A Pyrrhic Victory

"No more looking at me like you want to eat me."

"But I do." He said lowly, eyes fixed on mine. I gulped, then hastily slurped my coffee, to avoid saying something I would regret.

"We can be friends, or we can be nothing, Louis." I finally said, eyes downcast. I looked up, and he was still staring at me, tongue pushed into the side of his cheek as he considered.

"Friends, then." He decided, sticking out his hand. I shook it, tentatively, and he pulled me into a hug. His arms were strong around me, and I didn't put up much of a fight, leaning my head against his collarbone wearily. "But I'm still keeping that video."

"You're an asshole." I mumbled against his coat. He laughed and let me go, fingers skating down my arms as I pulled away. I missed the warmth of him immediately, and frowned at myself. We went inside, then, and I tried to ignore the wistful look in his eyes. I had no doubt I looked the same.

When we finally left the cabin two days later, I breathed a quiet sigh of relief. The tension was still there, and it was even harder to ignore Louis when all I had to do was look at him to remember his hands tangled in my hair, his lips pressed hard against mine. Andy, for his part, seemed intent to get me pregnant, now that I'd given the okay, and I had walked around with cum running down my legs almost constantly. It was a relief, though a bittersweet one. I finally got what I wanted, at a cost I wasn't sure I could afford. I wondered what Louis would think about it.

The car ride home was quiet, and Louis respectfully kept his distance from me, save for a few side eye glances, and a few brushes of his hand against mine when Andy wasn't looking. We dropped him off at his place, and made our way home. I told myself that I didn't miss him, but it only took me a few days before I managed to believe it.

Three weeks had passed before I was almost positive. The constant nausea, the mood swings, and the fatigue were a good indicator, but when I missed my period, I decided to buy a test. I sat in silence as I looked at the result. I was pregnant. I showed the test to Andy when he got home, and he spun me around, pressing me to his chest with an excitement that took me aback. I closed my eyes, remembering the way Louis pumped into me, clutching me in much the same way.

We didn't see Louis again for a few months, and I found myself flicking through our old text messages periodically, fingers hovering over the keyboard. It was better to let him gradually ease out of our life. There were bigger things we had to concern ourselves with, and I resolutely ignored the disappointment in my stomach.

That was why, when I pulled the door open late one afternoon, and saw him standing there, I couldn't decide whether to smile or grimace. His eyes traveled down, snapping immediately to the slight swell of my stomach, the protective hand I laid over it. His jaw worked, silently, for long moments, until he found his bearings and stammered out a congratulations. His gaze burned into me, and my heart raced. Andy had gone outside to take a very ill-timed call, and I squirmed uncomfortably as Louis continued to stare.

"You look beautiful." He finally said. His voice was rough-edged. "... Is it...?"

"I don't know." I snapped, nerves frayed. There was longing in his face, and I wasn't sure where to look. Andy came back in, then, beaming at the sight of me.

"Hey, Louis, good to see you man, thanks for dropping by!"

"Good to see you, too. And congratulations."

Andy didn't seem to notice the rasp in Louis's voice, and grinned even wider, looking comically happy.

"I, actually, well, we actually wanted to ask you something. Did Jess tell you? We, uh, well, we want you to be the godfather."

Andy wanted him to be the godfather, I mentally corrected. I couldn't find a good reason to say no, and I had been silently hoping someone better would come forward. Louis was silent for long seconds while Andy fidgeted nervously.

"I would love to." He finally said.

"Awesome! I guess you're going to be around a lot more." Andy said.

"Yea," Louis glanced over at me, a predatory grin slowly stretching his face. "I guess I will."