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A soft smile spread on Halsin’s face as he came back into the living room. In the few minutes he’d left his little ones alone, they’d gotten into an adorable position.
Astarion was using Gale’s belly as a pillow, his elbows and chest propped on it as they both watched cartoons.
Gale was sleepily nursing on a bottle of milk. He’d already had two since waking up.
Halsin went over to the couch, sitting down so he could watch them on the floor. He was glad the two weren’t clashing today.
Things could get tense between them as was a bit normal with a boundary testing toddler vs a baby who needed more attention. Yesterday Astarion got frustrated enough to tug Gale’s hair during naptime. But now they were two peas in a pod again.
Gale let the bottle drop to the floor once he was finished, it rolled across the wood, hitting the leg of the TV stand.
Gale shifted, putting some of his fingers in his mouth to use as a pacifier. A stomach full of warm milk was making him sleepy.
Halsin got up and came over “Move, please, sweetheart.” He said to Astarion “I need to pick Gale up.”
Astarion reluctantly moved off of Gale.
Halsin grunted as he picked Gale up, his arms straining as he balanced his not so little one on his hip. “It’s not your naptime yet. We don’t want your schedule all messed up.” Gale whined softly as Halsin sat back down, Gale on his lap.
“How about we look at a book to keep you awake?” Halsin asked.
Gale whined again, burying his face in Halsin’s chest, trying to go to sleep.
“Come on, cub.” Halsin gently straightened Gale up, giving him a purple pacifier when he started fussing more “You want your space book?”
Gale nodded slowly.
Halsin grabbed the book out of a little pile on the coffee table, it was a sensory book, all the planets had different textures. Gale immediately started running his fingers over them upon the book being opened.
Astarion frowned as he continued watching cartoons. The rug was a bit uncomfortable without Gale as a cushion.
Though the feeling of the hard floor under the rug was quickly overshadowed by a pang in Astarion’s bladder. He shifted, willing the sensation to just go away, of course it didn’t. He’d just started potty training and he was supposed to tell Halsin about this, but the other elf was busy with Gale.
Astarion got up and slinked off to the kitchen. He got under the table and hurriedly moved the chairs to hide himself a bit.
His real potty training experience wasn’t patient or compassionate, hence him wanting to repeat things in their safe play environment. Still he felt he needed to be hidden before he released his bladder. The warm heavy feeling between his legs was making him nervous. Pouting, he curled up under the table, hugging himself.
After a few minutes Halsin came into the kitchen, having put Gale down for a nap. It was clear Gale was going to have one whether he was in his crib or not.
Halsin crouched to look under the table. “You alright, little one?”
“Yes..” Astarion said quietly.
“Are you sure?”
Astarion bit his lip, looking down at himself.
Halsin paused “Do you need a change?”
Astarion stayed curled up for a moment before moving one of the chairs to scurry out to Halsin who picked him up, with much more ease than he picked up Gale. Astarion buried his face in Halsin’s shoulder, wrapping his arms about his neck “Not ready to use the potty.. Don’t want to anymore.” he’d thought incorporating potty training into their play would be healing, but it was bringing up bad memories more than creating good ones.
“Aw, that’s okay, love.” Halsin kissed his forehead “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
Astarion ended up going down for a nap as well. He woke up before Gale, turning over in his crib. In the guest room turned nursery there were two large cribs next to eachother end to end, pushed against one another.
Astarion watched Gale sleep through the bars, not feeling any urges to pull his little brother’s hair. He felt disoriented as it was night now. Dreamless sleep making it feel as though he’d blinked and hours had passed.
“Papa!” Astarion called.
Gale stirred at the noise.
Instead of Halsin coming in, it was Wyll.
“Good evening, little ones.” He said. Gale squeaked happily upon seeing him. Wyll went over to his crib “Papa will come get you in a moment, he’s making dinner.” Wyll couldn’t pick Gale up, still Gale reached for him so Wyll ruffled his already mussed brown hair. Gale whined a little before Wyll put his pacifier back into his mouth, it’d fallen out while he was asleep.
Wyll went back to Astarion’s crib to pick him up. Not wanting to leave Gale alone in the nursery, Wyll took Astarion to a rocking chair in the corner.
Astarion snuggled into Wyll as they gently rocked. “Love you.” He said quietly.
“I love you too, honey.” Wyll stroked Astarion’s curls. Holding him until Halsin finished making dinner.
Astarion circled the small fork in his hand around the spaghetti and meatballs on his plate.
“Are you not hungry?” Halsin asked, he was busy feeding Gale who was swinging his legs happily in his custom made high chair as he ate.
Astarion hesitated “Am hungry..”
“Just not for that, hmm?”
Astarion nodded.
“What would you like then?” Halsin asked.
Astarion smiled a little “Strawberry ice cream.”
Wyll rose from his chair “I’ll get it.” He said to Halsin who’d been moving to get up.
Astarion stared at the table for a moment, old echoes of “If you were really hungry you’d eat what you’re given!” reverberating in his mind. Astarion looked up at Gale, he had a thousand yard stare on his face while they did this. Understandably, he’d gone from having a wonderful parent to wonderful parents. He didn’t get pulled in and out of the space by grief about how things were, how things could’ve been, should’ve been.
Astarion was brought back into the moment by the bowl of ice cream placed in front of him.
Gale pointed to Astarion’s abandoned plate of spaghetti, giving Halsin a pleading look.
Halsin shook his head “Alright, just promise not to get a tummy ache from having two dinners.” He stroked Gale’s hair before retrieving the plate for him.
Usually Gale and Astarion would spend the latter part of these nights cuddled against their caregivers, but Halsin had to wash up and Wyll was finishing some other chores. Astarion was sucking his thumb as Gale dozed in his lap. Postman Pat was playing quietly on the TV, Astarion wasn’t paying much attention as anxiety was flooding him again.
He still felt peckish, but not for any “real” food. He looked up from the stopmotion puppets on the television when Wyll came back to the living room. “Daddy?”
“Yes?” Wyll had been about to sit down, but he sensed a request was coming.
“Um.. Gale told me we need hot chocolate.. and cookies.”
Wyll laughed “Well, that’s a bit funny since Gale doesn’t talk.” He sighed fondly “If you want something you can just ask for it, Star.” He pet Astarion’s curls.
“I already asked for sweets..”
“That’s okay. You’re so picky sometimes I’m just glad you’re eating anything. Even if it’s sweets.”
Astarion frowned a little.
“I didn’t mean picky in a bad way. I know you can’t control what you’re hungry for. Fed is best, remember?” Wyll smiled “Do you want whipped cream and marshmallows?”
Astarion nodded, so did Gale, stirring just enough to express the desire.
Despite being so tired, Astarion was too anxious to sleep as the rest of his family hadn’t come back to the nursery. Gale was being fussy as soon as he was brought to his crib so Halsin went back out to try and calm him. Then after twenty minutes Wyll went to see what the hold up was, leaving Astarion alone in his crib.
He was about to call out for one of his caregivers when Wyll came back into the nursery.
“It looks like Gale is going to have to spend the night with your Papa and I if he’s going to get any sleep.”
“Me too.” Astarion said quickly, moving to sit on his knees instead of curled up on his side.
“Of course.” Wyll came over to pick Astarion up.
It was easier for Astarion’s mind to stay put in little space when snuggled in between Halsin and Wyll, plus Gale. Despite the earlier upset over bedtime, Gale was snoring first. He looked restful now but over the course of the night he’d end up overtaking Halsin’s spot.
Astarion buried his face in Wyll’s arm, hoping tomorrow would be better. He hated when they all managed to get a free weekend to do this and he was so wound up he couldn’t even relax when that was the whole point of things. He forced the worry out of his mind for the moment, little minds weren’t supposed to worry about big problems after all.