14 | l.s mpreg

chapter twenty-five

"Hey, I thought you were staying the night," Gemma said as she looked at Louis who was heading towards the door with his bag.

"Yeah," Louis answered softly and then went to the door to pull his shoes on. "I was," He confirmed with a small nod because he could still feel eyes on him. He wondered if she knew the news or if Harry hadn't told her yet. He wondered if anyone else knew and seriously regretted not asking Harry this.

"Need a ride home?" Asher asked as he looked over at Louis, noticing that the boy looked less than happy right now, and was assuming that Harry had told him. Especially considering Harry wasn't following the boy to the door. "I'll take you." He said before Louis could even answer. "I'll be right back." He promised and then pressed more than a few kisses to Gemma's lips before getting up and making his way to the door as well, slipping his own coat and shoes on.

Asher walked with Louis out to the car, both of them getting inside without so much as a word. Once the car was on, he turned on the heater and then buckled himself up after Louis did.

"What happened to your motorcycle?" Louis asked curiously as he looked over at Asher as the older boys pulled out of the driveway.

"My mum found a baggie of weed in my room and not only confiscated my weed but my motorcycle as well," Asher admitted as he paid attention to the road in front of him. "Threatening to sell it."

"The motorcycle or the weed?" Louis joked as he watched Asher, the older boy laughing a little and then looked over at him for only a moment. 

"Funny," Asher said as he let his eyes drift back to the road. "For now, I'm stuck with her car. So, I'm assuming she'll give me the motorcycle back very soon." He chuckled and then the two were quiet for a bit before either one spoke again. "Did he show you the sonogram?" He asked, somehow just knowing that the younger boy knew, and judging by the way Louis turned to look at him, he was right.

"No," Louis answered after a little while and then looked out the window, facing away from Asher, not even sure if he wanted to talk about this with someone who was practically a stranger. Which led him to wonder how he even knew. And it made him go back to his earlier question about whether or not Gemma knew.

"You aren't missing much," Asher admitted with a small shrug of his shoulders. "It's tiny and doesn't look like anything, really. Just a little blob." He explained softly and then glanced over at Louis again. "Are you scared?"

"Yeah," Louis answered honestly, and he didn't even know why he admitted this to him, but he did. "I'm fifteen," Louis informed softly and then shook his head. "I just turned fifteen." He corrected himself softly and then looked over at Asher.

"I know," Asher replied and then shrugged his shoulders a little. "I'm going to tell you something right now. Something personal, but I don't want you telling Harry or Gemma." He said and then glanced over at Louis when Louis promised. "When I was fifteen, my first girlfriend got pregnant." He admitted softly, a bit hesitantly. "I was scared, wasn't supportive and in the end, she terminated the pregnancy after we argued about it for... days." He said and then sighed softly. "The thought of... the possibility that I could have had a toddler at this point in my life is still terrifying for me. But that's just me." He hummed. "I know of many people who have been terrified at first and then can't imagine a life without having their child."

"So what are you saying then?" Louis asked softly. "Not to be rude, but what's the point in telling me all of this?" He asked, and Asher stayed quiet for a bit.

"My point is, no matter what happens in the end, you should support Harry's decision on things. You both made a mistake and now you two have to figure out how to face the consequences of that mistake. I'm in no way saying that you should stay with him if the relationship overall makes you unhappy, I'm just saying... if he keeps the baby, you have a choice in the matter," He said as he arrived closer and closer to Louis' house. "The way I see it is, you have three options in the matter. One, you can leave Harry and pretend that none of this ever happened. The consequences would be that Harry would probably hate you no matter the overall decision he made regarding the fetus. Two, you can end your relationship with Harry, but still be supportive of his decisions and if he decides to keep it, you help and all. Three, you stay with Harry, support all of his decisions and if he keeps it, you stay a part of your child's life. And Harry's."

"I like the sound of the third option if I'm being honest," Louis admitted as he glanced out the window to see that he was almost home.

"Those were the options that ran through my mind when my ex told me she was expecting. In the end, I chose the first option. And I've felt like an absolute dick ever since." Asher said as he pulled into the driveway. "The last time we talked, she texted me to tell me she'd had an abortion. And... I felt relieved. Relieved of having the responsibility of raising a kid with someone I was just starting to get to know."

"Harry and I have been friends for ages," Louis said softly. "And I really do love him. A lot actually. But a baby? That's... a huge responsibility and... I can barely take care of myself. How am I expected to take care of something that needs... all of my attention?" He asked.

"Adoption is another option, yeah?" Asher asked and then looked over at Louis. "You two can stay together, you just won't have a baby together."

"Or... we give the kid up for adoption and Harry feels like it's my fault and then resents me," Louis said and then sighed softly. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do, man. I don't know what to say or do or who to talk to..." He said and then shook his head. "I just need a few days to clear my head, is all. Just a few days to be by myself and think of things from every angle imaginable." He shrugged his shoulders. "We're just... so young." He said and then Asher laughed a little, making Louis look over at him.

"You think you're old enough to be having sex but not old enough to have a baby?" Asher asked and then shook his head. "That's literally what sex is for, dude. Reproducing." He pointed out and Louis rolled his eyes.

"Well, not everyone has sex to reproduce." Louis shrugged his shoulders and then unbuckled his seatbelt as Asher nodded a little.

"Clearly. Look, I'm not saying you're too young to be having sex, yeah? It's your choice. Both of your choices. All I'm saying is that you shouldn't be having sex if you can't handle the consequences of your actions."

"You sound like my mum," Louis pointed out and Asher laughed again and shook his head.

"Take your few days off. Take some space. Think about the next thing you're going to say to Harry. Even if that's just a simple... 'hi.' Plan things out and figure out a way to handle this situation as two people who can handle the consequences of their actions. You two have made a kid together. Whether or not you were planning on making one, you made a kid together. Whether you're fifteen or thirty-six, figure out what you're going to do. Together." He said, and both of them stayed quiet for a few moments.

"Thanks, Asher," Louis said softly and then glanced over at him and then opened the car door, getting out and then made his way to his front door with his bag slung over his shoulder.