Chapter Text
Gale trudged to his new apartment with armfuls of grocery bags. Haste was of the utmost importance but he was balancing a bag that was on the verge of tearing in two and a whole box of diapers awkwardly held up by his bicep and chest. His arms strained against the weight with every struggled step. One stair at a time. By the time he got up the twentieth his arms felt like they were going to fall right out of his sockets.
He could hear through the thin plaster walls of the television being blared. Even though, at this hour, the house should be silent. Screams and yells and maybe crying? Was on the other end.
With a very long, tired sigh, he opened the front door.
The apartment was a mess.
Toys were strewn everywhere, the kitchen had food thrown around, and there were two very loud children that would get him another noise complaint.
“Oh she’s so fired,” He grits out behind his teeth. Dropping off the groceries on the kitchen floor. Finding he has no strength to even attempt to put them on the counter. He feels something squelch underneath his foot and lifts his dress shoe to find ketchup under, and now on, his shoe.
Closing his eyes, he takes a deep breath and counts to ten.
‘This is for the best,’ he has to remind himself. ‘This is for the best.’
“Carrie!” He calls out.
His neighbors were already going to complain about him. What was more yelling going to do?
The said young woman sauntered to the entrance of the kitchen. Crossing her arms as she leans against the wall. “You’re late.”
“And they were supposed to be in bed by now.” He bites back. He pinches his nose and shakes his head. He didn’t have the energy for this, and because of what he was about to do, he was going to have to bring his kids to work tomorrow. “Carrie. You’re fired.”
She glared at him but she didn’t look surprised. Just held out her hand.
He grumbled to himself as he dug out his wallet. Grumbling that this was the last time he let some ex-student's sister or whatever watch his kids ever again. How could she and Drew even be related? He slaps the fifty on her palm. “I’m not tipping. Now please leave my home.”
She stashed her pay away and flipped him off as she left. Calling out, “Oh! By the way! Gave Orlias soda and I spilt the formula! So the other one needs food!” Then slams the door hard enough to rattle the cupboards.
Gale took a deep, heavy breath in. Reaching up to rub at his temples. If Mystra just did her end of the bargain- he thought. For the fifth time this day.
This day was already a gods damned mess and now he had to clean this abhorrent apartment and put away groceries AND-
“Daddy?” Called out a little voice.
There was still crying but the screaming had stopped.
“DADDY!” Squealed his little man. The three year old appeared out of nowhere. Skidding on his cat onesie as he ran to him with arms outstretched. Brown hair flying all over the place. And that smile. Gods, that smile. A smile that brightened his sour mood.
Gale’s smile was genuine as he reached down and caught his three year old son, Orlias. Enjoying his giggles as he pressed so many kisses across those chubby cheeks.
“Look at you! Did you stay up to say good night to me?” He asked. Feeling Orlias hold onto him with a death grip.
“Yea…” He felt his son rub his face into his shoulder. “Baby sad.”
“I hear that. Let's go see what your sister needs, yeah?” He holds his son on his hip as he goes to the source of the crying. By gods. The lungs on that kid.
He followed the source to the kids’ shared room. Orlias’ bed sat on one wall while the crib sat on the opposite end. Their toys are in the middle with a bookshelf along the wall for all of their children’s books. Tara sat on a rocking chair his mother gifted him when Ori was about to be born.
She looked distressed. Tail all poofed. Flicking too and fro.
“There you are, Mr. Dekarios! I swear! If that woman picked her up one more time I would’ve clawed her eyes out!” She exclaimed exasperated.
Gale understood her exasperation all too well. “I know. I know. I fired her.”
She nods with a huff, “Good. By the gods! Where do you even find these sitters?”
“I am aware, Tara! Here! Distract Ori for me!” He tells the tressym. He sets his son down. “Okay big man. I have to see what the baby needs. Will you be good? Maybe show Tara your favorite toys again?”
Ori nodded vigorously. Loving to ‘explain’ his toys to anyone who was in the vicinity of him. Like father like son, he supposed. So off he went to his pile of toys with Tara trotting behind him. Tail up.
Gale takes a moment or two to breathe before approaching the crib.
Dylia, his seven month old, was red in the face. Angry. Upset. Going to let everyone in the whole block know it. He gently coos down at her, “Shh, shh, shh. Hi baby girl. I know. I’m late with dinner.” He picks her up and tries to rock her as he rushes back to the kitchen.
He digs through the bags in a mad rush to find the new formula. Tearing some of the plastic bags apart.
Maybe he could’ve done this before he went into his children’s room. Maybe he should’ve done it right when he got back into the kitchen. Sue him. He was exhausted. Damn, useless-
Nope.
No.
Not going to make his daughter’s mood any worse. Or his, for that matter.
That bottle couldn’t have come too soon.
Oh sweet, glorious silence.
Just the gentle, sweet suckling of Dylia drinking her milk. He could overhear Orlias still talking to Tara so he was going to use this time wisely. While he still had the energy left.
—
Some god gave him pitty that morning and he was able to find a babysitter to watch his kids for the day. It drove him insane that he couldn’t vet them like he wanted to, but a neighbor was good enough right? He at least knew where the man lived (right below him).
The rest of the night before was rough.
Ori didn’t go to bed until one in the morning and he had to clean the whole apartment.
He’d be lucky if he had gotten two hours of sleep.
Gale arrived to work with the largest container of coffee he could find with three pumps of Espresso and a dangerous amount of sugar. It tasted like tar going down, but this drink was purely for utility.
That morning was such a whirlwind that he barely had time to shower, let alone comb his hair. Hells. When did he have time to shave his….well it wasn’t stubble any more, was it? No. It was a full blown beard now. He hadn’t been able to properly get any of his clothes dry cleaned so they looked a mess. Machine washable; they were not.
He nearly collapsed onto his desk when he finally sat at his chair. Trying to mentally prepare himself into the fact he had to teach students in an hour.
“Well, well well. Professor Dekarios. Don’t you look like shit?”
Gale just barely looked up over the rim of his glasses. Glaring at the vampire at his door.
“Why are you here Astarion?” Astarion Ancunin was a night professor, obviously, and a professor that wouldn’t even be in this damned building in the first place.
Astarion raises his brow for a moment and Gale dared him to be his usual pain-in-the-ass self today. He didn’t have much civility in his today. Especially for this man. He hoped his no-nonsense, deadpan stare was off-putting enough.
The elf hums before sauntering in. “I wasn’t watching the time as I graded my mid-term papers. I am trapped by the infernal sun!” He exclaims dramatically.
“And…why aren’t you in the Poli-Sci building?” Gale drolls out. Taking gulps upon gulps of coffee to hopefully restart his brain.
Astarion sat on the desk with a dramatic sigh. Checking his cuticles while he flatly replied with, “Because the Poli-Sci building has too many windows.”
“But why the magic building?”
“To mess with my favorite wizard, of course!” He begins to pick at the things on his desk. Like a magpie.
Gale buries his head into his hands. Digging his nails into his scalp. “Astarion! Pleeeease! Don’t mess with me today.” For the love of all things good he can’t handle someone vaguely insulting him. He can’t even handle the diaper change this morning without nearly bursting into tears.
He hears the elf hum above him.
“The divorce is going well, I see.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Hm.” He hears something being set down. “You, Darling, need to go out and drink. Relax. Forget about your bitch ex for a night. For old times sake!”
Gale mutters ‘old times sake’ before groaning into his hands. He didn’t even have the mental capacity to berate his coworker for talking about Mystra like that. “Astarion! I can’t keep a baby sitter longer than four days! It’s literally driving me insane trying to get someone to watch them while I work! And you want me to go out and drink?!”
Astarion scoffs, “Is that all?”
IS THAT ALL?!
He was going to strangle this man.
“If I can find you a decent permanent babysitter, then will you finally join us for drinks again? I need someone to keep the peace between Shadowheart and Lae’zel. And maybe be on my team again to win at trivia. This week the pot is five hundred dollars and a gift card to this fabric store. I need to win this.”
Gale slowly lifts his head from his hands. Eyeing Astarion like he was figuring out a puzzle. “You? Finding a babysitter?”
“Sure! I have more connections than you know, honey.” He winks at him. “I can find someone who will make sure those brats of yours are safe and sound.”
“...you calling them brats doesn’t bring me much confidence.”
“Fine! Sweet little angels from heaven itself! Do we have a deal?” He holds out his hand.
Gale bats Astarion’s hand away. “Fine.” He points a finger at him, “But I have to approve of them first! And…and I get the five hundred dollars!”
Astarion rolls his eyes but grins down at him all the same. “Fine. From the looks of it, you need it more than I do. Not like there won’t be more trivia nights in the future.” He jumps down from the desk and waves to Gale. “I’ll have a babysitter for you by tomorrow morning, Darling. Tah!”
Groaning, Gale stares up at the ceiling. Waiting for his period to start and for the roof to fall in on him.