Ok so this was supposed to be something completely different but then it turned into this strange human AU that I've never even thought about before. Oh well. It's a snow day so I figured I might as well. Enjoy the fluff.

Lukas watched carefully from behind the kitchen counter as Emil toddled in circles on the (thankfully) carpeted floor. He didn't like being so far away from his little brother when he was still so prone to getting hurt, but he didn't want him to be in the kitchen where it was more likely that he'd get into to trouble, especially while dinner was being made, so there was nothing to be done for it. He vaguely wished Matthias was there, but quickly shook the thought away. As hard as it was to raise a toddler as single pare-brother, inviting Matthias over to help was more trouble than it was worth.

Lukas finally finished his sloppy but edible masterpiece that would suffice as a meal for the two siblings, wiped off his hands, and strolled over to pick up Emil. The toddler babbled quietly as him, clutching the fabric of his shirt. Lukas tried to hide the smile that bubbled up, but he couldn't quite manage it. He wished it wasn't so painfully obvious that the child was turning him soft, but he couldn't find it in himself to truly mind all that much.

Lukas set Emil on top of the table so that he could eat his own meal before attempting to help his brother get something in his stomach. At first, he had done it the other way around, but Emil was so messy that they usually ended up distracted by the cleaning process and Lukas never remembered to go back and eat. His friends had started getting concerned by his diminishing size, and he knew that something had to change.

A couple of well-meaning friends had even mentioned taking Emil off his hands for a few years until he was in better standing financially, but it was an option he refused to consider. His brother was all he had and Lukas would not abandon him simply over a few missed meals. Luckily, they had found a solution.

When Lukas had eaten as much as he would allow himself, he turned to assist Emil. The younger boy held a general aversion to any sort of utensil, and insisted on being quite literally hand-fed. He would tilt his head back and open his mouth while Lukas took a piece of their meal and dropped it into his mouth. Lukas hoped for both of their sakes that he would grow out the habit soon, but he was willing to play along until that time came.

After they finished eating dinner, Lukas gave Emil a quick bath in the kitchen sink that he had long since grown too large for before slipping the toddler into an old shirt of Matthias' that was Emil's pajamas. The brothers shared a room, and a bed too, so Lukas tucked his Emil into his side before turning to go clean up from dinner when he felt a small hand grasping his sleeve.

Lukas paused and shifted onto the edge of the bed before running a hand through Emil's soft silvery hair, silently asking what was wrong. Emil's gaze shifted downward to the side and he pointed, softly attempting to form a word.

"P-paa… pu… pa…" Oh no, Lukas shook his head in horror, hoping against all odds that Emil wasn't trying to call him papa. He had gradually gotten used to being Emil's older brother and then eventually his only living relative, but he was afraid of how he would react if he was called papa.

"No… no, I'm not your papa. I'm not our papa. You don't have a papa. We don't have a papa. No… Emil, please…" Emil gave him a confused look, reemphasizing his pointing finger.

"P-pu… paffin." He finally managed. Lukas could only stare for a moment, overcome, as he felt a tear slip over the ridge of his cheekbone before he burst out laughing and wrapped his arms around Emil. He hadn't been attempting to call his brother papa, he was requesting the stuffed puffin that had fallen off the bed. Lukas leaned down and snatched up the animal, the only real toy to be found in their home. It used to be Lukas', but he had given it up when he realized Emil needed it much more than he did.

"Here's Mr. Puffin, Emil." Lukas said, tucking the puffin in next to his brother. "That's all you were asking for, wasn't it? God, I can't believe your first word is puffin. You just couldn't be normal, could, you?" He whispered, standing up and pressing a kiss to Emil's forehead. "No, you couldn't." he continued. "I love you."

Lukas quickly cleaned up the few dishes they had used for their meal, leaning against the counter with a sigh when he finished. After a moment's thought, he decided he might as well go to bed and rest up for the next day's trials. He returned to the bedroom and slid between the thin sheets next to Emil. He didn't bother suppressing the smile that rose when he saw his little brother snuggled tightly against Mr. Puffin.

Fun Fact: my first word was, in fact, puffin, which was quickly followed by narwhal and walrus.

Thoughts?