It had been a long day with a fussy baby, but they'd finally managed to tuck little Emily Rose into bed for the night and were getting ready to turn in themselves for a few hours sleep before the whole cycle started all over again. Jon had been more than willing to help whenever he could, spelling Vicki so she could rest, taking turns caring for their newborn daughter.
The last month had flown by, it seemed, and yet at the same time, it seemed to have lasted forever, each day running into another and another, as if they were never-ending. But things were slowly getting better. Emily had quickly become the apple of her father's eye, an angel sent from heaven, and Jon had never felt happier.
Despite the long interrupted nights and the steady stream of visitors that didn't seem to be abating, Vicki was surprisingly upbeat as well. She'd been afraid that perhaps she wasn't going to bond with their daughter because she wasn't breastfeeding, but to her delight, Emily seemed as happy to be with her as she was to be with Jon. At five weeks, their baby girl was starting to look a little more human and a lot less like a disgruntled sweet potato, and she certainly wasn't shy about expressing herself in various ways. But it had been a very long day, and without the usual nap in the mid afternoon, Vicki was hoping that Emily was going to stay asleep a while longer than usual this time. Crossed legged on the end of the bed, wrapped up in pajamas and brushing her hair out, she tilted her head to glance into the bathroom, never one to miss an opportunity to admire Jon's rear end whether he caught her or not.
Even the constant attention a newborn required did little to change Jon's fastidious grooming habits, and Vicki got a nice view of her husband's rump every night while he was bent over the sink brushing his teeth, the last thing he usually did before turning in for the night. He turned the water on to rinse his mouth out before grabbing a towel and dabbing his face dry. This was a special time of day for the married couple, after the baby was put down for the night, after the plethora of visitors had gone home, after Humphrey was finished cooing and fussing over the latest addition to the Granger family. This was their time, and it was Jon's favorite time of day.
There was a thunk as Vicki tossed her brush onto the bedside cabinet. She'd long since stopped tiptoeing around when Emily was sleeping, fairly confident in her assessment - often voiced - that they'd managed to produce a baby who could quite happily sleep through an express train passing by her crib and wake up refreshed and undisturbed afterward. It didn't mean Vicki was loud when Emily was snoring in the corner, she just didn't stress out about being quiet. She thumped down onto her back, stretching out with a low yawn, and turned her head toward the bathroom. "Have you finished yet, stud muffin?"
"Yes, dear," came the response from the bathroom as Jon shut the water off and rehung the towel. He flicked the bathroom light off before stepping into the bedroom to join his wife, but before he could do that, he had to take one last peek at their sleeping daughter. It was no secret that between the two of them, Jon was the more worrisome one, though he'd mellowed some over the last year or so. He peeked at their daughter, a happy smile on his face, and tucked the blanket around her just because it made him feel better to do so. "Sleeping like an angel," he said quietly, as he brushed a tender caress against his daughter's cheek.
"After spending the afternoon screaming like a demon, I'm not surprised," was the drawling response from his redheaded wife, who was watching his doting goodnight with a tender smile of her own. She enjoyed watching Jon with Emily almost as much as she enjoyed her time with the baby girl, although nothing was ever going to top the hilarity and chaos that had been baby's first bath. Neither of them had come out of that one looking very good, but it had been good for them to realise they were allowed to get so much wrong and still end up with a happy, clean baby. Even if Cosmo now refused to come within six feet of the baby bath, whether it was full or not.
Having a new baby at Maple Grove was certainly an adventure for everyone involved, and Jon was having the time of his life. Life just didn't get any better than this. He smiled at the remark from his wife, unable to resist teasing her a little. "She has her mother's temper," he said, turning away from the baby so that he could collapse onto the bed beside his wife. He wound his arms around her waist, burying his face against her neck and leaving a trail of soft kisses. "Tired?" he asked as he held her close, not needing or asking for anything more than this, unless she wanted it.
"God save us all," Vicki snickered, hugging close to her husband as he gathered her in, teasing her fingertips in and out of his increasingly wild curls tenderly. She enjoyed their private quiet time at this end of the day more than most people would have expected her to, always ready to curl close and just breathe with Jon. As her body healed, just breathing had become closer cuddling, gentle touches, shared kisses that promised they were well on their way to returning to the more physical affection they were so used to sharing. They hadn't quite got there yet, but it had only been five weeks. "I'm always tired," she laughed quietly, drawing her head back to kiss the end of his nose. "But it's not so bad tonight. Maybe I'm getting used to the colic."
"I don't think anyone ever gets used to that," he said with a smile that hinted that he was only kidding in part. He laid down against the pillow to nestle his head beside her, stroking her cheek with his fingers. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?" he asked in a soft voice, a warm loving smile on his face.
"Hmm ..." She made a play of thinking about the question, though she knew the answer to the second. "Not since I rescued you from deafness by baby spit," was the reply he got, complete with weary laugh and a slow, tender kiss. "Love you back." Despite the urge, she made an effort not to talk about Emily in these quiet moments. It wasn't always possible, but Vicki was determined that being parents wasn't going to change too much about their relationship.
If anything, becoming parents seemed to have only brought them closer together. They weren't just husband and wife now; they were also father and mother, but before all of that, they were best friends and lovers, and there was no one Jon loved or trusted more than his Vicki. "Post card arrived from Liv and Johnny today. Did you see it?" he asked as he reached over to turn the light off before snuggling back down beside her. It was the first chance they'd had all day just to talk.
"Was that the one with the Goofy making an obscene gesture, or was that the photograph her sister sent us to frame?" She couldn't keep up with Liv and Johnny right now, which was probably why Liv had jumped on getting her wedding and honeymoon in while the boss and his wife were too bleary-eyed to do more than yawn and nod. Vicki laughed fondly, cuddling into Jon's embrace by the light of the soft nightlight beneath Emily's crib. "If I saw it, I didn't read it, I don't think. Are they having fun?"
He laughed, remembering the photo and wondering if he could use it to blackmail Johnny with, maybe for babysitting services at a future date. "No, Lucy sent that," he corrected his sleepy wife, sliding his arms back around her to hold her close. "She didn't say much, but they seem to be. I'm glad. They're good for each other." He nuzzled closer to rest his forehead against hers. "Do you think the family would get mad if we asked them to be godparents?"
It was a curious notion, making The Human Torch and his somewhat neurotic wife the legal as well as spiritual guardians of their firstborn, but Jon knew his wife very well indeed. The redhead in his arms snorted with laughter, but the expression on her face was all kinds of approving. "I think that's a great idea," she agreed warmly, the tip of her nose nudging his as she gazed into his eyes, blue on blue. "And it avoids the inevitable sniping that would happen if we chose one cousin over another one. I love your family, but oy ....you Grangers do drama like it's going out of fashion."
He laughed rubbing his nose against hers, blue eyes sparkling with amusement. He'd come a long way since he met her, and his happiness was almost infectious. He still had his angsty moments from time to time - it was part of who he was - but overall, he couldn't be happier and it showed. "Might I remind you that you're one of us now, Mrs. Granger?" he asked, with obvious amusement.
"I'd rather you just kissed me instead, Mr Granger," was the instant reply, something he was very used to from his outspoken wife. She grinned, laying her head comfortably on the pillow, and very deliberately pulled the most outrageous fish-face she could come up with, puckering her lips with cheeky invitation.
He chuckled at the face she was making, reminded of the child she'd been and wondering if their own daughter was going to be as adorable as her mother. "What's the magic word, Mrs. Granger?" he teased back. She didn't really need to ask for a kiss, but it was hard to resist teasing her.
"Knickers." Again, it was an instant reply, proof that Vicki was operating on something less than a third of her usual brainpower, no matter how un-tired she tried to insist she was. It was testament to just how comfortable she was with Jon that the moment he wrapped his arms around her, she relaxed, no matter where they were or what they were doing. When it happened in bed these days, he ran the risk of ending up talking to a wife who was only just conscious.
There was another ripple of laughter at the redhead's response. "That's not it, but I'll let it go. This time." He rubbed his nose against her before pressing a very soft, very loving kiss against her lips. "I love you, Mrs. Granger," he told her as their lips parted, never quite tiring of calling her that and reminding them both that they were officially coupled for life.
She smiled into his kiss, nuzzling close for a long, blissfully uninterrupted moment before reluctantly slipping her arm from about him to flail for the covers. "I love it when you call me that," she admitted sleepily, touching another kiss to his lips as her fingers found the edge of the quilt and dragged it up over them.
After a long day with a colicky baby, he knew she was sleepy, but that was okay. He caught the quilt and tucked it up over them both, kissing her one last time before settling in for a few hours sleep before the babyfest started all over again. "Get some sleep, Vicki. I'll take first shift." He smiled at her in the dim light cast from the nightlight, his heart light as a feather. All his dreams had finally come true. Life just didn't get any better than this.
((Aw, and they lived happily ever after! ;) Well, almost. We're not quite finished with them yet, but they are pretty darned cute and happy. Many thanks to Vicki's awesome player for this short but sweet scene and thanks to anyone who's reading. :)))
The last month had flown by, it seemed, and yet at the same time, it seemed to have lasted forever, each day running into another and another, as if they were never-ending. But things were slowly getting better. Emily had quickly become the apple of her father's eye, an angel sent from heaven, and Jon had never felt happier.
Despite the long interrupted nights and the steady stream of visitors that didn't seem to be abating, Vicki was surprisingly upbeat as well. She'd been afraid that perhaps she wasn't going to bond with their daughter because she wasn't breastfeeding, but to her delight, Emily seemed as happy to be with her as she was to be with Jon. At five weeks, their baby girl was starting to look a little more human and a lot less like a disgruntled sweet potato, and she certainly wasn't shy about expressing herself in various ways. But it had been a very long day, and without the usual nap in the mid afternoon, Vicki was hoping that Emily was going to stay asleep a while longer than usual this time. Crossed legged on the end of the bed, wrapped up in pajamas and brushing her hair out, she tilted her head to glance into the bathroom, never one to miss an opportunity to admire Jon's rear end whether he caught her or not.
Even the constant attention a newborn required did little to change Jon's fastidious grooming habits, and Vicki got a nice view of her husband's rump every night while he was bent over the sink brushing his teeth, the last thing he usually did before turning in for the night. He turned the water on to rinse his mouth out before grabbing a towel and dabbing his face dry. This was a special time of day for the married couple, after the baby was put down for the night, after the plethora of visitors had gone home, after Humphrey was finished cooing and fussing over the latest addition to the Granger family. This was their time, and it was Jon's favorite time of day.
There was a thunk as Vicki tossed her brush onto the bedside cabinet. She'd long since stopped tiptoeing around when Emily was sleeping, fairly confident in her assessment - often voiced - that they'd managed to produce a baby who could quite happily sleep through an express train passing by her crib and wake up refreshed and undisturbed afterward. It didn't mean Vicki was loud when Emily was snoring in the corner, she just didn't stress out about being quiet. She thumped down onto her back, stretching out with a low yawn, and turned her head toward the bathroom. "Have you finished yet, stud muffin?"
"Yes, dear," came the response from the bathroom as Jon shut the water off and rehung the towel. He flicked the bathroom light off before stepping into the bedroom to join his wife, but before he could do that, he had to take one last peek at their sleeping daughter. It was no secret that between the two of them, Jon was the more worrisome one, though he'd mellowed some over the last year or so. He peeked at their daughter, a happy smile on his face, and tucked the blanket around her just because it made him feel better to do so. "Sleeping like an angel," he said quietly, as he brushed a tender caress against his daughter's cheek.
"After spending the afternoon screaming like a demon, I'm not surprised," was the drawling response from his redheaded wife, who was watching his doting goodnight with a tender smile of her own. She enjoyed watching Jon with Emily almost as much as she enjoyed her time with the baby girl, although nothing was ever going to top the hilarity and chaos that had been baby's first bath. Neither of them had come out of that one looking very good, but it had been good for them to realise they were allowed to get so much wrong and still end up with a happy, clean baby. Even if Cosmo now refused to come within six feet of the baby bath, whether it was full or not.
Having a new baby at Maple Grove was certainly an adventure for everyone involved, and Jon was having the time of his life. Life just didn't get any better than this. He smiled at the remark from his wife, unable to resist teasing her a little. "She has her mother's temper," he said, turning away from the baby so that he could collapse onto the bed beside his wife. He wound his arms around her waist, burying his face against her neck and leaving a trail of soft kisses. "Tired?" he asked as he held her close, not needing or asking for anything more than this, unless she wanted it.
"God save us all," Vicki snickered, hugging close to her husband as he gathered her in, teasing her fingertips in and out of his increasingly wild curls tenderly. She enjoyed their private quiet time at this end of the day more than most people would have expected her to, always ready to curl close and just breathe with Jon. As her body healed, just breathing had become closer cuddling, gentle touches, shared kisses that promised they were well on their way to returning to the more physical affection they were so used to sharing. They hadn't quite got there yet, but it had only been five weeks. "I'm always tired," she laughed quietly, drawing her head back to kiss the end of his nose. "But it's not so bad tonight. Maybe I'm getting used to the colic."
"I don't think anyone ever gets used to that," he said with a smile that hinted that he was only kidding in part. He laid down against the pillow to nestle his head beside her, stroking her cheek with his fingers. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?" he asked in a soft voice, a warm loving smile on his face.
"Hmm ..." She made a play of thinking about the question, though she knew the answer to the second. "Not since I rescued you from deafness by baby spit," was the reply he got, complete with weary laugh and a slow, tender kiss. "Love you back." Despite the urge, she made an effort not to talk about Emily in these quiet moments. It wasn't always possible, but Vicki was determined that being parents wasn't going to change too much about their relationship.
If anything, becoming parents seemed to have only brought them closer together. They weren't just husband and wife now; they were also father and mother, but before all of that, they were best friends and lovers, and there was no one Jon loved or trusted more than his Vicki. "Post card arrived from Liv and Johnny today. Did you see it?" he asked as he reached over to turn the light off before snuggling back down beside her. It was the first chance they'd had all day just to talk.
"Was that the one with the Goofy making an obscene gesture, or was that the photograph her sister sent us to frame?" She couldn't keep up with Liv and Johnny right now, which was probably why Liv had jumped on getting her wedding and honeymoon in while the boss and his wife were too bleary-eyed to do more than yawn and nod. Vicki laughed fondly, cuddling into Jon's embrace by the light of the soft nightlight beneath Emily's crib. "If I saw it, I didn't read it, I don't think. Are they having fun?"
He laughed, remembering the photo and wondering if he could use it to blackmail Johnny with, maybe for babysitting services at a future date. "No, Lucy sent that," he corrected his sleepy wife, sliding his arms back around her to hold her close. "She didn't say much, but they seem to be. I'm glad. They're good for each other." He nuzzled closer to rest his forehead against hers. "Do you think the family would get mad if we asked them to be godparents?"
It was a curious notion, making The Human Torch and his somewhat neurotic wife the legal as well as spiritual guardians of their firstborn, but Jon knew his wife very well indeed. The redhead in his arms snorted with laughter, but the expression on her face was all kinds of approving. "I think that's a great idea," she agreed warmly, the tip of her nose nudging his as she gazed into his eyes, blue on blue. "And it avoids the inevitable sniping that would happen if we chose one cousin over another one. I love your family, but oy ....you Grangers do drama like it's going out of fashion."
He laughed rubbing his nose against hers, blue eyes sparkling with amusement. He'd come a long way since he met her, and his happiness was almost infectious. He still had his angsty moments from time to time - it was part of who he was - but overall, he couldn't be happier and it showed. "Might I remind you that you're one of us now, Mrs. Granger?" he asked, with obvious amusement.
"I'd rather you just kissed me instead, Mr Granger," was the instant reply, something he was very used to from his outspoken wife. She grinned, laying her head comfortably on the pillow, and very deliberately pulled the most outrageous fish-face she could come up with, puckering her lips with cheeky invitation.
He chuckled at the face she was making, reminded of the child she'd been and wondering if their own daughter was going to be as adorable as her mother. "What's the magic word, Mrs. Granger?" he teased back. She didn't really need to ask for a kiss, but it was hard to resist teasing her.
"Knickers." Again, it was an instant reply, proof that Vicki was operating on something less than a third of her usual brainpower, no matter how un-tired she tried to insist she was. It was testament to just how comfortable she was with Jon that the moment he wrapped his arms around her, she relaxed, no matter where they were or what they were doing. When it happened in bed these days, he ran the risk of ending up talking to a wife who was only just conscious.
There was another ripple of laughter at the redhead's response. "That's not it, but I'll let it go. This time." He rubbed his nose against her before pressing a very soft, very loving kiss against her lips. "I love you, Mrs. Granger," he told her as their lips parted, never quite tiring of calling her that and reminding them both that they were officially coupled for life.
She smiled into his kiss, nuzzling close for a long, blissfully uninterrupted moment before reluctantly slipping her arm from about him to flail for the covers. "I love it when you call me that," she admitted sleepily, touching another kiss to his lips as her fingers found the edge of the quilt and dragged it up over them.
After a long day with a colicky baby, he knew she was sleepy, but that was okay. He caught the quilt and tucked it up over them both, kissing her one last time before settling in for a few hours sleep before the babyfest started all over again. "Get some sleep, Vicki. I'll take first shift." He smiled at her in the dim light cast from the nightlight, his heart light as a feather. All his dreams had finally come true. Life just didn't get any better than this.
((Aw, and they lived happily ever after! ;) Well, almost. We're not quite finished with them yet, but they are pretty darned cute and happy. Many thanks to Vicki's awesome player for this short but sweet scene and thanks to anyone who's reading. :)))