"Seven again!"

"Unlucky guys!"

Tulio and Miguel beamed as the sailors reluctantly handed over their last few coins, popping them in the hat that Eugene was 'protecting'.

"Good game guys!" Tulio smirked, "Better luck next time!"

The sailors probably wouldn't have left so quickly if they knew about the dice.

"Finally!" Miguel exclaimed, as he lifted Eugene up with one arm and the cap full of money with the other, "We might have enough to get him a new bed now."

"Why bother? He'll just end up in ours."

Miguel just chuckled, titling his head away as Eugene grabbed at his hair, "Still, I think- hey!"

Stumbling slightly, only just managing to keep his grip on Eugene and the cap, Miguel glared at the two teens who'd pushed into him. Whilst he seemed willing to let it go, Tulio was not as calm.

"Hey!" he called after them, stopping them in their tracks, "Didn't your mum teach you any manners? Saying sorry maybe?"

He had to admit, he resisted the urge to take a step back as the twins twisted around to glare at him. He wasn't sure how old they were, but they already had twice the muscles he did.

"Sorry…" one of them sneered, as the other just smirked at them, "… didn't mean to make the pretty boy cry."

As Tulio growled and moved forwards, Miguel quickly grabbed his arm, holding him back as the twins cackled and walked away.

"I hate them…" Tulio muttered, only relaxing when they were out of sight, "… I hate those Stabbington brothers."

"Weren't we going to stop saying the word 'hate'?" Miguel asked, silently gesturing at Eugene, "You know, just in case- "

"- alright, alright." Tulio knew what Miguel was getting at. Eugene was starting to actually produce sounds that could be mistaken for words. Words like 'hate' were on the list that Miguel didn't want Eugene saying, "I seriously dislike those Stabbington brothers, does that help?"

"…. Not really."

Tulio rolled his eyes, already storming off back towards their home.

"It's okay…" Miguel muttered to Eugene as he quickly rushed after the taller man, trying not to drop any of the coins, "… he's annoyed at those two mean teenagers, not us, okay?"

It didn't look like Eugene believed him.

The one-year-old was right to be worried.

"Why are you getting so angry about this!" Miguel exclaimed as Tulio paced the small room angrily, "They bumped into me, it's not like they tried to take the coins or anything!"

"I'm not getting annoyed about that!"

"Then what are you- "

Tulio span around angrily, gesturing at Eugene, who was starting to whimper slightly in his cot, "Did you see how the people were looking at us?! How they were looking at you cooing over him!"

Taking a step back, Miguel couldn't help but frown at the anger in his partner's voice…. He was actually a little hurt.

"He's my son, our son…. What's wrong with me paying him a little bit of attention?"

"Because people start getting suspicious! They were suspicious before we got him, and now it looks like we have a kid together!"

"But…" Miguel frowned, "…. We do have a kid together…. He's our kid."

"No, at the moment, he's the ticket to certain death!"

The harsh words caused Miguel to take a step back, glancing over at Eugene as the baby whimpered, tiny fists clenched in his blanket.

"No-one will find out…" he whispered, "… we can be careful and- "

"- and what Miguel?!" Tulio growled, "Open the doors to the guards when they come and arrest us for sodomy?!"

"Tulio!"

Eugene was starting to cry quietly as his parents continued to argue. At the sound, Miguel stopped, spinning around and immediately lifting the one-year-old into his arms.

"Tulio, stop." He sighed wearily, "I'm going to the marketplace. You…. You just calm down okay."

"Calm down? I am calm?!"

But Tulio's words fell on deaf ears… because Miguel and Eugene were already out of the door, the door closing behind them.

He earned a lot of curious looks as he walked through the streets.

Miguel knew why that was… no smile, no cheery waves, no lute… it was very unlike him, hence the shock of the people on the streets.

Eugene also wasn't himself, unusually subdued as he buried his face into Miguel's chest.

"I know…" Miguel muttered soothingly to his son, "… he's just stressed. You're too young to understand what would happen if they ever found out about us, about me and Tulio, but it wouldn't be good… you'd be sent away, living with the nuns or something."

He couldn't help but shudder as he remembered his own childhood, the sting of a ruler across the back of his hand.

"You wouldn't like it…" he whispered, "…. Maybe Tulio's right. Maybe I should tone it down a little."

"Dada."

Eyes widening in shock, Miguel pulled Eugene away from his chest. "What did you say?"

Eugene beamed up at him, "Dada!"

"… You spoke!" Miguel whooped in glee, leaping to his feet and twirling around, smiling as Eugene giggled in delight, "I have to- " he stopped, suddenly remembering where he was and who might be listening, "- I need to get home."

And with that, he was gone.

….

"Tulio! Tulio!"

As Miguel burst into the room, he completely missed Tulio's dejected look, far too excited with his new news.

"He's speaking!" he announced, "He's speaking! Eugene, say it again, say it again!"

"… Dada!"

Tulio immediately brightened up, pushing himself to his feet and moving over to stand in front of his family. "Clever little boy…" he whispered, running long fingers through the dark brown hair, "… can you say Papa?"

"Dada!"

"Very good…. but can you say Papa?"

"Pa!"

"That's it, almost there!"

Eugene frowned in concentration, "Pa-Pa…. Papa! Papa! Dada! Papa!"

Both Miguel and Tulio whooped in glee at this, praising Eugene eagerly as he beamed up at them.

The fight was forgotten.