Work Text:
“Holly, Holly! Watch this!” Holland says, picking up his five year old daughter and setting her in his lap.
Holly stares into his eyes. She's not much of a chatty toddler, but she's very curious and very smart.
Holland holds up the bottom of his brand new tie that he got from a comic store. It's a prank tie.
“Have you ever heard of the bad breath tie?” Holland asks.
Holly shakes her head. Holland breathes on it, making sure his breath isn't too hot.
“Okay, now you breathe on it.”
Holly frowns in confusion, but opens her mouth and blows hot air onto the tie. It crumples and she startles a bit before laughing uncontrollably.
Holland snorts. “You have REALLY bad breath!” He laughs.
Holly giggles, the sound filling the entire house.
☆°•°○☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆○°•°☆
Holly had had a bad day. She had come home from school, practically in tears because the other seven year olds were picking on her for her height.
Holly is quite tall for a seven year old. The other kids were calling her a giant and asking her how the weather is up there.
So, Holland did what Holland does best. He scooped Holly up, sat her in his lap, and made jokes.
“Okay Holly. Do you remember the bad breath tie?” Holland asks.
Holly sniffles and shakes her head. Holland smiles.
“Well, you're going to love this.”
He's thankful that he wore it today, he doesn't even know why he wore it, but he holds up the end of the tie and breathes on it, making sure not to let his breath be too hot.
“Okay, it's your turn. You breathe on it.” Holland holds the tie out to her.
Holly sniffles again, but breathes onto the tie, it crumples and Holly giggles a bit.
“Wow! Your breath must stink!” Holland play shouts, tickling her.
Holly squeals, laughing uncontrollably. “Daddy stop!” She laughs.
Holland laughs harder, tickling her sides, her stomach, behind her ears. She screams, the sound of her laughter brightening up the room.
☆°•○☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆○°•°☆
Holly is ten now. The kids had stopped teasing her about her height, but now she's starting to get into makeup and girly things.
Holland is way out of his league when Holly comes home from school begging Holliday to take her to the mall to get makeup.
Holliday had laughed and said no, maybe this weekend, so now Holly is pouting.
“Please mom!” Holly asks for the fourth time.
“I said, no. We can go this weekend, but if you keep asking we won't go at all.” Holliday sighs, cutting up something for dinner.
Holly throws herself onto the couch and Holland makes his way to the hallway closet. He knows just how to cheer her up.
He digs through his old boxes and finds the bad breath tie. This outta make Holly laugh. Holland snickers and he replaces the tie he's wearing with the bad breath tie.
He walks back out into the living room and plops down on the couch next to Holly. He breathes on the bottom of the tie and holds it out to Holly.
She peeks at him from the couch cushion, then sits up and breathes on the tie. It crumples and she giggles.
Holland smiles and says, “Wow! You must have really bad breath!” He laughs.
Holly bursts into laughter, shoving at Holland's shoulder. “You're so silly.”
Holliday snorts from the kitchen. “You brought the tie back?” She laughs.
Holland grins. “Of course I did! Someone had to cheer up our little monster.”
Holly gasps in offense. “Rude!”
“Oh you know it's true.”
Holland and Holly laugh together. Once they calm down Holland pulls Holly into his lap, hugging her tightly.
“I'll always be here if you need me.” He whispers.
Holly smiles and hugs him. “Thank you.”