Title: War
Words: 428
When Lissa had asked me to care for our baby, I hadn't realized what exactly it meant. Being an only child, I had thought that raising a child would be easy, that they would come into everything in their own time.
I hadn't realized that the baby would need me to change its diapers (or how hard that would be). I hadn't realized that at one year old, my child wouldn't be able to feed itself (or that it would make a mess when I fed it).
Currently, my problem was much worse than feeding or changing its diapers- the kid wouldn't shut up. As its shrill cries repeated over and over and over, I was coming to a breaking point. At my wits end. About to call the only person I knew that had taken care of children and might not tell Lissa what a failure of a father I was.
DImitri (however, he would probably tell Rose, who would tell Lissa, but that was a matter for later).
I stared at the baby from across the room, preparing myself for war. Preparing myself for a battle that could determine how others saw me for generations (maybe just days). I grabbed my phone and my finger hovered over Dimitri's number. Just a single click away. Just one button and then I wouldn't have to deal with the child's crying. One click.
An idea flared up in my hand and I slipped the phone into my pocket, coming up to the baby cautiously. I was now in enemy territory. As I got closer, the baby's eyes found mine yet its eternal sobs never died.
My mother, though her parenting skills were lacking as I grew up, had cared for me as a child. She would stay home everyday and entertain me. I'd heard fond stories from Tasha of the ways my mother would catch my attention and end the crying.
I raised my hand and a flame formed on the end of my finger. It was warm; however, it didn't burn. The baby's cries became quieter as it's attention focused on the bright flame. Relief flooded through me and for the next hour, I entertained the baby with simple fire tricks.
When Lissa returned home, I felt proud of myself. I'd entertained the baby with no help from an outside source. However, as I felt the last war had come to a treaty, another war was about to begin in the form of a wife protective over her child, who was playing with fire in the living room.
Thanks to purrfictionist for the prompt (and I am so sorry for how long it took). Please review, if you have any time.