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"I don’t need a sitter, I’m not a baby."
Angela leans back in her chair and looks at her son. Chuck is just old enough to say he’s not a baby, not a child, doesn’t need her to tuck him in or read him a story or cut the crusts off his sandwiches. Like most announcements it’s steeped in childish determination that makes him sound very young. The pout on his lips doesn’t help. Angela smiles and turns her body to face him.
"I know," she says, "but Lucy’s afraid after the attack," she continues, "and her parents are out of town, you don’t want her to stay alone do you?"
Chuck considers this with a furrow of his brow that makes him look even more like his dad. He sighs finally and nods his head, like he isn’t happy about having to take time out of his very busy schedule but his morals can’t let him leave someone in danger. Angela sets down her brush and Chuck comes in, standing in front of her. Angela picks up both her sons hands.
"If the sirens go off where do you go?" She asks.
"I take the satellite phone and go to school," Chuck says, "I try to call dad."
"That’s my boy," she says with a grin, ruffling his hair.
"Mum!" Chuck protests before dissolving in to giggles when she tickles him.
He’s on her lap laughing when Herc appears at the door. Chuck knows its him moments before he does and scrambles off Angela’s lap with a shout of ‘Dad!’ He’s getting big but Herc’s got no trouble swinging him up. Cbuck laughs the way only Chuck can when his dad’s there. Angela watches her boys fondly, leaning back in her chair as Herc holds Chuck with one arm around his waist so the boy dangles across his hip.
"I think I must have the wrong room," he says looking around, "I’m looking for my wife, not a movie star."
Angela rolls her eyes but doesn’t let the smile slip. She and Herc haven’t been out in a long time. He’s dressed up and she can’t help but get dressed up as well. Her dress is hanging over the closet door and she’s wearing her slip, nylons and a pair of heels. She fixes her earrings before standing up.
"What do you think sprog?" Herc says looking down at Chuck, "you see your mum around here?"
"I think you need glasses," Chuck says, "you’re getting old."
"Am I?" Herc says with mock outrage and suddenly Chuck’s dangling by one foot. He laughs and squirms in the way one does when you know there’s nothing to be afraid of, "you better hope I’m not too old to keep my grip on you."
There sound of the doorbell draws all their attention. Herc swings Chuck up and settles him on his feet. Chuck locks his arms around his dad’s legs and Herc grins before ruffling his hair.
"Go let Lucy in, mate," he says and Chuck runs off.
Herc steps forward and wraps his arms around her. Angela leans against him, kissing him. She smiles as his stubble scrapes her cheek but melts in to him when he slips his tongue in to her mouth and his fingers dig gently in to the smooth silk of her slip. She pulls back as his hand wanders a bit lower.
"The babysitters here," she says, "and our reservations are in twenty minutes. We are not staying in."
He sighs, his breath hot against her face. Angela has to force herself to step back. They are having a date night. Not staying in and having sex while Chucks’s distracted by the babysitter. Not again anyway. She pulls her dress off it’s hanger and slips it on, adjusting the silk. Herc comes up behind her and to his credit, he only brushes a kiss to her shoulder as he zips her in to the dress.
"Have I told you how beautiful you look?" He says.
"Yes," she says and turns around in his arms, kissing him softly in a way that definitely makes him want to take her dress off again, "but you can always tell me again."
Herc laughs and circles his arms a bit tighter.
"You look beautiful, Ange," he says, his voice dropping just a bit lower at her nickname.
He kisses her again, his lips going lower on her neck. Angela turns her head, giving him more access and he smiles against her skin as one of his hands leaves her lower back to cradle her head.
"You’re playing dirty," she says breathlessly.
"You haven’t see dirty," he says against her skin, "what are your thoughts on giving the sprog a sibling?"
"Herc," she gets out as her fingers dig in to his shoulders.
"Gross!"
They break apart instantly to see Lucy come running up behind Chuck whose looking horrified at them.
"Sorry Mr. And Mrs. Hansen," the teen says.
"No it’s alright," she says with a smile, "thank you for coming over. We’re just about to leave."
Cbuck looks more disgusted than usual when they say goodbye and make their way out of their house. They aren’t going far and it’s a nice night out so they opt to walk. It feels dizzyingly normal, or what normal is supposed to be. What normal should have been. Angela leans in to Herc’s warmth as she fights for equilibrium.
it isn’t that she dislikes her life, she loves it. But Herc is supposed to have been retired by now, getting his commercial wings so their lives are more normal. Not for her but for Chuck who Herc wants to be more than an army brat. But now there’s Kaiju and uncertainty and Herc needs to be in the military. He’s where he needs to be, but Angela wishes he could be where he wants to be instead.
They’re seated by the window and the lights of Sydney are spread out before them. They sit close underneath the table, their knees touching. Someone gives Herc a wine list and Angela feels her face get warm. She fingers the edge of her clutch as he looks at the options.
"You want red or white?" He offers. When she’s silent he looks up, "Ange?" He questions.
"Neither," she says smiling in spite of herself.
Herc looks at her and she returns his gaze. To his credit it takes him only a moment before his eyes widen and the wine list drops. Angela laughs as it clatters to the ground, lacing her fingers with his and hooking her foot around his ankle so he can’t leap up to his feet and make a scene. The shock gives way to the big, stupid grin he only wears for a few things, this being one of them.
"Ange you’re—"
"Yes," she says with a laugh, "I got my blood test results this morning," she continues.
When he leans forward its only to kiss her fiercely over the table. When he sits back his eyes go to her middle and she laughs, shaking her head at him.
"Hercules Hansen if you can see anything—" she begins. he holds up his hands before leaning forward and grasping hers.
"Only thing I see is my beautiful wife," he says.
"Good answer," she commends.
They spend the entirety of dinner like one of those stupid newly wed couples who can’t keep their hands to themselves. Herc doesn’t drink either, despite her insistence that he should. to his credit he does wait until they’re outside before he kisses her dizzyingly and wraps his arms around her.
"What do you think it is?" He asks
"I should be asking you that," she says, "I thought Chuck was a girl until they put him on my chest."
"Charlotte, Charles," Herc shrugs as they start waking, "it worked out in the end."
"I like the name Max," she offers.
"Max," Herc rolls it around on his tongue, "So Maximilian?"
"Or Maxine," she says.
He spins her around and kisses her again. Angela laughs as she wraps her arms around his neck.
"Maxine," he says. Angela smiles.
"We are never going to get home at this rate," she says.
"You’re right," he replies.
He hitches an arm underneath her legs and suddenly she’s very literally been swept off her feet. She laughs as she manages to get her arms around his neck. They aren’t far from home but Herc carries her Anyway, right up to the front door where they kiss once more before he goes to wake up Lucy whose asleep on the couch and she goes to check on Chuck.
When she’s assured Chuck’s happily asleep and he’s seen Lucy off, they meet back in the bedroom and close the door. Their lovemaking is rarely rushed and this isn’t one of those times. He knows every inch of her skin and nothing is left unattended. She clings to him for dear life as he ravishes her until her universe has narrowed to a single point which is him.
Afterwards they lay tangled together, one of his hands low on her abdomen, his thumb drowning lazy circles where their baby is. Her hand tangles with his free one, her head resting on the broad expanse of his bicep.
"She’s going to be a ginger like you," Angela accuses half heatedly.
"She’ll have your eyes though," Herc says.
Angela smiles in to his skin at the thought.
"How do we tell Chuck?" She asks.
"Dunno," he says, "my dad told me by handing me Scott."
Angela wrinkles her nose. She’s no fan of Herc’s parents, though she likes his brother well enough. Considering Herc practically raised him though, that’s no surprise. She’s an only child though, she’s got no idea about siblings except that she’s always wanted one.
"We could make him a cake," she offers.
Herc fights a smile for ten seconds before they both collapse with laughter.
"That’s brilliant Ange," he laughs, "if he gets upset he’ll at least have a cake."
"Do you think he will be?" She asks, sobering momentarily.
"Nah," Herc says with a shake of his head, "he’ll be glad for the company, long as he doesn’t have to share you too much."
"Or you," she adds.
Herc smiles and pulls her back to him, kissing her again as he rolls her on to her back. Her legs are already opening again, her arms winding around him as she sighs his name against his lips.
Three days later Sydney is destroyed while Angela's out getting frosting ingredients.
Five years after that Chuck steps in to his fathers head and learns why he named the dog Max.
He never forgives him.
Herc understands.