expect anything from you but I would like to continue our friendship, you don't have to act like the childs father if you'd rather not but I don't want to be alone, Shane, you're the only friend I really have right now, please," She bit her lip, finally lowering her eyes to the ground and waiting with baited breath for him to most likely throw her out.

 

[Shane Ackley]

Shane glanced at her, spotting that she seemed rather stressed about it, and then she started speaking. He glanced at her stomach and then glanced back up at her. He wouldn't have minded if it wasn't his because at the end of the day, she was his friend – his only friend. Shane waited until she was done speaking, waiting a few second more before nodding. ”Okay,” he said with a little shrug. ”I'd like to continue this friendship and be the child's dad,” he said easily, glancing then back at what he'd been doing before. ”You want some coffee? Or are you sticking to tea now?” he asked. Shane didn't want to be exclusive with her, but he could be a dad, or whatever. ​

 

[Annika Corrins]

Annika relaxed visibly, smiling and walking over to sit on the couch. "I probably should stick to tea," She murmured. "I'll need to do research on it, would you like to be involved?" She asked, looking to him with an easy smile. "I think we should up our relationship a bit..." She murmured. "Perhaps we can move in together for the baby, give them a solid home with both of us there. You can still sleep with whoever you want, just don't bring anyone back to the house and text me if you'll be out for the night?" She offered, thinking it sounded like a nice arrangement. "I probably won't sleep with anyone else for a bit, mostly just to focus on the baby and the pregnancy."

 

[Shane Ackley]

Shane was glad that she did actually relax a little. He stood up and began going to the kitchen to make some coffee and tea. ”I'll be involved,” he told her. The man would be involved. He didn't necessarily want to marry Annika or make them exclusive, the idea of being permanent attached to someone like that was just…no. But she was able to put those problems at ease.

”Okay, we can move in together, sleep with others at others and let each other know where we are?” this seemed like a lot of planning before they even had the baby in their arms but if it made her calm then he'd do it. ”Are you showing yet?” he didn't really know how babies or pregnancy worked, but he brought her over the now ready tea and his coffee. ”I need a job, I guess. You got anything going?” ​

 

[Annika Corrins]

Annika accepted the tea gratefully. "Thank you." She smiled softly at him. "Well, I'm not thinking like, we have to tell each other where we're going, just a quick 'be back tomorrow' or something, so I don't worry." She sipped her tea, smiling softly. "I'm not showing yet, it's still fairly early." She traced her finger over the rim of the cup. "I've got a few weddings lined up," She told him. "Though I suppose it's about time I turned it into a proper business. Maybe hire an assistant or..." An idea hit her, and she looked to him. "What if we start a business?" She offered. "A party planning business. I've already got connections and clients, I could contact old clients and maybe we could expand, weddings, kids parties, graduations," She sipped her tea again. "What do you think? It would still offer some freedom and you could make money off of parties. You've always known how to throw a good one." She chuckled, thinking of how he'd gotten her pregnant at his last big party.

 

[Shane Ackley]

Shane listened vaguely as she spoke. He was a little disappointed that she wasn't showing yet. He had been pretty keen to see that, he wasn't sure why, but it just…it would make it real. Shane nodded vaguely and gave a little laugh at what she suggested before realizing it could be quite good. ”That's a good idea,” He said, even perhaps a little surprised before he realized how good an idea it was. They could work together, he would have a job and between them, they would throw good parties. It wasn't what he was really looking for work, but he knew with a child on the way, his usual way of being wasn't going to work. ”Okay, what should we call it?” he asked.​

 

[Annika Corrins]

Annika kept sipping on her drink, and shrugged. "I'm not fussed, I'd probably name it something overly simple. What do you think?" She asked, patting the seat beside her to get him to sit down. "Shane, have you had any other children?" She asked him, curious. She wanted to know if he had others... but also somehow she didn't like the idea of someone else getting this part of him. She cradled her cup, trying to work through her emotions.

 

[Shane Ackley]

Shane gave a little smile, ”You'll hate the name I have in mind,” Shane replied. He knew, had known since he'd read it, that he wanted to name a child after it. He frowned a little at her question, he didn't think he had other children, he had tended to be more careful than most, but still. ”Not that I know of, I'm pretty careful. Well, I was until now,” he said. He had never really thought about having children, partly because of his age, but also because of how he knew you could really easily ruin a child's life. ”Unless you want me, I don't really want other children,” he said, not wanting her to think he didn't want the child she was having, but admitting almost that perhaps he should be even more careful. ​

 

[Annika Corrins]

Annika chuckled, patting the seat again. "Come on, sit." She told him. "What's this terrible name?" She teased him, sipping her drink. She was thinking now, planning. "We can move my things in here- I assume you want to keep your flat over mine. Or we can take the one that just opened up down the hall- it's a two bedroom." She mused. She considered his question. "One is enough for me. Once we've moved, we could get you an appointment?" She offered. "Do you think you could just keep yourself in only my bed for a few months?" She asked. "Just until the procedure is finished, I can take care of you after."

 

[Shane Ackley]

Shane sat down next to Annika and after a moment of silence said, "Ulysses," he said, with a smile. he was sure she'd hate it. He glanced about his flat. "Why don't you move in here to begin with, and then we can see about the two bedroom place?" He was a little reluctant to give up his flat which he loved a lot, but given that he now had a baby on the way he couldn't really do all that he wanted. he laughed lightly. "I'll get an appointment within the week, go private. I'm not waiting a few months," he would appreciate someone looking after him after, but he wasn't going to wait months for it when he could just go by his aunt and uncle and do it quickly. ​

 

[Annika Corrins]

Annika scrunched her nose, before giggling. "Well, I hate to disappoint you, but I actually love that name," She told him. "It feels... grand." She offered. She nodded at his suggestion. "Sure, I'm here enough anyway. It shouldn't take long to get out of my lease and move my things in." She looked around, before giving him a teasing smile. "I've always thought you could use some better decor," She tried to take his hand. She nodded as he agreed to go in as soon as he could. "Sure, I'm sure we can figure it out." She reassured him.

 

[Shane Ackley]

Shane had really expected that she would hate it. That she would find the name laughable, but she liked it. Called it grand. He gave a little laugh at it, but it was a playful laugh. "But you are not worming your way out of looking after me, I expect an attentive nurse, bringing me back to full health," he told her jokingly. He wouldn't mind doing it and of course he would do his best to get the most out of it that he could. Shane had never really been one to want kids, so he knew it was right at this point to take this accident as the reason for now allowing more. He would love his child, but he didn't need more than maybe the one, with the only person in the world that he trusted. ​

 

[Annika Corrins]

Annika laughed gently, shaking her head. "I'll even buy a uniform, one of those cute ones with the little skirt and the stethoscope," She teased him, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Let's get me moved in and settled and then we'll get you in for an appointment. Now that we're living together, we should talk about food and the things you like to eat, so we can merge diets and I can do shopping for two." She mused, picking up his hand and tracing her fingers absently over it.

 

[Shane Ackley]

Shane laughed, thinking of Annika in that outfit she was describing. ”Do we need to talk about those kinds of things? Can't we just figure it out as me go?” he said lightly. Though he didn't mind the baby and the moving in together for that purpose, he just didn't know if they really needed to align that much. ”And you know, I can do the shopping too,” he added. ”We don't need to fall into traditional roles in this…co-parenting situation,” the man said. ”We can look after each other, but we don't need to act like a couple…,” ​

 

[Annika Corrins]

Annika laughed lightly. "That's not couple-y things, silly, that's roommate things." She told him easily. "It's cheaper, easier to sort out food now. Though I suppose it can wait a week or two," She rolled her eyes. "In your 'not a couple' narrative, would you feel better if we set up a space just for you?" She asked. "Give you some room to yourself if you need it."

 

[Shane Ackley]

Shane listened and shrugged, perhaps it was just a lot. He knew however that it was his own fault for getting pregnant and causing these discussions. "Let's combine our things, do the first shopping together and then go from there?" he suggested, that way they were in his mind, easing into it. It would be easy enough to do. "No, I don't need space like that. If I need space, I'll go outside, or get a drink," he told her. "I'll always let you know where I am, and when I'll be back," he said, making a promise to her. ​

 

[Annika Corrins]

Annika nodded, she could work with that. She smiled, offering up her hand. "That sounds like a good idea," She offered easily, feeling a hint of relief as he agreed with her request to keep her updated. "Thank you, Shane." She murmured sincerely. "I know this is a lot. Especially for us." She yawned. She wasn't sure why she'd been feeling so tired lately, but she supposed that might have to do with the pregnancy. "Can I add in a little something more?" She questioned, looking up at him.

 

[Shane Ackley]

Shane nodded in agreement, it was a lot. He knew this, could feel it being a lot, but he knew it was also going to be okay, it was going to be just fine. The man knew others had managed to raise kids, and he knew a little about how to not do it. "Depends on what it is," he replied with a little smile, sure that the answer would in fact be yes. He just needed to know what it was first.

 

[Annika Corrins]

Annika gave him a shy smile. "I have a little something more, something just for us," She bit her lip, brushing her hair back. "Do you think... maybe we could be more affectionate with each other?" She offered gently. "My parents were always very... formal and distant with each other. It's part of why I never want to marry." She took a slow breath. "Just... kisses, soft touches, more cuddling." She asked him, wringing her hands together lightly.

 

[Shane Ackley]

Shane was a little surprised by what she asked, it hadn't been what he'd expected, but it also made plenty of sense for it. "So, really, we'd be together and acting together in every sense apart from the literal one," He didn't mind it, he didn't mind being affectionate with her, or sharing a space with her. He knew it would probably be important, but he wasn't going to be calling her his girlfriend, and he wouldn't stop seeing other people. He went to take her hands, and intend, instead of saying yes, to affectionately kiss them. ​

 

[Annika Corrins]

Annika laughed lightly. "I suppose so," She offered, smiling as he kissed her hand. "I don't need the labels to be happy. You can do what you want, just leave this side of you for me," She offered, reaching out and pulling him in for a kiss. "Call me selfish, but I like thinking there's a little bit of you no one else gets to see."

 

[Shane Ackley]

Shane just nodded, "I can do that," letting her pull him in for a kiss. "You're having my baby, I don't think there's more of me that you can get that no one else does," he teased lightly, but he knew what she meant and was happy to go along with it.