Outside Work We... •[TNN One-shots]•

Sibling Love •|| WINTUMN + MARJOREECE ||•

Prompt: Reece and Marjorie help out Autumn and Winter with the pregnancy.

The smell of fresh paint lingered in the air as Reece stood back to admire his handiwork, the roller still in his hand. The nursery walls, now a soothing shade of pastel green, gleamed in the afternoon light streaming through the window. Behind him, Marjorie sorted through a pile of baby clothes, folding them neatly into drawers.

“It’s starting to come together,” Reece said, his voice tinged with satisfaction.

Marjorie glanced over her shoulder, her lips quirking into a small smile. “You’re surprisingly good at this. Who knew you could paint a straight line?”

He chuckled. “Don’t sound so shocked. I’m a man of many talents.”

Downstairs, the sound of clattering pots echoed from the kitchen, where Winter was attempting to meal prep for the week. Marjorie paused in her folding and raised an eyebrow. “Think we should go check on him? He’s been down there for a while.”

Reece shrugged but followed her lead as they headed to the kitchen. They found Winter in the middle of a minor flour explosion, his apron dusted white as he tried to knead dough for what looked like bread rolls.

Marjorie bit back a laugh. “Need a hand there, chef?”

Winter looked up, a sheepish grin on his face. “You know, I thought this would be easier. I just wanted to make something special for Autumn.”

Reece smirked and took the dough from him, effortlessly kneading it into submission. “Stick to teaching kids, mate. Leave the cooking to the experts.”

Marjorie rolled up her sleeves and joined in, chopping vegetables with precision while Winter took a step back, watching with a mix of gratitude and mild embarrassment. “I don’t know what we’d do without you two,” he admitted.

“Crash and burn, probably,” Marjorie teased, but her tone was warm.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Autumn sat curled up on the couch with a blanket draped over her, absently rubbing her growing belly. Reece had insisted she rest while they handled everything, and though she wasn’t one to sit still for long, she couldn’t deny the comfort of being taken care of.

Later that evening, when Winter returned from work, he found Reece still painting the trim and Marjorie reorganizing the closet. Autumn was dozing on the couch, a plate of freshly baked bread rolls and soup on the table beside her.

Winter smiled as he quietly walked over to Marjorie and Reece. “You didn’t have to go all out like this.”

Reece shrugged, wiping his hands on a cloth. “Family takes care of family.”

Marjorie nodded, her expression softening. “Besides, we’re just as excited as you two are. Anything to make things easier for you.”

As Winter glanced around the nursery, now nearly complete, and then back at his wife sleeping peacefully, he felt a swell of gratitude. They weren’t just preparing for a baby—they were surrounded by a support system that made everything feel possible.

[A/N: Let's just imagine that Marjorie can cook in this. Consider it an alternate universe. :)]