No Love is Unconditional
Chapter 9
By: E*A

Luxx opened the door to the large apartment cautiously. She looked around the maze of tall boxes and furniture that was piled together in the corner awaiting a permanent spot in the apartment. She stepped in and closed the door, only to find Joel collapsed on the floor. She tiptoed over to the faux hawked boy and bent down next to him.

"Leave before it's too late," He whimpered as she hovered over him.

"Long day?"

"You're marrying a maniac, Luxx. Get out before it's too late." Joel sighed and closed his eyes when he felt Luxx's hand pat his head gently.

"You'll live."

"Not if he makes me help him carry another box or table or anything up those stairs again." He pointed to the stairs that led to the second level of the apartment. It was decided amongst Benji and Luxx that they would get an apartment instead of a house, which would make separating the twins that much easier since Joel would only be four doors down the hall.

A crash of empty cardboard boxes and a few curse words from Benji echoed down the stairs and hit Luxx and Joel. They looked up at the banister that guarded the upstairs hallway to see Benji stumble out of a room.

"Joel! Will you please help me with all of this?" Benji called down as he leaned over the railing to see Luxx bent over his brother. "What are you doing here? I was supposed to pick you up from the airport." He took off down the stairs, dodging boxes and clothes to get to his fiancée.

"I've been warned that I'm marrying a maniac," She said with a smirk and hugged Benji tightly.

He took in the smell of her hair. It had been ten days since they saw each other last in Luxx's hometown of Highland Beach, Florida. Benji had recruited a few people to help them pack most of Luxx's things up into a U-Haul which Benji, Tony, and Jordan were driving back California. Joel stayed in California to pack the things from the house the twins shared. It was a big move for everyone.

"I've missed you." He whispered into her ear, still clutching her tightly.

"I know. I've missed you, too," she whispered back. "I see you've got a lot done, though."

He nodded and looked around the room at the boxes. "Well, everything is out of the trucks. It's just a matter of getting it all organized."

"I'm leaving," Joel screamed from the floor as he stood up and brushed his pants off.

"You're supposed to help!"

"Benji, I've loaded, I've unloaded, I've packed, I've unpacked, and now I'm going to sleep!"

"Fine, be a quitter."

"Better a live quitter than a dead one," He replied as he slammed the door shut, leaving just Benji, Luxx, and an apartment full of boxes.

Benji turned to Luxx and slid his hand up her side and under her shirt to feel her warm skin. "I wish you would have called me when your flight got in. I wanted to pick you up," he said with a tiny voice that made him sound like a little kid who had gotten lost in a store.

She kissed his lips hungrily and ran her hands through his hair making him forget all about the question. "I love you," she managed to get out between kisses.

He moved a hand from her waist and let it rest on her neck as they kissed. "I love you, too," Benji replied. He stepped back a few steps to lean against the wall, but fell short. "Fuck!"

As Benji fell to the floor on top of the boxes, Luxx came down on top of him. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes in frustration. "Smooth," she laughed and stood up quickly, pushing her hand to her head and clenching her eyes shut.

"Are you alright, babe?" He asked as he stood up.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm just a little dizzy. No big." He walked her over to the couch, made her lay down. He considered every little bruise Luxx got to be the end of the world and anything that ever went wrong with her was a tragedy. He had always been that worried about her, even before she was pregnant. "Benj, did you see how fast I stood up? Anyone who does that is going to be dizzy. It's not the end of the world."

"I know. I just get worried, you know? I can't help it." He brushed the hair out of her eyes and sat on the edge of the couch next to her.

She nodded. Luxx had always been told by Benji that his life wouldn't exist without her. She was never sure what to say when he told her that, but she heard it enough that she had just accepted it as truth. She wasn't sure why he couldn't live without her, but she was tired of telling him that it was possible to have a life without her.

She snatched Benji's hand away from her face and rested it on her stomach. "Do you feel that?"

He shook his head and gave her a questioning glance. "Isn't it too early for kicking?"

"I know, but my stomach is getting bigger. Can you feel that?" Luxx looked back up at his brown eyes and watched him smile and nod. "Only six more months."

Benji shook his head in incredulity. "God, I still can't believe it." He leaned down and kissed her lips. "When can we find out if it's a boy or a girl?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "I have to find an OBGYN here. My doctor in Florida gave me a few names to look up." He laid down next to her on the couch. "I'm thirsty." She said as she tried to stand up.

Benji's hand pulled her down and he sat up. "I'll get it."

"No, you've been working. Let me, for once." He grudgingly laid his head back down and let Luxx stand up.

She barely got three steps away from the couch when she fainted.

["These wishes I wish and Dreams I chase/Take this broken heart and make it right/I feel like I've lost everything when you're gone/Left Remembering what it's like/To have you here with me." The Getaway: "Promise"]

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