It's amazing how much someone grows up in a year and a half. Or however long it had been since he'd found Gar and forced his mate to tell him why he'd run away. But when the people you loved required more of you, sometimes you stepped up. Tommy definitely had. The guy that had been as sassy and sometimes assholeish hero a year and a half ago was older, stronger, more confident and controlled now. It came with helping his lover through the pregnancy, with getting up late to deal with diapers and feedings, and with every moment of wonder as their little girl grew up.
As for Tommy, he's definitely standing behind his mate, kissing his neck lightly.
"Or maybe our little Bitty Ritty is going to love it. She's her papa's little tiger cub, and don't they love the water?"
Gar elbows Tommy lightly as the other kissed his neck, looking over the splash pad and maybe he's looking for all the danger spots. he shouldn't worry too much, Tommy could move fast enough to protect her from just about anything but he couldn't help it.
"They do," Gar laughs and he did as well. When they'd finally moved out of the doom manor and and got a place of their own a huge tub had been one of Gar's stipulations. Bruce was helping them pay for it, a loan, Gar had insisted. But they had needed their own place. It's a very nice house but it's still modest in most ways. It has a fenced back yard which Rita had any number of toys already, and a treehouse in the making though it would be a while before she could use it.
Tommy had definitely enjoyed the massive tub, especially for sharing it with his mate. And frankly, he'd been happy for Bruce's loan as well. The other option had been Tommy mentioning it to any of the adults in his family. Pietro and Wanda might have helped them buy it, but his grandparents would have gone for theft or throwing money at the problem, and refusing compensation. At least Bruce was REASONABLE about this sort of thing.
"I think the bigger shock is that we've gotten far enough away from being woken seventeen times in two hours at night that I'm starting to think she needs another cub around," Tommy counters, finally pushing his lover forward just a bit.
She's a kid, he wants to say. She's one and her parents will take care of her, but she has to EXPERIENCE things, even if she's only one. Don't be scared, let her play.
"If you don't get moving, I'm carrying you both into the water."
Gar laughs at that. It has been good to be able to get a full or mostly full night of sleep again. However the implication they should have another already makes Gar nervous.
"I... not yet," he stumbles. Because he wants more but he's still feels so overwhelmed sometimes and what if it would be another difficult 9 months? It would put so much burden on Tommy. And he's still so scared he's going to break Rita somehow. He knows Tommy knows it, is lucky that Tommy seems to be braver than him. So he ignores the what ifs and offers Tommy a smile.
And since Rita was reaching out and saying Daddy he handed her over.
Oh, Tommy's scared of fucking up too. He just knows he has the reflexes to fix anything before it's too late. Provided he's watching. Which he always was. Tommy ate about three times as much now, given how often he was speeding through the house through other things to just check on Rita in her crib.
But with the little one reaching his face softens. Two things in the world can get him that soft. Gar, and their little girl. He takes Rita in his arms and coos at her, kissing her forehead lightning fast. That always seemed to make her laugh.
Gar looks relieved when Tommy relents. When Billy arrives, Gar will be sure the three of them get pictures together but for now Tommy and Rita satisfies him.
"Join you soon, baby girl," Gar grins at Rita, leaning to press a quick kiss to Tommy's lips. God he loved seeing Tommy with their daughter.
Well, maybe that was because their daughter clearly took after her daddy in some ways. Tommy's eyes, his complexion. But her facial structure and hair were clearly already taking after her Papa.
She really was theirs
"Say Cheesy," Tommy coos. And waving her hand like he does, their daughter laughs. That should do.
Gar laughs and he is pulling his phone out of the protective plastic for the water so he can get some photos of the two of them playing out on the splash pad.
And what photos they are. So much fun, tons of frolic, and eventually Tommy even zooms over to collect the phone and hand off their little one so that he can get pictures of Gar with the kid too. There is NO WAY they aren't going to remember this day.
"When she's, like, twenty and dating, she's going to hate us for dragging these out."
Gar laughs when Tommy takes the phone and hands off Rita.
"Maybe she'll like it," he says off handedly. He didn't have any childhood pictures so... well, maybe that's why he's overcompensating. He takes her back to the water and forgets for a bit about the fact Tommy's taking pictures and just lives in the moment with his kid discovering she really likes water and splashing.
Gar shakes his head and he leans to press a quick kiss to Tommy's cheek before playing with Rita some more who has taken to splashing at her parents and anyone that comes near. Gar splashes back at her carefully.
“I think you’re all the cutest,” a voice cut in to the play time and Tommy freezes before turning to see his twin there. His twin and his brother in law. And Tommy looks toward his husband and shakes his head. BEcause clearly Gar did this.
And then he starts splashing water toward the two. Which is hard because they’re pretty far away.
“You are,” Tommy agrees, his voice soft and half awed. Even after all this time, he still sometimes seems to act like things are going to fall apart. It’s always something for Tommy. But after a moment he just snaps to a smile. Each time it’s shorter and shorter, the bad reactions.
Gar just laughs softly and lets Tommy guide them over, warmly greeting the
other two men and resting his head on Tommy's shoulder. Rita's delighted
with getting attention from two other sources. She's apparently one for
being the center of attention.
Billy grins and holds his hands out. Tommy grins and nods for his brother to take the girl. And there are plenty of kisses and hugs for the little girl. And while they do that, Tommy hugs his husband.
"Of course," Gar smiles, biting his lip as he watches Rita with her uncles. He's happy that their girl is going to have more family than either of them had had.
"You're literally the best. Can't imagine what my life would be like without the two of you," Tommy smiles, leaning in to nuzzle Gar's neck. This? This was heaven.
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As for Tommy, he's definitely standing behind his mate, kissing his neck lightly.
"Or maybe our little Bitty Ritty is going to love it. She's her papa's little tiger cub, and don't they love the water?"
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"They do," Gar laughs and he did as well. When they'd finally moved out of the doom manor and and got a place of their own a huge tub had been one of Gar's stipulations. Bruce was helping them pay for it, a loan, Gar had insisted. But they had needed their own place. It's a very nice house but it's still modest in most ways. It has a fenced back yard which Rita had any number of toys already, and a treehouse in the making though it would be a while before she could use it.
"Can you believe she's one."
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"I think the bigger shock is that we've gotten far enough away from being woken seventeen times in two hours at night that I'm starting to think she needs another cub around," Tommy counters, finally pushing his lover forward just a bit.
She's a kid, he wants to say. She's one and her parents will take care of her, but she has to EXPERIENCE things, even if she's only one. Don't be scared, let her play.
"If you don't get moving, I'm carrying you both into the water."
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"I... not yet," he stumbles. Because he wants more but he's still feels so overwhelmed sometimes and what if it would be another difficult 9 months? It would put so much burden on Tommy. And he's still so scared he's going to break Rita somehow. He knows Tommy knows it, is lucky that Tommy seems to be braver than him. So he ignores the what ifs and offers Tommy a smile.
And since Rita was reaching out and saying Daddy he handed her over.
"Let me take pictures of you two."
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But with the little one reaching his face softens. Two things in the world can get him that soft. Gar, and their little girl. He takes Rita in his arms and coos at her, kissing her forehead lightning fast. That always seemed to make her laugh.
"You have a hundred pictures, babe."
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"Don't judge me," Gar laughs, smiling. "I promise I'll join but I want pictures of this. It's her birthday."
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"Yeah, I guess she only ever gets the one."
So Tommy turns the babe around in his arms and holds he carefully, his fingers wrapping around her arm to help her wave to Papa.
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"Join you soon, baby girl," Gar grins at Rita, leaning to press a quick kiss to Tommy's lips. God he loved seeing Tommy with their daughter.
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She really was theirs
"Say Cheesy," Tommy coos. And waving her hand like he does, their daughter laughs. That should do.
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"When she's, like, twenty and dating, she's going to hate us for dragging these out."
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"Maybe she'll like it," he says off handedly. He didn't have any childhood pictures so... well, maybe that's why he's overcompensating. He takes her back to the water and forgets for a bit about the fact Tommy's taking pictures and just lives in the moment with his kid discovering she really likes water and splashing.
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"You two are the cutest," Tommy laughs when he finally speeds away to put the camera somewhere secure, instead moving to join his family."
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"I think you two are the cutest."
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And then he starts splashing water toward the two. Which is hard because they’re pretty far away.
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“I’m the best ever, right?” Gar whispers conspiratorially toward Tommy.
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"Gonna go introduce her now that she might remember them?"
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Gar just laughs softly and lets Tommy guide them over, warmly greeting the other two men and resting his head on Tommy's shoulder. Rita's delighted with getting attention from two other sources. She's apparently one for being the center of attention.
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“You do this for us?” Tommy asks.
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this one might be good to wrap up too