So fucking cute.
“I know you want to play as Emmie, but I just want to talk about how you’re feeling so far first.” Checking in periodically was something they’d agreed to ahead of time, but that didn’t stop Emmett from rolling his eyes and sighing again.
“I’m fine, Daddy.”
Rooster smiled at him, cupping his face. “The plate and cup were okay? I know you said you were open to some little things even when you’re big, but we didn’t talk about those specifically.”
Wiggling in place, Emmett leaned into his side. “I love my new plate and cup! They have superheroes on them!”
“I thought you might like that.” Emmett squirmed again, a blush blooming on his cheeks like the idea of Rooster thinking about what he might like was overwhelming to him. “What about how I cut up your meat before calling you to the table?”
“I liked that too, Daddy,” he said, voice a little softer. “It… It makes me feel cared for in a way that makes my belly feel all fluttery.”
He nodded, grateful Emmett liked for Rooster to take care of him, even when he wasn’t little. Gently, he caressed Emmett’s cheek. “That’s good because I like doing things like that for you. Have you decided about staying the night?”
Emmett glanced away, nibbling on his tempting lip. “I want to, but… I didn’t tell Roni. She’ll worry if I don’t come home.”
“I’ll let her know. You go play for a while, then we’ll watch a movie before bed.”
There wasn’t a noticeable change in his expression or anything, but Rooster stillfeltit like Emmett flipped a switch inside him, his little side fully bursting forward.
“Okay, Daddy,” Emmie said, voice a little higher-pitched. He threw his arms around Rooster’s neck and gave him a hug before clambering off the couch and beelining for his toys.
Within a few minutes, it seemed that Snowball the dragon and Woofie the dog were waged in an epic battle against the superhero figurines, the heroes doing their best to defend the small block city Emmie had built.
That warm feeling from before was back, and Rooster basked in it as he took out his phone and shot Viper a text.
Rooster
Emmett’s going to stay here tonight, but he’ll probably have to go home in the morning before work. I don’t think he brought clothes for tomorrow.
Viper
Wow. Already stealing my roommate. You move fast.
He knew she was mostly joking, but with the sounds of his sweet Emmie’s play battle in the background, he couldn’t help but get mushy.
Rooster
What can I say? When you know, you know.
I’ve never met anyone like him.
I feel so fucking lucky you found him and brought him to the clubhouse and back into my life.
She didn’t respond for so long, he didn’t think she was going to. Either because a client had walked into the tattoo shop or because she didn’t want to deal with his sappy ass, but then one more text came through.
Viper
He’s lucky too. You’re good for him.
For some reason, that settled something in his chest, like he’d been worried about what she thought of their relationship without even realizing it. Grinning, he shot back anI knowand a wink, then tucked his phone away. He watched Emmie play for a while longer, but when he noticed he was slowing down,moving to just building with his new blocks rather than staging any kind of play fighting, he called him up onto the couch.
Emmie’s smile was sleepy as he climbed up, settling in front of Rooster with his back to Rooster’s front and Snowball and Woofie clutched to his chest. After settling a blanket over them, he picked up the remote and gave Emmie a little poke in the side.
“What movie do you want to watch, sleepy boy?”
Squirming and giggling, Emmie sighed as he resettled against Rooster. “You pick, Daddy.”
