Archive of Our Own

Tapping the steering wheel, Simon swallows hard, his grip on the wheel tightening uncomfortably. He and Grace have been dating for eight months. Simon isn’t even sure how he convinced himself to allow the possibility to begin with, but he can remember the why. 

It’s bright and beautiful and obvious. It strikes his chest every time the other man smiles or tells him about some prank his students rope him into or when he tells Simon about this project he and his best friend are working on. Grace is the first person he’s been with in a long time. 

Simon didn’t think he was capable of dating.  Didn’t think himself capable of letting his guard down. Didn’t think himself capable of being someone that can be taken care of like that. Didn’t think himself capable of being the type of person that wouldn’t shy away from the full, unmatched power of a sun. 

Some days he still thinks that. 

He knows himself capable of taking care of another, and with this relationship has slowly accepted being taken care of. Simon is someone who leans on facts, leans on truth, and with solid ground beneath his feet. Simon is someone who believes in building the foundation before anything. And until the past few months, he thought that building the foundation for a romantic relationship would be what caves in on him, what would break every single one of his nerves. But Grace has shown up time and time again. Has proven to Simon that he will build this foundation along Simon’s side. And Simon’s heart soared as he finally realized it. 

But waiting here, he can feel it sink as he knows better now, that building that foundation with himself and Grace was actually the easy part. That the hardest was yet to come. That what this relationship really hinged on was the foundation he needs to cultivate between Grace and his girls. 

Sitting in this car line, waiting for his beautiful kids who have been his whole world the past few years. The two reasons why he’s been able to salvage shreds of who he was and rebuild himself into someone who they could depend on. Who could look after them. Who could kiss their scrapes when they fall. Who could tuck them in at night and read to them until they fell asleep. Who could dance with them on his bed when they came to him because they had bad dreams. Who could watch their joy when they told him about what they learned in class. Who could scoop them into his embrace and be the foundation they need in a world that was unstable, shaking beneath their feet. 

Ever since the girls came into his life four years ago, almost everything he’s done has been with them in mind. He’d break down the mountains if it meant building a house of stone for them to be safe in. 

Being the caretaker they need has not always been easy, especially when his oldest girl, his firecracker and solar flare, seems to have taken after him a bit too much. She’s been defiant and combative lately, and he can’t sort it out. He can’t find the source, he can’t fix it because he doesn’t know what needs to be fixed. For her, he’ll remain patient. He’ll keep trying, he will not give up on her because she chose him when he was at his lowest point. He fixed himself to be the caretaker she saw in him, and if he could fix that, then he can fix this too. 

But in this moment, he feels like the most selfish man to exist. And it’s his own fault. Grace assured Simon that he was okay with waiting longer for this, but Simon wants this. He wants to share his pride and his joy with the man he… God, he’s so selfish. Today is their adoptionday and he’s bringing his relationship into a day meant to celebrate the day these two beautiful, too-smart-for-their-own-good, and marvelous girls officially became his family, and he became their parent. 

And he wants more than anything to know that they’re okay with this. That he has their approval, that Grace has their approval. And Grace loves kids! He’s great with them and they love him. But he doesn’t date their parents so Simon is fucking screwed because he’s being selfish. His kid obviously needs him right now. Needs reassurance, and he’s so ill prepared for parenthood. He’s a fraud and isn’t the man Laika needs him to be and it’s only a matter of time before he starts failing Felicette too. Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit. 

Maybe he can still call it off, yeah he can call Grace and they’ll resched-

Simon nearly jumps out of his skin as his youngest comes barreling into the car at mach fucking twelve. “DAD! Laika punched Kyle today at recess!” Felicette climbs across the backseat to her car seat, buckling herself in before Laika even has the chance to sulk to the door. 

“Tattle tail.” His oldest slams the door shut and furiously buckles before turning away from both of them to glare out the window. 

Clicking his tongue, Simon sucks a sharp breath in, “Well Kiddo, actually the school tattled first, so. Fe’s just bringing it back up.” He taps the wheel again, fingernails painted pastel blue, courtesy of the same girls in his back seat, as he begins to pull away, giving the teacher on duty a wave while double checking his surroundings. “We’re going to definitely be practicing diplomatic ways of handling a disagreement, Laika, but it doesn’t have to be tonight.” He steals a glance in the rear view mirror, but Laika pulls her hood over her head, shielding her face from his view. He decides to try one more time before dropping it for the time being. “If you want to talk about the fight, I’m always here for it. I pinky promise not to get mad.”

When Simon hears her smother something that’s the cross between a choked cry and a stifled cough of laughter, even if in disbelief at his antics, he takes it as a win. He can only hope that she’ll come to him when she’s ready. 

Felicette, the amazing little angel she is, breaks any remaining tension with her excitement, “Dad, are we still getting the green lasagna tonight?” 

Growing girl only thinks of food, Simon snickers to himself as he nods, “Yeah, Fe, we’re still having chicken pesto-alfredo lasagna tonight. It’s already put together and waiting patiently in the fridge to be moved to the oven for two hungry ladies.” 

The embodiment of bubbly joy beams over to her sister, not caring about the cold aura trying to put walls up. “Laika, it’s your favourite! And I bet there’s so much that we’ll have leftovers all week.” 

It seems to be enough to lower Laika’s defenses, because sweet Felicette just has the natural knack for melting ice, “Mhmm.” 

Simon tries to relax at the response, but he has to talk about it. He lost his window to cancel. He should have done it when the school called. 

But it’s too late now, unless Simon wants to shove Grace out the window of his bedroom.

… 

Is that still on the table? 

No. 

Simon, push through. 

“Girls,  about tonight,” Simon can feel his body betraying him as he tenses, he takes a deep breath before pushing forward, “we’re having a guest join us.” 

Laika’s head immediately twists at that, studying Simon with a scrutinizing gaze. Before she’s able to say anything, Felicette cranes her neck to look into the rear view mirror uncomfortably in attempt to see Simon’s face. “Is it Addy? They were just there this morning and left before I could say hi!” The youngest falls back into her seat and pouts, mumbling about how she ‘knew she shouldn’t have brushed her teeth.’

Simon tries to disperse his tension with a chuckle, but it comes out more nervous than he would’ve liked it to. “One- always brush your teeth. You’ve been doing amazing and I want you to keep up that good work Little Fe.” He does flash her a smile that’s much more confident than how he feels in this moment. Especially with the next sentence he’s about to try and chew out. “And two, no it isn’t Adrian. But Adrian does wish you both a Happy Adoptionday, and says they’ll be back Saturday with Rocky and gifts.”

“Who’s the guest of honor then?” There’s a well of anger bubbling below the surface of Laika’s tone that’s cold and calm on the outside. 

Simon chews his the inside of his cheek before continuing. “He’s a friend of mine. He helped me cook and set everything up.” Grace was willing to call out fake sick for Simon. Grace has been soothing and encouraging Simon all day. Grace has held Simon in his arms as he walked him through options that were still on the table. Grace made sure that this is what Simon wants to do, and then made the plan with Simon. Grace is at his house right now. The amount he feels for Grace, the man has gotten so close to his heart faster than Simon could have ever prepared for. Stars, please be open to this Laika. Making a silent prayer for forgiveness, Simon tries to push forward because God knows it’s too late to pull back. “He’s very exc-”

“Why does a stranger get to spend the special day with us? With you?” Laika recoils, drawing her walls back up in an instant. Her words pierced right through Simon’s own walls that he’s spent so much time and work on dismantling. 

This was a terrible idea. Laika’s too temperamental for such a drastic adaption that I’m trying to force. And I should have made this a separate night, I should have just focused on the girls tonight. “Because I wanted-” Simon cuts himself off, trying to find his words before letting them tumble gracelessly out his mouth. He takes a deep breath as he thinks, buying himself seconds of time. 

Simon wants to open up to Grace, and his girls are the most important people to him in this world. He selfishly wants to be vulnerable enough to have Grace meet them. The only thing Simon is certain of in any of this is that his girls come first, and that he’s confident in his and Grace’s relationship could whether any storm. 

He can’t stop thinking about how much Grace would love the girls too, its so sweet it has made him ill because of how badly he wants that. He wants to cuddle with Grace in the comfort and safety of his own home. He wants a sleepy-eyed Grace to be in the kitchen with a sleepy-eyed Laika and a bright-eyed Felicette, while Simon cooks them breakfast and Grace talks about science facts with Felicette. He wants to sometimes have disagreements about what’s best for the girls and for one of them to remember they’re a team in this and begin working with one another. He wants to see if Grace’s disarming nature is enough to pull one of those rare, full body laughs from Laika where she would clutch her sides because she was laughing so hard it hurt. He wants to walk in on them in the living room way too late at night watching Star Trek while Grace quizzes them on pop culture and teaches them how to badly catch popcorn with their mouths. He wants Grace to be beside him at bedtime, tucking the girls in and giving them goodnight kisses. Stars, he wants Grace to be able to help Simon figure out what’s wrong and help him figure out the next right step to making it better because Grace has years and hundreds more experience about kids than Simon does. And Grace gets it. He gets that his girls will always come first. Simon wants Grace by his side, to be the anchor he needs because Simon has been in way over his head for years now. And he’s just selfish enough to try and want it all.

Simon wants it with every fiber of his being, so intensely that it is making him sick being in the suspense between how much he’s fantasizing about a life he never thought someone like him would be allowed to have in a million years and the possibility of it being a reality so close that he can almost touch it. But if Simon fucks this up, he could lose Laika’s trust in him. And as much as it would hurt, if Simon had to choose…

“Just, give him a chance, Lai, for me. Please?” Simon swallows harshly, feeling like he’s so close to destroying every good thing in his life right now. He tries to push away how weak he feels and how the terror is threatening to crumble his own foundation. “He’s very kind. He makes stupid jokes, ones I pinky promise you’ll groan at every time,” Simon flashes a smile, just the possibility of the scene somehow calming his nerves just enough for him to get a few micro bits of confidence and fake the rest. “He’s a guest just for this evening. Once he leaves, you can tell me what you think, and if…” Simon tries to breathe around the knot in his throat, “if you don’t like him, that’s alright. He doesn’t have to come back if you don’t want him there. This is your home just as much as it is mine or Felicette’s.” At the stoplight, Simon makes eye contact with his oldest in the mirror, “Yeah?”

Laika shifts with uncertainty, but holds Simon’s gaze as she leans back with a nod. “Sure, whatever.” Simon allows himself to internally lament the smallest bit. I thought I still had at least a year or a year and a half before this part of being a teenager. Simon has felt so under prepared at every turn. But time moves forward, steamrolling right over his lack of understanding about raising kids despite his best attempts and best foot forward. 

Simon eases slightly as he quips back and forth with Felicette the rest of the way back to the house about what does or doesn’t make someone funny. It’s mostly just him pushing Felicette’s little buttons just right until she’s a giggling mess in the backseat. 

Pulling into the driveway,  Simon doesn’t see Grace’s car and worries as he helps Felicette out of her seat- that she is more than capable of getting out of herself by the way, but likes to play games. Did he change his mind? Simon immediately dismisses the fear. No. He wouldn’t. Simon feels a buzz in his pocket and pulls out his phone. 

Ryland: I pulled around the block. I want you and the kids to have a bit of time to decompress before dinner and have more time with each other. 

Ryland: Sorry I didn’t clear this with you before you left!

Ryland:  Is 5 o’clock okay for me to knock on the door? I thought it would be better as me coming across as a simple new friend rather than the pressure of some stranger who has been in your home while you were at school :] 

Simon groans internally as the stupidest grin forces its way across his face over this sweet, sweet man. And that stupid smile he adds to his text message. 

He quickly types a reply before pocketing his phone. 

Simon: I sorta already told them you had helped me set the house up, but the decompress space is definitely a brilliant and kind idea. Thank you, Ryland. You’re incredible. And yeah, five is perfect. 

As soon as his hand is free, Felicette wastes no time grasping his hand with both of hers and pulling backwards towards the house with her entire weight. “Daaaad you take so long! I wanna meet your new friend!”

Out of the corner of his vision, Simon sees Laika shifting uncomfortably, shoulders hunching inwards as she digs for her house key out of pocket. He twirls Felicette in a little circle, drawing more giggles from her before picking her up, holding her close as she clings to his shirt for stability. “He had a quick errand to go run,” Simon speaks just loud enough to ensure Laika can hear him, “he’ll be back at five, giving us just enough time to finish homework and for you two to relax for a little bit while I preheat the oven.” 

He follows after Laika into the house with Felicette in his arm. 

…

An hour or so later, after Simon helps Laika with her homework, and after Laika helps Felicette with her homework, Laika is helping Simon tie the ribbon of his kitchen apron, probably into a fancy bow that Simon never would’ve been able to do even when he had both arms. She’s been silent most of the evening. And Simon cannot tell which thing it is that’s getting to her. Or what she’s trying to keep from him. He wants so badly to help her and can’t figure out when he messed up and she stopped coming to him and its breaking his heart. 

“Laika,” he glances at her over his shoulder, and she is zeroed in on the finished bow, ends of the ribbon still clenched in her hands. “If there’s anything bothering you or anything on your mind, you can always come to me. That doesn’t change just because you’re growing up.” 

“Sure.” The iciness this entire afternoon has been so new. It almost makes him miss when she was defiant and combative because at least then she was still communicating how she felt. At least then he knew she still felt safe enough to express her anger with him. 

I am doing this all wrong? Fuck she’s going to hate me and resent me for the rest of her life. I’m failing at the one thing I need to get my shit together for and do. 

He wants for nothing more in this moment than to hug her, because though he’s gotten so much better at communicating, he still feels like he’s lacking in knowing what the best thing to say is. And he cannot for the life of him read her, know what she’s thinking or feeling or why. But if he hugs her and she doesn’t want to be hugged in this moment, the wedge he’s driving between them will grow deeper than it already is. 

“Do you want to tray up the garlic bread?” Trying again to push through, Simon gives her a gentle smile, still unable to read his previously very expressive and outspoken kid, “I picked up the house favourite five cheese.” 

Laika only sighs through her nose with a nod. 

Just as Simon tries to wreck his brain for something better, the doorbell rings.

“I’ll get it!” Is shouted from the top of the stairs, and Simon can feel in his gut that Felicette is about to run down those damn stairs again. So he runs to meet her, and just time time to catch her with the back of her shirt from landing face first on the last set of steps and breaking her fragile little face in. 

Fe, I love you but DON’T DO THAT YOU ARE GOING TO GET YOURSELF KILLED ONE OF THESE DAYS. 

He holds her up to his eye level, strong grasp on the back of her shirt as she just smiles shyly at him, sinking into her shirt like a turtle. “What’s the rule about the stairs.”

“Don’t run on them.”

Simon raises an eyebrow. 

“I won’t do it again. Pinky promise.” 

Oh no.

She’s giving him the puppy face. 

I am such a weak-willed man. Bending to the sad puppy face of a six year old. 

“You still have to write your letter.” Yes. Stick to the rules and accountability. “Yeah?”

It seems to be the great compromise of the century to the six year old as she nods excitedly, feet swinging back and forth to run despite not even being on the ground. 

Rolling his eyes with a huffed chuckle, he lowers her down and follows her to the front door. As she swings the door open, Simon’s breath catches in his throat as Grace stands there, a bouquet of sunflowers cradled in his hands and one of his star-striking smiles pierce Simon’s chest. 

“Are you Dr. Grace?”

“Sure am, and” Grace kneels so he’s closer to Felicette, as if he’s telling her a totally super classified top secret, “I’ve been informed that you’re a real science buff, is that true?”

Felicette nods excitedly, flapping her hands as she rattles of a few facts right off the top of her head. Grace listens intently, nodding in severe concentration as she does. 

Grace sucks a breath in, “Wow I might be out of a job if I don’t watch out. I’m glad I brought a peace offering with me.”

“You got me a gift?!” Simon withholds a laugh as Felicette looks back up at him then to Grace. 

“Yes! But of course, I was told today is a very special day for this household.” Grace makes an over dramatic show of rooting around in his pocket as he holds the flowers with one hand, before mumbling out loud and searching another pocket, only increasing Felicette’s anticipation. She bounces from side to side, eyes glued onto the hand that makes slow work through all of his pockets until he finally reaches to a pocket hidden in his blazer jacket. “Ah! There it is!” He pulls out a small chunk of stone that has a metallic gleam to it. “Voilà! Fe for you.” 

“An iron sample?!” Felicette nearly squeals in excitement as she accepts the offering from Grace, cradling it gently as she studies it. Once she’s thoroughly studied it, she turns to hold it up to Simon. “Dad, it’s an iron sample!” 

Simon nods and offers her a light grin, “And what do we say?”

Felicette twirls around on her heels, “Thank you Dr. Grace!” 

“Between us, it’s just Grace, milady,” Grace salutes her with a goofy grin and a wink, making Felicette giggle as she calls him silly. As he rises back up, he tells Felicette some science joke, which immediately launches his youngest into trying to say every fact about the topic of the joke in one breath. 

Simon hides his stupid, stupid grin behind a lightly curled fist, pressing a knuckle gently to his lips as the scene with a shake of his head. He’s shocked when Laika comes marching to the door, crossing her arms as she puts herself between the two men, being especially protective of Simon’s left side. 

“Simon’s favourite flowers aren’t sunflowers.” Laika comes in with a type of coldness that’s burning to the touch. Her gaze pins Grace down with a heat to it. 

But Grace still smiles gently, giving her a nod. “No, they aren’t. His favourite flowers are Morning Glories and Forget-Me-Nots. If he’s given something that isn’t either of those, it has to be Carnations.”

Laika gives the slightest nod, but glares down to the flowers in Grace’s hands. “Then why are you bringing him those?” Simon tries to ease his kid by placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, but she only steps further in front of him, trying to separate the two. 

Felicette has been obsessed with trying to set Simon up with every person that so much as looks at him, while Laika had always chased them all away for just looking at him. Despite Laika about to probably grill Grace within an inch of his life, Simon can’t help but feel relieved that Laika definitely still cares and is protective over him. 

“Actually, these are for you. Sunflowers are your favourite, aren’t they?” Grace holds the bouquet out to her, but she stands her ground. 

“That’s rather presumptuous of you, Mr. Grace.” She doesn’t budge, but Simon leans down slightly to whisper to her. 

“Lai, I told him your favourite flower.” Simon talked so much about his girls that he truthfully doesn’t remember that he mentioned it to Grace. But Grace apparently did and it’s driving Simon further up a wall about this perfect guy. 

Laika side eyes Simon. “Betrayal.” She’s half joking, but only half. 

“Yeah, I’m a rat, but what’s the polite thing to do here?” Simon will allow Laika to be mad at him, he’ll accept it if she rejects Grace, but what he won’t allow is for her to lose her manners. 

Releasing a silent sigh that she couldn’t quite suppress, Laika turns her less heated attention back to Grace, gently accepting the flowers from him. “Thank you for the flowers.” She gives him a look that Simon can’t see that clearly states this isn’t over. 

“You’re welcome,” Grace nods politely in turn. “But the thanks is entirely my own. It would have felt rude if I didn’t bring my host something on an important day to her.”

Simon’s oldest shifts uncomfortably, and he thinks Grace may have hit a nail on the head somewhere, but she still doesn’t budge from the doorway. “Then what did you bring Simon? This is his house.”

“Our house,” Simon and Felicette correct her at the same time.

But Laika ignores them, eyes not leaving Grace’s for even a moment. 

Grace shifts uncomfortably for the first time. 

Simon cuts in, “He’s already done so much for me today, I don’t-”

Before Laika has the chance to raise her concern, Grace speaks up. “I did get you something, I just think it’ll probably be better after dinner? I just- Yeah.” Grace slides his hands down the sides of his pants. 

Simon wants to press a kiss to his cheek and smooth whatever worry that is preoccupying Grace’s mind, but instead he offers a slight grin, “Alright, we can wait.” Simon turns to Laika. “Shall we, Lai?” He’s requesting her permission to invite Grace into their house.

Laika nods, expression still stony for a twelve year old. She steps to the side to let Grace into the entryway, but still stands between him and Simon.

Huffing a grin, Simon habitually places a kiss to her temple before he can stop himself, but his heart melts as she leans into the contact. He lets Laika lead them all to the kitchen, and goes to the oven to check on the toast and pasta. 

Grace asks Laika if she would like help setting the table, and after a pause she tells him no, he’s a guest this evening and insists he sit.

Simon peeks over his shoulder that that because holy shit that’s unexpected. He watches as she comes over to the counter and begins grabbing plate and silver ware. 

For the first time in months, Laika is calming down and being herself. And on top of that, she’s being serious about Simon’s request to be open to this. On one hand, he’s relieved and excited for this development. He’s already planning their next family adventure, take the girls to the park and the cafe and go to Laika’s favourite bookstore. He feels so immensely grateful that Laika is truly taking his request to heart. 

However, that’s the double blade of it. Simon needs to make sure she knows that she’s allowed to have a say. She’s allowed to disagree and they could talk about it. She’s allowed to set a boundary.  She doesn’t have to force herself to go along just because Simon wants this. He files this to his mental pin board of things to talk with her about, putting it on highest priority. As soon as Grace drives away and they have their post meeting. 

Simon reaches to help by grabbing  the place mats, but Laika cuts him off, looking up at him,and he can swear she looks like a dog who is doing droopy ears. 

“You’re making dinner, let me set the table.” 

He can almost hear the unspoken ‘please’ lingering in the air and he nods his head. “Alright, but we’re both going to do dishes later, yeah?” 

Laika nods at that and for the first time in months, she gives him a smile, and for a moment he can feel that maybe things will work out okay. His heart is lighter. 

…

Dinner ended up being tense, Laika was silent and occasionally glared daggers at Grace anytime Felicette had her attention on him, which was most of the dinner because she was so excited to have a science guy over for dinner who knew more than her and could explain it all to her in ways she understood. Laika would scoff at Grace’s puns and jokes. 

But the worst had probably been when Simon’s worry was reaching a peak, and Grace, without thinking, reached over to put his hand on top of Simon’s to comfort him. 

Laika tensed, eyes glued to the contact as disbelief washed over her. She set her silverware down with more force than she meant to. 

The air was tense and heavy as the sound of the clattering metal echoes in the dead silent kitchen. Not even Felicette made so much as a peep. 

“I’m sorry, I need to go to the bathroom.” Before Simon can even stand with her, she’s bolted out the kitchen. 

Grace’s hand had withdrawn when Laika slammed down her fork, but still hovers over Simon’s, curling in to itself as he runs his thumb over his own finger in thought. He leans over to speak to Simon with a lowered voice. “Simon, do you want me to leave so you can all have privacy, or do you want me to occupy Felicette so you two can talk?” 

Simon swallows hard before plastering on a smile for both Felicette and Grace. “Yeah, you two can talk more about how stars are formed, I’ll go check on Laika.” 

Simon quickly follows the path it sounded like Laika took as she had run up the stairs and into the bathroom. Slowing his silent footsteps, Simon listens carefully through the door and feels his heart drop and just completely shatter at the sound of his baby girl trying to muffle her crying. And failing to because she only starts to cry harder. Swallowing the painful knot in his throat, Simon gently knocks on the door with one knuckle. “Lai? Can I please come in? I want to talk this out.” 

Laika immediately quiets, but she’s still crying. 

Simon takes a sharp breath in before offering, “I can send him away, if it would help. I just want to talk to my family… yeah?”

The door swings open and the twelve year old yanks him in, and he lets her. 

“No,” she chokes out, “he can stay where he is. I just- I don’t!” The tear trails stain Laika’s face, making her all puffy and her eyes red as she shakes her head, her entire tiny form trembling. 

Simon doesn’t hesitate to kneel down and wrap his arm around her, hugging her close. And she immediately  throws her arms around his form, crying into his chest harder than she had been before. He rocks them gently back and forth, pressing a kiss to her forehead every other moment. “I’m right here, Laika, I promise.” He tells her he isn’t going anywhere and that he’s here. 

Finally, Laika’s crying subsides, but probably only because she can’t cry anymore. Simon reaches over for Laika’s mouthwash cup and fills it with water for her. He holds it out wordlessly to her, and she does as what’s being asked of her. 

After a moment, as she’s wiping her tears away, Simon finally speaks again. “Laika, can you please tell me what’s been going on?” Simon’s tone applies a coating of honey over Laika’s raw emotional state. “I’m sorry I haven’t been able to figure it out. I didn’t know how and it felt like the more I tried to push you, the further away you drew from me.” 

His sensible, grounded to earth, Laika sniffles as she nods, not looking him in the eye. She doesn’t have the mental bandwidth to try and explain anything with him looking at her, so she hides her head in the little nook against his neck, holding him tight as though he’ll leave if she doesn’t. 

“You’re always taking care of us. You’re always correcting us. You always make sure we get everything we ask for.” Laika trembles in his arm as she fiddles with the fabric of his shirt. 

“Because that’s what I’m here for, Lai.” He rubs his cheek against the top of her head, relaxing so much now that they’ve finally started talking. “I’m not perfect, but I still try my best because you deserve the best chance I can give you.”

She shakes her head. “We’re only here because I made you take us. You were only there that night because of me! If I hadn’t called-”

Simon protectively pulls Laika closer to him, desperately trying not to think about the emotional backlash of what his baby girl has had on her mind for months. “Laika, if you hadn’t called the fire department that night, you and Felicette both would have died. I never would have gotten the chance to know two of the most beautiful and brilliant young girls that have change my life for the better.” Simon takes a trembling breath in, his words of affection having pulled a whimper from his little girl. “If I had the chance? I’d do it again. Maybe would’ve tried to learn better sooner, but I wouldn’t chance a damn thing. I wouldn’t trade you for the world.” 

“Kyle said that you’d be better off without my extra baggage weighing on you and that we’ll never be a real family.” Laika begins to shake again, but this time with pure rage. “He’s such an ass! Like it’s not my fault he wasn’t good enough to make the baseball team. He came at me sideways for shit that has nothing to do with me?!” Laika takes a deep breath and calms back down. Then she quietly adds, “He said it would only be a matter of time before you left me too. And… Grace, is he…?”

“No, no no no Laika,” Simon quickly reassures her once she’s done. “Not only would he not be able to ever take me away from you, he wouldn’t want to. It’s the only reason why I even gave him a real chance in the first place.” Simon pulls away, placing a curled finger under Laika’s chin to tilt her up to face him. “You are my family. That’s something I though I would never have. I thought I wasn’t allowed to. So yeah, fuck what Kyle said.” Laika is a smart girl who learns things way too quickly. He allows her to get away with more because she’s usually smarter about it, and usually has a calm head on her shoulders. “Just one thing.” 

“I finished the fight.” Laika tilts her head while sticking her tongue out a little in a playful manner. Her eyes are still puffy and strained, but the joy is slowly coming back again.

“That’s my girl,” Simon’s well of pride overflows with that of what he feels for his oldest. “You won’t have to write lines, however we will work out ways of keeping your cool in intense moments and how you can either rise above, or snap lower.” He pinches her cheek playfully, “You usually have good judgment, so I’ll leave it to your discretion.” 

Laika giggles as she pushes his hand away, “Stoooohp.” Ruthlessly, she goes after his left side, drumming her fingers ticklishly into his skin through his shirt.

“Alright! Alright! I yield!” Simon snaps his hand back, raised in surrender. He loops his arm back around his kid and her giggles die out as she hugs him back. 

“Thanks, dad.”

I’m so cool. I’m so normal. I am definitely the most cool and the most normal. Yeah. This is fine. “Uhuh, y-yeah honey!” Simon clears his throat, recovering his control over himself, “Also, I will be making a visit up to the school about the fight.” 

“Don’t try to talk them out of my detention.” Laika’s voice is flat and serious.

“I won’t, you resulted to physical violence, so that’s the consequence.” Simon can’t spoil her rotten, and he’s relieved she knows that too. “Whatever Kyle got punished with, I promise it isn’t harsh enough. Especially taking in the fact that not once was it mentioned to me why you were in a fight. Just that you started a fight.” Simon sighs, but as a reset. “So, now that you know I have no intention of going anywhere, and that Grace isn’t here to take me away from you, how do you feel about him?”

“He’s amazing with Fe, is he a teacher?” Laika studies her dad closely.

“Yes, he’s actually a science teacher at the junior high.” Simon smiles fondly. 

“He’s a fucking nerd. Your boyfriend is a nerd. Of course you’d go for someone so dorky.” Laika smirks, teasing Simon for the first time in months. 

“Hey! He’s charming!” Simon takes mock offense to his kid’s words.

“I never said he wasn’t,” Laika punches Simon’s shoulder, “but I will not be going easy on him, do not ask me to.”

“Would it be too much to ask you just to be a twelve year old? You act like you’re seventeen,” Simon smirks back at her, shaking his head, “This old man can’t keep up with you trying to rush that clock, kiddo.” 

“Maybe. Make your case.” She folds her arms and looks at him expectantly. 

Simon sighs over dramatically, placing a hand on Laika’s shoulder shaking them both back and forth. “Please please please please please please please please please please-”

“Alright, shut up, fine! Just stop that.” Laika covers her ears at his incessant pleading. 

Relinquishing, Simon’s so relieved to have his kid back. “Okay, well, if you’re ready, I think we should probably go back downstairs before the scientists turn our kitchen into their laboratory.”

A sheer, genuine flash of terror crosses Laika’s face as she remembers the Saturday morning she walked into the kitchen and Felicette was mixing random cleaning chemicals to ‘examine the outcome.’ “Simon, as long as your boyfriend can teach her lab safety, he can move in tonight.”

“Woah, slow down, no one’s moving in anytime soon.” Simon has to bring his blood pressure down, and then holds up two fingers, “And two, Laika, I love your little sister, but no one can teach that girl a lick of what safety means.” 

“Then what is the fucking point of you dating a scientist?”

Oh shit. Simon suddenly remembers something. “We also should probably watch our swearing around Grace.”

“I knew this motherfucker was a nerd. Are you telling me you’re falling for the type of nerd that doesn’t curse?” Laika looks at Simon with disbelief. “He ain’t gonna live this shit down, Simon, I hope you know this.” 

Simon snorts as he shoves her shoulder lightly, “Well, it’s about time that we get Felicette some kind of good influence, y’know. Now. While she’s young and formative.”

Laika gasps, clutching pearls she doesn’t have, “How dare you. Addy is a perfectly good influence!”

Simon side eyes his kid, “Adrian told Felicette to squeeze lemon concentrate into Jacob’s lunch milk when he isn’t looking.”

Laika chews on her lip for a flash of a second before nodding vigorously, “Actually, yeah, you’re right. Addy is most definitely a bad influence, let’s go.” And pushes around Simon to get out the bathroom, who stumbles to get to his feet. 

“Hold up, was it you?” Simon pokes his head out the bathroom as she pauses at the top of the stairs, hesitates.

“No… Dad,” she only ever calls him that when they’re having a moment, or when she’s trying to get him to bend, “we’re keeping our guest waiting! And he’s babysitting our Felicette, so let’s go!” She quick walks down the stairs to rush to the kitchen before him. 

“We’re talking about this later!” Simon rushes after, taking a few more seconds to get back to the kitchen. 

In the time it takes Simon to walk into the kitchen, Laika is already comfortably back in her seat, now only playfully glaring at Grace, who is pretending he hasn’t caught on to the change. Simon hangs back for a moment to take the scene in and savor it before returning to it himself. His girls and the man he… 

Yeah. 

Just… yeah. 

Simon pushes himself back towards the table, but it feels more like gravity pulling him back into orbit, right where he belongs. He sits and relaxes, unable to shake the smile from his face, and he really doesn’t even want to try. 

“Laika,” Grace looks up to the oldest kid with hope and a softness in his eyes. “If you’re alright with it, I would like to speak with you after dinner?”

Simon tries not to tense at that though, “You two don’t have to do that, it’s-”

“No, it’s okay,” Laika says at the same time Grace says, “Please, it’s…”

For the first time, Laika looks at Grace without a hint of judgment and in just, a pure sense of awe. Then, she nods. “I would actually like that, yes.” She looks to Simon, silently asking for his permission. Simon glances to Grace, who is giving him an identical look. 

“Alright, yeah. Felicette and I will be picking the movie though, so, yeah.” Simon reaches for another piece of toast. 

“I want to talk too though!” Felicette pouts, pulling a chuckle from Simon. 

“Felicette, you didn’t hear me. We’re the real winners here,” Simon gives her a look of ‘come on’. “We get to pick the movie!”

Felicette immediately begins to talk about her favourite ones. 

…

Grace somehow talked both Simon and Laika into letting him help with dishes in Simon’s place. Simon was shocked for the umpteenth time that Laika allowed it. So now Simon is at the entertainment center with Felicette as she pulls out her favourites, asking Simon for what he thinks Grace would like. But Simon’s mind keeps drifting to the conversation in the other room that he can’t make out. 

Laika studies Grace from her step stool as he scrubs dishes. He looks… gentle. But definitely not fragile or without strength. 

To her, he’s similar to Simon in that aspect. Simon is the strongest adult she knows, but she’s never once been afraid of that strength because… He’s always cradled little Felicette as though it’s what he had been made to do. When Laika wanted to learn how to use makeup, Simon taught himself how to do it so he could help Laika feel confident in learning it herself. He’s grown to be softer-spoken over the years. Laika can remember, just barely, how in the beginning he used to be much more impatient and angry and scared. When he was going through processing to adopt her and Felicette, he had gotten book after book after book. He still has them on his shelves in the office, and Laika sees them there everyday. He trained himself on how to be a caretaker in just a few months while he was still recovering from his own surgeries. Simon’s always acted like he knew the answer she needed, and she knows it’s just a brave face sometimes, but she also knows he means it. Even if he doesn’t know, she knows it will be okay. He’s her safe place. He’s her home. He’s her family. 

Where Grace looks like he differs from her guardian is that he seems to actually know the answers, but he doesn’t know Laika enough to apply them naturally, the way that Simon can. 

Laika remembers the way she saw her dad smiling at Grace and Felicette on the porch. She’s seen him smile a hundred different ways, but there was something about that one that was different. That was new. And it scared her because Simon is very predictable and likes his routines and has patterns that Laika has charted in full. So the new fear of him leaving couldn’t be forgotten or written off because the past few months he had been… different. Different and she couldn’t figure out how or why. 

Laika breaks the silence that wrapped around the two like a fresh blanket from the dryer. 

“Mr. Gr-” She corrects herself, “Dr. Grace,”

“Miss Laika, you can call me whatever you want,” He says it with a gentle huff as he glances at her, then jokes further with, “and that can even include ‘That-Douchee-Canoe-Who’s-Dating-My-Caretaker’.”

The jest pulls the tension from her, letting her relax, and she laughs at him because holy shit Simon wasn’t pulling her leg about the cursing thing. Noted. “I would, but Simon taught me better than that and he already does so much for me.” 

“Simon loves both of you. He talks about you both all the time.” Grace’s smile grows as he recalls conversations he had with her caretaker. “He’s so proud of you, Laika. You should see the way he talks about you! He told me that he feels like the luckiest man alive just because he’s been given the chance to watch you grow up and support the young woman you will become.” 

There’s something about the awe and the fondness in Grace’s voice that almost reminds her about the way that Simon is. 

“I wanted to apologize for my outburst at dinner. First and foremost.” Laika picks up the next dish to rinse it and set it on the drying rack. “You… make Simon weirdly happy and I don’t know how or why and I wish I had been told sooner, but I do understand why he had waited. I’ve never seen Simon do a single thing the past few years that didn’t have to do with Felicette and I in one way or another. I kinda thought he wouldn’t know how.” Laika blinks away fresh tears, because she’s still processing that he felt so bad about letting himself be happy because he thought it would be at her own expense. She’s smart, sure, but there’s still so much she can’t deal with. It’s just… everything is only getting more confusing and she hates it. But something here is simple, at least. “So you better be good at doing that. You better not make him cry.”

“It would break my own heart to do that, so yes ma’am.” Grace grins softly as he finishes the rest of his side. 

“I won’t have another outburst, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to be nice to you or let you off the hook.”

“Off the hook?” 

This dude is oblivious. Thanks, Simon. This is great. She has to spell it out for him. “I won’t go easy on you because of Simon. In fact,” Laika side eyes him as she finishes the last of her side, “I’ll be harsher because of that.”

Laika can see as the gears turn and her words finally click. He smiles with a nod, “Yeah, that’s your Simon, so I get it. However,” Grace snaps his finger, feigning a sudden remembering of something that ‘slipped his mind’, “that reminds me of what I had wanted to talk to you about.” He offers her a brighter grin when she tilts her head at him curiously. “Remember earlier this evening when you asked if I had gotten Simon anything?” Grace is reaching for one of the cabinets as she nods.  “I did get something for him, buuuut I really don’t think I should be the one to give it to him.”

Grace takes out a mug he had hidden in the cabinet and displays it to her.

Reading it’s plain red font on the white cup, Laika stifles a half-hearted laugh. “Oh my god, that’s so corny!”

Nodding, Grace gives a shrug of his shoulders, as he looks to the mug in his hands and back to her. “Do you think he’ll like corny?”

“Unfortunately, yes. That is the corniest motherf-” eyes glossing over, Laika has to think. Quickly please. “Fluffer,”

“Nice save, kid.” Grace gives a wheeze of a laugh at the botched attempt to hide her cursing habit. 

“You will ever have the privilege of meeting.”

“Good, because I was wondering,” Grace looks down at the cup, as if considering it, then holds it out to her, “if you would be willing to to do the honor.”

Laika gives a silent gasp as she snaps her eyes from the mug up to Grace. “For real?”

Grace nods enthusiastically. 

“Felicette!” 

Both Felicette’s and Simon’s heads pop up from the movies they narrowed down to. 

“Whaaat?!” The kid yells back.

“We need you!” Laika’s tone is sweet, in the way that Simon knows she’s conspiring.  

“Simon, stay in there for a moment, we just need Miss Felicette at this point,” Grace’s voice carries out much gentler, but Simon knows he’s plotting here too. It has to be something good if it’s getting Laika and Grace tag teaming like this. 

Felicette giggles as she stands and runs a couple steps before stopping and running back to Simon’s side. “You pick the movie!” She presses a kiss to his cheek and disappears into the kitchen. 

Shaking his head, Simon looks down at the last three contenders before picking up The Iron Giant. It had been the first movie the girls wanted him to watch. So, The Iron Giant it still is. He puts the other movies back where they belong. 

As he turns back around, he hears whispering and giggles right around the corner before Grace gets shoved out by Laika’s arm with a demand of ‘cover his eyes!’ 

Simon tilts his head up at his partner as the other man walks toward him. Simon points to the kitchen, where the source of the giggles still emit from. 

And all Grace can offer him is a shrug. 

‘Traitor,’ Simon mouths as Grace kneels next to him.

However, Grace is immediately forgiven when he presses a kiss to the corner of his lips in their short, stolen moment that they have. Grace situates himself next to Simon on the floor and places his hand over Simon’s eyes. 

“Can’t believe you’re out to steal my kids,” Simon jokes in a whisper low enough only for Grace to hear. 

“And in your own home, messed up, I know,” is whispered back. 

Simon hears as the giggles and shushes move from the kitchen, carried by the graceless stomps of Felicette and the sneakier taps of Laika. 

“Tada!” Grace removes his hands at the girls’ cue. 

Simon’s eyes lower from his girls’ eager faces to the item in their hands. 

It’s a plain white coffee mug.

With the words ‘World’s Best Dad’ printed on it. 

Do not cry like a motherfucking baby. 

Simon covers his mouth with his hand, eyes growing large and getting this gloss over them.

Yeah, I’m gonna cry like a motherfucking man. 

“I love it,” Simon takes it gently in his hand, smiling down at it. His girls hug him on each side and the fucking dam breaks. “It’s only because I have the world’s best kids.” He scoops them both into his arm and holds them closer. His shoulders tremble the slightest bit and he relaxes as he feels Grace’s hand sympathetically rubbing circles into his back. 

How on earth did Simon get so lucky to have this? All of this? He laughs, handle of the mug still clutched tightly in his hand as he holds his girls in the embrace, pressing kisses to both of their foreheads. 

Soon enough, he’s ushered to the couch, shoved into Grace’s side, and Laika curling up on his left, and Felicette sitting in his lap as the movie plays. 

This is the life he built. It’s his. It’s home, right here and now. He built the foundation, and he has a family for it. Simon can’t wipe the ridiculous grin from his face as he melts further into Grace’s side, and he doesn’t want to.