[C] Playing in the Park

"Yeah, me too."

His lips pressed together as he watched Darragh play with a little girl not that much older than himself.

"He's going to have to start school soon. I'll have to start living diurnally again. Or just deal with a few hours sleep while he's in school."

This was going to be even tougher on their relationship.

They both had to work hard to get Aeker's silver so they could live in a more normal time-frame again.

Aeker pursed his lips, how much longer would it be until he could take his son to school or pick him up, drop him over to a friends house or watch him play a sports game?

The thought of what he would be missing out on while he slept was saddening.

"I can switch over to a more normal routine, I just couldn't leave the room."

He replied, if he woke up in the early hours of the morning he could go outside while it was still dark, organize everything that Darragh would need for school then head back when the sun rose, spend a little time with them before Aodh had to drop him off then sleep the rest of the day and wake at night again for a few hours before going back to sleep when they did.

He would only ever get to spend one meal with them and he'd rarely get to leave their bedroom.

"I'm not going to ask you to do that. it wouldn't be fair on you."

The Lycan sighed softly. "We'll work it out. It'll just take some time, is all." They could find a way to make all this work.

Aodh smiled as he watched Darragh and a few other kids play tag.

"He's making friends."

It was nice to see Darragh interact with people his own age. The only people even close to his age in the coven were Luka and Cinaed and Jem. None of them were able to play with him like he needed.

"You wouldn't be asking me to, I'm offering to do it. Plus it's only for a little while, just until I get my silver, then we will be fine."

He replied, moving closer to the man and stealing a hold of his hand, squeezing it softly as his thumb stroked over the lycan's knuckles.

Once Darragh was in school and he had his silver their issues would be fine, they could be intimate while he was away and they could still be heavily involved in the boy's life.

"Even other children can't resist his charm."
Darragh was a handful but when he smiled you couldn't help but fall in love with him instantly.

It seemed he had that effect on other children too.

The man sighed softly again.

Everything would be difficult until they got Aeker's silver sorted. As soon as that was sorted, they'd be well on their way to becoming an ordinary family with an ordinary schedule.

"No one can resist his charm," Aodh chuckled with a little grin.

The grin faded when Darragh herded his group towards them. "Oh, here we go. Can I help you, little man?"

"They want to hear you sing. Play the lullaby song for us, Aithar?" Darragh gave his best rendition of the puppy dog eyes and his father crumbled immediately.

Aodh pointed at Aeker as he moved over to a bench. "You're not allowed to even snigger, you hear me? If I hear you snigger, I'm not going to talk to you for a month."

Aeker put his hands up defensively.
"Would I ever dream of doing such a thing meine Liebe?"

He asked innocently as Aodh was rounded up by the boy and his new friends.

The Vampire stood a small distance away from the group, watching his son and his mate endearingly, a gently smile gracing his pale lips.

_________
My love

The group gathered around Aodh and sat on the floor, looking up at him excitedly.

Curious parents headed towards him, too.

The Lycan groaned.

"A month," he reminded, turning his gaze to Aeker as he settled his guitar in his lap and strummed a couple of times.

"Meow-meow meow-meow meow meow
Meow-meow meow-meow meow meow
Meow-meow meow-meow meow meow
Meow-meow meow-meow meow meow

I am just a kitten,
Hardly fit my mittens
Much too small, i figure,
One day I'll be bigger
One day I'll be a great big kitty cat
Use open windows to go from flat to flat"

He could feel his cheeks heat up as he sang, eyes turning down to his son. The things he did for love.

"Meow-meow meow-meow meow meow
Meow-meow meow-meow meow meow
Meow-meow meow-meow meow meow
Meow-meow meow-meow meow meow

Meow meow meow meow-meow-meow
Meow meow meow meow-meow-meow

I am just a kitten
Hardly fit my mittens
Much too small, i figure,
One day I'll be bigger
One day I'll be all grown up and strong
But till then I'll just purr and sing along."

God, this was embarrassing. Singing this to Darragh was fine, but to a group of children and parents...and even Aeker? He wished the ground would open up and eat him alive.

"Meow-meow meow-meow meow meow
Meow-meow meow-meow meow meow
Meow-meow meow-meow meow meow
Meow-meow meow-meow meow meow

Meow meow meow meow-meow-meow
Meow meow meow meow-meow-meow

Meow-meow meow-meow meow meow
Meow-meow meow-meow meow meow
Meow-meow meow-meow meow meow
Meow-meow meow-meow meow meow"

Aeker eyes widened as the man started to sing.

He...he hadn't been expecting that.

The Vampire had to bite into his lip roughly to stop himself from laughing, his arms wrapping around his middle.

To his word the man didn't make a sound but internally he was in hysterics.

Aodh pouted but gave a dramatic bow when he was done.

The things he did for his damned son. He wouldn't live this down for a long while.

"Your turn now, pup. Come sit up here and play with me." He patted the bench besides him and Darragh climbed up onto it and pulled his ukelele into his lap. He looked so proud sitting there with his little instrument in his lap just like his father.

Both began to play together. For a child, Darragh was pretty good at playing the ukelele.

"You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
When the road looks rough ahead
And you're miles and miles from your nice warm bed
You just remember what your old pal said
Boy you've got a friend in me
Yeah you've got a friend in me," they sang together, grinning at each other as their fingers played over the strings.

"You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
You got troubles and I got 'em too
There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you
We stick together, we can see it through
'Cause you've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me

Some other folks might be a little bit smarter than I am
Bigger and stronger too
Maybe
But none of them
Will ever love you the way I do
It's me and you boy

And as the years go by
Our friendship will never die
You're gonna see it's our destiny
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me."

Aeker watched his two boys playing together, a proud smile on his face.

Darragh played so well, he definitely had his father's talents for music.

As for Aodh, seeing him put himself out there like that, opening for humiliation just to make his son happy made him prouder than anything else.

And the song...if they hadn't been in public he would probably cry from how sweet it was.

Both of them smiled and laughed when they were through with singing.

It was nice to just sit and sing and laugh with his son again, even if he had an audience for it.

"Anyone have any requests?"

He could play nice sometimes.

He spent the next few minutes playing little tunes and jingles that the kids, and even a couple of the parents, called out.

Aeker wanted to request a song, their song, but he would save that for tomorrow when they were alone and could enjoy the moment intimately.

After each song they preformed Aeker would give a little clap, his smile widening as he looked at Darragh like a proud mother then to Aodh like a partner who could never be more loving and devoted.

Tonight really had been wonderful, even if Aodh was embarrassed.

"All right, guys, I'm sorry but that's a wrap. My fingers are beginning to cramp up."

The Lycan pulled his guitar from his lap and set it down leaning against the bench. There was only so long he could play for before he started to fall apart.

The kids gave a collective whine.

They liked his singing. They wanted to hear more of it.

The Vampire made his way back over as they finished up, running an affectionate hand through Darragh and Aodh's hair.

"You two were wonderful."

He muttered proudly, pressing a soft peck to each of they boy's cheeks.

"Darragh I didn't know you could play so well!"
He proclaimed with pleasant surprise.

Darragh's face lit up from the praise.

"Thank you, mommy!"

That earned a few strange looked from parents that were rounding up their children. A few whispers, too.

"Mommy?"
"How absurd."
"You don't suppose they're gay, do you?"
"I'd rather hope they weren't. My children have been around them."
"What does it matter?"
"Perhaps she's started transition from male to female? Should I call her she?"
"They're can't be gay. The ginger is wearing an engagement ring."

Aodh rolled his eyes but didn't react to the gossip. Honestly, people these days could get so ridiculous.

"Athair taught me 'cause I wanted to play 'tar, too. But it was too big so he bought me a lele. He can play the lele, too!"

Aeker scooped up the boy and hugged him tightly, nuzzling in against the boy's hair so he didn't see the bitter look on the Vampire's face.

He was just glad that Darragh wasn't old enough yet that his hearing would be able to pick up what the parents were saying.

He looked down at Aodh and shook his head softly, he couldn't believe it either, and honestly, it did hurt him a little to hear what they were saying about him.

But still, life went on and he wouldn't let the opinion of some close minded humans upset him.

"Well I am so proud."

He replied, setting the boy down as he let a smile light up his face again.

"When you're bigger we will have to get you a guitar huh?"

The Lycan shook his head with a displeased expression.

People were so closed minded it was painful at times. They just had to let it go over their heads.

At least there were a few here that didn't seem to mind.

"Uh-huh. And I can play it as well as Athair and sing for everyone." He threw his arms out, grinning widely in his excitement.

Aeker smiled to himself seeing the boy's excitement, at the end of the day they were a loving couple and great parents to Darragh.

They had a child because they desperately wanted one, no one randomly got knocked up by accident before someone was careless or the condom broke.

"You better sing for me all the time then, I want to be able to enjoy your talent all the time."

He replied, ruffling the boy's hair affectionately.

The boy nodded, his red hair whipping around his face.

"Yes, mommy!"

If Aeker wanted him to sing to him all the time then he would. He wasn't a great singer, but he could play his lele really well so he'd play it all the time just for his mommy.

Darragh squirmed out of Aeker's hold and sat in Aodh's lap.

"Give your Daddy a big kiss and hug for me." He whispered to the boy before setting him down on his father's lap.

Aodh had looked sour before, normally they would throw caution to the wind and make out in front of anyone who opposed their relationship, but they had Darragh to worry about now.

If they relationship was frowned down upon by the parents how long would it be before the boy was bullied in school for it?

He would rather keep their public affection to a minimum to prevent outrage, even if some of the people were fine with it.

Darragh's arms wrapped around the Lycan's neck and he laid a big kiss to his cheek.

Aodh smiled as he cuddled Darragh closer, resting his chin on top of the boy's head.

"Ich leibe dich."

This was just another thing they had to work through. They could do it. He knew they could.

________
I love you

"Und das ist das einzige, was in der Welt, was zählt."

All the odds in the world were stacked against them yet they would hold strong.

Regardless of what their species allowed, regardless of what people thought of them, they would hold strong and continued to love one another no matter what.

"Ich leibe dich auch."
______________
And that's the only thing in the world that really matters.

I love you too.

Aodh smiled.

Everything would be fine. They'd worked through worse than this.

"Come on, let's go play on the round about, pup." Aodh stood, clinging to his squirming pup as they headed towards the round about.

He dumped Darragh onto the circular object and motioned for Aeker to sit on there with him.

Life kept sending them through difficult situations, but they always came out better for it, this time would be no different.

Aeker followed after them eagerly as he was motioned over, sitting on the play equipment next to their son.

Despite the slight bitterness of this evening he had a plan on how to make it a wonderful night, he would definitely be winning the boys over after they were finished playing.

Aodh pushed the piece of equipment around, grinning widely.

Aeker and Darragh went around and around, gaining speed with each push.

He laughed as Darragh clung to Aeker.

The three of them would have a lot of fun to make up for the parents rude comments.