Their Things | one shots

18. Real - LY

@sandrine2015 said:

#Theirthings: A chapter about Grayson and Claire, I feel like we haven't seen enough of those two with their kids, that would be great, please and thank you

Rating: Non-mature

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"No."

"Please!"

"No."

"Dad!"

"No," Grayson said as he stared at the various boxes of cereal on display with barely concealed disgust. Good God, was that coloured sugared thing even considered cereal? Not in Grayson's book, no.

That was just asking for diabetes and all kinds of unsavoury health diseases. There was no way Grayson was allowing that sort of thing to enter his home. It was full of sugar and chemicals. All in all, Grayson would rather die than to let his family eat such rubbish.

"Why not?" Wyatt demanded impatiently, lips jutting into a pout.

"Because it's not good for you," he replied patiently.

"Mum lets me have them," his eldest son argued unbecomingly.

Grayson frowned. "Does mum really buy cereal like this?" he directed the question to his youngest son, Andrei who nodded promptly while eying the coloured Froot Loops longingly.

"See! Mum lets us have it!" Wyatt declared triumphantly and Grayson rolled his eyes.

It was days like this that made Grayson wonder about the stark contrast of his present life and his past. In the past, no one would ever dream of arguing with him in a grocery store no less, maybe except Mel, but she didn't count. Now, his whole family walked around him, across him and over him.

But, Grayson didn't mind.

He straightened and took a healthier version, some brown circle shaped thing and gave it to Andrei who simply tossed it into the trolley. "Well, we won't be having that in our home any longer. It barely constitutes as cereal and it isn't healthy for the both of you."

Wyatt shot him a glower and crossed his arms. "I'll tell mum."

Grayson smirked smugly, "Go ahead."

"Daddy!"

He turned toward Andrei who was fussing around the plastic seat in the trolley, his face scrunched into a grimace and Grayson knew that a fit would start if he didn't carry him. With efficiency, Grayson unbuckled Andrei before hoisting him into his arms.

"Wyatt, go find your mother, Andrei needs his snack," he instructed as Wyatt shot a disdainful glance to the cereal Grayson had chosen before running off.

There wasn't a doubt that Wyatt would be speaking his hatred of the cereal to Claire.

"Shhh," he murmured as Andrei squirmed in his arms and shifting the boy to get a better grip on him, Grayson looked up to see Claire approaching, a packet of alphabet biscuits in her hand as Wyatt trailed behind her grudgingly.

Yes, he won. Victory was sweet.

"Is he getting all grouchy?" His wife peered at little Andrei that had a glower on his little face that reminded Grayson much of...himself.

"Yes," Grayson answered as Claire handed the three-year-old his biscuits.

"Mum, Dad said we can't get the cereal," Wyatt complained and Grayson raised an eyebrow at Claire challengingly as she shot him a guilty expression.

His wife did know his disapproval and thoughts about food such as that. What she did with that knowledge was another thing altogether.

"Well, Wyatt," she tried and Grayson held back a smirk at her floundering. "Like your dad said, we shouldn't get it. It's unhealthy for you."

Wyatt sulked and much to Grayson's amusement, Andrei stuck his tongue out at his older brother.

* * *

"Dad?"

Grayson looked up and raised an eyebrow at Wyatt who was hovering in the doorway of his study. Surely, it was close to his bedtime. Claire was probably putting Andrei to bed and with how much dislike his youngest son had for sleep, they were going to be awhile.

"Yes, Wyatt?"

Even though he had not been a parent for long, maybe around three to four years, he could tell that his son needed him. Well, his sister-in-law did like to say that he had natural paternal instincts.

Wyatt shuffled into the room, dragging his feet behind him and the look on his face was so forlorn that Grayson had to take a second glance to ensure that he had seen it correctly.

Whatever was bothering his son, Grayson was determined to make it go away.

"Dad," he began hesitantly as he sat on one of the chairs facing his desk and Grayson smiled encouragingly at him. Wyatt began swinging his feet as he peered up at him.

"Do you love me?"

Grayson blinked. He was so shocked that he didn't know if he heard Wyatt's question clearly or if he imagined the whole thing up.

Perhaps he was so lost and stunned by the question that Wyatt took his silence as a confirmation. "Oh."

The tears that welled up in his son's eyes made Grayson snap out of whatever trance that he had been and hastily, he got out of his seat and went towards Wyatt.

"Wyatt," he began, kneeling on the ground as he took his son's hands in his. "What made you ask this?"

Sniffling, his son began on a long-winded tale of how his classmate had informed him rather imperiously that step-fathers didn't really love their step-children and preferred them to their own children and that they only pretended to do so because they wanted to impress their mums.

Upon hearing this, Grayson could feel a muscle tick in his jaw. Would it really be awful for him to threaten such a nasty boy of ten at Wyatt's school?

Forcing himself to relax because Wyatt needed him calm and reasonable, Grayson gave his son a stern expression.

"Wyatt, you may not be my biological son, but I don't care much about that. In every other term, you are. I see you as my first son and nothing will change that. You came into my life when I didn't realise I needed and wanted you," he finished firmly and when he was done, Wyatt hurled himself off the seat and into his arms.

If Grayson had had poor reflexes, both would have tumbled onto the ground but that hadn't happened and instead, he steadied his weight and the addition of Wyatt's on feet.

Small hands clung to his neck as Wyatt nestled his head into the crook of his neck. Without hesitation, Grayson wrapped his arms around his son, silently comforting him.

Slowly, Grayson pulled slightly back and offered Wyatt a firm stare. "Andrei may be my biological son but I love the both of you equally. No one can replace you, Wyatt. Do you understand that?"

His son nodded before curling into him once more and silently, Grayson stood up and with Wyatt in his arms, he carried him to his bedroom before tucking him into bed. With the covers over his small form, Grayson knelt beside the bed and smoothed the blonde hair curling onto his forehead.

"I love you, Wyatt and I'm glad that you're my son," he murmured to the dozing boy before leaving the room but only to be stopped with Claire throwing her arms around him.

"I love you, Grayson. Thank you for being such a wonderful father," she whispered and all he could do was nestle her further into his arms.  

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A/N: I do hope this was okay. Also, enjoy! :) Furthermore, I have no idea what gif to put. So if there are any suggestions, feel free to do so!