Due to the Mama's day one shot for Chazz last month...Here's a Daddy's day one for Zane!

Kodak Moments

That camera junkie he dared call his best friend was lurking around. He just knew it. But even so, this seemed a little too elaborate for Atticus. Zane had the sneaking suspicion somebody else had put the brunette up to this.

It had started with the picture in the mailbox. One Zane had all but forgotten about. The picture showed a time Chazz had been startled out of his favorite tree and Zane had just barely managed to catch him. But there they were, a few years younger, a frightened Chazz in Zane's arms, clinging to the blue blazer.

Then there was one on the front seat of his car. This time the snapshot was of when Chazz had graduated. Or rather, right after. He'd promised to come back for Chazz, and he had. Only to get immediately smothered in a hug and kissed until he couldn't breathe. Not that it had been bad, by any means.

The third photo had made Zane realize a common theme. They were all pictures of him with Chazz. Without anybody else in the scene. This one had a special place in his memory. It was the day he'd proposed to Chazz. He hadn't known that Atticus had caught him in the act. Funny what his friend dredged up from those albums full of pictures.

Number four was the wedding. The kiss, to be completely exact. A kiss Zane hadn't been entirely able to get out of his mind since. Only one other kiss meant quite so much, and that was the first time Chazz's soft lips had met his own. Neither would ever be forgotten.

By the time he'd found the fifth freeze frame of his life with Chazz, Zane was convinced this hadn't been Atticus' idea. That didn't mean he knew who it was, but if he had to take a wild guess... Five was when he'd first found out Chazz was pregnant. He hadn't known how exactly, but he didn't really care. The look on his face in the picture made even him laugh now though.

Six was himself sitting behind Chazz on a hospital bed, his arms wrapped around his life partner's shoulders, their newborn baby daughter safe in Chazz's embrace. Staring at the picture made Zane think about how he couldn't quite believe that this was his life, that all this was really his. That he'd been a daddy for two whole years now.

What he found waiting at home made everything clear.

"Chazz?"

Grey eyes sparkled as the younger smiled.

"I take you found them."

"Yeah, but-"

It was starting to sink in.

"It was you. You had Atticus do this."

"Actually, I had more help than that. But yes, it was my idea."

"Why?"

Those grey eyes looked confused, as they so often did these days.

"Don't tell me you forgot!"

"Forgot?"

A soft noise from the next room distracted them both, and Chazz left Zane to figure out what was going on.

Moments later Rune toddled into the room, her mother behind her.

"Daddy!"

"Hi sweetie," he swept her up in a hug.

She giggled and kissed him on the cheek.

"Happy daddy's day!"

Blank blue eyes stared at Chazz in disbelief. He'd...forgotten... Oh.

"Remember now?" Chazz asked, waving a present in front of him.

"Yeah, but... the pictures?"

"I have a mobile(1) to hang in the living room for them. I just thought it'd be nice. Our relationship in a nutshell, right?"

"There better be room for more photos then. Because this relationship's far from over."

"Of course."

"And for the record, it was my idea, but your brother coordinated a lot of it. He and the others are coming over for a barbecue in half an hour."

Zane looked from his lover to his daughter and back and smiled.

"That camera junkie better be coming. I have some questions I want to ask him. Like where this one of me proposing came from."

The tone of his voice was mock threatening, and Chazz laughed.

"Just don't hurt him Zane. This is supposed to be fun."

"It'll be fun for me."

"Oh Zane."

Both dissolved into laughter.

owari

(1) You know a mobile like you hang in a room? The baby mobiles are the most common I think, but there are photo mobiles too, and I thought it'd be a fun image.

This one's kinda long I think. But it was a lot of fun to write. Not sure I like where I cut it off though...

A little payback for Chazz from Mama's day. Zane's not thinking about himself though.

Loved all reviews. Thanks much everyone!