[open - baby meeting!]

[just_another]

Dane has been home for exactly thirty-seven hours and a few minutes, give or take, when Joel looks at the clock on the wall as he paces the length of the library, the baby in his arms. He's been fussing today, more than he has yet, and he and Spencer have been taking turns walking with him around the house once they've established that he doesn't need to be changed and he isn't hungry. They've been given their space after the initial invasion, his parents choosing to stay at a hotel for the duration of their time here rather than taking over the house. As much as he loves having his parents here, as much as he's loved seeing them with their grandson, he's also extremely grateful for it.

Ellie, though, had called that afternoon and suggested Joel try flipping Dane over onto his stomach. She'd said something about colic, told him that holding the baby on his stomach might help, and since then Joel has been carrying a peaceful Dane around the house, his little cheek resting against Joel's wrist. He's fast asleep for the time being and Joel can't imagine putting him down. He's a warm, comforting weight on Joel's arm and although he's tired, although he knows there's still a lot of adjusting to be done, he's also never been this happy.

Spencer is napping. At least he hopes he is. Joel had all but forced him to go upstairs and lie down. They sleep when Dane sleeps, that's the way their lives are meant to go now, and now that Dane actually is sleeping, Joel is debating heading upstairs and joining Spencer. The thought of crawling into bed with his husband, settling Dane comfortably on his chest and just lying there for a little while is somehow even more appealing than actually getting to sleep.

If he sleeps, he's bound to miss something, and Joel doesn't want to miss a moment of this.

That's exactly what Spencer is thinking as he lies wide awake in their bedroom. He'd tried more than once to close his eyes and keep them shut, force himself into a sleep that just won't come, but for once he's not being kept awake because of the nightmares he fears might plague him; it's because he knows that just downstairs are the two people he loves more than anything else in this world.

It's only been a day and a half since they've been allowed to bring Dane home, since they'd been overly careful in placing their baby, their tiny, beautiful baby, into his car seat for the drive home while Erin and her husband tried to hide their laughter behind their hands as they'd watched.

"Definitely brand new parents," her husband had commented, and it hadn't been with any ill intent. Spencer had only smiled and shrugged, as if there was nothing that could be done about it and really, there can't be. He's a father now, he's partly responsible for someone's life for the rest of his own, and as daunting as that may be, Spencer has never been happier. The only comparison he could possibly make would be to the day he and Joel had gotten married, and it's with that thought that he finally gives up and rolls out of bed to join his family.

They'd texted friends earlier in the day to mention when a good time would be to drop by to meet the baby. It's getting to be just after noon now, and he's absolutely exhausted, but the promise of getting to see Dane again gives him a burst of happy adrenaline. He'd be happy to stay this way for the rest of his life, at home with just his husband and their child; but he supposes having company over wouldn't be so bad.

After all, there's something appealing about being able to say that today, he and Joel are going to be introducing their son.

[Time to meet the baby. Tag Joel or Spencer or BOTH, but just indicate in your tag what you'd prefer. If both, the order will be your pup, Joel, Spencer.]

Comments

[just_another]

He's already taken more pictures than he would have imagined possible, but he just keeps going, adding to the ones already on his phone. He puts it away just as Dane reaches for Davin's finger and he's still too young to be anything resembling coordinated, but his tiny fingers wrap around Davin's and Joel is scrambling for his phone again.

"I'm sorry, I know this is obnoxious," he says, but he doesn't stop.

And he knows they won't be all keen to leave Dane alone with anyone for awhile yet, but Spencer is right when he says Davin is on the short list. Besides his family, it isn't a particularly long list, but there are a few people he knows he'll be willing to leave the baby with. One day. Many, many months from now.

[doublethepain]

"You don't have to apologize, my love," Spencer says, reaching out to rub at Joel's back while his husband carries on taking photos. It's something they'd talked about a long time ago, up in the attic where there are precious few photo albums that contain the memories of Spencer and his brother's childhoods. They have the luxury of taking as many pictures as they want now and storing them without having to really worry about losing them, thanks to their phones and laptops, but Spencer knows the same can't be said about the albums Joel's family had lost when they'd been driven out of Shediac.

It's why he makes no apologies for the number of photos he takes himself, for the selfies he sends to Joel whenever the mood strikes, for the number of times he's snapped candids of his husband. Spencer needs to preserve these memories because as an adult, he hadn't been especially keen on taking photos with his family, something he deeply regrets now because it means he has very few images of what his mother and brother had looked like in the years before they'd died. He doesn't want to make that mistake again, doesn't want to miss out on anything when it comes to their child, and taking photos is just one way of ensuring that.

Turning his attention back to Davin, he smiles, nodding a bit. "But yes, of course you are. Granted, it'll be quite some time before we're ready to let him out of our sight." He and Davin had gone through an awful ordeal together, but Davin hadn't given up. They haven't talked much about it, Spencer doesn't know that he'll ever truly want to delve back into the details, but it's forged a certain bond between them that he won't soon forget. "We just like knowing that when that time does come, we know who we can trust."

[davin]

"I'm sure you're wishin' you were a 'roo so ya could put him in your pouch," Davin teases, looking up at them fondly before ducking his head to press a soft kiss to the baby's head. "Oh man, the baby smell is a real thing. Baby smell."

Davin laughs and carefully touches Dane's head, feeling the soft peach fuzz that is his hair. He looks back up at Joel and Spencer again, biting his lip and smiling at them. He feels so close to them, to both of them, and to know that they would trust him with something so precious means the world to him. "Well, whenever that time may be, I'll be here."

Dane makes a noise and Davin looks down at him, thumbing lightly at his forehead. "We're gonna be good friends, aren't we? I'll be like your cool uncle. Way cooler than Coop, aye?"

The baby makes another noise and Davin nods solemnly. "Yep, I'm glad ya agree. I'll be the coolest uncle."

[just_another]

"We have one of those carriers," Joel says, miming wrapping something around himself. "It makes it so the baby just lies right up against you and stays in place." Kind of like a pouch, now that he's thinking about, and he grins as he realizes just how right Davin is. They had considered several different carriers, but that one had just seemed to be the best option. It keeps the baby close, which means they can still work in the store without having to worry about not being able to use their hands, and it'll grow with Dane, which he likes, too.

"You and Coop are going to have to fight over that title between yourselves," Joel says with a laugh, sure they're both going to be exactly the right kind of uncle Dane will need. They're very lucky, being surrounded by so many people who are going to be so good for their son. It's not what he ever would have imagined, given his own tendency to be a little bit reclusive, but that's changed since Spencer came into his life. And he's very lucky it has.

[doublethepain]

Spencer bites down on his lip just to keep himself from grinning too widely because he's been looking forward to wrapping their baby to his chest long before Dane had even come into existence, and he reaches out to brush his finger over the soft skin of his son's hand because as he's discovered over the past few days, he can't go very long without that physical contact.

It's similar to what he's like with Joel, going too long without seeing or touching or talking to his husband makes his chest tighten uncomfortably, even though he knows it's irrational. Having Dane out of his line of sight doesn't necessarily frighten him yet, considering that would only mean Joel has eyes on him instead, but he suspects he'll be the sort of father who will fret over every little thing possible.

"Don't get too excited," he warns. "When you're getting texts from us every few minutes while we're supposed to be out, you're going to wonder why you ever agreed to babysit in the first place."

[davin]

"Like I'd expect anythin' less," Davin says with a fond roll of his eyes. He smirks at them and then looks at the baby, lifting him so that he can nuzzle at his soft, chubby cheek. He had no idea that a person could be so small and he thought it would be scary, holding a baby. But he knows that Dane is safe with him, and always will be. He'd never let any harm come to him, not if he could help it.

"Bealtaine shealbhú arm láidir agat, hearts cúraim claonadh a bhíonn tú," he says quietly, smiling against the baby's head as he remembers an old Irish blessing. "Agus d'fhéadfadh sé grá ag fanacht leat ag gach céim."

(Translation: May strong arms hold you, caring hearts tend you, and may love await you at every step.)