Twenty One

Hal

-

I had just pulled on a pair of reflective sweatpants when the door was pushed open and Jesse walked in. He was dressed in a baby blue onesie with the hood pulled up over his blue hair so the bunny ears attached flopped around.

He had his pacifier in his mouth and was looking everywhere except at me. I bit back a smile and watched him walk closer to me. His hands were behind his back.

"What did you do, baby boy?" I asked, crossing my arms.

Jesse doesn't say a thing. I tapped my feet against the floor and he let the pacifier drop out of his mouth.

"I did nothing." He says, his voice light and tiny.

"Why are your hands behind your back?"

"Nothing, daddy." Jesse said, swaying a bit.

"Let me see your hands."

"No."

"I'm going to count to three." I said, keeping my voice stern. Jesse doesn't say anything but he keeps staring past me. So I start counting.

"1."

Jesse doesn't say a word. Nor does he show his hands.

"2."

Jesse immediately shoved his hands out and I frown down at his hands. They were stained with water color. He goes to hide his hands behind his back but i grabbed them.

"Where did you paint?"

"There." Jesse said, not really replying to the question.

"Do you want a spanking?" I asked and Jesse pouts, shaking his head no. He takes my hand in his. "Come show daddy where you colored."

I led him all the way to the sitting room. I stop and stare at the mess, my brow raised as I stared at the papers strewn around and finger paints on the wooden floors.

"It wasn't me, daddy. It was Cloudy." Jesse said, pointing at the teddy bear resting against the chair. I look at the teddy and at Jesse who smiles up at me.

"Only Cloudy?"

Jesse played with my fingers, his pout still ever present. "I might have done it with Cloudy."

"You know what this means, little prince."

"Nuh."

I narrowed my eyes, staring down at him. "Naughty corner. Now."

"But d-"

"Do you want Cloudy to join you in the naughty corner?" I asked and he lets out a loud gasp. He looks up at me, his eyes wide and his bottom lip a bit bubbly. He looked like he was about to cry but he had to be disciplined.

I point at the west wall and Jesse walks over there, occasionally looking back at me with his pout. He liked so bloody adorable.

Jesse walked over and sits on the floor, criss cross apple sauce and stared at the wall. I pack up the strewn papers, internally cooing at the finger paintings. Was that a cat? Oh. It looked adorable.

"Can I come out now daddy?"

"No. If you keep talking, I'll make you sit there for thirty minutes."

Jesse let out a loud whine but fell silent afterwards. I set a timer on my phone while I set about cleaning up the mess. Once I was done, I settled onto the couch and checked my messages.

I rolled my eyes and deleted the message from Chris, humming that k-12 song that Jesse looked so much. I replied a message from Jeff which was a selfie of himself and Danny.

The alarm goes off as soon as the message does. I looked over at Jesse and got off the couch. I made my way over to him.

"Times up, kitten."

Jesse turned around, his pout even more prominent. He raises his hands up at me, making grabby hands at me. Who was I to say no? Really? Who would say no?

I picked him up, his arms going around my neck, mine holding him up, his legs around my waist.

"I'm sorry, daddy. I won't make mess again."

"It's alright. That's what babies do."

"I'm your baby." Jesse giggled and I squeezed his thighs a bit. I take him over to the kitchen and set him down on his feet. With his hand in mine, I rinse out the water colors, making sure they weren't hiding underneath his nails. Once it was done, I led him over to the couch and have Jesse settled on my lap.

When Jesse had asked me about dying his hair I had been a bit skeptical about it. But looking at him now, his blue hair made him even cuter. If he wanted to change colors, I'd be happy to let him.

"Daddy, do you know how to make choco sauce?" Jesse asked, tilting his head left then right. Again and again.

"Why, baby?"

"It's yummy nummy." Jesse giggled, leaning forward to rub his nose against mine. I held him by the waist, smiling softly as I watched and listened to him go on and on.

I could do this for the rest of my life.

And I-

Oh.

Oh.

"You stick your fingers in the choco sauce and yick it off." Jesse was saying and yeah. I - wow. Jesse scrambles off my lap and goes to pick up cloudy, he turns to look at me with expectant eyes.

"What is it, kitten?"

"Tea party, daddy." Jesse said, both hands wrapped around Cloudy's middle. "You're so silly, daddy." He said with a laugh.

I got off the couch and followed him to the second room. It's was one of the guest rooms that I had transformed into a mini playroom and actual bedroom for Jesse.

He's got his large crib, closet filled with onesies and others, stacks and stacks of bibs, socks. On the bed were two other studies, one a big panda and the other a penguin.

I let Jesse pick whatever it is he wanted to add to the room. He was over at mine so often and I wanted him even more comfortable. Jesse pulls out the foldable table, and several pastel yellow shirt.

"Sit daddy or the guests will feel award."

"Awkward, baby." I corrected softly and Jesse nods. I take a seat on the tiny chair, shifting this way and that to get comfortable. Jesse neatly arranged his stuffies on the chair before taking out his tea set.

I happily watched Jesse pour invisible tea into a tiny cup for me before he hands me the saucers. He talks and I listen, he's giggling and telling me about his stuffies day when my phone vibrates in my pocket.

I ignored it and pay attention to Jesse.

"Jesse baby, it's time for a snack."

"But I don't wanna."

"It's shortbread and mango juice." I said, smiling softly at him. He lets out a loud squeal and gets off the chair, heading for the door with Cloudy and Mr. Penny Guin.

"Baby, aren't you forgetting something?"

Jesse turned to me with wide eyes, trying to look all innocent.

"No, daddy."

"What did I say about your toys and when you're done with them?" I asked as I get off the chair.

"Pack up or I be a naughty boy." Jesse replied. He places the stuffies back on the bed and packs up the teapots and the little cups and I help my fold up the table.

Once he was done, he grabbed the stuffies and looks up at me with big eyes.

"Food! Food! Food!"

"I know, kitten. I'll get you some, be a good boy and wait for me in the sitting room."

Jesse nodded. He skips out of the room, humming something as he went. I'm seventy five percent sure it was the spongebob theme song. I head for the kitchen and took out a packet of shortbread biscuits, I tore it open and quickly placed it on a flat plate and grabbed the carton of juice from the fridge and poured them into a sippy cup.

Jesse was seated happily on the couch, sucking on his pacifier. He's got the remote and he's fumbling with it but the tv doesn't come on.

"Here you go, little prince." I said, placing the plate of biscuits on the couch. Jesse let out the pacifier, letting it hang around the side of his onesie. I pick a biscuit and raise it up to his mouth. Jesse took a bite, doing his little adorable dance.

"Daddy can we watch princess Sophie?"

"After your snack."

Jesse clapped and squeals. It doesn't take long to finish his snack. Once he was done, he sucks on his sippy cup as he watched Princess Sophie, trying to finish off the mango juice.

I took the cup and plate back to the kitchen and dump them in the sink. When I get back to the couch, Jesse cuddles close to me and kept watching the tv. I wasn't watching the tv but my adorable bunny.

"Daddy, can we play hide and seek?" Jesse asked and I've got to stop telling him yes. But I just adore the way his eyes light up.

"I'm going to count to ten."

Jesse scrambled off the couch, giggling as he goes past I start from 10, went all the way to 1.

"Ready or not, here I come." I called. I could hear the sound of his adorable giggles. He was close by. "Oh no, where has Jesse gone?"

I was met with another giggle.

"If you're my good boy, clap once."

I let out a loud laugh when I hear his clap. He actually did it. His adorable self was going to do be me in. I followed the sound of the clap.

"If you're happy and you know it clap your hands." I sang and laughed again when Jesse clapped. He was in the kitchen.

"If your happy and you know it clap your hands." I sang again and Jesse claps again. I get on one knee and stared at the cupboard on the bottom shelf by the sink.

"Are you in there, honey?

"No." Jesse whispered.

I stifled a laugh as I stared at the door. I pulled it open and there he was, his smile blinding and it was so beautiful.

"Daddy! You found me!"

"I did, baby boy." I said, holding out a hand for him. Jesse takes it and I pulled him up. Once he was on his feet, he held onto my hand, bouncing on his feet.

"Again, daddy?"

"But I'll be said if I can't find my baby boy." I said and Jesse pouts, moving closer to me.

"I'm here. Not going away." He said, wrapping his arm around mine.

"Alright baby. Remember you have a Skype date with Danny? It's almost time." I said and I could feel Jesse shake with excitement.

"Now?"

"Be a good prince and wait for me at the sitting room while I get my laptop." I said and Jesse nods. When he went, I quickly walked to my study to grab my laptop, I hook it up to the tv, loving the way Jesse was paying attention, his lips parted as he watched me.

I got my laptop while I flipped on the tv and tapped the Skype option. My laptop was to check some mails while Jesse and Danny hang out. Jeff picks up after a couple of seconds, Danny beside him.

"Hey J." I said.

"Hey buddy." Jeff said.

"DANNY!"

Danny let out a loud gasp, pushing his face towards the camera. "JESSE CAT!"

Jesse dissolved into giggles. Over their chatter about stuffies, Jeff tells me to pick up my phone. He was calling.

"Honestly, they have to be the most adorable littles I've ever seen." Jeff said immediately i pick the call. I don't need to look at Jesse to know how true his statement was. But I do anyway.

His hood was pulled down, his blue hair out and proud. Danny lets out a loud squeal when he sees Jessie's new hair.

"If he asks me to dye his hair, I'm going to blame you."

"As if you tell him no anyway." I said.

"You can't judge. You do the same." Jeff said and I smelt out a laugh. I ended up abandoning the laptop, as if I could ever work when I had an adorable little prince beside me.

Jesse climbed onto my lap while he talked to Danny, telling him about our tea party. Jeff and I remained on the phone talking about our littles.

Yeah.

I could do this forever.