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Roman sighed, leaning his head back against the headrest. He was tired.
Thankfully, Asoese was sleeping peacefully in the backseat. She was so well-behaved (until she didn’t want to be), and he hoped she would stay asleep for a while until he got the car to start. He got out, after making sure her car seat was secure, and he popped the hood, pulling out his phone to text his cousin. Or Mark. Whoever was most likely to come and give him a jump...and then he heard a cry from inside the car.
Roman sighed, but he did smile just a little. Even when she was crying, he was happy to have his daughter. He couldn’t think of anything that would change that feeling. He got her out of her carseat and held her, thinking through the things that could be wrong-she didn’t need changing, so she was probably hungry, unless it was because she was teething, in which case...he didn’t have a lot of options, because her teething rings were still in the freezer at home. Roman held her close and kissed her head, quietly apologizing, and he held her even closer when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. Roman whipped around and looked-down. There was a young boy standing in front of him, with long blond hair, and another, slightly younger boy with a skateboard behind him.
“Hello.”
“Hi. ‘s your car broke down?”
“Uh-yeah, the battery died.”
“That’s what Jon said it was.”
“Jon?”
“Our dad. He’s in that store and asked us to come out and see what was wrong.”
Roman furrowed his brows and looked into the store that the older boy was pointing at. There was a man with another boy and a baby sitting near one of the windows and he shot a short wave at Roman.
“Oh. Uh-well-yeah, tell him that’s what it was.”
“Darby, go tell him.”
Darby-the one with the skateboard, evidently-skated back to the coffee shop that Jon was in. Roman held Asoese closer and she kept crying. The boy watched.
“How old are they?”
“She’s about eight months old.”
“Cool. My sister is a year old and she cried like that all the time too. It was pretty fucking annoying at first, but then she started walking and she liked to walk with me most, so it was cool.”
It was almost weird to hear an expletive come out of the mouth of a child who wasn’t even a teenager yet, but Roman was distracted by Darby rolling back to them on his skateboard, and the sight of their father-this Jon guy-coming over to them, looking both ways across the street with the baby in one arm and his other hand held tight by his other son. They made their way over to Roman and Darby and-
“Joey, tell Darby to look both ways next time.”
“He didn’t get hit.”
Jon sighed.
“Joseph, not now. Hey-saw you were having car trouble.”
Roman blinked. Asoese was still crying and there was a lot happening right now.
“Y-yeah, it-a friend borrowed it last night and I think he drained the battery. If I can get it home, I can charge it-”
“Want me to pull my car around? I can give you a jump. Would hate to leave you and the little one out here for too long. Sounds like they’re needing to get home.”
The baby in Jon’s arm was awake and chewing on a necklace around Jon’s neck, watching the world.
“Yeah, I think-she’s teething right now, and I didn’t bring anything.”
“I get it. Shota-”
He ruffled the hair of the youngest boy that was now clinging to his leg.
“-was a little monster when he was teething. I’ll get my car-Joey, watch your brothers.”
“Whatever, Jon.”
He spoke in an uninterested tone, but grabbed Darby and Shota’s hands and guided them to the sidewalk as Jon left. Roman was still very-he’d been presented with a lot of information very quickly, and he gently rocked Asoese, trying to calm her.
“What’s her name?”
“What?”
Joey was looking up at him.
“What’s her name?”
“Oh-Asoese.”
“That’s a weird name. I like it.”
“It’s Samoan.”
“My sister’s name is Viviette. It’s French.”
A car pulled up and was parked so that it was facing Roman’s car, and Roman watched as Jon got out, a bag with jumper cables in his hand.
“Joey, get your sister.”
Joey did so-Roman suspected his careless attitude was a cover. Asoese stopped crying and hiccuped a few times, and Jon smiled...the sweetest, loveliest smile Roman had ever seen at her.
“How old is she?”
“Eight months.”
Roman found his own voice softer, and Jon glanced at him.
“She’s beautiful.”
“Joey-said your daughter is named Viviette, and she’s a year?”
Jon started the process of hooking his car up to Roman’s, and Roman put Asoese in her carseat for the short period that he had to start his car.
“Yeah, Viette’s about a year now. Her birthday is in two weeks. It’s crazy-four kids and I never get used to how fast they grow up.”
Roman smiled and Jon started his car, both of them letting their car idle for a while. Jon got Viviette from Joey and came to stand against Roman’s car.
“So-you have four?”
“Yeah. The three boys and Viette. She your first?”
Roman laughed; Asoese had quieted again.
“Yeah. She was worth the scar.”
Jon tilted his head.
“Scar?”
“C-section. It was a last resort kind of thing, but-it ended up okay. I’m grateful she was born healthy.”
“You carried her?”
Roman nodded.
“Damn. Can’t even imagine that.”
Roman blushed, looking down at his daughter.
“Like I said...she’s worth it.”
“Is-uh-is her other parent still around?”
Jon’s cheeks were pink as he talked, and Roman raised an eyebrow.
“No. He-he really didn’t want to have kids-jackass should have worn a condom if he really didn’t, but I figured out he was a scumbag a little too late.”
Jon actually threw his head back and laughed, and Viviette did so too, copying him, which only made Jon smile wider.
“Damn-sounds like a real asshole. Joey and Darby’s other parent ditched us years ago, after Darby was born, so-been there and done that.”
“What about-if you don’t mind me asking, Shota and Viveitte?”
“I adopted Shota-”
Jon looked over at where Darby and Joey were helping Shota climb on his car.
“-his parents were in a shitty situation, so...they gave him to me. Viette-her mom wasn’t allowed to abort, but she didn’t want her, so…”
Jon shrugged and Viviette pulled on his hair and laughed. Asoese was watching them and sucking on her hand.
“Asoese’s really getting a kick out of you two.”
“Hope so. She sounded like she was going through it earlier.”
“Hopefully once we get home, she’ll be able to calm down.”
Jon bit his lip and cleared his throat.
“Uh-I was thinking-if you want, if-I could-once you get your car home, I could...come take a look at it, make sure it’s just the battery.”
Roman tilted his head, smiling at Jon.
“Is that a genuine offer to come look at my car, or are you wanting to look at me more?”
Jon’s cheeks went from pink to red and so did the tips of his ears. He looked at Roman, bashful and a sweet smile on his face that pronounced his dimples.
“Guess that wasn’t the smoothest line ever, huh?”
“I don’t mind. I-I wouldn’t mind seeing you again. Might wanna thank you for giving me a jump anyway.”
“Don’t have to.”
“I don’t, but I want to have dinner with you, so…”
Jon quietly exhaled and his cheeks stayed red.
“You got something I can write my number down on?”
“Hold on-”
Roman found a receipt and a pen, and Jon dotted down his number, handing the paper back to Roman.
“Your car should start now.”
Roman tried it, and it did, and Jon handed Viviette back to Joey as he got the hoods closed up. He came back over to Roman and wiped his hands on his jeans.
“Uh-call me or text me or something, when you get a chance.”
Roman giggled and reached out, rubbing his hand up and down Jon’s forearm, squeezing the thick muscle there.
“I will, as soon as I get Asoese fed.”
Jon smiled, and it was a nervous sort of smile, and Roman found it terribly cute. He nodded and those dimples were still noticeable on either side of his mouth.
“Yeah-awesome, I’ll-I’ll be seeing you. You guys be safe on the way home.”
Roman squeezed Jon’s arm again before closing the door.
“Thank you for helping. You guys be safe, too. And, uh-you might wanna tell Darby not to skateboard off the top of the car.”
Jon whipped around and ran to his car, grabbing Darby before he could actually get his skateboard moving, and Roman laughed the entire ride home, thinking of Joey waving at him as he drove away.
--
Roman bounced Asoese on his hip, singing along to the song playing on his phone, and he smiled at his daughter as she laughed. Roman liked to hold her as much as possible. He didn’t see any point of leaving his baby in a crib or a playpen for hours, though he made sure she got time to explore by herself. She already crawled plenty and Roman had spent a day baby-proofing his house with his friend Ron.
Though he had to set her in the playpen for now, at least, while he finished dinner. He didn’t want to get her too near the stove, and he wanted things to be at least mostly ready by the time Jon got here. He was coming over with Viviette to have dinner and maybe watch a movie or tv and...well. Whatever else might happen. Roman wasn’t against getting a little handsy and touchy on the first date, or more. Jon being an experienced father really made him more comfortable with seeing him in the first place.
Asoese played in the playpen and Roman worked on making dinner, his music turned down lower so that he could hear Asoese, and a knock at the door when it came, and when it came he checked himself out in the mirror by the door before answering; he had his hair in a bun and was wearing a nice shirt and jeans and small gold hoop earrings, a gift from his cousin Nia. Roman took a deep breath and opened the door. Jon was there, a smile on his face and Viviette in his arms, a diaper bag over his shoulder.
“Hey.”
“Hi, Jon. Hi there, Viviette.”
“You can call her Viette if you want-”
Jon stepped into Roman’s house and immediately scouted out where Asoese was, and he smiled, stepping over to her and kneeling next to the playpen. She looked up at him.
“Hello there-you look like you’re having fun-”
He looked up at Roman.
“Is it cool with you if Viette sits with Asoese?”
“Yeah, of course. I imagine she knows how to play well with others considering her brothers.”
Jon laughed and set Viviette in the playpen, pulling out some toys from the diaper bag for her to play with.
“I think having Joey and Darby as siblings is gonna prepare her for anything.”
He stood, and paused for a second, looking at Roman, his eyes traveling over Roman’s body, up and down and he looked rather interested, if Roman could say so.
“You look...really good.”
Roman blushed, ducking his head down.
“Thank-thank you, you look-you look really nice, too.”
Which of course Jon did; he was wearing a blue button up and dark jeans and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up and everything accentuated his muscle, and Roman cleared his throat.
“I have dinner-almost ready. Has Viviette eaten?”
“I brought food. Figured we’d feed the kids after, she doesn’t usually get hungry ‘til the evening.”
“Okay. I-guess I should ask, are...I breastfeed, so-”
“Roman-it’s your house and your baby, I’d never tell you how to parent. Especially in your own home.”
Roman blushed a lot deeper and smiled shyly.
“I-a guy I...sort of tried to see after Aso was born thought it was-wrong, so-”
“Sounds like a jackass.”
“Well-maybe I just needed to see someone who already had kids.”
Jon looked surprised for a moment, his blue eyes going wide, before he blushed and giggled. It was the first time Roman heard the noise from him and he really really liked it.
“I-maybe.”
“Do you wanna sit down? I’ll get you something to drink.”
“Water’d be fine. Do you need any help?”
“No, just gotta put everything on plates.”
Jon sat on the couch, watching the two girls, and Roman got him a glass and got both of them two plates of food, sitting close together on the couch and turning on the tv. Jon let Roman pick, and he chose an action movie that he always enjoyed, and they ate and talked and had an entirely pleasant dinner. The girls played...mostly quietly. Asoese and Viviette pull on each other’s hair at one point and Jon and Roman both jumped up to make sure they didn’t hurt each other, but it was really just them exploring, and both men laughed.
“Bet she pulls on your hair all the time.”
They sat down closer than they had been, and Jon put an arm around Roman’s shoulders.
“I don’t wear it down much, she doesn’t get a chance to.”
“That’s a shame.”
“That she doesn’t pull on my hair?”
Jon laughed and licked his lips, his blue eyes just a little darker.
“No, I mean-that you don’t wear it down more. I bet-I bet it’s really pretty.”
Roman swallowed and reached up, pulling the tie out of his hair and letting it down over his shoulders. He really didn’t wear it down other than to sleep or shower, but Jon’s eyes widened and his adorable, pink lips parted just slightly.
“Oh-wow…”
Jon’s cheeks and the bridge of his nose were red with a blush and Roman ducked his head down, smiling. Jon reached up and hooked a finger under Roman’s chin, pushing his head up, and he leaned in.
“You look beautiful.”
“Jon-”
He didn’t get a chance to close the gap between them before Asoese started crying. He pulled away and went to her, knowing she was hungry. She always was around this time of night, and he picked her up, cradling her against his chest. He sat with Jon again and shrugged.
“Think the girls are hungry.”
Jon had that sweet smile on his face again and he got Viviette and the diaper bag, pulling out a jar of solid food. Viviette was excited for it, from what Roman could see, and he relaxed against the couch and pulled his shirt up, letting his daughter latch on.
“She a good eater?”
“She can get a little rough with me sometimes, but-I started her on solids a few months ago and she really likes them so far.”
“Lucky you. All of my bio kids have been stubborn as hell when it comes to eating. Took this one here-”
He gently poked Viviette on her forehead and she laughed, spitting up a little pumpkin. Jon cleaned her almost without thought.
“-only started getting better with it two months ago.”
“I imagine Aso will go through that when I least expect it.”
“They always do.”
Roman smoothed his palm over Asoese’s hair and sighed.
“I-I think it’s nice you’re getting to breastfeed. None of my kids got to, but-I think it’s better for them.”
“Can I ask-why? I mean-with Shota, of course you couldn’t-”
“Yeah, you can ask. Been kind of a wild thing with each one.”
Viviette scooped some of the pumpkin in her fingers from the jar and smeared it on her face. Jon laughed and shook his head.
“Joey and Darby’s parent...they...weren’t-they weren’t well. Uh-not sick or anything, but-they had a lot of addiction problems. After Darby was born, they just-up and left. Out of the hospital. They didn’t even come home with us, and-of course before that they couldn’t breastfeed Joey cause of the drugs they were on-and like you said, Shota was adopted, and Viette-her mom left the country. We still talk every now and then, but she had to get out, and-”
Jon sighed, cleaning up Viviette’s face again.
“-I do my best to keep my kids healthy. After Joey was born, I-I got sober and stayed that way and-was working four jobs for five years-”
He picked Viviette up and she babbled as he rubbed her back.
“Sorry. I don’t-wanna sound like I’m complaining or some shit-my kids are my favorite people. I just-”
“Jon-”
Roman reached over and put his hand on Jon’s back, squeezing his shoulder.
“-you don’t have to apologize. I want to know more about you, and-even the rough parts.”
Asoese finished eating and Roman burped her, holding her close.
“I’ll be back in a minute, she needs to be changed.”
“I should probably get Viette cleaned up, too.”
It was nice, Roman thought, as he changed his daughter’s diaper, to be on a date with someone who understood all this. Who probably understood it better than Roman, really, since Jon had three children before Viviette. He’d tried to go on a few dates and flirt with a few people since he’d gotten pregnant, but none of them were parents, and Roman wasn’t sure if he really wanted to date anyone who wasn’t a parent in the future. And it wasn’t just that; Jon was also very sweet and understanding and he was smart, and he was-he was honestly ridiculously hot, but Roman tried to not focus too much on that. He had a really good feeling about Jon. He only hoped Jon felt the same.
He kept Asoese on his lap when he sat back down on the couch, and Jon had already finished changing Viviette and he’d put her back in the playpen. Roman swallowed before leaning back against Jon, who opened his arms for Roman, letting him settle against him. Roman felt Jon hook his chin on his shoulder, and it felt...very good. It felt comfortable.
“I really enjoyed tonight.”
“Night’s not over yet.”
Jon huffed out a laugh and Roman felt it against his hair.
“Yeah, it’s not. But-maybe I’m getting ahead of myself, but-do you wanna go out again?”
Roman laughed.
“Absolutely.”
“I’m-I was planning on taking my kids to the natural history museum on Saturday, if-if you and Asoese wanna come with us.”
Roman bit his lip and snuggled back, closer to Jon.
“That sounds really nice.”
Asoese was asleep in his arms, and Jon lifted his head to peek into the playpen; Viviette was quickly falling asleep, too.
“Guess the night might be over. At least according to these two.”
Roman turned to face Jon. They were still very close, and he wanted to be closer.
“I-I’ll walk you out to your car.”
“Gonna keep me safe?”
Jon had a cheeky grin on his face and Roman couldn’t stop the urge to lean in and press his forehead to Jon’s.
“Promise. You and Viviette.”
Jon let out a quiet breath.
“Roman-”
He tilted Roman’s head up with his fingers under Roman’s chin just enough to kiss him; it wasn’t too deep or too passionate, but it was real and it was soft and Jon made a little sigh against Roman’s lips. It wasn’t a long kiss, either, but Roman didn’t mind. He kept his forehead right on Jon’s and they breathed together for a moment.
“I-I’ll get my shit together in a minute.”
“Take your time.”
Roman could almost hear Jon smile.
But he did get up after a minute, gathering up his diaper bag and carefully picking Viviette up out of the playpen, so as to not wake her; she snuggled up against his neck, sucking on his shirt collar. Roman did indeed walk them out to the car, Asoese in his arms. Jon got Viviette strapped into her car seat and he and Roman stood against the driver’s side door together.
“I’ll text you when I get home.”
“Good. I-I’m looking forward to Saturday.”
“Me-me too, and-think the boys’ll be excited to have you along, too. Joey thinks you’re cool.”
Roman quietly laughed and they both stood, breathing in the summer night.
“I’ll talk to you in a bit, Rome.”
“Have a good night, Jon. Be safe.”
Jon nodded, opening his car door, before coming around it to kiss Roman again. It was another short, sweet kiss, and when he pulled away, his cheeks were that shade of red that was quickly becoming Roman’s favorite.
“Had to.”
“Feel-feel free to do that anytime.”
They said goodbye again and Jon got in the car and drove off, and Roman watched the car until he couldn’t see it anymore, and he went inside, putting Asoese in her crib, making sure she was comfortable and safe. He went through his nighttime routine, cleaning up the kitchen and brushing his teeth and changing his clothes and making sure both baby monitors were on. By the time he was settled in bed, a tv show droning on, he heard his phone go off. It was a text from Jon.
-got home safe. the boys say hi & they’re looking forward to saturday. sweet dreams
Roman smiled and typed a quick response.
-tell the boys i said hi back. get some rest <3
He went to sleep thinking about how nice it had felt in Jon’s arms that night, and looking forward to their next date.