I can hear the people complaining from a mile away.. bleh.

Y'know, honestly? I think canon-wise, Jak would never think about settling down with any kids until he was at least 40.. but that's just me.

"What is that?"

"What does it look like? It's a crib, duh!"

"You built a crib." It wasn't a question.

Daxter nodded, proud. "Yup! I thought I could use my spare time and make one!" He lifted his arms in an overdramatic fashion. "Tada! Well, whattaya think?"

Jak bit his lip. The thing was honestly awful. Poorly made, wood cracked and old. And were those nails sticking out? "Uh, it looks great, Dax. Really, nice job."

Daxter's grin grew - all smug. "Of course! Did ya expect anything less?"

"Well-"

"Don't answer that."

Jak rubbed the back of his head, "Maybe we should test it."

The redhead blinked, "Test it? Oh. Sure. Um, gimme a second." He looked around the room, searching for a substitute. A small pot was the closest thing he could find. "Well, it's lighter than a baby, but close enough." Dax said, bouncing it in his hand. With outstretched arms, he dropped it into the crib.

It instantly collapsed.

Jak quickly covered his mouth to keep from laughing, shoulders trembling as he did so.

Daxter's face was priceless; eyes wide, jaw dropped and frozen in place with arms still out.

Chuckling, Jak strode over and nudged some wood aside with his foot, "At least the vase is safe." He cheerfully said, indicating to the unbroken pot in the middle of the mess. Dax finally crossed his arms and glared indignantly at the other. "You think this is funny, huh? Let's see you make somethin' better!"

Never to back down from a challenge, Jak grinned, crossing his arms as well. "Alright."

Two weeks later, a new crib stood in the room. White, smooth and sturdy looking. When the vase was dropped inside, the crib didn't even shift.

"Fuck. You." Was all Dax said, leaving the room with Jak's bellows of laughter echoing after him.

-/-

Both men snapped awake at the sound of a small child crying. Simultaneously, they groaned.

"It's yer turn." Dax muttered, tugging the blanket over his head.

"No," Jak grunted back. "You have night duty, remember?"

"I hate you." The redhead growled as he dragged himself out into the chilly air. Grumpily, he glanced back at the blonde in bed, who was warmly curled up and snoring. He flipped him off even though Jak didn't see it.

As soon as he opened the door to their child's room across the hall, the wails assaulted him full front and made him pin his ears against his head.

"Hey. Hey. Now, it's okay. Shh. It's alright. I'm right here."

Dax continued to murmur gentle nothings as he made his way over to the crib and lifted the small blonde into his arms. At the age of 2 years, the kid couldn't exactly be cradled like a baby, but he could still be cradled nonetheless – Just like Jak could hold and lift Daxter… and he instantly cut off that train of thought; those railroads just led to old embarrassing paths.

Aimlessly, he walked around the room, slightly bouncing the weight in his arms and muttering reassurances as he did.

He purposefully kept the doors open so that the cries could reach Jak as well. Dax was even too tired to remember that he did propose to keep night duty so that Jak could get his rest. Oho no, that would be too silly. Give up a warm, full-night sleep for this? Bullshit.

When it became clear that the wailing would not come to an end, the redhead hurried over to the pack against the wall and pulled out what they deemed the 'emergency bottle' with one hand. Their parenting book said that children should be at least drinking from a sippy cup at this age, but they unfortunately still couldn't get him off the bottle..

"Here, buddy. C'mon. Enough with the cryin'."

Softly, he pushed the nipple into the child's mouth and felt relief pour over him as silence once again filled the air.

"There, see. Now you just go right back to sleep and let yer daddies get some too, huh?"

He brushed his lips against the small forehead and placed him back into his crib. Daxter fluffed up the pillow and arranged some of the blankets around until they could hold the bottle up in place for him. With only one glance to make sure the kid was still contently sucking down his milk, he closed the door and tiredly dragged himself to his own bed. As soon as he could, he flopped face down into the pillows and was asleep before Jak pulled him into his arms.

-/-

"Damas Mar! You get yer butt back here, right now!" Shrieks and giggles immediately followed as did the sound of padding feet. Eventually, with his longer legs, Daxter was able to catch and scoop up his son who wriggled in his hold, still shrieking happily. "What am I gonna do with ya? I swear yer getting faster every day."

Dax almost dropped him as they headed back to the bathing room. "Hey! Hey! Stop squirmin'! Yer naked an' must be cold, right?"

Huge blue eyes flickered up at him, but there was still an open-mouthed smile on that small, soft face. Daxter felt his heart wilting.

"Let's getcha in the bath." He switched his grip to Damas' small squishy tummy and stretched out his arms. He made sound effects and hurried to the gigantic tub- already full of water and scented bubbles. Damas laughed again, spreading out his chubby arms and closing his eyes.

For some reason, Damas absolutely loved flying. Almost too much. Most little ones were terrified with it until they aged more. Luckily for him, one of his fathers could fly. Of course, that information hadn't been revealed yet. Dax shook his head and slowly lowered the toddler into the floor-leveled tub. He instantly started splashing, smacking the top of the lukewarm water.

"We gotta hurry up, now. Yer dad ain't gonna be happy if we're late," the redhead muttered as he massaged shampoo into the toddler's hair. Normally it was blonde, but when wet it became gold, almost orange.

"Don't tell yer father this, but I think yer gonna have red hair, like me."

Damas turned his head and blinked, as if he actually understood what Daxter was talking about.

"Nobody wants green fuzz, bleh!" He made a funny face, tongue sticking out for added effect which caused the toddler to giggle. "Red hair is where it's at. Yup, only redheads are cool."

Dax nodded to himself and reached over to pick up a small bowl of clean water. "Close yer eyes, sweetheart."

Just in case, he carefully tilted the child's head back, and poured the water over his head, washing the soap out.

Perhaps it was pitiful to speak to the child as if he were their real son. He would never have red or green hair and it would forever remain a shade of dark blonde, as the only three people with two-tones were over a hundred years old. His stomach clenched involuntarily at the thought. However, they treated Damas as if he weren't adopted and left it in the child's hands to the day he would figure out it was impossible for two men to have a baby.

"Now, c'mon. We need ya dried an' dolled up before Jak blows a gasket." Gently, he lifted his son out of the tub and placed him on the stoned floor. He quickly sought out a towel, not wanting Damas to be cold for long. Dax turned back, ready to wrap the dripping boy up and—

There was nothing there. Just a puddle. But, leading to the door was a trail of water droplets.

"Damas Mar The Second!"

-/-

Daxter was UNDERSTANDABLY worried. Damas recently turned two and still hadn't muttered a word yet.

"Can you say Dax? Daaax. Daxterrr. Jak. Jaaak."

His only reply was a blank look.

"How 'bout Daddy? Daddyyy. Can you say Dad?"

A blink. He gave up.

"That book said tykes normally say their first word before they turn one!"

Jak briefly rolled his eyes. "Relax. Not all kids talk at the same age. Everyone's different."

He considered for a moment. "Maybe he inherited yer muteness."

The other snorted, "Muteness, Dax? Really?"

But the redhead ignored him.

-/-

It turned out a couple of months later, Damas happily yelled his first word. One day, he had just stood before him and cried out "Daddy!"

And Dax was just fine with that. More than fine, in fact, he had almost burst into tears and Jak teasingly told him that he was overreacting.

He had just been paranoid after all.

-/-

Sometimes all three of them would curl up together at night. Normally this occurred when Damas had a nightmare or if Jak and Daxter were feeling more protective than usual. Despite warnings against this, both men were skilled enough never to roll over and smother their kid as he was tucked carefully between them.

-/-

Jak really, really didn't like this idea.

"Dax…" Warily, he observed the crashing waves against the stones.

"What?"

"I really don't think you should be doing this."

Daxter sent him an unamused look from where he stood with Damas near the shore. "Re-fuckin-lax, buddy boy. I know what I'm doin'."

"Do you now? What about the squid…?"

"I said relax! I know where the squid lurks an' the boundaries!"

"Yeah, but..." Jak sighed and gave up- arguing with Dax was a lost cause. Stubborn little brat..

Damas giggled loudly and started squirming in the redhead's grip, legs moving towards the water. "See?" he said, grinning widely, "He wants ta! Besides, it's not like he's never swum before..."

"No. We've given him baths, but he's never actually swum."

"Bath. Swimming. It's all the same. Either way yer in a huge body of water."

The blonde shook his head as Dax moved towards the ocean, Damas waddling along beside him. Together, they stepped into the shallows; the water lapped Dax's shins but came up over Damas' knees. The toddler started shrieking with laughter, kicking at the waves. It was only the redhead's hand that kept him from tumbling over.

"Wanna go fer a swim?"

Damas cocked his head in curiosity.

"Sw-imm-ing." The redhead emphasized and moved deeper into the water. Jak huffed as he stood firm on the rocky shore. "Your clothes are gonna get soaked!"

"Worth it!" Dax shouted back without looking.

"What about Damas?"

"Oh, fer the love of-"

In a flash of movement, Jak had a pair of tiny clothes thrown at his face. Reflexes kicked in and he quickly caught them before they hit. His eyes flickered back up to his family and there was his son, waddling in the water with his tiny buns showing.

Jak recoiled. "Daxter! He's naked!"

"He's a baby! Nobody cares!"

The blonde smacked a hand to his face. "Whatever." He plopped down on a jutted rock and let the sound of the other two laughing fill his ears. Distractedly, he gazed up at the city. From this point, he could mostly see the gun torrent. It had been untouched for so long. They only used it for target practice once and awhile. But, so far there had been no threats to Spargus for over 5 years- "Hey!"

Jak started and looked back to the ocean. "Stop being Mr. Grouchy Pants, and come swim with us!" Daxter smirked. "I know ya wanna~"

He snorted, seeing no harm in it. They had been swimming thus far without any signs of giant, grabbing tentacles. And it was awfully hot this day. "Okay, fine. If it'll make you happy."

"Yes. Yes it would. Now get yer sexy butt over here."

The blonde paused for a moment and began to strip out of his boots. He then slipped off his scarf, throwing it aside with his son's clothing. "Hey, I got an idea!" Dax announced a little too innocently.

"No." said Jak as he finished removing his armor and goggles.

"You haven't even heard it yet!"

"I already know what it is. You want to go skinny dipping."

Dax paused. "Maybe."

"No." He said again and stepped into the cool water. He would never traumatize their son like that. Hell, he wouldn't do it in broad daylight either, son or no son.

The rolling liquid shone blindingly from the sun but it felt so good – especially with his callused feet crammed into his boots in the desert all day. Jak groaned under his breath in appreciation.

"Yer no fun." The other muttered from where he sat in the shallows and holding onto a squirming Damas. As soon as Jak approached, the redhead shot up and handed their blond to him.

"Dax-What-"

"Hold onto him fer a while. I really need ta swim. It won't hurt y'know." Jak frowned slightly and awkwardly sat down into the shifting water, placing Damas in his lap. He watched as Dax moved deeper into the ocean until the level came up to his shoulders, and dunked underneath.

Damas immediately started cooing and struggling in his grip. Jak glanced down and, sure enough, the child's blue eyes were locked onto the place where Dax had disappeared. "Oh. Uh, Daddy will be back in a second." He kept his grip firm as Damas started whimpering, puffing out his cheeks and splashing the water.

Just a moment later, fire shot out of the waves. Daxter gasped and shook his head with a huge grin. "Whoo! That felt great! I needed that."

Jak raised an eyebrow as the other paddled forward, until the ocean thinned out to where he was crawling closer, listening to his son giggle and clap his hands.

"Swimming." Dax clarified. "It's been years. I even touched the bottom!"

Years. A sharp feeling of nostalgia punched Jak in the gut. Those childhood days where they would go for a refreshing swim after finishing chores or adventuring through the jungle. Back then, they had boundaries too; with a lurker shark, instead of a giant squid. He'd never dreamed something so simple as swimming in clear waters would be taken for granted. The only bout of 'swimming' they'd done recently was diving into the dirty waters of the Haven Port to hide from pursuing guards.

He missed the sharks.

"Daddy!"

"Hey bud! C'mere." He reached over and plucked their son from his lap. For a moment, Jak missed the slight weight.

"Yer big lug of a father was probably all awkward while I was gone, wasn't he?" Dax cooed and rubbed the tiny blonde's nose with his own. They laughed together and Damas patted the redhead's cheeks with soft hands. Observing the scene, Jak felt a strange, insistent feeling clawing at his chest. He couldn't distinguish it, only knowing that there was a sudden impulse to hold the other two close and never let go. Instead he whispered, "He's really attached to you."

"Well yeah, I'm the only one who spends time with him."

It was meant to be taken as a joke, he knew, but it stung nonetheless. He frowned and looked away. This didn't go unnoticed by the other.

"Jak."

He stared intently at the water, even though it burned his eyes.

"Jak, look at me."

"Forget it, Dax."

"No." A small hand tilted his head up and by then he couldn't help but stare into those deep blues of his lover's eyes. "Yer a great father. Don't let anyone tell ya different, even me. You just need to spend more time with him, that's all. He's here with us because of you and don't ya ever forget that."

"Yeah, I know."

The redhead smiled, boosting Damas closer. Without control, Jak's eyes flickered down to his son. Damas blinked back and then giggled, reaching chubby arms for him. "Heh. I'm not the only one he's attached to."

Jak merely nodded, and swallowed hard.

"Take 'im." Dax said and placed their child into his stiff arms. It couldn't be helped. Slightly, he choked on his breath and hugged Damas closer. The toddler appeared to be more comfortable than ever and began to suck on one tiny thumb.

Damas. Just like his.. father.

"So, uh, when we pick up this kid," He scratched at his bare chin with one finger. "Got any... ideas?"

They made eye contact. He didn't know what his expression looked like but it made Daxter immediately go solemn.

"…'Course we'll name him after the sand man, Jak."

A reassuring grin.

His insides twisted. He never questioned how his best friend read his mind like that. And he didn't think too deep into it. He didn't think too deep into anything, always having a nasty habit of shutting everything out.

But, this child..

He had the chance to be the father he never had growing up. He could love this child with all his being. Could teach him, play with him and protect him. Make sure nothing ever harmed him.

And he imagined that's what his own father would want. What he would've done for him.

Both men were smiling widely. Swiftly, Daxter leaned over and pecked Jak on the lips.

"We should go swimming more often."

I used to babysit my sister's son and everytime he started crying - rather than pick him up and comfort him, I would just place a bottle in his mouth and use the blanket as a holder. Works like a charm!