*Six Years later*

"Okay, should we go through the list again?" Abel sits cross legged on the bed with his husband, holding a worn piece of paper In his hand, a pen tucked behind his ear. He's got a smudge of yellow paint on his forehead, his hair is extremely ruffled, and there are bags under his eyes, but he's got a grin on his face. "We should make sure we don't dislike any of the names before Friday."

"Yeah, okay." Kevin, curled into Abel's side, is a little irritable from the secrets being kept in his own house. Abel won't let him enter the study, claiming that it's a surprise for later on. He is, however, trying to be as agreeable as possible. "Let's go over them one more time."

"Alright. Willow?"

Kevin nods. "Yep."

Abel nods, then says, "It's a bit feminine, though, don't you think? And we agreed to be as gender neutral as possible."

Kevin nods. "Yeah, but I figured, if it's not suitable, Will is always an option as a nickname."

Abel shrugs. "Fine by me. Azul?"

"Mhmm."

"Dani?"

"Yes."

"Soren?"

"Oh, yes, I rather like that one." Kevin smiles, placing his head on Abel's shoulder.

"What is this?" Abel fakes sounding upset. "Ferdinand?"

Kevin hides a smirk, acting offended. "What's wrong with Ferdinand?"

Rolling his eyes, Abel pecks his lover on the forehead. "Literally everything is wrong with Ferdinand. You almost snuck that past me, even got my handwriting right, but no dice."

Kevin giggles, reaching past Abel to steal a sip of his tea. "Okay. Jay?"

"Yup. That's a good one. Adonis?"

Kevin shakes his head. "No, we've discussed this. Naming anything Adonis holds it to ridiculously high standards of beauty. It will promote low self esteem. No Adonis."

"But, it's so pretty. Please, Blue?" Abel bites his lip, looking up at Kevin through his eyelashes, looking him up and down suggestively.

Kevin hangs his head in defeat. There's no way that he can resist that look. "Alright, fine," he grumbles, "But if it really comes down to Adonis, I'm calling a veto."

Abel grins. "Alright, alright. Carson, Colby, and Shane are all okay?"

Kevin nods, then shrugs tilting his head indecisively. "I mean, I'm a little on the fence about Shane. I generally associate the name Shane with the hot male lead in Camp Rock. It's a bit iffy."

"I agree. Let's cut it." Abel draws a solid dark line through the name.

"If we weren't being gender neutral, I'd be strongly in favor of Kate." Kevin stretches out is limbs, pulling the sleeves of the sweater he's stolen from Abel over his hands.

Abel scoffs, turning and taking Kevin's hands. "I know, love, but we agreed to let it be free to identify any way it chooses, no matter what. Besides," he furrows his brow, "Katherine smacks of Shakespearian rebellion, and gender roles. Which is not a good thing. It's just so oppressive, and... I don't know. I don't want it to be tied to that, even if it's obscure."

Kevin smiles. Abel is very cute when he's troubled, and he's a relatively fussy person, so it happens often. Kevin hadn't got to see it much until they moved in together, and now he enjoys every second. "Yeah, yeah, I know. 'For I am born to tame you, Kate, and bring you from a wild Kate to a Kate conformable as other household Kates,' and all that sexist jazz. But just listen to it. Katarina. Rolls off the tongue so nicely." Abel stares at Kevin fondly as he waxes on about the name, smiling softly at the passion in his eyes, forgetting to actually listen. "You know what's a nice name? Dione. I know, there's a lot to live up to, after all, she conceived Aphrodite, dated Zeus, and all. But, it's pretty. I also like Kit."

Abel nods, wanting to make Kevin light up. "Alright, I like Dione. But without the e." Kevin cheers, kissing Abel on the mouth. Abel pulls him in closer, then pulls away suddenly. "But not Kit. American Horror Story is a thing, remember?" Kevin rolls his eyes playfully, nods again, then pulls Abel back to him.

After a moment, Abel pulls back softly, panting, face flushed. Kevin straddles his lap, playing his the waves of hair at Abel's neck. "So, any additions to the names list?"

Abel laughs, running a hand over his face. "You expected me to be thinking of names during that? If I didn't know better, I'd have thought you were trying to distract me from the task at hand." He then gets a bit more serious. "Actually, I do have one addition."

"Lay it on me, babe."

"Sivan." Abel waits for a strong protest. When he only gets silence, he continues, pulling at loose strings on Kevin's pants. "I know that Troye Sivan exists, and we're trying to avoid pop culture references, but it's really a lovely name. Sivan. It's soft and a little exotic, and I just really like it."

Kevin smiles as Abel mumbles nervously, refusing to meet Kevin's eyes. "How about this. If I can have Levi, despite the Attack on Titan, you may have Sivan." Abel's eyes brighten, though he tries to keep his face guarded.

"Well, alright." He reaches for his mug, then pouts. "Oh, Blue, you drank all of my tea." He turns it upside down over his face, seeking a droplet if possible.

Kevin laughs. "You were busy recovering from the shock of Kate, so I may have snuck a few sips in, yes."

Abel grins, pulling his husband against him. He snuggles into his hair, and closes his eyes, breathing in strawberries. After all of these years, he still uses the same shampoo. The thought is comforting, and Abel soon drifts to sleep.

***

"Babe, babe, babe, wake up! Today's the day!" Kevin is bouncing on Abel's lap, trying to get him out of bed. Though he's cut the back and sides of his hair short, the majority is still long. It tends to be very messy in the mornings, and it covers his eyes.

Abel groans, slinging an arm across his face. "Are you sure?"

Kevin nods frantically, trying to pull Abel up. "Yes, I'm so sure. Get up!" He grabs one of Abel's arms and pulls. "Jesus on a boat, how much do you weigh? I know you're bulky, but this is ridiculous."

"'m not bulky," Abel pouts, blinking sleep from his eyes. He sits up slowly, dark hair nearly as wild as Kevin's. "It's all lean muscle mass."

Though Kevin knows that Abel's right, he just pecks Abel's lips and says, "Yes, dear. Now, come on, get up. I made you breakfast."

Abel perks up slightly, which equates to him actually opening both of his eyes. "Chocolate chip pancakes?"

Kevin's smile falters slightly. "N-no. Omelets. But, they're really, really good, and you should get up. We'll be late if you don't."

"When do we have to be there?" Abel stretches his arms, trying to make himself be more conscious.

"Eleven."

"What time is it?"

"A little before ten. Like nine fifty."

Abel flails himself off of the bed, lands with a loud thump, then crawls rapidly to the dresser. "What?" He opens the nearest drawer, flinging clothes everywhere. "Why didn't you wake me earlier?! Oh, God, the drive is at least forty five minutes, we can't be late! Blue!" At this point, he's wailing, looking more distressed than Kevin had expected.

Looking panicked, he waves his hands in front of him, rushing to Abel's side. "I kid, I kid! We aren't late. It's just now nine. A joke. All a joke." Abel looks confused, then a bit angry. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please don't be mad. I didn't think you'd freak out."

Abel looks at the half of his wardrobe that is now on the carpet. "I forgive you," he says slowly. "But you are making me some chocolate chip pancakes."

Kevin nods. "Of course." He still doesn't look very relieved.

"Great." Abel kisses Kevin to reassure him. "It's okay. It's all fine. Give me pancakes and we'll call it even."

Kevin nods, hurrying to the kitchen. Abel smiles. Today is the day. The first day of the rest of their lives.

---

The drive is quiet, brimming with bubbling anticipation. Abel tries to break the silent tension by turning on the radio, but it does no good. Abel's knee bounces up and down, knocking against the steering wheel, and Kevin places a hand on top to still it. Abel smiles, reaching out to hold Kevin's hand. The two of them keep in physical contact for the remainder of the drive.

However, the road turns into a parking lot far too quickly, and the boiling feeling is back. Abel opens the car door with shaky hands, dropping the key on the asphalt. Kevin tries to jump out of the car without undoing his seat belt. The two of them look at one another and laugh.

"I don't think I'm ready for this, Blue. How are we supposed to take care of it if we can hardly take care of ourselves?" Abel picks the keys up and runs a hand through his hair.

Kevin moves over to his husband and places his hands on Abel's waist. "Hey, calm down. We can do this. At this point, I'm not really sure that we have a choice." He chuckles. "It's just like getting a dog, or a cat, or something like that. We've made all of the necessary preparations, so, in theory, we'll be fine."

Abel laughs in surprise. "A cat? You think that this is like getting a cat?"

Kevin shrugs. "I mean, not exactly, but somewhat." He takes off, making large strides toward the cheerful façade in front of him. "Just a bit more pressure. We'll do fine. We've gone through the paperwork, we were satisfactory during home studies, we're well prepared." He notices that Abel is still standing next to the car and wheels around, grabbing his hand. "C'mon, babe. Too late for cold feet."

Abel stumbles along behind Kevin, through automatic doors, past a smiling receptionist, into the warmth of the building. I'm not ready, he thinks. Kevin leads him to a chair, giving him a calming smile and a kiss. Abel returns them, trying to relax and failing. "I can't do this, Kevin."

"Maybe you can't do this, but we can. That's all that matters. As long as we're together, everything will go fine. Okay?" Kevin leans his head against Abel's, pressing their foreheads together.

Abel nods. "Yeah, okay." A friendly looking lady comes out into the waiting area and calls their names. Abel stands up slowly, afraid that he might pass out or throw up. Kevin laces their fingers together, squeezing tightly, and follows the woman back into the halls of the building.

The walls are decorated with stock photos of smiling families, cute little encouraging quotes, pictures of happy children. Abel is afraid that it's all a front, that family life won't be all that it's cracked up to be. He hopes that it's all that the posters, and pamphlets, and websites promise it will be. He licks his lips, swallowing. This is it.

The woman turns around, grinning. Abel is so focused on how decidedly red her lipstick is that he's surprised when she says, "Okay, Mr. and Mr. Caldwell, wait right here and I'll bring your new family member right out."

Kevin nods, looking at Abel excitedly. As the woman disappears back through a pair of double doors, Abel turns to Kevin. The shorter man's excitement is contagious, and he can feel his apprehension beginning to ease. "Abel, this is so exciting. My heart is gonna fall out, it's beating so hard." He grabs both of Abel's hands, bringing them to his chest.

"Fall out of where?" Abel raises an eyebrow, fighting a smile.

"I dunno. My ass?" Kevin lets out a burst of nervous laughter. "We're gonna be parents soon. Like, today. That's insane to think about."

Abel grins. "I know, but it's just so--" His sentence is cut off by a soft sound.

A baby's cry.

The woman walks through the doors, carrying a little bundle of pink. Abel reminds himself to buy the child a yellow blanket. "Here she is, you two. I'll let you all get acquainted. Come and get me when you're ready to take her home." She passes the baby to Kevin, who cradles it close, staring at it like it's a precious jewel.

"Hi, little one," he coos, sounding a little throaty. "I'm your new daddy." He looks at Abel, who stands just beside him. "And, this is your papa, okay?"

Abel looks at the little girl, eyes warm, cupping her head in his hand. "It looks like a tiny, wrinkly, burnt peanut."

Kevin gasps and laughs at the same time, sounding wonderfully amused. "Well, that's not a very nice thing to say to your daughter, babe. And stop calling her an it."

"Sorry. I'm sorry. It's just so weird that she's alive, like actually here, and she's so, so small. I'm her Papa, now, and that's crazy. I think I'm gonna faint." He laughs giddily. "If I fell, would you catch me?"

Kevin shrugs. "I mean, I am holding our child in my arms. So, no. But know that I'd be very distraught." He bounces the baby in his arms. "Let's name her, like, officially. Her mom didn't do it before she gave her up, so we should do it as soon as possible."

Abel nods, shoving his hands into his pockets because he doesn't know what else to do with them. He can't stop staring at the baby, and Kevin holding the baby. Their baby. His family. "We narrowed it down to Sivan and Azul. See which one she likes better?" He keeps his voice soft so that he doesn't startle the kid.

Kevin moves his head in agreement, then looks down at the baby. "Hi, little Sivan," he murmurs. The baby girl blinks, then she smiles, and it's the most glorious thing. Kevin decides that he needs to sit down, and Abel follows him. "Hello, little Azul," he says in the same, soothing voice. The baby smiles again, and Kevin pouts at her. "I can't tell which one she likes more. She smiled at both."

Abel gazes fondly at the two of them. "Your voice is extremely relaxing, Blue. You could probably call her a little waffle head, and she'd react the same way."

Kevin laughs, and the baby laughs back. "I suppose. Here, you try." He gently settles the baby girl in Abel's arms.

Abel takes her, and is unsure of how close to hold her, how much he should be supporting her head. "Hello, little Sivan," he says, and she smiles again, gurgling. "Little Azul?" She smiles this time, too, but with fewer vocals. Abel lifts his eyes up toward Kevin momentarily. "It looks like she likes both, but she likes Sivan a little more."

Kevin nods. "So, Sivan Azul Caldwell?"

Abel grins, looking down into his daughter's big brown eyes. "Sivan Azul." She blinks at him.

Kevin smiles. "You're gonna be a great dad." He scoots closer. "I mean, I'll obviously be the one that out-dads all of the other dads, but I'm sure you'll be good, too."

Abel rolls his eyes and presses a chaste kiss to his husband's face. He pulls back, opening his eyes, and stares into his future. This is everything he's ever wanted, everything he's ever dreamed of.

After the paperwork has been filled out, formalities covered, and a game of rock, paper, scissors has determined who will get to ride in the backseat with Sivan and her car seat (Kevin), the family makes it's way home.

Abel bounces into the door, telling Kevin to hurry and come upstairs into the study, except not too fast, because baby skulls are very fragile.

Kevin climbs the stairs slowly, trying to prevent as much jostling as possible, and when he arrives at the top, Abel demands that he hold Sivan for a bit.

"Why?"

"Because, I have a surprise for you, but I don't know if she can go and see it with you yet." Kevin gives Abel a skeptical look, and Abel smiles. "Just go in the study for a moment. I'll be right here, I promise."

Kevin passes Abel the car seat, then cautiously steps into the study. The sight makes him want to cry. The entire room has been painted a soft, cream yellow, the ceiling like a summer sky. One wall has the word family written on it over and over again in a number of different fonts, except for a blank square. Kevin rushes back to the hallway to see Abel playing with Sivan's toes.

"Did you see the wall? That took the longest time... But, I was hoping that we could all put our handprints in that blank spot. At least, that was the plan, but the room is supposed to air out for five days, and it's only been two, so I'm not sure if it's safe to bring her in there, but maybe later on. And, if we have another, I'm sure we can exte-" Kevin cuts off Abel's rambling with a fierce kiss.

"I love you. You really will be a great dad."

Abel bites his lip, pulling Kevin into a hug. "I love you, too. You'll do amazingly, Blue."

This is the first day of the rest of their lives.

Abel wouldn't have it any other way.