First Word- The reason behind the title is pretty simple: the Faxy couple had a kid and this is a series of oneshots about that kid's first whatevers. First word, step, flight, whatever. In FACT, if you want me to do a specific 'first' let me know, and I'll see what I can do. Though I have to tell you I am no good at sensual stuff. So read and review. And yeah, this is the sequel to Senseless behavior, but you don't have to read that to read this. But it's pretty good so go ahead and read it if you want.
A baby's first words are something exciting. And something that can be easily missed. Max almost did.
Max spun on her combat clad heel and rushed over to the baby crib in the corner. Jasper Talon sat in the navy blue crib, playing with his toes. As Max reached for her baby, he giggled like the year old baby that he was and stroked his mama's face. She smiled and kissed his palm.
"Did you say something, Jazz?" she asked the child. He looked at her with intelligent blue eyes, the eyes of his mother. He laughed and threw his head back, making Max smile widely. "Silly boy, I thought I heard you say 'Jasper'," Max said. Max read somewhere during her pregnancy with the small boy that speaking to a baby as you would an adult, could speed their talking progress. If he had just said what she thought he had, they were definitely right.
The baby giggled as his mother said his name. "Jasper!" he shrieked, clapping his hands gleefully. Max laughed out loud, kissing Jazz's cheeks and forehead. His soft baby skin felt healthily warm under her lips. She settled the boy onto her left hip and walked back toward the bedroom door. She flicked off the light switch and walked down the short hallway to the flock family room. A fortunate surprise revealed itself weeks after the 'twins' delivery; the Maximum Ride bank card was the plastic-y gateway to enough money to buy a small house.
Only Nudge and Tiffany-Krystal were home. Fang was at work; saving up for if and when the Maximum Ride bank card quit spewing cash. Iggy was at a nearby college, Angel and the Gasman were at school too.
"Nudge, guess what Jazz just said," Max said cheerfully, sitting next to Nudge and Tiffany on the plush couch. Nudge's brown eyes widened.
"Little Jasper said his first words?!" Nudge squealed, launching into a conversation almost completely excluding Max. Max regretted this instantly. "That is so cool! I wonder when Tif will say her first! It would be so cool if she said hers today! Then it would be just like their birthday! I wonder what they'll be? Oh, it would be so cute if she said mommy or daddy. Or something totally random! Or maybe…" Nudge trailed off as Max moved off the couch. "Where are you going?" she asked, crestfallen. Max turned, frowning at Nudge.
"I was going to tell you something about Jasper," Max said, beginning to walk out of the room again. Nudge shifted Tiffany on her lap before calling out to Max.
"Wait, Max. Hang on, I want to know, I'm sorry. I'll shut up. Tell me," she pleaded. Even nineteen year old Bambi eyes worked like magic. Max smiled and sunk back on the couch next to Nudge.
"He said his own name!" she informed Nudge. Jasper squirmed in Max's lap, reaching for Tiffany-Krystal's pacifier.
Nudge's jaw dropped. Actually, Max and Fang had told the flock to say Jasper's name around the developing baby as much as possible, just so it would be his first word. Funny how things work out.
"Let's talk for Aunt Nudge," Max cooed, grabbing Jasper's hand away from the pacifier. "Okay, let's say it. Say, Jasper!" Max coaxed. Jasper smiled at her, remaining silent. Max's shoulders slumped. "Come on, Jasper," she half-whined.
"Jasper!" Jasper repeated, slapping his hands together again. Nudge laughed and clapped with him. This brought uproariously baby laughter from both the babies.
"That's so cute!" Nudge said. She frowned at her child. "Why won't you talk? Say…Mommy!" she commanded. The little girl smiled at her, still clapping her hands. "Mommy!" Nudge repeated. Still, Tiffany-Krystal remained silent. "Say…Jasper?" she tried.
"Jasper!" Jasper said. Max laughed and stood up from the couch. Fang should be home any minute. She left the room, Nudge still trying to make Tiffany talk.
"Are we going to tell daddy what we said today?" she asked Jasper, setting him on the king sized bed. Jasper muttered a string of unintelligible mumbles, before shoving his thumb in his mouth. Max smiled and checked the clock on the wall; two thirty-four. Fang would be home any minute. His shift at Bricks, a clothing store, was over at two fifteen. It was on the other side of Boston.
At that moment, the fire escape outside the bedroom creaked and moaned in protest under sudden weight. A dark pair of wings ruffled outside the window. Fang opened the window that faced the alley and climbed into the room. With his eyes on the ground, he closed the window. Fang turned and almost jumped at the site of Max and his kid on the bed. Emphasis on almost, Fang was too well composed to be surprised.
"Hey Max," he said, gliding up to the bed and kissing Max on the lips. Then, more playfully, "Hey, Jasper!" he said.
"Jasper!" Jasper said giddily at the sound of his name. And it turns out, Fang could be taken by surprise. His jaw dropped slightly and his eyes widened. His dark chocolate eyes darted up to Max's blue ones. She grinned, holding Jasper's hands in the air.
"Hey, honey," Max said. She lifted Jasper off her lap and offered him to Fang. He yanked off his jacket and chucked it across the room. He sat cross legged on the bed across from Max and grabbed his little boy and set him in his black jean clad lap.
"When did this happen?" Fang asked, letting Jasper play with the buttons on his shirt. Jasper tugged at one and it popped off, much to the baby's delight. Fang stared at the small black button in his child's hand.
"Angel can fix that…," Max said, taking the button so the baby wouldn't swallow it. Angel recently started making her own clothes and was quite handy with a needle and thread. Then again, so was Fang, the flock medic. "Um, Jazz said his name about fifteen minutes ago. Nudge in in the living room," she added. "I'm going to go get a drink, do you want anything?" she asked Fang. Instead of answering, Fang gathered up his baby in one arm and took hold of Max's hand with his free hand. Jasper giggled and started talking to Fang, more senseless garble. He always told Fang all about his day. Fang listened attentively. The little family walked to the kitchen. They passed the living room and saw Nudge asleep with the baby in the crib next to the couch.
"I'm getting water, do you want some?" Max asked, grabbing a cup from the cupboard. Fang nodded. Max grabbed another cup and filled them both with clean, filtered water. A sippy cup was cooling in the fridge, Max retrieved it. She set the three cups on the table and sat with her fiancé and their child as they drank their fill.