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buckysgrace · 9 months ago

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25. Love Me Like You Mean It

Part 25 of Every Little Thing!

Gator Tillman x fem!Oc

CW: Oral sex, Unprotected sex and mentions of shooting!

Daphne

They had a routine in the morning.

Gator’s first alarm went off at five. It was loud enough to make Daphne stir, but not enough to wake her from her slumber. He’d roll over towards her after that, wrapping his arm around her waist and snuggling his face into the crook of her neck.

The second alarm rang fifteen minutes later and always seemed to be twice as loud and twice as obnoxious. By this time Gator was usually still snoring, his nose pressed deep against Daphne’s neck as she tried to shake him awake. He’d never been a morning person. Not once.

“Gator,” She whined as she pressed against his abdomen, unsure of how he could sleep through such an obnoxious alarm, “Your phone.” She grumbled, sighing as he pressed himself deeper against her side. She groaned, stretching her arms and legs out as he gripped onto her waist tighter.

She slowly rolled over him, knocking him onto his back as he began to stir this time. She reached for his phone, shutting off the ringing alarm before she fell onto her back. She yawned, reaching over to tap the side of his waist. He grumbled in response, still barely moving as she wiggled her way out of his arms.

She crossed the room, rubbing her eyes in the darkness before she flipped the light on. She winced at the brightness, listening as Gator whined in response. She turned, looking at where the sheets had pooled down to his waist. She felt a grin pressing upon her lips as she observed where his hand was resting on his stomach, then glazed her eyes up upon his thick chest hair.

“Hey,” She said softly as she crawled back onto the bed, “You need to get up.” She told him, giving him a soft shake until she watched his eyes flutter open. He turned towards her, blinking the sleepy daze from his eyes as he slowly nodded his head.

“Fuck,” He grumbled, “Just let me call in.” He moaned in annoyance, sighing like it was the most difficult activity. She leaned against him, enjoying the feeling of his warmth as she brushed her fingers up his abdomen slowly.

“I don’t think your dad would like that,” She mused as she played with his hair softly, “C’mon. You’ve got this, babe.” She teased, wiggling around until she could comfortably press her cold feet against his side.

He would hiss, jerking away as his eyes snapped open in surprise, “Jesus, shit!” He cursed, looking at her wide eyed as a laugh left her lips, “I was getting up.” He protested, though his lips curled into a soft smile. She giggled as she turned, rolling off of the bed slowly.

She’d healed nicely, but she believed that had been because Gator had been so attentive to her. He didn’t let her walk far, wouldn’t allow her up the stairs or to cook or clean until she was partially healed. Sometimes it still hurt to use her stomach muscles, especially when she had to carry the twins around. Ruby helped most days and sometimes Karen brought her girls over. Though Daphne preferred when Karen didn’t come over. She always had something to say.

She walked to the bathroom, watching the way he slowly began to untangle himself from the sheets. She sat down on the toilet first, suddenly aware of how full her bladder felt. She supposed that the constant need to pee after giving birth had been the worst part.

She scrubbed her hands clean at the same time he dragged himself into the bathroom, slowly beginning to set their toothbrushes up the both of them. It’d been another little habit that he’d developed on days where she had felt too exhausted to even do basic tasks. She was convinced he’d be a good dental hygienist.

She laughed, trying to keep her toothpaste inside of her mouth as he continually bumped his elbow against hers as they scrubbed at their teeth. She held her free palm underneath her chin, trying to keep from drooling as another laugh bubbled inside of her best.

She spit first, then bent low to wash the rest of the bubbly feeling from her mouth. She looked in the mirror as he bent low to spit into the sink, looking at the slight bags underneath her eyes and how she was in desperate need of a haircut. Her bangs were at an irritating length; annoying her so much on certain days that she was convinced she might cut them herself.

“What do you want for breakfast?” She asked him first thing after, watching the way he jumped to wiggle into his pants. She thought that waffles sounded pretty good, but she didn’t think she’d have enough time to make them before he had to go into work. Most days she wished that he could just stay with her.

“Just an egg sandwich,” He responded as he sat down to put his socks on, “I’ll get the twins up.” He said with a smile, his features brightening a little at the aspect. He always preferred getting them up and dressed as she was usually the one to set them down for the night. Although, he liked doing that too.

“Okay,” She smiled as she leaned over to kiss the top of his head, “I’ll go get started on it then.” She told him gently, breathing in his strong cologne before she headed down the stairs.

She liked the many pictures that were already up of their little family and had plans of adding that much more to their walls. She was supposed to go up later on to get the pictures that they’d taken from the trunk-or-treat. She was still glad she’d been able to convince Gator to go. Although, he’d been on edge since then. Roy had called about some emergency, leaving her alone with the kids at night for the first time.

She made him two over easy eggs, flattened out a patty from the sausage in the fridge and ensured that his toast wasn’t too dark before he made it down with the twins. She got his coffee set up too, truly enjoying the little things they were able to do for each other.

“Good morning,” She grinned as she kissed each of one of the twins' chubby little cheeks, “Oh, did you have the best sleep?” She cooed, enjoying the way their eyes flickered in interest.

They were almost seven months old and she truly wished she had a little machine that could slow down how fast they were growing. She’d made them little baby friendly pancakes consisting of eggs, crushed bananas and just a little bit of flour.

Piper babbled in response, her fist up to her mouth as Daphne helped settle her into the high chair while Gator worked on getting Knox set up. Knox was always harder as he seemed to be a bottomless pit and wanted food as soon as he sat down in the chair. As if on cue he started to grunt and whine, kicking his feet as his face grew red.

“Here, here,” Gator tried to calm him as he brought the bottle up to his lips, laughing at the way Knox wrapped his chubby fingers around his wrist, “I wasn’t planning on going anywhere anyways.” He responded, turning to Daphne to laugh as Knox kept him in place.

She pushed over his plate, then worked on setting up the baby plates in the high chair. She put a few berries in there, as well as some greek yogurt to see how they’d do with it. Knox ate about everything each time, Piper was still a different story.

“Thanks,” Gator commented as he looked down at his plate, “Is that all you’re eating?” He asked, looking worried at the piece of toast she had in one hand.

“I don’t like eating this early,” She reminded him with a soft laugh, sure that he thought she was skipping meals sometimes, “I’ll probably make some oatmeal later.” She told him, knowing that by that time the twins would want another snack or a bottle before they laid down for their first nap.

“You sure? I could bring you something.” He offered quickly, his eyes flashing in concern as she quickly shook her head. She didn’t want him to go to all that trouble, especially when she wasn’t hungry just yet.

“I’m sure,” She told him seriously as she reached over to squeeze at his hand, “Thank you though.” She smiled, glad that he cared so deeply for her. She was sure he did more for her than her dad ever did for her mom. She couldn’t imagine Roy being this kind and caring either.

“Of course,” Gator grinned, wrinkling his nose up as Knox offered him a fistful of crushed yogurt and pancake, “No thanks, buddy. I got my own right here.” He teased, but earned a giggle from Knox when he pretended to bite his hand. Daphne turned back towards Piper, noticing the way she was staring down at her plate in distaste.

“Come on,” She cooed as she brushed the little sliver of pancake across Piper’s hands, “You ate that lemon the other day.” She reminded her, but found that Piper was not any more interested than she was before. Which was alright. She was developing at her own speed and had yet to really get into food.

“She’s not interested,” Gator laughed as he looked at her in amusement. He stood, pushing his chair back as he pulled the pantry door open, “What applesauce do you want?” He asked, resting one hand on his hip as he looked at it.

“She likes the banana orange,” Daphne replied, watching the way Knox freely reached over to dig his fingers into Piper’s discarded pancake, “Maybe she’s sleepy like her daddy.” She grinned as she pushed Piper’s hair from her face, enjoying the way she giggled in response.

Gator sat down near Piper, pulling open the jar as he slowly began to feed her spoonfuls. She perked up at that, her brown eyes shining as she turned her attention towards her daddy. Daphne shook her head in amusement, walking towards Knox as she began the hard task of cleaning up the mess between his fingers.

“What do you have to do today?” She asked him curiously, thinking about how he’d been more distracted than usual. Ever since the trunk-or-treat a few days ago she’d noticed that there was something off about him. He was coming home later, wasn’t on his phone as much and left a lot earlier. It wasn’t too major, but just enough to make her inquisitive.

“Uh, been working on this new case,” Gator replied slowly, “This woman we thought was missing, her prints came up in Minnesota.” He kept it vague as he watched Piper, giving her soft coos as he cleaned the mess from the corner of her mouth.

“Oh yeah?” She questioned him curiously, not recalling anything coming up in the news as she scrubbed the crumbs out of Knox’s little fist. He whined in response, still trying to wiggle away from her.

“Kinda interesting,” Gator responded, “We’ll see how it goes.” He shrugged his shoulders softly, though he looked like he was hiding more about it. She knew he couldn’t tell her much, but something about his tone told her that he knew more than he was letting on.

“Does she want to be found?” She asked, bending over to kiss Knox’s nose before he could whine again. He giggled in response this time, his eyes flashing as he looked up at her.

“I don’t know,” Gator replied quickly, “Maybe she has amnesia or whatever you know? We gotta check it out regardless.” He brushed her off, smiling as he finished giving Piper the jar of baby food. She nodded her head, supposing that he was right.

“Don’t work too hard,” She teased as she leaned over to give him a soft peck on the lips. She brushed her fingers across his cheek gently, giving him a bright smile, “We’ll miss you and be safe.” She added quickly, feeling like he could be a little reckless sometimes.

“Always am,” He grinned as he gave each of the babies a quick kiss on the top of the head before he moved onto her again. He squeezed his arms around her waist before lifting her up, making a squeal leave her lips before he peppered a few kisses across her mouth, “You behave yourself.” He teased her as he gave her a quick smack on the ass before he set her back down.

Daphne worked on cleaning once he left, ensuring that she could see the twins from where they were wiggling around in the living room. She moved away for just a second, letting Birdie guard them so she could work on some of the dishes. Of course, that didn’t last too long before Knox began to whimper.

“I’m right here,” She drew out in a sing-song way, smiling at the way Knox quickly stopped whining and jerked his head towards her, “Can I wash this plate and I’ll be right in?” She asked him, grinning at the way he pulled his lips into a gummy smile.

Ruby came over every day, or when it was nice outside Daphne would take the twins next door. She appreciated the extra help because usually when one grew fussy, the other one had to be just as bad if not worse. She also didn’t like sitting inside of the home all on her own. It got lonely.

“Can you believe someone shot up the gas station?” Ruby asked as Knox aggressively gripped Daphne’s knees and pulled himself up. Daphne smiled down at him, resting her hands near his arms as he giggled in response, “I can’t believe what this world is coming to.”

“It’s scary.” Daphne agreed as she began to rub a pacifier against Knox’s bottom lip, only to pull it away when he tried to clamp down on it. He giggled each time, clearly finding it funny as well. He continued to balance himself as Piper began to shrilly babble from where she was laying on her tummy.

“People don’t believe in God anymore, that’s what’s wrong with the world.” Ruby shook her head, looking like she might go into another rant about that. Daphne quickly nodded along, not having much interest in listening to this conversation again.

She continued to tickle the pacifier across Knox’s lip, earning a loud giggle for him before the sound of gunshots stalled her actions. She froze, realizing that it didn’t sound that far away.

“What was that?” Daphne questioned as she darted her eyes around. It was odd for there to only be that many gunshots. She sat Knox down gently, earning a whine from him as she quickly made her way to the window.

She peeked out, pulling the curtain far away as she looked towards the Tillman ranch. She waited for a second, trying to search for some sort of evidence of the sound she’d heard. She furrowed her eyebrows, unable to see anything from the distance but she was sure it came from that direction.

“Probably just the boys shooting at something,” Ruby responded as she continued to rattle one of the toys next to Piper, “They’re always playing with their guns.” She did her best to dismiss Daphne’s worries, but it didn’t necessarily work.

“You just said the gas station got shot up.” Daphne pointed out, still searching for movement as she felt a sinking feeling spread through her stomach. Something felt wrong.

“Do you think that would happen here?” Ruby laughed softly, looking amused at the thought, “I don’t think that Roy would allow it.” She pointed out as Daphne slowly dropped the curtain. She supposed that her mother was right, but she was still skeptical.

Daphne nodded her head, but something still felt off as she walked back over to the couch. Knox greeted her with a smile, but she still had a looming feeling that something was wrong. She did her best to ignore it, up until a few minutes later when Roy roughly knocked at the door.

“Hi,” Daphne said in surprise as she balanced Piper on her hip, “It’s good to see you, Roy.” She replied with a smile, watching as Piper began to tug on the necklace around her neck. She shivered from the cold breeze that followed him in as he adjusted his hat.

“Gator got hurt,” Roy responded, making her eyes widen in fear, “Nothing serious. Just a little wrist injury.” He replied with a smile but stayed stoic as the worst images flashed through Daphne’s mind.

“How’d that happen?” She asked him quickly as her mind stayed glued to the shoot out that Ruby had just mentioned. Her heart began to race roughly inside of her chest as she feared that he’d grown involved in something bad.

“Well, you know how the job is and-,” He paused as he looked at her, “Where are you going?” He asked, watching as she moved to grab her jacket and purse. Piper wiggled about in her arms, continuing to babble as Daphne reached for her phone next.

“I’m going to go sit with him.” She told Roy quickly, feeling like Gator needed someone to be there with him. She’d been there when he broke his leg, she could be there now when they looked over his injury.

“You don’t have to do that.” Roy laughed like it was no big deal, like she was being silly. She supposed he might think she was babying Gator, but she didn’t care. Gator was important to her. She wanted to know all the information.

“I want to,” She said quickly, “Is he at the ER?” She asked, watching the way Ruby raised her eyebrows in concern. She quickly shook her head, knowing that she’d have to explain it all later. Once she found out the full facts for herself.

“Yeah,” Roy replied softly, “Bowman took him on up. I guess he’d like the company.” He said a second later, offering Ruby a soft wave that she quickly returned.

“Thanks,” Daphne breathed out quickly as she handed Piper back to her mother, “I’ll be back soon, alright?” She bent down to kiss Piper’s head, then did the same to Knox. He whined loudly once again as he knotted his fingers into fists as a look of frustration grew on his face.

“I don’t mind watching them,” Ruby smiled, “Let me know how he is.” Daphne nodded quickly as she pulled her jacket over her shoulders, then quickly rushed out the door. She knew it was probably nothing, but sometimes Roy also had a habit of downsizing Gator’s injuries. She had to see for herself.

She drove as quickly as she could without speeding, knowing it wouldn’t do any good to get pulled over in the process. She called Gator a few times, but gave up after the fourth as she realized he wasn’t going to answer her. She tried to reassure herself that he most likely forgot it, but that did nothing to soothe her worries either.

“What happened?” Daphne questioned, looking at his arm stunned as she finally entered the room. He sighed deeply as he looked up at her, cradling his right hand to his chest.

“I told him not to call you.” She shook her head, figuring that he was talking about Roy. She did nothing to correct him, too worried as she scanned over his body to ensure that there were no other hidden injuries.

“Are you okay?” She asked as she stood near him, gently looking down at where he was cradling his wounded arm, “Did you fall?” She asked him seriously, knowing that he had a tendency to be klutzy as well.

“I didn’t fall,” Gator mumbled, “It was just a suspect.” He pouted, looking like a little puppy that had just been kicked around. She felt her eyebrows raise as her pulse grew rougher against the side of ehr neck.

“What?” She asked him in disbelief, taking back everything she had said about nothing happening in this town. A gas station had been shot up and now he’d been attacked by a suspect? She felt terrified for him.

“It’s fine, he’s been taken care of,” He replied underneath his breath, “You really didn’t have to come.” He told her gently, making her shake her head as she looked at him in disbelief. She cupped his jawline gently so she could tilt his face up towards her. He looked up at her pitifully with those big brown eyes that she loved so much.

“Who was it?” She said firmly, feeling a spark of anger race through her body but then grow like wildfire. She couldn’t believe someone would be so violent with him. He didn’t deserve that.

“Just a suspect.” Gator replied, shrugging his shoulders and wrinkling his features up like it was no big deal. She squeezed at his cheeks softly, making his lips form into a pout as he looked up at her disgruntled.

“It’s a small town,” She said quickly, “Who did it?” She asked again, watching the way his eyes flickered up towards her in amusement. She didn’t think it was very funny.

“Oh,” He grinned at her, “What are you going to do?” He shook her hands off gently before he used his left arm to pull her onto his lap. She stalled for a moment, worried that she might hurt him as he gently rested the wounded arm between them. She looked at the injury for a moment, sure that it was broken.

“A lot of things,” She said quickly, “After you tell me what happened.” She moved her arm over his strong shoulders, holding him close as she brushed their foreheads together. He inhaled deeply as he brushed his nose against hers.

“Fucker got the jump on me,” Gator mumbled underneath his breath as he quickly glanced towards her then looked away, “It’ll heal quickly.” He replied once again, like it was no big deal. She frowned, knowing that it was hard to get him to say what he was really feeling at times. He was stubborn.

“Poor baby,” She mused as she leaned forward to kiss his temple, “What color do you want?” She asked him, trying to make the topic a little lighter so he wouldn’t be so upset. He furrowed his eyebrows once again.

“I’m not a kid,” He grumbled underneath his breath, “I don’t need to pick my color.” He looked away from her, as if she had said something annoying. He kept his palm against her waist however, drawing simple designs into her exposed flesh.

“Mhm, alright,” Daphne shrugged her shoulders, “Pink it is I guess.” She teased him, liking the way he snapped his eyes back towards her in horror.

“No,” He said quickly, “I want blue.” He said finally, making her lips curl into a smile as she nodded her head in agreement. She traced her fingers through the hair against the nape of his neck as she recounted what had happened this morning with Knox and Piper.

She sat with him until they were finished running the x-rays and eventually got him fitted for a cast. She thought it was only fitting for her to be the first one to sign his cast again, even though he thought it was childish. She supposed finding a way to get the twins' footprints onto it, to which he laughed at.

“What’s wrong with your ear?” She asked after she’d helped him into the car and gotten herself buckled up. She noticed for the first time there was dry blood, but no signs of scratches or any other injuries.

“Think I burst an eardrum,” He responded, looking a little exasperated at the way her expression fell, “I’m fine.” He told her seriously, looking like he no longer wanted to talk about it. She nodded her head in agreement, deciding that he’d already had a long day.

“Alright,” She said softly, choosing to believe him so he wouldn’t get frustrated with her, “At least you can come home and rest.” She told him as she reached over to squeeze his knee. He wiggled away with a laugh, still ticklish in the same spot.

“I need to talk to dad,” Gator brought up softly, “Real quick. Then I’ll be back.” SHe shared a look with him before she quickly nodded once again, knowing that there was no means in arguing. She was sure that Roy would want an update on him anyways.

“Do you want me to wait for you?” She asked him softly, more than happy to stay near him until they were gone. She thought about asking him about the gunshots until she remembered he wouldn’t know. He hadn’t been on the farm.

“No, it’s alright,” He nodded at her, “I promise. I’m not that damaged.” He laughed as he held up his casted arm, shaking it around as if to make a point to her.

That night she made lasagna and garlic bread, one of Gator��s favorite meals. She felt bad at how he was clearly having a harder time using his left hand. She suddenly wondered if she should’ve made something that was easier to stab and pick up.

Although maybe he could learn from Knox, who had no issue using his little fists to gather the noodles up to his mouth. Piper hadn’t been interested once again, settling for some more applesauce instead.

“Here,” She responded gently as she wrapped his arm in a bag, then taped it around his skin to prevent water from getting to it, “This will keep it safe.” The twins were both sitting in their little swings, listening to the music that Daphne had on in the next room. The bathroom door was open, just so she could be sure to hear if anything happened.

“This is fucking dumb,” He mumbled as he watched her get him prepped for his shower, “I would’ve had him.” He replied, sounding like he was disappointed in himself. She glanced up at him, a little surprised. She figured that he would’ve been more angry than anything.

“I know,” She said softly as she felt a smile forming on her lips, fully aware of his own talents, “You’re very strong. He just caught you off guard.” She reassured him, fully believing her own words. He caressed a finger over her cheek for a moment.

“Can you help wash my hair?” He asked finally, “Feels fucking weird to use this hand.” He mumbled as he shook his left hand, as if he wished that had been the one to snap. She pursed her lips into a smile.

“Of course I don’t mind,” She told him gently as she reached over towards the tub to turn on the desired water temperature, “Do you want help with that?” She asked him, noticing the way he was struggling to get his belt off.

“I feel useless.” He replied as he stood, letting her get most of his clothes off of his body. She glanced back into the room, ensuring that the twins were still fine and distracted before she continued.

“You’d never be useless,” She told him fiercely, taking his good hand so he could easily step into the shower. She stripped down next, watching the way his shoulders relaxed as he stood underneath the water jets, “You do a lot for us.” She told him as she joined him a second later.

She weaseled her way underneath the water stream, grinning up at him as she got her hair wet first. She worked the shampoo into her hair as she switched him spots, watching the tricky way he moved his fingers through his hair.

“Here,” She took over for him, getting most of his gel out before she started on his shampoo next. She massaged her fingers through his hair gently, watching the way his eyes shut softly as she did so. She smiled again, enjoying how he relaxed underneath her touch, “They both have your thick hair.” She commented, knowing that the twins' unruly bed hair matched his in the morning.

“I hate it,” He commented with a groan, “It grows too fast. I don’t like when it gets in my face.” He sighed, holding his lips together and shutting his eyes as she began to wash the shampoo from his hair.

“I know,” She told him gently as she washed it out, “You’re very particular, but that’s okay.” She didn’t mention that there was a time when they were young that he liked how unruly and wild it could get. It hadn’t been that way since Linda left.

She finished before he did, fully okay with letting him wash the rest of his struggles down the drain as she worked on drying herself off. She kept her towel around her chest tightly, still not happy any time she got small glimpses of her body in the mirror. She didn’t like the way the baby weight had still clung to her this many months later. Or the ugly scar that had been left behind.

She waited until he was done, sitting near the twins as she sang along to the lullabies that were playing. Piper always looked far more interested, her eyes wide and sparkling like she could understand the words. Knox, as usual, was struggling to stay awake.

Once Gator was also dressed in his pajamas and a little less antsy, they went back downstairs. They’d recently gotten back into binging Golden Girls, one of Daphne’s favorite shows. She liked Rose the best, while Gator was fond of Sophia.

“Is it weird?” She laughed, watching the way Piper started to gnaw on Gator’s cast, “Maybe it tastes yummy.” She teased, sure that it just felt good on her sore gums. Teething had been no joke.

“Funny,” Gator grinned as he pulled Piper up to his chest, “You’re a silly thing, you know that?” He wiggled her in the air for a few seconds, earning a loud giggle from her as she squeezed her eyes shut and held her mouth open wide.

Knox was sprawled out against Daphne, his head on her chest as he kept a tight grip on his bottle. She’d started giving him another ounce of milk with each of his feedings, finding that his appetite only continued to grow. He was a hungry little boy, but that was alright.

“Hey,” She turned towards Gator suddenly, remembering what she had been meaning to ask him earlier, “Did your dad mention what the gunshots were?” She moved her chin away, avoiding the way Knox was trying to knock the bottle into her face.

“Gunshots?” He questioned her, then stalled before he answered, “Oh. Oh yeah. The guys were just doing some shooting practice.” He looked away quickly, going back to tickling his fingers across Piper’s tummy.

“Practice?” She tilted her head, “There were only a few shots, then nothing again.” Nothing about the sound had suggested that it was something secured. It was fast, almost sporadic. Then nothing again.

“Who knows,” He laughed as he moved his cast away, trying to keep Piper from latching onto it with her mouth again, “Those guys are fucking weird.” He dismissed her, looking delighted at the way Piper began to call out for him.

“So unfair,” Daphne laughed as she watched them, “It’s mama.” She tried to correct, then looked down at Knox to try and get him to say the same thing. He only squirmed before he turned his attention back to his bottle.

“Do you think he should be talking by now?” Gator asked, looking a little hesitant as he brought it up, “Dad was asking about it. You know, since Piper is making sounds.” He shrugged his shoulders quickly, almost like he felt guilty about asking it.

“Piper can’t sit up on her own yet either,” Daphne reminded him as she thought about it, “I think they’re both just growing in their own ways. There’s no rush.” She said with a smile, happy that the both of them would be very loved no matter how they developed. He nodded along, looking a little reassured before Piper gummed at his cast again.

After the twins had bellies full of milk and were blissfully dreaming, Daphne settled behind Gator on their own bed. She rubbed her fingers across his stomach, dragging her lips across his shoulders as he continued to flex at his arm that was stuck in the cast. She was sure that it hurt.

“That’s your good hand too,” Daphne grinned as she pressed a kiss against his temple, “How will you ever jerk off now?” She teased him, giggling at the look he sent her. He turned, squirming around until he had her legs wrapped around his waist.

“Ha,” He grinned as he wrapped his good arm around her waist and pulled her closer, “I guess I’ll just have to call you when I need help.” He smirked as he brushed his fingers across her waist. The way the cast moved against her skin was slightly awkward, but she invited it all the same.

She leaned forward, fluttering her eyes shut as she gently pressed her lips against his. She tasted the odd mixture of mint and fruit, confirming that he had been vaping in the bathroom again. She moved her hands to the back of his neck as he dragged his mouth against hers, savoring the taste of her.

He dipped his fingers into the hem of her pajama bottoms, slowly rubbing his fingertips against her skin as he flicked his tongue against her bottom lip. She moaned at the sensation, leisurely pressing her tongue against his so she could enjoy the groans that fell from his mouth.

It was sloppy and messy as he licked at the roof of her mouth, then dragged his tongue along her teeth. She felt his lips curling into the softest smile before he moved to kiss at her lips again, tauntingly licking at the drool from the corner of her lips.

“Hm,” She grinned as she pulled her lips away from his mouth slowly, “I guess I could make time for that.” She could feel her heart hammering inside of her chest as a warmth spread between her legs. He pressed his left hand against her shoulder gently.

“S’rude,” He smirked as he pressed her back onto the bed, earning a soft shrill from her, “Here I am trying to be sweet to you and all you can say is that you guess you can make time for me.” His eyes darkened as an amused look spread over his features.

“Oh, you were being sweet to me?” She grinned in response,sitting up on her elbows as he pulled the hem of her nightgown roughly over her head. She wiggled around for a second, trying to get the material out from under her before he pushed her back once again.

He linked his fingers around the band of her panties, stretching them out a bit before snapping them against her skin. She yelped at the surprising sensation, then grinned as she brought a finger up to her mouth. She bit down on it softly, hoping to hide the anxious feeling that spread through her chest at the intense way he watched her. He dragged her panties down her legs slowly, holding eye contact with her the whole way.

“Was gonna,” He grinned as he leaned over her, keeping her legs spread apart as he dragged his left hand down her thigh slowly, “I thought I’d eat this pretty tang of yours.” He whispered out huskily, his fingers alighting a fire across her skin.

“Okay.” She breathed out quickly, her pulse quickening as she watched the way his fingers moved closer to her aching cunt. She chewed on her bottom lip, resisting the urge to wiggle her hips as he pushed his casted hand down a little harder against her flesh.

“I don’t know,” He teased softly as he rubbed a finger across her clit, “You were kind of being a bitch.” He drew the words out slowly, almost like he was challenging her. She couldn’t find the energy to tease him back as she desperately wanted to feel him inside of her.

“Sorry,” She spit out quickly, feeling like her body was on fire, “I didn’t mean it. You know that.” She flushed, knowing that she’d do anything he asked. She always had.

“You look so pretty,” He responded as he watched her, his eyes heavy as he dragged his fingertips through her wet cunt, “You want me to touch you?” He hummed softly as he pressed his finger down against her clit a little harder.

She rocked her hips forward, moaning at the sensation that spread through her body. She already felt like she was on fire, her body sensitive to his touch. A cocky grin spread on his lips as he watched her, clearly enthused by the way she was reacting.

“Please,” She breathed out, gasping as he leaned forward to spit onto her cunt. She moaned as he rubbed his spit across her folds, looking a little fascinated before he began to rub his fingers across her hole, “Please, Gator. Wanna feel you.” She begged him as she sat up on her elbows, trying to get a better look at him.

He dipped down between her legs, kissing the inner crook of her thighs as she felt goosebumps spreading through her body. She inhaled gently, breathing in the caramel scent of the room as he took a broad swipe of his tongue across her wet folds.

Her mouth parted in awe as he dipped his tongue across her clit slowly. He traced his tongue across her numb, teasing her slowly before he flicked his tongue across it. She whined, gripping the bed sheets in her hands while he continued to tease at her clit.

She felt her thighs twitch, almost trapping his head between her legs as he dragged his tongue lower to her hole. She whimpered as her head fell back towards the mattress while he buried his tongue between her fluttering walls.

“Oh,” She whined out, feeling her toes curl from the pleasure that spread deep throughout her body. He flicked his tongue deep inside of her, curling it against her spongy walls as he dragged his hands against the side of her waist, “Jesus, Gator.” She whined, resisting the urge to grip his hair as she rocked her hips forward.

“Fuck,” He groaned as he slowly pulled away, his lips wet before he took another lick from her soaked folds, “S’tasty. Mhm, you wanna taste yourself?” He mumbled as he removed himself from between her legs slowly, crawling over her until he was hovering above her.

He dragged his fingers across her lips, spreading them slowly as he dragged his tongue along the inside of his mouth. She watched as she slowly spread her lips, her body seizing in pleasure as he slowly spit into her mouth.

She moaned as she savored the taste of him and the mixture of herself on her tongue. She swallowed it slowly, then made a show of sticking her tongue out as if she could prove it was all gone.

“Fucking slut,” He groaned as he gripped her chin, giving her a soft squeeze before he shifted back to try and shift his pajama pants off of his hips. She sat up quickly, eager to help as he shuffled out of his pants, “You want my cock, mama?”

“Yeah,” She whined as he pushed her legs apart, “Want you so badly daddy.” She told him, mouth watering as he slowly stroked his cock in his hand. She watched the way his hand slowly moved along the length of his cock, a soft groan leaving his lips as she wiggled her way a little closer to him.

He pressed his tip against her clit, tapping it softly before he dragged it between her folds. A moan bubbled free from her lips as he pressed his fat tip against her hole. She wiggled her hips forward slowly, moaning as she moved her fingers up to his bicep.

“God,” She whined, her clit throbbing from sensitivity as his girth stretched out her fluttering walls, “You feel so good, baby.” She breathed out in bliss, gaping as he leaned down close to her. His nose brushed against hers as he breathed out hotly against her lips.

“You like that?” He mumbled, groaning deeply as he squeezed his fingers around his balls. She watched in awe, trying to move once again as he teasingly came to a halt. She could feel herself leaking around him, aching at the need to feel him move deep inside of her.

“Mhm,” She moaned, her eyes fluttering shut as he fully slid inside of her. She gaped, rolling her hips forward in a desperate need to feel more of him, “I love it. Fuck.” She cursed, licking the corner of her lips while his cock throbbed inside of her wet cunt.

“You’ve got such a filthy mouth tonight,” He groaned as he slowly pulled his cock back, leaving only the tip inside of her before he rocked his hips forward again. She cried out, her head rolling back as the pleasure spread through her veins, “Such a little slut.”

He gripped her left hip with his good hand, squeezing her flesh tightly as he dragged her body closer to him. She moaned at the contact, her eyes rolling into the back of her head at the feeling of her walls stretching around his cock.

“Your slut,” She whined as she dug her fingertips into his skin, “Wanna feel good. Please, please.” She begged, feeling like she may cry as he began to drag his cock in and out of her tight walls.

He groaned as he pulled her closer, carefully resting his sore arm against her chest as he pressed his fingertips inside of her mouth. She moaned as she sucked along his digits, whining as he angled his hips deeper inside of her. She cried out, her eyes shutting tightly as his cock curved deep against her bundle of nerves.

She savored the feeling of his cock curving inside of her, her moans rolling off of her tongue and bouncing around the walls in the room. She could feel every ridge of his cock, every curve and vein as he continued to thrust deep inside of her aching cunt.

“Am I a winner?” His question rang around in her mind for a moment, bustling about as the pleasure spread like wildfire through her veins. She hooked her ankles across his hips, desperately trying to press him closer to her. He removed his fingers from her mouth, dragging her drool across her chin as he patted at her cheek.

“Uh huh,” She whined as she rocked her hips forward quickly, “You’re a winner. S’my winner.” She moaned as she inched her mouth forward, pressing her lips roughly against his. He captured her mouth against his, swiping his tongue roughly as her mind went fuzzy again.

His groans became louder, his eyebrows furrowing together as the sound of her cunt squeezing around his cock grew in the room. She dug her fingertips into his skin, crying out against his mouth as he continually hit against her g-spot. She felt her toes curling, her pleasure growing as the muscles in her stomach squeezed tightly together.

He groaned loudly against her lips as she clamped down around him, her body quivering as she came with a shrill moan. She shut her eyes tightly, shaking as Gator’s grip on her tightened. He licked and sucked at her parted lips, her mind muddled as he rocked her through her orgasm.

“Fuck,” He drew out, whining as his thrusts became slower and deeper. She whimpered from underneath him, moving her lips against the side of his cheek to coax him over the edge. She pressed her fingertips against his flesh, gripping him tightly as he bottomed out inside of her, “Fuck, fuck.” He cursed, huffing loudly as his cock twitched inside of her.

She moaned at the feeling of his cum spreading inside of her walls, filling her deeply as she eagerly rolled her hips forward. She knew they should be a little more cautious, but she had a hard time thinking about that at the moment. It was too pleasurable at the moment.

“Mhm,” She giggled as she moved his floppy hair off of his forehead, “You are pretty sweet.” She grinned, bumping her nose against his as he let out a shaky laugh. She enjoyed the sensation of having him so close, of feeling like they were a part of each other.

“That’s all you,” He mumbled as he pressed a few quick kisses against her lips. She grinned in response, savoring the feeling of his lips against hers before he pulled away again. He sat up gently, then slowly removed his softened dick from her hole, “Sorry.” He mumbled, leaning over to grab a few tissues before he started to clean her up.

“S��okay,” She responded softly, shivering underneath his touch as she glanced up towards his pretty features, “It felt good.” She admitted with a shy smile, watching as he quickly got rid of the tissues and then reached over to turn the lamp off.

She wiggled underneath the blankets, sighing blissfully as he pulled her close to his chest. She nestled herself up against him, wishing that she could keep him this close for a little longer. She hated that it was so late in the night, that it would soon be morning and he’d be leaving again.

“Hey,” He said a minute later as he sat up a bit to look at her better, “Why am I doing all the work?” He asked in amusement, making her confused for just a second until she realized what he meant. She felt her cheeks prickle in embarrassment.

“Really?” She giggled, pushing at his shoulder as she pulled the blankets up to her chest, “I just had your children. I don’t have the energy for all that.” She brushed him off quickly, a little humiliated to say that she didn’t want all of her body presented to him in that manner. Maybe in a few more months when she gained her confidence back.

“I think you’re just using that as an excuse now,” He grinned as he pushed the bangs from her forehead, “I’ll let that slide.” He said softly, mumbling before he leaned forward to press a kiss against her forehead. She savored the feeling of his lips against her skin.

“Oh, thank you,” She mocked playfully as she wrinkled her nose up, “Would that be easier for your hand?” She teased him back, watching as he brought his casted hand up between them. He looked at it in wonder.

“Actually,” He thought about it for a moment, “Yes.” He laughed softly, his eyes sparkling as the moonlight danced in through their open curtains. She felt another giggle forming in her stomach, like she was a teenager again. He had that effect on her.

She took a hold of his casted wrist gently, leaning forward to press her lips against each of his fingertips. She kissed them slowly, softly as she felt her heart fluttering roughly against her chest again. She wondered if he truly knew just how crazy she was for him.

“I’ll remember that,” She grinned as she slowly dropped his hand from her grasp, “Do you feel better?” She asked him softly, knowing that something had been bothering him throughout the day. She wished she could help sort out his jumbled mind.

“Mhm.” He said softly, nodding his head as he continued to stare at her. She smiled as she rested her cheek against the pillow as she thought of how to phrase her next statement. She stared at his warm eyes, noticing the hint of sadness lingering there.

“Because you are a winner,” She drew out slowly, “And if this is about the suspect; you almost won, babe.” She told him seriously, firmly so he couldn’t dismiss her. He furrowed his eyebrows as he watched her before his expression relaxed.

“S’nice way of saying I’m a loser.” He said softly, snorting as he turned his attention to the side of her face. She wiggled her way a little closer to him, determined that he wouldn’t be able to ignore her.

“You’re not a loser,” She shook her head quickly to deny his statement, “Second place isn’t so bad.” She replied, knowing that he hadn’t heard that very often. He had always been competitive, mainly on Roy’s account. She didn’t understand why Roy still had to make Gator feel like he was part of a competition.

“Second place is losing if there’s only two of us.” He replied factually, looking as if he was getting the last word. She brought her hands up to his face, enjoying how warm and soft his cheeks felt against her palms.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” She said as she squeezed his face softly, bringing his eyes up towards her, “You did great. You don’t have to win everything either.” She told him seriously, hoping that her words would stick with him.

#gator tillman #Gator Tillman x OC #Gator Tillman x fem!OC #GatorTillman #Gator Tillman x Daphne #Gator Tillman smut #Dad!Gator Tillman #Gator Tillman series #Gator Tillman x original character #Gator x Daphne #Every Little Thing #Gator Tillman fluff

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buckysgrace · 9 months ago

Text

23. Roses in the Rain

Part twenty three to Every Little Thing!

Then

Gator enjoyed it when he got to spend time with his mom alone. The time with her was becoming smaller and smaller. As he grew older he noticed she was more likely to pawn him off towards his dad or one of the farmhands.

Which he didn’t mind, but he also liked feeling like he was important to her. He liked when she’d call him Bambi and squeeze at his soft face. She barely did it anymore, but he also knew things had been harder for her. He didn’t understand a lot of things, but he did know by the bruises on her face that she hadn’t been listening again. At least that’s what dad would say.

Sometimes she’d let his hair grow longer, let it get thick and fluffy before Roy would roughly drop him into one of the dining room chairs and tug on his hair to make a point to Linda. Gator always hated how her face would fall; how she would silently agree with Roy but then mumble to Gator about how she liked it when his hair was a little unruly.

“Why can’t I go with you?” He pouted one afternoon, desperately wanting to follow what she was doing. He already knew what the ranch hands did, but he had no idea what his mom did during the day.

“Because you need to learn how to take care of the ranch,” She replied gently as she bent over, her face bruised and splotchy, “One day it will be yours to take care of.” He thought over her answer for a moment, knowing that his dad had told him the same thing. It had been passed down through his family for the longest time.

“What about the house?” He questioned, “Won’t I still live here if I have to take care of the ranch?” He tilted his head as he looked up at her, trying to understand why she didn’t want him around her. Ruby never said anything about her kids lingering around her.

“You’ll live nearby I’m sure,” She said gently, “But you’ll have your own family to take care of.” She smiled as she tapped the top of his head, like that was the end of the conversation. She glanced over his head, where Bowman was inching closer again.

“But why can’t I-,” He began to whine, protesting at how unfair this whole thing was.

“Gator,” She interjected, snapping as she looked at him frustrated. She inhaled deeply, her eyes glazing over, “Just trust me. This is the best thing for both of us.” She told him sternly, leaving him hurt and even more confused than when they’d started the conversation.

Now

“Okay, uh,” He paused as he stared at the shut door, struggling for a moment as the diaper bag smacked against his spine. He shifted both baby carriers before he eventually realized he’d have to set one down, “Sorry buddy. It’ll be just a second.” He apologized towards a sleeping Knox as he sat the carrier down.

He shuffled in his pockets, pulling forth the key until he was able to twist the knob and kick the door open. He winced at the loud way it slammed against the door, not wanting it to be nearly as loud as what it was.

Piper crooned, making a soft sound as she rubbed her hands over her face. He froze, feeling panicked at the way her features knitted up in discomfort before she slowly settled down. They had both passed out instantly on the car ride home.

He breathed out in relief, hoping the next few days would be easy as he reached with his left arm to pick Knox back up. He shuffled inside the door sideways, doing his best to keep from whacking either of them into the doorway.

“Alright,” He breathed out softly, satisfied as he sat them both down before he crossed the room and shut the door. He gulped, his nerves still simmering deep inside of him as he peered around the quiet house. He wasn’t used to coming home and not having Daphne there to greet him, “Do you want to look around?”

He slowly undid their buckles one by one, admiring the way they would wrinkle their noses and twitch their lips as they fluttered in their dreams. He wondered what they were thinking, if they were having happy dreams.

He thought his favorite part was picking them up. He enjoyed the way they both scrunched up, their knees pulled tightly to their chest as he placed them in his hands. It was so cute that he nearly sat them back down just to do it again.

Piper was still lighter, still fussier and squirmed about until she was finally comfortable. Knox felt more like a log; warm and heavy as he slumbered against Gator’s chest. He enjoyed holding the both of them and had grand plans of napping with them once they were old enough.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” He spoke to himself, mumbling as he bent low enough to kiss the tops of their heads. He inhaled softly, breathing in their sweet baby scent as he slowly made his way from the living room, “Mommy decorated the kitchen, can you tell?” He asked them, referencing the dark greens that lit up the slightly dim room. He’d worry about the lights later.

They slumbered on, curled tightly against his chest as he introduced them to different parts of the house. Walking up the stairs was slightly nerve wracking but he made it up just the same. He liked holding them in his arms; wondered how many times he’d be able to hold them like this until they were too big.

He finally gave in to his tired arms as he gently laid Knox down in his bassinet. He rubbed his fingertips across Knox’s chest softly, ensuring that he was still sleeping before he moved towards where Piper would sleep.

He took the same motions, beginning to lay her down as she began to squirm and protest. She knitted up her features tightly, whining before she began to cry as he fully moved his hands away.

“Alright,” He mumbled softly, shushing Piper as he gently laid her down in her bassinet next, “No, no don’t cry. It’s okay. Go back to sleep.” He tried to urge her, desperately wanting a little while to shut his own eyes as he rubbed gently at her tummy.

He winced as her cries grew louder, her legs pulling up to her chest as she clenched her fists together tightly. Her mouth opened wide, eyes squinted harshly as her cheeks began to turn red. He grew anxious, fearing she may wake Knox up or hurt herself as he picked her back into his arms.

He hummed softly, bouncing her lightly as he tried to get her to calm down again. Her cries grew softer and softer as she opened her eyes, peering around for a second until she stopped to look at him. He pressed his finger against her wet cheeks, feeling a little stressed as she brought her tiny fist around his pinky.

“You win,” He replied as he met her dark eyes, watching the way her grip around his finger grew looser as she became comfortable again, “You can sleep in my arms but just for a bit longer.” He promised her, taking the defeat as he settled into the rocking chair. He sighed deeply, but enjoyed the way she seemed compliant as she rested against him.

He traced his finger along her face, enjoying how soft her baby skin was against his own as he lightly pressed down on her chubby cheek. He moved his finger across her chin next, lightly across her lips and then traced her nose a few times. A soft grin formed on her lips and he felt himself smiling in response, wondering what she was dreaming about.

He rocked her gently, admiring her features as he let her curl herself deeper and deeper against his chest. She was so tiny, it almost looked odd to have her in his arms. It almost didn’t feel right to hold someone as fragile as her.

There were a few moments he felt himself beginning to doze off before he quickly snapped his eyes open to look down at her again. He finally stood, recognizing defeat as he gently tried to lay her back down in her crib. She squirmed again, opening her mouth like she was going to cry before she slowly stopped. She sucked on her bottom lip, drifting back off into sleep.

He sighed in relief, rubbing at his tired eyes as he turned the baby monitor on. He decided to take a quick shower and then he’d take a little nap. He glanced at them one last time, slowly beginning to creep out of the room before Knox began to whimper.

“Shh,” He cooed as he stood over him this time, trying to rock him back to sleep before he realized that sleep may not be the issue. He breathed out roughly, “What’s going on, huh?” He felt slightly insane as he spoke to himself, but he thought it was good that the twins heard his voice.

Knox looked up at him curiously, blinking his eyes softly in interest as Gator removed the booties from his feet. He grinned, bending down low enough to kiss at his tiny toes. He unsnapped the onesie next, shaking his head as he looked at him.

“Bro,” He teased as he removed the onesie from Knox’s body, “Look at you. You’re already huge. I won’t be able to afford to keep you if you keep eating like this.” He grinned as he lightly brushed his fingers over Knox’s full tummy. It was soft and squishy, warm as Gator admired him again. He had a sudden urge to pick him up into his arms and squish him gently.

He unsnapped the diaper, pausing as he was suddenly unsure about possibly touching urine. He pulled away, snapping on a pair of gloves before he turned back to where Knox was waiting. He moved the diaper back, but then quickly ducked at the stream that shot out towards him.

“Shit,” He stared over his shirt to ensure no pee had gotten on himself before he stared up at the wall where it had landed, “Alright, I can get that later.” He said as he nodded his head, trying to make a mental reminder as he messily wrapped up the messy diaper and tossed it in the garbage with his gloves.

He had just barely finished the diaper over Knox’s squirming body before Piper began to protest again. He moved Knox back to his bassinet, leaving him in his diaper as he went ahead to change Piper next.

She was easier, although she squirmed and wiggled the whole time. He was too afraid to try and keep her still, so he continually had to adjust her diaper the more that she stopped wiggling about.

He picked her up after, trying to soothe her as she started to whimper again. He rubbed at her back, but figured he must’ve done it a little too hard as white, baby spit fell from her mouth. He stared at her in horror, doing his best not to gag at the feeling of it soaking into his shirt.

“Fuck,” He grumbled, staring down at the spit up that was now decorating his shirt, “S’alright. I can change that in a minute.” He brushed her off, walking over towards where Knox was. He sat her next to him, sighing deeply for a moment as he stood up from them.

He walked over to the changing table, grabbing a few wipes as he began to scrub down his shirt. He pulled it away from his skin, doing his best not to get it against his skin. He shook his head, resisting the urge to gag as he tossed it next. He sanitized his hands quickly, wondering if they had fallen back asleep.

“Oh shit,” He stared at them for a moment, “I didn’t color coordinate. Okay, okay you’re- okay, hold on.” He knew that Knox was slightly bigger, but suddenly in this aspect they looked very similar. He grumbled as he peeked inside of the diaper, confirming his suspicions.

“Knox,” He grinned as he looked up at his newborn son, “You’re obviously, Knox and I’m losing my mind.” He said softly as he placed the blue booties back onto his feet. He shook them gently, earning a soft squeak of approval from the little newborn.

He picked Piper back up, determined that he’d get them both dressed again when she spit up all over his shirt again. This time it was twice as much and hit against the side of his neck, spreading down into his shirt as he really did gag this time.

“What about a bath?” He asked, staring down at the wet spot that was spreading down the front of his shirt, “I think daddy needs a shower.” He said, wrinkling up his nose in disgust. He paused, being gentle as he picked Knox up.

He shuffled them back into their little carriers, covering them up as he sat them outside of the bathroom so he could have a clear look at them. He didn’t want the steam to get too hot on their little skin. He turned the water on, letting it get to a warm temperature before he stripped and stepped inside the tub.

He did his best to scrub down as quickly as he could, but kept growing paranoid as he peeked out the curtain every few seconds. He shook his head as he shut it, trying to remind himself that they couldn’t roll over yet. They were fine.

“You don’t have to stare,” He reminded them, peeking out of the curtain again to make sure that they were still in their same spots, “It will just be a second.” He promised as he finished scrubbing the gel from his hair. He figured he could feed them next, do a diaper change and then lay them back down. Then he could sleep.

He wrapped a towel around his waist, carefully walking as he carried their carriers to his room. He faced them away from him as he dried himself off with the towel. He quickly grabbed a pair of boxers, then some joggers and a wife beater. He thought it would be most comfortable to pass out.

“Okay,” He sighed as he picked them both out of the carriers, fearing for how long they’d been resting in them, “That’s better, right?” He smiled as he kissed their foreheads again, noticing that Knox seemed to be slightly more irritated this time around.

He carried them back downstairs, resting them into another bassinet as he warmed up a bottle of formula. It took him a few minutes to get it measured right, then to figure out the right temperature. Even then, he wasn’t sure if he was doing it right.

Piper didn’t take as long to feed, but she did take longer to burp. She fussed most of the time during it as well, making him feel bad as he could clearly tell she was uncomfortable. He made a mental note to Google if there was an easier way to burp babies.

“I’m right here,” He reassured her, cooing as he rested her awkwardly on his lap so she wouldn’t cry, “Your brother needs to eat too.” He reminded her as he picked up a fussy Knox and began to hold the bottle up. Knox searched for the nipple instantly, latching messily as he drank the bottle twice as fast.

Gator thought about teasing him again, but decided against it as he rocked him close to his chest. He was glad that Knox was eating well, that he was so big. He wondered what Roy would think of him. The twins were born far more into their term than Gator had been. He had only weighed about four pounds when he’d been born.

“Did you get your fill?” He grinned as he moved Knox onto his shoulder, keeping the spit up rag in place this time as he began to pat his back. Piper had drifted off on his lap, her eyes fluttering shut as he burped Knox's back.

He moved Piper gently onto the couch cushions, positioning her in a safe way that she wouldn’t roll off or slide into the cushions. He stood with Knox, still burping him as he stretched his legs out. He noted the way his stomach was growling. He was hungry this time. His nap would have to wait.

“Do you know how to propose?” He asked Knox as he gently held him up in his arms, “Because I still have no idea how to do it. Any advice?” He hummed softly, watching the way Knox’s eyes fluttered over him curiously.

“Guess not. Noted,” Gator said softly, “I think pizza sounds good for, fuck,” He paused as he checked the time again, “It’s already midnight?” He shook his head, unsure of how the time had gotten away from him. He looked down at Knox again, deciding he’d get up in a moment to dig through the fridge.

He smiled, still sure that the twins had more of Daphne’s features as he gently rocked him back and forth. He was desperate to have her back, to ensure that she really was okay. He hated being this far apart.

He shifted, wiggling up just enough to earn a small flutter of protest from Knox until he settled back down. He pulled his phone out, struggling with his left hand for a second before he typed out a message.

How’s it going?

He was sure that she would be sleeping peacefully by now, but he also hoped that she wasn’t. He wanted reassurance from her, to make sure that everything was alright. He suddenly had a strong urge to drive up to the hospital. He supposed he could call them if she didn’t answer.

Would be better if these pain meds would kick in lol. How are you three?

He sighed in relief, feeling a little better as he read over her text again. He paused, angling his body in a way that he could get both of the twins up into the photo frame as he snapped a picture.

Just hanging : )

He waited for a moment, smiling at the twins in the picture. He thought for a moment, realizing he hadn’t taken any since they’d gotten back. He quickly moved his phone again to snap two better pictures of them, though they were slightly blurry in the dark. He didn’t want to blind them from the flash however.

I love you

He paused for a long moment, staring at the text as a smile formed on his lips. He answered her quickly, saying the same thing and telling her that he hoped that she felt better soon. One day. It would just be one day.

He drifted off for a little bit after that, maybe forty five minutes before Piper began to cry again. He quickly woke up, swapping her up and doing a quick diaper change on her. He placed the rag on his shoulder, feeling smarter this time as he rubbed at her back again.

He walked towards the kitchen, having a dire need to eat something as he searched through the premade meals that were in the fridge. Piper snuggled up to him, wiggling her little body closer as the cold air slightly hit her tiny body.

“I’m not much of a cook,” He admitted as he rocked Piper in his arms this time, “If mommy isn’t here it’s probably gonna be pizza rolls, maybe the dino chicken nuggets if you’re lucky.” He teased her, enjoying the soft smile that formed on her lips. He knew they said it was just a reflex, but he liked to believe that she really was listening in on what he was saying.

He tore the wrap off with one hand, balancing part of the aluminum pan on one hip before he was finally able to free it. He glanced down at Daphne’s neat handwriting as he set the oven to the desired time.

He turned the TV down on low, finding some reruns of Live P.D. as he rocked Piper while waiting for the food. She stayed awake for some time, just looking around and curling against him as he waited for the food to get finished. He was starving.

“You can sleep,” He reminded her as he held her in his left arm and awkwardly balanced his thing of meatloaf on his thigh as he tried to eat, “There’s nothing wrong with sleeping.” He promised her, watching as she continued to stare at him in interest.

At four they were up again and things seemed to take a turn for the worst. They were both fussy, inconsolable as they sobbed and sobbed. If one needed changed, the other one needed to be fed. They both desired his attention at the same time and he hated that he didn’t have some device that could hold them up so he could do both things at once.

“I have taken you both everywhere through the house, you’ve been rocked and fed and changed-,” He inhaled deeply, “Just please. Please stop crying.” He begged of them, his hair lying distraught on top of his head as he desperately tried to rock the two of them.

It didn’t work. He eventually had to set them both down in their bassinets, leaving them crying for just a moment as he stepped outside. His nerves were shot, his hands jittery and his eyes wet as he tried to calm his worries. He took a deep breath before he took multiple hits off of his vape, wondering if that had to do with why he was so shaky.

“Hey,” He could feel his voice shaking, his throat raw as he spoke on the phone, “Do you care to swing by? The kids won’t stop crying.” He asked Roy as he peeked back into the house and shut his eyes tightly, hearing them fussing still.

“Where’s Daphne?” Roy asked, his voice raspy and thick from how early in the morning it was. Gator brought his vape up to his lips again, inhaling deeply until he felt like his lungs may burst.

“She’s still in the hospital,” Gator breathed out harshly, feeling like he was seconds from bursting into frustrated tears, “I just need to know how to get them to stop crying.” He said at last, feeling clueless and awful. He wanted to do better than Roy had, but he was failing worse in his opinion. He didn’t know what was wrong with his kids. He felt like a shit dad.

“So you’re doing the woman’s work?” Roy asked, scoffing like it was something terrible. Gator nearly dropped his phone from the accusation, feeling as if he’d been slapped.

“She’s injured,” Gator said in disbelief, “She can’t help that.” He defended himself and Daphne quickly. She had nearly died. She was sore and healing. She didn’t need to deal with this right now. She needed to get better.

“You should’ve left them there until she was better,” Roy said bluntly, “I’ve got to go. Karen is calling.” He replied roughly, making Gator’s eyes widen in surprise.

“Wait, can you just-.” He sighed harshly, squeezing his phone tightly to keep from throwing it, “Fuck.” He shook his head, taking another deep inhale before he walked inside.

His head was throbbing, pounding even as he tried to get the two of them to calm down. He eventually got Knox to relax enough to a point where he was no longer crying, but Gator felt awful as he rocked Piper back and forth. He felt like each time he was comforting one of them, he was neglecting the other to soothe themselves.

He didn’t know how much time had passed before the front door was shoved open. Gator blinked, still trying to get Piper to stop crying as he stared hopefully at the door. He didn’t even care if it was Roy or not. He’d secretly been hoping that Karen would come to help him.

“Son,” Bruce paused as he glanced towards him, “What is on your shirt?” He raised his eyebrow as he took off his hat, letting it rest on the back of the arm chair as he stared at the mess that was surrounding Gator.

“Oh,” Gator paused, “One of them puked on me. Or both. I don’t know how many times.” He reached for the bassinet, beginning to rock it as Knox started to fuss once again. He didn’t want to be rude, but he didn’t think that Bruce would be much help in this situation.

“Ah,” Bruce smiled knowingly, “Why don’t you go shower?” He sat next to Gator, scooting him over as he reached his arms out towards Piper. He hesitated, unsure if this was a good idea.

“They’re pretty fussy,” Gator said quickly, nervous at the thought of leaving them alone, “I think I should get them down for a nap first.” He nodded his head urgently, deciding that having them nap would be a better idea. He didn’t know how Bruce could handle them like this.

“This isn’t my first rodeo,” Bruce reminded him as he gently swept a crying Piper up into his arms. He turned her so her stomach was resting on his forearm, making Gator wince and reach out in fear that she’d be dropped, “See? Instant soother.” He proclaimed proudly as Piper slowly began to hush. He used his free hand to rub soft circles into her back, intriguing Gator.

“What did you do?” He asked him desperately, trying to figure out what he had done wrong. He shook his head, watching the way Piper settled into his arms.

“Daphne was a gassy baby too,” Bruce replied gently, “Seriously, go shower. You’ll feel better. I’ll watch them for a bit.” He used his free hand to brush Gator away before he began to rub at Piper’s back again.

He hesitated for only a second longer before he decided that Bruce was right. He was in no shape to help the twins like this. The stairs felt like they took forever to climb, his legs heavy and tired as he dragged his way to the bathroom to shower once again. He hoped that things got easier. Then he prayed that they would, swore up and down to God that he’d be a better man as he let the water massage his tense body.

“How are they?” He asked curiously once he’d returned, feeling a little panicked but then instantly relaxing when he noticed how calm the living room seemed to be. He’d changed into a better outfit, feeling more put together than he had an hour again.

“Oh,” Bruce glanced down at the breast feeding pillow he had sandwiched onto his lap, both of the twins snuggled into it as they all seemed to slowly sink into the couch, “I was just telling them that the Packers are the superior team in comparison to the Vikings.” He shrugged his shoulders, looking quite satisfied as he glanced at the twins again. Gator reminded himself that Bruce had twins as well.

“They’re sleeping?” He looked over in surprise, noticing the relaxed features that were etched on their faces. He nearly reached down to touch them, but then feared that he’d end up waking them again.

“Indeed,” Bruce said as he brought a glass of tea up to his lips, “You look like you could sleep too.” Gator didn’t argue, feeling too exhausted to say another word as he dragged himself over to the sofa. He couldn’t handle the thought of crawling back up the stairs, so he snuggled himself underneath one of the quilts and quickly drifted off.

//////////////////////////

Gator groaned as he rolled over on the couch, blinking the sleep from his eyes as he stretched his arms up high over his head. He blinked a few times, looking up in confusion as Bruce stared down at him.

“What?” He asked, his mouth feeling dry as he sat up at the edge of the couch. He glanced around, feeling reassured that the twins were both still sleeping as he shook his slumber off of him.

“Daphne is almost ready to go home,” Bruce responded as he patted his shoulder, “There’s a pot of coffee on, and a donut on the counter. You want me to drive you up there?” He questioned as he took a step back, giving Gator a chance to stretch out his legs again. He was still tired; felt like he had slept for only five minutes.

“No,” Gator shook his head as he wiped at his eyes again, “I can get her. Thank you. I don’t know- I don’t know what I would’ve done.” He admitted, his voice feeling a bit raw as he spoke again. He didn’t know how to be thankful. It was odd, different. But he was grateful.

“You would’ve figured it out,” Bruce brushed him off, “You’re doing a lot better than I did with August.” He told him seriously, looking a little amused at the way Gator’s eyes widened. He felt a little bad. He had assumed that Bruce had little to do with childcare, the same way Roy did.

“Really?” He asked him, starting to feel a little relieved. He supposed he wasn’t doing too bad of a job. Perhaps he had been freaking out for nothing. “Truly,” Bruce nodded his head, “I don’t think I was very fair to him at all. I was really hard on him. I regret that.” He said, looking like he was speaking more to himself as he rubbed at his chin. Gator wondered if that’s why Bruce let August get away with all of his bastard children.

“Oh.” He said softly, not really sure what to add. He glanced towards Knox suddenly, having a painful feeling that he may eventually slip into his father’s shoes. He didn’t want to be hard on him. How could he? Knox looked so small, so soft and fragile. He didn’t want to ever make him purposely cry.

“You’re going to be a great dad, though,” Bruce said with a soft smile, “And there’s no one else that I’d trust to be with my daughter. Keep your head up, you’ll learn.” He promised him, leaving Gator with a better feeling as he nodded his head in appreciation.

/////////////////////////////////

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come in?” Gator asked, holding one hand on the steering wheel and using the other to hold his phone up to his ear. The twins were in the back in their car seats, slumbering like nothing was wrong. He hoped it remained that way.

“I’m already getting checked out,” Daphne mumbled, still sounding like she was sleeping, “Mom said just to meet us at the front of the building. I missed you. I missed them.” She breathed out quickly, almost sounding regretful. He would remind her soon enough that there would be a lot more time to bond with them.

“We missed you too,” He said quickly, sure that the twins would rather have her than him, “I’m glad everything is fine. They didn’t say anything else?” He asked, ensuring that everything else was alright before they started to worry about small things. He wanted her to fully heal, to get her rest first. He was still surprised at how traumatic childbirth could be. He didn’t fully realize just how bad it could be.

“Nothing to be concerned with,” She said softly, “My back still hurts, but they said that’s normal.” She replied, making it sound like it was nothing. He paused for a moment, trying to think about how he could help her.

“I’ll give you a massage when we get home,” He teased her softly, “We can stop and get something to eat too.” He told her quickly, trying to think about what would make her most comfortable. He’d have a little break from work to help her with getting a schedule down for the twins. Hopefully that would help.

“That sounds heavenly,” She giggled softly over the phone, “I’ll see you soon, baby. I can’t wait.” She sighed tiredly as she spoke and he was quick to repeat the same words back, hoping that this wouldn’t be too exhausting for her.

He realized his mistake as soon as he pulled the truck in. Daphne wasn’t necessarily limping, but she was walking slower and cradling her hand over her stomach. A slew of curses left his mouth as he approached her, feeling bad as he stared at the truck.

“I probably should’ve brought something else.” He mumbled, watching the way her lips turned into a tired smile before she gripped his biceps gently. She gave his muscles a soft squeeze before she stood on her tippy toes to kiss the corner of his mouth.

“It’s okay,” Daphne shook her head, “I can climb in.” She brushed him off, her fingers dragging over his hoodie for just a second before she wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a tight squeeze.

He breathed in the smell of her dry shampoo as he held onto her tightly, giving her a soft squeeze in return. He didn’t want to hurt her. He rocked her back and forth gently, truly grateful that she was alright. That she came back to him in one piece.

“Let’s get you home,” He mumbled, his cheek pressed against the top of her head as he thought about how he didn’t want to let her go at all, “Thank you for taking care of her.” He cleared his throat as he pulled away, smiling at Ruby who was waiting with a smile.

“She’ll always be my little girl,” Ruby teased as she gave Daphne’s hand a squeeze, “I’ll bring over some dinner tonight. You two will have your hands busy.” Daphne nodded her head quickly, smiling brightly like she was excited with that idea.

He took her hand, guiding her towards the door so they didn’t block up traffic for too long. She was quick to stop, looking at him worried as a thoughtful expression crossed her eyes.

“Were they okay?” Daphne spit out quickly, “Everything went smoothly, didn’t it?” She looked a little panicked as she spoke, leaning forward to try and look into the windows. He was fairly proud to hear that neither of the babies were crying.

“Oh yeah,” Gator nodded his head quickly, “It all went according to plan. They’re little angels. Come on, let’s get you off your feet.” He mumbled as he pulled the passenger door open, slightly worried that she wouldn’t be able to climb inside.

She pushed one foot up, then held onto the seat as she did her best to wiggle herself up. Her features wrinkled up in pain as she sat herself back down, shaking her head and wincing as Gator cautiously gripped her sides.

“Let me help,” He told her softly, feeling terrible for not considering how she’d manage to get up into the truck, “On the count of three.” He told her softly, reassuring her as he gripped her waist and prepared himself to lift her into the air.

He held onto her, doing his best to pick her up without hurting her as he slid her into the chair that was all too high. He felt slightly dumb, feeling like he should’ve realized that his truck was too high up for her.

“Do you need a ride?” He asked Ruby once Daphne was buckled up and comfortable. She was doing her best to turn around to examine both of them. He paused, wishing he would’ve let her see them first.

“No, I drove,” Ruby responded as she stood on her tippy toes to kiss his cheek, “I’ll give her some time to adjust and then I’ll bring dinner over later, sound good?” She questioned, making him feel a little better as he nodded his

“Sounds perfect,” He told her honestly, “Thank you.” He added a second later, still feeling like he owed her for staying with Daphne. He didn’t like leaving her alone. Not anymore.

He pulled himself into the driver’s seat with ease, quietly shutting the door so he wouldn’t disturb the sleeping infants in the back. He turned towards her, feeling his lips curling into a smile as she continued to try and fuss over them.

“There’s mommy,” Gator announced once Daphne was sitting down in the chair, “Yay!” He clapped his hands lightly, smiling brightly as she turned towards him in amusement.

“Thanks,” She smiled tiredly as she leaned forward to kiss his lips. He sighed softly against her mouth, cupping her chin softly as she melted against him, “I missed you all. But especially you.” She added as she rested her forehead against his, smiling sweetly. He breathed in as he nodded his head, taking an extra minute to soak in the feeling of her flesh against his. He was just glad to have her back.

“I missed you too.” He mumbled as he brushed his nose against hers, smiling at the way she brought her hands up against his shoulders. She brushed her hands across the nape of his neck for a moment, smiling softly before she pulled away from him.

“Was it bad?” She asked as she fumbled with the hem of her jacket. She winced for a moment, making him temporarily pause before he started to drive again. He thought about her question for a moment, trying to think of the best way to reassure her.

“It’s always bad when you’re not with me.” He teased her, feeling a little lighter at the way her features lit up.

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