➸ request from anon; hii! if you have time and like my request could you do it? thanks!!! my request: mark, lucas and noah being whipped for maeve and protective of her. aksjdkfjsk why do i actually see mark like this lol anyways thanks again!!
➸ note; thank you so much all you incredible people for waiting so long for me to come back. i’ve had a really difficult couple of months as you can imagine so my writing pace has been quite slow, but i am getting back into it! i’m sorry if this isnt the best, but i wanted to get something out because i know everyone has been waiting a long time for me to come back! as always i love and appreciate you all for being so patient and loving <3
➸ word count; 1521 words
➸ lucas; aged 20, noah; aged 18, maeve; aged 16
nct masterlist
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Mark Lee always wanted to be a girl dad. Ever since you had your first baby, Lucas, and you would discuss having more, Mark would picture having a little girl to spoil. Having sons was still incredible - Lucas and Noah were Mark’s doubles and his chest filled with pride whenever he saw them. Despite this, watching his members spoil and dote over their little girls and made him want one of his own. So when Maeve was born, he felt so complete, as if he had everything he ever wanted.
‘Everyone’s nice, right?’
‘Everyone’s nice, right?’
‘Everyone’s nice, right?’
‘So far,’ Maeve smiles, twirling her fork around. She’d just started middle school, and Mark was worried sick. He knew how those kids could be, and Maeve was just so nice, an easy target.
‘You’d tell me if they weren’t, wouldn’t you?’ Mark checks, and Maeve rolls her eyes playfully.
‘Yes dad.’
High school was the first time Maeve had been in school with Noah for a while. The Lee siblings, while they did bicker like normal siblings, they liked seeing each other around school and knowing the other was there. Noah was in his final year when Maeve started. While she still had her friends from middle school, it was difficult integrating with the kids from the other middle schools.
Namely how cliquey everything suddenly was.
‘Hey Maeve.’
Maeve looks up from her notes to see a tall boy looming over her. Her mind fills with questions, who was this boy? How did he know her name? With all of that, she doesn’t form any response, so he presses further.
‘It is Maeve, right? Eunsol said that was your name.’
Maeve notices a gaggle of other boys standing a distance behind him, trying to appear as though they weren’t listening in.
‘I was just wondering if you wanted to go out this weekend? You’re so pretty, and I’ve been trying to get your snap from the other girls but they said you don’t have one.’
‘I don’t…’ Maeve tries so hard to seem polite, ‘I’m sorry.. I don’t know you at all…’
‘Wha- I’m Chanhyung. I’m a senior.’
‘Oh,’ Maeve still has no idea who he is, ‘I’m sorry, I don’t think I can.’
Chanhyung’s eyes widen for a moment, but he quickly regains composure.
‘Ok, uh, fine then.’ And he walks away.
Maeve doesn’t think too much of it for a while.
‘Is it true you rejected Hwang Chanhyung?’ Minji, Maeve’s seat mate in history asks her.
‘What?’ Maeve straightens up in her seat, ‘oh, I wouldn’t say rejected.’
‘Huh? What do you mean? Apparently he asked you out on a date and you turned him down big time. I mean apparently he’s really pissed. No girl has ever turned him down before, especially not a freshman.’
Maeve feels the panic set in, redness crawling up her neck and heat settling in her veins.
‘He didn’t seem pissed at the time-‘
‘Yeah well he is pissed now. I’d maybe watch yourself today.’
Fuck off Minji, Maeve thought just as the school bell blares, prompting everyone in the class to start packing away their belongings.
Maeve speed-walks out of the classroom, keeping her head down and trying to avoid eye contact with anyone else. She stops in front of her locker, hair still forming curtains around her face as she unpacks and packs some things into her bag. Maeve swings her locker door shut, only to reveal Hwang Chanhyung himself.
‘Hey Maeve,’ he grins, singing her name in a sort of taunting tone.
‘Um, sorry, I can’t talk right now,’ Maeve mumbles, trying to turn on her heel, but is stopped when Chanhyung grabs her wrist, whipping her back around.
‘It’ll only take a couple minutes,’ he doesn’t let go, even when Maeve experimentally tries to wiggle out of his grip.
‘Good,’ he muses when her movements stop, ‘are you ready to say you’re sorry?’
‘What?’ Maeve murmurs in disbelief, ‘I didn’t mean to make you upset, I just don’t know you.. and-and I’m not really looking to date right now, so-‘
‘HEY!’ Maeve jumps about a mile in the air at the sound of another male’s voice booming and echoing through the hallway.
Chanhyung turns his head slowly to look to the source, where he sees Noah Lee storming towards him.
‘GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF MY SISTER!’
Everyone in the corridor is completely silent now as Noah marches up to Chanhyung, grabbing him by the collar and pinning him to the lockers.
‘Noah, stop,’ Maeve begins to plead, but Noah takes no notice.
‘Oh look, how sweet,’ Chanhyung taunts, ‘Noah come to save little Maeve-‘
‘Leave her the fuck alone,’ Noah seethes, ‘she’s not one of your toys.’
‘I don’t want her to be anyway,’ Chanhyung chuckles darkly, ‘she’s a prude anyway.’
Noah is deadly silent for a moment, eyes darkening before he grabs and slams Chanhyung into the locker, hard.
‘I’m going to fuck you up,’ Noah threatens, pulling Chanhyung towards him, and then throwing him into another locker on the opposite end of the corridor.
’Noah! Seriously, stop-‘
The small group of onlookers quickly forms into a crowd as Noah begins throwing and landing punches onto Chanhyung’s face, traces of blood appearing on his fists.
‘Noah, it doesn’t matter, just leave it!’ Maeve shrieks, trying to pull at her brothers shoulders but failing.
Chanhyung, on encouragement from his surrounding friends, leaps to his feet and momentarily overpowers Noah, landing a few kicks and punches. Noah quickly retaliates, pinning Chanhyung to the ground, swinging punch after punch to his face.
‘Oh god,’ Maeve holds her head in her hands, already predicting the fallout from this.
Suddenly, a shrill whistle sounds, and the crowd of students swiftly part like the Red Sea. Three teachers march through the gap, screaming and yelling for the two boys to stop. Once they reach them, Noah and Chanhyung are quickly torn apart, arms still swinging and flailing.
‘All of you! Class, now!’
‘Maeve, go,’ Noah mouths, and she complies, turning on her heel and rushing to her third period math lesson.
-
‘I don’t even know what to say,’ you shake your head in disappointment at Noah, who is sitting on your living room sofa.
‘Why on earth would you just start a fight like that? I didn’t raise you to be.. violent like this.’
‘I’m sorry, mum/mom.’
‘I can’t believe you got yourself suspended. Noah Lee, you better have a good reason for this or I swear-‘
Maeve shakes like a leaf in the corner of her bedroom, listening in at the door.
’There was no reason, he just pissed me off.’
Maeve sometimes wishes Lucas hadn’t moved out to college. He would have handled this much better.
‘Ok, well, you’re so, very, grounded,’ Maeve hears you say, followed by some thuds and footsteps.
Three knocks sound at Maeve ’s bedroom door, and she jumps about a mile in the air, running back to her bed.
‘Come in!’
‘Hey Maevie,’ Mark pokes his head around the door, ‘are you okay?’
‘Yeah,’ Maeve lies, ‘just tired.’
Mark sits himself down at the bottom of Maeve’s bed, sighing deeply to himself.
‘I don’t know what’s gotten into your brother,’ he shakes his head, ‘you know he punched this kid in the face!’
‘Yeah, I heard-‘
‘God knows why he even did that, I mean-‘
‘It’s because he was harassing me.’
Mark goes silent, looking at Maeve incredulously.
‘Who?’
‘The boy Noah punched… Chanhyung. A couple of days ago he asked me out and I said no, but earlier today he came up to me and was all pissed off, and then he tried to touch me, and Noah saw so-‘
Two minutes later, Mark and Noah are sitting across from Maeve on her bed.
‘Noah, thank you for protecting your sister,’ Mark murmurs, taking his sons hand in his own, and clapping his other hand around it, ‘why didn’t you just say?’
‘It was worth getting in trouble for Maeve,’ he shrugs, ‘I didn’t think she needed to be reminded of what she’d just gone through.’
‘Noh,’ Maeve sighs, ‘I’m sorry you felt like you had to do that for me.’
‘Mae, you’re my little sister,’ Noah sighs, ‘it’s basically my job to protect you and and beat the shit out of anyone who disrespects you like that bastard did.’
‘It’s the same for me, being your dad. Although maybe violence isn’t the best resort,’ Mark side-eyes Noah, ’I would have done the same.’
Mark laughed as he watched his daughter play with Naeun as Seungjae tried to impress the girls. Minah finally giving in and taking his hand. The trio climbing up a set of stairs that led to a bridge linking a few slides together.
“Oppa...where are we going?” She questioned. Her other hand holding onto Naeun. Both girls giggling as the boy explained himself. Mark finding himself chewing on his bottom lip. He was looking after all three for the moment. Jiyong and Sam going off to take the other kids to the bathroom and check on their reservations with the hotel. The group had travelled to Canada for a finale of the season. Mark and Mina had been on the show a few episodes now, but this was a bit more special. He was at home. A home he didn’t really know anymore. The whole thing had him spinning
Yet mark couldn’t help himself from letting his mind wonder. Especially watching Seungjae and Minah together. It hit him all at once. One day his baby girl wouldn’t be HIS anymore. One day she would be settled off on her own. She wouldn’t need him to hold her hand, hug her, protect her, kiss her scrapes when she falls down. One day Minah would be on her own. The thought made him well up with tears. He wouldn’t let himself cry, but it was obvious he wanted to.
“Daddy?”, a small voice questioned out. Crawling onto his lap and cupping his cheeks. Naeun on one side and Seungjae on the other. All three worried about the poor guy. His daughter kissing at his cheeks.
“Yea, Hyung, don’t cry anymore...please..” Seungjae said trying not to cry himself. All three kids winding up in Mark’s arms as he hugged them.
“I’m ok..you can’t cry either though..you wanna impress the ladies”, he joked, wiping tears away from Seungjae’s cheeks. Gently kissing his daughter and hugging Naeun and Seungjae.
a/n: here’s a cute one about Mark being a dad uwu <3 I came up with this one while ignoring what my math teacher was saying lmao // hope you enjoy! requests are open :D
"Do you think elephants ever realize that they carry a baby for two whole years?? Or do they not feel that it's a long period of time?" I look at Dad!Mark, whose eyes are glued to the screen currently playing Dumbo.
He turned his head as much as he could considering I was practically laying all over him. Suddenly laughing as if he finally processed what I said, Mark patted my head but said nothing.
"It's a serious question Mark!" I furrow my brows and smack his thigh playfully.
That just made him laugh even more, his face cutely scrunched up and threw his head back a little.
"Babe you've been asking the weirdest questions lately," he begins rubbing my arm absentmindedly. "Elephants might not mind two years since I guess they're massive but peaceful creatures anyways. What's two years to them?"
I place my hands on my growing bump and pout. "It's only been 5 months and I'm already wanting for our baby to get here. I can't imagine waiting two freaking years!"
"We just have to be really, really, reallyyy patient and next thing you know they'll be right here in our arms okay?" Mark leaned down to kiss the top of my head.
I giggle and correct him, "My arms, you mean. Because we both know damn well that you wouldn't know what to do as soon as they would start crying."
"Hey! That's not true!" he struggles to get up after I smacked him with a pillow in order to escape. "I'll get you for that!"
mark father au! you wake up to a crashing noise in the kitchen and you run to the kitchen and see broken plates and your son and they point at each other, and you sigh pick up your son and tell mark to clean it up
➸ request from anon; heyyy, i love ur dad mark fics sm that i was wondering if i could request one where it’s reader’s birthday and mark with the kids surprise reader, or like the kids just have a day out with mark and reader? idrm what u write i love reading ur dad scenarios sm :)) tyyyy
➸ note; hiya anon thank you so much ! i’m sorry this took so long and i honestly don’t love this but i hope you like it xx
➸ word count; 1009 words
➸ lucas; aged 9, noah; aged 7, maeve; aged 4
nct masterlist
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You wake up alone on your birthday. Most mornings you wake up and you’re in Mark’s arms, but occasionally he’s not there, having to deal with one of your three children. You couldn’t fault him for that.
But something felt off… it was quiet, silent actually. Usually you would hear the sound of Maeve talking or Noah playing with his toys, even the hum of the TV, but right now, nothing.
You roll out of bed to investigate.
‘Mark?’ You call, poking your head around your kids bedroom doors, but to no avail.
‘Lucas?’ There’s silence when you call out for your oldest.
‘Noah? Maeve?’ Still silence. You half expect birthday decorations to be displayed everywhere when you get downstairs, maybe they’d just gone out for something expecting you to stay asleep. But downstairs is completely bare.
Did they forget?
You don’t massively expect Noah or Maeve to remember, they’re only little, but Mark? Your partner of over ten years?
Your heart breaks a bit, dejection filling your thoughts. Oh well.
Where are you
You message Mark, before locking your phone and tossing it to the side, preparing to make yourself some breakfast.
At the park with the kids. Why?
You just ignore his texts, too annoyed and upset to even talk to him right now. You spend the beginning of your birthday nibbling at pieces of toast, scrolling through your phone and responding to birthday messages from your friends.
Around an hour and a half after you wake up, Mark, Lucas, Noah and Maeve return home. Noah, forever the mama’s boy comes straight to you.
‘Mummy/mommy,’ he smiles. Lucas shifts awkwardly on his feet and Maeve kind of just ignores you, trying to get Mark’s attention about something.
‘Hiya No,’ you kiss his head, ‘did you have fun?’
‘We did, didn’t we?’ Mark grins, ’sorry I didn’t leave a note or anything, you must’ve been really confused.’
‘It’s fine,’ you shrug. The kids have dispersed, likely back into their own rooms. Mark is still walking backwards and forwards, putting whatever items he brought with him away.
‘Oh, and baby?’ Mark stops momentarily.
‘Yeah?’ You perk up, thinking maybe it’s finally time for a birthday wish.
‘Johnny and his wife asked if we could move that dinner to tonight, so I said yeah, cause I didn’t think we had anything else going on. Is that ok?’
‘Yeah Mark. Fine,’ you huff, storming off into your bedroom.
Mark waits a few moments until he hears the door shut.
‘Kids, kids, gather,’ he drops down to his knees so he’s on level with his two youngest.
‘Mummy/mommy definitely thinks we forgot now. Mae, I’m gonna need you to convince her to take you for ice cream or a toy or something, tell her that I promised she would.’
Maeve nods, confident in her ability to sway you.
‘Then boys, get the decorations out of the cupboard under the stairs, Noah ask Lucas to help you if they’re too heavy. And then you two can help me decorate, ok?’
‘Okay,’ his sons affirm.
‘Maeve, give it ten minutes,’ Mark instructs.
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‘Is it nice?’
Maeve nods, too busy digging into her strawberry ice cream. Her hair is flying around in the wind, so you grab a hair tie from your bag and begin plaiting it.
‘I’m happy you like it,’ you kiss her cheek, ‘I’m so proud of you recently, you’re going to start big girl school soon.’
Maeve hides her face in your neck in embarrassment, leaving a sticky ice cream mark on your skin, but you don’t mind.
‘Thank you for my ice cream mummy/mommy,’ Maeve shovels more into her mouth.
You giggle, ‘you’re welcome.’
‘Mama?’ She suddenly asks.
‘Yeah baby?’
‘Are you sad today?’
You’re slightly taken aback by her questioning, wondering how on earth she read you so well.
‘No,’ you lie, ‘why would you say that?’
‘You were sad after talking to daddy… did he make you sad?’
Maeve was so young she couldn’t see the correlation between your conversation and the surprise that Mark and the boys were currently formulating.
‘No, daddy didn’t make me sad,’ you reassure her, ‘sometimes adults just have little arguments. Like Lucas and Noah do.’
‘Will daddy say sorry?’ Maeve asks, recalling the end of most of her brother’s tiffs.
‘I hope so,’ you nod, ‘he usually does.’
‘I want you to be happy today,’ Maeve then randomly offers you a spoonful of ice cream, which you happily accept.
‘I am happy, every day when I’m with you.’
Maeve giggles and blushes, prompting your heart to melt. At this point, you weren’t too bothered that Mark had forgotten your birthday. You were having the most amazing bonding time with your daughter, your youngest child.
After the ice cream was finished, you spent some time at the nearby park, playing around on the swings and climbing frame.
’Thank you mama, I had fun,’ Maeve smiles as you’re walking home, hand in hand. It’s warm outside even though the sun is close to setting.
‘I had fun too,’ you squeeze her hand gently, ‘let’s do it again sometime, okay?’
You approach your house, and as you open the front door you’re immediately met by silence.
You and Maeve swiftly kick your shoes off, before venturing down the corridor together. But as you enter the living room, you nearly jump out of your skin.
’Surprise!’
Mark, Lucas and Noah all jump out from behind the sofa, Noah diligently blowing on a party blower.
‘Happy birthday love,’ Mark approaches you, gently wrapping his arms around you and pulling you into a hug.
‘I thought you forgot,’ you cry, ‘you acted like you had no idea.’
‘As if I’d forget my favourite girl in the world’s birthday,’ Mark leans down to kiss you.
‘Gross!’ Lucas and Noah groan.
‘Hey! I kiss you both goodnight every night!’ Mark splutters.
’That’s different,’ Lucas argues.
‘No it isn’t!’
‘Boys, boys,’ you laugh, ‘you an have that argument later. All I want to know now is whether you prepared food!’
➸ request from anon; hi, i would just like to ask if you could do a scenario with mark and y/n being disturbed from their sleep because of their child. thank you
➸ note; decided to write Lucas because i feel like i write ab maeve too much help,,,,,, anyway enjoy anon <3
➸ word count; 468 words
➸ lucas; aged 3
nct masterlist
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‘Mummy/Mommy?’
‘Hmph,’ you unknowingly swat at your son, who, despite his small stature, is trying his best to tower over you, trying to catch your attention. He figures that he should try his luck with his Dad, whose arm is wrapped around you.
‘Daddy?’ He calls out slightly louder, grabbing Mark’s arm with his tiny hand and shaking it lightly.
‘Huh? Lucas, what’re you doing up, buddy?’ Mark wakes with a start, sitting up and rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands.
‘I… had a bad dream.’
‘Oh dear,’ Mark pouts sympathetically, gently swatting at your arm to wake you up.
‘What?’ You huff, annoyed at being awoken from your peaceful sleep, assuming that maybe Mark was fidgeting or trying to get comfortable.
‘Lucas had a nightmare,’ Mark explains when you see the three year old child’s silhouette at the end of your bed, clad in long blue pyjamas and clutching the stuffed brown bear Johnny and Ten had given him at birth.
‘Oh no sweetheart,’ you frown, opening up your arms for him to crawl into.
Lucas is shaking like a leaf by the time he’s in between both of you, big brown eyes swimming with tears.
‘What happened?’
‘I- I- I don’t wanna talk about it,’ Lucas stutters, sniffling at wiping at his eyes with the bear’s head.
‘That’s okay,’ you smile, kissing his boiling hot forehead, ‘you don’t have to tell us. But you’re safe with mummy/mommy and daddy, okay?’
‘I know,’ he mumbles.
Mark had turned on his bedside lamp at this point, a soft orange light illuminating the room. The absence of darkness clearly comforting him as he wriggles closer into your chest. Mark also shuffles closer to you, so that Lucas is comfortably sandwiched between you.
Mark runs his hands through Lucas’ black hair, grinning fondly at the way Lucas leans into his touch.
‘Nobody can hurt you here,’ Mark reassures him softly, ‘we’ll protect you, ok?’
‘Promise?’ Lucas lisps, pulling his arms out from the heaps of blankets, holding out a tiny pinky.
‘I promise,’ Mark confidently wraps his pinky around Lucas’.
‘Do you want to go back to bed?’ You ask your son after a few minutes of silent cuddling.
’Scared,’ Lucas responds simply, rubbing his heavy eyes slowly.
‘Okay baby,’ Mark smiles, brushing the bangs out of his eyes, ‘you can sleep here tonight. But just tonight, ok? Tomorrow me and mama will get some lights for your room for nighttime. And then we’ll make a little den for you, alright? One where monsters and scary people can’t get to you.’
‘Thank you dada.’
‘You’re welcome baby. Now go to sleep.’
‘G’night mama.’
‘Goodnight Lu.’
‘An’ goodnight dada.’
‘Goodnight Lucas. I love you.’
The three of you quickly fall asleep, completely entangled in one another, fear free.
➸ request from anon; missing my mark :( can i request a mark fic where he gets a week off and he spends a day or week w his babies?
➸ note; i miss him too :( i hope you like this!! decided to make it christmassy as it is that season <3
➸ maeve; aged 3, noah; aged 7, lucas; aged 9
➸ word count; 2329 words
nct masterlist
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‘How long are you home, daddy?’ Maeve asks, tiny hands holding onto Mark’s knee.
‘A whole week, princess,’ he grins, tugging on the ends of the three year old’s double plaits.
‘Really?’ Her face lights up, bouncing on her tights covered feet.
‘Yeah Mae! We’re gonna go see all of the Christmas lights.’
She gasps, dancing in circles around her older brother Noah.
‘Noah, did you hear what daddy said?’
You watch from the kitchen, where you’re washing up the dishes from dinner.
Mark had been granted a week off from his idol duties, in the way that he was now perfectly able to spend Christmas with all four of you.
‘With ice cream for dessert?’
‘With ice cream for dessert?’
‘With ice cream for dessert?’
‘You can have whatever you want.’
‘Within reason,’ you chime in, making Mark laugh loudly.
‘Grandpa and grandma are coming from Can-ada, right?’ Noah chirps.
‘They sure are buddy,’ Mark answers, before scooping up Mae in his arms, ‘but for now, it’s time for bed!’
‘Daddy no,’ Maeve whines, pouting dramatically and flopping her head into Mark’s neck.
‘It’s your bedtime, Mae. And yours, Noah.’
Noah was just old enough to understand the concept of bedtime, whereas Maeve didn’t understand why she couldn’t just play all night.
‘Lucas doesn’t go to bed until later-‘
’That’s because Lucas is older than you.’
You and Noah quietly exchange kisses, hugs and goodnights, leaving Mae to bicker with her father.
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‘Well done,’ you say flatly, watching as Mark begins opening every window in the kitchen to wave out the smoke.
‘I got distracted,’ he huffs, pulling out the burnt cookies and placing them on the counter, ‘Mae started whining.’
’This is why you need to have like… four tabs open at once in your brain. That way you don’t forget.’
‘We’ve still got enough ingredients,’ Mark files through the bags of flour and sugar still on the bench, ‘we’ll just have to make more.’
‘Mama, are the cookies done?’ Noah asks as he walks into the kitchen.
‘Not quite yet my lovely,’ you smile sadly, ‘they didn’t cook properly.’
‘Oh,’ the small boy pouts. He always melts your heart- looks and acts exactly like Mark.
‘Why can I smell burning?’ Lucas appears in the doorway, towering over his younger brother.
‘Your dad burnt the cookies,’ you deadpan.
‘I did not-‘ Mark tries to argue, but Lucas just laughs and rolls his eyes playfully.
‘Classic dad.’
‘I don’t burn food that much!’
‘You burnt the first birthday cake you made for my last birthday-‘
‘And I got it perfect the second time, did I not?’
‘It was eh,’ Lucas shrugs.
‘Looks like I should probably get started on the second batch,’ Mark sighs, ‘Mae was really looking forward to decorating these.’
‘I don’t think she would be happy with the taste,’ you point out, ‘I’m sure she wouldn’t mind waiting an extra half an hour.’
‘I’ll turn on the cartoons,’ Lucas sings, turning on his heel and walking into the living room to go and distract Maeve.
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‘Daddy said I could put the star on top of the tree,’ Maeve whimpers as you toss the gold glowing star onto the floor with the rest of the ornaments, ‘it’s my turn.’
‘We need to put all of the baubles on first Mae,’ you explain, holding up a glittery wooden tree bauble that Lucas had made at school several years ago.
Maeve had been itching to decorate the tree all day - not quite understanding that you and Mark had to actually put it up first - especially since it was her turn to put the star on top of the tree. You do it in a sort of rota, one year Lucas does it, the next Noah, and so on.
Mark enters the room, having rounded up your two sons.
Not long later, your Alexa is softly playing Christmas music while your multi coloured Christmas lights light up the room.
Considering there is five of you, it doesn’t take too long until your tree is covered from head to toe in baubles. You don’t have a cohesive theme at all - you have several block colour and glitter ornaments, but mostly handmade ones from school or ones that Mark has acquired on tour or at various tourist attractions.
‘Ok, I think we’re done!’ Mark announces, hanging the ‘Noah’s first Christmas’ ornament in between the Disneyland and Vancouver, Canada ornaments.
‘Can I do star now?’ Maeve immediately asks, causing the four of you to chuckle.
‘Of course you can baby girl, come on,’ Mark smiles fondly, picking up Maeve and hoisting her up so that she can reach the very top of the tree.
‘Go on Mae,’ Lucas encourages, clapping as Maeve slides the star on correctly.
‘Well done Mae,’ Mark grins, placing wet kisses on her cheek as she shrieks.
She claps excitedly, happy with the praise that she is receiving.
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‘Are you excited to meet Santa?’ Mark asks his three kids.
You’re surprised that he can even see them underneath the piles and piles of coats, scarves and gloves.
Maeve bounces on her toes, looking somewhat like a three foot tall lilac beach ball, ‘yeah!’
Maeve and Noah are practically vibrating in pure excitement while Lucas looks more apprehensive.
He’s ten now, so has begun to question the existence of Santa, and while naturally the three year old and the five year old are all for it.
‘Are you going to tell him what you want?’ You ask Mae, who nods rapidly.
‘I’ll tell him about aallll the toys that I want, and the puppy.’
’T-the what?’ Mark splutters, the first time he was hearing those words.
’She’s been talking about it for weeks,’ you explain, ‘ever since her seat mate at preschool got one.’
‘Right,’ Mark nods, tightlipped, ‘I’m sure Santa will make a good decision on that.’
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‘Goodnight, Mae-bee,’ Mark hums into the slightly lit room, the only source of light being her pink nightlight.
‘Wait, daddy?’ She chirps, reaching out for him from under her duvet covers.
‘Yes, angel?’
‘Can we have a cuddle?’
‘Maevie, it’s late-‘
‘But we haven’t snuggled in ages, you’re always at work and I miss you-‘
‘Okay, fine, just for five minutes.’
Mark picks up Maeve from underneath her armpits, carrying her through the hallway and into Lucas’ room. Lucas is the oldest, and so old enough to have a decent sized double bed in his room.
‘Mae requested snuggles,’ Mark explains, dropping Maeve down onto his bed, where she leans into her brothers side.
Mark prides himself on how close his children are. They rarely argue aggressively, but rather small spats that get resolved within minutes or petty fights over who has the biggest slice of cake. It’s no secret that Mae is the most affectionate amongst the three, constantly craving kisses and cuddles and love.
‘Dada,’ she mumbles like a baby who has just learned to speak, tiredness clearly taking over.
‘I’m coming, don’t worry.’
Mark somehow manages to get beside them, so that Maeve is in the middle clinging on to her Cinnamoroll stuffed toy. Maeve’s eyes flutter shut in the comfort of the presence of her father and brother.
Lucas just carries on playing his video game, after muting the volume so that she can be at peace.
‘What game are you playing?’ Mark questions in the form of a soft whisper.
‘It’s the one you got me for Christmas last year, remember?’
Mark does remember, although Christmas Day was the first he’d ever seen of it, considering you had bought all of the Christmas presents as Mark had been busy.
‘Oh, yeah, I remember now. They all look the same to me, though.’
‘It’s nice to have you here for Christmas…’ Lucas muses, still not taking his eyes away from the screen, ‘Mae talks about you all the time. She misses you when you’re at work.’
Mark fills with guilt, the thought of his baby girl wanting him to be there for her breaking his heart into tiny pieces.
‘Of course, she’s just a bit too young to fully understand… but I think she knows that you go away for us.’
Mark contemplates his words for a few seconds before swallowing the lump in his throat.
‘I’m happy I could be here too… just sad we didn’t make it to Canada this year.’
‘It’s alright… Maeve’s already experienced Canada Christmas with Grandma and Grandad twice before. She remembers the snow.’
Mark doesn’t say anything afterwards, eventually falling into a premature sleep with Mae between his arms.
By the time you notice the silence filling your house, all three- well, four of your babies are fast asleep, Noah curled up at the bottom of Lucas’ bed with a fluffy blanket thrown over him.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⋆✦⋆ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
Christmas Eve goes down a storm in the Lee household.
You make a massive effort to try and get Lucas in a festive mood, which proves incredibly difficult compared to Noah and Maeve, who are forever hollering about how Santa will be visiting that night.
You’re currently rounding up the younger two for bed, having allowed them to stay up for slightly longer to watch your favourite Christmas movie.
‘Mummy/mommy, we have to put out the cookies and milk for Santa,’ Noah reminds you.
‘I know I know, why don’t you three come help me, okay?’
The three kids trail through the corridor behind you and into the kitchen.
‘Lucas, you pour the milk, Noah you get the carrots for the reindeer, and Maeve, I’ll help you put our some cookies.’
Lucas and Noah do their respective jobs, the glass of milk fully poured and bag of carrots on the kitchen counter.
You open the packet for Noah, and he takes out a couple, dropping them onto the plate with a clunk. Lucas pours the milk without spilling any, and Maeve fusses over the packet of cookies, making grabby hands at a few and then putting them onto the plate next to the carrots.
‘Come on, Noah you can hold the glass and Lucas can carry the plate,’ you instruct, grabbing Mae’s tiny hand and walking towards the living room together.
‘On the mantelpiece,’ you say, prompting Noah and Lucas to put down the milk and food.
‘There we go, now bedtime little ones.’
‘But-‘ Noah tries to argue, but you instantly interject.
‘The faster you go to bed, the quicker Santa comes.’
Noah pouts but seems to understand your words, trailing out of the room and up the stairs. Mae is nearly out, eyes rolling into the back of her head in pure exhaustion.
You carry her to bed, covering her with her duvet and kissing her on the forehead gently.
Lucas goes to bed not long later, giving you and Mark the opportunity to take their gifts downstairs.
You wait until midnight to be sure all three of them are fast asleep before grabbing the bin bags full of wrapped presents.
‘You grab Maeve’s and I’ll take Noah’s,’ Mark says, trying his best to stay quiet as the separate gifts in Noah’s bag slide around and bump into each other.
You both tiptoe down the stairs, putting down the bin bags in the middle of the living room. You begin unpacking Mae’s while Mark goes back upstairs for Lucas’ bag, arranging her pile like you’re playing a game of Tetris on the smallest armchair.
Her gifts are all wrapped in silver paper with penguins dotted all over. You put minimal amount of sellotape on, hoping that they would be accessible for her to open.
Mark returns fairly quickly, flicking on the Christmas tree lights, for reasons you could only assume were ‘vibes.’
It’s a nice atmosphere, light small talk about how your three babies are growing up far too quickly, and discussing memories of Lucas’ first Christmas in Canada.
The presents are all unpacked and places on the chairs when you start cuddling on the bean bag. You know eventually you’ll have to move and go back upstairs so that the kids can wake you up in the morning, but for now it feels nice to just be alone together for a few minutes.
Mark’s skin is warm, and you rest your head in his neck.
‘I love Christmas,’ you whisper, ‘when we get to be together.’
‘I love it too. And I love our family so much.’
‘Lucas is so mature now, isn’t he? And Noah and Mae are so big.’
‘They really grew up in the blink of an eye… so I guess it’s true what they say…’
’They love you so much Mark. Even when you’re at work, it’s “when’s daddy coming home this,” “will daddy be home to tuck me in that”.’
‘My babies…’
‘It’s one in the morning, we should go back up to bed,’ you yawn between half lidded eyes.
Mark suddenly produces some mistletoe out of seemingly nowhere, and uses his free arm to hold it above your heads.
‘You didn’t need to put up the mistletoe to ask to kiss me,’ you roll your eyes.
‘I’m trying to be romantic,’ he chuckles, catching your eyes.
It’s a soft kiss, filled with love and affection for each other. He tastes like the chocolate chip cookies that Maeve put out, with a slight hint of milk.
‘Come on, let’s go up to bed now. We’ve got a long day with three excitable kids to look forward to tomorrow.’
