let me show you a few things
Title: Brutal Love [5]
Author: Molly
Pairing: Billie/Mike
Summary: “I could smell a fresh pot of coffee from across the street.”
Previous Parts: located here
“Mommy, how come you're makin' breakfast? Daddy always makes pancakes on Sundays. . .”
Olivia sat in her booster seat at the kitchen table, her new stuffed dolphin clutched tightly to her chest. She had woken her mother up just past seven in the morning, with a hungry belly and a big pout on her lips that bore a strong resemblance to Billie Joe's own. Despite feeling quite tired still-he'd had a hard time sleeping that night-he coaxed his daughter downstairs before she could wake her father, because he was hoping that Mike was sleeping away whatever funk he was in.
“Your daddy's really tired, Liv,” Billie sighed, as he coated thick slices of the bread Myla had bought in egg and slapped them on the griddle. He himself was kind of disappointed Mike wasn't cooking; Mike was admittedly better at it than him, and after two weeks of eating at restaurants and hotel buffets, he was dying for his boyfriend's signature chocolate chip banana pancakes. “We gotta let him sleep in this morning, so he'll be up for school shopping with you later.”
Her blue eyes brightened at this comment, and she jumped down from her chair to dance across the floor. “'Cause I start kindy-garten this week! I'll get to ride on the big yellow bus all the big kids ride on, and take my lunch in the pink bag Gramma bought me!”
“That's right,” Billie smiled, petting her hair when she came near enough to inspect her breakfast cooking on the stove. “Careful, dear, it's hot.”
“I know. Can I help?”
“Sure, you can.” Billie Joe flipped the sizzling pieces of bread, then opened the cabinet above the sink to pull out the plastic plates they used when it was just the three of them. He gave her two of them, as well as two forks. “Set the table for me?”
“But there's only two,” she frowned, through she set to the task anyway, having to reach up on her toes to put them in their proper place. “Isn't Daddy coming for breakfast?”
“I don't think so, honey, we have to let him rest, remember? I've made enough for him, he can have some in a little while if he wants.”
This seemed to satisfy her. She put her new dolphin, into what was normally her daddy's seat. She had named it Shamu, despite Billie's explanation that Shamu was actually a famous name for a whale and not a dolphin, but she didn't seemed to be bothered by the difference. “Can I have chocolate milk?”
“How about regular milk?” Billie reasoned with a smile. He still had the milk on the counter, from his breakfast preparation, and opened the cabinets again for a glass. “I'll put it in your princess cup, sound good?”
“Okay,” she said, accepting the drink that was handed to her and brought it to her seat, being very careful not to spill a drop.
“Go ahead and sit down, Liv, breakfast's almost done.”
A few minutes later, mother and daughter (and stuffed animal) were sitting at the table tucking into their French toast. Billie Joe thought he had fared well enough, considering it was the first meal he'd had to cook in weeks, though it wasn't nearly as tasty as Mike's pancakes. Olivia didn't seem to mind them either, especially once her piece of toast had been drizzled with a generous dose of Mrs. Butterworth's.
While they were in the middle of their meal, Mike came lumbering in with a theatrical yawn, which received his desired effect-Olivia's giggle. He bent to give her tangled hair a kiss, and stepped over to peck his boyfriend's lips in good morning as well.
“Morning,” Billie murmured in return, vaguely wondering the kind of mood Mike's head was in now that he'd had some sleep. “What woke you?”
“Give you one guess.” Mike smiled dryly, from his vantage point by the coffeemaker; he was pouring himself a large, steaming cup, following by a few spoonfuls of sugar. “I could smell a fresh pot of coffee from across the street.”
“Mommy made French toast, Daddy!” Olivia announced, brandishing her pink plastic fork with zeal. “It's real good!”
“Oh, yeah? Better than my pancakes?”
“No. Yours are best.”
“Thanks, Olivia,” Billie laughed, as Mike smirked from his designated seat. He held Shamu the dolphin in one hand and his mug of coffee in the other. “I made enough for you too. I covered up the plate and put it in the microwave, to keep it somewhat warm.”
Mike reached for Billie Joe's free hand to rub his thumb across the knuckles. “I'm not very hungry, but thanks, baby.”
“Mommy said I had to be quiet and let you sleep 'cause you were real tired, Daddy. Are you still tired?”
“A little,” Mike sighed, but smiled. “But I'll be fine once I've had my coffee.”
“Good, 'cause Momma said we're gonna get my school s'pplies today!”
“God, I almost forgot. . .”
“I know,” Billie smiled, almost sadly, “our little girl's not so little anymore, Mikey.”
“Nope! I'm a big girl now, and I get to ride the big girl bus now!”
“You know, that's a shame, Livy. . . because big girls don't get piggyback ride from their daddies. . .”
Billie watched with a smile as his daughter's eyes opened wide with horror and she bounded off her seat to tug at her daddy's arm, telling him-very convincingly-that she was still a little girl, just a big little girl. He laughed as the situation quickly turned into a tickle fest and ended with Olivia wrapped up in Mike's arms on his lap, her face red and her bedhead even worse than before.
“You two are something,” he muttered as he gathered up the remains of Olivia's forgotten breakfast and his own empty plate to carry them to the sink.
“I got those, Bill, you cooked, I'll clean. Besides-you, my pretty little monster, need to get cleaned up to go shopping,” Mike told Olivia, tucking her stray hair behind her ears and passing Shamu back into her hands.
Her eyes lit up like Mike had just told her they were going to Disney World. “Can I pick out my outfit?”
“If your mom says it's okay.”
Billie smiled and nodded, from his spot leaning against the corner. “You can pick out your outfit, as long as I okay it before you leave.”
She whooped in excitement and pounded her little bare feet out of the room, Shamu held tightly above her head like a victory prize, leaving her parents giggling behind her.
Mike took another indulgent swig of his coffee, nearly draining the cup. He came around from behind the table to stand in front of Billie Joe, sliding his hands up and down tattooed biceps and leaning down for a real good morning kiss, the kind their daughter didn't need to see. “Thanks for letting me sleep in.”
“It wasn't easy at first, let me tell you,” Billie smiled wryly, hands going to his boyfriend's sides. “It took a bit of distraction to get Livy over pouncing on you and demanding chocolate chip pancakes.” He bit his lip for a moment, searching Mike's face; he still looked a little tired, and that strange look in his eye hadn't faded completely yet. But maybe he was imagining that. “Feeling any better this morning, gorgeous?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I'm good, Bill.” As if to prove it, he bent down for another long kiss, tasting the syrup lingering on Billie's tongue and humming with approval. He trailed kisses from sticky lips to Billie Joe's ear, to whisper into it, “I'm sorry about last night, baby. It really had nothing to do with you, you know that, right?”
“I know,” Billie answered, not sure if he was telling the truth or not. He linked his arms around Mike's neck and looked up into his face. “I'm not upset with you, Mikey. I just want you to be okay.”
“I am okay, Bill.” He kissed him again, as if to convince him. “So, did her school send a list or something, or are we on our own?”
“No, there's a list. Myla put it up on the fridge. I don't think I'm going with you, though. Our bedroom and bathroom are a mess, and I won't be able to clean them tomorrow.” At Mike's raised eyebrow, signaling his confusion, Billie went on, “I promised I'd go shopping with Aly tomorrow. She needs to find a dress for her friend's wedding, and apparently an ex of hers will be there and she wants my advice for the sexiest, classiest dress she can find. I'm meeting her in the morning, but I have a feeling it's going to be an all day affair.”
Mike couldn't help but snicker. “So am I on Livy duty tomorrow then? She's sure to be a fireball tomorrow, since school starts up on Tuesday.”
“Actually, no. My mom wanted to take her out tomorrow to pick out her first day of school outfit. You'll have the day to yourself tomorrow.”
Before Mike could offer his take on this, Olivia announced her present with an exaggerated clearing of her throat and a big twirl in the middle of the room. She was dressed in a pink t-shirt, a purple skirt, and a pair of rainbow striped leggings, with an infectious smile that revealed her missing front tooth. “Is this okay, Mommy?”
Billie laughed at his little fashion faux pas, a voice in the back of his head telling him his mother would have a hell of a time shopping with her the following day. “Sure, hon. If that's what you want to wear.”
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Thanks for the feedback, guys! Hope you're all well xx
Author: Molly
Pairing: Billie/Mike
Summary: “I could smell a fresh pot of coffee from across the street.”
Previous Parts: located here
“Mommy, how come you're makin' breakfast? Daddy always makes pancakes on Sundays. . .”
Olivia sat in her booster seat at the kitchen table, her new stuffed dolphin clutched tightly to her chest. She had woken her mother up just past seven in the morning, with a hungry belly and a big pout on her lips that bore a strong resemblance to Billie Joe's own. Despite feeling quite tired still-he'd had a hard time sleeping that night-he coaxed his daughter downstairs before she could wake her father, because he was hoping that Mike was sleeping away whatever funk he was in.
“Your daddy's really tired, Liv,” Billie sighed, as he coated thick slices of the bread Myla had bought in egg and slapped them on the griddle. He himself was kind of disappointed Mike wasn't cooking; Mike was admittedly better at it than him, and after two weeks of eating at restaurants and hotel buffets, he was dying for his boyfriend's signature chocolate chip banana pancakes. “We gotta let him sleep in this morning, so he'll be up for school shopping with you later.”
Her blue eyes brightened at this comment, and she jumped down from her chair to dance across the floor. “'Cause I start kindy-garten this week! I'll get to ride on the big yellow bus all the big kids ride on, and take my lunch in the pink bag Gramma bought me!”
“That's right,” Billie smiled, petting her hair when she came near enough to inspect her breakfast cooking on the stove. “Careful, dear, it's hot.”
“I know. Can I help?”
“Sure, you can.” Billie Joe flipped the sizzling pieces of bread, then opened the cabinet above the sink to pull out the plastic plates they used when it was just the three of them. He gave her two of them, as well as two forks. “Set the table for me?”
“But there's only two,” she frowned, through she set to the task anyway, having to reach up on her toes to put them in their proper place. “Isn't Daddy coming for breakfast?”
“I don't think so, honey, we have to let him rest, remember? I've made enough for him, he can have some in a little while if he wants.”
This seemed to satisfy her. She put her new dolphin, into what was normally her daddy's seat. She had named it Shamu, despite Billie's explanation that Shamu was actually a famous name for a whale and not a dolphin, but she didn't seemed to be bothered by the difference. “Can I have chocolate milk?”
“How about regular milk?” Billie reasoned with a smile. He still had the milk on the counter, from his breakfast preparation, and opened the cabinets again for a glass. “I'll put it in your princess cup, sound good?”
“Okay,” she said, accepting the drink that was handed to her and brought it to her seat, being very careful not to spill a drop.
“Go ahead and sit down, Liv, breakfast's almost done.”
A few minutes later, mother and daughter (and stuffed animal) were sitting at the table tucking into their French toast. Billie Joe thought he had fared well enough, considering it was the first meal he'd had to cook in weeks, though it wasn't nearly as tasty as Mike's pancakes. Olivia didn't seem to mind them either, especially once her piece of toast had been drizzled with a generous dose of Mrs. Butterworth's.
While they were in the middle of their meal, Mike came lumbering in with a theatrical yawn, which received his desired effect-Olivia's giggle. He bent to give her tangled hair a kiss, and stepped over to peck his boyfriend's lips in good morning as well.
“Morning,” Billie murmured in return, vaguely wondering the kind of mood Mike's head was in now that he'd had some sleep. “What woke you?”
“Give you one guess.” Mike smiled dryly, from his vantage point by the coffeemaker; he was pouring himself a large, steaming cup, following by a few spoonfuls of sugar. “I could smell a fresh pot of coffee from across the street.”
“Mommy made French toast, Daddy!” Olivia announced, brandishing her pink plastic fork with zeal. “It's real good!”
“Oh, yeah? Better than my pancakes?”
“No. Yours are best.”
“Thanks, Olivia,” Billie laughed, as Mike smirked from his designated seat. He held Shamu the dolphin in one hand and his mug of coffee in the other. “I made enough for you too. I covered up the plate and put it in the microwave, to keep it somewhat warm.”
Mike reached for Billie Joe's free hand to rub his thumb across the knuckles. “I'm not very hungry, but thanks, baby.”
“Mommy said I had to be quiet and let you sleep 'cause you were real tired, Daddy. Are you still tired?”
“A little,” Mike sighed, but smiled. “But I'll be fine once I've had my coffee.”
“Good, 'cause Momma said we're gonna get my school s'pplies today!”
“God, I almost forgot. . .”
“I know,” Billie smiled, almost sadly, “our little girl's not so little anymore, Mikey.”
“Nope! I'm a big girl now, and I get to ride the big girl bus now!”
“You know, that's a shame, Livy. . . because big girls don't get piggyback ride from their daddies. . .”
Billie watched with a smile as his daughter's eyes opened wide with horror and she bounded off her seat to tug at her daddy's arm, telling him-very convincingly-that she was still a little girl, just a big little girl. He laughed as the situation quickly turned into a tickle fest and ended with Olivia wrapped up in Mike's arms on his lap, her face red and her bedhead even worse than before.
“You two are something,” he muttered as he gathered up the remains of Olivia's forgotten breakfast and his own empty plate to carry them to the sink.
“I got those, Bill, you cooked, I'll clean. Besides-you, my pretty little monster, need to get cleaned up to go shopping,” Mike told Olivia, tucking her stray hair behind her ears and passing Shamu back into her hands.
Her eyes lit up like Mike had just told her they were going to Disney World. “Can I pick out my outfit?”
“If your mom says it's okay.”
Billie smiled and nodded, from his spot leaning against the corner. “You can pick out your outfit, as long as I okay it before you leave.”
She whooped in excitement and pounded her little bare feet out of the room, Shamu held tightly above her head like a victory prize, leaving her parents giggling behind her.
Mike took another indulgent swig of his coffee, nearly draining the cup. He came around from behind the table to stand in front of Billie Joe, sliding his hands up and down tattooed biceps and leaning down for a real good morning kiss, the kind their daughter didn't need to see. “Thanks for letting me sleep in.”
“It wasn't easy at first, let me tell you,” Billie smiled wryly, hands going to his boyfriend's sides. “It took a bit of distraction to get Livy over pouncing on you and demanding chocolate chip pancakes.” He bit his lip for a moment, searching Mike's face; he still looked a little tired, and that strange look in his eye hadn't faded completely yet. But maybe he was imagining that. “Feeling any better this morning, gorgeous?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I'm good, Bill.” As if to prove it, he bent down for another long kiss, tasting the syrup lingering on Billie's tongue and humming with approval. He trailed kisses from sticky lips to Billie Joe's ear, to whisper into it, “I'm sorry about last night, baby. It really had nothing to do with you, you know that, right?”
“I know,” Billie answered, not sure if he was telling the truth or not. He linked his arms around Mike's neck and looked up into his face. “I'm not upset with you, Mikey. I just want you to be okay.”
“I am okay, Bill.” He kissed him again, as if to convince him. “So, did her school send a list or something, or are we on our own?”
“No, there's a list. Myla put it up on the fridge. I don't think I'm going with you, though. Our bedroom and bathroom are a mess, and I won't be able to clean them tomorrow.” At Mike's raised eyebrow, signaling his confusion, Billie went on, “I promised I'd go shopping with Aly tomorrow. She needs to find a dress for her friend's wedding, and apparently an ex of hers will be there and she wants my advice for the sexiest, classiest dress she can find. I'm meeting her in the morning, but I have a feeling it's going to be an all day affair.”
Mike couldn't help but snicker. “So am I on Livy duty tomorrow then? She's sure to be a fireball tomorrow, since school starts up on Tuesday.”
“Actually, no. My mom wanted to take her out tomorrow to pick out her first day of school outfit. You'll have the day to yourself tomorrow.”
Before Mike could offer his take on this, Olivia announced her present with an exaggerated clearing of her throat and a big twirl in the middle of the room. She was dressed in a pink t-shirt, a purple skirt, and a pair of rainbow striped leggings, with an infectious smile that revealed her missing front tooth. “Is this okay, Mommy?”
Billie laughed at his little fashion faux pas, a voice in the back of his head telling him his mother would have a hell of a time shopping with her the following day. “Sure, hon. If that's what you want to wear.”
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Thanks for the feedback, guys! Hope you're all well xx