*The next day and Brendan is having his final dance lesson before the big day as the guests start arriving tomorrow and there's all sorts of bits and bobs that need to be sorted by then. The dance instructor reminds Brendan that if he feels nervous before the big dance to momentarily close his eyes so he can feel the music and connect it with how Ste makes him feel. It's a calming tactic and it seems to help him a lot. Once he's finished he heads back home and sleeps for another hour before the others wake up.*
"What we doing today daddy?" Lucas says to Ste as he pours the kids cereal.
"Well because tomorrow Aunty Cheryl is coming over today will be the day just us for a little while ok? So today we're going on a photo shoot."
"Like models?" Leah says excitedly
"Yeah, like models, princess. Now you two hurry up because once me and your daddy have had our showers and got dressed it's your turn ok?"
The kids nod with a spoon of cereal in their mouths.
Brendan hops in the shower first and once he's out Ste jumps in whilst Brendan tries to find a smart yet casual outfit to wear. He decides on his best jeans and a black shit and stands there barefooted when Ste comes out. He's bent over looking in the draw for his superman belt and doesn't realise Ste is there until he reaches out and slaps Brendan's bum.
"Alright gorgeous?"
"Yeah just searching for my belt…ah here it is!" He says pulling it out from his underwear drawer. He turns and gives Ste a kiss then leaves to keep an eye on the kids whilst Ste gets dressed. With the kids now all fed Brendan pops them in the bath and quickly gets them washed and dried then Ste comes to help him get the kids dressed. Lucas wears a shark t-shirt, jeans with trainers and Leah wears a pretty yellow summer dress and sandals.
*At the photo shoot place and they're greeted by a big woman with a bright smile who takes them through to their own little photo studio. They sit in chairs and some other people come over and add some make up. Lucas doesn't like the idea of wearing "ladies makeup" but Brendan explains that it's for men too and it's stops their faces looking shiny in the photos so Lucas eventually accepts whilst Leah, who needed no persuading at all, is having the full make up experience even having her tiny nails painted with little sun flowers on them. Once all this is done the photos begin.*
"Ok first can we have the daddies?" A tall brown haired guy calls over "Come on Brendan, Ste!"
"Alright John" Brendan calls "And cheers for doing this for us"
"Gets me in practice for the big day so it's all good mate"
The kids sit by silently watching as the men start posing like they've been told. Hugging each other, Brendan carrying Ste bridal style whilst Ste has his arm around Brendan's neck and the other up at an angle. Then the kids are brought in. There's photos of Daddy Brendan and Leah, then daddy Brendan and Lucas then Ste with Lucas and Ste with Leah then plenty of photos of the four of them all happily together. They have a photo where Brendan is reading to the kids and Sate is leaning over Brendan's shoulder smiling at them all, another where the guys are standing with the kids on their shoulders and after a little bit more the big lady who greeted them comes back in and takes the kids to a play room. The kids are excited for a break and head off with the big lady whilst Brendan smiles at Ste who's a little bit confused.
"We're gonna have some photos, just for us" Brendan purrs as his mate John leaves the room (after all having a mate take semi naughty photos of you and your boyfriend being provocative is a little bit on the weird side… it's certainly feel it anyway) A young woman comes in to take his place and immediately starts telling the boys how to pose.
"Ok you? Yeah Ste is it?" She says pointing to Ste
"Yeah"
"Open your shirt and Brendan?"
"Yes?"
"go down on your knees and pose as if you're licking his body. Ok now Ste lay back and Brendan straddle him and pose the same again"
They spend half an hour posing for these photos that are wonderfully naughty. Once they're all done and have straightened themselves out the kids are brought back in and they show their daddies the cards they made with John and the big lady. In adult clear print at the top says 'congratulations on your wedding' and inside they wrote a message and with help the kids wrote their names at the bottom with wonky kisses. They had both drawn pictures on the front and had even got to use fuzzy felt, googly eyes and all sorts of other arty stuff. They thank everyone and John says he'll seem them all in two days time and promises he'll bring the photos over personally on the big day.