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***Milo's POV***

"Incoming! Koala, grab Lucas." Neko runs through the living room. A pull-up is in one hand. The tiny overalls that should be on our son are in the other. My husband looks exhausted. I bend down swiftly, capturing our three year old in my forearm.

"Down, Daddy. Down." Lucas squeals in protest while I tighten my hold on his little tummy. His back lays flat against me, he flails his arms while kicking his feet.

"If you do not calm down, you're getting reacquainted with the time out chair." My warning is in my famous monster voice. I watch as Luke gives up the fight. He calms in my arms. He presses his chubby palm to my face. This is his apology. I have seen it too often to not recognize it.

"Sorry." Neko pulls our son from my arms. Quickly, my Batman pecks me on the lips.

"No problem. My favorite part of our Saturdays is watching you wrestle our little munchkin to get dressed." Neko glares at me while I smile sweetly. It's true, I love our weekends.

"Just wait until Layla wakes up. It will be my turn to laugh." Neko blows me a kiss while hauling Luke to the couch to get him dressed.

His gentle reminder is a thorn in my side. Our six month old daughter has more fight than the three of us boys combined. She is a handful.

"Knock, knock. Is my slugger ready to play?" Mr. Luke comes in the door, effectively grabbing Luke's attention. My boy squirms away from his Dad once again. At least this time he is dressed.

"Where is Ky, Lux?" I question. I shake the bottle in my hand as I walk over to Luke's backpack to stuff his sippy cup inside.

"Right behind me. Bentley made a mess. No. It was a fucking explosion. You should have seen the splatter. I swear we need hazmat suits around that kid." Mr. Luke laughs heartily while shaking his hands around his head.

"Here. Sorry. God, why did we want kids?" Ky comes through the door followed by Lux who has two month old Bentley strapped to his chest. Ky looks exasperated . Lux coos at his sleeping son.

"They make everything worth it." Lux kisses his husband before plopping down on the couch.

"Nat and Max?" I ask wearily. Nat is eight months pregnant, again. I can't lie by saying she handles it well. I also can't blame her. I have never been pregnant. She looks like a planet. The twins are causing her extreme discomfort.

"Waddling over as we speak." Mr. Luke grabs the stroller. It's a double so that Isla can sit in front. Luke takes the back. Mrs. Julie comes in with our princess as I turn to smile at her.

"Bean. Thank you for trusting us." Mrs. Julie pecks me on the cheek. I give her a brief squeeze. She is the best mother figure I could ask for.

"We love you. We trust with everything." I roll my eyes at Batman. He's a kiss ass. He can use those lips in better places. Like on me, in me.

"I'm here." Nat huffs as her hand braces against the door. Max rubs her back dutifully. His apologetic grimace tells me that he feels terrible for the pain she is in.

"Sit her down. Now." Neko jumps up to his own demand. Immediately, he picks up our angel. He walks, with Natalie in his arms, to the safety of our sofa.

The room is full of some of my favorite people. Our cousins will undoubtedly be by later. They show up every weekend with their significant others in tow.

"Have fun. Don't forget Luke is good at wandering. I packed his leash if he gets out of hand. If he gets too bad, just bring him home. Luke can spend the day on his favorite chair." I glare at my son. He knows exactly what I mean. His pout is confirmation that he understands.

"I'm sure he will behave." Mr. Luke bends down to check the straps on both children.

The cry from down the hall reminds me that Layla is ready for lunch. She has a large pair of lungs. They are exercised regularly. She is a bit dramatic.

I walk slowly towards the nursery to rescue our babydoll from the confines of the crib. Alligator tears roll down her pumice face. She really worked herself up for this. Picking her up gently, I snuggle the tiny being into my chest to soothe her. She truly thinks that if she is not fed immediately upon waking that she will starve to death. I beg to differ but do not bless the child with my infinite wisdom. I doubt she will agree or appreciate my advice.

Once Layla is calm, I stuff the bottle to her suckling lips. I know that I will have to yank the nipple straight from her mouth any second. She is a little glutinous, choosing to guzzle to the point of choking rather than going slow. It's not as if she ever missed a meal. Don't try to tell her that. I'm sure she doesn't recollect that memory in the correct manner.

As I burp my beautiful daughter, her dad comes in. I watch Batman as he comes across the room. He is all smiles. That never fails to amaze me. Even when we are completely wiped from a full day of kids, his job or homemaking Batman manages to be positive. I just try desperately to hold it together long enough to make it to the shower. The running water usually stifles my sobs. At least I hope so. I pray Neko never thinks that I am unappreciative of this life. I just get tired. I think I can be afforded that much.

"I will take her. You haven't stopped this morning. Go relax. Visit. Drink a cup of coffee and eat something. Please." Neko takes our daughter. I smile in gratefulness.

My feet pad across the wood floors. I pop my cold coffee into the microwave with eagerness. Even though it is stressful, grueling and incredibly taxing, I wouldn't trade being a stay at home daddy for anything. The timer pings. I pull the warm mug away from the microwave with happiness. The first taste is heaven. A sigh slips from my lips.

Batman has been extremely successful with our restaurant. We live a wonderful life. We aren't rich but, we have more than we need. Our friends are just as close as we have always been. Weekends together, occasional dinner dates and more play dates than anything occupy our time.

Ky is a natural with parenting. Lux followed straight behind him. The way they are with Bentley often makes me question my parenting skills. I get frustrated, sometimes I yell but, more than anything I love our kids.

I look down as Cash tumbles across the kitchen floor. I swear we could get a prize on one of those funniest videos shows. Cash has never learned to balance his weight against his short legs. He makes a spectacle out of his every movement. More often than not he is splayed across the ground, looking around like someone tipped him over. The facts are that he is just clumsy.

"You okay?" I look up to the sound of Lux's voice. A nod of my head confirms that I am. I just took a moment to remember why life is perfect. It is. Neko and I argue. It's not often. It's not even usually a big deal. The truth is, usually my crankiness gets projected onto my husband. He takes everything in stride. That further complicates my self-deprecation. I want to be perfect but, fail a lot.

"Just taking a breather." I look up to my friend with watering eyes. I don't know why my eyes want to leak emotions. It happens. Lux pulls me into a hug that I gladly accept.

"You're amazing. The way you balance this all is inspiring. We barely get by with one child. You do it with two. Bean, stop being so hard on yourself. Before you bother denying it, remember I know you almost as well as Neko does. You are loved, adored and needed. Just accept the small flaws and focus on the triumphs. You rock this domestic shit." Lux's words are a comfort. Maybe I don't fail as much as I think. It would be nice to think so anyway.

"I tell him the same thing constantly. My husband is a perfectionist. His standards are too high for even him to reach. If he can't do it, the rest of us are hopeless." Batman swoops in to take me from Lux's arms. After all these years, they still vie for my attention. I love it. The tiny bit of jealousy in my husband's veins gives me the best nights of my life. Tonight I will be fucked into the mattress. I think Lux knows that. He seemingly riles Neko up for my benefit.

A tender kiss is placed on my jaw. That's all it takes. My coffee is long forgotten. I place my cup on the counter to wrap my arms around Batman's neck. Just like always, he shifts to make room for me to climb up his form. I do. My legs wrap around his waist. He holds me by my ass sitting on his forearms. I pull back to stare at my miracle, my hero, my everything. My lips meet his effortlessly. Like a seam, we fit together. His wicked tongue dives in behind my teeth, masterfully lapping over my moving tongue. I mewl at his sweet taste that mixes with the coffee on my lips. His kiss drives me insane much like the giver. Batman has been the only man I have ever loved. He will always be my one and only, my forever.

"Love you." Batman pecks at my lips. I accept his adoration.

"I love you, so much." I play with the hair at the back of his neck while our eyes gaze upon one another. This man went to war for me. He held me when I felt like I lost everything. He filled all my empty places, never giving me the opportunity to build walls of protection around my heart. Neko took all my broken pieces, returning them to an order that was far better than they were to begin with.

"Thank you." My heart squeezes from my own words. They are so insignificant in comparison to the magnitude of his sacrifice, the depth of his love.

"For?" Batman smirks at me. Hell, if he isn't the sexiest being in existence. Neko brings his forehead to meet mine with his eyes closed lightly.

"For saving me. For healing me. For being more than I ever expected. Because you are better than anything I ever imagined." My words dance between our faces. My eyes flutter shut with the weight of my admission. It will never be strong enough to say how much this man means to me.

"Then I suppose I too should say thank you." Neko nudges my head up to look at him once again.

"For?" This time I smirk.

"My Koala. Thank you for being open to this love. For being my reason for breathing. Thank you for every thing you do to keep our family going. Thank you for being my strength, my weakness. You make me a better man. Your love is pure. You are so fucking selfless. You are my inspiration. My aspiration is to do life half as good as you. I love you. I am so glad, Koala, that I got you. You are a prize worthy of being cherished." My eyes water over his confession. His proclamation is what I need to feel exactly as I do. Whole.

My kiss is claiming. My lips pull my Batman into me. I beg him, silently, to fill me. He answers without waiver. His hands grip me with a possessive nature. Immediately, my body reacts to his touch.

"You two never cool down." Natalie giggles as she maneuvers her large belly around the bar top. She leans down over it, resting her chin in her hands.

"What?" Neko chuckles.

"If two people were ever made perfectly for one another, it is the two of you. You dance to the same tune. You both complete one another. Like a fluid ballad, your every breath comes out as one. Neko and Milo, you are both a testament to love. I just wanted to push that on you while the moment was still warm, mushy. I love you guys." Natalie cries into her hands when Neko brings her in for a hug.

My Nat has always been my biggest fan. Not much has changed.

I look up, over to the living room. Max cradles my sleeping child in his arms. Ky holds Bentley gently between his arms. Lux is busy plundering through the diaper bag.

I never thought this life was possible. I never thought I would make it to see eighteen. I didn't think my friends or my brother would accept me. There was no way someone could have convinced me that Neko Evans would choose me to build his life with.

At the end of the day, it is not the days that bring you pain that shape you into what you are. It is the friends around you that fill you with love. The people who swoop in to carry you when you cannot walk alone, they are the ones that matter. I may have started off on a bad note. However, I am continuing in a symphony of notes so divine that even the angels take a moment to listen.