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The mumrik quietly watched the raccoon slowly rock in the chair by the fireplace, happily holding a bundle close to his chest as his striped tail swished. Ever since the flood settled down and left, the couple were now able to properly provide for the little moomintroll they found floating away in a basket.
An abomination, was the baby called, for having the genitalia of both a female and a male. Gerard was in love as soon as he set eyes on the small child in the basket, but Frank was, and still is, very unsure about the baby. What he didn't understand though, was the hype around the baby.
Most of the raccoon's attention was now set on the small being. Maybe he just didn't understand it since he was alone almost right after birth, and had to teach himself how to walk and defend himself, since talking wasn't much of a priority if he was going to be alone, but he did teach himself to read and write in fluent french.
Gerard came from a large family, so it made sense that he would know how to tend to a family more than the mumrik, but Frank knew it wasn't a very tight knit family. The raccoon ran away from his royal home to be with Frank, and to start a small family that wouldn't be falling apart every family gathering at the end of the week, whether it was a celebration of life or death. Frank was always set on being alone for life.
He didn't plan on falling in love, or running away with a prince and having a bounty on his head for it. He traveled, and could never stay down in one place. It was a wonder he was able to stay long enough to be granted the job as gardener for the royal Way family, but he always had the privilege of leaving during the winters.
Everything was suddenly changing for him, so it was no surprise he was starting to get worried. He was now in a illegal relationship with a prince, and the two had adopted a unwanted baby moomintroll. But so far, the mumrik detested the baby, taking away the attention he's come around to loving.
Frank snuck a bit closer, holding his scrawny tail high as to not get it stuck under the hard wooden chair. The room had a comforting sound, which was the light crackling of the fireplace and Gerard's soft humming of a lullabye. He stood up and peeked over Gerard's shoulder, noticing the rocking chair go still. He started to examine the baby, unsure of the last time he got a good look at them.
The baby was bundled up in a baby blue blanket that Gerard must've made for him. His pure white ears were poking up to make themselves visible and known, somehow not hidden by his blond mess of hair. His baby blue eyes, as vibrant and beautiful as the beach looked up at the mumrik.
The sight of the strange man looming over his mother caused the small baby to let out nervous and scared cries, almost in a attempt to warn his parent of the intruder. Frank's eyes narrowed as the fur fluffed up on his tail. He was unaware of how absent and cold he's been to the small moomintroll, so it was no wonder he screamed in fear of him.
Gerard stretched his back and got up out of his chair, his lower back in pain from sitting in it for so long. "Frankie, he doesn't know you." The raccoon stated as he looked at his lover's puzzled expression. The mumrik blinked and put his hands on his hips. "Why not? I'm always in the house with him-" He started, a bit unsure about how he felt. Gerard moved on to sitting on the couch and stretched his legs and tail, before curling up his tail and using it as support with holding the baby.
Frank sat down near the two and watched as the small moomintroll crawled out of the blanket, but didn't get far as he laid on his mother's tail, inhaling the familiar scent while quietly babbling. Frank quietly stared down the baby, a little angry that this kid just walked in here and started to take everything. First his lover, then his food, and now his bed. This mumrik was really about to start some beef with a baby.
"You're in the house but you hardly acknowledge him dear. If you want him to know you, you have to be here in his life Frank." Gerard said with a sigh as he watched the small baby stare at the mumrik that dared to sit on his couch. The moomintroll let out a little growl, but he was far too tired to get up and attack the intruder so he just left it to his mama. "I do acknowledge him!" He argued, before thinking to himself and frowning.
"Yeah- this morning i waved to him before going out to get some milk for him-" Frank said proudly. The raccoon raised a eyebrow at the poor excuse. "When have you held him? Fed him? Payed actual attention to him? He isn't temporary my dear, he isn't going to pack up and leave when you ignore him. We're his parents now." Gerard said as if he was reminding the mumrick that he was now a father, and couldn't just drop it all and leave.
Frank crossed his arms over his chest, but Gerard did have a valid point. He's never actually cared for him. On the couch now is probably the closest he's been to the baby. He didn't have any excuses for not being there for him other than he was scared. The same scared he felt with Gerard, scared of getting attached and leaving them.
Mumriks were naturally very solitary creatures, so the new emotions Frank was starting to feel were new and foreign. "I-it's hard Gerard- this kid just, appeared! And you took him in so quick-" He tried to defend, clawing at his pants. He was getting frustrated and it was getting harder to breathe for him, especially in his temporary poorly made binder.
Gerard furrowed his eyebrows and looked down at the small moomintroll that was now fast asleep, snuggled up in the fur of Gerard's tail. God knows how long the little one has been floating around in that flood, starving and cold. Was he supposed to let him drift by? What if nobody picked him up, and he just went away? Or the basket just flipped over?
The heavy thinker let out a sigh and looked at Frank, watching as he clawed at his pants. "I know...I know it's a lot for you now, and you aren't used to it, but maybe we can start making a change now, so you won't be so scared...and the relationship can benefit you both." Gerard suggested, watching as the baby started to wake up and make soft whines for food.
"Well.. y'know what, fine. since you're so professional, how do i bond with him?" Frank asked in a mocking tone before letting out a little huff. The raccoon raised a eyebrow and picked him up before holding out the baby for Frank to take. He stared at the baby, unsure of what to do. The moomintroll started to fuss and grumble, and Gerard quickly retracted him when he realized that Frank wasn't going to take him.
"Frank you were supposed to take him-" He sighed, uncoiling his tail as he scoot close. "Well how was I supposed to know? You were just- holding him out-" The mumrik argued, but quickly calmed down once he felt the raccoon closer to him. He wasn't sure why his lover had such a effect on him, but he honestly didn't mind much. In fact he liked his ability to get the mumrik to quickly relax.
"Well now I'm telling you. Now copy the position that my arms are in." Gerard instructed. Frank nodded and quickly copied him, putting them in a position used to cradle a baby. The raccoon bit his lip and started to get the baby settled in his arms. There was a little nagging fear in the back of his head that Frank may drop the baby, or he may run off with it, but he ignored his paranoid thoughts. Of course he trusted Frank with the baby, and the mumrik wasn't all that clumsy as his head was making him out to be.
The little moomintroll seemed to have a hard time adjusting to being in the arms of his other father, since his sleeves were rolled up and there was dark fur that went up to his elbows. But Gerard on the other hand, was clear of fur. It could've been his need to shave, but the little baby would never know. All he knew was Gerard was comfortable and this stranger that was holding him now, wasn't all that comfortable compared to his mother.
"So...have you settled on a name for him yet?" Frank asked in a careful tone as to not alarm the baby. Gerard was now getting up to fetch a bottle to feed the child, and was lucky to just hear his lover. "I was thinking Patrick... y'know? Like the saint" he said in a fairly proud voice, glad he came up with such a clever name for the baby that so closely resembled a angel from the books he would read. "And his last name? I don't even know who in the world would add a 'h' at the end of 'stump' ". Frank said with a little eye roll.
The raccoon smiled at his lover's thought as he put the lid on the bottle and headed over with it. "Maybe we can just say his last name is Way-Iero for now?" Gerard suggested as he sat back down next to the mumrik, glass baby bottle in hand. "Way-Iero? Why does your last name go first? Iero-Way sounds so much more badass-" Frank argued, letting Gerard position his hands into a feeding position for the baby. He watched as Patrick eagerly drank away from the bottle, and now he could honestly care less about who gave it to him.
"Yeah well my last name is better because I come from royalty and we have a very badass history of fighting off those stupid bats in wars-" Gerard defended playfully as he intertwined his tail with Frank's the scrawny black tail almost nothing compared to the raccoon's bigger and more luxurious tail. The small little moomintroll's tail was lion-like, with how thin it was with the puff at the end. But instead of having a tan color, it was a pure white that matched his fuzzy little ears.
"Your family is shitty cause they underpay all their workers, like snobby shitty rich people. My family sucks, but not as much." The mumrik said confidently, knowing he stumped the raccoon. But really, he's never known much about his family since he's been separated from them as soon as possible. "I had no control over that- Mikey and I are gonna be better-" Gerard started before being cut off by Frank. "How are you gonna change things? You ran away with mwah, a wanted criminal in several states for arson, battery, masquerade, and fuckin.. other shit but you get the idea. I'm pretty badass." The feline-like creature bragged as he shifted the position of the baby.
Gerard rolled his eyes and gently took the baby from the mumrik, who was almost relieved that the raccoon was taking back the baby. Don't get him wrong, he didn't mind holding the moomintroll, but it certainly did make his arms feel a bit tired from holding the same position. He watched as his lover carefully burped Patrick and got up from the couch, ready to take the little one to bed. Frank had to admit, it was a bit cold without Gerard near him. "So it's decided then! Iero-Way!" Frank called after the two, his tail playfully wagging.
Iero-Way. He decided that it sounded nice, and they would keep it. Frank and Gerard Iero-Way. It was like getting married without the rings and the ceremony, and without the drunk family members. The raccoon knew that the mumrik didn't like marriage, and he respected it, even if he did want to get married to him to show his gratitude. But he decided that it didn't matter, because the mumrik loved him without the ring, and he would be there for their kid.