𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 // 𝐦𝐮𝐟𝐜 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬

✗ 𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐁𝐔𝐌𝐏 [ 𝐞𝐛 ]

IT WAS EASY TO see how Eric missed his family a little extra during the various times of the year. When the world was not caught in a pandemic, he was lucky to see them come visit during the holidays, but it was clear to see that some days hit him harder than others. ' Father's Day ' was one of them, and while Eric always loved his teammates, that could very well be the one day of the year where he truly resented them; every single one of them.

Quite like a lot of the more ' significant ' days in a ' normal ' person's life, Eric found himself spending the morning hours at Carrington this ' Father's Day '. What he didn't know, however, was that his girlfriend had been planning this very day for a couple of days, with a very special surprise for the footballer.

She was quickly moving around the house the two of them shared, music playing faintly through the stereo in the living room. It had been two weeks since Iris had taken the test ( actually, she had taken three — just to be sure ) and gotten the answer she had hoped for; she was pregnant. It wasn't necessarily something the two were trying for, not at this time in their lives, with Eric still trying to find his possible place as a starter in Ole Gunnar Solskjær's team, and Iris finishing off her studies to become a doctor. However, it was a delightful surprise, and she had been struggling to keep it secret for Eric.

              A smile spread on her lips as she heard the door open, Eric's cheery humming filling the hall–way. "Iris, I'm home." He sing–songed, dropping his bag on the floor before entering the kitchen. "How has your morning been?"

Eric moved closer, snaking his arms around Iris' waist, pressing gentle kisses to the back of her neck, humming against her skin. "I've had a fairly okay morning — the boys haven't been too painful, considering it's father's day and everything?" Iris questioned carefully, turning around in Eric's embrace, looking him directly in the eyes. He huffed, choosing not to respond, making her chuckle a little. "Well, aren't you lucky you got to come home to me then? We can watch a couple of the ' Terminator ' movies, and you can complain to the screen about your tough life as a talented footballer in England."

He rolled his eyes, though a grin played on his lips, as he let her go, grabbing a glass from the cupboard above their kitchen–counter. "You know, ' Terminator ' doesn't sound too bad, but I was thinking more along the lines of taking you out for a fancy dinner, and maybe even a round of wine–tasting, if you're up for it?" He smiled softly, filling the glass with orange–juice. However, he noticed the uncertainty in Iris' face. "Is everything okay?"

               Iris plastered a smile on her face, nodding while avoiding eye–contact with Eric. "Of course. I had just looked forward to a relaxing night in with my favorite guy and a good movie, but if you want to go out for dinner, you know I'm all in." She chuckled, sipping coffee from the cup she had prepared for herself prior to Eric's return to their house. "Now, what I would like for us to do, is eat a nice lunch together, regardless of what we do later tonight."

"Thought you'd never suggest it." Eric grinned cheekily, kissing her forehead, before starting his preparations for lunch. She wanted to tell him so badly; she wanted to just spill it to him — Eric, you're going to be a dad. However, she gritted her teeth together, and decided she needed to be patient. No matter how they chose to spend the afternoon, she had the perfect way of telling him — though she would have to rush it a little bit if they were to go wine–tasting. "Iris? Did I catch you in a zone–out moment?" Eric chuckled, waving a hand in front of her face. "I was asking whether I should get the egg–cooker on or not?"