I wrote this small shot on father's day. Yes. It's been sitting in my documents since Sunday, June 17th. I figured I would read through it, edit it and post it. It's nothing too fancy, and by fancy I mean nothing like the other one shots I've ever written. I liked the idea of Alex enjoying a father's day breakfast with his kids and lovely wife. (Why not?) For me, this is exactly how it happened. Okay, I'm done ranting. Enjoy. :)
A tickle to the nose awakes Alex from his deep slumber. He opens his eyes and spots a tiny human, one that looks just like him, flicking his nose as hard as he possibly can the instant Alex lays eyes on him.
"Happy father's day," Liam says with a happy, content little voice. Alex grins immediately, leaning to the edge of the bed and completely forgetting about the nose flick and the small sting it caused. He picks up his son and in a swift motion, deposits Liam in bed with him.
The little boy kneels on the soft mattress and allows his father to kiss him before speaking again.
"Mommy told me to come get you. Breakfast is ready," he states contentedly.
"Is it?" Alex asks as he brushes Liam's hair to the side. He is as handsome as his father. An exact copy of him. Although his hair is much longer and hugs his face delicately, his caramel eyes and soft features couldn't hide the fact that he's the Sheriff's son.
Liam's nose is just like Norma's. His lips fuller, like his mother's, too. His skin tanner than expected, reflecting a mix of the two in the most significant way.
"Yeah," he responds, leaning down to hug his father.
Alex welcomes him with opened arms, squeezing him softly, the way he knows Liam appreciates. The boy giggles in his arms as Alex tries to tickle him―something Alex knew his son hates.
"No!" he tries to maneuver out of his dad's tight grip but completely fails.
Alex laughs with him, completely knowing what he was doing. His son's tiny giggles grant him with a brand new feeling, something he's never experienced before. With the purest joy. A love so big that knows no regularities―no boundaries.
As soon as Alex stops torturing his oldest, a new set of tiny steps are discovered and they both look towards the opened door, finding a beautiful four-year-old, an explicit mini Norma wearing overalls, staring back at them.
"Daddy!" she runs with a known force and jumps in bed, collapsing with her brother, the motion causing them to fall back onto Alex's exposed chest.
"Ow!" Alex pretends to be out of breath, holding his tightly his chest, exactly where his kids had made impact.
They laugh happily as if what happened was hilarious. After coughing a couple of times and noticing that they were taking no pity of him, he gives up and looks back at them with beaming teeth.
"You almost killed me," Alex tells them, bringing Ava close to him. The little girl wrapping her tiny arms around him, as much as she possibly could, anyway.
"Sorry, daddy," she mutters, her little voice muffled against his chest.
"It's okay, baby," he tells her, letting go of her and keeping his eyes on the tiny creatures that made him a father―the reason why he's celebrating today.
He scrutinizes them with great delight. He doesn't quite get why he spent years hating the idea of having kids and becoming a father. Of never getting married and tying himself to some woman that would make him go crazy in a ridiculous way.
But he was wrong all along. Now, everything made perfect sense. How he waited almost an entire life to find Norma. Now he's happily married with two kids, and it's impossible to picture his life without them―the thought exclusively restricted.
"Mommy is making breakfast," Ava states in her squeaky voice. "We came to wake you up."
She always wants to do whatever her brother does. Wanting to follow his movements and say what he says. Wanting to be just like him. Alex loves that. Norma―not so much.
"That puts pressure on me," Norma had said. "We have to make sure that Liam doesn't say or do something out of the ordinary because Ava is always watching him. She looks up to him, and her mind is like a sponge."
"We have great kids," Alex had told her. "We'll be fine."
Ava must have heard when Norma asked Liam if he could come to wake his dad up. Alex is sure that Ava waited for the perfect opportunity to sneak out of the kitchen, follow her brother and do exactly what their mother asked for him to do.
"It smells amazing," Alex confesses, already feeling hungry at the mere aroma of a fabulous breakfast cooked by his loving wife.
"We helped," Liam pitches in proudly.
Alex opens his eyes widely in astonishment. "You did!?"
They both nod happily. Ava leans in and tries to shield her mouth from her brother's view, thinking that would keep Liam from hearing her. "We made pancakes, too."
"Look at you! Cooking for the old man, huh? Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
His robust arms encircle them at the same time. Their small bodies molding rapidly onto his. The kids feeling that same assurance and protectiveness that their father is so good at providing for them, to their mother as well.
"There you are, sleepy head," Norma walks in holding a tray of food, making the trio break free from their tight and always warm hug.
"Hi," Alex smiles at her and the munchkins are quick to make room for their mom, knowing that she would hop in bed with them soon enough.
"Happy father's day," she grins from her spot, depositing the tray full of food on the bedside table. The orange juice spills a little the moment she scoots the tray closer to the center of the table.
"Thank you, honey," he sighs happily, assembling himself to a sitting position. Liam and Ava move to Norma's side of the bed when their mother sits at the very edge of the mattress. Alex's brown eyes scan the food he knows for sure they'll all eat from. There's no way he could finish it on his own.
Not without his tribe's help.
"You have to eat it all!" Liam says, and Norma laughs, the same giggle as Ava's.
"I want pancakes," Ava peeks her head and rests her miniature hands on her father's thighs.
Liam and Ava start bickering about who's getting the pancakes and who's splitting the bacon with their dad. Alex disregards their arguments and focuses on his wife. The way her hair was shining like golden coins thanks to the rays of the sun reflecting solely on her head.
The peculiar way she's smiling back at him, as though it's the first time they smile at each other. His hand snakes through her shoulder and up her neck. He kisses her good morning, thanking her for existing even though he's the one being celebrated today.
"Thank you," he whispers upon her mouth. "Thank you for making me a father."
"Ew!" Ava growls as she covers her mouth in disgust. For her, seeing her parents kiss is the nastiest thing ever. Alex likes that she's grossed out every time they kiss. The longer she keeps away from boys, the better.
"They're just kissing, Ava," Liam is quick to tell her, seeming unfazed by his parents kissing. "The way the always kiss."
"But they're always kissing," the four-year-old complains, her little eyebrows furrowed.
"Because they love each other a lot," Liam replies smartly.
Norma grins but keeps her eyes locked on her husband while still listening to her kids bicker away. Alex glances back at them but is quick to return his gaze to his wife, smiling grandly at her. Feeling giddy at the thought of his daughter thinking that something so innocent is the worst thing on earth.
"Okay," Ava says, settling her opened palms back on her father's legs. "No more kissing."
Norma and Alex chuckle at Ava's way of always acquiring everyone's attention. She loves being the center of attention and having a say in what she wants and does. Norma hates the way Alex spoils her but loves it at the same time. This little girl has him wrapped around her little finger, and Norma feels slightly sorry for him. Just slightly.
Alex grabs his daughter rapidly, not giving her time to even think about it. She squeals in contentment, knowing exactly what her parents are about to do.
In fact, Alex had warned her the last time she remarked on them kissing. Ava knows precisely what she got herself into, and although she pretends to hate it, they all know that's the main reason why she always complains.
Ava finds herself being attacked by her parents' always and never tiring tickle fingers. Her little hands fastened to her tiny body with no remorse as her parents tickle her and kiss every single part of her body that's exposed and not covered by clothes.
"Stop!" she yells happily, breathing hard as she still tries to untangle herself from their embrace. Her little face turning red as the attack continues and her brother joins the commotion.
"We're going to kiss you all we want!" Norma states with a massive grin on her face, her hands holding down their daughter.
Ava gives up and continues to laugh as her father continues to plant kisses around her face and her brother takes the chance to tickle her a bit more before letting go.
She's out of breath by the time she's set free. Her parents smiling and laughing with her. The bliss reflected fully on their faces, as if nothing, not even the outside world, could ever hurt them.
Ava takes deep breaths as she rests her body back upon her father's thighs. Her mother leans down to kiss her repeatedly on the cheek, grabbing her chin tenderly.
"We kiss because we love each other. The way we all love each other, munchkin," her mother tells her. "That's never going to change."
Ava listens carefully to her mother's words, her face turning back to its original color.
"I know, mommy," she says sweetly, kissing Norma back and wrapping her little arms around her neck.
Norma scoops Ava in her arms, and her heart swells at the thought that her baby girl is growing up. She gets heavier every time, making it difficult for Norma to carry her the way she used to.
Liam gets closer to his dad, silently asking for the same affection his little sister was receiving. Liam never too proud to hint his father that he seeking attention and love from him.
Alex looks at Liam as he gets closer to him. He smiles widely at seeing his son so attached to him. Everyone always says that boys create a much stronger connection with their mom. That dad's should wait for little girls in order to obtain that connection between two souls.
But they're wrong. Liam made Alex a father. He is his first born. The boy that looks exactly like him but completely different in his own particular way. There's not doubt that he loves his mother. But there is a certain bond that no one else will ever get between them. Alex is his hero. His leader. Liam looks up to him as if Alex is some type of god. Needless to say, in the eyes of his six-year-old, he truly is.
"Come here, munchkin," Alex welcomes him in his arms, kissing lightly the top of his head. His hair smelling like his own shampoo. His son refusing to use the one his mom had bought for him.
"Those are for little boys, mom," Liam had said. "Could I use the one dad uses?"
Neither Norma nor Alex could argue with that. They've both agreed to raise their children without a concept of forcing them to do what they, as parents, want them to do. They refused to treat them as if they didn't have a mind of their own.
Liam and Ava have their own voice, therefore, Alex and Norma want them to use it. Of course everything has a limit, but with bigger things that they could both easily control, letting their little ones decide what to wear or what shampoo to use wasn't a big deal.
"I'm eating the pancakes," Liam tells Ava, the little girl tangled in her mother's arms. She looks back at him with her piercing blue eyes.
"No, you're not," Ava states, Norma's arms still wrapped around her. "I'm eating them with mommy."
Norma kisses the inside of her neck, holding tightly to her little girl.
"Then we can eat the bacon," Alex speaks rationally, running his hand through Liam's hair. "And the eggs. And the fruit."
"The fruit is for mommy!" Ava exclaims rapidly with a tiny spark in her eyes. Norma laughs and squeezes her daughter.
"Well, the food is for daddy, Av," Norma tells her with beaming teeth.
"I thought it was for all of us," she says slowly, looking back at her dad with big, hopeful eyes.
"I can share," Alex jokes, tilting forward to pinch her cheek.
"I'm still eating the pancakes," Liam says nonchalantly.
"Oh, boy," Alex breathes contentedly, reaching for the tray of food. His wife looking at him with big, enamored eyes.
If arguing about who's eating what was his biggest concern, he knows that with a family like this, he had nothing to worry about.