My baby never fret none
About what my hands and my body done
If the lord don't forgive me
I'd still have my baby and my babe would have me

Outfit | OPEN

He had adapted mostly well to having the children around. The girls were delightful enough, even if Sigrid insisted on pulling on his hair every time he picked her up. Which he did often, since he couldn't say no when the toddler just came up to him and stretched out her arms. He may be anti social on a good day, but he wasn't heartless. It had been a short period of getting used to the new additions, especially since Helga was constantly chattering and asking questions that he tried best to explain in the most child-friendly way he could. Things such as why people were sweeping the streets were not things Erik wanted to have any part in explaining, after all, Alexander had expressed that he didn't want the girls absorbing any of the discrimination that British pureblood society was guilty of. That was not for Erik to speak of, he was their step father but Alexander decided what things he wanted them knowing about and what he didn't. It was one of the few sensitive details about his new, second hand parenting. It wasn't something he thought he would have to do any time soon, but he found that it was quite pleasant.

One thing that he had never thought of was child proofing the house. Of course, Erik hadn't chosen the house or anything in it, Alexander had prepared everything when he'd come over from Iceland before the wedding. It was nicely furnished, apparently having taken some pointers from Erik's own apartment when he went to visit. Unannounced, but that didn't mean he'd been turned away. That was probably how Alexander came up with all the neutral coloured walls and simple wooden furnishings, since Erik's living space had been near barren while his husband's tastes ranged more on the rustic typical viking side of things. It was something he appreciated, big and colourful or crowded spaces weren't just not to his liking. He truly couldn't spend any actual amount of time there without being overwhelmed and needing to leave. Forcing himself to stay in the house merely to not make them feel abandoned while so affected would be a good way to couple the idea of his family with discomfort in his mind, which was really the last thing he wanted to do. No, things were working out just fine and he was content with it. Alexander understood him better now, knew that he tried even if he wasn't always successful, and he knew that mostly he couldn't help his mind's reactions. Especially the many sleepless nights. He was still bewildered about that.

He had, however, forgotten that children tended to... break things. Usually, a quick reparo did away with any possible damage, but today that was not the case. Magical watches couldn't be fixed just like that, not if they had many enchantments on them and were exceedingly old. It was a funny thing, however, that they were so easily broken. All Sigrid did was... well, he didn't exactly know what she'd done with it, he'd only found it an hour later in her play area, all dented and no longer ticking. It was almost hilarious, really, considering that she was but one. He hadn't been angry, though, even if that had been what Alexander feared. Children broke things, it was only logical, and he should have been more careful with his possessions. Hence, why he was sitting in a shop in Diagon Alley, waiting for some shop keeper to come see to his needs.

Work Song

Starting To See The Morning

Light

While he didn't get to do it very often as he was typically either snowed under with either of his professions or at home with their beautiful son, Aydrien sought out the rare occasions where he could surprise or spoil Silas. It took planning, as it was hard to keep anything from his husband as just looking in his eyes tended to give him away immediately, which meant that when he was successful it felt all that much sweeter. Usually it was something really small like getting to stop by his classroom to spend his break with him or perhaps a reservation out for a small meal so they couldn't be interrupted, but this time he hadn't wanted to take any more time away from Zachary. So, as he had about an hour or so's break before his next class, he had decided to nip into London to get him something tangible. He'd never bought Silas a proper watch before as jewellery wasn't really his thing- meaning, he loved looking at it but could never justify buying it- and for some reason, that was where intuition was taking him today.

Not just any old watch, either. One that was calibrated with the moon's turns, astrologically aligned and had the date as well. Well balanced, not bulky, but not so light that it could easily be missed. Whether or not he could find such a watch, let alone in his short time frame, remained to be seen. If needs be he'd commission on as he liked Cogg & Bell's work, specifically, above most jewellers. His own watch had seen better days, but that was how he liked his things. With history. A background. Aged. The silver had tarnished slightly and there were scratches over its face, but he was so used to it now that he didn't even see them anymore. But he refused to get something second hand for Silas. No, only the best. Custom made if necessary. He had planned this, after all, and had tucked money away just for this sole purpose. And he was practically as giddy as a kid on their first ever Hogsmeade trip just trying to imagine the other Wizard's face when he got home and opened the box. Aydrien didn't need an occasion to give Silas things. Time was fluid around him but ever ticking. And he'd hate to have to wait for the scarce occasions through the year where it was expected.

The bell above the door trilled as he pushed it open, and he glanced up at it as he passed underneath. Almost pun-worthy. Smiling to himself, he looked down again to see a fair haired Wizard already seated and his smile reigned in a bit to one of politeness before he ducked his head. Maybe he should just browse first? There was always the chance that he'd find what he wanted already on one of the displays, and he didn't know how long that gentleman had been waiting already to be seen. He doubted it was long as they were generally very prompt in here, but assumptions were nothing compared to fact.

TAG: @erik | WORDS: 522 | NOTES:

MEL @ ADOXOGRAPHY

❝ If the lord don't forgive me
I'd still have my baby and my baby would have me❞

---

    Erik had never thought that he might be good with children, and he wasn't, not really. He also wasn't bad, really. It was all a matter of perspective. He had never been good with other children when he himself was young, but he was never good with his peers in general, it had nothing to do with them being children. Now, as an adult, he didn't have anything to do with children, usually. None of his siblings had any, he didn't have any cousins he was close to that had children, and his work had nothing to do with children at any point in time. Ever. So it was really no wonder that Erik had little idea how to handle kids and that nobody would know what to expect from him in that situation. Especially since he was... unkind to most of the people he knew, he supposed it was reasonable to expect him to not be good with children. What these idiots all missed was the fact that he was never unfoundedly unkind. They all deserved it, wether they understood why or not. What ill could children have ever done to him? None, at all. So he tried to at least get along with the children. Was he going to put on some silly voice and play around? No, of course not. Still, he listened to what they had to say and did his best to further their education without pressing or pushing too much. Children needed patience and understanding. He thought that his own parents had been very good at providing it, it wasn't their fault he'd ended up how he had.
    Helga and Sigrid were smart girls, really. Always asking him to read something to them and asking questions like it was the most normal thing in the world. Wanting to spend time with him. One wouldn't think that he was the one his siblings would never ask to babysit for fear of scarring the children. Still, he supposed that nobody would've expected him to be a half decent step father, which was what he was. Alexander had taken a large risk in allowing him to interact so freely with his girls. Especially considering that their own conversations were only half passable most days. He appreciated the chance, though, and he wouldn't have blamed his husband at all for wanting to keep the girls away from him  if he had chosen to do so. The girls made the house more lived in, less like his old apartment. The glass cube with black floors and white walls and metal furniture. Completely void of any personal touch, of any sign of anyone actually living inside it. That was how Erik had lived and he had kept the apartment, just in case, but he found that he hadn't been back there in weeks. Instead, he lived permanently in the house with Alexander and the girls now. It was slowly starting to feel like a home and he wasn't exactly sure on how to handle all of it.
    The watch was a minor hiccup, really. He wasn't even all that attached to it. Just something he'd bought when he'd gotten promoted at Larsen in order to be more presentable. He shouldn't even have been wearing it, when Sigrid broke it, really. There was no need to it, he hadn't exactly though it through. Just his luck, of course, that the one time he didn't think every single one of his actions, the baby broke an expensive watch. Well, it didn't matter anyway, because he'd have it fixed and he would put it away again. Now, if only the shopkeepers would come and see to his watch, that would be wonderful. He didn't have all day and he'd already been here for ten minutes, or so his other watch stated. Then the bell rang again, however, and he looked aside to spot another man entering the shop. Unknown, but since the man offered a polite nod, Erik returned it with a "Afternoon." He wasn't good with speaking to strangers, the other man ought to take the lead if he needed anything.

---

Tag @ aydrien

Words: 689

Outfit: link

credit to Laura of Adox

Work Song

Starting To See The Morning 

Light

Silas and Zachary were the most important people in his life, and without them, he despaired at where he might have been. Without his lunch dates with Silas, without his time spent watching Zach learn or play, he doubted he'd still be sane after all that life had thrown at him. But that was really the stickler right there; It was as if life had given him Silas and Zach just for that purpose. Knowing that they were all that he had needed in this life to be able to go on and do what he needed to. If there was a higher power then for sure he believed that they had looked out for him way back when he'd been fourteen. One one hand, he'd given up his parents and his family after they'd moved back to Egypt when he'd turned twenty one because they had wanted to go home, and he had chosen to stay with Silas regardless. In the end, he was always going to choose to stay with his husband. He couldn't see a day without the other man in his life, or their little boy, and he didn't want to either. It just meant that copious letters and phone calls transpired for his own family connections, but then he'd found a family in Silas', and he was eternally grateful for that as well. His teenage self had never really dared to believe that he'd be welcomed into the fold like he had been... but then, his teenage self also hadn't dared for two whole years to even broach the subject of asking Silas out for fear of rebuttal, so that wasn't really saying all that much. Things had just gone the best way they could have for him. He really did have his lot in life. 

Which was why he always went out of his way to make sure that he was making the most of it. Scheduling surprise dates, gifts, sometimes just a lot of time so he had quality memories with his two special men to look back on and to fill their family photo albums with. Aydrien had a stack of photos sitting by to still put into the albums he'd recently bought but he hadn't gotten around to it yet. He wanted to do it when both himself and Silas had the time to sit and go through them all, maybe over a glass of wine, so they could enjoy what they were doing instead of rushing it to get it out of the way because they had other things to be doing. Really, he was just looking for all the snatched moments he could grab with his family as things seemed to be getting busier by the day instead of more relaxed and they were all being swept alongside it. Stubborn to a fault, he wasn't going to go with the flow eternally. Every now and then he dug his heels in, even if it was just so he could get in something nice for Silas' dinner when he got home late or leaving the University so he could pick little Zachary Sun up from school to take him to get new school supplies or just on a little trip before dinner. Maybe he'd get their son to help him fill one of the photo albums with him so they could give it to Silas one night when they were all home. A rare, stolen night, that they virtually never got. He was practically giddy just thinking about it.

So today it was going to be a watch. In a month's time... maybe another jumper, as Silas was fond of those, and Aydrien was fond of borrowing them. Yes... yes, that sounded like a good plan to him. If he couldn't steal his husband away all that often, then at least he could make him smile in other ways. Looking to the blonde as he glanced at his watch again and heard him speak, he smiled and nodded towards him. "Afternoon," he said softly, glancing to the desk, "Can I ask if you've been waiting long? To be seen, that is?"

TAG: @ Erik| WORDS: ## | NOTES: <3

MEL @ ADOXOGRAPHY