earthy_charm (earthy_charm) wrote in snark_n_bark, @ 2008-10-12 11:59:00 |
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Entry tags: | complete, gawain, luna, neville, nimue |
I'm on call, to be there
Characters: Neville, Luna, Niume & Gawain
Summary: Neville thinks about the new baby, while the twins keep getting that little bit older
Reaching out to shut off the water, Neville pushed the wet hair out of his face and kneaded at the back of his neck. It had been a long day at the nursery and his body was feeling aches more than it used to. By the look of the depressing increase around his middle, it was only going to get worse.
Transferring his hands to his abdomen, he slid them back and forth over what was the bare beginnings of a bump. It was embarrassing to be feeling himself, but he knew that beneath his palms there was his child growing, and even as he bit at his bottom lip, a smile curved the edges of his mouth. He still wasn't completely comfortable with the idea of being pregnant, but he was happy that there was another child on the way, another little girl for the twins to boss around and look after. He had always considered the twins a blessing, because they would never be alone, and adding to the brood only built upon Neville's happiness that he had by some miracle managed to create a stable family.
Of course, it would have been all the better if Herbert hadn't decided to interfere and make Neville the carrier of their new child, but Neville had to admit that he wouldn't wish pregnancy on Luna either, not now that he was beginning to get an inkling of what it was like.
It was frightening to think what one small lizard had managed to do, and unnerving to wonder what else Herbert's magic might bring about. Neville knew for certain that being around the lizard relieved some of his weariness, so the lizard's role in the pregnancy was not over yet. Thankfully Neville hadn't felt bad enough yet to take Herbert with him to work, and he sincerely hoped that day would never come, but there was no telling what effect Herbert would continue to have on him. The lizard had already changed his insides, what if it started to change Neville on the outside too...?
Dear Merlin, I hope not! Neville's gaze sharply altered its focus from his stomach to his chest. Frowning, he tensed his pectorals, trying to see if he was going soft there. Face screwing up in disgust at himself, he nevertheless had to reach up and make sure that the muscle was as firm as it had been the past three years....
The door flew open and banged against the wall. Gawain's wail preceded his tumble into the bathroom. "Daaaaaddy! She... she stole Mister Snuggles! She tied him up!"
Nimue followed Gawain at a more sedate pace. "But Dad, the rope doesn't reach the porch roof with just the blankets from the beds. I'd have to jump off. You want me to get hurt?"
Neville blinked at his children and then hastily grabbed at the towel he had hung up earlier. While he was used to the twins interrupting him in the bathroom, he wasn't used to them doing so when he was... exploring, and he hoped to Merlin that they were too young and too involved in their squabble to retain psychological scarring.
Wrapping the towel around his waist and stepping out of the bathtub, he bent to pick Gawain up, obedient to the up-stretched arms and miserable face. With Gawain quietly practising his pathetic sobs against his shoulder, Neville sighed and gave Nimue a weary look.
"Is there some reason why you can't use the front door?" he asked. "Windows aren't the best way to leave a house. I was dropped out of one once and bouncing hurts."
"Easier to climb down to the roof than climb up," Nimue said, giving her father a look that said he was being exceptionally stupid.
Neville shook his head. "That's as may be," he said, realising that trying to convince Nimue that climbing out of windows was a bad idea was doomed to failure. "But you know that your brother doesn't like it when you take Mister Snuggles." He tried to suppress the smile that always threatened whenever he talked about Gawain's blanket, but he suspected that Nimue saw it. Trying to cover it over he added, "You should have asked first, at least."
Nimue scuffed her toe on the floor, then looked up at Gawain with wide eyes. "I can use Mister Snuggles, Wain?"
Gawain lifted his head, turned to Nimue, and abruptly ceased crying long enough to shout, "No!" Just as abruptly, he heaved against Neville's shoulder, shaking with sobs once more.
Nimue shrugged at Neville. "There. I asked," Nimue said, turning to go back to her rope-climbing.
"Nimue..." Neville said in an aggrieved tone, shifting Gawain on his hip and treading after his daughter. He cut her off in the bedroom by stepping in front of her and kneeling down. "If Gawain doesn't want you to use Mister Snuggles then you shouldn't." Neville let out a huff. "You shouldn't be climbing out of the window, anyway."
Feeling hassled, Neville set Gawain on his feet. "Stop crying," he told his son. "I know you're not happy with Nimue, but it doesn't deserve that kind of fuss." He softened the effect of his tone by gently brushing at Gawain's tears with his thumbs. He didn't want Gawain to think that crying was bad, but also didn't want his son to think that tears would get him his own way.
As Gawain's tears began to dry, Nimue's face crumpled. "Muuuum!" she shrieked, running from the room.
A few moments later, Luna appeared in the bedroom doorway, rubbing Nimue's back as she sniffled. "What's this about telling Nimue she can't go climbing? I made sure it was all sturdy myself."
Neville closed his eyes for strength. When he opened them again Gawain was peering at him, his wide eyes still shining with his tears. Neville hoped that Gawain never realised just how heart rending that look was.
Watching Gawain make an affecting show of rubbing the last of his tears away, Neville asked, "Don't you think that she's a little too young to be doing things like that? Besides," he added quickly, knowing what Luna's answer would be, "she took Mister Snuggles without asking."
Gawain nodded, smiling at Daddy for having remembered the important thing.
"Pish-tosh, you're never to young to go climbing on things. The broken bones heal faster the younger you are." Luna tugged at Nimue's chin and said more firmly, "That doesn't mean you should be using your brother's things without permission. I thought you'd asked if you could use his blanket. Now let's go get Mister Snuggles untied, and you'll give it back and apologize, young lady. Then we'll find something else to use out of the spare bedding." Giving her pronouncement a quick nod, she swept out of the room once more.
Neville let out a heavy sigh and got to his feet. Never mind that it hadn't been that long since the twins had mastered toddling, of course Nimue could climb out of the windows. Still, he knew that Luna would never let any harm come to Nimue and that would have to satisfy him. Godric knew what would happen the day Nimue decided to try it on her own... hopefully she would bounce, too.
Gawain, suddenly all cherubic smiles now that he had got what he wanted out of the situation, was doing some climbing of his own and Neville left Gawain to bouncing on the mattress while he got dressed. He was about to pull on his shirt when he spotted himself in the mirror and couldn't help checking again just how much weight he had put on, this time by sight only.
"Daddy's getting fat!" Gawain called from the bed, laughing at his own joke.
"Daddy is not getting fat," Neville replied, darting towards the bed and making Gawain shriek when he grabbed hold of him. Using the waistband of Gawain jeans to hold on, he bounced Gawain up and down a few times in mock anger, making Gawain laugh harder. "I hope you don't say things like that to other people," Neville admonished when he finally let Gawain go and sat down on the bed next to him.
Gawain grinned and shook his head. "Only to Daddy and Moo," he proudly announced.
"I suppose it's true," Neville commented, patting his tummy.
Gawain shook his head again, whipping up the mess of overgrown blond hair. He patted Neville's belly too, saying in a wise tone, "That's where the baby's growing."
Neville smiled. "Yes. Your little sister."
"Better sister!" Gawain shouted, flopping back on the bed. "Better than Moo!"
"Oi," Neville said, tugging on Gawain's leg. "Don't say things like that. I don't care if Nimue took your blanket. Don't forgot all the times Nimue's let you play with her things."
Gawain met Neville's stern gaze for a few seconds and then looked away. "Don't mean it," he mumbled, bottom lip sticking out in a pout.
"I know," Neville said, "so don't say it again. There's no better or worst with sisters, all right?"
"Yes."
Nimue skidded to a halt in the doorway, then, seeing her brother and dad on the bed, made a running start on a leap up beside them. After she stopped bouncing, she thrust the pink, fuzzy ball in her hand towards Gawain. "I'm sorry I took your blanket and I won't do it ever again," she recited before she forgot all the words Mum had told her to say. She finished by kissing Gawain's cheek, since that always made him feel better when he was crying.
Neville watched with amusement as Gawain took his blanket and then promptly tried to return Nimue's kiss. The resulting struggle turned into a wrestling match, which Neville had learned to consider as a sign that everything was all right with the twins.
Spotting Luna in the doorway, Neville got up and approached her. He didn't bother saying anything about her involvement in Nimue's plans. Instead, he simply bent his head and kissed her, his own sign that everything was fine.
Behind them Gawain shouted, "See! Daddy loves Mummy and I love Moo!"
Luna giggled into the kiss, sliding her arm around Neville's waist as she pulled away. "I'm sure Nimue knows you love her without being kissed. Mummy and Daddy are more forgetful, you see." She held up the newly-fixed blanket-rope. "Besides, I think she wants to go climbing now. You can give it a try too, Gawain, if you like."
"Yay!" Gawain cheered, apparently happy with the plan now that Mister Snuggles didn't figure in it.
Both twins clambered off the bed and ran to their mother. Shaking his head, Neville knelt down again. Taking Mister Snuggles from Gawain, who acquiesced with a wary look, he tied the blanket around Gawain's neck like a cape.
"So you don't fall," he told the boy and received a grateful kiss and the demand, "Make Moo one, too."
By the time Neville had retrieved Nimue's blanket, which was much less loved and folded on a shelf in the twins' room, Luna and the twins were stationed by the window, sheet rope hanging down. Making sure Nimue's cape was tightly secured. Neville whispered a subtle charm, directing it at the two blankets.
"I'll just go outside to watch," Neville told Luna, kissing her cheek. "And catch, if need be."
Standing outside, on guard to cast the appropriate charms should the need arise, Neville finally allowed himself to smile over just how big and adventurous his children were getting. Of course, having Luna as their mother helped in that, as she encouraged all Nimue's curiosity and Gawain's experiments. His role was typically that of the safety net, but he didn't mind that. It was probably the reason why Luna and he worked so well together.
Gently rubbing his tummy, Neville wondered if she would be the child he would be allowed to wrap up in cotton wool.
Probably not, he thought, watching the twins carefully making their way down the sheet rope.
Not that I'd really want to, he silently added, smiling as Luna climbed out of the window, too.