Fall From Grace

Chapter 36

By Danielle

"You've reached Kevin...."

"You're not Kevin, I am."

"Well DUH! You didn't let me finish!"

"By all means, please continue."

"As I was saying...You're reached Kevin AND NICK...Happy?"

"As much as I can be without being naked on some tropical island."

"........"

"Nick?" * snap * * snap * "Helloooooo...finish the message." * sigh* "We're not here as you can tell. And if you've managed to avoid catatonia with this long and winding message, leave yours after the beep."

"Catatonia? Big word, Boo. Impressive."

"Thanks, I try."

*BEEP*

Nick jerked awake at hearing the beep of the answering machine. He clapped his hand on the his neck and hissed air though his teeth. Both he and Kevin had fallen asleep after their Rugrats marathon, wrapped in the blanket and each other. Cozy, but hell on the neck.

"Daddy? Daddy Nick? Are you sleeping? I learned a new song in school yesterday! I'm going to sing it for you ok?"

"You are my sunshine

My only sunshine

You make me happy

When skies are gray

You'll never know dear

How much I love you

Please don't take my sunshine away!"

"I 'membered it all! Momma says I have a good remembery. Is Max sleeping too? MAX! MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAX!"

Nick grinned at Dylan calling Max through the answering machine. He had to bite back a laugh as Max came tearing around the corner looking for Dylan and when he didn't find him, sitting on the floor facing where his master's voice was coming out of with his little doggy head cocked to one side in confusion.

"I'm coming to play with you today, Max! Are you being a good doggie? No more peeing in Daddy Nick's shoes."

Nick squinted his eyes at the ball of fur, "You hear that, Fur Face? Straight from your master. No more peeing in my shoes."

Max just looked at him and stuck out his tongue.

"Maybe it's his way of saying he loves you."

Nick looked down and saw a pair of green eyes peeking out at him from beneath the covers, "Won't work. That's the excuse you used when he left a gross little sign of his affection on my favorite pair of jeans."

The eyes blinked, "Oh yeah." The rest of the head peeked out of the covers and gave his husband a sheepish smile, "Whoops?"

Nick grinned at him, "Whoops is right." He leaned over his still sleepy hubby and picked up the phone from the table, "Dylan? I heard your song. You are right, you do have a good memory. It was beautiful. No, Daddy didn't hear it, he was being a sleepyhead." Nick mussed up Kevin's hair as he saw the outrageous pout on his husband's face. It was a sight to behold. It was giving even his patented pouty face a run for its title. "I'll play it for him, ok? Yes, we're still playing together today. We'll be over after Sesame Street is all over. I have to give Sleepyhead Daddy some coffee to make him wake up. Okay. We will. I love you too. Do you want to sing it again? It might help him wake up."

Nick grinned and handed Kevin the phone, "Our son requests an audience with you. I'm going to make some coffee."

Kevin took the phone and put it to his ear after tracing his fingers down the curve of nick's spine, his fingers dipping into the indents between each bump. When he felt Nick shiver, he let him go.

"Good morning JellyBean." He closed his eyes and lay back on the couch, letting Dylan's excited voice lure him away from the siren song of sleep.

Kevin's eyes snapped back open when he felt something silky fall on his face and pulled a pair of silk boxers away in his fingers, lifting his head just in time to see the inspiring sight of Nick's tanned and naked body strolling into the kitchen.

He flopped his head back on the pillow with a smile and felt his toes curl in contentment, "What's this I hear about you singing for me, Jellybean?"

Seconds later Dylan's voice came through the line, every bit as pure and clear as his father's and just as wonderful to Kevin's ears as the sunshine his son was singing about.

Kevin's toes had curled so tight in contentment that he didn't think they were ever going to come unfurled. And that was just fine with him.

*********

Nick stood at the sink, waiting for the coffee to finish dripping. He could hear Kevin talking to Dylan and it brought a smile to his face. He loved that little boy with all his heart and there wasn't a force in this world that could tell him that Dylan was not his son in every way, but biologically.

He wrapped his arms around himself, letting the rising Florida sun warm him as it spilled in through the window. He couldn't wait to get over to see Sam and Melinda and run his hands over Sam's stomach, talking to his girls and reminding them that he was out here waiting for them and loved them just as much as their brother. He heard the beep of the coffee machine and poured himself a cup with a smile. He couldn't wait to meet his babies.

His smile faltered as he heard Kevin's hoot of laughter in the other room. "Please, let him be here for it. Just let him see them, even if it's just once."

*********

"Daaaaaadddddddddyyyyyyyy!"

Kevin crouched down and let Dylan run into his arms, "Hey Jellybean!" He lifted the little boy off the ground and grinned as little arms enveloped his head in a hug. "How was Sesame Street?"

Dylan giggled, "Good. The Letter K and the number 12. And Cookie Monster is silly! He kept eating everything thinking it was cookies!"

Kevin laughed at the pure joy on Dylan's face, "Silly monster!"

Dylan grabbed Nick's ear from where he was in Kevin's arms and pulled his other Daddy over for a hug, "Make the monster face! Make the monster face!"

Nick winked at Kevin and grinned at Dylan, "The monster face? I don't know if I still remember how...does it go like this?" Nick pursed his lips together and sucked in his cheeks, using his hands on the side of his face to flip in and out.

Dylan screeched and shook his head so hard that Kevin had to get a better hold on him or he was going to shake his head right out of his Daddy's grasp, "NO! That's NOT the Monster face! That's the Fishy face!"

Nick pouted, "Are you sure? That could have been a sea monster, you know."

Dylan huffed and rolled his eyes comically at Kevin, "Daddy, make him do the monster face!"

Kevin looked at Dylan's pouting face and then at Nick's and sighed and did an eye roll of his own as he chuckled, "Nickers, make the monster face. Anything is better than the stereo pouty faces I'm getting right now."

Nick smirked, "How much is it worth to you?"

Kevin groaned under his breath, "How about a day of Dylan NOT saying "Do the monster face! Do the monster face!" over and over?"

Nick laughed, "Good opener, but I'm going to need the deal sweetened a little."

With a sigh, Kevin pulled Nick close and kissed him softly, his tongue gently flicking over Nick's full lips.

Nick sighed himself and wound an arm around Kevin's waist pulling him closer. This was definitely sweetening the deal.

They both were caught up in the kiss when Dylan put his small hands on their foreheads and pried them apart, "MONSTER FACE!" Then put his forehead to Nick's staring him down, "Monster. Face." And threw in Nick's own patented pouty face for good measure.

Kevin was biting his lip to keep from bawling out laughing, "You have taught him well, Obi Wan. Now if only we could train the young one to use his powers for the forces of good."

Nick stuck his tongue out and made mention of a certain bird that Kevin should check out sometime, before taking Dylan from Kevin's arms and looking at him, eye to eye. "I don't know Dylan, I'm feeling strange.........kinda tingly........." He set the little boy down on the ground and then started to twitch, "Yep, feeling very.........weird." He twitched again and hunched down on the round with a howl and when he looked up, his face was contorted into the famous monster face.

With another howl, he chased after a squealing Dylan leaving Kevin rolling his eyes at the two of them, "Oh it's going to be a long day."