Scorp's birthdays were easy.
Bastien never quite figured out the "fun uncle" thing with Scarlett and Sebastien. His birthday gifts were all over the place, and he was fortunate both twins had a great sense of humour about them. Draco instituted a gift-free rule for parties. In his mind, as a billionaire he could give Scorpius anything he wanted except friends. Kids showing up was the best gift Scorp could receive.
Blaise's house in Holland Park was nice, and he'd customized it quite well to himself. Bastien would guess he had the largest kitchen in the city, in proportion to the overall square area of the home. He'd demolished the billiards room to have it expanded. The garden out back was incredible, lush and green in a way you rarely saw in London, with both an upper and a lower terrace. Bastien always felt most comfortable in the dining room because it was large enough to fit him and nobody tended to stick around. Blaise had prepared a meal and was intermittently working on dessert between welcoming guests and making heart eyes at Dean Thomas.
Something was off, though. The whole party had a peculiar feel to it.
Bastien was trying to regain proper footing with Padma. He thought discussing his retirement would be a positive thing; Padma would no longer have to watch him spend nights covered in bruises and ice packs. Instead of relief, he was met with disappointment. She loved going to matches, and what had she said? Right. "This is something we've shared the entire time we've been together. I don't know how I feel about us without it." Bastien thought they could focus on work, on being together more. Travelling more. He found so much enjoyment in simply being around his wife, he wondered why she couldn't see the same in him.
Bastien used his fork to poke at the chicken thing Blaise made. It was delicious, whatever it was. Bastien lounged about the dining room, noting all the guests. He'd hugged Ron Weasley when he arrived with his wife. Emma was nice enough, not particularly memorable. Pregnant with their third child. She sat across from him for awhile in companionable silence.
Dean Thomas was incredible; he made Blaise smile like he'd woken up to the smell of fresh bread. Bastien enjoyed having someone Dean's height around. Not that Draco and Blaise were short, but there was something nice about not being the tallest person in the room by half a head. Theo and Tracey were at the party as well, in sync the way only a couple who had been together for twenty years could move. Harry and Ginny Potter arrived, and Bastien reminded himself not to be a fanboy. Three years into his marriage, Padma was Ginny's close friend, but that didn't change the fact that Ginny Weasley was one of the best footballers to ever touch a pitch. Hell, Ginny was in his wedding and he still couldn't quite keep his cool.
Hermione and Draco arrived hand-in-hand. Bastien suspected Hermione did that to remind Ron he wasn't the only one in a relationship anymore. Draco seemed perfectly happy to be used in such a manner. He was grinning like, This is my girlfriend. My amazing badass girlfriend. Did I mention Hermione Granger is my girlfriend? Did I tell you I'm fucking Hermione Granger? I'm dating Hermione fucking Granger.
Scorpius took his friends around to each of the adults and introduced them individually. Bastien was happily identified as,
"My uncle, Bastien! He's a boxer and nyur-farm-sis. With medicine. He's really big."
Scorpius had been working on "neuropharmacologist," for months, so Bastien gave him a pat on the back before saying,
"Happy birthday, baby blond. Go say hello to Padma."
"Okay!"
Bastien enjoyed watching Scorpius because he never saw a kid who enjoyed life quite like that. Everything was worth enjoying to him. Everyone was worth an introduction. Astoria was a lot like that, and Bastien hoped Draco could see as much. Scorpius wasn't like Draco at all, really. Draco was a precocious prankster as a child whose only goal was to make everyone laugh. God, he was obnoxious. Scorpius was kind, artistic, and giving; traits he certainly got from his mum.
Bastien sat up when his father walked through the front door. He didn't get out to Reading often enough anymore. When Padma visited three weeks prior, she went alone. Bastien had been two weeks prior to that. His father looked happier, somehow. The moment Bastien's dad came into view, Scorpius bolted toward him.
"GRANDPA!"
Bastien watched his father grin and bend down to scoop Scorpius into his arms. He playfully ruffled Scorp's hair before allowing Scorpius to push his hand away. He said,
"Happy birthday, grandson!"
Bastien had never felt so inadequate in his life. Grandson. Draco was not his brother. One of his best mates, absolutely. While Draco would never openly admit it, Bastien knew Draco considered Lancelot Queensbury the best father figure in his life. Blaise was just the same. Bastien had always been happy to share his dad, but that was his father. Looking at his dad right then, Bastien realized Draco had provided a happiness Bastien couldn't. It turned his stomach the wrong way.
"Gran-mère Cissa!"
Bastien watched his father hand Scorpius off to Narcissa Malfoy, who arrived suspiciously close in time to his father. Almost as if they arrived together. Bastien frowned, as his stomach continued to twist itself into knots. Narcissa hugged Scorpius then placed him on the ground.
"I've missed you, mon ange. Go play with your friends."
Scorpius ran off to wherever his friends were lingering, but Bastien didn't watch him. He watched as his father leaned down to whisper something in Narcissa Malfoy's ear. She laughed and placed her hand on the centre of his chest before walking toward the kitchen. Bastien's father followed her with a content smile on his face.
Padma and Parvati were milling about the snug, and Bastien knew better than to interrupt. There was an obvious gap at Ti's side where Cedric should have been. At any rate, there had been a distance between himself and Padma over the past two weeks since the retirement conversation. Bastien pressed his hand against the right side of his chest and winced. That injury had never fully left him, but it was exacerbated in his most recent match. The pain was lingering far longer than usual.
The party continued to happen around him, and he noticed something was up with Blaise and Dean. Blaise was too happy for someone busy cooking a massive meal. The smile never left his eyes. Bastien suspected it was an engagement ring hanging on that chain around his neck, and for some reason Blaise had chosen to keep it secret. Bastien wouldn't push, though he was over the bloody moon if Blaise finally found the love he was meant for.
He lost sight of his father. Bastien lingered, scrolled through Instagram, then stretched his legs out as far as they would go. He tilted his head to one side until he felt his neck pop, then repeated it in the other direction. Bastien stood up, ready to raid Blaise's liquor cabinet as Padma promised to drive home. He made for the kitchen and glanced out at the garden on his way.
Bastien stopped dead in his tracks.
There was a small set of stairs which led to the upper terrace. Narcissa Malfoy was leaning against it, and Bastien's father stood next to her with his arm around her shoulders. It was the exact way Bastien liked to stand with Padma. It was a lazy way to claim the space around her. Why the bloody hell would Bastien's father be laying claim to Draco's mum?
Bastien watched as Narcissa Malfoy laid her hand overtop his father's. His heart fell straight down into his stomach. They were seeing each other. His father was Lancelot fucking Queensbury. His father was a good man, a respectable boyfriend to many women over the past twenty years, a man with his pick of the bloody lot. Not the woman who was responsible for what happened to Draco all those years ago. Anyone but her. Bastien's entire life was on edge, his chest ached, and he stormed out into the garden without thinking.
Narcissa jumped a bit when she saw him approach. She stepped out of his father's grasp, brushed past him and into the house before he could say anything. Good. That was good, because she didn't need to be anywhere near his father. Bastien half-shouted,
"What the bloody hell are you doing?!"
He was met with a blank stare.
"Of every woman in the world, you pick her?!" Bastien's face was hot. "After everything … After everything?!"
Still, no reaction from his father.
"That woman wouldn't protect her son from her husband! Her husband who busted his kneecap and dragged him out of the house by his hair like he was rubbish, dad. Rubbish. My best mate. The father of your supposed grandson, yeah? And you're going to ignore all that—"
"Here's what you are going to do, son. You go back inside the house," his father pointed toward the back door, "and take a very long, deep breath. Then you come back here and talk to me the way you speak to your father."
"Dad."
"Go." He nodded toward the door. "I'm not listening until you do."
Bastien huffed, because he was wrong. He knew he was acting like a boy, not a man, but he'd hated Narcissa Malfoy for twenty years. She brought out the immaturity in him. Bastien turned around, left the garden, and went through the back door of Blaise's house. He stared at Narcissa, who glared right back. She never backed down from anything, and Bastien respected that about her. Bastien closed his eyes and took a deep breath as his father instructed. He felt Padma appear at his side but didn't acknowledge her.
"Bas?"
He shook his head as he exhaled. He felt her hand on his arm, but he gently pushed it away. He opened his eyes and said,
"I've got to talk to my dad about that." He nodded toward Narcissa, who was still staring in his direction. "Will you find Draco and tell him to join us?"
"Babe," Padma said, "I think you should—"
"This is between me and him. It does not concern you; my resentment predates you by fifteen years."
"We may not be in the best place right now, but Lance is very much like you. You found love in me, and your dad has never been so fortunate. Perhaps you should consider that—"
"What would you do if you were thirteen and Ginny showed up at your door with broken bones, literally thrown out of the house?" Bastien hissed, "Would you ever forgive the people who did that to her?"
"No." Padma said, "I would never. I also know your father is a good judge of character, and if he sees redemption for Draco's mum then perhaps you need to open your eyes a bit more. That is all I am saying."
Bastien knew she was right. She was Padma, and Padma was always right. She went to find Draco and Bastien looked at Narcissa, trying to find whatever his dad saw when he looked at her. He conceded she was beautiful. Fifty-plus years old … She was, what, three years older than his father? So fifty-five or fifty-six, perhaps? There must be something redeeming about her. Bastien tried to consider what he had overlooked. Draco appeared almost from nowhere.
"Padma said you needed me?"
"Yes." Bastien turned to look at Draco and say, "I need to speak with my father so he can explain why the bloody hell he is touching your mother the way he touches his girlfriends."
Draco grimaced.
"I'd rather not know. I'm fine if you wish to ask him, but I think I'd rather hear it from you. I'm feeling a lot about it and no one seems to care. I am the first person to say my father was shit, I hated him, but … I want to scream how uncomfortable it is to see my mum with someone who isn't my father."
"I get it, mate." Bastien clapped Draco on the shoulder and said, "My dad's never been relaxed around my mum the way he is around yours. It's giving me nausea. I'll only give you the answers you need."
"Thank you."
Bastien made the trek out the door, into the garden, and stood once again in front of his father. Contrite, he felt like a petulant little boy. Bastien's father looked up at the sky and shook his head, finally ready to begin this conversation. He looked down at the glass of water in his hand before looking at Bastien to say,
"If this is something which creates distance between us, it's over. You're my priority always, Bastien. From the moment you were born I've wanted nothing but the best for you."
Bastien looked at his father and saw disappointment. Whatever was happening with Narcissa, it seemed fairly deep. Bastien knew their friendship was more than superficial, but he hadn't pictured it being so important. Bastien asked,
"Are you having sex with her?"
Though he didn't believe he truly wanted the answer. Bastien made a face like he was about to vomit. His father looked at him and then up at the sky. He took a deep breath in and let it out rather slowly, and Bastien realized rather belatedly that in addition to not wanting the answer, he may not be entitled to that answer. Bastien cringed when his father asked,
"You are thirty-three years old, son. Have I ever asked you about the people you slept with?"
"No."
"Have I ever judged you for the people you chose to sleep with?"
Bastien begrudgingly admitted, "No."
"Then why do you believe you have the right to do both of those things to me?"
Bastien looked down at the ground, chastened. His father was right.
"Bastien Edward Queensbury, you are going to look me in the eyes and answer my question."
He mumbled, "I'd rather not."
"I'd rather you have not asked. Here we are. Deal with your choices, son."
"Because I resent her for going back to her husband!" Bastien hissed. "Yes, I think she's a horrible person, a terrible mum, and I will forever know, better than anyone, what her husband did. I hate her for it."
"That's fair," his father nodded, "that's your choice. I don't resent her for it. It was the right decision. For the past twenty years, Narcissa's support system has been either dead or incarcerated. She has tried her best, Bas."
"So you're dating her?"
"I don't know if I'd say dating." Bastien's father made a face at the word. "She's not the usual sort of woman to me. She is my confidant as much as she is my friend. She tells me, 'Lance, there is a very strong confidence about your son. I respect your son. I never worried about Draco when he was at the clubs because your son was with him.' When you ask what I could possibly see in Narcissa, I see her appreciation for you. I know that she appreciates me as a man, as a father, as her best friend."
"Her best friend?" asked Bastien. "She's a socialite, dad, she has friends—"
Bastien's father pointed toward the house and said, "When Lucius was sent to prison, I held that woman in my arms as she cried. She put on a front for the cameras, for her friends, for Draco … But she trusted me enough to keep her off the floor when she could hardly crawl to her bedroom door because the pain of being apart from her husband was so overwhelming. When a woman trusts you not to take advantage of her, it is the highest honour we receive as men."
"Tell me what you see in her, then."
"She is confident, mature, elegant … A woman of years. A woman unlike anyone else I have ever met. When we are together, I feel better about myself as a man. When you're chosen by someone of that calibre, you can't help but feel exceptional."
"Okay." Bastien conceded, "If she makes you feel the way Padma makes me feel, then I won't question it. I won't like it, but I will not question it further."
"I want you to question me. My problem is when you question me by judging her. Narcissa has done more for me than you know, including mediating my divorce."
Bastien frowned and said, "I thought you and mum worked it out together."
"Because Lucius and Narcissa were in the middle. That man was a bad father, but he was an exceptional husband. I respected him as a man, as someone who cared deeply for his family and took a prison sentence for something he did not do. I saw him weather the shitstorm of press, lawyers, hits to his business, being suspended from the House of Lords … He might've been a shit person, son, but he was still a man underneath all that arrogance."
"A man who did what he did to one of my best friends."
"I don't disagree with you, Bas. I felt the same way, which is why I took Draco in. Lucius didn't press the issue because we respected each other. A very sensitive choice on his part. Narcissa asked me, 'Lance, how did you raise a son who loves you so much?' Because she knows she and Lucius did not do enough for Draco. She could have done more. She cares, but what can she change?"
"Nothing."
"Exactly. I care for Narcissa very deeply. We have been friends for twenty-odd years. You have animus toward Lucius, and I understand. He was a hateful, pompous man much of the time. He was also devoted to Narcissa and losing someone she loved so much for so long …" Bastien's father shrugged. "They take a bit of your soul with them. Something I expect you understand rather well, given what you have seen of Draco the past several years."
"It ruined him." Bastien shook his head. "I feel like I've lost my best friend. If his mum has been your best friend for twenty years, have you been into her all this time, then?"
Bastien watched his father's face go through more emotions than he could count. He kicked at the grass and said,
"I don't want to give you that answer, son."
Bastien guessed, "You were attracted to her while you were married to my mum."
Bastien's heart broke a bit when his father nodded. He knew they never loved each other; they stayed together because it was best for him. At least, they thought it was best for awhile. His mum had gone on to find and marry Sajjad, but his father had never found something similar. Perhaps because he'd been … Oh. Bastien realized,
"You love her."
His father scoffed, "I've never been in love, so how would I know what it feels like? Besides, Cissa will never love me in return. She had a soulmate and you don't get over that loss. But when she came to me and asked for comfort, I wasn't strong enough to say no."
"That's what love is." Bastien insisted, "Doing what someone else needs even when it hurts you."
"You have never hurt me, Bas." His father clapped a hand on his shoulder and said, "You are my whole life. And I do love Draco like a son, I consider Scorpius to be my grandson because Draco asked it of me. But Draco isn't my son, Bas. You are my son and I love you above everything. If you want me to step away from the Malfoys, I'll do it."
"I …" Bastien shook his head. "I would never ask you to step away from something that brings you such joy, dad. I only wish I could do that for you. I wish I had a family that could feel as complete as theirs does."
"You and Padma are magic. You are complete."
That didn't ring true as it once had.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you. Thank you for telling me that Draco's mum respects me. I haven't given her the same courtesy, and that's not what you taught me. I'm sorry to have failed you like that."
"You didn't fail me. I was there when you won your first boxing match, Bas. I will be clapping just as loud at your last. I am proud of you, of every medal and every trophy and every loss which you accepted with grace. I was still a kid when you were born, and to see the man you've grown into despite all my shortcomings … I'm beyond proud. I'm in awe of the life you've created for yourself. The people in there," he gestured toward the house with his water glass, "are proud of you, too."
"Thank you."
"Why do I feel like you don't believe me?"
"Because," Bastien admitted, "you didn't tell me about whatever the hell is happening with Draco's mum. Blaise isn't telling me something. Draco's getting closer to the man he once was, but that journey is far from over. Padma and I are not in the best of places—"
"What's happened?"
"And Parvati is going through a lot of pain she doesn't know what to do with."
Bastien watched his father's brow furrow, his eyebrows nearly knitting together with concern.
"Alright, you tell me what's happened."
"I dunno. I told Padma I want to retire from boxing in a year's time. It's been such a large part of our marriage, she's afraid of what we'll be like without it. Several weeks ago, Ti had a miscarriage. That's why she and Cedric broke up."
Bastien watched his father's face go completely blank.
"Okay. Right. I had no clue Pavi and Diggory were no longer together. I thought she was having a bad day. I'm going to talk to her, but son? If there's something going on between you and Padma, it's not because you don't love each other. It's because you're not saying something. So say what needs to be said and fix it."
He gave Bastien one final pat on the shoulder before heading inside to, presumably, talk to Parvati. Bastien followed him through the back door and walked toward Blaise's second refrigerator. Bastien opened the door and grabbed three cans of beer with one hand before shutting it. He placed the cans on the countertop and pulled the tab before chugging half the can. He shook his head and groaned, just as Draco made his way over.
"What did he say?"
Bastien lowered his voice to reply, "I think my father is in love with your mum, and has been for a stupidly long time. I'm going to drink some alcohol and try to accept that."
Draco was quiet for several seconds. He whispered,
"It's like she's betrayed my father. Their love was the most constant thing in the world. I don't know how to feel."
Bastien shook his head and agreed, "I don't know how to feel either." He offered Draco a beer and said, "Temporary solution's better than no solution."
.oOo.
Bastien and Padma rode home in silence. His mood soured the air in the car. Scorpius's birthday party had brought one thing into stark clarity: he felt incomplete.
Bastien kicked his shoes off by the door and began to pace around the snug. Padma took her time removing her heels and putting them in the proper place. She made her way to the sofa and sat, watching Bastien pace back and forth. She didn't say anything, so Bastien finally stopped in the centre of the room and admitted,
"The past few weeks, I've been feeling some things I never expected I would feel."
Padma looked at her hands and asked, "Are you thinking of leaving me?"
"Never!" Bastien gasped that she could even think such a thing. "Dea, my feelings for you will not change. Not now, not ever."
Padma nodded, but it did not seem she was convinced. She asked,
"What have you been feeling?"
"When we visited my dad last, I watched you with him in the forge. I like watching you, sweating through your t-shirt, hair sticking to your forehead, seeing the muscles in your arms when you have to bend those big pieces of metal. It's so fucking sexy, seeing you work like that. Then I realize, you know, my dad's got apprentices in the forge but I'm his only apprentice in life."
"I agree."
"At my nephew's birthday today, I felt something."
Bastien tried to find the most delicate words for what needed to be said, but nothing came to mind.
"I want you to tell me what you felt, but you are putting it off."
"No," he insisted, "I'm not. I'm trying to explain because you're going to be so mad at me, babe." Bastien took a deep breath and steadied himself, well aware this could be the biggest argument they'd had in their three years together. "When my dad came in, Scorp went running to him. My dad picked him up, gave him a hug, and Scorp kept shouting 'Grandpa! I love you grandpa!' And you know, Dea, something in me broke a little because that's not my son."
Bastien choked a bit, trying to keep the tears at bay. He stared up at the ceiling, unable to look at his wife.
"We agreed when we got married, no kids. I know we did. When I got my vasectomy all those years ago, I was convinced I would be a shit father. I thought I'd be a bachelor at fifty, never in a hundred years would have thought you were out there for me. Today, though, I hated seeing my dad love someone else's son. It makes me shit, I know it makes me shit, but I need to be honest with you. I think thirty-year-old Bastien didn't want to be a dad. But now, thirty-three-year-old Bastien with a fucking amazing wife, a great life, a steady job, incredible friends …" Bastien wiped his eyes. "I think I might wanna be a dad, babe."
Padma nodded, a thoughtful expression on her face. That was just like her, considering his words before responding. She had every right to scream at him, blame him for going back on the promises they made before getting engaged. Instead, she asked,
"Are you jealous of Draco for having a son?"
"No." Bastien shook his head. "I'm jealous he's the reason my dad smiles like that. There is joy in my dad's face I can't put there."
"Did I hear you say that you've been feeling this way for weeks?" asked Padma.
"Yes. I watch you with my dad and I realize how different, how much better my life is than I ever imagined it could be. I got the vasectomy because I liked sleeping around, and I never believed I could be as good a father as my dad was to me. He gave me everything and more. Now, I realize I don't have to be as good of a father because you would be my partner. My mum wasn't much of a partner for my dad, so he had to do the work of two parents. But if I do my best, and you do your best, I …" Bastien shrugged. "I think we could be great."
"Is this why you asked me to consider your retirement?"
"In a way. My liver is giving me a rough go, babe. I think I could do another year, but I don't see me doing this at thirty-five. I started looking at what my life will be like without boxing, and it planted a seed in my brain that perhaps I want to have a family. Seeing what I saw today, I know that's what I want with you."
"On our first date," said Padma, "you told me that thirty years from now you would be perfectly happy sitting alone with me in our garden, watching the sun set. Is that still true?"
Bastien nodded.
"It is. That's why I feel I have to tell you, because I'm happy. Me being happy with you is the reason I feel I could do this when I never felt I could do it before."
"I understand. When I decided I did not wish to have a child, I never imagined I would find a man who understood me. I never believed I could marry for love, I believed I would marry someone tolerable. Then you found me."
"The universe would not allow us to be apart, Dea."
"I know." Padma smiled softly. "For my child, I envisioned a partner bilingual in Bangla and English, so our child would know both cultures. I wanted someone loving, because I doubt my skills when it comes to caring for my own child. I was also afraid of the changes it would make to my body, that afterward I would not be as attractive as I was before."
"You know me better than that."
"Yes, but before we met, how was I to know I would find the best, most incredible man the world has to offer?"
Bastien felt his entire face turn red. God, the way she said it, so earnestly, he almost believed it himself. He kicked at a stray thread in the rug.
"What other fears did you have?"
"What happened to my sister."
Bastien nodded. Of course that was a fear. Wasn't that the most basic worry for pregnant women? A baby could be inside them and at any time it just … wasn't? God, he could hardly imagine how devastating that would be. Parvati kept saying she felt like she failed Ced, when all Ced thought was that he failed Parvati. Padma admitted,
"I worried I would resent my child for upending my life. I would no longer be able to travel as we do now. We would hire a nanny when I need to be more heavily involved at work. Before, I was afraid you would be injured … or worse … in a fight. Now that you wish to retire and go back to school—"
"I'll put it off," said Bastien.
Padma looked up at him, surprised.
"What?"
"If we want a baby, I would make it my priority. I was afraid of having kids because my dad worked two jobs and saved up enough to get me into this really posh school that changed my life. I saw how hard he had to work to give me the best life, and I wanted to live that life. Now, though … I'm looking at you and thinking, 'How could we not want this?' Everybody tells me, all the time, you and Padma are perfect. And we are now."
"Yes, we are."
"Could we be perfect with a child?"
Padma shrugged and said, "I think there is a good possibility we could be."
"I want to have it out right now, if we're doing this. What does our kid's family look like?"
"My parents, your father, your mum and stepfather—"
"I don't know how much I want my mum to be involved." Bastien said, "We can put a pin in that and discuss it later. What of religion? Neither of us have much stake in it, but I feel a child should have one."
"I feel the same. Parvati can take them to temple, or my parents, if you agree to raise our child as Hindu."
"I'm not opposed to it." Bastien admitted, "I worry it may alienate them from the rest of the Bengali community here if our child is Hindu and not Muslim."
"I wouldn't feel right raising our child in a religion neither of us know much about. It seems to me Christianity and Hindu are our only choices."
"Hindi is fine, but I want Ti as their guide in it."
"I will agree to that."
"What of discipline, then? How would we punish them for doing something wrong?"
"Positive reinforcement coupled with if/then consequences. You make a mess, you clean it up." Padma wondered, "How did your dad discipline you?"
"Pretty much that," replied Bastien. "He'd say, 'If you're a little shit, then you pick up the shit.' He, uh, wasn't very disciplined with the language. I'd like to do what my dad did with me and teach emotional regulation at an early age. When you're angry, you do this. When you're sad, you do that. My dad really coupled it with sportsmanship. Being a gracious winner and an optimistic loser, things of that sort."
"I agree to that." Padma said, "I will ask Lance to teach me. Do you have a preference for their suname?"
"I would like Queensbury to be included, in whichever form you choose. My name is Queensbury-Patil so I think that's appropriate."
"What if it was solely Queensbury?" asked Padma. "We could have a first name, second name, Patil as the third name, and the official surname would be Queensbury."
"I don't wish to erase you. This is our family, Dea, not mine."
"I know. However, I am aware of the limitations placed on those of us with surnames of an Asian bent. I wish for our child to have every opportunity and know an ease of life."
Bastien conceded, "I will defer to you."
"Schooling is pivotal. I expect Blaise will pay for whichever school we choose to send our child to."
Bastien bristled a bit.
"I don't want to rely on my friends to pay for things I should be able to afford."
"Your friends are some of the richest men in the world," snapped Padma. "If they want to be part of our family, they will contribute appropriately. They paid for your school, so they will pay for our child's. If you don't wish to ask them, then this conversation is over and we will not be moving forward."
"It doesn't feel proper to me." Bastien kicked at the rug again. He saw in Padma's eyes that this was non-negotiable. "A proper man should be able to provide—"
"You gave them your father, Bastien. Without you, neither Blaise nor Draco has a father figure. You never once made them feel awkward about it. You embraced them as friends and allowed your father to embrace them as sons without one word against it. You were never bitter. You have earned their money over nearly thirty years."
"If that's the case, I will ask. I don't disagree with you as much as I wish I did." Bastien admitted, "I never want to use that as leverage. They needed my dad almost as much as I did."
"And now the rent is due."
Bastien nodded.
"What if …" He hedged. "What if it's twins? You're a twin, so I'm guessing that's something that could happen. Could we, realistically I mean, could we handle that?"
"Yes." Padma said, "I am confident enough in our family that we would be perfectly fine with twins. I would prefer we only do this once, I do not think I want to go through pregnancy more than once."
Bastien insisted, "You don't need to do it at all. If it's not something you want, Padma, I don't want to do it."
"I didn't." She looked down at her hands again. "I like our life."
Bastien frowned. Padma was a logical sort of person, which is why she lawyered her way through this. They were in agreement on everything, as they almost always were. He changed the foundation of their marriage by admitting he wanted a kid. However, it was always better to tell Padma than to keep something from her. Everyone around them said they could work through anything. This, though … Bastien didn't want to change their lives if it wasn't what Padma wanted, too.
"I like boxing because it's something we share. When you win, we win. I love seeing you do something you enjoy. I never feel more like your partner than when I am in the seats cheering you on." Padma's breath stuttered like she was holding back tears. "I get to tell everyone that's my husband. Now, you're leaving it behind and I have to ask, what is the next thing we do together?"
"Anything." Bastien insisted, "I will do anything you want to do together."
"I think it might be this. I think that, perhaps, instead of me looking at you and saying, that's my husband, maybe the next phase of our marriage is that's our child. Then it isn't just you to be proud of anymore, it's both of us."
"Dea, I am always proud of you. I am constantly impressed by you, your intellect, your work—"
"I know, Bas, but it does not feel the same. If we have a child, then perhaps I can look at them and see both you and me. I want to support you and what you want—"
"I want to support you and what you want, too. I am your husband, until the end of this life and through the next." Bastien admitted, "I can find fulfillment in you alone. I love you with every part of me and I don't want you to think otherwise. All I'm saying with this is that I want something I never anticipated could be part of my life."
"I know." Padma let her head fall into her hands. "I just feel like I've got the coolest, biggest, brightest husband and all I want to do is make you happy."
"You could do nothing but lie on the sofa with your tits out for the next thirty years and I would be happy every day."
"You're missing it, Bas. You have made my life so much more than I knew it could be. I think, if I understand you correctly, you feel the same of me."
"Yes." Bastien said, rather excitedly, "That is exactly it."
"If that is the case, then the agreement we made at the beginning may be in need of revision. I want more with you. More, in this case, means a child of our own."
"If you want this, then I want this."
"I do." Padma admitted, "I do want it. If you get your vasectomy reversed within the month, it should take at least three months before you can get me pregnant, then nine months … The birth of our child and your retirement should align quite nicely."
"Yeah?" Bastien couldn't help the massive smile on his face. "Are we gonna do this, babe?"
Padma smiled shyly and nodded.
"I think we are. I cannot imagine a better grandfather than your dad, Bas. He will be incredible."
Bastien plopped onto the sofa and pulled Padma into a tight hug. He pressed a kiss to her cheek and said,
"If we have a girl, he will spoil her absolutely rotten, I promise you."
"I don't wish for anyone to know. Until we're well on the way, I don't want people to look at us differently."
"Okay. You're going to take me to hospital, then, so they can reconnect my dick to my balls."
Padma laughed and kissed him quickly before saying, "You know that's not how it works."
"Of course I do. They show you the little diagram before they snip your sperm bridges. The doctor gave me the full explanation, really well-done. Then I sat on ice packs for a few days. I assume I'll have to do that again, but it's worth it for us."
"Three days for you, nine months for me." Padma frowned. "Oh, no. I'll have to wear maternity clothes." She groaned low in her throat and placed her hand on Bastien's knee. "I take it back, I take it all back."
Bastien laughed.
"We'll find you incredible clothes, babe. I've got the song in my head now. This time I think that my lover understands me … If we have faith in each other … I mean, George Michael, classic. My mum used to play it all the time. I'm so fucking excited, and you can back out any time if you decide this isn't what you want."
"I wouldn't want to do this for anyone else in the world. But I do think we're meant for it."
"You know what that means?"
Padma moved her hand further up Bastien's thigh. He supposed they should get as much sex in as they could before they were using it for a different purpose. Bastien pulled her close and sang,
"I'll be your daddy."