After - The Society Fanfic.

9.

Buzz.

Sam glances his phone. He's in the middle of changing Eden's nappy. For something so small and sleepy, she does like to wriggle. She starts to open her mouth and screw up her eyes. Crying. Great. He hums to her, trying to not panic. His hands move swiftly as he swaps in the new nappy and buttoning up the grow. He picks her up, frowning at the grumpy expression she holds, before holding her against his chest. He continues the humming until he feels her stop wriggling, settling happily against him. As graceful as possible, he stands, grabbing his phone and sinks into the sofa. He places Eden onto his knees and smiles down at her. Her eyes are wide with wonder staring around him and at him. He wonders how well she can see. She's happy lying on him like this.

Becca had decided to have a shower. She'd needed it. Sam loves her but my god, her hair was starting to mat. She's nervous to let Eden out of her sight. This world is scary enough when you're trying to look out for yourself but then adding Eden, it can be overwhelming. She'd been angry at him when he eventually returned this afternoon. She knew that Sam appreciates his hour to himself but now that Eden is here, he can't just wander off and forget about the time. If he says he's going to be back at a certain time, he has to be. He stomach swirls. It'd never been his intention to be as late as he was. He had just enjoyed having Grizz by him. There's a comfort in Grizz that he's never felt with anyone before. It's a comfort he selfishly wants to continue feeling. Eden's arms uncontrollably fly out. He stares at her. As selfish as he wants to be, he knows he can't be. Part of the sacrifice of having a child is putting their feelings first, not your own. This is why he'll be more careful; he won't lose track of time; he'll try his best to not be selfish anymore.

Buzz.

His phone reminds him of the message. Changing Eden into a more stable position against his chest, he finally unlocks his phone. Grizz. Well, speak of the devil. The smile has appeared on his face before he can stop it.

Hey. G.

That's all it says and it's all it needs to say. Sam wonders whether to respond or not. He literally just talked to himself about selfishness and now he wants to message Grizz. However,... He's with Eden. He's here. Texting Grizz doesn't mean he's not here for his family. He's here, he's taking care of Eden.

Hey. S.

He sends the message and Eden squirms. He smiles, an idea popping into his head. With a bit of juggling, he aims the camera towards them and smiles. The photo is not the best, but it'll do. He'll appreciate it. He sends the image of himself and Eden to Grizz. Just as he's about to lock the phone, Grizz responds.

She's so small. I can't get over how small she is. Makes you look big. G.

Sam snorts. Just because he has to stand on his tiptoes to kiss him doesn't make him small. He thinks for a moment about the handful of times they've kissed. His lips tingle, memories dancing across them. The phone buzzes again.

How's being home? G.

Sam sighs. It's nice to be in a home but he did miss his family home. Campbell had laid claim to it months ago and during the late stages of Becca being pregnant, he'd moved in with her. He loves being in a proper bed, being able to make a cup of tea/coffee whenever he wanted and grabbing snacks, he actually likes instead of the kind Kelly brings them. Those things were nice, but he did miss his home. Or this pocket universes version of it. He'd been caught up in everything, that he hadn't had time to actually add personal touches here to make it his own as well. Becca wouldn't mind, in fact, she'd mentioned it when they'd talked about nurseries. They still didn't have a nursery. That's the job for the next few weeks. At the moment Eden had been sleeping in a basket with cushions in it. Come to think of it, they hadn't prepared that much for the arrival of Eden. If Grizz, Kelly, Gwen and Gordie hadn't been giving them presents and bits and bobs over the past few days they'd have nothing. He knows at some point they'll run out of nappies, but they had a large stock of reusable ones so hopefully, they'll do. He screws up his nose. The thought of washing poo-ridden nappies turning his stomach over. Both him and Becca were struggling with that with disposable nappies.