Christmas is for Family
chaotic dads on christmas!!! happy holidays, everyone
warnings: none
ships: ralbert, jatherine
editing: hnnnnnng
“Daddy, can you do my hair?”
“Papa, where’s my red tie?”
As per usual, things were hectic in the Dasilva-Higgins household as they rushed to get out the door. They were to be at the Kelly’s in an hour for their annual Christmas festivities and the drive from their little apartment in Brooklyn was a good forty minutes from the former’s in Washington Heights.
Race and Albert exchanged stressed glances as they finished slipping on their button down shirts and in Albert’s case, fixing his hair.
“Coming, sweet pea,” Albert called, abandoning his custom made hair dryer and grabbing a few ponytail holders from behind the mirror for Emelia.
Race smoothed down his shirt, adjusting his belt one more time before toeing on his dress shoes and hurrying down the hallway before Andrew could work himself into a frenzy.
“Bud, it’s right here,” He said, plucking Andrew’s child sized tie from the doorknob and holding it up for his son to see.
“Oh, phew!” Andrew wiped his forehead dramatically, before taking the tie from his father and wrapping it carefully around his neck, making a few random knots before turning to his father, grinning triumphantly.
“Look, Papa,” He exclaimed, “I tied it all by myself!”
“You sure did, dude,” Race said, biting back laughter at the mess of knots and kneeling in front of Andrew, “And you did a great job, but I think we’re going for something a little different,” he gently untied the tie and expertly knotted it in a double windsor, securing it neatly under Andrew’s collar, “There you go, bud,” he said, standing and ruffling his son’s hair, “All set.”
Emelia came sliding in a moment later, her newly done french braid flying behind her. She knelt by her bed, rifling around underneath for a few moments before extracting her new pair of Mary-Janes.
“Daddy!” She shouted, placing the shoes on the floor in front of her. When Albert didn’t come, she screamed again, “DADDY!”
“Peanut,” Race said, kneeling in front of his daughter, “What’s wrong? Daddy might be busy, is it something I can help with?”
“I needa put on my shoes,” Emelia pouted, “But I want Daddy’s help.”
Race raised his eyebrows, but before he could respond, Albert peeked in head in, “Did someone call?”
“Yeah,” Emelia said, jumping ot her feet and barreling over Race to get to Albert, “Help me with my shoes.”
Albert bent down on one knee, taking the shoes from her and giving her a pointed look, “Help you with your shoes, what?”
Emelia scrunched her nose for a moment, before adding, “Please?”
“That’s better,” Albert praised, helping her sit down so her could slip on her shoes.
Five minutes later, they were out the door, Race and Albert each carrying large bags filled with presents for everyone. The ride to the Kelly’s was spent playing Christmas music obnoxiously loud, while Andrew and Emelia attempted to sing along to lyrics they didn’t know. As Race belted along, he couldn’t help but feel slightly bad for Albert, who was never the biggest fan of Christmas nor Christmas music, but as he cast a look at his husband, he could make out the beginnings of a smile on his face.
“Why if it isn’t my favorite niece and nephew!” Jack Kelly greeted Emelia and Andrew and they ran to hug his legs, “Are you guys having a good Christmas so far?”
“Yeah!” Emelia squealed, pulling away to hug Katherine instead, Andrew following suit.
“That’s very good to hear,” Katherine smiled, “I think Teddy and Cynthia are in the playroom if you two want to go play with them.”
Andrew and Emelia exchanged excited grins before running off in the direction of their cousins.
“Still never understood why you named your kid Cynthia,” Albert mumbled as he shrugged off his jacket.
“Babe,” Race scolded, lightly thumping Albert on the arm, “Have some tact.”
“I’ll have you know,” Jack said, defensively, “Cynthia was my mother’s name before she died.”
Albert had the decency to look a little ashamed as he shrugged, “You do you, I guess.”
“Anyway,” Race interjected, holding up the bags he was carrying, “We brought presents and food.”
“Oh, I’ll take the dishes from you,” Katherine said, taking one of the bags from Race, “You can go ahead and put the presents under the tree.”
“Thanks, Kathy,” Race said, “Merry Christmas.”
Twenty minutes later, Davey, Crutchie, and Spot had arrived and the seven adults were lounging around in the living room, passing around a bottle of wine.
“Yeah,” Jack said, taking Crutchie’s offer for more wine, “Teddy got in a fight the other day. Some sucker was picking on Cynthia and he soaked ‘em right in the eye.”
“Damn, Kelly,” Crutchie scoffed, “Sure is your kid.”
“We tried really hard to be mad at him,” Katherine sighed, “But we honestly were proud more than anything.”
“I mean, yeah,” Albert said, stretching his arm across the back of the couch, “First thing we taught Andrew and Em was to stand up for themselves. Don’t take shit from no one.”
“Speak of the devils,” Race muttered as four pairs of footsteps could be heard pattering down the hallway.
Sure enough, all four kids came bursting into the living room, skidding to a halt when they saw all the adults gathered.
“Heya, kiddos,” Spot said, eyeing them in amusement, “Ya need something?”
“Uh,” Andrew, who was at the front of their little parade, glanced behind him at the others, “We just wanted to look at the presents.”
“You can look,” Race said, gesturing to the tree, “But no opening any until after dinner.”
No one missed the way the kids’ shoulders slumped in defeat, but none of them argued. They slid to their knees in front of the tree, passing around boxes to one another and taking guesses of the contents. Race and Katherine disappeared into the kitchen at one point to finish dinner, while Jack and Spot carried the craft table in from the playroom to set up for the kids.
“Daddy,” Andrew whined, laying himself across Albert’s lap, “Is dinner almost ready?”
“Soon, champ,” Albert said, stroking a hand through Andrew’s blond locks, “Have you and your sister washed your hands yet?”
“Oh!” Andrew leapt up, launching himself off of Albert’s stomach, “C’mon, Emmy, we gotta go wash our hands!”
Albert groaned, rubbing his gut where Andrew had pushed himself from, “My god, they’re gonna be the death of me.”
Davey laughed, clapping him on the back as he stood to help Race and Katherine take food out from the kitchen, “That’s life, daddy.”
“Okay, it’s cute coming from my kids, but you?” Albert stood, too, casting a disgusted look at Davey, “No.”
“Yeah,” Race said, materializing next to them, holding a pan of mac and cheese, “Only three people that can call him ‘Daddy’ are me, Em, and Andrew.”
“Gross, Higgins,” Crutchie called from his chair.
“I wish he were lying,” Albert murmured as Race cackled.
“What?” Davey asked.
“Hm?” Albert countered, fixing Davey with an innocent smile.
“You just,” Davey trailed off, looking between Race and Albert, “you know what? Nevermind.”
Race grinned, sticking his tongue between his teeth as he set the macaroni down on the table, just in time for the kids to come running back.
“Papa!” Emelia said, making grabby hands at Race, who hoisted her onto his hip, “My hands are squeaky clean, look!” She shoved her tiny hands into Race’s face. He flinched, rearing back a little at the sudden movement.
“I see, darling,” He laughed, placing her down in one of the chairs at the kids’ table, “good job.”
Teddy and Cynthia joined them a moment later, calling for their own parents to help them with food. Once they were situated, the adults settled at the larger table and begun passing around the various dishes.
“My god,” Spot moaned through a mouthful of lasagna, “I always forget how goddamn-”
“Language, Conlon.”
“Shit, sorry, Kelly, FUCK.”
“Take your time.”
Spot took a deep breath as the others laughed around him, “I always forget how good of a cook you are, Racer.”
“Thanks, man,” Race said, shoving an entire roll into his mouth.
Katherine studied him with a smirk, “You haven’t changed one bit since college.”
Race let out an offended smirk through his mouthful of bread, making him look like an upset chipmunk, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Papa!” Andrew called from his seat, “no speaking with your mouth full!”
Race blushed and swallowed as the adults all laughed, “Sorry, bambino, you’re right.”
XXX
“Present time!” Cynthia shouted, launching from her place on the couch and onto her father’s back. They had long since finished and the adults had tricked the kids into playing several rounds of Twister while they relaxed off their food comas.
But now the temptation had seemingly returned and all the children were gathered eagerly around the tree, waiting to open gifts.
Jack let out a soft ‘oof’ as he maneuvered his daughter into his arms securely, “Aight, sweetie, we can open presents now.”
All of the kids cheered loudly and Andrew rushed off to find his fathers. He returned a moment later, pulling Race and Albert behind him.
“Alright, dude,” Race said, nudging Andrew back over to the tree, “Dig in.”
Andrew, Emelia, Cynthia, and Teddy crawled around the perimeter of the tree, ripping open present after present.
“Oh my gosh, Daddy! Papa! Look!” Emelia scrambled over to Race and Albert, holding up a shoe box, “I got dance shoes!”
“Lookit that, sweet pea,” Race beamed, “you know what that means?”
“I can start taking you and Daddy’s classes?” She asked, hopefully.
“Yep!” Albert said, “You can start taking classes, love.”
“Yay!” Emelia shrieked, running over to Andrew, who had also opened a new pair of dance shoes, “We get to take Daddy and Papa’s classes!”
“Didn’t know if they’d actually be interested,” Albert said, leaning his head on Race’s shoulders.
“Yeah, I’m a little surprised they’re this excited,” Race said, “I didn’t realize they paid so much attention to the classes we’ve brought them to.”
“Me neither.”
“Not complaining, though,” Race yawned, “Imagine: The Dasilva-Higgins- a family of dancers.”
Albert leaned up, brushing a kiss to Race’s jaw, “You tired?”
Race shrugged, casting his gaze back towards their children, who were now comparing new DS games, “A little.”
“We can corral the squirts soon.”
“Soon,” Race agreed.
XXX
“Alright, bud,” Albert said, plucking a half-asleep Andrew out of the pile of wrapping paper that surrounded the tree, “Time for us to go.”
Race had already extracted Emelia from the mess and was carefully putting her presents into a small garbage bag, paying mind to her sleeping form in his other arm.
Andrew nodded sleepily, resting his head on his father’s shoulder and dozing off again. Race and Albert took the kids out to the car, strapping them in their booster seats and placing their present bags securely under their seats before going back inside to bid the others goodbye.
The ride back home seemed shorter than the commute to the Kelly’s and they arrived a half-hour later in front of their apartment complex. Careful not to wake either of the children, Race and Albert carried Andrew and Emelia up to their apartment, opting to take their presents in in the morning.
They helped the still sleeping children into their pajamas, then carefully tucked them into bed.
“Daddy?” Emelia asked, opening her eyes halfway.
“Hey, sweetie,” Albert said, kneeling by her bed, “Did you have a good Christmas?”
Emelia nodded, tucking herself deeper into her pillow and closing her eyes again.
“I’m glad,” Albert smiled, kissing her on the forehead, “Merry Christmas, sweet pea.”
“Merry Christmas, Daddy,” a pause, “Merry Christmas, Papa.”
Race ran a hand through her hair, which was wavy from the french braid, “Merry Christmas, baby.”
“Andrew asleep?” Albert asked as he stood, nodding to the lump in his son’s bed.
“Out like a light.”
Albert grinned fondly, calling out anway, “Night, Andrew.”
There was no response and Race snickered, “Heavy sleeper,” he commented, “Just like you.”
They left the room, closing the door softly as they did so. Albert showered as Race washed up and they climbed into their bed, cuddling into each other immediately.
“Another successful Christmas,” Albert said, contentedly into Race’s chest.
“Yup,” Race said, “Another one for the books.”
Albert hummed, “Merry Christmas, Racer.”
“Merry Christmas, Albie.”
-
awwww cute dads and cute kids
back to angst tomorrow sorrryyy
thanks for reading, chiefs
hmu to be added to my tag
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