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

[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.

[manofmyword]

The Joker giggles.

[temporal_affairs]

Time goes on. The capital moves to Russia, and this time teleportation is involved instead of the historical piling onto airplanes. Kerron gets bigger, noticeably, daily. Various babysitters babysit, and the Joker and Nathan acquire a reputation as insatiable new-mates, one of whom will happily solve any problems that present themselves with magic much more casually than the Empress will. Nathan's newly mated leave ends, and he is obliged to report to work as needed, though as promised Bella does restrict her questions to batches when Kerron and the Joker are both asleep whenever she can.

Kerron manages to go without meeting Addy until he is two weeks old, walking and uttering simple sentences.

The instant he sees her, he runs up to her and hugs her leg, beaming up at her.

"Oh, wow," exclaims Addy. "Aren't you a tasty little combo platter?"

"...Excuse me?" says Nathan.

[manofmyword]

The Joker raises his eyebrows.

[temporal_affairs]

"He's a twofer! He's an ingot and a witch!" cries Addy, picking up a giggling Kerron.

[manofmyword]

He relaxes, smiling.

[temporal_affairs]

"Oh, I wasn't gonna eat him, he's a half-vampire, he wouldn't even be tasty," scoffs Addy. "I'm tasting his magic. And he knew it! Got two, closely related powers. The ingot bit is sensing - goals, wants, intents, that sort of thing. Witch bit sees how he, personally, fits into them. Very tidy package. He knows what I like and he knows he can help so he came straight up to me! Aren't you a helpful little cutie!" She boops Kerron's nose.

"I'm helpful!" Kerron beams.

[manofmyword]

"He is a helpful little cutie," the Joker agrees, grinning. "Well. Ain't that special."