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]

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.

[manofmyword]

Mmmmm lazy snuggly kisses.

And... clothes.

Kid time?

[temporal_affairs]

Kid time.

Alice has taken Kerron to her room, where she is just now finishing reading him a storybook. Kerron - or somebody - has bitten a corner off this book, but it's still readable less the page numbers. "The end," she says, as Nathan and the Joker appear. "Hi guys!"

[manofmyword]

"Hi!" says the Joker. "You want me to fix the book?"

[temporal_affairs]

"I think it adds character," says Alice. "Henry bit it, anyway, it wasn't Kerron."

[manofmyword]

He laughs. "Okay."

[temporal_affairs]

Alice hands over the baby, who is babbling up a storm and waving his hands around like he's trying to fingerpaint the air.

[manofmyword]

"Somebody's excited," he says, giving the baby a hug.

[temporal_affairs]

"Ewupda!" crows Kerron.

[manofmyword]

"Love you too, munchkin," he laughs.

[temporal_affairs]

Alice giggles, and Nathan steers the Joker out of her room.

[manofmyword]

"I feel like taking the munchkin out for another walk," the Joker decides. "Whatcha think?"

[temporal_affairs]

"Sure. We've got a few hours before he falls asleep again."

[manofmyword]

"Great," he says cheerfully.

Off they go!

[temporal_affairs]

Nate leads them on a different route through Jaipur, and Kerron continues to babble and wave at everyone they pass close to, and everyone continues to find him adorable.

[manofmyword]

"I love you, munchkin," the Joker murmurs when they get back, and he kisses the top of Kerron's head.

[temporal_affairs]

"Wug," says Kerron.

[manofmyword]

"Snugglebug," he says, kissing the baby again.

[temporal_affairs]

"Uggawug."

"Maybe he's run through all the phonemes he's heard so far and now he's trying his hand at imitation," speculates Nathan.

But the next thing Kerron says is "Ludigamifrax!", which sounds nothing like anything that has been said recently.