[hockeypreg2]

"Don't worry. The only time the diaper is coming off is if he needs to be changed," Zach assured Caleb. "We are not going to streak at Jen and Holly's wedding. Right Milo?"

Milo squirmed in Zach's arms, trying to climb up so he could see over his shoulder. "Papa papa. Noooo."

"Papa papa yes," Zach said, shifting his squirmy child back so he was on his hip again. "It will make the evening go much smoother." He sat down at the table with Milo on his lap, one arm around him. He and Caleb were experts at eating one handed at this point so he wasn't worried about getting his dinner eaten.

[Sam260]

Caleb laughed and shook his head as he sat down, putting their plates in front of them "I cannot wait until he's in pull-ups... Those are so much easier to keep on a kids bottom." Caleb said, glancing to Noah who was just like Milo - never wanting to be dressed for more than a few moments at a time. Savannah was their good girl, she *loved* wearing clothes and dressing up - still did.

And, of course, just thinking of Savannah, she smiled as she dropped from here chair and came over to Noah, pulling herself right up into his lap and taking a few heads of broccoli off his plate - unlike most kids, she happened to love broccoli and would eat them all the time if you let her "What are you doing, Miss Savannah? Aren't I allowed to eat my dinner?" Caleb asked, tickling his daughters stomach lightly and kissing the top of her head.

Savannah giggled and nodded, tilting her head back on Caleb's shoulder "I want to go dance with Aunt Jen, but Noah said I'm not 'lowed to because its not that kind of party... Can I daddy? Papa?"

[hockeypreg2]

"When everyone starts dancing you absolutely can dance with Aunt Jen," Zach assured her. "It's not time yet. They're still eating and we need to give them time to do that. Once the music starts, that's when you can dance with her."

Savannah looked confused. "There's music playing now."

"This is dinner music," Zach said. "I know. It's confusing but hear how it's just the instruments playing and there are no words? It's supposed to be quiet background music while you eat."

[Sam260]

Savannah pouted her bottom lip out and sighed unhappily as she dropped from Caleb's lap once again "Can I go get more food then?" she asked, pointing to the still very full buffet table - it was meant to be picked through from the time dinner started, until the end of the evening, and anyone was allowed to grab from it "I want more chicken tenders and broccoli's... I didn't know they had those!"

Caleb looked down the length of the table and Noah "How many chicken tenders did Savannah eat while Papa and I were in the bathrooms?" Caleb asked.

Noah held up five fingers and continued eating his last chicken tender, slathered in ketchup and honey mustard sauces. Caleb shook his head "How about just the broccoli baby? You've already eaten far too many chicken tenders and we wouldn't want you getting an upset stomach while dancing with Aunt Jen."

[hockeypreg2]

"But I'm hungry," Savannah whined and threw herself against Caleb's side theatrically. "I need chicken tender and broccolis."

Zach snorted a little and took a big bite of his food. Caleb was fine handling Savannah. He moved some broccoli close to Milo so he could grab it and eat it as well. Milo just liked food in general at the point and was nowhere near as picky as his older siblings. Zach just didn't want him trying to eat the lasagna with his hands or steal all the chicken marsala.

Milo snatched up a piece of broccoli, munching on it happily. He poked his fingers in a dinner roll and giggled, little bits of broccoli landing on the table. Zach sighed and relinquished his dinner roll as well.

[Sam260]

Caleb glared at his husband for the indignant snort. He wanted to say something about it, but unfortunately he had a three-year-old on the verge of a temper tantrum and a currently useless husband "Savannah, sweetie... Do you want to get a tummy ache while dancing with Aunt Jen?"

Savannah shook her head against Caleb's side "No. But I wan' tenders and broccolis." She whined again, turning her head back to look up at Caleb "Fine... If you won't gimme them, I'll just ask papa! He gives me everything!" she huffed and turned right around to stare up at Zach, pulling the 'I'm totally innocent' puppy dog eyes as she shuffled closer to Zach "Papa, daddy won't lemme have chicken tenders and broccolis. Tell him I can?"

Caleb scowled slightly, eyes glaring right at his husband, daring the other man to try and give their daughter what she wanted - they were *trying* to set boundaries with the three year old, and she *always* pushed hard, in the end getting what she wanted, rather than what Zach or Caleb wanted for her.

[hockeypreg2]

Zach shook his head immediately. "You can have some broccoli like your father said. If you are still hungry after you've danced and your done running around, you can have some tenders then. Five tenders is a lot, sweetheart."

Savannah looked at him with her mouth wide open in surprise. "But papa! You're supposed to give them to me."

Zach sighed and shifted Milo so he wasn't squirming off his lap. "You need to listen to your father, Savannah. He's usually right."

[Sam260]

Savannah huffed in irritation, stomping a foot on the ground, but she turned and walked off in a tizzy, heading toward the buffet table to find herself some more broccoli. Caleb turned in his chair to watch their daughter "Usually right? Try always." he said, glancing at Zach.

Noah pushed his plate away and stood up "I'm ready to go play now. Are we allowed? I mean... Almost everyone is done eating, especially the kids." Noah said, pointing to the group of kids that were all seated at one table, talking animatedly but quietly.

Caleb nodded and reached over, ruffling Noah's hair lightly "Yeah bud, you can go sit with the other kids until everyone else has finished eating. I don't want to see your butt off a chair until it's time to get moving again though, understand me?"

[hockeypreg2]

Noah nodded, barely suppressing the urge to roll his eyes. "I'll be good, Dad. I promise." He hurried off to join the rest of the kids, sitting down in one of the free chairs and immediately joining in on the conversation.

Zach looked over at Caleb. "*Dad*? That's new. Has he done that before? I can't believe he's old enough to switch to Dad."

Milo reached for another piece of broccoli and held it out to Caleb who looked a little stricken. "Daddy Daddy Daddy."

[Sam260]

Caleb blinked a few times "No..." he whispered and looked down at the napkin in his lap "I've never been 'Dad'ed' before..." Caleb cleared his throat and took the broccoli from Milo's hand, putting it on the table.

Milo screeched when his gift was rejected, pushing away from Zach to grab at the broccoli, he mushed it up and tears started riding down Milo's face as he placed his green-mushy hand against Zach's shirt "Daddy! Daddy!" he shouted the words this time, wanting to get Caleb's attention.

Caleb snapped out of whatever funk he had been dropped into, and quickly took Milo from Zach's arms "Watch Savannah and Noah... He probably needs to be changed anyway." Caleb said quickly but quietly. He got up and out of the chair as quick as possible, taking off for the doors - he didn't even grab the diaper bag, despite claiming that Milo needed a changing.

[hockeypreg2]

Zach sighed and watched as Caleb hurried away. He picked off bits of mushy broccoli from his shirt, keeping an eye on Savannah as she made her way back with some broccoli. She climbed up on her chair, still pouting.

"Where's Daddy?" Savannah asked before shoving a piece of broccoli in her mouth.

"He took Milo to the bathroom. Noah called him Dad and I think he's a little upset." Zach took a bite of his food, taking advantage of his time with a squirming child on his lap to eat quickly.

"Why? He's Daddy." Savannah looked confused at that. "And you're Papa. Noah's silly."

[Sam260]

[Few Months Later:]

Caleb sighed as he fixed the bowtie on his neck for the hundredth time.  While normally he would have no problem tying these things up beautifully, he was just having a stressful time with the bowtie.  They hadn't been to an awards ceremony in ages, and Caleb was worried that he would have forgotten all of his etiquette details when it came to these fancy affairs.  While normally he would be wearing somethin that stood out, he wasn't feeling - today - exactly flashy.  So, he was wearing a black and white tuxedo, just like Zach was wearing.

"Dad-" something Caleb was still having trouble getting used too, Noah calling him *dad* rather than *daddy* "-Why do we need a baby sitter?  Why can't I watch Savannah and Milo?  They like me!" Noah complained, pushing his floppy black hair off his face.

Caleb laughed tiredly "Because, Noah... You're only seven years old.  You are far too young to be staying home alone with any of your siblings.  Besides, we thought you liked when Amanda came over to hang out with you guys?" Caleb asked as he reached over and ruffled Noah's hair, still trying to fight with his bowtie.

Noah groaned and draped himself across the bed dramatically "Yeahhhh... but, I also like taking care of them by myself!  If Amanda is here, she'll want to hold Milo and coo about how cute he is... and she'll want to color with Savannah..." Noah complained and sat up again "And I'll just be stuck watching boring old TV... while everyone else gets attention."

[hockeypreg2]

Zach came into the room, holding a small jewelry box in his hands. He watched Noah flop on the bed, sighing dramatically about how boring his evening was going to be. "You can stay up much later then they can though so you'll get Amanda's attention all to yourself when they leave."

Noah looked over at him and sighed again. "I *guess*."

"Can you do me a favor and take Leo out? I need to talk to Dad alone."

Noah looked between them and then at the box in Zach's hands. He smiled a little and got off the bed. "Yeah, okay. I'll go do that. I'm sure Leo really has to go out."

[Sam260]

Caleb sighed and turned in the chair he had been sitting in; bowtie still undone around his neck "Do you think they'd be made if I went without the tie? I cannot, for the life of me, get this thing tied." Caleb said as he started pulling the tie off his neck, dropping it onto the dresser.

He looked up at Zach in the mirror and smiled, an eyebrow raising upward slightly "I'm tired of people calling me *dad*... It makes me feel old, and I'm barely even thirty yet. I have one more year until my thirtieth birthday... Can I be daddy for just *one* more year?" He noticed the jewelry box in Zach's hands as well, but otherwise didn't mention it. He was used to Zach buying him jewelry by now, and while the surprise was always there, Zach's delivery never really was - the only true surprise was when Zach had proposed.

[hockeypreg2]

"I think you can probably get away without the bowtie," Zach said, holding out the box to him. "I know you went pretty tame this time but I wanted you to have something special to wear. This should go really well with those ruby and diamond earrings I got you a few years ago. You know, if you wanted to wear earrings tonight."

Zach leaned down to kiss him gently. "I love you. Thank you for coming with me tonight."

[Sam260]

Caleb took the box and sighed happily as he opened it up and the choker necklace came into view. It looked exactly like the earrings did, with the ruby at the center, surrounded by six diamonds. It was on a black leather strap, almost like a collar but not quite as it didn't have the collar attachment "I love it, Zach. Thank you!" Caleb said as he set the box down and spun up to his feet, wrapping arms around Zach and pushing up on his tip toes to kiss his husband sweetly.

"And of course I'd be coming with you tonight... I know we haven't done this in a while, but I wouldn't miss it for the world." Caleb lifted up the necklace again and turned to Zach, smiling brightly "Help me put it on? I'll put the earrings on in a few moments."

[hockeypreg2]

Zach brushed Caleb's hair forward, exposing his neck. He placed a gentle kiss on his nape before securing the necklace. He settled it so it looked like Caleb was wearing it like a bowtie. "I thought you'd like it. I had it made special because I didn't think you would want a normal necklace. I thought you'd like the leather better."

He wrapped his arms around Caleb from behind, looking at the both of them in the mirror. "You look so gorgeous. I'm the luckiest guy in the world."

[Sam260]

Caleb laughed and shook his head as he settled his hands on Zach's hands, looking at the both of them as well "Now that's where you're wrong, Mr. Martin." Caleb said as he tilted his head back and looked up at Zach "I have the most gorgeous and loving husband... and I am definitely the luckiest man in the world."

Caleb slowly turned around in the circle of Zach's arms, slipping his over Zach's shoulders and pulling him close. He pulled Zach's head down and kissed him slowly, fingers gently playing with the strands at the nape of Zach's neck "I love you, so much."

"Gross." Noah gagged as he came back into Zach and Caleb's bedroom, Leo trotting in behind him "Amanda is here, finally... So I think that's your cue to go." Noah said matter of factly as he crossed his arms over his chest "Can me and Leo stay upstairs in your bedroom? Because Amanda is already playing with Milo and Savannah and she *just* got here!"

[hockeypreg2]

"You can stay up here for a bit but I do want you to go downstairs," Zach said, kissing the top of Noah's head. He gave him a hug as well. "Don't hide away forever."

Noah climbed on the bed and patted the bed for Leo to join him. Leo climbed the ramp Zach had put at the end of the bed for him as he had gotten older so he didn't have to jump up and down. At 12, Leo was definitely feeling his age but still insisted in following Noah around almost everywhere.

Zach held out his hand to Caleb. "Are you ready to go?"

[Sam260]

Caleb nodded as he took Zach's hand in his own and reached up to gently fix Zach's bowtie "Absolutely, babe. Let's go show off to the world, just how beautiful the Martin's really are." Caleb said as he slid one arm around Zach's waist and then looked over at Noah on the bed "Behave for Amanda, Noah.. We know you've outgrown a baby sitter-" in your mind he added silently "-but you still have to listen to her, she's in charge."

Noah nodded as he grabbed the remote for the television off of Zach's nightstand "I know, dad. You two have fun!" Noah called after the couple as they started out of the bedroom.

Caleb smiled a little as they came down the stairs and looked at Milo and Savannah who were sitting on the floor with Amanda "All of the kids approved snacks, television shows, meals, and everything else are already written up on the list in the kitchen. Phone numbers and everything..." Caleb always did this whenever someone babysat - even if it were Zach's parents - "Noah is upstairs in our bedroom, he's feeling a little shy right now..." he lied easily, clearly having gotten that skill from Zach "He said he won't stay up there forever, but if you could check on him occasionally as well."