It's Quiet Uptown

Chapter Seven: The Little Mermaid

A/N: So the heavy stuff is pretty much over. It'll take a few more chapters as Lin emotionally recovers before he falls for Groff. :) Squee! This fic also hit 100 views. Let's go! Thanks for taking the time to read this fic. It means a lot to me - this is my first fic, and the fact that anyone would care enough to read shocks me!

Groff's POV

    I glanced worriedly back at Lin. I was driving his car back to his apartment (well, ours, really, since I'd kinda moved in to help him recover) and he hadn't said a word to me. Lin never shuts up. Not even when he broke his toe once by being Lin and jumping off a prop during In The Heights rehearsals.

    Alright. This 'tough man Groff' act wasn't working. This man knew my gay ass inside and out... wait. ANYWAY, I'm sure he had seen through it. I reminded myself of my oath to him and struck up a conversation.

    "How's Sebastian?" I asked mildly. Coax him into it first, then drop the bomb.

    I saw Lin lighten up considerably in the rearview mirror.

    "He's good," he said happily. "His first checkup is tomorrow. Wanna come?"

    I nodded quickly before he changed his mind.

    "Vanessa should be there," he muttered, and his face started to crumple. Thankfully, he pulled it together. "But she will. She'll be watching us."

     I smiled at him, heart aching. I knew that he'd never fully get over her, and probably would never love again. That's alright, I guess. I always had put Lin first.

    "Of course," I agreed. "Sebby's too cute. He's only what, five days old?"

    "Six," Lin replied. Panic then crossed his face. "Do you think it's unsafe for Sebby to be in public?"

    "Dude," I said. "I'm gay. I have no idea. You're the dad!"

     "Shit," Lin cursed. "I knew I should have read one of those parenting books."

    "Lin!" I exclaimed. "You had months to do that!"

    "I know," he whined. "But they were soooo boring."

    "Only you, Lin-Miranda," I muttered, chuckling. "So excited to have a kid, yet doesn't have a clue what to do when the baby's arrived."

     He stuck his tongue out at me, tear tracks still prominent on his face. There we go. There was the Lin I'd missed. The total mess who could go from the worst of moods to the best in no time flat.

    "So what are you going to do with Sebastian when you go back to work on Monday?" I asked.

    "Is it really Friday already?" Lin asked, startled. "Wow. Time's moving quickly. I'm not really sure. He is still really young - too young for daycare - and I can't give him to just anyone. Maybe to my mom? She'd know what to do."

    "Right," I agreed, smiling. "She managed to keep you from killing yourself, so I'm pretty sure she can handle a newborn."

     "Hey," he complained, and I giggled.

    We settled into a comfortable silence. I watched Lin smile down at his son from out of the corner of my eye, and made the snap decision to plunge forwards. Now or never.

     "Lin?" I asked tentatively. "How are you holding up?"

    His sexy smile vanished. He breathed out slowly, obviously trying to master the emotions that must be churning in his stomach. "It's rough," he admitted. "I'm a little embarrassed that I broke down so thoroughly in front of everyone. But it helped. It let me get out a lot of emotions that have been in me since her death."