Episode 91 - Show-and-Tell

"Wait, what?" Amari asked as he tucked Taitai into his bed. "You want me to what?"

"I want you to be my show-and-tell! We're s'posed to bring things we like, that show about our life, tsé? So we can learn each other."

Amari nodded his tilted head, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Yeah, I know what show-and-tell is. But why're you bringing me?"

"'Cause I like you!" Taitai exclaimed, and Amari felt his heart tighten at the cuteness. "'Cause you are fire and blind kids are fire. I wanna show my friends."

With a soft smile, he leaned down to kiss Taitai on the head. "Okay. We'll talk to your ba about it tomorrow." He pulled out his phone and navigated to the children's audiobooks. "Slide over," he directed, crawling onto the blanket next to him.

"Why? Aren't you gonna be my ba too?" Taitai whined in frustration. "Why do we hafta talk?"

"Taitai, that's how families work. We make decisions together, after talking about it. Okay?" There was a small grunt and Amari pet his long hair. "Okay. Now, pick a book."

After a quick tap to the screen, a voice actor started reading a story about an elephant and mouse becoming unlikely friends. Before it was finished, Taitai was snoring softly, just like his ba. Amari kissed his forehead, then snuck quietly out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

"He told you about show-and-tell?" asked Yinyi as Amari passed her going into the kitchen. He nodded and she chuckled. "What did you say?"

"I said we'd talk about it tomorrow." He grabbed a glass of water, then joined her at the table. "I'm honored, but this's a bigger deal than he knows." Yinyi agreed and stood, waiting for him to follow her, but he waved her on. "I think I'm gonna stay up and wait for Yang ge."

She pat him on the shoulder before heading down the hall to her room, leaving Amari alone in the quiet darkness.

Since Yangyang and Amari weren't legally together, Taitai continued to call him Li gēge, but outside of his school, everyone knew of their relationship. At the center, all the children and staff had given them heartfelt congratulations when they discovered he was engaged, and Taitai spoke comfortably about his family with the other kids and with Amari's friends, his new extended family.

In Taitai's class, the topic was never mentioned. They taught him there was nothing special about their situation, so there was no reason to intentionally bring it up. His teachers assured them both that Taitai wasn't the only child at the school with two fathers, but it still made Yangyang anxious.

Amari played with his glass, tilting and turning it in his fingers, trying to decide the best way to approach this. It was a good opportunity for Taitai's classmates to learn about him - just a casual introduction, like any other. But he and Yangyang weren't married yet, and 'dating' and 'engaged' were more difficult to explain. Maybe it would be better not to say it at all and just have Taitai introduce him as his gēge instead, but there was no way to control what Taitai would say.

He sighed, scratching at his head. It really didn't need to be so complicated. Who cared who he was? Family was always confusing, so why make a big deal of it? And this was better, wasn't it? He would be there in case issues arose, and Yangyang wouldn't be there feeling anxious. He couldn't tell him that, of course, but it was a bonus.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone and sent a quick message.

'What time will you be home tonight?'

This response was slower than usual, coming almost five minutes after Amari's text.

'I think I'll be done in an hour. So home around ten thirty. Why?'

'I'll wait up for you.'

'Why?'

'Because I love you and miss you?'

'Yeah, alright.'

Amari knew he didn't believe him, but he didn't want to outright worry him. He popped in his other earbud and went to lay on the couch, turning on some punk rock to relax him.

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With his earbuds in and half-asleep, he didn't hear Yangyang come in. A heavy body suddenly dropped down on top of him and pressed him into the couch cushions. He groaned but smiled, the combination of sweet sweat and lingering shampoo drifting into his nose.

It had been less than a week since his 'meeting' with Nicky, but Yangyang hadn't said anything else after that night. Everything went back to normal, as if nothing had happened. Amari thought it was strange, but he wasn't going to complain.

"Shit, I'm so tired," Yangyang grumbled, wrapping his arms around Amari's back and burrowing his face into his neck. "Let's just sleep here."

Letting out a wheezy laugh, Amari ran his fingers through Yangyang's hair. "Okay, if you wanna crush me to death." His voice was strained, pushing air through his constricted lungs.

"You'll be alright," Yangyang mumbled, burying his face deeper, but a moment later he shifted to the side, turning Amari so they were facing each other.

Amari kissed him on the forehead, then the cheek. "Yang ge, you can't sleep like this." Grabbing Yangyang's waist, he pulled him closer to stop him from falling to the floor. "I wanna talk, but if you're that tired, just go to bed."

Yangyang groaned but crawled off, letting him sit up before he joined him. He flipped his legs over the arm of the couch and leaned his back on Amari's shoulder.

"Alright, liar. Love me and miss me, my ass. What do you want to talk about?"

"I still love you and missed you," Amari replied sweetly, getting a huff in return. "But, your son told me tonight that he's gotta bring something in for show-and-tell on Friday." Yangyang grunted. "And he wants to bring me."

Yangyang sat up, fully awake now, and turned to face him. "What?"

"That was my reaction," he said with a playful smile. "It's really sweet, actually. He wants to tell people about where I work, and the blind kids I work with. Because I'm fire, and those kids are fire."

Yangyang sighed and Amari felt for his hands, squeezing them.

"I think it's a good opportunity. He's bringing me to talk about being visually-impaired and working with the VIBE kids. However he introduces me, it won't be the main topic. We can just be casual about it, and I'll be there if anyone asks questions."

He shifted closer to Yangyang, trying to be encouraging, but not push. "Don't you think that's the best situation? Just treat it as nothing, and I'm there if something happens."

There was a brief pause and Amari searched for any movement from Yangyang. After a few moments of stillness, arms pulled him close, hugging his shoulders.

"I really love you, you know?"

Amari smiled and rubbed his back, then paused, not hearing an answer to his question.

"Uh...Yang ge... Is that all you're gonna say?"

Yangyang didn't let go and nodded over his shoulder. "I trust you. It has to happen sometime, so we may as well see how this goes, yeah?"

"Are you that tired?" Pushing him back, Amari felt his face. "Or sick maybe? I was expecting you to be more worried about this..."

Yangyang pulled him into his chest again and chuckled.

"Shouldn't you praise me?" he joked. "You're better with these things than I am, so you should be the one to do it."

Amari sighed and kissed Yangyang's neck gently. "Yeah, okay." After a moment, he gave his back a pat and pushed him away. "Now go to bed, before you pass out on me. I can't carry you all the way to the bedroom."

"You?" Yangyang asked softly, not letting go.

"It's already late, so I'll sleep on the couch. I'll be here in the morning."

Yangyang hesitantly rose, then shuffled down the hall to the bathroom. Amari grabbed a blanket from the chair and laid down, covering himself, curling into the back cushions. With a small smile, he closed his eyes and drifted off to the sound of the shower.

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He wasn't sure how long he had slept when a small body leapt onto him, crawling between him and the back of the couch. He blinked at the short little breaths in his face and groaned.

"Li gēge," a little voice whispered. "You're still here?"

Amari pulled him into a loose headlock, groaning again, and Taitai giggled. He shushed him and sat up, putting him on his lap.

"Is everyone still asleep?" he asked quietly. There was a noise to confirm and Amari frowned. It was still dark in the house. "Why're you awake? What time is it?"

Taitai jumped down and ran to the kitchen, then ran back. "It's five-twenty-seven," he stated proudly. Amari groaned a third time and slouched into the couch. "What?"

"Taitai, it's so early." He leaned back and closed his eyes. "Let's go back to sleep, okay?"

"No, Li gēge..." Climbing up next to him, Taitai tugged hard on his arm. "Did you talk to ba? About show-and-tell? Huh?" He was excited and Amari felt exhausted just listening to the tone of his voice.

"Yeah, and we'll all talk about it later." He picked Taitai up and set him on the floor. "But for now, Li gēge's really tired and needs more sleep."

Taitai grabbed both of Amari's hands by the fingers and pulled. "Come sleep with me," he insisted, trying to pull him up off the couch.

"Okay, but only if you're gonna be quiet and lemme sleep." Amari knew that wasn't going to happen, but he wouldn't get any peace out here either. Taitai's bed was at least more comfortable to lie on than the couch.