Chapter Text
Becoming new parents usually daunted any couple, but for the Gattos it came just as naturally as breathing; the two were used to not getting many hours of uninterrupted sleep since a house filled with five dogs needed to be taken care of regularly. The paternal one had insisted that the other rest whenever possible as a reward for carrying their child to term, but there was clear refusal seen when he was beaten to their daughter’s crib most of the time.
“Shh sweetheart, daddy’s here,” Murr mused, cradling the wailing infant in slender arms as he sat in a nearby rocking chair, “He’ll make sure no baddies get you.”
“Babe, you shouldn’t be up…”
“Did you expect me to ignore our little girl?” he asked, hazel eyes not leaving the child as soft cries started to calm down as tiny fingers traced at faint scars where mammary glands were supposed to be, “Sorry, I don’t have any milk or you’d have gotten it already. Joey, can you make a bottle?”
Sighing softly at a defiant nature the slightly younger man could not help feeling fondness for a level of devotion that had developed long before their daughter had been conceived, a ghost of a smile tugging at sleep numb lips despite an air of annoyance that he wasn’t allowed to do more for his husband and child. Sock covered feet padding across beige carpeting to not wake any of the snoring animals curled collectively on couch cushions, he blindly searched for the parts needed as white powder filled most of the clear container held under lukewarm running water, a rubber nipple screwed into place once the simple task was finished.
Upon returning upstairs to the dimly lit nursery soft singing could be heard in order to try keeping a demanding damsel occupied while a form of food was prepared, a look of hurt clear on his face when cries continued to grow needier.
“Here, this should help.”
“You’re a Godsend, ya know?”
“Tryin’ to take care of my family is all.”
“We’d be lost without you, there’s no way in hell I could be a single father.”
“Eh, give yourself some credit,” Joseph remarked, pressing multiple pecks into a spot along the other’s neck that caused him to squirm with ticklishness, “You do so much for our little Violet.”
“Like you don’t?”
Not wanting to argue about how he felt left out of doing small duties like tucking her under a lilac baby blanket given from a set of adoptive uncles, bright blue eyes centered on their child as she drank with a fierce hunger that had to be monitored lest an upset stomach came as a result. Heart swelling with affection that could not be put into words while watching the loves of his life a phone was snuck out of a plush pocket to capture such a sweet moment, for the two had been adamant about documenting every possible scenario possible, lost in watching warmth spread between them.
“She looks so peaceful after a snack, sounds like someone else I know,” the older one quipped quietly as a little yawn filled the air along with two awes of adoration, “D’you wanna put her back to bed?”
“You’d let me do that?”
“’Course, she’s your daughter too.”
“You like doing it so much, figured I’d never get the opportunity.”
Switching positions once the bundle was transferred between them, a tiny fist balled light grey fabric worn as if to anchor the man into place as half-lidded golden irises looked for affirmation from the father figure, “It’s alright, papa’s not goin’ anywhere.”
“Better not, we need you.”
“I’d never dream of leaving my two favorite people.”
“Wait ‘til Sal and Q hear you say that…”
“Eh, I’m sure they’ll understand, it’s not like the cats are somewhat their children.”
Years of cleaning milky filmed spittle and changing dirty diapers seemed so long ago as the little girl began to grow before their eyes into the perfect combination of both parents; her whiskey hued eyes shone with a brightness that gave the sun a worthy opponent, wavy brown locks matching the two who used to have full heads of hair in their youth. Her energy levels were hard to handle, yet it was never discouraged as the more maternal parent tried to match such sheer force, which only made the others watch in continuously watching in wonder.
“How’d you manage, Murray? I can barely play with Brook without getting winded.” Brian asked one afternoon while they were gathered in the living room readying a script for an upcoming episode.
“Well, I gotta trim the baby weight off somehow.”
“It’s been seven years!”
“Like you need to remind us, her birthday was a few weeks ago,” Joe remarked, elbowing the older man in jest, “To be honest, I should be the one shedding some weight.”
“You’re perfect just the way you are, baby.”
“Am I?” Violet chimed in unexpectedly, her hand swallowed by a thin set of curled fingers as she attempted to pull Murray away from the couch.
“Without a doubt, Vie. Always have been, always will be.”
“Really?”
“Yes ma’am. If you don’t believe me there’s proof around here somewhere…” he mused methodically as a few books were set aside from a tray set under a tiled coffee table, tongue caught between two incisors in concentration when a thick leather bound book was pulled out, “Here we go, the family album.”
“People still keep those things around? Figured you’d have ‘em plastered on your Instagram account, ferret.”
“It’s still fun having the hard copies!”
Chuckling at the back and forth banter that ensued the young girl was pulled into a folded lap as thick glossy pages were flipped through to show how life had only been perfected with her addition. Stories told from the four lifelong friends from various images brought up from when dogs had been adopted, both pairs of partners had been wedded, and some memorable moments that had happened as part of their careers, thumb and forefinger flipped over to a black and white photograph taken from the first of many ultrasounds.
“How’s anyone supposed to know what the hell that is?” Sal asked, squinting and turning his head in different angles to try and decipher the image that had turned out to be his youngest niece, “Sorry to say they all look the same to me.”
“You’ll understand if you two go down that route.”
“Daddy? Why’re you in a hospital bed?” the lone female questioned curiously, pointing at a picture stamped with a familiar date.
“That’s when you were born, sweetie.”
“That’s where mommies are supposed to be though.”
“Well, uh…” he trailed off at a loss for words when the other father came over to fill in the vacant side of his husband when a few pictures were revisited to reveal an impregnated Murray bordering between second and third trimester, “I used to be a girl.”
“How did you do that?”
“I take medicine that helps me stay like this.”
“It took years for your dad to get to where he is though.” the youngest member added to help clarify any confusion, a thick olive thumb swiping through years of saved images to locate a picture from when the four had begun to grow close that showed feminine features that were no longer present, “Isn’t that neat?”
“Uh huh!”
Immediately tearing up at hearing her approval that came so easily, a neck infamously craned at a left angle to hide silently falling tears in his husband’s lavender button down as a larger than average nose nuzzled into the receding hairline affectionately. When he was composed, slightly red-rimmed eyes were met with similarly shaded topaz orbs filled with worry, heart faltering offbeat for only an instant as he reassured her by pressing a softened kiss in the middle of a smooth forehead.
“Why are you crying, daddy?”
“Thinking ‘bout how much I love my little family. Especially you, princess.”
“That’s your father for you, he’s a sensitive guy. Not as much as your Uncle Sal though…”
“Don’t you dare start with that, Bri!”
“Not my fault that those lyrics fit you perfectly.”
“Those two, I swear…” Joseph sighed out in fake annoyance that gained him a middle finger when the little girl was distracted by photographs taken of her with the dogs in matching pajamas from a few winters ago, “How’d we get so freakin’ lucky?”
For the life of them it could not be recalled how exactly all of the pieces had been put into place, yet all that mattered was that they fit together so seamlessly since families were hard to perfect. Though there were tough times in between the stages of life from when the four were teenage boys to being surrounded by nothing but unconditional love from everyone considered a part of their lives there was no denying that so much joy had been brought despite the few hardships faced.