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The crackling of the baby monitor was what ultimately woke Elias up. It started as a soft hum but quickly progressed into a full-blown screech.
Elias heard a groan from beside him and simultaneously felt the comforter shifting around.
“What time is it even,” Elias’ husband, Brock, asked.
Brock yawned as he sat up in the bed. He stretched his arms above his head, making a satisfying grunt when his shoulder joints both popped into place.
Elias grabbed the baby monitor, squinting at the poorly lit screen in the pitch black of the bedroom.
“3:30 am,” Elias said, yawning halfway through.
He sat up in the bed, stretching his arms in front of him. In much the same vein as Brock, Elias made a satisfied grunt when his shoulder joints popped into place.
The screeching from the baby monitor continued as they sat there, staring at each other. Brock blinked a couple of times and ran a hand down his face.
“Should one of us go check on him,” Brock asked, his voice sounding a little concerned.
They had just become parents two months ago, having adopted a son that they had named Duke after Brock’s father. They were still learning the ropes of parenting and were still unsure what to do half the time.
Elias nodded, motioning towards the baby monitor. “He’s your child before 5:00 am.”
Brock smiled softly as he swung his legs around the bed. He sighed as he stood and walked out of the room.
Elias turned his attention to the screen on the baby monitor and saw Duke squirming around his crib, crying hysterically. Elias pressed the button that allowed for communication and spoke to Duke.
“Duke, späckhuggare,” Elias said, voice steady and calm. “Daddy’s coming to see you. He should be there in a second, alright?”
On cue, Brock popped into the frame. He waved at the camera before walking to the crib. He scooped Duke out and began rocking him. Elias barely caught the face of disgust Brock made.
Elias pressed the button again.
“Dirty diaper?”
“Yeah. I’ll change him and get him in a fresh sleeper.” Brock said as he carried Duke to the changing table.
Elias watched Brock fumble with the buttons on Duke’s sleeper, even going so far as to accidentally pop one of them off. Elias heard him softly swear to himself as he scrambled around on the floor to try to find it. When Brock found it, he stuffed it in his pocket before returning to changing Duke.
When the dirty diaper was dealt with, Duke was still crying. Elias knew that meant Duke was probably hungry. Sighing, Elias made his way from his and Brock’s bedroom to Duke’s bedroom down the hall. Brock frowned when he saw Elias standing in the doorway.
“What’re you doing here,” he asked as he was trying to put Duke into a clean sleeper.
“He’s still wailing,” Elias motioned to Duke. “That means he’s probably hungry. I came to feed him.”
Brock nodded as he buttoned the final button on the sleeper. He handed Duke to Elias as he grabbed one of the spit rags, some formula, and a bottle from the drawer. Elias smiled weakly as he went to sit in the rocking chair. Brock handed Elias the rag before he disappeared into the attached bathroom. Elias draped the rag over his shoulder and positioned himself properly to begin feeding Duke.
When Brock returned a few minutes later, he was shaking a bottle. He squirted it against his wrist and nodded before handing it to Elias.
“The temperature seems fine,” Brock said, leaning against the changing table.
Elias smiled as he put the bottle to Duke’s lips. Duke sighed as he latched onto the bottle and began to suckle. Elias looked at Brock pointedly; Brock raised his hands in surrender, chuckling softly. Elias shook his head and focused his attention back onto Duke.
Duke fed for a few minutes before he unlatched from the bottle’s nipple. Elias handed Brock the bottle before holding Duke over his shoulder, patting his back until he burped. A little regurgitation landed onto the side of Elias’ neck but Brock was quick to grab another spit rag and clean the mess up. Elias thanked Brock for his efforts.
After a moment of Elias rocking Duke in his arms, Brock graciously took Duke and placed him back in the crib to allow him to go back to sleep. That gave Elias some time to properly clean himself up.
Elias excused himself to the bathroom, scrubbing his neck with a cloth and some soap before returning to the bedroom to find Brock singing lullabies to Duke. Elias felt his stomach and heart swoop as he leaned against the changing table, watching his husband interact with their son.
Elias twirled his wedding ring between his fingers as he smiled fondly at Brock. This life with Brock is everything he could ever want. Being the second father to their son; being Brock’s husband. Elias couldn’t think of anywhere in the world he’d rather be right now.
Because this was his world.