Romulus stared at both the little boys, stuck in a state of awe. He had seen photos of them before, but seeing them there in front of him was like seeing them for the first time all over again. Their faces were round and chubby with youth, their cheeks flushed pink and freckled. They had Remedy's wild brown waves, fluffy and untamed, but they had his long, straight nose and his gently tilted eyes. However, where his eyes were haunted and dark, theirs were light and full of joy and wonder. He thought that their eyes were what his might have looked like if he had the chance to have a happy childhood.
They both lightly tugged at his sleeves with their free hands while they continued to hold onto each other. They both smiled wide at him as they stared.
"Hi, I'm Romano!" Romano greeted eagerly, eyes flickering all around Romulus's face.
Romulus continued to stare, feeling like it was hard to catch his breath, but in a good way. After a moment, he shook his head lightly and called him back to himself.
"Oh...hello, Romano. I...yes...I am your dad." He said, a little smile curling his lips as he continued to look down at the two. _________________ Butts n' butts n' butts n' butts.
“My name is Venturo.” The younger twin piped up, still hanging on Romulus’s arm. “Can I give you a hug?” He asked then. Venturo was a clingy and affectionate child, he loved and attached himself to people easily. It was not surprising for him to ask for a hug, though Remedy wasn’t positive if that would be too much. She did want to give Romulus space to answer how he felt most comfortable. She approached slowly then, calling out to Venturo.
“Careful not to hurt him, Dad was just sick not too long ago.” Remedy warned, so Romulus had an out if he wanted to decline the hug.
"Oh, uh, well...I'm not sure I know how to give very good hugs, but...you could show me, maybe." Romulus offered, a little bob of his head. _________________ Butts n' butts n' butts n' butts.
Romano released their father and watched, eagerly anticipating his own hug later, as Romulus proceeded to crouch down in front of them.
Romulus's throat bobbed as he swallowed anxiously and he set down the little wind up fish toys by his feet before opening his own arms out towards Venturo. _________________ Butts n' butts n' butts n' butts.
Venturo leapt forward on the tips of his toes, throwing his arms around Romulus’s neck. He squeezed tight the way kids do when they love you too much. When he leaned in, the bills on both of their baseball caps collided and fell off their heads as Venturo tucked his face into his shoulder. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in and tried to remember the smell and feel; this was his dad. He held on for a moment that felt like forever before he released him, wanting to give his twin an opportunity to embrace their dad.
“I think your hug was good, dad. Romano will tell you too.” Venturo grinned proudly.
The moment Venturo wrapped his arms around his neck, Romulus felt his heart instantly swell in his chest with emotions he didn't think he'd ever felt before. He'd been happy before, his time with Remedy had been filled with almost constant happiness before it all soured, but there was a sort of underlying giddiness with his boy's arms clinging tightly to him. There was also the foreign emotion of...pride. This was his boy, his son, his. He swallowed a tight bud in his throat and wrapped his arms around the little boy, giving him a firm squeeze. He could hear Venturo breathe him in and he dared to tilt his own head to bury his head into his blond curls to do the same. He smelled like Remedy, warm and spiced, but he also smelled like something wholly his own, sunshine and nature. This was how Venturo smelled.
He only released Venturo when the little boy released him. He couldn't help but smile at the compliment. He reached up to gently pat at his golden curls before looking over to Romano who was dancing in place, looking excited and eager.
"Do you want a hu-"
Before he could even finish his question, Romano lunged at him and threw his arms tight around his neck much like Venturo before him. He nestled his face into Romulus's neck, grinning when he felt his father's arms wrap around him. He'd known affection his own life, from his mother, his grandparents, various aunts and uncles, but this was something new and different. This was his dad.
"I'm so happy." He chirped against Romulus's shoulder, not wanting to let go. _________________ Butts n' butts n' butts n' butts.
Remedy watched from a short distance in adoration, this is what she had been hoping for. Maybe the love of his sons would be his path back to absolution. Romulus didn’t need Remedy’s forgiveness, he needed forgiveness from himself. Venturo smiled as he watched his dad and his twin, his still bobbed and rocked on his heels in excitement. He was still in overjoyed disbelief that Romulus was here and that this meeting was finally happening.
“Mama said you were sick, do you feel better now?” Venturo asked then, reaching to tug on Romulus’s sleeve while he was still holding Romano.
Romulus only released Romano when the boy's arms loosened and he peeled back. He offered the little boy the same soft smile he'd shown Venturo and lightly pat at his curls as well before looking over to Venturo. He nodded lightly and cleared his throat a bit.
"I was sick, but Uncle Remus has been taking good care of me, so I'm feeling much better." He explained.
"Do you live with Uncle Remus? How come you live there?" Romano asked, brows furrowed as he reached out to take Romulus's casted hand, looking down and observing the cast as he did so, chubby fingers running over the frayed edges of it.
"For right now, yes, I do." Romulus nodded, allowing both boys to fuss at him as he looked between the two of them with a tender sort of adoration. He'd missed so much of their young lives, he'd let them pull and tug at him in any which way they wanted as long as he got to spend time with them.
"How come you don't live with Mama like other mamas and daddies?" Romano asked as he raised his gaze back up. Because he was still little, he didn't register or give mind to the little pained twitch of Romulus's brows. _________________ Butts n' butts n' butts n' butts.
Remedy approached fully then, closing the gap between them all and coming up from behind and ruffling her boy's hair.
"It is a long story, but what you need to know, is that your dad has never been to an aquarium before." Remedy said, redirecting the question to something they would surely find more interesting. This was Romano and Venturo's chance to introduce an adult to something, their dad even, which as a child, these moments don't come up often.
Romano quickly abandoned his question for a new one as he looked up at Romulus, aghast.
"Never?" He asked, which earned a little chuckle from Romulus as he shook his head.
"Nope. Never. But your mama said it was somewhere you both liked, so I was hoping you could show it to me." Romulus said, gently prying his arms from his boys so he could grab the little wind-up fish he'd set down by his feet. He offered one blue one to Romano and an orange one to Venturo. "I hope this is enough payment for a tour." _________________ Butts n' butts n' butts n' butts.
"I think so!" Venturo chirped happily as he took the fish from Romano. As far as he was concerned, this was the best day ever already. He got a dad who was so cool and nice, he gave good hugs and gave him a toy, if the day got any better, Venturo thought his heart would surely burst.
"I'll call him Dad Jr, after you!" He exclaimed proudly with a wide smile.
Romano marveled at the toy, eyes alight and a broad, pleased grin spread across his face. He looked up at Romulus and took up his hand with a firm little nod, clutching the fish to his chest with his other hand.
"Let's go! I want to show you the big fish wall and the touching tank." He said eagerly. _________________ Butts n' butts n' butts n' butts.
Remedy followed a step behind Romano and the boys all day. While Remedy had gone to the aquarium with her twins many times, and exhausted many hours there, today must’ve been the most action packed. It was like they were going for the first time with all the knowledge they had now; Romano led Romulus around the touch tank area and rattled off facts on varying animals. Venturo took them to the sea life talk, just to show Romulus the giant sun fish. Which when it finally came round, Venturo exclaimed loudly and interrupted the lecture. Everyone took it in good humor though.
At the end of it, the boys took Romulus by both hands into the jellyfish room. There was one area that was completely round and mostly dark, with a sort of waterbed like circle cushion. When they all laid back on the cushion and looked up at the ceiling, it was dotted with hundreds of tiny Irukandji jellyfish; they looked like stars. The boys both fell asleep, cuddled up to Romano’s sides and Remedy lying opposite of Romulus, their heads on either sides of each other. Remedy and Romulus had nights like this, when they were young and would wordlessly gaze up at the night sky. It was impossible to really see stars in New York, even in the suburbs. But it was beautiful all the same to Remedy, she’d watch little blinking satellites drift by and airplanes glide over clouds; just above the Empire State Building. But here, here and now, lying in the dark room with only the light of jellyfish, and the sleepy sounds of their sons breathing; it was probably the most beautiful and serene thing.
Remedy wanted everyday to be like this.
After a full day, the foursome exited the aquarium. The twins on the outside of Romulus, still dragging him by his wrists, their plastic fish in their free hands. The sun was going to be setting soon, it was beginning to feel a little chilly. Remedy hugged her bomber jacket close to her a moment before fishing her phone out of the diaper bag.
“Let me get a picture of you guys, while there’s still some light.” Remedy called out to them from a few steps behind.
Much like the brand new experience of coming to the aquarium with his boys, Romulus had never previously experienced the kind of happiness the time spent with them had brought him. Of course there had been little moments in his life that he had been happy, like warm summer nights spent rocking back and forth in lazy rhythm with Remedy in his arms while her car radio played a song low and sweet or days spent in the park with his twin having idle conversation and eating whatever cheap bodega food they could afford before they had to return home. His life had been filled with so much misery, but that hadn't meant that there hadn't been glimpses of happiness, which were fleeting but treasured nonetheless. But this was a different kind of happiness, one that felt like he could hold onto, that he desperately wanted to hold onto.
He had allowed the boys to take the lead all day, simply following them wherever they towed him along to. He'd never been interested in the aquarium, or aquatic life in general, he simply never thought to be, but being there with his boys and Remedy made him appreciate it, or perhaps he just appreciated them. Seeing how happy the boys were, showing him things he'd never seen before and telling him their encyclopedic knowledge of fish (or so it seemed to him), it made his heart swell. They were so good and kind and they were smart. He had already decidedly loved them when he saw their photos, but it was a feeling that felt cemented in him as he held their little hands throughout the day.
"A photo! I want a photo with you, Dad!" Romano practically cheered as he spun, still holding onto Romulus's hand, to face his mom. _________________ Butts n' butts n' butts n' butts.
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