Hardzello One Shots❤

Ew, Queer people

Joe looks up with a smile as Ava walks in. "Hi sweetheart, how was school?" He asks, setting his laptop aside.
The fourteen-year-old Ava puts down her backpack, and sits down next to her father on the couch. "Dad, you know how much I love you and papa, right?" She asks with an innocent smile.
Joe rolls his eyes, knowing that tone a bit too well. "What do you need this time?" He crosses his arms, waiting for her answer.
Ava looks down at her hands, fiddling with her ring. "Well, this girl from my class is throwing a party next saturday. Nothing big, just celebrating her fifteenth birthday... you know how it goes." She trails off.
Joe gives her a knowing look. "I do."
Ava gives him a pleading look. "I was hoping I could go?" She asks.
Her father stays silent for a moment, carefully thinking through how he will answer without getting his daughter's hopes up. "Will her parents be there?" He asks, knowing Ben will want to know that as well.
Ava immediately nods. "They will. The party is at night so they won't be at work anymore." She explains. "Please can I go? My entire class will be there, my social life will be over if I don't go." She says with an exaggerated sigh.
That causes Joe to burst out in laughter. "Alright alright. If your papa agrees as well, you can go to that party." He says. "But there will be a curfew." He warns her before she can get too excited.
Ava wraps her arms around her father. "That's fair. Thanks dad." She says gratefully.

The two both look up when the door opens. "What are you all excited about?" Aidan asks his big sister in full confusement.
Ben also gives his husband and daughter a questioning look.
"I'm going to my first party!" Ava screeches before disappearing to her room, eager to pick an outfit for this saturday.
The ten-year-old Aidan rolls his eyes at his sister's teenage drama, and walks towards the kitchen to get himself something to drink.
Ben walks over to the couch and plops down next to his husband. "Hi you." He smiles. He leans in for a kiss, glad to see Joe again after a long day on set.
"Hi." Joe can't help but still blush after this small kiss, even with all these years that have passed.
"I hear our daughter is going to a party?" Ben asks with a raised eyebrow.
Joe rolls his eyes. "I haven't made any promises yet. I told her it'd be okay, only if you agree as well." He says.
Ben lets his head rest on Joe's shoulder with a soft sigh.
Joe gently roams his fingers through his husband's blond locks. "I guess that's a no then?" He asks.
Ben shrugs. "I just... She's fourteen. I don't want her to be out partying without us knowing what's going on." He mumbles.
Joe shakes his head. "I won't be like that Benny. I already asked, and this girl's parents will be home. Her entire class is invited, there won't be any people she doesn't know." He reassures Ben.
Ben doesn't respond to that besides a soft hum.
A small grin appears on Joe's face. "Come on Benny, don't you remember what it's like to be young?" He presses a small kiss to Ben's forehead. "The whole 'secondary school' drama of getting yourself invited to the cool kid's party."
The blond can't help but smile. "I remember us going to some very wild parties back in our day. Didn't you get drunk and then fall into- hmff-" Before he can finish that sentence, his speech is muffled by Joe's hand.
"You promised to never tell that story again!" Joe exclaims dramatically. To shut up Ben's loud laughing, he kisses him on the lips. "Besides, we were nineteen then. Ava's party will just be a bunch of fourteen year old kids watching a movie or something."
Ben nods. "I know that. It's just...-" He snuggles closer to Joe, now cuddling up against his chest. "Our little girl is not so little anymore." He mutters.
Joe gently runs his fingers up and down Ben's back, giggling softly when his husband hums contently. "Don't you worry. She's still our little girl. Within a few years she and Aidan will both hate us for ruining their lives and not allowing them to drink, that sort of stuff. We better enjoy this now, while she's still agreeing to a curfew." He says, knowing how rebellious he was when he was a teen.
"Ugh, you're right of course." Ben grunts. "I just want her to be safe."
Joe smiles at that. "Me too sweetheart."

***

That saturday, Ava is buzzing with excitement. During dinner, she keeps babbling about all the amazing stuff she will do at the party.
"Papaaa, she's boring me." Aidan whines before stuffing his last piece of broccoli into his mouth. He receives a playful nudge from his sister.
Ben looks at Joe with a big grin on his face. "Just soldier on for a few more minutes, Aidy. When Ava has left for her party and we have sent Dad to bed, we get to have our own party." He winks at his son, earning a loud giggle from the boy.
Joe looks up indignantly. "Hey, why can't I join your party?" He asks with a pout.
Ben looks at Aidan. "What do you think buddy? Is dad cool enough for our party?"
Aidan thinks for a moment, but then nods. "For this time." He says as he gives Joe a mischievous smile.
Joe rolls his eyes at the two and moves his gaze towards his daughter. "Anyways, should we discuss curfew?" He asks Ava. When the girl nods, he looks at the clock above the door. "Did you have a time in mind?" He asks her.
Ava shrugs. "Not really. The party ends at eleven." She says, knowing her fathers will think that's too late.
"How about we pick you up around ten? You can call us if you want to be picked earlier." Ben suggests. He can only be grateful that they decided to gift Ava her first phone a couple of months ago for her birthday. It's a very small phone that she can only call and text with, but they figured it would come in handy.
Ava smiles. "That's fair."