They've been in this hospital more than their fair share of times, there are staff members here who know them by name and who tsk at them every time they walk in now, even if it's just for a routine physical. They're practically regulars, which is an awful thing in itself, but it's also allowed for something remarkable to happen and that is that Spencer trusts the people who work here. Surely there are nurses and doctors and receptionists in this place who aren't as pleasant as the ones he and Joel have dealt with, but Spencer can confidently say that he hasn't met a single one of them.
He thinks of Cody, who'd treated him so kindly and who'd seemed to know exactly what Spencer and Joel both needed after being brought in after the kidnapping; he thinks of Nora, the nurse who had understood so easily that Spencer couldn't possibly leave Joel's side after what had happened with the demon, that same day they'd learned Erin was pregnant; he thinks all the way to the empath who'd helped them after the island and now, as he looks to the doctor as she hands him the scissors before clamping the cord and gesturing for him to proceed. He stares at her for a moment, gaze flickering between his newborn son in his husband's arms and the cord he's meant to cut, and he opens his mouth to say something but finds he's at a complete loss.
"It's alright," the doctor says, offering an encouraging smile, "they'll both be fine, that's a promise."
"You've got a baby to meet, Spence," Erin says, and she's absolutely beautiful. Her hair is wet from perspiration, she's still working to catch her breath, her hand is gripping her husband's so tightly that just looking at it almost hurts, but in this moment, Erin is the most beautiful woman Spencer has ever seen.
The nickname might have made him waver another day but not today. Nothing could ruin this, nothing could possibly get deep enough under his skin that this wouldn't remain the best day of his life, and he lets out a nervous laugh before cutting the cord and then letting a nurse take the scissors from his shaking hand. The doctor raises an amused eyebrow at him but there's no mockery in her expression, and Spencer is sure she's probably seen reactions like this hundreds of times by now.
"I'm going to make sure all is well with Erin," she says, putting a hand lightly against Spencer's shoulder and nudging him toward Joel. "Why don't you go say hello to your son?"
"My son," Spencer repeats, eyes widening as they start to burn with unshed tears, and in a bit of a daze, he turns toward his husband and takes the few steps needed to close the gap between them so he can get a better look at the baby boy Joel is holding in his arms. "Oh, my god. Joel, this is our son. Our son, we have a son, we--"
He claps a hand over his mouth because he knows that if he doesn't stop now, he'll just keep repeating it over and over. They're fathers, their baby is here, their son, their Dane, and Spencer hesitates just for a moment before reaching out and rubbing his thumb gently against the baby's hand. Dane's skin is so smooth, his hair so dark and that's what finally proves to be too much for Spencer to handle. Knowing that their child will grow up to look their Joel, like the one person in this world Spencer has ever been willing to give all of himself to, it's overwhelming in every way and as the tears start to fall, he lets his forehead drop down onto his husband's shoulder with another laugh, this one more deliriously happy.
"Dane," he murmurs, wrapping an arm around Joel's waist and pressing his free hand against the one his husband is using to support the baby's back. "I love you. I love you so much, little Junebug, you're perfect." He wants it to be the first thing his child ever hears him say, regardless of the fact that he won't remember it. It's a promise he's made to himself, that he'll never let a second go by without Dane knowing exactly how loved he is, and Spencer lets out a shuddering sob that makes him flush as he wipes his cheek against the sleeve of his shirt then glances back up at his husband. "God, baby, he's so perfect."
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He thinks of Cody, who'd treated him so kindly and who'd seemed to know exactly what Spencer and Joel both needed after being brought in after the kidnapping; he thinks of Nora, the nurse who had understood so easily that Spencer couldn't possibly leave Joel's side after what had happened with the demon, that same day they'd learned Erin was pregnant; he thinks all the way to the empath who'd helped them after the island and now, as he looks to the doctor as she hands him the scissors before clamping the cord and gesturing for him to proceed. He stares at her for a moment, gaze flickering between his newborn son in his husband's arms and the cord he's meant to cut, and he opens his mouth to say something but finds he's at a complete loss.
"It's alright," the doctor says, offering an encouraging smile, "they'll both be fine, that's a promise."
"You've got a baby to meet, Spence," Erin says, and she's absolutely beautiful. Her hair is wet from perspiration, she's still working to catch her breath, her hand is gripping her husband's so tightly that just looking at it almost hurts, but in this moment, Erin is the most beautiful woman Spencer has ever seen.
The nickname might have made him waver another day but not today. Nothing could ruin this, nothing could possibly get deep enough under his skin that this wouldn't remain the best day of his life, and he lets out a nervous laugh before cutting the cord and then letting a nurse take the scissors from his shaking hand. The doctor raises an amused eyebrow at him but there's no mockery in her expression, and Spencer is sure she's probably seen reactions like this hundreds of times by now.
"I'm going to make sure all is well with Erin," she says, putting a hand lightly against Spencer's shoulder and nudging him toward Joel. "Why don't you go say hello to your son?"
"My son," Spencer repeats, eyes widening as they start to burn with unshed tears, and in a bit of a daze, he turns toward his husband and takes the few steps needed to close the gap between them so he can get a better look at the baby boy Joel is holding in his arms. "Oh, my god. Joel, this is our son. Our son, we have a son, we--"
He claps a hand over his mouth because he knows that if he doesn't stop now, he'll just keep repeating it over and over. They're fathers, their baby is here, their son, their Dane, and Spencer hesitates just for a moment before reaching out and rubbing his thumb gently against the baby's hand. Dane's skin is so smooth, his hair so dark and that's what finally proves to be too much for Spencer to handle. Knowing that their child will grow up to look their Joel, like the one person in this world Spencer has ever been willing to give all of himself to, it's overwhelming in every way and as the tears start to fall, he lets his forehead drop down onto his husband's shoulder with another laugh, this one more deliriously happy.
"Dane," he murmurs, wrapping an arm around Joel's waist and pressing his free hand against the one his husband is using to support the baby's back. "I love you. I love you so much, little Junebug, you're perfect." He wants it to be the first thing his child ever hears him say, regardless of the fact that he won't remember it. It's a promise he's made to himself, that he'll never let a second go by without Dane knowing exactly how loved he is, and Spencer lets out a shuddering sob that makes him flush as he wipes his cheek against the sleeve of his shirt then glances back up at his husband. "God, baby, he's so perfect."