Domesticverse

[domesticfitz]

Leo didn’t put up a fuss when Grant moved him until they were settled laying on the couch. He never did, when the other man did things like that. Anyway, it was nice to be this close. 

“Celine Dion? Really? I mean, why?” Leo asked with a laugh. “How would you even know any of those songs?” He knew he should know better than to ask questions like that. Grant never failed to surprise him even after all this time. “You’re needing a nap yourself, I think,” Leo added. “You know what they say. SLeep when the baby sleeps.”

[domesticward]

Grant closed his eyes, content that Leo wasn’t going to argue with him. It was a Saturday, and as much as he knew that meant he should be making the most of it. That’s what the evenings after work were for, though. Today, today was for naps. For all of them.

“Marshall had it playing in his car when he left yesterday. Parks right next to me, I couldn’t have avoided it even if I’d tried.” Grant explained, smiling, even with his eyes closed. “It’s Celine. Even if you think you don’t know it, you know it.” He yawned again, crack an eye open to attempt to give Leo a firm look. “You need to sleep too. Hopefully he stays down for a while.”

[domesticfitz]

As much sleep as the two of them had already lost, Leo knew it was worth it. He knew it every time he so much as thought about the baby asleep upstairs in the crib. Which was most of the time, lately. 

“That’s not too bad” Leo sighed, sinking back in the couch and leaning his cheek against the top of Grant’s head. “Took me an hour last time. What kind of monster would I be if I didn’t let you rest?” he added with a smile. “We’ve got to take it when we can get it.”

[domesticward]

It was a very welcome and calming feeling to have Leo relax and shift into him. Grant wouldn’t change the fact that they had finally adopted for anything. They’d know what they were signing up for when they’d agreed to do it. It didn’t change the fact that times like this were extremely precious.

“I think he was sleepier this time.” Grant murmured. “Also, this might be a problem, but he responded really well to me humming Celine Dion.” He smirked, and then pulled away, manhandling Leo until he was able to sandwich him between himself and the back of the couch, close enough that their legs needed to tangle and their noses were almost brushing. Speaking around a yawn, he added, “It was stuck in my head. Couldn’t help it.”

[domesticfitz]

Leo jerked awake the moment he heard Grant’s voice again. It was all too easy to nod off in any moment of quiet these days, and once Grant had gotten Brody quieted down, Leo had made the mistake of closing his eyes.

Now, Grant was back, and Leo smiled, shifting over on the couch. “You’re a hero,” he replied, patting the cushion beside him. “How long did it take you this time? I’m sorry to say I drifted off for a moment. Not the most supportive husband.”

[domesticward]

Grant noticed the way Leo jerked up before he shifted over, and felt a pang of jealous. Leo had nodded off while he’d been upstairs with Brody, rocking him and pacing with him, humming while he coaxed him to sleep. It hadn’t been an easy feat, considering Brody was stubborn as all hell that he did not want to be away from either of them.

Not that Grant could begrudge Leo that. He’d been on baby duty the night before, and had gotten out of bed at least three times. Still, they’d taken on these duties, and everything that came with them. “Twenty five minutes?” Grant guessed, settling down on the couch, resting his cheek against Leo’s shoulder. “You’re plenty supportive. Let me rest with you and I’ll be just fine.”

[domesticward]

Grant was fairly sure he’d never been this careful, even getting out of enemy bases, not to make a sound. It was proving to be something of a production to get Brody used to the nursery as his sleeping space, rather than their bedroom. As such, holding his breath as he snuck away from the room, he winced when the stairs so much as quietly creaked under his weight. By the time he made it back to the living room, his lungs were starving for air, and he sounded just a bit breathless when he informed Leo, “Okay. He’s fed, changed, and down for his nap. Can I please cuddle up with you for an hour?” 

[domesticward]

Leo: I'm sure. I know they've tried, and I've beat them back. They have no idea where I am.

Leo: You know better than to underestimate me.

Leo: Yeah...so it's going to be terrible, isn't it?

Grant: How many times have they tried? You're SURE they have no idea?

Grant: Not underestimating you. Overestimating your "do-gooder" friends.

Grant: Well, military transport doesn't tend to come close to first class, so, probably.

[domesticfitz]

Leo leaned back against Grant a little bit as Brody squeezed Grant’s fingers. As he did so, Leo listened intently to Brody’s nonsense baby-talk, nodding along like it was a real conversation, interjecting with occasional “ohhh, really?” and “is that so?” Brody always smiled when he did that, and kept talking, a constant stream of non-words that were said in the tone of sentences.

When Leo heard what Grant said and felt that little kiss on his back, he melted even more. “I love you too,” he murmured with a smile, shifting until he could put one arm around Grant’s shoulders and pull him in close, pressing a kiss to the top of Grant’s head. “Good little family we’ve got, here.”

[domesticward]

If there was ever any wonder about what had made it so easy for Grant to become the father and husband he was now, Leo would be the answer. Leo, with his happy, attentive nodding and responses to their son while he babbled away. Whatever Brody was telling them, it was very important. Grant grinned, watching him, while Leo shifted to pull him in and kiss the top of his head. Leo had made this all possible, and Grant couldn’t help squeezing him tightly, just for a few seconds.

“Pretty good looking family, too.” Grant said. “Our handsome little man, here.” Scout, by the door, huffed a heavy breath. “Yeah, you too, Scout.” Grant added, “You’re a pretty boy.” Brody reached towards the dog, opening and closing his little fingers, babbling to him, now. To his credit, Scout lifted his head, tilting it from side to side while Brody spoke to him. “Have to admit, we won the lottery.”

[domesticfitz]

“It’s standard to relinquish the child-holding privileges when the aunts arrive,” Leo agreed. “You and I both expected it. He won’t even miss us. He adores them.” 

Leo relaxed even more and smiled into the kiss when Grant returned it. It wasn’t long before Brody was asserting his dominance, though, as the greatest deserver of attention. “Well, it wouldn’t do to make him jealous, would it?” Leo said, standing and moving to kiss Brody’s cheek before blowing a little raspberry on it. He was rewarded with a quick shriek of laughter from the baby before Leo moved back to Grant’s lap. “See? We still love you most,” Leo assured him. “Even though you’re so little. You’re our little bundle of love.” It was nonsense, by now, but Leo could never shut his mouth off when Brody was watching him happily like that.

[domesticward]

Grant let Leo get up out of his lap, laughing when Brody shrieked at the raspberry against his cheek. His tooth pain seemed to be forgotten for now, and he was watching Leo with so much adoration Grant didn’t think he’d be able to handle it. His face split into a grin and he looped his arm back around Leo’s waist, moving forward to squeeze him gently, fingers hooking in one of his belt loops. 

“Daddy’s silly, huh?” Grant asked, grinning at Brody. He wasn’t even bothered when Brody just spared him a big smile for a second before looking back at Leo. Leo was the one talking to him, cooing at him. Brody loved Leo so much, it was so obvious on his little face. Grant could understand that, reaching forward with his free hand so Brody could wrap his little fingers around one of Grant’s while he burbled back at Leo. Grant was quiet for a moment, before turning to press a kiss against Leo’s back. “I love you both so much.”

[domesticfitz]

Leo let himself be pulled down gently onto Grant’s lap. Smiling, he leaned into the touch, into Grant’s body, while he watched Brody chew on his teething toy and alternate between staring outside at the snow, and watching Scout sniff around the kitchen floor. “No greys. Not yet,” Leo agreed. 

“There’ll be a better snow day than this,” Leo added, with a pleased sigh as he felt Grant’s cheek against his back. “Drier. Eventually. Nah, I don’t think his aunts will be in any big hurry to bring him outside.” Leo laughed. “They’ll be cozied up to the fireplace with the rest of us, stuff full of turkey and…well…stuffing.” With a smile, Leo turned a little, leaning down for a quick, chaste kiss. He couldn’t resist - the fondness and love welling up in his chest was too much. 

[domesticward]

“Eventually.” Grant agreed. They’d done winter here before, and eventually it became less wet and gross, and became something that could be played in. And next year, Brody would be walking, and they could take him out in the yard and let him toddle around like a marshmallow in his snowsuit. It would be well worth it. “True. Skye won’t be into this wet stuff, and Jemma’s sensible. We’re just not going to get to hold our son for hours.”

He grinned up at Leo, sure that he was turning to give him a look, only to find him leaning down for a kiss, one that Grant gave easily, eyes closing and arm tightening around Leo’s waist. The kitchen smelled like a damn good home cooked meal, he could hear Scout settling down by the back door, Leo was content in his lap, and Brody - “ah!” - Grant looked his way, finding him looking at them both a bit indignantly. “Someone’s jealous he’s not getting all the attention.” 

[domesticfitz]

Leo smiled and moved to join Grant in front of Brody’s high chair. He reached out and petted his fingers over the baby’s dark curls. “He’s super cool,” Leo agreed. “And…Grant, I wouldn’t speak too soon, I thought I saw a grey just yesterday.” 

Grant was right. Jemma would be the one behind the wheel. She wouldn’t have trusted Skye to do it in this weather. “One thing I miss about east coast snow,” Leo said with a sigh. “Is that it was dry. It’s so wet here. If we brought Brody out to play in this he’d be soaked through and catch cold in five minutes.”

[domesticward]

Grant watched Leo’s fingers pet through Brody’s curls, watched the way their baby leaned his head into his father’s touch, apparently not even thinking on it while he gummed away. “You’re not funny.” Grant said, calmly, reaching up to loop his arm around Leo’s waist, and tug him down onto his thigh. It probably wasn’t the most comfortable position, but just for a second, Grant wanted him close. “No greys.”

Watching the snow fall, Grant had to concede that Leo had a point. East coast snow was dry, and generally, while there was more of it, it didn’t have this bone-chilling factor. If Brody was older, and able to be truly bundled up, the story would be different. Right now, though... “We can probably take him out to play later this winter. Or when he gets bigger. When he won’t get sick so fast, right, Brody?” Grant leaned around Leo’s back, pressing his cheek against his spine while he looked at their son. The baby wasn’t too invested in their conversation. “We’ll just have to keep his aunts from taking him out.”

[domesticfitz]

“He is obvious,” Leo agreed, hefting the pot of water and potatoes onto the stove. He hadn’t turned it on yet, but it probably wouldn’t be long before he’d have to. “Good thing, too, since he can’t talk yet. If he was hard to read we’d never get anything done.” 

Even cooking was more fun when they were doing it as a family. Brody counted as helping because he was in the kitchen, Leo decided. “Do you know when Skye and Jemma are supposed to get here? I think the snow might slow them down a little. I hope so, anyway. Wouldn’t want them to be speeding with the roads like this.” He gestured outside the window at the very wet, heavy snow still falling thickly. 

[domesticward]

“I think I would have gone grey by the third day if he was a real handful.” Grant admitted. Not that the first few weeks had been super easy. There had been times when he thought he might go grey. “But you’re pretty cool, huh, buddy?” Grant asked, leaning forward while Brody giggled. 

Leo had made quick work of the potatoes, and Grant really appreciated it. No, Leo was right, it wasn’t a lot of hard work to make the turkey dinner, it was just a lot of juggling of the various components. Still, a hand with that juggling was always appreciated. Grant followed Leo’s gesture, frowning at the window. “Probably not too long from now. I’m sure they’re being careful on the roads. Jemma is probably driving. Skye would joyride.”

[domesticfitz]

Leo rolled his eyes fondly, but went to the potatoes anyway. He peeled them carefully while Grant fetched Brody’s teething toy. “Such a good dad,” Leo commented fondly, cutting the potatoes up and filling the pot with water. “You know exactly what he’s needing.” They both recognized the sound of Brody’s teething, but it was still nice to see Grant reacting to it like that.

They hadn’t been completely certain, before they’d gotten him, that being a father to Brody would come naturally to them. But it had, for both of them. Of course it was not exactly easy - it never could be - but it felt right, and they both knew they were doing as good a job as they possibly could. Leo knew that Grant agreed - they were always going to give this boy a life full of love and care.

[domesticward]

Grant rolled his eyes while he pulled up a chair in front of Brody, watching him chew on his teething toy. The frozen rubber seemed to instantly soothe the annoyances he’d been feeling, and thank goodness for that. Parenting wasn’t easy, and Grant knew that, of the two of them, he tended to fly off the handle with fussy overdone concerns more often. They’d expected that, though. They would never tell Brody about the fights they’d gotten into, because they wanted, but Grant was too damn scared.

Leo had worn him down, though, and it was good. Things had been perfect before Brody, but with him there, now, they were even more so. Sure, there were the long nights and the confusions and the hard times, but it was worth it. It would all be worth it, to have their family.  “He’s pretty obvious.” Grant pointed out, reaching down to pet Scout when he shuffled in between his legs. “You knew what he wanted too, you’re just on tater duty.”

[domesticfitz]

Leo looked down at Grant, looking up at him, and smiled, shaking his head. “He’s the happiest kid out there. The foot is terribly tickled,” he added, reaching a hand down to help Grant to his feet. 

“Look, how about if I make it up to you by helping out in here?” Leo added. “I could do those potatoes myself, since I said it was so easy. I don’t know anything about cooking a turkey but you can put me in charge of some of the veggies…” He looked around the kitchen. More often than not, Grant was the one in charge of making dinner, but Leo was confident enough in some of his abilities to at least be all right at some of this.

[domesticward]

Grant let Leo help him to his feet, before he set out, picking up the scattered darts from the floor. It wouldn’t do any of them any good if Scout forgot his training and decided they looked like a dog treat. Once he’d gotten the ones from the hallway, he set everything down on the table, and nodded at Leo’s suggestions.

“You should help, since you think it’s so easy.” Grant agreed, grinning to make it obvious to Leo that he was joking. “The potatoes need to be cut up and put in water. I can’t really do much else until they all get here. If you can do that...” Grant trailed off, distracted by Brody making an annoyed little noise. He knew that noise too well, and moved over to the freezer, grabbing one of his teething toys out of it, handing it to Leo to be traded out for the room temperature one Brody already had. 

[domesticfitz]

Leo tensed up, and made a noise best described as a squawk when Grant started in on his foot. He was especially ticklish there, a fact which Grant knew perfectly well, and this wasn’t fair at all. “That’s - ah! - that’s right, it’s nothing! And I did the turni - GRANT.” Leo tried to jerk his foot away again, holding tight to the counter, but to no avail. 

“Okay, okay, okay,” Leo gasped between laughter. “Fine, I admit it, you’re working very hard in here and it was - god - it was wrong of me to imply that you’re a turkey and that any of this is easyyyy STOP IT.” He leaned down and pushed gently at Grant’s head as the dog came into the kitchen and immediately came to investigate why Grant was on the floor. “There, Scout wants you to stop too,” Leo added. “And you’re confusing our son. We’re only supposed to have one child in the house.” He couldn’t keep back the smile while he spoke. 

[domesticward]

Grant eased up, grinning up at Leo, leaned down to push at his head. There was no denying the way his chest felt like something inside it was swelling like a balloon when he looked up and saw Leo smiling back at him, red-faced from laughter. The moment was fairly broken by Scout’s nose inviting itself to his ear, snuffling loudly. Grant let Leo’s foot go with a “ack, Scout!”, jerking his head away and grinning at the dog, before turning, on his knees, to look at Brody.

When he did, Brody banged on the tray again, grinning at them both, his little pink gums showing little spots of white where his teeth were starting to come through. The balloon feeling only got that much stronger. “He doesn’t look confused to me.” Grant said, tipping his head back to look up at Leo. “He looks pretty happy, our kid. How’s the foot?”

[domesticfitz]

It was gratifying to see how quickly and passionately Grant responded to Leo’s comment about the dinner, but he hadn’t counted on the way he grabbed Leo’s ankle. Brody’s little hands banging on his tray had been enough of a distraction that Leo didn’t have time to dodge. 

He grabbed the counter to steady himself, staring down at Grant, watching his husband’s hand move closer to the bottom of his foot. “Don’t. Don’t you do it,” Leo warned, trying to tug his leg away, though he knew it was in vain. That stupid gym of Grant’s in their house was becoming his downfall once again. “I was saying it’s not that hard, you just throw it in the oven and wait. Maybe mash some potatoes while it’s cooking…”

[domesticward]

Leo’s leg jerked back and Grant tightened his grip, grinning widely up at his husband, fingers moving slow and deliberate. Leo had the counter, now, he would be fine. He wouldn’t collapse into a heap and hurt himself. Now, he could suffer for his comments. Comments he was still making. “’Maybe mash some potatoes’,” Grant mimicked. “After peeling and cutting them up and pressure cooking them. And the carrots. Turnips? Nothing!”

He knew Leo was egging him on, but he had the upper hand - so to speak - tickling Leo’s captive foot, careful to stay out of getting-knee’d-in-the-face range while he did. “Make perfect gravy and make sure the bird is moist - but not too moist - while not letting it dry out? Simple! I should hardly break a sweat!” Grant was laughing between his words, and Brody was laughing, again, too, though he kept pausing in confused silence, watching his strange fathers. Grant was so caught up in teasing Leo that he didn’t make out Brody’s yelp of “S’ow!” He also didn’t notice the dog joining them in the kitchen, just as confused as their son.

[domesticfitz]

That laugh of Brody’s tugged at Leo’s heart in the best way, and he couldn’t keep the wide grin off his face, even while Grant gave him a smile that spelled danger again. Clearly, the “turkey” thing annoyed him. “Oh, come on, I know it’s not that hard to throw together a quick turkey dinner, right?” Leo shrugged, certain that he was ensuring his own takedown by Nerf right now.

Then Grant was flopping onto the floor, all six-plus feet of him, scrambling for the discarded darts. Leo shouted and dove ahead of him, managing to grab one while the other skittered across the tiles. “Don’t even think about it!” He got triumphantly to his feet, holding the dart above his head and moving to kick the other one even further out of Grant’s reach.

[domesticward]

Grant’s outburst of “Not that hard?!” probably cost him his head start, reaching for his damn darts. His indignation was enough to let Leo swoop in, stealing one of the darts while the other rolled out of Grant’s reach. Brody was banging on his high chair tray, clearly very amused with all this, and it wouldn’t be long before Scout came to investigate the noise. Grant needed that damn dart. Or...

Leo’s foot swung out, clearly going for the dirty move to kick the dart even further away, and Grant thought fast, dropping the gun and pulling himself to his knees, hand closing around Leo’s ankle. By his estimation, the counter was definitely close enough for Leo to grab on to. That was good. Grant smirked up at him, shimmying closer, his other hand moving to drift his fingers lightly up the bottom of Leo’s foot. “Sorry, dear, what was that about how it’s not hard to cook a turkey dinner?”

[domesticfitz]

“If you’re that disgusted by your own son’s saliva, you’re going to have a tough time at this parenting thing,” Leo snorted. He couldn’t help smiling when Brody gabbled a string of nonsense, looking very pleased about it while he did so. Then -

Leo jumped when the little dart bounced off his back end. “Hey!” he yelped, before moving over to where Grant was on the floor and reaching out, ruffling his hair without mercy. “Don’t you pin this on our child.” He pushed gently at Grant’s head before taking his hand off him. “Looks like the one in the oven isn’t the only turkey in this place.” Leo grinned. “You’re lucky you’re cooking dinner right now, so I have to let you off the hook.”

[domesticward]

Grant laughed, dropping the gun in favour of half-heartedly trying to shove Leo off. “I wasn’t pinning it on him! He told me to! Tell him, Brody! Save meee!” Brody didn’t do much more than laugh, a high pitched baby laugh that Grant loved. It didn’t drown out Leo’s words, though, and when he backed off, Grant pulled himself up on his knees, looking at his woefully empty Nerf gun.

“You know, that turkey thing is what got you into this in the first place.” Grant pointed out, smiling sweetly up at the other. “Calling me such a hurtful name, while I’m slaving away in the kitchen, making turkey, and all the other foods you love so much...” The fact that he was edging towards two darts - the one Leo had thrown at him, the the last one he’d shot - was obvious. “Savage.” Grant shook his head, then sprawled across the floor, reaching for the darts.

[domesticfitz]

Leo stared Grant down and tried his hardest not to laugh. It was difficult when he could see that Grant was fighting the same impulse. Bending down, he picked up one of the discarded foam darts and threw it at Grant’s face, finally laughing as it bounced off his forehead.

“Don’t even need the gun for that,” he grinned, and turned to Brody at the noise the toddler had made. “Yeah, you agree with me, don’t you? Don’t you, buddy?” Leo retrieved the other dart on the kitchen floor and handed it to Brody, who immediately taste-tested it before throwing it back onto the floor. “Seems about right. See?” Leo turned back to Grant. “He wants you to practice proper Nerf safety too, as demonstrated by the discarding of your ammunition.” 

[domesticward]

Grant rubbed his forehead where the dart had pinged off, glaring at it on the kitchen floor like it had personally betrayed him. “Oh, okay, I can’t shoot you in the face, but Brody can put the darts in his mouth.” Grant pulled a face at their son when he looked over at the sound of his name. “He goobered all over it. I can’t use that dart any more.” 

Grant crouched down, picking up the dart gingerly from the floor, looking up between Brody and Leo while he did. “You’re daddy’s little helper, arentcha?” Brody smiled, and rattled off some gibberish sentence. Grant nodded once. “Yes, sir.” He answered.

Then dropped from a crouch onto his rear, and leaned back, shooting the last dart directly at Leo’s ass. It bounced off and Grant stayed where he was on the floor, grinning proudly. “Brody told me to.”