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“Oi! Oi! Welcome, Welcome!” Butcher called out from the living room.
A delightful giggle of a little girl followed the Brit’s booming voice.
“Hey! Where should we set the beer?” She called out.
Ben held up two cases of 24-packs as he walked in behind his girl and son, setting them on the counter once they reached the kitchen. Butcher and his lady invited the Boys over for a BBQ. Something surprisingly domestic for the group, but that’s what happens when kids come into the picture. It would have been surprising that Butcher was the first to be expecting a child if the team hadn’t been witness to the child’s conception.
A few months later, Soldier Boy found out he was going to be a father. His happiness only grew when a few weeks later he found out they were having a boy. Like any real man, Ben couldn’t contain his excitement in the doctor’s office. Shadow boxing and acting like he just went 10 and 0 with Muhammad Ali. Ben couldn’t help but rub it in a little that he was having a boy and Butcher was expecting a girl. Ben was a proud father, and the team let him gloat.
“Go hang out with the boys, baby. I’m gonna catch up with Annie. I haven’t seen her in forever,” She pecked Ben’s lips before handing over their son.
Ben took his son in his arms and walked into the living room. Butcher, Frenchie, MM, and Hughie sat around the large living room. Butcher’s little girl, Amelia, was playing in the middle of the floor, controlling the atmosphere around her. The little toddler was playing at her dad’s feet, decorating his boots and bottom of his jeans with stickers and little toys as he drank a beer and chatted away. Upon inspection, Amelia was making her way around the room as Frenchie and Hughie already had some pretty bedazzled sneakers.
“There ‘e is! ‘ow’s father’ood treatin’ ya, guv?” Butcher asked.
“Good since I’m not being bossed around by a two year old in a princess dress,” Ben huffed as he sat on the couch.
Ben set his son, Connor, on the ground and gave him a couple little army guys to play with. It was obvious that Ben didn’t want his kid playing with Amelia’s toys, or any girl toys, because he’d be damned if his son ended up a pussy. While his better half has tried to tell him that’s not how it works, he still held on to that belief.
“Dada!” Amelia grinned widely.
Butcher leaned forward and looked down at his boots, “Well, looky ‘ere! That’s beautiful, princess! Even got me favorite color an’ everythin’. Why don’t ya see if Uncle MM wants some stickas. Ay?”
He gave her a big bear growl and hug as he kissed her chubby little cheek and squeezed her. Amelia squealed and giggled as she held onto the man’s face, his facial hair tickling wherever he kissed. Once she was free, she gathered up her many sticker books and little backpack full of toys and scooted over to MM.
“Make sure to use a lot of purple. Unc M loves purple,” MM leant over to look at the many options the toddler laid out.
“Why do ya let her do that? All that glitter seems like a pain in the ass,” Ben arched a brow.
“Ass,” Amelia repeated.
They all tried to stifle a laugh at her little voice saying a cuss word.
“No cussin’, mate. Melia’s been repeatin’ everythin’ and me Missus don’ find it as funny as I do,” Butcher explained.
Connor toddled his way over to Amelia on the rug. She was flipping through butterfly stickers when the little boy sat next to her, tracing a finger over a super glittery one that caught his eye. “What’s Connor saying these days?” Hughie asked.
“Dada is his favorite right now,” Ben’s chest swelled with pride.
“Bet that drives ya lady up the wall,” Butcher chuckled as he watched his daughter.
Ben glanced down to see his little boy looking at Amelia’s toy bag, “Connor, buddy, play with your own toys.
Before the supe could chastise his son any more, a beer appeared in front of his face with a soft hand on his shoulder. He looked up at his lady with a smile and a sweet peck as he took the cold drink. Her eyes flicked over her little boy to make sure they were fine before giving her man a warning glance, “He’s fine, babe. He can play with her stuff. I’m sure Amelia won’t mind. You should let them spruce up your crocs.”
She ran her fingers through Ben’s hair before heading back into the kitchen. Ben scoffed as he sipped his beer and continued talking to the group. “How do you have the audacity to talk any kind of smack when you’re wearin’ crocs, man?” MM asked.
“I’m hanging out with you assholes not the Queen of fuckin’ England. Don’t need to break out the top and tails,” Ben rolled his eyes.
“Fuckin’,” Amelia repeated in a loud accent that sounded just like Butcher.
Butcher couldn’t keep in the loud bark of laughter.
Amelia’s eyes lit up with glee when she made her father laugh, “Fuckin’!”
Her face was even happier as the living room burst into laughter.
“William Butcher!”
“Fuckin’!” Amelia yelled.
Butcher winced at his full name but still wiped the tears away from his eyes, “Amelia! Baby, don’…don’ say that!”
When the toddler yelled it again, they all lost their minds and fell over on the couch. Butcher called for his daughter who happily went over to her laughing dad. Through his fit, he tried to tell her not to say that, it was a bad, all that stuff, but the look in her eyes said she didn’t care. It was locked in her mind that, that word made her daddy laugh.
“She’s just like you! Why did I have children with you?!?” The cussing toddler’s mom screeched.
“Can’ answer that in front of the kiddies, love,” he snickered.
An annoyed groan came from the women in the kitchen. Amelia had run back to her toys, helping Connor rummage through her little bag for something else to do. Ben would have said something, but he stopped himself when Connor picked up some of his army guys scattered around to start placing on MM’s shoes. He couldn’t help the little bit of relief he felt. After all the shit he’s seen of this new world, the last thing he wanted was for Connor to grow up to be some long haired pussy.
A while later, the ladies joined their men in the living room, watching tv, chatting, and letting the kids play. Terror had made himself at home on the floor and was now getting all the attention the bulldog craved. Connor lined up his toys along the outside of the dog’s body while Amelia was still going sticker crazy. Terror was content to be an active participant in their play time, checking every sticker Amelia picked out for him with a sniff and staying stock-still as to not knock over any of Connor’s toy wall.
“That’s one good dog,” Annie admired.
“Ain’t he though?” Butcher grinned.
“Terror was a a cry baby when he realized all the stuff we got for Amelia wasn’t for him. I caught him so many times in that baby swing,” Butcher’s lady laughed, “Now he’s like one of those nanny dogs.”
“I keep saying we should get a dog. Look how much Connor loves it,” Ben pointed out.
“I can barely get you to change diapers. I’m not dealing with a baby and a puppy,” she was quick to cut him off making the group laugh.
They didn’t know when it happened, but at some point, the toddlers decided to play chase. They screamed and squealed joyfully as they ran around into circles with Terror chasing them around and barking. It was a little grinding on the ear drums but as long as no one was crying, the adults were happy. Hysterical laughter would ring through every time Frenchie and Kimiko pretended to grab at them when they would pass by.
A few years ago, this happy family portrait would have been a laughable fever dream to all of them. They still had their wild and crazy moments when duty called or they needed to let off some steam.
Connor decided he was done running and wanted to look in the toy bag again. He once again waddled over to the bag and rummaged around before finding a little toy horse. Amelia stopped running when she noticed Connor had been touching her things without her supervision. The sass radiating off that child as she B-lined towards the boy wasn’t to be trifled with. In one swift motion, she yanked the toy from Connor’s hands and pushed him with an angry whine. Connor fell on his butt and instantly started to cry.
“Amelia Butcher!”
“Hey!” Ben snapped.
The little girl jumped in fear as her mother and Uncle Ben snapped at her. If it had just been her mother, she wouldn’t have given a second thought to sassing her, but Ben’s voice was much scarier. Fat tears welled in her eyes, and she flopped on the ground to start crying as well.
“Oi! Don’ yell at my kid!” Butcher suddenly stood up off the couch to scoop up his daughter.
“Ben, it’s okay. You don’t need to yell,” she tried to calm her man, “I’m sorry.”
Ben stood up and picked up his son, irritation evident on the man’s face as he tried to console the upset boy. The look on the supe’s face said his pride was hurt by what happened. Ben was so proud that his first kid was a boy, and anything that came close to threatening his “master” plan of raising a strong man upset him. The problem is he can’t tell an almost two year old to be a man, so she catches him micromanaging things like making sure he plays with boy toys. The love that comes with fatherhood was slowly changing his mindset, but there were days when he slipped back into old habits.
Amelia was latched on to her daddy like a koala as fat tears rolled down her cheeks. It was one thing for parents to yell, but another adult? An adult that was supposed to be the fun adult? Bring on the waterworks. Butcher pet and kissed her head of dark hair as he carried her into the kitchen to get a little treat. Her mother rolled her eyes with a small smile as she watched him spoil their daughter instead of punish her for being naughty. The second Amelia turned on the tears, Butcher would have to fight for his life to not crumble.
When Ben saw the look on her face, he knew he was in for an earful. He sighed in defeat as he followed her to the next room. Within the privacy of a guest bedroom, she let him have it, “Just because your son gets pushed over by a little girl, doesn’t give you the right to yell at her!”
“But why didn’t he like…push her back?” Ben asked irritated, “Why’d she have to push him?”
She groaned, “They’re babies, Ben! Babies! Barely two! Playing with stickers and dolls is not gonna turn him into a pussy, and certainly losing one little toddler tantrum won’t make him one either.”
Connor absentmindedly played with his own hair in one hand and Ben’s in the other, like he was comparing them while his parents were arguing about him. Ben cast his eyes down to the floor, tiny bit of guilt creeping in. He didn’t mean to make Amelia cry, but it was hard to reign himself in when it came to Connor.
“I know all of this is because you want to be a good father,” she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, making him look at her, “You are a wonderful father…when you get out of your head.”
Ben slowly nodded, “Just want him to be the best. I don’t want him to be affected by all this…shit.”
“Raising children has changed, big guy. While we’re both figuring out parenthood, you gotta trust me when I tell you stuff is done differently,” she explained, “And you can’t yell at someone else’s kid like that. Especially not our friends’ kids. Ya gotta let them parent their child and step in when ours is involved somehow.
Ben nodded, “I know…just lost my cool. I didn’t mean to scare Amelia. I kinda feel bad now.”
“You should. Soldier Boy shouldn’t make babies cry,” she teased, “Now go apologize for real.”
Ben sarcastically groaned before smirking, “Alright. Anythin’ for you, doll.”
The couple kissed before exiting the bedroom to re-enter the living room. Ben handed Connor to his mother, and he walked over to Butcher standing in front of Amelia who sat on the kitchen counter with a little spoon trying to dip into a container of ice cream.
“Hey, Butcher, ‘m sorry. Lost my cool and I shouldn’t have,” Ben stood up straight like a man and owned up to his mistake, “They’re babies and uh…gotta remember that.”
“S’alright, mate,” Butcher accepted, “We’re all learnin’. Just don’ let it happen again.”
The supe nodded. That was that.
Ben looked to Amelia who shrunk away from him and grabbed for her daddy. Butcher wrapped an arm around his little girl as she stood on the counter and tangled her arms around his neck, her little face buried in his neck.
“Melly Belly,” Ben cocked his head as he saw her peak up at the nickname, “‘M sorry, sweetheart. Uncle Ben didn’t mean to scare ya.”
She rubbed her face back into Butcher’s neck who chuckled, “I wonda’ if my Melly has some stickas she might wanna give ‘er Uncle Ben.”
She poked an eye out.
Ben swallowed his frown, this was all part of being a dad/uncle and he could take it, “Ya think ya got some blue ones?”
Amelia swiveled her head to reveal her face and nodded.
Ben shot the group daggers as he was hunched over being led back into the living room by the little girl.
“She’s a bossy little thing,” Ben groaned as he sat down on the couch.
“Gets it from ‘er mum, she does,” Butcher joked before being hit by his better half.
Across the room, Connor became fussy in his mom’s arms to be put down to join the play. The little boy rushed over into his dad’s waiting hands and giggled as he was picked up and set in Ben’s lap, “There’s my lil’ man!”
Connor pushed his hands on Ben’s face to make him make funny faces. Ben scrunched his features and made funny expressions. He was fully aware of the eyes on him. Soldier Boy dropping the macho act and acting like a real dad.
“Wanna help Melly with dada’s shoes?” Ben asked.
“Ye-th!” Connor said through his fingers in his mouth.
As Connor was set on the floor, she came and sat next to Ben to snuggle into his side. The tone changed back to a happy gathering. Friends talking and joking as they drank and entertained the little ones running around. Life was good. Life was full of life. For a team that banded together over death, they had found an ending full of life.