Kurt and Blaine were sitting on a bench at the park, chatting quietly while Noah played. It was a beautiful day, and the park was deserted. Neither one of them was paying very close attention to their boy; they were too busy discussing their plans for Noah's birthday. They both looked up, startled, however, when they heard Noah shout their names.
"Daddy! Papa!"
"Are you okay, Noah?" Kurt asked, standing up as he watched the little boy running across the playground toward them at top speed. He didn't appear to be bleeding or limping, so Kurt assumed he was probably okay.
"'M fine," Noah called to them. "I jus' nee' he'p!"
"Help with what?" Blaine asked when Noah got closer. He looked the little boy up and down, his gaze fixating on his feet. "And, where's your shoe?" He pointed to Noah's left foot which was currently shoe-and-sockless.
"Da gian' mud puddle over dere demanded sacwifice," Noah explained seriously. "Dat's why I nee' you. Come on!" He took off again, sprinting in the direction he'd just come from, not even waiting for Daddy and Papa.
Kurt and Blaine followed behind at a much slower pace.
"What does he mean 'the puddle demanded a sacrifice?'" Kurt asked as they walked along.
Blaine shrugged. "If I had to guess, he jumped in a puddle, his shoe got stuck, and he made that up to get out of trouble."
Kurt sighed. "You're probably right."
When they finally arrived at the sacrificial mud puddle, they found Noah crouching nearby, watching his shoe with some interest. The shoe was not sitting on its bottom but instead lying on its side, water seeping into the shoe and soaking the sock inside. "Is yittle bugs on it," he said softly when Daddy and Papa approached. "Yook!"
"I see," Blaine replied, reaching in to retrieve the shoe with the sock sticking out over the top. He'd known the second Noah mentioned bugs that Kurt would not be touching it. "Can you tell me how your shoe ended up in the puddle?"
Noah huffed, standing up. Then, he pointed to a nearby tree. "My ball getted stucked in dat twee, and I taked my shoe off to frow at it. I hitted da ball, but den my shoe falled down into da mud, an' I couldn't get it." He made a disgusted face at the shoe Daddy was holding. "It was yucky."
"You're right. It is yucky," Blaine agreed. He reached for Noah's hand. "Come on. Let's get your sandals on, and then we'll go home."
"Don' wanna go home," Noah pouted. "Wanna p'ay more, Daddy."
"Well, you can't play in sandals, and your shoe is too muddy to put back on," Blaine pointed out. He watched as Kurt jogged a few steps away to retrieve Noah's ball. "We'll come back to the park another day," Blaine reassured their pouting boy. "Come on. Let's go home. We'll find something fun to do there."
"Nuffin' fun to do a' home," Noah complained, stomping along beside Daddy.
"Not even a Daddy and Papa and Noah night?" Kurt asked. "I thought we could make pizza and watch a movie together before bed." He glanced at Blaine, hoping he'd approve. All the time they'd spent talking about Noah's birthday had made him want to spend a little quality time with their little boy.
"Pizza with pep'ronies?" Noah inquired. "An' soda to dwink?"
"Maybe if you're good," Blaine confirmed, smiling at Kurt. He thought this was a great idea.
Noah was silent, thinking for a minute. "'M I in twubble for no' getsin' a gwown up to get my ball?" he asked.
"No," Blaine assured him, sitting down on the bench to dig through their bag for Noah's sandals. "But next time, please come get Papa or me. We can help you get it down so you don't ruin your shoes." He handed the pair of sandals over to Kurt, taking the ball from him and putting it and both of Noah's shoes into a plastic bag. Kurt would be extremely upset if they got mud in the bottom of the diaper bag.
"I pwomise," Noah said. "An' pwease we have a Daddy 'n' Papa 'n' Noah night?"
"Of course we can," Kurt reassured him. "Let's go home."
Blaine slung the diaper bag over his shoulder and draped the plastic bag full of muddy things over his wrist. Then, he grabbed one of Noah's hands and Kurt took the other. They walked hand-in-hand all the way home.
That night, after their pepperoni pizza, soda, and Big Hero 6, Noah was cuddling with Kurt and Blaine in his bed. They'd just finished reading If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, and Noah was getting very, very sleepy. "Papa?" he mumbled, rolling on his side to cuddle closer to Kurt.
"Yes, sweet boy?" Kurt asked softly, brushing Noah's hair away from his face softly.
"Fank you for hasin' a Daddy 'n' Papa 'n' Noah night. I yuvved it…"
"You're welcome, sweetie," Kurt said. "I'm glad you had fun. Daddy and I love spending time with our sweet little monkey."
Noah nodded, nuzzling a little deeper into Kurt's side for a moment. Then, he shifted onto his back a bit, raising an arm in Blaine's direction and making grabby hands. "Daddy," he whined. "'Mere,"
"What do you need, munchkin?" Blaine asked, leaning in close to brush a kiss across Noah's soft cheek.
"Fank you for rescuin' my shoe from da puddle gods."
"You're welcome," Blaine murmured. "Anything for my little boy."
"I yuv you," Noah said, yawning widely.
"I love you, too," Blaine answered, kissing him again. "Good night, Noah. Sweet dreams. I'll see you when you wake up." He rose, padding across the room and standing by the door, waiting for Kurt to tell Noah good night.
"Good night, sleepy boy," Kurt whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to Noah's temple. "Sweet dreams. I'll see you in the morning."
"Ni' ni'," Noah replied, his voice very quiet and sleepy. "I yuv you, my bes'tes' Daddy an' Papa."
Kurt smiled, climbing off of Noah's bed and walking to Blaine, switching out the light.
Before Daddy and Papa could even close the door, Noah was snoring lightly, already asleep. He'd had a long day of playing and spending time with Daddy and Papa who loved him enough to save him from angry mud puddle gods and make him pepperoni pizza. He smiled as he drifted off, images of playing with Daddy and Papa in the living room inside a blanket fort filling his head. His Daddy and Papa really were the best.