so very dapper

[temporal_affairs]

The Joker is awfully domestic, in his way. He makes pretty clothes. Nathan's perfectly happy to be a clothes horse for his sartorially-inclined mate. Some of the clothes are distinctly feminine, and Nathan does not wear those, although the Joker could probably talk him into a kilt, even if that's not a Manx thing but only their neighbors.

Comments

[temporal_affairs]

Henry grins back, and starts playing with Rosalie's hair, which is in convenient reach. Rosalie rolls her eyes indulgently.

"Maaaaaa," says Kerron.

"I can't tell if he wants you or if he's just making sounds," Nathan says to his mate.

[manofmyword]

"Me either," says the Joker. "You talkin' to me, munchkin?"

[temporal_affairs]

"Ayata kwar," says Kerron.

"I'm going to guess just sounds," says Nathan.

"You can have him anyway, just in case," Alice says, offering Kerron back to the most plausible referent of "ma".

[manofmyword]

"Hiya, munchkin," he says, kissing Kerron's forehead.

[temporal_affairs]

Kerron burbles happily.

"Are you just going to keep calling him 'munchkin' until he tells us whether he likes his name or not?" Nathan asks, amused.

[manofmyword]

"Maaaaaaaybe," says the Joker.

[temporal_affairs]

"Mommy calls me 'precious' sometimes even though my name's Henry!" says Henry.

"That's because you are the most precious thing," coos Rosalie, plucking her son from her shoulders to kiss his forehead. "In all the world."

[manofmyword]

"Awwwwwww," says the Joker.

[temporal_affairs]

"Esme's still dithering," Alice tells Rosalie.

"Is she still? That's a pity," sighs Rosalie. "It's not as though we'd feel like she loved us any less if we had a baby brother or sister who was naturally hers."

"Try telling her that," says Alice. "But I don't think it's that, I think it's about the one she lost, I think filling the void with us adoptees was one thing and having a new baby would be another."

[manofmyword]

"That's sad," he murmurs.

[temporal_affairs]

"Yes," agrees Rosalie.

"I think - this isn't something I'm seeing, just me knowing Esme - that she'll decide yes," Alice says. "For Carlisle's sake partly, at first, but of course she'll fall in love with it the first time she feels it moving."

"Of course she will," Rosalie says serenely.

"Everybody's reproducing all of a sudden," says Nathan.

"There's finally a way for us to do it," says Rosalie, "of course some of us want to."

[manofmyword]

The Joker grins.

[temporal_affairs]

"D'you wanna babysit Kerron for an hour or two?" Nathan asks Alice casually, putting his arm around his mate. "Get in some practice, make sure you're decided?"

"Sure," says Alice agreeably.

[manofmyword]

He beams.

[temporal_affairs]

"See you all later," says Nathan pleasantly, and he steers the Joker towards their quarters.

[manofmyword]

"It's so nice to have babysitters," he says brightly. "And soundproofing."

[temporal_affairs]

"Oh yes," says Nathan.

When they get to their room, he pounces.

[manofmyword]

It is a very, very good thing that they have soundproofing.

[temporal_affairs]

Regeneration's also useful stuff.

Nathan checks the best time to fetch Kerron from Alice, and supplies a ten-minute warning when it is time (some three hours later).

[manofmyword]

For once, he doesn't think of Good Things to do with those ten minutes; he just heals all his cracked ribs and snuggles up.

"Love you, sweetie," he sighs.

[temporal_affairs]

"I love you too," sighs Nathan, "and I am so glad I found you."

[manofmyword]

"So's damn near everybody," he observes.

[temporal_affairs]

"Yes. I have a very trustworthy timer," Nathan says contently.

[manofmyword]

The Joker kisses him.

[temporal_affairs]

Kisses. Kisses can occupy their ten minutes. And then they can get into clothes and go retrieve their son.