Work Text:
Dante arrived home after a long day, slamming the door behind him and dropping his backpack. He dropped his keys in the bowl and headed upstairs, getting undressed and into the shower. Work took so much out of him. Decision after decision, hours spent thinking, computing, and presenting ideas to their investors. He was tired. So tired. A whimper pulled from his throat, eyes drooping. He dried off and got out, getting dressed in fuzzy pink pajamas, searching for his papa.
“Papa?” Dante walked out the bedroom, searching down the halls.
He looked in the office, empty, the living room, empty, and the bathrooms, also empty. Eventually coming over to the back porch, catching sight of him. “Papa?” The other turned at this, tall and british, black and grey hair swept back out of his face, bags and lines of stress prominent. Nathan was a good bit older than him, taller, stronger, and of course, more flamboyant. It took a long time to even convince him to date him, the other stating his rejection on clauses of morality, considering their age gap, but Dante reminded him again and again, that he was indeed an adult. The man put out a cigarette on the wooden planks. Dante hated when he did that.
“Hey there baby, Bad day?” Dante nodded, opening the glass door and stepping closer to nathan. He comes closer and hugs nathan.
“Let's get you inside baby.” Nathan picks Dante up and walks them inside, closing the door behind them and heading up the stairs, grabbing a key from the nightstand and unlocking a dark door all the way on the far end of the hallway. It unlocks to reveal a pink haven. Pink canopy fabric hanging from a pink bed frame, moon and star string lights hanging from it, illuminating the plethora of plushies below. Nathn sets Dante down, moving over, past the black cage decorated in all pink to one of the counters, grabbing a pacifier from the drawer and coming back over to Dante, him looking up innocently at him. Nathan slips the pacifier into Dante’s mouth slowly with a smile, Dante suckling immediately.
Nathan pats his head and pulls him up the bed, tucking him in and handing him a plushie to cuddle. He stands, going over and cleaning up the toys from the floor from the last play session, putting them away. He gets to work with a meal for when Dante wakes, some dinosaur nuggets, french fries, and cold apple juice ready in a sippy cup. He sits at the end of the bed, simply watching his baby boy suckling on his paci, eyes shut and finally relaxing after a hard day. It fills his chest with warmth, replacing the cold feeling he felt earlier, so desperately trying to abate with cigarettes. Now easily chased away by his baby boy.
Dante awakes with a whimper an hour later, raising his head to realize he's in his little room, soft pink glow of his strawberry night light illuminating the room. He turns, seeing papa seated next to him, reading a book. He scoots closer, the other catching sight of his movements and smiling. Nathan lifts his arm, allowing Dante to tuck himself between him, snuggling up to his side.
“Papa…? M’.. M’ hungry…” Nathan looks down at Dante, a soft smile on his face.
“Alright baby. I’ve made you food, let me go heat it back up.” Nath leans down and presses a kiss to Dante’s forehead, sitting up and walking over to the pink countertops, grabbing the plate of food he made from the fridge and popping it in the toaster oven, grabbing his sippy cup filled with apple juice from the cold mini fridge. The toaster oven brings and he grabs the food from the tray and slides it back on the plate, setting down the plate and sippy cup on a bed tray table, helping Dante sit up.
Dante eats slowly, with the occasional helping of his papa. They snuggle afterwards, Nathan pulling out a children's book and reading it to Dante, the man slowly falling asleep as Nathn sings to him.
“Hush, little baby don't say a word
Papa's gonna buy you a mocking bird
And if that mocking bird don't sing
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring
And if that diamond ring is brass
Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass
And if that looking glass gets broke
Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat
And if that billy goat don't pull
Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull
And if that cart and bull turn over
Papa's gonna buy you a dog called Rover
And if that dog called Rover don't bark
Papa's gonna buy you a horse and cart
And if that horse and cart turn round
You'll still be the sweetest little babe in town (be the sweetest litte babe)
Still be the sweetest little babe in town
La, la, la, la, la, la
Hush, little baby don't you cry…”
Nathan looks down at Dante, his precious little boy sleeping peacefully, eyes closed, hair falled aside, expression finally lax. He pushes back his fallen paci into his mouth, chest filling with warmth. He presses a kiss to his boy's forehead. If only he could always be this relaxed. If only.