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The first thing Trey heard upon waking up was a scream- a familiar one that he’s heard many times before. He sat up on his bed, sighing as he grabbed the frame of his glasses from his nightstand and placed them in their usual position, resting on the bridge of his nose. A quick glance at the baby monitor nearby was all he needed to realize that Riddle was awake, fussing, and needing his attention. The vice dorm leader pulled the sheets off of himself and slipped out of bed with a gentle step, quiet and calm, so that nobody else would be awoken by any stray noise. Thankfully, his room was right next to Riddle’s, which made for decently easy access.
As the smaller boy’s caregiver, partner in crime, and best friend, he had a spare key to Riddle’s room, specifically for cases such as this. Trey walked into Riddle’s room, quietly and swiftly closing the door behind him before he approached the bed-turned-temporary-crib that held the sobbing baby that he loved so dearly. He couldn’t stand to hear any littles crying- Riddle especially. It always made his instincts go insane. Thankfully, it didn’t take the green-haired male all too long to figure out what was bothering his beloved companion; Riddle was a creature of habit, after all. He often woke up around this time when he had settled into a younger portion of his age range, a wordless request for a bottle and a diaper change. “Oh, my sweet baby boy.. Come here, little one. Come to Dada,” Trey cooed softly to his darling boy as he carefully lifted the Little from his crib. Riddle continued crying, but he seemed to be at least somewhat more at-ease in his caregiver’s arms. “Shhh, shhhhhhh… I know, my darling prince, I know. Easy now. we don’t need you getting yourself sick. It’s alright,” he hummed to the little one as Riddle’s arms wrapped around his neck, as tightly as his baby might would allow.
“How about we get you out of that icky diapee and make you a nice, warm bottle, hm? I bet that sounds nice, doesn’t it? Yeah, that sounds very nice,” Trey spoke softly, more as an audible mental list to himself than anything, but he knew that his voice often helped Riddle to settle down. He grabbed a new diaper, baby powder, and wipes, and he got the fussy little one onto the changing table. It was quick work; Trey was both strong and experienced, and Riddle wasn’t exactly a physically challenging opponent, unlike some other pairs in Night Raven College.
Riddle was much calmer once he was all clean; his Dada would always hum or sing to him during diaper changes, and he always loved that. Dada didn’t sing very much at all; it made him feel special. He gave a few whines and some soft sniffles while any residual tears began drying from his round cheeks. Trey snapped his red onesie closed, and Riddle’s big, blue-gray eyes met his own amber ones. “There we go. That’s much better, hm? Is that so much better for Dada’s baby boy?” Trey grinned, gentle and playful as he lightly tickled his little boy’s foot. Once he’d earned the giggle he knew his silly action would elicit, he chuckled and picked his darling boy right back up, grabbing Riddle’s beloved red binky- the one with the white roses and the golden trim- and gently slipped it into his mouth. Naturally, the baby accepted the familiar soother, and he rested his weary head against his Dada’s strong shoulder, a weak hand barely grasping the back of the taller man’s shirt as he was carried off into the small common kitchen in the dorm’s main room.
This was something in every dorm; it was a necessity with Littles around. It just wasn’t a possibility to have students entering the kitchen at all hours of the night, especially while lugging a Little through an entire dorm and the school’s main campus. It was easier for each dorm to have a small, open kitchen area for the Caregivers, Babysitters and Littles to get what they needed.
Trey grabbed one of Riddle’s favorite bottles from his cabinet, and he poured some milk into it, along with a couple drops of vanilla extract and just enough sugar to balance out the bitterness of the extract. Angel Milk, he called it. It was Riddle’s favorite thing to have in his bottles or sippy cups, outside of his juice and lemonade, and it was perfect for naptime and bedtime. Trey gently bounced his little prince on his hip, just enough to keep him calm as he started dozing off. That was fine, Trey noted to himself, he was just waiting for the bottle to heat up just right, and then they would be off to bed.
Thankfully, it didn’t take long at all; maybe a minute, and it was ready. Riddle whined a bit, both fussy and hungry, but Trey paid it little mind until they returned to Riddle’s room. Trey sat down in the rocking chair near the crib, and he cradled his beloved boy close to his chest. He carefully removed the pacifier and replaced it with the bottle of freshly-warmed milk, only with slight dismay from the little boy.
"Shhh, shhh... Easy, bud. Dada's just giving you your bottle."
Riddle quickly latched on, gazing drowsily up at his Dada as his slow blinks framed his wholly love-filled eyes. Trey gave a kind, proud smile in return before kissing the little darling’s head. “That's my good boy. My little rose. Dada loves you so much, my angel,” he whispered softly, peering right back at the darling boy as his eyes finally fluttered shut. Riddle’s breathing began to even out, his rhythm with his bottle beginning to halt as he drifted off to Dreamland.
Trey stayed that way for a short time, gently rocking in the chair as he allowed his baby to rest while he simply adored the soft, peaceful moment that always meant so much to them both. Once he was sure that his little one wouldn’t wake up if he moved, he was careful to replace the bottle with his pacifier, and gently laid the sleeping baby back into his crib. Grabbing the boy’s beloved white bunny plush from the corner of his crib and placing it in his arms, Trey flicked the mobile on, with its sweet, melodic music, and gently lay the soft blanket over Riddle's resting form. Trey gazed at his sweet baby, so full of love and adoration for the Little who depended on him for so much. He reached a hand down to brush through the little one’s hair one last time for the night, and he whispered, “Sweet dreams, my little dove.” With that, the golden-eyed man smiled and walked out of the room, the door closing behind him as he left to retire for the night.