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"Okay... Step one... Boil the pasta.", read aloud by the famous New Yorker wrestler. His blue eyes glancing at a recipe book as he fills a pot with water and ribbon noodles, setting it onto the stovetop to heat up. "Step two... Prepare the meat."
He moves aside to the counter, combining beef with some vegetables. "Heh. At least it don't require broccoli."
As he works to prepare dinner, he can hear the laughter of his twins who were currently in their playpen together. A smile breaks on his face, a feeling of maternal joy in his heart.
While the noodles boil and the meat cooks, he washes his large hands and walks over to the playpen to check on his children.
His kids, both young toddlers, were building blocks together. Seeing them made him smile in pride, "Youse two already so smart.", he carefully steps in and kneels down. "Wow. Take a look at dat.", he whistles as he takes in the miniature block tower they made, "Almost looks like the skyline."
One looks up at him with bright eyes, she didn't exactly understand what he just said but seeing her 'mother' smile meant she did something good! "Mama ... Blocks!"
The other giggles and points to him, "Mama... Big!"
He smiles down at his girls, "Ya both are forming sentences already... Wait til her dad comes home to see!"
The blond child, with bright green eyes, pushes a building block to him, "Mama! Play, Mama!"
"Alright. Just dis once, okay? Gotta go cook dinner." Alex gently takes the block and sets it on the top of the tower. The two tots clap happily.
"Mama did it!", the one with black hair eagerly says, her little body vibrating in joy.
He gently pats both of them on their heads, "Dats right. I did good, huh?"
They both nod and cheer in response.
Alex puffs up his chest proudly, beaming as his children cutely cheer for him. "Alright. Gimmie a bit, gotta go check the noodles."
"Noodles!", the baby blonde cheers while her sister reaches out for another block. "Play blocks... After noodles!"
"Ya got it, Artemis!", he says as he slowly stands up, "Be back soon, kiddos.", he makes a heart with his hand before getting out of the playpen and heading to the kitchen.
~~~
Once in the kitchen, he turns both burners off and starts to layer the lasagna. "This is gonna be the best damn lasagna they'll have.", he declares proudly, putting the pan into the oven.
"Damn... Now to clean up."
Not something he enjoyed but he was determined to ace the mommy role. He got to work, making sure everything looked spick and span.
As he was cleaning in the sink, he got his shirt soaked. Swearing to himself as he made his way to the bedroom and to the closet to pick a new shirt.
Standing in front of the mirror, he takes in his body and the stretch marks around his stomach. "Those kids made me fat.", he mumbles as he pats the chub of his stomach. Now, Alex was still incredibly muscular and went back to weight lifting a few months after the twins were born but he still had some pudge and love handles with stretch marks beautifully displayed on his hips and stomach.
He flexes, watching himself in the mirror, "I still got it. Ain't anyone beating the Young Lion in a match!", he so proudly declares while putting on a new shirt.
Alex checked the time and soon his husband would be back, "Damn. Babe's gonna be home soon. Gotta make sure everything is loookin' good."
Leaving the bedroom he heads straight to the living room where the two toddlers were now playing with their stuffed animals, making cute growling sounds as they did.
Athena spots him and giggles, "Mommy back! Mommy play!", she tries offering him her stuffed lion.
Chuckling, he kneels down, "5 more minutes. I gotta make sure everything is still standing or yer dad will be so mad at me."
"Aww! Play soon, mommy!", she sweetly replies, looking up at him with bright eyes.
Her sister nods quickly and cutely, "Mama can be piggy!", she holds up her stuffed pig.
His blue eyes full with amusement, "No way, kiddo. Ya both know... I'm always the lion. ROOOOAR!", he does his best lion impression that makes his toddlers burst into adorable giggles.
And then... Two cute little roars follow.
"Raaaah!"
"Roooah!"
It melts his heart, seeing his little girls copy him like that. "Dats right... My lil cubs. Youse will be as strong as me one day!", he gives another flex that they try to copy as well.
"Wait here, my cubs. Be back soon."
It hurt to leave them again but the rest of the chores called. He would check them constantly, after he finished something he was right back in there to make sure they were okay. And after an hour he had finally finished everything he needed to do.
~~~
The lasagna was finally cooked, he carefully removes it and sets the pan down, covering it with foil again to let it sit.
"Thems betta enjoy dis.", he smirks, happy with how the dinner came out!
Alex sets up the table with silverware, pulls over the two high chairs for the toddlers and then sets the food in the middle of the table.
He wipes away sweat, washes his hands and checks on the clock. "Should be home soon..."
The kids call from the living room, trying to get his attention, "Mama! Rawr!". It works, of course, and he rushes in.
What meets him is Athena who successfully crawled out of the playpen and was crawling around the living room. He quickly scoops her up, "Hey! How did ya do that...? Ya shouldn't be able to yet!"
She giggles and grabs at his hair "Miss Mama!'
From the corners of his eyes he sees Artemis crawling out as well. Gasping, he scoops her up as well.
"Great... Now botha ya are outsmarting us.", he sighs, but he was secretly proud of them. It was a sign of them growing up after all.
As they giggle and pull at his hair, he sits on the couch, waiting for his husband to return. "Calm down, kiddos. I promise ya dat we'll play later. Yer daddy will be home soon, and then we eat."
"Noodles!"
"Yay! Noodles, rawwwr!"
He smiles warmly at his roaring kids, amused by just how silly they were acting. Too distracted by them that he didn't hear the door opening and his lover entering the house.
"I'm home.", his husband says, grinning as he watches the scene.
"Daddy's home!", Athena calls and reaches out, "We eat noodles now!"
"Raaar! Daddy. Noodles!", Artemis adds on, clinging onto her mother.
"Welcome home, babe! I got all the chores done. Dinner's ready too.", Alex slowly stands up, still holding the babies as he walks over to greet his love with a kiss.
They move to the kitchen, setting the babies up in the high chairs and getting plates of the lasagna.
Alex's husband talks a little about his day but the main focus was on the kids, as it always is!
"Our little cubs were great today.", the wrestler starts, "We played a bit, they napped, made a mess.", he cuts up the pasta dish into bite sizes to feed the little ones.
"Mommy made good!"
"I love noodles!"
The toddlers eagerly eat up the food they're giving, joy on their little faces.
"Yeah! Look at em! Lovin' it.", Alex grins proudly as his kids happily chomp away on the lasagna.
His husband smiles fondly, heart soaring as he watches his family. Everything was amazing. "You're a great mom, Alex."
Flushing, the wrestler smirks back, "I'm the BEST mom."
"Yah! Momma is best!
"Momma can do it all!"
The toddlers giggle, happily eating and enjoying their meal.
Dinner passes full of laughter and love. The little ones slowly drifting off as Alex finishes feeding them.
"Looks like it's nap time, huh?", his husband says.
"Heh. Yeah. Guess so.", Alex smiles at the sleeping tots.
Truthfully, he never imagined he'd be in a place like this. A loving husband, two adorable kids, living in a great neighborhood and beautiful house.
It felt like a dream to him. But if it was, he never wanted to wake up.
He feels lips press against his cheek. His husband gives him a soft kiss, "I'll handle clean up. Go tuck these lunatics into bed."
"On it.", he gets up and slowly picks up the tired ones.
"Hey. And thanks for dinner, babe. You did great.", his husband smiles at him, picking up the plates and going into the kitchen to wash them.
Alex winks and walks off, the sleeping babies in his embrace.
~~
"Alright, my cubs... I guess it's bedtime already."
Into the nursery they made, painted with a cute jungle theme with lions playing together. Something that the kids absolutely adored and Alex hoped it would still hold that same feeling for them even when they grow up.
He gently lowers each toddler onto their back in their little cribs. They looked so sweet, so precious that Alex felt tears well in his eyes as he tucks them in.
"Can't believe ya both are half me... Guess ya got yer looks from yer dad. I love ya both. Artemis. Athena. My cubs."
Alex wipes at his eyes, tears now dripping down his cheeks. He rubs them away, fingers tracing the scar under his eye.
They stir in their sleep but don't wake up.
He slowly lowers their favorite stuffed animals into their beds.
"Sleep well, my little cubs."
Before he turns the light off, a pair of smaller arms wrap around him. His husband had come to say goodnight to the twins as well. Alex watches as he does, tears still in his eyes.
"Why are you crying?", his husband gently asks, holding out his hands.
Alex takes them, holding on tenderly as he whispers, "They... They're so small."
"They'll be big soon.", his lover replies, rubbing his knuckles.
"Then they'll leave us."
He knew how it went. He went through it himself. Wanting privacy, Leaving the nest, wanting your own life.
It killed him when he thought of it.
More tears came. His husband leaned in taking his face so softly and using his thumbs to wipe away the tears.
"Someday. But we'll always be there for them. And for tonight... Let's just be happy that we have them."
Alex sniffs, leaning in to rest his chin on his love's head, "Yah... Yer right. But... It still hurts. Thinkin about dem all grown up. Leavin' us. Havin' their own kids..."
He's stopped with lips upon his, a warm kiss to silence his thoughts.
"They'll always be our children, our cubs. All of it is a part of life.", words come so genuine and soothingly from his love. "Life goes by fast. That's why we need to slow down and enjoy it."
Nodding sadly, he hugs his husband, "Yer always right... I love em. I love ya. I neva want our family to end."
"My love. It never will. We will always be together. Me, the dad. You, the mom.", he grins as he says 'mom'.
Alex grins back, "We're the best mom and dad to the best kids. Ain't nothin' gonna come between us and our cubs. Not as long as I'm standin'. I'll take anyone down who threatens em."
The two share a loving embrace, glancing back at the cribs and saying goodnight once again to the sleeping babies before turning off the light, the warm glow of their nightlight casting across the room as they leave the babies alone to sleep.
"They'll just be up in another hour anyway.", Alex chuckles, arms still around his partner. "What should we do on the meantime?"
"I have some ideas.", his partner smirks, leaning against him, "You in?"
Blue eyes sparkle with amusement and want, "With ya? Always."
Alex picks up his lover, bridal style, and carries him into their bedroom, softly laughing together all the way.
It was going to bed a fun night... Until the tots eventually wake them up. But for now, the two would share a tender moment of pure love and happiness.