It’s 1:30 pm on a Saturday when Emmett pulls up to Brian’s home and parallel parks across the street. Stifling a yawn, he gets out of the SUV and studies his work. Now, Emmett isn’t one to brag but his parallel parking has gotten pretty impressive in the last few years, especially for a man who is practically dead on his feet, yearning for his partner who is across the world, and hadn’t learned how to drive until he was almost thirty. Six inches from the curb, vehicle perfectly aligned with the sidewalk. Maybe there is hope for him yet on becoming a man’s man.

Adjusting the crooked collar on his pink dress top, Emmett crosses the street and walks up the stairs of the stoop to ring the doorbell.

He can’t help but grin when he hears two sets of excited footsteps running across the hardwood floors and a grumbling Brian on the other side.

“Lily, Duncan! Step back,” he hears his friend order as the door started to creak open.

“Daddy!” Duncan shouts, jumping into Emmett’s outstretched arms in the process.

Emmett holds the little boy close, breathing in his scent of chlorine, the sun, and something specific that just makes Duncan his son.

“Baby, you should have warned me!” Emmett laughs, holding the shirtless four year old back a little, “You got me all wet!”

Duncan shrugs and shakes his head, “What didya think? I’m in my trunks!”

Emmett’s eyes go soft at the sassy remark, “I suppose I should have known better, huh?”

“Uh huh!” Duncan agrees, nodding his head once with his words.

“Emmett, me and Duncan standed on our heads in the pool today!” Lily exclaims, “We are really, REALLY good swimmers!”

Duncan agrees with that too, shooting Lily a big grin in the process.

“That’s fantastic!” Emmett squeals before turning to Brian, “Brian, did you record it on your phone?”

“Now, why would I do that?” Brian drawls.

Emmett gives him a look and just waits for the truth.

“I’ll send it to you later,” Brian answers mutters before becoming a little louder once more, “Ready to take your kid? You really should invest in a babysitter, you know. I may start charging you.”

Emmett steps into the house and rolls his eyes at Brian’s fake exasperation.

“Oh, you love watching him as much as Drew and I love watching Lily.”

In truth, he and Drew technically have an occasional babysitter they enlisted in but, since Drew is retired, he has a lot of time to dedicate to being a stay-at-home dad. So, unless they want a date night and getting Duncan to Brooklyn isn’t feasible or if they are going on a double date with Brian and Eric, the rarely have to call her. Drew has yet to show any problem with being the more constant caretaker of their son. In fact, Drew seems to embrace the role and cherish every moment that he spends with Duncan. This is the first time since Duncan came to live with them that Drew has been away from him for more than a day or two. While Emmett fancied himself as the softer and more affectionate dad, Duncan definitely feels the most secure with Drew. Although Emmett understands why, it still makes him feel a teensy bit jealous and guilty, especially when Duncan had been a complete mess once Drew got on his plane. But he feels like he has done pretty well. Duncan adores him, something Emmett is still surprised by, and he has made sure his personal workload stayed lighter this month.

But today had been different. His company had planned a prestigious luncheon for the United Nations. He had tried to move along quickly, making sure everyone looked their best and the food was cooked to perfection before ducking out, getting a surprisingly lustful look from one of the princes in attendance in the process. While he had been flattered, Emmett already knew from experience that getting a closet case in the spotlight to be boyfriend material was no easy feat-

“Emmett,” Brian prompts, bringing Emmett out of his rambling thoughts, “Quit spacing out.”

“He does that a lot,” Duncan answers with a glance towards his father.

Emmett flushes a little but pushes the moment aside, “Ready to go home, baby?”

Duncan gives Lily a pained look as the little girl bows her head in disappointment, “...Okay.”

“Alright,” Emmett answers softly, “Let’s go get your clothes back on. They upstairs?”

“In the baffroom,” Duncan confirms, “By Lily’s room.”

Emmett takes the boy upstairs, walks through Lily’s currently cluttered room, and goes through the bathroom door. He takes off Duncan’s wet trunks, puts them on the ledge of the tub, then lets his son hold on to his shoulders to step into his Star Wars briefs before getting the rest of the outfit assembled. He leaves the trunks where they are, making a mental note to let Brian know to grab them from Lily’s room for the wash. Emmett should just take them back home. He has a few loads to do when he gets back himself. But Emmett has been swimming here every week since the middle of June and there really was no reason for Duncan not to keep a pair of swim trunks here, along with a few of his other things, just like he and Drew and a drawer for Lily’s visits as well.

When they head back out to Lily’s room, Emmett doesn’t notice his son isn’t following him until he’s almost to the door that leads out into the hall.

“Duncan?” Emmett asks, turning around to find his son staring outside of Lily’s window with longing, “Did you forget something?”

“I’m gonna miss her,” Duncan whispers, his eyes not leaving the tower above her slide.

Emmett gives the little boy an odd look before rubbing the very short, curly fuzz on the top of his head.

“You’ll probably see her in a few days max,” Emmett answers softly, slightly amused.

“Maybe she can spend the night at our house?” Duncan asks hopefully.

“I don’t know, baby,” Emmett admits, “Her papa is going away next Sunday. I know he will want to spend some time with her. Where is Eric anyway?”

“Taking a nap,” Duncan answers distractedly, “Napping is for babies. Me and Lily told him that and he did it anyway.”

“Sometimes it is hard for a man to take advice,” Emmett plays along, “Come on, sweetie. Let’s go downstairs and tell Brian and Lily that we’ll see them later.”

Emmett ushers Duncan away from the window and takes his hand as they go down the stairs.

“Duncan, want to give Lily a hug goodbye?” Emmett asks, gently nudging the boy forward.

Duncan nods his head before walking over to stand in front of Lily.

“Bye, Lily,” Duncan says softly, “I’ll see you later, okay?”

Emmett becomes more baffled when Lily nods at his son, almost bravely, and sniffles.

“Bye, Duncan.”

Lily throws her arms around the little boy, holding him tight, as Duncan returns the embrace just as tightly.

It is hard to separate them after that. When Emmett gives Brian a look and Brian just looks exasperated but gives him a helping hand, their efforts just cause the two four year olds to fall over.

“Duncan, let’s go,” Emmett urges, looking down at the kids now tangled up on the floor.

“No!” Duncan refuses, hiding his face into his arm as Lily giggles at the exchange.

He really doesn’t want to be the one to piss them off. But he really has things that need to get done today and he wants to have some time with his boy later. He had been thinking of having a picnic at Sinatra Park for dinner. He could make his Aunt Lula’s southern fried chicken, some mashed potatoes, green beans, and fresh strawberries, they could bring a big blanket and chow down, feed the ducks before watching tonight’s free concert if it doesn’t end up being too loud for Duncan-

It’s while he is thinking over his plans that Brian gets a hold of Lily and detangles her from Duncan’s grasp.

“Daddy, no!” Lily whines, kicking her feet, “Duncan-”

“Has to go with his Daddy,” Brian interrupts, “I know you two don’t want to let go of each other, but sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do. This is one of those times.”

“Come on,” Emmett adds in, holding out a hand for his son, who was still on the floor, “Get up.”

Duncan’s lower lip juts out before he got up with a ‘hmph!’ However, he does grab onto Emmett’s hand so he must have not offended his son too badly. He feels Duncan resist a little at the door but, with one last call of goodbye, he manages to get the kid out the door.

He isn’t sure what exactly he was expecting after he got Duncan in his carseat and the car back on the road. Maybe a little bitterness from the boy, since he wanted to spend more time with his friend. Maybe for him to forget about it all together and just chatter away or sing along with the radio, like he usually does. But, after Duncan gets over his stubborn silence, Emmett looks through the rearview mirror and catches him smiling. And then it isn’t just smiling. It’s giggling. Just to himself but the kid looks so happy and it does make Emmett curious.

“What’s so funny, baby?” Emmett asks him, making eye contact through the mirror.

Duncan lets out a few more giggles, shakes his hands and feet in excitement, but then shakes his head.

“I’m not supposed to say!” his son informs him, “We promised.”

He really can’t help but be curious then.

But he manages to keep the interrogation to a minimum as they go through the tunnel and drive into Hoboken with ease. Duncan is grinning like a fool the whole ride and Emmett wants to be let into his son’s head for just a second because it must be something pretty fantastic if it is making Duncan, of all children, so excited and giddy.

Once he pulls into the driveway, he opens the rear passenger door to get Duncan out of his seat, only to find him unbuckling it himself and standing up to jump out. He takes Emmett’s hand to jump though, something that calms his misty eyes over his boy growing up faster than he wants him to.

He expects Duncan to go play with Stella or tell him he’s going to play in his room. But, when Emmett tells him he’s going to do some laundry, Duncan tells him he wants to help too. And who can resist a sweet offer like that? The giddiness hasn’t left the boy. Duncan is practically skipping from the bedrooms to the bathrooms, gathering clothes and towels to put in the laundry basket. He hops down the stairs to the laundry room in the basement and asks to be lifted up to sit on the dryer while Emmett sorts the clothes, giggling over whatever he is thinking about.

“Baby!” Emmett can’t help but laugh, glancing over to the silly little boy, “You are leaving me in suspense here. What is it that is making you so happy?”

Duncan bites his lip and sends Emmett a mischievous look, before letting out a cackle, jumping down from the dryer, and running up the basement steps.

So that’s how he wants to do this.

Emmett shakes his head in amusement, throws the first load in the wash and puts the correct settings in, before taking the steps pretty quickly himself.

“Where’s Duncan?” he calls out, looking around the kitchen, “Where is that big boy?”

He hears a giggle and the sound of tapping footsteps from the living room. Emmett follows a sound and stifles a laugh when he sees a pair of children’s Nikes poking out from the bottom.

“Is he behind the couch?” Emmett asks, going over to look behind the piece of furniture in question. As suspected, there’s nothing there and it gets a giggle out of Duncan in the process.

“What about in the cupboard?” Emmett guesses again, opening the door, to only find Drew’s old X-Box inside.

The guess not only gets an even louder laugh out of Duncan, it gets him to stomp his feet as well.

“Oh, I know!” Emmett exclaims, slowly walking towards the curtains, “I think he’s...here!”

Duncan giggles loudly when Emmett pulls back the curtain before running into his Dad’s legs to hug him around his waist. Emmett giggles back at his son, stroking his hair, before lifting the boy up to take him to the couch and tickle his sides.

“What’s got you so happy?” Emmett interrogates playfully, laughing at Duncan’s loud guffaws, “I just have to know what’s gotten you to this state!”

“I...tell...you!!!” Duncan gasps out through the belly laughter before squealing.

Emmett smiles, brings the tickling to a halt, and sits down next to his son.

Duncan lets out an ornery laugh, hands folded on his lap as he swings his legs back and forth.

“I’m waiting,” Emmett says in a deep and cartoonish voice.

“Hmmmm,” Duncan ponders, suppressed giggles causing his chest to shake.

“Looks like I will have to become the tickle monster again!” Emmett sighs before tickling Duncan’s sides once more.

“Okay!” Duncan squeals out through the laughter, “Lily’s my girlfriend!”

Emmett pauses at that and blinks. Well, that’s unexpected. But, despite his surprise, he keeps the playful demeanor up.

“Your what?!” Emmett laughs along, letting Duncan get up.

“My girlfriend!” Duncan repeats joyfully, jumping up and down and spinning around, “Lily’s my girlfriend Lily’s my girlfriend Lily’s my girlfriend-”

“I think I heard you that time,” Emmett chuckles, “Wow! That’s really surprising! You’re just a little stud, aren’t you? Giving her flowers, only to go on and win her heart.”

“Yeah!” Duncan exclaims, nodding his head enthusiastically, “She’s my girlfriend, Daddy!”

Emmett nods his head, “That’s a big step, sweetheart. How did you two decide to be boyfriend and girlfriend?”

Duncan’s grin widens as he starts to tell the tale, “Me and her was swimming and went up in her tower and I told her I liked her a lot! And when I told her that, she said she liked me too and kissed me on the cheek so I kissed her back on the cheek and Lily said that means that we are boyfriend and girlfriend now!”

Emmett’s eyes widen at that, “Oh my! A kiss too? You are growing up so fast. A kiss?”

Duncan confirms the inquiry with a nod, “Yep! And it was the best thing in the whole wide world!”

Duncan starts doing a dance and Emmett watches the excited boy for a moment, mostly with amusement but also with a twinge of concern.

“Well...just remember to keep those kisses on the cheek for the next few years,” Emmett tells him, “You two may be boyfriend and girlfriend now but you are also four.”

Duncan stops dancing at that and becomes a little more solemn, “Okay. I love her but I will just kiss her on the cheek.”

Emmett raises his eyebrows, “You love her, huh?”

“Yes,” Duncan answers, with a tone of finality that leaves no room for argument.

“How do you know?” Emmett has to ask. Because really, how would a four year old know what falling in love feels like?

“I know,” Duncan starts, staring right into his father’s eyes, “‘Cause my heart goes really fast, like a car, no! A plane! When I see her. And because I will dance really funny, just because she smiles when I do that. And I don’t like it when she cries. It makes me sad. I like it when she smiles. I love her. I love her like you love Pa.”

Emmett bites his lip and thinks over his son’s surprising answer. It makes him think of how his pulse quickened when he would see Drew, how it still does. How he instantly feels happy when Drew gets a grin on his face, whether if it’s when he’s playing with Duncan, when he’s having a beer and laughing with a good friend, or when the two of them are in bed together and just looking at each other, wondering how they got so lucky.

And, while Drew doesn’t cry nearly as much as Lily does, Emmett has witnessed it once or twice. Seeing it happen is like a punch to the stomach.

“You know more about love than I thought you would,” Emmett responds respectfully.

“I know lots of things,” Duncan points out, “So many.”

Emmett grins at that and pulls his son into an embrace, “I know you do, Baby. You teach me something new every day.”