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“Someone’s turnin’ eight tomorrow,” Pa told his son, a finger to the calendar.
“My boys growing up so fast,” Ma sighed wistfully from the counter where she was chopping up carrots.
Their boy lit up from his seat at the counter where he was helping peel potatoes. He bounced excitedly and took off his sunglasses, and switched them with the round spectacles hung on his shirt collar. “Ohh ohh do you have a good surprise for us??”
“Someone’s eager,” Ma giggled.
“We might,” Pa grinned, sneaking a look at Ma.
Daniel practically threw down the potato peeler and gave the shiniest eyes to his parents, clasping his hands together.
< Yea that’s it, they can’t resist your cute face.> His brother chuckled mischievously from inside their head.
<You know it buddy.>
“Oh come’on dear we can tell them, so they can prepare for tomorrow. They are lucky their birthday is on one of our weekends off as it is.”
Pa rolled his eyes with a smile, and then disappeared into the hallway closet. A moment later he pulled out a rolled up, blanket like thing, tied with a colorful bow. It was black and covered in white and yellow stars.
“What’s that?” Daniel jumped down and came over. He was handed the bundle.
Danny switched in, taking off the round glasses but not bothering with his sunglasses, they didn’t always do so at home. “Is it a blanket?” He asked respectfully.
<OH I BET IT GLOWS IN THE DARK.> Daniel gasped eagerly to his brother, looking at the stars. This thought very much excited him.
“Close, it’s a sleeping bag! We want to take ye guys camping in the Middle Zealand mountains.” Pa replied.
“Real nice place by a lake. Yer Pa and I used to go there a lot when we were younger,” Ma smiled.
It was Danny’s turn for his face to light up, “Camping?! Are we going to go hikin’ and swimmin’ ?”
“Sure are, we know ye love the beach, so we figured you’d love this too.” They lived in a bit of a suburban rural area, but the kids spent a lot of time at the park and playground. They loved the outdoors and Danny especially seemed to have boundless physical energy for exploring it.
“We couldn’t believe ya didn’t have a sleeping bag either, it is a camping necessity!” Ma nodded.
It was funny now the biggest event in their son’s life was their first camping trip. Just four years ago they were worried something was seriously wrong with their son, who had kept insisting they were two distinct people, brothers, but within the same body. They were thankful the doctor they took them to knew of their rare condition. Something like recessive centaur or shiva genes in a family is visually obvious in a kid, but being “dual born” with Gemini Disorder? Not so much. It took a little getting used to, but now they easily could tell their two sons, Danny and Daniel, apart.
Danny hugged onto the rolled up sleeping bag, still in shock they got to go camping tomorrow, for their birthday!
Daniel too was super excited, <Ahhh you think we’ll make s’mores?!>
<I bet so. I love campfires! But we only ever made ‘m at the fire pit in the park and never stayed overnight…this will be in the real wilderness!>
<The woods are so pretty! I can’t wait to see the huge trees,> Daniel was brimming with joy at the thought. They both were, and it was great to feel their counterpart so energized.
<I WANT TO CLIMB THEM ALL.> Danny said with determination.
<Ahh heh, just be careful! Don’t go spraining our wrists again…>
Ma and Pa smiled happily seeing how excited their boys looked. “Well go on, open it!” Pa spoke up.
<Yea buddy, and check if the stars glow in the dark!> Daniel was mentally perched on his brother’s shoulder, climbing all over him in excitement.
Danny unrolled it, and fluffed it out. It had a zipper all along one side. He pet over it carefully. He always was respectful with his things, especially things his parents gave them. He held it up to his face, cupping around one of the stars.
“I hope it’s okay that they glow in the dark,” Pa chuckled.
“IT’S FANTASTIC!” Daniel was there suddenly and grinning ear to ear.
“I told you Daniel would love that,” Ma gestured with her knife.
…
They finally calmed the boys down enough to help finish making stew for dinner. As bedtime came Danny was still clutching the soft sleeping bag.
“We also figured ye boys would want to try it out before tomorrow, to get used to it, yea? We didn’t figure you are claustrophobic but I know some people don’t like being immobilized like that.” Pa mumbled to himself as they were sending the boys to bed.
“Claustrophobic?” Danny asked. He and Daniel didn’t know that word.
“Being uneasy in tight spaces. But ye boys love it when we roll you up in blankets so we didn’t figure it would be a problem, but best to be sure before we’re out there,” Ma said, giving her boys a kiss on the forehead.
“Mmm yea! I love that!” Daniel said, nuzzling her back goodnight.
“Yea I think we’ll be ok Mummy,” Danny said right after, and hugged them both goodnight.
“So try out the sleeping bag tonight anyway boys, pretend ye are camping!” Pa said.
“Goodnight dears. We’re getting up early tomorrow so get right to sleep, no reading in bed till past midnight, ye hear?” She shooed them.
“Yes Maaaa,” Daniel said, sitting on their bed as their parents closed the door.
Soon as they were alone Daniel made up their bed, which involved removing their normal blanket to make room for the sleeping bag. Their two pairs of glasses were placed on their nightstand carefully like usual, and then Danny turned off the light.
Danny zipped open the sleeping bag. <So it’s like a blanket you zip into?>
<Yea, remember we saw kids in a cartoon using them in a camping episode?> Daniel replied. He was cooing softly to himself how the stars looked glowing in the dark room.
<Ahh yea, we did. They looked like cocoons.> Danny laughed.
<Well go on buddy, you can go first. Then my turn!>
Danny slipped into the birthday present and struggled for a moment to zip it up, but soon he was snugged into it. Their pillow was inside the crook at the top of the sleeping bag. It had a built in ‘hood’, so it fully encompassed Danny as he lay down. He paused a moment considering it, then inched down so the hood flopped over, leaving only the smallest of cracks for air. It was like a blanket fort, but…better.
Daniel was quiet as his brother settled in. He could feel how relaxed and calm he was. So safe and cozy. His brother would often feel jumpy or anxious out in the open with lots of people, but here tucked into the sleeping bag, it was like the whole world was shut away. It was just them.
Daniel yawned drowsily, the feeling affecting him too. <I think you like it, yea?>
<Mmmmyea, is really cozy.> Danny said back softly. It made him feel like when he was in his mindspace while Daniel was in control of their body, all tucked away in a comforting darkness.
Daniel had only to nudge his brother to warn him he was switching in, and as he did he wiggled happily, rolling over and curling up inside the sleeping bag.
<It’s like a full body HUG!> He exclaimed happily, taking a while to settle in.
<Mmhumm,> Danny said contentedly.
<Gosh I’m so excited,> Daniel yawned out loud as he said that to his brother in his mind, drowsiness hitting him hard as he finally curled up on his side. <I really love our new sleeping bag,> Daniel managed to mutter out in half intelligible murmurs.
<Goodnight buddy,> Danny said.
The brothers were out like a light, tucked away from the world. But matter where they were or how far they went, they knew the other was always there to share it with them…