"Close your eyes and count to ten…" Ivan waited until Raivis had his hands over his eyes before turning away to go 'hide.' It was cute how he still likes playing child's games though he was so old. He may not look it though. Ivan looked so much older than him.
"One…" He looked around for a place to hide before selecting the broom closet. Opening it a few things tumbled out and there were some that found their way onto his head. He shut the broom closet.
"Five…" Shit shit shit! He needed somewhere to hide. He climbed behind a curtain almost laughing at how silly he knew he looked. Raivis was small, but he wasn't stupid.
"Ten! Ready or not here I come!" Ivan tried to stay as still as possible. He could hear the boy enter the room. There was a small laugh and his hiding spot flew away from him with tiny hands.
"I found you!" He smiled down at him.
"Yes, you did. Now, let's go get dinner started before the others come back." Raivis nodded and grabbed onto his shirt's arm smiling up at him. Ivan led him to the kitchen and washed his hands. He pulled out a few ingredients to make Raivis' favorite meal. The boy's eyes lit up when he saw what they were going to be making.
Ivan started prepping everything while Raivis turned on the oven. He washed some vegetable and de-thawed the meat.
"Go play for a bit while I cook dinner." Raivis nodded and bounced out of the room. He went outside to climb some trees. Ivan just shook his head and laughed. He was such a child sometimes.
Ivan licked his lips smelling dinner cooking. He knew he had to wait for the others, but he really was hungry. A little bite wouldn't hurt anyone. He got out a fork to taste what he had made when Toris walked through the door.
"Ivan? Raivis is outside playing in the mud." He sighed and put the fork down pouting.
"Thank you, Toris." He walked outside and hollered for Raivis before coming back inside. Toris was putting the last few touches onto dinner. He was so happy to have such a big family.
He started setting the table. The silverware made soft clinks as he set it down. Raivis walked in and sat down at the table. Ivan just stared and stared at him. Finally Raivis looked up and smiled.
"What?" A dead stare proceeded. He sighed.
"Go wash up or you will not be eating dinner tonight." Raivis nodded and ran to the bathroom. Toris came out.
"You shouldn't be so hard on him." He shook his head.
"He has to learn." Ivan went back to setting the table. Toris took a seat right beside the host's. He came out a little while later smiling and completely soaked.
"I'm clean!" He sat down at the dinner table and Ivan just laughed.
"You certainly are." Toris smiled and started filling up his plate. Ivan and Raivis followed suit.
After dinner they all took their baths separately and relaxed in front of the fire. It flickered red and orange.
"Hey, Ivan?" Raivis asked looking up at him with puppy dog eyes.
"What is it, little one?" Ivan placed a hand on his head with an encouraging smile.
"Can I call you daddy?" A blush spread over his cheeks and he nodded. He had never been anyone's daddy before. Warmth filled his heart as he smiled broadly.
"Yes, now daddy says it is time for bed." Raivis whined and let Ivan carry him to the bedroom. He laid him down and kissed his forehead.
"Tuck me in and read me a story!" Raivis climbed under the covers. Ivan tucked him in.
"What kind of story?" Raivis looked at Ivan like he would know. He sighed and closed his eyes trying to think of a good story for the little one to hear before bed.
"Once upon a time…" He started, "There was a beautiful princess locked away in a tower. Every day she went to her window wishing she could leave. Every day she stayed in the tower." Raivis looked interested enough.
"One day a fox came up to the tower. She called down to him, 'Mr. Fox, please help me. I am locked away in this tower and I have no idea how to get out!' He looked up at her and laughed. He said, 'Lady, I'm just a fox. I can't fly up to the tower and get you. Ask a bird.' With that he walked away and the princess felt awfully depressed." Raivis' eyes had started drooping.
"So the princess went to bed. The next day a bird appeared at her window." Raivis eyes lit up sleepily.
"She called to him, 'Mr. Bird, please help me. I am locked away and this tower and I have no idea how to get out!' The bird flew over to her in all his glory and said, 'Miss, I'm terribly sorry you are stuck here for I am much too small to fly you out the window. You will have to wait for someone much bigger.' With that being said he flew off into the woods. The princess felt even more depressed than she had the first time. She was quickly losing hope of being rescued." Raivis grabbed ahold of Ivan's hand and smiled at him.
"The princess went to bed again. The next day a very large dragon appeared by her window. She was shaking and scared not knowing how to react to it." Ivan squeezed Raivis' hand lightly.
"She gathered all of her courage and called out to the dragon, 'Mr. Dragon, please help me. I am locked away in this tower and I have no idea how to get out!' The dragon flower over to her and smiled. He said, 'Have you tried the door over there?' The princess shook her head and ran to the door opening it and running down the stairs. Soon she found herself out in the real world."
"She ran over to the dragon and hugged him. 'Thank you so much, Mr. Dragon!' She exclaimed. She was so very happy that she was out. The dragon just wished her well and went on his merry way." Ivan smiled down at Raivis. He was asleep.
Quietly he escaped from the room only to hear a small voice say something.
"Good night, daddy…" He smiled.
"Good night, little one." He called out softly and shut the door. It was nice to have a son.
A.N./ For YGO4lyfe.