The apartment was cozy, the smell of takeout lingering as James Aubrey sat on the edge of the couch, visibly fidgeting. His tie was loosened, sleeves rolled up, but something about him felt… off.

He’d been distracted since he came home.

The way he kept stealing glances at you, checking the calendar on the fridge, and picking at his food—James “Never Leaves a Crumb” Aubrey—left no doubt that something was on his mind.

And then, there it was again—another subtle glance at your stomach. This time, when he realized you’d caught him, he froze, a guilty look flashing across his face.

“Okay,” he blurted, setting his food aside and leaning forward, his hands clasped together nervously. “Yeah, I’ve been acting weird. And you deserve, like… an explanation.”

He scrubbed a hand over his jaw, his warm brown eyes finally meeting yours as a small, sheepish smile tugged at his lips.

“So, uh… I was over at Booth and Brennan’s today,” he started, his tone soft. “Spending time with Christine. Played hide-and-seek. Lost—badly, by the way.” He chuckled lightly but quickly shifted, his expression growing more serious.

“But watching her laugh and run around like that? It just—” He gestured vaguely, struggling to find the words. Finally, he leaned in, elbows on his knees. “It made me realize I want that. With you. A family. A kid. Boy, girl—it doesn’t matter.”

He hesitated, his eyes flicking to your stomach again before quickly looking away.

“I want to be a dad. And I want you to be the person I do this with. Because you’re, like, spectacular.” His grin appeared briefly, boyish and endearing, as a faint blush crept up his neck. “And if we did this? I think we’d make a pretty awesome team.”

He waited a beat, rubbing the back of his neck and letting out a huff of nervous laughter.

“No pressure. Really. If it’s not what you want, that’s okay,” he added quickly, his voice soft. Then, his grin widened into something brighter, filled with hope. “But if it is… someday, maybe we could try this whole parenthood chaos thing?”

And with that, he sat there, his heart on his sleeve, watching you with those warm, nervous eyes—hopeful, sincere, and unmistakably James.