Work Text:
“Ping! Toey! Turn that down, you’ll wake your cousin up!” Pahn’s voice hisses through the air, scolding her children for turning up the volume of the tv too loud for the quiet house. Both children look at their mom with sheepish smiles before turning the volume down and settling into the couch with blankets.
Gemini shakes his head, and pats Pahn’s hand gently. “It’s fine, I just checked the monitor and she’s still sleeping peacefully. She’s due to wake up soon for her bottle anyways.”
Pahn sighs and nods, rubbing her temples before taking a sip from her glass of wine. “I don’t know how you two got so damn lucky that your baby sleeps so soundly when she’s supposed to and barely makes a fuss. When Ping and Toey were babies both of them would just scream and cry and nothing helped.”
Shrugging his shoulders, Gemini stands from his seat at the dining room table where the adults are sitting down, eating their Christmas dinner, making his way into the kitchen to start making a bottle.
Ever since Fourth and Gemini bought their house, they switch off who hosts Christmas dinner. This has been going on for roughly eight years now, always taking place on December 23rd. Even though it is Pahn and Prim’s turn, this year is Gemini and Fourth’s first year with their beautiful baby girl. So, naturally they wanted the Christmas dinner at their house.
The house is decorated beautifully, soft glowing lights all around, a giant Christmas tree in their living room with a mix of matching ornaments and a few handmade ones from Ping and Toey over the years. There is a new addition of one labeled with the family of three’s names.
The table is littered with all different foods and glasses of wine as they just finished eating and are now just picking at the food and talking about their plans for the next few days. Pahn and Prim are going to visit Prim’s family tomorrow and then everyone gets back together on Christmas night for the big family party.
Gemini and Fourth are going to visit Fourth’s family tomorrow, then his family will come to the Christmas night party as well. All families will have their Christmas mornings to themselves, which Gemini and Fourth are excited to share with their daughter for the first time.
Fourth and Prim are in a heated debate over which flavor of ice cream is the best in the winter time when Fourth notices Gemini going into the kitchen and excuses himself to follow his husband.
Fourth watches as Gemini leans against the counter and rolls his head in a circle, stretching out the ache in his neck. Fourth walks up behind him, hands reaching up to massage the knots from his shoulders. He presses a kiss to the back of Gemini’s neck.
“I can do that, my love. You go sit and enjoy your food and wine. I’ll wake her and give her the bottle. You can get your snuggles in with her after, okay?” Fourth trails his kisses along Gemini’s shoulder, sliding his hands down until they wrap around his waist, pulling his body flush to the front of his.
Gemini leans into the embrace, nodding tiredly. The last seven months have not been all sunshine and rainbows with a newborn in the house. Yes, she didn’t cry a lot, and yes, she hardly woke them up in the middle of the night. However, there has still been a major adjustment from living as two adult males with no responsibilities or obligations to anyone other than themselves, to now being full time parents to a seven month old baby.
“Okay, thank you, Si. I’ll finish making her bottle if you want to go get her and bring her in the dining room with us. I’m sure Pahn and Prim are itching to see her again.” Gemini turns in Fourth’s arms, pressing a kiss to his cheek followed by his lips.
Humming softly into the kiss, Fourth attempts to prolong it, pressing his tongue against Gemini’s lips. Gemini gives in, sighing contentedly as his lips part to allow Fourth’s tongue to glide along his. He wraps his arms around Fourth’s neck, pushing against his body to be as close as physically possible.
One of Fourth’s hands reaches down to grab a handful of Gemini’s butt, squeezing softly until Gemini breaks the kiss, swatting his husband’s wandering hand away. “Behave yourself, Si.”
Fourth pouts, nudging Gemini’s cheek with his nose before pressing a lingering kiss there. “Fine. I’ll just have to unwrap my gift tomorrow night.”
Rolling his eyes, Gemini turns back around and continues preparing the bottle for their daughter. “Go get her up before she sleeps for too long and then won’t sleep tonight.”
Slapping Gemini’s butt gently, Fourth runs out of the kitchen, dodging the towel that is launched at his head with a quiet laugh. He walks down the hall to their daughter’s bedroom and peeks his head in the dimly lit room. He turns the lights up a bit so it isn’t as dark and walks over towards the crib.
A soft chuckle escapes his lips when he looks in the crib and his daughter is looking right up at him with sleepy eyes and a smile. “Well hello, baby girl. Did you know daddy was coming to get you?” Fourth reaches in and picks up the smiley girl, cradling her against his chest.
“Let’s go get you some dinner, how does that sound?”
She settles against his chest comfortably as he makes his way out of the room and back towards the dining room where everyone is waiting patiently. Gemini walks in at the same time as Fourth with the bottle in his hand and he waits as Fourth sits down, rocking their daughter slowly.
“Nong Nin!” Ping exclaims, rushing into the dining room with Toey close behind.
Prim glares daggers at them and they both instantly slow down and shut their mouths tightly.
“Prim, it’s fine. She’s awake now.” Gemini turns to his niece and nephew, “Sit in your seats and once she’s done eating you can each hold her, okay?”
The two kids nod excitedly and go to their respective seats by their moms. Gemini turns back to Fourth once he settles in his seat, adjusting Nin in his arms so he can feed her. Taking the bottle from Gemini, Fourth gives it to Nin and she begins drinking, closing her eyes as she eats.
“She’s such a little angel. I don’t even know how you guys can stand to look at her every day. She’s gorgeous.” Pahn’s chin rests in her hand propped up on the table as she looks at the baby with glittering eyes.
“It has been a lot of suppressing cute aggression. Honestly we’ve always been in awe of her. I don’t think a single day will pass when we don’t feel lucky to be her parents. We waited so long to find a surrogate, we felt so hopeless about it until the day it finally happened. Then the day we heard her first heartbeat was the most exciting and terrifying day of our lives. It all felt so surreal.” Gemini places his hand on Fourth’s thigh, gripping gently.
Fourth looks up from Nin and continues for Gemini, “The day we saw her for the first time was life altering. Since then we have spent every day cherishing her. You both knew that feeling when you had Ping and Toey. Everything changed in an instant. Life was just so much more fulfilling once you had them, and that’s how it is with us and Nin.”
Gemini sips on his wine, leaning back in his seat with a reserved smile, attempting to hold back all the emotions he’s felt throughout these last few months. The past two years, actually. He glances at Fourth and his heart beats a little faster watching his husband as he’s feeding their daughter in his arms. Love feels like it pours out of his body and crashes into Fourth and Nin.
Everyone quietly watches as Nin drinks from the bottle, entranced by her cuteness and not wanting to disturb her while she looks so peaceful. Once the bottle is done, Fourth places a cloth over his shoulder then lifts Nin up so she rests with her head on his shoulder and he begins to burp her, rubbing her back gently.
“How has she been with her feedings the last few weeks? I know you said you had some issues with her not burping on her own again.” Pahn asks, glancing over to Gemini who nods at her.
“She’s been doing much better. We really only burp her at night now when we want to make sure she’s all good to sleep through the night comfortably.” Gemini waits patiently as Fourth burps Nin and after a few minutes in silence just watching him, everyone at the table laughs when they hear the tiniest burp rumble from her stomach.
Fourth makes sure she is all cleaned up before standing up and placing her in Pahn’s grabby hands, letting her be the first to hold the smiley baby. She looks at Pahn’s face with interest, continuing to smile as Pahn rubs their noses together and starts talking in her baby voice to coo at her.
Once back in his seat, Fourth looks over to Gemini who is already looking back at him and they are off in their own world while letting Pahn, Prim, and the kids fuss over their daughter.
Gemini stands up and begins clearing off the table of the food, Fourth follows behind him and cleans up the dishes, bringing everything into the kitchen. After their second trip back from the dining room with more food and dishes, Fourth stops Gemini from walking back in and wraps his arms around him from behind, resting his chin on Gemini’s shoulder.
“May, you’ve worked so much today. Let me finish and clean all this up. Go relax on the couch for a bit, get everyone to hang out there so I can clean.”
“Do you understand how much more attractive you get when you take care of us like this? You’re so good to me, Si. I love you.” Gemini turns his head and puckers his lips waiting for Fourth to give him a kiss which he obviously does.
Letting out a chuckle, Fourth pulls away after a moment then nudges Gemini towards the dining room while he gets started on cleaning everything up.
The night seems to pass quicker once everyone is sitting together in the living room and Fourth is cleaning up the kitchen and dining room. Soon Gemini is taking a sleeping Nin from Prim’s hands, rocking her slowly as the women carry their own sleeping children out to the car while whispering their goodbyes.
~
Christmas morning is quiet, there is only a soft glow of light coming from their Christmas tree and the few lights decorated around the living room. Gemini sits back against Fourth’s chest, they are currently tucked into the corner of their sectional sofa, Gemini between Fourth’s legs and Nin cradled against his chest. They are wearing matching Christmas pj’s and about to watch Christmas movies to start their day.
Nin lets out a soft sigh, her fingers unconsciously gripping onto Fourth’s finger when he reaches to caress her hand. He watches over Gemini’s shoulder with a blissful smile on his face. His daughter quite literally has him wrapped around her tiny little finger.
Gemini’s eyelashes flutter shut as he leans his head back, still not fully awake and craving just a bit more sleep. He listens as Fourth switches on the tv, the start of a movie playing quietly in the background. He feels Fourth press a kiss against his temple, wrapping his arms underneath to support Gemini’s as they both hold Nin together.
“Merry Christmas, Gemini. Merry Christmas, Nin.”
A smile breaks out on Gemini’s sleepy face and he tilts his head until it’s tucked under Fourth's chin. “Merry Christmas, Fourth and Nin.”