#dad ward

A/N: i don’t where this went, I just had a thought and it ran into this some how sort of stream of consciousness. I don’t know, I’m a little tired and in the mood to write something for Ward.

Keys clattered unceremoniously onto the kitchen counter as the man began rummaging through his fridge. At times like these he craved the bitter flavour of beer. His day had never been so bad; if dealing with the knowledge his previously cancer-ridden deceased father was in fact alive and well was hard, adding the sudden entrance of his dead friend was harder. Said dead friend who just so happens to own fifty-one percent of thei-his company.

Ward cleared his throat as he ran his fingers over his dwindling groceries; his eyes slid shut at the dawning realisation. He was supposed to go shopping today, it was penned into his diary and he was more than eager to go somewhere that wasn’t the penthouse or Rand Enterprises. The tired Meachum pulled out his last bottle as he fought with the cap. Inevitably he’d reach for the bottle open in the drawer – but for now he was content with struggling with the metal.

He could hear the gentle thrum from the television in the other room and he found comfort in the noise, he was certain that as he wondered closer to the source he’d find them simultaneously reading a book and listening to some soap opera re-run. He was glad that even with everything going wrong, he was right about them.

“You’re home late” They smiled. There had been no malice in the words, no hidden meaning in the tone or violent outburst within the syllables. It was a simple statement that lead nowhere in particular. He hid his chuckle within a huff of air as he stepped closer. His free hand had begun to fidget with his tie and top button. He was keen to rid himself of the restricting item. Even more so recently. “There’s some pizza in the oven, I cheated and ordered take-out. You paid” They grinned and he found himself laughing along.

The way Ward Meachum flopped onto his sofa would’ve had his mother turning in her grave. He was raised better than to forget that he had a spine and was still holding a full bottle of beer; and yet, his mind refused to linger on that thought. Instead he opted to place his head on their shoulder and his feet on the coffee table in front of him.

“Bad day?” They quizzed. He nodded against their shoulder. He was almost certain that should he choose to speak; all the information he kept from them, for their own safety, would invade the space. Ward had thought long and hard about the consequences and they always outweighed the guilt that would consume him. “Want to talk about it?”

“No, I just want to just sit here and talk about your day until we fall asleep” He announced with a soft sigh. It was his favourite thing to do – he’d spent so much of his day talking to people that all he ever wanted to do was listen to someone else. He wanted to imagine their carefree day or how Jerry from three doors down had been having an affair with Denise from a different block. He wanted to hear about the trivial things that plagued their day rather than the messed up things that did his.

“We can do that” They stated. “I was waiting you to come do grocery shopping with me and I ran into Nikolae from my gym, his dad just had some heart attack or something, I said we’d go over for dinner one night, the guy was really torn up about it, I mean who wouldn’t be. Also Joy called earlier, she sounded really shaken up but wouldn’t say why.” Ward drifted slightly, lulled by the sound of their voice as they continued. He sunk further into his seat, his mind numbing the thoughts of Danny Rand and his family. “Oh and the doctor said that if you don’t turn up to the scans, he’s going to throw you out when the baby comes”

Ward fidgeted in his spot as he watched the sleeping forms of his children; his finger erratically fiddled with the knot in his tie as he contemplated cancelling the occasion. Joy would be there, Danny would too so what exactly was the need for him to appear at a gathering of people he barely knew – especially when he could be sat at home watching old movies on silent with only the soft snores of two infants drifting through the room.

“Come on, we’ll be late” She whispered as her hand gripped the material of his jacket. She gave a few soft tugs drawing the elder Meachum along with her. “If you keep standing there, you’ll wake them and you know how Dan and Lizzie get when they see you”

Ward’s chuckle came out as more of a huff, his mind had begun to drudge up every memory he had of returning home from work. Of how his troublesome kids would sprint to him before he could close the door behind him. Lizzie, being the youngest, would practically pounce on him demanding some form of confectionery as Dan began to ramble on about the book he read or the project he was making at school. Ward loved his children.

“Who came up with this idea?” He huffed as he placed his hands in his pocket. He knew fully well that he was acting like a teenager but that didn’t stop him from pouting slightly as his wife pulled her jacket over her shoulders. She watched him with a tight-lipped smile. They both knew whose idea it was.

“It’ll only be for a while, just until the secret Santa gifts are out and you make a speech with Danny, then we’ll come home.” She smiled; a reluctant nod washed over him as he wandered closer to her, his eyes caught the sparkling maroon paper, a soft golden ribbon wrapped around its centre. He had no clue as to what the contents of the gift was and he was certain that the surprise when he checked his bank account would be greater than that of the recipients.

“So who did we get?” He grumbled as he reached for the gift. His wife’s fingers slapped his hand preventing him from looking. “Ok, how much did it cost me?”

“Not as much as what you got me” She winked. The man frowned slightly, he’d already purchased his wife’s present. He’d picked it with Lizzie a few months back as they wandered through the shopping centre. He couldn’t help the thought that passed through his mind as he wondered if his wife thought he was incapable of buying her a gift.

His thought had been followed closely by the memory of their anniversary. Rand had been swamped and like the dutiful businessman he was he’d been strapped to his desk. He hadn’t returned home the night of their anniversary and paid dearly for it. Quite literally. His wife had punished him by taking their kids on a shopping spree. He smirked.

“What did I get you?” He hummed, and she stepped closer to him. Her arms wrapped gingerly around his neck as his rested on her waist. In the moment the world had evaporated. He felt like he was floating in her arms; her perfume wrapping around his neck as he became intoxicated from her beauty.

A/N: IT’S FINALLY HERE. SOME MORE DAD WARD. For the anon who requested this a few days ago, I’m sorry for the late upload. I hope you enjoy it. I don’t own the gif, I found it on Google

“I can’t believe he’s a year today?” Joy practically screamed; in the moment she had no consideration to the sleeping baby perched in his father’s arms. Nor had she had any consideration for the mother, whose eyes were weighed down with bags and whose smile still beamed as bright as before the child was born.

“I remember when you were a year old, dad wouldn’t let me hold you because he thought I’d drop you.” Ward remarked, his body shifting gently as he soothed the sleeping infant. They both observed as Joy cooed at the child. Ward hadn’t seen this side of his sister for a long time and silently he was grateful.

“Joy do you want to hold Daniel, Ward has other things to do. Like decorate.” Daniel’s mother announced, she almost spat the last of her sentence and Ward felt himself stiffen at the words. In one quick and almost unregistered movement Joy had lifted her nephew from Ward’s arm and scuttled further away from him.

Joy would make a wonderful mother, Ward had always thought about it. Just like Daniel’s mother was. The youngest Meachum had always been soft in nature, until recently when all hell had broken loose and Ward had thought the last of his family had been destroyed. Well, the last of his childhood family, now he had Danny and his wife.

“Decorating” His wife ordered and Ward placed his hands in the air in mock surrender. He casted on last look at Joy and his son. Joy’s hand softly stroked along the infant’s cheek as he opened his eyes. A small smile, mirroring that of Joy’s, reflected on his tiny features. “Ward it’s our son’s first birthday and we’re decorating, so come on mister move it.” She added again.

“Mommy and Daddy are having a lover’s quarrel, and Aunty Joy brought you the best present” Joy laughed, her voice a fraction higher than normal and her words loud enough to cause the parents’ to turn around. Joy hadn’t bothered to look up as she began to walk around the apartment with Daniel. The soft almost inaudible sounds escaping him as he reached out to play with her necklace.

She hadn’t been in this home for a long time, in fact the last time she was here, Ward’s Wife was just his girlfriend and Daniel hadn’t even been a thought in either mind. Her eyes wandered to a picture of herself as a child with Ward stood beside her. He held a harsh smirk, whereas she had given the camera a toothy grin. She remembered it fondly.

“When you’re older, I’m going to tell you every embarrassing thing your dad did when he was younger. Including the time, he asked Cindy out and she rejected him, so he went around pretending he’d been joking the entire time. Oh, and then there was the time, he spoiled Christmas for me by taking away all my gifts, so your grandad took all his” She laughed. “You look so much like your father, let’s hope you get your mother’s hair.”

“I sure hope so” Danny’s mother called over to them. “I can’t picture him with Ward’s slick back style. It’s cute on Ward but Danny. No” Joy cast her own gaze back at them, Ward pinning balloons to the grey walls and his wife holding a bunch of small wrapped presents in her hands.

“I didn’t hear you complain on our wedding day, did you Joy?” Ward mused, he stepped off the chair, his hands dusting off false mud before he placed them on his hips.

“Me and Danny are pleading the fifth.” Joy retorted, a smile on her face. They’d all missed that smile recently; it felt good. Like it should be, no fallouts just family getting along. “What time did you say Danny and Colleen were coming?”

“About Half an hour, they had to pick up the cake from the shop because someone, not saying names but it rhymes with Ward, didn’t pick it up yesterday” She laughed. Another mock surrender from Ward, had the Joy laughing lightly, causing the infant in her arm’s to laugh along too.

“Aw, I could just eat you up” Joy commented as she looked down at Danny, her gaze unwavering as she ignored the talking in front of her. She barely recognised the camera flash until it had made Danny sad, his small mouth becoming a frown and his lip trembling slightly. Joy snapped her head up, eyes pinned on Ward who held a camera and an almost apologetic expression on his face.

“Shit, I’m sorry buddy, I didn’t know the flash was on.” Ward whispered to his son, his finger grazing his cheek as the infant settled back. “Sorry Joy, but his mother” Ward paused looking to the left as though he’d turn his head and see her still messing around with the present positioning on the table. “wants to start a memory box just in case anything happened to one of us. I told her she was paranoid”

A/N: Long time huh, I've been overworking and overworking for me equals more migraine pain. But I have two days off, which isn’t bad. So I just thought I’d start typing and getting back into the Ward, Wells’ and Eobard fics. The ending is atrocious but bare with me. 

“Hey honey how was school?” Her mother called to her as she closed the door behind her with some force, she could tell her mother wasn’t mad at her and that if her father had been there he would have been disappointed. She sighed as she dropped her bag to the floor and followed the sound of her mother’s voice. “Bad day? Want to talk about it?”

“It wasn’t bad, it was just – How do you know when the right time is?” Elizabeth queried, it was the look on her mother’s face that caused her to clarify her question. “To say I love you, I’m terrified that I’ll scare Jaime away”

Her mother hadn’t expected this question to expel itself from her seventeen-year-old daughter. Her arms flew instinctively towards her daughter; she beckoned Elizabeth into her embrace, holding the youngest member of the family against her. Elizabeth felt the calmest in the embrace of her mother. It was the heavenly smell of her perfume and the softness of her hands as they rubbed small circles into her back or her arms, that kept Elizabeth from exploding with anxiety.

“You care about Jaime and Jaime cares about you. I saw it the night you both sat down for dinner with me and your dad. Jaime looks at you the way your father looks at his job” Her mother quipped, Elizabeth’s eyes lifted to her mother’s face. Her gaze that had once been on her daughter had shifted to the doorway behind Elizabeth.

“That’s just not fair” His voice shifted the atmosphere in the room. “I never look at my job like I want to rip the clothes off it. Not that Jaime looks- well now I just made the conversation awkward. Pretend I’m not here please” He finished, his hand pulling at the fabric around his collar. Fingers unwinding the knot and letting his top button pop open.

“No one can pretend you’re not here Ward, I’ve tried for sixteen years” Her mother jested, she listened to the sound of their laughter. Her father’s a quiet chuckle consisting of air being trapped in his throat and released routinely and hers a angelic expulsion of sound. Elizabeth found herself pulling away from her mother in favour of giving her dad a hug. His arms wrapped around her shoulders and held her there as if someone would take her from him.

Elizabeth felt safest in his hug, the harsh scent of his aftershave – her mother’s favourite – filling her nostrils, she listened to his rhythmic breathing. It was the same sound she would listen to after she’d had a nightmare as a child. He would come running to her room and tell her little stories of how the bogey-monster didn’t exist and that her dreams were nothing more than her imagination. He’d then hold her close for a little while until she fell asleep or until her sleepy mother would enter the room and take the place of her father.

“When did you tell mom, you loved her?” She quizzed her father, he laughed lightly. Releasing his child from his grip and going to greet his wife. He sat beside her on the sofa puling her closer to his side as she rested her head on Ward’s shoulder.

“Your dad didn’t tell me he loved me for three years. He’d silently hint it, but he couldn’t say it.” Her mom replied. Ward nodded along; intent on letting his wife finish the whole story. She didn’t, and it caused him to continue it.

“It’s not that I couldn’t say it. I wanted to say I love you for the first time without stuttering, but that failed. Liz your mom decided she’d force the words from my lips. She literally put on P.S. I love you and forced me to watch it with her. Then she’d ask me subtle questions and fake arguments until I-“

“Until he finally said the words I wanted to hear, although he struggled through ‘love’ and it sounded more like load instead of love. Don’t do that with Jaime, you kids are fragile. I met your dad when I was twenty-eight, he could handle fake arguments. Just tell Jaime. It’s better to be honest then make the mistake I did.”

“Mistake? So, you did have that conversation with Joy” Ward recalled, “Well, you love this mistake and I love you”