Always Us

utter confusion

a tiny little bit of sappy fluff before tonight's episode and before i disappear again

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An insistent hand patted Spencer's chest. "Babe."

He drew his head back, instantly losing focus from the NBA game playing on the TV. "What'd you just call me?!"

Soft brown eyes ogled up at him adoringly, but confused. "Babe!"

"No ma'am." Swinging his feet off the bed, he pushed away from the ridiculousness and strutted straight through the bedroom door, down the stairs, and down the long hall towards the dance studio. The whole way, he ignored the giggling squeals singsonging around him. 

Approaching the entrance to the studio, he yelled over the music. "Liv!"

But his wife didn't hear him, lost in her own world, she rolled her neck and swayed along with her reflection.

"Liv!" he called out again. And when she didn't turn the second time, he cut the music.

As if the song had been the bloodline that kept her dance alive, Olivia deflated. "Hey!"

"Sorry, baby," he offered dismissively. He didn't offer any explanation for his intrusion other than the almost two-year-old lolling her head on his shoulder.

Sensing his urgency, and distracted by little hand waving up at her, Olivia softened. "What's up?"

"What's my name?" he asked, tilting his head towards the mop of curls.

Olivia answered confidently. "Babe."

Disappointed, he shook his head. "No. What's my name?"

Olivia furrowed her eyebrows, bent on getting the question correct on this spontaneous game show. "Spencer."

"No, Liv. What... is... my... name?" He got out through gritted teeth.

Her eyes bounced back and forth between him and their daughter. She wasn't sure what was going on, and why she suddenly felt nervous that she was about to fail some kind of test. Hesitantly, she tried again. "Daddy?"

"Exactly!" He boomed. "You hear that, mama? You call me daddy."

Amused, Olivia watched on while her husband tossed their squealing baby girl up in the air.

"She almost had me fucked up a few minutes ago," Spencer explained, releasing their rambunctious toddler to the ground.

"Spencer!" Olivia reprimanded.

He sucked his teeth. "Baby, you should've seen her, laid up on my chest, trying to get my attention, calling me babe."

Olivia laughed, looping an arm around his neck and tugging him closer. "She's just imitating what she hears. It's normal at her age." She traced the scar on his chest then kissed him softly. "And it's good that she's growing up and witnessing our love."

Spencer shot a look at their daughter who was plopped on the ground, making funny faces at the mirror. No matter the time of day or circumstances, hearing his daughter call him daddy had become one of his favorite sounds. Anything else felt like an offense.

"I get that," he murmured, "but I'm not letting my daughter call me babe."

"It's not that big a deal," Olivia said, laughing. "She'll probably forget by tomorrow."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?" Pushing away, he kneeled down to Sienna's eye level. "C'mere, mama."

Picking up on where this was going, Olivia shook her head. "Oh. That's not gonna work."

Spencer pointed up at her. "Who's that, mama?"

Sienna ran at her mom's leg with full force. Wrapping her tiny arms around Olivia's calf, she squealed. "Baby!"

Olivia frowned, dropping into a squat and pulling her daughter onto her thigh. "No, baby, I'm mama."

Sienna dropped her shoulders, and her eyes flickered nervously between her two parents.

Pointing at herself, Olivia reiterated slowly. "I'm mama. This is daddy. And you're our baby."

"Or," Spencer interjected, "as I see it, I'm daddy." He pointed at Olivia. "This is my baby, and you're mama."

Sienna stared blankly at her dad before shoving her face into Olivia's chest.

"You're stressing her out," Olivia argued, wrapping her arms protectively around Sienna. "Maybe you need to stop calling her mama."

Spencer smirked. "Why cause now she forgot what to call you?"

"No," Olivia shot back defensively, "because you're confusing her."

Spencer stared back at her. "I'm confusing her?! You're the one who calls her baby."

"What else am I supposed to call her?!" Olivia pouted at the little bundle. "She is my baby."

"And you're mine."

Olivia twisted her daughter into a more comfortable position. "So you call her something else."

Spencer watched the duo expectantly.

"How about baby girl?" Olivia suggested, perking up.

"Nah. I mean sometimes it slips out, but that's your pop's thing. He already calls her that."

Olivia dropped her chin atop her baby's head. "Fine."

Letting the silence settle in, they stared at each in defeat. Somehow they had managed to pet name each other into this mess.

"I don't want her calling me baby," Olivia finally mumbled.

"Aight," Spencer concluded, "then I'll stop calling you baby, temporarily, and she'll go back to calling you mama."

Olivia's lip quivered. "You can't do that. You've always called me baby. Think of something else."

Spencer took one look at his wife and relented. "I know, baby. I'm trying."

"Okay." Olivia gently pulled on a chunky wrist and drew her daughter away from her. "How about this? I'm mama, that's daddy, and you're SiSi."

Sienna huffed, stabbing a finger at herself. "Mama." The finger poked at Olivia. "Baby." Then finally, Spencer. "Babe."

Olivia grimaced, meeting Spencer's gaze.

He shook his head and pushed himself off the ground. "Nuh-uh. Nope. This ain't gonna work."