just_muse_me | 10.4.5. Grin
10.4.5. Grin
Co-written with imnodoctor | Set very early Boxing Day
[Follows THIS & THIS]
Evie covered her mouth with her hand as she yawned. As exciting as all this was, she was starting to feel drained from all the emotions that had been coursing through her since Christmas began. She was still smiling to herself about Riley's duet with Tab, but her eyes were fixed on the doors Riley and Patrick had disappeared through. She and Tab had exchanged a few words, and Evie hadn't been able to shake the feeling Riley's sister knew something she didn't.
Evie folded her arms behind her head and slid a little lower down into her seat. Tara had a son! She couldn't believe it, her best friend was a mom now. She had a little baby and everything. And try as she might, Evie's thoughts couldn't help turning towards what it might be like for her to have a child of her own. A child that was hers and Riley's. It was an impossibility though, and she was growing to come to terms with that. Even if she still felt a pang in her chest at the idea of being a mother. Damn this sudden cluckiness, and Tara's nesting influence.
Aiden had been waiting for Pat at the nurses' station, so Riley was relieved to leave Pat in the more than capable hands of his boyfriend. Pat seemed to be struggling to stop the tears. Emotions were just pumping through everything, and finally meeting the tiny newborn had been huge. Riley felt heady from the experience, not to mention Lachlan's addictive happiness. They had left shortly after Tara fell asleep, making Lachlan promise he would get some sleep too, though Riley just knew the way his best mate curled up in that recliner with the soft blue bundle that wasn't going to happen any time soon. Father and son bonding on the face of it but Riley knew he was much deeper. Lachlan couldn't believe the baby was his and he needed to connect to that in any way he could.
Riley pushed his way back out of the Maternity unit, trying to keep as quiet as he could. It was after two am now and the patients would be asleep. He didn't want to be accused of waking any newborns and setting off a domino effect of wailing. One of the nurses had revealed that Baby Campbell was the only Christmas baby PPTH saw that year. It was almost surreal. He looked around for Evie as soon as he was out the doors and went right over to her to throw his arms around her. "Oh my god," he murmured against her shoulder.
Evie straightened up in her seat, her arms going around Riley as she tried to stand up so he wouldn't have to hunch over. "Is he beautiful? I bet he's going to be a heartbreaker. I can't believe it they're parents. I mean, I can... but I can't." Evie turned her head to press a kiss against Riley's cheek and smiled. "And I'm sleeping with the godfather."
"How Mafia sounding of you," Riley said with a tired laugh. He didn't let go, remaining closely in the hug. "God, he's fucking beautiful, Evie. I know I'm probably biased, but we're talking Tara and Lachlan's genes here. He has Lachlan's hair. He's so tiny, but it's a tiny perfect. Lachlan can't stop smiling and he has every reason to." He pulled back just a little with an awed shake of his head. "They called him Riley Patrick. Riley Patrick Campbell."
Evie's blue eyes went wide as a sob caught in her throat. "They called him what?! Oh my god!" She kissed Riley, her hands gripping his face. "Oh shit, it's perfect! They're perfect! Oh, he sounds perfect! Fuck, I need to stop saying that word."
"But it's true!" Riley laughed. "Wait, wait. I took a couple of photos." He took his cell phone from his pocket and flicked to one of the pictures of the baby on his own and then the other of Lachlan nursing him. He handed the phone to Evie. "I didn't want to take anymore. Tara was asleep by this point and we didn't want to wake her up. I just... I can't fucking believe it. That's their baby. He came out of Tara, my god. It's just... amazing. It's unbelievable. But the name... fuck." He welled up again, shaking his head. He couldn't be more honoured if he stood on the roof and shouted it to all of Princeton.
Evie grinned. She rubbed the back of Riley's neck as she used her other hand to look at his phone. "He really is beautiful, even on a phone. I can't wait to see him, but Tara and Lachlan will need their rest, and so will the baby. Shit, my best friend's a mom! Your best friend's a dad!" Evie looked back up at Riley and felt tears in her own eyes as she leaned in to kiss him again. "Little Riley Patrick Campbell. A proper Christmas miracle."
"The only PPTH Christmas baby," Riley added, brushing away the tears with the tips of his fingers. He laughed softly. "This is the bump that has caused everyone headaches the past few days with Tara trying to clean us where we sat. It's fucking odd that her body just knew even if she didn't. Lachlan was telling me she wanted to rearrange the nursery and dust the curtains or some shirt. I just can't even imagine." He put his hand on his cheek and looked at the photo on the small screen. "It's only just happened, but everything already feels so different."
Evie watched him, and curled the ends of his hair around her fingers. "A woman's body always knows. It knows better than her mind sometimes. Good different, or bad different?"
"Good different. I mean, fucking hell. Lachlan is back in there looking like he has found the exact reason he was put on this earth, and after months of thinking he wouldn't be a father. He's holding his perfect baby son and can't wipe that smile off his face. He's in tears in the blink of an eye because the feelings he has for that little person are just so deep and strong, and the love he has for his wife runs so deep. Can you imagine feeling something like that? Coming to a place in your life where you just know that this is what you were brought here for and that you know that even though it's going to be scary as all fuck, it doesnae matter because you're holding your whole world in your hands, literally?" Riley brushed more tears away as his words became a little choked. "Some people will never find that place in their lives."
Evie tucked his phone in her back pocket and turned to hug Riley tightly. She smiled at his little Scottish slip, and peppered his face with kisses, not caring if anyone was witnessing the early morning exchange. "I love you, Riley Browne. I love you more than I've loved anyone in my entire life, so you know what? I do know what it's like to have a love that runs that deep. Why do you think I've never once complained, or thought about leaving? Maybe we don't have a baby, and maybe we're not quite at the Lachlan and Tara level yet, but if I'm ever going to get to that kind of fucking Zen love, I know it'll be with you. I just hope that one day I can give you what Tara's given Lachlan, even if it's not quite in the shape of a baby bundle."
Riley totally missed the fact his hint of Scottish was coming out. He had spent the last few days in the presence of Lachlan's family and it was hard not to fall into the lingo. Lachlan also had lapsed right back into his deep lilt, which was amusing to listen to. It usually only came out when he was pissed. He squeezed his eyes shut as tears spilt over. He made no attempt to fight it off this time. Lack of sleep and emotion of the new arrival were just too much. "I'd give anything to know that would be me one day," he admitted in a whisper.
This time it was Evie who brushed Riley's tears away with the tips of her fingers. She even kissed at them, her lips moving over his cheeks. "We'll work something out, sweetheart. I know we will." Her mouth shifted to press against his, and she kissed him deeply, trying to make him believe her.
Riley kissed her back and as he did, he felt the dragging tiredness come over him for the first time all night. Everyone else had gone home or at least back to the base they were staying at in Princeton. When the kiss eased off he managed a small, tired smile. "I feel like I should go over and offer Mr and Mrs Campbell a hand to clean up. We all just kind of abandoned dinner where it was. Tab wants me to text her a photo of the baby, too. I mean, what am I supposed to do as a godfather? I don't even know where to start?"
"You're just supposed to be you. I'm sure you'll think of something when the time comes." Evie smiled back and traced his brow with her finger. "We probably should go back, even if we just wind up flaking out on the sofa after. I'll drive if you want to send Tab the picture."
Riley nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. "Wow..." he murmured, maybe more to himself than Evie. "It all really happened. What next?" he asked with a laugh.
"New Year's!" Evie replied as she grinned. She slid her arm around his wait and fished out his cell phone to give back to him. "And sleep."
Word Count | 1,657
Co-written with imnodoctor | Set very early Boxing Day
[Follows THIS & THIS]
Evie covered her mouth with her hand as she yawned. As exciting as all this was, she was starting to feel drained from all the emotions that had been coursing through her since Christmas began. She was still smiling to herself about Riley's duet with Tab, but her eyes were fixed on the doors Riley and Patrick had disappeared through. She and Tab had exchanged a few words, and Evie hadn't been able to shake the feeling Riley's sister knew something she didn't.
Evie folded her arms behind her head and slid a little lower down into her seat. Tara had a son! She couldn't believe it, her best friend was a mom now. She had a little baby and everything. And try as she might, Evie's thoughts couldn't help turning towards what it might be like for her to have a child of her own. A child that was hers and Riley's. It was an impossibility though, and she was growing to come to terms with that. Even if she still felt a pang in her chest at the idea of being a mother. Damn this sudden cluckiness, and Tara's nesting influence.
Aiden had been waiting for Pat at the nurses' station, so Riley was relieved to leave Pat in the more than capable hands of his boyfriend. Pat seemed to be struggling to stop the tears. Emotions were just pumping through everything, and finally meeting the tiny newborn had been huge. Riley felt heady from the experience, not to mention Lachlan's addictive happiness. They had left shortly after Tara fell asleep, making Lachlan promise he would get some sleep too, though Riley just knew the way his best mate curled up in that recliner with the soft blue bundle that wasn't going to happen any time soon. Father and son bonding on the face of it but Riley knew he was much deeper. Lachlan couldn't believe the baby was his and he needed to connect to that in any way he could.
Riley pushed his way back out of the Maternity unit, trying to keep as quiet as he could. It was after two am now and the patients would be asleep. He didn't want to be accused of waking any newborns and setting off a domino effect of wailing. One of the nurses had revealed that Baby Campbell was the only Christmas baby PPTH saw that year. It was almost surreal. He looked around for Evie as soon as he was out the doors and went right over to her to throw his arms around her. "Oh my god," he murmured against her shoulder.
Evie straightened up in her seat, her arms going around Riley as she tried to stand up so he wouldn't have to hunch over. "Is he beautiful? I bet he's going to be a heartbreaker. I can't believe it they're parents. I mean, I can... but I can't." Evie turned her head to press a kiss against Riley's cheek and smiled. "And I'm sleeping with the godfather."
"How Mafia sounding of you," Riley said with a tired laugh. He didn't let go, remaining closely in the hug. "God, he's fucking beautiful, Evie. I know I'm probably biased, but we're talking Tara and Lachlan's genes here. He has Lachlan's hair. He's so tiny, but it's a tiny perfect. Lachlan can't stop smiling and he has every reason to." He pulled back just a little with an awed shake of his head. "They called him Riley Patrick. Riley Patrick Campbell."
Evie's blue eyes went wide as a sob caught in her throat. "They called him what?! Oh my god!" She kissed Riley, her hands gripping his face. "Oh shit, it's perfect! They're perfect! Oh, he sounds perfect! Fuck, I need to stop saying that word."
"But it's true!" Riley laughed. "Wait, wait. I took a couple of photos." He took his cell phone from his pocket and flicked to one of the pictures of the baby on his own and then the other of Lachlan nursing him. He handed the phone to Evie. "I didn't want to take anymore. Tara was asleep by this point and we didn't want to wake her up. I just... I can't fucking believe it. That's their baby. He came out of Tara, my god. It's just... amazing. It's unbelievable. But the name... fuck." He welled up again, shaking his head. He couldn't be more honoured if he stood on the roof and shouted it to all of Princeton.
Evie grinned. She rubbed the back of Riley's neck as she used her other hand to look at his phone. "He really is beautiful, even on a phone. I can't wait to see him, but Tara and Lachlan will need their rest, and so will the baby. Shit, my best friend's a mom! Your best friend's a dad!" Evie looked back up at Riley and felt tears in her own eyes as she leaned in to kiss him again. "Little Riley Patrick Campbell. A proper Christmas miracle."
"The only PPTH Christmas baby," Riley added, brushing away the tears with the tips of his fingers. He laughed softly. "This is the bump that has caused everyone headaches the past few days with Tara trying to clean us where we sat. It's fucking odd that her body just knew even if she didn't. Lachlan was telling me she wanted to rearrange the nursery and dust the curtains or some shirt. I just can't even imagine." He put his hand on his cheek and looked at the photo on the small screen. "It's only just happened, but everything already feels so different."
Evie watched him, and curled the ends of his hair around her fingers. "A woman's body always knows. It knows better than her mind sometimes. Good different, or bad different?"
"Good different. I mean, fucking hell. Lachlan is back in there looking like he has found the exact reason he was put on this earth, and after months of thinking he wouldn't be a father. He's holding his perfect baby son and can't wipe that smile off his face. He's in tears in the blink of an eye because the feelings he has for that little person are just so deep and strong, and the love he has for his wife runs so deep. Can you imagine feeling something like that? Coming to a place in your life where you just know that this is what you were brought here for and that you know that even though it's going to be scary as all fuck, it doesnae matter because you're holding your whole world in your hands, literally?" Riley brushed more tears away as his words became a little choked. "Some people will never find that place in their lives."
Evie tucked his phone in her back pocket and turned to hug Riley tightly. She smiled at his little Scottish slip, and peppered his face with kisses, not caring if anyone was witnessing the early morning exchange. "I love you, Riley Browne. I love you more than I've loved anyone in my entire life, so you know what? I do know what it's like to have a love that runs that deep. Why do you think I've never once complained, or thought about leaving? Maybe we don't have a baby, and maybe we're not quite at the Lachlan and Tara level yet, but if I'm ever going to get to that kind of fucking Zen love, I know it'll be with you. I just hope that one day I can give you what Tara's given Lachlan, even if it's not quite in the shape of a baby bundle."
Riley totally missed the fact his hint of Scottish was coming out. He had spent the last few days in the presence of Lachlan's family and it was hard not to fall into the lingo. Lachlan also had lapsed right back into his deep lilt, which was amusing to listen to. It usually only came out when he was pissed. He squeezed his eyes shut as tears spilt over. He made no attempt to fight it off this time. Lack of sleep and emotion of the new arrival were just too much. "I'd give anything to know that would be me one day," he admitted in a whisper.
This time it was Evie who brushed Riley's tears away with the tips of her fingers. She even kissed at them, her lips moving over his cheeks. "We'll work something out, sweetheart. I know we will." Her mouth shifted to press against his, and she kissed him deeply, trying to make him believe her.
Riley kissed her back and as he did, he felt the dragging tiredness come over him for the first time all night. Everyone else had gone home or at least back to the base they were staying at in Princeton. When the kiss eased off he managed a small, tired smile. "I feel like I should go over and offer Mr and Mrs Campbell a hand to clean up. We all just kind of abandoned dinner where it was. Tab wants me to text her a photo of the baby, too. I mean, what am I supposed to do as a godfather? I don't even know where to start?"
"You're just supposed to be you. I'm sure you'll think of something when the time comes." Evie smiled back and traced his brow with her finger. "We probably should go back, even if we just wind up flaking out on the sofa after. I'll drive if you want to send Tab the picture."
Riley nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. "Wow..." he murmured, maybe more to himself than Evie. "It all really happened. What next?" he asked with a laugh.
"New Year's!" Evie replied as she grinned. She slid her arm around his wait and fished out his cell phone to give back to him. "And sleep."
Word Count | 1,657