Shatterverse

[han_solo]

Dean has the baby at the moment, and he's sitting out by the lake in front of the farmhouse - well, the apartment building that the farmhouse has become.

(Spots is in the lake, wallowing happily, occasionally waving a tentacle. )

Dean is doing his level best to coax another smile out of a baby who has been grumpy and sulky all morning. This involves shameless baby-talk.

Comments

[beliefovermisery]

Sokka lifts an eyebrow.

"So... and this is from a kid who got left behind... come back a lot. Visit a lot. Send him letters." Sokka pauses for a moment, frowning softly, and shrugs. "Actually? Pick a day like once a month and always show up on that day. Leave right after or come a week earlier, but make it so he always knows you'll be there on the second day of the month, or whatever."

It would have been nice, in the years he was the Man of the Village, to hear a word from his father, any word at all.

[han_solo]

Dean bounces the baby in his arms, gentle. John's squishy tomato-shaped face curls into a happy smile.

"Stability, huh? Guess that could be good, hey, big guy."

Sokka is not the big guy in this conversation.

[beliefovermisery]

That's good. It would be weird.

Sokka has a smirk anyway, petting the squishy tomato-cheek again. "You know you don't have to announce yourself ahead of time. You can drop in whenever you want."

[han_solo]

"I know," Dean says, even though he doesn't. He smirks just a little, pleased. "Routine'd be good for him though, right? Sam always used to say that."

[beliefovermisery]

"Knowing you're on your way? Yeah, I bet he'd like that a lot."

Sokka smirks and nudges Dean's shoulder, companionable. Dean's terror and fears over being a father are at once amusing and horrible. Sokka just prefers to focus on the amusement.

[han_solo]

"Shut your mouth," Dean repeats, comfortably. "It's not like I know shit about parents."

John agrees, stuffing Sokka's finger into his mouth and dribbling on it.

[beliefovermisery]

Sokka can deal with this.

"You know enough to worry about it."

[han_solo]

"Yeah, well." Dean bounces John again, gentle in spite of the strain in his shoulders. "My little brother's a dick, but he's right about some things, I guess.

"... I can't stop you telling him I said that, but I can punch you, just so you remember."

[beliefovermisery]

"Oh man, that's going to make our weekly drinks in Metropolis really awkward."

[han_solo]

Dean blinks at him for a second.

"-- oh, ha ha."

Totally got him.

[beliefovermisery]

"Wow, seriously, that worked?"

Sokka grins and holds out both hands, grabby for his nephew. "C'mon, give."

[han_solo]

"Pushy, pushy."

John giggles happily and reaches for Sokka, and Dean hands him over without argument.

"Give me the tape recorder."

[beliefovermisery]

"Nope, never," Sokka argues happily, cuddling John close and grinning lovingly at the baby. His arms wrap around him and rock gently. "We're gonna keep that tape to embarrass Daddy forever, aren't we?"

[han_solo]

"Dude," Dean complains, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Seriously."

[beliefovermisery]

"It's going to be fantastic," Sokka promises John, beaming. "I do it to Mom, too, but I wasn't smart enough to make a recorder back then."

[han_solo]

"Aa," John confirms, cuddling a little.

"Dicks," Dean mutters, grinning. "Give him back, he needs someone who'll be a good influence on him."

[beliefovermisery]

"I'm the best influence," Sokka argues happily - but he leans over to offer the baby back to Dean, easily but a bit wistfully, too.

[han_solo]

Dean curls his arms around him, leaning in to bump his nose against John's soft cheek. "Hey, there. Hey, kid. You missed me, right? Those ten seconds with your uncle were totally inferior. Yes they were."

John clutches Dean's hair to pull on it.

"- ow. Okay, fine, no, they weren't, here, go back to him, he's making that weird face about it."

[beliefovermisery]

"Stop making fun of my nephew's face, he's perfect." Sokka's hands are back out anyway, happy to take the baby if Dean's offering again.

Dean's leaving soon and Sokka will have plenty of time with all the kids. That doesn't mean he won't take all the baby time he can get.

[han_solo]

"I meant you, dude." Dean is smirking, letting go of his son. Sokka looks like he could use the baby-time.

God, paternity does weird things to his head.

"You like kids a lot."

It's an observation that's as close as Dean's ever going to get to asking about feelings, really.

[beliefovermisery]

Sokka grins and pulls Johnny closer, bouncing him gently. "My sister keeps making great kids and then letting me hang out with them."

[han_solo]

"I noticed." Dean grins, leaning back against the wall. "No urge to make any of your own yet?"

It wasn't ever in Dean's plans, but John's kind of great. But Sokka, Dean knows he's got different priorities.

[beliefovermisery]

Mel asked, years ago. Not many other people feel they're allowed.

For Dean, who keeps himself so aloof and seems so concerned about his place with his own son, Sokka's not exactly comfortable with the topic, but it would be worse to stay silent.

Sokka hesitates for a moment, then smacks a kiss on John's forehead, grinning when the baby squeals and giggles. "We can't."

[han_solo]

Oh, well, that's pretty simple, then. And that means he doesn't have to talk about feelings any more.

He just - he worries about Sokka, sometimes. Kid seems kind of down.

"John thinks you're pretty great," he remarks. "You'll have your hands full."

[beliefovermisery]

"I am the greatest uncle in the world," Sokka points out happily, lifting John to blow on his stomach and laugh with the baby.

He and Steph don't talk about it anymore, really, and they are so happy with their nieces, their nephew. Their family is wonderful just as it is.