Mr. Mom

28

"How are you feeling? Any morning sickness?" Alice asks Hermione as they serve dinner.

"Yeah, not horrible but enough to make me miserable."

"Well hopefully it doesn't last too long."

"I'd take the morning sickness over the swollen feet any day though."

"Just think, in the end you'll have a beautiful little baby that will make up for all of it." She smiles at the woman and then directs her attention to the boys and Ellie in the living room. "Dinner's ready!"

___

"Remember that time you got beat up by the head cheerleader?" Fred brings up and FP's cheeks go red.

"You got beat up by a cheerleader?" Alice chuckles.

"No. Well, yes, but there's more to the story. This guy we went to school with and a couple of his buddies thought it would be funny to put itching powder in the head cheerleader's uniform. He told her it was me and she tackled me in the hall."

"Why did he put itching powder in her uniform in the first place?"

"She cheated on him."

"Petty." Alice comments.

"Yeah, well, that's Hal Cooper for ya."

"Penelope wasn't any better though, that was clear when she came after you." Hermione adds, laughing at the memory.

"Did you at least get that guy back for using your name and getting you beat up?" Alice asks him.

"Yeah, I fought him during football practice."

"Daddy!" Ellie gasps. "Fighting is bad!"

"I know baby, I don't fight anymore, don't worry." He presses a kiss to the top of her head. Alice smiles as she watches the two of them interact.

"Aunt Hermie when are you going to has true baby?" Ellie questions.

"Not for a while, sweetie. You're going to be the only kiddo in our life for a while still."

"Can I come over and play with you and Uncle Freddie all day?"

"We'd love that, honey. As long as it's okay with your daddy."

Ellie looks up at FP expectantly. "Of course you can, kiddo. Maybe Saturday would be good?"

"That would work, plus it would give Allie and daddy some time together. Maybe go out and have some dinner or something?" Fred suggests with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Fp delivers a sharp kick to his shin underneath the table. "Ow!"

"Daddy! No fighting!" Ellie scolds again and Alice chuckles, her cheeks noticeably red. "Uncle Freddie's being nice!"

Fred smiles cheekily at him.

___

"Here let me get the door." Alice chuckles, taking the keys from him and walking ahead to open the front door.

"Thank you." He walks through with a sleeping Ellie in his arms. He walks down the hall to her bedroom and lays her in her bed, tucking her in and pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Night night, princess."

He flips on her nightlight before walking out of her room. "She still out?" Alice questions.

"Like a light." He chuckles. "Oh hey, I hope you weren't uncomfortable by what Fred said."

"Oh no, actually quite the opposite."

"Really?" He raises an eyebrow at her and she nods, giving him a smile to confirm it. "Well, I'm glad to hear that because I really would like to spend some time with you."

"I'd like that too."

"Well since the kiddo wants to hang out with her Aunt and Uncle on Saturday maybe you and I could hang out?"

"It's a date." She leans up on her tip toes to kiss his cheek before walking off to his bedroom.

He smiles and lays down on the couch, but as hard as he tries not to he can't help but think extra hard about her words.