"Nikki" Harry murmured softly as he walked into the nursery to see Nikki curled up on the rocking chair in the corner of the room, her face buried in her knees as her small body shook with her sobs. Harry sighed and closed the door softly behind him, glancing at Donovan and Gabriel as he walked past their cots, the babies fast asleep.
"Go 'way" Nikki sobbed through her tears as she shook her head, gripping her legs tighter against her as she turned her head away from Harry.
"No" Harry told her as he leant against the wall next to his lover and slid down it, stretching his legs in front of him and placing his hands on his thighs.
A few quiet minutes passed in which all they could hear was the steady breathing of their twins and the only light in the room was that of the nightlight that Harry kept his eyes trained on, the bright planes making him smile slightly. He'd remember when he brought it, Nikki had been seven months pregnant and he'd been out on his own and had seen it in one of the baby shops on the high street, not passing the opportunity to buy it. Nikki had just laughed at him and kissed him, telling him that he was making them plane addicts before they were even born.
"I'm sorry I slapped you"
Harry turned to look at Nikki when he heard her quiet voice and his heart sunk when he saw the tear stains on her face, her eyes red and puffy. She still looked stunningly beautiful and Harry's heart ached when he thought about how if she left him that she could have any man that she wanted.
"I think I deserved it"
"You did, for talking about yourself like that" Nikki nodded and gave Harry a hesitant smile, receiving one back. Harry reached up and gently took one of Nikki's hands in his, stroking her knuckles gently with his thumb as she closed her fingers around his. "Please don't ever do that again. I hated it"
"I'm sorry" Harry sighed and shook his head, leaning it back on the wall but keeping hold of Nikki's hand, still stroking it gently. "I don't regret Donovan and Gabriel if that's what you're thinking"
"I wasn't thinking that" Nikki shook her head.
"You don't want me to leave do you?"
The quiet tone that Harry used broke her heart and Nikki shook her head, forcing away her tears as did so.
"No, I'm sorry I said that I didn't mean it. I was angry at you for saying those things about yourself and I just.." Nikki told him and shook her head again as she trailed off "You're not your father Harry. Please remember that if you get angry again, everyone gets angry at some point. Don't take it that because you are angry that you're turning into your father. And we're both bound to get frustrated with the babies at some point, however much we don't want to, I hate thinking about it but we will. All parents do I think"
Harry swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat and nodded as Nikki slid onto the floor and cuddled up next to him; resting her head on his chest and draping her arm over his stomach, their hands still entwined. Harry wrapped his arm around Nikki's shoulder and pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head gently and then resting his cheek on the same spot. He then looked back up at the planes dancing on the walls and the ceiling and couldn't help but smile as Nikki tightened her grip on him. He absentmindedly stroked Nikki's hair and kissed the top of her head again.
"I love you" he whispered to her and Nikki smiled, closing her eyes contentedly.
"I love you. Don't ever think I don't"
A few hours later and Harry woke up with a very stiff back, he frowned and opened his eyes, wincing as he moved and then remembered everything. He and Nikki must have fallen asleep quickly after their reconciliation and were still sitting curled up together in the nursery. Harry looked down at himself and saw Nikki with her head resting on his lap their hands still combined on his leg. He hated to disturb her but knew they had to move to their bedroom and get properly ready for bed.
"Nikki" he murmured but his lover just moaned in protested and snuggled closer to him in her sleep. Harry chuckled and tried again, moving her hair away from her face and stroking it gently. "Nikki wake up darling"
"No" Nikki murmured as she sleepily opened her eyes and then frowned, sitting up and rubbing her eyes with her fists. "Why are we in here?"
"We fell asleep after we made up" Harry told her and Nikki nodded, smiling and kissing him on the lips just as Gabriel let out a whimper and began to cry. Nikki then stood up and ran one hand through her lose hair, smiling down at the crying baby as she reached into the cot and placed one hand on his stomach, wrinkling her nose slightly.
"You need a nappy change don't you darling?" she asked as she leant down and picked him up, kissing his cheek gently as she cradled him against her shoulder.
"I'll do it, you go and sleep" Harry told Nikki but she chuckled and shook her head.
"I can do it, it won't take long"
"Come on" Harry shook his head and reached over for Gabriel, Nikki smiling slightly and letting him take their son from her. "Go and sleep, you look exhausted"
"Well thank you very much Harry" Nikki giggled, too tired to say anything else as he leant down and kissed her gently. "I am exhausted"
"I think that's the first time you've admitted that since our boys came along" Harry frowned and walked over to the baby changing table on the other side of the room "Go to bed and have a good sleep, I will sort these two out during the night"
"I can't.."
"Yes you can, I'm their daddy and I will look after them while you get a proper night's sleep. If you want I can sleep in a spare room with the monitor so.."
"No" Nikki told him quickly and shook her head "Don't you dare, I can't sleep without you, or that monitor"
"Okay, see you soon"
Nikki smiled before walking out of the door and leaving Harry to change their sons.
A few minutes later when Nikki was lying in bed Harry walked into the room and closed the door quietly. He made his way over to the bed and quickly changed into his tracksuit bottoms and t-shirt, very well aware of Nikki's eyes on him as she stripped.
"Yes?"
"Nothing" Nikki giggled as she snuggled further down in the bed and shook her head "Hurry up darling"
Harry just nodded and walked through to the bathroom to clean his teeth.
A few minutes later he walked back into the bathroom and turned off the bathroom light, closing the door and making his way over to the bed. He climbed in and wrapped his arm around Nikki's waist his lover snuggling back into his warm body, laying her head on the pillow and closing her eyes, letting out a soft sigh. "I love you"
"I love you"
"I think our baby needs some attention" Nikki murmured to Harry the next morning as both her and her lover woke up at the sound of one of the twins crying down the baby monitor.
"Hmm" Harry replied and they both opened their eyes at the same time, Nikki nudging him and making him chuckle.
"I went last time, it's your turn"
"When did you go?" Harry then asked, frowning at his lover when he heard that. He had told her that he would get up whenever they needed anything during the night.
"Donovan needed feeding about an hour ago" Nikki replied and then pushed Harry back down as he sat up "I'll go, I need a cuddle with my boy"
Harry just nodded and lay back down, Nikki stealing a kiss from him before climbing out of the bed and making her way out of their bedroom and into the nursery.
"Hello darling" Nikki smiled as she leant down into Gabriel's cot, signing to him out of habit as she spoke. "What's wrong with you my love?"
She cradled the baby against her shoulder and kissed her crying baby's head gently, stroking his back and whispering how much she loved him.
"Come on Gabriel. You're hungry aren't you?" Nikki murmured, kissing Gabriel's head gently again as she walked over to the door and out of the room so that she could sit in the comfort of her bed while she fed the crying baby.
She walked into the bedroom and saw Harry lying on the bed with Nikki's book in his hands; he looked up when his lover walked back into the room and smiled.
"Enjoying the book?"
"I suppose I'd understand it more if I read it from the beginning" Harry told her as he marked Nikki's page and put the book on the bedside table as his lover climbed back into bed and quickly began to feed Gabriel. "Is Donovan okay?"
"Yeah he's fine, still asleep" Nikki nodded as she snuggled back into the pillows and smiled down lovingly at her baby "And you should read the book, it's very good"
"When you've finished and we have time" Harry told her and Nikki smiled, leaning her head back against the pillows and sighing. She knew that he would never read the book but she could hope. "What's wrong?"
"I hate going to school and leaving them" Nikki told him, closing her eyes for a few seconds before looking back at Gabriel as Harry nodded. "I still feel like I'm abandoning them"
"We're not" Harry shook his head at her and Nikki smiled at him slightly "Once they're older they will understand why we had to do it. Anyway they probably won't remember, by the time they do remember things we'll be in uni and spending much more time with them"
"Good" Nikki nodded and leant over to kiss Harry before settling back down against the pillows, her lover moving closer to her and wrapping one arm around her shoulders, stroking Gabriel's hand gently as he fed greedily from Nikki.