Chapter Text
Justin was the first to call the next day.
"Sidney?"
Sidney groaned, still reeling from the bonding and groggy from lack of sleep.
"That's me." he slurred, and there was a pause at the other end of the line.
Then, slowly:
"Your name was on the docket this morning."
Justin was keeping his voice Sentinel-calm, but Sidney knew him well enough to hear the stress in it; his packmaster had been worried. He smiled and rolled over onto his side, belatedly realizing that Ryan wasn't in the bed.
"Yeah." he said, and his voice was resignation and awkward regret and just a hint of self-surprise.
"Are you hurt?" Justin asked, bluntly.
Sidney shook his head, then remembered that they couldn't see him.
"I'm not hurt."
"Has he - did he - has he been violent at all?"
Sidney blinked. There had been a few broken mugs, but that was only because Ryan had been holding them at just the moment Sidney had felt the second wave of bond-gap and everything else had become insignificant.
"No. He's fine."
Justin was quiet for a moment, and Sidney heard a rustling that could be Dinny. Why hadn't Dinny been the one to call? Justin spoke again, and his voice was low, quiet, and confused.
"Why did you go out, Sidney?" he asked, and he sounded as if he were both eager and tired but trying to be neither. "Was it - were you drunk?"
Sidney pushed himself up to sitting in the bed. This was a more serious conversation than he'd anticipated. Most people, he reflected, just got a flurry of 'congratulations!!!' texts and squealing friends on the line. Only he would manage to get a Very Important Discussions™ talk from his best friend's husband.
"No, I - I don't know. I just woke up and I just - just decided it was time, I guess."
Justin paused again.
"Because of Dinny?" he asked, "Because of the baby?"
Sidney's heart stopped in his chest.
"The baby?" he repeated, and Justin swore.
"He hasn't told you yet. You have to act surprised. He's been planning this whole big thing, and I thought he did it last night and that was why you -- "
Sidney cut him off, grinning like a fool.
"No. I had no - I mean, of course I'll act surprised! But I just - wow."
Justin's voice had a smile in it when he answered.
"Yeah, wow's about right."
"Good on you."
"Thanks." There was a moment's quiet. "We want to see you, Dinny and I. We're worried."
Sidney shook his head.
"Don't be worried. I'm fine. He's not crazy, he's not violent, he's not anything but…young."
Justin hesitated, and Sidney heard him swallow.
"Sidney, I know we didn't…talk about this. And we should have, you and I. You're my - you're in my pack, and it's important for you to know, to learn about life and - I mean, Dinny and I thought we had a handle on things, when we dated, but there's -- everything is different, Sidney, when you're bondmates, and we just - there's some things that I can't control, for myself, about how - about how things happen, and just -- like going feral. You remember that? I couldn't - it wasn't something I would have done before I bonded, but it just…everything is times ten. Times a hundred. Times a thousand. Just…"
Justin sighed heavily, and Sidney imagined him running a hand over his head as he always did.
"…just be careful."