Written for:
Falmouth Falcons Chaser One: Use Tamagotchi as inspiration for your story
Chaser Prompts: (Genre) Family, (object) Sweater/Jumper, (Object) Glitter
This is an Muggle!AU where Charlie and Draco meet in New York
Word Count: 1,317
Draco scowled up at the sky, glaring up at the storm clouds as if he could scare the rain away. He pulled his sweater in tighter around his hands and crossed his arms over his chest as he quickened his pace. He was only ten minutes away from the apartment he and Charlie shared, and he was hoping to make it before the skies opened up on hi-
"Mrow!"
Draco paused, his head tilting to the side as a frown slid over his face. He could've sworn he'd just heard a cat. Only, a glance around revealed not a single animal in sight. What with the late hour and the threat of rain hanging overhead, most people were either in their homes or in their cars, and their pets with them. Even the birds had hidden themselves away, their songs quietened by the electricity that hung heavy in the air. The stress from work was getting to him again; struggling to keep Molly's Orphanage open and juggle the finances and children at the same time taking its toll. He let out a groan and slid a sleepy hand over his face, rubbing at his eyes before running his fingers through his hair.
He was just so tired.
"Mrrreeeoooow."
This time, Draco came to a complete stop on the sidewalk, turning to face the alley the cry had come from. Thunder roared overhead and this time Draco was able to hear the terrified hiss that echoed in it. He made his way into the darkened space without thought, grey eyes scanning the bags of trash and discarded newspapers for a tiny form that didn't belong. Lightning flashed across the sky, signaling the clouds to release their load, and rain began to pour down. In the fading light, a shivering form shifted in the shadows of a large dumpster and Draco crouched down, holding out his hand and making small cooing noises.
What am I doing? Draco asked himself for a moment, quickly shoving the thought away. He knew why he was doing this. Slowly, ever so slowly, he coaxed the kitten into his arms. The sky was so dark he could barely see his hands, but he didn't need to see in order to feel the tiny animal quaking.
"Poor thing," Draco murmured, pulling his cupped hands in closer to his chest. "Let's get you warm."
He shifted the kitten to one hand and lifted up the edge of his sweater, the fabric providing a small protection from the rain. As he pulled it away from his skin, he quickly shifted the kitten to rest against his bare chest, releasing his sweater to envelop it in a semblance of warmth.
"There we go, that should last us until we get home."
~::~::~::~::~
Charlie chuckled as Clara stuck her tongue out in concentration. Her tiny brow furrowed as she focused on covering the piece of paper in glue, a design of her choosing appearing in liquid white. When she was done, she gently set the bottle down and turned large, grey doe eyes on him, her lashes fluttering lightly.
"You know that only works on your father," Charlie teased, reaching out to bop her on the nose with his index finger. His hands flashed through the signs quickly after, and then again, slower this time after she asked him to repeat it. She rolled her eyes playfully, grinning as she pointed at the containers Charlie had lined up across the table. Different colors of glitter sparkles in little jars, and Charlie just knew that Clara couldn't wait to make a mess with them.
A waving hand drew Charlie's attention, and he felt himself melt when her right hand came up to rub small circles in the middle of her chest. When Charlie narrowed his eyes at her, she widened her eyes. Her right hand left her chest and moved up to her forehead, fingers spreading wide and her thumb tapped gently twice. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she opened her mouth.
"Da-Ae, pee?" As she spoke, her right hand drifted back down to rub another circle against her chest.
"Alright, but don't tell your father," Charlie grinned, leaning forward to place a finger against his lips and wink. "He really wanted to do this together."
Clara repeated his last sign, bumping her closed fists against each other with a grin. Her hands came apart to start signing again, her eyes taking on a mischievous gleam. She was about halfway through her sentence when a voice came from the front door.
"Love, can you distract her for a moment?!"
Charlie blinked, turning to look at the door. Before he could ask why, Clara was darting from her chair, tiny legs carrying her over quickly. She jumped up and down on her toes as she reached for the doorknob and swung the door open.
A snort escaped Charlie before he could stop himself at the sight of his husband standing in the doorway drenched. Dark blonde hair hung in his eyes, and the sweater Charlie's mum had knitted was soaked through, clinging to his shivering form. Clara was bouncing in front of him, her hands a flurry of movement as Draco smiled down at her fondly. Charlie stood up from the table and walked over to his husband, pressing a kiss to his cold cheek before crouching down in front of Clara.
"Daddy has to go dry off and then we'll start our project, okay?" Charlie asked, his eyes darting to look up at Draco who, for some reason, was clutching at his chest. "Why don't you start picking out which colors you want while I help Daddy dry off quicker?"
Clara dashed off with an excited squeal as Draco and Charlie quickly made their way to their bedroom. Draco wasted no time in getting undressed, stripping the sweater off and throwing it in the corner where it landed with a loud splat. When Charlie had turned around from cracking the door, Draco was fussing over a small bundle on the bed.
"Is everything okay?" Charlie walked over to their closet and began rummaging around for his old university sweatshirt. Draco hadn't bothered putting on another shirt, and Charlie preferred his husband on the warm side. "What's that you've got on the bed?"
"A surprise for Clara if the little guy lasts through the night." Draco shifted and Charlie gasped at the small kitten in his hands.
"No." Charlie mockingly glowered at his husband, tossing the sweatshirt in his face. "You got her a kitten?! That is so not fair! I brought out the glitter and everything!"
Draco laughed, slipping on the sweatshirt and picking up the now sleeping kitten. "I hope you know you're going to be the one cleaning that mess up."
Charlie groaned again, grinning when Draco ran apologetic fingers through his hair. A loud thud sounded from outside the door, and the two exchanged a look before making their way back towards the kitchen. Clara was standing in a large puddle of glitter, a bright grin on her face as she held up the paper she had covered with glue and glitter.
There, portrayed in multi-colored glitter, was a stick figure family.
"You know what?" Charlie spoke up, grinning widely. "I'm not even mad. This is too cute for me to be mad."
"Not as cute as our daughter will be cuddling a baby kitten on the couch after a movie marathon." Draco declared back, crouching down and opening up his hands with a soft smile.
Clara squealed, dropping her paper and rushing over to kneel in front of him. Her eyes were wide as she reached out with a glitter covered finger to gently stroke the kitten's forehead.
Charlie watched on as Draco explained everything with a smile, his heart soaring with the love he felt for their small family.
Everything was just perfect.
A/N: Clara is using American Sign as that's what I'm more familiar with. Clara can both sign and read lips, but because she's still young, she's still working on saying things out loud. I've based all of this off of a little boy I babysit and his interactions with his family, so I really hope I did it justice!
