Little Ones [A Vikklan, Poofless and Merome Fanfiction]

↞Chapter 24↠

Preston's P.O.V.

Liam mostly complied as I scooped him up in my arms to sit him on the kitchen bench, holding out a spoonful of the cough medicine. He gave me a look but reluctantly took it and was quickly placated by a small handful of jellybeans that he took happily and ran off to play with Charlotte. Rob smiled at me over his book, using one of his legs for Charlotte to hold onto as she attempted to stand on her own. Liam coughed, paying no mind to the fact that he was basically spitting all over the Lego but then again he was 2- I didn't expect him to have much sense of consequences just yet.

"Just don't let him cough on you." Rob laughed nasally, reaching down to hold Charlotte's hand. "I'd rather you not get sick as well."

"I'll try not to." I smiled, moving stuff around on the kitchen bench to begin preparation for dinner. Everyone- well, everyone aside from me- had had an awful flu for a couple of days now and although Rob and Charlotte had mostly kept it quiet, my son had been loud, grumpy and cranky since he had first gotten the sniffles, probably from some other little kid at his day-care.

Liam had been going to a Montessori for a little over 2 months now and he absolutely loved it, chattering away with his mostly limited words about what he did each day, coming up with pasta art or covered in paint or sand. Not that Rob or I minded because it gave us a few hours of peace for us to record and edit.

Unfortunately, due to Charlotte's disability and her shyness we had to hold her back from going to day-care just yet, until she was able to use her walker mostly on her own and had gained some control of her anxiety about being separated from her dad. She refused to let Rob out of her sight most times, unless she was totally distracted by something else. She also wasn't walking on her own so although she was only two, both Rob and I knew she knew she was different.

Speaking of, Charlotte struggled towards me with Rob watching, a proud smile on her face. She couldn't move the walker very far on her own, maybe a dozen metres, but she was getting a lot further on her own than even a couple of months earlier thanks to physical therapy and a lot of perseverance on her part and ours, and both of us couldn't help but to be so proud of her.

She and Liam were polar opposites if I was honest, even though they were exactly the same age and had grown up in the same house for over a year and a half. Liam was loud and boisterous, constantly getting into anything he could find and making messes while Charlotte was anxious, clingy and quiet- although she was very adamant about certain things. If that girl wanted something, she wasn't going to give up until she got it. Man she could be stubborn sometimes, but it was the terrible twos. It was expected.

Later that night Rob tugged me into his lap as we sat on the couch, having just put the kids to bed. Liam would likely be up and down a few times before he actually fell asleep so my eyes were partially on the door for when it would inevitably be pushed open and my sons tiny voice would call out some excuse, but Rob was more focused on kissing me. His lips were pressed to my skin almost constantly, my forehead, my cheeks, my neck, and his arms were around my waist. It was only when he nosed his way down the back of my shirt, making me laugh because it was ticklish, that I turned.

"Are you doing that for any particular reason or just to annoy me?" I laughed, leaning back.

"I'm just kissing!" He giggled, continuing exactly what he was doing. "It's not my fault you're ticklish!"

I yelped as he did it once more and he finally stopped, resting his chin on my shoulder as his eyes finally switched to the television which was playing some movie. I settled back into his hold and breathed in deep, his scent overwhelming me and I was just so, so happy. I had never imagined I would be here two years on from her death, in a new relationship with my son and a little girl I considered my daughter and I knew she would be proud of me. She wouldn't want me to be sad and depressed, she would want me to move on and give our son the best life I possibly could. And god damn, that was what I was trying to do.

In the end it was him who ended up in my lap after he fell asleep an hour later, head resting gently in my shoulder with a blanket tucked tight around us. I couldn't help but smile, pressing my own kiss to his forehead. God, he was a cuddlebug when he was asleep- and I couldn't ask for anything more. It was blissful, peaceful, domestic and everything I could have ever asked for. I loved him, I loved my son, I loved my daughter. I loved them all.

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"Good girl Charlotte!" I praised, holding out my arms for her and she very tentatively took her first steps towards me, having stumbled away from her dad. "That's it!" Liam clapped beside me, encouraging her sister. She fell against me, a proud smile on her face. "Well done!"

Rob shuffled up behind me and helped her back to her feet, holding her hands as he walked with her across the living room. I smiled to myself. Liam had quickly occupied himself with some toy he found and was clattering away with something plastic in the corner. I sat back, so glad that this was my reality.

Both kids were almost old enough to start school now, nearly 5, and I was so amazed at how far they had come in just a couple of years, how much they had grown. Both had been in day-care for a while now too and got along great with the other kids so hopefully the transition wouldn't be too rough. Rob was a little upset his baby was growing up so fast, like, when did they suddenly become 5?. But I constantly reminded him that it was just apart of life- one day they would be teenagers!

Charlotte curled up in Rob's lap, thumb in her mouth- a habit she still had despite our best efforts to coach her out of it- and Liam clambered between Rob and I, mostly focused on the television. I tugged my son close, playing with his hair while some animated kiddy show played. It was quiet, a miracle, and calm.

Leaning over Liam, Rob pressed a kiss to my lips. Charlotte giggled.

"Love you." Rob whispered. "I couldn't have asked for anything more."

"Neither could I." I squeezed Liam and then leaned down and kissed Charlotte's nose, earning a happy squeal. "And I love you too."