Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 1: A Team. “Alright, we’ve got a few things lined up for you. Chanty is asking for a track--you remember her from that mixer a few weeks before, right? She’s good, she has a good and stable vocal range, and she’s willing to accept anything that you give her. She respects your work, an avid fan for years. And she’d be a good boost into the pop circuit--there are certain people who still think that you make music that isn’t meant for the charts.” His manager since he had signed onto the entertainment company so many years ago, tapped on his ever present clipboard, not quite looking up at him.“And there’s Vogue, they want to do a shoot with you about one of their collections. I think it suits your style, lots of monochrome looks. That’s less intensive, more of a you go and pose in front of the camera for a few solid hours, and then they’ll edit the shit out of you and you can grace their cover. Or even--”Gael groaned, tossing his head
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 2: One lie. Two lies. Another. . God fucking damn it. Track seven was going to make him blow his goddamn fucking brains out. He had no idea what the fuck he wanted to do for the melody, had no idea what instruments to start with--he was just facing a blank production track, not a single chord placed on it.It wasn’t like Gael was completely hopeless, no. He had gotten quick a bit of traction with the Chanty collaboration--in fact, that track was close to completion. It was just this stupid track seven that he was unable to gain any headway on. His other co-producers and assistants suggested that he drop the track, that the album would be fine for release without it, but Gael was adamant. He needed that stupid track to be released, he just needed some time. Currently, “some time” was looking like quite a lot: aside from spinning around in his chair for the past thirty minutes, track seven was looking quite empty and untouched. G
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 3: Not a charity case . If there was one thing that Gael didn’t stand for, it was when people in power abused their dynamic. There was no reason for half of these rich people to act so high and mighty--and sure, okay, fine. Maybe the kid’s super adorable eyes were a part of the reason he stepped in. Maybe because he was so fixated on that, he didn’t notice how the kid’s mother’s eyes rounded in recognition, then fear. A small hand tugged at his sweats, and little Hudson Miller extended his hands upward to him. Gael blinked, before realizing that the little kid wanted to be carried by him. Interesting. Kids were usually really scared of him, so it was nice to see one that was undeterred by his scary man-in-black demeanor. He bent down and hoisted Hudson onto his hip, holding the little one close. “You came! Dada’s here now.” Hudson announced gleefully, patting his cheek. Well, fucking goddamn hell. This little rat child was abso
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 4: hide no more . “Where’s Dada, Momma? I thought you said that we could talk later? I wanna ask him about everything!” Hudson chattered, swinging their joined hands together. It was the happiest she had seen her son in a while--the little boy was filled with her usual youthful excitement. Arabella sighed, wondering what she did to get into such a mess of things. She couldn’t help but shoot a wary look over her shoulder before tugging her little one to a stop, kneeling down to face him. “Let’s have a little talk, okay?” Arabella murmured gently, not quite wanting to scare her son, but knowing damn well that there was a discussion to be had. Maybe the way home wasn’t exactly the best decision, but Arabella knew that her curious boy would continue asking until he had the opportunity to get the answer or someone gave it to him. “First things first, Hudson, we talked about this this morning. You cannot use your hands to solve an iss
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 5: non-existent family. [FROM Louis Avian MANAGER: Gael i swear to god i’m going to fucking sue you for stress, i’m about to drop dead with all this goddamn STRESS you’re giving me. I’m going to die from heart related issues, and then i’m going to put the blame on you, and you only, and then take the workman’s comp for my non-existent family, and rob you of your millions. And then i’m going to make sure the next manager you get is the most insufferable bastard you’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting. I’m going to make sure he’s loud, chews loudly and doesn’t leave you alone. And also i hope he thinks that rap is just speaking fast. This would be prevented if you could just OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!][UNKNOWN NUMBER:Mr Laurent? Please help.]THIS CONTACT IS NOT IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK.BLOCK?oOoGael blinked at the unknown number--sure, there were always spam calls and those people that trolled the system and ran numbers to get to his,
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 6: Dada to Daddy. “Who the hell is that?”“That’s Arabella.” Gael rushed to say, glaring back at the woman herself, who had raised her head to glare balefully at Gael. “Your wife?! YOU’RE WITH YOUR wife?!” Louis shrieked.“No!” Arabella stood up, grabbing the phone, and spoke very fast into the receiver. “No. Look. I’m Bella. My son got into trouble today. The school called Gael because my son had written his name down as his emergency contact. Gael, being a major fucking asshole,”“Major fucking superhero,” Gael grumbled, before withering under Arabella’s burning gaze at being interrupted.“Decided to come around and pose like Hudson’s dad. And then, when we went out of the office to talk about what just happened, the paparazzi snapped pictures of us. And now, I’m being mobbed, and my son is scared. So FIX IT, MANAGER SIR. Er.. sorry. I’m usually not that tense. It’s been a long day.” Arabella looked a bit remorseful at shouting at
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 7: a little slip . “Your momma will still be with you, you’ll still go to the same school.” Hudson pondered that wording a bit more carefully. “And I’ll get to see Daddy!”Gael laughed, wrapping his arms around the little boy, tucking the little frame to his chest. “Absolutely, little tiger.” Hudson shook his head. “Bear! Tae’s a bear.” Gael pinched the end of the little one’s nose lightly, not enough to hurt. “Mmm, maybe you’re your momma’s bear. But you can be my little tiger. You even look like a tiger.”Hudson seemed pleased with that explanation. “Rowr.” He growled, a small squeaky imitation of a tiger. Gael couldn’t resist grinning, planting a kiss on his curly hair. “There you go, my tiger cub.” The two delved into growling at each other, practicing their roars, before pausing as Arabella came to stand in front of him. The sight of her son growling at her pulled a weak smile to the woman’s face, before she set her phone do
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 8: congrats, Laurent family . “Okay, Mr Laurent. We’ll move in with you. Can you please, please, make sure my two conditions are acknowledged? I promise we’ll be good houseguests, the second this entire thing dies down we’ll leave you alone and let you be. But I’m unwilling to part with any of my conditions. I can’t.” Arabella tentatively broached the subject, and Gael could see how tired the woman got just by talking about their situation. “Okay.” Gael acquiesced. “Okay. We’ll figure out a way around it. I’ll accept the two conditions.”[to Louis Avian MANAGER: Louis. We have an answer.Arabella is willing to pose as my spouse, but she has two conditions.She’s using another name, and she’s not doing any publicity with me.She doesn’t want her face to be seen.][from Louis Avian MANAGER: That’s not looking good at all.][from Louis Avian MANAGER: It won’t look believable.][to Louis Avian MANAGER: I know, but I don’t know what
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 60: one honeymoon later . Gael walks back up to their room with a tray holding two glasses of orange juice, coffee, and as many danishes as he felt comfortable stealing away from the hotel’s continental breakfast. He could have just stayed in bed and ordered up room service, it’s not like they can’t afford it, but Gael had woken up this morning and looked at Arabella’s face on the pillow next to him, peaceful and deeply asleep, and felt like he might burst. It filled him with too much energy to stay in bed, but he couldn't wake her either, not when she looked sweet as honeycomb dripping in sunlight.So Gael had left the quiet stillness of their honeymoon suite in search of sustenance for both of them. It occurred to him on the way back that he might be following some unconscious, primal instinct, fulfilling a caveman desire in the back of his brain to provide for his wife or something like that. It didn’t make much sense, because G
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 59: bigger version of them both . Gael followed orders to change into a pair of scrubs so he would be able to join them in the delivery room. He was attentive to Arabella whenever she called out for him. He gave her a message and got her a glass of water whenever she needed it. His nerves were there, lingering underneath the surface as he watched Arabella scream through a few painful contractions. He couldn’t imagine the pain that the other woman was going through. Gael whispered to her words of encouragement, but he was sure that the other was far too focused on breathing to really hear him. Right as they were being taken to the delivery room, Arabella held Gael’s head between her hands. They stared at each other before Arabella kissed him. “You know I love you, right?” “I know.” She nodded before her face scrunched up into another pain expression. It happened a lot faster than they thought. Honestly, giving birth was harder t
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 58: a Christmas miracle, then? . The following weeks were rough, but all was fine. Hudson was taken in by Faye until his parents could take him home with his baby siblings. The boy did well in the final week of school. He smiled when he got to spend more time at the hospital with his momma. Faye took him, bringing along toys and other things for the boy to play with while she knit and chatted with Arabella. Gael would come and gather the boy before practice and they would all have dinner together before leaving. Afterward, Hudson goes back with Faye and Gael goes to the hospital to stay with his wife. Arabella has been gaining color back and, despite the huge round stomach, the woman moves as much as she can. She complains afterward about her back hurting or her ankles being swollen. She complained she was ugly and bloated, but Gael kissed her silent. Ian offered to pay for a private room when he heard that Arabella didn’t want G
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 57: together . Hudson comes running out of his room, dressed in his new outfit Gael got him when the younger grew out of the last one he had. It’s a nice crisp black like one of Gael's old favorite outfit. Gael chuckles as he sets up the zoom meeting. He isn’t sure if his father will be there, he still hasn’t come around to Arabella fully. He knows that his mother probably has informed him of everything already. He knows she wants them to fly out to that country for the wedding and to visit family since Arabella will be a part of their family soon, but he really doesn’t want that. Sighing, Gael makes sure Hudson’s laptop is facing the couch and plugged in to save battery as they call. It is later than either would like Hudson to be up, but it is the only time that they can call. It’s nearing 10 pm and Hudson really should be in bed, but tomorrow is Saturday and they aren’t going anywhere other than practice and Arabella’s appointm
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 56: family can be more than two . “Friends and family, guests and competitors!” The announcer comes over the PA again, “Welcome to the Featherlight Finals! We will now announce the finalists. In red, hailing from Las Vegas, Nevada, weighing at 124 pounds is Drake Fowller.” As the man walks out, a large roar from the crowd comes. Arabella remembers what Gaby told him about Fowller. He is slightly smaller than Gael, but only by an inch. He is 21 years old and won last year's competition. “In blue, from Eugene, Oregon, weighing in at 130 pounds exactly, is Gael Laurent.” Arabella claps and cheers along with their section. She wants to believe her ears when the cheers for Gael are more powerful than the other, but she isn’t sure. Maybe Gael is more popular than she thought. The man walks out, the blue gear on him. He looks bigger with those on him, though he is slender. He has the same face as earlier. This time, he looks up right awa
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 55: finals. As they went into the second round, Arabella saw a shift in Gael. As the second round started, Gael went on the offensive right away, attacking with a strong kick and backing Trevor into a corner. He was able to get a hit in and the crowd roared again, but something didn’t get called right and the round was paused as Gael’s coach called out the missed point. Gael backed away, chest heaving. Trevor looked ready to continue, not taking the moment to rest. Gael stood with his hands on his hips, trying to steady himself. Arabella knew the other was nervous. He’s been nervous this whole weekend. He confided in her, a few nights before they came, that he used to not get nervous. That the last time he remembers being this nervous was the night before his match that would decide if he got onto the Olympic team or not. Now, the artiste was nervous for every match, as if he knew that this could be his last at any moment. The po
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 54: do well, daddy . The third match goes well, Gael coming out on top as the man wins with a good lead. He advances to the semi finals that will be held the next day. As they are leaving to grab dinner, their friends heading with them, Arabella groans about how much her back hurts. Gael picks her up, carrying her bridal style as they head toward the cars. The competition is being held in Portland. They all drove in and are staying at a hotel. They planned on staying the whole weekend even if Gael didn’t make it to the second day. Having their friends here is an added perk. Grinning, Arabella holds tight to Gael as they walk out. “Laurent!” Someone yells off to the side of them. Gael turns, soft eyes glazing over with ice. He sets Arabella down, moving in front of her a little. Faye and Louis, who were holding Hudson’s hands, stopped ahead of them. Standing across from them is a man dressed in a matching track suit like Gael’s wa
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 53: more than one talent . Laying in bed, Gael runs his hands over Arabella’s sides and stomach. Both of them put Hudson to bed before heading in to wash up for bed. Taking a shower together while Gael is far too attractive to Arabella’s body wasn’t the smartest idea. The two could barely keep their hands to themselves as the water slid over their bodies. Arabella loves watching Gael’s muscles flex and twist and turn as he moves about. She loves running her hands over the firm skin that stretches over the his back and chest, the powerful muscles in the man’s thighs brushing up against her own. Now, with her stomach growing, Arabella likes it when he rubs his strong hands over the bottom and sides of her stomach. She also loves when the man’s fingers trail along her ribs and chest. Or when his mouth will travel over her skin. Like now. Arabella didn’t get dressed other than a shirt, not feeling the need for pants. She laid down as G
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 52: cha cha and chi chi . The trio made it home safe, Arabella crashing onto the couch. She placed a hand on her tummy, groaning. Her pants have stopped fitting, shirts growing small. Gael and her went out earlier on in her first trimester and helped her pick out clothes that she will wear during her final months. Her favorite has been the dresses that fall right over her knees. She doesn’t wear them out, but at home, it’s all she wears. “No wonder I’m so tired and big. I have two babies in there,” Arabella groaned, kicking up her feet. Hudson giggles, sticking his ear to the round of Arabella’s stomach. “So there are two of them?” Arabella nods, running her hand through the boy’s hair. “I love you, baby Chacha. Wait,” Hudson sits up, staring at her. “What is the other baby’s name?” Arabella hummed, tapping her chin. In some culture, it is normal to name the fetus to call them that. Gael started calling the baby Chacha after Arab