Chapter Four
Madeline
Soon enough, it was obvious I was pregnant, and the stream of unwanted advice began. From cashiers at the grocery store telling me I shouldn't have any coffee, not even considering that perhaps the coffee was for my baby's father, to women stating that I needed to watch my diet when I enjoyed my one weekly can of tuna or ice cream cone. The worst thing was the amount of people who thought it was fine to touch my belly without asking.
Coming home to find Carlos sitting at the table, I tossed down the groceries. "Please buy your own coffee from now on, because if you don't I'm going to punch a cashier."
"Ivan's painting the nursery right now, and I've been banished for my lack of artistic details. Dinner is in the oven." He replied, ignoring my complaint.
I poured a cup of apple juice and sucked it down. "Physically, I'm not finding pregnancy so bad. However, mentally, There are a lot more people I want to punch."
My cell phone rang, and I went over and swooped it up, answering the call without bothering to check the ID. "Hello?"
"Hey Madeline."
I froze, and Carlos looked at me. I took a deep breath before responding. "Hello, Gilbert."
"How are you doing?"
"I'm fine. A little busy right now, though."
"Oh. Call me back sometime?"
"Sure. Bye."
"Bye."
Ending the call, I walked past Carlos, up to the room I was sleeping in. Carlos had taken the den and turned it into my bedroom, and now I stormed in, slamming the door shut as I felt tears forming in my eyes.
I crawled into my bed, pulling a pillow up to my chest and sobbing. Why was this bothering me now? He hadn't even said anything upsetting. He might have just wanted to check up on me. I had told him that we could be friends again after a few months.
I heard Ivan go downstairs, and then a car leaving. He was done for the night, heading home to Alfred. I tried not to cry more. He had Alfred to cuddle up to. Carlos and I were only in this house together because of our shared loved for our unborn child.
Carlos opened up the door. "Hey, the chicken is done."
"It's okay. I'm not very hungry."
Carlos came over, sitting down and setting a hand on my shoulder. "Did he say anything to make you upset?"
"No."
"Did you tell him never to call you again when you broke up?"
"No! I just..." More tears came to my eyes, and I pulled the pillow to my face, sobbing.
Carlos sighed. "You still miss him?"
"I'm sorry, Carlos." I managed to get out. "I didn't think I was missing him until..." I buried my face back into my pillow, crying. He laid a hand on my back, rubbing small circles as though trying to soothe a child. I suddenly wished he would wrap his arms around me, and hold me close, as he had when I first told him I was pregnant. I rolled over and pulled him into a hug. He carefully crawled into the bed with me, being a perfect gentleman as he tried to stop my tears.
"I love you, Carlos." I choked out past the tears. "I love you so much."
He blinked in surprise for a moment, and then carefully tilted my head up, his eyes asking a simple question.
I brought my lips crashing down onto his, and he responded, wrapping his arms around me in the embrace of a lover. My arms wrapped around him, my dearest Cuban knight.
As my crying ceased, I began to be aware of other feelings bubbling to the surface. The kisses grew deeper, and I was enjoying it.
Suddenly Carlos pulled away, dashing out of the room. I was left there, startled and suddenly alone, or alone as I could be. I set a hand on my stomach, and felt the baby move.
"What's your father up to, little one?" I asked in silence.

Carlos
I splashed my face with water, desperately trying to remove the thoughts from my head. I prayed Maddie didn't follow me. The tent in my pants made it pretty clear what I'd been thinking.
Damn it, Carlos, she's upset and you start thinking about sex. Good thing neither of us was drunk this time. It could have been bad.
"Carlos?"
I stood straight up. "Don't come in!" I yelped, reaching for anything to hide my erection.
She opened the door anyhow, and I quickly turned around, trying to hide my body from her. "Please, Maddie, get out."
"I'm not angry, Carlos."
I felt my temper suddenly rise. "Out!"
She backed up and left, leaving me panting in both anger and adrenaline.

I went downstairs to find Maddie digging into the chicken, hungry. I said nothing as I grabbed my own plate, sitting down across the table from her.
Silence reigned as we ate, and then Madeline spoke.
"Carlos, I'm sorry I walked in."
"Apology accepted." I replied gruffly, shrugging it off as I cleared my dishes.
She looked at me, and said something that frightened me terribly. "Could we maybe share the bed in your room tonight?"
I froze, and then shook my head. "No."
Maddie stood up. "Carlos, if you don't think you can control your body, I'm not worried. I know you won't hurt me."
I looked at her, angry again. "What am I to you right now? A rebound?! He calls you up, you're crying, and now suddenly you want to sleep together?!"
Maddie put her hands on her hips, also angry. "Okay, Carlos, excuse me. I have developed affections for the man I'm going to have a child with, but surely it's just because I'm on a rebound! As a matter of fact, I probably threw myself at him as a rebound."
We stared at each other in silence. Maddie knew how to hit soft spots, but when she was angry, she always did. She'd regret it later. I set down my dishes and shoved past her, headed out to the car. "I'll be back later."

Esperanza was surprised to see me at the bar. Hadn't been there in a few months, since I settled my tab after Maddie told me she was pregnant. But she knew my order, and the rum was in front of me the moment I sat down.
"It's been a while, Carlos. What have you been up too?"
"Oh, work and such."
Esperanza crossed her arms. "Yeah, but shit like that doesn't keep you away as long as you have. Girlfriend? She make you promise not to drink?"
"Don't you have better things to do than bother me about my social life?"
She was about to reply when a brawl began further down the counter. She hurried over, trying to break it up.
I saw silver hair before I saw the blue jacket. The second person was a blond haired man with green eyes, and a much bigger man was trying to break it up. Esperanza got in there and grabbed the silver haired man by the scruff of his shirt. "Had enough to drink yet, Gilbert?"
The blond wiped at his nose. "Drunk bastard."
The larger man sighed. "I'll take him home."
I dropped my head down as Gilbert and Ludwig Beilschmidt walked past. Gil was muttering something under his breath about some damn piano playing bastard.
Esperanza returned to find a five on the counter, the rum only half drunk, and sighed. She'd never understand it.

Madeline
I was at Al's house. Not where I expected to be, but here I was.
Knocking on the door, Ivan opened, surprised. "Madlin, what are you doing here?"
"Carlos and I got into a fight. Can I stay here for a few hours?"
He nodded and let me in.
Al was sitting on the couch, but when I came in, he stood up, startled. "Maddie, is everything okay?"
I nodded, realizing that my face was still red from crying in the car. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just needed to get out of the house for an hour or two."
I sat down on the far edge of the couch, Ivan cuddling back up to Al. They were watching a documentary of some sort, but I ignored it, trying to address the thoughts in my brain.
I honestly had wanted to have sex with Carlos tonight, but what if he was right? Had it only been that urge to fill the hole inside me? I'd been trying for months to develop affections for him with little progress. What had suddenly made me so eager?
When the show ended, Ivan suddenly changed the channel. "Why'd you do that?" Al asked.
Ivan chuckled. "Because Maddie and I have hockey to watch. What team do you bet on, Maddie?"
I looked to see the teams. I instantly realized what night it was. Canada VS Russia. "Canada is going to beat your asses back to Siberia." I replied, grinning.
"Five dollars that Russia annexes Canada."
"You're on, Ruskie."
Al stood up and walked off, sighing as Ivan and I began to cheer on our respective teams. He returned later on with some popcorn, quickly stolen from him by us.
In the end, Ivan handed me a fiver, and I hugged him and my brother goodbye. "Thanks."
Al smiled. "Don't worry. We're always here."

Back at the house, the lights were on again. Carlos had to be back. I locked up my car and headed in.
I was almost at my room when Carlos spoke from down the hall. "You're back, Maddie?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. I'm sorry for earlier."
"So am I."
I went into my room to find something wrapped up on my bed, and carefully I opened it.
A small necklace fell out, and I saw that it was a key for a very old music box. Taking the chain into my hand, I walked down to Carlos's room.
I knocked, and then went in. "So, a key?"
He nodded, and handed me a small box. I turned the key, and then listened.
An old melody rose up, one I recognized. It was a Scottish tune that my dad had hummed numerous times whenever Al and I were sick, or when he was sad. "Loch Lomond?"
He nodded again. "I found it at an antique shop a few months ago. I was saving it for Christmas, but I hope you don't mind getting it now."
I shook my head, leaning over and hugging him. He hugged me back, and then spoke. "If you want to share the bed with me tonight, that's fine."
We fell asleep in each other's embrace, made slightly awkward by my belly, but I didn't care. He was asleep before I was, and I looked at him carefully.
Black hair in dreadlocks, pulled back carefully, stubble and beard across his jaw. Dark tan skin that was so beautiful in the light, but even more so at night.
He had always been at my side, he had never abandoned me, he had kept his affections for me a secret, hoping I would make the first move, and only confessing when I found out I was pregnant.
My eyes slowly closing, I felt the affection and love I held for him in my heart changing. It would still take some time, but I knew that my love for Carlos would soon be openly expressed in my actions.

Notes
Madlin is a Russian form of Madeline.