"Why do you love Daddy?"
Steph frowned, glancing down at her oldest daughter before glancing over at her husband. At the moment, he was stretched out in his recliner, their youngest in his lap, mostly watching the basketball game.
"Mmmm," Steph hummed as Paul tried hard not to glance over at the couch where, at the moment, his wife was seated, texting on her phone. Aurora and Murphy, their older two, were down on the floor, playing with toys. At the moment though, Aurora was staring expectantly up at her mother, awaiting a response.
"I guess," she said slowly, staring hard over at her husband, trying to force him to glance at her. Instead of doing so, he left one arm behind Vaughn, their baby, to support her as he reached over with the other to his cup of soda, "that I really love the way he eats ice."
Which was exactly what he was doing at the moment, plucking a cube out of the Diet Coke and popping it into his mouth. As she said that though, he crunched the frozen water between his teeth, turning to frown over at his wife.
"Really?" their four year old asked as Murphy, at all of two, seemed completely oblivious to the conversation at hand. "That's why?"
"Mmmhmm." Steph grinned down at Aurora then as Paul only continued to glare at his wife. "Don't you think it's cute?"
Staring over at her father as well then, the four year old demanded, "Daddy, eat more ice!"
"I don't want anymore." Paul settled back into the recliner, staring once more at the game. "Just play with your toys. Look at poor Murphy; she's bored without you."
Not really. At all of two, she played better by herself anyways.
"Eat ice for us, Paul." Steph smiled over from her phone. "We love it."
"You do not."
"Awe, are you blushing?"
"Stephanie-"
"Daddy, please eat ice!" His four year old was coming over then, standing at the side of his recliner with wide eyes. "I wanna see."
It was with a scowl over at his wife (which resulted in a giggle) that he reached over to grab another cube of ice and eat it, just for his daughter's sake.
"See?" Steph kept on. "Did you notice the way his jaw muscle clenched? And his eyes opened, just a bit more, from the cold? And mmmm, Paul, the way your pec jumped-"
"Did not."
"Well, something jumped."
"Liar."
Maybe.
"You want a piece of ice, Rora?" he asked as his daughter. "Huh?"
"No!" She threw a hand over her mouth, as if fearful he'd shove on in there.
Because, you know, that made sense.
"It's too cold, Daddy," she told him with a frown. "It's wiener."
"Winter," he corrected softly. She only nodded.
"Wiener."
"No, I mean, it's pronounced-"
His talking, apparently, was not appreciated by Vaughn who, from his lap, began to let out rather loud cries. He tried to bounce her a bit as Aurora only frowned at the baby, but to no avail.
"Steph," he said, moving to hold the baby out then. "I think it's someone's feeding time."
"Oh, I know," she groaned, pushing up from the couch, having to be careful not to step on Murphy or the many toys she and Aurora had managed to spread across the floor. "I just wasn't looking forward to it."
Vaughn wasn't quelled either, just from being shifted to her mother's arms. She was so noisy that Bluto, their mastiff, got up from where he was over by the fireplace and left the room. Murphy tried to follow him, but was distracted by Aurora clambering into Paul's then empty lap. With a frown, she trotted right over to climb up there as well.
It wasn't until Steph was back over at the couch, nursing her, that they finally had some peace again. Err, well, there was no crying at least. Rather, the drama in the house had shifted to the fact that Aurora and Murphy were trying to cuddle up closer and closer to their father while also pushing the other one out.
"If you don't do something," Steph grumbled, glancing over there just as Murphy stuck her tongue out at her older sister and Aurora looked about ready to sock her, "we're gonna have a fight on our hands."
"Knock it off," he said, wrapping both arms around them and leaning down to nuzzle his head against both of theirs, Aurora giggling and Murphy tugging at his hair. "Both of you. Especially you, Murph. Hair pulling is rude."
Debatable.
"I can hold both of you," he went on as he shifted back in the recliner once more. "It's more snuggly this way."
"You're snuggly, Paul?" Steph was, apparently, wanting to bother him again. "That's cute."
"Shut it." He frowned over at her. "You focus on getting that one all fed and- Rora!"
"Daddy eat ice!" She'd reached over to his drink, which sat on the little side table next to his recliner, and tried to force a piece in between his lips, flinging soda everywhere. Apparently that was why she was so afraid of him doing it to her; she was planning on doing it to him. "Now!"
Murphy giggled as Aurora, taking in the look on her father's face, tried to jump out of his lap and get away. He had a grip around her though and wasn't letting her get away.
After crunching the ice in the way that, apparently, Steph found oh so sexy, Paul grumbled, "You don't do that, Rora. You hear me? Shoving things in people's mouth. That's bad. You're bad. You wanna be a bad girl? Huh?"
"No!"
"Then don't do stuff like that."
Daddy's lap was turning out to be a bust so, with his attention on her sister, Murphy wiggled her way out of his hold before going back to her toys. Bluto came back, mouth dripping with water as he'd no doubt gone to get a drink, and went to fall down in front of where Steph was sitting.
Snuggling up to his chest, Aurora stared over at the television for a moment, yet for some reason wasn't interested in basketball. She only snuggled deeper, as if in apology, until Paul wrapped his arm tightly around her, hugging just a bit.
"I forgive you," he mumbled against the top of her head. "Now just let me watch-"
"And now she's wet," Steph groaned, getting to her feet as Vaughn's sobs started up again. "Ugh."
"It's not all rainbows and sunshine for her either, babe," Paul called after his wife. "You think it's fun? Peeing in a diaper? Having it get all soggy? Dealing with diaper rash? That's how come you can't remember being a baby; it'd be so traumatic, none of us would ever get passed it."
"Then you go change her, Daddy."
"Daddy would have changed baby Hunter. Baby girl number three goes straight through you."
"And it was through you and you alone that we had another girl, so-"
"Let me see her," he said, lifting Aurora up to sit her on the ground. "Steph."
"No, no, you-"
"I'm coming to get her," he warned, following her out of the room. "Which leaves the kids all alone."
"With Bluto, but sure."
Steph handed Vaughn off to him once more and, dang, his kid could fill a diaper. Annoying.
When he came back to the living room about ten minutes later (Vaughn would not calm down, even with a clean diaper), it was to find Steph curled up on the couch with Aurora, who apparently didn't understand the definition of waiting on someone to get back. Sheesh.
Just for that, he went to sit down with Vaughn in his lap once more, giving Murph a grin as he passed her.
"Halftime?" Paul griped as he went to fall into his recliner. "Dang." Then he grinned. "Steph, can you make me-"
"Aren't you on a diet?"
"...Maybe I was gonna say water."
"Can I make you some water? No, Paul, I can't make you water."
Aurora, done being snuggled for the time being, glanced up at her mother. "Mommy?"
Taking time out of harassing (in his mind) her husband, Steph glanced down at her daughter. "What, sweetie?"
"You love Daddy just for ice?"
"What is with you and that? Huh?" Steph tickled the girl a bit, getting some giggles in reply. "Do you think Mommy doesn't love Daddy? That she needs to be reminded why she does?"
"No," Aurora laughed, shoving at her mother's hands. "Just wanna know."
"Well," Steph started, taking in a deep breath as she stared over at her husband who looked equally annoyed with the line of questioning then. It wouldn't have been so bad, had he thought, even for a second, that she'd give a serious answer. But she wouldn't. It would be a joke and then they'd have to discuss the joke and gah! Could he not just watch the game? Alone? Being the only man was hard.
Not to mention the only adult…
Because, seriously, Steph was the most childish woman he knew.
She'd say the same thing about him, but whatever.
"I just love the way that he can change a diaper. He's a master at it."
"Really?"
"Steph, stop teasing her," Paul grumbled.
"You're so bashful. About changing diapers." His wife could hardly speak between her giggles. "And eating ice."
"I just wish you'd stop saying that stuff."
"You don't like to hear about how much I love you?"
"Not for stupid reasons, no."
"That's not stupid. How a person eats ice is important."
"Stephanie-"
"I love Daddy for a lot of reasons, Aurora." She glanced down at her before saying, "I love that he takes care of us all and can make me laugh and loves all of you. I love when we're alone and he just likes to lay around and do nothing, but be close to me. Most of all though I love that even when all he wants to do is watch TV, he let's us sit in here and bother him."
"Don't love me for that," Paul grumbled. "I thought you just didn't notice that you were annoying me."
"No, I did."
"Now that I know that you do know though," he went on, "why haven't you taken the girls upstairs? Or something?"
"Because I'm too tired to deal with them if they start fighting."
"What are you tired from?"
"Uh, try work."
"Then go take a nap."
"I have to at least pretend to be coherent over here." Steph pressed a kiss to the giggling Aurora's head. "And my baby needs me to snuggle her."
"But does she?"
"She prefers me to you, but sure."
Heh.
"When halftime ends in about five minutes," he grumbled, "you guys have got to let me watch at least one quarter, no interruptions."
"You prefer fourth or third?"
"Dealer's choice."
"I pick...overtime."
"Steph-"
"I'll get up in a minute and start on dinner for these two." Aurora got some more snuggles. "Then we'll leave you alone for the rest of the night."
Paul shifted, bouncing Vaughn in his lap. "Well, not the whole night. After this game, I'm probably gonna get pretty lonely. Other than working out later, I-"
"That's what I love most about him," Steph told Aurora as the four year old only stared up at her with wide eyes. "That deep down, he really does only want to spend all his time with us. It's just hard for him to admit."
"Is not," he retorted.
"See?" Steph nodded over. "He won't admit it."
"That's not what I meant." Paul glanced over at them then, eyes locking with his wife's. "I meant that it's not deep down. It's right at the surface."
"Awe."
"I'd just like to watch a damn game alone sometimes. Or at least with interested parties."
"I am interested in many games," she replied. "Football games. Basketball just isn't my thing."
"Or baseball. Or soccer. Or tennis-"
"You don't even like tennis."
"I can sit through a good match up."
"You just like watching the Williams sisters annihilate their opponents."
"Who the hell doesn't?"
"Language."
Bleh.
Steph did have to go make dinner though, with Murphy on her hip (she was finally tired of playing and wanted some snuggles of her own) and Aurora 'helping' though kind of sort of not. Vaughn stayed with her daddy though, making minimal noises for ten minutes and then, slowly, drifting off.
He reclined completely then, letting her rest on his chest, and enjoyed a solid third quarter of a blow out game.
Sigh.
"Mommy said to give you these."
Aurora showed up, during the start of the fourth, bearing a plate of tortilla chips with some shredded cheese melted on top.
"Nachos?" Paul sat up a bit, being cautious of Vaughn. "Steph, I can't eat these. I-"
"That's what you were going to ask for and you know it."
He couldn't help his smile as Aurora set the plate down on the little table next to his recliner, stealing a chip for herself with a giggle. Paul only reached out to ruffle her dark hair before reclining once more, focusing back in on the horrible game.
That night, when they were putting the girls to bed, Paul found himself the last one in Aurora's room and, leaning down to brush his lips against her head, he spoke.
"You get enough stories for the night? Princess?" When she nodded, he said, "Good. Now you wanna tell Daddy why you were askin' Mommy all about why she loves me, but never once asked me why I love her? I feel left out, punk!"
"You're a punk."
"You're a bigger punk." Another kiss to the head. "But I love you."
"Love you."
"You like that word today, huh?" Nod. Then, grinning, he said, "I guess that's a little girl thing. Or 'cause you hear me tell it to you so much thing? Hmmm?" Nuzzling his head against hers, he got a sleepy giggle before Paul whispered, "I love Mommy because she listens to me and I like to listen to her and she's such a good mommy, don't you think, and we like the same music, Rora, which trust me on this, is a big deal, and she's pretty cute too, I'll admit, eating ice."
"Do I eat ice good?"
He stood straight again before reaching down to ruffle her hair. "You eat ice very good. Now go to sleep. I'll be here when you get up in the morning. Promise."
And he never ever broke his promises.
Paul went down to workout while Steph did something in her office, a few hours or so passing before they saw one another again. When they did, it was after he'd showered and she was in bed, looking like she was about ready to turn in for the night.
"What's that?" she asked as he came into the room with a cup, holding it out suggestively to her as he moved to get into his side of the bed. "Paul?"
Shaking it a bit, he said, "Ice. Obviously."
"Obviously. For what though?" Concerned, she shifted on her side to stare at him. "Is it your neck? Your bicep? What?"
"It's so you can watch me eat it, silly."
"Oh, ew, gross, no."
"What?" Paul frowned as she turned onto her other side then, giving him her back. "But I thought you said-"
"I just like when you blush."
"I didn't blush. I don't blush. Ever. So-"
"You always drool when you eat ice."
"I do not!"
"You do too. And half the time you roll it around in your mouth and then leave your mouth open and just sit there, letting it melt, and-"
"I don't eat ice enough for you to compile this much info on me."
"Do too."
"Do not." With a snort, he only sat there, in bed, staring down at the cup before syaing, "Well, if I'm not going to be eating these ice chips, babe, do you think maybe we could, uh, find another use for-"
"You can't be serious."
"I can test the waters."
"Waters unfavorable. Seek forecast another day."
"What the heck am I supposed to do with a cup of ice then, Steph? Huh?"
"Eat it."
"I don't want to eat it if it's not going to, like, turn you on or whatever."
"Then give it an hour and drink it."
"Stephanie-"
"Goodnight, my love."
He made a face. "If you really loved me, you'd let me run ice all over your body while-"
"Paul-"
"Thanks for my nachos, Steph." He set the cup on his bedside table, honestly planning on drinking it eventually. "And for my babies. And letting me know that I drool when I eat ice. Oh, and for calling me your love. That's cute. Do that more. And I like your feet. And your legs. And the way that, when we're in the shower, you stare up at it with your eyes open and just keep blinking as the water falls into your eyes and act shocked that its bothersome. It's cute. And-"
"Paul, what do you want from me?"
"For you to have worked out with me." He sunk lower int eh bed. "I'm all riled up now and you're not."
"I'm finally getting that sleep I wanted."
"You told me all the weird things that you loved about me."
"I bothered you while you were wanting to watch a game for my own fun."
"And now I'm keeping you up for my own fun."
"Paul-"
"I love you, baby." He gave her back his own. "You know."
"I know." Steph did that cute little yawn then that he loved too. "I know."