"You sure about keeping them here?" Anthony asked as he collected his keys and wallet from the table, looking down at Ezra where he sat with the morning paper and cup of tea. "It's not like I can't take a couple minutes to bring you lot around to-" And here he stumbled, which Ezra found increasingly adorable.

Because the truth was, neither of them really knew what to call each other's main dwelling. And what could be considered the main dwelling anymore? They may have spent more days and nights at the Crowley residence, but the four of them would also migrate to the Fell flat now and again. The point of it was that, since Ezra finished teaching for the academic year, there wasn't a single night when they weren't all together. So far that was three weeks, and it didn't seem like it was going to change anytime soon.

Secretly, Ezra loved every domestic second of it. He suspected he was obvious, but he'd been wrong about that before.

"We'll be fine, love." He smirked up at Anthony. "I plan to take the boys to the park for the day. After the rain of last week, I think they need fresh air and sunshine. There's a picnic lunch packed in the fridge, as well, so we won't even have to come back here, unless it seems like they're going to need a nap." And then, leaning forward and getting Anthony to the same, he added in a whisper. "And wouldn't it just be a complete shame if they were so tired they had to go to bed early? I mean, whatever would we do with them sound asleep?"

Anthony grinned madly. "Love the way your mind works." He said before stealing a kiss. "I'll be home in time for tea." He added before taking another kiss.

"As you should be, it's your night to cook." Ezra said as he turned back to his paper and not reading a damn word.

"Right," Anthony nodded. "So, am I bringing home….?"

"I believe there was a request for Italian, though I'm sure anything would suffice." Ezra smirked behind the paper, having known it was coming.

Anthony chuckled, "Love you, you bastard."

"And I love you, darling." Ezra replied.

"Boys, I'm leaving. Be good." Anthony called out, the chorus of byes coming from down the hall saying he was heard.

Anthony darted his head around the paper to steal one more kiss before darting out the door.

Ezra shuddered with the pleasure of how terribly domestic this all was.

Since the beginning of summer break, he'd begun to feel more like a parent to both boys. He noticed that they were becoming less like friends and more like siblings, painfully and wonderfully reminiscent of him and Eliza. He and she were Irish twins, he wondered what two step brothers who shared a birthday would think of themselves as.

"Umm," Adam said from behind Ezra, and he lowered his paper to look at the curly haired boy. "Can we go to the park now that Anthony's left for work?"

"Is Warlock dressed?"

"Yeah," Warlock called, hopping down the hall while putting on his second sock.

"I suppose, then. I will need a moment to put a few things into a cooler for lunch, and then we'll go." He agreed, and was pleased that the boys had at least learned to subdue their enthusiasm when inside the Fell flat. There was a shop beneath, and he was fairly positive the owner wouldn't like too much having the noise of not one but two little boys disturbing his customers. If he had any, Ezra wasn't sure he'd ever seen anyone in there.

He went about packing their lunches in an insulated bag, then got ready.

The three of them headed out, the boys leading the way, holding hands as a habit from nursery when outside of the school, and soon they were settled in the park. Ezra had tea from the cart, and his paper from the morning along with a novel. He was prepared for a wonderful morning of reading and relaxing in the sunshine.

Which is why he let out a very plaintive groan when he heard Gabriel calling his name from somewhere behind him.

"Hey, sunshine!" Gabriel exclaimed, coming up toward him in his jogging gear. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I had planned on reading." Ezra said as politely as he could.

Gabriel dropped down beside him, close enough that Ezra had to slightly shift away from him so he wouldn't feel so encroached upon.

"Where's Adam?" Gabriel asked, pulling a small water bottle from a little belt around his waist.

Ezra frowned at it a moment before replying. "Playing with Warlock." He gestured to the equipment, catching Warlock's eye. He returned the little smile and wave he got from the boy, a small burst of love for him warming his heart as he went chasing after Adam in whatever game they cooked up together.

"And Anthony's…?"

"At work." Ezra replied, because honestly, where else would he be?

"So he has you babysitting?"

"It's not babysitting when it's your child." Ezra countered.

"Warlock isn't your child." Gabriel reminded him

Ezra took a deep breath, and decided this was a battle he didn't want to fight. Technically, Gabriel was right. Emotionally, it felt like something very different. Even if he and Anthony weren't officially living together, both families had toiletries permanently at the other's dwelling. There were clothes belonging to everyone in the house and in the flat. A couple of house plants had found their way in Ezra's living room, and there was a Fell tartan throw on the back of Anthony's sofa.

Neither could tell anyone the last time they woke up without the other, though at a guess it might have been four weeks ago. There was a routine down for all involved, and the boys didn't think of either place as that of their friend's, but just an extension of their own home.

Really, truly, they should just move in with one another already.

"What are you doing out here, anyway?" Ezra asked. "It's Monday. You should be working."

"Vacation." Gabriel replied. "I tried to take it next week, but it couldn't be swung."

"Why would you do that?" Ezra frowned.

Gabriel furrowed his brow. "Adam's birthday." And then with a chuckle, he added, "You didn't forget, did you?"

"Of course not." Ezra countered. "How could I possibly forget when the boys have been rambling on about nothing other than their birthday party for weeks now. I'm well aware of the day. Although, I probably should tell you, the party will be on Sunday. Easier for their friends to attend."

Gabriel blinked. "I'm not… going to Warlock's birthday party."

"Well, then you won't be going to Adam's either."

"You're making him share his party?"

"I'm not making him do anything," Ezra snapped back, silencing Gabriel and making him pale just a touch. "Adam and Warlock… they wanted this. They share a birthday, they were born literally minutes apart. Look at them, Gabriel, and tell me why you would think either of them would begrudge the other the chance for a special day all their own if that's what they wanted." He gestured violently to where the boys were playing, happily laughing and smacking sticks together like swords.

"Are you sure you're not… projecting on them a little." Gabriel asked, with just enough condescension that Ezra very nearly threw his tea in his friend's face.

"What could I possibly be projecting, my dear?" He asked with a slightly clenched jaw.

Gabriel moved his mouth, but nothing came out. He looked over at the boys, then back at Ezra, then down at his feet.

"Forget it," He said with a fake smile, getting to his feet and nearly walking away. He paused, and turned back around. "Listen, are you going to be here for a while?"

"It was my intention, yes." Ezra replied, looking pointedly at the paper and book he had on the table beside him.

"I'll come back around, maybe you can… I dunno… tell me what you and Adam have been up to. Or, hey! Maybe we can talk about a weekend away to the seaside or something."

"Gabriel, I don't-"

"Later, sunshine!" Gabriel cut him off, jogging away before he could finish his sentence.

"You should've agreed." Anthony said as they were doing the dishes together, and Ezra related the story of his morning to him.

"Why on Earth would I have agreed to a weekend away with him?" He asked as he handed Anthony a plate

"Why wouldn't you?" Anthony countered as he dried the plate and put it away. "No one said it had to be romantic. And, oh, for shame! I just happen to need to work that weekend, so it's not like the boys can stay with me. "

Ezra rolled his eyes affectionately. "Somehow I doubt that would go over it well. As it was, he considered what I was doing with Warlock babysitting."

He'd been watching Anthony out of the corner of his eye, so Ezra caught the way he tensed for a moment, his natural eyes flicking side to side for an instance.

"It… is what you're doing, though. Isn't it?" Anthony asked with false casualness.

"I don't know." Ezra said carefully, watching Anthony as inconspicuously as possible while handing him the next plate. "I don't really see what I do with Warlock as babysitting. It's simply taking care of him, no different than what I would do with Adam."

Crash!

"Sorry," Anthony said instantly, tossing the dish towel on the counter and gingerly walking through the shards of ceramic to the small broom nook off the kitchen.

"Are you alright?" Ezra asked.

"Yeah," Anthony called.

"What broke?" Adam asked as he and Warlock rushed down the hall.

"Stop!" Ezra called. "There's a broken plate, stay where you are." He turned his attention to Anthony. "Are you sure alright, dear?"

"Yeah," Anthony replied in a clipped tone as he returned with the broom and the dustpan. He began to clean up the shards. "Fuck, hope this wasn't something special or valuable."

Ezra scoffed. "Eliza bought the cheapest set she could find when she moved in, and we never bothered replacing them. And before you worry about sentimental value, I bought the same set for myself, which I gave to Newton."

"Still. Sorry." Anthony said as he seemed to get the last of the pieces.

Ezra looked over his shoulder to see the boys had retreated back down to the room they shared. After Anthony dumped the shards and put away the dustpan, Ezra grabbed his arm, bringing Anthony close enough to circle his arms around his neck.

Anthony frowned as Ezra studied his face.

"What happened, love?" He asked.

"Just dropped the plate." Anthony replied quickly.

"I don't think that was it." Ezra said gently.

"It's all it was," Anthony assured more reasonably, putting his arms around Ezra's waist. "Thing was still a bit slippery and it fell from my hand, that's all."

He could push, of course. Ezra was damn well aware it was something he said that caused Anthony to lose himself for a moment. But he figured now was not the time.

It was one of those nights, apparently.

Sometimes Ezra could get a sense when the insomnia was going to strike. Those nights were the easy ones. Read, at least a little longer than he normally would, then if nothing else he could lie down with his eyes closed in the dark and simply be. Those nights he got by fairly well the next day. Before Adam, he would take his medication at the first sign of a night with no sleep, and now he could feel comfortable doing so the nights Anthony slept over, or he over to Anthony's. Which, of course, was actually becoming the new normal.

But tonight, he didn't take the medication, because he didn't think he would need it. He'd certainly felt tired enough, and he presumed any energy left would have been burned with the promised amorous activities.

The fact he was painfully awake next to a gently snoring Anthony said otherwise.

He was rather lovely when he slept. But then, Ezra had thought Anthony lovely no matter when. Still, it wouldn't do to spend the whole night staring at his love, pleasant as it might be. He was starting to grow a bit bitter over the ease in which Anthony could fall asleep.

So, carefully, quietly, he climbed out of bed and put on his night pants. They had a rule, unspoken but clear, that there was no sleeping naked when the boys could walk in on them. The door only remained locked during, not after things had taken place. Therefore, Ezra was already in boxers and his t-shirt, though the latter wasn't strictly required. So, night pants acquired, he moved softly and near silently from the bedroom, and headed for the living room.

Tadfield was the sort of city in which it was actually fairly quiet in the evenings and nights. The windows were open, allowing a coolness to float in and Ezra basked in it a little, not realizing how warm he'd gotten. He rested his head on the back of the sofa, closing his eyes, not really feeling like sleep was going to come to him, but maybe a bit of rest would.

He'd no idea how long he was sitting when the cushion shifted ever so slightly with the weight of someone sitting down.

Ezra opened his eyes, and smiled gently at Adam.

"Nightmare?" He asked.

Adam shook his head.

"Warlock snoring?"

Adam nodded with a slight grin, and Ezra giggled.

"Anthony did warn me Warlock gets a touch of hay fever now and then. He must have a bit of a stuffy nose." He reached over and pulled Adam against him, playing with his curls a bit.

Adam made a sound, like he was about to say something but changed his mind.

"What is it?" Ezra asked soothingly.

Adam bit his lip a moment, looking entirely too apprehensive. Which, Ezra knew, usually meant he thought what he was thinking might get him in trouble.

"I miss mum," He started. "But I'm not sad. And… I miss her, but… not… not like…." He frowned. "I'm not…."

Ezra frowned as he tried to understand Adam.

"Do you mean," He began, still lightly running his fingers over Adam's hair. "That you miss her because you don't see her, and you love her. But… you don't feel like you're missing anything?" He tried to guess.

Adam hesitated, but then he nodded.

"I'm sad she's not going to tell me her silly bedtime stories. And, I miss her hugs, and her kisses. And sometimes when I think about her a lot I'm sad." He sighed. "The older girl at the park today? She said her dad died a year ago, and she says she still misses him all the time. Like everyday."

"She probably hears her mum saying, and thinks she should too. People grieve differently, Adam." Ezra explained. "And while you love you mum, and miss her, it's okay not to feel like you miss her everyday."

"Do you miss her everyday?" Adam asked.

Ezra considered it. "When your mum first died, I found it very difficult. She wasn't just my sister, she was my best friend, and had been my whole life. But do you know who made it easier?"

"Anthony?" Adam asked.

"No, my darling boy. You." Ezra smiled. "Anthony helped, of course. But it was having you around, having you to love and take care of, made missing your mum easier. Because with you, I will always have a part of her. And while I was only your uncle, you still have a bit of her with me, too."

Adam nodded.

They were quiet a while, when Adam sighed.

"I don't have a mum or dad, so does that make me an orphan? Like Harry Potter?"

"You are far too young for Harry Potter." Ezra grumbled.

"Mum said I was only allowed to see the first one." Adam replied sheepishly.

Ezra stuttered. "See? See ? Oh, good lord, we need to get you a book. I hear there are some lovely illustrated ones these days." Ezra replied indignantly, getting a quiet giggle out of Adam. "No, you are not an orphan like Harry Potter. For one, the man who helped your mother have you is still out there. For another… well, I haven't quite adopted you, but you are my child, legally speaking." He frowned. "It doesn't mean you wouldn't be in the strictest sense of the word, of course, but it would make you much different than Harry Potter."

Adam nodded sagely, as though he'd known this all along. Then he frowned.

"If… if I'm your child… does that mean you're my dad?"

Oh. Well, he supposed he should have seen this one coming. He just didn't expect the question to be posed at one in the morning.

"Umm, well," He pondered how to approach this. Admittedly, he probably should have spent more time wondering what he and Adam would become to one another now than he spent contemplating his relationship with Anthony. Perhaps, before blending their families, Ezra should have focused more on the dynamic of his own. "Yes." He finally said. "I suppose it does."

"Should I call you dad?" Adam asked.

Ezra's heart skipped a beat. "If you'd like to."

Adam scrunched his face. "Warlock calls Anthony dad. What if I call you dad, and Anthony answers?"

"I don't think he would." Ezra replied.

"He did yesterday." Adam said before cracking a mighty yawn. "It slipped out. And he didn't say anything."

Ezra hummed, thinking it over. "When I was little, sometimes I called my father 'papa'."

"Papa." Adam repeated it. "Like pop-pop."

"I suppose it's close." Ezra agreed, watching Adam yawn again. He smiled, then scooped the boy up. "Back to bed."

"But papa."

"No buts," Ezra said, surprised by how hard the new name hit him. He had to take a deep, steadying breath to continue. "You're too little to be up this long this late."

He was pretty sure Adam was back to sleep before he even made it back to the bedroom. And Warlock was snoring, though not overly loud. Perhaps enough to disturb a restless, little mind heavy with thought.

As Ezra tucked him in, it dawned on him that Adam hadn't actually called him "uncle Ezra" in weeks. He supposed he understood why that was now, though he hadn't noticed it beforehand. Hindsight was an interesting thing.

He wondered, smoothing Adam's hair back, then Warlock's, if Eliza would be alright with it.

He wanted to imagine she would be. She likely would have.

It had been a while since he wondered if she would be alright with how he was raising her son.

Reality was, Adam would be his son for longer than he was hers.

He just hoped, as he closed the bedroom door, that he was making her proud regardless.

~C~

Six days ago, Crowley dropped a plate in Ezra's kitchen because he so leisurely said that taking care of Warlock was no different than what he'd do with Adam, and he'd been losing his mind a little everyday since.

This couldn't be real. This was some crazy dream he managed to cook up, this wonderful world where Ezra was back in his life, and saw Warlock as another son.

But it wasn't, mostly because he would never have dreamed of Ezra being called "papa".

The first time Crowley heard it had been breakfast the morning after the dish incident. He was having his coffee as the boys came in, Warlock greeting them the same as always, and then Adam casually said, "Morning, Anthony. Morning, papa."

He told the story to Anathema, to Eric over the phone when he called the shop for Anathema, to Bea when she called to complain about Eric calling Anathema. Crowley was so terribly enamored by this new thing that he grinned like an idiot every time Adam said the word.

He was getting some funny looks at home these days.

But as far as he knew, Anathema was the only one of their inner circle who knew. And Crowley was desperate to see the reactions others had to it as they heard it. And saw, of course, how easily Ezra adapted to it.

"Darling, did you get the cups?" Ezra asked as they worked on setting up the table for party food and drink.

"I did," Crowley replied, glancing over at Ezra. "They should be in the box behind you, angel."

Ezra twisted around and looked down. "Oh," he said simply before plucking them up and stripping off their plastic. He looked them over. "We probably should have put stickers on them. Dinosaurs, or little pirate ships."

"No one, not even the boys, are going to care if the cups are just green." Crowley assured, sounding more exasperated than he really was. After all, he was the one who fretted for an hour the night before over whether they should have had the Happy Birthday Adam and Warlock banner in separate pieces. Or two banners, one each. Ezra had to remind him that the clothes line in the back garden wasn't terribly long, and that he was perhaps over thinking things.

Ezra set the cups top down on the table. "I just want the day to be perfect." He stressed, gesturing at the table. "It's…. It's a lot more than just their birthday party, isn't it?" He said, turning to Crowley and wringing his hands. "It's a bit of our coming out, too."

"In what way?" Crowley asked.

"Well, this is the first thing, first big thing with others involved for me as Adam's dad. His fifth birthday, which feels somewhat significant in its own right. And, well, it's a bit of a coming out as a couple for us, too." Ezra flapped his hands about. "We've been together for a couple months, of course. But… your family. Your whole family, they don't know. And, well… I just…." He sighed. "I don't have any family left to worry about, save for Adam, and he adores you. I barely have friends, and the ones I do have have known you forever, it seems. But you? You have family and friends I have never met. And, well, it almost feels like I'm piggy backing on you, on this." He said gesturing about Crowley's back garden, decorated for the day's events complete with a bounce house. "I could never have afforded to do something like this for Adam on my own."

"It's not piggybacking, angel. It's for both of them."

"I know." He replied. "But your family would think I've-"

"The boys wanted this, remember that through the day." Crowley assured, stepping closer. "Warlock is thrilled to bits over this, know why? It's his first party with friends his own age. He's never had that before."

"How so?" Ezra asked.

Crowley shrugged, stepping up to Ezra and holding on to him. "Warlock… didn't fit in. Got teased a lot in his old nursery. Didn't have a lot of friends, and he didn't care enough about the ones he did have to want them around for a birthday. This? There's a cake, and a bounce house, and his best friend is guaranteed to be by his side. Best birthday ever, you'll see."

Ezra nodded, first pressing his forehead to Crowley's, and then it was their lips. Quiet, calm pecks to comfort and assure, and nothing terribly out of the ordinary for them.

"Sorry to interrupt an intimate moment," Erica said, and Ezra startled so terribly, he jumped back as if they were fifteen years old again, being caught snogging. Not that any of that had taken place between them at fifteen.

Regrettably.

"Hey, mum." Crowley replied casually.

"Oh, Dr Crowley. How, er, lovely." Ezra started, his hands moving about. "Is, um, are you…?"

"James doesn't come to these." Crowley answered Ezra's unfinished question, lightly running his hand up and down Ezra's back. "He considers it beneath him."

"Oh," Ezra said. "Well, shall I go inside and get the boys, then? Now that they officially have a guest?"

"Go on, angel." Crowley said, making him flustered just a little more with a quick kiss on the cheek. The smirk Ezra gave said he liked it. The look in his eye as he went inside promised retribution.

Either way, Crowley was pleased.

"So," his mother began after Ezra was inside. "Things are going well, then?" She asked, moving to the empty table in the yard and setting the bag she was carrying down.

"They are," Crowley agreed. "I'm trying very hard, to be very good, and not ask him to move in with me."

"Why would you do that?" Tony's voice came from behind him, and Crowley smiled at him over his shoulder. His dad, too, brought a bag and set it on the table.

"Because we haven't even technically gone out on a proper date yet." Crowley replied as he watched his mother unpack two presents from the bag. "H-hold on. We did say you didn't have to bring a gift for both boys, right?"

"Will they each be getting one from their friends?" Erica asked, reaching for Tony's bag and unpacking that one as well. Another two presents.

"Well… yeah. But, that's different." Crowley frowned. Then, he rushed to add. "Not that it's a bad thing you did for both, it's not."

"You were just going on about moving in together a second ago, so it's pretty serious, right?" Erica asked. "So, shouldn't I, theoretically, be prepared for a second grandson?"

Crowley looked between his parents, Tony eagerly expecting an answer.

"Ngk," Crowley sputtered. "Probably? I… moving in… but that's…."

The boys came out then, blessedly letting him off the hook.

Warlock, of course ran over to Erica shouting, "Nana," before diving into her arms for a hug. Adam trotted out more subdued -but in no way sad- pace.

It still managed to break Crowley's heart.

The night before, they had a discussion with the boys about the party. Ezra explained to Adam that there was a chance Warlock might get more presents than him, but it didn't mean he was liked or loved any less. It was simply because there was going to be family of Warlock's there that may not have thought to do a gift for both of them. Crowley had told Warlock that any gifts from people who didn't get one for Adam would be opened separately, set aside for a later time.

But it was a reminder that Warlock had an over abundance of family. He had a father, and uncles, and an aunt, grandparents, and a soon to be cousin. Ezra and Adam had each other.

Erica hugged Warlock tight, then looked up at the curly haired five year old just a few feet away, waiting stoically for a clue as to what to do. "You must be the other birthday boy."

Adam nodded.

"Do you want a hug, too?" She asked as Warlock stepped away.

Adam looked to Ezra.

"She's not a stranger, dear, I've known her for nearly twenty years."

Adam looks back at Erica with wide eyes. "You've known papa for twenty years? How?" He asked, causing the adults to laugh.

"I knew him when he was a young man." Erica replied as she opened her arms.

Adam went shyly but willingly.

Tony began to talk to Warlock, and then when Adam was released, spoke to him as well.

Crowley watched them, a melancholy sort of happy washing over him as it seemed Adam instantly took to Tony. How Warlock took Tony by the hand to pull him around and show him the small garden because they had a garden now. And did you know, Ezra and Dad might build a treehouse for us? He treated Tony almost like a grandparent anyway, but couldn't know that Tony was his grandfather. Adding Adam to the mix, seeing him brighten at being included in the whole thing made it painful and wonderful.

Eventually, the kids and their parents began to show up. Ezra was at the back gate and greeting everyone as they came, directing parents where to put the gifts (complete with little labels for the side of the table in case they weren't marked. He assured the parents they were welcome to stay if they wanted, that there would be plenty of other grown ups around that didn't even have children the boys' age, if at all.

Crowley had to do a double take when Oscar showed up, Isabel strapped to him, and without Richard. Watching him and Ezra share a half embrace was only a little horrible to witness. Then Anathema showed up, surprisingly with Newt, followed closely by Marjorie, who Crowley was starting to wish he knew a bit more since she was an utter hoot. She went for Anathema, the two hugging and smiling, greeting each other warmly.

Crowley turned his attention to the kids, who flocked to the bounce house, then back to Ezra just in time to see their next guest arrive.

"Forgive me for this," Oscar said after placing a gift on each side of the table, glancing over his shoulder in the direction of Ezra and Gabriel, who'd just arrived and immediately went in for a hug. Hands free, Oscar covered his daughter's ears and said, "I hate that asshole. I always have." He turned back to Crowley. "I honestly can't imagine how you put up with him."

"Egh," Crowley sneered. "I don't, really. He's Ezra's friend, so I allowed the invite. Wouldn't have been sporting of me, would it?"

"You know they…." Oscar asked, ruffling his daughter's fine hair as he kept her ears covered.

"Yeah," Crowley replied. "And I know he's still trying to, even though he knows we're together. Did Ezra tell you that he asked Ezra to go away to the shore with him?"

Oscar's eyes went wide. "He did not," He said with the appropriate level of disgust and intrigue. "What did Ezra say?"

And thus started their gossip, mostly surrounding the purple eyed idiot they both seemed to hate, Oscar trading stories of his antics involving Ezra from while Crowley was away, and Crowley telling Oscar all the things Ezra probably didn't from their days in University.

"What are you two hens clucking about then?" Ezra asked as he joined them, touching Crowley's arm a moment before bending slightly to look at Isabel. "Is daddy talking to Anthony about things you shouldn't hear. Not with those lovely little ears?" He cooed, grinning as she cooed back.

"Would you like to hold her?" Oscar asked.

"Desperately," Ezra admitted, standing straight with his hands out and ready in an instant. Crowley chuckled as Oscar smirked, unstrapping Isabel from her papoose, then handing her over. "Oh, you are a love," Ezra said, looking damn near tears with how cute she was. He then brought her against his chest, her little head resting on her shoulder, giving her a little sniff. "Oh, sometimes I miss that smell. Not so much when it's laced with the others, mind."

"Did Ezra tell you that Richard was as bad as this when Adam was young?" Oscar offered to Crowley with a smirk. "Ezra would come into the city to see us, and-"

"Papa!" Adam shouted, halting the conversation.

A quarter of the party went silent.

The kids didn't, they carried on as if nothing different occurred. The parents of the other kids didn't, they just glanced over at the outburst, seeing one birthday boy run after the dads, the second one trailing behind.

It was everyone else that stopped, and Crowley basked in the surprise.

Newt looked utterly perplexed, as though Adam had suddenly spoken an entirely different language and Newt was the only one in the garden who didn't understand it. Marjorie looked only slightly less confused, but in a way that made it appear that she wasn't sure she should be happy about the change. Oscar seemed a bit put out, and looked to Crowley fleetingly, as if maybe that's the bit of gossip he should have led with.

Gabriel's eyes were so wide they looked damn near ready to roll out of his head. Maybe he wasn't so open to the whole package after all , Crowley thought to himself, a touch smugly.

"What is it, dear?" Ezra asked, turning to the boys.

"Brian's getting a dog!" Adam replied.

"That sounds lovely, dear." Ezra replied as Gabriel slowly came over to join them all.

"Can we have a dog, papa? Please? I promise to take care of it." Adam begged.

Ezra chuckled. "Adam, even if I did believe you were old enough to handle a dog on your own, where would he go? We have a flat."

Adam shrugged. "He could stay here." He said, gesturing around the garden.

"We don't live here."

Warlock frowned, "You don't?" He asked, looking to Adam who seemed equally confused by this news.

Ezra chuckled, "no, loves. We don't."

"I think we do and he just forgot." Adam told Warlock, the two nodding in agreement.

Over their heads, out of view but clearly listening, Erica and Tony gave Crowley a very pointed look, but continued their conversation with the Wensleydales.

"Okay, you two." Crowley said. "Doesn't matter anyway, because you heard…." He gestured at an amused Ezra, because this was where it seemed to be tricky. Technically, Ezra was just Ezra to Warlock, yet if they were just the four of them, and Crowley said "papa" (complete with an utterly dopey grin), Warlock wouldn't question it. Here, everyone else would. And while Crowley would love all of them to make assumptions, it was best to let it lie for now. "Him." He said eventually. "No dogs until your old enough to actually take care of it on your own."

"When will that be?" Warlock asked.

"Eleven." Crowley randomly said. "You can ask about your hellhound then. Now, run along, we only get the bounce house until six."

Not that either of the boys knew how to tell time very well, but the warning of a time frame, even four hours off, had them running for the bounce house as quickly as they could.

"Hell hound?" Ezra smirked.

"You know how I feel about dogs."

"Anthony, love, you dislike large dogs."

"Hellhounds," he corrected.

Ezra leaned toward him. "Who said it had to be a big one."

"Are we really discussing this now?"

"Of course not, I'm just making a point." Ezra shrugged. "Now," He grinned, giving Crowley a kiss on the cheek. "I'm going to take this little miss for a walk. Would you like that, Isabel? Would you like to see what the bigger kids are doing? Huh? Do you want to see them with all the pretty colors? Come on, we'll give daddy some grown-up time." He cooed, rubbing his hand on Isabel's back as he headed to the bouncy house.

"Oh, I can't look at that." Crowley groaned.

"Why?" Oscar asked, confused.

"Because - I - It's… Ezra with a baby, and it's… just… look at him with her!" He said, watching as Ezra shifted her a little, pointing at the bounce house and glancing at her. Ezra was smiling the strange, wonderful sort of smile that Anthony had only seen in shadow with the boys. "He's a damn natural, isn't he?"

"He is," Oscar admitted, glancing off to the side before turning to Anthony. "I remember when Adam was a baby, the days he'd give Eliza a break? Sometimes - rarely, mind - he'd come up to the city to visit Richard. I was going to tell you that bit before the boys came over, Richard was as bad with Adam as Ezra is with Izzy. And, let me say, I can not tell you how often people assume Ezra was Adam's dad. Because he was just so utterly good with him, knew what every whimper and cry was. Heart stealer, he was."

"Still is," Gabriel piped up, smiling as he put his hands in his khaki pockets. "Ezra, I mean."

"Of course. Gabriel, how are you?" Oscar asked stiffly, offering a hand for shaking, which Gabriel took. It was obvious he was tightening his grip on Oscar's hand, and Crowley rolled his eyes as he glanced away.

"I'm good, I'm good. How are you, how are things?" Gabriel asked.

Oscar gestured toward Ezra and Isabel. "Busy, what with the new baby and all. And Richard still working most of the time."

"How did you meet Richard?" Crowley asked, changing the subject to something he hoped Gabriel would be less interested in. Which made it very interesting when he clenched his jaw a little and glanced away.

Oscar smirked. "I met him through Ezra."

"Really!" Crowley asked, glancing at his love. Ezra had attracted Anathema, Wensleydale's mum, and Erica over to him, the three giving Isabel the celebrity she deserved. "He never mentioned that."

"No?" Oscar asked, glancing at Gabriel with an amused twinkle. "Well, see, someone of their mutual acquaintance set them up on a blind date. They got on, but found there was no chemistry. Had a bit of a laugh about setting each other up with friends of ours, seeing if maybe there was any luck there. Turns out there was. Richard and I were practically love at first sight."

"Explains why Ezra was the best man at your wedding." Crowley commented.

Oscar hummed and nodded.

"Did… does Ezra like London? I know he was thinking of moving there, but… well, you said he'd been there with Adam, so after he moved to Tadfield. Did he… like it?"

"To live?" Oscar asked. "I don't think so."

"Now, come on," Gabriel inputted. "What wouldn't there be to like there? Can still get a nice town house, with a decent yard. Near a park for Adam to play. Good schools, some top notch ones, really."

"Wasn't asking to live." Crowley scowled at Gabriel. "Just moved from there, know what it's like. I'm asking… if I were to, say, take him away for a weekend-"

"With the kids?" Gabriel interrupted. "Cause there are some great museums-"

"I know ," Crowley cut him off, turning back to Oscar.

"A weekend he'd love." Oscar assured. "And you know the sort of bloke he is, so you can imagine all the places he'd like."

"I do, I would. Hell, I already have ideas." Crowley smirked, starting to imagine the weekend in his mind.

"Yeah," Gabriel said in a falsely apologetic way. "It's just too bad that, well, I don't think there's anyone more than willing to take Adam for a whole weekend."

"Oh, you wouldn't?" Oscar asked, turning his attention to Gabriel. "You wouldn't want to watch Adam for Ezra?"

Gabriel made a face. "For a couple hours, yeah. But a weekend? I would do a weekend away with Adam and Ezra, the three of us. I wouldn't need to send him off, he'd be a part of it. But by myself? Well, if it had been a weekend Ezra needed for something else."

"What does Ezra need a weekend for?" Tony asked, joining the three of them.

"He doesn't need anything." Gabriel waved it off.

"Actually, Mr Crowley," Oscar started.

"Oh-" Crowley started.

"I'm not-" Tony pointed to himself

"He's not- well he's technically my-" Crowley pointed to Tony

"But we aren't-" Tony gestured between them.

"He's not," Crowley finished, both he and Tony shaking their heads.

Gabriel looked as if he tasted something awful, and Oscar just nodded.

"Forget I said anything." He said in way of apology.

"Anthony was just talking about a weekend away with Ezra." Gabriel offered, changing whatever his face was doing to a phony smile that was peppered with a regret no one would believe. "But, well, no one to watch Adam."

"I'll take them both." Tony offered immediately, looking to Crowley with eagerness. "Honestly, Adam is such a great kid, and you know I would take Warlock any time."

"You sure, dad?" Crowley replied.

"Would it get you a step closer to that thing we were talking about earlier?" He asked.

Crowley blinked.

"Yes?" He said tentatively.

"Then you name the weekend. If I need to, I'll rearrange my schedule with the hospital." He promised.

Crowley looked over to where Ezra was now bouncing Isabel next to the bounce house. Through the window of the inflated structure, Crowley could peek Warlock and Adam both peering through, bouncing while looking at the baby with wide grins.

It made Crowley damn near giddy in the most stupid of ways.

"Alright," he agreed. "I'll work it out."