Chapter Text
Bruce didn’t even realise he had fallen asleep until a soft rocking and the call off ‘Daddy, Daddy wake up Daddy, Uncle John says dinners ready’
Blinking slowly, he looked around blinking quickly as he saw the fiery red hair of his wife and yellow and orange stripes, ‘Sorry Honey, I didn’t mean to fall asleep’ pushing a teal hand through his bangs catching a knot that he teased out.
A loud squeal of ‘DADDY EWWW’ broke through his sleep fogged mind, as Bruce's sunglasses fell away the last of the sun light hitting his eyes, ‘Reef, REEF’ he jumped up rushing forward as his son stuck his tongue out making fake gagging face.
‘Sorry Reef, what was it you wanted?’ he rubbed his eyes the gagging noise stopped as his son raised an eyebrow, and held out his hand, ‘uncle John says dinners ready’, the tone got a raised eyebrow, as Bruce hopped into the open palm.
Bruce watched as his kids set the tables without being asked, he had been placed at his seat on the table, told to stay put as another drink was pushed into his hands, he wasn’t used to drinking for no reason, but while he was sipping at the amber liquid enjoying the slight burn as it went down he looked at the open spot with out cutlery, plates or glasses, and sighed a soft smile filling his face as he remembered a meal a quiet a few years ago, his eyes fuzzy as a gold coloured light flitting at the edges as the cantinas low lights came on.
Bruce pacing the table, he had set candles and some of the island flowers scattered the table and in the tall vases he had dotted around, making sure everything looked perfect the opal shell covered box he had painstakingly crafted knowing what was inside would change his future.
Tugging at his vest he brushed the imagery lint, and smoothed the invisible creases, nerves hitting him, he caught sight of himself in the reflection of the window and sucking in his softened belly, as he looked around thinking he could sneak in a quick work out, when his ear twitching as he heard a soft tinkle if the door opening.
There in the entryway, sun hitting the curled and wavy hair, making it look like a living fire, a small dotting of white flowers clustered at the side of her head, a soft white top and skirt, flowers sewn at the hem and weaving upwards to the soft waist, the flash of yellow before a the white top.
Bruce looked seeing the pink shell and six pearl necklace, rest close to a slim neck, when he saw the warm brown eyes and bright smile directed at him, this women was a literal island goddess, wiping his hands on the jacket nerves kicking in.
‘You look beautiful’ he warm laugh wrapped around his heart, as his island goddess sat at the table with him, ‘you don’t look so bad yourself’ Brandy’s voice warmed him, making the question he wanted to ask all the more right
Bruce smiling as they finished their meal, letting out a slow breath out, mixed a single laugh,’ Happy Anniversary Bran’ he raised the glass of colourful drink, the colours matching his girlfriend perfectly, no wonder it was his favourite.
‘well’ Bruce looked up seeing the curious glint in the brown eyes, ‘we’ve had a wonderful meal, chewed over the day, you seemed really insistent that we couldn’t see each other until tonight.’
Bruce watched the swirl of Brandy’s straw in her own purple drink, ice cube tinkling the glasses delicate, swallowing lightly, Bruce tensed each of his muscles and slowly releasing them.
The golden glow around his girlfriend made him smile.
The words faded as general chatter as he saw the way she smiled, her eyes glittering and the glow around her as he asked her to marry him, and she presenting him with test showing that she was carrying their baby.
‘Daddy?’
Bruce looked towards his only daughter, ‘yes princess?’ a warm smile filled his face as the same expressive brown eyes as her mother.
‘What are you looking at?’ Bruce Jr head tilted the side.
Humming slightly he blinked remembering the way he cried when she told him, and then said yes, ‘your mom’ voice soft, and with those two words Bruce felt the rooms energy shift from a giddy to a quiet calm.
His youngest spoke ‘I miss mommy’ this sentiment was echoed around the room by each of his kids.
‘I know guys, me too, but its only one more week annnnd I’m sure if you ask nicely, you’re uncles would be kind enough to stay and maybe help out some more’ Bruce turned his pleading eyes to his brothers.
It was trick each of them knew and didn’t use unless needed, he wiggled his fingers in a certain way, as the older of the five understood, while the youngest was confused, until Clay leaned over whispering, and quietly showing him, Branch who looked back wide eyed but now understanding, nodding with a wide smile.
Bruce walked his kids through their bed time routine before Floyd took over and shuffled him out of the room, Clay was almost finished with his task, and as he went to the kitchen, he stood surprised as it was cleaner than it had started and to a standard he hadn’t seen since opening, and he did slouch in the cleaning of his family’s livelihood.
Nodding as he walked slowly, Bruce gave a low whistle impressed he had never been able to get the grape jelly stain out once it set, ‘Hey Bruce’ hand clutching his chest as he spun giving a laugh as his baby brother sputtering and pushing his hair away from his face, ‘Sorry B’, Bruce help untangle the blue troll, before shifting his hair back to its surfer wave.
‘Shouldn’t you be relaxing somewhere?’ Bruce watched the ear twitching slightly remembering how as baby Branch could wiggle his ears independently, a quirk only he hadn’t realised until seeing it Rainy shared with his uncle.
‘Yeah he should’ John Dory dropped next to them, dusting his hands off, arm going around Bruces shoulders, ‘You asked and we told agreed to help, we got this’ John holding a fist out to Branch who just sighed and bumped it.
‘But’ Bruce started but was spun quickly around and frogmarched back to the sunny spot again, only this time he had company in the forms of Clay and Floyd who were chattering happily, as a drink was pressed into his hands again.
‘Relax, we got this’ was whispered as nudged forward.
This wasn’t normal for him, normal for him and Brandy meant quietly collapsing in their bed at the end if the day and just breathing together, the soft smiles and knowing at the end if the day, even through all the chaos they wouldn't trade one noisy, chaotic, beautiful moment of it.
Shaking his head joined his brothers, and just enjoyed the setting sun, remembering the last time he sat like this, was just before Brandy left for her Yoga retreat.
The soft chatter of his brothers, sipping at the glass of Brandy in his hand, he realised what it was soon after the pour, closing his eyes he let the sound of the surf and distant sound of other businesses closing up for the day, as a soft scrape of two chairs and the sound of glasses and small plates being placed on the table.
Vibrant coloured drinks and cubed fruits and nibbles he hadn’t seen since he was a kid sat between them all.
‘Guys thanks, and you don’t have to stay’ taking a small sip of his drink, eyes skirting around the table only to get small smiles and,
‘No man’,
‘Don’t even think about it’
‘We don’t mind’
And a frown from Branch.
Smiling Bruce took the words in and the warm of the night air.
‘You know Im curious’ Bruce bust out laughing as Branch slapped a hand over Johns mouth.
‘I swear if you ask how I will hurt you, there are somethings I don’t need, or want to know about my brothers’ Branch paused looking at them all, ‘ever! EW JOHN DORY THATS DISGUSTING!!!!!’ rubbing the hand down his leaf vest.
The elder four laughed at their little brother as Branch tried to hit John.
‘I actually do have a question’ Bruce turned to look at the Floyd eyebrow raised, smile across his face.
‘How did you end up married to our lovely sister-in-law?’