Chapter Text
Xander finishes off his tie and smoothes out his suit, making sure that everything is neat and orderly. Tonight is his and Inigo’s anniversary, so Xander has to make sure that everything goes right.
“Geez, you’re going all out, aren’t you?” Inigo says, coming out of their bathroom. He’s wearing something that definitely makes him look more approachable than Xander, complete with a teasing smile—you’re never fully dressed without a smile, Inigo always tells him.
“Dressing up shows that you respect the performers,” Xander says. “Besides, I think it’s a nice tie.” And it is, a warm maroon (almost brown, really) made of good quality, and a gift from Olivia. Inigo says it brings his eyes out.
“I didn’t say it wasn’t nice,” Inigo says,. “I am so excited that you finally get to see this show. Aren’t you excited?! I’m so excited!”
“I think you’re more excited about the fact that you’re going to be seeing it for the second time,” Xander says with a smile. He puts his arm around Inigo’s shoulders, and they start heading downstairs. “Still, I admit that it will be nice to actually see how the musical is played out, after having you force me to listen to the cast recording again and again for the entirety of our relationship.”
“Don’t say it so bitterly, Xander, you love Marth the Musical!” Inigo says, pinching his side. “How could you not; you’ve listened to the entire cast recording a billion times!”
“Yes, I love it so much that I listen to it with you on the way to work, on the way back home, while cooking, while cleaning, brushing my teeth, fixing papers…”
“I catch you humming it sometimes, you know,” Inigo says. “You can’t hide from me!”
Azura’s show had eventually made it to Broadway, and ultimately got a national tour. In the Broadway show Azura was part of the ensemble and also an understudy for one of the bigger roles, but for the tour she was offered a role in the main cast. Currently the show had returned to their city, where it started, and Xander, knowing how much Inigo loves this show to death, had, of course, secured tickets. An affair that was no easy feat, considering how popular the show was. It was messy. Almost a bloodbath.
(Particularly considering that Xander isn’t as rich as he used to be, since he left Nohr Corporation for a simpler job. You do anything for the person you love, as people say.
Especially when that person is your fiancé.)
“Dad! Dad Dad Dad Dad Dad!” Soleil says, the moment they enter the living room. “Sieg’s being a loser again! Make him play with us!”
Soleil is on the floor with Henry playing Twister, which is definitely not a good idea for her grandfather’s back. They both seem to be having fun nonetheless. Siegbert’s on the couch, textbook in hand and notebooks strewn around him.
“What’s going on here?” Inigo says.
“I just want to study in peace,” says Siegbert, sighing, the long-suffering eleven-year old he is.
“Why don’t you go to your room?” Xander asks.
“They won’t let me.” Siegbert’s eyes point to Henry and Soleil.
“Why do you even need to study?” says Soleil. “You’re too smart! You’re always gonna pass, anyway, duh.”
“He’s just sad that he didn’t get his Hogwarts letter so he’s trying to distract himself,” Henry says. He’s in an awfully uncomfortable position on the Twister mat.
Siegbert blushes. “No, I’m not! I’m not a baby!”
Soleil lets out an offended gasp. “Shut up! Liking Harry Potter doesn’t make you a baby!”
Xander crouches down beside Henry. “I think you should stop playing. You might hurt yourself.”
“What, are you saying I’m too old?” Henry says. “Hah! Not this fella. Sieggy, spin!”
Siegbert sighs again, putting his textbook down. He reaches over to flick the spinner. “Right hand blue.”
“Easy peasy lemon squeezy—ack!”
Henry loses his balance, and falls over Soleil. “Argh, Grandpa, no! You’re too heavy! Dad, Papa, help!”
Xander and Inigo help Henry get off Soleil immediately. Olivia pokes her head out of the kitchen. “What in the world is happening out there?” she asks.
“Grandpa sucks at Twister,” Soleil says.
“All right, that’s enough,” says Inigo, helping Henry down onto the couch beside Siegbert. “Grandpa’s in time-out now.”
“No, Grandpa can still play!” Henry insists.
Inigo narrows his eyes. “Grandpa, time-out.”
Siegbert scoots closer to Henry. “It’s okay,” he says. “You can study with me if you want.”
“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to brush up on my…” Henry scans Siegbert’s notes. “Pythagorean Theorem? Well, that sounds like something a little more complicated than what a fifth grader should be studying.”
“No, no, they’re not hard! They’re easy. Here, I’ll show you.” Siegbert organizes his notes into his lap. “Also, if I teach you, then I’ll get to review at the same time…”
Xander nudges Soleil. “Maybe it’ll do you some good to join them.”
Soleil sticks her tongue out. “Blegh, no thanks!”
Inigo puts his hands on his hips. “At least help your grandmother out in the kitchen, young lady.”
“Okay! I like helping, anyways,” Soleil says, getting up. “Oh, wait! What time are you guys coming back?”
“After ten,” says Xander. “Which will be past your bedtime, little princess.” He boops her on the nose. Soleil giggles.
“Aw, okay,” Soleil says. “But tomorrow you’ll help me practice again, right? The try-outs are coming up!”
Xander chuckles, and ruffles her hair. “Yes, yes. I promised you, didn’t I?”
Ever since Soleil found out that Xander used to play baseball as a kid, she’s been bugging him to play catch with her and help her aim get better. The softball try-outs are next week. Xander knows she’ll get in.
Olivia comes out of the kitchen again, taking off her dishwashing gloves.. “Are you two leaving already?”
“Yes, we’re ready to go,” Xander says. “Thank you again for agreeing to stay with Siegbert and Soleil while we’re gone. I feel bad about you doing the dishes.”
Olivia smiles. “Oh, don’t worry about that. I was the one who offered! It’s the least I can do after that lovely dinner you and Inigo cooked up,” she says. “Also, Henry and I love it when we get to babysit the kids. They’re adorable! Plus I can get some ballet practice in with Siegbert.”
“Grandma, I’m cuter than Sieggy, right?” Soleil asks.
“It’s not a competition,” says Inigo.
“Girls in school like me more, though,” Soleil grumbles.
“Oh, just you wait, sweetie,” Inigo says. “When puberty comes around Sieg’s going to be just as tall and handsome as his Papa and the both of you will be breaking hearts left and right.”
“What! No way Sieg’s going to be taller than me. I’ve always been taller!”
Inigo sighs. “Oh, honey,” he says to Xander. “She doesn’t realize it yet.”
Olivia laughs. “Well, anyway,” she says. “You two have fun at the theater. That show was so wonderful when Inigo and I watched it way back then—thank you again for that, by the way—“
“Ma’am, I keep telling you to stop thanking me for that—“
“—And I keep telling you to stop calling me ‘ma’am’ and just call me ‘mom’!” Olivia says. Xander wonders if this is what it’s like to get scolded by your actual mother. Of course, he’s never had a mother figure in his life, save for Camilla, but with Olivia in the picture now, Xander’s getting quite used to it.
“Remember,” Inigo says, holding up his left hand and tapping the golden band on his ring finger. “The engagement came with agreements. Including calling my mother ‘mom’.”
“Ah, right. Old habits die hard, I suppose.” Xander turns to Olivia. “I’m sorry, Mom.”
Olivia covered her mouth behind her hand and giggled. “It’s all right, dear,” she says. “Now, you two go off before you’re late to the show! We can’t have that, knowing how expensive those tickets were. And you better not sleep during the show either! Inigo, pinch him whenever you catch him nodding off.”
Inigo salutes her. “Aye-aye!”
Soleil hugs them both. “Bye, you guys! Have fun!”
“Sieggy!” They hear Henry say. “Your parents are leaving, say goodbye!”
Siegbert leaves his books and notes to catch up to Xander and Inigo before they go out the door. “Ah, um,” he says, fidgeting with the hem of his sweater. The boy never did completely come out of his shyness. Xander doesn’t really think that’s a huge problem, not everyone has to be confident, but he just wishes that Siegbert wouldn’t be like that around them, his parents. “Bye, Papa. Mr. Inigo.”
Xander looks at Inigo beside him from the corner of his eye, and notices how Inigo’s face wilts for a split second before he covers it up with a grin. With the both of them being engaged for a little over a year now, Soleil had quickly warmed up to calling Xander “Papa,” but Siegbert… well, he needs some time adjusting.
But Siegbert catches himself, and clutches his hand over his mouth, like he’s embarrassed. “D-Dad! I meant Dad!” he says. “Oh, I’m so sorry…”
Inigo breaks into a light laugh. “Oh, it’s all right, dear.” He opens up his arms. “Come here!”
With a meek smile, Siegbert goes to hug his father. Inigo embraces him tightly, because Inigo gives the best hugs.
“Hey, hey!” says Soleil, rushing to join the hug. “Me too! You can’t leave me out!”
“Oh, what’s this?” says Henry, getting up from his seat. “Hugpalooza! Count me in!”
“What?” says Olivia. “H-hey! Don’t leave me out, I washed the dishes for everybody!”
Inigo holds out a hand to Xander, amidst being smushed by his immediate family. “One little hug won’t wrinkle your suit that badly.”
Xander smiles and takes Inigo’s hand. Being the tallest and most broad-shouldered, he easily wraps his arms around all of them into one huge hug.
Just a few years ago, he always looked at this house as cold and lonely, like an empty shell, save only for Siegbert. But now all of that has changed, with Inigo and Soleil moved in and Olivia and Henry coming by as much as they can. It’s pretty much prompted Xander’s side of the family to come for dinner more often, too, because nobody really wants to be left out. (And Forrest, as much as he loves both his cousins, secretly loves playing with Soleil the most. Don’t tell Siegbert.)
Everything’s more than okay.
“Do you think we could go backstage?” Inigo asks later, after they’d parked their car. They were walking side by side to the theater, with their elbows linked together.
“Maybe, if we can catch Azura,” Xander replies.
“Oh, we will catch Azura,” Inigo says. “The moment the show ends we are heading straight for the stage door. I wanna be the first one there.”
Xander hums. “Do you think that if I carried you and sprinted outside, we’d get there faster?”
Inigo’s eyes widen and he nods. “Best idea ever, honey, better write that down so we won’t forget,” he says.
Xander chuckles. “Oh, don’t forget that next weekend we have lunch with Leo and Takumi.”
“Right, right, and Takumi said he was going to lend me a book on Japanese dance,” says Inigo. “What about next-next weekend?”
“We have to go check on the flowers and decor again for the reception. Also, the kids are going ice-skating with Elise and Sakura.”
“Next-next-next weekend?”
Xander smiles. He knows where this is headed. “Siegbert’s ballet recital with the rest of your mom’s class.”
“And the weekend after that?”
They stop at the pedestrian signal, waiting for the light to turn green. “Hm,” Xander says. Inigo is smiling at him. “Why, I do believe that would be our wedding.”
Inigo laughs, and laces their hands together. “Well, I’m looking forward to that.”
Xander bends down to peck Inigo on the lips. Inigo kisses him back, moving closer, and Xander can feel his smile through the kiss.
“Oh, it’s green now,” Inigo says when they part, and he’s about to move to cross the street—“… aaand it’s red again.”
A single laugh comes out of Xander’s throat. He brings Inigo’s hands to his lips and kisses his ring. “Well, we just have to wait.”
Inigo smiles at him again, and tightens his fingers around Xander’s. “I don’t mind.”