Mountains and Oceans

Chapter 45

Bailey leaned against the window and sighed as she watched Max play in the front yard with Luke. She couldn't go outside because her allergies were horrible at the moment and the pollen count was high, according to Sean, whatever that meant. She picked up her pencil and tried sketching something but nothing was coming to mind. Setting it back down, she headed to the bathroom and as she was washing her hands she looked at herself in the mirror. Frowning she realized that her skin was paler than normal and her eyes seemed dull and lifeless. She pouted, she didn't like how she looked, how could they be with someone like her? Maybe they were just tolerating her or actually starting to get tired of her. She didn't want to become a burden to them, they deserved better than her.

Snapping out of her spiraling thoughts, she quickly dried her hands and started searching for someone. She opened Sean's office and found it empty as was the living room. Heading to the yard to talk to Luke, she found it empty, where were they? Hearing Max barking in the back yard, she rushed around the porch and saw Nathan practicing his moves on Brandon which was causing Max to bark.

"Hey Peanut, what are you doing outside?" Nathan asked as Brandon lay on the ground gasping. "You need to get back inside before your allergies get too bad."

"Nathan," She whimpered as she pulled on her long sleeves. "Brandon."

"What's wrong?" They asked rushing to her side.

"Make them stop," she pouted as she clutched her head. "Please tell me it's not true."

"Oh Peanut," Nathan pulled her to him and kissed the top of her head, "of course it's not true. Come on, tell me what they are saying while Brandon calls Doc to let him know. Hey, I'm proud of you."

"Why?" She asked as he picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his stomach.

"Because you came and got us to let us know," he said as he opened the door and walked her into his room. He sat her down on the bed and pushed her hair out of her face. "You didn't hide it from us."

"I'm scared it's true," she admitted as she ran her finger over the Noble Heart Horse Care Bear cousin tattoo on his chest. "I don't want to be too much."

"Hey, you will never be a burden to us, Peanut," he whispered as he lifted her face so she could see the honestly in his eyes. "The only thing that is too much is your love for us. You have so much love in your heart Bailey that you need more than one man to care and love you, that's all. You are perfect for us because you were made for us. You can handle all of us goofballs and you know how we can be. Sure you have gone through some crap but so have we. You handle us on our dark days and we help you through yours, that's how it works. It's never going to be all happiness all the time. It's okay to worry and have low days and you did the right thing coming to us immediately instead of hurting yourself again and hiding it from us."

"You deserve someone who isn't so fucked up," she mumbled as she closed her eyes.

"We are all fucked up in some way, Babe," Brandon said as he sat beside them. "It's part of why we get along so well, we understand the pain we each go through. There is nothing wrong with you, got it?"

She nodded and he kissed her softly. "If we didn't want you, Bailey, we wouldn't want you right now," Nathan admitted. "And trust me, it's taking everything in me not to show you."

"What?" She asked shocked, "I look horrible right now."

"Don't say that, Babe," Brandon glared. "You are beautiful."

"Am not," she shook her head.

"Quit saying that," Nathan warned.

"Well I'm not," she shook her head. "My eyes are puffy and my nose is stopped up and my throat is itchy and I'm—"

"Quit," Brandon demanded softly, "you are our beautiful girl and if we have to fuck you to prove it and get those nasty thoughts and fears out of your head then we will." Her breath hitched causing them both to smirk.

"You can't possibly—" She whispered causing Nathan to kiss her silencing her protests.

"Guess we're going to have to prove it," Brandon chuckled. "Oh what fun this will be..."