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David’s hand is warm in his own.
Robbe can feel the smile slip slow and easy across his face as David tugs eagerly on his arm. “Again! Again! Again!”
Sander laughs on David’s other side, Robbe watches as Sander tightens his grip on David’s other hand, nodding to Robbe. “Okay, okay, one, two, three.”
Giggles spill out of David as he’s lifted off the ground, rising between them before swinging gently back down, his little sneakers scuffing against the footpath.
He’s so cute and he’s theirs, Robbe’s always thought that was the craziest part. Robbe still finds it hard to comprehend sometimes, that he’s a father and that he’s good at it, that he and Sander get to do this together, every day for the rest of their lives.
David laughs again and Robbe is drawn back to the present, his own laughter bubbling up unbidden in his chest.
Robbe notices the café coming into view out of the corner of his eye, small round tables clustered outside in the sunshine.
Robbe leads them directly to an empty table, set off to the side against one of the outer walls, carefully releasing David’s hand in order to pull out a chair.
Sander reaches into his back pocket and pulls out his wallet, nodding towards the open door of the café. “I’ll go inside and order, you know what you want?”
Robbe shrugs falling into his chair. “Coffee and just pick me something to eat, you know what I like.”
Sander scrunches up one eye and looks down at him. “Yeah, would be a bit awkward if I didn’t know your food preferences after thirteen years together.”
Robbe rolls his eyes but can’t help the way his stomach clenches at the reminder of how long they’ve been in love. Robbe honestly feels bad for other people having to deal with how sappy they are, in a permanent honeymoon phase that doesn’t seem to ever end. Not that Robbe wants it to, being sappy and lovesick over Sander is his favourite pastime.
Sander turns to David. “What about you little man? What do you want?”
David doesn’t even take a moment to consider before crying out, “fries!”
Sander grins. “Of course, I can’t believe I even asked. You want to come with me and order?”
David nods enthusiastically and Sander leans down to press a kiss to his hair before crouching and with a practiced ease David climbs onto his back, his small arms looping around Sander’s neck.
Robbe looks on, affection punching at his insides and turning them to mush. Sander throws him a wink before disappearing inside.
Robbe sighs happily and tugs out his phone, thumbing through some unanswered texts and then eventually just giving up and scrolling through twitter.
A shadow falls over him and Robbe glances up in confusion to find someone to stopped next to the table. Jens, Robbe realises with a start, Jens Stoffels.
“Jens?”
Looking at Jens is weird, all his familiar features are still there, his dark eyes and the slope of his brow, but they’re all shrouded by age, he’s broader and taller and just older. He looks so different, but Robbe supposes he does too. Still, it’s strange to look at him, this man and see the sixteen-year-old boy hidden underneath.
Jens laughs quick and sharp. “Robbe, oh my god it is you, how are you man?”
Robbe chuckles breathily in response. “I’m good—great, how are you?”
“Good too— hey mind if I pull up a chair?” Jens points to one of the unoccupied seats and Robbe waves him on.
“Yeah sure.”
Jens drags the chair forward; it rattles lightly as it scrapes the ground before settling himself in it. “So, what’s been going on with you, it’s been years.”
Robbe shrugs with a smile. “Sorry, I know I sort of went radio silent, I’ve never been very good at keeping up to date on social media, seems like I got busy one day and just never stopped.”
Jens blows out a breath. “God, yeah, I know what that’s like.”
Jens drags a hand through his hair and Robbe notices his gold band. “Oh shit, yeah you got married, I saw pictures.”
He feels a bit guilty for forgetting, but Robbe hadn’t gone to the wedding for some reason or another and he hadn’t been keeping up communication with Jens even before the wedding invite.
Maybe he should be worried about spending all his time wrapped up in Sander and David, but it’s not like he doesn’t have friends. He sees Yasmina and Younes all the time, and Zoë and Senne when their schedules allow it. He and Sander have a whole circle of friends they met as Sander moved through the art world.
Robbe and the boys were just never as close as they had once thought and after high school ended Jens moved away for uni, Moyo went to America and Aaron was gone who knows where.
It’s nice to see Jens though, see him happily married and settled in his life.
Jens smiles and get glances off to the side a soft expression sweeping over his face. Robbe knows that look, hell Robbe practically trademarked that look. “Yeah Lise, she’s great, we’re about to hit our two-year anniversary.”
Robbe reaches out and claps his shoulder. “Congrats man.”
Jens waves him off, a little sheepish, but his smile intact. “Yeah thanks, what about you? Last I heard you and Sander are still going strong, you guys make it down the aisle?”
Robbe shakes his head. “No, marriage is never something we really thought about all that much, maybe one day, if we can be bothered to put together the whole thing.”
Jens nods absently, but Robbe is quickly distracted as he catches sight of Sander over Jens’ shoulder, carrying two coffees in take away cups, with David still latched to his back.
Robbe points. “Jens, I'm sure you remember Sander.”
Sander bends low so David can hop off and the second he does David is running around the table to Robbe. “Papa!”
Robbe smiles so wide it hurts his cheeks and reaches down to pull David into his lap. “Hi baby, did you help daddy?”
David wriggles happily. “Yes! The lady asked me what I wanted, and I told her I wanted fries and daddy said I did good.”
“You did!” Robbe coos, ruffling David’s hair.
Sander hands Robbe his coffee cup and pulls out the only remaining chair, next to Jens. The two of them shake hands, their greetings overlapping.
David suddenly takes notice of the movement going on around him and realises there’s a stranger sitting across from Robbe and gets shy, curling into Robbe’s chest, trying to bury his nose against his shirt. “Papa who’s that?”
Jens is staring at David, face part wonder, part pleasant surprise.
“This is a friend of mine and daddy’s, he’s really nice I promise.” Robbe meets Jens’ eyes, Jens raises his hand in a small wave. “David this is Jens.”
David murmurs a quiet hi which Jens reciprocates. “Hi David, how old are you?”
“I’m five and half.” David mumbles, though he seems to be warming up to the new presence, shifting slightly to face Jens.
“Wow, so you’re basically grown up then!” Jens gasps, widening his eyes. David giggles uncoiling a bit but staying tucked under Robbe’s chin.
Jens’ eyes drift up to Robbe. “He looks just like you.”
Robbe preens. His mother says the same thing, that David looks just like Robbe did when he was a kid, but it’s different to hear it from someone who actually knew him as a child.
“Robbe’s very own mini-me.” Sander muses, face flushed with fondness.
Robbe looks down at David who’s playing gently with the zipper of Robbe’s jacket, eyes trailing after people that pass by on the street. Robbe loves him more than life itself, still isn’t used to the way his heart aches whenever he lays eyes on David, how every bone in his body screams at him to bundle David up and hold him close.
“I should’ve known it would be you two already settled down with kids.” Jens says, leaning back in his chair, his gaze drifting between the three of them.
Sander snorts. “We’ve been an old married couple since we were like twenty.”
Jens swirls a finger at Sander’s face, grinning. “Is that why you’re back to the hair, early onset midlife crisis? Trying desperately to relive your youth?”
Sander rolls his eyes and Robbe tries to stifle his laughter in David’s hair.
Apparently sick of Robbe’s lap, David squirms until Robbe sets him down and he skirts around the table back to Sander, reaching up a little hand to pull on Sander’s pant leg. “Daddy can I watch videos on your phone?”
Sander sighs. He and Robbe have been trying to limit the time David spends watching tv and video, don’t want to rely on it as the only way to keep David happy and entertained, but Robbe can see Sander’s resolve cracking. “Okay, but only those history videos and you have to put it away when the food comes, alright?”
“Okay!”
David clambers onto Sander’s knee and waits patiently as he unlocks his phone and fiddles around, turning the volume low and finally handing the phone over.
Robbe turns to Jens, who’s also watching the scene unfold. “What about you? You thinking about having any?”
Jens gives a half wince. “Maybe further down the line, I remember how it was for my parents with me and my siblings, so I wanna hold off a little longer before that chaos is unleashed.” He looks back to David and Sander. “But you guys are so sickeningly sweet, it’s making me want to reconsider.”
“I mean you can try, but you’ll never have as cool a kid as us.” Sander shrugs apologetically, smirking at Jens over David’s head.
Jens is about to retort when his phone chimes and he looks down to check the message his face smoothing out. Robbe watches him type out a reply and then slip the phone back into his jacket, his expression apologetic. “Sorry, I have to go, but this was great, and I’d like to catch up properly soon.”
Robbe nods. “Yeah sure, we’d like that, my number is the same, text me and we’ll work something out.”
“Cool, see you guys soon then.” Jens stands and waves, Sander calls his goodbyes and Robbe echoes him.
Robbe’s eyes follow after Jens as he strolls off down the street until he hears an excited ‘fries!’ and sees their food has arrived.
David is vibrating with excitement as Sander shifts him into the now vacant chair and Sander is laughing and stealing some chips for himself and Robbe’s happiness threatens to tear him in two.
And as cruel as it may seem Jens is instantly forgotten.