Mr. Mom

32

There's something so charming about the fact that FP bought new shampoo and conditioner for her when he noticed the bottles were low.

She was planning to go buy some herself but he surprised her by going to the grocery store after work and picking up some for her. She doesn't exactly know why she finds it so charming, maybe it's just the fact that he's so intuitive or maybe it's because she's so head over heels for him that she finds everything about him incredibly charming.

There's also something she finds sweet about how he bought the one that smelt like roses, explaining that they reminded him of her.

An ear piercing scream distracts her from brushing her teeth and she rushes out of the bathroom wearing only a towel, her skin still wet from the shower.

"What happened?" Alice frantically asks when she sees Ellie clinging to FP for dear life.

FP turns to her and his eyes nearly but out of his head at the sight of her. Ellie lifts her head up off his shoulder to answer her. "I sawed a spider, Allie!" She cries. "It was sooooo big!"

"Oh no, I can see why you were so scared."

FP clears his throat and tries to set Ellie down but she protests with a whine and clings onto him tighter. "I'm sorry, baby, but if you want me to get rid of the spider I have to put you down."

She seems to accept this and let's him set her down. He grabs a Kleenex and just as he raises his hand Ellie stops him. "No daddy! Don't smushy the spider! Let him go outside!"

He looks over at Alice who's trying to fight a laugh. "Alrighty." He picks up a magazine off the coffee table and holds it above the spider, waiting for it to crawl onto it before walking over to the door and letting the spider go in the garden. "There we go, he's all safe now."

"Good! Now we can keep playing!" She clasps her tiny hand in his and drags him back over to the toys they were playing with before the spider ruined their fun. "Allie come play too!"

"I will, honey, just let me get dressed first." She walks past them over to FP's bedroom to get dressed, the two adults locking eyes as she closes the bedroom door.

___

Maybe staying up extra late to work on an article wasn't the smartest choice Alice has ever made but what can she say? She's dedicated.

She walks out into the kitchen when she gets thirsty, her laptop resting on her forearm as she types away, even while walking.

"Alice?" She practically leaps in the air at the sound of FP's voice. "What are you doing up?"

"You scared the shit out of me!" She scolds.

He chuckles. "Sorry." He sits up straighter on the couch and looks over at her, illuminated in the kitchen light. "But what are you doing? It's after midnight."

"I'm finishing up an article and I came out to get a drink. I didn't mean to wake you."

"No, don't worry, you didn't. Jerry Macguire was on and I stayed up to watch it."

"Can't blame you, it's a good movie." She smiles and fills a glass up with water.

"Why are you working so late? Is your article late or something?"

"No, I'm just in the zone so I couldn't stop."

"You look exhausted."

"I am, but what can I do? I can't not finish an article when I'm on a roll."

"Well spoiler alert, you actually can. It's not very healthy to stay up all night, Alice." He points out and she laughs.

"No I wasn't going to stay up all night, just until I finished the article."

"What if it took all night?" She thinks on it for a moment and he chuckles, shaking his head. "That's what I thought. Come on, take a break."

"No, I have to finish my article." She insists.

He stands up from the couch and walks over to her. "Alice, it's nearly two in the morning," he presses save on her document and closes her laptop. "take a break."

"But-" She goes to protest again but he shushes her with a finger pressed to her lips.

"Nope. No work talk for at least five minutes. No. Make it ten!" He takes her hand and leads her over to the couch with him.

"Fine. Ten minutes then I get to work some more." She sits down next to him on the couch and he smiles as she presses her side right up next to his own.

He laughs. "Alice, you are the only person I know insists on working when given the chance to have a break."

"What can I say? I love my job." She shrugs and snuggles up closer to him.

He takes the hint and curls his arm around her. He turns on the tv and flips through the channels. "Do you like Top Gun?"

"Is there just a Tom Cruise marathon on or something? But yes, I like Top Gun." She yawns and he tries not to laugh, he knew she was tired.

They watch the movie in silence, just enjoying the company of one another, snuggled up together.

It's not long after that he notices she's fallen asleep. He could wake her and send her to bed but she looks so peaceful he doesn't have the heart to do it. Instead, he pulls up the comforter he sleeps with and drapes it over her. "Sweet dreams, Al." He whispers, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep himself.