latino_menace | OOM: Another visit

Ramon is staring right back at the child. Because frankly, it's a little unnerving to get looked at like this and he doesn't want to take his eyes off him in case he should decide to attack or something.

'You want him back now?'

Please?

"You're doing well. Just wait for the food to come back."

He heads for the suitcase.

Pulls out a camera.

And click. Immortalized on film.

Ramon glares at him.

'For Christ's sake Random, that isn't funny. Have him back.'

Not amused. Tired, and not amused.

"Sorry."

He crumples. A little. Drops the camera on the foot of the bed, and reaches for the baby.

"I can't help myself. I don't ever want to forget you holding him when he's this small. He's going to be grown soon, you know. He's already bigger than he was at first."

He curses in his head. He doesn't want to upset Random, he'd told himself he wasn't going to if he could help it.

'I'll hold him a bit. If that's what you want.' He doesn't hand him back. 'He does look bigger.'

It's quite obvious, when you think to look for it. He hadn't before.

"No, that's alright."

He reaches for him, moving to sit with the boy at the head of the bed, cradling him carefully.

The baby completely neglects to stop staring at Ramon of course.

"I'll take our handsome lad, I don't mind. How have things been here? Besides the lovely little family reunion?"

Great, now he just feels worse. He rubs a hand over his face and sighs.

'Same old. Cursed people, enemies, arguments and fucking Nina Myers. Doesn't matter.'

He watches the baby right back.

'Look, I didn't mean to make it sound like I'd never touch him or anything, I didn't mean to snap either.'

"And I honestly don't mind. Come sit up here with me, I promise, it's alright. You'll have plenty of chances to do it again."

He says it with something like hope in his voice.

"I sort of... can't really do it all alone."

It's true. He still looks tired.

It tears at him, seeing Random like this. Because he really doesn't want anything to do with the child still, but he can't bear Random looking that tired either. And if he's asking for help, he can't say no.

It's quietly moved past for the time being. He goes to sit next to him without hesitation, an arm sliding round his shoulders. After a moment, he asks quietly,

'You said something a while ago that's been on my mind. You said, 'I hoped you'd be happier than you are' - about the baby I presume. Was that what you were talking about?'

That sentence has stayed with him for a while now.

"I don't even remember."

He leans his head on Ramon's shoulder, with a sigh, resting against him and just relaxing into the comfort of being held.

"When? But... it sounds right. I did think you'd not mind it quite as much as all that. I mean, I know it was hopelessly romantic of me, but I thought we could have a non murderous, non hostile, non miserable sort of family thing going on. Kinda never tried it. Never really wanted to. But it's you and it's him and if it was ever going to happen.

I'm talking too much. I'll regret this in the morning, you know."

It's so nice to have him near again. Ramon can feel himself relaxing, just by having him close.

'It was - not long after you came back with him. It doesn't matter. And I won't be miserable, alright? I haven't seen him much though so I guess it just takes a bit of getting used to. I'll try.'

He doesn't want to try. But he will, for Random. Eighteen years out of five hundred, right? He can deal. He thinks.

"Thanks."

The tone in which it's said makes the word sound more solemn, more meaningful than it has any right to sound.

"Means a lot. I can't really say why, but I seem to be finding my happiness unavoidably attached to your own. What can I say?"

Ramon smiles a little and kisses his head.

'Strange, I seem to be coming down with the same affliction.'

And to show willing, he reaches a hand down to the baby and lets him wrap a hand round his finger. It's not so bad.

'Could be a lot worse. He could be a screamer.'

He isn't a screamer. He is, apparently, a stare-er. Like now.

And now.

And now.

And now.

And now.

Give the baby a break, he's never heard Ramon's accent before.

And now.

And now...

"I think he likes you."

Random can't keep the laugh out of his voice.

"Pretty, pretty little bug. It's eerie, knowing what he's going to look like later."

'Mmmm.'

And Ramon is staring back. It's kind of mesmerizing. Without taking his eyes off the baby, he leans down to Random's ear and whispers,

'Why's he looking at me like that? He looks like he's about to go for the jugular.'

"Ebeh."

Does that count as "going for the jugular"?

"Because he likes you?"

Martin's cheek is traced, with a forefinger.

"You haven't spent much time with him awake. But he watches. Smart little bug."

'True.'

He pulls his eyes away and starts trying to extract his finger.

'Is he going to sleep soon?'

"Probably in an hour or so."

He smiles indulgently at the baby, then over at Ramon.

"We need to remember to keep everything off the floor. He practically inhales things."

Well, that's a frightening thought.

'What do you mean? He eats things on the floor?'

What?

'You're putting him down there to sleep?'

"No, I don't put him on the floor."

He rolls his eyes and offers Martin his finger.

"I mean, I haven't given him a single object that he hasn't tried to chew, and he's already growing, won't be long before he's crawling. And then, we have to keep everything up. I've pretty much child-proofed all of it, though."

'Yeah, I saw. You're being careful with him, it's good.'

He watches them together and it's nice, seeing Random's obvious happiness with his boy. He doesn't know how to respond to it but it's OK, it's theirs and that's no problem.

At least he tries to tell himself he's not jealous. He is, a little. But not tonight because too tired for all that stress, and it's just nice to see him again.

'Well, kids chew things. Wait 'til he's teething - it'll be worse then and he'll cry a hell of a lot more than he does now.'

"Don't want to think about it."

He hides his face in Ramon's shoulder, with a long groan.

"Like, at all. I think the rat's here with the food."

Or so says the polite knocking at the door.

Ramon smirks and runs a hand through his hair. 'It'll be joyous. Joyous. Screaming all night, you wait and see.'

He's not even exaggerating, he thinks.

'K, I'll go. What did you even order?' He gets up and finds a couple of bills to tip the rat with. Not that he knows if they need tipping, but still.

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