Work Text:
“Bren, do you ever think about having kids?”
The question made Brendan choke on his protein smoothie. Alex glared unsympathetically and sipped his own calmly while Brendan choked and sputtered.
“What? Us? Now?” Brendan coughed out, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
Alex rolled his eyes and scoffed, “Well not now. Not right this moment, but maybe soon?”
“Aleeeeeex,” Brendan drew the word out, cocking his head and looking at Alex accusingly. “What did you do.”
It wasn’t a question, more of an accusation. Alex shifted in his seat, squirming a little.
“I didn't do anything! I just...wanted to know if it was something you wanted someday. You know, to have kids.” Alex said, picking at his shirt collar nervously.
Brendan's eyebrows pulled together at the thought. “Yeah, I mean, I just assumed we'd have our own someday. I didn't know it was something we would have to discuss, aside from starting adoption stuff.”
“Adoption is good. Do you think we will get a stork visit someday too?” Alex asked carefully, glancing up.
“Are you kidding? I've seen you with other people's babies, we're lucky we haven’t already!” Brendan said with a laugh. “Really, Chucky, you try to be tough and all, but you are such a softie!”
Alex snorted at that, sinking down into the chair next to Gally and bumping his shoulder into his side. Brendan turned his head and tipped his face up like he wanted a kiss. Alex scoffed.
“No way, not until you brush your teeth. That Kiwi shit is nasty!” Brendan laughed, throwing his head back gleefully. Alex rolled his eyes at him and went back to his own strawberry one.
~~~TicTok~~~~
1 year later
Alex wakes up earlier than Brendan every morning. Brendan's not a morning person, never will be. He lounges in bed for a while, stretching and shifting comfortably. Brendan is murmuring to himself. It sounds like he's having a good dream. Alex almost, almost, feels guilty when he sets his lips against the curve of his ear and whispers, “Bren, get up, the alarm's going to go off.”
The alarm starts beeping right as Alex says it. “No, no, no, no...” Brendan chants, rolling over and burying his face in Alex's neck. Alex laughs quietly, a little bitterly. He likes to torment Brendan. He easily could have warned him earlier and woken him before the alarm. That is Brendan's preferred method for waking up. He hates the alarm.
The beeping stops abruptly when Alex thumps his hand down on it. Brendan whines and crawls up so that he's nearly lying on top of Alex.
Alex runs his hand down Brendan's back and settles them on his lower back, just above his pants. He slaps Brendan's ass sharply and jostles him as he says, “Get off, go shower.”
Brendan whines and snuggles closer, dropping his knee down between Alex's thighs. Alex slaps him again, getting a surprised grunt.
“GO. We'll be late.” Alex insists. Brendan huffs and rolls off, dropping dramatically onto the floor.
Alex laughs and gets up, grabbing Brendan's forearms and dragging him to his feet. He shoves Brendan in the direction of the attached bathroom and heads for the kitchen.
The teapot only takes a couple minutes, and soon Alex is sighing into his mug of tea while he waits on the toaster to pop. Brendan shuffles out of their room just as the the toaster dings.
“Hey thanks for making me toast.” He smirks, grabbing the toast and tossing it back and fourth in his hands as it burns him. Alex glares and puts another piece in for himself.
“I'm going to go get the mail.” Brendan says through a mouthful of food, not really paying attention for an answer. Alex hums in response and opens the fridge for something else. Alex hears the door open, but doesn’t hear it close. He rolls his eyes and stomps towards the front door to close it.
He stops midstep in the hall when he sees Brendan standing there in the open doorway.
“Brendan, what are you doing? Shut the door!” Alex says, scowling at the back of Brendan's head.
“Uh, Alex...” Brendan says, moving aside to let Alex see more of the doorway.
Alex doesn’t know what he's supposed to be looking at for a moment. Then, a large, solid white bird steps up the little stoop into the apartment. It's dripping water everywhere from the rain. Alex feels his heart leap when his eyes fall on the bundle hanging in the white sash around the bird's neck and resting against it's huge chest.
“Alex, that's a...”
“Stork, yeah, I see it.” Ales breaths out. He finally tears his eyes away from it to look at Brendan. He's not surprised at all to see Brendan's eyes as wide as saucers and his mouth hanging open.
The bird shakes itself, flapping its wings and sending water flying in all directions. It makes a trilling noise and looks them both up and down.
Alex takes a half step back when it starts walking towards him. It trills again and turns its head to look back at Brendan. There is a scroll hanging by a string clenched in its beak.
“Maybe...it just wanted out of the rain?” Brendan murmurs, talking more to himself than to Alex.
Alex holds his hand out hesitantly, the bird immediately leans forward and offers the scroll. As soon as Alex's fingers close around the scroll the bird pulls away, nudging the bundle against its chest with it's beak.
Brendan skirts around the bird and leans into Alex's side as he unties the scroll. Alex shrugs him off, fully knowing he will lean right back in.
The bird notices the toast in Brendan's hand and clicks its beak. It looks from him to the toast and back again. Lightning fast, it snatches the toast out of his hand, grazing his fingers in the swipe. Brendan yelps and recoils. The bird tips it's head back and gulps the toast down, trilling happily when it finishes. Alex shakes his head and looks back down at the scroll.
The scroll creaks a little as Alex opens it. It's got the Stork's seal on the top and a golden border going around the edges. Golden ink scrawls Alex's name, address, date of birth on the left under the heading 'FATHER' and Brendan's name and information under the same heading on the other side.
Below, in the middle of the scroll are the words,
'Mr. Alexander Galchenyuk and Mr. Brendan Gallagher are hereby presented with their much desired, long awaited, baby boy.'
Alex looks at Brendan, who is still gaping at the scroll. Their eyes meet for a moment, with matching shocked looks.
The stork throws its head back and makes a tap-tap-tap-tap noise by clacking its beak together in a manner that sounds suspiciously like a cackling laughter. Alex instinctively scowls at it. Brendan giggles nervously and grabs Alex's hand.
The stork seems to take Brendan's giggling as a signal, and grips the straps of fabric that go up around the back of its neck. The straps let go instantly and in an obviously well practiced move, the stork catches them in its beak.
A wail pierces the air of the hall at the sudden movement. Alex resists his urge to snatch the bundle away from the stork, and waits semi-patiently while it waddles a few steps towards them. It hesitates again, glancing up and down at them. Brendan holds his hands out, staring at the bundle.
With a muffled trill and a bob of it's head, the stork takes a few steps closer and leans forward, resting the bundle in Brendan's waiting arms.
The bundle instantly starts squirming and whimpering. Brendan holds the whimpering bundle awkwardly, not sure how to settle it against his chest.
The stork trills at them, clicking its beak gleefully and turns, taking a running leap off their front stoop and taking to the sky again.
The whimpers take on more volume and more urgency, drawing Alex's gaze back to Brendan and the bundle in his arms. Brendan looks more than a little shell shocked. The blanket in his arms is wiggling and writhing somewhat desperately now.
Alex holds his hands out and Brendan hands it over, looking relieved. Alex settles the bundle in the crook of his arm and carefully unwraps it enough to expose the baby's face. His face is pinched angrily and his lips pursed in displeasure. He opens his eyes blearily, squinting at the sudden rush of light. He blinks a few times, looking no less unhappy, and drops his mouth open in a wail.
Brendan lets out a huge breath and holds a hand up, “I'm...I'm gonna call...someone.”
Alex doesn't look up, fixated on the shrieking baby. Brendan leaves the room, and slams the bedroom door shut. The infant startles, pausing in his crying to writhe in Alex's arms for a moment. He resumes a moment later, even louder.
Alex shushes him and rocks him gently. He quiets a little, but keeps up a cranky sounding whine. Brendan returns a few minutes later. Alex wants to sit down, but the baby has finally settled, just grunting out resigned little whimpers. He's afraid that if he jostles him at all he will start screaming again.
“I called Prust.” Brendan blurts out, looking shifty.
“Bren. Why would you call him!? He's going to be such an ass about this.” Alex shakes his head. He decides to risk it and inches towards the couch to sit down.
“Hopefully it won't be so bad, he's bringing Mari so...” Brendan goes to shut the door and then settles on the couch next to Alex. He leans in close, resting his chin on Alex's shoulder.
“They are going to pick up some basic baby things, and then come here.” Brendan murmurs softly. “He looks just like you.”
Alex snorts, making the baby whimper and scrunch his forehead up. “No, I don't think so. He has your lips and your nose.”
Brendan grins. “You think? No way, look at that expression. That's all you buddy. Hey, I called the event coordinator and told them we couldn't make it today.”
Alex hums then gets quiet, just staring.
It takes nearly 45 minutes before they hear the front door creak open and the rustle of bags. Mari slinks around the corner, grinning ear to ear and carrying a few colored bags. Prust is not far behind her, clutching a huge box and a few more brightly colored bags. He's smirking knowingly.
Mari sets the bags down and gets out her phone and starts snapping pictures, making Alex scowl and Brendan mutter unhappily.
The flash makes the baby start to cry again, and Alex grumbles as he shifts the bundle up to his shoulder.
Mari swoops in and plucks the baby out of Alex's arms, scolding him a little for not even unwrapping the baby yet. Prust hasn’t said a word, he just keeps smirking as he settles in the middle of the floor with the huge box. Brendan glances at Alex and then slides off the couch onto the floor. He scoots over to Prust, looking at him uncertainly and asking if he can help.
Alex eyes Mari warily as she rocks the baby, cooing at him and bouncing him gently.
“Alex, get those bags and come help me get him dressed.” She says, pointing at two of the bags. Alex grabs them and follows her closely as she goes into their bedroom.
“Move those blankets so there is room for him on there.” She says, cuddling the baby close, still swaying slightly as she directs Alex.
“On the bed?” Alex gasps, trying not to sound horrified. The last thing he needs is his brand new infant rolling off his bed.
“Yes, of course. Where else? You guys can buy a changing table later. The bed will have to do for now.” Mari sing-songs the last part, looking down at the infant who is amazingly quiet.
Alex sets the bags on the floor and shoves the blankets over. Mari tsks at him, shaking her head.
“What?” He snaps, holding his arms out, suddenly overwhelmed with the need to hold his baby. She hands him over easily and starts rummaging through the bags.
“What?” He insists again. He holds the baby closer, torn between looking at him and glaring at her until she answers.
“You're so young. Both of you. I know it can't be helped, but you're just babies yourselves...” She trails off, pulling a soft, squishy mat out of the bag as well as a few articles of clothing. She sets them both on the bed.
“You think we cannot do it?” Alex accuses, cringing at his own accent. “You think we can't?”
She shakes her head, “No, I know you can. Of course you can. Starting right now.”
She gestures to the mat on the bed. Alex stares at it for a moment, then carefully lays the baby on it. The white sash has loosened from all the movement of the baby and passing him around, but the wrap underneath is still snug. Alex carefully unwraps the sash while Mari sets about picking clothes.
The baby whines and whimpers, smacking his lips and turning his head side to side.
“Oh! Yes I have one of those things too!” Mari says, grabbing one of the bags and digging through all the clothes. She surfaces with an 'ahah!' and tears the packaging open. Alex shushes the infant and touches his cheek gently. Mari rinses the pacifier off at the sink in the bathroom and pops it into the baby's mouth. He stops whining and squirming abruptly. Alex gapes, looking at her with wide eyes.
“That actually works that fast? Just like that?”
“Yep. Just like that.” She replies, grinning. “Now come on.”
She gestures to the baby as she says it. Alex finds the end of the wrap and carefully tugs it. It is wrapped several times, tightly. The baby starts trembling immediately as his legs are exposed. Alex hurries to get the rest of the wrap off. As he pulls the wrap down off the back of the baby's head, he exposes very thin, very blond hair.
“Look at that! He's a Galchenyuk!” Mari chirps, handing him a diaper. Alex takes it an gingerly lifts the baby's bottom to put it on him.
Brendan and Prust join them then, pushing a little green bassinet with small purple polkadots. Alex looks at the bassinet judgmentally for a moment before flicking his eyes up to Brendan. Prust is grinning widely, like a dog with a bone. Alex ignores him as Brendan presses against his side to look at the infant in front of him.
“Sorry, it was the only one that wasn't blue or pink.” Mari supplies, piling the extra clothes up on the top of their dresser. Alex shrugs and looks back at the baby. Prust comes over, wrapping his arms around the two of them and grinning impossibly wider.
“He's huge!” Prust chirps. “Can't be yours Gally, too big for him to be yours, half pint.”
Brendan pulls back and punches Prust in the chest. “Fuck off man, my name's on his paper.”
Brendan must realize it just as he says it because his eyes get big and he gasps a little, turning to Alex.
“Holy shit dude, we're Dads!” He says, he looks torn between anxiety and excitement.
Alex nods and looks down at the baby who is sucking on the pacifier contentedly. They all stare for a minute before Prust snorts.
“This is too much, it's great. I can't wait to tell everyone.” He cackles, turning and leaving the room.
Alex tries not to growl, reaching for the outfit and carefully dressing the baby. When he's dressed, Alex lifts him up and cradles him to his chest. He grunts and squirms a little.
“Brendan, come on, time to learn how to make a bottle.” Mari grabs Brendan's arm and tugs him along towards the kitchen. Brendan squawks and looks at Alex desperately.
Alex watches Mari leave, dragging Brendan with her and tries not to laugh. The baby is calm now, sucking contentedly on the pacifier. His outfit is a muted orange with white stripes on the sleeves. It's gender neutral, like everything else Mari bought for them. Alex wonders if Brendan even thought to tell her that the baby was a boy. He must not have. Alex thinks its probably okay though, the baby's pink cheeks are really accented by the light orange.
The baby cracks his eye's open, looking up at Alex. He takes a shuddering sigh and relaxes in Alex's arms. His eye slip closed again when Alex brings his hand up and lets the infant grip his finger. He is a big baby. Strong too. Alex feels overwhelmingly proud and elated when the baby grips his finger harder. Alex is willing to bet the baby weighs at least 8 pounds. He looks up when Brendan shuffles into the room, holding a bottle in one hand and a yellow blanket in the other.
“Mari and Pruster left. They said to call if we needed anything.” Brendan says. His eyes are locked on the baby as he enters the room. He gestures to the bed and goes up to sit at the head of it, leaning against the pillows. Alex mimics him, settling on the other side next to Brendan.
The bed is plenty big, but they still end up with Brendan pressed into Alex's side. Brendan grabs a pillow and props it on his lap. Alex takes the hint and settles the baby onto the pillow. The baby whines a little, protesting the movement.
When Alex looks over at Brendan, he's grinning widely and staring at the infant. Alex chuckles and drops an arm over the back of his shoulders.
“We can do this, right?” Brendan murmurs as he switches the pacifier out for the bottle. The baby blinks and grunts. Alex grumbles a little and maneuvers Brendan so that his knees are up a little and the baby is at a better angle.
“You don't feed them flat on their back.” Alex chides, grabbing Brendan's arm and positioning him better to feed the baby correctly.
Brendan slumps. “Oh, I didn't know that.”
Alex watches them for a moment. The baby has his hands curled tightly against his chest and his feet stretched out pressing against Brendan's stomach.
“We'll be okay.” Alex reassures, leaning over to press a kiss to Brendan's shoulder.