37
Babbit called out to his Taddy, pushing away from John who grunted as he stretched and woke.
"Hey darling" Ianto said as he entered the room, smiling at his lovely boy.
"My leg still hurts!" Babbit sniffled as he held out his arms and Ianto cooed as he scooped him up and carried him to the bathroom.
Babbit stood, balancing on one leg as he peed, his Taddy holding him steady as he brushed his hair into those lovely little ringlets around his face.
"Taddy, can Uncle Johnny live here too?" Babbit asked as he washed his hands, "If Connor and Em can?"
"Uncle John can stay anytime he wants but he has his own place for when he wants to play with his other friends" Ianto tried to explain and Jack watched from the doorway with a soft snort of amusement.
"He could play with them here!"
"You know Daddy and I have our special cuddling that we do when the bedroom door is shut?" Ianto looked at Jack with a frown, "Well, Uncle John has special cuddle friends too."
"Oh" Babbit frowned as he considered it.
"So, he likes special cuddles?"
"Grown up cuddles, yes" Ianto smiled into the mirror, "The kind you only do together when nobody can see and you only do it with someone special."
"So … when I grow up I will with Bethy?" his little eyes narrowed and Ianto was ready for him.
"When you are married, yes" Ianto said calmly, "Like me and Daddy are married."
"Uncle John isn't married!" Babbit countered and Jack laughed softly as Ianto frowned.
"That's why he can't do it here, it's not the sort of cuddles you do with family!"
Babbit's eyes widened as he examined his Taddy's face.
"So … so, he is …like test driving some until he finds a forever cuddle?"
Jack left the bathroom and Ianto heard his laughter in the hall.
"One day, Uncle John will find somebody who we will want to cuddle with forever, just like I found Daddy. When that happens, he will bring them home and they will become family" Ianto leaned back, seeing a dangerous slope, considering Babbit's back story.
"But cuddles can sometimes be just wrong? Or not right?"
"Sometimes you think you find your cuddle buddy, only to find that it wasn't quite right. Remember Roger? You were best buddies when you started school, a forever friend, right? Then you found out how he snorts when he eats and doesn't like cats. You then found that you didn't like him as much." Ianto popped the PJ top off and held out the shirt for puny little arms.
"Oh. So, grownups change their minds about friends too?" Babbit smiled, "You can make mistakes?"
"All the time" Ianto grinned back, "Mr Builder left the gun down. Daddy ran that stop light and might have got a ticket, I hit my head on the door carrying you into the hospital, Uncle John ran in to the room so fast he slid over and hit the wall, remember? Yeah … adults are stupid too."
"Uncle John said he loved me and I was his special little boy" Babbit smiled as he hugged himself, "Even stupid adults can do good stuff."
"Uncle John isn't stupid. He can do really good stuff. He's just still learning" Ianto stroked a cheek, "We all are. No grown up knows everything."
"Except you Taddy!" Babbit said with glee, throwing his arms around him, "You know everything."
"Not everything!" Ianto sighed.
Babbit raised his eyebrows in surprise as he examined his Taddy's face.
"We don't know if the babies are boys or girls or one of each!"
Ianto watched Babbit's face change as he considered the problem, all thoughts of 'Uncle John' gone.
Babbit giggled and hugged his Taddy with glee, not caring as long as he was allowed to cuddle them.
He was going to be the bestest big brother ever!