Day Twenty-Five: Future

Sorry for the skipped day. I woke up yesterday morning and almost immediately had an anxiety attack, and my mental health spiraled from there and I spent most of the day just kind of dissociating, so there was no way this was getting written in that state. I hope everyone can understand, and hopefully I can make up for the missed day by posting twice tomorrow (I work tonight, or I'd just post a second one later today).

I hope everyone is doing okay mentally - I'm sending hugs if you need them. Tomorrow's prompt(s) at the bottom.

"I swear to all things holy that if I find one more shoe where it's not supposed to be, I'm going to reinvent the laws of physics again and make a dimension where nothing ever ends up where it's not supposed to be," Baljeet grumbled.

He was halfway under the sofa, scrambling for Jenna's sneaker, getting covered in dust and dirt and bits of cat food and cheerios that he was sure had been there since the girl was adopted. Buford, standing behind him and holding the couch up, was struggling not to laugh. "She's seven, 'Jeet. Shit's gonna be in weird places."

"But why do weird places have to be under the immovable object?" he whined, crawling back out with the shoe and thirteen cents in change in hand.

Buford eased the sofa back to the floor, lifting an eyebrow and giving Baljeet a smile. "I literally just moved it, so you might want to work on your definition of impossible."

"I know what a hyperbole is, do you?" Baljeet scoffed, pocketing the thirteen cents and dusting off the bright pink sneaker. "Come on, we're going to be late for the playdate."

Buford chuckled but took the shoe from him and knelt in front of Jenna, who was happily watching subbed cartoons and eating cereal (Honey Nut Cheerios, because they were sweet, but Baljeet would be damned if she ate one of those sugar filled monstrosities Buford kept on the top shelf). She was all set to go, dark hair twisted back in braids and tied off with purple ribbons, glasses settled in front of her equally dark brown eyes, entire outfit galaxy themed, per request, and Easter socks with bunnies on them completely clashing the whole look in one swift move.

"All right baby," Buford muttered, looking up at her so she could read his lips while he unlaced the sneaker. "Baba found your shoe, finally," he said, rolling his eyes.

Jenna giggled and set her cereal aside, assisting Buford as he pushed the shoe onto her foot. She frowned at the laces, tongue peeking out of her mouth, and took them carefully in her fists.

"Under," Buford encouraged her, holding his hands out flat and moving his left under his right.

Baljeet stepped over, watching the process intently as Jenna very carefully crossed the strings and looped them around each other, tugging tightly. She made a loop with one as slow as she could, her eyebrows scrunching up, and both parents had to push down the amused grin on their faces so she wouldn't be upset with them for laughing at her. Jenna looked up, stuck, and Baljeet lifted a hand to get her attention.

"Bunny ears, remember?" he offered, pressing two V hands together and wiggling his fingers like they were rabbit ears. He'd been against teaching her this way – around the bend was easier than bunny ears, obviously – but Buford had insisted, and Jenna had a thing for rabbits, so Baljeet wasn't going to confuse her further.

Jenna's face lit up and she did the second loop, twisting them together with enthusiasm and tugging on the knots, obviously pleased with her work. It was a little loose and sloppy, but Buford stepped in and twisted the laces into a double knot, securing the bunny in place.

Baljeet looked at his watch as he helped her with the second one, wincing at the time. "Hurry up," he said, rolling his hand in the air. It wasn't a traditional sign, but it was certainly a motion he used enough for anyone to get the meaning. Jenna hopped off the couch, clinging to Buford's hand, and Baljeet's heart about melted. He kept a straight face, though, and started for the door.

"We're gonna be late to meet Uncle Phineas and Ferb," he informed them, like they didn't already know. He grabbed their jackets from the hook and double checked that he had his keys in his pocket. In the corner of his eye, he could see Buford creating a triangle shape with the letter P hands, and he snorted. Jenna's name signs for Phineas and Ferb had come quickly – Phineas was a triangle, and Ferb was green. Duh.

"And you," Buford said, no longer signing while Jenna focused on putting on her jacket, "are getting all bunched up for nothing. You think Ferb has the twins wrangled? You're insane. And Phineas has more of a problem attention wise than Layla will ever be."

"Ferb and Isabella are punctual, though," Baljeet reminded him. "Phineas and Django…not so much, you're right, but still."

"It's the artist in them," Buford said with a roll of his eyes. He pecked Baljeet on the cheek, ignoring Jenna's giggles of delight. "Come on, peanut, let's go before Baba has a heart attack."

She squealed as Buford lifted her into his arms and then up onto his shoulders, nose wrinkling when she gripped his hair to hang on. He ducked going out the door, leaving Baljeet to follow behind, chuckling and locking the house.

For a second, when he looked up at them again, he forgot they were late. He forgot they were on a schedule, that their booking at the trampoline park started in fifteen minutes and the drive was almost twenty. For a second, all Baljeet could do was watch his husband and daughter with a fond smile, arms crossed and back leaned against the house as he watched Buford hold her hands to keep her steady on his shoulders while he skipped over the hopscotch pattern they'd drawn the day before.

Buford looked back when he reached the car, eyes softening and smile widening as he spotted Baljeet watching them. He reached up and swung Jenna down, plopping her into the car and turning so she couldn't read his lips. "I know you're enjoying the view, babe, but you're the one who said we were late!"

Baljeet's lips twitched in amusement and he stepped off the porch, cheeks flushing a little at being called out. "Yeah, yeah, don't flatter yourself."

Buford hummed and reached out as he got closer, fingers enclosing around Baljeet's wrist and tugging him forward for a very quick but soft kiss. "Don't need to, you do it for me," Buford retorted.

Baljeet scoffed and shoved his husband away, looking in at Jenna with a grin. "All set?"

She nodded, buckling her belt, and tossed her parents a "yes" – a closed fist nodding up and down. Baljeet double checked that the booster seat was secure while Buford walked around to start the car, and, when he was certain it was okay, he hopped into the passenger seat.

"All right, let's go, before we lose our time slot."

"We all know Ferb and Is got there ten minutes ago, 'Jeet, there's no way they and the boys aren't already jumping."

"All the more reason to hurry," Baljeet urged him. "We can join them."

Buford laughed and pulled into traffic, reaching over once he was in the right lane and lacing his fingers with his husband's. "Never change, babe. Never change."

*continues to stay on board the Bujeet and Ferbella train even after the show ended* Also yes, all the signs they used with Jenna are real signs, I researched them specifically for this (except yes, which I already knew lol).

Tomorrow's prompt(s): High Heels, Miraculous Ladybug, and Wing Grooming, Voltron (AU)