Work Text:
“I’m sorry, you want us to do a what?”
“I would like for us to take a Christmas Family Photo.”
Ambrosius finished chopping up the fruit he was busy with in front of him, a banana, into smaller pieces before transferring them into a blueberry yogurt filled plastic bowl that sat next to the chopping board before turning to look at his lover and boyfriend, and most importantly best friend, Ballister Blackheart. Who was currently standing at the entrance of the kitchen, as stoic and as serious as ever.
Yet, the hope that sparked in his gorgeous brown eyes was evident.
“That’s a very... interesting want , Love, especially coming from you... it feels more like...”
Something cheesy, something a little too mushy, like something I would be asking for.
“... Like, something else.”
He could feel Ballister raise a brow at him at the vagueness of that.
Ambrosius looked away from him and grabbed the kitchen towel off of his shoulder to wipe at his hands.
“I’m just not so sure about it is all, Love. It's not that it doesn't sound grand, but I don’t think Nims would be all for that one. Sitting still for so long is not necessarily her idea of fun, and that’s not even mentioning the whole ‘getting fancied up’ bit.”
“Nimona,” Ballister countered, “would do tremendously during a Photo Shoot. She’s a sweet little angel after all.”
Ambrosius gave Ballister a look and picked up the yogurt bowl. Walking past his man to the dining room where Nimona, their now 1-year-old baby, sat in her highchair playing with her favorite stuffed toy shark ‘Toothy’. Ambrosius proceeded to place the bowl down in front of her and stared directly at Ballister as their daughter began tearing through 50% of the banana chunks and blueberry flavored yogurt, sending it almost everywhere.
0% of which ended up in her mouth.
“You were saying?”
When Nimona was finished with her little yogurt tornado Ambrosius sat down in a chair next to her highchair and grabbed a spare spoon he had on him in case she threw hers across the room again- which she did- and began making a variety of animal noises as he fed her the yogurt, each one more ridiculous then the last.
“Okay,” Ballister came to stand next to him, crossing his arms, “so maybe she’d be a little energetic, but still, I think it would be a nice little thing for us to do as... as a- a family.”
Ambrosius paused at that, and looked up to find Ballister turned away, staring off to the side and avoiding his gaze. He looked pensive, and unsure now, and that’s not a look Ambrosius ever wanted to see on his lover’s face.
Not again.
He stood up from the chair and left Nimona sitting with the bowl and spoon. He came to stand next to his man and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Ballister?” Still the older man didn’t look his way, so Ambrosius wrapped his arms around him from behind and placed his chin on his shoulder. “Ballister... Balli, please, tell me what’s on your mind?”
Ballister sighed and turned around in a way where Ambrosius didn’t have to remove himself, and held Ambrosius close, neither of them currently aware of the little eyes staring at them from the highchair, quiet and calm while eating banana slices and blueberry yogurt.
“It’s just...”
Ambrosius waited patiently, keeping his face buried in Ballister’s neck to give him the space he needed.
“... When was the last time we had a photo, together, or- or with anyone we loved before... before everything that happened?”
... oh...
Oh.
“Oh.” Ambrosius breathed, hushed. “Is that what this is about?”
Before Ballister could pull away Ambrosius brought him back by his arm, laughing lightly. “No, no I don’t mean it in a bad sense at all, it’s just...”
It was Ambrosius’ turn now to look away, staring down at the hand he now held in his own, and bringing it up to his lips and placing a gentle kiss to the knuckles. “This feels like something I would be asking you for, is all.”
He smiled softly as he lifted his head back up to meet Ballister’s steady gaze, showing him that he meant no judgement, and was met with a quick peck. “I know you meant nothing by it, my heart, but...”
Ballister was staring at him, open and vulnerable in a way Ambrosius knew meant this went deeper than just their past, and one glance at Nimona would confirm that.
The two of them had never really had a family of their own, so to speak. Ballister was given up by his family, his father more specifically, when he was a young boy, claiming that they didn’t have enough money for the extra mouth to feed after going into debt, and that as the eldest it was him who had to take the responsibility to help wherever possible (it was only years later that Ballister learned that his father practically sold him without a second thought for debt money to the orphanage where he was given up like seriously the guy was the worst screw him). And Ambrosius...
“Ah, I think I understand now.”
They did have a family now, after all, regardless of how it came to be. After all life threw at them, they were both finally together, learning to find a good balance with each other, to forgive and trust again, and now with the addition of Nimona, it feels like they can all finally start moving on.
“... Okay.”
Ballister lit up so sweetly, it made Ambrosius forget why he was so nervous about this in the first place. “Okay?”
“Yeah, okay, let’s do it.”
Ambrosius laughed as Ballister lifted him by his waist and spun the two of them around before dipping him down for a kiss. This enthusiasm was new, but not unfounded or unappreciated. In fact, Ambrosius very much appreciated it.
“I’m going to go make an appointment.” Ballister whispered against his lips and gave him one more kiss before pulling him up and jogging away towards his study.
Ambrosius was still coming down from the high of the moment when the thought of taking a family picture, a real honest to Gods family picture, finally hit, as well as the feeling of warmth so strong that followed.
He was actually really excited, since neither of them had really had a family before- except maybe Ballister but again screw them- and taking this picture just feels like they would be… solidifying that now. That after so long, they are. They really, really are a family.
Then a banana slice hit his face and he turned to the source- their one-year-old- and stared for a second.
Ah.
Right.
“Hm, you’re not gonna be a lot of trouble on the day in question, are you Love?”
Nimona blinked up at him a few times before stuffing a whole spoon of yogurt in her mouth and laughing.
“Hmmm, nah,” Ambrosius shook his head as another banana went flying to Gods know where and walked over to pick up Nimona from her highchair and cradled the little, messy Gremlin to his chest, “I’m sure it’ll be just fine.”
-
So far, it has not necessarily been going ‘just fine’.
Nimona had not taken to the whole ‘Christmas Dress Up’ in the way Ambrosius was sure Ballister had hoped, and oh was she letting them know it.
No, she wasn’t being any trouble on the day in question, just all the other days leading up to it.
She absolutely hated the different dresses she was put in, and the suits weren’t fairing any better, she almost tore the sleeves off of one of them, and though Ambrosius did put a few of them aside in his workshop- a small sort of studio where he does his study for his art classes and make the costumes for his theater group- to try and combine the different styles into something Nimona might be willing to tolerate (even keeping in mind comfortable fabrics for babies and toddlers in case that was the problem), she was having none of that either.
These were some of her worst tantrums yet too.
And that’s really saying something.
‘Can’t wait to see her in her teen years.’ Ambrosius thought quietly as he watched his beloved Ballister try to wrestle their Nimona off of the tailor. “She’s locked her jaw! She’s locked her jaw!”
Ambrosius sighed and began looking up new clothing shops as yet another tailor was scared off by Nimona’s ferocity and unwillingness to wear anything they made for her.
Nimona loved it when Ambrosius made her clothes for her for some reason, and even when she didn’t like them, was always more vocal of that then physical. Even the different suits, dresses, and suit-dresses that he made her- which she didn’t want to wear- she didn’t necessarily not like, she just didn’t want to wear them for the photo.
But why?
When they finally got home, Ballister- frustrated by the day and Nimona’s behavior- went straight to the couch and fell face first onto it, groaning loudly into the pillow. Ambrosius stared at him with furrowed brows, unsure of how he could help, or what else they could really do anymore. He looked at Nimona, who he was carrying in his arms, and his frown deepened.
Their little shark was pouting, with tears still in her eyes from their last interaction at the tailors, and her little hands were balled tightly into fists around the fabric of his clothes.
“Hello, little shark.” Ambrosius cooed quietly, “Do you want to be set down now?”
She shook her head aggressively and held on even tighter, digging her little nails into the skin.
“Alright, alright, fussy pants, I hear you.”
He carried her to the kitchen with him to give Ballister some peace and to grab some snacks and drinks for everyone in attempt to bring their moods back up.
“Want some mango juice?”
Nimona nodded against his shoulder and continued to sniffle quietly as Ambrosius set her sippy aside and started grabbing some of the tramezzino’s he had prepared that morning from the fridge, along with some triangle jelly and peanut butter sandwiches with the crusts cut off. After filling the sippy with some mango juice, and two separate cups with apple and pear, he carried them on a tray along with the now warmed up tramezzino’s into the living room where Ballister still laid and placed them down onto the small living room table, laughing softly when a hand came up from where it was on the floor to grab a tramezzino and stuffing under the pillow that Ballister’s face was pressed in.
“Are you okay, Mr. Broody?”
“I’m not brooding,” Ballister answered a bit muffled and automatically, as he was to do, “I’m thinking.”
Ambrosius rolled his eyes playfully, “yeah, okay”, and tried to give Nimona her juice and sandwich but she kept turning away and making small weepy noises. “Oh sweetheart, what’s wrong?” He asked, hoping for anything at this point that will tell him why his baby was being so fussy, but all he received at the end was more head shakes and upset pouts.
He could feel himself starting to get frustrated, but as the only one who hasn’t exactly had a breakdown or shut down yet, he took a deep breath and tried to think about what else he could do to make their little shark feel-
....
Wait.
That’s it.
“I got it!” Nimona turned her face a bit to look at Ambrosius with big, questioning eyes and he gave her a knowing grin. “I Know exactly what’ll turn that little frown upside down.”
A few minutes later Ambrosius watched as a now lively, and very happy, Nimona waddle-ran up to Ballister on the couch and began making roaring noises in her shark onesie.
He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe of the living room while smiling contently. He chuckled with a hand to his mouth when Ballister, who had not moved this whole time, lifted his head to look at Nimona for a minute before snatching her up and pretended to start eating her fins and nose.
The blond laughed along with them when their kid began doing the same to the other man and thought about how happy and comfortable Nimona’s shark onesie always made her. She was always at her calmest when the onesie was on and Toothy was near...
Then an idea struck Ambrosius, one that had him smacking his forehead because how could he have not thought of this earlier, and rushed into his workshop and got to work.
He didn’t know how much time had passed between then and how long he’d been in there, but by the time he leaned back against his swivel chair it was dark out and the house was quiet. Ambrosius stretched his back and arms, but before he could get up to see where everyone is, arms wrapped around his shoulders from behind and he almost screamed if not for the familiar feeling of stubble against the top of his head. “Ballister Blackheart stop scaring me like that!” A tired chuckle came from above him as a hand came up from around his shoulder to guide his face a little to the side for a kiss.
“Apologies, my dear,” Ballister said against his cheek, where he placed another kiss, “it’s just too tempting to resist.”
Ambrosius huffed and turned away to look back at the work in front of him, finishing the last bit of sewing he needed to make it all come together.
“I put Nimona to bed,” Ballister leaned forward against the back of Ambrosius chair, “ordered us some pizza in the afternoon and had lunch, then ate the same pizza for dinner earlier before a shower and cleaning her teeth, twice- hopefully that man doesn’t sue-, and I also put away the remaining tarmezino’s” “-tramezzino’s-” “-tramezzino’s and pizzas in the fridge.”
“Thank you, by the way,” Ballister said, leaving small pecks and longer kisses all over Ambrosius’ shoulder and neck, “I know you must’ve been tired too-”
“Oh don’t with that, Balli,” Ambrosius snorted, turning around to stare at his lover with a kind smile and a raised brow, “we’re family, love, and that’s what family does. Even when all you make me want to do is tear my own hairs out.”
The older man looked down at him for a moment with surprise in his tired eyes, before he smiled and gave the other man one more slow peck on his lips.
“I love you, Ambrosius.”
“I love you too, Ballister.”
They stared at each other for a moment more, then Ambrosius turned back around to put on the finishing touches to his latest creation.
“What are you even making Love that would have you competing with me on time in the garage or study?” Ballister asked, curiously trying to look over his lover’s lean frame to get a look at his work desk.
“Something,” Ambrosius smirked and whipped around, holding the new outfit up by the yoke to show to Ballister, who gasped at the sight, “that is going to make this photo go off without any more hitches.”
-
Nimona’s laughs and giggles were like music to Ambrosius’ and Ballister’s ears.
She absolutely loved her new Christmas Shark onesie!
It was like her normal one- as normal as a pink shark onesie gets- only the color was leaning a little more towards red, and the belly- along with the underside of the fins- was white, resembling a peppermint candy of sorts. At the top of the shark’s head was a sewed-on Christmas hat, and there were bells adorning where the usual buttons would be, jingling like crazy and how much she was bouncing on the spot. The teeth were the color and pattern of Candy Canes, and the whole thing even came with a detachable Santa beard.
Nimona wasn’t the only one who loved it.
Ballister was tapping his foot in such anticipation that Ambrosius could hear it where he was getting Nimona dressed. It was like a do or die mission for the both of them, because ultimately if she didn’t like this either, neither of them knew where they would go from there. But, thank whoever is watching, Nimona loved it and couldn’t wait to get it on. When Ballister finally did see them both, he actually almost started crying right then and there, as Ambrosius noticed his eyes becoming shiny and heard how he took in a deep, shaky breath.
“Oh, you’re both perfect.” He had said, and embraced both of the other two for so long after they almost missed their appointment.
“Alright.” The nice lady from the front who didn’t judge them for almost being late said. “We’ll give you all five minutes to get set up, then we can begin.”
Ambrosius was busy making sure that Ballister’s Candy Cane tie was on straight (ha) and neat, while he fixed his own red and white Christmas sweater and made sure that Toothy also had their Christmas hat and bells on for Nimona.
What he didn’t notice while he was doing so, however, was the way Ballister was watching him, with eyes so soft and warm, filled with adoration for him (which if you asked Ambrosius later, he would tell you was not something he yet believed he deserved).
Ballister would then slowly wrap an arm around Ambrosius’ waist and pulled him in a little, almost impossibly, closer, but the other man didn’t even flinch or glance at him.
“Do you want to get married?”
Ambrosius’ head whipped so fast in Ballister’s direction his neck began to hurt a bit, but he couldn’t care less.
What? What had he just said?
“What?”
He stared up in awe at his lover, his boyfriend and best friend of many years, who’s been through so much with him, and because of him. He actually didn’t know what to say so he just stared, but Ballister was a patient man, so he waited.
Ambrosius didn’t even know if he deserved this, this- this family they’ve made. This future they were creating together.
But, as his face turned the slightest shade of red, and he looked down at the little one in his arms, he couldn’t help but start smiling, biting his lip while he tried to suppress any embarrassing high pitched noises that wouldn’t make everyone else look at them weirdly (not like they don’t already do) and turned to look back at Ballister, his Ballister, and found the man staring straight back with a gentle grin.
Ambrosius, still unable to form any words, simply nodded and leaned his head against Ballister’s shoulder, hiding his face away from the camera when he felt his eyes start to sting.
“Good.” Ballister said, rubbing his cheek against where Ambrosius was leaning and reached forward to grab one of the blond man’s hands, slipping on something could and metallic onto Ambrosius’ finger. “Because if not, it was going to be a hassle trying to get the bucks for this back.”
Ambrosius pulled away a bit from where he was hiding and felt more tears well up at the sight of the gorgeous, gold and black ring on his finger, infused with four small, round, gold obsidian stones that surrounded a beautiful citrine gem with two of the golden obsidians on each side.
He felt it when Ballister placed a kiss on top of his head before doing the same to Nimona’s, who laughed happily as she bounced around in joy at a moment she doesn’t really understand, and won’t really remember, but knows in this moment that her Papa and Daddy were both happy and that’s all that mattered.
“Excuse me, sirs?”
The two adults glanced towards the waiting photographer, forgetting for a moment where they both were.
“Is the family ready to begin?”
Both men looked down at the wiggling little shark between them, before gazing up into each other’s eyes, one with a twinkle while the other beamed unashamedly with love.
“Yeah,” Ballister answered, never once looking away. “I think we’ve been ready.”
Ambrosius laughed gleefully and kissed his beloved one final time before turning to the camera.
“Alrighty then.” the photographer shrugged and got ready at the camera. “Beautiful Family Christmas Photo, first take in 3... 2... 1-”
“Merry Christmas!”