Dave pulled the tray of chicken nuggets from the oven, setting it down beside the pot of mac 'n' cheese on the stove top. He swiped his hand across his brow. Even though dinner hadn't been difficult to make, Dave was already feeling exhausted. Taking care of littles was hard. He'd forgotten that.
It wasn't that Kurt and Blaine were being naughty. Quite the opposite actually. They were getting along really well, building a zoo and singing loudly to Broadway show tunes. Dave had gone in a few times to check on them and had found them giggling and laughing together. No, the hard part was that Dave was a paranoid Daddy. Any little sound could send him flying to the living room, sure that something was wrong. He blamed it on not having done the Daddy-ing thing for a while. He was going to have to get better about it.
Grabbing the freshly washed plastic plates from the dish rack by the sink, Dave double checked that everything was prepped. They already had cups, food was ready, and their plates were clean. He was ready. He made his way to the living room. "Dinner time, boys," he announced, smiling at the numerous circles full of animals on the floor. "Ready to eat?"
"Yay!" Blaine said, hopping up from the floor and rushing him. "Foo'! 'm hungwy, Daddy!"
"That's good. Can you clean up your toys please?"
"Nooooo," Blaine whined, wrapping himself around Dave's leg and sitting on his foot. "Don' wanna cwean up!"
"We have to pick up our toys, Blaine," Dave explained calmly. "We don't want anyone to trip on them or break them, do we?"
"But 'm p'ayin'!" Blaine explained. "Kur'! Tell Daddy no cwean up toys."
Kurt, who had been putting the finishing touches on another new circle glanced up. "We pick up now?" he asked.
"Please," Dave replied. "Dinner is ready."
"'kay," Kurt agreed. Slowly, he began to scoop up the blocks and put them back into the bucket nearby.
This made Blaine very angry. "Kur'! No!" he screeched, untangling himself from around Dave and rushing across the room. He swiftly kicked over the bucket of Legos before Kurt could deposit his handful.
Kurt looked at Dave with wide eyes. Blaine had been naughty. Was Dav—Daddy going to think that he'd been naughty, too?
"Blaine Anderson," Dave said, giving the boy his best Daddy Look. "You need to pick up all those Legos you just spilled right now, please." He focused on keeping his voice calm.
"Nooooo," Blaine begged. "Wanna p'ay after!"
"I'm sorry," Dave said again, walking across the room to squat by the mess of Legos on the floor. "Help me pick these up now." Turning to Kurt, he said gently, "Thank you for trying to follow directions. Please pick up the animals and put them away and then go sit at the table. I'll bring you some food in a few minutes."
Kurt nodded. "'kay." He began to collect the animals from their little Lego pens.
Blaine was having none of it. "No, Kur'!" he yelled, running across the room and sweeping his feet through the enclosures, sending Legos and animals flying in all directions.
Dave cleared his throat. "Blaine Devon Anderson. I expect you to get your naughty little bottom over here right this instant." He pointed to the floor directly in front of him. "Kurt," he said, gentling his tone, "just go sit at the table for me. I'll be there in just a few minutes."
"Blaine in trouble?" Kurt asked softly, not sure how he felt about it.
"Blaine's in trouble, yes," Dave agreed, grabbing the little boy by his wrist when Blaine came over. "But, don't worry. He'll be fine. Just worry about following directions, please." He smiled at Kurt encouragingly.
Kurt nodded and left for the dining room, sliding into a chair with its back to the living room so he didn't have to hear Daddy get mad at Blaine.
Taking a deep breath, Dave led Blaine to the couch and sat down, holding Blaine between his knees. "What is the matter?" he asked. "You're not listening very well right now."
Blaine was still mad. "I don' wanna cwean up!" he insisted, stomping. "Wanna p'ay."
"Well, that's not a choice right now," Dave replied. "I'm sorry."
"No!"
"You've already earned yourself a time out," Dave said sternly. "If you keep shouting at me, I'll wash your mouth out with soap and then put you in time out."
Blaine scowled but didn't say anything. Soap was icky.
"Much better," Dave praised. "Would you like to tell me why you're so upset about cleaning up your toys?"
Shaking his head, Blaine glared at Daddy.
"Okay. You can go to time out and then we'll talk," Daddy decided. Standing, he kept a firm grip on Blaine's wrist and marched him to the dining room, placing him in the corner that Kurt had occupied not long before. "Five minutes," he said. "Then we'll see if you feel like talking."
Blaine didn't say anything, just stomped his foot and crossed his arms.
Dave turned away from Blaine and held out a hand to Kurt. "Wanna come pick out what dino chicken nuggets you want?" he asked, smiling.
Kurt nodded shyly, sliding off his chair and coming around to stand by Dave. "Dino nuggets for dinner?" he asked.
"Yep! With mac 'n' cheese," Dave told him. "Are you hungry?"
"Uh huh."
"Let's get your plate then." Dave grabbed Kurt's hand, and together, they walked to the stove. "Don't touch," Dave warned. "It's really hot. I'll get your food for you. Can you tell me which dinos you want?"
Quietly, Kurt pointed to five different nuggets, each one a different shape. There was a t-rex, a pterodactyl, a brachiosaurus, a triceratops, and a stegosaurus. After Dave gave him a scoop of mac 'n' cheese, Kurt returned to the table with his food.
"Do you want me to cut up your nuggets?" Dave asked.
Kurt shook his head.
"Would you like milk or water with your dinner?"
Kurt shrugged.
"I'd like a verbal answer, please," Dave said patiently.
"Water," Kurt whispered. He kept glancing at Blaine in time out. It was making him uncomfortable to know that Blaine was in trouble.
"Good boy," Dave praised, walking into the living room to retrieve the boy's sippy cups. When he returned, he glanced at the clock and realized Blaine's time was up. "Blaine?" he said gently, walking toward the boy. "Are you ready to come out of time out?"
As he'd been standing in the corner, Blaine had begun to feel more and more sorry for himself. He didn't want to be in time out. It wasn't fair that Daddy was making him pick up the toys he wanted to play with. He didn't want to be in trouble. So, when Daddy finally called to him, he turned around and flung himself into Daddy's arms, tears forming in his eyes. "Sorry, sorry, sorry," he mumbled into his shirt.
Dave hugged him back tightly, setting the two sippy cups down on the table. "You're okay," he soothed, rubbing Blaine's back. "You'll be okay."
"I c'ean up now," Blaine sniffled, turning to go back to the living room.
"After dinner," Dave said, grabbing his arm. "Before we do the fun thing I had planned, you'll pick up all the Legos and the animals. Right now, though, it's time for food."
Blaine nodded, following Dave to the stove. He pointed out the chicken nuggets he wanted and sat down with his chicken and mac 'n' cheese beside Kurt, who was nearly finished. "Sorry," he mumbled to Kurt.
"I is not mad, my Blainers," Kurt said softly, reaching out a hand to pat at Blaine's. "Is okay."
"Do you want me to cut up your nuggets for you, Blaine?" Dave asked, coming to the table with his own plate of food.
Blaine shook his head. "Ketchup?" he asked hopefully.
"Of course," Dave replied, standing up and going back to the fridge. "I'm sorry, Kurt. I forgot to see if you wanted any dipping sauce."
"Is okay," Kurt assured him quietly.
When Dave returned with the ketchup, he also had the sippy cups in his hand. He sent them down in front of the boys before squirting a puddle of ketchup onto Blaine's plate. "There you go," he pronounced. "Do you need anything else?"
Neither boy answered him, too busy eating. Blaine was making a game out of dunking his nuggets in the ketchup. He giggled as he put the dino feet in, squishing them all around. "Takin' a baf," he sang, grinning at the mess he was making.
"I know your food is shaped like a dinosaur," Dave began, "but please remember to eat it, too. Don't just play with it."
Blaine gave him a look. "But, they's takin' a ketchup baf!"
"Well, they need to take a ride into your tummy," Dave replied, tickling him a little. "I have a fun surprise planned for after dinner, but you need to eat all your food so we can clean up your toys."
Kurt lifted his head at that. "Su'prise?"
Dave nodded. "Mhm."
"Yay! S'pize!" Blaine yelled loudly, mashing one of his nuggets into his mouth. "Wha' iv i'?" he asked with his mouth full.
"I'm not going to tell you what it is, or it wouldn't be a surprise," Dave chuckled. "And don't talk with your mouthful, please."
"Forry," Blaine said before he swallowed. "Sowwy."
"It's okay, monkey boy. Just try to remember. Have you tried your mac 'n' cheese yet?" he asked, trying to encourage Blaine to eat. He vaguely remembered that Blaine had trouble eating. It wasn't that he didn't like the food or wasn't hungry. He just didn't eat much. He had to be talked into it and coached through it.
It didn't seem like Kurt had the same problem. While his portions were smaller than Blaine's, he seemed to eat what was in front of him without complaint. Dave felt a bit of relief at that. Maybe he wouldn't have to fight two littles about food.
Knowing there was a surprise waiting for him, Blaine wolfed down his food at lightening speed, shoving as much into his mouth at once as he could.
"Slow down," Dave said, laying a hand on his arm. "Chew your food before you swallow it. I don't want you to choke."
Despite the warning, Blaine continued to snarf down his food when he thought Dave wasn't looking at him. He was desperate to get to the surprise, and he bounced in his seat when his last bite was swallowed. "Ah done, Daddy!" he announced happily. "S'pize?" he asked.
"Go put your plate in the sink and then clean up the toys in the living room while Kurt and I finish. Then, we'll have the surprise." Dave couldn't keep the smile off of his face as the little boy flew into action, sprinting around the room to do as he was told. Surprises were a goo motivator. Daddy would have to keep that in mind. "All done, Kurt?" he asked a few moments later as he scooped his last bite into his mouth.
"Uh huh," Kurt replied, smiling. He'd been done for a while, but he hadn't wanted to say anything to Daddy.
"Did you like it?" Daddy asked. He could tell that Kurt still felt a little bit nervous about everything, and he wanted to put his mind at ease.
"Was yummy," Kurt agreed.
Dave gave him a smile. "Can you put your plate in the sink, please?" he asked. "Then, we can go see about the surprise in the living room."
Kurt nodded, rising to do as he was told just as Blaine came rushing back into the dining room. "Ah done!" he announced proudly.
"Good boy," Daddy praised, happy that he'd listened without a fight. "Go sit on the couch. Kurt and I will be there in a minute."
"Yay!" Blaine yelled, running back into the living room and diving onto the couch. He sat up and bounced excitedly, waiting for Daddy to come back.
As Kurt settled in next to Blaine, Dave rounded the couch. He'd tucked a bag behind the containing two stuffed animals, and he handed one to each of the boys.
Blaine looked his over carefully. It was a small stuffed lion with a fuzzy mane, two tiny ears, and a soft brown nose against tan fur and dark black eyes. A smile came across his face, and he leaped off the couch, squeezing Daddy tightly. "Fank you," he said. "I yuv my s'pize!"
"I'm glad you like it," Daddy said, kissing the boy on top of the head. He hadn't intended to do that, but the action came naturally. "That wasn't the whole surprise, though," he said gently.
"Is not?" Blaine cried, stepping back. "More?"
"There's more," Dave agreed. "Just wait a second. Kurt," he asked, turning to the boy who was still on the couch, "do you like yours?"
Kurt was looking at his stuffed animal curiously. Daddy had given him an elephant. It was a dark gray color with two huge floppy ears and two tiny white tusks. It had eyes as black as night and little light gray lines running down the length of its trunk. "Thanks," he whispered, hugging the elephant tightly to his chest. He didn't know why, but he loved it.
"You're welcome, sweet boy," Daddy said, coming over to kiss his head, too. "Are you ready for the second part of the surprise?"
"Yeah!" Blaine said excitedly, bouncing again. "Me an' King Weo is weady!"
"King Leo?" Daddy asked, grinning.
"Is my wion," Blaine explained.
"I like that name. Does your elephant have a name, Kurt?" Daddy asked.
Kurt shook his head. "No' yet."
"That's okay," Daddy replied. "You can think about it for a while. I thought it might be fun to watch a movie before bedtime. Would you like that?" Dave asked.
"Yeah! Movie!" Blaine shouted. "I pick?"
"I already picked," Daddy explained. "We're going to watch The Jungle Book."
Kurt clapped a little at that. "I yike dat one," he said quietly, letting his speech regress a bit more.
"I yuv Jun'le Book!" Blaine said happily. "King Weo watch, too?"
"Of course!" Daddy replied. "Let's go get the two of you changed into jammies, and then we'll come back and put in the movie."
"Daddy," Blaine whine. "Is too early for bed."
"I'm not saying you have to go to bed," Daddy replied. "But, if you keep whining at me, I'll change my mind."
"No. Fair." Blaine stomped his feet against the floor.
"Come on, Blainers," Kurt said, holding out his had to his husband. "Daddy said jammies then movie. Come on."
With a pout, Blaine took Kurt's hand and followed him to their bedroom, Daddy bringing up the rear. It didn't take Dave long to get the two of them into jammies. He decided that he would order some fun pajamas for them online and have them over-nighted to the apartment. All Kurt and Blaine owned that would work for pajamas were old sweatpants and over-sized t-shirts. While they looked adorable, Dave wanted something that would make them feel little. Then, they all padded back to the living room to watch the movie, stuffies in hand.
When Dave returned to the couch after putting in the DVD, he sat down between the boys, and Kurt poked at his arm.
"Daddy?"
"Yes, my Kurt?" Dave wasn't sure he was allowed to say that, but it was just another one of those things he couldn't keep from rolling off his tongue. He was definitely in Daddy mode now.
"I named my el'phant," Kurt said softly.
"What's his name?" Dave whispered as the movie started.
"Her name," Kurt replied, petting at the elephants head.
"Okay. What's her name?" Dave repeated.
"Win'fred."
"Winifred?"
"Uh huh. From da movie," Kurt said, pointing to the screen.
"That's very creative, sweet boy," Daddy said giving him a gentle hug. "I like that name."
Kurt beamed, feeling better with Daddy's praise. He was trying to be a good boy and feel more comfortable. It certainly helped that Daddy was being so nice.
Before the movie was over, Blaine had fallen asleep, resting heavily against Dave's side, King Leo tucked under his chin.
Kurt was still awake, but he was rubbing one of Winifred's ears between his fingers, and he looked exhausted.
Dave clicked the power button on the remote and turned to Kurt. "Are you ready for bed?" he whispered.
Kurt nodded. "Sweepy."
"Blaine's asleep," Dave said. "I'll carry him to bed. Go ahead and go." He motioned with his head down the hallway.
"Okay," Kurt replied, glancing around Dave at Blaine's sleeping form, a gentle smile on his face. He quietly got up and headed for his bedroom, stopping for a moment to ask, "Daddy? Where you sleep?"
"I'll sleep on the couch," Dave said. "You boys will be okay in the big bed."
Kurt nodded. "'kay." Then, he headed back toward the bedroom and climbed into bed with a large yawn.
Dave scooped Blaine into his arms, careful not to wake him, and carried him back to his and Kurt's bedroom. He gently laid him down on the bed, slipping the covers over him and making sure King Leo was still tucked in his arms. "Good night, my Blaine," he whispered, leaning over to kiss him gently on the forehead.
Blaine wiggled a little in his sleep but didn't wake.
Rounding the bed, Dave helped Kurt to lay down and adjusted the covers over him before pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Good night, my Kurt," he whispered. "Sweet dreams."
"Night, Daddy," Kurt said, yawning again. "You be okay on da couch?"
"I'll be fine," Dave promised. "You get some sleep. I'll be here when you wake up in the morning. If you or Blaine need me in the middle of the night, come get me. Okay?"
"'kay," Kurt agreed, snuggling up to Blaine, Winifred in his arms.
"Good boy," Dave praised before walking toward the door and turning out the light. He left the door cracked a bit, just in case they needed him. He tiptoed to the couch, quickly taking off his jeans and slipping into a pair of gym shorts. He shut off the light and lay on the couch in the darkness, staring up at the ceiling. All in all, he thought, the day had gone pretty well. There had been some testing, and there would be more the next day. But, his boys seemed happy. That was all he could ask for. Dave drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face, excited for what the next day would bring for them.