I haven't been inspired to write anything so quickly in the past year at just the sight of a photo. Just a modern A/U one shot of my favorite Downton couple and baby Bates with a sprinkling of super heroes because I can. Enjoy and please review!
"Alright Jackie boy, what do you say to us trying to read something different for a change?" John asked with a waggle of his eyebrows. His eyes shot over to the freshly bathed, sandy haired boy with hazel eyes who was sporting a set of Batman pajamas. Jack was a perfect mixture of himself and his beloved wife. As the lad hurried to climb under the covers and cleared a spot for his father to sit beside him, Jack shook his head and simply said, "No." John's eyes looked from the bookshelf over to his son and took notice of the fact that Jack already had his selection of reading material sitting in his lap.
John groaned to himself. Not again. "Are you sure?" John inquired in a sing-song voice with a hint of optimism. His hands hovering over the collection of children's books he and Anna had procured over the course of her pregnancy. It had been a unspoken dream for the longest time (years even) as they had tried to conceive over and over, only to be met with heartache, that one day he'd be able to share his love of books with his son or daughter. And now that they had a child of their own that was of age to enjoy such stories John had very much hoped they could move onto something different. "What about 'Goodnight Moon'? Or 'Where the Wild Things Are'?"
"No thank you," Jack said politely.
John scratched the back of his head, as he tried to think of another approach to change the boy's mind. "We could try 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' or even 'The Tale of Peter Rabbit'. I think George and Sybbie like those," John said referring to his friend's grandchildren.
"I have my books," the boy responded resolutely.
At that remark, he could do nothing but offer a closed-lip smile. This was just one of those times in parenthood when he'd have to learn to grin and bear it. Over the past year there had been additions to the bookshelf in his namesake's room, but none to John's liking. He supposed that shouldn't matter, what was important was that Jack enjoyed them and the stories put the boy to sleep. Most of them were superheroes, of which Jack's room was littered with toys that resembled their likeness.
As he crossed the tiny room and prepared to lay beside his boy in what had to be the most uncomfortable race car bed he'd ever had the privilege of sleeping in, John psyched himself up for another round of 'Bedtime for Batman' and 'Even Super Heroes Sleep'. His back bones creaked and his knee twinged as he lowered himself onto the bed that was nearly at level with the floor. Still he smiled at the young man who had captured his heart from the moment he'd heard of his existence. There was so much pride and devotion written in his eyes and on his face whenever he looked at Jack. "Before we start, did you brush your teeth?"
"Mhmmm," the little boy acknowledged with a rapid head bob.
"And kissed your Mummy good night?"
"Yup!"
"Good lad," John said as he ruffled the boy's hair, before combing it smooth with the tips of his fingers. "Now, which one shall we start with?"
"This one," Jack beamed as he pushed the book into his father's hands. "Mummy got it for me today."
"She did, did she? I'll have to be sure to thank her for that later," John muttered under his breath. His eyes gazed over the cover of the book at the title "The Courageous Captain America", John read aloud. "Boy, your Uncle Robert would have a heart attack if he knew you were reading about Captain America."
John began to read the book, and much as he had any other night where bedtime stories were involved, and did his best impersonation of voices as he saw fit. Jack's eyes lit up whenever he did so. Their four year old fought off sleep as the gentle timbre of John's voice filled the room. After reading through the tiny pile of the boy's favorites and Jack began to nod off, John decided to call it a night. He closed the book and put it on the bedside table before pressing a kiss to his son's forehead. John tucked the boy into his covers and watched as his son snuggled deeper into their warmth.
"Is he off already?" Anna asked when John entered their bedroom. Her hand resting on the swell of her belly.
"He is," John answered back as he went to roll his shoulders and crack his back.
Anna winced at the sight of her husband in pain. It was bad enough he had his knee to contend with. "Did he have you read his new book to him?" she inquired.
"He did. And thank you for that," John said sarcastically before slipping into bed beside her.
"Why does it bother you so much that he likes those books?" Anna asked.
"I don't know. I guess I just always had this idea in my mind that we would get to read books that I had read as a child and have something in common. At the rate we are going the boy is only going to take an interest in comic books."
"Would that be so bad? Maybe you could take an interest in comic books and it is something you could share," Anna suggested as she moved closer to John's side and wrapped his arm around her.
John nodded his head as he warmed to the idea.
"You're brooding," Anna said with squinted eyes. "Out with it. I'll not have us going to bed with shadows over our heads."
John let his hand come to rest on Anna's belly and rubbed his hand in soothing circles. "It's not that."
"Then?"
"With my leg I know I'm not going to be able to do all the physical things other fathers do. I want to still be…relevant. Jack hears about super heroes with superhuman strength that can jump…and have speed…."
Anna felt a form in her throat as she realized John did not see himself as the hero his son liked to read about. "John, Jack loves you no matter what. And you may not have all those qualities, but you are pretty strong to me," Anna said as she gave his bicep a gentle squeeze. "Why do you think Jack idolizes those super heroes so much?"
John stared at her blankly.
"It's because you're his hero. He sees a bit of you in them, not the other way around."
"Really?" John asked.
"Really. Not all heroes wear capes. Some can be standing right in front of you and you wouldn't even know it," her voice trailed off. "At least that's how I felt about you." Her head angled back as she reached up to kiss John's lips. Their actions speaking louder than words; there was never a shortage of assurance in this simplest of gestures. Yet the action had become somehow, uniquely their own. He ran his free hand through the ends of her golden hair and wrapped her in his arms, to pull her closer. The soft sound of their lips smacking filled the room and Anna let out a content sigh as they slowly separated.
He felt like an idiot now, having complained about the matter for so long. Thankfully his wife was a forgiving one and didn't allow him to give the idea too much thought and eat away at him.
"You know just this afternoon your son asked about how you saved Robert and I told him the story for what must have been the millionth time. He doesn't care about your injury, John. He cares about your bravery."
"Huh, I guess I never thought of it that way."
"Well, that and I told him you were like Robert's batman, and he just assumed I meant the Batman. And there was no living with him after that," Anna reported.
The two of them burst into a fit of giggles.
"So you see my love," Anna added with a caress of her hand on John's cheek. The cool metal of her wedding band causing him to turn into the motion. "A few stories about superheroes doesn't seem like such a high price to pay after all."
"No. I suppose not," John said. They sat up in bed for a little while longer in silence. Relishing the stolen moment they had with one another as their son slept down the hall and their baby slept within Anna's womb. Soon there would be another baby Bates to look up to him as a hero.
"John?"
"Hmmm?"
"You're still brooding," Anna pointed out.
"I was just thinking, suppose we have a little girl next instead of a boy."
Anna couldn't help but contain her wide grin at the mention of a little girl.
"I hope she knows just how lucky she is to have a hero like you to look up to," John said. He placed a final kiss on her lips before saying, "Good night, my Wonder Woman." And with that he flicked off the lights and ensconced them within their comforter and quilt.