Drew lay sound asleep cuddling with his husband of 10 years, Eli, when suddenly cries and shrieks cascaded through the house. Eli, like a zombie started to get out of bed but Drew only pulled him closer placing a kiss on his lover's forehead.
"I'll get her go back to sleep," he whispered getting out of bed.
Eli mumbled a soft thank you in response before falling asleep. Drew lazily made his way down the hallway into his daughter's room. Lilith Skye lay in her crib wailing for god knows what reason.
"Awe baby girl," Drew cooed picking up his daughter. "What's wrong?" He asked softly patting her back and smoothing down her black hair. Bouncing his daughter lightly on his hip he started to hum a familiar tune; her green eyes slowly started to close. Drew just looked at her, even with light only coming from the small lamp across her room he could still pick out details of her. She had Eli's nose and eyes, but her naturally tan skin and pitch-black hair can from him. He laid her in her crib and sat in the rocking chair remembering when Eli had said he wanted kids.
"Good morning, Honey." Drew greeted his husband, kissing the top of his head as he ate cereal at the kitchen table. He grabbed the sports section of the newspaper and made his way over to the bar to prepare himself a cup of coffee.
"Good morning, Drew," Eli responded when he finished his bite of cereal. "Um..." Eli dropped off picking up his bowl and taking it to the sink.
"Um what?" Drew questioned thumbing through the pages.
Eli leaned against the sink before speaking, "Drew I want kids." He stated gingerly. The topic had come up time and time before, but there was always an excuse whether it is work or whatever.
"Eli, Babe we've talked about this, neither of us have time, I have work at the shop, you have your writing to do." Drew responded walking over to the sink to put his arm around his love.
"I can take a break, I'm between books, Muffin-"
"I thought we agreed that Muffin was never gonna catch on."
"Stop trying to change the subject! As I was saying I'm between books, my publisher doesn't expect anything from me for at least two years." Eli argued.
"But still with your press events and my store do you honestly think we could be a stable home for a child? Us both working long hours to reach deadlines," Drew said back in the most loving way possible.
"I just want somebody I could love just as much as I love you. I want to give my parents grandchildren, I want a family."
"Do you know how hard it is? For two men to adopt or surrogate a child." Drew asked in response to his husband's behavior; Drew had nothing against kids, he loved them actually but the legal issues are sure to bring strain on their relationship.
"I know it's hard. I believe we can do this," Eli begged. "Please just think about it."
"Okay I'll think about it, happy?"
"Ecstatic, actually." Eli replied kissing his husbands cheek and going towards his study. Drew sipped his coffee shaking his head.
He tried to work on the inventory at his sports store but Eli's words had made their way back into his mind. "I just want somebody I could love just as much as I love you. I want to give my parents grandchildren, I want a family."
It's true Drew wants the same things he'd love to have a kid to teach how to play sports, or have a Disney movie night with, or a kid that Eli could read the Harry Potter books too as a bedtime story.
The front desk bell rang through the store impatiently, Drew sighed picking up a box and heading towards the counter. A tall woman stood holding the delicate hand of a six year old boy in a hockey jersey.
"How may I help you?" Drew asked the woman a cheery smile on my face.
"My son, Mark, needs to be fitted for skates he's joining pee wee hockey soon." The woman stated proudly.
"Okay," Drew commented leaning over to the boy, "whose jersey are you wearing?"
"Mike Dallas," the boy answered shyly.
"Is he your favorite?"
The boy nodded as Drew led him towards the skate section. "I used to live with him." The boy's eyes widened. "Back in high school when he played for the Ice Hounds."
"Really?" Mark asked his childlike innocence shining through.
"Yes really now on to business, do you know your shoe size?" Drew asked. He nodded. "Go pick a pair." He ran off down the aisle studying each pair.
"Are you a dad?" The woman asked.
"No, why do you ask?"
"You have such a way with kids, you should really consider having kids, you know if you're married and all." She answered.
"I'm actually married, my partner tried to talk me into that this morning." Drew laughed a bit.
"Women are like that, they mostly are the ones to want kids." The woman laughed.
"Umm... My 'woman' is actually a man." Drew stated.
"I'm so sorry," she apologized.
"Eh, Eli acts like a girl most times." Drew smiled jokingly "Don't tell him I said that."
Drew quickly checked them out and twenty minutes later he was back to square one thinking about him and Eli's disagreement. He did really want kids; he guessed it was worth a shot. He decided that the best thing to do was talk to his mother about this.
Grabbing his phone he dialed his moms number.
"Hello honey," the voice greeted from the other end of the phone.
"Hey mom, I have a question to ask you." Drew spoke.
"Go ahead."
"How'd you like to have grandchildren?" Drew asked his voice shaky.
"I'd love to have them, but I thought you and Eli weren't considering having kids..."
"I know, but Eli really wants to. I just wanted a second opinion." Drew replied.
"Well from a momma that wants grandbabies I say go for it. But from a momma that wants to be reasonable, do you think you and Eli can handle it? Kids are not like your goldfishes, Señor Swimmington the first, and the second, and the third, and the fourth... Where I'm going with this Drew is that it's a huge responsibility you can't just forget to feed it and if it dies you can flush is down the toilet, or light it on fire before flushing it to give it the proper Viking funeral."
"That was Adam's idea."
"Mhm." She hummed before continuing, "But do you honestly think you and Eli are ready to have a kid running around? Will your schedules permit it? Are you ready for the legal stuff? Are you going to adopt or surrogate?" Audra listed off things.
"I think it's definitely in consideration right now, Eli's ready to settle down and have a family. If he's ready I'm ready. Schedule wise Eli's considering being a stay at home dad, with the shop and Eli's writing career we are financially stable. Legal stuff we can handle, I hope. We haven't decided yet on either adoption or surrogacy, what do you think?"
"I'd say surrogacy so at least one of you two is biologically related to the child, which can come in handy with legal stuff." Audra advised, Drew could almost hear the smile on her face.
"Okay mom well I have to go, work calls." Drew laughed.
His mother laughed and bid him farewell.
Drew stepped into his home juggling books, a bouquet of flowers, and Japanese takeaway. "Eli!" He called out trying to take off his shoes whilst not spilling the rice or dropping the flowers.
"Yes? I'm in my study!" He yelled back with a slightly annoyed tone, he must be writing Drew assumed.
"I brought home Japanese and sushi."
"Okay I'll be out in a minute," Eli called back much softer than before. Drew rolled his eyes at his husbands behavior making his way to the kitchen to get plates, when he reached up to get the bowls he felt Eli's thin arms snake around his waist.
"I'm sorry for this morning, I know we're too busy for kids and all." He said into Drew's back before releasing him to go get silverware. Eli's green eyes caught sight of the books left on the counter. "Parenting guides?"
"Yeah, I thought about what you said, called my mom and talked to her about it. And well..." Drew dropped off scratching the back of his head, "kids may be good for us, and you know to keep us rounded."
"Does this mean?" Eli's eye widened with excitement.
"Yes."
Eli smiled a big smile hugging his husband and practically yelling thank yous. Drew smiled at Eli's reaction maybe kids won't be too bad.
Drew smiled at the memory, still rocking in the chair and thinking. He vividly remembered the struggles and the nights they'd fight until one of them would storm off and sleep on the couch. But with that he also remembered the good times like learning that they'd be having a daughter and fighting relentlessly over what her name would be.
"I like the name Morella." Eli stated one evening.
"Who the hell names their kid Morella? What about something nice like Madeleine or Anastasia?" Drew questioned scoffing at his husbands name choice.
"Anastasia is so outdated, what about Evelyn."
"All your names sound dark and morbid, every time I hear the name Evelyn I think of evil." Drew crinkled his nose.
"Well she sure as hell is not getting a generic overused name like Rebecca or Jennifer!" Eli raised his voice.
"Don't raise your voice, this is a stupid argument." Drew raised his voice to match Eli's
"Oh so it's stupid? The name our daughter is going to have to live with forever is stupid? Fine whatever lets give her a stupid name like I don't know, Cinderella, yeah let's give her a name like Cinderella so kids can make fun of her!" Eli yelled before going off to the bedroom they shares, he was angry Drew couldn't deny
"It's probably because he hasn't slept well in the past few weeks," Drew reasoned picking up the sports section and reading for a while. After an hour or so he decided to go to his room, he had talking to his mom about how much time him and Eli had spent sleeping in separate rooms which she deemed unhealthy for their relationship, so Drew made it a point that no matter how bad they fight they'd still sleep in the same bed. He entered the dark room and was welcomed by small sniffles and hiccups, Eli's back was turned away from the door and he was unaware of his husband's presence.
"I'm sorry," Drew whispered sliding into bed and wrapping his arms around Eli's waist.
"I'm sorry for overreacting." Eli whispered.
"What's your grandmothers name?" Drew asked.
"Caterina Magdalena Helena Goldsworthy, what's yours?"
"Theresa Lilith Torres," Drew answered.
"I like the name Lilith." Eli squeaked hoping to not get shot down again.
Smiling and kissing the top of Eli's head he whispered, "I do too."
"Does this mean Cinderella's off the short list?" Eli asked.
"It was never on the short list."
Drew smiling and wiping happy tears from his cheeks he noticed he had spent nearly an hour in his daughter's bedroom. A timid knock came from the doorway.
"Coming to bed babe?" Eli questioned half awake. "Why are you crying?"
"I'm just so happy that I get the chance to raise a beautiful daughter with the most amazing man I've ever met." Drew whispered.
"Drew-Boo," Eli cooed stepping over to the rocking chair and sitting on Drew's lap. "I think I'm the one that's more privileged, have I ever told you how much you mean to me?"
"Everyday, every smile, every hug, every kiss, every time we sleep in the same bed even when we're legit pissed at each other, every I love you. They all tell me that you mean the world to me and I'd be lost without you." Drew answered. Eli smiled and wrapped his arms around Drew's neck and kissed him gently on the lips.
"There are still butterflies from when I first met you. Still sparks, still fireworks." Eli commented.
"I love you, Eli."
"I love you too, Muffin."
"Eli it's not gonna catch on."
"Just wait it'll grow on you someday!"
A/N: I'm doing a collab with StylishFashionista which is a SYOC that is in need of a few characters so I'd really appreciate if y'all would check that out, its called Whatever It Takes and I'll link it on my page! Love y'all hope you enjoyed this Dreli because like no one ships it besides me anymore.