Well, I was going to save this until actual Father's Day, but stupid me, I thought that this Sunday was Father's Day, so I had this in mind, and I wrote it. Anyways, since I am now away from my father, I decided to dedicate this to him, even though he will never know of it's exsitance(sp?). But, oh well. Even though I am a week early, everyone make sure your father's have a good father's day!
Disclaimer: I own nothing you will see before you, except for the story line. Not the characters, and not the holiday. Okay, now read.
One day out of the year, the world stops and honors the men who taught us how to fish, hunt, and who followed behind us stealthily when it was our first day of school, claiming it was to make sure we got there safely. However, the happiness didn't spread to everyone, including those who's father's had died or run off, leaving their children alone with wonders of who was going to teach them how to make their mothers angry. There were even some children, due to age or ignorance, that knew nothing about the importance of the day.
Lloyd, was one of them.
Then again, having recently turned three, no one told him when Father's Day was or why it was so important. Perhaps it was because the young child already idolized his father enough to think that every day was Father's Day. He wasn't old enough to attend school, and with his family on the run (though Lloyd never knew why) he didn't have the chance to ask a friend.
Lloyd probably would have never learned of the holiday had he not been with his mother while she was out looking for something to get for him. Well, if she wouldn't have had to hold on to him to keep him and his short attention span from running wild through the market, he never would have known.
For Lloyd, the morning of his discovery started off usual. He woke up at six and while rubbing the remainder of sleep from his eyes, he walked out back to feed his loveable animal, Noishe. His mother told him to do it so Noishe wouldn't starve (it was really set into motion so Kratos and Anna could sleep in). Lloyd happily took on the job, so his only friend wouldn't die on him.
Lloyd did what he was supposed to do to feed him. He grabbed his food bowl and slowly filled it with Noishe's food (and sometimes, he would stuff some in his own mouth). After he finished that, he grabbed his water bowl and ran back inside to fill it up. Standing on a chair to aid his work, he successfully put the right amount of water into the bowl. By the time he carried it back outside, Lloyd had a trail of water behind him and on his clothes.
Then came Lloyd's favorite part of his chores for the day; he got to call Noishe. He grabbed a small stick and a little bell he found a few months back. He loved ringing it, until his mother took it away from him and told him he could only play with it outside. He never understood why, or why his father would throw it back outside if it was brought in. But, Lloyd was a good boy, so he followed orders and found a new use for it.
"Noishe! Come get food I make for you!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, hitting the bell as hard as he could. Seconds later, the huge animal came running, hearing the call of breakfast. Giving the boy a lick across the face, he moved onto the food Lloyd ate half of and the few water droplets that managed to stay in the bowl.
Lloyd made his way back inside and sat down at his chair and waited for someone to feed him. He sat still until his small mind couldn't take anymore and he decided to go to his parent's room and see if they were even awake.
They never were.
So, Lloyd took it to the next step and ran over to where his father slept and jumped onto the bed. However, Kratos merely rolled over to his other side, leaving Lloyd with a sense of failure. But the young child did not give up. He jumped again, but this time he grabbed hold of the sheet in between his parents. He didn't stop there.
"I'm hungry! I feed Noishe now you feed me!"
Lloyd's demand when it came to food never decreased in the years. However, his father rolled back over, paying him no heed. Giving up, he ran over to the other side of the bed, hoping that his mother would listen.
"Mommy, I hungry! I feed Noishe!"
Lloyd thought she didn't hear him, but finally, she opened her eyes and smiled at him. "You fed Noishe already?"
Happily, Lloyd nodded his head. "I did! I even call to him! I show you!" Minutes later, Lloyd returned with his stick and his bell. "I do this!" He hit the bell and screamed, "Noishe! Come get food I make for you!"
Lloyd smiled when he saw his father take a pillow and throw it on top of his head to drown out the noise. Anna's smile widened and she pointed her thumb at Kratos. "Now, go do it to him, and he'll make you something."
Lloyd obeyed. He walked over to Kratos and prepared to hit the bell, when Kratos reached over and grabbed his hand before it made contact with the bell.
"Don't you dare."
Lloyd frowned. "I hungry! I feed Noishe, so you feed me!" Even though he couldn't hit the bell with his stick, he rang it as hard as he could, to show his frustration.
Lloyd found himself thrown into the air and dropped onto the bed, screaming for his mother to save him from "Evil Daddy."
However, Anna laughed and slowly got out of bed, leaving Lloyd laughing and pleading for mercy as Kratos continued to tickle his son.
When Lloyd broke free, he ran to meet his mother and hid behind her for protection. "Mommy, Evil Daddy is going to catch me!"
Anna smiled. "That's nice. Next time you won't wake daddy up, will you?"
The pleading look in Lloyd's eyes made Anna laugh. "You say to wake daddy up! I do what you say!"
She changed the subject. "Are you hungry?"
Lloyd cracked a smile. "That's what I tell you for long time!" He ran to his usual seat while he waited for his food.
-----
When Anna took Lloyd to the market, he thought it was to let him buy something for himself. But when they passed the toys, Lloyd pulled at his mother's hand.
"Mommy, we pass toys! I want a new toy!"
She looked down at him and shook her head. "We're not looking for something for you. Tomorrow is a special day."
Lloyd walked while deep in thought. What was so special about the next day? "Is it my birthday?!"
"Sorry, Lloyd, your birthday was a long time ago."
Stunned that he was wrong, he repeated his thinking process. Defeated, he looked up at his mother and frowned. "Mommy, what so special about the next day? It not my birthday?"
She smiled. "No, tomorrow is a special day for your dad. It's Father's Day, Lloyd."
Lloyd's eyes widened at this new knowledge. "Daddy has a day? Is it daddy's birthday?"
Anna took Lloyd down another aisle. "No. It's just a day when people give thanks for their fathers."
"But…I do that all the days."
Anna chuckled. "Yes, Lloyd, but tomorrow is an even special day."
"Oh…so can you get me something for Daddy's Day?"
At that, she laughed. "No, Lloyd. You're not a father yet. When you have kids of your own, then you can get something for Father's Day."
Lloyd didn't like hearing that. Since when did someone get something and he didn't? He stopped moving and let go of his mother's hand. She stopped and looked down at him while he crossed his arms and sat down in the middle of the aisle.
"Lloyd, what's wrong?"
He turned his head in disgust and let out a pout. "I want something, too."
Anna sighed, then reached down and lifted Lloyd up off the ground. He threw a fit for a few minutes, but calmed down when he realized he wasn't getting anywhere.
He re-emphasized his unhappiness. "Mommy, I want something, too!"
Giving up the knowingly endless battle, Anna spoke up. "If you are good and help me pick out something for your father, I will think about it. Okay?"
Lloyd's facial expression brightened in seconds. "Okay!"
"Now, what should we get for daddy?"
Lloyd shrugged his shoulders. "You know daddy more than I know daddy. Now can I get something?"
Anna managed a smile and rolled her eyes. This was going to take longer than she wanted.
-----
"It's Daddy's Day!" Lloyd screamed after he woke up in the morning. He finished making the present last night and was very anxious to give it to his father. However, his mother said to wait until later. But she was talking to Lloyd, so he ran out of his room with his present in hand.
This time, however, Anna was already up. "Oh, good morning, Lloyd. I see I beat you this morning."
"It's Daddy's Day, mom! I excited!" He sat down in his chair and placed his present in front of him.
"Don't let dad see that. I told you to give it to him later."
Lloyd smiled over his shoulder. "It's for Daddy! I give it to daddy when I see daddy!"
Knowing there was no need to continue on, Anna dropped it. Lloyd sat patiently on his chair, waiting eagerly for his father to come around the corner to give him his present. He sat and stared at the envelope that held his present, hoping that after all the hard work he put into it that his father would like it.
However, the minute breakfast was in front of him, he forgot about it. He happily ate his meal quickly so he could run off and give away his present.
"I see your father hasn't made it out of bed yet. Do you want to go wake him up?"
Lloyd jumped with a mouthful of food in his mouth and was out of the kitchen shortly after. He held onto his present with all his might, afraid that the smallest thing could blow it away. When he reached the room, he opened the door and ran to his father's bedside.
"Happy Daddy's Day daddy!"
Had it been one of Lloyd's usual announcement to get him up, he would have rolled over and attempt to fall back asleep. But Kratos slowly sat up, deciding that he had slept for far too long anyways, and watched as Lloyd scrambled to sit next to him.
"I make this for you, daddy!" he exclaimed and handed him the envelope. Kratos smiled at his young son and took the small paper from his hands. Lloyd sat and waited for him to open it, but he didn't.
"So, what is it?"
Lloyd smiled. "I make it for you! It's for Daddy's Day!"
"You're not going to tell me what it is?"
"Silly Daddy," Lloyd laughed. "I not tell you. It a surprise!"
"Did your mother get me anything?"
Lloyd thought for a moment, then nodded and beamed. "Yeah! Mommy got you…"
"I thought I told you that you wouldn't give daddy your present until later?"
Lloyd lowered his head to hide the fact that he was almost caught in the act. He turned to Anna with a guilty look on his face. "I sorry, mommy! I just excited and it's daddy's day! I want him to open my present now!"
She placed a hand on her hip, to show she was upset, but when she realized that Kratos already had the envelope in his hand, she decided not to worry about it. "Alright, but you don't get mine until later on."
Lloyd giggled as she walked away, then turned his attention to his father. "Open! Open it and look at it!"
Deciding that if he waited any longer, Lloyd would get upset, so he opened up the paper while Lloyd's eyes sparkled with delight. He pulled out the inner piece and discovered it was one of Lloyd's drawings he often made. Lloyd jumped on the bed, anxious to know what he thought about his piece of work. Kratos unfolded the paper and held it open.
On the paper was the two of them looking up at the night sky. It was what Lloyd looked forward to every week, the one night that they would go out and sleep under a blanket of stars. Lloyd's face had a huge smile on it and his stick-figure arms were wrapped around his father. Written amongst the stars, clearly in Lloyd's handwriting, were: Happy Daddy's Day. Love Lloyd. Kratos smiled at the picture, then looked up at the wide grin on his son.
"You like, daddy?"
Kratos didn't even say anything. He reached over and took his son into his arms while Lloyd's smile increased in size. It was the first father's day present that Kratos had received from his son, and he had a feeling that this one had more heart behind it than anything else he had done for him in the past.
Lloyd looked up after he was released from his father's grip. "So, you like daddy? Mommy helped me write the words, but that it! I did it all myself!"
I can tell, Kratos thought as he looked back down at the drawing. "I do like this, Lloyd. It's very good."
It was all Lloyd needed to hear as he threw his arms and his body back at his father for another hug.
When Lloyd pulled away, he looked back up at Kratos. "Um, Daddy?"
"Yes, Lloyd?"
"When is it Kid Day?"