Chapter Text
Michael and Jeremy had decided that buying Gregory toys would help them in the long run, especially with Michael now homeschooling Gregory after asking his therapist if that was the right decision.
The therapist had already told them that Gregory had panicked the whole time they talked, only responding in quick one word responses until Jeremy came to pick him up ten minutes later. They had also said with Gregory being out of the school system since he was seven, he would never get to the same level of education as other kids his age. Even if they put him into a school, he would be at a second grade level and Michael knew how it felt like to be held back so… homeschool it was.
Which ended up with Jeremy texting his husband questions about dinner that night and with a scared to death twelve year old clinging to his side as they walked into a toy store, the boy almost clawing himself to the exit as he tugged against Michael’s grip.
“Gregory,” Michael huffed in an exasperated tone, picking the small boy up. Gregory pushed at his arms, tugging at his hands as they walked further into the store. “Gregory, you have to calm down.”
“No! I’m twelve; not six! I don’t need toys and we’re in an open space; what if she finds me!?” Gregory protested but then his gaze caught onto a rack of plushies and he quieted down. He seemed in awe, like an actual six year old as Michael watched the boy look over the stuffed animals.
Gregory looked up at his face, giving him that puppy-like stare. “Can I have one?”
“Of course you can, Gregory. Of course you can.” Michael said, smiling.
He knew about the bunny lady before he had even met Gregory and Freddy. He knew that she was after Gregory for some reason, probably because his father was alive.
He always comes back.
An Afton always comes back.
But that was a worry for another time, now he walked them both over as Gregory practically jumped out of his arms to start looking around the rack.
Michael looked around the store, making sure no one noticed his injured hand, the wrappings needed to be replaced soon, as Gregory babbled on about his favorite animals, which he had said were either hedgehogs or beavers.
He looked down back at Gregory who was holding a little brown and grey hedgehog, it’s black eyes shining in the bright neon lights of the store.
“I want this one,” Gregory said happily, holding up the small hedgehog. “I’ll name her Philly.”
Michael chuckled, crouching down to be at eye level with Gregory. He ruffled his boy’s hair with his uninjured hand. “I like that name.”
They looked through the aisles slowly, Gregory didn’t have school work today and Michael was waiting on a confirmation email on if his new art piece made it into the gallery in the Town Hall or if he had been rejected again.
Gregory ended up picking up a small round up toy, a few sketch books, some markers, and a little kitchen magnet with a hippo on it. Odd but Michael paid for it nonetheless, soon they walked out, everything in hand as Jeremy pinged back a text.
Ask Gregory what he wants for dinner. Tonight is special, can’t tell you or him or you two will panic. Kisses.
Michael looked down at Gregory, who was holding Philly now, petting her back like she was an actual hedgehog and wasn’t a fake, but quite cute, version of one. Hee we looked up, groaning when he asked what he wanted to eat.
“I know you can’t cook to save your life,” Gregory said, walking past clothing stores as they walked towards the exit. “So I think Jeremy could cook Aperas or Arroz Blanco.”
“Aperas?” Michael had never really learned about his mothers side of the family, his father making sure that little bit of culture was taken from him and his siblings as soon as they entered the world.
So seeing someone so young wanting to learn about a culture that they had been cut from for years. Michael knew of a nice Dominican restaurant in town, it was tiny and practically a hole in the wall but it was nice. He had been commissioned to make art for the owner and had been given a discount for life because of it. The art piece is a mural of the Dominican Republic’s beauty, culture and her people, and yet he felt distant from it; distant from a part of him that he was never allowed to explore.
Michael knew it was because of the time he grew up in, the seventies and eighties weren’t nice on those who were different, and his father. But he still felt like it was his fault in some way.
“Aperas are fried corn dough with cheese, meat, vegetables and sometimes soup. My Mamá loved to make these whenever it was cold and said it warmed our hearts and souls but I don’t really know,” Gregory explained, pulling his coat’s hood over his head as they walked back out, the snow around them soft and not coming down hard as it was a few minutes ago. “And Arroz Blanco is—”
“Steamed rice with small steamed vegetables in it. I know, Gregory, I know.” Gregory gave him a look, his reddening nose a contrast to his quite dark skin.
“So you do understand,” His son simply said, holding his hedgehog up as some of the crystallized water landed on the hedgehog’s back.
He didn’t, but Michael was at least happy to find someone who understood him. And his new son nonetheless.
Gregory wants Aperas and I want Arroz Blanco. You think you can cook those?
Of course I can, bby. <3 I love you.
Love you too.
Jeremy and Freddy were waiting at the door as Michael and Gregory stepped through the front door, Michael’s curls dusted with a sheen of snow and Gregory’s nose was a dark red from the cold.
Gregory ran into his arms, hugging him as Jeremy scooped the boy up, pressing a soft kiss to the boy’s cheek. “How was the trip to the mall?”
“It was really quite nice,” Michael answered, unzipping his coat and pulling off his gloves. “We only had two panic attacks today.”
Gregory nodded happily. “I got a bunch of art supplies ‘cause Michael wouldn’t let me use his, and got a magnet for the refrigerator, some marks too! Oh! Almost forgot!“
Gregory started to dig through his pockets as Jeremy set him back down, pulling down his son’s snow covered hood as Gregory took out a small plush hedgehog. “This is Philly. She’s the new toy I got.”
“That’s great news, Superstar!” Feddy said happily, one large metal hand landing on Gregory’s head in a soft pat. He noticed Michael's stiffness that went as soon as the bear brought his hand back, giving Gregory a tilt by his head.
“Yes it is,” Jeremy said happily, helping Gregory with the buttons as Michael tried to sneak into his art studio or what Jeremy called his husband’s “man-cave.” The room was always filled with half finished art, old soft drink cans, dirty plates, and other junk but Michael wasn’t getting out of this. Jeremy quickly grasped the helm of his husband’s sweater, keeping him from moving. “Ah-uh-ah! You aren’t getting out of this so quickly, Mr.”
“But my email—” Michael tried to start but Jeremy cut him off.
“This has to do with it, okay? Just stay here and you’ll know in time.” Jeremy reassured with a long kiss to Michael’s lips, the man sighing into their touch as Gregory made a gagging noise.
“Eww!” Gregory spat out, clearing not meaning to sound so disgusted but ending up laughing half way through.
Michael rolled his eyes. “You’re acting like me when I was your age, and that’s not a good thing.”
Michael scoffed at the kid as Jeremy pulled his face down into another kiss, the taller man’s dark facial hair pricking his pale skin as they continued to kiss.