Prompt – Daddy Huntbastian: their first week with their daughter.
Summary - "Hi baby girl. You're up early, aren't you?" / He raises his hand to stroke Alana's cheek, coaxing a watery smile from the infant. Sebastian smiles at the scene; he loves seeing Hunter like this. Most people wouldn't expect him to be very good with children, what with his no nonsense mannerism and all.
Notes – Takes place in the same universe as Secret Keeper. So, you get to see Daddy Huntbastian adopt Sebastian's niece – Alana Caitlyn Beckham (now Clarington-Smythe) – as their own after her parents are killed in a wreck. Autumn Leaves begins a month after the accident. They have just gotten custody of the six month old, who has been living with Sebastian's grandmother up until now. For more information, refer here.
I kind of strayed away from the original prompt; instead of their first week with Alana, you get a fluffy little one-shot where Lana wakes them up in the middle of the night.
The sound of Alana's fussy cries pierce the otherwise silent night air, waking Sebastian from his sleep. He blinks blearily at the clock; it's twelve o' clock. He has to go to work tomorrow; he really needs to go back to sleep. With a soft groan, he rolls onto his side to prod his husband's side.
"Hunter," he mumbles sleepily, punctuating each word with a gentle jab. "Wake up. Lana's crying."
"...Mmmmm." Hunter doesn't stir, his chest rising and falling with each breath. Sebastian raises a brow with surprise; Hunter must be exhausted. He's normally a light sleeper. Looks like he's going to have to take care of this one himself.
"Why is it so cold in here?" Sebastian murmurs to himself as he slips out of bed. "Stupid Hunter. Must have turned off the heater while I was asleep."
He shrugs on one of Hunter's oversized sweatshirts and walks over to Alana's crib. At the age of six months, she already shows a strong resemblance to her parents. The soft auburn locks of her father, the delicate Smythe nose – Sebastian can even see traces of Maman – his grandmother on his mother's side - in that pudgy little face.
"What's wrong, Lana?" he asks, bending down to scoop the crying infant into his arms. "Are you hungry? I bet you are; you didn't eat much earlier."
Alana sniffles unhappily, staring up at her uncle through tear-filled eyes. Sebastian bundles the infant snugly in her baby blanket and carries her down the stairs. He's surprised to find that the kitchen lights are already on, a pot of baby formula simmering on the stove. Sebastian glances around the seemingly-empty room; his husband's nowhere to be found.
"Hunt? Where are you, babe?" he calls, adjusting the small bundle in his arms. "I know you're up."
Strong arms envelop Sebastian's slight frame, pulling him close. He relaxes in the familiar embrace, letting out a soft laugh as Hunter nuzzles his nose against the crook of his neck.
"Morning," Hunter greets, his voice raspy with sleep. "Hi baby girl. You're up early, aren't you?"
He raises his hand to stroke Alana's cheek, coaxing a watery smile from the infant. Sebastian smiles at the scene; he loves seeing Hunter like this. Most people wouldn't expect him to be very good with children, what with his no nonsense mannerism and all.
"Hey, take Lana for a minute," Sebastian skillfully disentangles himself from his husband's embrace and hands him his niece. "I need to take the formula off the stove.
Alana hiccups softly, giving Hunter a watery smile. She's supposed to start teething soon; Hunter can see four of her teeth beginning to break the gums. It doesn't take long for Sebastian to return, the bottle of lukewarm baby formula in his hand. He hands it to Hunter and watches as Alana drinks greedily.
"That little girl's going to break some hearts when she gets older," Sebastian says with a soft laugh.
"If she's anything like her uncle, she will."
"Whoever says that flattery gets you nowhere was wrong; it gets you everywhere."
"Does that include your bed?"
"It's a good thing you're hot."