Chapter Text
Pacing down the too quiet hallway, Dan is full of a familiar jitteriness. That ever-present agitation beneath his skin that pushes him to pursue stimulation in any form he can find makes him such a great streamer. The pungent scent of blood and fear sits heavy on his tongue; it’s unpleasant and acidic. A dried trail of blood paints the hallway floor, a bright beacon of terror to all who explore. He knows leaving his apartment right now isn’t the smartest move, but he feels like his skin would crawl off his bones if he didn’t get up and move. Find someone else to talk to, other than strangers behind a screen and his own mother. Especially since Mom is in a mood right now. Loneliness sits heavy in his chest, in direct contrast to the nerves jumbling his stomach.
He brings his fist down on the door labeled ‘33’ again, hoping someone would answer. He’s gone down the entire hallway, carefully avoiding the couple of cursed corpses and a doorway made entirely of teeth. An awning chasm that called to his curiosity like a siren’s song. If he explored that, he’d probably easily gain another hundred viewers, not to mention the increased engagement. Maybe he could make that his next poll. Suddenly, he’s broken from his thoughts by a tired voice.
“Hello?” The voice was distinctly masculine and cautious.
“Hi! How are you doing? Open up! I just want to hang out. We can go fight the monsters together! Let’s do it!” Dan enthusiastically blurts out, desperately trying to convince the apartment owner to let him in. Running his tongue over his teeth, his mouth feels dry at the prospect that the one other person he’s found so far won’t let him in. The thought curdles in his stomach. “I’ve been cooped up inside for so long. I just need to...” Dan pauses while he thinks of the best word to summarize his turbulent feelings. “See someone. You know? I feel like I’m losing my mind!”
Dan can’t help but smile after his statement, running a hand over his bald head. He wonders if the man behind the door can even see him, and not being able to resist the urge, he crowds into the peephole to try to see the person right back. Of course, even with his efforts, he can’t see through the small piece of glass. He hears a huff from where he is crowded near the door and a heavy sigh.
The door creaks open, and for a brief instance, Dan is overstimulated by the scent of coffee, pizza, and the unmistakable warm notes of an Omega. Not even taking in the sight of the person in front of him, his mouth runs off again.
“Oh! Look at you! A bona fide friend! Can I come hang out? You got any food? What about uh, video games?” Feeling uncomfortable in front of someone from the other sex, he resorts to talking about his own interests and comforts. The man in front of him looks a little confused and hesitant for a second. Oh. He’s pretty. Dan thinks for a second, taking in the other man's soft features and large, tired eyes. A halo of unruly curls frames a round face and two mismatched eyes. They’re deep-set within the sockets, with eyebags severe enough to rival his. They’re also locked right onto his own eyes. Oops, caught staring. Better cut that out before he closes the door.
Opening the door further and allowing Dan to briefly glimpse in behind him, he sees the back of a small head, covered in similarly disheveled hair. Damn, a milf too. A heavy huff of breath brings his eyes back to the man blocking salvation from him. He smiles his too-wide grin, hoping to appear nonthreatening. The other seems to decide on something after a pregnant pause, muscles relaxing and opening the door further to allow Dan to slip inside. “Come in, but if you try anything, you’re out.” Score! Slipping inside before the Omega can change his mind, Dan takes in his surroundings fully.
Clearly, this guy has been living here for a while; the scent of Omega is warm and well woven into the place. A small couch, a smaller TV, and a dining room table with five chairs are the first things Dan notices. The next thing is the creature scurrying out of the living room and darting off into another room. It moved too fast for Dan to get a glimpse, but it kind of looked like a dog.
“Hey! Junior! Where are you- Oh. Hhhh-Hi...” The small boy Dan glimpsed from the corridor freezes up and awkwardly shuffles to partially hide behind the Omega, his face a mangled mess of teeth. Dan will fully admit he was stunned speechless for a second until he put on his streamer persona. Even if he feels apprehensive about interacting with someone who is obviously cursed, he’s acting like a normal kid. Not that Dan has much experience with kids.
With his trademark grin, Dan does his best to appear friendly and not like he was gawking at the poor kids' deformity. “Hey! I’m Dan, you probably recognize me from YouTube or Twitch!” He subtly flexes a little, puffing his chest out. The kid shifts awkwardly in place, and Dan gets the impression that if he could see the kid's eyes, he would be avoiding eye contact. Ouch. Awkward silence settles over them for a second before a flush and the sound of a sink running greets their ears. Then the door creaks open.
“Joel! You guys better not have started MadWheels 97 without me!” Shrieks the little girl in the doorway, she’s smaller than the toothy boy, but looks completely normal. She freezes up in the doorway for a second, brown eyes darting between the trio in the living room. The Omega, and jeez, Dan really needs to get his name, sighs again, and looks at the ceiling for a second.
“Joel, Sophie, this is Dan. He’s asking to stay here for a little bit. Behave.” He directs that last part to the little girl who is now sulking in the bathroom doorway. She stomps over and flings herself onto the couch with a huff. The Omega places a hand on Joel’s shoulder and softly nudges him towards the couch. “Go play with Sophie, I’ll check on Junior and get Dan settled in.”
“So uh... You guys play MadWheels 97?” Dan says, running a hand over his bald head again. Trying to soothe himself. The stranger looks at him unimpressed.
“Yes.” With that short answer, the Omega walks off to the only other room in the apartment. Dan does not follow; instead walking over to the couch to watch the two kids play. Drumming his fingers over the back of the couch, Dan debates flopping down onto the couch. After running around the apartment complex searching for other sane survivors, all he wants to do is unwind, but everyone knows an Omega with kids could turn hostile quickly over any perceived grievance over their pups. Ugh. He’ll take the risk. The smaller child, Sophie, watches him sit with critical eyes.
This is obviously a well-loved couch; he immediately sinks into it. The scent of coffee and caramel wafts up from the fabric and settles into his nose. It’s comforting, and that relentless itch beneath his skin finally settles. Watching Joel somehow play with no eyes, the distant pixelated roaring from the crowd, and the squealing of tires on asphalt lull Dan into sleep. A cold, wet nose rouses him from his daze with a start. Heart pounding as a chittering squeak greets him. Multiple bleary eyes peer at Dan with curiosity shining in them. Dan feels his muscles clench as adrenaline rushes down his spine in an ice-cold wash. He knows he must be letting out an awful concoction of pheremones because its nose scrunches, and then it starts crying.
Fast little foot steps suddenly patter into frame as Sophie scoops up the creature, shooting Dan a withering glare. She turns on her heel and stomps off into what he’s assuming is a bedroom. Soft muttering and cooing can be heard coming from there. Dan places a hand on his chest to feel his rabbit-fast heart. A weird wet gurgle breaks his gaze from the dark doorway to look at the other kid, Joel, at the end of the couch.
“Uh... don’t mind Sophie or Junior- hhhh- he’s just a baby and Sophie uh... Doesn’t like Alphas...Mister Dan.” Joel tries to comfort the distressed Alpha, all puppy sweetness floating in the air. Used to playing mediator for more rowdy younger siblings. Dan finds himself relaxing back into the couch. Dragging his hand over his face for a second before putting his winning smile back on.
“No worries! Dan here doesn’t get jump-scared by just anything! When I was playing Screamatorium, I only jumped once.” Joel does not look appropriately impressed for such a feat. Whatever. Movement from the doorway draws Dan’s attention again, and that jittery feeling from earlier is back with an unfamiliar aggression. It’s like insects are skittering down his spine to settle inside his flesh. It brings goosebumps along his skin, and he swallows dryly. The omega, whose name he still hasn’t gotten shit, is shirtless in the doorway, only in a pair of shorts. He’s cradling the weird rat thing in one arm, and Dan hadn’t noticed till now, but he doesn’t have two arms. Shit. How did he miss that? He’s off his game today.
His muscles ache as he jolts upright, feeling the need to be ready to spring up from the soft couch at a moment's notice. Dan watches as the Omega shuffles closer and plops down heavily onto the couch. “Hey, how’re you doing?” A tired voice rumbles out. Dan pauses for a second, just watching the other man’s chest rise and fall. The rat thing cuddles closer to his chest, chittering softly. The Omega clears his throat, and Dan feels himself flush.
“Oh! I’m fine! Didn’t realize how tired I was until I sat down. Do you have any snacks or anything?” His eyes dart around the room, feeling self-conscious and desperately trying to find something else to focus on. If he let himself, he’d stare at the soft stomach and large pecs of the Omega next to him. Dan bites his lip, worrying the flesh between his teeth.
“I’ll make dinner here soon. I was just calming down Junior.” The Omega shifts the rat thing in his one arm, shrugging his shoulder and jostling Junior a little. Dan feels guilty over upsetting the little guy. He’s also not sure how to address the elephant in the room. Which is what exactly Junior is, and why the other man is now half naked.
“Awesome!” Dan shifts in place, subtly moving a little closer to the warmth emanating from the body next to him. “So uh... what’s your name, friend?” The stranger tenses up for a second, wide eyes locking onto Dan. He feels pinned in place under that gaze, his mismatched eyes capturing Dan’s attention entirely.
“Oh, I’m Sam. I didn’t realize I forgot to introduce myself.” Sam relaxes again, softly bouncing the cooing creature. Oh, that is doing something for Dan. The mental image of Sam instead cradling Dan like that goes off like a flashbang behind his eyelids. Resting his head on the other man's large, soft-looking chest. Listening to his heartbeat. Shooting up to his feet, he marches off to the bathroom without a word. Leaving a baffled Sam behind on the couch.
___
Sam was a little concerned about the strange Alpha he let into his apartment. However, when he stood there painfully earnest on his doorstep, he couldn’t find it in himself to turn him away. The other man obviously needs some friends, with a dark gaze constantly shifting and bouncing from place to place. A wide, manic grin on his face.
When Sophie came barging into his bedroom after he curled up for a nap, cradling a wailing Junior, Sam first thought the worst. That maybe this stranger had turned an unkind hand towards the baby rat, and now he’d have to kick him out and kick his ass. Taking the squirming baby from the little girl, Sam scooted up the bed to make room for Sophie. The little girl clambered into the nest without hesitation. Settling into her usual spot closest to the door. Over the last couple of days, the small group had taken to sleeping together in the nest. All too unnerved to sleep alone, instincts needing the reassurence of company. Sam would be lying if he said he hated it, instincts he thought were long dead purring in happiness for once in his life. Becoming a guardian over multiple children in the span of a couple of days was daunting, but for now, he’s determined to just take it one day at a time.
Junior kicks at Sam’s sleep shirt with an unhappy whine, and with a sigh, he gently places the rodent down on his bed so he can awkwardly struggle to get his shirt off one-handed. When Junior first came home, he would wail and kick for hours until, in his desperation, he remembered something he’d seen online once about how some babies need skin contact to settle down. Sam felt so far out of his league and uncomfortable. He can’t remember the last time anyone saw him without a shirt, uncomfortable and insecure in his skin. Now, over the short few days, it was second nature to casually strip his shirt off to allow the baby rat a semblance of comfort. He honestly doesn’t understand the science behind it, but if it works, he won’t complain.
Sophie huffs from her side of the nest once Sam has Junior settled into the curl of his bicep. Small head against his chest, eyes slipping closed as his whiskers wiggle. “I don’t like him.” She pouts, arms crossed stubbornly without looking at Sam. He was worried that she wouldn’t react well to an Alpha being in their space, especially after she off-handedly mentioned how her own father would act and treat her mother. With all the casualness of a child not understanding that not everything should be shared amongst strangers. His heart ached for the little girl; he wasn’t sure how to comfort her. “He smells bad, and he’s bald!”
That startles a laugh out of Sam. Junior coos and gently clasps Sam’s fingers in his own. “What’s wrong with being bald?” He won’t comment on Dan’s smell; he can’t disagree with her, the other man did smell pretty bad. Like BO, chips, and that familiar tang of days-old sweat. Clearly, he hasn’t bathed in a while. Sam can’t judge too harshly, though, it is the end of the world as they all know it after all. At first, he didn’t even pick up on his designation, those pheremones buried deep under the layers of body odor.
“Ugh! I knew you wouldn’t get it!” She grumbles and suddenly turns to point a finger at Sam. “If he tries anything, I’ll kick his butt! Just like how my mom taught me to!” Sam nods at her, proud of her spitfire attitude and willingness to kick ass.
“Good, I wouldn’t expect anything else. Just give him a chance, it’ll make exploring the building easier with another set of hands. Especially with Junior.” Sophie narrows her eyes at him and purses her lips before nodding sharply. Seems like she agrees, for now at least. “Are you hungry?” Junior nibbles at Sam’s fingers, whiskers tickling the skin. He chuckles softly, knowing that the baby rat was responding to the word ‘hungry’.
“Yeah, can we have pizza tonight? I know we scavenged some earlier today, so you can’t trick me into veggies!” Ah, crap, well. Guess tonight would be a good night to break out what was going to be the emergency meal. Kept in case he couldn’t cook for some reason.
“Sure, pup, let's go make dinner.”
____
Knuckles white against the counter of the bathroom sink, Dan tries to get his body back under control. He felt desperately horny in a way he hadn’t in a long while. Usually, if he got horny, he could just... crank one out real quick. After all, he was just home most of the time. On the rare occasions he went outside and didn’t just have whatever he needed delivered, he rarely encountered hot, shirtless omegas pressing all the right buttons for him.
Biting his lip, Dan took a deep breath and popped his head out of the bathroom. He couldn’t see Sam on the couch anymore. “Hey friend, I’m going to take a shower, okay? Do you have any clothes I can borrow?” He yells into the apartment, praying Sam heard him. Dan is hoping a cold shower could cure him for now. Until everyone was asleep and he could safely jerk off.
Quickly stripping down and hopping into the shower, Dan uses the lavender-scented soap in the shower. Interesting, most people bought scentless body washes to not cloud their pheromones. Grabbing the loofah, Dan couldn’t help but give in to his impulse to sniff it. Dissapointingly it didn’t smell like anything but water and mildew. He wasn’t sure why he was expecting it to smell like Sam. Like coffee and caramel. Rich and strong on his tongue, a smooth glide down his throat when he swallows. Warmth and heat and fuck. His erection was back full force.
Okay, clearly operation Cold Shower is a bust. Going with Plan B, Dan grabs his erection and pumps himself slowly. Usually, he doesn’t jerk off with no lube, but it’s not like he has a lot of options right now. He rests his forehead against the cold white tiles of the shower. Letting the hot water rush over sore muscles as he slowly increases the tempo of his fist. Imagining that the tight heat around his cock was someone else. Maybe if he plays his cards right, Sam would let him hit it. After all, he’s like... a single mom, right? No Alpha scents that he could pick up on. Total milf, and he’s always had a thing for fat bitches.
Dan cringes at his internal dialogue, swiping his thumb over his sensitive head. Smearing pre-cum across the tip and down his shaft, and he twists his hand. God, he can’t believe how shameless Sam is. Coming out without a shirt on around a strange Alpha, letting Dan ogle his tits. He’d love to bury his face between them, and maybe even tit fuck him. God, he can imagine it now. Sam is on his knees as Dan stands over him, one arm squishing his tits together, looking up at him with his brown and blue eyes. His cock thrusting between the two soft mounds, the dark areolas and nipples pebbled with arousal. When he cums he’d paint his skin with white ropes. He’d look perfect like that. Grabbing Sam by his unruly afro to smash their lips together into a brutal kiss, while his other hand rubs his cum all over the omega’s tits. So that his scent would stick to his skin for days after. Claiming him as his in one of the most carnal manners. Groaning lowly in his throat, Dan remembers that there are other people in the apartment and brings his other hand up to his mouth to help muffle his moans.
Increasing the tempo on his sensitive dick, Dan rolls his head back. With every downward twist, he can feel the knot at the base of his dick start to fill out. God, he hasn’t been laid in so long that his own fist and just the thought of fucking an Omega can make him pop his knot. Fucking into Sam’s hot pussy while he grabs him by his love handles. Watching as his ass bounces with every thrust before knotting him. Maybe Sam would be the type to fuck him right back, to pin Dan down on that couch and ride him for his worth. To put his thick thighs to use and use him. Smothering him in his tits while bouncing on his cock. That thought sends a shiver down Dan’s spine, and he tightens the grip on the base of his cock as his back bows, and he cums down the drain. He bites his hand and shakes through his orgasm. Panting into the enclosed space, Dan quickly stomps the evidence down the drain and scrubs himself with brutal efficiency.
Ah fuck, he doesn’t have any clothes to change into. Grabbing the towel hanging on the door of the shower, Dan debates on what to do until he spots a pile of clothing left on the table next to the bathroom sink. His heart plummets into his ass and immediately shatters what little bit of post-orgasm glow he has. He knows he wasn’t as quiet as he should have been, and with the glass shower panes, anyone could’ve seen the familiar motions of someone jerking off. He’s not a religious man, but he prays that it was Sam and not one of the kids. He can’t fall into that streamer stereotype; he’ll never get any sponsorships. Shakily grabbing the clothes, he dresses himself quickly. Not liking how vulnerable he feels now. Gray sweatpants that are a bit too short and baggy on him and a t-shirt that says ‘I Paused My Game To Be Here’... awesome. Total badass outfit. Bonus points for the lame clothes, though, they smell so strongly of Sam for a moment that Dan can pretend that the Omega was here with him. Wrapped up in him, it brought a smile to his face.
Opening the door, the scent of cheese, sauce, and pepperoni graces his nose. Pizza? Fuck yeah! From his vantage point, he can see as Sam puts the pizza down in the middle of the dining room table. Plates were set in front of the seats, and the kids all eagerly sat down. The domestic scene makes his heart hurt a little; he never experienced such comfort growing up. His mom was always too busy watching TV to make dinner and sit down at the table. Often leaving Dan on his own. Shaking off his sad thoughts, Dan makes his way over to the dining room table, taking one of the open seats.
Dark brown eyes rake over the other man's curves, his form relaxed as he rips off some paper towels to bring to the table. He’s still shirtless, and Dan feels distracted as his eyes trace over the muscle in his back down to his supple lovehandles spilling out over the top of his shorts. A small growl brings Dan’s wandering eyes back to the table in front of him. The little girl, Sophie, his brain reminds him, is shooting daggers at Dan. She makes a familiar throat-cutting motion with her finger and then points at him before swiftly turning away from him in her chair. Going back to talking to Joel like she hadn’t just threatened him.
“Hey, hope you like pizza. The kids insisted on it tonight.” Sam casually says as he slips into his own seat, grabbing two slices of pizza.
“I love pizza! You’re a real stand-out friend!” Without waiting, he shoots a lanky hand out and snatches up a slice of pizza. It’s hot, and his fingers immediately start to burn a little as the hot cheese hits his skin. He sets the pizza slice down on a plate hurriedly, dramatically shaking his hand to air it out a little. Dan feels his cheeks flush a little in embarrassment, but he can’t remember the last time he had hot food prepared by someone else that wasn’t delivered to him.
Sam chuckles at his reaction and places pizza on the kids' plates. Muttering a soft “Be careful, it’s hot,” Before getting up to rummage in the fridge for drinks. It’s honestly kind of impressive how he’s able to balance two cans and three juice boxes with only one hand. Setting a beer down in front of Dan and the juice boxes in front of each respective kid, Dan felt his face flush for a different reason. It’s nice here, in this bubble of domestic bliss. Two and a half kids, white picket fence type of bliss. He can’t tell if he wants to be another kid or the co-parent. Sliding his eyes over his current company, he guesses there isn’t really any room for another child in the typical nuclear family here.
Leaves one option then, huh. Shrugging, Dan cracks open his beer and chugs half of it in one go. The head rush is as satisfying as always, his chronic malnutrition making sure he’s a light-weight. Letting out a rush of breath as he slams the can back onto the table, Dan feels energized. Grabbing the too-hot slice of pizza, he quickly devours it. Knocking the rest of the beer back, he gets up, flops onto the couch, and promptly falls asleep.
___
Standing in the kitchen, Sam leans against the counter, waiting for the oven to finish preheating. Junior has calmed back down by now and is curiously sniffing at the bathroom door where Dan had just rushed to. Guess the guy really had to piss or something. Suddenly, the door is cracked open, and a manic face pops out. “Hey friend, I’m going to take a shower, okay? Do you have any clothes I can borrow?” Without waiting for an answer, the door is shut just as quickly as it opened.
Junior scurries back over to Sam, clearly confused as to what the strange man is doing. When Dan had poked his head out, he had a concerned and slightly crazed look on his face. Sam tries to shrug it off; after all, people react to stress and trauma very differently. Putting the pizza in the oven, Sam plops the baby in front of his blocks while he goes to rummage in his room for some spare clothes. This proved harder than he first imagined; they were pretty much opposites when it came to size. Sam was on the heavier end and nowhere near as tall as Dan.
Scratching his face a little, Sam settles on baggy as the best bet and grabs him his largest pair of sweats and an old sleepshirt. Knocking on the bathroom door, Sam waits for a response. All he can hear, though, is the running water of his shower head. Testing the door handle, he finds it’s unlocked, so he quietly creeps in.
Thick steam fills Sam’s lungs in a familiar and satisfying way. The sound of running water was loud in the small room. Luckily, the boards block the view of the shower for the most part. Letting Dan have his privacy while Sam quickly puts down the change of clothes on the counter. Spotting the other man's old clothes, Sam goes to grab them to take them to the laundrymat so they can be washed. Not willing to let Dan keep wearing the same gross clothing. Until he hears groaning and a wet slapping sound from the shower. He freezes in place, mortification coloring his face. Without thinking about it, he glances towards the noise. Dark skin on display, lithe muscles moving as he was hunched over. Arm moving in a familiar and rhythmic pattern, in time with the wet noises.
Unconsciously, Sam took in a large breath of air, trying to scent the space around him. Now that he’s looking for it, he’s able to recognize the smell of arousal in the air. Dampened by the water but still unmistakable. His stomach clenches, and he feels that familiar tingle in his groin. It’s been years since he last slept with anyone, and never since he’s slept with an Alpha. Without the grotesque layer of BO covering his scent, Sam can finally pick up on Dan’s status for sure. Dark chocolate and licorice, bitter but enticing. Sam runs his tongue over his teeth.
The pace picks up in the shower and Dan groans again. Sam snaps out of it and quickly rushes out of the room. A flush on his cheeks as he takes in the fact that he was ogling the other man like a predator. Shame settles in his stomach like a stone, but he breathes through those emotions to focus on finishing dinner. He can beat himself up later, right now, though, it’s dinner time.
____
Watching the Alpha down his food, crush a beer, and immediately fall asleep eliminated any leftover arousal Sam felt. Sighing, he focused on washing the dishes. He won’t lie, it definitely sucks to wash dishes one-handed, but he and the kids have entered a pretty good flow. Joel was truly a blessing; the sweet kid was always willing to help when asked. Currently, Sam scrubbed dishes, and then Joel would dry and put them to the side so Sam could put them away.
“Uh... Mister Sam, how long is Mister Dan going to be staying with us?” Joel says softly, like he’s afraid to say anything. Sighing, no matter how many times Sam tells Joel he can just call him by his first name, the kid refuses to listen. The plate in the sink was clean, but Sam scrubbed it anyway just for something to do while he thought about Joel’s question. How long was Dan going to stay? Sam didn’t really think of that when he invited the other man in. Not really caring how long people stayed, just caring that the people under his roof were safe and meant him or the pups under his care no harm.
“As long as he needs to, why? Did something happen?” Sam replies, handing the clean dish over to the pup. Joel dries it, sitting on the chair that was dragged over to the kitchen sink. His little legs swing a little while he thinks it over. He makes that familiar wet gurgle that means he’s trying to clear his throat. Sam knows he’ll probably need a cough drop or some Orajel tonight before bed. He overdid it the other day with producing teeth. Sam can’t fault the kid. The aftermath of sticking his arm into The Hole was a rough day for all of them. He still feels guilty for putting the kids in that position, having to drag his half-dead corpse back up two flights of stairs with a screaming baby.
Snapping out of his reminiscing, Sam finds Joel just looking at him. He softly rests his head against his torso, taking a wet inhale. Sam wonders if Joel can still smell anything. “No, I just- hhh- Sophie doesn’t like Alphas.” Drying his hand on the abandoned rag, Sam twists his torso to softly pet Joel’s head. Trying to smooth his unruly hair down a little, the poor kid had terrible, untamable hair like Sam. Except his hair was straight, just a head full of cowlicks. Sam would be a liar if he said he knew how to deal with straight hair, so he just kind of let Joel do his own thing regarding it. Maybe Eugene would be willing to teach Sam how to deal with Joel’s hair.
“I know, and I already talked to Sophie. We need the extra help right now; it’ll make scavenging and reaching the basement easier.” Sam isn’t sure how to reassure the pup that it’ll work out, especially since he isn’t even sure of that himself. What Sam does know is that they need all the help they can get right now, especially as they continue to explore the twisted warzone of Mr. Henderson’s apartment. Joel hums in acknowledgement to the best of his ability.
They finish the dishes in a comfortable, quiet setting, the only sound being the running water and the raspy breathing of the pup next to him.
Stretching his remaining arm above his head, Sam lets out a tired groan. Patting Joel on the head, Sam shuffles over to where Sophie and Junior have taken to quietly coloring. Both are obviously tired from how their eyes keep drooping shut every couple of seconds. “Come on, bedtime,” Sam says softly, nudging both. Junior coos and lifts both sets of arms up, unable to deny his request, Sam scoops the baby up. Sam herds the two elementary schoolers to the bathroom to go through their usual nighttime routine.
While the two elementary schoolers tussle over who gets the mirror while brushing their teeth, Sophie wins this time, Sam changes Junior’s diaper, and washes him up for the night. With his soft downy fur, he needs to be brushed and washed daily or else he turns into a smelly mess. Plus, Sam thinks as he watches Junior’s eyes boggle in happiness, it soothes his own instincts to care for his baby.
“Mister Sam! Sophie is- hhh- being a meanie! She won’t let me use the mirror!” Joel whines, distraught with toothpaste smeared across his face.
“It’s my turn, you big baby!” Sophie stomps her foot, lack of sleep making both of the small kids temperamental.
“Sophie, you know Joel struggles with brushing his teeth. Share the mirror.” Sam scolds. Sophie huffs and shuffles to the side while muttering under her breath. Once all three kids are situated, Sam hands Junior over to Joel so he can brush his own teeth.
The group sleepily shuffles over to the bedroom to curl up in the nest. A flurry of limbs and tussling before everyone settles into their usual spots. Sam lets out a deep sigh as he feels the stress from the day melt away. Junior softly chitters and purrs from his spot on top of Sam’s chest, the familiar sound lulling him into a deep, dreamless sleep.