You asked for it and you got it. Hope you enjoy a new Arkadian short story featuring David and Daniel. This story should be read after Fated Redemption. (8.5)
Work below is copyrighted by Alanea Alder and unedited.
Adventures in Babysitting
“You’re cheating!” David complained as Daniel clearly went after the zombie he had in his sights.
“Am not! You just suck that hard.” Daniel laughed.
“Douchebag!” David shifted his weight and bumped shoulders with Daniel messing up his shot.
“I know you are but what am I?” Daniel bumped him back. David sighed and looked around their snack piles. He was getting hungry again. They would forever be in Ashby’s debt for introducing them to modern food.
“Dude, pass the Cheetos.” David pointed to the bag of Cheetos.
“You ate them all yesterday, here take the Oreos.” Daniel chucked the Oreos at him.
“I am obviously craving cheesy crunchy, why are you passing me chocolate?”
“Because the only other option for crunchy are the Funyuns and we both agreed we wouldn’t do that to each other anymore.”
“True. Okay pass the Oreos.”
“Guys! Concentrate on the game!” Peyton’s excited voice filled their headsets.
“Oh good, there you are!” David turned at the sound of the voice behind them. Both of their princes stood in the doorway to their ‘Twin Cave’. In Ashby’s arms little baby Arthur watched them with calm eyes. David just loved the little guy to pieces.
“What’s up?” David asked. He had stopped the game they were playing with Peyton, poor guy was still getting over the shock of having a mate.
“We hate to ask…” Ashby started.
“We really hate to ask…” Gabriel muttered. Ashby whacked his midsection. Gabriel’s eyes in response turned soft and he leaned down to nuzzle Ashby’s neck. David watched in fascination as a faint blush worked its way up Ashby’s neck.
“Anyway.” Ashby sidestepped his mate and took a step toward them.
“Can you watch Arthur for a few hours? We’re going to Purgatory and prefer to leave Arthur here, it would be too much travel in a single afternoon.” Beside him David noticed that Daniel sat up straighter. They got to play with the baby all on their own? Score!
“Yes!” Both he and David said together smiling at each other. Ashby looked relieved.
“Thank you so much! He’s such a good baby, I hate to leave him…” Ashby hesitated looking at the door then down at his son. David stood quickly and scooped the little guy up.
“It’s just a few hours, go have fun. We’ll be fine here, won’t we squirt?” David asked Arthur who gifted him with a rare smile.
“If you’re sure.” Ashby sighed.
“Call us if anything and I do mean anything happens.” Gabriel’s eyes remained their neutral blue color but David could hear the underlying message. If anything happens to my son I will turn you inside out and use you as Halloween decorations at Purgatory. David glanced over to Daniel, they both gulped.
“We got this.” Daniel gave Gabriel a thumbs up. Only David could feel how nervous they both were.
“Come mon ange the sooner we head out there, the sooner we can return. I want to review some of the findings that Baptista gave me, the original records are at Purgatory.” Gabriel steered his small mate to the door.
“All of his things are in his room. Use the heated wipes, he hates cold wipes on his bottom. And just a little bit of powder. Oh, and his favorite duck is upstairs, do you think he’s warm enough?” Ashby fretted.
“He’ll be fine, he has the two best uncles in the world, right squirt?” David tickled Arthur’s belly.
Sensing that if they didn’t leave soon, they may never get to, Gabriel nodded to David and Daniel and pulled his mate from the room.
“Guys are we still playing?” Peyton’s voice startled David who was still wearing his headset.
“Sorry Peyton, we got babysitting duty. We’ll swing by later though.” Daniel explained.
“No worries, I think I’ll head upstairs anyway. It’s about that time. Bye guys. See you later!” Peyton disconnected.
“One of these days he’ll have to actually talk to his mate.” Daniel sighed.
“Wow, we get him to ourselves, how often does that happen?” Daniel made faces at the small baby.
“I think we were the last resort. Baptista is still having issues with Peyton, Roman and most of the coven is at Purgatory getting ready for that BDSM convention that is in town and visiting. Only a few unlucky ones are left here.” David sat back down on the floor and placed Arthur between them.
“We still need to send Roman a follow up report on that project he gave us.” Daniel reminded him.
“Let’s get that done, then we can play with squirtus-maximus here.” David reached for his laptop.
“Good idea.” Daniel grabbed his laptop and they both got started.
They worked in silence for about twenty minutes before David remembered he was still hungry. He looked around suddenly craving the cotton candy he bought from Bobbles and Things. Looking around he frowned. It was nowhere to be found.
“Hey, where is my cotton candy?”
“Hell if I know, you probably ate it. You’re like a bottomless pit.”
“Come on, where did you see it last?” David looked in the large bankers box that they kept next to their entertainment center to hold their snacks. He froze.
“Where’s Arthur!” David looked around frantically. Daniel shot to his feet. They scrambled around the room.
“Found him! Oh shit!” Daniel exclaimed looking down at the floor behind their desk.
“Dude! Language!” David ran to his side and looked down.
“Shit!”
“I know! What do we do? Shit! What do we do?” Daniel pulled at his hair. At their feet, their tiny charge was eating fistful after fistful of sticky, blue cotton candy. His hands were blue, his mouth was blue even the tip of his nose was blue!
“Well stop him for one!” David grabbed the container. Arthur looked up at him reproachfully.
“Too late, it’s mostly gone. How much was in there?” Daniel asked.
“Like three pounds.” David felt ill.
“We have to get him to Doc. He’ll know what to do.”
“How? We walk downstairs with him like this and someone will call Prince Gabriel. Then he’ll kill us!” Daniel whimpered.
David looked around. He went back over to the bankers box and dumped out the contents so that they scattered on the floor. He walked over and picked up Arthur and set him down in the box.
“Okay squirt, we’re going to play a game. It’s called ‘Arthur hides and is very quiet for Uncle David.’ You can play that right?” Arthur lifted a finger to his lips and blew a raspberry.
“Score! He understands.” David put the lid on and lifted the box.
“Let’s hurry.”
Daniel walked ahead of him and opened the door. They had almost made it to the front door when they ran into Kurt, one of the few who weren’t assisting at Purgatory that weekend.
“Where are you two heading?” Kurt asked.
“The diner.”
“Mojos” They answered, then looked at each other.
“Mojos.”
“The diner.” David glared at his brother.
“What we mean is the diner then Mojos.” Daniel nodded.
“Whatcha got?” he pointed to the box.
“Trash.” David explained.
“Want me to run it to the incinerator?” He reached for the box.
“No!” They yelled. David turned his body guarding the box. Kurt jumped back looking at them as if they were crazy. David took a deep breath.
“Sorry, its sensitive information, we want to run it through a professional shredder.”
“Dude, fire is a foolproof way to destroy paperwork.” Kurt looked confused.
“Yeah, uhh but we need to scan some stuff first. Our scanner is broken, we’re going to use Johnny’s in town.” David held his breath and gauged Kurt’s reaction.
“Whatever, see you later.” Kurt turned and headed up the stairs.
“Dude fucking run!” Daniel grabbed his arm and they ran out the door to their car.
They both stopped short and stared.
“What do we do? We don’t have the car seat thingie.” Daniel looked at him. David thought about it for a second.
“You drive. I’ll be in the backseat with Arthur holding the box tight. Just drive slow.” David climbed into the back with the box. He cracked the lid and looked inside. Arthur grinned up at him. David had a sneaking suspicion that there was a little daredevil in this kid waiting to break out.
“Wait until you’re older. If you try to do crazy stuff when you’re this little you’ll kill your dads.” David whispered. Arthur snort laughed and grabbed his feet.
“What was that?” Daniel asked.
“We need to stock up on video cameras for this guy and smelling salts for Ashby.” David shook his head. Driving ten miles an hour they made their way to the clinic. Once parked David jumped out with Arthur still tucked safely in his box and walked into the clinic. There wasn’t anyone at the front so he walked to the back. Opening one of the examination room doors he heard.
“Yes, god fuck me harder!”
“Damn Felix is that all you guys do here?” David walked in ignoring the fact that his friend was naked and bent over a stainless steel cabinet.
“Busy here asshole.” Felix said through clenched teeth.
“True. Your asshole does look busy. Sorry about that, but put that shit away. I need Doc to…” Daniel walked in and tilted his head.
“Nice ass Doc.”
“For fucks sake!” Doc wiped off and pulled his pants up. Grumbling and threatening bodily harm Felix cleaned up and looked for his pants. Doc was washing his hands when David had a thought.
“So doctors are like priests right? Like what happens in this room stays in this room right?” David edged in front of the box.
Doc looked up frowning.
“What have you two done?”
“First you gotta swear.” Daniel stood beside David in front of the box.
“Fine, I swear. Now what’s in the box? You know I’m not a vet right.” Doc stepped forward. A little giggle from behind them had Doc’s eyebrows shooting to his hairline. He pushed David and Daniel aside and ripped the top off the box.
“Arthur!” Doc lifted the baby from the box and set him on the examination table. The first thing he did was wipe the baby clean of the blue mess that was his mouth and hands. If their continued existence hadn’t depended on him examining the baby, David would have been more amused at Doc’s disgusted expressions.
“What happened?” Doc asked.
“He at like three pounds of cotton candy. Is he okay?” David looked on anxious. Arthur had seemed okay driving here, but looked so tiny and helpless on the white paper of the examination table.
“Why did you give him three pounds of cotton candy!” Felix yelled.
“We didn’t, he stole it!” Daniel refuted.
“He’s not even four months old, you’re blaming the baby?” Felix crossed his arms.
“He totally bee lined it to the cotton candy. He was shoveling that shit in like he had been on a diet for like a thousand years.” Daniel explained.
“Well, he looks like he is okay. Heart rate and pupil reactions are normal. Just keep an eye on him. If he begins to vomit bring him back immediately.” Doc passed Arthur back to David.
“Trust us Doc, he starting puking like the Exorcist he’s coming right back here.” David turned to place him back in his box.
“Do not carry him around in that box!” Doc snapped. David sighed and propped him up on his hip pouting.
“He likes his box.” He grumbled under his breath. Doc rolled his eyes.
“Okay. Out!” Felix pointed to the door.
Once outside on the sidewalk David looked at his twin.
“We totally dodged that bullet.”
“I know! I’m exhausted. How long have they been gone?” Daniel put the box, minus baby, back in the car.
“Like an hour.”
“How does Ashby do this like all day? I’d be a nervous wreck.” Daniel looked dejected.
“No idea. Hey while we’re here let’s grab that new game we ordered and some Cheetos at Johnny’s. He always keeps the best gamer food stocked.” David suggested.
“Good idea.”
Together they walked into Johnny’s.
“Whoa, who is that little guy? Please don’t tell me you two multiply spontaneously?” Johnny joked from behind the counter.
“Har har. No. This is Prince Arthur. Prince Gabriel and Prince Ashby’s son.” David presenting Arthur to Johnny.
“He’s a cutie. So what brings you two in again?”
“Cheetos and the game we ordered.” Daniel replied.
“You’re in luck, I have both. Cheetos are on the wall as usual. I’ll get your game.” Johnny went to the back to get their order. David looked around for cotton candy containers, not spotting any he put Arthur down. There’s wasn’t anything at baby level that he could get into.
“No cotton candy princeling.” David wagged a finger at Arthur who blew another raspberry at him. David grinned.
“He’s going to be so much fun when he grows up.” Smiling like a proud father David turned to look at the specialty controllers in the case.
“Here you go.” Johnny walked back out a couple minutes later. He stopped and his eyes widened.
“Watch out!” He shouted. David turned and watched in horror as a stack of game consoles tumbled down toward Arthur. A blur moved beside him and then the sound of boxes hitting the floor echoed off the walls.
“Arthur!” He screamed. He pulled the boxes away to see that his twin and covered Arthur’s body with his own. Shaking he helped Daniel up, a sob caught in his throat at the sight of the cut along Daniel’s eyebrow.
“Is he okay! Please tell me he’s okay? I knew I shouldn’t have stacked the consoles next to the snacks!” Johnny raced around them in a panicked circle. Daniel scooped up Arthur who yawned at all the fuss, his mouth now sporting a distinct orange color.
“I think he’s okay.” David and Daniel slumped down against each other on the floor relieved.
“What happened?” David asked.
Johnny looked around, then down to the floor.
“Looks like he ate five small bags of Cheetos and was reaching for some that were hanging behind the game console stack when they tumbled down.” Johnny held up the empty bags.
David and Daniel looked down at Arthur shocked.
“How? How in the hell does he keep getting into junk food without us hearing him. Do babies come with stealth mode?” Daniel demanded.
“I don’t know, but we need to get you both back to the clinic.” On wobbly legs they both stood.
“Johnny can you bag up our order and throw in five big bags of Cheetos? I’ll definitely need those later.” David used his sleeve and tried to wipe Arthur’s mouth.
“I charged your account.” Johnny held the bag out to them.
“Umm Johnny can you not say anything about us almost getting Arthur crushed to death? If Gabriel kills us you’ll lose all the income you get from our orders.” David shuddered thinking about what would happen to them if their prince ever found out.
“My lips are sealed. I wouldn’t want your prince to know that my stock almost killed his son, somehow I don’t think I’d be safe.” Johnny paled. David and Daniel nodded.
“True.” They said in unison.
David cuddled the baby close. He kept sneaking looks over to his brother. They had been each other’s family for so long, it scared him to death seeing him hurt. It reminded him that they weren’t invincible and that he could lose his brother. He turned his face before his eyes could fill. Daniel stepped closer and reached for his hand.
“I’m okay, really.” Daniel’s eyes were serious for a change. David swallowed past the large knot in his throat, a stray tear escaped.
“I know. I just don’t like it when you get hurt.” A tiny hand reached up and patted his cheeks. David looked down at Arthur surprised. The tiny baby was worried about him and was patting at his tears.
“I’m okay squirt.” David smiled and raised the baby closer with one arm to kiss his neck. His brother held his other hand. Smiling the three of them walked back into the clinic looking for Doc and Felix.
Daniel opened the door.
“Yes! God yes!” Daniel slammed the door shut.
“What the fuck now?” They heard Felix yell.
“People do get sick around here you know.” David yelled back.
The door swung open. A rumpled and disgruntled Felix glared at them.
“You’re just lucky we were finishing, I swear if I was left hanging again…” Felix looked at Daniel who was still bleeding to Arthur who was rocking the bright orange look.
“You have only been gone for thirty minutes. How could you get into trouble that quick in Arkadia?” Felix looked puzzled.
“Look who’s talking, isn’t your nickname Trouble?” Doc said coming up behind Felix.
“Come in, let me look at that eye.” Doc pointed to Daniel’s cut.
“Look over Arthur first. He almost got crushed by some boxes when he was chomping down five bags of Cheetos at Johnny’s. I swear he’s taking advantage of the fact he’s with his uncles.” David passed Arthur to Doc. Doc just shook his head. Dutifully he looked Arthur over.
“No ill effects, he must have a cast iron stomach. Here Felix change his diaper while I check Daniel.” Doc handed the baby off to his mate who rolled his eyes.
“You just don’t like dealing with diapers.” Felix took care of Arthur, cleaning up his face and fingers and changing his diaper while David watched Doc tape up Daniel’s eye.
“Okay, seriously guys. Go home, sit on the couch and watch TV until Ashby gets back.” Doc advised.
“Sounds like a plan.” David took Arthur from Felix.
“Thanks again Doc.” Daniel waved.
“Bye guys.”
David and Daniel returned to the car and David got into the back with Arthur. He put him back in his box and held it protectively all the way home.
Daniel opened the front door looked around like a 007 Agent. He held his hand against his chest as if it were a gun.
“Clear. Cover my six!” Daniel jumped through the front door, completed a front flip and landed with his ‘gun’ hand pointing out at the room. David walked past him with Arthur ignoring his brother.
“No fun!”
“Come on goofball.”
Once upstairs they placed Arthur on the couch and barricaded him in with cushions. Arthur looked around. He yawned twice curled up on his stomach, butt in the air and fell asleep.
“Nap time.” David and Daniel said together.
David curled up on one side of Arthur and Daniel the other and they fell asleep
*****
“Aren’t they too cute! I’m putting this on Facebook!” A sweet voice exclaimed.
“They do look peaceful.” The deep voice agreed.
Sweet? Deep? Their Princes were home!
David sat up and popped Daniel on the head.
“Hey! Oh. Welcome back.” Daniel smiled up at Ashby who had lifted Arthur carefully out of his pillow cage.
“It’s so good to be back. I missed him so much.” Ashby rubbed noses with his son. Gabriel was staring at Daniel’s bandaged eye.
“What happened?” He asked flatly.
“Totally whacked my head on the desk. I put some tape on it, doesn’t even hurt now.” Daniel pulled the tape off to reveal the smooth skin underneath.
“Thank you guys so much. Gabriel here was worried that you would accidently set the house on fire or something. Let us take you out to dinner as a thank you.” Ashby tickled Arthur. David looked at Daniel who shrugged.
“Sure sounds good.” Daniel agreed.
“Great let’s go. The car is still parked out front.” Ashby frowned at Arthur who was reaching for the bankers box.
“What’s gotten into him?” Ashby walked out with Arthur who was still reaching back for his box.
“Kids huh?” David laughed nervously. Gabriel raised an eyebrow. They both darted for the door to catch up to Ashby.
At the diner it seemed like babies were everywhere. David was regretting their decision to come, but Ashby had been so sweet when he offered and Ma’s food kicked ass.
“How was your trip to Purgatory?” Rebecca asked bouncing Aidhan.
“Good, they are finally ready for the BDSM convention.” Gabriel leaned back in the diner chair.
“Shuush, don’t say that in front of the baby.” Ashby hissed. To their amazement Arthur brought a tiny finger to his lips and blew a raspberry. Ashby’s face lit up.
“That was so fucking cute!” Rebecca exclaimed.
“Isn’t he adorable!” Ashby exclaimed.
“I wonder who taught him to keep secrets.” Gabriel shot the twins a sour look. David looked around the diner refusing to meet his prince’s eyes.
“I think it’s great.” Ashby laughed snuggling his son closer, he sniffed and frowned.
“Be right back love, someone needs a new diaper.” Ashby kissed his mate and used his fob to get into Baby Central.
David was just about to dig into his fries with the door to Baby Central slammed open. Ashby stood in the doorway, Arthur naked from the waist down.
“Why is my baby shitting blue and orange!!” He screeched. David jumped from his seat his twin right beside him.
Arthur turned in Ashby’s arms put a finger to his lips and blew a raspberry.
“Doc said he’s okay!” David yelled behind him and they left the diner at a dead run.
“Babysitting is fun!” Daniel laughed as they ran to Mojos. David laughed and had to agree.