[Fic] Healing Five - Daddy Justin
Healing
Sydney Alexis
Five - Daddy Justin
[Age: 5]
"Jus? If I call my mommies Mom and Momma 'cause they take care of me, then how come I don't call you Dad," Gus asked, watching the mural's paint leave his hands and swirl slowly down the bathroom's sink.
Justin's gaze raised at the sudden question to meet the little boy's big, doe eyes in the mirror.
"You take care of me just like Daddy does, and you live with Daddy just like Momma does with my Mom. And you love Daddy like Mom loves Momma," Gus reasoned, watching Justin's eyes burning in to his. He watched his Jus get all tall and uncomfortable like his Momma did when he asked where JR came from. It made him nervous.
Gus turned on the little stool that helped him reach the sink, swaying slightly as his balance tried to reach equilibrium. Without thinking, Justin put his hands on the little boy's waist to steady him. Gus looked up at his Jus' worried expression and too pale face.
Biting his lower lip, he continued. "You love me, don't you Jus," Gus asked, fingers flexing on Justin's forearm.
The response was immediate. "Of course I do, Gus," Justin replied, voice suddenly wary.
Not liking the sound in his Jus' voice, Gus ticked his head slightly as he tried to read his Daddy Justin's face. "My friend Charlie has a dad and a step-dad. He calls his step-dad Papa. Can I call you Papa?"
Justin unknowingly tightened his grip on Gus' waist. Of all the things he was expecting when he came over to help 'spruce up' Gus' room, as Lindz had put it, this was so not what he was expecting.
Heart pounding loudly in his ears, chest seizing, hands shaking, he swore he was about five seconds from having a panic attack because, yeah, he'd thought about having children, and, yes, he'd realized a long time ago that Gus was probably as close as he was ever going to get to having one of his own. Thinking and admitting those two things aloud and to other people were two separate things.
He went for an obvious response.
"Did you talk to your Moms about this?"
Gus' eyes locked on Justin's, and yeah, Justin knew he was totally screwed at this point because the kid was a Kinney after all. He probably had a carefully constructed speech for any question Justin could ask.
"But you are like a Daddy to me," Gus responded, voice emphatic. "You draw with me and read to me and take me to the park..."
"Deb and Michael do that, too," Justin interjected.
"But they always take JR along, too. You treat me like I'm not a tag along."
"Is that why? Because I take you for trips with just the two of us?"
"No, Jus, you look at me and treat me the same way Daddy does with me and Michael does with JR--like I'm your kid, too."
Justin sighed, scratching the back of his head in a way Gus knew meant he was scared or nervous about something.
"If you just wanna be my friend, that's okay, too 'cause you like ta' have lots of fun with me," Gus said, quickly backtracking the way he did with his Moms to get out of trouble...or at least try to.
"You make up the best stories like Daddy does...only your stories are about castles and princes and Daddy's are 'bout twinks and the dance land called Babylon," Gus said, wrinkling up his nose before continuing. "Michael usually tells JR stories about Captain Astro or Rage and Zeph...Zeph..."
"Zephyr," Justin supplied.
"Yeah," Gus said, looking up at Justin with wide eyes. "He told them to you too?"
Justin nodded, a small smirk on his lips.
"I just don't see how those things could happen," Gus said, wrinkling his nose in thought.
"Sometimes people like to think about super heroes saving them from things that are scary or uncomfortable," Justin suggested. Sort of like this conversation.
"But that's what daddies are for," Gus replied, offering a bright smile that Justin returned in spite of himself.
If Justin hadn't been convinced that Gus was learning the Kinney manual chapter and verse, he sure as hell was now because he sure as shit hadn't seen that one coming! The kid totally backdoored him into that one.
Gus jumped down off the stool and wrapped Justin in a big hug, wet hands leaving their imprints on Justin's paint-streaked shirt.
"Love you, Papa," Gus said before tearing out of the bathroom before his Daddy Justin could stop him.
Six - White Noise
Once again, super big thanks to shadownyc for the beta.
Sydney Alexis
Five - Daddy Justin
[Age: 5]
"Jus? If I call my mommies Mom and Momma 'cause they take care of me, then how come I don't call you Dad," Gus asked, watching the mural's paint leave his hands and swirl slowly down the bathroom's sink.
Justin's gaze raised at the sudden question to meet the little boy's big, doe eyes in the mirror.
"You take care of me just like Daddy does, and you live with Daddy just like Momma does with my Mom. And you love Daddy like Mom loves Momma," Gus reasoned, watching Justin's eyes burning in to his. He watched his Jus get all tall and uncomfortable like his Momma did when he asked where JR came from. It made him nervous.
Gus turned on the little stool that helped him reach the sink, swaying slightly as his balance tried to reach equilibrium. Without thinking, Justin put his hands on the little boy's waist to steady him. Gus looked up at his Jus' worried expression and too pale face.
Biting his lower lip, he continued. "You love me, don't you Jus," Gus asked, fingers flexing on Justin's forearm.
The response was immediate. "Of course I do, Gus," Justin replied, voice suddenly wary.
Not liking the sound in his Jus' voice, Gus ticked his head slightly as he tried to read his Daddy Justin's face. "My friend Charlie has a dad and a step-dad. He calls his step-dad Papa. Can I call you Papa?"
Justin unknowingly tightened his grip on Gus' waist. Of all the things he was expecting when he came over to help 'spruce up' Gus' room, as Lindz had put it, this was so not what he was expecting.
Heart pounding loudly in his ears, chest seizing, hands shaking, he swore he was about five seconds from having a panic attack because, yeah, he'd thought about having children, and, yes, he'd realized a long time ago that Gus was probably as close as he was ever going to get to having one of his own. Thinking and admitting those two things aloud and to other people were two separate things.
He went for an obvious response.
"Did you talk to your Moms about this?"
Gus' eyes locked on Justin's, and yeah, Justin knew he was totally screwed at this point because the kid was a Kinney after all. He probably had a carefully constructed speech for any question Justin could ask.
"But you are like a Daddy to me," Gus responded, voice emphatic. "You draw with me and read to me and take me to the park..."
"Deb and Michael do that, too," Justin interjected.
"But they always take JR along, too. You treat me like I'm not a tag along."
"Is that why? Because I take you for trips with just the two of us?"
"No, Jus, you look at me and treat me the same way Daddy does with me and Michael does with JR--like I'm your kid, too."
Justin sighed, scratching the back of his head in a way Gus knew meant he was scared or nervous about something.
"If you just wanna be my friend, that's okay, too 'cause you like ta' have lots of fun with me," Gus said, quickly backtracking the way he did with his Moms to get out of trouble...or at least try to.
"You make up the best stories like Daddy does...only your stories are about castles and princes and Daddy's are 'bout twinks and the dance land called Babylon," Gus said, wrinkling up his nose before continuing. "Michael usually tells JR stories about Captain Astro or Rage and Zeph...Zeph..."
"Zephyr," Justin supplied.
"Yeah," Gus said, looking up at Justin with wide eyes. "He told them to you too?"
Justin nodded, a small smirk on his lips.
"I just don't see how those things could happen," Gus said, wrinkling his nose in thought.
"Sometimes people like to think about super heroes saving them from things that are scary or uncomfortable," Justin suggested. Sort of like this conversation.
"But that's what daddies are for," Gus replied, offering a bright smile that Justin returned in spite of himself.
If Justin hadn't been convinced that Gus was learning the Kinney manual chapter and verse, he sure as hell was now because he sure as shit hadn't seen that one coming! The kid totally backdoored him into that one.
Gus jumped down off the stool and wrapped Justin in a big hug, wet hands leaving their imprints on Justin's paint-streaked shirt.
"Love you, Papa," Gus said before tearing out of the bathroom before his Daddy Justin could stop him.
Six - White Noise
Once again, super big thanks to shadownyc for the beta.