Don't Need Them - John Laurens x Reader {DISCONTINUED}

- 44 -

~ one month later ~

Your POV

It was the little things I started picking up on between John and I, and the trio. The flicker of something negative in John's hazel eyes when making eye contact with Hercules or Alexander. Especially Hercules. I saw the distance between them, both emotionally and physically. Hercules would try to get closer, but John would back away.

I saw the shift in the trio. How they started getting more defensive when Frances wasn't with us. There was always a tenseness now. Why they still decided to approach us was beyond me.

~

Frances was at our house, my mothers watching her, and John and I were in Central Park.

No surprise, we had run into the trio. The tenseness was back, and I felt John's hand grab mine out of instinct. It was something I quickly had picked up from him; he always held my hand to calm himself down.

I squeezed his hand gently, half tuned in to what the trio was saying. The conversation ended not  too long after it started, and John and I had turned and were about to leave.

"Just wait and see," I heard Alexander grumble.

I looked up to see John's eyes narrow. We turned, but John put me behind him, still holding my hand.

"Is that a threat?" John growled, taking a step forward.

They locked eyes, and I held John's hand tighter, silently trying to keep him near me. He relaxed slightly when I placed my other hand over ours.

John turned to look at me, hazel eyes softening. He turned, looking at the trio a brief moment  before looking away and gently urging me forward in the other direction. Without another word, we were walking away.

~

"I swear to God.. I'm on my wits end with them," John fumed as he walked around the bedroom.

I adjusted Frances on my lap. "I know, príncipe. But you have to think safely here. Alexander's still in the government and God knows what he'll do if we make a bad move."

"The only 'bad moves' that are being made here are what they're doing. We've done nothing wrong! We're just living our lives and they're complaining!" John exclaimed, making Frances jump.

He noticed, sighing and walking over. Frances looked like she was about to cry, and John looked upset with himself. "C'mere, birdie..."

John carefully picked Frances up, gently bouncing her up and down. A smile crossed her face and she started giggling, making John smile.

Frances held his shirt in her tiny hands. "Da!"

John chuckled quietly, continuing to bounce her. "You're too cute. Dada loves you."

I pouted. "I feel left out. Mama loves her too."

He shot me a confident smile. "Oh, I know."

John continued playing with Frances, saying little things to make her laugh and smile. He eventually sat her on the bedroom floor, sitting about a foot or two away. I moved to sit by the foot of the bed.

Frances looked up at me from the floor, slowly getting up. She slowly toddled over, and I managed to lean down and catch her before she fell.

Laughing, I pulled Frances up back onto my lap. She giggled. "Ma-a!"

"Say hi to Dada!" I exclaimed, lifting one of her hands.

Frances actually waved her hand. Maybe not in the proper waving 'hello' motion, but it was a wave of some sort regardless. The motion made John laugh as he waved back. "Hi, birdie! Can you wave to Mama?"

Frances giggled and waved again, the wave looking more normal.

John laughed again, moving closer and pointing to me. "Not me, Fran! Wave to Mama!"

Frances turned, giggling more. She waved again, the wave almost looking somewhat normal. And then she caught us by surprise. "Ma-Mama!"

My eyes widened, but a smile quickly crossed my face. John also had an excited shine in his hazel eyes. "Yes, sunshine! Mama!"

"Mama!" Frances squealed.

I laughed, pulling her up into a hug. "That's my girl! I'm so proud!"

I slid off the bed, twirling Frances around and making her laugh. When I stopped, I sent John a playful smile. "She may have taken her first steps towards you, but I got the first word~!"

My husband rolled his eyes but smiled, standing up. "I can't even be mad."

He walked over, one arm resting over mine and his other hand resting by my shoulder. I giggled as he placed little kisses on my face.

John pressed his lips to mine briefly before looking down at Frances, who was trying to grab his hand. He laughed, moving his hand so she could grab it with both hands. "Maybe today wasn't so bad after all."

"Well, we still have the rest of today. The afternoon isn't over just yet."

John looked down at me. "Wanna watch something downstairs?"

"If we take Frances downstairs with us it has to be kid-friendly," I noted, giggling as John pulled back after a moment, Frances resorting to grabbing my t-shirt again.

"Spongebob it is then. C'mon!"

I laughed, grabbing Frances's binky before following John out of the room. I handed it to Frances, who gladly put it back in her mouth as she looked up at me.

I smiled, booping her nose. She giggled, and I had to adjust the binky so it wouldn't fall to the floor.

"Dada's right. You really are too cute."