Work Text:
Tim sat on the small stool Mia had set down for him. "Do you think it will look good?" He asked, barely able to contain his excitement. Martin was helping Felix with homework and Jon was grading something for his class of older kids. The perfect time to get a cool short haircut like his brother.
Mia nodded with a smile as she spoke. "Yep, you'll look great in the end Tim," she said, using the name he asked her to use, causing Tim to smile brightly. Mia grabbed the scissors she used for crafting and grabbed a bit of Tim's currently long hair.
A loud snip was heard as she cut it really short like Felix had his hair. "Wait…do you want it short like Felix or like dad?" She then asked.
"Like Felix please," Tim said, bouncing one of his legs up and down.
Mia grinned and nodded. "Okay," she said, grabbing another piece of hair and cutting it a lot longer than the last without meaning to. However she continued with a couple more small bits of hair before there was some knocking.
"Little goblins, can I come in?" Martin asked from the other side of the door, knocking again. He always used that word to address them when he knew they were up to harmless mischief. They both liked the name.
Tim and Mia both froze up this time though, this was supposed to be a secret hair cutting that would either end up cool or with him having his hair cut at a hairdresser.
"Yes dad," Tim finally said after taking a deep breath, preparing for a scolding and anger. Would his dads be sad if he told them he was a boy?
Martin came in, seeing Mia holding the bits of hair she had cut and Tim sitting on the stool with parts of his hair a lot shorter than others (not to mention cut very unevenly).
Meanwhile Tim was still sitting, looking at the floor as if he was thinking about something.
"What are you two doing?" Martin asked, kneeling so he was at their level. He wasn't mad and even had to hold back a chuckle as he remembered his own attempt at cutting his hair when he was younger. However his mom had been furious at him so he had stopped until he got older.
"Promise you won't get mad," Tim asked, standing up as Mia put the scissors on a nearby table. "Please," he asked as he hugged Martin.
Martin hugged back. "Of course I won't be mad, why would I be mad?" He asked, pulling away from the hug as Jon walked into the room to check up on what was going on.
"Because I asked Mia to cut my hair because I don't like it," Tim said, looking at the ground. "It's too long and it makes me feel bad."
Jon and Martin looked at each other for a moment, seemingly thinking the same thing. "Why does it make you feel bad?" Jon asked calmly, also kneeling down too.
Tim looked up, trying to think of a way to say it. "Because Tim is a boy," Mia blurted out, hugging her brother from behind.
"Mia, you shouldn't say that without asking if you can say that first," Martin said, smiling at her. "Is Tim the name you prefer?" He asked, looking back at Tim.
Tim nodded awkwardly. "I want to be cool like the Tim that's your friend," he said. "I don't like being a girl, I want to be a boy….I am a boy."
Jon smiled. "Well, then you're a boy," he simply stated, ruffling Tim's hair.
"Wait…you're not sad?" Tim asked, a bit confused.
"Why would we be sad? We have two great sons and a daughter," Martin said. "We love you Tim, your father and I both had something similar too. We love you no matter what"
Tim's eyes lit up as he hugged Martin. "Really?! That's so cool," he said, letting go of the hug and immediately hugging Jon.
"I love you dads," Tim said as he let go of the hug, a giant grin on his face.
"We love you too Tim," Jon said, a part of him remembering the painful memories attached to that name. However he didn't let it affect the here and now.
His son had chosen the name Timothy and it suited him well.
Mia smiled brightly and hugged her brother. "See, I told you they wouldn't be sad," she said proudly accidently dropping the hair she was holding onto the floor.
"Whoops," she mumbled as Tim giggled.
"Alright, how about we make a deal?" Jon suggested, standing up straight. "You two clean this mess while Felix finishes his homework. And then we can go get Tim a shorter haircut if he wants that."
Tim began to nod as he jumped up and down in excitement. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!!! I want to have a cool haircut like Felix," he said, immediately beginning to clean with Mia.
—---------------
"Are you sure you want such a short haircut sweetheart?" The hairdresser asked as she was cutting the points of the hair.
Tim nodded. "Mmm, yes please," he said, nearly vibrating in the chair.
The hairdresser glanced at Jon and Martin. "Are you sure you want your da-" she began but was cut off by Jon.
"Yes, I'm sure our son already made it clear what he wants'' He said, gesturing between him and Martin as Felix was drawing and Mia was playing with duplo blocks in the kids play waiting area.
The hairdresser finally nodded, cutting Tim's hair shorter until it reached his shoulders.
"This is not what he wants, he wants it short like mine," Felix said, having wandered to stand closer to watch the process.
"Well it's not done yet, she-" the woman said before hearing a correction yelled by Mia. "Ah, my apologies. He still needs to choose a hairstyle. Unless he wants it like his father or you," she said.
"Oh…I didn't think about that," Tim admitted.
The hairdresser was about to hand him a booklet with mostly female targeted hairstyles before Martin came over and offered Tim a different one. "This is where I picked my hairstyle from when I was younger," he said with a smile before returning to the waiting area.
Tim through the booklet, seeing hairstyles he had been jealous of before. Finally he picked one he thought looked the coolest. "This one please," he said with an excited grin.
Once the haircut was done Martin paid and they left the hairdresser. "Do you still have enough energy left to get some new clothes kiddo?" Martin asked, glad Tim was happy with his hair.
Tim nodded excitedly, taking Martin's hand and dragging him towards the nearest store to get an entirely new wardrobe.
Afterwards there was a surprise dinner at their favorite restaurant and some ice cream.
"Thank you dads, today was amazing" Tim said with a smile as they went back to the car with everything they had bought.
"Of course, I'm just happy you're happy," Jon said as he closed the car door. "It's a bit before we arrive back home so once we're there you three have to start getting ready for bed okay?"
Groans came from the three siblings. "But I'm not sleepy yet," Mia said, barely holding a yawn.
"No buts young lady, your brothers and you need sleep," Martin said as he started the car. "Growing bodies need their sleep."
—-------
"How many times have you read that book for them?" Martin asked as Jon got into bed.
"How many times have you sung the same lullaby for them?" Jon retorted as he rested his head on Martin's shoulder.
Martin chuckled, closing the book he had been reading. "Are you okay?" He asked, kissing Jon's forehead.
"Of course, I'm happy he's honest with us."
"Jon, you know that's not what I mean. I know something is bothering you. Is it the name?" Martin asked, resting his own head on Jon's.
Jon sighed. "Not quite? It has some memories attached that…aren't the most pleasant but there's also good memories," he admitted.
Martin hummed. "You knew Tim better than I did," he admitted.
"I'm just happy we can give him the chances we didn't get," Jon replied, remembering his own grandmother's reaction to him having shorter hair when he was younger, she never cared but also never really called him by the name he liked.
Martin smiled, yawning. "Well, I say this is another victory," he said, hoping they would handle this well. "Goodnight Jon, I love you."
"Goodnight, I love you too."