Childbearing
Category: Triple Drabble. Culmets. RickyVerse. Family. Fluff. Humor.
Time Frame: Probably Post-Three, Pre-Four? Three-ish?
Spoilers: General Series Knowledge Only – Through Season Three.
Summary: Sometimes, raising children (no matter their age) requires a little bargaining.
Note: Another Ricky story, because I just can't help myself.
Hugh put his arms around Paul from behind, then stretched up on his toes to look over Paul's shoulder.
"Are they finally asleep?" he asked.
Paul nodded.
"Yeah, I had to take away their PADD, but…"
Hugh's quiet scoff stopped Paul.
"What?" he asked.
Hugh chuckled. "I'm just surprised you could get it away from them."
"Oh, I gave them a substitute," said Paul, chuckling too and turning around in Hugh's arms to face him.
Hugh's baffled look was his only answer, so Paul elaborated.
"You didn't notice?"
"Notice what?"
Paul motioned toward the couch with his head. "Look closer."
Hugh looked over Paul's shoulder again and after a moment, he slapped a hand over his mouth to stifle what had started as a full laugh.
"You gave them Ricky?"
Paul giggled. "It was the only way I could get them to turn off their calculations for the night."
"Aren't they a little old for that?"
Paul shrugged casually, then grinned wickedly. "One is never too old to hear embarrassing stories about their dad. And besides, by my calculations, they're approximately 66% younger than you, and…"
Hugh gave Paul a look of mock outrage over his telling of family secrets, then grinned back and shut Paul up with a kiss. It was a chaste and brief affair, but it served its purpose. Paul was silent, so Hugh spoke.
"Paul?"
"Yeah?"
"If you can turn off your calculations for the night, you can cuddle, too."
Paul opened his mouth to answer, then shut it again and appeared to think for a moment.
Then he disentangled himself from Hugh's arms and walked to the bedroom.
A moment later, Hugh joined him, and true to his word, he was the small spoon that night.
Meanwhile, on the couch, Adira and Ricky slept on.