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It's November until they are able to see each other again and the wait secretly has been killing Andrew from the inside since the damn thing started.
He and Steven were meant to go into quarantine together, but the Californian government had been an asshole to the highest degree and had put the stay at home orders in March 2 days before he would be able to pack his stuff and haul it to Steven's apartment.
Of course, when it happened, he cursed every deity he could think off on the planet, but resigned himself to both filming (they still had to do Worth It after all), fraternizing (he still had friends who were coworkers he could talk to perfectly well over Facetime with like Adam, for an example) and of course, fucking (which was the only enjoyable thing he or Steven could do over the phone other than eating their weight in local fare or sleeping), given that the whole world or at least, the whole state, seemed to have slowed to a crawl and shut down.
It had been a trying few months since the start of the year. First, Steven had left Buzzfeed and gone on to create Watcher with the Ghoul Boys, that venture taking up a large chunk of time in which Andrew didn't see him very much and then, just as soon as they'd got their time back and started rekindling their love life, a pandemic happened.
Granted, there had been a few times that he'd wanted to break the stay at home order, given that Steven during those months had gotten really sick (he swore it was just the flu, but he still took the 3 dozen COVID tests Andrew forced him to get over the phone), but finally was better around June, even though he complained about a sore back here and there.
("That's because you are carrying around the weight of Ryan and Shane's PDA sessions in your office, Lim." "Fuck off Andrew, you try breaking them up without destroying a camera or a laptop and see how you feel!")
Ah, yes. 2020 truly was the year that no one wanted. Thank god it was November, only a few more weeks and they could get really drunk and somehow ring in the new year together with nothing stopping them.
Of course, despite his earlier monologue, he wasn't just here for Steven and Steven alone.
Steven, at the moment, was about to film a new series for their company between the holiday specials for Shane and Ryan's shows to air next year and honestly, Andrew was on board with anything that could get him closer to Steven, considering he was seriously resisting the urge to just tear into that office and pry him from Shane and Ryan's clutches to keep all to himself (but can you blame him? He's been with the guy for like 3 years, he's allowed to be somewhat possessive over him) over the holiday season anyway.
So, here he stands at Steven's front door. He's stood her a few times, but that was mostly to drop food off and then scamper back off into his car to avoid getting in trouble for being outside without a valid reason (even if filming a viral [ha, viral] youtube series was technically a valid reason, he guessed) and go back to his own apartment to film with him and Adam.
He's also entered this door several times before as well. Some drunk, only to make it as far as the couch in the early stages, other times, he's gone upstairs and not come back down for several days. He hopes that today will be one of those said times.
However, when Steven answers the door, his smile bright and his lips against his, briefly before he leads him into the small place with a hand that has sparks flying through him instantly, he takes a moment to look over his boyfriend, eyebrows raised.
Steven's gained weight.
The smallish swell of his stomach under his button-up isn't that pronounced, just looked like a bit of a beer gut. Hell, Steven practically had a right to a beer gut.
He was usually the thin and trim type of guy since returning from New York a year or so ago and he most likely couldn't get to the gym or office so all that food Andrew watched him eat while in talks of Worth It episodes and the aneurysm Steven was getting form his work wives must just have caught up to him in the last few weeks.
It was cute, so cute in fact, that Steven chuckled when he wrapped his arms around from behind him while he's trying to film in his tiny kitchen, both their hands joining at his apron pocket. "Hey, I'm cooking you a nice meal here and also, social distancing. Hands off."
"But I missed you...seems someone couldn't keep their six-pack over hibernation."
"Oh, shush." Steven grinned, smacking his cheek gently. "Just quarantine weight is all, you have seen the state of the...well, state, right? Let me have my moment of being the laziest slob ever. The public shall know, with some editing, that Steven Lim is the greatest and laziest man ever. My gut shall crush other guts in its wake. Just you wait."
That made Andrew laugh and he just kissed his cheek before Steven finally chased him off with a dishtowel to go and sit outside, their friends Tony and Brittany behind the camera warming the equipment back up to film the last part of the episode, Steven grinning.
All in all, despite having been separated for so long, Steven and somehow, himself, seemed to be in high spirits and his personal challenge to him was taken as such. A challenge.
Honestly, when Steven presented those s'more oysters to him, he couldn't have been more surprised that they were actually edible. Much less by Steven whom after the film cut, basically kerfed them from his table without so much as blinking, him, Tony and Brittany looking on (him in mild confusion, the other two in nonchalance) as he scarfed them down.
("He's been doing that with all the food lately. Even the really bad experiments." Tony would comment to him as they were packing up to leave, shaking his head in humour. "Said it makes him a better cook or something.")
The thought of how fucking werid that is however, soon wipes away. Not just because it's Steven (for Christ's sake, Steven was just...unexplainable, seriously), but given their later activities where Andrew pretty much moved his stuff in (well, what he could fit in his car for the time being, he might have lied a little at the whole 'not breaking the staying home thing', wherever Steven is, is home to him) and is pounding Steven into the mattress, legs spread, for most of the night, the idea that there's something wrong with his partner evaporates.
It's only at the rather socially distanced Watcher New Year's Eve party about 3 weeks later wherein that it reaches from the back of his mind and suddenly is in blaring lights almost like a Broadway play.
Because something about Steven isn't right tonight and he's well aware of that.
It starts with Steven's back and feet being on fire, so much so, he can barely get off the couch in the days leading up to the party itself, even to film with Ryan and Shane (who take one look at Andrew hovering protectively behind Elf Steven in a reindeer onesie and red nose before promptly bursting out in laughter, the embarrassment overruled by the drunken rendition of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer still haunting him) before the year was out.
Andrew had asked (pleaded with) him multiple times if he really wanted to go, because everyone would understand that he needed time off (properly), but Steven insisted.
Now he's thinking he should have pushed harder, given as the night wears on, Steven's not looking so hot. He's pale and sweaty and he's also not really moving around as much as he normally would at an event, even one as small as this.
He's also not drinking alcohol either (well that's a lie, he's had at least 3 glasses of champagne, but he also vomited into a bush, so he thought it would be wise to cool his jets for a couple hours), so that also puts Andrew on edge.
(Not that it isn't a good thing, it's just not like Steven. Not /his/ Steven anyway.)
It all culminates when two things happen simultaneously to one another.
Firstly, Shane (evidently trying to steal the thunder of his own company being a ratings success) gets down on one knee and proposes to Ryan (Andrew honestly almost laughs when nearly everyone around him makes an accurate series of surprised Pikachu face memes worthy of posting to the internet) and the whole party explodes into early confetti, streamers and congratulations all around.
Secondly, only one second later, Steven is missing and that changes everything.
Looking around, Steven's newly dyed grey hair is nowhere in sight and his brow creases in worry and silently, he leaves everyone to their celebrations of the newly engaged to go and find his lover, who is leaning against a wall with both hands clutching at nothing, his body folded over in what seemed to be extreme pain.
"Shit." Andrew quickly grabs his arms and Steven grasps onto him, legs shaking. "I told you we shouldn't have come, I knew you weren't well. Are you okay? Be honest this time."
"Yes...no." Steven's shivering, but his temp is sky high. "I...my back hurts. I can't keep standing. I tried to just ignore it, but it's getting worse-"
"No loss of smell? Or taste? Stuffy nose?" Andrew rattles off surprisingly clinical and Steven shakes his head to all three. So, thankfully not looking like COVID. Yet.
He's about to ask more questions when suddenly Steven's whole body shudders like he just touched an electric fence and his dark suit trousers suddenly become stained, like he just pissed himself, only he wasn't drunk enough for that (seeing his pale face made that clear).
His brain only comes back online after Steven (god, Steven, what had he done to himself?) cries out, his arms wrapping around his stomach as he loses his footing and almost sinks to the ground if it weren't for Andrew holding him up, almost stumbling as well.
They need to go to hospital, right now. He doesn't care they could catch COVID, he kinda cares that Steven may have it and just spread it around the party, but the one thing that is very clear in his mind right now is that Steven is hurt or hurting, really and needs help. Now.
It's surprisingly easy to bundle Steven up and shove him into the car, a bunch of hurried excuses and extended congratulations texted to Ryan before they're taking off down the highway at a speed possibly not all that legal for the time of night.
Andrew almost crashes them into several cars due to Steven's twisting (and groaning) in the passenger seat worrying him to no end, but they make it to Cedars Sinai in record time.
The emergency room takes one look at the pair of them (Andrew's wide eyes and Steven's body hanging off of him stumbling and tear-stained) and somehow decides fo once this is not just a random case of a friend drunkenly hurting themselves on New Year's or a stranger coming home from some part and picking up some injured pedestrian on the sidewalk.
Thankfully, they decide something is really wrong with Steven and they take him in, not many questions asked. They draw blood and give him something for the pain, (but it doesn't really help as it's a low dose) before they return a couple of hours later baffled and worried.
It's only mere moments after they do so when an ultrasound tech enters their room hurriedly, their machine towed alongside them as Steven's stomach is presented to the world and in dramatic fashion, finally reveals its secret to both men as no sooner is the probe gelled up and hovering over Steven's belly button, a familiar form takes shape that not even Andrew or his bewildered partner on the bed beside him can mistake.
A baby and not just that, a very fully grown, very ready to come out /now/ baby.
It takes them a moment to register what the other is seeing, but it turns into full-blown panic mode as the ultrasound is suddenly hauled away and the bed's moving and- holy fuck.
Steven's hyperventilating and Andrew feels like he's two seconds away from doing the same, but somehow manages to calm himself to the point of just gripping Steven's hands and trying to calm him as they end up in a room like a thousand floors above where they started and the doctor swiftly comes in to check Steven's...uh…"progress", only to find this kid's not waiting around for any doctors or medical professional of any kind, for as soon as they manage pry Steven's legs open, there's already a head starting to emerge from his body. A big one.
There's a flurry of unscheduled activity around them, but as the storm goes on, Andrew never lets go of Steven's hand, despite the feeling of sick creeping up on him at the realization that he and Steven were not only going to be parents (which is already wild enough to boggle the imagination), but going to be parents in under half a fucking hour if this kid has it's say.
Steven, for his part, is completely rattled. How could he have /not/ noticed a whole ass baby? It's just not possible! Yet, here he was, on New Year's Eve, his equally panicked boyfriend beside him, pushing out said baby he'd never known was there the entire time and it /hurt/.
Trying to regain some breath into his body, Steven gasped for air as the pain in his back (now identified as contractions) intensified while he struggled to push, someone, a foreign voice that didn't belong to Andrew counting in his ear as he tried to make sense of just what was happening right now and not able to, brain too jumbled to think straight.
It takes several pushes before the baby's head even comes out and by the time the rest of it falls out of him, it's with a loud scream as the clock strikes 12, fireworks going off outside as this baby no one knew about ends up on Steven's shirt with his and Andrew's hands wrapped around them automatically somehow, eyes filled with shock and wonder as officially at 12:01 am on New Year's Day, a tiny baby that was never meant to be yet and somehow was, is wailing their arms, not happy in the slightest at having been evicted from it's home.
It looks, sorry, /he/ looks, like a perfectly ordinary 40-week infant to all the doctors that look over them in the next coming hours. He isn't small, being as overdue as he became from being hidden away so cosy inside Steven (they estimate he's been pregnant though the whole fucking year and then some), but with ten fingers and ten toes and everything in perfect working order, his weight of 9 pounds 11 ounces is disregarded a little.
In the next day or two that they'll be at the hospital (because let's face it, how the hell was this going to fly with their friends and family? They needed time to plan this bombshell and apologise, somehow, to Ryan and Shane) they'll do all the usual screening tests that an infant of such newness requires, but at a glance, this is a baby like any other.
His lungs are loud and healthy; his dark hair may turn blonde (but they don't expect it to) and his features certainly resemble that of his parents, his dark eyes adding more to that reference point than expected, somehow already not blue and almost black once he decides to look at them for the first time in his short little life, well, almost.
Before long and under the cover of secrecy and breaking of COVID rules (well, just more breaking anyway in general) Haruun Edward David Lim-Ilnyckyj ('Why does he need two middle names anyway?" "Because after the shit I put him through for the 9 months he's been in my body for somehow, he deserves it. Period.") heads home in the back seat of a car, tended by two men who somehow, someway, walked into one life, then another they didn't expect, only to come out in another life again, this time new and exciting despite everything.
Almost no one knows about him yet and that's a good thing. As addressed earlier, it's going to take a minute for Steven to heal up and both of them more of a minute to find the words to say as they get used to this little being that's entered their lives. How do you explain such a thing? A sudden illness? A hidden pregnancy? It's a lot to think about.
Plus, in their future right now lies a lot that they have to tackle. Two very surprised sets of grandparents and siblings, the shock wearing off to make way for playfighting over holidays and visitations and chaos that both will have to schedule in the future.
There will be other things as well, like disbelieving friends, resentful family (only for a little while) and only 2 slightly indignant newly engaged co-founders and a bewildered cameraman of a best friend to both, all three of whom melt as soon as Haruun is placed in their arms.
There will be questions, so many questions, and given what they know and what they went through, they'll try to answer them truthfully, but in the end, it's better not to explain, as, in the world, there are just some things that need no explanation.
That the world right now is as weird as it is wonderful, no matter what happened before. They can deal with it, as finally since this year started, they are what they wanted to be in the first place since this whole thing started. Together.