A/N: I got a review a couple chapters back, asking for more Fitz. So I gave him some love in this chapter :-)
10 Days Old…
"She's so cute."
Karen's holding a snoozing Ruby, fawning over her.
"She's so tiny, isn't she?" Fitz muses, yawning widely.
"So tiny. You're so tiny, little sister. I can't believe I have a little sister. Finally."
He smiles from his spot next to her on the couch, watching his daughters together. "Well, you can thank Liv for that, when she wakes up. She did all the heavy lifting."
"Are you guys super exhausted?" Karen asks, still gazing down at Ruby, "You can take a nap too if you want, Dad. I'll keep an eye on her."
"I'd rather hang out with you," Fitz grins, reaching over to play with a lock of her long brown hair, "Liv's been trying to nap whenever she does, and it's a bonus if Micah's down too. I'm alright though. How are you, kiddo? How's school?"
"It's fine," Karen shrugs, "You know me, Dad, I've never been that into school."
"I know, I didn't mean the classes. I know you're doing what you need to do. I meant the other stuff. Friends, clubs, boys—"
"Dad."
"Hey, I'm just asking! I'm your Dad, I have to ask."
Karen sighs, rocking the baby a little bit. "There is a guy—"
"—oh?"
"—and before you ask, no, you can't meet him yet—"
"—wasn't even going to ask—"
"—I'm twenty-one years old, you don't need to meet everyone I date anymore—"
"Wow, you must really like him to be getting this defensive," Fitz teases, gently poking her in the ribs.
She shoots him a look, and he holds up his hands in mock surrender.
They're quiet for a few moments, watching Ruby make 'o's' in her sleep.
"I do really like him," Karen admits quietly, not looking at him, "I think I might—I might actually…"
Fitz's expression softens. "That's great, Kare. He's good to you?"
"Yeah, he is," she smiles, glancing over at him, "He's a great guy."
The fact that his first baby girl is actually in love makes him die on the inside a little bit, but he recognizes that she's growing up, and he's desperately hopeful that she hasn't subconsciously internalized her parents' dysfunctional relationship as 'normal'.
Sighing, he pats her thigh affectionately. "I'm happy for you, then. And I'd love to meet him, whenever you guys are ready."
She looks at him, surprised at his restraint. "Thanks, Dad. This is killing you a little bit, isn't it?"
"A little," he groans, letting his head fall back against the couch, laughing.
Ruby starts to fuss and squirm, and Karen looks uncomfortable. "Do you want to take her?"
"No, she's fine with you," he reassures, not moving to take the baby, "Try holding her up against your chest. She really likes to snuggle in like that, sometimes she just wants to be closer."
Karen awkwardly maneuvers the newborn the way he's described, and sure enough, she quiets almost immediately.
"Oh…she does like this," Karen breathes, gently patting her back, "Ugh, I cannot have baby fever at twenty-one, Liv would make fun of me so bad."
"She wouldn't," Fitz laughs, raising his eyebrows, "She melts for our kids just as quickly as the next person. Grant kids are pretty much the cutest ones around."
She laughs quietly, tentatively kissing Ruby's head. "Ruby and Micah are going to grow up in such a normal environment. You're really doing right by them, Dad."
His face falls at her confession, and her breath catches, realizing what she's implied.
"No, Dad, I didn't mean—I just meant that—"
"It's okay to say things like that," he says softly, smiling sadly, "I know your childhood wasn't exactly the best."
"Dad," she sighs, "I didn't mean it like that. I don't—you and Mom did the best you could given the situation we were in, I know that. But, every kid wishes they were just like everyone else, and I'd be lying if I told you I never wished for that."
He swallows thickly, nodding, hanging on her every word.
"I wanted normal, but I never wished for different parents, especially not a different Dad. Ruby and Micah are getting all of the best parts of you, and Liv. They're just…it will be different for them. That's all I meant."
Her words still hurt, but he realizes that she really doesn't seem to resent him, and he's grateful for that. "I wanted to give you normal, if it's any consolation."
Karen smiles, reaching out to squeeze his hand. "I know you did."
They're distracted when Olivia comes down the stairs, yawning and wrapping herself in a big sweater.
"Hey," she greets, her face lighting up when she sees Karen, "When did you get here? Sneaky girl."
"I wouldn't let Dad wake you up, I knew you'd probably be exhausted."
"Oh, I'm alright," she smiles, bending to hug Karen, carefully avoiding squishing the baby.
"So, my little sister is kind of a precious angel," Karen sighs, kissing Ruby again.
"I know," Liv breathes, collapsing next to Fitz, snuggling into his side, "She's irresistible, which I think means she's going to be trouble. What's new, Kare?"
"She has a boyfriend," Fitz stage-whispers, watching as Liv's eyes get wide and curious.
"Dad!"
Two Weeks Old…
"Oh…hi, sweet pea. Hi. What do you think? Are you ready for your first bath?"
Fitz holds Ruby up in front of himself, taking advantage of the fact that she's awake, talking to her quietly. They're sitting in the bathroom, waiting for Liv and Micah to finish up with lunch, listening to them talking elsewhere in the house.
"We're almost all ready, just waiting for Mommy and big brother. Yeah, we're almost ready. We have some nice warm water, and there's a nice warm towel in the dryer for when you get out. To be honest, I'm not sure you'll like this, you really don't like being naked."
Ruby blinks slowly, pursing her lips, working her little tongue.
"Lemme see that tongue. Oh, there it is! Are you sticking your tongue out at Daddy? Hmm?"
He brings her closer, kissing her soft cheek a few times.
"Baby girl…you're so sweet. Daddy loves you, you know that, don't you? Hi, Ruby girl. You're starting to wake up a lot more lately, I love it. Hi. What color are those eyes gonna be? Hmm?"
A little arm escapes the blanket, and Fitz rests her body against his thighs, taking her hand, easily cradling her head and shoulders with one palm.
"Not blue, that's for sure, they're already too dark. But, maybe a little lighter than your brother's. I think they might be green. Or hazel. We'll have to wait and see, huh?"
She grunts and fusses half-heartedly, squirming slowly on his lap. Fitz bounces her gently, cooing to her until she's content again.
"You're gonna be a little more demanding, I think. You're not quite as content as your brother was, you really need us to talk to you, and rock you, and move you around, huh? That's okay, we'll keep you happy, we'll get it figured out."
"Daddy, I'm ready!"
Micah trots into the bathroom wearing his swim trunks, followed by Liv, who looks like she's trying desperately not to laugh.
"You sure are," Fitz says, raising his eyebrows, handing Ruby to Liv for undressing, "What's with the bathing suit, bud?"
"I gotta wear my bathin' suit, 'cause I gotta get in the, umm, in the water!" Micah explains, already hanging over the edge of the large bathtub.
"Oh…it's not swimming though, it's just like taking a bath," Fitz reasons, testing the water temperature for the fourth time.
"No, Daddy, I'm not getting a bath, Ruby is getting a bath. I'm just getting in the water."
He looks over to find Olivia shaking her head. "It's toddler logic, proceed at your own risk."
"Alright, bud, sounds good. Here," he says, picking Micah up and plunking him down into the shallow water, "Are you going to help us with Ruby's bath?"
"Yeah!" Micah answers excitedly, checking out the mesh baby seat sitting in the water.
"Okay, well just so you know, she might cry, okay? This is her first time ever being in the water, and she might not like it."
And in fact, Ruby's already fussing, not at all happy to have her sleeper off. As soon as her diaper is stripped off, she starts to cry pitifully.
"Here, Daddy," Liv murmurs, passing her over to Fitz, "She'll feel safer if you do it, your hands are bigger."
"Mommy, she's crying," Micah observes, watching Fitz slowly lower the baby into the water.
Liv perches on the edge of the tub, rolling up her pants to stick her feet in. "I know, that's okay. She's okay, she's just a little scared. She's not sure what's happening."
"Ruby girl," Fitz says softly, cupping water over her delicate shoulders, cradling her head with his other palm, "You're okay, peanut. Look, big brother is in there with you, you're alright."
Without being told, Micah picks up the washcloth that's floating in the water, and covers Ruby's tiny body with it. "S'okay, Ruby. We can cover you up, then you will like it."
His habit of always covering her with blankets pays off, and instantly, her cries drop off into whimpers.
"Oh, good job Micah," Liv says, putting a hand over her chest, the sweetness of the moment taking her breath away, "That's being a very good big brother."
Micah smiles proudly, patting Ruby's tummy. "S'okay, baby. You like bathtime now?"
"I think she does, buddy," Fitz smiles, taking a pump of baby soap, figuring they'd better get a move on before Ruby's whimpers escalate into screams again, "Hmm? What do you think, sweet pea? Not so bad, huh?"
Ruby protests quietly as he gently washes her body, letting Micah 'help' just enough to make him feel included.
"Want to do her head?"
Liv nods, leaning over with the impossibly soft baby sponge, lathering and washing her scalp.
"Does that feel good, bug?" she laughs softly, watching as Ruby quiets for the first time, her eyes nearly drifting closed at the feeling of the sponge.
"Mommy, is Ruby sleeping?" Micah asks incredulously, leaning in close to his sister.
"I don't think so. I think she just really likes how this sponge feels on her head."
"I wanna feel!"
She rubs the sponge against the back of Micah's hand. "Isn't that nice and soft?"
"Yeah," he giggles, shivering happily.
"Here," she offers, smiling and handing the sponge to Fitz, "I'll go grab her towel out of the dryer, this seems to be the magic trick."
"Daddy, she likes that?"
"Yeah, she seems to really like this sponge, huh. See? She's not crying as much, it must feel good on her head. Okay, peanut, time to rinse."
Ruby's cries pick up again as he pours water over her, rinsing her clean of soap.
"I know, Ruby girl, Daddy's going as fast as he can. Oh, see, here's Mommy with your towel."
He lifts the slippery, squawking infant from the tub, placing her directly into Liv's arms. She wraps Ruby in the warm towel, pulling the little hood over her head.
"Okay, little bug, okay. Shh," she soothes, carrying her out into their bedroom, "I know, I know."
Ruby cries all the way through being patted dry, diapered, and re-dressed in pajamas.
"Oh my goodness," Liv breathes, wrapping Ruby in her favorite fuzzy blanket, "So traumatic, my love, we're so sorry. But you need to have a bath every now and then."
She settles into the glider, cuddling the baby close and offering her breast. Ruby latches gratefully, finally settling down, eyes drifting shut.
"That was so exhausting, huh? Mommy's got you. Yeah, that's better. Are you gonna take a nap, now? Hmm?"
Ruby doesn't nurse long, just enough to calm herself, pulling away from the breast and fussing quietly.
"I don't think you're hungry, I think you just want to cuddle," Liv murmurs, re-clipping her top and lifting Ruby to her shoulder.
The baby nuzzles into her neck, little sounds of discontent trailing off as she's surrounded by her Mommy's scent.
"There we go, love."
She rocks gently, rubbing Ruby's back, turning to kiss her head and inhale her clean baby scent.
Giggles and splashes echo from the bathroom, and she closes her eyes, smiling.
4 Weeks Old…
"Where's that sexy wife of mine?"
Both of their kids are, miraculously, currently asleep, and he'd been looking forward to a little bit of alone time with her before Ruby's next feeding. But she's taking far too long in the bathroom, doing god knows what.
"Listen, mister," she calls, "I haven't had five minutes to myself in four weeks, let me live. My eyebrows are a hot mess."
He chuckles to himself, turning the page in his novel.
Finally, she appears in the doorway.
Olivia runs her hands up her yoga pant-clad thighs, dragging her nursing tank and sweatshirt up a few inches, walking toward him seductively. He whistles long and low, making her giggle as she struts toward him.
"Oh, is this turning you on?" she murmurs, slowly dragging the zipper of her (his) sweatshirt down.
Fitz hums, nodding his head, smiling and biting his lower lip.
"Oh, yeah? Which part is the sexiest?" she giggles, peeling the sweatshirt down her arms, "This mustard stain on my pants from Micah's lunch? These gorgeous new stretch marks? Or this—"
She stops next to the bed and snaps the strap of her nursing tank.
"—this seductive, sexy, devastating little number?"
"All of it," he growls, grabbing her and pulling her onto the bed, "All. Of. It."
She giggles and shrieks as they roll over, cradling his face when he settles on top of her. "You've lost your mind."
"Mmm-mmm," he hums, shaking his head, nuzzling his nose against hers, "You are the sexiest woman I have ever seen. Watching you be a mommy only makes you sexier."
Experimenting, he kisses her gently, pulling back to make sure she's in the mood to be touched. Her eyes are warm, and her mouth is soft and open when she pulls him back down into another kiss, sighing happily. He groans quietly, lazily stroking his tongue over hers, sucking gently at her bottom lip. She starts to shift around and he stops kissing her, lifting his body while she gets more comfortable. Her legs open a little more and he nestles between them, returning her playful smile, nipping at her lips.
"Mmm…you kiss good," she whispers, grinning against his mouth, sucking on his bottom lip.
Fitz hums, nudging his nose against hers. "Well, I have a good partner. Can only kiss good if you have a good partner."
They fall into each other, and for a while their bedroom is quiet except for the wet, sucking sound of their kisses.
She can't help but put her hands all over him, rubbing his back, tracing the muscles of his arms. She can feel herself getting lost in him, and it's so easy to do it, but as his hands start to wander beneath her clothes, something in the back of her brain tugs at her.
"Baby," she whispers, arching her back, threading her fingers into his hair, "We can't. Not yet."
"I know," he breathes, dragging his lips against her throat, nipping at her earlobe, "Just wanna be close to you. Want to touch you, you're so sexy."
His hands slip under her tank top and rest against her sides, thumbs stroking slowly.
"We don't have to," he murmurs, meeting her eyes, "But if you want to…I want to. I don't care that we can't have sex."
She moans softly, pulling him down into a kiss. "I miss you."
"Miss you too," he groans, palms sliding up to gently squeeze her breasts.
His brow furrows, and she watches curiously as he slowly pulls his hands out from under her nursing top. She bursts into laughter when he holds up an absorbent nursing pad in each hand.
"Oops," he shrugs, looking nonplussed, "Do you need these back?"
Giggling, she takes them from him, tossing them onto her nightstand. "I'm fine for now, thanks."
Her whole body is pleasantly warm, reacting to the way he's pressed against her, the way his mouth teases her neck. His big hands stroke over her hips and thighs in firm circles, massaging, and, oh, she's missed his hands on her.
Slowly, she feels her body start to wake up, places that haven't been acknowledged in a while coming to life. Her brain starts to fog over, sensation taking the place of thought, and arousal coils gently in her low belly. His touch is familiar, comforting, deliciously sensual, and he's so careful, so in tune with what she needs. One of his hands drifts down between her thighs, gently cupping her over her pants, letting her rock against his palm. The pressure feels amazing, and she moans into his mouth, taking his hand and guiding it under her clothes.
He pulls back to watch her face as he settles his fingers against her, easily finding her clit with the pad of his index finger, rubbing slowly. Her brows furrow, hips writhing softly on the bed as she relaxes into the pressure, smiling and biting her lip. It makes him smile, and he leans down to kiss her cheek, sucking kisses along her jawline.
"Feel good?"
"Mmm," she sighs, rocking her hips, running her hands over him, "Talk to me."
He grins, trailing his lips to her ear, starting to whisper dirty things to her. She'll ask him to, sometimes, when she needs a little something extra, or now, because they can't really do much else.
Also, because he's good at it, his voice is sexy, and it's really fun.
After a few minutes, the combination of his fingers and his voice is more effective than she'd anticipated, and she feels her muscles start to flutter.
"Wait, wait," she whimpers, giggling breathlessly, "I'm getting close."
"And we're stopping because?" he murmurs, drawing her bottom lip into his mouth.
She pulls back, panting softly, hips still writhing gently against his fingers. "I'm not supposed to."
"You're not supposed to what?" he asks, brows furrowing, arousal dulling his brain.
"I'm not supposed to come," she says, trying to catch her breath.
"Really? I though you just weren't supposed to—you know—put anything inside."
His question makes her pause, and they stare at each other for a moment, realizing this issue hadn't come up after her first pregnancy.
"I…well…huh. I actually…don't know if I'm allowed to or not. You might be right," she muses, looking around for her phone.
"I mean, do you want to?"
She stares at him for a few seconds, not an ounce of humor on her face.
"Are you fucking kidding me right now?" she deadpans, making him burst out laughing.
"Sorry, stupid question."
He hums contentedly, nuzzling his face back into her neck, pressing kisses there. She's on her phone for a minute, trying to keep her eyes open as he sucks on her earlobe.
"Oh," she breathes, one hand dropping back into his hair, "I can."
"You can?"
"I totally can."
He grins wolfishly, slipping his hand back into her yoga pants, watching as her hips automatically flex.
"You can, and you're gonna," he whispers, exhaling a warm breath against her ear, "Miss watching you."
She whimpers softly, tangling her fingers in his hair, letting him coax her into an orgasm, the first one she's had since giving birth to Ruby. It's a gentle one, the kind that's mostly in the pulse of her muscles, the warmth that blooms in her belly. It's nice all the same, and she holds him against her as she pants through it, eyes closed. His lips on her neck feel so good, and she sighs happily, gently moving her fingers through his hair.
And then...suddenly the lights are off, he's tucking her beneath the covers, and she realizes she must have drifted off.
"Baby, 'm sorry," she murmurs, starting to reach for him, having no idea if she's been asleep for ten seconds or ten minutes, "Let me…do you need—"
"Shh, sleep, Livvie," he whispers, gently pushing her hand away and spooning up behind her, "This one was for you. I'm fine."
She's exhausted, he smells so good, and he's so warm; despite wanting to stay awake she feels herself falling asleep.
"Sorry, baby," she mumbles again, cuddling back against him.
He kisses her shoulder, hugging her close. "Shh, don't you dare apologize. Stop. I wanted to do that for you, okay?"
"'Kay. Make it up t'you."
"You don't need to, but okay. Go to sleep."
"Mmm."
A/N: So, that's it for Ruby's first month! Not sure where we'll pick up from here, but I have LOTS of ideas so don't worry. I've also started to get questions about The Right Kind of Madness, and I PROMISE I haven't abandoned it. I just want to make sure the ending is perfect, so I'm taking my time with it. Let me know what you thought!
