Chapter Fifteen
Tenor was trying very hard not to growl at everything and everyone. The girls were having a bad day, fussing constantly, barely happy even when they were being held and bounced and loved on. To make matters worse, they’d had a terrible night, which had translated to him having a night where he’d gotten maybe two hours’ sleep, broken up into three doze sessions.
So he was exhausted, he had a headache, and he was covered in spit-up and drool. He tried very hard to remember the good days—which were almost every day up ’til now—and how angelic the girls seemed when they were sleeping.
Daniel had been gone for two days for a performance that he couldn’t reschedule—he was the guest pianist for the Dallas Symphony and there was no way out of it.
Matt came up and scooped up Mel, who was heartbroken that her daddy wasn’t there, and bounced her. “He’s landed.”
“Thank God. Every time I did get to sleep, I had nightmares that his plane would be cancelled and he’d be stranded somewhere not here. They miss their daddy at the best of times, but when they’re miserable like this, it’s worse.” Ten was pretty damn miserable without Daniel himself.
“And they’re just babies. In a couple years, he’s going to have to plan travel better.”
“If he gets another two nannies, we could all travel with him. That would be a great education for the girls—seeing the world.” It wouldn’t be easy, but it wouldn’t be that hard, and they’d all be together. The idea had merit.
“Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea, hiring someone else to help out. Would you be comfortable with that?”
Ten had to think about that one. It had been his idea because he’d been excited about being able to go with Daniel and bring the girls along. That part of it was still a good idea. But did he really want to be one of two or even three nannies? Would the others live here too? He wasn’t just another nanny, but would he be if there were suddenly more? “I’m not sure,” he answered honestly.
“Well, that’s something for you and Daniel to discuss, I’m sure.”
“What is?” Daniel walked through the door, looking exhausted. “Is everything all right?”
Melody screamed, fighting to turn around and see him. Matt handed her over like she was on fire. The other two, who he’d just gotten quiet with much jiggling, started crying, wriggling like crazy in his arms.
“Okay, okay, ladies. Give Daddy a chance to sit and you can all get your hugs in. Shh. Shh.”
Daniel hummed softly, bouncing Mel, who immediately relaxed. “There, that’s better.”
Ten tried not to growl. It was hard when you worked like crazy to make them happy and then someone else came along and quietened them in a snap.
“Hey, guys. So glad to be home. I missed everyone.”
“We missed you too. Especially in the last twenty-four hours.” He waited for Daniel to sit, then tucked the two he was holding in around Daniel. Then he sat next to his lover. “You look like you had a worse night than we did.” Though how that was possible without three fussing babies included, he didn’t know.
“We had a super late rehearsal, and the hotel was… so quiet and empty.”
“Quiet is better than we had here last night.” He chuckled and leaned in, pressed a soft kiss on the side of Daniel’s lips. “Missed you even when they weren’t fussing.”
“I would have taken the fussing to be home.”
“We’ll see how tonight shakes out and see if you feel the same way in the morning.” Ten grinned and rested half against the back of the couch, half against Daniel. He felt so much better, simply from Daniel being home.
“Do you two need anything?” Matt asked.
Daniel shook his head. “I’ll spring for pizza for supper.”
“Ooh. I want that fancy one with the béchamel sauce where the tomato sauce should be. With chicken and onions, please.” Ten wasn’t usually so forward, but he was tired and he was hungry and that along with a six-pack of Coke sounded about perfect right now. “With those cheap-assed but delicious slices of mousse cake.”
“Anything you want.” Daniel shifted until the babies were settled on him. “I missed you all.”
Melody was on Daniel’s chest, sighing softly.
“Not as much as the girls missed you. You’re their entire world, Daddy.”
“Did you miss me too?”
“God, yes. And not just because I had to deal with grumpy diapers times three without you. The bed is too big without you. Hell, the whole house is. I miss your… I miss your music.” It was the best way he could come up with to describe it.
“I know. I like it here, where life is us.”
Harmony picked that moment to start crying, which set off the other two. Ten leaned his forehead against Daniel’s shoulder. “Say that again in fifteen minutes when they won’t stop.” He kissed Daniel’s cheek and stood. “I’m going to grab their bottles and see if they won’t eat.”
He heard Daniel begin to sing for the babies, the sound ringing out. He had a feeling it was going to help—it soothed him, after all, and he hadn’t even known it all of his life the way the girls had.
When he got back to the living room, Mel, Harm, and Kyrie were still fussing, but not that loudly—they’d definitely calmed some. “Who are you feeding and who are you passing over?”
“I’ll take Melody and Kyrie, and then we’ll switch off in the middle.” Daniel started feeding babies. “So what did you need to talk to me about?”
Ten grabbed up Harmony and teased the bottle between her lips, sighing with relief when she latched on and began sucking strongly. He’d been worried she was going to keep fussing. “I have something to talk to you about?” Had he said he did? Oh right. The whole hiring another manny thing so they could travel with Daniel. “I’m not sure how I feel about all the ramifications yet, but Matt and I were talking about how much nicer it would be if the girls and I could go with you.”
“When I travel? That’s… that’s intense to think about, you and me and three babies.”
“Oh yeah. I don’t think it would work unless there was another nanny. And… well, Matt asked if I’d be okay with that and I’m not sure that I am. I need to think about it, you know?” Not that it was his decision in the end. It was Daniel’s.
“Well, if you want to hire a nanny, if you think we need one, do it.”
“We’d only need one for travelling, but the thing is, I’m not sure how I feel about there being another nanny for the girls.” It was who he was.
“Do you feel like the nanny?”
“Well, that’s who I am.” It wasn’t the usual nanny gig—he got to have Daniel as his lover, too.
“That’s not what I asked you.”
“I feel like… I feel like I’m more than just the nanny,” he admitted. The girls and Daniel were his life.
“I want you to be more than the nanny.”
“Oh good. I know I’m not their father like you are, but…” In his heart he was.
“Do you want to be, though? I mean, are you interested in…” Daniel’s face was bright red, and Mel started fussing as she lost the nipple.
Ten reached over and gently pushed the nipple back between Mel’s lips. Then he took a deep breath and looked Daniel in the eyes. “I love them like they’re my own. I mean, I did with my last family, too, but I always knew I wasn’t their parents. But the girls… they have a special place in my heart and I think of them as mine as well as yours, and if that’s overstepping, I’m sorry, but it’s how I feel.” Whether it was because he was such a huge part of their lives right from birth—from before birth, even—or because he was in love with their father, or a combination of things, he didn’t know. But it was the truth and Daniel deserved to know that. Hell, the girls deserved to know he loved them as much as anyone ever would.
“I would like you to be theirs. Ours.” Daniel rolled his eyes. “It’s easier in music. I love you. I want you to be my partner, not the nanny.”
“Oh… Oh, Daniel.” He knew he was being sappy, but he didn’t care. He pressed their foreheads together and swallowed hard. “Yes, please. I want to belong to all four of you.”
“Okay, then. You’ll have to decide if we need another nanny. Later. I’m going to stay home for the next six months or so. Eat pizza, write, love on you, spend time with my babies.”
He nudged Daniel. “If I’m not the nanny anymore, then it wouldn’t be ‘another,’ it would be a nanny, full stop. And if you’re staying home for the next six months, we don’t need anyone else to help us with the girls. We’ve got this.” If the situation changed after that and Daniel started travelling again, then they could rethink it. And as he wasn’t ‘the’ nanny, he wouldn’t have a problem having ‘a’ nanny. If they needed one.
“Oh good.” Daniel grinned at him, eyes exhausted behind the little round glasses. “So, I want to be Daddy. You can be anything else, fair?”
He nodded—this was so much more than he’d hoped for. “More than fair. Maybe Pop or Poppa for me?” It was different enough it wouldn’t confuse the girls.
“I’m happy with that. I think I’d like to call you husband.”
“We’d have to be married for that,” he noted.
“You know, you’re right. We would.”
“So…” Was this a proposal? Like the weirdest most awkward one ever, but a proposal nonetheless? He didn’t want to assume, though.
“So will you? Marry me, I mean? Give the girls their fathers, their family?”
“Yes, I will.” This time he leaned in and kissed Daniel hard. “I so very much will.”
“Good.” So goofy, his beautiful musical lover.
He laughed, his earlier grumpiness and frustrations melting away under the joy in his heart. “I love you.”
“Very good.” Daniel kissed the top of Kyrie’s head. “It’s good to be home.”
“Yeah, it really is.” He settled his hand on Daniel’s thigh, connecting them all together.
How had a shit day become this? Of course, the answer to that was sitting right next to him. Daniel was absolutely magical.
Daniel and their babies.
Kyrie started fussing in his arms, and he could only smile and bounce her gently. She was going to be okay. They all were. Daniel began to snore and Ten laughed silently. It was the perfect coda to the day.