Caleb P.O.V
"Well?", I prodded, suddenly feeling nervous. If Aidan seems hesitant to talk about it, I highly doubt what he says next will be anything good. He took another deep breath before squeezing my hands in his and looking me dead in the eye.
"He suggested adoption. N-not with a stranger, of course, but with him. He's annoyed that my siblings and I wouldn't be his successor when he retires and, seeing that our children will be related to him by blood, he wants to... make the most of that,", he sighed, removing his hands from mine and using them to tug at his hair.
My breath hitched in my throat at this, hands darting to wrap around my stomach protectively. I scowled at the idea of him coming remotely close to our children, let alone keeping them! While we were both clearly out of the right state of mind, we were also in the middle of a street, so we needed to get back to the dorms before we had any big reactions or conversations.
"Let's get back to the dorms, okay? We can talk about your father's preposterous ideas later, but let's just hang out with our friends and forget about it, yeah?", I suggested, holding a hand out for him to take.
He nodded and stood up, linking our hands and placing a soft kiss on mine before we started walking again. A smirk slithered across his face as he noticed the flaming hot blush that had begun to form on my cheeks, and I heard him stifle a laugh, making me pout and send a glare his way.
"You know, you already have that scary parent glare,", he chuckled, looking down at me. I glared once again, and he lost it at that, laughing loudly. "See! There it is again!"
"Oh, shush you. Don't act like you wouldn't be an overprotective parent,", I teased, rolling my eyes for more effect. Playfully scoffing, he brought a hand to his mouth and widened his eyes.
"How dare you say such a thing. I'll be the most laid-back parent out there,", he boldly claimed, puffing his chest out. I laughed, giving him a look of disbelief as I tugged on his hand to walk faster.
"As if. Have you met Felix? He'd be so laid back as a parent that he'd leave his kids at the supermarket,", I countered his words, earning a thoughtful look and a nod from my ravenette companion. His shoulders were hunched as he feigned defeat. At that same moment, we arrived back at the front door to the dorms.
Smiling happily, I skip up the steps and to the entrance, pulling Aidan along with me before pushing the doors open and walking into the common area. Felix, Jordan, Riley, Roxanne and Jake sat on one couch, by the looks of it competitively playing Mario Kart, whilst the rest of the girls occupied the other couch. The rest of the boys were nowhere to be seen, most likely out somewhere.
"Hey everyone!", I greeted, a bit of a pep in my step after being cheered up by Aidan. They all look towards us, smiles plastered on their faces, and wave before turning back to whatever they were doing. Riley, however, hops out of his seat and bounds over to us.
"Hey,", he chirped, his usually spiked-up crimson hair tied back into a low ponytail. One thing that I noticed, though, was that his roots seemed to be fading. I must've stared for a while because he began waving his hand in front of my face, eyebrows furrowed. "Caleb? What's up, bro?"
"N-nothing!", I squeaked in surprise. "But do you want help re-dying your roots? They're fading a little,", I offered, pointing to my own hair awkwardly. His eyes widened, and he nodded vigorously, smiling in thanks. I returned the gesture, turning to Aidan. "Wanna come with?"
He shook his head, making me look at him confused. Laughing slightly, he ruffles my hair and places a kiss on my forehead. I grin and plant a quick peck on his cheek.
"Have some fun with Riley alone for once. I'm sure you've both missed having some time to hang out alone with me and Jordan hanging around you both so often,", he assured me, making a shooing gesture for us to go on.
"Are you sure?", I ask, glancing between him and Riley. He nods, placing a gentle hand on my back and pushing me to walk. Riley follows suit, and we walk together to the elevator, talking about how he might change his hair up a little, and him trying to persuade me to dye mine.
--
We had just finished putting the dye on Riley's roots, and we were now sitting on his bed, a kid's tv show on in the background, talking about baby stuff.
"Will you have to go on maternity leave after you give birth? I mean, that's the usual situation, but considering the circumstances and all, will it be any different?", he asked, taking a crisp from the bag lying in front of him. I take a sip from my bottle of water, pondering my answer for a minute.
"I think so? I'm pretty sure me and Aidan will get a few weeks off to adjust to everything, but I plan on homeschooling myself over that time. I'll have to talk it over with Mr Collins, but it should work,", I reply, and he nods.
"It's just so crazy! Like, just four months ago, everything was normal, and now we'll have two babies running around the place in just over 6 months' time. Life is crazy, huh?", he rants, leaning back into the cushions and sighing. "My best friend is gonna be stolen away by toddlers,", he pouts.
"You idiot,", I laugh, shaking my head. "I'd never be 'stolen away from you, Ry. We both know you'll end up loving the twins equally as much as me, and you'll always be welcome to come over, both you and Jordan!", I comfort him, placing a hand on his leg since I couldn't reach his arm.
"Yeah, I guess so,", he smiles, shortly followed by the timer on his phone going off. "Hey! Time to wash my roots out! Are you still against dying your hair? Because I have some bleach here,", he suggests, eyes sparkling.
"Do you want to do my hair that badly?", I sigh, getting up from my seat.
"Yes", he bluntly replied, smiling. Giving in, I nod my head slightly and follow him into the bathroom. "Oh my god, seriously?", he gasps.
"Yes, seriously. But wash the dye out of your hair first, and then you can start on mine,", I tell him as I turn the showerhead on and grab it, gesturing for him to put his head over the bath so I can wash the dye out.
He moves quickly, eager to get started on my hair, and I chuckle, washing his hair and running my fingers through it to make sure all the dye is out.
--
I looked in the mirror, gawking as I ran a hand through my freshly dyed hair. Riley had worked his magic, and I now had blond highlights throughout my hair. It looked pretty different from before, considering I had slightly darker brunette hair, and now I was part platinum blond.
"Wow, Ry! You did a really good job at this!", I complimented, still unable to take my eyes off the mirror.
"What can I say? I'm fabulous,", he chuckled, also admiring his handiwork from behind me. He picked his phone up, checking the time, and his eyes widened. "It's super late and we still haven't had dinner. We gotta feed you and those babies before Aidan murders me,". I laugh, rolling my eyes at his dramatics.
"I'm sure he won't,", I play along, placing a hand on my stomach and realising how hungry I was. "But I might. Come on, I'm starving, and I'm hoping I can keep something down for long enough to satisfy these two", I pat the area gently, making him laugh and grab our phones, walking out of the bathroom and opening the door.
"After you, sir", he bowed, holding the door open and waiting for me to exit. Giggling, I stepped out of the room and curtsied to him.
"Why thank you, kind sir. Shall we dine?", I reply, sticking a hand out.
"We shall"