K, so we're still on time warp, for this chapter only. The next chapter will be a little better. Please remember, I don't know when things happen in real life, and to be my uncle, I don't care. That was a joke, 'cause my uncle's name is Frank, so I'm being frank with you. Get it? Anyway, I don't own Dragon Knights, and once again, for the last time, I give you the short chapter!
3
Daddy!
"I know that he didn't make a great first impression, but I think that we can give this place a try."
"I don't want to move out either Kai-Stern! It's the cheapest, closest, most comfortable place so close to the campus! It's just that, well, as much as I like it here already, he's got a little kid! More than likely, it's gonna keep us up all night when there's a test or something! You know that I can't cook when I'm tired!"
"At least give him a try Ruwalk! It might not even be his! For all we know, he might be babysitting, and forgot about the crib, okay? Just, please, Ruwalk? They won't let us into the fraternity, and the last landlord kicked us out! I WANT TO BE IN A PLACE THAT ISN'T RAT INFESTED!"
"Kai-Stern, you didn't even let that place have a chance."
"A chance! Then what do you call what you're doing here to this place! But the moment that I saw the stupid thing with the ears and the tail and the… ick!"
"So the guy's pet rat was the size of a shepherd dog! So what, at least it was his pet and there was only one."
"ONLY ONE! Ruwalk! He had a RAT FARM out in the BACK YARD! And I don't even want to have a class pet!"
"So? This guy has a little kid!"
"RUWALK! I don't care! I love kids! I'm trying to become a teacher! You love kids, you're trying to learn how to open a kids restaurant! I don't think that anyone is going to let us stay anywhere if not here! You wanna know WHY? Because we are brothers that SLEEP WITH EACH OTHER!"
"KAI-STERN! Shut up will you? Not everyone in the whole world has to know."
"What on earth is going on in here? WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TWO?" Kai-Stern and Ruwalk looked up from their conversation in the kitchen that had been steadily growing louder, only to see a red eyed, half dressed, confused man that was now their landlord.
"Um… we're your new tenants, you rented out some rooms to us yesterday." Ruwalk offered, getting up from the table. "I'm Ruwalk, and this is my brother, Kai-Stern." Tetheus blinked.
"I rented out those rooms finally?" He muttered, glancing at the clock, and opening the fridge for a late lunch, shifting Alfeegi from one arm to the other. "'Bout time, I never use them. So, you guys are from the collage? Good, it's been a while since I've known anyone that might know my old teachers. So, what are you kids studying?"
"Um, I'm majoring in English. I want to be an English teacher for some high school. Ruwalk's majoring in culinary arts, and minoring in childcare. He wants to open a kid's restaurant. School starts for us here in about a week." Tetheus blinked at Kai-Stern. Hiking his pajama pants back up to his waist, he pulled out a sandwich, and a jar of mashed peas.
"Well, I wish you guys luck in that, they're hard to do, but I hope that it works out for you. Meanwhile, I'm gonna go feed my son, feed myself, get dressed, and go look for a job again. If anyone calls and you two pick up, take a message, m'kay?"
"Can I hold him?" Kai-Stern blurted out suddenly. Tetheus turned around, blinked, and held his son closer.
"I don't know. I don't know you two very well yet. Not at all, actually."
"I won't hurt him, I promise." Kai-Stern held his arms out. Tetheus looked at him, then at Alfeegi, then back. Slowly, he put the wide-eyed Alfeegi into the outstretched arms, and Kai-Stern held him close, so as not to hurt him.
"His name's Alfeegi." Tetheus stared at his son. Alfeegi reached up with his tiny fingers, and touched Kai-Stern's glasses. A small smile and a slight giggle escaped the boy, who wanted to know where he was.
He knew that he wasn't in his father's arms, this person wasn't as warm, nor as muscular. Also, they smelled different. Already, Alfeegi was learning to distinguish people by the way they felt, sounded, and smelled, since he couldn't see them.
"See Ruwalk, isn't he just the cutest thing? Alfeegi, huh? That's a beautiful name. Where's his mother?" Tetheus was silent. Taking Alfeegi from Kai-Stern's arms, he picked his food back up, and left to the living room. Glancing at each other, they followed Tetheus out of the kitchen. He sat on the couch, and began to eat his sandwich, while balancing Alfeegi on one knee, and Alfeegi's food on the other.
"Tetheus, would you like me to feed him? You look like you're a bit busy." Ruwalk offered.
"No. I'm fine." The reply was short, angry.
"Tetheus. I'm sorry, I must have hit a spot or something. I didn't know. Can you forgive me?" Kai-Stern offered. Tetheus sighed just as the phone rang.
Tetheus' head snapped up, and he stood, setting the food on the coffee table and shifting Alfeegi back into his arms, he dashed to the phone on the end table beside the door. Picking up the receiver, he cradled it between his shoulder and his ear, then stroked Alfeegi's hair as the boy leaned against his father's chest.
"Hello? Yes, that's me. You are? Really? When? Three o'clock. All right, I'll be there. Ok. Ok. Of course! Can I bring my son? Thank you, thank you very much!" he hung up the phone, only to stand there and stare at the now quite appliance. A moment later, he set Alfeegi down on the couch, and ran, whooping, up the stairs and into his almost completely unused bedroom. Kai-Stern and Ruwalk glanced at each other. Then their attention was turned to the small boy that was put on the cushions a moment ago. The teal haired boy was giggling, clapping his hands, and smiling. Ruwalk had the vague feeling that Alfeegi was smarter than a normal nine-and-a-half-month-old child was, and that he wasn't letting on. He knew there was something going on, and he had a feeling that Alfeegi knew just what it was, even if the adults in the room didn't.
Crossing the room, Ruwalk knelt in front of the young boy, examining him as best he could without touching him. Alfeegi's large, dazzling eyes blinked, but never explored Ruwalk's face. To Ruwalk, it looked as though Alfeegi would rather stare just over his head, rather than right at him. Moments later, Tetheus came charging down the stairs, showered, groomed, shaved, and dressed for business. He finished the rest of his sandwich, and picked Alfeegi up.
"Hey Alfeegi! Guess what, your dad's going to an interview! I just might get hired! It's the first one that I've been to in a long time, so let's see if I still got it, okay? So, what am I missing? Shirt, pants, shower, shave, I've gelled my hair back, I brushed my teeth… well, what else do I need?" He hugged Alfeegi, kissing his forehead and touching his nose with his finger. Alfeegi giggled, then touched Tetheus' neck. Tetheus blinked. "Oh! My tie!" He ran back up stairs again. Ruwalk and Kai-Stern looked at each other.
"You saw that, right?" Kai-Stern muttered.
"Yup." Ruwalk nodded, just as Tetheus ran back down the stairs, tying his last piece of clothing.
"Daddy!" Alfeegi shouted, clapping his hands. The house stood still. The sound of the large Black Forest Clock on the wall stopped clacking with each swing of the pendulum. The dust that was floating lazily in the sun froze in mid air and hung there. And a smile slowly spread across Tetheus' lips.
"Alfeegi… you, you called me… daddy!" He could hardly breath. Lifting his son, Tetheus kissed his forehead, and held him as tight as possible. Tears streamed down his cheeks, and dropped into his hair. Alfeegi was confused. Looking up, he reached to Tetheus' face, and touched the water. Then he put his fingers with the tears on them into his mouth, finding that he didn't like the taste.
"Daddy?" Tetheus broke down completely then, falling to his knees, not caring that there were others in the room looking at him worriedly.
"If only your mother could see you now. Come on Alfeegi, I have to get going. We're going to get me a job, and then we can get you everything that you've ever wanted. Ever will want! We're getting better Alfeegi. Who knows? Maybe things are finally looking up for us!" With that, Tetheus took his keys, went out to his car, strapped his son into the car seat that was belted into the back, and went to his job interview.