This would not be the first time Rhys has worn a tie. He has been wearing ties since he was able to open my eyes. Always trying to impress. Trying to show somebody. Whether it be his mother, father, shoe-lickers and green eyed girls. He must always show his best.

Now he tries it for a different reason. As his fingers fold and tuck, his eyes cast away from the mirror. Trained fingers move on their own as Rhys glances at his still unclothed daughter. Lee stares in concentration trying to understand her fathers strange hand movements.

"Lee, it's not that serious.", Rhys says, lowering his arms. "What you need to focus on is keeping still."

Rhys moves over to the small hanger dangling from the bathroom door. On said hanger was a small black and plaid dress with a big red bow at the back. Kique mentioned it being her little cousin's one and something about it having a hold on black mothers for generations but Rhys couldn't focus on it as Eli was showing off his Lee puppet.

"Now Lee, I want you to promise me you will keep still. Alright?"

Lee gave a small sneeze in response. Rhys grins and wipes her little nose with the end of his towel. He grabs the small dress from the hook and ,after a quick diaper check began, he began the task of dressing his cub 

Lee was not happy with this. Her chubby arms and legs swung in displeasure trying thier best to escape the plaid attacker. Rhys almost wished he was battling through some tall sweaty men right now rather than struggle with a two month old. 

"C'mon cub, you have to work with me here. We made a promise."

Rhys pleaded. A grateful smile came to his lips as he finally gets the dress on the fussy cub. A grateful smile only turned into a frown as he realized the dress was on backwards.

Lee was giving a toothless smile of joy.

Or a devious smirk if you asked Rhys 

Rhys inhaled deeply and decided to fuck it. He zips up the dress and tied semi decent bow on the front. Lee didn't seem to mind in the slightest. 

"There you go cub. Could be a new fashion statement."

Rhys mused as they walked into the room. The room smelt of cologne. The nice type of cologne. The one that smelt of woods and spice. Rhys bites his lips absently and rest his cub on the bed. No one was in the room but the cologne clinged to the air like a cub to it's mother. Eli, who managed to escape Trents hair rangling hold, bounds up to him. He too smelt of that cologne but it didn't fit him at all.

"Eli! I see you have escaped again."

Rhys says. Eli gives a brisk nod before holding out an object he has no clue hat to do with. Long steel rods taunted  him . The black handle grip tightly in the young boys fist.

"Please."

Rhys mouth becomes dry all of a sudden. The mental object continues to stare him down. Eli pouts and thrusts the object into the stunned man's hand.

"I don't know how to do this."

Eli just sat expectantly. 

Rhys takes in a deep breath and raise the object. Does he do straight down or to the side? Does he go up or saw through? How does he know it's down enough or do you just look for blood? Either way he has to do this. He positions the pick vaguely how he's seen J do it. He pulls it through the young boys head.

He flinches away, leaving it dangle in his curls.

"Sorry. Just… I have no idea how to do this. Maybe you should let one of the others do it."

"No. Daddy do it."

Did he?

"Did you just call me daddy?"

Eli nods like that wasn't the biggest announcement of Rhys' life side to the fact he was pregnant. A small smile spreads to his lips leaving him a nice fuzzy feeling in his chest.

"I didn't know you think I was your daddy. Not that I'm complaining. "

"Yes, daddy. Now do hair."

 Rhys, with new found gusto, picks up the hairpik  again and tries again. In the end, it wasn't the most even afro. Could of been done better in the middle if Rhys didn't flinch with every knot. Eli was happy with it so that means Rhys was too.

"Whoa! A mini Micheal Jackson!"

Jordan joked as they stepped in the living room. Everyone was looking clean and sharp, even Ty with his squinty face. Everyone was ready to do, everyone except Malik who was no where to be seen.

"J, have you seen Malik?"

"Yeah, went back in the bathroom to do something."

"Mind holding Lee for a moment. Need to get something."

"I s'alright."

Rhys handed his eager daughter over to J. He made his way to the bathroom but not without hearing Jordan say,

"Check Ty, her heads on backwards."

Malik looked so handsome. That was the thought that ran through Rhys' head when he locked eyes on the man. Stiff black trouser and a deep purple button down contrasted with a white tie that hung untied on his neck. He looked like he was about to entertain his delegates rather than attend a church function.

"Need some help?"

"Would be nice."

"Good thing I'm feeling nice today."

Rhys reached his up and began trying the tie. As his hands moved, his eyes caught a glimpse at Malik's. His gaze fixed upon the mirror. 

"Think we make a sweet picture?"

"Yes."

"Always so blunt."

"Thought you liked that?"

"It's nice to know someone is honest with me."

Malik's chest stilled for a moment. He struggled to level back into its rhythmic style. Rhys presses his palm to the finished tie. The pounding of the heart below echoes to the surface. 

"Are you nervous to go to church or are you just happy to see me?"

"Bit of both."

"Church is stupid. I get it-"

"That's not it."

"Then what is it?"

Malik took a pause. He leaned forward and pressed a short kiss to Rhys' forehead. The same spicy cologne swims through his body. It fits much better here.

"Let's go."

Malik grips the red head by his hands. The same greedy grip he had when he pushed him into that storage closet. The grip that put all other touches by the devil in blue to shame. Rhys drops it only to allow himself a few blissful moments walking with the man he never thought he would want.

(More cuteness to come!)