Work Text:
It started out innocently enough. Jocelyn had Open House Night at the high school, Roland had a city council meeting, Johnny was working full-time at the motel, Ted and Alexis were still in the Galapagos, and Moira… Moira was still in mourning over the passing of her favorite wig, Jaqueline, from a freak hot plate accident. It seemed the whole town was busy, so, Patrick and David were the last options left to baby-sit Roland, Jr. Well, Patrick was. David was assumed to be there and watch in distaste.
David isn’t usually a fan of babies – especially any directly related to the mayor of Schitt’s Creek. Roland, Jr., name notwithstanding, however is kind of the epitome of an excellent baby. Miraculously. He tries not to think too hard about Roland Junior sharing DNA with Roland Senior or his brain might combust. After he was stuck with the baby for a few hours the day Roland was helping out Gwen (which seriously, why the fuck is she everywhere and David still has no clue who she is), they seemed to create a bond.
Roland, Jr. was content to just sit, be moved around in his stroller, or given attention every now and again.
Patrick was magical when it comes to babies though. Who knew his fiancé had a soft spot for squishy tiny humans?
“I’m an only child so when my cousins started having kids, it was fun for me to finally be around the little ones and learn how to take care of them. They didn’t judge me for breaking up with Rachel or ask me a million questions about when I was going to settle down. They were happy with a few silly faces, some lullabies, funny sounds, and cuddles,” Patrick said as he snuggled Roland, Jr. close. What started as a sweet memory became a whispered confession. David’s heart ached at the thought of a young confused Patrick hanging out with the babies and kids so he didn’t have to lie to his family.
Roland, Jr. has grown up a bit since then because now he’s crawling everywhere, exploring Patrick’s apartment like it’s his new home. He almost gets to one of David’s sweaters, where one arm was hanging precariously close to sticky baby fingers. David denies yelping and running to grab it. Patrick laughs at him like the supportive fiancé he is.
“It was from Gianni Versace’s last collection. He could have ruined it,” David defends, but he knows it’s moot at Patrick’s raised eyebrow.
“What, with his razor sharp gums or claw-like nails?” Patrick retorts and David just huffs, folding the sweater and putting it back in his spot. He looks around the studio apartment, searching for anything else he might need to baby proof.
Besides the electrical outlets, Patrick’s apartment is pretty okay for a baby. There’s not much room and everything else is set high enough that Roland, Jr. can’t reach to mess with it.
Patrick goes to the bag beside the bed and takes out a few plastic cars and some blocks, setting them in front of the baby to play with.
“Did you go out and buy toys?” David asks, surprised by the gesture. Patrick hasn’t really babysat since moving to town so to go out and buy something is thoughtful, even if unnecessary by David’s standards.
“Just a few. I was going to give them to Jocelyn for his birthday, but now seemed like a good time for him to get used to them,” Patrick says with a shrug and David is struck by how genuinely good this man is. His fiancé.
They’ve never talked about having kids David assumed they were on the same page. He can’t imagine himself being a Dad and raising kids of his own. Now he knows Patrick would be amazing though, based on those stories and his handling of Roland, Jr. David knows he’s not ready for that conversation or the heartache it could lead to.
Patrick hunkers down next to the baby and starts rolling the car, making vroom vroom noises which ironically makes him think of A Little Bit Alexis. David grimaces, and quickly thinks of another song because the title song in Alexis’ reality show is an earworm and he’d never get it out of his head.
David sits on the bed and watches Patrick and Roland, Jr. play, both of them grinning in delight as Patrick moves the cars along or tries to build a tower. Every time Patrick gets more than 3 or 4 blocks stacked, the little Schitt knocks them down with a giggle. Patrick outlandishly gasps and makes a mock affronted face, which makes Roland, Jr. giggle again. Even if David isn’t a huge fan of babies, he can’t deny the adorableness happening in front of him and surreptitiously takes a quick video. Patrick looks up and catches him smiling and sends him a half-wink before looking back down at his charge.
David can’t help himself and gets down on the ground across from Patrick, Roland, Jr. trapped between two pairs of legs. David’s foot brushes against Patrick’s tree trunk thighs and Patrick looks at him with shock.
“Uh, David, are you okay?”
“Yeah, you just looked like you were having all the fun.” He doesn’t even know what moves him to sit there, but seeing his fiancé with a little boy just enjoying their time together tugs at a heart string David didn’t even know existed.
Patrick lets it go, he knows David and knows when he is and isn’t ready to talk about something. Patrick seems to get him on a molecular level, making him feel seen and known and it’s unlike anything David has ever experienced. Roland, Jr. is lucky to be on the other side of that undivided attention because David knows Patrick wouldn’t let anything happen to Roland, Jr. while he’s under his care – no matter what comes his way.
They play for a little while, but then Roland, Jr. starts getting a little fussy.
“Probably time for a snack, a change, and then a nap,” Patrick says, standing up and leaning down to scoop baby into his arms. He smoothly takes him to the kitchen where there’s some organic applesauce from Rose Apothecary. David opens the jar for Patrick and finds him a small spoon.
Patrick sings random nursery rhymes with different inflections to get Roland, Jr. to eat quickly and David didn’t even know babies were this amenable to smiling and eating. David loves Patrick’s voice, even if it’s with baby songs. He can’t help but smile too.
Patrick then takes Roland, Jr. to the bed, efficiently changing him, the baby cooing happily the whole time.
“Hey, buddy, you ready for a nap, or you still want to play?” Patrick asks the baby and Roland, Jr.’s eyes start to droop, which makes Patrick grin even wider down at him. “Nap time it is. David, c’mon, let’s take a nap.”
David is never one to turn down that kind of invitation, even if there is a baby involved. Patrick sets Roland, Jr. in the middle and lies down on one side, and David lies down the other, bracketing the baby between them. Their legs tangle as Patrick pats Roland, Jr. to sleep, softly humming Hush Little Baby and Rock-A-Bye Baby to the sleepy child. It’s doing wonders for David too, his eyelids getting heavy, but then Patrick’s voice quiets and David opens his eyes and looks down at Roland, Jr. who has fallen asleep.
“You’re good with him,” David whispers.
“He’s a good baby,” Patrick responds, shrugging off the compliment as usual.
“Mmhmm, I have a feeling you’d be great no matter the baby,” David responds and Patrick grows a light dusting of pink on his cheeks. David loves seeing that happen when he says sentimental things to Patrick, like Patrick can’t believe David would say such sappy words.
“Are you sleepy?” Patrick asks.
“Not really,” David says honestly, but he doesn’t mind the cushion of the bed.
“Let’s cuddle on the couch,” Patrick says and David can’t get up fast enough. He’s a slut for cuddles.
Patrick puts up a wall of pillows around the sleeping baby and David can’t help but smile at the attention, care, and thought he puts into everything he does.
David walks to the sofa and sits with one leg up against the back cushion and the other on the ground. Patrick fits himself in the vee of David’s legs and David wraps his arms around him as Patrick rests on David’s chest. Patrick kisses David’s neck and it’s such a sweet habit Patrick does unwittingly, which always makes David feel so loved.
“Do you want one?” David asks, letting out the question that’s been plaguing his mind since Roland, Jr. was dropped into their laps.
“I’m not sure,” Patrick says cautiously, always knowing what David is thinking. “It would be amazing to have a little David running around, or we could adopt. I’m also more than happy for it just to be the two of us. What about you?”
David squeezes him a little and lets his mind wander. While having Roland, Jr. here today wasn’t terrible, but he’s not sure if he could deal with a kid all the time – even if a cute baby button would be the most adorable thing ever.
“I’m not sure,” David says as honestly as possible.
“Then let’s table it. It doesn’t affect our relationship, does it?” Patrick asks, a bit hesitant it seems.
“What? Of course not. You’re stuck with me forever, Brewer.”
Patrick presses another kiss to David’s neck and smiles into it, breathing in deeply.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way, Rose,” Patrick whispers. With Roland, Jr. asleep, David is more than happy to lie here with his world in his arms. And if that expands in the future, they’ll deal with it.
Together.