A Sunday Afternoon // Dad!Luke
For many families, Sunday was a day of rest. A quiet, lazy afternoon in front of the television, preparing for the new week ahead.
But not in the Hemmings household.
It was chaos, just like most days were, with all six children home, all with different plans taking place at different times. But as busy as the day was about to be, Sunday mornings were Luke’s favourite time of the week.
The day started early, like most days did, the kids slowly joining you in bed one by one. The first would be the youngest baby, Theo (or as Luke called him, Teddy, a nickname that had come naturally when you had named him) the newest addition to the Hemmings family, a sweet baby boy who you tried to feed quietly before his five big brothers and sisters joined in on the the cuddles. They were all kindhearted children, and the pair of you were lucky that they got along as well as siblings could.
“I think I can hear your sister, Teddy.” Luke cooed to the sleepy baby laid against your skin, kissing his little fist that was wrapped around Luke’s pointer finger. And he was right - the pitter patter of little footsteps could be heard from down the hall, making her way over to your bedroom. Luke saw the mass of blonde curls appear in the doorway, identical to his own, belonging to your youngest daughter, Willow. “Well, look who it is!”
“Hi Mama! Hi dada!” She called out happily, reaching her arms up towards Luke at his side of the bed, her little three year old self unable to climb up without his help. Luke lifted under her arms and pulled her onto the bed with a grunt, kissing her soft cheek and moving the wild curls out of her face, so she could see clearer.
“Good morning, sweetheart.” You smiled as she climbed over Luke and settled in-between the two of you, snuggling under the duvet to steal your warmth.
“Is Teddy sleeping, mama?” She asked softly, resting her head on your shoulder, her sleepy, curious eyes wandering over to where her baby brother was settled against your chest. His eyes were fluttering open and shut, trying to stay awake after having his first feed of the day.
“No baby, he’s just cosy after having his breakfast.”
You answered, kissing her forehead as she cuddled into you further. Willow was your most curious child, forever asking many questions and not being satisfied until she got an answer. She had especially took an interest in babies since Theo had been born, and it made your heart melt on how caring she was growing to be.
The four of you sat in a comfortable silence, the only noise being Theo’s snuffles and noises of contentment, happy to have Willow’s attention, who was busy gently stroking his cheeks and tapping his nose. The quiet didn’t last for long, though - it never did when your seven year old twins, Oscar and Arlo, were around. They were excitable, boisterous and noisy from the moment that they woke up, and you and Luke always wondered where they got their energy from.
“Good morning, boys!” Luke exclaimed, as they thundered towards the bed and jumped onto it. You heard an ‘oooft’ from your husband as Arlo landed on his stomach, too excited to join you for cuddles to think about where he was landing. Luke pulled the two boys against his chest - one under each arm - and tickled their sides, revelling in the giggles and shrieks of happiness that came from their mouths. Your heart warmed at the sight, seeing three of your five boys interacting happily.
“I think it’s about time we got up and started the day, don’t you loves?” You asked the several children that were scattered around your giant bed. The bed felt empty without the presence of your children - it always felt a little more complete, when they were settled in between you and Luke. “How about some breakfast?”
It was only 7:30am, far too early for a Sunday morning, but you were conscious that there were five other children in the house that needed breakfast, as well as getting Oscar and Arlo ready for their football practice at 9am. Luke always took them - it was their time together every week, and it gave you chance to get some housework done, and make sure all four school uniforms were washed and ironed, ready for the week ahead.
“I’ll take the baby, love. I’ll check on Poppy and Gray, and make sure everyone is down for breakfast, yeah?” Luke suggested, and you nodded at the familiar routine, passing a drowsy Theo over to his dad’s waiting arms, hearing him whine a little at the loss of your warm chest. Luke shushed him and he soon settled, his soft cheek smushed up against Luke’s neck as he held him close to his body. “Shall we go wake your brother up, bubs?”
Luke kissed your lips softly before the two of you left the room, knowing Sunday’s never left you much time to spend together. It was always a busy day, so Luke snook in kisses and affection whenever he could. After having six children, it wasn’t about the expensive date nights or staying out really late anymore - it was passing kisses whilst feeding the baby, or during bath time, or cuddling after you managed to get all of the kids in bed. It was showing love in anyway that you could, which wasn’t difficult to do when there were six children in the house that loved each other, and their parents, unconditionally.
Your oldest son Grayson, at 13, was becoming more independent as he grew into his teenage years. He no longer joined you in bed on a Sunday, which would’ve hurt your heart more at him growing up if it wasn’t for the four younger babies that were always in there instead. Luke knocked on the door lightly before opening it, Theo’s wide eyes looking around the room for his oldest brother. As expected, he was still sound asleep in his bed, which Luke didn’t blame him for. He saw no reason to wake him up - he didn’t have any plans, and Luke knew he had stayed up late playing the guitar last night, the sound of the strings echoing through the halls. It reminded Luke of when he first started playing guitar at a similar age to his son, and it warmed his heart that Grayson had followed in his footsteps.
He could already hear the sound of Poppy typing on her laptop as he walked down the hall and approached her bedroom, knowing she’d have been awake for a while. Sunday morning was her quiet time to get as much homework done as possible, which she enjoyed, as it meant she was being productive as well as learning at the same time. She was the most academic child, and you and Luke were so proud of all of her achievements. She was passionate about learning and educating herself as well as others, and Luke wondered where she got her academic capabilities from, as he knew he definitely wasn’t him.
“Good morning, my little flower!” She spun around in her chair from her spot on the desk, a smile on her face at the sight of her dad and baby brother, even though she rolled her eyes at the nickname. ‘Little flower’ has stuck ever since she was born and named Poppy, and she was sure Luke would never stop with the embarrassing nickname.
“Morning, Dad! Hi Teddy.” She made her way over to the pair, kissing Theo’s cheek before doing the same to Luke. Theo grinned against Luke’s shoulder - he was happy to have any attention from anyone, but it made him even happier when it was from one of his siblings.
“You okay, Pops? What are you working on?” He asked curiously, glancing at her laptop screen and noticing she was half way through an essay of sorts.
“Just some English homework.” She replied, sitting back down at her desk and making sure the page in her current reading book was saved with a bookmark.
“Well Mum’s doing breakfast soon, so come down when you’re ready, okay?” She agreed and he left he to work, quietly shutting the door behind him. He made his way down the stairs and could already hear commotion in the kitchen, just as he expected. “Let’s go see what chaos is waiting for us in the kitchen, huh Teddy?”
The scene in front of him was just as he anticipated - you were trying to strap Willow into her high chair, much to her dismay, as she watched her twin brother chase eachother around the dinner table. The smell of pancakes filled his senses, which was the typical Sunday morning treat in the house. He set Theo down in his bouncer, switching on the lights and sounds above his head to keep him entertained.
“C’mon boys, sit down at the table and wait for breakfast, please?” He asked calmly, knowing he wouldn’t get anywhere with raising his voice at them. Thankfully they listened and took their seats at the table, and Willow followed their lead and let you sit her down too. He took over cooking the pancakes, seeing that you were pre-occupied and not wanting them to burn.
He jumped a little when he felt your arms wrap around his waist, hands linking over his abs. You pressed a kiss to his shoulder blade and he spun you around in his arms, moving to rest his hands on your lower back. You kissed his lips several times as he pulled you closer to your body, assuming the children were entertaining themselves, until he heard Willow pipe up.
“Daddy? Why do you kiss mama so much?” His inquisitive little girl asked. He chuckled at the question, kissing your lips once more before letting you continue with breakfast.
“Because I love her so much, baby.” He started, moving to where she was sat and squishing her rosy cheeks gently in his hands, before kissing her forehead, nose and then her pouty lips. “And I kiss you, because I love you too!”
He smiled at the giggles that fell from her lips, setting out plates on the kitchen counter ready for you to serve up breakfast. He checked on Theo, who was content to kick his chubby legs up at the toys above him. You placed a few pancakes on each plate along with some fresh fruit, hoping to get your youngest children to eat something healthy. Your heart melted as you heard a “thank you mama!” from each child when you set the plate down in front of them.
Poppy appeared in the kitchen moments later with a “good morning, mum!” and you started on a new batch of pancakes, as she joined her siblings at the table.
Breakfast eaten and the kitchen cleaned, Luke headed upstairs with Oscar and Arlo to get them ready for their weekly football lesson. Everyone fell into the usual routine - Theo went down for a nap, and Poppy went back to work on her homework, Willow following close behind her, trying to convince her to play instead of working.
Luke took the twins off to play football, giving you time to clean the house and bath Theo and Willow, whilst Grayson and Poppy did any last minute homework that they needed to do in preparation for school. The peace didn’t last for long though - it never did. The boys came bounding back through the door two hours later, covered in mud as you expected, Luke calling behind them not to sit down anywhere until they were showered and changed.
“We’re back, mum!” They shouted in unison, leaving their dirty football boots by the door, entering the kitchen where you were chopping vegetables in preparation for your traditional Sunday dinner. Theo was back in his bouncer, his eyes lighting up at the sight of his brothers and dad entering the room.
“I missed you, boys! How was the match?” You asked, and then listened to them telling you all about who scored goals, and the new skills that they had learned. Luke smiled at the sight, always feeling a sense of pride after watching his boys play football so well. They scampered off upstairs, following Luke’s instructions to not get mud all over the house.
“Did you miss me too?” Luke asked you quietly, wrapping his arms around you from behind. He pressed a kiss to your temple, holding you close to him whilst he had the chance in the busy day.
“You’ve only been gone for two hours.” You replied playfully and he gasped, as you covered a pan of carrots before turning around to face him. “I’m kidding, Lu. Of course I missed you.”
“I missed you.” He pouted at you, his plump lips just calling out for you to kiss them. You obliged, lacing your lips with his as you appreciated a moment of quiet with your husband, knowing it would soon be over. You were right - you soon heard Oscar’s voice, calling out for Luke to help him in the shower. Luke sighed against your mouth. “Well, that was nice whilst it lasted.”
“Go on, super dad.” You laughed softly, kissing him once more before he broke away and made his way upstairs to help his boys. It was a busy Sunday, as it always was, chaotic, loud, and messy. But neither of you would have it any other way - it was familiar, it was your family. And you wouldn’t change a thing.
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