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"But I don't wanna go to bed, Daddy!" Patrick whines, flopping down dramatically on the sofa in front of Pete, Ally-gator in one hand and the DVD remote in the other.
Pete remembers that he and Patrick had been having a quiet 'Little' weekend, where Patrick could release his little side and Pete would take care of him. Most 'little' weekends were great, with Patrick being generally happy and calm and Pete's good baby boy. But this weekend had turned rotten around Saturday night when Patrick started being naughty and disobeying Pete, and it hadn't really let up since. Pete wished he knew what was making his baby boy act out so he could help him out and make him happy again.
For now though, he'd have to get around this obstacle. "Trick, it's almost ten. You need to go to bed so you won't be cranky for the other boys tomorrow." Pete says, half sitting on the arm of the sofa, looking at Patrick.
"Can't I watch one more movie? Please Daddy please?"
Pete almost had to laugh with the way Patrick would get when he was in headspace; how he could almost have Pete twisted around his finger with most matters. But he didn't, he just sat back up from the sofa. "You said that before we watched The Fox and The Hound, squirt. It's time to get ready for bed now."
Patrick puffed out a long breath and turned away from Pete, glaring at the back of the sofa and giving one of the pillows at the other end tiny kicks with his feet. "Don't wanna go to bed." was all he said, following it up with a small yawn.
"You wanna tell me why, baby? You know you can tell me anything, especially if it's bothering you." Pete hums, reaching to run a hand through Patrick's hair, knowing that it comforted him most of the time.
"I...." Patrick tries to say, but quickly hides his face behind Ally-gator, and Pete can see around the stuffie that Patrick's about to bite his lip raw.
"Baby, don't bite your lip. Where's your pacifier?"
"Floor."
Pete makes a sound confirming that he heard the younger boy as he catches eye with the bright blue pacifier Patrick had been on and off using during the day. He picks it up and leaves the room to wash it off in warm water. He hopes that maybe a moment alone will help Patrick sort out some of his thoughts.
Once he comes back in the room, Patrick's put the DVD remote back on the table and is now huddled up in the fleece blanket he'd brought down from upstairs. Pete comes over to the sofa and hands Patrick his pacifier, which he hurriedly puts in and starts to suck on.
"You ready to come on to bed? Or am I gonna have to carry you?" Pete asks, not entirely keen on carrying Patrick up the stairs, but it's not the first time he's done it.
Patrick looks back up at him with tired looking green eyes, as if telling him carry me, Daddy. Pete shakes his head fondly and starts the struggle of lifting Patrick up. It's not even close to being as easy as it would've been if he had been carrying Bronx. Patrick thankfully cooperates with Pete for once, so it doesn't take too long for the two of them to end up in the guest bedroom. Patrick tended to sleep in there when he was in his little headspace, because he felt that it was weird to sleep in the same room as he would when he was big.
Pete ungracefully drops Patrick on the bed, and the boy lets out a tired giggle as he rolls onto his back. As soon as Patrick looks comfortable enough on the bed, Pete goes over to the opened bright red suitcase on the floor. The suitcase holds all of Patrick's things for when he goes into his headspace, and Pete's pretty glad the thing exists, because he's not entirely sure how they would have gone as long as they have keeping their thing from Joe and Andy.
"Which pajamas do you want tonight, baby? Dragons or Puppies?" Pete asks, looking back at Patrick as he holds up both sets of pajamas in his hands.
"Want dragons, Daddy." Patrick chirps in reply, half hiding his face in the pillows.
"You're gonna have to get off the bed so you can get in them, Trick."
Patrick slowly gets off of the bed and stumbles over to Pete, who grins and helps him steady himself before helping him into the pajamas.
Soon enough, both Pete and Patrick are in the guest bedroom bed, with Patrick being the little spoon with Pete's arms wrapped around him. Pete still isn't completely sure what's the matter with Patrick, or if there's really anything wrong, but he knows that if there is, Patrick will eventually tell him.
Patrick hasn't said much, but he's tracing the lines in Pete's arm tattoos, humming a nameless tune to himself.
"Baby, can Daddy ask you a question?" Pete whispers, lightly rubbing his thumb against a strip of Patrick's exposed skin where his pajama shirt had ridden up.
"What, Daddy?" Patrick replies, voice quiet and nervous, he's not sure what he's done wrong. Well, he has been disobeying Pete for the past day, but he already knew that.
"You've been acting weird today, and I wanna know if you're okay, because I don't want you to be upset."
Patrick stills in Pete's hold, and takes a long moment before answering Pete's question. "Daddy....I...feel sad." he chokes out, squeezing his eyes shut and covering his face with his hands.
"Is there any reason why, Trick?"
"I...dunno. I've just felt sad, Daddy."
Patrick's breaths start to come out ragged as he begins to cry, and Pete is quickly soothing him with light touches and whispered words. "It'll be okay, Patrick baby. Just let it out, sweetheart."
Patrick continues to cry, turning around and shedding his tears on Pete's t-shirt and on Ally-gator who's being held tight. Pete just rubs Patrick's back and allows him to cry on him, his body shaking along with Patrick's as the younger tries to steady his breath.
It's a while before Patrick finally get to the point where he's occasionally whimpering, but Pete can tell that he's much much better than he was before. "You feeling better?"
"Uh-huh, Daddy." Patrick nods, not really making a move to look up at Pete.
"It's always good to cry when you're feeling sad, I know. I don't mind if you cry when you need too, baby." Pete says, now running a hand through Patrick's hair.
"I'm sorry I cried, Daddy."
"You don't have to be sorry, Trick. I cry a lot too, but you know that."
"But not as much as me." Patrick mumbles into Pete's shirt.
"Baby, we're not gonna play that card tonight." Pete says firmly, giving Patrick a few pats on his bottom for warning. "You need to think about happy things right now, kiddo. Then you won't be so sad."
"Like what?" Patrick grumps, finally revealing his relatively tear-stained face.
"Well.....what about those movies we watched today? How Belle and the Beast finally had their happily ever after, and how the Dalmatians all got home?"
"Yeah! Beast didn't stay all hairy forever!" Patrick lets out a small giggle, remembering the movie he had watched earlier that day.
"So Belle could probably share a bed with him now, hmm?"
"Belle could've slept on him though, Daddy! 'Cause Beast would've been all warm and fluffy!"
"True, true." Pete agrees, pulling Patrick closer. "All warm and fluffy like you, squirt!"
Suddenly Patrick's under a tickle attack, with Pete knowing all of his vulnerable spots. It doesn't take much until Patrick's a laughing mess next to Pete, who's also laughing with him.
A bit later, Patrick's falling asleep nearly on top of Pete, and Pete doesn't really mind. Because he at least knows that Patrick's not sad anymore, and he knows that he's probably doing this right, being Patrick's caretaker. He wouldn't trade it for the world.
end.