darker_london | Perfect (Damon, Julian, Aislinn)

The previous night had been wonderful and ghost-free. Damon and Julian had played with Aislinn together, before sharing a wonderful dinner. And after Aislinn had fallen asleep, there had been yet more sex. Julian was feeling quite empowered by the fact that this was the first time he'd taken care of Aislinn without adult supervision (not including being abducted...) and he was doing fine. Aislinn was happy. He could take care of his daughter. He knew exactly what to do, and he felt quite proud of himself.

He was prouder of Damon. Damon had fed Aislinn her breakfast all by himself that morning and he had looked pleased to do it. Then he had changed a diaper (after reassuring Julian 15 times that he actually wanted to) and said that he wanted to take Aislinn on a walk so she could see the ocean. They didn't stay out long so Aislinn wouldn't get too cold, but Julian loved that Damon had thought of it. And when they got back inside, Damon had moved immediately to feed her lunch.

While they were in the lobby, waiting for Joe to arrive to bring them home, Damon sat quietly while Julian read Aislinn a book and then he played with her stuffed animals, making them kiss her all over while she giggled.

"I like her laugh." Damon said, quietly.

Julian looked up at him and he nodded. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"She's beautiful."

The smile that crossed Julian's face was not small. He absolutely beamed at his boyfriend. "So are you. I love watching you with her. You seem...really comfortable." It had taken awhile, which was certainly something Julian understood and expected.

"I missed her." Damon said easily. "And you're happier when she's around. You light up." Damon liked it.

"Oh, Damon. I was happy with you too, you know. Just you." Julian didn't want Damon to feel like he couldn't make Julian happy on his own.

"I know." Damon nodded, and he was careful to smile so Julian knew he understood perfectly. "But it's never going to be just me again. You know? I mean...not permanently." He and Julian were never going to get a place on their own just the two of them. When they did move out, and neither of them were in a hurry to do so, it would be with Aislinn. Aislinn was Julian's daughter. She was going to be with him until she was old enough to move out. Julian and Damon weren't going to get the years most young adults got where they could just be kids before they ended up with kids of their own. But, Damon was finding, that he was okay with that. He hadn't been, at first. Of course he hadn't been. But Aislinn was adorable and he loved Julian and he was finding the idea of just the three of them...quite appealing.

"No...I uhm...I guess you're right." For some reason, Damon's words made Julian have a tiny little panic attack and his eyes grew wide at the realisation. Apparently Damon had thought about that much more than Julian had, since, for Julian, it was just natural that Aislinn would always be with him. At least, now it was. "Does that...is that bad?"

Damon shook his head and he reached out for Julian's hand. "No."

"Are...are you sure?" Julian had trouble getting the rest out. "I mean...she's going to be with me for the next...god...twenty years? She'll make everything different. She'll be in pre-school while I'm finishing University, for fuck's sake-"

Damon reached out and he clamped a hand over Julian's mouth, though the action was not rude or angry. Simply amused. "Julian, I know." He soothed. "And I love it."

"Ooo uv iuhh?" Julian said, and when Damon removed his hand, Julian repeated himself. "You love it?"

"I do. And you. And Aislinn." Damon leaned down and he kissed Aislinn's belly. She laughed again and Damon grinned. "And she loves me, see?!"

"Of course she does."

"No one else should get to be her other Dad...you know?" Just the thought made Damon jealous in ways he hadn't known were possible.

Julian blinked and then he swallowed roughly, but then he nodded. His heart was beating so fast he was sure Damon could hear it. Was Damon serious? Did he mean he wanted to be a father to Aislinn? "I..." Julian decided it not to ask if Damon was serious because he didn't want to trap Damon into anything. Just the fact that he had said it was enough.

"Are you okay?" Damon asked, looking up at Julian. Had he said the wrong thing?

"Oh yes." Julian breathed, and he wrapped his arms around Damon, embracing him tightly and smothering his face with kisses while Damon laughed and Aislinn played contentedly beside them.