A/N: Chapter 4- bath. This one's a modern AU. I cried while writing this... just the thought of these two being so happy gets me in the best way. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it.
"I still can't believe… this is…" whispers Stanley in awe.
Lefou smiles at him. "Well, believe it. It's real."
"I know… I just never thought…" Stanley's voice cracks from the joyous tears that have begun flowing. "I never thought I- we- would be parents." He smiles radiantly, and Lefou finds the sight breathtaking.
Lefou leans forward, kissing Stanley's forehead, his cheeks, his eyelids, his nose, his temples, and finally his lips. "We're a family," he says.
"She's really ours," Stanley murmurs, as if in a dream. He looks down at her, their baby, their miracle. He cradles her even closer to his chest, gazing down at her, and realizes that she has already become the center of his and Lefou's world. Stroking her cheek, he whispers, "bonjour, mon amour… mon trésor…"
Lefou swallows, watching the pair happily. He's caught completely off guard when Stanley moves, and Lefou's arms are suddenly full of baby. His baby. Their baby. Their daughter. He repeats multiple variations of the word, and it still doesn't feel real. It feels like winning a million lotteries at once.
Holding her is not awkward as much as it is terrifying. He fears holding her too tight, but even more, he's afraid of not holding her tight enough and having her slip from his arms. He finally finds the right balance, and then whispers to their sleeping baby, "Bonjour, petite Clara… Welcome home…" He steps forward, and hugs Stanley, nestling Clara in both their arms to create a proper family hug.
"Our family," whispers Stanley.
"Our family," Lefou echoes, resting his head on Stanley's shoulder. "Now, I think it's time we gave Clara her first bath!"
Stanley nods eagerly. He shifts Clara closer to himself again, letting her rest against his shoulder. She's still asleep for now, but she's due for a bottle soon, and they're both certain she'll wake up during her bath. They head to their kitchen, Stanley walking slowly and with one hand pressed against Clara's back. Both keep looking at her in utter joy.
It takes them far longer than it should to fill the sink, mostly because neither can agree on the proper temperature. Stanley wants it lukewarm, terrified that anything warmer will hurt her, while Lefou is worried that the temperature will be too cold and cause her to catch a chill.
They finally find a compromise, and Stanley gently undoes the buttons on Clara's onesie. It's a soft pink one that has a drawing of angel wings on the back. Stanley had insisted that that be the one they bring her home in, and once Lefou saw Clara for the first time, he was forced to agree. What else could they dress an angel in for her arrival?
"Are you ready, my love?" asks Lefou, leaning over to kiss her forehead.
Simultaneously, Stanley kisses Clara's stomach, blowing a raspberry. "You're just going to love the water, mon ange! You're going to love bath time with your daddies!"
"You know," Lefou muses with a laugh, "I don't think she's ever going to know what her name is. She's going to have far too many pet names."
"Probably," Stanley agrees, removing Clara's diaper. "But she's also going to be-" his voice rises in pitch- "the happiest baby in the world, aren't you?" He kisses her stomach again, and that combined with his voice finally rouses Clara. She blinks up at them with her beautiful blue eyes and slides her thumb in her mouth. For now she doesn't cry, but they know they have to hurry before she gets hungry.
Stanley positions her so that just her legs enter the sink at first, so that they will know if the water turns out to be uncomfortable. She doesn't make any protesting cries, so he gradually sets her in, propping her up on his arm. "Beautiful girl," he whispers, sliding his forefinger into her fist and giving a proud smile when she squeezes tightly.
"Strong girl," says Lefou, doing the same as Stanley with her other fist. "Brave girl."
"Just like her aunt Belle," Stanley agrees as he reaches for the bottle of baby shampoo.
They wash their daughter as slow as they can without making her wait too long, not wanting to finish the first bath too quickly. Stanley closes his eyes for a long moment, listening to the deep baby sighs Clara gives, and Lefou does the same.
They stand in silence, listening to the breaths of their miracle. It's the the sound of their family coming together at last, the sound of their world being completed.
It's the sound of utter bliss.