Dave almost dismissed the voice as part of his dreams until he heard it again. "Daddy? Daddy?" Then, Dave was up like a rocket, hurrying down the hallway to the boys' room. He gently pushed the door open and entered the room, finding Kurt sitting up in bed, clutching the blanket to his chest and looking toward Dave with wide eyes.
"Daddy?" he whimpered.
"I'm here, sweet boy," Dave whispered, wrapping Kurt into a tight hug. "What's the matter? Did you have a bad dream?"
Kurt sniffled. "A vewwy bad dweam." He slumped against Daddy, tired and scared.
"I'm sorry," Daddy whispered, kissing his cheek and carding his fingers lovingly through Kurt's hair. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Wan' Win'fred," Kurt said, grabbing his stuffed elephant before wrapping his arms around Dave's neck. "Daddy carry."
"Carry you where?"
"Wan' milk." Kurt's face was buried in Dave's shoulder, so his words were a bit muffled, but, to his satisfaction, Kurt found himself being lifted and carried out of the room.
Daddy settled the two of them down onto the couch, turning Kurt so his back was against Daddy's chest, and Dave's strong arms were wrapped tightly around him. "Can you tell me about your dream?" Daddy asked softly, kissing the top of Kurt's head.
"Wan' milk," the little boy repeated. He tilted his head back to look at Daddy. "P'ease?"
"Cold milk?" Dave wasn't sure what good milk was going to do.
"No! Hot!" Kurt made a face at Daddy as if he obviously should have known that. "Wif cimmonin an' choc'yet."
"That sounds like hot coco," Dave commented. "Is that what you're asking for?"
Kurt shook his head. "No! Milk. My mommy makeded it when I hadda bad dweam."
"Will you help me?" Dave asked, at a loss. "I don't know how to make that, I guess." He felt bad; he was supposed to be able to make them feel better, and this seemed like a pretty simple request.
"I hewp," Kurt agreed, nodding. He shrugged out of Daddy's hold, sliding off the couch and grabbing one of Daddy's hands. "Come on." He tugged on Dave until they were standing in the middle of the kitchen, both of them blinking owlishly at the bright lights. "Pour milk in dis," Kurt pronounced getting out a mug and handing it to Dave.
"Okay," the man agreed. He filled the cup about three-quarters of the way full then looked at Kurt. "Now what?"
"Microwave," Kurt replied, pointing. "One."
"One minute?"
The boy nodded. "Need cimmonin an' choc'yet!"
Dave got the requested items, setting them on the counter next to the microwave. When it beeped, he pulled out the mug and carefully poured the hot liquid into Kurt's sippy cup. He didn't want to risk the little boy spilling.
"Now mix," Kurt commanded, watching as Daddy poured in a little bit of cinnamon and half a packet of hot chocolate mix.
"Is that right?" Dave asked as he stirred. He wanted to be sure he didn't ruin it. This was clearly something Kurt felt like he needed.
"Uh huh," Kurt replied behind a yawn. "Now, I dwink it."
"Okay," Dave chuckled. He put the lid on the sippy cup, handing it over to the boy and leading him back to the couch. When they were again snuggled up together, Kurt's back to Daddy's chest, Daddy kissed the top of his boy's head. "I'm sorry I didn't know how to make that," he whispered.
"Is otay," Kurt murmured, patting at Daddy's arm. "I hewp you."
"Then, let me help you now," Dave replied. "Can you tell me what happened in your bad dream?"
Kurt shrunk in on himself a bit, sipping at his milk for a moment before he replied. "My B'ainers getted mad at me 'gain."
Dave pursed his lips. This seemed to be a recurring problem. "Why was he mad?" he asked.
"I was a meany…"
"I see. What happened?" For a moment, Dave didn't think that Kurt was going to answer. The boy took several long drinks of his warm milk before turning into Daddy's chest, hiding his face.
"I was big…" he mumbled, taking his time. "An' I calleded my B'ainers mean names, and I yelleded at him…" There was a pregnant pause before he whispered, "I makeded him cry…"
Dave wasn't sure what to say. This seemed like something the boys needed to talk about together, a marriage problem that he wasn't sure he could solve. He needed time to think, so he rubbed one hand up and down Kurt's back, humming lightly to him as he rocked them, his other hand combing through Kurt's hair. Finally, he asked, "Kurt, did this happen in real life?"
Kurt froze for a second before he relaxed against Dave again. "Not 'xac'ly…"
"What does that mean?"
"Well, Blainers and me...we fights sometimes." Kurt's voice was soft, unsure. He wanted to tell Daddy, though. Maybe telling would make it easier.
"Go on," Dave prompted softly.
"Sometimes, I yell or say mean fings, but I has never makeded Blainers cry afore. I always say sowwy, and we hug."
"Do you fight a lot?"
Kurt shrugged. "Sometimes."
"Hmmm," Dave said softly. "Do you know what I think?"
"Wha'?" Kurt asked, turning a bit so he could look at Daddy.
"I think that it's very important to remember that Blaine loves you. Sometimes you guys might fight and you might say stuff you don't mean. But, if you tell each other that you're sorry and hug, that means that you love each other. And, when you love someone, you can get through anything."
Silence prevailed for a few minutes. Kurt sat with his sippy cup, taking small drinks and leaning against Daddy, enjoying the way Daddy's hand ran through his hair. He was thinking about what Daddy had said, about him and Blaine loving each other. Daddy was smart. If he thought that Blaine loved him, even when he was a meany, then he would believe Daddy.
Dave was just about to say something when he heard the soft sounds of feet against carpet.
"Daddy?" Blaine asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"What are you doing up, monkey?" Daddy asked, opening an arm to Blaine for a hug. "You're supposed to be sleeping."
"Why is you 'n my Kur' up?" the boy mumbled as he leaned into Daddy. He was sleepy, but he didn't like being in bed by himself.
"Kurt just had a bad dream. We were talking about it and having some warm milk to help him get back to sleep." He rubbed his hand soothingly up and down Blaine's back. "Did you have a bad dream, too?"
Blaine shook his head. "Nuh uh. I wakeded up, an' I was aww ayone."
"I'm sorry," Daddy apologized. "You can go back and lay down. Kurt and I will be there in a minute."
Instead of listening, however, Blaine knelt on the floor by the couch and touched Kurt lightly on the arm.
Kurt, who'd been hiding his face against Daddy, peeked out to look at Blaine.
"My Kur', you is okay?" Blaine asked softly, touching Kurt's cheek lightly with his fingertips.
His head barely moved, but Kurt nodded. "'M 'kay now," he whispered. "Daddy helpeded."
"You was scared?"
"Yeah…"
"Why?"
"Acuz I hadda bad dweam."
Blaine smiled softly at Kurt, leaning in to kiss his knuckles. "Is otay now, my Kur'. Me an' Daddy is here. An' we yuv you."
"See?" Dave murmured. "He does love you."
"Always," Blaine insisted. "You an' Daddy."
Kurt smiled, feeling much better now. Daddy was right. "Hug?" he asked. When only Blaine leaned in, the boy insisted, "Daddy, too!"
"Okay. Okay," Dave agreed, wrapping his arms tightly around his boys. They shared a long hug before finally pulling away. "Now, it's time that all little boys get back into bed," Dave said. "It's the middle of the night, and we're all exhausted." He waited until Blaine was on his feet and Kurt had slid off the couch before he rose, taking each of them by the hand. He tucked them into bed tightly, kissed each of them on the temple, and turned off the light. "Sleep well, sweet boys. I'll see you in the morning." Then, he tiptoed down the hallway and put himself back to bed.
In the dark in their room, Blaine reached across the bed for Kurt's hand. He tugged at it gently. "Come 'ere," he whispered.
Kurt slid closer, snuggling into Blaine's side. "We're apposed to be s'eepin'. Daddy said."
"You sure you is okay?"
"Yeah. I gotted scared that you was mad at me, but Daddy fixeded it."
"Why I be mad at you?"
"When we is big, I is nah ahways nice to you."
Blaine was quiet for a minute, rubbing his thumb lightly across Kurt's knuckles. Finally, he said, "Is okay, my Kur' acuz I yuv you, even when you is kinda mean."
Kurt squeezed Blaine tightly. "Fanks. I yuv you, too."
Closing his eyes, Blaine sighed contentedly. It was nice to snuggle with Kurt. "I fink Daddy is he'pin'," he whispered into the dark. "We need him."
Nodding against Blaine's chest, Kurt whispered, "I fink so, too."
The next morning, the boys woke up in a much better mood than they had been in the day before. Of course, they woke up late after their midnight rendezvous, and to their delight, Daddy was still asleep on the couch. He'd turned off his alarm in favor of getting some more sleep, and the boys took it upon themselves to be his alarm clock, right after they made a quick trip to the kitchen.
"Daddy," Blaine whispered in his ear, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Wake up, Daddy. Is time for bre'fest for me an' my Kur'!" He kissed him again, making a loud smooching sound against Dave's cheek.
"Wha' time is it?" Dave asked groggily, his eyes fluttering open.
"Is time to get up, Daddy," Kurt said, grinning. "Come on!" He tugged on Dave's hand.
"Hold on a second," Dave replied, yawning widely. "Give me a minute to wake up, please." He sat up slowly, stretching his limbs and wiping the sleep from his eyes. "You guys are in a good mood," he observed, watching his two boys bounce excitedly on their toes in front of him.
"Wan' food!" Blaine announced, pointing towards the kitchen. "Daddy, wan' food!"
"An' juice!" Kurt declared, hopping a little bit. "Yots and yots of yummy juice!"
"Well, let's see what we can do about the juice," Dave replied, standing and stretching again before following the boys into the kitchen. "What do you want for breakfast?" He was shocked when he looked at the oven clock and realized that it was already after 10 a.m. "Why did I sleep so late?" he muttered under his breath.
"'M sorry, Daddy," Kurt mumbled, wrapping him in a tight hug. "I wakeded you up, an' den you sweepeded yate." He hung his head. "I wiww take a nap yater…"
"Oh, sweet boy. Don't feel bad about waking me up. That's what you're supposed to do when you have a bad dream." Daddy squeezed Kurt back. "And, you will take a nap later, but not because you are being punished. Just because you and Blaine need some extra sleep."
"Kay, Daddy," Kurt said. "We has juice now?"
"Sure. What kind of juice do you want?"
"Appwe! Appwe!" Kurt was hopping up and down again, guilt over waking Daddy up gone.
"Gwape!" Blaine insisted, tugging at Daddy's shirt. "Pwease gwape?"
"Okay. Everyone hold onto their britches for a minute," Dave said, grinning as he got out clean sippy cups for the boys. He got out both juices and filled each with its requested juice. "Here, crazy boys," he said, passing the cups off to Kurt and Blaine who were still bouncing around excitedly. "Not that you really need any sugar, apparently." He smiled, watching his boys as they slurped down their juice. "What do you want for breakfast?"
"Waffles! Pancakes! Fwench Toast! Scwambled eggs!" The boys threw out ideas one after the other.
"Woah. That's a lot of ideas." Dave shook his head. He wondered what had put his boys in such a good mood. Not that he minded. He was glad they were happy and upbeat. It was a wonderful improvement over their quick-to-crab attitudes from yesterday, and this was their last day together. He had to go home that night. Dave shook his head, clearing the thought from his mind. He didn't have time to think about that. Right now, he needed to make his hungry boys breakfast. "How about French Toast?" he asked. "Is that okay with both of you?"
He got two loud whoops in response. "Daddy, wanna run!" Blaine said. "Or, dance! We yisten music?"
"I build?" Kurt asked, bouncing behind Blaine.
"Of course. Let's go to the living room," Daddy said, following along behind the boys who were already racing ahead of him. "Can you boys take a chill pill, please?" Dave asked. "I know you're happy this morning, but I'd really prefer you didn't run through the house."
"Sowwy, Daddy!" the boys said in unison.
"You're forgiven, of course," Dave replied. "Just try to settle down a little." He set up the music on the iPod, selecting a dancing playlist to help run off some of the boys' energy. "Have fun, my boys. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me." He smiled at them, heading back toward the kitchen.
"Daddy! My bwocks!"
"Oh! I almost forgot," Dave replied, taking a detour to the closet to grab the bag of soft blocks. "Please make sure these don't go all over the place," he said as he passed over the bag.
"'Kay!" Kurt shouted, running back to Blaine in the living room. "Yook, my Blainers!"
Dave shook his head, going back to the kitchen. The music was a little louder than he'd normally set it, but he wanted to wear them out a bit. He'd have a terrible time getting them to take a nap if they were still this wild by lunch time. As he tried to think of a plan, Dave pulled out the milk and eggs from the fridge. He opened a few cabinets until he found a bowl. Then, he broke a few eggs, walking the egg shells over to the trash can. When he lifted the lid, he froze, gazing at the top layer of trash.
Candy wrappers. Dozens of candy wrappers from mini chocolate bars filled the can, completely covering their paper plates from the pizza the night before. Well, that explained a lot. Gently, Dave put the egg shells on the counter and took the lid completely off of the can. Then, he went to the living room, his earlier smile completely gone. Instead of saying anything to the boys, Daddy made a beeline to the iPod, shutting off the music.
"Da-ddy! Was yistenin' to dat!" Blaine complained, bouncing up to him.
"Mhm," Dave replied, not amused. "Could you and Kurt come into the kitchen for a minute, please?" He tried to keep his voice calm, but he was afraid there was a hint of anger in it.
"Why?" Kurt asked from his spot on the floor.
"I think you know why," Daddy responded, grabbing Blaine by the wrist. "Come on." He held out a hand to Kurt.
At being grabbed, Blaine's eyes got big, and he looked at Kurt with concern and a bit of fear in his eyes. He wondered if Daddy knew what they'd done before waking him up.
"I-I fink I stay an' buiwd," Kurt said, sitting down a little firmer on his bottom. "You talk wif my Blainers."
Blaine shot him a dirty look, confessing everything before he and Daddy had even reached the kitchen. "Me an' my Kur' eated yots of candy afore we wakeded you up, an' 'm sowwy, Daddy! Sowwy!" He pulled back against Daddy's grip until he had stopped them from marching into the kitchen. "P'ease no spankin'," he whimpered. "'M sowwy."
"I'm not going to spank you," Daddy replied. He sighed loudly. Why did their morning have to start off like this? "We do need to sit down and talk about this, though," he said. "That includes you, Kurt."
"We sit onna couch?" Blaine asked, hopeful.
"If you'll sit and listen," Dave agreed. "Kurt," he prompted, "please put the blocks down and come sit on the couch so we can talk." Daddy let go of Blaine's hand and followed him to the couch. He took one end, and his boys took the other, snuggling together as they stared at Daddy.
Daddy took a deep breath. He needed to get a grip so he could deal with this rationally. "You don't have to be afraid of me," he said softly, sad that he even needed to say that. "You're not in big trouble. I just...I just want to know why you had so much candy this morning." Dave hung his head, upset at this turn of events.
"Daddy?" Kurt asked, leaning forward to tap on Daddy's hand. "You sad?"
"A little," Dave admitted.
"Why?"
"I was looking forward to having a nice morning. Then, I found out that you guys ate a bunch of candy, but instead of talking to me, you're scared."
"No," Kurt replied, shaking his head vigorously. "Nah scared of you. You is nice, Daddy."
"Thank you, sweet boy."
"Yeah," Blaine piped up, leaning forward to brush his hand lightly across Dave's arm. "Nah scawwy. Jus' sad?"
"You're sad?" Dave was confused.
Blaine nodded. "Uh huh. Eated yots and yots of candy…"
"Can you tell me why?"
Kurt shrugged, looking at Blaine for a moment before he answered. "We was hungwy, Daddy."
"So, why didn't you wake me up? I would have made you breakfast or gotten you a snack."
"Wanted to yet you s'eep. You was s'eepy acuz I wakeded you up," Kurt whispered, guilty.
An immediate spark of pain zapped through Dave's heart at seeing Kurt feeling so badly. "Kurt, can you come here, please?" he asked softly, holding out his arms to the boy. "I want to explain something to you and give you a hug." Daddy was being careful; despite what they said, he wanted to be sure that his boys were not afraid of him.
Kurt rose quickly and ran into Daddy's arms, eager for a hug. He was feeling very guilty, and he wanted it to go away.
Daddy rubbed his back for a moment before he gently pushed Kurt away, holding onto both of his hands and looking into his eyes. His voice took on a firm tone as he said, "You are supposed to wake me up when you have a nightmare. That's what I'm here for. My job is to take care of you." Quieting, he went on. "It's okay if I don't always get enough sleep. You don't have to feel guilty. I want to make you feel better." He paused, reaching for Blaine with his right hand.
The curly-haired boy scooted closer, grabbing onto Daddy's hand.
Voice barely above a whisper, Daddy said, "I like to take care of you boys. I like that you need me and want me to help you. I am never ever going to be upset if you wake me up because you have a nightmare, or you just need to talk. And, if we've been up late one night because you had a nightmare or needed to talk, I will never be mad if you're hungry and need me to make breakfast. You may not always get exactly what you want, but I want you to feel like you can ask me for anything. Does that make sense?" He looked at each of his boys in turn, waiting for their nods of understanding. Then, he cleared his throat. "Now, about the candy..." he began.
"Daddy, 'm sowwy we eated so much tandy," Kurt said. "I pwomise nada do it 'gain."
"Me, too, Daddy," Blaine piped up. "'M sowwy."
"Well, I'm happy to hear that," Daddy replied. "But, I can't just let you eat candy whenever you want. I think we need to do something about it."
"Yike what?" Blaine whispered, nervous.
"Well, for starters, I think a timeout might be in order," Dave said. "And, maybe some lines."
"Daaaaaaaddyyyyyyyy," Blaine whined. "Don' yike timeout."
"No yines," Kurt agreed. "No fun."
"Punishment isn't supposed to be fun," Daddy reminded them. "And, are you in charge?"
"No," they both grumbled. Daddy was being mean!
"That's right," Dave agreed, ignoring the pouts. "I'm in charge. So, while I make French Toast, you're going to sit in timeout. Then, after breakfast, you'll do your lines, and we can have fun again. But, first, I want to check on you." He put a hand against each of their foreheads. "Are you feeling okay? No upset tummies or headaches?"
Both boys shook their heads. "Me an' my Blainers is okay, Daddy," Kurt said solemnly. He couldn't bear the thought of one of them feeling icky. It had been his idea, after all, to eat chocolate instead of waking up Daddy when Blaine was hungry.
"Blaine? You're sure?" Dave asked. He knew Blaine had a sensitive belly sometimes. If anyone was going to wind up with a tummy ache, it would he him. Especially after all that juice.
Blaine nodded. "'M otay."
"Make sure you tell me if you start to feel icky, okay?" Dave said. "I don't want either of my boys to have an upset tummy, but if you do, I want you to make sure you tell me. I won't be mad; I just want to make sure you're taken care of." When he got a nod from both of them, he brushed their hair back and kissed each of their foreheads. "Time out," he said softly, pointing to the corners they'd been in the day before. "Go, please. You may sit on your bottoms, but I want you to stay facing the wall."
"Do we gotta?" Kurt whined.
"Yes," Daddy ordered. "Time out isn't supposed to be fun."
"Can has King Yeo?" Blaine asked, giving Daddy his best puppy eyes.
"Not right now. No toys in timeout. Go now before I decide that timeout isn't good enough." Daddy pointed to the corners again, watching as his boys slowly slunk to their spots. He sighed. They'd had far too many timeouts this weekend. He was going to have to think of other ways to curb their behavior.
Dave set about making French Toast, making far less than he'd originally planned. He didn't want to upset tummies by filling them too full, and he certainly wasn't going to give them very much syrup. They'd had enough sugar that morning to last them a month.
In the middle of grilling the toast, he heard a soft moan come from one of the corners. Someone wasn't feeling well, and Daddy suspected he knew who it was. "Blaine?" he called. "You okay?"
"Tummy..." Blaine whined. "Hurts…"
Dave sighed softly, even though he'd been expecting this. Then, he called, "Okay, monkey. Go lay on the couch for me. Daddy will bring you something to help you feel better. Kurt," he said, stepping closer to the boy, "you can come out, too. Is your tummy okay?"
"Yeah. My head hurts." He leaned his head against his palms.
"Okay," Daddy soothed. "We'll get you fixed up, too." He led Kurt over to the couch where Blaine was already curled up on Dave's pillow, his blanket thrown haphazardly over him. Daddy helped Kurt settle down beside Blaine's feet, pulling another blanket over Kurt's lap. "I'll be right back," he promised.
Well, the French Toast was all for him, Dave supposed as he walked back into the kitchen. He flipped it quickly then popped two pieces of bread into the toaster. He filled two mugs with water, heating it in the microwave, and fished around in their cabinets until he came up with two peppermint tea packets. Then, he dug into his own overnight bag for peppermint oil. When the tea was done, Daddy carried all his supplies out to his sick boys.
"Nooo," Blaine whined when Daddy tried to hand him his sippy cup. "Nah firsty. My tummy hurrrrrts."
"This will help it feel better," Dave said gently, holding the cups out to the boys. "There's hot peppermint tea in there, so I want you to be careful." Then, he handed each of them a piece of dark toast. "I want you to nibble on this toast," he instructed. When each of the boys opened their mouths to protest, Daddy went on, "No, it's not burnt. It's just very dark because that will help your tummies." Once the boys had taken the toast, he grabbed the bottle of peppermint oil. "Kurt," he said, "I'm going to rub some of this on your forehead to help with your headache. It's going to make your head feel cold and tingly." He opened the bottle and got a drop on his finger, smearing the oil across Kurt's forehead from temple to temple.
"Daddy?" Blaine asked, tugging at his shirt. "Me, too?" He wasn't sure that he so much needed the peppermint oil, but he wanted his head to feel cold and tingly. Plus, it was no fair for Kurt to get peppermint oil wifout him.
"Do you have a headache?" Dave asked.
"A yittle one?" Blaine whispered. His head did hurt a bit, so it wasn't technically a lie.
"You, too, then, monkey."
Blaine smiled as Daddy rubbed peppermint oil across his head, sinking back into the pillow when he'd finished. He didn't feel any better, but he liked Daddy taking care of him.
"Blaine, I need you to sit up," Daddy instructed. "You can't drink tea or eat toast laying down."
"Don' wanna," the curly-haired boy whined.
"I'm terribly sorry, but laying down isn't a choice right now," Daddy reminded him, helping him to sit up. "I need to go get my breakfast," he said once he was sure that the boys were settled. "I'll be right back."
"My Blainers," Kurt said softly after Daddy had left. "Dis tea is yummy. You dwink it?"
"I don' yike tea," Blaine replied. "An' I don' yike burneded toast!"
"Daddy says is not burneded," Kurt explained. "An' you might yike da tea. Try it!"
"Don' wanna!"
"P'ease?" Kurt tried, taking a sip of his own tea and a small bite of his toast. "Is makin' me feel better. Honest."
Blaine glared at his cup and toast. He didn't want them. But, he did feel really icky, and Daddy had sayed they would help. Now, his Kur' was sayin' it, too. Slowly, with a pout on his face, Blaine took a small bite of his toast and took a small sip of his tea. To his surprise, he did like it, and he smiled at Kurt as he swallowed it down. "Is yummy tea," he said. "You was right, my Kur'!"
"Course I was," Kurt said triumphantly as Daddy came back into the room with his plate of French Toast, slightly overdone, and a cup of coffee.
"What was Kurt right about?" Daddy asked, sitting in the recliner by the couch.
"My Blainers did nah wanna try da tea," Kurt explained before taking another bite. "But, I telleded him was yummy an' den' he yiked it!"
"You do like the tea?" Daddy asked Blaine, taking a bite. "Is it helping your tummy?"
"I fink so?" Blaine replied, more a question than a statement. "Don' yike da toast." He crinkled his nose in disgust.
"You're not really supposed to. It's just supposed to make your upset tummy feel better," Dave replied. "Kurt, how's your head?"
"Still hurty," Kurt replied, pouting. "But is startin' to feew cold!"
"Give it time," Dave replied. "Peppermint oil isn't magic."
"Daddy? Tan we watch a movie?" Blaine asked. "Wanna watch Yady an' a Twamp."
"Yeah! Meatballs!" Kurt cheered, wincing when the noise made his head hurt worse. "But, nah too youd," he whispered. "My head is owwy."
"I suppose we can watch something," Dave agreed. "Just until you feel better." He hadn't really wanted to give the boys more screen time that day. They had watched plenty of TV already, and he'd wanted to spend the day playing with them before he helped them age back up. However, they weren't going to be doing any playing with upset tummies. So, Dave turned on Disney Plus and found Lady and the Tramp. Quietly, he finished his breakfast during the opening scene, then sat on the couch with the boys while they watched. It wasn't long before they were both snuggled up against him, heads leaning heavily against his shoulders. By the time the movie was over, it was almost noon. "How do you feel, sweet boys?" Daddy asked, kissing the top of each head.
"Shhh, Daddy," Kurt instructed, peeking around Dave. "My B'ainers is s'eepin'."
Dave glanced down at Blaine. He was, in fact, asleep. "Oh, I'm sorry," Dave whispered. "How's your head?"
"Is better," Kurt said.
"All better or just a little better?" Daddy wanted to know.
"Um, a'most all better?" Kurt replied. "Is still a yittle hurty."
"Let's put on some more peppermint oil, then," Daddy told him. "Can you reach the bottle for me?"
Kurt nodded, leaning forward to snag the small bottle off of the coffee table. "Daddy?" he whispered. "Me an' my Blainers gots to do yines still?"
"No," Dave answered as he rubbed a line of oil across Kurt's forehead. "I think upset tummies and headaches are enough punishment. Don't you?"
"Uh huh," Kurt responded. "Won' never ever eated dat much candy 'gain."
"I hope not," Dave said. "I don't like when my sweet little boys don't feel well."
Kurt snuggled back in against Daddy. "What we do now?" he whispered.
"Are you hungry?" Dave asked. "Do you want some lunch?"
"No fank you," Kurt replied. "My tummy is still all filleded up."
"Then, how about a nap?" Daddy said. "I'm tired, and Blaine is, too. Are you sleepy?"
"I s'eep on you?" Kurt asked. He really didn't want to go to bed. Daddy was warm and comfy, and he liked leaning against him.
"Are you sure you don't want to go to your bed? You might sleep better all tucked in under your blankets."
"Nuh uh! Wanna be wif you an' my Blainers," Kurt replied. "You read me?"
"I can read you a quick story," Dave replied. "But, you have to close your eyes. I want you to get some rest."
Kurt nodded. "'Kay, Daddy. Pwomise."
"Alright," Daddy agreed, opening his Kindle app. Quickly, he downloaded The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein and began to read. "Once there was a tree…" By the time he was finished with the story, Kurt was snoring softly against him.
Dave wiggled just a bit, careful not to wake the boys, until he was comfortable. Then, he shut his eyes and leaned his head against the back of the couch. A gentle sigh escaped his lips. He didn't want to think about what he had to do in a few hours. He knew that leaving his boys was going to be torture, so he tried to focused on how wonderful it felt to have them both sleeping against him as he drifted off to sleep.
Daddy awoke again around 2 p.m. to hushed murmuring. "Yet Daddy s'eep," he heard Blaine hiss. "We was naughty afore an' makeded him s'eepy!"
"But, Daddy sayed to wake him up if we neeeeed him," Kurt wheedled. "An' I is hungwy, my Blainers."
"Who's hungry?" Daddy asked, pretending to just be waking up. He stretched and yawned loudly.
"Why you wakeded him up?" Blaine asked, grumpy. "Was 'posed to yet him s'eep!"
"No. If Kurt's hungry, it's okay to wake me up," Dave reprimanded gently. He kissed Blaine's cheek. "Didn't you hear me say that this morning?"
"Yes! Was jus' tryin'a be nice, Daddy."
"I appreciate that. But, I want to take care of my boys, okay?" He kissed Kurt's cheek next, asking, "Are you both feeling better?"
"All better," Kurt sang, clearly in a better mood after his nap.
"My tummy is gooder," Blaine agreed.
"I'm so glad," Dave replied. He silently wondered if the reason Blaine was grumpy was because of their weekend's impending end. "Tell you what, how about you boys play with your blocks for a little bit while I make us a late lunch. Does that sound good?"
"What makin'?" Blaine asked.
"Chicken noodle soup. It's good for little boys who recently had icky tummies."
"Yum!" Kurt answered, already on the floor with the blocks. "My Blainers, come and p'ay! Is fun!" He handed the other boy a block.
"Otay," Blaine agreed, sliding off the couch. "We buiwd a castle for King Yeo?"
Dave smiled at his boys, listening for a moment as they decided on the rules for their game before getting up to go to the kitchen. He was going to miss this, and he wondered how long it would be before they would want him to come back.
He didn't have to wait long to find out. After their late lunch and a few games of Candyland, Dave began the process of helping his boys age back up. It was almost time for him to go back home.
Since they'd never bothered to change out of their pajamas, Dave took them back to their rooms to pick out new outfits. He tried not to help too much, leaving as much of the clothing selection up to them as he could. He didn't help them dress, either, as much as it killed him. They had to get back to doing things on their own before he left, and this was a good place to start.
Once they were back in their normal, big boy clothes, Dave gave them chores to do. He started with simple things at first, like watering the plants and wiping the kitchen counter. As they worked, their tasks became increasingly more complex until they were all working to clean the apartment together. None of them felt like talking; it was a little bit awkward and a little bit sad, their mixed emotions hanging heavy in the air.
Finally, once all of Dave's stuff was sitting in a neat pile by the door, including Kurt's Cinderella coloring page, Kurt poured them all a glass of water, and they stood together in silence, sipping their drinks and waiting for someone to speak.
It was Blaine who finally broke the silence. "Thanks for coming over, Dave," he said, his sentence feeling almost meaningless; words weren't adequate enough to express how much he and Kurt appreciated the other man. "It helped. Really."
"Good. I'm glad," Dave replied. "It helped me, too."
"Um, sorry about the chocolate this morning," Kurt said softly. "We shouldn't hav-"
Dave held up a hand. "It's my job to take care of you. There's nothing to be sorry for."
Silence prevailed again, and Dave decided that was his sign to leave. "I'm going to head home," he said, setting his glass down on the counter. "I've got work tomorrow, and the two of you likely have homework."
The boys followed him to the door, not saying anything as he picked up his overnight bag. With his hand on the door handle, Dave turned to say goodbye. He, instead, found himself with an armful of Kurt.
"Thank you," the tall boy breathed into his ear as he squeezed Dave tightly. "You'll come back, right?" He leaned back, searching Dave's eyes for an answer.
"I'll come whenever you want me to," Dave promised.
"Will you come back next Friday?" Kurt's words came out in a rush, eager to get out what he wanted to say. "Neither of us have class on Friday, and the next week is spring break. Do- do you think you could stay with us for spring break?" There was almost a hint of pleading in Kurt's tone.
Dave was surprised but also ridiculously happy. He tried not to let his exuberance show too much. "I think so," he replied. Calculating in his head, he said, "You're sure you want to do this for 10 days straight? That can be a lo-"
"We're sure," Blaine cut in. "We really want to if you have time."
"I'll have to work something out with my job, but I'm sure it will be fine. I can make it work."
"Thank you." Kurt's eyes were misty as he pulled Dave into another hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" His voice sounded sad and wet in Dave's ear.
"You're welcome," Dave grinned, hugging Blaine tightly, too. This was better than any news he'd ever hoped for. An entire 10 days with his boys. He couldn't wait for Friday!
After another quick round of goodbyes, Dave took the elevator back to the ground level, climbed into his car, and drove home with a huge grin on his face. He was going to be Daddy again, and he absolutely couldn't wait. His smile only grew bigger when he checked his phone after parking at his apartment.
"Come Thursday night at 5 if you can."
Dave texted back, "I'll be there!" Then, he climbed out of his car, dancing a tiny happy dance as he retrieved his stuff from his car. Thursday couldn't come fast enough. Dave was already stoked. Eleven days with his boys sounded like pure heaven, and he was going to make it as perfect for them as he could!