Chapter Text
Wait? What?
“What color are the curtains in our bedroom?” she asked, not looking up from the computer screen.
Because he was bored and thought this activity would be much fun done in bed when they were both naked. Or on the beach where they could be enjoying the beautiful Hawaii sunset. Or in the Ferrari, driving really fast.
Or maybe it wouldn’t be fun anywhere. Magnum wasn’t sure.
He yawned. “We have curtains in the bedroom?”
That made her look up and give him an annoyed glare.
“I’m kidding,” he said, leaning his head back against the sofa. “They’re blue.”
“What were the names of my parents?”
“We did that one already,” he said but then told her their names again. “And your grandfather’s is Rafferty. Which is a really funny name.”
“It’s an old family name,” she said, turning back to find more boring questions to ask.
“Don’t worry so much,” he said, wishing he was sitting next to her so he could touch her, distract her.
“Don’t worry? Magnum, you do know if we fail this interview-”
“I know, I know. But these are some weird questions. Like why would they ask us the color of our bedroom curtains? That’s weird.”
“Well they might and I want us to be prepared.”
“How about we make this into a drinking game. Or maybe like a strip version. Every time I get something right, you could take something off. That’d be a great incentive.”
She raised one eyebrow in a way that said as clear as if she had spoken ‘yeah, that’s not happening’.
“Fine, but our interview isn’t for another two weeks,” he said. “I don’t see why we have to start studying so early.”
“I know you like to do things without any planning but I believe in being prepared,” she said and he had to smile at how British she was sounding.
Of course, she always did, but occasionally it just hit him. Today it wasn’t quite as enjoyable as normal, because the reminder of her Britishness just brought him back to the whole green card wedding interview which was rather boring.
“Here are some basic questions. Where did you meet? Work. Or maybe through a mutual friend? I think work sounds better. When did you meet each other’s parents? We haven’t on the account of both our parents having passed away. When did you start dating? We told the guys after Abby left, didn’t we? So November? How will you spend your one year anniversary? We should make something up for that. Maybe say we’re planning a road trip. That’s very American, isn’t it?”
“We could go on the pancake tour of America. I’ve always wanted to go on that,” he suggested.
She ignored him. “Do you plan on buying a house? If so, where? We are not. Are you having kids, if so how many? No . Where was-”
“Wait? What? Go back,” he said, suddenly paying attention.
She bit her lip and stopped speaking but she didn’t look at him.
“Are we answering this as we will for the interview or as us, now?” he asked, sitting up straighter.
“Magnum-”
“Because I don’t think No is right for either one of those,” he said, frowning. “Weren’t you and Richard going to have a family?”
This made her finally meet his eyes. They were confused, vaguely questioning. “Who told you that?”
“Ian. Was he lying?”
"No. I don’t know.” She closed her laptop screen, put the computer on the coffee table. “It’s almost seven, I think we should make some dinner. I feel like Italian. You?”
“What?” he said, confused by the sudden change of topic. For about two seconds. Because this was classic Higgy avoidance behavior. “No. You don’t get to do that. Not with me.”
“Do what?” she said as she got up and headed for the kitchen. He followed.
“Not talk about something that’s upsetting you,” he said, not sure what to call it. “We’ve tried it and it makes both of us unhappy.”
“I’m not upset,” she said, opening the fridge.
“Then you’re avoiding the question,” he said, because those were the two options. Upset or avoiding.
Magnum had always imagined he’d have kids at some point. Mostly because all the kids he’d been around had been charming in a multitude of different ways and he’d figured his own would be even more so. As much as he loved his friends, his brothers, and they were his family, would always be his family, having kids would be another type of family. Another type of bond and love. One he wanted to experience.
He hadn’t really stopped to ask if that was what she wanted. He’d just assumed it was. Because she was good with kids. In a sort of different way than he was, but all the same Juliet Higgins as a parent made sense to him. In fact the more he thought about it, the more he felt that him and Higgy together - that be the perfect parent duo. Partners.
If that was what she wanted.
Only what if it wasn’t.
He wasn’t sure what he felt about that prospect.
“I think you are avoiding the question,” he asked, putting himself in front of her to make her look at him. “Do you or do you not want to have kids?”
“I’d be a terrible mother-” she said and stopped herself. Took a deep breath and continued before he could correct her. “Magnum, it’s way too early in our relationship for us to talk about this.”
“Considering we’re married, I say it’s just about the right time.”
“Fake married,” she said, sidestepping him even in the thigh space.
“No,” he said firmly, feeling almost angry. “We are married. Real married. We decided that in Russia.”
“I know,” she said, putting her left hand on his heart. The one with the engagement ring on it. That made his anger melt away - into - something else. “It’s just a bit of an adjustment.”
“We’ve adjusted before,” he pointed out, reaching out to pull her body to his. “I think we’ll be fine.”
“I'm inclined to agree with you. And I’m not hungry anymore. At least not for Italian,” she said and smiled before leaning up to kiss him.
It was only later as they lay in bed, the red rays of sunset playing over their naked skin, he realized she hadn’t actually given him an answer to the question if she wanted to have children or not.