Chapter Text
When Ben asked Joe how he felt about him adopting Mazz as his, Joe almost fell off his chair. After all that time, Joe was still ready for Ben to just up and leave him and the blond kept making more commitments to him as time went by, proving him wrong almost daily.
They didn’t decide it right away, they took their time and discussed it and Joe would always come up with an excuse that made Ben postpone the conversation just to not get into a fight with him. Joe was stubborn but mostly, he was insecure and scared so Ben didn’t push all at once, he took his time.
“You know I’m not going anywhere, right?” Ben finally whispered in Joe’s ear one night as they were spooning and about to go to sleep. He was playing with Joe’s hair, with one arm wrapped tight around his body in a firm embrace, circling Joe’s arm with his fingers.
“How could you possibly know that?” Joe said in all honesty. “You’re too young.”
“You were younger than me when you had Mazz, what are you talking about?”
“Yes, but I’ve wanted her my whole life.”
“How do you know I haven’t wanted this my whole life too?”
Joe turned around to look at Ben. He needed to see if he was just saying what he wanted to hear or if he was being honest and he feared the later because if he was being honest, this was becoming too real.
“You’re serious.”
“Stop thinking I’m with a foot out the door, Joe.” Ben shifted once Joe turned to him to keep him in his arms comfortably. “I didn’t meet you in some dating app not knowing you were a dad. I got into this fully knowing. Now, if you really don’t want me to adopt Mazz I’ll be okay with it. She’s your child. But don’t do it out of fear of me leaving because I’m not. I want to be her dad too.”
“Do you know what that entitles? If something happens to me...”
“Joe, are you joking? What, do you think if something happens to you, I’m going to leave Mazz alone? Send her off to your mom? What?” Joe wasn’t looking at him, feeling kind of guilty. “I know everything that it entitles. I also know that if something happens to herbhs and you’re not around I would have the same right as you too.”
Joe was overwhelmed, to say the least. Ben clearly thought this through and wasn’t just saying it. He really wanted this. He wanted him. He wanted this family. “Fuck....” he finally looked up into Ben’s eyes.
“What?” Ben chuckled at Joe’s reaction.
“You really do love me.”
“Yeah, you moron.” Ben dipped his head and kissed Joe sweetly.
“Okay then. Let’s become a family.”
****
Mazz didn’t object one bit to the whole adoption thing, even though Ben and Joe were very careful throughout the whole process and Ben assured her he wasn’t expecting her to call her dad any time soon or ever if she never felt like it. He wasn’t trying to be something she didn’t want him to be, quite the opposite. He wanted to be whatever Mazz needed.
It was Ben’s first birthday as Mazz official father and he really wanted to surprise her. Joe offered to help him with her gift but he wanted to try and do it on his own so all Joe did was reassure him Mazz was going to love whatever he got him anyway.
When the time came for opening presents, Ben was ridiculously nervous. Shifting in his place as he watched her tear up the wrapping paper that he carefully put together himself. Mazz finally finished opening it to reveal a Yankees baseball jersey with her last name on it and it was her favorite player’s number too. She let out a high-pitched scream and run to Ben who kneeled down to take in her hug.
“I’m really happy you liked it!”
“I love it! Thanks dad.” She finally let out for the first time. She had been thinking about when she was going to start calling him that and she promised herself she wasn’t going to force it. She would just do it when she finally felt it. And she was feeling it now.
Joe was looking from afar when Ben’s eyes met his. He didn’t know what was happening, all he could see was Ben standing up after Mazz let go of him and turning white. Ben turned around and left the dining room for the kitchen where no-one was around and Joe followed him right after.
“What’s going on?” Joe asked worriedly as he watch Ben pacing around hyperventilating. “Ben? What’s happening?”
Ben stopped on his steps and faced Joe and he was trying with all his might to keep his cool and not cry, that’s why he was hyperventilating. He really didn’t want to cry. “She... she called me dad.” He said almost in a whisper.
Joe started laughing hysterically.
“Oh, you are a fucking asshole.” Ben started to pace again, trying to catch his breath as he rubbed his eyes.
“I’ve never seen you cry before! I didn’t know you could.” Joe was still in stitches almost cry-laughing.
“Shut up!”
“This is the most adorable shit I’ve ever seen and I have a daughter. Come here, you idiot.” Joe gestured Ben with his hand and held him as he soothed him, rubbing his back.
“I didn’t know it was gonna get me like this.” Ben said into the hug, a little calmer.
“I can see that. It’s okay. Boys can cry too, you know? Even big ones.” Joe teased him once more and Ben pushed him away and gave him an annoying look. “Come one, let’s go back to the party, dad. ”