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Dennis woke slowly, his mind muddled and heavy, his eyes taking time to adjust to the light in their bedroom. He blinked a few times as he sat up.
He'd finally had a real day off.
This week had been hell. Dennis had been called in twice on his days off to help with emergencies. Each one had turned into a thirteen-plus-hour shift.
Thankfully, Robby was supposed to have off at least one of the days and Amy was available the other. So the twins had someone to pick them up from school.
They got Dennis' shift for the next day covered, to give him a break, thankfully on the same day his husband was off. They'd actually get to spend a weekend with their kids.
Or so Dennis thought, he hadn't even managed to get out of bed.
As the sun climbed high in the sky that morning, so did Robby. Getting up early, kissing Dennis on the cheek and starting his day.
He usually tried to coax Dennis out of bed and into the shower with him on calm mornings like these, to have some private time to themselves.
However, Dennis must have barely responded when Robby tried to wake him. Leaving Dennis with vague passing images and sounds of Robby moving around their room. Whispering something into his ear, the feeling of his facial hair against his cheekbone as he slipped in and out of consciousness.
And then he was awake, blinking blearily around the room and feeling like he'd crawled out of a grave. The curtain had been drawn slightly to stay out of Dennis' eyes.
Residual sleep clung to his limbs and made his thoughts feel a step behind his body. Everything around him felt weird. The room was quiet, not even the hum of AC could be heard.
And the house itself was just as quiet. Weird.
He laid back down and blinked up at the ceiling for a second, listening. No morning cartoons or reruns of that K-pop animated movie his girls have been watching on repeat. No arguing over toys or food or anything really. No sounds of little feet running quickly down the hallway, or hands knocking on their bedroom door asking for them.
And no Robby. Wait, where was he?
Who was watching the girls?
That thought snapped him wide awake.
Dennis pushed himself up. He swung his legs off the bed, grabbing his phone from the nightstand and opening the door, already calling down the hallway, "Maddy? Rosie?" His voice carried through the townhouse, unanswered as it echoed.
"Robby?" He called out. Nothing.
Just the creaking and humming of the house settling.
A thread of unease tightened in his chest.
He shot off a quick text to his husband—Where are you and the girls?—and as his anxiety grew he hit call before he could second guess himself.
It rang. And rang. And went straight to voicemail.
"Seriously?" he muttered under his breath, already moving faster, bare feet padding down the hall. The anxiety wasn't at full mast yet, but it was absolutely there, creeping in at the edges of his mind.
Still holding the phone to his ear as it rang again he practically ran down the stairs, when he reached the kitchen he pushed open the back door—and stopped.
Out in the parking lot, right in the middle of it, was Robby. Hovered over his new truck. With their twins.
Oh, thank god.
Dennis exhaled sharply, gripping the doorframe as all the anxiety drained out of him. His hand dropped with the phone as the scene came into focus.
Robby had Madeleine lifted up by the waist, holding her steady while she reached into the open hood of his truck, waving a flashlight around as Robby pointed out parts to her. Through the screen door Dennis could hear her giggling like this was the most fun she'd ever had. And down by the front tire Rose sat on the dirty ground.
In her brand new overalls, the ones they just bought last week.
Her flowered shirt absolutely ruined with grease, matching Robby's own brown flannel and white t-shirt, her little hands busy digging through Robby's toolbox like she'd struck gold.
Oh, for fucks sake.
Dennis pressed his lips together, his expression and breathing caught somewhere between relief and immediate irritation, he slipped on his sandals and stepped out onto the pavement.
"Robby," he called, voice already edging toward exasperation as he got closer, "what the hell are you having Maddy do? Why does she have her hand in your engine?"
Rose's head popped up at the sound of his voice. She squinted at him, nose scrunching in disapproval as she pushed herself to her feet, a wrench clutched in one tiny hand. She waved it vaguely in his direction.
"Bad word, Mommy!"
Dennis blinked down at her—at the grease smeared across her cheeks, the dark curls sticking out in every direction, the sheer state of her—and felt his irritation stutter at the sound of her voice for half a second. Before coming back full force.
God. She was going to take forever to get clean.
"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, crouching just enough to gently take the wrench from her hand before she could drop it on her foot. "You're right. Sorry, bug." Then, without missing a beat, he pointed it straight at his husband. "Michael. Why are you out here working on your truck with our four-year-olds?"
Robby smirked, completely unbothered by Dennis' tonal shift to his first name, pulling a squealing Madeleine back from the engine and settling her against his chest. It took everything in Dennis not to march over there and smack him upside the head.
"Uh oh," Robby teased as he looked at his daughter, grinning like this was the funniest thing in the world, clearly enjoying how much he was irritating his husband. "Daddy's in trouble."
Dennis rolled his eyes so hard it almost hurt, gently tossing the wrench back into the toolbox with a dull clank. Giving Robby a look.
"I can't spend some quality time with my girls? They both turn five next month, big enough to do lots of things." Robby added, wiggling his fingers into Madeleine's side until she dissolved into giggles in his arms.
"They're too young," Dennis reiterated, stepping closer. "They don't need to be digging around in a truck engine—or your tools."
Robby glanced over Dennis' shoulder, following his line of sight to where Rose had already plopped back down and resumed her very important work of assembling... something. Metal clinked as she banged two different tools together, delighted with herself.
In one smooth motion, Robby clicked off the flashlight Madeleine had been holding and pocketing it. He kissed her cheek, and shifted her onto his hip. "I'm teaching them valuable life skills, Denny. I don't want them growing up thinking they need to depend on a man if their car breaks down."
It was, annoyingly, a decent point. Dennis would've agreed—fully—if the twins weren't so young.
"Mommy..." Madeleine whined, reaching for him, little hands opening and closing in a grabby motion.
And just like that, the edge of his frustration softened at the sound of his baby calling to him. Robby leaned in to sweetly kiss her cheek before handing her over, grinning from ear to ear.
Dennis sighed and stepped in, letting her fall into his arms, her whining tone and the weight of her settling against him in a way that still, even four years later, made his chest ache. Dennis wrinkled his nose the second she wrapped her arms around him. "Ugh, Maddy, you smell. You're getting another bath."
Madeleine shook her head stubbornly, her dirty blonde strands swaying against Dennis' neck. Robby snorted beside them, wiping his hands on an already filthy rag.
Behind them, Rose let out a loud, offended whine and abandoned the toolbox project entirely, toddling over to Robby and grabbing at his pant leg. She tugged insistently, balling the denim in her fists as she stomped her foot.
Dennis opened his mouth to intervene, to try and get a head of the tantrum, but Robby surprisingly beat him to it.
"What is it, sweet pea?" he asked, already crouching down, setting the rag aside so he could take both of her hands. "Use your words, tell Daddy what you want."
Dennis watched their daughter think, working out her emotions and thoughts as she gripped hard at his hands, something warm blooming in his chest as one of her tiny hands came up to grip at his husband's flannel shirt.
Rose sniffled, clearly overstimulated and a little tired from pushing back nap time, her little face scrunching up as she tried to push through her mental block as a small tear slipped down her cheek.
She'd always been like this. Her head and heart full of big feelings, all circling a much bigger attachment to her dad. A true Daddy's girl through and through.
"I know it's hard, but it's important to use your big-girl words."
"I want up," she managed finally, voice wobbling, her bottom lip quivering. "I want a hug. Please."
Robby's whole expression softened at her small plea. "I can do that, C'mere."
He brushed a few tears from her cheek, smearing it with a tiny streak of grease, and lifted her easily, settling her against his shoulder. She wrapped herself around him instantly, burying her face in his neck, hiccuping softly as he rubbed in slow, steady circles up and down her back.
"Good job, sweet pea," he murmured.
Dennis smiled, helplessly, looking between them—between both his girls, safe and loud and messy.
Years ago, if someone had told him he'd be a happy parent to two beautiful daughters, he would've said they were crazy. That there was no place in his future for something like that.
Funny, how life gives you things you never thought you'd want. Things you never knew you needed.
Dennis exhaled deeply as he turned, his gaze falling back onto Robby's truck.
"Baby," he said after a second, shifting Madeleine on his hip, "what's going on with your truck, anyways? It didn't break down did it?" Dennis really hoped not, the truck was an anniversary gift. Both of them dipping into their savings a few months ago to get Robby something he'd always wanted.
It was reliable, could transport the girls, and plenty of other things in the deep truck bed. And it helped to soften the blow of Robby having to retire his motorcycle. With the twins in the picture they'd both agreed that Robby riding on that metal death trap was the last thing they needed.
Robby hummed and shook his head, absentmindedly smoothing Rose's hair, his fingers caressing the soft dark babydoll curls. "Just doing an oil change. Rose came out here looking for me when that girl group movie stopped, I told her I was out here and busy working—" he gave her a gentle pat "—and she came out here anyway. Dragged her sister with her."
"Thick as thieves those two." Dennis snorted.
Madeleine squirmed suddenly, kicking to be put down, and Dennis let her go (he knew better than not to). She hit the pavement running, her sudden burst of energy immediately contagious as Rose sniffed a few times and twisted in Robby's arms in response.
With a quiet chuckle, Robby set her down too, ruffling her hair before she bolted after her sister. The two of them tore across the empty lot, hand in hand, already inventing some game only they understood, racing between the truck and the old willow tree at the edge.
Dennis watched them go, a little transfixed, his arms hooking loosely around himself.
He didn't even notice Robby move until a hand slid up his side, firm and familiar, pulling him back against a warm, solid chest. Dennis exhaled, tension bleeding out of him as he leaned back, letting himself be held.
Robby's arms wrapped around his waist, grounding him as his lips brushed against the soft skin of his neck.
"Robby, God, you stink," Dennis murmured with lighthearted disgust, no real bite to it as he squirmed in his grasp.
Robby laughed against him, the sound vibrating through both of them as he pulled him closer, hips slotting together as he nosed along Dennis' still sleep damp curls. "Only a little bit." He paused. "How was your nap?"
Dennis huffed and turned in his arms, his hands coming up to rest against Robby's shoulders, fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt.
"I don't think I've slept that deeply since... well. Since before the girls were born, honestly."
Dennis tilted his head just slightly, checking on their girls—both of them still spinning in dizzying circles in the patch of grass by the willow, shrieking with laughter—and that was all the opening Robby needed. Letting his lips graze lightly along the tendon of his neck, and Dennis let out a soft, surprised sound despite himself.
"They're fine, baby," Robby murmured against his skin. "You worry too much."
He wasn't wrong. Dennis sighed and relaxed in his husband's arms.
"Thank you for watching them, for giving me the chance to sleep in. I needed it."
Robby nodded in agreement as he nudged at his jaw, beard scratching pleasantly against the skin, making Dennis squirm and laugh under his breath.
"Let me finish up out here," Robby added, voice low as his breath warmed against the shell of Dennis' ear. "Go on and take them inside. I'll help you get them cleaned up—" there was a pause, a shift in his tone, it sliding into something more teasing as his grip tightened at Dennis' waist. "I'll get a shower in after them... and you should join me."
Dennis laughed softly as his fingers slid up to the back of Robby's neck, pulling him in for a kiss before he could say anything else. It was warm, familiar and sweet, everything they'd built together wrapped up in one simple, easy moment.
"Ew!"
They broke apart instantly, both turning to the direction of the shrill voice.
Both girls stood a few feet away, hands clasped together, faces twisted in exaggerated disgust.
"Yucky," Rose added emphatically.
Dennis felt heat creep up his neck as Robby just laughed, entirely unrepentant. He yelped as one of Robby's hands reached down to pat his ass and turning Dennis a deep shade of pink.
"Daddy and I love each other," Dennis said, trying for dignity as he nudged his laughing and clingy husband away. "It's not yucky. One day you'll understand—"
"No I won't!" Rose declared immediately. "I don't wanna kiss anyone on the mouth!"
"Yeah, yucky," Madeleine agreed, already dragging her sister toward the house.
Robby's deep laughter continued as he turned back to his truck, shaking his head. Dennis sighed, but he was smiling brightly as he herded both girls toward the door.
"Alright, you two. Bath time. And no buts."
The immediate chorus of whining filled the house as the back door shut behind them.