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The twins are now 15 months old. Neil used to always wonder why parent didn’t just say a year old. Now he knows. The twins are so drastically different from one months to the next that the specification of 15 months exactly is necessary. Besides all the different goals that they need to be hitting practically each week, the babies’ personalities change so often its impossible to keep up.
Currently, they’re in a phase were taking them away from Neil is as good as an act of war. They will not stand being away from him for more than three seconds. Neil isn’t sure when it started all he knows is he needs it to be over. Fuck that sounds bad, but Neil’s sure anyone who has kids would understand.
He’s hanging out with Matt in the common area of his dorm. The babies are quite literally crawling all over Neil as him and Matt talk about whatever comes to mind. Matt keeps throwing distracted glances at the babies but Neil honestly doesn’t even notice. He’s used to it at this point. Danica is in his lap and under his shirt trying to attach herself to his stomach. While Joseph is standing and grabbing on to Neil arm to use it as balance so he can jump up and down. They both can walk, have been able to for months now, and that’s a whole other challenge in itself so Neil doesn’t mind them using his as their own personal jungle gym because it beats chasing them around.
But eventually bouncing his leg isn’t enough and he needs to get to the bathroom. “Can you watch them for a sec? I gotta piss.” He ask Matt as he pulls Danica out from under his shirt. She immediately grabs the fabric in an iron grip and start trying to get back under.
“Yea no problem. Come here Dani, look, I’ve got a shirt you can play with too.”
The second Danica realizes what’s happening she starts fussing. Kicking her legs and arms out every which way. As soon as she’s in Matts arms, she starts screaming. “Nooo!!” she screeches sharp enough to makes both men flinch, grimacing in pain.
“I’ll be right back baby,” Neil tries to sooth her as he stands up. Joseph recovers easily and attaches himself to Neil legs once he’s up. “No buddy, stay here.”
He helps Joseph sit down on the mat and runs to the bathroom. Trying his best to ignore the bloody murder cries from his daughter that hurt his heart. Joseph, again, sees no problem with this and simply stands to follow Neil. He’s trying to fight his way into the bathroom as Neil slowly closes the door.
“Uhh, Matt just watch his make sure he doesn’t hurt himself,” He shouts over the crying. Neil bends down and gently pushes Joseph back. He slips his hand back in and shuts the door quickly.
The bathroom door barley muffle the sounds of both his children. Danica is still screaming, Matt is trying to sooth her with some nursery rhyme, and Joseph is still right outside the door repeating, “Papa? Pa-pa? Pa-pa-pa-pa—?”
Sitting on the toilet Neil sighs and drops his head in his hands. When he looks back up again tiny fingers are poking out from under the door frame.
Once out of the bathroom Neil bends to pick up Joseph who smiles so brightly he can’t even be mad. Danica is reaching out with grabby hands her face red and puffy. She practically jumps out of Matts arms when Neil is close enough. Neil holds both babies expertly and bounces them a bit in his arms.
“You’re ok Dani, calm down,” he soothes. His daughter’s cries ceased as soon as she was in his arms but she’s still hiccupping. She also has a hand fisted in what is definitely half his shift half his skin, but Neils been through worse.
Matt rubs his neck sheepishly, “Sorry, I’m not sure what I did.”
“No, no, it’s not you. Dani’s been in a mood. Thanks though.”
“Anytime.”
With the babies getting older practice is becoming harder. While Abby still maintains that’s she’s happy to watch them Neil knows first-hand how hard it is to watch the both of them especially now that they can walk.
Part of them problem is, his babies are very smart. That’s not him being biased. They know that in the morning seeing Abby’s house means Neil and Andrew are going away. They cry and kick and crawl as soon as they recognize where they are. But similarly, they know that the stadium means Neil and Andrew are coming back. Neil isn’t sure exactly how baby brains work but he’s pretty sure they’ve been planning their escape from Abby’s office for a while.
So, he’s not all that surprised when Abby comes running in with a fussy Danica on her hip, chasing after Joseph. Neil is in the court walls so he watches as his baby spots him then runs full force into the plexiglass wall. Joseph only weighs about 23 pounds, and it’s not like he can run all that fast, but still his tiny body hitting the wall causes a crash and echo. Neil is already moving still he’s not there in time for Joseph to fall on his butt and start to sob.
“Neil! God I’m so sorry he just ran the door was only open for a second—” Abby starts.
Neil swoops Joseph up off the ground and cradles him close, “Oh buddy, come here that’s ok.” He turns to Abby, “Don’t freak, its fine. He’s fucking fast I know,” He assures her.
Jospeh is still crying but at least it’s not an all out sob. He stick his head back in the court doors, “Start the scrimmage I’ll be back,” he shouts to his team.
“Josten!” Wymack yells, “If you wanna take off for the night that’s alright.”
Neil rolls his eyes, “In your dreams old man, give me five minutes.”
Him and Abby walk back to her office with both babies squirming. Neil runs his hand over Joseph’s face, whipping away the tears. His face is a too red from the crying to tell if he hit his head anywhere. But judging by the reaction to Neils prodding fingers he thinks Joseph might have just hit his chin on the wall. Abby dims the lights in her office and distracts Danica with a toy. Neil holds and rocks Joseph till he stops crying. He cuddles his face into Neil’s chest and his eyes start to flutter.
After putting him down he head back to practice and the rest of the night goes smoothly.
Columbia house weekends always look the same whether it’s the whole family there or just Neil, Andrew, and the twins. It’s always lazy morning and days spent in pajamas. The kids toddling around in the grass outside while Andrew reads and Neil snaps pictures.
This particular weekend, it’s just them. Their tiny family. Still in the throes of their Neil obsession, Joseph and Danica spend most of Saturday trying to bury themselves under Neil’s skin. Much to Neil’s own chagrin, Andrew finds the whole thing quiet amusing. The other man doesn’t even try and hide his tipped lips or small chuckles. Neil spends the day glaring at him.
“Seriously? This is not a laughing matter Joseph is seconds away from biting my finger off,” Neil complains with no real heat. He’s currently lying down on the couch, he feet in Andrew lap and both babies on his stomach. Joseph has always been the baby who sticks things in his mouth, it made teething awful. Now that they have teeth, even if not all of them, it’s not as bad. Neil is just lucky he lost the nerve ending in his fingers a long time ago.
Danica is asleep on his chest, he has his other hand resting on her back.
“It’s your own fault for never stopping him. He thinks you’re a chew toy.” Andrews says glancing at Joseph happily slobbering away.
Neil scoffs, “You make our child sound like a dog.”
“Fox and the hound.” Andrew corrects solemnly. Neil laughs and pokes his foot into Andrew’s stomach. “Alright, come here Joey,” He picks Joseph up by the armpits from behind and slides him down Neil’s legs. The boy immediately starts screaming. He throws himself forward and attempts to claw his way back up Neils legs leaving angry red lines in his path.
“Ow, fuck—” Neil sits up cradles Danica close, trying not to jostle her too much. Joseph is crying in earnest now. Full blow sobbing with tears streaming down his face as he reaches grabby hands for Neil. “I’m right here baby, calm down,” he soothes as he sits closer to Andrew.
Andrew gives the baby an unamused look, “demon child, I made half of you.”
“Can’t blame them for having favorites,” Neil teases, “They lived in me.”
“Ugh, I’m tired of you using that card,” Andrew scoffs and rolls his eyes. Neil laughs and leans his on Andrew shoulder. He pets Joseph’s head, fingers trailing in his wispy blond hair as his thumb wipes away the tears. Still Joseph struggles till he’s standing on Andrew’s thigh and leaning wholly into Neils side.
“Give me the good one,” Andrew prompts and opens his arms. Neil shakes his head but can’t hide his smirk as he hands Danica off. Blissfully she stays asleep but her tiny fists protests leaving Neils shirt. Joseph calms almost immediately now that he’s fully in Neils arms.
Neil blows small puffs on air onto his baby’s face continually. Point five seconds after a tantrum Joseph is still the cutest baby ever. He’s still standing, though leaning fully into Neil’s chest. His hands are slapping around on Neil shoulders. With a hand on Joseph’s back and their hearts pressed together Neil can feel as the baby’s heartbeat comes back down.
“Good boy,” Neil presses a kiss to his wet cheek and puffs air one more time in his face, this time a little harsher. Joseph’s eyelashes flutter and he breaks out into a smile which Neil mirrors. “There he is.”
Neil looks over to Andrew to see the blonde already looking at him. A ‘staring’ is on the tip of his tongue but he stops short at the sight of Andrews transfixed eyes. “What are you looking at?”
“You’re so good with them.” He says softly.
Neil tries not to squirm. “You are too.”
“Yea, that’s not what I’m saying though. I’m saying there’s a reason they’re so fucking obsessed with you. You’re fucking great at this.”
Stupidly, Neil feels his eyes start to sting. He never thought of it thought way. In fact, he pretty much only thought how annoying it was that the twins where so obsessed with him. He didn’t realize it was proof of him doing something right. Neil screws his mouth the side, “Thanks.”
“Shut up, idiot.”
+1 (a nondescript amount of time later)
Neil comes down the stairs to see Andrew on the living room floor with both babies. He’s laying on his stomach, reading a children’s books seemingly to himself since he’s not speaking out loud. Danica is laying on her stomach on his back while Joseph uses Andrew’s head as a balance wall. Neil takes out his phone and snaps a photo before anyone notices him.
“What are you reading?” Neil asks with a hint of laughter as he steps into the baby gated room.
Andrew lifts the book, “The Rainbow Fish. Riveting stuff.”
Neil smiles and bends to pick Danica up. She’s an inch in the air when the screaming starts.
“NOOOoooooo!!!!!” Danica wails as she grabs two fistfuls of Andrew shirt and pulls them up with her. “No papa! No papa! Wan-da!” Neil can only assume the last thing is ‘want dad’ aka, ‘don’t want papa’
His jaw drops and he obediently sets Danica back down where she belongs. “Joey, how bout you? Come to papa?” He asks the baby boy.
Jospeh makes the cutest face of consideration, he lips pouting. Then he shakes his head, “No papa.”
Andrew snorts and Neil scoffs. His scoff of course turns into a laugh as he shakes his head, “These fucking turncoats.”