Work Text:
Days off for Pete and Tom now heavily revolved around babysitting Bradley. With Carole now on her own, they wanted to take some of the burden off her and offered their services whenever they could. Bradley was a good kid, never caused any trouble and was generally pretty calm so neither of them minded taking care of him. Pete had more of a bond with Bradley, having seen him grow up to this moment, Tom started off as an outsider but quickly earned the boy’s trust. Tom, despite his callsign, was very warm-hearted, especially towards Pete and little Bradley, treating him as if he was his own son. Pete loves the time they spend together, he truly believes that Tom would be an incredible dad one day. Babysitting felt like a dream, the domesticity, the familiarity, it felt like reality, it made them feel normal, like their relationship was that of a normal couple. Despite the fact they can’t be close when they’re out with Bradley in public, and the many questioning looks they get from passing people, they cherish those public moments, making sure to snap as many pictures of them as possible. This is their life, their everything.
~
In their house stood a piano, an instrument that Tom loves very dearly. Having learnt piano from such a young age, and falling in love with it at first play, once he’d moved in with Pete he had to have one. Before then Pete had only had one chance of hearing his boyfriend play the piano for him and it was fair to say he thought about it daily. It was no doubt to Pete that Tom was like a God on the keys, melodies coming out like they bled through his veins. Every song he plays holds a different meaning, feeling every emotion through the music he plays. Tom would even treat Pete to a composition in his name when he got the chance, and when Pete thinks he couldn’t love him more, every time he pulls something new out of the bag.
Clair De Lune was one of Tom’s favourite pieces to play, effortlessly gorgeous with every note and always a guaranteed hit. He sat at the piano, began to play when suddenly a little hand was tugging at his shirt.
“Icy, what are you doing?”
Tom’s face instantly softens at the little boy’s words, scooting over on the stool and offering Bradley a seat next to him. As the boy struggles to get on the stool, he gives up and hits Tom with the grabby hands (which he knows is on purpose).
“I think you’re tall enough to get on the stool yourself now, kid” he says as he giggles at Bradley’s pouty face he’s now pulling.
“Please Icy, for me?”
Tom gives in and picks the boy up to sit next to him.
“Whatcha playing?”
“A piece called Clair De Lune”
“What’s that mean?”
“Moonlight”
“Cool! Play it again!”
Tom smiles at him and starts from the beginning. Bradley watches him contently, swaying his arms like he’s conducting. The playing stirs Pete upstairs, he walks down and admires his boyfriend on the piano with little Bradley from the doorway. They get to the end of the song and Bradley is kicking his feet and shouting “YAY!”. Pete gives a round of applause and walks over to them both, kissing Tom on the head before picking the little one up so he could sit and places him back down onto both of their laps. Bradley now sat one knee to each man, looking back and forth between each of them, smiling with a mouth full of teeth.
“Uncle Pete, will you play with us?”
Bradley is beaming now, both his hands clasping onto Pete’s hand. Pete and Tom share a look at one another and nod as if this was planned all along.
“Alright kid. How’s about we play him the Goose special, Kazansky?”
“It’s on, Mitchell”
“Now kid, this song, I don’t know if you remember me and your dad singing this with you, but this is his song. He taught me this, and I promised him I’d teach you”
“Ooo”
“More like I’ll be the one playing properly, and you’ll notebash”
“Uh! Excuse me Ice…man, this is the only thing I can play, cut me some slack!”
Pete playfully slaps Tom’s arm, and Tom just laughs. Bradley starts growing impatient.
“Play it then Uncle Pete! You too, Icy!”
“Ohhh, Carole will be so proud!”
Pete looks up at the ceiling and points.
“Goose, you created a menace!”
Bradley sits and laughs, causing Pete and Tom to laugh with him. This was family. Pete starts the song off, reaching his hands across the piano. Tom sings the first verse and Pete joins in when he gets to…
“Goodness gracious, great balls of fire!”
Bradley is clapping along enthusiastically, clapping out of time, but his effort is great nonetheless.
Now Tom takes over the playing and Pete sings the next verse, again both of them joining in unison for…
“Goodness gracious, great balls of fire!”
They decide to both play and sing the chorus together.
“Kiss me baaaaby”
They kiss before carrying on.
“Mmmmh, it feels good!”
Bradley makes something of a “yuck!” noise before he goes back to laughing and swaying while the song carries on.
“Got to tell this world that you’re mine mine mine mine!”
“One day!” shouts Tom.
“One day, baby!”
“One day!” shouts little Bradley also.
Tom takes the bridge, playing to his heart’s content, Pete takes hold of Bradley to dance in their seat, both he and Tom bounce their legs in unison so Bradley bobs up and down. All of them happier than they ever could be, a moment they would all cherish for the rest of their lives. They bring the song to a close and bow in their seat, much to Bradley’s amusement.
“Again, again!”
“Aww c’mon, was that not good enough for you?”
“Yeah, was your Uncle Pete not amazing?”
“If i’m not mistaken, there was a compliment hidden in there. Not so ice cold anymore huh?”
“Honey, if you don’t shut up…” Tom stops his sentence as he remembers Bradley is still sitting half on him.
“You’ll what, Icy?” Bradley says innocently.
“Nothing kid, how about another round? You can play too this time?”
“Yes please, Icy! Please!” he says bobbing up and down so much he nearly slips off their laps.
Pete catches him without so much as a blink.
“Wow there little cowboy, careful!”
Bradley holds onto Pete’s hand again, giggling and looking sheepishly at Tom as if nothing had happened. Tom just shakes his head and smiles, attention turning back to the keys in front of him.
They play the song again, Bradley trying his best to play along but instead he plays any old note. The song is all over the place but none of them care. They were being so loud they had no doubt that they would have complaints from the neighbours later, they didn’t care about that either. This was the best day they’d had in ages, and nothing was going to stop them. This is family. Their little family.