VII
"Hold still, willya? I can't get it on right if you keep wigglin'!"
"I know this was my idea.... but it was a really bad one, I admit it now. Get this thing off me, Hobbes...."
"Just chill out, okay? You said you wanted to give it a shot an' I agree. Hey. Fits real good. Guess I got the right size after all. I was afraid to go too big, ya know, but... it looks perfect. Here take this. It's all nice an' warm."
"Hobbes, don't make me do this...."
"What's the big deal, Fawkes? You just slip it in there like this... there. Nothin' to it. Didn't even hurt. You make such a production outta everything."
"Hurt? No, it just makes oatmeal outta my pride, my dignity an' my manhood...."
"You lost those when you got pregnant an' had a baby, sweetheart. Give it up. We're doin' this."
Stepping to the bassinet where Bobbi lay happily examining her toes, Hobbes lifted her gently and walked her over to her mother who waited on the bed, his expression half fearful, half irritated as he fidgeted inside the vest his partner had strapped on him. When he had casually mused that he was rather sad he'd never get the experience of breast feeding their little girl, Hobbes had (in Darien's humble opinion) gone insane and run out to buy a device made to allow fathers just such an experience. With a warm bottle already in the pocket designed for it, Darien resigned himself to losing the last shreds of his masculinity and accepted the infant from Bobby's arms.
For all that she'd been relegated to bottle feeding from birth, Roberta Claire seemed to know exactly what to do when placed in the strange new situation and took to the pseudo-breast like she'd been doing it all along. The images of comfort, security and peace she sent Darien served to calm his distress as well.
"So? Looks like she's okay with it."
"Yeah. She got the idea right off. Funny."
"Nah. Babies know these things. Funny.... is you in that thing." Bobby chuckled.
"Oh yeah? Wait 'till I go out an buy you an empathy belly. We'll see how you look carryin' around thirty extra pounds! An' it even has a piece that presses on your bladder so you have to go to the bathroom every five minutes, just like I did!" Darien retorted.
"You ain't never gettin' me in one a'those things, Fawkes!"
"Oh yeah? I'll do it the same way you got me to do this. Blackmail."
"You wouldn't dare...."
"Oh wouldn't I? Claire still doesn't know who used up half her bubble bath an' the last of her strawberry shampoo, does she?"
"Fawkes, you little creep...."
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((
"Hold still, willya? I can't get it on right if you keep wigglin'!"
"I know this was my idea.... but it was a really bad one, I admit it now. Get this thing off me, Hobbes...."
"Just chill out, okay? You said you wanted to give it a shot an' I agree. Hey. Fits real good. Guess I got the right size after all. I was afraid to go too big, ya know, but... it looks perfect. Here take this. It's all nice an' warm."
"Hobbes, don't make me do this...."
"What's the big deal, Fawkes? You just slip it in there like this... there. Nothin' to it. Didn't even hurt. You make such a production outta everything."
"Hurt? No, it just makes oatmeal outta my pride, my dignity an' my manhood...."
"You lost those when you got pregnant an' had a baby, sweetheart. Give it up. We're doin' this."
Stepping to the bassinet where Bobbi lay happily examining her toes, Hobbes lifted her gently and walked her over to her mother who waited on the bed, his expression half fearful, half irritated as he fidgeted inside the vest his partner had strapped on him. When he had casually mused that he was rather sad he'd never get the experience of breast feeding their little girl, Hobbes had (in Darien's humble opinion) gone insane and run out to buy a device made to allow fathers just such an experience. With a warm bottle already in the pocket designed for it, Darien resigned himself to losing the last shreds of his masculinity and accepted the infant from Bobby's arms.
For all that she'd been relegated to bottle feeding from birth, Roberta Claire seemed to know exactly what to do when placed in the strange new situation and took to the pseudo-breast like she'd been doing it all along. The images of comfort, security and peace she sent Darien served to calm his distress as well.
"So? Looks like she's okay with it."
"Yeah. She got the idea right off. Funny."
"Nah. Babies know these things. Funny.... is you in that thing." Bobby chuckled.
"Oh yeah? Wait 'till I go out an buy you an empathy belly. We'll see how you look carryin' around thirty extra pounds! An' it even has a piece that presses on your bladder so you have to go to the bathroom every five minutes, just like I did!" Darien retorted.
"You ain't never gettin' me in one a'those things, Fawkes!"
"Oh yeah? I'll do it the same way you got me to do this. Blackmail."
"You wouldn't dare...."
"Oh wouldn't I? Claire still doesn't know who used up half her bubble bath an' the last of her strawberry shampoo, does she?"
"Fawkes, you little creep...."
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((