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John didn't want to upset her, so of course he stayed. Of course he sat down across Daryus and started to scarf his chicken and rice as The King of Kings did his last dinner. Of course he did the dishes despite his soul bleeding on the backsplash.
And, naturally, as John placed the last plate on the rack he heard from the living room.
"I'm calling an ambulance, Lavender." He said
"The hell you are, Daryus." She retorted.
"The boy isn't well, he needs professionals—
"I'm not abandoning him. I refuse to bury another child of mine."
And so Lavender gently guided John to Lemar's room, her boy stumbling a bit so slightly, sleep already draping him like a cape.
With affection she sat next to him, fingers intertwined. His lids are already snapping up and down. "Momma?"
Lavender's heart stopped.
"Yes, Peach?" Her voice didn't waver despite it all.
"Can you sing to me?”
The sun creeped through the blinds, John snuggled up closer, arm reaching for Bob's as the other man turned around, then he kissed his nose playfully. Which earned a face scrunch from the ranger that rapidly melted into a dopey smile.
Bob caressed his hair. “You didn't have nightmares last night.”
“Yeah?” John sighed dreamily, eyes still closed.
“I think so. You did talk a bit though.”
That got John's attention, he opened one eye that quickly fought to slide down back again.
“What was I saying?” He asked, breath tickling Bob's face
“It was kinda… like a melody. Like you were singing in your sleep.” He drummed his fingers against his arms. “I could only make out a few words”
John blinked slowly in expectancy. Bob continued speaking. “It sounded something like— he cleared his throat and imitated a sleepy Walker — Oh sun… my sunshine.”
John's expression froze in a grimace. His eyes darted down and sighed. “Yeah… I, uh, I liked that song as a kid. You know how it goes? ‘You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…’”
He smiled sadly. Lemar’s favorite lullaby. If he closed his eyes, he could practically see his friend’s mom smiling down on him.
Bob felt the vibes of the moment changing, so he dropped the subject. He ran the back of his fingers through John’s face and offered him a smirk before burying his face in the creek of his neck.
John laughed as Bob’s disheveled hair tickled his nose, he kissed the top of his head. He felt so warm and giddy. So in love. He reached for his phone as Bob wrapped his arms around his torso. It was nine o’clock. Not too early nor too late. If they played their cards right, they could have breakfast together before Olivia dropped Freddie for the weekend.
Bob looked up at him as John’s expression formed into something pensive, burrows frowned and eyes focused on some point in the air.
“Something wrong?” Bob asked.
“Uh, Liv is dropping Freddie off in an hour.” John responded.
“That’s great.” Bob smiled. "or is it not?"
“I just… i feel even though I’m back in his life...I still don't know him.”
Bob nodded with compassion.
“Well, maybe this can be a chance to connect. Learn what he likes..”
John scratched the back of his head, doubting— not Bob of course — but his own abilities to be a father. His boyfriend took notice of that.
“Hey, you can’t be worse than my dad, right?” He chuckled darkly.
“Feels like an insult to my talents.” John replied with an equally sour sense of humor. Bob flicked his forehead playfully and they started to wrestle in bed for another five minutes.
After their… training session. John got up and stretched a bit to decompress his back. Bob looked for their clothes in the closet and tossed or put it on based on whom it belonged to. When they were ready, John opened the door of their room for him and they were on their way to the main compound of the Watchtower.
Yelena and Ava were watching TV on the couch, an old rom-com by the likes of it. Maybe 'The Holiday'? Toni was in her pajamas still, eating standing up from a cereal world as if she was being paid for it. Alexei was with Bucky sitting in the stools of the kitchen island, the juggernaut talked while the Winter Soldier looked like was calculating the easiest way to get out of the conversation.
John cleared his throat. “Hey, guys?” He called out. “Uh, if I could just have your attention for a minute. My son Freddie is coming here today, could we maybe keep our language, eh… you know, PG? .
There was a heavy pause among all of them.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Yelena asked with a smirk.
“Yeah, we have no fucking idea what you mean?” Ava chimed.
“ I agree, what the fuck did you mean by that, Walker?” Bucky catched on.
“Alright enough!” John facepalmed. “i hate all of you.”
“What did we do?” Antonia gestured between her and Alexei.
Bob tried to suppress a laugh as he said. “C’mon guys, be nice. Let’s try to be functional in front of the kid, please?” He did a puppy stare. “For me?”
They all shrugged and nodded. Alexei raised his hand. “Mr. Walker. If Tiny Walker is staying here, does that mean no movie night?”
John shrugged. “I mean, we could always watch a family movie.”
Bucky sighed. “I’ll pass then. Sorry if I don’t want to spend my weekend watching Bugs Bunny and Elmer going at it.”
John shook his head. “Alright. A. Please update your references. B. There are good kids’ movies everyone can enjoy regardless of age.”
“Yeah,” Bob nodded. “like Goodfellas!”
Everyone looked at him. Bob looked down. “This is one of those things I went through in my childhood, isn't it?”
The team finished their respective breakfasts and John got the message from Olivia that she was at the door with Freddie. He took a deep breath before the elevator’s door opened on the ground floor. He saw Freddie in her arms, curiously looking around. He felt his shoulder relaxing as he got closer.
“Hey.” Olivia said quietly as she handed him the kid with both arms then went up for a quick hug.
“Hi, you going to work?” John said as he cradled his son’s head and eyed her uniform.
“Coming back, actually, some moron kids that started a fire in the park… we caught it quickly though.” She answered as she fixed her suspenders and got some ashes off her shoulders.
She handed him a military duffel bag with toddler essentials. Meanwhile Freddie snuggled up to John while mumbling Dada.
“Thanks,” John took the duffle in his left shoulder. “By the way, I filled the form for the apartment. I'll get the keys tomorrow ”
“Oh, great!” She seemed relieved. She had been the one suggesting he get his own place outside the Watchtower. “Text me the adress and I'll stop by during the week.”
John nodded one last time before Liv left. Freddie started to poke his dad's moles in his neck, face and nose.
He got into the elevator and started to talk to his baby. “Are you my sunshine, Freddie?”
The little boy nodded as if he understood. “Sun!” He pointed at the windows outside that covered the elevator.