He was perfect.
It was Seeley Booth's first thought when the doctor delivered the tiny, squirming pink infant into his arms. Bones was lying on the hospital bed, his pretty fiancée recovering from her ordeal. "How is he?" She asked; her voice barely audible over their newborn son's wails.
"He's got a set of lungs, that's for sure," Booth chuckled, blinking rapidly to keep the building tears in his eyes at bay.
"Can I hold him?" Brennan reached her arms out, and Booth handed the baby over. Brennan's eyes softened as she looked into her son's face for the first time. "There's no need to cry, little one," she cooed, running a finger along his cheek, "You're merely experiencing an overwhelming barrage of auditory, visual, and kinesthetic stimulations. It won't hurt you, you're okay."
The baby's indignant wails faded into nothing. He tilted his head weakly, trying to get closer to his mother's touch and voice. Tiny eyes fluttered from beneath pearly lids, his miniature mouth opening and tilting toward the finger stroking his cheek. He had a full head of dark hair arrayed in little curls. He grunted, displeased that his search had not turned up any food, and opened his big brown eyes, gaze falling unsteadily onto his father.
Seeley's heart swelled all over again. See? Perfect.
An hour later, when Bones had successfully fed their new little tyke – "it's only breastfeeding, Booth, it's perfectly natural. You've seen my breasts on several occasions - " "Not in front of the baby, Bones!" - And the doctors had officially declared both baby and mother healthy, their visitors were sent in.
Angela came in first. "Oh, my gosh, he's adorable!"
"You want to hold him?" Brennan asked gently.
"Yes!" Angela cried, holding out her arms. Brennan handed the baby over slowly; careful to make sure Angela's hand was supporting his neck. The baby let out a warning cry, not happy to be separated from his mother, but submitted when he found the arms he was transferred to warm and soft. He sighed, nuzzling Angela's chest. "Awww, baby cuddles," Angela gushed, kissing the baby's forehead with ruthless abandon.
"A boy, huh?" Jack Hodgins looked over his wife's shoulder, smiling at the new arrival. "What are you going to name him?"
"I like Blaine," Angela said.
"That's cute," Brennan offered from her place on the bed.
"I know, right? He looks like a Blaine."
"Whoa there, girls," Booth interrupted, stepping forward to reclaim his son, "We already have a name for him, don't need another one."
"Should we start a drumroll?" Hodgins asked, "Or are you going to tell us?"
Booth looked down at the bundle in his arms, looking into his son's eyes as he told the little boy his name, "Eric Brennan Booth."
"Eric? Why Eric?" Angela asked.
"The Little Mermaid was one Bones' favorite movies growing up," Booth said, "And I liked the name, so we went with it."
"You watched The Little Mermaid?" Angela said, grinning widely.
"I was unaware of the impossibilities inherent in a human-fish hybrid at the time," Brennan sniffed.
Angela and Brennan continued to talk back and forth, but Booth soon stopped listening. He had gone through this before, with Parker, but nothing could prepare him for the way the whole world seemed to have shifted, and placed this tiny human being at the center of his universe. Eric yawned widely and closed his eyes, snuggling into his daddy's arms as he went to sleep.
"I love you, little man," Booth whispered, and the baby sighed in response. Perfect.