ok first of all ^^
second of all, this chapter is going to have TWO imagines since I was torn between the two plots I came up with. hope you like them both!
***
"Daaaaaad," Manny groans, smacking Shawn repeatedly on the back with a nearby pillow, giving it all of his might even though Shawn didn't seem to even notice. Manny's arms were too thin and frail, having only five and a half years to grow.
"Dad!" Nathan, your other son, grumbles under his breath. "Wake up! We have a present for you!"
You watch them from the doorway, giggling slightly as they struggle to pull him out of the comfort of his slumber across the thick floral duvet. His back was bare and facing the ceiling, his rosy cheek resting on his pillow in exhaustion.
He peeks a gleamy brown eye open, and both of them begin yelling all over again.
"Shawn, get up," you laugh, and in an instant, as soon as your demand left your lips, you see him rise.
"Wha--?" Manny gazes from you to Shawn, his tiny mouth agape, "you listen to Mom when she only told you once but we told you a thousand times and--?"
"Mom has a very powering and demanding voice," Shawn acknowledges. "You can thank each other for doing that to her."
"Whatever," you shake your head, "kids, now that he's up, do you want to give Dad his Father's Day present?"
"Yeah!" they shout in unison, racing across the bedroom and out the door.
They returned a swift moment later carrying Shawn's large, polished wooden taylor guitar in both hands, using teamwork to carry it together. It wasn't a brand new one, it was the same one Shawn bought for himself the day his first album was released years ago. He finally gifted it to Nathan for his ninth birthday a few months ago, since Nathan had googly eyes for the guitar since day one.
Nathan technically began learning to play it as a joke when he was just a few years old, but didn't actually take it seriously until recently. In your own opinion, mother instincts aside, you insisted he was extremely talented.
"What's with the guitar?" Shawn asks, his voice groggy and hoarse. "If that's my present, I'm judging you all."
"No," Manny, who was quite the little chatterbox, shakes his head. "For your gift, Nate and I wrote you a song."
Shawn raises his eyebrows. "Really?"
"Well," Nathan shrugs, "Mom helped a little."
You give him a knowing wink and watch as he sits on the far edge of the bed, adjusting the guitar on his lap and pulling the pick from his pocket. Shawn sits forward, watching intently as Nathan begins to play.
Throughout the entire song that Manny sang cutely, loudly and off-key, Shawn's grin became wider and wider until it was practically touching both of his ears. Despite having just woken up, his eyes seemed illuminated and alert, and he averted them from son to son.
When the song ended with the two of them belting in unison, "Happy Father's Day," Shawn looked so unbelievably proud and content as he pushed away the guitar and wrapped his strong arms around them both.
"Y/N, you goof, get in on our cute family hug," Shawn demands, and you roll your eyes before diving right on top.
Everyone laughs, and Shawn plants a kiss on each of your foreheads before murmuring, "I love you cute idiots so much."
***
here's a visual from that one adorable vid (but just pretend they're sitting on the edge of a bed ok)
***
"You know, this is actually a holiday about fathers. You're not supposed to get your daughter a gift."
Shawn rolls his eyes at Amira's acknowledgement, adjusting his grip on the leather-bound steering wheel as he exits the highway.
"Most daughters would be perfectly willing to take any gift, any occasion," Shawn points out, running his fingers through his dark messy hair and keeping his eyes on the road.
"Not when you just throw me into the car and don't tell me where we're going," she argues, crossing her arms over her chest. "Shawn, you know that this isn't the best time to take off to Canada. I have school tomorrow."
"I am not taking off to Canada, butthole," he scoffs.
You listen to them bicker from the backseat, flipping through the latest issue of Vogue and occasionally gazing out the window. You knew where Shawn planned on taking her, but you kept quiet.
Even though Shawn wasn't Amira's biological father, he has been looking out for her since she was just a toddler, when you and Shawn first tied the knot thirteen years ago. Since then, you and Shawn have had two other children, and moved out of the city to what you liked to think of as a much more simple, suburban lifestyle.
"Are we at least almost there?" Amira asks impatiently, to you and Shawn both. Shawn ignores her, using his finger to push his sunglasses back up to the bridge of his nose, his shoulders square. As much as he tried to look chill and down-low, he was a total goofball attempting an act at the end of the day.
You sigh, leaning forward and mumbling, "yes, Amira, we're almost there."
About ten minutes later, Shawn steadies the car to a halt on the curb. He pulls the key from the ignition, and glances over at Amira, who seemed confused. She casts her gaze out the tinted window, furrowing her eyebrows slightly.
"A cemetery?"
She spins back around in her seat, averting her eyes from you to Shawn. "Is there something you want to tell me? I hope to God we're just visiting someone."
"Yes," Shawn chuckles softly, "we're just visiting someone, Amira."
"Who would we need to visit in a cemetery?" she digs her teeth into her bottom lip, "we don't know any-- wait."
You see her face instantly transform into one of knowing, and her jaw drops slightly at her sudden realization.
"Are you guys for real?" you could see a small smile forming at the corners of her pale lips, looking again out the window in shock.
Amira has been begging to visit her father's grave for as long as you can remember. You had decided to wait and take her after she was able to comprehend what was going on. To be completely honest, you were concerned about your own stability more than hers. She could barely remember him, while you, on the other hand, were full of vivid memories you shared with him.
It was Shawn's decision to drive her out here today. He's the one that stepped up and decided that it was time. He even told you that this was all he wanted for a Father's Day present, to give Amira what she's been asking for and watch her receive it.
"Are you ready?" you ask Amira softly as you unbuckle your seatbelt, leaning forward.
She shrugs, her eyes wide. "I mean, um, I wish you guys would've told me where we were going so I'd have time to prepare myself. Like, what do I even say? Or do I say anything? How does this work?"
"It works however you want it to work," you say quietly as you rub the small pool of her shoulder.
She fiddles with her fingers in her lap, refusing to look anywhere else. She sighs shakily, shutting her eyes tightly.
"Before we go," she starts, "I just wanted to thank you guys for driving me here. I mean, Mom, I know how hard this must be for you, so it means a lot."
"It wasn't my idea," you admit, nudging Shawn's shoulder discreetly.
"I just wanted you to visit your dad on Father's Day," Shawn blushes. "I didn't want to be the one holding you back from that experience."
Amira's eyes soften, her tired eyes narrowing on his. "You're not.. you've never held me back from anything, dude."
"That's not entirely true," he reasons. "I've been kind of a buzzkill to you ever since you became a teenager. I don't mean to be such a grouch, you know."
"Please," Amira shakes her head, laughing lightly. "You chastise me when I make stupid decisions and look out for me when there's the possibility. You're not being a grouch, you're.. you're just being a dad."
Shawn removes his sunglasses, staring at her for a few moments with his round eyes wide. He grins slowly, before leaning forward to plant a kiss on her forehead.
"I love you, pumpkin," he coos.
"Love you too," she smiles in response. "Happy Father's Day."
With that, she took a deep breath, and climbed out of the car. You opened your door after her, and started to follow her up the hill to the entrance.
Before you get very far, you spin around on your heels and return to the car, motioning for Shawn to roll down the window.
"Forget something?" he asks quickly.
You smirk and nod your head. "Yeah."
You lean on the edge of the window and Shawn pulls forward so that his lips meet yours slowly, and after too long, he gently pulls away.
Lips to your ear, he whispers, "so are you gonna give me a daddy's day present tonight?"
***
lmao yolo i had to put it in thx jenna