The Side Effect

Reality Check

Another month had come and gone. The bitter chill of October air had made its claim on Swellview barely two weeks ago, and Henry tries to concentrate on that. He tried to focus on how the leaves altered from green to yellow to orange and red before browning then drifting to the earth. He tries to focus on his sister's craze over posting pumpkin spice lattes and selfies in baggy sweaters. He tried focusing on how Charlotte began to gravitate towards his sister and the way they'd both blush as they giggled jointly. He tried concentrating on Jasper's endeavor to make bucket podcasts. He tries to focus on the drawings of a new Mans Nest his boyfriend and Schwoz are working on but stops after seeing a nursery layout. Henry tries to concentrate because he is still himself, even if he may be pregnant and off the crime-fighting for now; Henry was still Kid Danger, and he was still Henry Hart.

But that all came crashing down today as he watched the last red leaves fall to the sidewalk outside the store. He felt like he was going crazy just thinking about the baby inside him, and he had tried his very best to act like the baby wasn't there. Like it wasn't, well, a baby. Like it was just an essay he had to turn in or a job application, but as his eyes followed the reddened leaves as they sway to the cement sidewalk, his eyes level on the sonogram photos sitting in front of him on the counter. Henry's eyes linger on the image for a few rare seconds before he hurries to pick up the prints. It was black and white and gray, and Henry had no understanding of what he was looking at, but that was his baby. That was Ray's baby. Henry felt the weight of the news ultimately collapse into him as he let out a weak sigh before lifting himself off the stool he sat on. His feet scrambled to the elevator, and he couldn't even be frightened to yell as the floor dropped out beneath him and send panic through him as it always had, but instead, he remained focused on keeping the tears at bay.

When the floor halted and his stomach's feeling of free fall came to terms, Henry took a deep breath and urged the tears to stay behind his eyes for just a little longer. Henry didn't give attention to the elevator chimes or the doors opening, but when he saw the lights from the Man Cave spill onto the ground he stood on, Henry fled toward the only thing that could solace him right now. Ray.

Ray nearly fell over by the force of his lover, hurling himself into Ray with all he had. Henry had never felt so fragile to Ray as he swaddles his muscled arms around Henry's trembling structure. "Henry?" Ray pleads softly, avoiding the looks from Charlotte and Schwoz, "ba- Hen? You can talk to me." Henry pushes his face deeper into Ray's neck, and his body jerks with the sobs he is restraining. Charlotte and Schwoz slowly stood from the couch they were sitting on and back away in the elevator to provide the two some area to communicate. Once the doors have sealed, Ray lifts Henry to straddle him on the couch as he comfortingly embraces Henry's quivering body to his own. Ray rubs Henry back and kisses his neck softly before murmuring, "it's okay, they went upstairs. Let it all out, baby boy. I'm right here." The sobs that begin to fill the Cave wreak Ray's heart harshly with the gasps of air and breaking cry from the other's throat. Ray wants to ask what happened to induce Henry this much pain, but he needs to let Henry get it all out first, so Ray holds and loves Henry silently as the other calms himself gradually.

Once Henry is just silently resting himself on top of Ray with his reddened face, Ray gently pulls him up to kiss his lips chastely. "What's gotten my sidekick this upset, bub?" Henry swallows a lump in his throat and hiccups slightly before positioning Ray's hands onto his tiny stomach. "It's our baby," Henry whimpers to themselves as tears urge to spill over again. Ray's face beams with familiarity, and they sigh, "Oh, Hen, " is all Ray can get out before he suffocates over the emotions clogging his mind. Henry grins dazzlingly before tossing his head back with a mixture of a laugh and a sob, "our baby!" he shouts. Ray tugs Henry back down for another quick kiss before chuckling with his sidekick, "our baby." Henry nudges himself back onto Ray and smiles to himself as their hands ease on top of his stomach. Ray chuckles slightly and sighs in relief, "a whole month, it took, for you to get a hold on this....me too, hen. Me too," Ray laughs. Henry hums fondly before the fatigue from his emotional breakdown traps him, and he slumps into dreamland in Ray's lap as the other gently calms him.

Charlotte is the first to come back down and discover the two men slumbering on the couch with soft sighs coming from one of them. Charlotte smiles and shakes her head as she strolls across the room and takes a seat in front of the screens to glimpse through former articles and make any updates that may be required. It was silent while just the three were in the Man Cave and Charlotte yearned to take advantage of this oddity. After about thirty minutes with two files reworked, Schwoz returned down the elevator with fast food. "I am back!" schwoz announced loudly as he trudged out of the elevator and carried the food above his head. Charlotte sends him with a brisk hey as she saves the files, and Ray sits up on the couch groaning. "Why is Henry asleep?" Schwoz asks, setting the food onto the tabletop. Ray sighs and shakes his head as he strokes Henry's back in an attempt to rouse his lover gently, "He's just had a hard few days, Schwoz."

"Anything to do with the baby?" Charlotte asks as she joins them at the table. Ray looks up at the other two and then down at Henry's resting face, "It's just... He's known about the baby, sure, but he's only just starting to comprehend what the baby means for him. For us. It's intense." Charlotte frowns and nods as she starts taking food out of the greasy bags in front of them. "I'd imagine so," she says. Schwoz nods in agreeance and sets the drinks down on the table as he utters something about some type of physiological trauma from the news's shock. Ray snickers at the two in front of him before he goes back so gently, jostling his boyfriend awake. "Time to wake up, Hen," Ray mumbles to the drowsy sidekick as Henry's eyes flutter open and grimace at the light altering his vision. Ray lifts his hand to barricade the light from intruding Henry's sight and chuckles at him. "Schwoz got some food," Charlotte announced as Henry slid himself off Ray's lap to be perched next to him with his head hung on his shoulder, "you feeling up to some food?" Henry nods and sighs before yawning as he stretches himself awake next to the superhero. "Yeah, what time is it?" Henry inquires, shifting to pick up Ray's phone from in front of them to check, "4:13."

Henry sets the phone back on the table and leans back into the couch as they all dispense the food among themselves, Ray setting Henry's in front of the tired man for him. "Thanks, love," Henry says to Ray as Charlotte takes her seat next to Schwoz, and they begin to eat their food. Ray hums in acknowledgment and fixes a kiss on Henry's temple before placing a fry in his mouth, "no problem, Hen." Charlotte smirks at the two and shakes her head, "how was your power nap, guys?" she teases. Henry fictitiously laughs and rolls his eyes while taking a bite, and Ray smiles. "A well-deserved nap if we do say so ourselves." Ray states. Charlotte laughs fondly at Ray's response, a very hard-to-come-by occurrence in the Man Cave. It was quiet for a moment, not awkwardly or tense, just natural silence as they all ate the food before Schwoz took his chances. "So Henry, " Schwoz began, "how's the idea of the baby feeling now?" It's quiet again, but the awkward kind makes you want to drown yourself in a school toilet during an English project with random peers you don't know this time.

Ray sits up straight after a moment and coughs awkwardly, "Why would you ask that, Schwoz?" Ray asks, hushed. Henry puts his hand up as Schwoz gets ready to defend his actions. "It's okay, Ray," Henry says softly, "I am finally, after a month-long debate with myself and trying to deny it, okay with the idea of this baby." it quiet for another moment. Charlotte sighs, "I thought you said you were okay with it a month ago... Ray didn't tell you you couldn't have an abor-" Henry storms off the couch and shakes his head, "DON'T SAY THAT WORD! I'M NOT DOING THAT!" Charlotte's eyes are vast, and she frowns at her friend, "that's not what I was trying to say, Henry." Henry sighs and crosses his arms as he plops himself back down next to his Boyfriend. "I know," Henry mutters before apologizing again. It's that awkward silence again as they all stare at the ground. Henry also shifts and sighs, "I'm sorry, guys," Henry whimpers as he wipes his eyes, "I don't why I keep getting so upset!" Ray chuckles and draws Henry into a hug as the others laugh, "probably the, and I'm going to put it as you put it two weeks ago when Schwoz cautioned you about them, 'stupid pregnant people hormones.'" Henry snorts and shakes his head before sticking his tongue out at the others. "I'm still hungry, stop looking at me and eat, or I won't be able to eat!" Henry giggles before they continue to eat their meals.

A/N: to sorry for any grammar errors I may have left in, I'll try to fix them when I see them, but this is chapter three. The next chapter will be out sometime in the next two weeks. If you have an idea or ship you want to be written in, please just comment or message me, and I'll let you know if I like it. Thank you for reading!☺️