Chapter Text
Chad danced through the kitchen with the quiet confidence of a culinary scholar.
He washed his hands, rolled up his sleeves, and took inventory of what they had: a pack of chicken thawing in the fridge, a big bag of rice, a pack of flatbread, a bag of frozen vegetables Herman liked because they were “the tiny trees,” and a jar of sauce that had once been aggressively labeled extra hearty.
Perfect.
Behind him, the littles had settled onto the kitchen floor. Herman sat cross-legged by Beef’s bowl, watching the dog lick the last stray crumbs from the metal with deep concentration. Robert leaned against the cabinet beside Chad’s leg, pacifier back in his mouth.
Chad glanced down and smiled.
“Alright,” he said. “You two sit tight. Dinner’s gonna be ready in just a minute.”
Herm popped up immediately. “I wanna help!”
“I figured you might,” Chad said.
He reached into a lower drawer and pulled out a plastic bowl and a wooden spoon that had long since been reassigned from actual cooking utensil to toddler-approved helper tool.
Herman accepted it like he’d just been knighted.
Robert shifted, rubbing his eyes with both fists this time.
“Smells good,” he mumbled around his pacifier.
Chad’s chest warmed. “It will taste good too. Promise.”
He set a pot of water on the stove and waited for it to boil.
Herman stirred the sauce with intense focus, tongue poking out between his teeth.
“No splashing,” Chad reminded gently.
“I’ll be careful,” Herm said seriously, though a small red dot of sauce had already landed on his sleeve.
Robert let out a tiny huff of a laugh and leaned more heavily against Chad’s legs. Chad adjusted his stance without thinking, shifting just enough to support the smaller man’s weight.
“You can sit at the table,” Chad offered. “I’ll bring your plate over.”
Robert shook his head slowly. “Wanna stay.”
So Chad let him.
By the time the rice was done, Robert was fully slumped against him, thumb hooked loosely around the pacifier shield. Chad scooped him up with practiced ease, earning a sleepy whine that quickly faded when Robert realized he was being held instead of moved.
He set Robert down at the table, tucking a chair close and draping a soft blanket over his shoulders. Herman climbed into his own seat, kicking his legs excitedly as Chad portioned out the food.
“Careful,” Chad said, setting the plates down. “It’s hot.”
Robert stared at his plate like it might disappear if he blinked too long. Rice. Chicken. Little green trees mixed in between. Real food. Good food.
He took a hesitant bite.
Then another.
A small smile bloomed across his face. The tension melted out of him bite by bite, replaced with something heavy and pleasant in his belly. He chewed slower, eyelids fluttering as his body finally caught up to how tired he was.
“Yummy,” he said, more to himself than anything.
Herman nodded enthusiastically, sauce on his cheek. “Told you. Better’n candy.”
Chad laughed softly and sat across from them, watching as Robert finished what he could before pushing the plate away with a tiny sigh.
“Full,” Robert said.
“That’s okay,” Chad said.
He stood and lifted Robert back into his arms without resistance this time. Robert curled in immediately, head tucked under Chad’s chin, pacifier slipping from his mouth as sleep crept in.
Herm cleaned his plate with help, then followed Chad back to the couch, dragging Moo along behind him. Beef jumped up too, settling at their feet with a contented huff.
Chad arranged them carefully so that Herm was tucked against one side and Robert was sprawled across his chest. He pulled a blanket over all three of them and leaned back, letting the quiet settle over them like fog.
Robert stirred.
Chad’s hand moved automatically, rubbing slow circles between his shoulders.
“Shh,” he whispered. “You’re safe.”
Robert relaxed again, breath evening out. No more bad feelings. Just warmth, full bellies, and the steady heartbeat of someone he could always count on to come to his rescue whenever he cried.
Chad sighed, closing his eyes.
They could stay like this for a while.
The top of the world was a long way to fall, but at least they could do it together.