timewasting | OPEN POST 2020.

It is only a matter of time.

[ she says as ella wraps her fingers tightly around inej's own, tiny little fingers scrabbling to try and get the ring off of her finger, tugging uselessly. ]

I think she is settling into a routine, at least.

[ it doesn't really feel like it, because ella's routine is still very much not convenient for either of them. but inej knows she'll wake up at around four because she is hungry, and lull herself back to sleep by seven. and then maybe another nap in the early afternoon, before she rouses herself for dinner, and then back to sleep again.

though, speaking of, inej shifts to gently kiss the top of ella's head. ]

Which means we should probably get up, before she falls asleep again.

[ otherwise ella definitely will not go to sleep. ]

Sort of. She was really trying to push into the late afternoon today.

[ So obstinate. But that was to be expected, really. It's a bit too early to fully tell but so far, she seems to be taking after him. For better or worse.

That said, she seems soothed, her wiggles calming as soon as Inej goes to kiss her head. There's a tiny sound, just a soft delighted syllable. Kaz doesn't exactly want to move her from her happy little perch, though he knows if she falls asleep again it truly will be awful for the rest of the night. She'll wake up hungry and just awake, full of energy and ready to yell about it.

Sighing, he picks her off his chest and sits up, feeling her squirming with the sudden motion. She doesn't cry though, just fusses until he's dragged himself to standing and then goes still, as if she knows it's a bad idea to move around so much while they're upright. ]

Want some company while dinner happens?

[ oh, he sounds vaguely grumpy, at getting up, and inej watches him adjust and stand with a slight grin before she rouses to standing herself, crossing around the bed toward them both. ]

Here, let me see, so you can get your cane.

[ warmly enough, as she (gently) pulls ella from her clinging to his shirt. and there's a momentary protest before ella quickly soothes herself again, as she rests against inej's chest. ]

Then we can make dinner, once -- no.

[ as ella's fingers immediately find her hair, inej's train of thought becoming abruptly derailed by untangling little fingers from her hair, which inej foolishly didn't put up or braid to enjoy her day out. and as inej detangles ella's fingers, she tosses kaz a mildly exasperated look, as she makes her way to the door. ]

Once we get her something to occupy her attention.

[ this brat!!!!! ]

[ Between the two of them, they manage to transfer Ella from his arms to Inej's. With only some protest. That in itself is a miracle, as she seems to usually pick her favorite place to be and wants to stay for a while.

Of course, it's only a split second before Ella is happily tugging on Inej's hair, finally free of its usual braid. Kaz goes to grab his cane as small fingers are patiently disentangled from long hair. ]

I'll keep her occupied. [ Before he follows them into the kitchen, he does grab a couple toys off of the bureau. Which will hopefully distract her long enough to get through dinner being made. He makes his way into the kitchen, taking a seat at the little breakfast nook off to the side. ]

Got her to stop pulling your hair?

[ it's really a matter of sleight of hand, if inej thinks about it. because once she makes her way to the kitchen and sets ella on the counter to sit while inej holds her up, her little fingers are still entrenched in her hair . . . until inej introduces a wooden spoon into the mix. and then, ella immediately becomes more interested in that, seizing onto the object to abruptly stick it into her mouth.

once that is done, inej can pass on ella to her father, though she ducks into the front foyer to collect a little sitting pillow, so ella can hang out on the table of their breakfast nook, if kaz wants a break from holding her. ]

I think she has given up the fight, for now.

[ a little dryly, as inej takes the moment to tie her hair up into a loose bun. she really should have done that before picking up the baby to begin with, but oh well. she seems content with the spoon, now, so inej can turn to the subject of dinner. ]

[ Ella is transferred to him after Inej gives her a spoon—clever trick, that—so that she'd stop pulling her hair. He sets her up on his good knee, so she can watch what was happening in the kitchen. Even if she doesn't know what any of it is, having a lot of things to look at will keep her occupied for a bit.

When Inej returns with the pillow, he thanks her quietly, intending to use it in a bit. Really, Ella weighs practically nothing, but it's nice to not have both hands full from time to time. ]

When she bores of the spoon, I'm sure she'll be looking for something else to grab.

[ She's just at that stage. And will probably remain there for a while, if Asena is right. Which she probably is.

He takes a moment to sit her up on the cushion, pulling a small stuffed bird out of his pocket and perching it on her shin. Immediately, her eyes go wide, one hand bopping it wholeheartedly on the fuzzy (bedraggled) head. Kaz smiles before he tugs the spoon and she gives it up, clearly enamored with her favorite creature. ]

I hope you don't need this for anything.

[ indeed, the little stuffed crow is immediately seized upon and shoved into her mouth with a happy babble of delight, and inej looks over from her work of cutting carrots with a warm look. ]

No, she can keep the spoon.

[ for when Ella decides she wants it again, anyway, as she shifts her sights to the fish she bought earlier in the day. ]

We are going to need to replace that toy soon, I think, the poor thing’s head is going to come off.

[ or at least need some stitches, with how frequently Ella has it in her grasp. ]

[ Really, he hadn't anticipated her loving the crow so much. They'd already gone through a few animals—she's been interested for a bit and then seemingly needed to be in a specific mood before considering them again. The crow, though, is almost always received with enthusiasm. And only infrequently launched with a cry of frustration. ]

Might have to grab a few extras from the place we got it, if she's going to keep murdering it affectionately.

[ Just then, she takes it out of her mouth, thrusting it towards him. He takes it and hops it down her leg, which gets him a loud squeal of excitement. ]

[ the shriek of excitement causes inej to grin to herself as she sets the fish in the pan to bake, tossing in some vegetables alongside it. the good thing about living on an island (and, by now, inej has identified at least ten things that are beautiful about living on kerch) is a neverending supply of fresh seafood.

as she does that and slides it into the oven, she turns to wash her hands, meticulously drying them (a habit) with a dish towel before wandering back over to the breakfast nook in the corner, depositing the towel on the counter before slipping her arms around kaz's shoulders from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder as she watches ella try to grab the crow, just out of her reach.

sometimes, inej can't quite believe she's real, either. but she is, full of life and delight. and very determined to grab the head of the floppy bird that looks like it's seen better days. ]

I wasn't aware you could murder something with affection.

[ amused. ]

[ As usual, he's aware of Inej and whatever she was up to. His attention is pulled away though, towards Ella as she makes a grab for the bird that's just out of her reach. He hops it back up her leg when Inej comes over, looping her arms around his shoulders.

Leaning a bit into the embrace, he pulls the bird away just before Ella tries to grab it again, lightly poking her cheek with the soft beak. Her face scrunches up instinctively, though there's no tears. Just a quiet babble. ]

Might be possible. We'll see how our feathered friend looks in a couple weeks.

[ Ella makes another grab for it and he lets her have it, quirking a smile when she raises it up and back down in an awkward attempt to mimic the hopping. ]

I never thought I would enjoy this.

[ inej has a sneaking suspicion that their feathered friend will look terrible in a few weeks, as ella bounces it on her leg before stuffing the bird back into her mouth, watching her parents with wide, dark eyes. and inej dips her head a little to press her lips against kaz's temple, squeezing him loosely in a hug. ]

You are a good father.

[ warmly, eyes on ella, who kicks her feet a little, from her position in the pillow. ]

Part of that includes enjoying it, I think.

[ Hands now free of a stuffed bird, he loosely grips her forearm, running his thumb along it. He tips his head back, simply enjoying the peaceful moment; Ella seems quite occupied with drooling all over the toy instead of fussing to get her parents' attention. ]

Well, I do have the best partner.

[ No, he is not taking criticism at this time. ]

Some days, it seems unreal. [ He reaches his other hand out, gently curling around Ella's foot. So tiny. Years ago, he wouldn't have wanted anything to do with this. Children were soft, vulnerable. A nuisance and a detriment at the same time.

Now he can be convinced to do basically anything with one look from Ella. That will probably cause many headaches in the future. But for now, she doesn't want much. ]

[ she seems to kick her foot reflexively, when kaz takes it, a muffled slew of babbling being spoken around the head of the crow in her mouth, and inej hums to herself in agreement. ]

It does.

[ for a lot of reasons. for one, it's taken so long to get here. for another, children seemed like such a far-fetched idea for so long that inej hadn't really considered it possible. but here she is, happily kicking her feet without a real care in the world. healthy and cared for and loved. ]

I didn't know it was possible, to love something so much.

[ finally, before inej ducks to press her lips against his cheek, tone warm as she begins to unfold her arms from around his shoulders, so she can check on dinner. ]

[ The string of muffled babbling makes him smile, especially since she seems so keen to say something. Just while still happily gumming the poor stuffed bird. ]

I didn't think it was possible to love more than one person so much. [ It's not that he's a selfish person. Or incapable of love—despite what he thought for so long. He's just guarded, typically. His relationships with his friends have certainly improved with the years. They're definitely at a point where he isn't afraid to call them friends, both to himself or out loud.

And obviously, he loves Inej. Their relationship has been something to work at, making the outcome that much more important. Which, he supposes, has ended up with this: Ella, happy and carefree, loved immediately and fiercely. He'd been nervous about the decision, feeling both sure of being ready and also like being a parent was the last thing he could ever do.

Of course, he'd seen the progression over the months and when he finally looked at her tiny sleeping face, he'd fallen in love with her completely. That hasn't changed, even with her fussing and occasional stubborn screaming. He lightly brushes her cheek with the back of his finger, tipping his head a bit to the side when Inej kisses him. ]

Think she'll let us eat in peace? [ Always a gamble. ]

[ she offers him a warm smile, at to love more than one person so much, before she turns her attention to dinner. and it's true, really. inej has always known that she is capable of great love and adoration; it's receiving it, that has been the problem. now, she's comfortably at peace, with both loving and being loved.

and ella, who has been her greatest blessing, and the most beautiful thing she has ever accomplished, is definitely the most loved thing in her life.

that being said: ]

Absolutely not.

[ dryly, as inej tugs the oven open to check on the fish. ella tends to get hungry around now, and while she's been downright pleasant, inej knows it's only a matter of time before she decides that she wants food. and, really, inej is considering feeding her now before they eat, but ella seems to be having a fun time without being bothered. maybe they'll just test their luck a bit more.

soon, inej tugs the pan out of the oven to begin to plate their dinner. and, seemingly right on cue, ella's babbling turns to something of a fuss, though she's not crying. seemingly outraged that her mother is now out of her view, and inej tosses kaz a knowing look, as she arranges the food on plates. ]

I should have bet money.

[ as ella takes the opportunity to toss the crow at her father, her fussing turning into a delighted noise as it hits his chest. a fun new game. ]

[ It's true that usually around this time, Ella starts to fuss. As if she is upset by her parents eating dinner and not her. Or rather, upset that they're eating a different type of food, possibly.

And sure enough, one moment she's happily chewing on the bird's stuffed wing and then a switch flips as Inej walks towards the oven, slightly out of her purview. As soon as she leans down, Ella makes a discontented noise, frustrated that her mom is gone.]

Would've made a tidy profit. [ He doesn't get to continue that thought though, a stuffed bird plopping against his chest with a sudden shriek of delight following. Kaz does catch it before it hits the floor, sighing at the apparent entertainment that Ella is apparently getting out of this. While he's reluctant to give it back, knowing what the potential outcome is, he at least knows he'll be playing short distance catch with a spit covered stuffed animal.

As if on cue, he gives it back and she almost immediately throws it again, plopping it right into his lap. ]

Your throwing arm needs a little work.

[ indeed, throwing the animal is the new game of choice, though at kaz's throwing arm needs a bit of work, ella's face scrunches up slightly, because she hasn't gotten the animal back yet. and she seems to be inches from edging into fussing territory when inej sits down at the table, to set their plates down and to edge ella's pillow a bit further away from them both. ]

Let's see if we can eat before she decides she's officially had enough.

[ amused, as she reaches out a hand to tickle ella's stomach briefly, causing a shriek of delight and kicking feet before ella seizes inej's fingers, preventing her from having more than one hand.

it suits inej just fine; she only needs one to eat, and it gives kaz a chance of peace to eat on his own. ]

At least she's not eating real food yet; she would be throwing that at your shirt instead of the crow.

[ Ella's face scrunches up and he's ready for a small tantrum when Inej sits down and seems to take the wind out of those particular sails. Her mother safely back in view, she's back to being happily distracted by holding onto Inej's fingers instead of the bird. Kaz does put it next to her, just in case. ]

Maybe she'll hold off longer than the other day.

[ Which had been a grand total of perhaps a minute. One second, totally amused. And in the next, crying loud enough to be red in the face.

At least it was never boring around here anymore. Not that it had been a struggle before, but still.

Kaz doesn't dawdle on starting his dinner, knowing full well how poorly this could go. ]

I can't say I'm looking forward to it. [ He takes another bite, chews and swallows, then amends: ] Well, mixed bag.

[ Seeing her grow has been immensely rewarding, as much as it brings further complications. As it will continue to do until she's old enough to know better. ]

[ she manages about two mouthfuls of food before ella begins to fuss, and inej grins a little before setting down her fork, standing just enough to scoop ella up so she could sit in her lap, one arm looped around the baby's waist so she could hold ella against her while resuming dinner. ]

I want her to stay this size forever.

[ a little wistfully, as she takes another bite of her meal while ella pats her little hands against inej's arm, seemingly content now that she's being held. ]

She used to be tiny, and soon she'll have teeth.

[ There's a bit of fussing, when Ella seemingly doesn't like the crumb of attention she's getting. Inej solves it by putting her in her lap. He smiles at this, amused by Ella's face just barely peeking up over the edge of the table. Small fingers are curled along Inej's arm, head tilted back so she can try and see more. ]

Hard to believe she fit so easy in my hands only a few months ago.

[ She'd been so small, fitting across his outstretched hands with only a bit of overlap. Well, Inej's parents had warned them that she'd grow fast. ]

I'm sure she's going to be thrilled about growing them in. [ He hopes he's prepared for more frustrated crying. At the very least, they know she has a healthy set of lungs. ]

[ indeed, she used to be so tiny . . . and she still is, inej supposes, but as ella squeezes inej's arm with her little fingers, as she watches her parents eat dinner. ]

I think it's starting to begin.

[ a little wryly, as ella has dipped her head a little to chew inej's arm, making an odd gurgling noise as she kicks her feet. inej remains still to let ella essentially drool on her arm, picking up her fork to resume dinner with her spare hand. ]

Growing up is exhausting work.

[ she says, as she pops another bite into her mouth, gently bouncing ella with a movement of her leg, to keep the infant entertained. the movement is rewarded with a giggle. so far, so good, as ella continues to babble. ]

What do you think her first word is going to be?

[ He watches as Ella drools all over Inej's forearm and thinks, not for the first time, that he's glad he's beaten most of his aversions to touch. It rarely comes up anymore; his last bad reaction is nearly two years in the past. They both developed some habits in trying not to set it off, things that have stayed despite the need for it waning.

Basically, he's just glad to know when Ella decides to drool all over him, he won't be going into a panic attack. ]

It was bad enough for the years I do remember. [ Going from not quite teenager through those years and into adulthood had been rocky. Even moreso in factoring that they'd grown up in the Barrel. At the very least she won't have to deal with that harsh place. ]

Hopefully it'll be one of us. But it'll probably be something surprising, like "bird". [ Considering her deep affection for the stuffed crow, it seems likely. ]

[ she would be lying, if she hadn't been concerned at first. children don't really have an understanding, of trauma or how to best avoid triggers. ella in particular loves being held and is tactile, constantly grabbing and wanting to be hugged. but so far, so good, for the most part.

inej sets down her fork after finishing most of her dinner, shifting to pick up ella a bit more, turning the infant around so ella could properly see her mother's face. there's a momentary protest, at not being able to chew on her arm anymore, but ella is soon distracted by a kiss to her nose and a grin, and the baby immediately grabs for inej's shirt, tugging a bit sharply as inej settles ella against her chest. ]

I think it is going to be no.

[ a little dryly, as she presses her lips to the top of ella's head, running her hand along the baby's back. there's no hair for ella to grab, as she put it up, but that doesn't stop her from trying. ]

Or food, food is another one.

[ They'd both been concerned at first. Even during the time before she'd been born, he'd been nervous about it; his history with touch has been a rough one. And while he's gotten so much of it out of his system in the years spent with Inej and getting more used to casual touch, having a grabby child was a different thing altogether.

And Ella, as children went, was very into being connected with her parents. Thankfully, he's gotten used to her touch and no longer has the same hesitance he had when she was first born. ]

"No" is a good first word. [ Ah. So practical. It would also make sense for a child coming from the both of them– so stubborn. ]

I'm almost surprised she hasn't already said that one. [ Though he's well aware that stage is bit of ways off. She's currently grabbing at Inej's shirt, though she hasn't started yelling from hunger. Which is relieving since she's given them enough time to finish their own dinner. A sometimes rarity. ]

No is a very good word.

[ in agreement, amused as she gently runs her fingers along ella's back up to her head, brushing the baby's hair with her fingers. and she's about to comment about food when ella tugs at her shirt again, a little more insistently, this time.

she's being remarkably good, tonight. the nap must have done her some good. but inej lifts ella up to peer at the baby's face, brow furrowing as if she was inspecting her very closely . . . and ella soon lets go of the shirt to press a hand against inej's cheek with a gurgle. ]

I think . . . pajamas are in order. Maybe a bath. And dinner.

[ thoughtfully, before she peers over ella's head at kaz, amused. ]

Can you put the dishes in the sink for me while I get her ready?

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