Chapter Text
Speak
A year had passed and Damon's vocabulary was mostly babble. Rei and Murdoc had tried to get him to talk but so far nothing. Rei believed that he'd speak on his own terms while the bassist couldn't wait so he spent more time trying to get his son to talk. For results he would receive giggles and laughter. Rei would pass the nursery sometimes to find Murdoc and the baby boy on the floor face to face playing. She even observed her husband sitting in the rocking chair with Damon in his lap and a sheet of music in front of them. Music education began early. Apparently the man thought it a good idea if his son could read music and play by ear.
The baby never had limited exposure to family and friends or to most of life at his stage. He was passed around to them with pride and was able to explore his surroundings with supervision. He even got his first taste of the sea as soon it was warm enough to go into the water. Rei had waded out to the shallows with him in her arms and let the water engulf his legs. Damon squealed in delight at the touch of the cool water and tried to splash around.
Winter had fully settled in and Christmas was a week away. The family of four decided to spend it together, and would visit Rei's family before New Years. The tree was bought and set up in the living room but hadn't been decorated yet. Murdoc pulled the decorations from the storage room in the basement bringing them into the living room. Rei had Damon on her lap as she began to rifle through the bags. Pulling out silver and gold garland, delicate colorful balls, wooden trinkets, and lights she separated them into piles.
"You've got the candy canes right?"
"Yeah, they're in the kitchen. Let me go get them." the artist sat the baby on the couch and went to go get the striped minty treats.
Brenna took the woman's place on the couch and wagged her tail looking at Damon. He cooed and reached out to his four-legged best friend. The dog licked his hand then laid her head on his leg. Murdoc glanced at the scene and smiled. Nothing like man's best friend to keep his spawn company. Araiya returned to the room carrying four boxes of candy canes. She sat them down on the cocktail table and saw Damon stroking the dog's head.
"Aw, isn't that cute?" she took her phone from her pocket, snapped the picture, and sent it off to her mother.
The bassist rolled his eyes at the word 'cute' an continued to string lights. "How 'bout some music while we decorate?"
"Sure." Rei picked up the remote to the large stereo system and turned it on. The radio was set to a station that played various Christmas songs throughout the month of November and December.
The green man didn't admit it to Rei, but she was right about him being besotted about his son. There was nothing he wouldn't do for the kid and would protect him with every fiber of his being. There were a whole bunch of presents that were mostly toys for the kid stacked up in the studio wrapped up and just waiting to be put under the tree. His paternal instincts instantly kicked in when he stopped the child from falling down the steps when he had crawled to the top step. Murdoc scooped him up very quickly and didn't know that his heart rate was racing until he put the boy down in his crib.
The parents rocked to the beat and sang along to some of the different songs that poured from the speakers. Rei even picked up Damon, putting him on her hip gently bouncing him as she danced around the tree hanging the ornaments. The baby would giggle and clap. It was close to dinner by the time they finished. All that was left now was the star. Murdoc steadied the stepladder and climbed it putting the gold star upon the tip of the tree. He climbed back down and stood back.
Rei had the plug in her hand ready to turn it on. "Ready?" she asked.
"Yup. Light it up Tiger."
Brenna gave a few excited barks wagging her tail.
She plugged it in and the tree came alive in a burst of colors. Reds, greens, blues, silver, gold, and others twinkled an sparkled.
Damon's hazel eyes widened at the sight; everything was just so sparkly and shiny. He reached out towards the tree.
Murdoc took notice. "I think it has his seal of approval." he chuckled.
Rei walked closer to it and held her son out a bit. Damon's fingers brushed a wood ornament shaped like a snowflake that had bells at the bottom. When they tinkled, he cooed.
"You like that one sweetheart?"
Damon nodded still touching it.
"Then it'll be tied to your crib."
Later that night, Rei fed and changed the baby and put him to bed. Brenna laid down next to the crib and settled down for the night herself. Rei tied the snowflake ornament to one of the bars of the crib and turned on his night light which was the Plastic Beach model. After leaving the room, she went down the hall and into her and Murdoc's bedroom closing the door behind her. The bassist was already in bed. She changed into her gown then got in next to him.
"He's fast asleep?"
"Yup, you know how it is with him. After a bottle and diaper change he's out like a light." Rei fluffed her pillows and laid her head down.
Murdoc kissed her and settled down himself, pulling his wife close to him and his arm going around her waist. After turning out his lamp, sleep descended upon them both.
Christmas Day came and Araiya made a nice small dinner that consisted of a roast goose, Brussels sprouts, roasted potatoes, cranberry sauce and bread sauce. For dessert she made the traditional Yorkshire Pudding.
Murdoc ate everything on his plate including two helpings of the pudding. Damon had mashed yams and some mashed up roasted potatoes along with a bit of the pudding which he gummed through happily. After dinner they gathered around the tree to exchange and open presents.
While Rei was gone to the kitchen to get the remaining gingerbread men she baked, the bassist took out his cell phone and turned it on recording mode and just randomly filmed his son surrounded by the wrapping paper and toys. A dark blue sticky bow was stuck to his arm. Damon tried to get it off by waving his arm. When that didn't work, he tried to pull it off. His tiny hand half grasped the thing and he began to pull it off.
"Can't get it off son?"
Damon babbled something still trying to get it off, and to him it was getting annoying. At that moment, the boy's mind put two and two together and he stopped trying to get it off. He held extended his arm toward Murdoc. What he said was crystal clear and was on video.
"Dad."
Murdoc, who was taking a drink of his spiked apple cider almost choked on it. "What did you say?" his eyes wide.
The child smiled, his arm still extended. The bassist stopped recording and replayed the video fast forwarding it to what just occurred. When those recorded words were spoken again he smiled. Finally his son spoke and now it could only get better from there. First there would be phrases then complete sentences.
The artist came back into the room and when she sat back down Murdoc played the video for her again. She made a noise when she heard the word 'dad' come from her son's mouth. Looking up at Murdoc who was beaming, Rei smiled and leaned in to kiss him. They both took this as another important step in growing. Damon would soon learn to ask for things instead of pointing to what he wanted, would be able to voice his opinions, and even hold a conversation no matter how short or long it was.
Murdoc and Araiya had just received the best gift ever and that was the gift of speech from their son. That in itself was irreplaceable.