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Henry knows he shouldn’t be as nervous as he is but he can’t help himself. They’d spent two weeks together in London with him showing Alex and Delia his favorite places. They’d spent time with his sister and mother, had met Philip and Martha, and had even shared a very brief visit with his grandmother. Thankfully, Delia was her usual charming self and there was something about the way she tried to be exceedingly proper with Mary Mountchristen that charmed the old bat into keeping her opinions on Henry’s relationship to herself.
They were home now, however, and it was probably one of the biggest days of the year: Delia’s seventh birthday.
Alex and Henry had both been adamant that they wanted to be back in the States in time for Delia to have a huge party. She had friends from school, extended family, Pez and Henry to shower her with all of the love and affection she could possibly want.
And yet Henry’s standing in Alex’s bedroom staring at the wrapped parcel worried that it’s too much or not enough. He’s panicking slightly because it’s not something he’d discussed with Alex before deciding that this was what he was going to give Delia for her seventh birthday.
“Babe?” he hears just before Alex enters the room. “Hey. Mom’s here and she said that she’s pretty sure she saw my abuela down getting gas on the way in.” He spots the gift sitting on the bed and grins. “Not going to put that with the others?”
“Erm, no,” he says, his cheeks heating up. “I have a little something for her for the party but this one is kind of … not for everyone else. Obviously I don’t mind if your family sees but …” He trails off with a shrug. “It’s not really a seventh birthday party kind of gift.”
Alex, obviously intrigued, asks, “Gonna tell me what it is?”
Henry chuckles. “No. You’ll learn when she does.”
“You’re the absolute worst,” Alex tells him, expressly contradicting his statement as he wraps his arms around Henry and pulls him into a kiss.
“I don’t think you mind me all too much,” Henry answers with a grin against Alex’s mouth. Alex simply hums and kisses him again.
“Daddy! Henry! The doorbell is – oh! It’s Abuelo Oscar !” she shouts. “Hi, Abuelo Oscar !”
Alex rests his head against Henry’s chest. “Please tell me we’re going to survive today.”
“Twenty three children plus parents plus family plus Pez ?” Henry asks. “I think you’re being a bit optimistic.”
“Fuck,” Alex whispers. “Should have just counted vacation as her present.”
Henry laughs and sets Alex to rights before stepping back. “Let’s go make sure everything is all set up. If your parents are all here, more guests will follow soon.”
“May the odds be ever in our favor,” Alex intones seriously before heading out of the bedroom and towards the impending party.
…
Delia’s smile is bright as she laughs and opens all of the gifts from her friends and family, thanking each one with care and honesty after she sees what she’s gotten. She’s received several Build-a-Bears, a couple of outfits that she promises to wear in the new school year, a pair of rollerskates from her Abuelo Oscar that has Alex biting his tongue, some records from June and Nora, a few DVDs and, from Henry …
“Narnia!” Delia screams in delight. “You got me all the Narnia books!”
“I did,” Henry says with a little chuckle, bracing himself for when she launches into his arms. “And you’ll have to choose if we read them from the beginning or in the order they were written.”
“Wow,” she breathes. “Thank you!” Delia squeezes him tight and kisses his cheek and then scampers back over to her friends. “Can we play soccer until it’s time for cake?”
“It’s called football,” he and Oscar say at the same time, which causes the adults to laugh and Alex to make a soppy face at him.
“Yes, go ahead,” Alex says, waving out at the open space of the backyard. “Just be careful.”
“You know she’s not going to let anyone else read those books with her but you,” June says as she slides up next to him. “Books are her love language.”
“Mine too,” he grins, bumping his hip against hers. “Patti Smith records?”
“My niece is going to know what good music is if I have to provide her education entirely on my own,” she sniffs. “Do you know if Lane sent anything?” she adds in a low voice.
Henry nods. “Alex gave it to her this morning. She sent an art kit. It’s quite nice.”
“She forgot last year.”
“Ah. Well, now she has Alex’s boyfriend to compete with. She’s not going to miss it as long as I’m around,” Henry tells her jokingly.
“Then I guess we’d better keep you around,” June replies loftily before floating away to talk to Jake’s grandfather. Henry hopes to be as universally loved as Morris when he reaches that age.
Overall, the party isn’t as chaotic as it could be and everyone leaves happy. Delia had decided on bookmarks and fancy colored pencils as her party favor and most of the kids thanked her with a high five or a hug.
It takes a couple of hours for Henry, Alex, June, Nora and Pez to clean up, the other adults having taken their leave when the party was winding down. Delia helps for a bit before they find her curled up sleeping in one of the patio chairs. After saying goodbye to the other three, Alex and Henry are finally able to sit down and relax, Henry’s arm around Alex’s shoulder as they enjoy the setting sun.
“It was a good day,” Henry tells him as he nods over to Delia, still sleeping soundly. “She had a great time.”
Alex hums and presses a kiss to Henry’s jaw. “I’m glad you were here.”
“Me too,” Henry agrees.
“And that you’re staying the night again.”
“Oh, am I?” he asks with a little chuckle. “I don’t remember being invited.”
Sleepily, Alex replies, “Move you in tomorrow if I thought you’d do it.”
And Henry’s heart squeezes so tight he considers making an appointment with a cardiologist to confirm it’s just because he’s so in love with this man and his daughter and not some underlying medical condition.
“We’ll talk about that later,” he promises, tugging Alex down so his head rests on his shoulder. “Rest for now.”
“M’not tired,” he lies through a yawn.
“Sure you’re not, love,” Henry agrees. “Just close your eyes a moment and then we’ll get Delia and head inside.”
Alex answers by snoring.
…
It’s just gone ten when Delia wakes him with a small hand pressing to his cheek. “We gotta go sleep inside, Henry,” she says tiredly before climbing into his lap and settling her head on his free shoulder.
With one Claremont-Diaz under each arm, Henry thinks he’s never felt so happy and whole in his entire life.
“Alright, love,” he agrees softly. “Gotta wake your dad first.”
Delia reaches out, eyes still closed, and shoves at her father’s head. He mumbles something incoherent and she answers with, “Wake up, Daddy, we gotta go to sleep.”
“Objection,” Alex murmurs. “Counterproductive.”
Henry laughs and nudges his shoulder a bit. “Come on, love,” he says quietly. “Let’s head inside. I’ve got another present for Delia still, remember?”
“Another one?” she asks sleepily. “Thank you.”
He blows an amused puff of air from his nose and stands up, starling Alex to full wakefulness in the process.
“Wha?” he asks, wiping at his eyes. “Timesit?”
“Nearly quarter past ten,” he answers. “Let’s go do the last gift and then all get some sleep.”
Alex pushes himself up and leads the way into the house. His hair is a complete mess and Henry wants to run his fingers through it immediately. “D, jammies first. And brush your teeth.”
“Okay, Daddy,” she agrees and when they get upstairs, she shuffles into her bedroom. “You do jammies and teeths too.”
“We will,” Alex promises. He turns to Henry with a sleepy grin. “Rock Paper Scissors for who goes back downstairs and makes sure the locks are on and the lights are off?”
Henry presses a kiss to his boyfriend’s lips. “I’ll take care of downstairs; you get changed and brush your teeth.”
“M’kay, baby,” Alex agrees easily, shuffling off into his own room while Henry makes the rounds in the house to make sure everything’s as it should be.
He hears the water running in Delia’s bathroom so he quickly moves into Alex’s room and changes into his sleep pants and t-shirt. Alex is climbing onto the bed as he heads into the bathroom to brush his teeth. He’s just finishing as Delia lets herself in and climbs onto the bed, settling right in the middle.
He shuts off the light in the bathroom and joins the Claremont-Diazes on the bed, lifting his final gift and placing it in Delia’s lap.
“It’s a little heavy,” she says, her brows crinkling in the same way her father’s do when he’s trying to figure something out.
“It is,” he agrees. “Do you need help with it?”
“Mmm-mmm,” she denies, shaking her head. Delia opens the package carefully, as if she somehow knows the weight of what’s inside. There’s no way she can, he’d been very careful not to let Alex or her see it when he’d brought it back from London, but something warm and heavy settles in his chest at the sight of it.
When Delia gets to the generic box, the original long discarded, she frowns. “Do I keep going?” she asks.
“Yes,” he answers. “There’s a tab on the little side you can pull up. Me or your dad can help if you can’t get it.”
She struggles just a bit but eventually the top pops open and she reaches inside. When she pulls out the contents, her face is open and curious. “It’s a stargazer?”
Henry grins and reaches out to rest a hand on it. “A brass telescope, yes,” he tells her. “My—” His voice cracks and he can feel tears coming to his eyes but he pushes through. “My father gave that to me on my seventh birthday,” he tells her. “And now I want you to have it on yours.”
He hears a little gasp come from Alex but he cannot look at him or he’ll lose whatever tenuous grasp he has on his composure.
“This was a present from your daddy?”
“It was, yes,” he says quietly. “It was my very favorite present I’ve ever received.”
She blinks at him for a minute and then looks down at the telescope. “It’s my very favorite now,” she tells him resolutely. With more care than he expects of her, she passes the parcel to her father and then climbs into Henry’s lap. She wraps her arms around him and presses a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you, Henry. I love it. I love you.”
He squeezes his eyes shut and holds her against his chest. “I love you too, Delia,” he swears.
He feels Alex’s hand land on his thigh and he would take it but there’s not a chance he’s letting go of this little girl until she pulls back.
“Henry?” she asks after a moment or two.
“Yes, darling?” he asks.
“You’re still gonna read Narnia with me, right?”
He chuckles breathlessly. “Of course. Whenever you’d like.”
She hums and wiggles out of his arms to settle on the pillows between him and Alex. “Maybe tomorrow,” she tells him. “I’m sleepy from the best birthday ever in the whole world.”
“Tomorrow it shall be,” Henry promises, leaning down to press a kiss to her cheek. “Sleep now.”
She hums and reaches up to take Alex’s hand. “You too, Daddy. Sleep time.”
Alex presses a kiss to her forehead and settles down in the bed but keeps his eyes on Henry. “Sleep time,” he agrees. “I suppose you’re staying here?”
“Yup,” she agrees sleepily. “My bed is too far.”
“I could carry you,” Alex teases.
“You’re too tired for that,” she reasons before shifting just a little and settling down in a way that tells them she’s not long for the waking world.
The two of them watch her for a moment or two before Alex meets his eyes and whispers, “I love you so fucking much, baby.”
“I love you too,” he answers quietly.
They both settle into the bed, turned on their sides and facing the little girl already sleeping in the middle. Henry hopes that he has an infinite number of nights like this waiting for him in the future.