hybrid_prince | Open Post

"Yeah, but my shit's not all the way locked down yet," Tommy said.

He hesitated, but then stood too, carefully hefting Kathryn into his arms. He'd already held her, but it felt a little like he should ask permission first, even if he knew Teddy would say otherwise. He smiled at her and pressed an absent kiss to the top of her head and then looked back at Teddy, shaking his head. "I want to stay with you." He was kind of paranoid about letting Teddy out of his sight, honestly. He'd find Billy afterward, with Teddy, hopefully. "I'll stay out of the way."

Oh no, Teddy was SUPER down with teaching the children consent. If the children didn't want him to pick them up and there was an argument for it, he'd let it go. But for things like this he'd tell them he understood no, and why he was doing it.

Listen, he was a pretty nice Dad.

"Good, because you'll get splashed otherwise," Teddy laughs, tilting his head for Tommy to follow as he heads for another door in the room.

Tommy just grinned. "They'll have a hard time hitting me," he teased.

But he trailed after Teddy, holding his daughter on his hip and nodding and uh-huhing in answering to her babble and prodding.

He wondered how strange it must be for people to suddenly see him here, and if they thought he'd just ignored the kids for all this time, but he didn't want to ask. He didn't blame Teddy for what he'd done, but he just wished things could have gone differently.

Yeah, there was a lot that would have to be done to fix the damage Teddy had done. But he guides them through a hall and then through the main corridor, and then back into his rooms and through a door there to a large bathroom. A truly rich sort of person bathroom. And the nursemaid was already there, having drawn a very shallow and lukewarm bath.

"Thank you. I will see you tomorrow," Teddy smiles at the woman.

Tommy surrendered Kathryn a little reluctantly and smiled at the nursemaid, taking in the expansive bathroom. Huh, definitely swanky.

He brushed his fingers through Thomas' hair too before he retreated back by Teddy's side, sliding his fingers back into Teddy's almost automatically. It was strange how quickly he fell back into old habits like those. Though maybe it was just because he wasn't trying that hard to fight them.

Teddy made sure to squeeze Tommy's hand briefly before pulling away from it. After all, there was much to do. His crown and cape came off, set aside along with his boots before he knelt by the bath. One of his arms, shifting large and green, split into two, one of the resultant arms wrapping around Kathryn, who giggled. The other two were busy with one holding Thomas still while his un-split hand slowly to take the boy's clothes off.

"Clothes, before you leave for the night?" Teddy called to the nursemaid, hardly thinking to look at her. They clearly had a routine.

Tommy hung back, watching with a bit of fascination. He smiled when Teddy shifted his arms, even if he blushed a little too. The last time he remembered Teddy having extra arms was ... in very different context.

He shuffled to the side to let the nursemaid by, giving her a quick smile as she went to fetch clothes. When she came back with them, Tommy said a quiet goodnight, but just stayed where he was, watching Teddy work and the kids play. Like Teddy said, once they were in there, they were perfectly happy about it. And it was cute, watching them splash and shriek and Teddy wrangle them.

It takes a while, but finally the twins are cleaned, dried, in pajamas, and taken up into their father's arms. And he smiles at Tommy before nodding to another door.

"Through there. Their bed is in a side room. They have their own guard who watches them at night, and another maid."

And soon he'll lay them down and sing to the little ones, the best he can.

Tommy opened the door in a rush, eager for a way to help that wasn't in the way of the routine.

He stood aside as they walked through, trailing them in, processing that. They were growing up with a space emperor dad and a guard at all times. Maids and nannies. He had no frame of reference for their life. It wasn't a bad thing - his childhood had been shit, so he was glad theirs wasn't like his. But it was a weird thing to realize.

"Do the Kree and the Skrull both all know about them?" he asked, watching from not that far away.

Teddy follows along after Tommy, and once they're in the nursery he settles the children down into their separate cribs. The warmth of the bath water, the full bellies, and of course the play time in the bath, was clearly tuckering them out. There was a bit of protesting noises over them being separated, but Teddy knew what he had to do. Even if his eyes flashed toward a larger crib nearby that was clearly where the twins were supposed to be.

"Yes. The whole Alliance knows. Well, maybe there are some that don't, but not because the information is not free. My people are... happier to know I'm here and there are heirs."

The nursemaid and guard will enter when he summons them. For now Teddy offers a hand out to Tommy.

"Come join me? They are used to a bit of singing to sleep. I can share the song with you.

Tommy didn't know what it was like to grow up with a sibling, let alone a twin. But he imagined it was hard, being separated when they wanted to spend all their time together. The unused big crib said that it was a new change, and not one the kids liked.

Tommy drifted over toward Teddy. "But they're safe? I knowthey've got the guards and you and all, but there aren't ... I don't know. People pissed off that the heirs are half human or mutant or whatever?"

He puts his hand in Teddy's though, tucking up against his side just as automatically as before.

"Well, it was pretty clear my kids were bound to be half-human. The mutant is... weird," Teddy admits. But half-Skrull tended to pick up the strangest talents apparently. "But you underestimate how the Alliance feels about me. Those who follow the throne would die to protect these little ones. They're very loved."

But they never had their fathers together. Teddy wraps an arm around Tommy's arm and starts to hum under his breath, to teach Tommy the tune. This was something he didn't want to just let Tommy touch the memories of. He deserved to know this.

Tommy didn't know why weird makes something in him flinch, but it did. He ignored it. "That's good. They should have all those people protecting them and looking out for them."

Tommy looked amused at the hum. There'd been nothing to do in their little room of captivity, aside from the obvious. All the entertainment had come from themselves. He'd heard Teddy sing before, and Teddy had heard them. Tommy wasn't great at it, but he wasn't going to make anyone's ears bleed. The context of hearing it again though ... just worlds different. This wasn't Tommy whining at Teddy to sing something until it got the crappy song Tommy had stuck in his head unstuck. It was a dad, singing to his kids. "You were wrong you know," he said, voice a very quiet undertone. "When you said you weren't a good dad, as you. You're a really good dad."

Teddy of course didn't have a problem with mutants. The Skrull were just... less used to it, even when they had posed as mutants.

"I don't know. I try, but... I think the things they most love are the things they know their Papa for," Teddy sighs, the humming stopping before he can start teaching words. It's not even a weird one in Skrull or Kree, Tommy should learn it quickly. But it's lost at that statement.

Tommy knew that. He just was off balance still, about everything, and it was easy for things to feel like they hit home when he was already flayed too wide open and vulnerable.

"I don't think that's true. But just be you when you do them more, if you think so. They'll catch on quick," Tommy said, squeezing Teddy's wrist. He hummed a little snatch of the melody, to show he'd picked it up, and then listened to the words, letting Teddy sing it through and blushing - not used to singing for kids - before haltingly picking it up too.

"It will just confuse them," Teddy sighs quietly.

But he's going to try. Having Tommy here doesn't mean that he's going to abandon his children. But there are other things to do. Songs to sing, and once he's taught the words, just an old lullaby his mother had used for him, he nods encouragement to Tommy. It usually takes more than a few rounds of the repeating song to soothe the little ones to sleep. Once they are he silently steps toward the door, pulling Tommy with him. At the door he pushes a button, and a light music fills the room. Not to mention a door on the other side opens, a guard stepping in, as well as a younger woman to watch over the children.

Only then does Teddy step back into the main room of his suite with Tommy, closing the door behind them.

"Well, what do you think of them?"

"They're kids - they're still figuring everything out. They'll learn quick," Tommy said.

He stumbled his way through the songs when prompted, but usually drifted off halfway through, caught up in listening to Teddy, or watching the kids, or just thinking about it all.

When they were finally asleep he crept out with Teddy, staying as quiet as he could until the door was shut and then sighing. He shrugged, smiling at Teddy. "I think they're beautiful," he said honestly. "And cuteasfuck. But I don't know them yet. And they don't really know me. It's just a lot, Ted. Kind of hate to think about you doing it all on your own though, when you found out." He went quiet for a second and then asked. "What do you think you'd have done? If you didn't have them? Would you have gone back to Earth with me, after we got out?" Still been with Billy, moved on.

It was a dumb thing to ask, Tommy wasn't even sure why he had, except it was knocking around in his brain along with a few million others.

That's... a fair point. Teddy had denied his partner a chance to know their children. Completely. It was his own fault.

"Does answering that question even matter? It's in the past, Tommy. I can't change it. I can't guess at it. As well ask you if you'd have come with me, if you'd known what state I was in. If you would have come here and raised children with me."

Except Tommy knew the answer to that. He'd been devastated to leave Teddy behind to the point where he'd had a meltdown when he got home that altered time on the island and miles out from it. If he'd known, he'd have been terrified for Teddy, of how Teddy felt, of everything. But he'd have gone with Teddy in a second.

"Yeah," was all he said. He ran a hand through his hair. "It doesn't really matter, you're right." He gave Teddy a quick, weak smile. "You want to go talk to Billy now, or put it off?"

They couldn't change time. They couldn't just live their lives like it hadn't happened. Tommy couldn't benefit from the change in choices, so why did speculating matter? Did it do anything but hurt them?

With a sigh Teddy shakes his head. "I'm... tired. I'm sick with nerves over the little ones, and over you being here and not knowing if I'm good enough for you, and how Billy's going to KILL me for keeping this secret. I don't think I could handle him tonight."

"Ted," Tommy sighed the name and wrapped his arms around Teddy. "They'll figure out how to help with the kids' powers. And Billy's not gonna kill you. And me? Fuck, you were always too good for me and that doesn't change now." He hugged Teddy tight for a second and then let go. "But we can do it tomorrow. I'll go tell Billy we'll talk to him over breakfast or something, okay?"

"No," Teddy says, quick, his hands reaching out to catch Tommy, to hold the man to him. "Please don't go. Please. Just... just stay tonight. I can send a runner to give them the message. Just promise you'll stay here."

Tommy stopped readily. "I was gonna come back," he said quietly, smile lopsided and wry. "Really don't want to be away from you again until I have to. You can send someone. Might as well have Billy mad at both of us I guess. Spread it out a little."

That worked. Teddy nodded and pulled the man closer, pressing their lips and bodies together. He can send a messenger. or call the room. For right now, his lover is back in his arms and they are alone with no place to be at this second. There may be things he intends to rekindle.

Tommy kissed back with a sigh. God, it was probably so screwed up, but kissing Teddy was like coming home. Even if it wasn't screwed up, it was definitely cheesy. But he felt that way anyway. He leaned into Teddy and dropped his head onto his shoulder, just soaking in Teddy being close for a second.

"Let's go to bed," he said finally, sliding a hand back into Teddy's.

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