Clearly this is a moment that requires big brothers to intervene & snatch up little babies into their arms. Hopefully the lack of cake will be undercut as a hurt by a devoted bevy of kisses to the boy's hair.
He doesn't seem at all bothered by the loss of his cake. He's going to giggle at the kisses, reaching (unfortunately cake-covered) hands up to his big brother's cheeks.
Having his face grabbed by his youngest sibling is fine. Having the grabby hands covered with cake is, objectively, also fine. It's certainly not going to ruin his grin as he gives his little brother a bit of a bounce.
"'s right. You listen to your big brother Danny, yeah? You and me are stickin' together."
"Mmhm!" It's good to reinforce, surely. It's also nice, while Edgar is still so young, to find mutual communication levels. "And Ella and Rose and Angy and Ray won't be able t' gang up on us so well, huh."
Which will help immensely. It's difficult, not always getting along with his sisters.
It's an exciting thing. Probably less exciting for those who are around the boy 24/7, but nonetheless exciting enough to warrant making a fuss about.
"Dad." Elliot's surely floating around somewhere (and hopefully won't make Aidan surrender his cuddling rights just yet). "When'd he start saying 'cool?'"
Elliot will pop up from the kitchen, rubbing a little at the mark of Rachel's lipstick on his cheek. He won't be able to help the smile on his face when he hears Aidan's question.
"Just started a couple days ago," he answers, pressing a nuzzling kiss against the boy's hair, earning another bright peal of laughter from Edgar, "Rae told me not t'tell you so that you'd be surprised."
"Cool!" He says with a giggle and a pleased squeeze of his big brother's hand, "Cool cool cool."
"That's the other thing," Elliot says with a low laugh and an affectionate bump of his nose against Aidan's temple, "He's probably going to keep saying it now."
"Not that cool." Which is clearly why Eileen is reaching to take Edgar carefully out of Aidan's arms to curl up in her own.
There's no fight in helping pass the little boy over, of course. All the bluster from Aidan comes from an intense need to scoff at the verbal proposition. "Easy. 'm kinda ridiculously cool."
Hopefully Eileen doesn't mind getting covered in the remainders of cake still on Edgar's hands just like Aidan does. At least Rachel's going to pop up and join the others, handing a paper towel to Aidan for his cheeks and keeping one in hand for when Eileen finally lets go of the baby. Leaning forward to catch one of Edgar's hands is solely so she can start to clean it, more than content with letting the boy continue happily babbling at his cousin.
"You're all cool," Rachel says with an indulgent smile, "In fact, El, you should consider changing the family's motto."
"I'll keep that in mind," Elliot says with a laugh and a kiss to his wife's cheek.
Eileen doesn't mind at all. She'll need help picking bits of cake out of her hair later, clearly, but that's later. Now is a time for snuggling and cooing and not minding the mess.
"That'd be a little far," Aidan chuckles as he wipes at his own cheeks. "Kiddos on his way toward joining this one in nerd-dom."
"Which is its own sort of cool," Eileen is quick to clarify with genuine seriousness for Edgar. "And your brother Danny is very silly when he tells you it isn't."
"Danny," is all she'll get in response from Edgar, the name a pleased echo. Rachel is going to laugh brightly at that, the sound such a pleasant and still newly familiar one that Elliot can't help the smile.
"Eileen comes from a long and honorable line of nerds," comes the older woman's defense, "A heritage I share, in fact. I'd be more surprised if Edgar didn't turn out to be a nerd."
"Don't worry, Aidan," Elliot says with a ruffle of his older son's hair, "We'll balance him out with some good sense, right?"
The laugh gets Eileen glancing up just briefly. For all she tends to be shot through with her biological parents, it's all Andrew's pleasant surprise lifting her brows, if only for a heartbeat.
"'course we will," Aidan crows happily enough, for all his hands go instantly to fixing his hair in the wake of his father's affection.
Eileen gives a proper cluck to the group at large, but her voice is soft and secretive as she turns her attention back to Edgar. "You don't listen to them, hm? You be you. That's what's cool."
There can't be an unequivocal 'yes' for that. She's grown up far too measured and calculating.
But, as she shifts to get a better grip around her cousin for coddling close, she can certainly affirm at least part of the sentiment. "--around him, at least."
It's always difficult to surrender possession, so she'll press a firm cheek against each of Edgar's cheeks before shifting to offer him back to his mother.
Edgar is going to squirm to press a kiss against his cousin's cheek in response before Rachel claims him, pulling him in close to let her nose rest against his hair. She can't help the absolutely serene smile that touches her lips.
"We can do it."
And it's nice, for both Rachel and Elliot, really, to hear her being so positive about these things.
Clearly Edgar will need to keep being fussed over even when back in his mother's arms. Clearly his cheeks need more kisses and his fingers need to be squeezed.
The giggling is wonderful. Her aunt's smile is wonderful. The sense of calm hearing Elliot and Aidan chatting cheerfully just beyond her peripherals is wonderful.
Her head bumps affectionately against Rachel's shoulder, still squeezing Edgar's hand. "Good motivation."
Followed, of course, by a ruffle of Eileen's hair that gets the Club huffing while Aidan leans across to kiss Rachel on the cheek and Edgar on top of the head.
This, hopefully, is the sort of thing that will stick with Edgar's bones.
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timeasmymeasure
He will clearly be passed off to Eileen at some point.
Date: 2016-03-19 02:34 am (UTC)Clearly this is a moment that requires big brothers to intervene & snatch up little babies into their arms. Hopefully the lack of cake will be undercut as a hurt by a devoted bevy of kisses to the boy's hair.
"Gotta save some of that for later."
\o/
Date: 2016-03-19 02:52 am (UTC)"Danny!"
party thread ftw?
Date: 2016-03-19 03:21 pm (UTC)"'s right. You listen to your big brother Danny, yeah? You and me are stickin' together."
party thread \o/
Date: 2016-03-19 03:34 pm (UTC)"Mmhm!"
He might not quite understand the question, but it's still true.
\o/ ♥!
Date: 2016-03-19 05:47 pm (UTC)Which will help immensely. It's difficult, not always getting along with his sisters.
♥♥♥
Date: 2016-03-19 06:44 pm (UTC)It's a word he's definitely picked up from his older brother and cousin.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-19 07:36 pm (UTC)"Dad." Elliot's surely floating around somewhere (and hopefully won't make Aidan surrender his cuddling rights just yet). "When'd he start saying 'cool?'"
no subject
Date: 2016-03-20 04:20 am (UTC)"Just started a couple days ago," he answers, pressing a nuzzling kiss against the boy's hair, earning another bright peal of laughter from Edgar, "Rae told me not t'tell you so that you'd be surprised."
no subject
Date: 2016-03-20 12:29 pm (UTC)It's the same sort of wonderful sign like the boy learning 'Danny' had been. It's solid proof of how solid this family is growing, at least in part.
"Totally rude, right, kiddo?" His fingers squeeze affectionately at one of his brother's cake-y hands. "Or totally cool?"
no subject
Date: 2016-03-20 01:59 pm (UTC)"That's the other thing," Elliot says with a low laugh and an affectionate bump of his nose against Aidan's temple, "He's probably going to keep saying it now."
no subject
Date: 2016-03-20 06:49 pm (UTC)"Can't see the downside of that. Pretty good early word t' have."
no subject
Date: 2016-03-21 05:28 pm (UTC)"Cool!" echoes Edgar, "Cool, Danny!"
"Yeah, kiddo," comes Elliot's low laugh, "Your big brother is pretty cool."
no subject
Date: 2016-03-21 05:59 pm (UTC)There's no fight in helping pass the little boy over, of course. All the bluster from Aidan comes from an intense need to scoff at the verbal proposition. "Easy. 'm kinda ridiculously cool."
no subject
Date: 2016-03-21 08:23 pm (UTC)Hopefully Eileen doesn't mind getting covered in the remainders of cake still on Edgar's hands just like Aidan does. At least Rachel's going to pop up and join the others, handing a paper towel to Aidan for his cheeks and keeping one in hand for when Eileen finally lets go of the baby. Leaning forward to catch one of Edgar's hands is solely so she can start to clean it, more than content with letting the boy continue happily babbling at his cousin.
"You're all cool," Rachel says with an indulgent smile, "In fact, El, you should consider changing the family's motto."
"I'll keep that in mind," Elliot says with a laugh and a kiss to his wife's cheek.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-21 08:37 pm (UTC)"That'd be a little far," Aidan chuckles as he wipes at his own cheeks. "Kiddos on his way toward joining this one in nerd-dom."
"Which is its own sort of cool," Eileen is quick to clarify with genuine seriousness for Edgar. "And your brother Danny is very silly when he tells you it isn't."
no subject
Date: 2016-03-22 05:41 am (UTC)"Eileen comes from a long and honorable line of nerds," comes the older woman's defense, "A heritage I share, in fact. I'd be more surprised if Edgar didn't turn out to be a nerd."
"Don't worry, Aidan," Elliot says with a ruffle of his older son's hair, "We'll balance him out with some good sense, right?"
no subject
Date: 2016-03-22 08:22 pm (UTC)"'course we will," Aidan crows happily enough, for all his hands go instantly to fixing his hair in the wake of his father's affection.
Eileen gives a proper cluck to the group at large, but her voice is soft and secretive as she turns her attention back to Edgar. "You don't listen to them, hm? You be you. That's what's cool."
no subject
Date: 2016-03-22 11:08 pm (UTC)"Mmhm!"
He might not understand it now, but he'll grow to.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-22 11:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-03-23 12:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-03-23 07:27 pm (UTC)Not that that's the real underlying concern, of course.
"I hope he stays like this anyway. Not small, just..."
Happy.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-23 11:47 pm (UTC)"We'll do our best, won't we?"
no subject
Date: 2016-03-24 12:09 am (UTC)She's not entirely certain she's ever met such an aggressively happy person who wasn't named 'McCartney.'
no subject
Date: 2016-03-24 04:33 am (UTC)The young man certainly was someone she trusted with the little boy enough for that to be an option if it truly needed to be.
"I like to think we've been-- doing better at happy, though, don't you?"
Rachel certainly had found that space. She truly hoped the same for her niece.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-24 09:25 pm (UTC)But, as she shifts to get a better grip around her cousin for coddling close, she can certainly affirm at least part of the sentiment. "--around him, at least."
no subject
Date: 2016-03-24 09:32 pm (UTC)"Better than not at all."
no subject
Date: 2016-03-25 11:22 am (UTC)It's always difficult to surrender possession, so she'll press a firm cheek against each of Edgar's cheeks before shifting to offer him back to his mother.
"Guess we'll have to keep trying with the rest."
.......Rach is so happy and I'm cry ;3;
Date: 2016-03-25 11:34 am (UTC)"We can do it."
And it's nice, for both Rachel and Elliot, really, to hear her being so positive about these things.
SHE DESERVES NICE THINGS
Date: 2016-03-25 09:06 pm (UTC)"You think?"
INDEED
Date: 2016-03-25 11:57 pm (UTC)And she's absolutely going to smile at Edgar's giggle.
LET'S KEEP IT UP
Date: 2016-03-26 11:55 am (UTC)Her head bumps affectionately against Rachel's shoulder, still squeezing Edgar's hand. "Good motivation."
PLEASE
Date: 2016-03-26 03:46 pm (UTC)\o/ ♥
Date: 2016-03-26 10:31 pm (UTC)This, hopefully, is the sort of thing that will stick with Edgar's bones.
♥♥♥
Date: 2016-03-26 11:05 pm (UTC)Of course it's the kind of love that will settle deep into his soul; have him grow up know exactly how cared for he is and how much he matters.