Chapter Text
The doorbell rang. Todd looked up from the book he'd been reading on the couch. He marked his page and went to the door. He had a feeling he knew who it was though.
"I'll get it!" Juliet came bounding down the stairs, her pigtails bouncing, and went to the front door. She opened the front door and grinned up at the man she saw.
"UNCLE JEFFREY!!" She yelled at she leapt up into Jeffrey's arms, who wrapped his arms around her, lifting her up and squeezing her tight, "Hey there, Julie! How's my favorite niece doing?"
Juliet grinned up at him, "I'm doing great! Today's my birthday!"
Jeffrey chuckled, smiling as he set her down, "I know it is, Julie. I'm here for your party!"
Neil came down the stairs, Juliet's twin brother Robin trailing behind him, like he usually does, "Todd, honey, what's going on-" He saw Jeffrey and immediately smiled, "Jeffrey! You came!" He walked over to the Anderson brothers and gave Jeffrey a hug.
Jeffrey hugged him back, "Hey Neil! Good to see you. And of course I came. I'm not gonna let my job stop me from coming to my niece and nephew's fifth birthday,"
Jeffrey looked behind Neil at Robin and smiled at him, "Hey Rob. Happy birthday."
Robin looked down at his feet, "Thank you.." He said softly. Robin was much more shy and introverted than his twin sister.
Juliet ran over to her uncle and twirled. She had on a light blue sundress with sunflowers on it, "Uncle Jeffrey! Look at my dress! Isn't it pretty?"
Jeffrey smiled, as did her dads, "Julie, that is the prettiest dress I've ever seen."
Just then, a pair of arms circled around her waist and hoisted her up in the air, earning a shriek of surprise from her. She turned her head to yell at the person but stopped when she saw who had just hoisted her up, and she beamed.
"UNCLE CHARLIE!!" She turned around in his arms and hugged him around the neck, which Charlie returned with a squeeze
"Hey Julie! Happy birthday!" He set her down and she smoothed out her dress.
Cameron walked in through the front door, gift bag in hand, and looked at Robin. He smiled, "Happy birthday, Robin!"
Robin smiled shyly at Cameron in return before looking back down at his feet, "Thank you, uncle Cameron!"
After a little bit Knox, Meeks, and Pitts also came into the room, and also wished Juliet and Robin a happy birthday. After a while, the gifts were sat in a neat pile and Juliet looked at them, almost vibrating with excitement. Neil saw this and reminded her, "Julie, honey, you know not all of those are for you, right? Some are for Robin."
Juliet looked up at her dad, "I know! But still! I like gifts!!" She grinned at him
Neil chuckled, "Oh, I know that, sweetheart. Now come on," He picked her up, and rested her on his hip, "the others are ready to sing 'Happy Birthday' to you and Robin."
With that, Neil carried Juliet into the kitchen. Todd, Jeffery and the other Poets were all gathered around the kitchen table, with Robin sitting down in front of the cake.
Neil sat Juliet down in the chair next to Robin, and backed away to stand next to Todd, who leaned his head on Neil's shoulder.
It was a simple chocolate cake with vanilla icing (it was a compromise with Robin wanting a chocolate cake but Juliet wanted a vanilla cake) with 'Happy Birthday, Robin and Juliet!" written in chocolate icing. Juliet and Robin had bickered about the flavor of the cake, what icing it would have, but in the weirdest way. Juliet was insisting that Robin gets to choose the cake because its his birthday too and he gets to have a say, and Robin was saying that she was older than him by a whole minute so she got to pick the cake. It was the oddest form of sibling bickering that Todd or Neil had ever witnessed but it was also so sweet how considerate the two were of the other.
Cameron placed a paper cone hat on Juliet's head, which earned a small giggle from her, and Pitts placed one on Robin's head too as Charlie pulled his lighter out from his pocket and went to light the candles on the cake.
The song could have sounded better. But really, did any rendition of "Happy Birthday" sound beautiful and harmonious? Especially when you're singing to two people instead of one. But still, Juliet was smiling and bouncing in her seat the whole time and Robin just sat in his chair, smiling shyly at the attention.
When the song came to an end, Juliet stood up in her seat and blew out four of the eight candles. She looked at Robin, who also stood up in his seat to blow out the remaining four (Juliet insisted on having on both her and Robin getting to blow out their candles, so they went with eight candles instead of five)
The Poets and Jeffrey applauded, and Knox looked down at Robin, "What'd you wish for, Rob?"
Robin opened his mouth to answer Knox, but Juliet covered his mouth, "Robin! If you tell uncle Knox, the wish won't come true!"
Robin's eyes widened in realization and nodded behind his sister's hand. Neil chuckled and Todd smiled, "Alright, are you two ready for presents?"
Juliet's attention snapped away from Robin and she nodded vigorously at Todd, "YEAH!!" With that, she hopped down from her seat and raced to the living room where the presents were, Robin crawling down from his seat and following behind her.
Neil's heart swelled with pride as he watched this and Todd smiled warmly. Todd looked up from where his head was leaned on Neil's shoulder. Neil Honestly thought he couldn't be happier than he did in this moment. Watching his two children rush to the living room, excited to open their birthday presents, while his husband leaned his head on his shoulder, looking up at him with those gorgeous blue eyes that he's loved ever since they met his own.
"Daddy, papa, come on!! I wanna open uncle Charlie's present first!!" Juliet called from the living room.
Neil snapped out of his daze and realized he and Todd were the last two left in the kitchen.
Todd looked at him and nodded in the direction of the living room, "I think we should get in there," Todd chuckled.
Neil smiled, "Yeah, probably," Neil took Todd's hand into his own and laced their fingers together. He smiled as he felt the cool metal of Todd's wedding ring again against his fingers. He wordlessly tugged his husband's hand, Todd putting up no resistance as he led him into the living room.