(no subject)

[gaynecologist]

David remembers the first morning when they woke up in their bed in Darrow. Their actual bed. From home. It had turned up unexpectedly a few years ago, as things are wont to do here, and the comfort - emotional and physical - it had given both him and Bryan cannot be underestimated. It was their little piece of home and they had done their best to recreate the rest of the room to match. 

So David thinks nothing of it when he wakes with the same feeling of familiarity. He flings an arm across his eyes, sighing. He can't remember how long he made Bryan stay outside with him to watch for meteors last night but judging by the amount of complaining he'd heard and the number of marshmallows and smores devoured, it was a long time. He lifts his elbow just enough to peek at Bryan's side of the bed, surprised to find that he's already up. One of the kids must have called out, he thinks, stretching and releasing a long groan.

"Bry?"

Tossing off the bed covers, David sits up and runs a hand through his hair. There's light streaming through a window that didn't used to be there. He twists around, the hairs starting to stand along his arms and back of his neck. Their en suite has moved. 

"Oh my god." 

There's a framed photo of them with President Obama. 

"Oh my god, oh my god." This is their house, he confirms, racing to the window and shielding his eyes against the LA sunshine. "Bryan!" Why hadn't he woken him when he'd realised?

The intense rush of exhilaration takes a knock for every empty room David dashes into next. Bryan's not in the bathroom or the kids room or the play room or any of the guest rooms. Even David doesn't even recognise the interiors of some of the rooms. He takes to the stairs, relieved to see a calm looking Smelly stood at the bottom of them. 

"Hey, boy. Is everyone in the kitchen?" It feels like he's racing downstairs to see what Santa has brought him only to find that he's been forgotten, the kitchen completely empty.

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[gaynecologist]

Confirmation. That's what pushes him over the edge. David's face crumples and he lets out a weepy sound, his shoulders going moments later.

"Oh my god. I thought I was imagining her," he whispers behind his free hand that's trying to shield his tears from Sawyer and Charlotte's sights.

[bryanzilla]

Bryan moves to stand beside David, wrapping an arm around him. Not to be left out, Charlotte thrusts herself forward to get into the mix, offering some comfort to David, too.

"No cry," she says, giving the side of his head a pat.

"No, he can cry," Bryan tells her. "It's okay. I don't think it's just a sad cry."

[gaynecologist]

There's a small hitch of laughter when Charlotte offers her advice. Sawyer's a little more sensitive, turning his head against David's shoulder quietly.

"It's a little bit of sad cry and a big bit of happy cry," he assures her, pressing a kiss into the palm of their daughter's hand before wiping his cheeks.

"Adioooossss!" His mother flashes past the doors with a wave, now dressed like a Spanish flamenco dancer with a giant red flower in her hair. A lithe man follows with greased back hair, Cuban heels and a rose between his teeth.

David crumples again. His mom's more beautiful than he ever remembers.

[bryanzilla]

"A ghoooost," Charlotte responds to Frances, tossing her head back and giving her whole body a shimmy. Bryan doesn't have the heart to correct her. Instead, he just tightens the arm around David, giving him a squeeze.

"Should you--" Go after her? He still doesn't want to separate, and he doesn't think Frances would want them all crashing her...date? But it's David's mom and he hasn't seen her in years, even if that clearly hasn't been the case for her. "I don't. I don't know what this is or what to do."

[gaynecologist]

When he'd imagined seeing his mother again, David had pictured a grand reunion with plenty of hugs and tears and finally getting to introduce Charlotte to her. And showing her what an amazing little boy Sawyer has grown into. He didn't expect all the emotion to be one-sided with nowhere for his to go.

"I know what to do," Sawyer pipes up. "When I'm sad, daddy says hug for the dolphins--"

"En-endorphins," David can't help but correct very quietly.

"And next, kiss for, um, kisses for to be kind and you daddy," he points at Bryan, "always say sad turns to happy because of cake," he continues triumphantly, like he's cracked the code. "It's very simple. You listen to me. I know what to do."

[bryanzilla]

Cake really does seem like just about a good enough plan as any.

"You okay?" He asks David, kissing his temple. "It's okay to say no." He's not sure he's okay, but having the kids back has at least grounded Bryan. He can't imagine what's going through David's mind right now. His husband's relationship with his mother has always been... special, so seeing her again after so long has to have him on an emotional rollercoaster.

[gaynecologist]

David sniffs, unsure how to answer. He rests his head against Bryan's instead, closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

"Down, please, daddy," Sawyer requests and as soon as his feet hit the floor, he's wrapping his arms around Smelly in the biggest of hugs. David guesses he's decided to start there with the hugs, kisses and cake solution.

David wraps his own arms around Bryan's waist and watches his son for a moment, twisting to look behind him to check on Bernie. She's there, lying twisted on her back, the picture of comfort.

He looks to Bryan, his eyebrows furrowing. "Did you see Harvey upstairs?"

[bryanzilla]

"I don't think so." His mind had obviously been elsewhere, but their dogs are pretty had to miss.

"You wanna go play with your brother?" Bryan asks, setting Charlotte down a moment later.


"No," she says. "Him wet the bed."

He gives her butt a pat and she's off, toddling in Sawyer's direction anyway, as if she's already forgotten her own argument.

[gaynecologist]

"I haven't seen him down here," David trails off warily, removing his arms from Bryan's waist and turning to face him square on.

"What if..."

What if what David's prayed for every day for the past four years has actually come true and they're home? Without Harvey. The thought of him having been left in Darrow all alone starts breaking David's heart like nothing before it.